OBJECTIVETo observe the expression of Runx2 in osteoblasts in response to centrifugation in vitro and discuss the function of bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signal transduction pathway in this course.

METHODSCells were divided into four groups, group A, B, C and D, pretreated with DMEM containing 10% fetal bovine serum, 10% fetal bovine serum, 100 ng x mL(-1) Noggin and 100 ng x mL(-1) Noggin for 24 hours separately. 271 x g centrifugation was loaded for 5 min to these groups except group A and C, other conditions were the same. The total RNA of each group were extracted, and reversed transcription to cDNA after 30 min. The expression of Runx2 in response to centrifugation in vitro was analyzed by quantitative real time PCR.

RESULTSThe expression of Runx2 mRNA in group B was significantly higher than that in group A (P < 0.05). The expression of Runx2 mRNA in group D was significantly lower than that in group B (P < 0.05). There was no statistically significant difference among group A, C, D (P = 0.692).

CONCLUSIONBMP signal transduction pathway plays an important role in the response of osteoblasts to mechanical stimulations. It may also play a central role in the cascade information dissemination of osteoblasts.

Bone Morphogenetic Protein 2 ; Bone Morphogenetic Proteins ; Cell Differentiation ; Centrifugation ; Core Binding Factor Alpha 1 Subunit ; Gene Expression Regulation ; Humans ; In Vitro Techniques ; Osteoblasts ; RNA, Messenger ; Signal Transduction

OBJECTIVETo confirm the amount of fertilizer and the ration of fertilizer.

METHODThrough the experiment of planting Salvia miltiorrhiza in pot and in field were carried out.

RESULTWhen N:P = 1:1, The production was 1.8 times more than the contrast group in plotting experiment, and in field the production of the highest fertilizer plot were 2.5 times more than the contrast and the higher and high fertilizer plot is 2.25 and 1.2 times respective were than those in the contrast group.

CONCLUSIONThe proper ration of nitrogenous fertilizer and phosphorous fertilizer is 1:1. Nitrogen shows negative effects to the accumulation of tanshinon IIA, the more the nitrogen ous fertilizer, The less the content of tanshinon IIA. In contrast, phosphor ous fertilizer shows good effects on the accumulation of tanshinon IIA. Phosphorous fertilizer could alleviate the decline of the content of tanshinon IIA by using nitrogenous fertilizer. The accumulation peak of the tanshinon IIA emerge in the period of 150 d.

Diterpenes, Abietane ; Fertilizers ; Nitrogen ; analysis ; pharmacology ; Phenanthrenes ; analysis ; Phosphorus ; analysis ; pharmacology ; Plant Roots ; chemistry ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; growth & development ; Salvia miltiorrhiza ; chemistry ; growth & development

Adolescent ; Cerebellum ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; Cerebral Angiography ; Female ; Humans ; Intracranial Arteriovenous Malformations ; complications ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; Moyamoya Disease ; complications ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology

OBJECTIVETo assess the association between nitric oxide synthase 1 (NOS1) gene polymorphisms and schizophrenia.

METHODSTwenty eight tag single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of NOS1 in 382 schizophrenic patients and 448 healthy individuals sampled from Chinese Han population were analyzed by a Illumina GoldenGate Genotyping Assay.

RESULTSOne SNP (rs1520811) was found to be associated with schizophrenia, which however becomes negative after Bonferroni correction (P>0.05). Further analysis has failed to identify any association between particular haplotypes and the disease.

CONCLUSIONOur results did not support a significant association between NOS1 gene polymorphisms and schizophrenia.

Adult ; Female ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; Haplotypes ; Humans ; Male ; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type I ; genetics ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Schizophrenia ; enzymology ; genetics ; Young Adult

