Objective To investigate the genotype-phenotype correlation between TSC1 and TSC2 associated tuberous sclerosis complex(TSC).Methods Nineteen infants with TSC were enrolled in the study.Their clinical manifestations and mutations of TSC gene were analyzed by chip capturing and next-generation sequencing.Results Among the total of 19 patients with TSC,13 TSC2 mutations and 4 TSC1 mutations were detected.The ratio of TSC2/TSC1 mutation-positive cases was 3.4/1.Six mutations were novel.There were epilepsy in 10 cases carrying TSC2 mutations,including 4 cases (31％) with refractory to antiepileptic treatment,and 3 cases carrying TSC1 mutations,including 1 case (25 ％)with refractory to antiepileptic treatment.The incidence and severity (grade 2)of epilepsy,brain imaging were not different in TSC2 and TSC1 patients(P =0.480 7,0.462 2).Compared with clinical manifestations,incidence of mental retardation (grade 1 or grade 2) was higher in TSC2 patients (85 ％,11/13 cases) than TSC1 patients (50 ％,2/4 cases).Also,the incidence of moderate and severe mental retardation (grade 2) was higher in TSC2 patients (54％,7/13 cases) in comparison with TSC1 patients(25％,1/4 cases).Compared with the phenotype of TSC2 and TSC1 patients,the frequencies of skin,renal and cardiac lesions were significantly higher in TSC2 patients than TSC1 patients.Conclusions TSC2 mutation may be the prominent molecular pathogenesis in Han population with TSC.TSC2 patients have much profound muhisystemitc leisions than TSC1 patients,including mental retardation,epilepsy,facial angiofibromas and renal angiomyolipomas etc,which should be confirmed further in domestic multicenter and large samples.

The aim of the present study is to investigate the effects of Vam3 which is one of the dihydroxystilbene compounds on expressions of ICAM-1 in the lungs of OVA-induced asthmatic mice and the mechanisms of anti-airway inflammation. Balb/c mice were challenged with OVA inhalation. Lung tissues were stained with Mayer's hematoxylin and eosin for histopathologic examination. The expression of ICAM-1 in the lungs of mice was analyzed by Western blotting and immunohistochemistry method. The NF-kappaB activities were detected by NF-kappaB-luc reporter genetic transient transfection method. The activities of MMP-9 induced by LPS, TNF-alpha and PMA in THP-1 cells were determined by gelatin zymography method. The results showed that Vam3 could inhibit the expression of ICAM-1 in the OVA-induced mouse model. In addition, Vam3 could significantly suppress the activities of NF-kappaB in A549 cells and MMP-9 in THP-1 cells induced by LPS, TNF-alpha and PMA. These results suggested that Vam3 could alleviate the asthmatic inflammation by decreasing ICAM-1 expression in asthmatic mice, down regulating NF-kappaB and MMP-9 activities. Compound Vam3 showed inhibitory effects on inflammatory signal pathways involved in asthma.

AIM: To investigate the expression of connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) and α-SMA in human lens epithelium cell (HLEC) line B3 after transfection by liposome-coated siRNA targeting CTGF.METHODS: HLECs were transfected with small interfering RNA (siRNA) targeting CTGF,labeled with 5`-fluorescein isothiocyanate (5`-FITC) and coated with lipofectamine.The transfection ratio was evaluated via fluorescence intensity.Cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay was performed to assess cytoviability of both non-transfected and transfected HLECs.Quantitative RT-PCR,cell immunochemistry and Western blot analysis were conducted to detect the expression changes of CTGF and α-SMA after transfection.RESULTS: A highly effective transfection ratio was observed in siRNA co-transfected with lipofectamine.The transfection ratio reached 95% at 24h.The proliferation of HLECs was inhibited by siRNA after 72h transfection.The expression of CTGF and α-SMA significantly decreased in HLECs after transfected by CTGF siRNA for 24h.This effect was not found in negative control siRNA.CONCLUSIONS: SiRNA targeting CTGF decreased CTGF and α-SMA expression in HLECs,which is a potential therapeutic strategy for posterior capsular opacification.

