OBJECTIVE: To characterize a glycosyltransferase (RpUGT1) from Rheum palmatum and investigate its specificity toward flavonoid compounds. METHODS: The RpUGT1 was expressed in Escherichia coli and screened for catalytic activity against a range of flavonoid substrates using a high-throughput HPLC assay method. Mass spectrometry (MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) were used to determine the structure of the product. Homology modeling, molecular docking analyses and site-directed mutagenesis studies were conducted to identify key residues responsible for its function. RESULTS: The recombinant RpUGT1 protein exhibited catalytic activity towards various flavonoids. Notably, RpUGT1 catalyzed the glycosylation of isorhamnetin to form 3-O-glucoside and kaempferol to form 7-O-glucoside, utilizing uridine diphosphate (UDP) glucose as the sugar donor. The homology modeling and molecular docking analyses identified key residues responsible for its activity. Subsequent site-directed mutagenesis studies highlighted the crucial role of K307 in catalysis. CONCLUSION These discoveries offer valuable perspectives on the role of the UGT family and establish a groundwork for forthcoming research on the synthesis of flavonoids in plants.

【Objective】 To clarify the role and molecular mechanism of Tanshinone ⅡA (TanⅡA) in the pathological integration of granule cells in the dentate gyrus (DG) by using the mouse model of temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). 【Methods】 Status epilepticus (SE) was induced in the mice with pilocarpine and treated with TanⅡA 5 mg/kg. After two months, Morris water maze was used to examine the spatial learning and memory ability and video surveillance was used to monitor spontaneous seizures. The DG was removed for staining of Timm, Prox-1, DCX and SynⅠ. PTEN, p-AKT, and p-S6 expressions were observed by Western blotting. 【Results】 TanⅡA decreased Timm score, SynⅠ, PSD-95 and pS6 levels, and increased the level of PTEN in the DG, and attenuated the formation of mossy fiber sproutings and basal dendrites of the granule cells. Video surveillance showed that TanⅡA reduced the frequency of Racine’ grade 5 seizures. 【Conclusion】 TanⅡA can effectively attenuate the abnormal integration of the granule cells in the DG by regulating PTEN/AKT/mTOR pathway and thus plays an anti-epileptic role.

Objective: To investigate the difference of the temporomandibular joint between patients with anterior open-bite and normal overbite with cone beam CT (CBCT). Methods : Fifty-four patients with anterior open bites and 54 patients with normal overbites were selected from the Department of Orthodontics, Nanjing Stomatological Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University from June 2014 to August 2020. Sagittal and coronal images of the temporomandibular joint were reconstructed with multiplanar reconstruction techique. The Kamelchuk method was used to measure the superior, posterior and anterior space of the temporomandibular joint, and the condylar morphology was divided into two types: normal and abnormal. The joint space and condylar morphology of the anterior open-bite group and the normal overbite group were statistically analyzed. The anterior open-bite group was divided into 3 subgroups: ① Ⅰ° open-bite (open bite distance < 3 mm), ② Ⅱ° open-bite (open bite distance ≥ 3 mm and ≤ 5 mm) and ③ Ⅲ° open-bite (open bite distance > 5 mm). The difference of overbite spaces of the temporomandibular joint was compared among these three subgroups. Results: Compared to the normal group, no significant differences were found for the anterior and superior space of the temporomandibular joint in the anterior open-bite group (P > 0.05), but the posterior space increased significantly (P < 0.01). A total of 52.8% of patients in the anterior open-bite group had abnormal condyles, whereas 21.3% of patients in the normal group, overbite significant differences was found between the two groups (P < 0.01). Compared with patients with Ⅰ° and Ⅱ° openbite, the condyle of patients with III° open bites was more forward in the fossa (P < 0.05). Conclusion The position of the condyle in the fossa of patients with anterior open bites is more forward, and abnormal condylar bone is more common found.

Objective To investigate the expressions and clinical significanees of suppressors of cytokine signaling-1 (SOCS-1) and SOCS-3 in myocardium of patients with sudden cardiac death (SCD). Method This study included myocardial autopsy specimens of 24 patients admitted between 2005 and 2006. Of them, 9 cases had the findings of autopsy examination consistent with coronary atberosclerosis (non-myocardial infarction) leading to SCD (non-MI group), 7 patients died of acute myocardial infarction (MI group) and 8 patients died of traffic accidents and trauma The expressions of SOCS-1 mRNA and SOCS-3 mRNA in the myocardium of non-MI and con-trol group were detected by using RT-PCR. The levels of SOCS-1 protein and SOCS-3 protein were detected by us-ing immunohistochemistry. Statistical analysis were performed by using SPSS version 13.0 software and the data were processed with ANOVA test. Results The expressions of SOCS-1 mRNA and SOCS-3 mRNA in non-MI and MI groups were were significantly higher than those in control group (0. 788±0. 101) and (0. 741±0.111) vs.(0.436±0.044) (P <0.01); (0.841±0.092) and (0.776±0.070) vs.(0.454±0.076), P <0.01, re-spectively). The antibody-positive cells of SOCS-1 protein in myocardium of non-MI group and MI group were significantly higher than those in myoeardium of control group (320.00±48.48) and (347.14±70.88) vs.(42.50±10.35) (P < 0.01), respectively. The antibody-positive cells of SOCS-3 protein in myoeardium of non-MI group and MI group were significantly higher than those in myocardium of control group (381.11±59.25) vs.(40.00±10.69), (P < 0.01)and (332.86±111.91) vs. (40.00±10.69), (P =0.001). Conclusions The expressions of SOCS rnRNA and SOCS-3 mRNA in myoeardium of patients with SCD from coronary diseases are significantly increased contributing to the pathogenesis of SCD.