Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is a large group of common hereditary eye diseases with highlyheterogeneous genetic background. Over forty genes with diverse functionalities are associated with RP and they include a set of ubiquitously expressed genes. These include five genes involved in the precursor messenger RNA( premRNA) splicing. Recent progress in disease gene identification for RP has established the involvement of pre-mRNA splicing as one important mechanism in the disease etiology and has shed light on the splicing process itself, a fundamental biological process. To this date, studies in this field have been focused on two major issues. First, how do the mutations of the adRP associated splicing factors (adRP-SF) affect the splicing function? Second, how do the mutations in these ubiquitously expressed genes lead to specific retinopathy? The two topics fit with the two continuous important steps of the disease pathogenesis. Recently, researchers have made a dramatic progress in the first topic. The identification of the SNRNP200 gene,the fifth adRP-SF and its relevant functional study has shown significance to the progress in the study of RP. Numerous investigations are also being carried out in addressing the second issue.Generation of a variety of models led to a better description of the pathological process of the disease. However, in respect to the key pathogenic mechanism,researchers are still puzzled with a number of confusing questions. In this commentary,the results from the latest investigations were summarized, and in particular,the difficulties in studying the molecular mechanism by which the pre-mRNA splicing deficiency causes RP were detailed.

Objective To explore endoscopic diagnosis,treatment,pathological features and prognosis of gastrointestinal carcinoid tumors.Methods Retrospective analysis of 72 cases of gastrointestinal carcinoid tumors which were endoscopically diagnosed,treated,pathologically confirmed and followed up from July 2004 to July 2010 in Shanxi Provincial People' s Hospital.Common endoscopic diagnosis,endoscopic ultrasound(EUS)diagnosis,pathological features,treatment and prognosis were summarized.Results Twenty six cases of upper gastrointestinal carcinoid tumors and 46 cases of lower gastrointestinal carcinoid tumors were diagnosed and followed up.A total of 65 cases were single carcinoid and 7 were multiple carciniods.Tumors were mostly yellowish hard nodules with limited range of movement.EUS showed uneven hypoechoic nodules in the submucosal layer.Fifty-one cases of single carcinoid tumor were successfully treated with endoscopic mucosal resection(EMR)or endoscopic submucosal dissection(ESD)and the cure rate was 96.2％(51/53).Three cases of multiple carciniods were cured with EMR and the cure rate was 3/7.There was no tumor recurrence after treatment during follow-up.Conclusions Endoscopy examination is an important way to detect early carcinoid tumors.Endoscopic ultrasound probe can further clarify source and level of the lesion,and provide the basis for the endoscopic therapy.EMR and ESD are the preferred radical treatment for early carcinoid tumors.

Fed-batch culture is the predominant mode of the current animal cell culture process for many recombinant protein production. Fed-batch culture operation is mainly based on the nutrient continuous consumption and demand of cells to design continuous or semi-continuous concentration feed medium to maintain or support high-density cell growth and improve volumetric productivity of target protein in the reactor. The main methods to improve production efficiency of fed-batch cells culture include the optimization of medium design, selection and optimization of feed strategy and regulation of cell metabolism.

Background Rhodopsin (RHO) gene is the most common disease gene for autosomal dominant retinitis pigmentosa (adRP),one of the main pathogenesis is that misfolded mutant RHO proteins accumulate in the endoplasmic reticulum and cause endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS).Objective This study aimed to determine the genetic basis for a consanguineous Chinese Han adRP family.Methods This study procedure complied with Helsinki Declaration.All participants in the family were investigated under the informed consent.Regular ocular examination was performed on the patients in this family.Next-generation sequencing (NGS) was carried out to screen the mutations in 189 genes associated with hereditary retinal diseases (HRDs).After being analyzed and filtered,variations detected by NGS were validated by Sanger sequencing and evaluating of pathogenicity.The wild-type RHOWT and mutant RHOP53Rwere cloned into the vector pEGFP-N1.Then the two plasmids were transfected into adult retinal pigmentosa epithelium cell line(ARPE19) and human embryo kidney 293 line (HEK293) to observe the location of rhodopsin-GFP fusion protein in cells,and the expression of ERS related protein XBP1 in the cells was detected by quantitative-PCR and Western blot.Results This family included 5 generations with the typical adRP characteristics.Genetic analysis identified a heterozygous variation,p.P53R in RHO gene,which was fully cosegregated in the family.Wild-type RHOWT-GFP fusion proteins showed the green fluorescence on the endoplasmic reticulum and cytomembrane,but the misfolded mutant RHO-GFP fusion protein gathered only in endoplasmic reticulum.Compared to wild-type RHOWT,the XBP1 was activated and increased by (1.28 ±0.09) fold.The introns of 26 bases in XBP1 mRNA were removed in the HEK293 cells with mutant RHO-GFP fusion protein,and the expression of XBP1 was stronger in the HEK293 cells with mutant RHO-GFP than that in HEK293 cells with wild type RHO-GFP and cells with blank pEGFP-N1 plasmid.Conclusions Heterozygous variant RHO p.P53R is very likely the pathogenical mutation in the adRP family.The RHOP53R mutant rhodopsin protein can not be delivery effectively from the endoplasmic reticulum to the cell membrane,and these proteins accumulate in the endoplasmic reticulum,which causes ERS.

