AIM: To explore the effect of complement on the cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury in rat and the protection by sCR1-SCR15-18. METHODS: 75 male SD rats were randomly divided into three groups: sham operation group (SO, n=15), middle cerebral artery occlusion and reperfusion (MCAO) without treatment group (I/R, n=30); MCAO treated with sCR1-SCR15-18 group (sCR1-SCR15-18, n=30). After the MCAO for 2 h, then reperfusion for 24 h, the scores of neural behavioral functional deficits were determined. Infarction area was measured by TTC staining. Activity of MPO in cerebral cortex was detected. C3b deposition and pathological change were observed by immunohistochemial staining and HE staining, respectively. RESULTS: After reperfusion for 24 h, the neurological deficits score, infarction area and activity of MPO in sCR1-SCR15-18 group were decreased compared to I/R group. In sCR1-SCR15-18 group, C3b deposition in ischemic area was decreased and pathological injury was improved compared to I/R group. CONCLUSION: Complement plays a role in cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury and sCR1-SCR15-18 exerts a protective effect by inhibiting the excessive activation of complement.

Objective To construct and express a small complement receptor type 1 (CR1) deriv-ative which contained two functional domains. Methods Total RNA was isolated from the peripheral blood mononuclear cell. The functional fragment Ⅰ of CR1 was amplified using the RT-PCR. The functional frag-ment Ⅱ was amplified with the plasmid of pET-32a-CR1-SCR15-18 as template which had been already con-structed in our laboratory. Then the chimeric gene that contained the two fragments was constructed with spli-cing overlap extention PCR. The chimeric gene was then inserted into the plasmid of pET-32a (+) and transformed into E. coli Rosetta(DE3). The inserted gene was verified by enzyme digestion and DNA se-quencing. After induced by IPTG, the expressed protein was analyzed by SDS-PAGE and Western blot. Then the fusion protein was purified by Ni-NTA affinity column and renatured through dialysis. The comple-ment inhibition activity was determined by CH50 method. Results The chimeric gene was successfully cloned into pET-32a(+). The result of SDS-PAGE and Western blot confirmed the expressed protein and showed that the molecule mass(Mr) of the expressed protein was 63×103. The purity of the recombinant protein was up to 92% after Ni-NTA column affinity chromatography. The bioactivity assay showed the fusion protein had a concentration-dependent complement inhibition activity within the concentration range of 0-200 μg/ml. Conclusion The two functional domains contained small CR1 derivative was successfully construc-ted and expressed in E. coli Rosetta. The fusion protein had a relative high bioactivity, providing a basis for further function experiment in vivo.

Objective To express the short consensus repeat 15-18 (SCR15-18) domain of human complement receptor 1 (CR1) in Pichia pastoris as a secreted protein in order to found a base for large-scale industry fermentation. Methods The gene fragment of CR1-SCR15-18 was amplified by PCR from plasmid pET32a-sCR1-SCR15-18. The obtained sequence was subcloned into Pichia pastoris secretory expression vector pPIC9. After identification the recombinant plasmid pPIC9-CR1-SCR15-18 was electrotransported into the yeast. Positive clones were identified using colony PCR. Positive recombinants were fermented in shake flaskes and induced with methanol. The recombinant proteins were identified with SDS-PAGE and Western blot analysis. After the recombinant protein was purified by Ni-NTA agarose metal chelate affinity chromatography, inhibiting complement hemolysis testing was used to detect the biological activity. Results Recombinant expression plasmid pPIC9-CR1-SCR15-18 was successfully constructed. SDS-PAGE and Western blot analysis revealed that the target gene was successfully expressed in the yeast and the recombinant protein was successful secreted in the culture supernatant. After purification, the protein inhibited complement hemolysis in vitro. Conclusion CR1-SCR15-18 is successful expressed in Pichia Pastoris with high activity of inhibiting complement hemolysis.

Objective To explore the clinical characteristics and gene mutation in a patient clinically diagnosed as dopa-responsive dystonia (DRD) without family history.Methods The clinical characteristics of a patient clinically diagnosed as DRD without family history were collected and molecular and bioinformatic analyses were performed.Results The patient demonstrated as type A tyrosine hydroxylase deficiency and a compound heterozygous mutation of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) gene was found,including a known nonsense mutation,c.457C＞T and a novel missense mutation,c.734G＞T that was probably pathologically predicted by bioinformatic analysis.Conclusion c.734G＞T may be a novel pathological mutation of TH gene.

Hereditary neuropathy with liability to pressure palsies (HNPP) is an autosomal dominant hereditary sensory and motor neuropathy characterized by recurrent numbness and limb weakness. In clinical practice, some patients may present with mild or atypical clinical symptoms, which tends to result in missed diagnosis or misdiagnosis of HNPP. This article summarizes the pathogenesis, epidemiology, clinical manifestations, auxiliary examination, diagnosis and differential diagnosis, management, and prognosis of HNPP.

