Adult ; Aged ; Angiopoietin-2 ; physiology ; Female ; Glioma ; blood ; physiopathology ; Humans ; Hypoxia ; blood ; metabolism ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neovascularization, Pathologic ; physiopathology

In order to identify Aucklandiae Radix, Vladimiriae Radix, Inulae Radix, Aristolochiae Radix and Kadsurae Radix using ITS2 barcodes, genomic DNA from sixty samples was extracted and the ITS2 (internal transcribed spacer) regions were amplified and sequenced. The genetic distances were computed using MEGA 5.0 in accordance with the kimura 2-parameter (K2P) model and the neighbor-joining (NJ) phylogenetic tree was constructed. The results indicated that for Aucklandiae Radix (Aucklandia lappa), Vladimiriae Radix (Vladimiria souliei and V. souliei var. cinerea), Inulae Radix (Inula helenium), Aristolochiae Radix (Aristolochia debilis) and Kadsurae Radix (Kadsura longipedunculata), the intra-specific variation was smaller than inter-specific one. There are 162 variable sites among 272 bp after alignment of all ITS2 sequence haplotypes. For each species, the intra-specific genetic distances were also smaller than inter-specific one. Furthermore, the NJ tree strongly supported that Aucklandiae Radix, Vladimiriae Radix, Inulae Radix, Aristolochiae Radix and Kadsurae Radix can be differentiated. At the same time, V. souliei (Dolomiaea souliei) and V. souliei var. cinerea( D. souliei var. cinerea) belonging to Vladimiriae Radix were clearly identified. In conclusion, ITS2 barcode could be used to identify Aucklandiae Radix, Vladimiriae Radix, Inulae Radix, Aristolochiae Radix and Kadsurae Radix. Our study may provide a scientific foundation for clinical safe use of the traditional Chinese medicines.
Aristolochia ; classification ; genetics ; Base Sequence ; DNA Barcoding, Taxonomic ; methods ; DNA, Plant ; genetics ; DNA, Ribosomal Spacer ; genetics ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; classification ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Phylogeny ; Plants, Medicinal ; classification ; genetics ; Quality Control

RNA-Sequencing (RNA-Seq) is a newly-developed method in transcriptome research, it can afford more accurate transcription information and be more quickly by using Next-generation Sequencing (NGS) technology. RNA-Seq has been widely used in various biological fields. Genuine traditional Chinese medicines (TCM), with good quality and therapeutic effect, were always praised highly and used by famous physicians. The geo-herbalism formation of TCM is based on the product of the gene expression at specific space and time. So it has been a research hotspot to analyze the mechanism of biosynthesis through RNA-Seq in the study on the secondary metabolism of medicinal plant. This article mainly illustrates the RNA-Seq and its advantages, it also discusses the potential application in genuine TCM, and it can provide useful information for other researchers.
Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; Gene Expression Profiling ; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Plants, Medicinal ; genetics ; RNA ; Sequence Analysis, RNA ; Transcriptome

Objective To investigate whether the genetic variant rs10830963 of melatonin receptor 1B(MTNR1B)gene is associated with increased risk for gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM).Methods Eighty-seven GDM subjects(GDM group)and 91 normal pregnant women (control group)were randomly recruited form Women and Children's Hospital of Quzhou,Zhejiang Province,China.The allele and genotype frequencies of the rsi0830963 in MTNR1B gene were determined in all participants with PCR amplification and DNA sequencing.The allele and genotype frequencies of rs10830963 were compared to determine their differences between GDM subjects and normal controls.In addition,multiple linear regression was conducted to investigate the association patterns of the risk allele with fasting glucose and HbAlc levels.Results Both GG genotype and G allele frequencies of the rs10830963 loci in the GDM group were significantly higher than those in the controls,and women with G allele and GG genotype were associated with increased GDM risk(OR=1.53,95％ CI:1.005-2.324,P=0.047 and OR=2.16,95％ CI:1.052-4.434,P=0.034 respectively).After adjusting for age,body mass index before pregnancy,and family history of diabetes mellitus,women carrying GG genotype still had a higher GDM risk(OR =2.07,95％ CI:1.048-4.372,P =0.022).Multiple linear regression showed that the rs10830963 G allele was positively correlated with higher levels of fasting glucose(0.068 mmol/L,P=0.015)and HbAlc(0.073％,P=0.028).Conclusions Genetic variant rs10830963 in MTNR1B gene may contribute to the susceptibility to GDM in Chinese population and the rs10830963 G allele is a risk factor for the GDM susceptibility.

Objective To investigate a method of repairing complex tissue defects one stage in one finger or several fingers for more fine recipient site repairing and less donor area traum. Methods From August 2007 to August 2010,eight cases of 20 fingers were reconstructed according to the state of complex tissue defects in a hand,second toes (right or left side) were split into two or three parts as complex tissue flaps that may including joints,tendons,skin,nail beds,et al.These flaps then were translated to hand to repair complex tissue defects by anastomosing vessels.Results Twenty fingers in 8 cases were successfully reconstructed.Follow-up ranged from 3 months to 36 months,external appearance were fine.According to the Trial Evaluation Standard of Reconstructed Finger Function of Handsurgery Society of China,sixteen fingers were excellent,three fingers were good,one finger was fine.And there was no effect on foot.Conclusion Spliting single second toe is a good method for repairing more complex tissue defects in a hand.

