With the completion of human genome,we are entering the functional genomic age.To further reveal the nature of life,glycomics comes into being and becomes a research focus.This review gives a deep insight on the current research progress of glycomics,including the research target,the structural classification and metabolism of sugar chain,the biological significance,research approaches,and the correlation between glycomics and liver diseases.

Objective:To retrospectively analyze the routine clinical laboratory parameters for hepatocellular carcinoma,in an attempt to search for parameters for diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC).Methods:The pre-operation clinical labo- ratory data,such as tumor makers,and serological biochemical indices,hepatitis B virus(HBV)infection markers,and HBV DNA titers,were collected from 828 patients who were pathologically diagnosed as having HCC;then the correlation between these data with tumor size and the pathological grades of HCC was analyzed.Results:It was found that 97.9% of the 828 pa- tients were infected with HBV and 70.9% of them were accompanied by liver fibrosis.We also found that the tumor size was correlated with albumin(ALB),globulin(GLB),A/G,aspartate aminotransferase(AST),ratio of aspartate to alanine amin- otransferase(AST/ALT),gamma-glutamyl transferase(GGT),alkaline phosphatase(ALP),alpha-L-fucosidase(AFU),al- pha-fetoprotein(AFP)and tumor grades;meanwhile,the pathological grades of tumor was correlated to prealbumin(PALB), GGT and tumor size(all P

Objective To explore the anti-apoptotic mechanism of Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) through exam?ine the postoperative change of adiponectin levels and expressions of pancreatic islets relative apoptotic protein. Methods Sixty SD rats were randomly allocated to RYGB group (n=20), type 2 diabetes mellitus group (T2DM, n=20) and normal con?trol group (NC, n=20). Rats in the NC group were fed with normal diet. In order to make type 2 diabetic rat models, the rats in the T2DM and RYGB groups were fed with high fat diet (22.19 kJ/g) combined with administration of intraperitoneal strep?tozotocin injection (STZ, 30 mg/kg) on the 13th day of high fat diet. RYGB operation were performed in RYGB group and sham-operation were performed in the T2DM and NC groups when diabetic model was contructed. Rats were weight preoper?atively and at the 7th, 14th, 21st days after operations. Fasting plasma glucose and adiponectin (ELISA) were measured preoper?atively and at 21st day postoperatively. Protein expressions of Bcl-2,Caspase 8 and Caspase 9 in pancreatic islets were ex?amined by immunohistochemistry at the 21st day postoperatively. Results Body weights do not vary significantly among three groups preoperatively. Compared to rats in the NC group, fast plasma glucose level was higher but adiponectin was low?er in rats in RYGB and T2DM groups. Body weights of rats in RYGB group decreased significantly compared to those of rats in NC and T2DM groups postoperatively. Compared to rats in T2DM group, fasting glucose level was lower while adiponectin concentrations was higher in rats in RYGB group but no differences of these parameters were seen in rats in NC group at the 21st day postoperatively. Expression of Bcl-2 in RYGB group was significantly elevated while expressions of Caspase 8 and Caspase 9 were significantly decreased compared to those in T2DM group postoperatively. Conclusion Adiponectin levelswas elevated;expressions of Bcl-2 was increased;expressions of Caspase 8, Caspase 9 were decreased upon RYGB opera?tion in T2DM model. RYGB might reduce pancreatic islets apoptosis through mitochondrial pathway.

In this article, a new TCM clinical trial of phaseⅢ was served as an example of application of Clinical Data Interchange Standards Consortium (CDISC). It briefly introduced seven data acquisition modules commonly used in clinical research of new traditional Chinese medicine, namely demographics, subject characteristic, clinical event, medical history, questionnaire, laboratory inspection and adverse event. It also introduced the process of transferring the above modules to Study Data Tabulation Models (STDM), and discussed the feasibility and some issues that required attention of CDISC application in clinical research of new traditional Chinese medicine.

