Lithocarpus litseifolius is rich in the chalcones phloridzin and trilobatin, the biosynthesis pathways of which have not been fully demonstrated. Chalcone synthase(CHS) is the first key rate-limiting enzyme in the biosynthesis of flavonoids in plants. To explore the functions of CHS gene family in chalcone synthesis of L. litseifolius, this study screened out two CHS genes(LlCHS1 and LlCHS2) from the transcriptome data of this plant, and then bioinformatics analysis and functional characterization were performed for the two genes. The bioinformatics analysis showed that LlCHS1 and LlCHS2 were acidic hydrophilic stable proteins with no transmembrane domain, composed of 395 and 390 amino acid residues, respectively. Both of them contained the characteristic amino acid sequence "WGVLFGFGPGL" and highly conserved active sites(Cys-164, Phe-215, His-303, and Asn-336) of the CHS family. The phylogenetic tree showed that LlCHS1 shared the same clade with similar genes in Aquilaria sinensis, and LlCHS2 was closely related to similar genes in Malus domestica. Under exogenous addition of phloretic acid, co-expression of LlCHS1 or LlCHS2 with Aa4CL from Aromatoleum aromaticum in Escherichia coli catalyzed the production of phloretin from phloretic acid. This study laid a theoretical foundation for revealing the functions of CHS in plants and provided new enzymatic modules for producing phloretin by synthetic biology.
Acyltransferases/chemistry* ; Phylogeny ; Plant Proteins/chemistry* ; Cloning, Molecular ; Amino Acid Sequence

Objective: To investigate the anti-inflammatory effects of the total flavonoids from Saussurea involucrata on lipopolysaccharides (LPS)-stimulated murine RAW264.7 macrophages and explore its underlying mechanism of action. Methods: Total flavonoids from Saussurea involucrata were extracted using chromatographic column method. Cell viability was determined by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide assay. The production of nitric oxide was detected by Griess assay and the release of cytokines (IL-10 and TNF-α) and chemokines (MCP-1, MIP-1a, and CCL5/RANTES) was determined by ELISA to evaluate the anti-inflammatory activity of total flavonoids from Saussurea involucrata. Moreover, nuclear translocation of p65, c-Jun, and IRF3 was detected by immunofluorescence microscopy and Western blotting analysis was performed to determine the expression of related proteins. Results: Total flavonoids extracted from Saussurea involucrata were 751.5 mg/g and the content of rutin was 506.5 mg/g. The production of inflammatory mediators including nitric oxide, cytokines, and chemokines was effectively inhibited by total flavonoids from Saussurea involucrata. Meanwhile, total flavonoids also suppressed the nuclear translocation of p65, c-Jun, and IRF3 in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. The LPS-induced expression of iNOS and COX-2 was remarkably reduced by treatment with total flavonoids from Saussurea involucrata. Moreover, total flavonoids decreased the expression levels of p-IKKa/β, p-TBK1, p-p38, p-ERK, p-JNK, p-p65, p-c-Jun, and p-IRF3 in LPS-exposed RAW264.7 macrophages. Conclusions: Total flavonoids from Saussurea involucrata potentially inhibit the secretion of pro-inflammatory mediators, which may be related to inhibition of p65, c-Jun, and IRF3 signaling pathways in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical characteristics, laboratorial and bone marrow pathological features of primary thrombocytopenia (ET) patients with different mutations of CALR, JAK2 and MPL genes. METHODS: The chinical data of 120 cases of ET in Jiangsu provincial people's hospital/ The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University from January 2015 to December 2017 were collected and analyzed, including 76 cases with JAK2 gene mutation, 40 cases with CALR gene mutation, 2 cases with MPL gene mutations, 2 cases without gene mutation. RESULTS: Among the ET patients, compared with the JAK2 gene mutation, CALR gene mutation showed statistically significant deareament of white blood cells and hemoglobin (P=0.001, P=0.01) and the male platelets in CALR group showed significant increament (P=0.04). Fourthermore, the average number of megakaryocytes and its cluster numbers in each hight power field of vision showed statistically significant decreament in CALR group as compared with JAK2 group (P=0.001, P=0.001), and thrombotic events in CALR group were signicantly lower than those in JAK2 group (7.5% vs 18.4%) (P=0.03). CONCLUSION Mutations of CALR, JAK2 have different clinical characteristics and blood pathological changes of Chinese ET patients, and their clinical significance is worth to explore.
Bone Marrow ; Calreticulin ; genetics ; China ; Humans ; Janus Kinase 2 ; genetics ; Male ; Mutation ; Receptors, Thrombopoietin ; genetics ; Thrombocythemia, Essential