Objective:To compare and observe the changes in choroidal thickness between healthy pregnant women and healthy non-pregnant women.Methods:A prospective clinical study. From January 2019 to August 2019, healthy pregnant women (pregnant women group) and healthy non-pregnant women age-matched were enrolled during the same period (the normal group) in the obstetrics of Zhuji People's Hospital. All patients were enrolled with their right eyes. Frequency-domain OCT-enhanced depth imaging technology was used to measure the subfoveal macular and 1000 μm above, below, nasal, and temporal choroidal thickness and foveal retinal thickness (CMT). The choroidal thickness and CMT of the pregnant women group and the normal group were compared by t test, and the choroidal thickness and CMT of the normal group and the eyes of different gestational weeks were compared by one-way analysis of variance. Results:The pregnant women group and the normal group included 161 patients (161 eyes) and 40 patients (40 eyes). According to the different gestational weeks, the pregnant women were divided into the first trimester group, the second trimester group, and the third trimester group, with 47 patients (47 eyes), 66 patients (66 eyes), and 48 patients (48 eyes) respectively. There was no significant difference in age, axial length, intraocular pressure, and CMT between the different gestational week groups and the normal group ( F=1.433, 1.558, 0.416, 2.288; P>0.05). The subfoveal choroidal thickness (SFCT) of the pregnant women group and normal group were 317.7±73.9 μm and 279.7±44.1 μm, respectively, and the difference was statistically significant ( t=3.113, P=0.002). Compared with the normal group, the choroid at the upper, lower, nasal, and temporal sides of the pregnant group 1000 μm from the fovea was thickened. The difference between the upper, nasal and temporal sides was statistically significant ( t=2.699, 3.474, 2.595; P<0.05). The SFCT of the eyes in the first trimester group, the middle group, and the late group were 305.8±72.3, 327.7±69.8, 315.8±80.5 μm, respectively. Compared with the normal group, the difference was statistically significant ( F=4.180, P=0.007). Pairwise comparison between the two groups, the second trimester group was significantly different from the normal group ( P=0.003). There was no significant difference among the first trimester group、the third trimester group and the other groups ( P>0.05). Conclusion:The choroidal thickness of pregnant women is thicker than normal, and the choroidal thickness in the second trimester reaches the maximum value; while the macular CMT during pregnancy has no significant change.

The aim of the study is to evaluate the effects of the single and mixed decoction of Thallus laminariae (kelp) and Glycyrrhiza glabra (licorice) on the metabolism and their difference. The mixed decoction of kelp and licorice and the single decoction were made and intragastrically administered to the SD rats. The effect on system metabolism, the toxicity of liver and kidney were assessed by GC-MS profiling of the endogenous molecules in serum, routine biochemical assays and histographic inspection of tissues from SD rats, separately. The mixed decoction of kelp and licorice induced more obvious pathological abnormalities in SD rats than a single decoction of kelp, while the extracts of licorice did not show any pathological change. Neither the mixed, nor the single decoction showed abnormal histopathology. After intragastric administration of extracts for 5 days, the mixed decoction induced a decrease of ALT (no significant change in the groups of single decoction) and an increase of BUN (so did the single decoction of kelp). Metabolomic profile of the molecules in serum revealed that the metabolic patterns were all obviously affected for the three groups, i.e., the mixed and single decoction of kelp and licorice. The rats given with the single decoction of kelp showed a similar pattern to that of the mixed decoction, indicating that the kelp primarily contributed the perturbation of metabolism for the mixed decoction. All three groups induced a decrease of branched chain amino acids, TCA cycle intermediates and glycolysis intermediates (e.g., pyruvic acid and lactic acid) and an increase of 3-hydroxybutyric acid. Kelp decoction showed stronger potential in reducing TCA cycle intermediates and glycolysis intermediates than the other two groups, while the levels of branched chain amino acids were the lowest after licorice extracts were given. These results suggested that the effect of the mixed decoction on metabolism was closely associated with both kelp and licorice. The continuous administration of single decoction of kelp and the mixed decoction of licorice and kelp resulted in pathological abnormalities in kidney of SD rats. The mixed decoction of kelp and licorice distinctly perturbed sera molecules and hence system metabolism, which showed associated with those of kelp and licorice. Although the metabolic effect was associated with both kelp and licorice, the results suggested kelp contributed to it primarily.
Animals ; Glycyrrhiza ; chemistry ; Kelp ; chemistry ; Kidney ; drug effects ; Liver ; drug effects ; Metabolomics ; Plant Preparations ; pharmacology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

OBJECTIVEOsteopetrosis is a rare genetic disorder and the malignant infantile osteopetrosis (MIOP) is the worst subtype of this disease. Seventy percent of patients die in six years of life without proper treatment. Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) offers the only chance of cure for MIOP.

METHODRetrospective analysis was performed on 8 patients with MIOP who underwent HSCT in Beijing Children's Hospital during the period from 2006 to 2011.

