Objective To investigate the difference of hypoxia-inducible factor 1a (HIF-1a) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression in endometrial cancer and para-carcinoma tissues, and to explore the clinical significance of hypoxia and the two proteins in the development and progression of endometrial cancer. Methods From Jan. 2011 to Dec. 2012, 128 patients with endometrial cancer underwent surgery in Tongji Hospital of Tongji University. The expression of HIF-1a and VEGF in cancer tissues and paired para-carcinoma tissues was detected using immunohistochemical method. The patients were followed up regularly, and the relationship between the expression of HIF-1a and VEGF and the prognosis of the patients was analyzed. The hypoxic cell model of human endometrial cancer was constructed to detect the expression of HIF-1a and VEGF proteins and observe the cell proliferation, invasion and apoptosis. Results The positive rates of HIF-1a and VEGF in cancer tissues were significantly higher than those in the para-carcinoma tissues (both P<0.05). The positive rate of HIF-1a was higher in the patients with lymph node metastasis, high histological grade, maximal tumor dimeter=4 cm or positive progesterone receptor (all P<0.05). The positive rate of VEGF was higher in the patients with lymph node metastasis, high histological grade, deep myometrial invasion, maximal tumor dimeter=4 cm, positive estrogen receptor, positive progesterone receptor or high pathological stage (all P<0.05). The 5-year overall survival rate of the patients with negative HIF-1a was significantly higher than that of the patients with positive HIF-1a (P<0.05), while there was no significant difference in the 5-year overall survival rate between the patients with negative and positive VEGF (P>0.05). In the hypoxic cell model of human endometrial cancer, the expression levels of HIF-1a and VEGF were significantly increased, cell proliferation and invasion were significantly increased, and the cell apoptosis was significantly reduced (all P<0.05). Conclusion HIF-1a and VEGF are related to the progress of endometrial cancer, and positive expression of HIF-1a indicates a poor prognosis.

OBJECTIVETo observe the changes in Aβ40, Aβ42 and ADDLs in brains of 3 month-old APPswe/PS1dE9 double transgenic mice after six-month intervention with curcumin, in order to discuss the neuroprotective effect of curcumin.

METHODAPPswe/PS1dE9dtg mice were randomly divided into the model group, the Rosiglitazone group (10 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1)) and curcumin high (400 mg x kg9-1) x d(-1)), medium (200 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1)) and low (100 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1)) dosage groups, with C57/BL6J mice of the same age and the same background in the normal control group. After 6 months, the immunohistochemical staining (IHC) and the Western blot method were used to observe the changes in positive cell of Aβ40, Aβ42 and ADDLs in hippocampal CA1 area, their distribution and protein expressions.

RESULTBoth of the immunohistochemical staining and the Western blot method showed more positive cell of Aβ40, Aβ42 and ADDLs in hippocampal CA1 area and higher protein expressions in the model group than the normal group (P < 0.01). IHC showed a lower result in the Rosiglitazone group than the model group (P < 0.05), while Western blot showed a much lower result (P < 0.01). The number of Aβ40, Aβ42 and ADDLs positive cells and the protein expressions decreased in the curcumin high group, the medium group showed a significant decrease (P < 0.01), and the low dose group also showed reductions in the protein expressions of Aβ40 and Aβ42.

CONCLUSIONThe six-month intervention with curcumin can significantly reduce the expressions of hippocampal Aβ40, Aβ42 and ADDLs in brains of APPswe/PS1dE9 double transgenic mice. Whether curcumin can impact Aβ cascade reaction by down-regulating expressions of Aβ40, Aβ42 and ADDLs and show the neuroprotective effect needs further studies.

