According to the transcriptome dataset of Panax notoginseng, the key geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate synthase gene (GGPPS) in terpenoid backbone biosynthesis was selected to be cloned. Using specific primer pairs combining with RACE (rapid amplification of cDNA ends) technique, the full-length cDNA sequence with 1 203 bp, which containing a 1 035 bp open reading frame, was cloned and named as PnGGPPS. The corresponding full-length DNA sequence contained 2 370 bp, consisted of 1 intron and 2 exons. The deduced protein PnGGPPS contained 344 amino acids and shared more than 73% identity with GGPPS from Ricinus communis and Salvia miltiorrhiza. PnGGPPS also had specific Aspartic acid enrichment regions and other conserved domains, which belonged to the Isoprenoid-Biosyn-C1 superfamily. The quantitative real-time PCR showed that PnGGPPS expressed in different tissues of 1, 2, 3 years old root, stem, leaf and 3 years old flower, and the expression level in 3 years old leaf was significant higher than that in other organs, which suggested that it might not only be involved in the regulation of the growth and development, but also be associated with the biosynthesis of chlorophyll and carotenoids, the development of chloroplast, the shade habit and the quality formation of P. notoginseng.
Cloning, Molecular ; Computational Biology ; Geranylgeranyl-Diphosphate Geranylgeranyltransferase ; genetics ; Panax notoginseng ; genetics ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction

Objective To study the feasibility of TNF-α promoting migration of rat mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) to local damaged tissues. Methods The MSCs was exposed to TNF-α at different concentrations and the expression rate of surface adheslon molecules and specific markers as well as their adhesion to endothelial cells were detected.Based on the above steps,the MSCs stimulated with the optimal concentration of TNF-α were obtained and were injected intravenously to the rats whose hindlimbs experienced ischemia damage.The rats were executed for achieving the muscle samples in the ischemic area,which were made into frozen section to count the number of MSCs. Results ( 1 ) Twenty-four hours after the TNF-o stimulation,the expression of adhesion molecule (VCAM-1) of MSCs increased in a concentration-dependent manner,while the expression of adhesion molecules (ICAM-1,L-Selectin and VLA4) of MSCs showed no significant changes.Besides,the expression rate of specific markers of MSCs was also obscure.(2) Exposed to 10 ng/ml TNF-o,MSCs presented an obviously increased ability in adhesion to the endothelial cells.(3) MSCs stimulated with 10 ng/ml TNF-α showed a larger number in the ischemia-damaged tissue of rat hindlimbs than that in the control group. Conclusion TNF-α at concentration of 10 ng/ml is effective within a short term in increasing VCAM-1 expression in rat MSCs and promoting the adhesion of MSCs to endothelial cells without affecting their character.

Objective To investigate the apoptosis of T lymphocytes,the expression of Bcl-2, Fas on the peripheral blood T lymphocytes in end stage renal disease patients;and to explore the characteristics of Th1 /Th2 profile and the influence of dialysis membranes with different permeability on the apoptosis of T lymphocytes of maintenance hemodialysis patients.Methods The study included 10 non-dialyszed (ND)patients,45 maintenance hemodialysis patients with cellulose acetate (CA) membranes(13),low-flux polusulfone(PS-LF) membranes(16),high-flux polusulfone (PS-HF) membranes (16) and 8 healthy volunteers (C).The apoptosis of T lymphocytes,expression of Bcl-2,Fas on peripheral blood T lymphocytes cultured with phytohemagglutinin (PHA) stimulation for 24 hours were measured by flow cytometry and immunohistochemical.ELISA was performed for detecting the levels of IFN-?and IL-4 in culture supematants.Results In ESRD patients,the apoptosis of T lymphocytes was greater than that of group C.Group CA was greater than group PS-HF and group PS-LF (P＜0.05).The expression of Bcl-2 on T lymphocytes in ESRD patients was lower than that of group C (P＜0.05).There was negative correlation between the T lymphocytes apoptosis and Bcl-2. The expression of Fas on T lymphocytes in ESRD patients was greater than that of group C (P＜0.05), and it was positive correlated with T lymphocytes apoptosis.The level of IFN-?of ESRD patients was decreased significantly compared with that in group C (P＜0.05),and there was negative correlation between T lymphocytes apoptosis and IFN-?.IL-4 was increased in ESRD patients (P＜0.05) and it was positive correlated with T lymphocytes apoptosis.Conclusions The accelerated apoptosis of T lymphocytes in ESRD patients may be related to the expression of Bcl-2 and Fas of T lymphocytes.ESRD patients show a suppressed secretion of IFN-?and an increased secretion of IL-4. T lymphocytes apoptosis of maintenance hemodialysis patients is influenced not only by the biocompatibility but also by the permeability of the dialysis membrane.