Objective To observe the expression of cardiotrophin-1(CT-1) in ischemia-reinfusion cardiac muscle of rats and the effect of neuregulin-1(NRG-1).Methods The model of ischemia-reinfusion cardiac muscle of rats were prepared,35 rats were randomly divided into 4 groups:model group(n=8),NRG-1 pretreatment group(n=9),pseudo-surgery group(n=8) and normal control group(n=10).The CT-1 mRNA in the observed cardiac muscle of all groups was measured by RT-PCR and the relative amount of CT-1 mRNA were calculated,and for statistical treatment.Results The CT-1 mRNA of model group was(63.96?9.34),and it was higher than that of pseudo-surgery group(36.16?5.43)and normal control group(36.84?4.64).The significant differences were found in 3 groups(F=47.37 P

Objective To explore the reliability of relevant electrocardiogram(ECG) indexes in evaluating isoprenaline(ISO)-induced rat acute ischemic myocardial injury and provide reference for future scientific applications of these models. Methods Seventy male Wistar rats were randomly equally assigned to ten groups according to their body weight: 5,10,20,40,80,160,320,640, 1280 and 2560 μg/kg dose groups. All rats were tail intravenously given corresponding doses of saline diluted isoprenaline according to their body weight. Standard limb Ⅰ , Ⅱ, Ⅲ-lead ECG of all rats were recorded before, immediately after and 1,24,and 72 hour after injection, respectively.Changes of heart rate, T-wave amplitude of Ⅱ -lead and Q-T interval were measured. Results Significant differences were found in heart rates, T-wave amplitudes and Q-T intervals at different time points(F = 15.03,11.28,13.64, all P ＜ 0.01 ), while differences among the ten ISO-dose groups were statistically insignificant (F= 1.45, 1.17,1.09, all P ＞ 0.05). No interaction between observation time and ISO dose was observed on heart rates, T-wave amplitudes and Q-T intervals(F= 0.79,0.82,0.59, all P ＞ 0.05). Immediately after injection of ISO, the heart rates were significantly increased compared with that of pre-injection in all groups(all P ＜ 0.05), of which 320 and 640μg/kg dose groups increased most significantly [(550 ± 47), (521 ± 43)times/min]. T-waves decreased significantly compared with that of pre-injection (all P ＜ 0.01 ), and 20 μg/kg dose and above groups decreased particularly evident, and partly inverted. Q-T intervals of rats in each group were significantly shorter than that of pre-injection(all P ＜ 0.01 ), and 320, 640, 1280 μg/kg groups shortened more pronounced[(0.070 ± 0.006),(0.072 ± 0.005), (0.068 ± 0.005)ms]. One hour after injection, the heart rate of rats in each group decreased,except 320 and 640 μg/kg dose groups[(518 ± 43), (487 ± 36)times/min], which were still higher than that of pre-treatment[(450 ± 40), (448 ± 51 )times/min, all P ＜ 0.05], the rest groups no longer had significant differences (all P ＞ 0.05). ECG T-wave in each group was significantly recovered compared with that of instantly medication (all P＜0.05), and 40 μg/kg dose and above groups recovered more than a big margin, but there were still differences compared with that of pre-treatment (P ＜0.05), while T-waves of 40 μg/kg dose and below groups had returned to the level of pre-treatment. Q-T interval in each group had varying degrees of recovery, except 1280 and 2560 μg/kg dose groups[(0.080 ± 0.004), (0.076 ± 0.011 )ms]which were still less than that of pre-treatment[(0.086 ± 0.007),(0.085 ± 0.006)ms, all P ＜ 0.05], other groups had no significant difference compared with that of pre-treatment (all P ＞ 0.05). Twenty-four hours after injection of ISO, the heart rates of 1280 and 2560 μg/kg dose groups [(389 ± 31 ), (398 ± 23)times/min]decreased significantly compared with that of pre-treatment[(427 ± 43), (438 ±26)times/min, all P ＜ 0.05], while other groups had returned to the level of pre-treatment. Seventy-two hours after injection of ISO, the heart rates, T-wave amplitudes and Q-T intervals of all doses groups had returned to the level of pre-treatment (all P ＞ 0.05). Conclusions There has no significant ST segment in the electrocardiogram of rat.Isoprenaline has an exact effect on shortening Q-T interval. T-wave amplitude and Q-T interval can be used as reliable indexes of ECG for assessment of this animal model.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the iodine nutritional status of university students in Tianjin and analyze influencing factors affecting urinary iodine levels.MethodsStudents of Tianjin Medical University,Tianjin Nankai University,Tianjin University of Finance and Economics and Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine were selected as survey subjects,and 50 - 100 morning urinary samples were collected from each university,respectively.Urinary iodine was measured by arsenic-cerium catalytic spectrophotometry.The students were surveyed with questionnaires,which included family information,age, sex, specialty, iodine nutrition knowledge,source of drinking water,smoking or not and dietary habits.ResultsA total of 269 urine samples were collected,and the median urinary iodine was 213.68 μg/L.Urinary iodine levels(263.86 μg/L) of medical students was significantly higher than that( 168.01 μg/L,x2 =12.144,P ＜ 0.01 ) of non-medical students.There was an increasing trend of the level of urinary iodine of students with iodine nutrition knowledge scores ＞ 5 points (223.70 μg/L) over that of ≤5 points( 185.56 μg/L),but the difference was not significantly different statistically (x2 =2.297,P ＞ 0.05).Different gender and water sources had no significant effect on urinary iodine level(x2 =0.002,0.687,respectively,all P ＞ 0.05).Smokers urinary iodine levels( 154.55 μg/L) decreased compared with non-smokers(215.38 μg/L),but the difference was not statistically significant (x2 =0.515,P＞ 0.05).Vegetarian urinary iodine levels were lower than that of non-vegetarians,but the difference was not statistically significant(x2 =0.594,P ＞ 0.05).ConclusionsIodine nutritional status of students in university of Tianjin are generally at an appropriate level,but professional knowledge,habits and other factors may affect the intake of iodine,so students should develop good dietary habits to ensure a normal iodine nutrition status.