Traditional Chinese medicine considers that the final purpose of acupuncture treatment for disease is to harmonize yin and yang. Acupuncture redresses a balance between yin and yang by transmitting information to acupoints and then to corresponding visceral tissues and organs and the brain through the meridian system or the nervous system. In recent years, scholars at home thoroughly studied heart rate variability (HRV) analysis for acupuncture treatment of diseases and found that the regulating effect of acupuncture on visceral organs was closely related to autonomic nerves and acupuncture could restore a balance between sympathetic and parasympathetic nerves. Many scholars explored the effect of acupuncture on diseases related to autonomic nervous dysfunction by HRV frequency domain or time domain analysis and gained a certain achievements. This article summarizes recent years’ domestic studies on HRV-based analysis of acupuncture for diseases with autonomic nervous dysfunction and reviews the close relationship between autonomic nerves and diseases and the related mechanism of acupuncture action.

Objective To observe the influence of Qingwen Baidu decoction (QBD) on serum procalcitonin (PCT) and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels in septic rats and study the mechanism of heat-clearing and detoxifying method for treatment of sepsis. Methods Fifty male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into control group (n=5), model group (n=25), and heat-clearing and detoxifying experimental group (experimental group, n=20). The septic model was reproduced by intra-peritoneal injection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS, 5 mg/kg). In control group, an equal volume of normal saline was given. After modeling for 2 hours, the heat-clearing and detoxifying experimental group received QBD the first time (composition of the decoction: Gypsum Fibrosum Recens 30 g, Rehmanniae Radix 10 g, Bubali Cornu 15 g, Coptidis Rhizoma 4 g, Gardeniae Fructus 5 g, Platycodonis Radix 5 g, Scutellariae Radix 5 g, Anemarrhenae Rhizoma 5 g, Paeoniae Radix Rubra 5 g, Scrophulariae Radix 5 g, Forsythiae Fructus 5 g, Glycyrrhizae Radix 5 g, Moutan Cortex 5 g, Lophatheri Herba 5 g) by gavage (0.01 mL/g); the rest administration time was 08:00 to 09:00, once a day. The rats in model group were given an equal volume of warm water by gavage. At different time points after modeling, the blood of 5 rats in control group, model group, and experimental group was collected from the abdominal aorta. The serum PCT and CRP levels were tested by the enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and the pathological changes in lung and intestinal tissue were observed under a light microscope. Results Compared with the control group, the PCT level of the model group after modeling for 2 hours was significantly increased (ng/L:332.32±22.85 vs. 70.46±3.18, P<0.01), this situation continued until 72 hours after modeling. CRP level in the comparison between the control and model groups did not have statistical significant difference at 2, 8, and 48 hours after modeling (all P > 0.05). The level of CRP in model group was lower than that of control group at 24 hours and 72 hours after modeling (μg/L:281.34±32.81, 237.84±41.42 vs. 350.09±56.67, P<0.05 and P<0.01). There were no statistically significant differences in PCT levels between model group and experimental group after modeling for 8 hours and 24 hours (both P > 0.05). The PCT level of experimental group was significantly lower than that of model group beginning from 48 hours after modeling (ng/L: 321.57±28.00 vs. 358.12±10.14, P < 0.05), and this situation continued until 72 hours after modeling (ng/L: 269.50±49.10 vs. 347.69±26.90, P <0.05). The CRP level of experimental group was significantly lower than that of model group beginning from 8 hours after modeling (μg/L:232.73±13.29 vs. 335.35±53.78, P<0.05), this statistical significant difference between the two groups persisted until 72 hours after modeling (μg/L:177.31±6.70 vs. 237.84±41.42, P<0.05). Compared to those in the model group, the lung tissue inflammatory cell infiltration, the intestinal mucosal inflammation and interstitial edema were milder in the experimental group. Conclusion Heat-clearing and detoxifying therapy can effectively reduce the serum PCT and CRP levels of septic rats induced by LPS, and it can alleviate the infiltration of inflammatory cells in lung tissues so as to play a role in protection of tissue organ.

