Objective To investigate the incidence and the types of gene mutations of α-thalassemia in the child-bearing pop-ulation of Conghua District,Guangzhou.Methods Blood samples from 24 083 people of childbearing age were screened by blood cell analysis and hemoglobin electrophoresis,α-globin gene variation was detected by GAP-PCR and PCR reverse dot blot in the positive cases,and 17 common β-globin gene mutations were detected by PCR reverse Dot blot.Results A total of 2 596 cases of α-thalassemia gene abnormality were detected by gene identification,and the abnormal rate was 10.78%.A sum of 170 cases(0.71%)had a compound mutation of α-β gene.There were 2 550 cases(98.23%)of deletion and 46 cases(1.77%)of non-deletion in the mutant genes.There were 14 types of gene mutation,including 5 types of HbH disease(with--SEA/-α3.7 primarily),4 mild types(with 68.61%of--SEA/αα genotype),and 5 quiescent types(the top two genotypes were-α3.7/αα and-α4.2/αα).A total of 23 types of αβ complex gene mutation were detected,and the top six types were--SEA/βCD41-42,-α3.7/βCD41-42,--SEA/β654,--SEA/-28,-α3.7/β654 and-α3.7/βCD17,which accounted for 75.27%of all the complex types.Conclusion The gene abnormality rate of α-thalassemia in Conghua District of Guangzhou City was high.The gene mutation type and constitu-ent ratio,which have their own characteristics,is a special region of α-thalassemia.

Bioethanol is one of the most promising and representative biofuel products. Photosynthetic production of ethanol using CO₂ and solar energy based on cyanobacteria is of great significance for research and application, due to the potential to reduce CO₂ emission and to provide renewable energy simultaneously. Here we review the history and updated development of cyanobacteria cell factories for ethanol photosynthetic production, the progress and problems in pathway optimization, chassis selection, and metabolic engineering strategies, and finally indicate the future development in this area.

Objective: To optimize the formula and preparation technology of cantharidin chitosan bioadhesive microspheres.Methods: The microspheres were prepared by a spray drying method.A single-factor experiment was used to study the effect of chitosan with different molecular weight on the gastric mucosa adhesion rate were also studied, and the effects of different drug loading ratio, concentration of chitosan acetic acid solution and speed of peristaltic pump on the loading rate were also studied.The cantharidin entrapment efficiency as the studying index, a response surface method was used to further optimize the formula.Results: The best formula and preparation process of cantharidin chitosan bioadhesive microspheres were as follows: the concentration ratio of antharidin to chitosan was 19.83% , the concentration of chitosan acetic acid solution was 0.77% , and the peristaltic pump flow rate was 9.225 ml·min-1.With the best formula, the entrapment efficiency of cantharidin chitosan bioadhesive microspheres was 90.14%.Conclusion: The microsphere preparation by the spray drying method is stable and repeatable.Cantharidin chitosan bioadhesive microspheres have high entrapment efficiency and promising biological adhesion.

To study the roles of glucosylglycerol phosphate synthase (Ggps) in glucosylglycerol (GG) and glycerol biosynthesis, we over-expressed Ggps from either Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 or Synechococcus sp. PCC 7002 in a Synechocystis strain with a high GG titer, and determined the GG and glycerol accumulation in the resultant mutants grown under different NaCl-stress conditions. Ion chromatography results revealed that GG yield was not improved, but glycerol production was significantly enhanced by over-expression of Ggps from Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 (6803ggpS). In addition, increasing the NaCl concentration of medium from 600 to 900 mmol/L led to a further 75% increase of glycerol accumulation in the mutant strain with 6803ggpS over-expression. These findings show the role of ggpS in driving the carbon flux to the glycerol biosynthesis pathway, and will be helpful for further improvement of GG and glycerol production in Synechocystis.
Bacterial Proteins ; metabolism ; Culture Media ; Glucosides ; biosynthesis ; Glucosyltransferases ; metabolism ; Glycerol ; metabolism ; Industrial Microbiology ; Sodium Chloride ; Synechococcus ; enzymology ; Synechocystis ; enzymology ; metabolism

