Hereditary erythrocyte glucosephosphate isomerase (GPI) deficiency is thefourth most common cause of non-spherocytic hemolytic anemia. A case of GPI deficiencywas confirmed after screening a panel of 18 red cell enzymes and GSH. The GPI variantwas characterized by biochemical parameters including GPI activity in erythrocytes andplasma, low substrate activity, electrophoretic mobility, pH optimum, Michaelis constant(Km), thermostability, and substrate analogue (GAL-6-P) utilization rate. A new GPIvariant was found and was designated as GPI-Guangzhou.

Inspection of the complexion is one of the characteristics of traditional Chinese medical diagnosis. Traditional Chinese medicine puts high emphasis on inspection of the complexion and there exists detailed discussion on inspection of facial expression in Neijing. The so-called inspection of facial expression is a method to diagnose diseases according to the theory of five Zang-organs matching five elements and five colors by distinguishing various changes of facial color, such as green, red, yellow, white and black based on yin and yang doctrine and five elements theory. Nowadays, more and more experts have introduced color optical theory and modern devices into the modern research field of traditional Chinese medical diagnosis with the development of color optical theory and the renewal of determining devices, such as digital camera, color differentiation meter and spectrophotometer, to make the research more scientific and objective and avoid the deviations caused by human factors. The modern study of traditional Chinese medicine diagnosis has made fare progress, consequently enriching the contents of its facial color observation and giving a more scientific explanation of it. However, the devices being used now are still disunited; the data may be unilateral and cannot contain the whole information. So the most important task is to invent and use scientific devices conforming better with the theory of five colors observation in traditional Chinese medicine.

OBJECTIVE: To observe the correlation between serum level of TXB2, 6-Keto-PGF1alpha and liver metastasis. METHODS: The metastatic model was made by injection of W256 carcinosarcoma. Rats were randomly divided into two groups: rats with blood stasis group and control group. Rats in control group were given normal saline via abdominal cavity once a day. Rats in blood stasis group were injected adrenalin in the fourteenth day. Tumor size and liver metastasis were observed. Serum TXB2 and 6-Keto-PGF1alpha were tested by radioimmunoassay. RESULTS: Tumor size in rats with blood stasis was significantly smaller than that of the control group (P<0.01). Occurrence of liver metastasis in rats with blood stasis was significantly lower than that of the control group (P<0.01). The values of 6-Keto-PGF1alpha, TXB2, and TXB2/6-Keto-PGF1alpha were higher in the group with blood stasis. CONCLUSION: In the status of blood stasis, W256 carcinosarcoma grows slowly, and liver metastasis increases insignificantly, with the elevations of 6-Keto-PGF1alpha, TXB2 and TXB2/6-Keto-PGF1alpha.

Objective To develop a rapid method based on ARMS, named four primers allele-specific PCR(4p-AS PCR), to detect the most common non-deletional ?-thalassemia mutation Hb Constant Spring(Hb CS) by PCR technique. Methods The 4p-ASPCR was used to detect the Hb CS mutation of ?-thalassemia in 38 DNA samples of Hb H disease patients and using PCR-RE and DNA sequencing to confirm the results. Results Among the 38 Hb H disease patients 15 cases was revealed to carry Hb CS, 16 cases were deletional Hb H, and 7 cases need to be defined.Conclusion A simple, rapid and reliable method, named 4P-ASPCR, to detect Hb CS mutation have been developed. It is also may be useful in screen other point mutations such as Hb Quong Sze.

The ubiquitin-proteasome pathway is responsible for the degradation of most cellular proteins in eukaryotes.It regulates almost all cellular activities, including cell proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis, gene transcription, and DNA repair.The dysfunction of the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway is associated with the pathogenesis of numerous human diseases, including cancer and neurodegenerative diseases.The marketed proteasome inhibitors have been successfully used to treat multiple myeloma and mantle cell lymphoma.Furthermore, novel inhibitors against the components of the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway are under developed and exhibit promising therapeutic effects in vivo.This paper will briefly introduce the progress on the drug discovery related to the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway.

AIM: To clone human ?-globin gene carrying a thalassemic mutation IVS II654(C→T) and establish a eukaryotic expression system for high-level expression of human ? IVS II654 gene in mouse erythroleukaemia(MEL) cells. METHODS: The fragments of human ? 654 gene isolated from the ? thalassemia patients homozygous for the ? 654 mutation were amplified by PCR, and cloned to plasmid pBGT51. Then, the human ? LCR and ? 654 gene were subcloned from plasmid pBGT51 to the stable mammalian expression vector pcDNA3.1+ together, and the MEL cells were transfected with this vector using commercially available cationic lipid FuGENE6. The MEL cells were induced for further maturation by DMSO and the expression of human ? 654 gene in the MEL cells was identified by RT-PCR. RESULTS: A mammalian expression system of human ? thalassemic mutation ?IVS II654(C→T) was established. CONCLUSION: The level and the reliability of expression of human ? 654 gene in the MEL cells in vitro are similar to that in vivo in human body. This may be a valuable gene therapy model for human ? thalassemic mutation ?IVS II654(C→T).