Objective: To study the influence of inflammatory cytokine TNF-? on the expression of adhesion molecules and specific markers of rat MSCs, and to study the optimal stimulation of MSCs with inflammatory factors in inducing adhesion molecule expression which promotes migration of MSCs to the ischemic area in liver. Methods: The MSCs stimulated with different concentration of TNF-? were detected for adhesion molecules and stem cells markers on cell surface with the method of flow-cytometry, MSCs which were stimulated with the optimal concentration of TNF-? and labeled with 1, 1-Dioctadecyl-3, 3, 3, 3-tetramethylindocarbocyanine Iodade(DiI)were delivered intravenously to the rats whose liver was injured by ischemia, the liver function of the experimented animals were tested, and liver samples in the ischemic area were obtained, the number of MSCs was counted under a fluorescent microscope. Results: Stimulated with TNF-?, MSC ex-pression of VCAM-1 increased, while that of stem cell markers did not change markedly. Exposed to lower concentration of TNF-?, the adhesion ability of MSCs obviously increased and more MSCs rested in the ischemic areas in the rat liver, compared to the control groups. Conclusions: TNF-? can increase the expression of VCAM-1 on rat MSCs while exert little effect on the stem cell character of MSCs. Suitable concentration of TNF-? can promote MSCs migration to the damaged tissue, which provides rationale for the treatment of liver disease.

The distribution information of Lomatogonium rotatum. was collected by interview investigation and field survey, and 55 related environmental factors were collected, the habitat suitability study was conducted based on geographic information system (GIS) and maximum entropy model. The AUCs of ROC curve were both above 0.99, indicating that the predictive results with the maximum model were highly precise. The results showed that 13 major environmental factors have obvious influence on ecology suitability distributions of L. rotatum, including month average temperature of February et al., the suitable distribution areas are mainly concentrated in the east-central of Inner Mongolia, including Hexigten banner, Duolun county, Zhenglan banner et al., The zoning results basically coincide with the genuine producing areas, and further afford new suitable distribution areas, which can provide reference for L. rotatum's wild nursery and the siting of introduction and cultivation.
China ; Ecosystem ; Environment ; Gentianaceae ; growth & development ; Geographic Information Systems ; Rain ; Temperature

OBJECTIVETo investigate the clinical epidemiological characteristics and the major causes of primary liver cancer (PLC) in Xinjiang region.

METHODSThe clinical epidemiological information on the first page of case history of 3602 PLC patients, which were diagnosed in our hospital from January 2002 to December 2010, were retrospectively reviewed and analyzed.

RESULTSAmong the 3602 cases, the men/women gender ratio was 3.72:1; The proportion of Han, Uighur, Kazakh, and other nationality (Hui, Mongolian, Manchu, Xibo nationality) was 81.95%, 9.30%, 4.14%, 2.89%, and 1.72%, respectively. The comparative difference between Uighur and Han nationalities was significant (P < 0.05). The hepatitis virus detection results showed that HBs-Ag was positive in 1680 cases (59.57%), HCV-Ab was positive in 229 cases (9.41%). Virus detection was negative in 888 patients (24.65%). The hepatitis B virus positive rate in Uygur patients was 36.13% and in Kazakh patients was 40.37%, both significantly lower than that in patients of Han nationality (63.18%, P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSIn Xinjiang region, the infection rate of hepatitis B virus in Uygur and Kazak people is significantly lower than that in Han people. The distribution of gender and age does not differ significantly among different nationalities, compared with those in other regions. The prevalence of primary liver cancer in Xinjiang region has certain regional characteristics and features.

Adult ; Aged ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; ethnology ; China ; epidemiology ; ethnology ; Ethnic Groups ; Female ; Hepatitis B ; epidemiology ; ethnology ; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens ; analysis ; Hepatitis C ; epidemiology ; ethnology ; Hepatitis C Antibodies ; analysis ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms ; epidemiology ; ethnology ; virology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies

Objective The aim was to find the correlations between blood glucose (GLU)and atherogenic index of plasma (AIP),high sensitive C reactive protein (HCRP),plasma lipid profiles among physical examination population.Methods The parameters including GLU,HCRP,and plasma lipid profiles were examined by using Olympus AU5400 automatic biochemical analyzer from 9 057 blood samples,and then AIP value was calculated.The t test,Pearson correlation and multivariate logistic regression were used.Results The levels of AIP and HCRP were significantly higher in high glucose group both in males and females (P <0.01).Positive lower correlations were found between GLU and AIP,apolipoprotein B (apoB),HCRP,low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL -C),total cholesterol (TC),triglyceride (TG),uric acid (URIC)and apoB/aopA1,while the correlation with AIP was highest (r =0.163,P <0.01 ).There were negative correlations between GLU and apoA1,high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL -C).Results of multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that male gender,age,HCRP and AIP were relative factors associated with hyperglycemia. Conclusion There are some differences in the levels of AIP and HCRP between the high glucose people and general people.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the role of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs)-extracellular signal regulated kinase1/2 (ERK1/2) signal pathway in the regulation of Compound Danshen Injection (CDI) induced AQP3 expression in the human amniotic epithelial cells (hAECs).

