Animals ; Epilepsy ; immunology ; metabolism ; Hippocampus ; metabolism ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; gamma-Aminobutyric Acid ; immunology ; metabolism

Objective To investigate the molecular mechanism of calreticulin ( CRT) transcription induced by HBV and its viral proteins. Methods The human hepatocellular cell line, HepG2, was trans-fected with pHBV1. 3 and eukaryotic expression plasmids of HBV viral proteins, respectively. The expres-sion of CRT was measured after transfection. A reporter plasmid of CRT promoter was constructed to analyze the induction of CRT promoter by pHBV1. 3 and HBV viral proteins. Furthermore, two truncated and one C/EBPα site deficient mutants were constructed to evaluate the regulatory effects of HBx on CRT promoter. Fi-nally, HepG2 cells were transfected with HBx expression plasmids and the cellular localization of C/EBPαwas analyzed. Results In this study, pHBV1. 3 could significantly up-regulate the expression of CRT at mRNA and protein levels as well as enhancing the activity of CRT promoter. Among the seven HBV viral proteins, HBx could enhance the activity of CRT promoter and the expression of CRT at mRNA and protein levels. HBx could not induce the transcription of CRT when the C/EBPα binding site was deleted from the CRT promoter. The expression of HBx could promote the nuclear translocation of C/EBPα. Conclusion HBV and its viral protein HBx could up-regulate the CRT expression at transcriptional level. The transcrip-tional factor C/EBPα played a critical role in HBx-induced transcriptional activation of CRT.

Objectives To explore the clinical features and diagnosis of LMNA-associated congenital muscular dystrophy. Methods The clinical data from a case of muscular dystrophy caused by LMNA gene mutation were retrospectively analyzed. The related literatures were reviewed. Results A 8-month-old female infant suffered from weakness of raising head, eyelid droop, and motor development retardtion. LMNA gene was sequenced for the infant, her parents and the older sister. Heterozygous mutation of c. 94_96 del AAG (p. K 32 del) was found in the infant leading to the diagnosis of LMNA- associated congenital muscular dystrophy. No mutation was found in the infant’s parents and her older sister. The literature review showed that all ofLMNA- associated congenital muscular dystrophy patients had LMNA gene mutation, more than 80% patients mainly presented with weakness of raising head and may accompany with weakness of proximal limb, motor development retardation, and weakness of axial muscle. Conclusions Mutation analysis of LMNA gene is conducive to the diagnosis of congenital muscular dystrophy.

To identify the species of Mycobacterium clinical isolates by molecular biology techniques,six clinical isolates which were preliminarily recognized as Mycobacterium tuberculosis by the TCH and PNB culture methods were selected in this study.PCR was applied to amplify the oxyR-ahpC interval resistant-zone(intergenic region) and the length of PCR product in four strains was the same as that of H37Rv,while the length in the other two strains was different from that of H37Rv but same as Mycobacterium intracellulare 95002.With sequencing and on-line homology comparison with H37Rv,U18263 and U71061,the DNA sequence of oxyR-ahpC intergenic region displayed a 99% homology with Mycobacterium intracellulare U71061 and an 84% homology with Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv.In addition,the results of hsp65 PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis and multi-locus PCR amplification in the two strains were identical with those of Mycobacterium intracellulare 95002.These two clinical isolates which were preliminarily recognized as Mycobacterium tuberculosis by PNB and TCH culture methods were finally identified as Mycobacterium intracellulare.Results predicted that the application associated with various techniques of molecular biology would provide a faster,easier and more correct way for the species identification of Mycobacterium.

Objective To understand the achievements of clonorchiasis sinensis control in Shandong Province during the past forty years. Methods The data of the previous annual clonorchiasis sinensis investigation in Shandong Province were collected and analyzed. Results From 1960s to 1970s, there were 107 counties existing the prevalence of clonorchiasis sinensis in Shandong Province. The infection rate of population was 1.51%, and 85.70% of the infected people were children below fifteen years old. Through the forty years' control, the decreasing of intermediate hosts such as various kinds of fishes and water-snails due to 85. 00% of ditches and ponds dried up by the lasting drying weather after 1980s, and 90. 00% of rivers polluted by increasing liquid waste, as well as the decreasing of infective chances due to 97. 90% of people breaking off the habit of eating not-well-cooked fishes by popularizing health knowledge, to 2003, the population infection rate dropped to 0.04%, 95.60% of the village where residents had the infection dropped to below 1. 00% , and 60. 00% of counties where no Clonorchis sinensis infection was found. Conclusion The clonorchiasis sinensis transmission areas reduce gradually, the infection rate of population decreases to the lowest in the history and the transmission has been controlled in Shandong Province.

