A simple model organism Caenorhabditis elegans has contributed substantially to the fundamental researches in biology. In an era of functional genomics, nematode worm has been developed into a multi-purpose tool that can be exploited to identify disease-causing or disease-associated genes, validate potential drug targets. This, coupled with its genetic amenability, low cost experimental manipulation and compatibility with high throughput screening in an intact physiological condition, makes the model organism into an effective toolbox for drug discovery. This review shows the unique features of C. elegans, how it can play a valuable role in our understanding of the molecular mechanism of human diseases and finding drug leads in drug development process.
Animals ; Caenorhabditis elegans ; Drug Discovery ; Drug Evaluation, Preclinical

Objective To investigate the clinical significance of generalized epilepsy with febrile seizures plus(GEFS+ ). Methods The data of one family with GEFS+ were retrospectively analyzed by studying clinical manifestations, physical examinations, electroencephalogram(EEG), 24 hours dynamic EEG monitoring, et al. Some of the patients were examined by CT. Results Ⅳ 12, her chief complaints when admitted to hospital were frequent spasm for 3 days. She began to appear febrile seizures (FS) from 8 months after birth, and frequent generalized tonic - clonic FS appeared during that time. There were 36 people in 5 generations of the family including 14 patients (8 males and 6 females) ,aged from 4 years and 5 months to 82 years. FS presented in 8 cases (Ⅱ 2, Ⅲ1, Ⅲ4, Ⅲ6, Ⅳ1, Ⅳ11, Ⅳ17, Ⅴ2),febrile seizures plus(FS +) in 4 cases ( Ⅳ2, Ⅳ12, Ⅳ13, Ⅳ14), ES + and absence seizures in 1 case ( Ⅴ1 ), uncertain type in 1 case (Ⅰ2). The results of EEG indicated that 12 cases were normal and 4 cases with FS+ and 1 case with absence seizures had epileptic discharges. Apart form Ⅳ13, Ⅳ14 who were treated with magnesium valproate, the dosage for the other patients decreased, or medicine terminated or without medicine, and all the patients had no recurrence of seizures. The intelligence, movement development and neurological examinations of the family were all normal. Head CT scan of 3 cases were normal. Conclusions GEFS+ is autosomal dominant inheritance disease with conspicuous genetic heterogeneity and phenotypic heterogeneity. The apprehension of GEFS+ plays an important role in diagnosis and differential diagnosis of epilepsy in childhood.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of compound Danshen injection combined with prostaglandin E1 low molecular weight heparin calcium to dextran-40 preventing hepatic veno-occlusive disease (HVOD) after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT).

METHODSA total of 520 patients who received HSCT in the authors' hospital from May 1998 and December 2009 were subjected, among whom 231 patients received autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation, 125 received HLA-identical sibling HSCT, 49 received HLA-identical/mismatched unrelated HSCT and 115 received HLA-haplotype HSCT. All patients were treated by intravenous dripping of CSI 40-60 mL, dextran-40 250-500 mL, prostaglandin-E1 40-60 microg, and subcutaneous injection of low molecular weight heparin calcium 3 000-5 000 IU every day, the preventive effect on HVOD after HSCT was observed.

RESULTSHVOD occurred and caused death only in 1 case of the 520 patients observed, the incidence was 0.19%. Neither obvious adverse reaction nor coagulation disorder was found.

CONCLUSIONCompound Danshen Injection combined with prostaglandin E1, low molecular weight heparin calcium and dextran-40 is a safe and effective protocol for the prevention of HVOD after HSCT.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Alprostadil ; therapeutic use ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Dextrans ; therapeutic use ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation ; adverse effects ; Heparin, Low-Molecular-Weight ; therapeutic use ; Hepatic Veno-Occlusive Disease ; etiology ; prevention & control ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Phenanthrolines ; therapeutic use

An antibiotic-producing bacterium, which was numbered as 20 #-5, was separated from the soil in Chongqing. It was identified as the member of pseudomonas. Gram positive bacteria are badly suppressed by it. The antibiotic secreted by 20 #-5 can endure 100℃ for half an hour, and it can also go through the ultrafiltration membrane with pores of 0.22?m.

Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) is a kind of bone marrow failure disease. Thrombocytopenia in patients with MDS is a frequent causes of mortality in MDS with 37% to 67% incidence. Thrombocytopenia in MDS is an independent factor predicting worse prognosis associated with increased risk of acute leukemic transformation (AML) and reduces overall survival. In addition, thrombocytopenia in MDS limits the therapeutic efficacy of disease-modifying therapies, such as azacitidine or lenalidomide. Mechanisms of thrombocytopenia in MDS are complicated, involving suppression of megakaryocytic differentiation, enhanced apoptosis, and increased platelet destruction. Platelet transfusion is still the standard treatment option for MDS combined with thrombocytopenia. Recently, novel thrombopoietin (TPO) receptor agonists have showed curative effect in MDS patients in many clinical trials, including reducing bleeding events, decreasing dependency on platelet transfusions and increasing clinical benefits of disease-modifying therapies. Several clinical trials are ongoing to assess the efficacy and safety of novel TPO receptor agonists; the results would further help guide treatment for thrombocytopenia in MDS.