Objective:To compare the efficacy of series casting with different timings after botulinum toxin injection among equinus children with spastic cerebral palsy.Methods:Sixty-three equinus children with spastic cerebral palsy were randomly divided into a control group and an experimental group. After being injected with botulinum toxin type A, 4 weeks of series casting was applied immediately in the control group, while in the experimental group it was applied 2 weeks later. Both groups were given basic rehabilitation therapy including heel walking, kicking balls, single-leg standing, standing platform training and balance training. The modified Tardieu scale, three-dimensional gait analysis, gross motor function measure 88 (GMFM-88) and a self-made questionnaire were used to evaluate muscle tone, spasticity, gait parameters, standing and walking before the treatment and 2 and 6 months afterward.Results:Immediately after the treatment there was a significant improvement in both groups′ average MTS scores (R1, R2, R1-R2 with knee extension and flexion), dorsiflexion at initial contact, peak dorsiflexion in the stance and swing phases, and dimension D (standing), and also in their average GMFM-88 (walking) scores. Two and six months later the experimental group′s average MTS scores, peak dorsiflexion in the stance phase, and dimension D (standing) score in the GMFM-88 (walking) had improved significantly compared with the control group′s averages. However, no significant differences were observed between the two groups in any of the other measurements after the treatment.Conclusion:Delaying series casting after botulinum toxin A injection can significantly reduce tone and spasticity in the plantarflexors, improve the range of motion and functioning of the ankle, and alleviate the discomfort and pain caused by series casting.

Objective:Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT) comprises a group of clinically and genetically heterogeneous inherited neuropathies with an estimated prevalence of 1 in 2500. This study aimed to analyze the clinical and mutational characteristics of Chinese CMT patients with MFN2, BSCL2 and LRSAM1 variants.Methods:In this study, genetic analysis was performed in 206 Chinese patients at Chinese PLA General Hospital from December 2012 to March 2020 with clinical diagnosis of CMT, and reported variants of MFN2, BSCL2 and LRSAM1 related to CMT2.Results:We reported ten MFN2 mutations in ten unrelated patients (7 male, 3 female), two of whom had positive family history. Three novel mutations were detected including c.475-2A>G (splicing); c.687dupA (p.E230Rfs*16) and c.558dupT (p.S186fs). We reported three BSCL2 mutations of four unrelated patients, including c.461C>G (p.S154W), c.461C>T(p.S154L), and novel variants of c.1309G>C (p.A437P) and c.845C>T (p.A282V). Furthermore, two novel variants of LRSAM1, including c.1930G>T (p.G644C) and c.1178T>A (p.L393Q) were detected in two unrelated patients.Conclusion:Mutational spectrum of MFN2-, BSCL2-and LRSAM1-related CMT disease is expanded with the identification of novel variants in Chinese patients.

Objective To investigate the antagonism of third generation dihydropyridine calcium channel antagonist beni-dipine in contraction induced by potassium chloride(KCl)in human internal mammary artery(IMA),and in order to explore the possibility of using benidipine as an antispastic agent during coronary artery bypass grafting(CABG). Methods The IMAs were taken from 19 patients undergoing CABG. The vasodilator effect(n = 7)on KCl-induced contraction and the inhibition effect(n = 6)after incubation with benidipine were studied in a myograph. The caveolin 1. 2 was detected(n = 3,2 cases re-spectively)by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results The maximum relaxation caused benidipine was (87. 7 ± 4. 9)％ . Incubation with benidipine significantly depressed the contraction by KCl[from( 16. 9 ± 4. 4)mN to (9. 1 ± 3. 4 )mN,P < 0. 01]. The concentration of caveolin 1. 2 was down-regulated after incubation with benidipine(P < 0. 05). Conclusion Benidipine has a potent inhibitory effect on KCl-induced vasoconstriction. The relaxation may be related with the expression of caveolin 1. 2. Using benidipine in patients undergoing CABG may provide antispastic effects in grafts.