Alzheimer Disease ; drug therapy ; genetics ; metabolism ; Amyloid beta-Peptides ; genetics ; metabolism ; Animals ; Brain ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Curcumin ; administration & dosage ; Disease Models, Animal ; Hippocampus ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Humans ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Mice, Transgenic ; Neuroprotective Agents ; administration & dosage ; Plant Extracts ; administration & dosage

Objective To explore the effects of the autoantibody against the second extracellular loop of ?3-adrenoceptor(?3AR)from children with heart failure on isolated cardiomyocytes of adult rats.Methods The synthetic peptide corresponding to the sequence of the se-cond extracellular loop(176-202 amino acid residues)of the human ?3AR was used as the antigen to screen the anti-?3AR autoantibodies from the sera of the 50 children with heart failure and 50 healthy children by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA);IgG in the children with heart failure of positive autoantibodies sera was purified.The effects of purified IgG per each group on contractile response of isolated cardiomyocytes of adult rats were observed using motion-edge detection system and double-provocation fluorescence photomultiplier system.Results Among the 50 children with heart failure,the anti-?3AR autoantibodies positive rate was 30%(15/50 cases),and ob-viously higher than that of healthy children[12%(6/50)cases,P

A 2,4 -dichlorophenol degrading Pseudomonas strain GI241-1 was isolated from a soil sample. The dienelactone hydrolase gene, designated as dcpD which encodes dienelactone hydrolase involved in transforming cis-2-chloro-dienelactone into 2-chloromaleylacetic acid, was cloned from this bacterium strain. The gene cloning strategy was to construct genomic library after location of its neighbouring gene by Southem blot and to screen the aim transformant by dot blotting. Sequencing results showed that length of dcpD is 702bp. The sequence of dcpD and the deduced amino acid are different from the relative sequences registered in the GenBank.

Human violent behavior is a complex behavior which is influenced by genetic and environmental factors. There is a trend in investigating the mechanism of violent behavior by using the genetic methods. This article reviews several candidate genes and advances in epigenetics which are associated with violent behavior. The prospects and significance of violent behavior research from the view of gene polymorphism and epigenetics are also discussed.
Aggression ; Epigenesis, Genetic ; Forensic Genetics ; Humans ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Violence

OBJECTIVETo investigate the influence of seasons, blood types and semen parameters on the cryosurvival rate of frozen-thawed spermatozoa from sperm donors.

METHODSWe retrospectively analyzed the influence of seasons, blood types, abstinence period, semen volume, sperm morphology, and pre-freeze sperm motility and concentration on the cryosurvival rate of frozen-thawed sperm in 4 088 semen samples from Shaanxi Human Sperm Bank.

RESULTSThe cryosurvival rate of the post-thaw sperm was correlated negatively with the progressive motility of the pre-freeze sperm (r = -0.262, P < 0.01), but positively with pre-freeze sperm concentration (r = 0.247, P < 0.01), and it was significantly higher in the 6-day abstinence group ([70.2 +/- 5.4]%) than in the other abstinence groups (P < 0.01), so was it in the normal sperm morphology rate > 20% group ([71.4 +/- 5.1]%) than in the others (P < 0.01). The survival rate of the post-thaw sperm was not correlated with seasons, blood types, and semen volume (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSperm motility, concentration and morphology and the abstinence period of sperm donors may be valuable predictors of the cryosurvival rate of post-thaw sperm, but no correlation was found between the survival rate and seasons, blood types and semen volume.

Adult ; Cryopreservation ; Humans ; Male ; Retrospective Studies ; Semen Preservation ; Sperm Motility ; Spermatozoa ; Young Adult

Cardiomyopathy, Hypertrophic/diagnostic imaging* ; Endocarditis/diagnosis* ; Endocarditis, Bacterial/drug therapy* ; Humans