Objective To explore relationship between different HBV genotypes and peripheral blood HBV specific and nonspecific CTL of patients with cirrhotic hepatitis B and its significance. Methods HBV genotypes were tested in 91 patients with cirrhotic hepatitis B, differences of HBV specific and nonspecific CTL between patients infected with genotype B and C were compared and its significance was explored. Results In 91 cases of cirrhotic hepatitis B, 55 cases (60.44% ) belong to genotype C, 35 cases (38. 46% ) belong to genotype B, 1 case (1. 1% ) belongs to mixture genotype B and C. In genotype C,27 cases (49.09% ) had positive (HLA)-A2, HBV specific CTL was 0. 18% ±0.03%. In genotype B, 18 cases (51.43% ) had positive HLA-A2, HBV specific CTL was 0. 38% ± 0.04% , higher than that in genotype C,t =5. 01, P <0. 01. Nonspecific CTL: genotype C (11. 87% ± 1. 50% ) ; genotype B( 11. 90%± 1. 51% ), t =0. 14, P ＜0. 05. HBV DNA level; genotype C (6. 01 ± 0. 81) log10 copy/ml, higher than that in genotype B (5.01 ± 0.54) log10 copy/ml, t =5.01, P ＜0.01. ALT; genotype C (251. 13 ± 131. 11) U/L, higher than that in genotype B (121. 25 ± 63. 21) U/L, t =3. 61, P <0. 01. TBil (45. 61± 15.11) μmol/L, higher than that in genotype B (28.11 ±6.25) μmol/L, t = 3.05, P ＜ 0.01. Conclusion Compared with patients infected with genotype B of cirrhotic hepatitis B, HBV specific CTL of patients infected with genotype C was lower, resulting in higher level of HBV DNA and more severe damage of liver function.

OBJECTIVETo explore the underlying mechanism of electroacupuncture for anti-aging.

METHODSForty Sprague-Dawley rats (female and male take one half for each), 3-month old, were divided into a control group, a model group, a routine electroacupuncture group (current intensity, 1 mA) and a strong electroacupuncture group (current intensity, 4.5 mA), 10 rats in each group. The model of aged rats was established by D-galactose in the latter three groups. The acupoints of "Guanyuan" (CV 4) and "Zusanli" (ST 36) were used for electroacupuncture treatment, six times per week for 4 weeks. After that, the level of interleukin 6 (IL-6) in the serum, as well as the expression of neuropeptide Y mRNA (NPY mRNA) and IL-6 receptor (IL-6R) in the periventricular hypothalamic nucleus (PVN) were examined and compared between each group.

RESULTSIn comparison of the control rats, the model rats expressed with the lower level of NPY mRNA in PVN, higher levels of IL-6 in the serum and IL-6R in PVN, which is different from each other (P < 0.05). In both routine electroacupuncture group and strong electroacupuncture group, the level of NPY mRNA in PVN was up-regulated, in contrast, the levels of IL-6 in the serum and IL-6R in PVN were cut down, which were different from those of the model group (both P < 0.05). Furthermore, the therapeutic effect of the strong electroacupuncture group is different from that of the routine electroacupuncture group (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONElectroacupuncture at "Qiangzhuang" acupoints plays an active role to slow down the aging process on the sub-acute aged rats through regulating the function of neuro-immune system, and the therapeutic effect of strong stimulation is better than that of routine stimulation.

Acupuncture Points ; Aging ; immunology ; physiology ; Animals ; Disease Models, Animal ; Electroacupuncture ; Female ; Humans ; Hypothalamus ; metabolism ; Interleukin-6 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Male ; Neuroimmunomodulation ; Neuropeptide Y ; genetics ; metabolism ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Receptors, Interleukin-6 ; genetics ; metabolism

Objective To investigate the neuroimaging features in mitochondrial encephalomyopatbies with lactic acidosis and stroke-like episodes(MELAS).Methods Twenty-two clinically diagnosed patients who came from department of neurology,Huashan hospital in October 2003 to July 2006 were analyzed for CT,MRI,MRI contrast,MRA and MRS.Results In all 22 patients,the neuroimaging results of 21 were positive.There were 9 patients lying in hemisphere,12 in both cerebral hemispheres,including occipital,parietal,temporal and frontal lobe.The abnormal areas showed low signal intensity on T_1-weighted MRI,high signal intensity on T_2-weighted MRI and fluid attenuated inversion recovery(FLAIR)images.The lesions of 12/16 patients on MR contrasted images were enhanced.The lesions of one patient showed malacoma-like changes,one showed Fahr syndrome' s change and another showed high signal intensity on MR contrasted images.Conclusion Although the neuroimaging features of MELAS are complicated,the specific ones could help to make the diagnosis.

Objective To investigate the relationship between resting heart rate (RHR) and coronary heart disease (CHD) and to explore the value of RHR in predicting the occurrence of acute coronary syndrome. Methods 445 patients with CHD were divided into stable angina group and acute coronary syndrome group. RHR, risk factors for coronary heart disease and their correlation were analyzed. Results RHR was higher in the acute coronary syndrome group than in the stable angina group (P<0.01). Logistic regression analysis showed that RHR (OR =1.052, 95% CI: 1.009~1.097, P=0.017), systolic blood pressure (OR=1.027, 95% CI: 1.003~1.053, P=0.031) and hyperglycemia (OR=2.743, 95% CI: 1.207~6.233, P=0.016) were independent risk factors for acute coronary syndrome. Conclusion RHR is an independent risk factor for incidence of acute coronary syndrome.

Objeetive To study the influence of emotional stress on the ultrastructures of temporomandibular joint in rats. nethods Sixteen male Wistar rats,aged 12 weeks,were divided into 2 groups randomly,experimental group and control group. Animal model of chronic unpredictable stress was established in the experimental group. After 6 weeks,all rats in both groups were killed and their condyles and articular discs were dissected,taken out and observed by scanning electron microscope. Results Under scanning electron microscope,the surface gelatum of the condyles in experimental group were cracked,and collagen fibrils in disorder and broke, and deep layer coHagen fibrils were exposed.The articular discs' surface gelatum were still integrated,but the gyri dispose were irregular. In control group,there were no such changes in condyles and articular discs. Conclusions The long-term emotional chronic unpredictable stress could induce the injuries of temporomandinbular joint in rats in ultrastructure level.