It is believed that cancer stem cells(CSCs)are the cancerous root of tumors that deeply hide in the microenviron-ment,and the primary origin of the tumor recurrence and metastasis.Characteristics of niche sealing and retention of the CSCs are different from that of the normal stem cells.CSCs are located in the most deficient site of the caner microenvironment with deficiency of vital qi.The niche that storing CSCs is characterized by root deficiency accompanied by blood stasis and phlegm stagnation.CSCs are caused by dislocated ministerial fire which enervates the primitive qi deficiency become more deficient, and deepens the cancer toxin.It is suggested that intervening CSCs and the niche that for CSCs survival by strengthening the vital qi,mitigating the deficiency and stasis of the microenvironment may be an effective strategy to remove the cancer toxin root.

The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of precision nursing and its implications for education,practice and research.The emphases are on the contributions of nursing practice and research to genomics as well as precision health and precision medicine.Recommendations are elucidated on how to build knowledge and competence of precision nursing within the broad arena of precision health and precision medicine to promote the development of precision nursing.

OBJECTIVETo identify the underlying mechanisms of the protective effects of Dingxin Recipe (: , DXR), a Chinese compound prescription that has been used clinically in China for more than 20 years, on ischemia/reperfusion (I/R)-induced arrhythmias in rat model.

METHODSA total of 30 rats were randomly divided into three groups: sham group, I/R group, and DXR-pretreated I/R (DXR-I/R) group. Rats in the DXR-DXRI/R group were intragastrically administrated with DXR (12.5 g/kg per day) for consecutive 7 days, while rats I/in the sham and I/R groups were administrated with normal saline. Arrhythmias were introduced by I/R and electrocardiograms (ECG) were recorded. Two-dimensional (2-D) polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and matrix-matrix assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) were used to identify assisted differentially expressed proteins. Immunohistochemistry, real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RQ-RQPCR), Western blot, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) were performed to analyze proteins PCR), obtained in the above experiments.

RESULTSDXR significantly reduced the incidence and mean duration of ventricular tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation and dramatically decreased the mortality, as well as arrhythmia score, compared with those of the I/R group. Among successfully identified proteins, prohibitin (PHB) and heart fatty acid binding protein (hFABP) were up-regulated in DXR-pretreated I/R rats compared with those of the I/R rats. In addition, compared with the I/R group, the level of glutathione (GSH) was elevated accompanied by reduced expressions of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and neutrophil infiltration in I/R rats with DXR pretreatment.

CONCLUSIONSDXR could alleviate I/R-induced arrhythmias, which might be related to increased expression of PHB. The enhanced expression of PHB prevented against the depletion of GSH and consequently inhibited apoptosis of cardiomyocytes. Furthermore, up-regulation of PHB might ameliorate I/R-induced cell death and leakage of hFABP by suppressing neutrophil infiltration and IL-6 expressions.

Animals ; Arrhythmias, Cardiac ; etiology ; prevention & control ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Electrophoresis, Gel, Two-Dimensional ; Fatty Acid Binding Protein 3 ; Fatty Acid-Binding Proteins ; metabolism ; Glutathione ; metabolism ; Heart Ventricles ; drug effects ; metabolism ; pathology ; Immunohistochemistry ; Inflammation ; complications ; metabolism ; pathology ; Interleukin-6 ; metabolism ; Male ; Myocardial Infarction ; complications ; drug therapy ; pathology ; Neutrophil Infiltration ; drug effects ; Peptide Mapping ; Proteomics ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Reperfusion Injury ; complications ; Repressor Proteins ; metabolism ; Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization ; Spectrophotometry ; Up-Regulation ; drug effects

Objective To study the needing of different payments of inpatients for nursing operation inform and to provide theoretical guidance for clinical nursing operation inform,so as to meet patients' personalities and diversification needs.Methods Totals of 774 inpatients in four hospitals of Guilin city were investigated with self-designed questionnaire from January to March in 2011,then the results were analyzed.Results Inpatients' needs for nursing operation inform were high both in four groups public expense,selfexpense,basic medical insurance of city,new type of rural cooperative medical care insurance,and especially 85％ inpatients needed most was 11 items of needs.Most of patients selected nurses to be the informer and they were willing to informed in oral way.There were significant difference on the needing of 12 items nursing operations among inpatients with different payments ( P ＜ 0.05 or P ＜ 0.01 ).Conclusions It is necessary to sufficiently assess the needing of different payments inpatients for inform in order to meet their infromed needs of nursing operations.Nurses as important informers,we should pay attention to their role.

