Objective To investigate the correlation between I405 single nucleotide polymorphism in CETP gene and the therapeutic effect of simvastatin in dyslipidemia patients.Methods Genotype information of I405V in CETP gene was detected by SNaPshot TM primer extension assay in 375 dyslipidemia patients.Blood lipid profiles before and 6 weeks after treatment with simvastatin were recorded to analyze the correlation between the therapeutic effect of simvastatin and I405 polymorphism genostype.Results The frequency of I405 V polymorphism was 38.9%in II genotype,48.5% in IV genotype and 12.5%in VV genotype.After being treated with simvastatin for 6 weeks,the serum levels of TC were significantly decreased by 1.21 mmol/L(P <0.01)and HDL-C level was significantly increased by 0.74 mmol/L(P <0.01).Compared with the IV and VV genotypes of I405V polymorphism,the decrease of TC in II genotype patients were 0.26 mmol/L and 0.16 mmol/L more respectively (P<0.01).Meanwhile,the increase of HDL-C was significantly different among three genotypes(P<0.01).HDL-C in II genotype was increased by 0.85 mmol/L,which was 0.19 mmol/L and 0.15 mmol/L more compared with IV genotype and VV genotype,respectively.Conclusion I405V polymorphism in CETP gene is similar with the lipid-regulating effect of simvastatin.The decrease of blood lipid is more significant in patients with II genotype compared with patients with V allele,suggesting that II genotype is the maker which may predict the therapeutic effect of simvastatin in dyslipidemia patients.However,this conclusion still needs further evaluation.

Objective To summarize the experience of clinical diagnosis and treatment for recurrence and progress of relieved myastbenia gravis after thymectomy. Methods 22 recurrent and progressive after relieved pa-tients with myasthenia gravis who underwent thymectomy were retrospectively analyzed. The remission therapy was conducted with combined glucocorticoid and anticholinesterase and its effectiveness was estimated. Results It was 1,17,4 as better Osserman scale Ⅰ , Ⅱ , Ⅲ respectively before operation but 15,6,1 as better Osserman scale Ⅱ , Ⅲ, Ⅳ respectively in recurrence and progress of relieved myasthenia gravis after thymectomy besides 6 with myas-thenic crisis. Complete remission and partial remission were gained in 9 patients and 12 patients respectively. There was 1 hospital-death. Conclusions Recurrence and progress can occur in any patient of relieved myasthenia gravis after thymectomy. Bulbar myasthenia gravis is usually presented as dysphagia. Reasonable administration of glucocor-tieoid could improve majority of recurrence and progress of relieved myasthenia gravis after thymectomy but responses poorly to the anticholinesterases.

Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Terminology as Topic ; Translations

Age-related macular degeneration(ARMD)is a progressive fundus disease which seriously damages the vision and visual function. It is one of the important causes of blindness in the elderly. With the development of aging population, ARMD has become a serious public health problem. With the continuous research of scholars at home and abroad, it is found that ARMD is often affected by a variety of risk factors, such as age, heredity, environment, diet and so on. Understanding the risk factors of ARMD and taking effective preventive measures are of great significance to reduce the incidence of ARMD and delay the disease progression. This article makes a brief review on the risk factors of ARMD.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the species of Ligularia distributed in the northwestern China and their medicinal uses in the local area.

METHODField investigation, specimen collection, taxonomic study and datum check were adopted.

RESULTThere are 29 species and 1 varieties of Ligularia distributed in the northwestern China, and 18 species of them had been used as folk medicines with the function of resolving phlegm, relieving cough, clearing heat and toxins.

CONCLUSIONThe northwestern China is abundant in medicinal resource of Ligularia.

Anti-Asthmatic Agents ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Antitussive Agents ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Asteraceae ; chemistry ; classification ; China ; Conservation of Natural Resources ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Ecosystem ; Humans ; Hypnotics and Sedatives ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Pharmacognosy ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; classification

