Objective To assess whether 5-HTR1A C( - 1019) G and GNβ3 C825T gene polymorphisms are associated with post-stroke depression (PSD) and explore the genetic mechanism of the pathogenesis of post-stroke depression. Methods All 159 patients with first stroke were divided into the PSD group and the control group according to HAMD scores. Their genotypes were determined with polymerase chain reaction and allele-specific restriction enzyme analysis. Results The frequency of 5-HTR1A (-1019) GG genotype(8/53,15. 1% ), G allele (44/106,41.5%)and GNβ3 825T allele(68/106,64. 2% ) were significantly higher in the post-stroke depression group than in the controls (5/106,4.7% ;35/212, 16. 5%; 113/212, 53.3%; ×2 = 23.204, 23. 655, 3. 392, all P ＜ 0. 05 ). Combined genotype analysis showed that individuals with both 5-HTR1A ( - 1019) G and GNβ3 825T allele ( OR =4. 980,95% CI 2. 429-10. 210,P =0. 000) had a higher risk than those with 5-HTR1 A (-1019) G allele ( OR = 3. 589,95% CI 2. 113-6. 096, P = 0. 000) or GNβ3 825T allele ( OR = 0. 638,95% CI 0.395-1. 031 ,P =0. 042) only for post-stroke depression. Conclusion The 5-HTR1A C( - 1019)G and GNβ3 C825T polymorphisms are predisposing genes of post-stroke depression. Our data also suggest a significant interaction between the 5-HTR1A ( - 1019)G allele and GNβ3 825T allele in post-stroke depression.

Objective To study the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovary axis function in female patients with hepatolenticular degeneration (HLD). Method By RIA test the levels of serum pituitary and sex hormones were observed. Results The level of fallicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) was significantly lower than that in control group ( P

Objective To study the differences of chromosomal structure among Yersinia pestis strains isolated from China,and to investigate the reasons of chromosomal rearrangement events occurred in Yersinia pestis as well as the possibility of strain identification and phylogenetic analysis based on the chromosomal rearrangement features.Methods According to the genome sequence data downloaded from web of National Center for Biotechnology Information (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/genome),alignment of all the coding sequences (CDSs) among five strains(American strain CO92 as reference and other four completely sequenced strains from Inner Mongolia,Jianchuan of Yunnan,Yulong of Yunnan,Naqu of Tibet in China named 91001,D182038,D106004 and Z176003 as comparison strains) was performed,and then the chromosome of Yersinia pestis was divided into several large DNA segments (named chromosomal plate in the text) according to the similarity of CDSs.Plate arrangement patterns in each strain' s chromosome and gene content of breakpoint regions were determined.Finally,genetic relationships among Yersinia pestis strains were analyzed on the basis of rearrangement diversity from paired-comparison.Results Yersinia pestis chromosomes of strains CO92,D182038,D106004,91001 were composed of 44 relatively independent plates,except strain Z176003.Gene order was very stable within each plate,while it was movable between the plates.Comparing with the reference strain CO92,13 rearrangement events occurred in the chromosomes of both strain D182038 and strain D106004,and 14 rearrangement events involved in Z176003,while 37 rearrangement events occurred in 91001.Paired-comparison data showed that only 8 plates order differences were existed between D106004 and Z176003.Forty-three breakpoint regions were identified on the chromosome of strain CO92,and 39 of them contained insertion sequences,and 25 of them were IS100.Conclusions Yersinia pestis genome represents a high degree of genetic flux,and chromosomal structures of strains are significantly different from each other.Chromosomal rearrangement events is closely related to the large number of insertion sequences in the Yersinia pestis chromosome.Rearrangement diversity among Yersinia pestis strains could reflect their genetic relationships.