Fatigue is an exhaustion state caused by prolonged physical work and mental work, which can reduce working efficiency and even cause industrial accidents. Fatigue is a complex concept involving both physiological and psychological factors. Fatigue can cause a decline of concentration and work performance and induce chronic diseases. Prolonged fatigue may endanger life safety. In most of the scenarios, physical and mental workloads co-lead operator into fatigue state. Thus, it is very important to study the interaction influence and its neural mechanisms between physical and mental fatigues. This paper introduces recent progresses on the interaction effects and discusses some research challenges and future development directions. It is believed that mutual influence between physical fatigue and mental fatigue may occur in the central nervous system. Revealing the basal ganglia function and dopamine release may be important to explore the neural mechanisms between physical fatigue and mental fatigue. Future effort is to optimize fatigue models, to evaluate parameters and to explore the neural mechanisms so as to provide scientific basis and theoretical guidance for complex task designs and fatigue monitoring.
Attention ; Brain ; physiology ; Fatigue ; Humans ; Mental Fatigue ; Workload

AIM AND METHODSThe relation between AT sclerosis (loss of neurons and proliferation of astrocytes) and long-lasting epileptic susceptibility was investigated by thionine staining, GFAP immunohistochemistry and observing the behavior of rats, after scorpion venom (SV) or normal saline (NS) administrated for three week.

RESULTSCompared with NS+ NS group, both the loss of neurons and proliferation of astrocytes were very marked in KA+ NS group (epileptic susceptible rats) (P < 0.05), but those changes were not visible in KA+ NS group (epileptic nonsusceptible rats).

CONCLUSIONSIt suggested that AT sclerosis may be one of important reasons of the long-lasting epileptic susceptibility.

Animals ; Astrocytes ; pathology ; Epilepsy ; pathology ; Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein ; metabolism ; Male ; Neurons ; metabolism ; pathology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

Aged ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Fibronectins ; metabolism ; Glomerulonephritis, Membranoproliferative ; pathology ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Kidney Diseases ; metabolism ; pathology ; Kidney Glomerulus ; metabolism ; pathology ; ultrastructure ; Male ; Microscopy, Electron

To investigate the structure disruption of BSA (1mg/ml, dissolved in PBS) induced by ultrasonication and the French press. The BSA solution was passed through the French press and received ultrasound irradiation, and then detected by HPLC(High-performance liquid chromatography),DLS(Dynamic Light Scattering),CD(Circular Dichroism)and nondenaturing SDS-PAGE. Detection results showed that BSA was polymerized after ultrasound irradiation and the polymerization can be reduced by adding mannitol (free radical scavenger). This means that the free radical play an important role in this process. However, the BSA passing through the French press for several times wasn’t polymerized, and the secondary structure was somewhat destroyed. These results suggested that ultrasound irradiation and French press destroy the molecular structure in different manners, so that the suitable cell lyses methods should be selected according to the characteristics of the protein.

Objective:To investigate the value of serum IL-23 in predicting the progression of prostate cancer at different stages of treatment.Methods:A total of 124 patients with metastatic prostate cancer diagnosed in Beijing Hospital from June 2018 to March 2019 were collected.Patients were TNM-staged according to the Prostate Cancer Guidelines of the European Association of Urology.Serum IL-23 levels were measured in patients with metastatic castration resistance prostate cancer(mCRPC), metastatic castration sensitive prostate cancer(mCSPC)and benign prostatic hyperplasia(BPH), respectively.Patients with mCRPC were subgrouped based on disease stability, and serum IL-23 levels were compared between the subgroups.Serum IL-23 levels in the groups were analyzed and compared with the Gleason score and the prostate-specific antigen(PSA)level.Results:The median value of serum IL-23 in the mCRPC group was 79.73(45.61, 95.63)μg/L, which was higher than that in the BPH group[30.88(15.01, 44.94)μg/L, Z=22.66, P=0.000]and the mCSPC group[46.10(35.27, 80.92)μg/L, Z=11.46, P=0.001]. Serum IL-23 levels were higher in the mCSPC group than in the BPH group( Z=7.17, P=0.007). Analysis for the subgroups showed that the median value of serum IL-23 was 110.25(88.47, 159.09)μg/L in mCRPC patients with unstable disease, which was higher than that in mCRPC patients with stable disease[46.52(44.97, 80.33)μg/L, Z=33.99, P=0.000]. There was no significant difference in serum IL-23 levels between mCRPC patients with stable disease and mCSPC patients[46.10(35.27, 80.92)μg/L]( Z=0.35, P=0.554). Conclusions:Serum IL-23 can be used as a potential biological indicator to predict the therapeutic effect of mCSPC and to predict tumor metastasis.