This paper was aimed to discuss the feasibility and attentions of application of instrumental variable (IV) methods in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) outcome research. First, the application of IV was introduced, which included the basic principles and hypothesis, statistical model, estimator of IV and weak IV. Then, an example was given to illustrate the evaluation criteria and attentions of IV. The resultsshowed that IV method was proposed as a potential approach to the problems of confounding in statistics. But using IV methods should be based on a series of statistical hypotheses. It was concluded that the IV analysis was a method controlling confounding bias, but generally it was not chosen as the preferred analytical method. The issue of searching for valid and plausible IV seemed to be the biggest obstacle in the outcome of TCM researches.

BACKGROUND: Multiple sclerosis(MS) is a chronic autoimmune disease induced by the interaction between genetic and environmental factors. Its pathogen and the mechanism of the relapse and remission m the course of the disease are still unknown. Most of the MS research centers are looking for the pathogenic polypeptide epitope in proteolipid protein(PLP), myelin sheath basic protein (MBP) and oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) OBJECTIVE: To compare the proliferation of T cell lines(TCL) in MS induced by myelin sheath and delipidated myelin sheath towards 11 components of myelin sheath to mainly search the possible pathogenic polypeptide epitope in PLP, and investigate the possible effects of abnormal dcgrease in myelin sheath.DESIGN: A case-controlled trial.SETTING: Department of neurology in a hospital of a university.PARTICIPANTS: Mononuclear cells(MNC) of 16 MS cases(clinical relapsing-remitting type, patients did not receive any immunosuppresant for at least 3 months when their peripheral blood samples were taken) and 12 HLA-DR15 healthy volunteers were furnished by Dr. Trotter JL of MS Research Center of Washington University from the cell database.INTERVENTIONS: MS-TCL and normal TCL were induced twice by stimulation with myelin sheath and delipidated myelin sheath in vitro by cell culture in vitro. TCL proliferation was tested by 11 antigens including PLP,MBP, M87-106, P30-49, P40-60, P89-106, P95-117, P117-137,P139-151, P178-191, and P185-206.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Difference of scintillation counting in every minute of every well, and the stimulative index of each well were calculated, and the mean wells with positive proliferation of TCL towards each antigen were confirmed as well.RESULTS: The general specific proliferation towards myelin sheath antigens was bigger in MS group than control group 5.49 ±5.31 to 3.10 ± 3. 17, and delipidated myelin sheath-induced TCL was bigger than myelin sheath-induced one 5. 49 ± 5.31 to 3.41 ± 4. 83 . Delipidated myelin sheath significantly changed the immune responses of MS group,especially the changes of responses towards P30-49, P40-60, P89-106,P117-137, P139-161, and P185-206 were significant compared with that the control group only responded to two polypeptides, which indicated that the antigen epitope of MBP, PLP, M87-106, P95-117, P40-60, and P185-206 might have significance in the triggering of MS autoimmune responses.CONCLUSION: TCL induced by MS myelin sheath has different proliferation towards antigen components of myelin sheath from control group. Delipidated myelin sheath significantly increases TCL proliferation in MS group, which suggests that if MS patients developed abnormal degrease in myelin sheath, TCL would produce autoimmune response towards self-myelin sheath, MBP, PLP and its polypeptide segments all can trigger MS or aggravate the state of the illness. Our finding supports the hypothesis of MS autoimmune pathogenic mechanism.

Objective To investigate the effects of Panax notoginseng saponins (PNS) on the cerebral water content and thrombin in the rats with intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), and explore its mechnism for treating ICH. Methods SD male rats were randomly divided into blank group, sham operation group, model group and treatment group, and time points of 6, 24, 48, 72 h and 7 d were observed. ICH rat model was induced by collagenase and heparin in saline solution injected into caudate nucleus. The treatment group was injected PNS intraperitoneally once a day, and the cerebral water content was assessed by dry-wet weight method. Both content of fibrinogen (FIB) and thrombin clotting time (TT) in 48 h were measured. Results The cerebral water content of model group increased at every time point compared with blank group and sham operation group (P<0.05). The cerebral water content of treatment group was significantly decreased at every time point except for 6 h compared with model group (P<0.05). FIB of treatment group decreased compared with model group (P<0.05), while TT of treatment group was not significantly decreased (P>0.05). Conclusion PNS may play a role in treating ICH by decreasing cerebral water content, FIB and TT of ICH rats.

