Na+/H+ antiporter plays an important role in mechanisms of the plant salt tolerance, it extrudes Na+ from cell energized by the proton gradient generated by the plasm membrane H(+)-ATPase and/or compartmentalizes Na+ in vacuole energized by the proton gradient generated by the vacuolar membrane H(+)-ATPase and H(+)-PPiase. This review mainly discusses the latest progress in the study of Na+/H+ antiporter in plant and yeast at molecular level.
Phylogeny ; Plants ; metabolism ; Salts ; metabolism ; Sodium ; metabolism ; Sodium-Hydrogen Exchangers ; classification ; metabolism ; Vacuoles ; physiology

Objective To analyse the causes of perinatal death and explore the preventive measures to reduce the perinatal mortality.Methods The cases with perinatal death in this hospital from January 2005 to December 2006 were reviewed to analyse the causes of death by categorization and sum-up.Results There were 166 cases with perinatal death and the mortality rate was 27.08‰,including 126 cases with fatal death,which accounted for 75.90%.In the analysis of dead causes,the first one was birth defects,which suffered 69 cases,41.57% of all,and mostly were with fetus edema syndrome.The cord factors had been elevated to the second cause,which suffered 51 cases,30.72% of all.Conclusion Improving the consciousness of gestational monitoring and self-care,strengthening the prenatal diagnosis and genetic counseling,controlling the perinatal birth defects,monitoring mother and fetus by poly-parameter and stopping the pregnancy in time can reduce perinatal death effectively.

The hexane extract from marine actinomycetes 124092 showed potent inhibition on B16 cell line by MTT assay. The hexane extract was fractionationed on silica gel column by vacuum liquid chromatography to afford 6 fractions(Fr1~Fr6), and Fr6 showed cytotoxic activity. To determine the bioacitve components of hexane extract, Fr6 was analyzed by GC/MS. The main components were identified as palmitic acid (11.76%), oleic acid (12.16%), linoleic acid (14.77%), and lactobacillic acid (61.31%). It have been reported that palmitic acid, oleic acid, and linoleic acid possess cytotoxic activity on rat ascites tumor cells and linoleic acid have suppressive effect on human lung adenocarcinoma cells.

OBJECTIVETo study effective active constituents of Cayratia japonica,a genuine herbal medicine from Fujian.

METHODSuch chromatographic methods as Macroporous, Sephadex LH-20, ODS and normal phase silica gel column chromatography were adopted to separate the chemical components of C. japonica.

RESULTThirteen compounds were obtained, and their structures were identified by analyzing multiple spectral data as luteolin(1), apigenin(2), triethyl citrate-(3), 3-formylindole(4), esculetin(5), bis(2-ethylhexyl)-phthalate(6), calendin(7), ethyl-trans-3,4-dihydr-oxycinnamate(8), luteolin7-O-D-glucoside(9),5-hydroxy-3,4-dimethyl-5-pentyl-2(5H-furanone(10),ethyl-3,4-dihydroxybenzoate(11), eriodictyol(12) and daucosterol(13).

CONCLUSIONAmong them, compounds 3-8 and 10-12 were separated from the plant for the first time.

Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, Biomolecular ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Vitaceae ; chemistry

BACKGROUNDStathmin was identified as an endometriosis-related protein by comparative proteomics in our previous study. As a microtubule-destabilizing factor, stathmin was shown to participate in the relay and integration of diverse intracellular signaling pathways involved in cell proliferation, differentiation, and many other cellular activities. To investigate whether stathmin is involved in the pathogenesis of endometriosis, we examined the expression of stathmin in eutopic endometrium of women with or without endometriosis.

METHODSEutopic endometrium samples were collected from thirty-six patients who were diagnosed as endometriosis and the nineteen age-matched patients who were confirmed to be free of endometriosis surgically and histologically. The expression of stathmin mRNA was detected by real-time PCR, and its protein was detected by Western blotting and immunohistochemistry.

RESULTSStathmin was overexpressed in eutopic endometrium of women with endometriosis detected by real-time PCR in mRNA levels and by Western blotting in protein levels, without significant difference between proliferative and secretory phase. Immunohistochemistry showed that stathmin protein was localized in both endometrial glandular and stromal cells throughout the menstrual cycle.

CONCLUSIONSStathmin is overexpressed in endometrium of patients with endometriosis and may play a role in the pathogenesis of endometriosis.

Adult ; Blotting, Western ; Endometriosis ; metabolism ; Endometrium ; metabolism ; Female ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Middle Aged ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Stathmin ; genetics ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo prepare the genetic engineering regulatory T cells (Treg) via the self-inactivating (SIN) lentiviral vectors carrying Foxp3 gene, and assay the phenotype and abilities of its proliferation and immunosuppression.

METHODSThe bicistronic SIN lentiviral transfer plasmid containing Foxp3 gene and internal ribosomal entry site-green fluorescent protein gene (IRES-GFP) was constructed. Human embryonic kidney 293T cells were co-transfected using liposome by lentiviral packing system, which included the packaging plasmid Delta NRF, the transfer plasmid and the envelope plasmid VSVG. The efficiency of gene transduction and the expressions of Foxp3, CD25, GITR, CTLA-4 of CD4(+)CD25(-) T cells, which were isolated by magnetic beads from the spleen, and then co-cultured with 293T cells, were detected by flow cytometry (FCM). The proliferative and suppressive capacities of transduced T cells were estimated by Cell Count Kit-8 (CCK-8) and the cytokine production was performed by ELISA.