ObjectiveTo study the anatomical abnormalities of basal ganglia and research their influence on depression status in patients with post stroke depression (PSD)by diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) of MRI.MethodsPatients with basal ganglia infarction were recruited,and divided into groups of PSD and non depression control group by Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD) assessment. All the patients were evaluated with National Institute of Health Stroke Scale ( NIHSS). And the patients were checked by DTI sequence.Fractional anisotropy (FA),average diffusion coefficient (ADC) values and the number of nerve fiber were measured in bilateral caudatum,pallidum,putamen and thalamus.ResultsThe score of NIHSS (6.29 ± 3.45 ) was significantly higher in PSD group than that in non-depression group (3.95 ± 1.90 ;t =2.219,P =0.036). No significant difference was found between the two groups for the DTI data of the basal ganglia nuclei ( t =0.056-1.618,all P ＞ 0.05 ). Compared with contralateral construction (0.40 ± 0.02 ),the FA value decreased in the left putamen ( 0.37 ± 0.03 ) in the PSD group ( t =2.243,P =0.045 ).By Spearman correlations analysis,the HAMD score was positively correlated with NIHSS score ( r =0.464,P =0.017 ),and negatively correlated with the FA values of left pallidum (r=-0.563,P=0.005),right pallidum (r=-0.416,P=0.035) and left putamen (r =-0.428,P =0.029).Conclusions The occurrence of PSD was associated with neurological functional deficit following basal ganglia infarction.The depression level was correlated with the increasing of NIHSS score,the reductions in bilateral pallidum and left putamen FA values.This research contributes to evaluation of the PSD status in patients with basal ganglia infarction.

Objective To investigate the potential of adult mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) derived from human bone marrow to undergo cardiomyogenic differentiation after exposure to 5-azacytidine (5-aza) in vitro. Methods A small bone marrow aspirate was taken from the iliac crest of human volunteers, and hMSCs were isolated by 1.073g/mL Percoll and propagated in the right cell culturing medium as previously described. The phenotypes of hMSCs were characterized with the use of flow cytometry. The hMSCs were cultured in cell culture medium (as control) and medium mixed with 5-aza for cellular differentiation. We examined by immunohistochemistry at 21 days the inducement of desmin, cardiac-specific cardiac troponin I (cTnI), GATA 4 and connexin-43 respectively. Results The hMSCs are fibroblast-like morphology and express CD44+ CD29+ CD90+ / CD34- CD45- CD31- CD11a. After 5-aza treatment, 20-30% hMSCs connected with adjoining cells and coalesced into myotube structures after 14days. Twenty-one days after 5-aza treatment, immunofluorescence showed that some cells expressed desmin,GATA4, cTnI and connexin-43 in 5,10 μmol/L 5-aza groups, but no cardiac specific protein was found in neither 3μmol/L 5-aza group nor in the control group. The ratio of cTnI positively stained cells in 10 μmol/L group was higher than that in 5 μmol/L group (65.3 ± 4.7% vs 48.2 ± 5.4%, P ＜ 0.05). Electron microscopy revealed that myofilaments were formed. The induced cells expressed cardiac-myosin heavy chain (MyHC) gene by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Conclusions Theses findings suggest that hMSCs from adult bone marrow can be differentiated into cardiac-like muscle cells with 5-aza inducement in vitro and the differentiation is in line with the 5-aza concentration. (J Geriatr Cardiol 2004;1(2) :101-107. )

This research tried improving the specificity and efficiency of gene transfection in gene therapy and tried making the liposome a better gene transfer vector to brain by use of the monoclonal antibody (anti-Lex/SSEA-1)-mediated targeting of liposome. The derivatized monoclonal antibody was conjugated to the liposome DOSPER to form the targeting liposome P-MMA-DOSPER. Then, the pEGFP-C2 encapsulated in P-MMA-DOSPER or DOSPER was injected into the lateral ventricle of SD rats respectively, and the brains were taken for frosted slice 1, 3, 7 or 14 days later. The expression of GFP was observed under fluorescent microscope. There was a lot of expression of GFP around the lateral ventricle of rats in each group. But the indirect fluorescence antibody test showed the ratio of GFP+/nestin+ cells to nestin+ cells of every marking time point in the group of P-MMA-DOSPER was higher than the one in the group of DOSPER; the difference was found to be statistically significant (P<0.01). The results proved that the P-MMA-DOSPER can permeat the ependyma and can transfer gene into the nerve stem cells in vivo safely and effectively.
Animals ; Antibodies, Monoclonal ; metabolism ; Brain ; metabolism ; Fatty Acids, Monounsaturated ; metabolism ; Female ; Gene Transfer Techniques ; Genetic Vectors ; genetics ; metabolism ; Green Fluorescent Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Liposomes ; Male ; Polymethyl Methacrylate ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Transfection