Objective To survey the prevalence rates of adult carotid atherosclerosis in water-sourceoriginated high iodine area in Shandong province in 2008 and discuss the relationship between water-sourceoriginated high iodine and carotid atherosclerosis occurrence. Methods Yuncheng county was chosen as observation area which included Dachenlou, Weigai, Liuyi and Ershilipu villages. Juye county was chosen as control that included Zhangxi, Bihainan, Xiaguan and Qiji villages. Two hundred and ninety-nine participants aged over 40 from water-source-originated high iodine areas and 323 residents aged over 40 from normal iodine areas were investigated.Portable-type B mode color Doppler was performed to examine the carotid artery of all participants. The adult carotid atherosclerosis was diagnosed and graded through the ultrasonograms. Results The prevalence rates of adult carotid atherosclerosis in the 4 water-source-originated high iodine villages of Dachenlou, Weigai, Liuyi and Ershilipu were 47.1% (33/70) ,62.2% (51/82) ,67.5% (52/77) and 58.6% (41/70), respectively and the prevalence rates of adult carotid atherosclerosis in the 4 normal iodine villages of Zhangxi, Bihainan, Xiaguan and Qiji were 40.7%(35/86),40.8% (31/76),38.2% (34/89) and 37.5% (27/72), respectively. The prevalence rates of adult carotid atherosclerosis standardized by age in the 4 high iodine villages and the 4 normal iodine villages were 45.81% ,58.18% ,61.63%,55.34% and 34.66%,36.25%,43.01% ,41.30%, respectively. The prevalence rates were higher in high iodine villages than that in control villages(T = 26, P ＜ 0.05 ). There were 136 people scored "0", 120 people scored "1 -3",43 people scored "4 - 7", and total 299 people. There were 201 people scored "0", 87 people scored "1 - 3", 35 people scored "4 - 7", and total 323 people. The expected prevalence rates and severity of adult carotid atherosclerosis was significantly different between high iodine area and normal iodine area (x2 = 17.54,18.42, all P ＜ 0.01).Conclusion The prevalence rate and severity of adult atherosclerosis in water-source-originatod high iodine area is higher than that in normal iodine area.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the molecular mechanism of TFE (total flavone of epimedium) in the treatment of osteoporosis, and then provide experimental evidence for modernization and further development of TFE as an traditional Chinese medicine.

METHODSSixty healthy female SD rats with aged 4 months were randomly divided into three groups (including control group in which rats received sham surgery, OVX group in which ovariectomized rats didn't give any medicine after the removal of ovaries and TFE group in which ovariectomized rats administrated TFE), 20 rats in each group. Compared bone mineral density (BMD) between before operation and at 4th week after operation in order to verify the establishment of osteoporotic model (criteria: BMD decreased more than 20% at 4th week after operation). The rats in TEF group were administrated total flavone of epimedium(concentration 30 mg/ml, 10 ml/kg, qd) orally for 4 weeks. After this, killed rats to harvest the lower part of the femur and detected BMD again. Applying the reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction technique (RT-PCR) to detect expression of OPG, OPGL mRNA in bone tissue.

RESULTS(1) At 4th week after ovariectomy, the mean BMD of lumbar vertebra in TFE group fell to (0.084 +/- 0.020) g/cm2. Administrated with TFE for 4 weeks,the BMD increased to (0.112 +/- 0.009) g/cm2. There was significant improvement compare with the OVX group (P < 0.05). (2) Compared between OVX group and TFE group, The OPG mRNA expression of TFE group obviously enhanced. There was significant difference in statistics (P < 0.05). However,the promotion for OPGL mRNA expression were detected between OVX group and TFE group,there was no significant difference in statistics (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONThis study showed that TFE could inhibit differentiation and maturation of osteoclast through enhancing OPG mRNA expression, accordingly,to treat osteoporosis.

Animals ; Bone Density ; drug effects ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Epimedium ; chemistry ; Female ; Flavones ; Flavonoids ; pharmacology ; Gene Expression Regulation ; drug effects ; Osteoblasts ; drug effects ; metabolism ; physiology ; Osteoprotegerin ; genetics ; Ovariectomy ; RANK Ligand ; genetics ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; metabolism ; Rats

OBJECTIVETo characterize the profile of chromosomal imbalances of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) in Linzhou, the high prevalence area of Henan province.

METHODSComparative genomic hybridization (CGH) was used to examine 52 cases of primary SCC of esophagus.