A novel, simple and highly sensitive method was developed for the rapid analysis of phenolic antioxidants at trace level in edible oils. It was based on dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction ( DLLME ) and gas chromatography-mass/mass spectrometry ( GC-MS/MS) . Related important factors that may influence enrichment efficiency, such as type and volume of extraction solvent, type and volume of dispersive solvent, and extraction time were investigated and optimized in detail. The optimum conditions were as follows:a quick injection of 500 μL mixed solution ( methanol:acetonitrile=1:1 , V/V ) into 1 . 0 g oil sample with 3 mL n-hexane for 10 s of extraction time. Under the optimal conditions, the linearity (10-2000 ng/g), limits of detection (1. 5-2. 4 ng/g) and relative standard deviations (4. 0%-8. 3%) was obtained. The proposed method was applied for the analysis of 4 edible oil samples. Some of phenolic antioxidants were detected in three of them, and the recoveries of spiked samples were in the range of 81. 9%-118%.

Objective To investigate the influence of Zhuanggu granule on the concentration of IL-1β and TN-F-α in knee cavity of patients with knee degenerated osteoarthritis. Methods A total of eighty patients with knee degenerated osteoarthritis were recruited into a Zhuanggu granule group (30 cases), a Sulphuric acid Glucosamine group (15 cases) and a Sodium Hyaluronate group (15 cases) according to Doll grouping method. After all groups were treated for 4 weeks, the changes of concentration of IL-1β and TNF-α was detected before and after the therapy Results After the treatment, the concentration of IL-1β and TNF-α in Zhuangu granule group was significantly lower than the other two groups (Sodium Hyaluronate and sulphuric Glucosamine group). Conclusion Zhuangu Granule could influence the concentration of IL-1β and TNF-α in patients of knee degenerated osteoarthritis.

Objective To explore the relationship between diet intake and diabetes mellitus(DM) and impaired fasting glucose (IFG) in adult residents in Guangxi,so as to provide scientific basis for dietary prevention.Methods 2 281 people(1 020 from urban areas and 1 261 from rural areas) aged 18 years and above were selected from 4 cities and 4 countrysides in Guangxi through a multistage stratified random sampling.The investigation included the meal investigation,medical examination and blood assay. Results Total 37 people(26 from urban and 11 from rural) suffered from DM and 26 people(15 from urban and 11 from rural) had IFG,the general prevalence rate of Impaired Glucose Metabolism(IGM) was 2.8%(4.0% for urban and 1.7% for rural);It showed that the prevalence of IGM in city was obviously higher than that in the countryside(P

Objective To explore the clinical diagnostic value of 18 F-FDG PET/CT in patients with kidney neoplasms.Methods Seventy-nine patients (52 males,27 females,average age (57.3 ± 14.1) years),who had definitive diagnosis of kidney neoplasms by 18F-FDG PET/CT and pathological or clinical comprehensive diagnosis in recent five years,were analyzed retrospectively.The diagnosis by PET/CT was made according to the changes of kidney shape,tumor density and FDG uptake (SUVmax).The diagnostic efficacy was calculated.Results Among the 79 patients,70 cases were finally diagnosed as malignant tumors (including 40 cases of renal cell carcinoma,5 cases of renal pelvis carcinoma,8 cases of lymphoma,16 cases of metastatic tumor,and 1 case of renal fascia capsule liposarcoma) and 9 cases of benign tumors (including 7 cases of angiomyolipomas,1 case of renal acidophilic cell adenoma,1 case of metanephric adenoma; the benign tumors did not contain small lipid sample hamartoma cases).The detective rate of kidney neoplasms with 18F-FDG PET/CT was 97.5％ (77/79).For the identification of benign and malignant lesions,the sensitivity of 18F-FDG PET/CT was 92.9％ (65/70),specificity was 7/9,accuracy was 91.1％ (72/79),positive predictive value was 97.0％ (65/67),and negative predictive value was 58.3 ％ (7/12).Conclusions 18 F-FDG PET/CT can detect and identify most of kidney tumors.Whole-body checking and comprehensive evaluation on kidney cancer patients are still the main advantages of PET/CT.