OBJECTIVETo study the effects of sophoridine on the transplanted solid tumor SW480 and the expression of p53 and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in the tumor in nude mice.

METHODSThe nude mouse model bearing transplanted solid tumor SW480 was established, and the changes in the volume and weight of the tumor were determined after treatment of the mice with sophoridine. Western blotting and immunohistochemistry were employed to examine the expressions of p53 and VEGF proteins, respectively, and fluorescence quantitative PCR used to detect their mRNA expressions in the tumor tissue.

RESULTSThe volume and weight of the tumor xenograft in sophoridine group decreased in comparison with those in the control group. Sophoridine treatment resulted in lowered expressions of p53 and VEGF at both the protein and mRNA levels in the tumor explants as compared with the control group, with a tumor inhibition rate of 34.07% in nude mice.

CONCLUSIONSophoridine can inhibit the growth of transplanted solid tumor of human SW480 cell line, the mechanism of which involves the inhibition of p53 and VEGF expression.

Alkaloids ; pharmacology ; Animals ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Colonic Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Humans ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Mice, Nude ; Quinolizines ; pharmacology ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 ; metabolism ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A ; metabolism ; Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays

OBJECTIVETo identify the metastasis-related miRNAs in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell lines.

METHODSA qRT-PCR method was established and optimized.

RESULTSAll candidate metastasis associated miRNAs except miR-124a were expressed in high metastasis cell line MHCC97H and low metastasis cell line MHCC97L, while some miRNAs were differentially expressed between liver cancer cell line (HepG2) and hepatic cell line (L02) (P less than 0.05), these miRNAs include: miR-148b (1.96+/-0.51 vs 3.76+/-0.28), miR-9 (-4.38+/-0.86 vs -1.10+/-0.53), miR-30c (8.41+/-0.40 vs 6.82+/-0.29), miR-338 (3.14+/-0.29 vs -2.36+/-0.32), miR-34a (0.71+/-0.40 vs -2.95+/-0.26), Let-7g (-4.07+/-0.55 vs -6.98+/-0.56). miR-148b expression was about 4 times higher than miR-148a [5.46 (IQR 4.25-6.67) vs 1.29 (IQR 0.94-1.64)] in all cell line tested (Z=-5.097, P=3x10(-7)).

CONCLUSIONThis study may help to understand the biological significance of miRNAs in HCC metastasis.

Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; genetics ; metabolism ; pathology ; Cell Line ; Cell Line, Tumor ; DNA, Complementary ; genetics ; Epithelial Cells ; metabolism ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms ; genetics ; metabolism ; pathology ; MicroRNAs ; genetics ; metabolism ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Polymerase Chain Reaction

OBJECTIVETo identify epidemic status of murine typhus in Hongta areas of Yuxi city and to provide evidence for control and prevention of the disease.

METHODSSerologic survey was conducted among residents and rodents. Isolation of Rickettsia moseri was performed.

RESULTSThe overall infection rate among general population was 28.92% (96/332) with geometric meantiter (GMT) as 10.83 and there was no difference between males and females (26.71%, 43/161 vs. 30.99%, 53/171, P > 0.05). Significant differences were found between age groups (P < 0.05) with positive rates of 29.63% (8/27), 18.06% (13/72), 39.62% (42/106), 27.50% (22/80) and 23.40% (11/47) among age groups 0-6, 7-18, 19-39, 40-59 and over 60, respectively. The overall rate of infection in mouse was 44.95% (89/198) with GMT as 30.30. Five isolates of R. moseri from mouse specimen, three from fleas plus one case of murine typhus were diagnosed. Rattus norvegicus and Rattus flavipectus were the predominant species of rodent animals (99.49%, 197/198) and Xenopsylla cheopis was the major species of vector (74.26%, 303/408). Flea index and mouse density were 2.06 and 11.13% respectively.

CONCLUSIONHigh infection rates on R. moseri were demonstrated in rodents and residents as well as high risk of murine typhus outbreak might occur in these areas.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Animals ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; China ; epidemiology ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Male ; Mice ; Middle Aged ; Rats ; Rodent Diseases ; epidemiology ; microbiology ; transmission ; Siphonaptera ; microbiology ; Typhus, Endemic Flea-Borne ; epidemiology ; microbiology ; transmission ; Young Adult