Objective To study the effects of germanium oxide on cadmium chloride-induced change of acetylcholinesterase(AchE) activity and contents of catecholamine neurotransmitters in the brains of adult mice. Methods Sixty-four Kunming mice were divided randomly into 8 groups, cadminum groups alternatively exposured to cadminum at 0.3, 0.6, 1.2 mg/kg and same volume of physiological saline through intraperitoneal injection once every two days, cadminum + germanium groups were given germanium oxide at 25 mg/kg besides cadminum once every two days, the other two were germanium and physiological saline groups. All groups were injected for 20 d, then germanium oxide group mice were additional injected total 5 times once every two days .Alkaline hydroxylamine method was used in determining activity of AchE, flourimetric method was used in determining contents of NE, DA, 5-HT. Results The activities of AchE were significantly decreased in the cadmium-treated group, which could be antagonized by germanium oxide at 25 mg/kg. The levels of norepinephrine, dopamine, and serotonin were decreased significantly in the cadmium-treated mice, and this decreases were also antagonized by germanium oxide. Conclusion These data suggest that the germanium oxide antagonize the cadmium chloride-induced changes in neurobiochemical parameters.

OBJECTIVEThis is an investigation made in Korean population with regard to the distribution of the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in calpain-10 gene that was discovered in Mexican American.

METHODSBy utilizing the techniques of polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP), the authors analyzed the polymorphisms for calpain-10 SNP-43, -19 and -63 genotype, evaluated the gene types, and calculated their frequencies and combined genotypes in 312 healthy Korean.

RESULTSThe calpain-10 UCSNP-43 genotype frequencies for types 1/1, 1/2, and 2/2 were found to be 86.2%, 13.5%, and 0.3% respectively, with the allele frequencies 0.930 for G and 0.070 for A. The UCSNP-19 genotype frequencies were 9.9% for type 1/1, 44.6% for type 1/2, 45.5% for type 2/2, with the allele frequencies 0.322 for D and 0.678 for I. The UCSNP-63 genotype frequencies were 57.4% for type of 1/1, 35.9% for type of 1/2, 6.7% for type of 2/2, with the allele frequencies 0.754 for C and 0.246 for T. All of the gene distributions matched the equilibrium law of Hardy-Weinberg. A total of 12 genotype combinations of three SNPs were observed in Korean. Seventy-five point six per cent of the Korean was composed of three genotype combinations in the order of UCSNP-43,-19 and -63, i.e., GG-DI-CC(haplotype combination 111/121, frequency=10.6%, GG-DI-CT(haplotype combination 112/121, frequency=28.8%), and GG-II-CC(haplotype combination 121/121, frequency=36.2%).

CONCLUSIONThe distribution of SNPs in calpain-10 gene in Korean is similar to that in Chinese and Japanese, but different from that reported in Caucasian, American Mexicans and American Pima Indians.

Adult ; Aged ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; genetics ; Calpain ; genetics ; China ; ethnology ; Female ; Genetics, Population ; Genotype ; Haplotypes ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide

BACKGROUND: Anti-carbohydrate antibody responses, including those of anti-blood group ABO antibodies, are yet to be thoroughly studied in humans. Because anti-ABO antibody-mediated rejection is a key hurdle in ABO-incompatible transplantation, it is important to understand the cellular mechanism of anti-ABO responses. We aimed to identify the main human B cell subsets that produce anti-ABO antibodies by analyzing the correlation between B cell subsets and anti-ABO antibody titers. METHODS: Blood group A-binding B cells were analyzed in peritoneal fluid and peripheral blood samples from 43 patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis and 18 healthy volunteers with blood group B or O. The correlation between each blood group A-specific B cell subset and anti-A antibody titer was then analyzed using Pearson's correlation analysis. RESULTS: Blood group A-binding B cells were enriched in CD27⁺CD43⁺CD1c− B1, CD5⁺ B1, CD11b⁺ B1, and CD27⁺CD43⁺CD1c+ marginal zone-B1 cells in peripheral blood. Blood group A-specific B1 cells (P=0.029 and R=0.356 for IgM; P=0.049 and R=0.325 for IgG) and marginal zone-B1 cells (P=0.011 and R=0.410 for IgM) were positively correlated with anti-A antibody titer. Further analysis of peritoneal B cells confirmed B1 cell enrichment in the peritoneal cavity but showed no difference in blood group A-specific B1 cell enrichment between the peritoneal cavity and peripheral blood. CONCLUSIONS Human B1 cells are the key blood group A-specific B cells that have a moderate correlation with anti-A antibody titer and therefore constitute a potential therapeutic target for successful ABO-incompatible transplantation.