RESULTSThe lentiviral transfer plasmid pXZ208-Foxp3-IRES-GFP was successfully constructed, the virus titers were above 10(6) IU/ml in the supernatant. pXZ208-IRES-GFP was used as control group. After cocultured, the CD4(+)CD25(-) T cells expressed significantly higher Foxp3, CD25, GITR and CTLA-4 in experimental group than in control group. Upon stimulation with anti-CD3 epsilon and APCs, the proliferative capacity of Foxp3-transduced T cells and the production of IL-2, IL-4, IL-10, IFN-gamma were significantly lower than those in control group (P < 0.01); Foxp3-transduced T cells also significantly inhibited the proliferation of CD4(+)CD25(-) T cells.

CONCLUSIONSThe genetic engineering Treg mediated by SIN lentiviral vectors are successfully constructed and their phenotype and function are similar to natural CD4(+)CD25(+) Treg.

Animals ; Cell Proliferation ; Cells, Cultured ; Forkhead Transcription Factors ; genetics ; metabolism ; Genetic Engineering ; Genetic Vectors ; HEK293 Cells ; Humans ; Lentivirus ; genetics ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Phenotype ; T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory ; cytology ; immunology ; metabolism ; Transfection

Objective To evaluate the outcome of health education program on drowning prevention among primary and secondary school children in rural areas. Methods A township was selected and all the students from grade 3 to 5, grade 7 to 8, and grade 10 to 11 were selected to take part in the program. Twelve intervention measures on natural water safety and drowning prevention were carried out for one year. Information was collected using the same questionnaire before and after the intervention program. Results One year after the intervention was carried out, children's knowledge on drowning prevention improved significantly (13.21, 95% CI: 12.51-13.90) , and a positive effect was also noticed among boys (12.77, 95%CI: 11.77-13.77), girls (13.80, 95%CI: 12.82-14.78),and among primary school children (15.51,95%CI: 14.30-16.72), senior high school children (10.78,95%CI: 9.50-12.05) and junior high school children (12.77,95%CI: 11.84-13.71). Overall rates on risk behaviors dropped from 41.4% to 32.2% (by 22.2%) including 15.6% for boys, 35.2% for girls and 13.8%, 29.3%, 26.3% for primary school children, senior high school children, junior high school children, respectively. The incidence rates for non-fatal drowning decreased by 58.9% (from 5.6% to 2.3%). The person-times for treatment on sight, in emergency settings, in outpatient clinic or in the hospitals had a reduction from 399, 78, 36 to 175, 32, 14, respectively. Conclusion Health education program could improve children's perception on water safety, and reduce their risk behaviors as well as on the incidence of non-fatal drowning in the rural areas.

Objective To study the association between the levels of scrum resistin, visfatin and insulin resistance as well as β-cell dysfunction in the first-degree relatives (FDR) of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and to investigate the role of these adipocytokins in pathogenesis of T2DM. Methods Serum levels of resistin, visfatin as well as fasting true insulin (FTI), proinsulin (FPI) levels were measured in 71 patients with newly diagnosed T2DM. 55 subjects with IGT/IFG and 174 NGT from first-degree relatives of T2DM, and 114 subjects of NGT without T2DM family history served as control group (NC). Insulin resistance was assessed by the homeostasis model assessment (HOMA-IR) and β-cell function was evaluated by HOMA-β and fasting PI-to-TI ratio (FPI/TI). Lipid profile, liver function and kidney function were also tested. Anthropometrical parameters such as body mass index (BMI), waist circmference and blood pressure were also recorded and life style and food intake spectrum investigated. Results (1)There were no significant differences of serum resistin levels among the four groups (P ＞ 0.05 ). The serum resistin level was not correlated with HomA-IR, HomA-β and obesity markers (P＞0.05). (2) The serum visfatin levels of DM group, IGT/IFG and NGT group were lower than the NC group (P＜0.05). There were no significant difference among DM group, IGT/IFG group and NGT. The serum visfatin level was not correlated with HOMA-IR and obesity markers (P＞0.05) , but negatively correlated with fasting blood glucose, 2 h postprandial blood glucose and blood pressure (P＜0.05). Conclusion The adipokine profile in FDRs of T2DM had distinctively altered before the development of impaired glucose tolerance. Serum levels of visfatin, showed a favorable effect on glucose metabolism also had a significant decrease on serum levels in the early stage of T2DM.

A pairs of primers were designed according to the fusion protein(F)gene sequences of canine distemper virus(CDV)in GenBank.A 369 bp fragment aimed signal peptide fragment of F gene was amplified.The PCR products from viscera samples,blood,urine of fur animals including foxes,minks and raccoon dogs,which collected in the years 2005-2007,were cloned to pMD18-T Vector and sequenced.We obtained 13 positive signal peptide fragments from wild-type strains.The results indicated there was obviously genetic diversity between the wild-type strains and CDV3 and other vaccine strains.The homology with CDV3 is 80.7%-83.2%in nucleotide,and 64.8%-71.3%in amino acid.The analysis for the hydrophobic regions indicated the function of signal peptide fragment may be changed.This study can offer aca- demic data to research of CDV genetic variation and epidemiology.

Bacillus are well known antibiotic producers. In this study,dozens of Bacillus strains from different sources were screened. Among them,a strain with strong antifungal activity was found. With 16S rDNA test and Biolog assay,this strain was identified to be Bacillus amyloliquefaciens. The fermentation conditions were optimized in small conical flasks. After ammonium sulfate salting out,dialysis,freezing vacuum dehydration,the crude protein extracts were obtained. The thermal stability,pH stability,protease stability,ion stability and antifungal spectrum of this protein were studied further. Scanning electronic microscope was also used to explore the antifungal mechanism.