Objective To prepare the recombinant epitopes of HSV-gB and HSV-gD protein and provides a new antigen protein for the development of herpes simplex virus(HSV)vaccine.Methods The epitopes of HSV-gB and HSV-gD protein were analyzed by epitope prediction software.A novel gene named X which encoded 9 predicted epitopes of HSV-Gb and HSV-gD protein was designed and synthesized using chemical method.X gene was cloned into vector PET-28a(+),expressed in Escherichia cob' BL21(DE3),and analyzed by Western blot.Results X gene was successfully designed and expressed in Escherichia coli BL21(DE3).Western blot analysis showed that recombinant X protein,which was with His marker,can be detected by anti-His antibody.Conclusion In this study we establish a newmethod to express recombinant epitope protein,which may be a new protein for developing vaccine against HSV infection.

BACKGROUND:Fractures can induce bone cel hypoxia, and remarkably reduce the oxygen tension in cels. Hypoxia-inducible factor-2α is a key oxygen-dependent transcriptional activator to regulate the body function under hypoxia and mediate the release of various inflammatory factors after fractures.
OBJECTIVE:To explore the role of Laquinimod in expression and function of hypoxia-inducible factor-2αin osteoblasts.
METHODS: Mouse osteoblasts MC3T3-E1 (clone 14) were pretreated with Laquinimod at various concentrations(10-100μmol/L) before hypoxia in the presence or absence of specific proteasome inhibitors MG132 or N-acetyl-leucyl-leucyl-norleucine. Then, the media were pre-conditioned in 1% or 21% oxygen tension for 1 to 24 hours.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Under hypoxia, the expression of hypoxia-inducible factor-2α in osteoblasts was increased remarkably, and Laquinimod could inhibit the expression of hypoxia-inducible factor-2α and its target genes in mouse MC3T3-E1 cels. Mechanisticaly, Laquinimod promoted hypoxia-inducible factor-2α degradation in a proteasome-dependent but von Hippel-Lindau protein-independent manner. Importantly, we found that Laquinimod disrupted the interaction between hypoxia-inducible factor-2α and its chaperone heat shock protein 90, but promoted the interaction between hypoxia-inducible factor-2α and the receptor of activated protein kinase C. These findings suggest that Laquinimod may promote the degradation of hypoxia-inducible factor-2α by affecting its folding and maturation. Laquinimod is a novel inhibitor of hypoxia-inducible factor-2α by changing its functional interaction with chaperone proteins heat shock protein 90 and receptor of activated protein kinase C.

Objective To predict the secondary structure and the B cell epitopes of human heparanase protein, and to identify its immunogenicity. Methods The flexible regions of secondary structure and the B cell epitopes of human heparanase amino acid sequence were predicted by DNAStar and Bcepred software. The multiple antigenic peptides (MAP) of the epitopes were synthesized in 8-branch form. Rabbits were immunized with the 8-branch MAPs mixed with a universal T-helper epitope human IL-1β peptide (VQGEESNDK, amino acid 163-171 ). The immunogenicity of the synthesized peptides was evaluated by ELISA, Western blot and immunohistochemistry. Results Amino acid 1 -15 ( MAP1), 279-293 (MAP2) and 175-189(MAP3) of large-subunit of human heparanase protein was predicted as the most potential epitopes of human heparanase protein. All the three synthesized MAPs induced high titer of antibodies. ELISA, Western blot and immunohistochemistry analysis showed all the three MAPs could produce high titer serum antibodies, antibodies induced by MAP1 and MAP2 had high specific binding activity , and MAP2 antibody showed the strongest binding activity with liver cancer tissues. Conclusion The large-subunit No. 1-15, 279-293 amino acid of human heparanase protein may be the B cell preponderant epitopes and the strongest immunogenicity may be No. 279-293 peptide, which provided a theoretic basis for the antibody and vaccine development of heparanase subunit peptide.