RESULTEight cases (4 male and 4 female, mean age at HSCT 13.5 months) were diagnosed as malignant infantile osteopetrosis. Conditioning regimen included fludarabine, busulfan and cyclophosphamide. All patients received cyclosporin for prophylaxis of graft vs. host disease (GvHD). A UMD recipient underwent CD34(+) cell selection. ATG/ALG, mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) and methotrexate (MTX) used for recipients with unrelated cord donor (2) and recipients with haplo-identical donors (5). Average time for neutrophil engraftment was 15.7 day (9 - 36), platelet engraftment was 43.3 day (10 - 68). The patients were followed up from 47 days to 5 years, 1 patient died of post-transplant complications. Seven cases presented better in clinical manifestation. Acute GvHD I°-II° was observed in 6 patients, III°-IV° in 2 patients. It was controlled by anti-GvHD therapy.

CONCLUSIONNon-allogenic stem cell transplantation treatment of infantile MIOP showed high survival rate and restoration of hematopoiesis in haploid transplant patients, therefore, non-allogenic HSCT may be an option to treat MIOP in children.

Bone Marrow Transplantation ; adverse effects ; methods ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Fetal Blood ; cytology ; Follow-Up Studies ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; Graft vs Host Disease ; drug therapy ; epidemiology ; prevention & control ; Haploidy ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation ; adverse effects ; methods ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Osteopetrosis ; mortality ; therapy ; Retrospective Studies ; Survival Analysis ; Transplantation Conditioning ; methods ; Transplantation, Homologous ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVETo observe the effects of pravastatin on the proliferation and invasion of human hepatocarcinoma HepG2 cell line.

METHODSThe effects of pravastatin on the proliferation, migration and invasion of HepG2 cells was observed by MTT assay, Boyden chamber assay and motility assay. p38 activity was measured, and the expression of p-p38, MKP-1, RhoC and MMP-2 was analyzed by Western blot.

RESULTSPravastatin inhibited the proliferation of HepG2 cells. The intracellular p38 activity and expressions of p-p38, RhoC and MMP-2 were decreased, while MKP-1 expression was elevated in pravastatin treated cells. In addition, pravastatin inhibited the invasion and motility.

CONCLUSIONPravastatin can inhibit the proliferation and invasion of HepG2 cells.

Cell Movement ; drug effects ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Hep G2 Cells ; Humans ; Matrix Metalloproteinase 2 ; metabolism ; Neoplasm Invasiveness ; Pravastatin ; pharmacology

The aim of the present study is to investigate the effects of Vam3 which is one of the dihydroxystilbene compounds on expressions of ICAM-1 in the lungs of OVA-induced asthmatic mice and the mechanisms of anti-airway inflammation. Balb/c mice were challenged with OVA inhalation. Lung tissues were stained with Mayer's hematoxylin and eosin for histopathologic examination. The expression of ICAM-1 in the lungs of mice was analyzed by Western blotting and immunohistochemistry method. The NF-kappaB activities were detected by NF-kappaB-luc reporter genetic transient transfection method. The activities of MMP-9 induced by LPS, TNF-alpha and PMA in THP-1 cells were determined by gelatin zymography method. The results showed that Vam3 could inhibit the expression of ICAM-1 in the OVA-induced mouse model. In addition, Vam3 could significantly suppress the activities of NF-kappaB in A549 cells and MMP-9 in THP-1 cells induced by LPS, TNF-alpha and PMA. These results suggested that Vam3 could alleviate the asthmatic inflammation by decreasing ICAM-1 expression in asthmatic mice, down regulating NF-kappaB and MMP-9 activities. Compound Vam3 showed inhibitory effects on inflammatory signal pathways involved in asthma.
Animals ; Anti-Asthmatic Agents ; pharmacology ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents ; pharmacology ; Asthma ; chemically induced ; metabolism ; Benzofurans ; pharmacology ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Humans ; Inflammation ; metabolism ; Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 ; metabolism ; Leukemia, Myeloid ; metabolism ; pathology ; Lung ; metabolism ; pathology ; Lung Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Male ; Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 ; metabolism ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; NF-kappa B ; metabolism ; Ovalbumin ; Stilbenes ; pharmacology

Peptides have been extensively used in the fields of gene/drug delivery and disease targeting therapy. However, natural peptides are sensitive to protease digestion with short circulatory half-lives in vivo. Many studies on structural modifications of peptides have been reported to improve the delivery or therapeutic effect. In this review we focus on the recent literature on peptide stability in accordance with different structural modifications and summarize the methods and influential factors that are involved in the improvement of stability and half-life in vivo. This review will provide the scientific basis and theoretical references for further investigations and applications in vivo.