For metabolic engineering of cyanobacteria, there is an urgent need to construct a group of efficient heterologous gene expression platforms and to evaluate their expression efficiencies. Here we constructed three integrative vectors, the pKW1188-derived pFQ9F, pFQ9R and pFQ20, for integration of heterologous genes into the genome of the model cyanobacteria strain Synechocystis sp. strain PCC6803. The pFQ16, an RSF1010-derived broad host range shuttle vector, was constructed for conjugative transfer of genes to various cyanobacteria strains. All the four platforms constructed here applied the rbc (encodes Ribulose-1, 5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase) and the rbc terminator to promote and terminate the gene transcription. Besides, a "Shine-Dalgarno -AUG" fusion translation strategy was used to keep the high protein translation efficiency. Using lacZ as a reporter gene, the expression efficiency of pFQ20 was evaluated and showed a strong beta-galactosidase expression (109 Miller). Furthermore, the platform pFQ20 was used to express the E. coli tesA' gene and showed significant protein bands through the Western Blot test. The expression platforms constructed in this study offer useful molecular tools for metabolic engineering of cyanobacteria in the future.
Genetic Vectors ; genetics ; Industrial Microbiology ; methods ; Metabolic Engineering ; methods ; Palmitoyl-CoA Hydrolase ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Recombinant Proteins ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Synechocystis ; genetics ; metabolism ; beta-Galactosidase ; biosynthesis ; genetics

Objective To investigate the effects of sevoflurane pretreatment on the inflammatory response in patients undergoing cardiac valve replacement with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) and the mechanism of myocardial protection.Methods Twenty NYHA class Ⅱ or Ⅲ patients of both sexes,aged ＜ 60 yr,undergoing cardiac valve replacement with CPB,were randomly divided into 2 groups (n=10 each): sevoflurane group (group S) and control group (group C).The patients were premedicated with intramuscular morphine 0.1 mg/kg and scopolamine 0.3 mg.Anesthesia was induced with iv injection of midazolam 0.05-0.08 mg/kg,fentanyl 10-15 μg/kg and pipecuronium 0.08-0.10 mg/kg.The patients were tracheal intubated and mechanically ventilated.Anesthesia was maintained with intermittent iv boluses of midazolam0.03-0.06 mg/kg,fentanyl 5-10μg/kg and pipecuronium 0.04-0.08 mg/kg.Sevoflurane was inhaled before aortic clamping and the end-tidal concentration was rapidly adjusted to 1.0％ and maintained at this level for 30 min in group S.Blood samples were taken from the central vein before skin incision,immediately after aortic clamping,immediately after aortic unclamping and at 30 min after aortic unclamping,at 2,6,12 and 24 h (T1-8) after operation for determination of the concentrations of plasma tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α),interleukin-6 (IL) and interleukin-8 (IL-8),intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1),cardiac troponin I (cTnI) and activity of creatine kinase MB (CK-MB).The requirement for cardiovascular drugs was recorded after release of aortic cross clamp.Results Compared with group C,the plasma concentrations of TNF-α,IL-6 and IL-8 were significantly decreased at T3-8,the plasma concentrations of ICAM-1 and cTnl were significantly decreased at T4-8,the activity of plasma CK-MB was significantly decreased at T8,and the requirement for cardiovascular drugs was significantly reduced after release of aortic cross clamp in group S (P ＜0.05).Conclusion Sevoflurane pretreatment can inhibit the inflammatory response and provide myocardial protection to some extent in patients undergoing cardiac valve replacement with CPB.

Objective To evaluate the two-stage repair in hypospadias cripples.Methods 35 patients with hypospadias cripples underwent two-stage repair.At the first stage,a full-thickness graft of skin or buccal mucosa was used for urethral plate reconstruction after the release of chordee.The second stage was performed 6 months after completion of the first stage.Tubularization of the replaced urethral plate was the preferred technique.Results There was no urethra stricture or “preplaced urethral plate ” atrophy.Fistula developed in 2 of 35 cases.Conclusion The twostaged technique was a useful strategy to deal with the myriad abnormalities encountered in crippled hypospadias.This technique could not only create a neourethra successfully,but also give the penis a near-normal shape and appearance.

ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of acute normovolemic hemodilution (ANH) on the apoptosis in hippocampal cells induced by global cerebral ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) in rats.Methods Thirty-six healthy 50-60 day old male SD rats weighing 280-320 g were randomly divided into 3 groups ( n =12 each):group sham operation (group S); group global cerebral I/R (group I/R) and group ANH.Global cerebral I/R was produced by 4-vessel technique described by Pulsinelli et al.in groups I/R and ANH.ANH was carried out at 24 h after cauterization of bilateral vertebral arteries,before occlusion of bilateral carotid arteries.Blood was withdrawn from femoral artery until Hct was reduced to 30％ and equal volume of hydroxyethyl starch 130/0.4 sodium chloride was infused into femoral vein simultaneously.Bilateral carotid arteries were blocked for 5 min at 10 min after ANH.The rats were sacrificed at 24 h of reperfusion and their hippocampi were isolated.Apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry.The expression of Apaf-1 mRNA and caspase-3 mRNA was determined by RT-PCR.Results Global cerebral I/R significantly increased apoptosis index and up-regulated Apaf-1 mRNA and caspase-3 mRNA expression in group I/R as compared with group S.ANH significantly attenuated apoptosis and down-regulated Apaf-1 mRNA and caspase-3 mRNA expression in group ANH compared with group I/R.ConclusionANH can reduce hippocampal cell apoptosis induced by cerebral I/R through down-regulation of Apaf-1 and caspase-3 expression in hippocampus.

The paper introduced a therapeutic method of lower-resistant state therapy in the treatment of hysterical aphasia.This method was rapid and effective comparing to other therapeutic methods,showing great clinical values.

Objective To analyze the effect of antibiotic treatment on prostate specific antigen (PSA) derivations in patients with and without prostate cancer and to further determine if the changes of PSA values after antibiotic treatment could help to exclude inflammation in the differential diagnosis of an abnormal PSA.MethodsA total of 100 patients with lower urinary tract symptoms,a PSA level of 4 to 10 μg/L,free PSA/total PSA (fPSA/tPSA) ratio ＜ 0.25,and a negative digital rectal examination and transrectal ultrasonography were enrolled in this study.All patients received 500 mg of ciprofloxacin twice a day for 3 weeks.Free and total PSA values were measured before and after antibiotic treatment.All the patients were then scheduled for 12-core prostate biopsy.Results The mean tPSA value was (6.5 ± 1.2) and (5.1 ± 1.2) μg/L respectively before and after antibiotic treatment ( P ＜ 0.01 ).Ninety-one patients (91.0％) showed tPSA reduction after antibiotic therapy,of which 13 ( 14.3％ ) had prostate cancer on biopsy.In 17 cases (18.7％) post-treatment tPSA was less than 4 μg/L.Three of the 17 cases (17.6％)had prostate cancer on biopsy.In 6 of the 100 men post-treatment tPSA was between 4 and 10 μg/L and the fPSA/tPSA ratio was above 0.25.One of these cases had prostate cancer on biopsy.Seven cases had a ＞50％ reduction in PSA levels with no positive biopsy results.Although mean total PSA and PSAD decreased after treatment in both groups,the reductions within these parameters were not significantly different between patients with and without prostate cancer (P ＞ 0.05).Furthermore,no differences emerged in terms of the changes of other PSA derivations including fPSA and fPSA/tPSA ( P ＞ 0.05 ).ConclusionsThe PSA levels may change with long-term antibiotic treatment in patients with elevated PSA values.A decrease in PSA after antibiotic treatment does not rule out the presence of prostate cancer even if PSA decreases to a normal level.But a ＞ 50％ reduction in PSA levels may be associated with a decreasing risk of prostate cancer,which may allow a postponement of prostate biopsy in selected patients.