Objective To evaluate hemodynamic changes in liver treated by transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic stent-shunt(TIPSS)with hepatic computed tomography(CT)perfusion,Doppler ultrasound and portal vein pressure measurement,as well as the correlation among these methods.Methods Hepatic CT perfusion was performed in 9 cirrhotic patients one week before TIPSS and 72 hours after TIPSS. Intraoperative portal vein pressure was measured before and after portosystemic shunt establish.The follow- up hepatic CT perfusion were carried out in 3 cases at 3 months and 6 months postoperatively.The hemodynamic surveillance by Doppler ultrasound were performed in 48 hours and 3 months after TIPSS for 9 cases,and in 6 months after TIPSS for 6 cases.Two cases underwent venography and portal vein pressure measurement in 6 months after TIPSS treatment.Results The mean of portal vein perfusion(PVP),total hepatic blood flow(THBF),hepatic perfusion index(HPI)and portal vein free pressure(PVFP)before TIPSSwere(0.92?0.18)ml?min~(-1)?ml~(-1),(1.28?0.17)ml?min~(-1)?ml~(-1),(28?8)%,and (23.92?0.86)mmHg,respectively.In 72 hours after TIPSS,the mean of PVP,THBF,HPI and PVFP were(0.21?0.15)ml?min~(-1)?ml~(-1),(0.74?0.18)ml?min~(-1)?ml~(-1),(74 +13)%,and (12.62?1.54)mm Hg,respectively.After treatment,the mean of PVP was(0.49?0.05)ml?min~(-1)? ml~(-1)at 3 months and(0.57?0.03)ml?min~(-1)?ml~(-1)at 6 months,respectively.There was negative correlation between PVP and PVFP before TIPSS(r=0.678,P0.05).Moreover,a signifieant correlation was found between the degree of portal vein pressure decrease and portal vein perfusion decrease(r=0.867,P

2,4-Dichlorophenol is toxic and biorefratory organic pollutant. A 2,4-dichlorophenol degrading bacterial strain GT241-1, identified as Pseudomonas sp., was isolated from soil samples which was collected from drainage area of several 2,4-dichlorophenol producing factories. Strain GT241-1 had strong 2,4-dichlorophenol degrading ability, it could decompose 91% 2, 4-dichlorophenol of 90 mg/L within 48 hours at 25 - 30 degrees C, and could utilize 2,4-dichlorophenol, 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), benzoate and catechol as sole carbon and energy source. Southern blot showed that 2,4-dichlorophenol hydroxylase gene (dcpA) of strain GT241-1 locates on the about 10kb EcoR I/Xba I fragment. This fragment was recovered, linked to the vecter pUC19 and transformed into the E. coli DH5alpha. A aim transformant, Z539, was obtained by dot blotting from about 1200 transformants. PCR and the sequencing results shew that the whole dcpA gene is contained within the 10kb EcoR I /Xba I fragment of pZ539. This fragment was shortened to about 2.4kb by HindmIII. The shorted fragment was subcloned to vecter pRSET-B to get a transformant BS1-12. The subcloned fragment was sequenced. Sequencing results showed that the whole length of the subcloned fragment containing dcpA is 2389bp and the nucleotide span of coding region is from number 276 to number 2072 (1797 bp), with ATG and TAA as start and stop codon respectively. The sequence analysis of dcpA and the deduced amino acid encoded by dcpA showed that they are different from the relative sequences registered in the GenBank. The subcloned fragment carry the promoter of dcpA, this can deduce from the fact that the upflow length of dcpA coding region is 275bp, and further confirmed by the 2,4-dichlorophenol hydroxylase activity measurement results. The 2,4-dichlorophenol hydroxylase activity of transformant Z539 and BS1-12 were detected, the results showed these transformants have 2,4-dichlorophenol hydroxylase activity. By comparison, the activity of these transformants were lower than that of the strain GT241-1.
Amino Acid Sequence ; Bacterial Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Biodegradation, Environmental ; Chlorophenols ; metabolism ; Cloning, Molecular ; Environmental Pollutants ; metabolism ; Mixed Function Oxygenases ; genetics ; metabolism ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Pseudomonas ; enzymology ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; Soil Microbiology

OBJECTIVETo discuss mass spectrum characterization of five valepotriates including 'monoene' type (didrovaltrate), 'diene' type (valtrate, acevaltrate) and 'four-olefinic' type (baldrinal and homobaldrinal) by electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (ESI-MS(n)).

METHODThis study was carried out on the basis of electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometric method and analysis of multistage fragments.

RESULTThe fragmentation patterns and structural assignment of 'monoene' type, 'diene' type and 'four-olefinic' type valepotriates in ESI-MSn under positive mode were summarized.

CONCLUSIONThe compounds have a strong pyrolysis rules and it can provide reference date for valepotriates in rapid structural identification, quantitative analysis and pharmacokinetic study.

Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; Iridoids ; chemistry ; Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization ; Tandem Mass Spectrometry