Background Human leucocyte antigen (HLA)-B27-associated uveitis is one of the most common causes of non-infectious uveitis.T helper 17 (Th17) cells play an important role in human autoimmune diseases,but the pathology research on the production of Th17 cells in acute anterior uveitis patients positive for HLA-B27 was rarely reported.Objective The aim of this study was to investigate the expression and significance of the peripheral blood T helper cell subsets (Th1,Th2,Th17) in acute anterior uveitis patients positive for HLA-B27.Methods This study meets the criteria of the Helsinki Declaration.Informed consent was obtained from all the participants.A prospective cohort design was used in this study.Twenty-two patients with acute anterior uveitis positive for HLA-B27 were enrolled from Affiliated Second Hospital of Nanjing Medical University,and 16 normal healthy subjects with matched gender and age were enrolled as controls.The expression of interferon-γ (IFN-γ),interleukin-4 (IL-4) and IL-17 on lymphocytes (CD4+) in blood were assessed by flow cytometry,and immunoturbidimetry was used to detect the C reactive protein (CRP) level in blood.The degree of the severity of disease was evaluated by clinical scoring.The correlations between the percentage of IFN-γ+Th1,IL-4+Th2,or IL-17+Th17 with clinical factors and CRP were analyzed.Results The percentages of IFN-γ+Th1 and IL-17+Th17 in the peripheral blood were (23.11 ±9.69) ％ and (3.96±2.92) ％ in the patient group,showing a significant increase in comparison with (16.00±4.26)％ and (1.68±0.60) ％ in the control group (P=0.041,P=0.002).However,the IL-4+Th2 level was not significantly different between the patient group (0.33％ ±0.36％) and the control group (0.56％ ±0.34％) (P=0.122).No significant correlations were found between the percentage of IFN-γ+ Th1 with disease severity and CRP (r =0.197,P =0.500 ; r =0.253,P =0.383),between the percentage of IL-4+ Th2 with disease severity and CRP (r =0.068,P =0.817 ; r =0.439,P =0.116) as well as between the percentage of IL-17 + Th17 with CRP (r =0.226,P =0.436).However,a positive correlation was seen between the percentage of IL-17+ Th17 with disease severity (r =0.805,P =0.001).Conclusions IFN-γ and IL-17 in human CD4+T cells are significantly elevated in the blood of HLA-B27-related acute anterior uveitis patients.Disease severity is associated with the percentage of IL-17 +Th17,suggesting that Th1 cells together with Th17 cells participate in the pathogenesis of the disease and Th17 cells might play a dominant role in the disease.

OBJECTIVETo compare the effect of reinforcing Shen method (RSM) and activating blood method (ABM) in treating osteoarthritis (OA) at the molecular level.

METHODSThe physical and chemical characteristics of components from respective recipes of RSM and ABM, and network features of component-target interaction network were analyzed by computer simulation methods including chemical space, molecular docking, and biological network, etc.

RESULTSThe chemical components of RSM and ABM were scarcely scattered with larger overlapping. Among established networks, the distribution of network features was partially similar in RSM and ABM. The average target number correlated with each component was 1.86 in RSM and 2.11 in ABM respectively. Each average target number was respectively correlated with 4.46 compounds and 3.93 compounds, reflecting multi-component and multi-target actions.

CONCLUSIONComputer simulation could intuitively trace out similarities and differences of two different methods and their interaction with targets, which revealed that the compatibility of RSM and ABM could have broader protein targets and potential synergism at the molecular level.