METHODShAECs of term pregnancy with normal amniotic fluid volume (AFV) or isolated oligohydramnios were primarily cultured. And the cells were equally divided into four groups, i.e., the vehicle control group, the U0126 group, the CDI group, the CDI + U0126 group. The expressions of phosphorylated ERK1/2 (p-ERK1/2) and AQP3 in hAECs were detected using Western blot analysis.

RESULTS(1) When compared with the control group, the expression level of p-ERK1/2 in hAECs in those with normal AFV and oligohydramnios obviously decreased in the U0126 group (P < 0.05). The expression level of p-ERK1/2 could be elevated in the CDI group (P < 0.05). The expression level of p-ERK1/2 in hAECs was higher in the CDI +U0126 group than in the U0126 group, but lower in the CDI + U0126 group than in the CDI group (P < 0.05). (2) There was no obvious change in AQP3 expression in hAECs with normal AFV between the U0126 group and the vehicle control group (P > 0.05). There was no statistical difference in the expression level of AQP3 between the CDI group and the U0126 +CDI group (P > 0.05), but they were higher than those in the vehicle control group (P < 0.05). (3) Compared with the vehicle control group, the expression level of AQP3 in hAECs with oligohydramnios significantly decreased in the U0126 group and increased in the CDI group (P < 0.05). The expression level of AQP3 was lower in the U0126 + CDI group than in the CDI group, but higher in the U0126 +CDI group than in the U0126 group (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONCDI could regulate AQP3 expression level in hAECs with oligohydramnios via activating the MAPK-ERK1/2 signal transduction pathway.

Amnion ; cytology ; Aquaporin 3 ; metabolism ; Cells, Cultured ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Epithelial Cells ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Female ; Humans ; MAP Kinase Signaling System ; Phenanthrolines ; pharmacology

OBJECTIVETo observe the spores germinating process of Cibotium barometz, and understand the growth principle provided for experience for indoor culturing and further research.

METHODThe spores of C. barometz were cultured both in inorganic medium and in the soil from original habitat, and the whole process of spores germination and the development of gametophytic were observed under microscope.

RESULTThe spores germinated about 1-2 weeks after being sowed, and the type of germination belonged to Vittaria-type. The prothallial plates formed in 25 days after being sowed, while hairs developed after the formation of the prothallial plate. The gametophyte formed about 40 days after being sowed. But the type of mature prothalli was cordate. The antheridia formed in 60 days after inoculation, while the archegonia developed in 10 days after the formation of antheridia.

CONCLUSIONSoil based indoor culturing of C. barometz spores is practical and can be used for cultivation of C. barometz.

Culture Media ; pharmacology ; Ferns ; cytology ; physiology ; Plants, Medicinal ; anatomy & histology ; cytology ; physiology ; Soil ; Spores ; cytology ; drug effects ; growth & development

BACKGROUNDComplete tumour resection is important for improving the prognosis of brain tumour patients. However, extensive resection remains controversial because the tumour margin is difficult to be distinguished from surrounding brain tissue. It has been established that 5-amino-4-oxopentanoic acid (5-aminolevulinic acid, ALA) can be used as a photodynamic diagnostic marker and a photosensitizer for photodynamic therapy in surgical treatment of brain tumours. We investigated the efficacy of ALA photodynamically guided microsurgery and photodynamic therapy on VX(2) brain tumour implanted in a rabbit model.

METHODSEighty New Zealand rabbits implanted with VX(2) brain tumours were randomly assigned to five groups: control, conventional white light microsurgery, a photodynamic therapy group, a photodynamically guided microsurgery group and a group in which guided microsurgery was followed by photodynamic therapy. The VX(2) tumour was resected under a surgical microscope. The tumour resection was confirmed with histological analysis. All animals were examined with MRI for presence of any residual tumour tissue. The survival time of each rabbit was recorded.

RESULTSAll treatment groups showed a significantly extended survival time compared with the control group. Photodynamically guided microsurgery combined with photodynamic therapy significantly prolonged survival time, compared with guided microsurgery alone. MRI and the autopsy results confirmed removal of most of the tumours.

CONCLUSIONSOur results suggest that photodynamically guided surgery and photodynamic therapy significantly reduce or delay local recurrence, increase the effectiveness of radical resection and prolong the survival time of tumour bearing rabbits. Their combination has the potential to be used as a rapid and highly effective treatment of metastatic brain tumours.

Animals ; Brain Neoplasms ; mortality ; pathology ; surgery ; therapy ; Disease Models, Animal ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Microsurgery ; methods ; Photochemotherapy ; methods ; Rabbits ; Random Allocation