RESULTSGains in part or in whole of chromosome 3q, 8q, 5p, 1q, 6q, 18p, 20q and losses of 3p, 1p, 9q, 19p, 4p, 8p were detected frequently in SCC (> 20%). Gain of 3q, 5p, 1q, 11q13-14 and loss of 4pq, 13q were all significantly correlated with pathologic staging (P < 0.05). Gains of 8q, loss of 4p were linked to nodal metastasis (P < 0.05). Gains of 2p and loss of 4pq, 11q14-qter were associated with distant organ metastasis (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONThese observations suggest that 3q, 8q, 5p, 1q, 6q, 18p, and 20q may contain SCC-related oncogenes; 3p, 1p, 9q, 19p, 4p and 8p may contain SCC-related tumor suppressor genes. It is likely that gain of 3q, 5p, 1q, 11q13-14 and loss of 4pq, 13q are the genetic aberrations critical for the development of esophageal carcinoma, whereas gains of 8q, 2p and loss of 4pq, 11q14-qter are considered later events associated with tumor progression and are thought to confer metastatic potential to esophageal carcinoma. Furthermore, nodal and distant organ metastases involve different genes.

Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; genetics ; Chromosome Aberrations ; Chromosome Deletion ; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 3 ; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 4 ; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 8 ; Esophageal Neoplasms ; genetics ; Gene Amplification ; Humans ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; genetics ; Neoplasm Staging ; Nucleic Acid Hybridization

Very low density lipoprotein receptor (VLDLR) is thought to participate in the patho-genesis of atherosclerosis induced by VLDL and β-VLDL. The present study was undertaken to elu-cidate the effects of VLDL and β-VLDL on VLDLR expression and its signaling pathway. RAW264.7 cells were incubated with VLDL and β-VLDL. The expression of VLDLR mRNA was detected by RT-PCR. The transcriptional activity of VLDLR gene was detected in recombinant plasmid pGL4.2VR-luciferase transfected RAW264.7. Western blot assay was used to detect the changes of phosphorylated ERK1/2 protein. Inhibitors or activators were used to observe the signal pathway in-volving VLDLR expression regulation. The results showed that VLDL and β-VLDL stimulated ERKI/2 activity in a PKC-dependent manner. VLDL or β-VLDL-induced VLDLR expression on macrophages was extremely abolished by inhibitors ERKI/2 or PKC. Our findings revealed that VLDL or β-VLDL-induced VLDLR expression via PKC/ERK cascades and the effect was linked to the transcriptional activation of VLDLR gene promoter.

Objective To observe the normal anatomy and variation of cystic duct by MRCP, and to explore the correlation between anatomic variation and gallbladder stones. Methods To have a retrospective analysis of 371 MRCP patients which meet the requirement of imaging, and to compare the differences between anatomic variation and gallbladder stones with normal cystic duct. Results Among 371 patients, 63 had anatomic variations, A among which,22 had compound variations with 85 variation points in total.The percentage of mutation rate was 16.98%. 53 patients with variation of cystic duct had gallbladder stones, and 182 patients without variation of cystic duct had gallbladder stones. Conclusions MRCP can clearly display different variations of cystic duct, and the patients with variation of cystic duct have higher risks in gallbladder stones than the patients without variations.

OBJECTIVETo assess the association between gene polymorphisms and memory function through a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of schizophrenia and control group. Memory cognition was used as a quantitative trait (QT).

METHODSNinty-eight subjects with chronic schizophrenia and 60 matched controls were genotyped with HumanHap660 Bead Array. The results were correlated with quantitative traits including memory and memory delay.

RESULTSFive candidate genes, including RASGRF2 (rs401758, P = 8.03×10(-5)), PLCG2 (rs7185362, P= 4.54×10(-5)), LMO1 (rs484161, P=9.80×10(-7), CSMD1 (rs2469383, P= 2.77×10(-6)) and PRKG1 (rs7898516, P=6.94×10(-5)) were associated with memory cognition deficits.

CONCLUSIONUsing memory cognition as a quantitative trait, this Genome- wide association study has identified 5 susceptibility loci. With their association with nervous system development, neuronal growth, axon guidance and plasticity, brain development, above loci may play a role in the development of memory dysfunction in schizophrenia.

Adult ; Female ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; Genome-Wide Association Study ; methods ; Humans ; Male ; Memory ; physiology ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Quantitative Trait Loci ; Schizophrenia ; genetics ; Young Adult