To select appropriate descriptors for response of the patient-reported outcome (PRO) scale for the main symptoms of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) complicated with pulmonary heart disease.

To observe the effects of Shengmai Injection on enhancing efficacy and reducing toxicity of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU).

Smoothened (SMO) is a member of sonic hedgehog homology (SHH) signaling pathway. It plays a key role as a bridge between patched-1 (PTCH-1) and Gli. Aberrant SHH expression can be detected in various malignant tissues, and the expression in pancreatic cancer stem cells is higher apparently. SHH signals are closely associated with self-duplication of cancer stem cells, formation of tumor vessels as well as matrixes. SMO antagonists such as cyclopamine, GDC-0449 and so on show potential to inhibit activity of SHH signaling, and arrest the growth as well as metastases of tumors. Recently, a few of SMO antagonists have been studied in phase I clinical trials and some are in phase II, meanwhile, phase I or II trials of SMO antagonists to treat pancreatic cancer are performed currently. As the classical SMO antagonist, cyclopamine is extracted from a medicinal plant. Perhaps researchers may be able to determine more effective SMO-targeting drugs from herbal medicines in the future.

BACKGROUND: Clinical observation has been proved that acupuncture has effect on antiinflammation and immunoloregulation, which is the basis for preventing and curing immune disturbance and active chronic inflammation. OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of electropumcture on antiinflammation, analgesia and subgroup of T cells of adjuvant-arthrosis rats at Jiaji acupoint.DESIGN: Completely randomized grouping and controlled study.SETTING: Basic Laboratory of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine. MATERIALS: A total of 30 Wistar rats were selected in this study. Five days after feeding, all rats were randomly divided into 3 groups: normal control group, model group and electropumcture group with 10 in each group. METHODS: ① The experiment was completed at Basic Laboratory of Acupuncture and Moxibustion of Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine from January to May 2005. Freund's complete adjuvant (FCA) was used to establish adjuvant-arthrosis models in model group and electropumcture group. On the modeling day, the 3rd and the 5th Jiaji acupoints of bilateral lumbar vertebrae of rats in electropumcture group were acupunctured with 28-sized stainless-steel milli-needle of 0.5 inch.The needle was stimulated 0.3 cm from the 3rd and the 5th spinous process of lumbar vertebra which was counected to G6805-2A multiple functional electropumcture meter for sparse-tight waves (frequency of sparse wave: 4 Hz, frequency of tight wave: 60 Hz, intensity: t mA) 30 minutes each time,once a day for 7 days. Rats in normal group and model group were fixed with the same way for 7 days. (Rats were fixed with cloth-rope at fixing apparatus.) ② Pain threshold was measured before modelling, 1 and 7 days after modelling. Foot pad was exposured with strong light by hot-pain stimulation meter, and paw withdrawal latency was regarded as pain threshold. ③ Right hindfoot bulk of rats was assayed with foot bulk determinator (bulk draining method) before modelling, 1 and 7 days after modelling to calculate swelling rate (％) [(foot bulk after modelling-foot bulk before modelling)/ foot bulk before modelling × 100％ ]. ④ Expressional rates of serum CD4+ and CD8+ were assayed with FACSCalibur flow cytometer and the ratio between CD4+ and CD8+ was calculated 8 days after modelling. ⑤ Average value of multiple samples were compared with single-factor analysis of variance and t test.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Effect of electropumcture at Jiaji acupoint on pain threshold, swelling rate and subgroup of serum T cells of adjuvant-arthrosis rats.RESULTS: A total of 30 rats were involved in the final analysis. ① One day after modeling, bulk of right hindfoot in model group and electropumcture group was bigger than that in normal control group and that before modeling (P ＜ 0.01), and swelling rate was higher than that in normal control group (P ＜ 0.01); 7 days after modeling, bulk and swelling of right hindfoot in model group were higher than those in normal control group (P ＜ 0.01), and bulk was bigger than that before modeling (P ＜ 0.01);bulk and swelling of right hindfoot in electropumcture group were lower than those in model group (P ＜ 0.05). ② Pain threshold of both rear feet of normal rats were not changed after modelling. One day after modelling,pain threshold at inflammatory side was decreased in model group and electropumcture group (P ＜ 0.01) and it was lower than that in normal control group (P ＜ 0.01); 7 days after modeling, pain threshold at inflammatory side was still lower than that before inflammation (P ＜ 0.05),and it in electropumcture group was higher than that in model group (P＜ 0.05). ③ Percentages of CD4+ T lymphocyte and CD8+ T lymphocyte in model group were lower than those in normal control group (P ＜ 0.01), and ratio of CD4+/CD8+ was also higher than that in normal control group (P＜ 0.05). Percentage of CD4+ in electropumcture group was higher than that in model group, but there was no significant difference. Percentage of CD8+ in electropumcture group was higher than that in model group (P ＜ 0.01),but ratio of CD4+/CD8+ was lower than that in model group (P ＜ 0.05).CONCLUSION: Electropumcture at Jiaji acupoint has obvious effect on anti-inflammation and analgesia, and can also regulate cellular immunity of adjuvant-arthrosis rats.