Objective:To investigate the association between split foot and electrophysiology in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).Methods:The clinically definite or clinically probable ALS patients hospitalized in the Department of Neurology, the First Medical Center of Chinese People′s Liberation Army General Hospital from April 2021 to December 2022 were prospectively collected. From April 2021 to December 2022, patients who visited the Chinese People′s Liberation Army General Hospital for other reasons without abnormal electrophysiological examination were collected as the control group. The incidence of split leg [the limb whose modified Medical Research Council Muscle Strength Scale (mMRC) score of ankle dorsiflexors was lower than that of ankle plantarflexors] in ALS patients was calculated, and the incidence of split foot (the limb whose mMRC score of hallux dorsiflexors was lower than that of hallux plantarflexors) in ALS patients was calculated. The amplitude of compound muscle action potential (CMAP) of common peroneal nerve and tibial nerve was detected to observe the involvement of motor neurons innervating ankle dorsiflexors and ankle plantarflexors. The characteristics of split leg and split foot in ALS patients were analyzed from the perspective of muscle strength, and the characteristics of split foot in ALS patients were analyzed from the perspective of electrophysiology. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to analyze the sensitivity and specificity of peroneal nerve/tibial nerve CMAP amplitude ratio in distinguishing ALS patients from controls.Results:A total of 101 ALS patients with lower limb involvement and 110 controls with normal lower limb muscle strength were collected. Among the 101 ALS patients with lower limb involvement, strength of ankle plantarflexors was greater than that of ankle dorsiflexors in 35.64% (36/101) patients, strength of ankle dorsiflexors was greater than that of ankle plantarflexors in 5.94% (6/101) patients, and strength of ankle plantarflexors and ankle dorsiflexors was equal in 58.42% (59/101) patients. Strength of hallux dorsiflexors was lower than that of hallux plantarflexors in 53.47% (54/101) patients, strength of hallux dorsiflexors was greater than that of hallux plantarflexors in 1.98% (2/101) patients, and the strength of hallux dorsiflexors and hallux plantarflexors was equal in 44.55% (45/101) patients. The incidence of split leg was negatively correlated with age ( OR=0.25, 95% CI 0.16-0.40, P<0.05), course of disease ( OR=0.52, 95% CI 0.38-0.80 P<0.05) and ALS functional revised scores ( OR=0.29, 95% CI 0.12-0.67, P<0.05). The incidence of split foot was negatively correlated with the onset time of lower limb symptoms ( OR=0.96, 95% CI 0.93-0.99, P<0.05). Compared with the control group, the differences of the decrease of CMAP amplitude in the common peroneal nerve and tibial nerve [the common peroneal nerve (6.45±2.56) mV vs (3.63±1.83) mV, tibial nerve (12.87±4.72) mV vs (9.18±6.22) mV] were statistically significant ( t=-4.65, t=-3.44, both P<0.001) and the differences of the peroneal nerve/tibial nerve CMAP amplitude ratio (0.54±0.24 vs 0.36±0.18) decrease was statistically significant ( t=-4.31, P<0.001) in patients with split foot. ROC curve analysis showed that the area under the ROC curve of CMAP amplitude ratio of common peroneal nerve/tibial nerve in ALS patients with split foot was 0.70, indicating that the accuracy of CMAP amplitude of common peroneal nerve/tibial nerve in distinguishing ALS patients from controls was low. Conclusions:In ALS patients with lower limb involvement, strength of ankle dorsiflexors is weaker than that of ankle plantarflexors, and strength of hallux dorsiflexors is weaker than that of hallux plantarflexors. At the diagnostic level, the CMAP amplitude ratio of common peroneal nerve/tibial nerve in ALS patients with split foot has a lower accuracy in the diagnosis of ALS.

OBJECTIVE: The population density and diversity of Sinomenium acutum (Menispermaceae) have been greatly reduced recently by overharvesting for medicinal purposes in China. Therefore, it is urgent that the remaining populations are investigated, and that strategies for the utilization and conservation of this species are developed. This study aimed to find the possible glacial refugia and define the genetic diversity of S. acutum for its proper utilization and conservation. METHODS: A total of 77 S. acutum samples were collected from four locations, Qinling Mountains, Daba Mountains, Dalou Mountains, and Xuefeng Mountains, in subtropical China. Genetic diversity among and between these populations were phylogenetically analyzed using four chloroplast DNA molecular markers (atpI-atpH, trnQ-5'rps16, trnH-psbA and trnL-trnF). RESULTS: A total of 14 haplotypes (C1 to C14) were found in collected samples. Haplotypes C1 and C3 were shared among all populations, with C3 as the ancestral haplotype. Haplotypes C11 and C12 diverged the most from C3 and other haplotypes. No obvious phylogeographic structure was found in four locations using the GST/NST test. There is no evidence of rapid demographic expansion in S. acutum based on the mismatch distribution, and the results of Tajima's D test, and Fu's FS test. Our analyses of molecular variance revealed a high level of genetic variation within populations. In contrast, the genetic differentiation among S. acutum populations was low, indicating frequent gene flow. CONCLUSION Xuefeng, Dalou, and Daba Mountains were possible glacial refugia for the populations of S. acutum. C1, C3, C11 and C12 haplotypes of S. acutum should be carefully preserved and managed for their genetic value.