Objective To evaluate the effect of silencing leptin by small interfering RNA(siRNA)on the expression of lep‐tin ,and apoptosis ,proliferation and intracellular Ca2+ concentration([Ca2+ ]i )of hepatic stellate cells(HSCs)and to provide evi‐dence for liver fibrosis gene therapy.Methods HSCs were divided into normal control group ,blank vector group ,siRNA nega‐tive control group and leptin‐siRNA group.After transfection of the leptin‐siRNAs into HSCs ,cell proliferation was measured by MTT assay.Cell cycle and apoptosis were measured by flow cytometry.Expression of leptin was detected by immunocyto‐chemistry and Western blot. [Ca2+ ]i was measured by Fura‐2/AM loading.Results Compared with the normal control group , the blank vector group and the siRNA control group ,the protein expression of leptin and the cell growth were significantly in‐hibited in the leptin‐siRNA group(P<0.05). The proliferation rate of HSCs was significantly different at different time points (24 ,48 and 72 h)(P<0.05).The cell apoptosis rate was increased significantly in the leptin‐siRNA group(P<0.01).At the same time ,Leptin‐siRNA‐induced [Ca2+ ]i was also significantly reduced(P<0.05).Conclusion The leptin gene may play an important role in liver fibrosis progression and is potentially a novel predictive and prognostic marker for liver fibrosis.

Since HBV DNA integration was discovered for the first time in 1980, various methods have been used to detect and study it, such as Southern Blot, in situ hybridization, polymerase chain reaction and so on. HBV DNA integration is thought to be random on the whole although some hot spots of integration were described by some researchers, one of which might be the repetitive sequences of the genomic DNA. Besides, DNA damage, especially double-strand breaks could promote HBV DNA integration into host genome. HBV DNA integration into cells may damage the stability of the genome, cause DNA rearrangement, promote DNA deletion and induce the formation of HCC.

Objective The newly developing gene therapy method and dominant negative mutants were bein g used as new promising HBV therapy method, and a dominant negative mutant of HB V X g ene we have reported in our previous report has some effects both on HBV replica tion and expression in transient expression, but the effects were interfered by persistent secretion of HBV in HepG 2 2.2.15 cell line in the experiment. To mak e sure the effects of dominant negative mutant of HBx gene, we established a HBx DN stably expressing cell clone, and evaluated the effects of HBx dominant negat ive mutant on HBV gene expression. Methods The prev HBx-GFP dominant mutant and the plasmids pRev Xwt, pRev GFP which contain the wild type X gene or GFP gene then transfected into HepG 2 2.2.15 cells by liposome. The HBsAg, HBeAg by in media were as sayed by RIA and HBV-related RNA were assayed by Northern blot. Results The pRev HBx-GFP, GFP and wild type X constructs can be effectively expressed in HepG 2 2.2.15 cells. The stable expressed HBx -GFP can significantly reduce HBeAg, HBeAg in media and the HBV-related RNA in HepG 2 2.2.15 cells, but not for pRev Xwt and pRev GFP. Conclusions The dominant negative mutant pRev HBx-GFP can significantly inhibit the HBV gen e expression. It also suggested that X gene may be one promising target for HBV gene therapy.

Objective To evaluate the diagnostic level of infantile vitamin B_1 deficiency encephalopathy.Methods Clinical featuresand CT images in 45 cases of infantile vitamin B_1 deficiency encephalopathy proved by clinical treatment and follow-up were analyzedretrospectively.Results CT images depicted bilateral symmetrical low-density regions in the lentiform nucleus and the head of caudatenucleus in all 45 cases.The regions were reniform,upsiloid,butterfly or oval.Bilateral symmetrical low-densities of frontal,temporal or parietal lobes were found in some cases.Other CT findings included extensions of longitudinal fissures,lateral fissures and cerebral grooves.Experimental treatments of vitamin B_1 made remarkable clinical improvements.Conclusion CT scanning is extremely useful in thediagnosis of infantile vitamin B_1 deficiency encephalopathy.

Objective To construct an expression vector harboring CYP2B1 suicide gene, and detect its expressions in tumor cell lines. Methods PCR amplification was performed using primers based on murine CYP2B1 gene sequence from gene bank and pc3/2B1 as template. PCR product was directly inserted an eukaryotic expression plasmid pcDNA3.0. The recombinants were analyzed and identified by restriction enzyme analysis, PCR and sequencing. Then the recombinant vector pcDNA3.0/CYP2B1 was transfected into three tumor cell lines by liposome-mediated method. The expressions of CYP2B1 gene in all the cell lines were detected by RT-PCR method. Results pCDNA3.0/CYP2B1 vector was successfully constructed, and could express CYP2B1 mRNA in the three tumor cell lines. Conclusion Eukaryotic expression vector pcDNA3.0/CYP2B1 containing CYP2B1 gene under the control of a CMV promoter is an novel effective expression vector for tumor gene therapy.