The gene coding for beta-glycosidase (EC3.2.1.21) from Thermus nonproteolyticus HG102 has been cloned and expressed in E. coli. The gene open reading frame was 1311 bp and it codes for 436 amino acids. The deduced amino acid sequence of the enzyme showed identity with members of glycosyl hydrolase family I. The enzyme had high content of hydrophobic amino acid (Ala 12.8%, Leu 10.9%), Arg(9.6%), Glu(9.4%) and Pro(8.0%), but low content Cys(0.45%) and Met (0.9%). From the alignment of enzyme amino acid sequence with other glycosyl hydrolase family I members, Glu164 and Glu338 were predicated as the proton donor and nucleophile group. The DNASTAR program was used to predict the secondary structure. According to the Chou-Fasman model, the enzyme has 41.4% of alpha-helics, 16.2%, beta-strands, 14.4%, beta-turns. 14 of the 35 Pro were located at the second sites of beta-turns. Hydrophobic interaction, ion bond, alpha-helics and Pro had important contribution to Tn-gly thermostability.
Amino Acid Sequence ; Cloning, Molecular ; Escherichia coli ; genetics ; Glycoside Hydrolases ; biosynthesis ; classification ; genetics ; Hot Temperature ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Open Reading Frames ; genetics ; Phylogeny ; Protein Structure, Secondary ; physiology ; Recombinant Proteins ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; methods ; Sequence Homology ; Thermus ; enzymology ; beta-Glucosidase

Acute Disease ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Apolipoprotein A-I ; blood ; Apolipoproteins B ; blood ; Cholesterol ; blood ; Cholesterol, HDL ; blood ; Female ; Humans ; Insecticides ; poisoning ; Lipids ; blood ; Lipoproteins ; blood ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Organophosphorus Compounds ; Poisoning ; blood ; Triglycerides ; blood

Beta-glycosidase (Tngly) from the thermophilic eubacterium Thermus nonproteolyticus HG102, which is a thermostable monomeric protein and adopts the (beta/alpha)8 barrel fold, is an excellent model system to be investigated for the thermostable mechanism, activity and substrate specificity. Here, based on the analysis of structural basis for thermostability of Tngly (Wang et al, 2003) and comparison of other proteins structure of homofamily, Glu164 and Glu338 may act as proton donor and nucleophile in the hydrolysis reaction respectively; proline located at N1 of alpha-helix and arginine which can form ion link may contribute to the thermostability. We aim to further identify the critical sites and the amino acid residue(s) responsible for the activity, the thermal stability and the substrate specificity. Mutations had been constructed by site-directed mutagenesis. They are Glu164Gln, Glu338Ala, Pro316Gly, Arg325Leu, Pro344Phe, Pro356Ala and Pro316Gly/Pro356Ala. All mutant proteins were purified to SDS-PAGE purity. Changes in the conformations were examined by means of CD. The Glu338Ala mutant showed no detectable hydrolysis activity, but can synthesize oligosaccharides, as expected for the residue acting as the nucleophile of the reaction. The Glu164 acts as the general acid/base catalyst in the hydrolysis reaction. Changes in stabilities of mutants compared with wild-type were determined by means of heat inactivity experiment. These results indicate that the amino acid residue of proline that is located at N1 positions of alpha-helix, and Arg325 that form salt bridge between alpha-helices 5 and alpha-helices 6, are the critical sites to protein thermostabilization.
Bacterial Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Enzyme Stability ; Hot Temperature ; Hydrolysis ; Mutagenesis, Site-Directed ; Mutation ; Structure-Activity Relationship ; Thermus ; enzymology ; genetics ; beta-Glucosidase ; genetics ; metabolism

Objective To explore the characteristics of human plague using a sero-epidemiologic method in the source of the three rivers area in Qinghai for possible plague control strategies. Methods Investigate human plague sero-epidemiologically in the source of 4 counties in the three rivers area in Qinghai. The human serum would be tested to confirm the sew-positive rate for plague F1 antibody using indirect hemagglutination assay(IHA). Results A total of 2508 local participants were tested in 4 counties, the overall plague sero-positive rate was 2.31%(58/2508). This represents a statistically significant difference with 4 counties(X2=19.30,P<0.01). The sew-positive rate for males and females were 2.54% (32/1261) and 2.09% (26/1247), respectively. There were no statistically significant differences between males and females(X2= 0.65,P 0.05). The sero-positive rate in herdsman, cadre, Tibetan, Hart nationalities were 3.54% (44/1243), 6.47% (11 / 170), 2.40% (56/2335) and 1.47% (2/136), respectively. The sero- positive rate increased with age. The highest titre for human plague serum antibody was 1 : 640. Conclusion There were occult infections of plague in the population on source of three rivers area in Qinghai. Sero-epidemiologic data revealed that the human plague sero-positive rate was closely correlated with the local animal plague.