OBJECTIVETo observe the effect of pBBADs-OXM-transformed bifidobacteria on the body weight of obese mice.

METHODSB. longum was transformed with pBBADs-OXM by electroporation, and arabopyranose-induced oxyntomodulin expression by the bacterium was detected by ELISA. pBBADs-OXM-transformed bifidobacteria was administered orally obese mice on a daily basis with pBBADs-GFP-transformed bifidobacteria as the negative control, and the body weight changes of the mice were observed.

RESULTSOXM was detected by ELISA not only in the supernatant but also the precipitant of the transformed bacterial culture. The body weight of the obese mice fed with pBBADs-OXM-transformed bifidobacteria decreased significantly compared with that of the mice in the obese model group (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONAdministration of pBBADs-OXM-transformed B.longum can reduce the body weight of obese mice.

Administration, Oral ; Animals ; Appetite Depressants ; administration & dosage ; metabolism ; Bifidobacterium ; genetics ; metabolism ; Body Weight ; drug effects ; Electroporation ; Escherichia coli ; genetics ; metabolism ; Mice ; Obesity ; drug therapy ; Oxyntomodulin ; administration & dosage ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Random Allocation ; Recombinant Proteins ; administration & dosage ; biosynthesis ; genetics

AIMTo investigate the changes of several enzymes activities in the spleen and liver of rats after exposure to 8 Hz 130 dB infrasound for different time.

METHODSThirty-five male SD rats were randomly divided into five groups. Rats of group 1 served as control, rats from group 2 to 5 were exposed to 8 Hz 130 dB infrasound, 2 hours per day, for 1 wk, 2 wk, 3 wk, and 4 wk, respectively. The changes of enzymes activities in spleen and liver of rats were observed.

RESULTSMonoamine oxidase activities in spleen were significantly increased at 1 wk and 2 wk, it was decreased at 3 wk, and increased again at 4 wk (P < 0.05). There were no changes in the liver compared with the control group. Glutathione peroxides activities in spleen were significantly increased at 4 wk (P < 0.05) and it also increased in liver at 1 wk (P < 0.05). Superoxide dismutase activities in spleen were increased significantly from 1 wk to 4 wk, but there were no markedly changes in liver. The level of malondialdehyde in spleen were increased at 3 wk and 4 wk. In the liver, it were increased at 1 wk and 2 wk, and decreased at 3 wk, but it increased again at 4 wk (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe results indicated that lipid peroxidation and oxygen free radicals in spleen and liver were increased after infrasound exposure and it might induce the damage in tissue or cells.

Animals ; Environmental Exposure ; Glutathione Peroxidase ; metabolism ; Lipid Peroxidation ; Liver ; enzymology ; Male ; Malondialdehyde ; metabolism ; Monoamine Oxidase ; metabolism ; Noise ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Reactive Oxygen Species ; metabolism ; Spleen ; enzymology ; Superoxide Dismutase ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo understand the environmental risk factors on attempted suicide in patients with major depression, and to study the interaction between factors as single nucleotide polymorphism(SNP) of TPH2 gene rs7305115 associated to attempted suicide in major depression.

METHODSPaired case-control study on 215 suicide attempters with major depression (92 male, 123 female) and molecular biological techniques were used to study the relation between TPH2 gene rs7305115 SNP,interrelated environmental factors and the rate of attempted suicide. Controls were paired with cases according to the same gender, similar age (no more than 3 years) and from the same district.

RESULTSThere were remarkably significant differences in gene types and gene frequency between case and control groups (P < 0.001). Data from multivariate conditional logistic regression model analysis showed that hopelessness, negative life-events and family history of suicide were relationship of attempted suicide in patients with major depression with OR values as 0.33 (95% CI: 0.22-0.99), 7.68 (95% CI: 5.79-13.74), 6.64 (95% CI: 2.48-11.04), 2.98 (95% CI: 1.17-5.04) respectively. There was no first level interaction between any of the two risk factors.

CONCLUSIONResults from the study supported the idea that hopelessness, negative life-events and family history of suicide were risk factors of attempted suicide in major deprbssion while TPH2 gene rs7305115 A/A might be the protective factor.

Case-Control Studies ; China ; epidemiology ; Depressive Disorder, Major ; genetics ; psychology ; Humans ; Odds Ratio ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Risk Factors ; Suicide, Attempted ; psychology ; statistics & numerical data ; Tryptophan Hydroxylase ; genetics