Traditionally it has been widely accepted that our genes together with adult lifestyle factors determine our risk of developing noncommunicable diseases such as type 2 diabetes mellitus ,cardiovascular disease and obesity in lat-er life.Currently, there is substantial evidence that the early life environment plays a key role in determining our suscepti -ble to such diseases in later life .As an increased focus on the understanding of central insulin resistance , central nerve sys-tem plays an extremely important role in regulating the peripheral glucose homeostasis .Substantial studies have indicated that it may be regulated by epigenetic mechanisms .Epigenetics can be defined as the study of heritable changes in gene ex-pression that do not involve alterations in the DNA sequence .Epigenetic processes play a central role in regulating tissue specific gene expression and hence alterations in these processes can induce long -term changes in gene expression and me-tabolism which persist throughout the lifecourse .This review will focus on the epigenetic machanisms of central neuroregula-tion between early life environment and glucose metabolism in adulthood .

A rapid and sensitive method has been developed for the simultaneous determination of four selenium species Se(Ⅵ), Se(Ⅵ), selenomethionine, and Se-methylselenocysteine in Se-enriched yeast by liquid chromatography-hydride generation atomic fluorescence spectrometry (HPLC-HG-AFS). The isolation of the analytes from yeast samples was accomplished by proteaseⅩⅣ and trypsin enzymatic digestion. The target compounds were separated on a PRP-X100 anion exchange column and analyzed by HG-AFS. The mobile phase was 20 mmol/L (NH4)2HPO4. Good linearity was obtained for all the selenium species, with linear correlation coefficients higher than 0. 9996. The LODs of the four species were between 0. 5 and 5. 0 μg/kg. Average recoveries for the four analytes were in the ranges of 82 . 5%-101 . 2%, with intra-and inter-day RSD lower than 8. 6% and 14. 5, respectively. The proposed analytical method is simple, sensitive, with low operation cost, making it applicable for the determination of the selenium species in Se-enriched feeds.

AIM: To investigate quantitatively the tubulin expression of basal cells in patients with Alzheimer's disease(AD) and vascular dementia(VD) and evaluate its significance in diagnosing Alzheimer's disease. METHODS: ?-tubulin of basal cells was examined using LSAB immunohistochemical technique, and analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively by image analyzer. RESULTS: The integrated absorbance (I A ,261.43?25.21) and the average absorbance (A A ,1.89?0.14) in the AD group were significantly higher than those (I A ,120.55?19.71 and A A , 0.85?0.14, respectively)in the VD group ( P

Objective To approach the expressions and the roles of connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) and membrane type 1 matrix metalloproteinases (MT1-MMP) in valve disease with pressure overload which induces extracellular matrix remodeling of left ventricle. MethodsOf 32 patients, 16 cases were pressure overload group (PO), who had the multiple valve disease with predominately aortic valve stenosis, having a ring diameter of aorta valve less than 1.3 cm, cross valve pressure gradient equal or more than 40 mmHg, and valvular regurgitation less than 4.0 cm2; The other 16 cases, as mitral stenosis group (MS), were simple mitral stenosis patients with single valve replacement. Meanwhile, 5 normal individuals served as control, who died from accident. Echocardiography was used to analyze the left ventricular function and detect the hypertrophic level of the left ventricle. Left ventricle muscle samples were obtained during operation. Histological features were studied by Masson staining, and collagenous contents were quantitated with a computer-assisted imaging analysis system. The mRNA expressions of CTGF and MT1-MMP were detected with RT-PCR. ResultsConcentric hypertrophy was observed significant in PO group, but myocardial hypertrophy was not found in MS group. Compare to the MS group and control, PO group had significantly more collagenous contents in left ventricle, thickened vessel wall, and narrow lumen of blood vessel (P0.05), but CTGF mRNA expression was increased in MS group compare to control (P

OBJECTIVE: To test cathepsin L as a biomarker of myocardial ischemia by examination of cathepsin L expression in plasma after myocardial ischemia and ischemia-reperfusion in rats. METHODS: The rat models were established and divided in acute myocardial ischemia model (myocardial ischemia 30 min, 1 h, 2 h groups), ischemia-reperfusion model (ischemia-reperfusion group), and isoflurane-pretreated ischemia-reperfusion model (isoflurane-pretreated group), respectively. Normal control group and sham-operated group were established as contrast. The contents of cathepsin L in plasma were examined by ELISA and myocardial infarction areas were measured after TTC staining. RESULTS: No statistical significant changes were found among the experimental groups compared with the normal control group and sham-operated group (P>0.05). The cathepsin L from the ischemia-reperfusion group increased to 2.37 times compared with the normal control group (P<0.05). The cathepsin L and myocardium infarction size of isoflurane-pretreated group decreased compared with the ischemia-reperfusion group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION The cathepsin L in plasma is not a promising biomarker of acute myocardial ischemia. Isoflurane preconditioning can reduce the cathepsin L in plasma caused by ischemia-reperfusion injury.
Animals ; Biomarkers/blood* ; Cathepsin L/analysis* ; Isoflurane ; Myocardial Infarction/metabolism* ; Myocardial Ischemia ; Myocardial Reperfusion Injury/metabolism* ; Myocardium ; Rats

A new species, Pythium subutonaiense, isolated from aquatic environments (lake) in China is being described based on morphological characters and molecular evidence. The isolates grew at temperatures between 5 °C and 38 °C, and the optimum temperature was 30 °C, with a radial growth rate of 17.6 mm at 25 °C per day. It is homothallic and characterized by globose to sub-globose shaped and mostly terminal or sometimes catenulate hyphal swellings, filamentous non-inflated sporangia, and smooth oogonia with hypogynous and monoclinous antheridia that contained one plerotic oospore. In phylogenetic analysis, inferred based on the internal transcribed spacer region of the ribosomal RNA gene and mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 gene, the new species formed a distinct lineage in Pythium clade B. Differences between the new species and phylogenetically related and morphologically similar species are discussed.