Amounts of Certain elements in Anopheles sinensis, both normal ones (emerged mosquitoes, d0, d5, d8, d12 and d18 after taking blood meal) and those infected with Brugla malayi microfilaria (d5, d 8, d12 and d18 after infection), were determined using IL-551 and PE-603 atomic absorption spectrometer(AAS). The results showed that 9 kinds of trace elements including Fe, Zn, Cu, Cd, Al, Pb, Mn. Ni and Cr and 4 kinds of macro elements as K, Na, Ca, Mg were present in both the noninfected and infected mosquitoes. Comparing the contents of the elements between the noninfected and infected mosquitoes, the amounts of many kinds of elements reduced obviously in mosquitoes infected with microfilaria. The quantity and kinds of elements reduced in mosquitoes with the days of infection, for instance, 10 kinds of elements on the 5th day, 11 on the 8th day, 9 on the 12th day and 7 on the 18th day after infection(Tables 1, 2).

Objective:To study the mental state of primigravida before delivery and the effect of psychological help on their mood and delivery type.Method:272 primigravida who was just near their delivery were assessed with STAI and VAS for anxiety in Labor, 152 of them received psychological help including support from medical staff and family members in a sweet environment with accompanied family members?The other 120 primigravida received routine labor service.Result:During labor, primigravida had bad mood,psychological help deceased their anxiety and fear, and was helpful in upgrading the rate of delivery.Conclusion:Bad mood of primigravida is common, supportive attitude and environment are helpful to both mental state and their delivery.

Vitiligo is a kind of difficult to treat skin disease. Its pathogenesis is not very clear and the treatment is also difficult. In this paper, according to basic theories of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) from basic drug selec-tion, visceral syndrome differentiation, harmonizing qi and blood, expelling wind and eliminating dampness, treatment according to four seasons, medication according to meridian pathways, psychotherapy and nursing. Experiences of professor W ang Jusheng in vitiligo treatment were introduced in order to provide a beneficial reference.

The effects of all-trans-retinoic acid (ATRA) in low doses supplementation on concentrations of polar retinoid metabolites (PRM) and retinoids in the ethanol-fed rat liver, and on hepatocyte injury were investigated. The rat model of alcoholic liver disease (ALD) was induced by intragastric infusion of ethanol, and then the rats were administrated with ATRA in two different doses (150 microg/kg body weight and 1.5 mg/kg body weight) for 4 weeks. Concentrations of retinoids in rat liver and plasma were determined by using HPLC. Liver tissues pathologic changes were observed under the light microscopy and electron microscopy. The serum transaminases concentrations were measured. The results showed that the HPLC analysis of retinoids revealed that retinoids (vitamin A, RA, retinyl palmitate) concentrations in ethanol-fed rat liver and RA concentration in ethanol-fed rat plasma were markedly diminished (P<0.01) after ethanol feeding for 12 weeks. Furthermore, obvious peaks of PRM were formed in livers of ethanol-fed rats. ATRA 150 microg/kg supplementation in ethanol-fed rats for 4 weeks raised RA concentration in both liver and plasma, and also raised vitamin A concentration in liver to control levels, partially restored retinyl palmitate concentration (P<0.05) in liver. ATRA 1.5 mg/kg supplementation raised not only RA concentrations in liver and plasma but also retinyl palmitate concentrations in liver. However, the vitamin A concentration in liver of ATRA-supplemented rats (1.5 mg/kg) was higher than that of controls (P<0.05). The histologic observation of liver tissues indicated that ATRA treatment notably alleviated hepatocellular swelling, steatosis, the swelling of mitochondria and proliferation of smooth endoplasmic reticulum (SER). ATRA treatment greatly decreased levels of serum transaminases as compared with the only ethanol-fed group (P<0.05). It was concluded that low-dose ATRA treatment could restore retinoids concentrations and abolish the PRM formation in liver of ALD rats, and then ameliorate the injury of liver cells.

A novel HBV integration site involved in hepatocarcinogenesis was investigated. The HBV DNA integration sites were detected by Alu-PCR in hepatocellular carcinoma tissues, matched surrounding liver tissues in 30 patients with hepatitis B-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and 3 cases of normal liver tissues. The integration sites and flanking sequences in human genome were sequenced and blasted, and the expression of integrated HBV genes was determined by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The influence of the up-regulated expression of integrated genes on hepatocarcinogenesis was analyzed. Nineteen integration sites of HBV DNA into HCC tissues were obtained by RT-PCR and sequencing. These genes encoding proteins were: LOC51030, LOC157777, minichromosome maintenance complex component 3 associated protein (MCM3AP), MCTP1, SH3 and multiple ankyrin repeat domains 2 isoform 2, CCDC40, similar to HCG2033532, mitochondrial ribosomal S5 pseudogene 4. One of them was integrated into the intron of MCM3AP. RT-PCR demonstrated that the expression levels of MCM3AP mRNA in HCC tissues, matched surrounding liver tissues and normal liver tissues were in a descendent order. The ratio of MCM3AP mRNA to the GAPDH mRNA in these three tissues was 1.07375, 0.21573, 0.06747 respectively, with the difference being statistically significant among them (P<0.05). Meanwhile, the expression levels of MCM3AP mRNA from HCC tissues in which HBV DNA integrated into MCM3AP were still significantly higher than those without HBV DNA integrated into MCM3AP. It was concluded that the HBV DNA integration sites into human genome were random, and MCM3AP was a new site. The up-regulated MCM3AP mRNA may affect flanking sequences which promote the hepatocarcinogenesis.