Notch signaling pathway is involved in oogenesis and the secretion of ovarian hormones .It controls prolifera-tion and differentiation of ovarian stem cells .In addition, the Notch pathway is also involved in ovarian carcinogenesis .

Recently traditional Chinese medicine (TCM)-induced liver injury has been an unresolved critical issue which impacts TCM clinical safety. The premise and key step to reduce or avoid drug-induced liver injury (DILI) is to identify the drug source of liver injury in early stage. Then the timely withdrawal of drug and treatment can be done. However, the current diagnosis of DILI is primarily governed by exclusive method relying on administering history supplied by patients and experience judgment from doctors, which lacks objective and reliable diagnostic indices. It is obvious that diagnosis of TCM-induced liver injury is especially difficult due to the complicated composition of TCM medication, as well the frequent combination of Chinese and Western drugs in clinic. In this paper, we proposed construction of research pattern and method for objective identification of TCM-related DILI based on translational toxicology, which utilizes clinical specimen to find specific biomarkers and characteristic blood-entering constituents, as well the clinical biochemistry and liver biopsy. With integration of diagnosis marker database, bibliographic database, medical record database and clinical specimen database, an integrative diagnosis database for TCM-related DILI can be established, which would make a transformation of clinical identification pattern for TCM-induced liver injury from subjective and exclusive to objective and index-supporting mode. This would be helpful to improve rational uses of TCM and promote sustainable development of TCM industry.
Animals ; Biomarkers, Pharmacological ; metabolism ; Biopsy ; methods ; Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury ; diagnosis ; metabolism ; pathology ; Early Diagnosis ; Humans ; Liver ; drug effects ; pathology ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; adverse effects ; Rats

Objective To retrospectively evaluate the mammographic features of breast ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS)and DCIS with small invasive foci,and to analyze the correlation between the mammographic findings and the prognostic biologic factors.Methods The mammographic examination was performed in 95 consecutive women with breast DCIS(n = 50)and DCIS with invasive foci(n = 45 ).The prognostic biologic factors including progesterone receptor(PR),C-erbB-2,and p53 were evaluated in 62 of 95 cases.Categorical data were expressed as percentages and analyzed by using the X~2 test,and furthermore the odds ratio was measured.Results(1)Only one abnormality was seen on mammography in 62 patients. Combined two abnormalities on mammography were seen in 26 patients.Mammograms were normal in 7 patients.(2)Calcifications with or without other abnormality were noted in 62 cases.Of them,73% (n =45)had higher probability of malignancy calcifications and the others were intermediate concern calcifications.Clustered calcifications(36 lesions)was the most common distribution,which usually accompanied by another abnormality.And then were segmental(18 lesions)distributed pattern.As far as the shape of mass (n = 22)was concerned,the oval shaped lesion(13 cases)was the most common,and the margin of the mass appeared as ill-defined in 15 eases,microlobulated in 1,circumscribed in 4,and obscured in 2,respectively.Isodensity mass had a higher frequency in this group(12/22,55%).Other non-calcification findings included architecture distortion(7 cases),local asymmetry (15 cases),global asymmetry (5 cases),and solitary dilated duct (3 cases),and most of them accompanied with other signs. (3)For expression profile of the biological factors,significant differences were found among malignant calcification group,intermediate concern calcification group,and non-calcification group. The odds of PR positive for the lesions noted as non-calcification were 11.00 times higher (X~2 =8.571 ,P=0.003 ;95% CI, 1.998—60.572)than the lesions noted as intermediate concern calcifications,and 8.80 times higher (X~2 = 9.748,P=0.002 ;95% CI,2.024—38.253)than the lesions noted as malignant calcifications.The odds of C-erbB-2 positive for the lesions showed as malignant calcifications were 12.35 times higher (X~2=7.353, P=0.007 ;95% CI,1.447—105.443)than the lesions showed as non-calcification,and 5.74 times higher (X~2=4.977,P = 0.026;95% CI,1.110—29.645)than the lesions showed as intermediate concern calcifications.Conclusion The mammographic features of DCIS and DCIS with small invasive foci were characteristic.Mammographic findings could be a prognostic markers,which could provide a possibility for making a treatment plan.

Adenocarcinoma ; metabolism ; pathology ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Baculoviral IAP Repeat-Containing 3 Protein ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Chromones ; pharmacology ; Enzyme Inhibitors ; pharmacology ; Female ; Humans ; Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Morpholines ; pharmacology ; Ovarian Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases ; genetics ; metabolism ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt ; genetics ; metabolism ; RNA, Messenger ; metabolism ; Signal Transduction ; Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases ; X-Linked Inhibitor of Apoptosis Protein ; genetics ; metabolism