[Research progress on neurodevelopmental outcomes of small for gestational age infants].

The incidence of perinatal disease and perinatal mortality in small for gestational age infants increased significantly. This group of people is prone to a variety of long-term metabolic diseases and cardiovascular diseases, and is also prone to growth retardation and neurodevelopmental delay, which will seriously affect the long-term quality of life of children. The article studies the neurodevelopmental outcomes of small-for-gestational-age infants. By reviewing and sorting out previous literature, the neurodevelopmental disorders of small-for-gestational-age infants are analyzed according to five aspects: intellectual development, motor development, language development, sensory development, and mental illness. The classification and summary were carried out, and the influencing factors of neurodevelopmental disorders of SGA were also evaluated, so as to provide reference for promoting the improvement of neurodevelopmental outcomes of small-for-gestational-age infants.

Molecular characterization, expression patterns, and promoter activity analysis of PGM1 in pigs.

The phosphoglucomutase 1 (PGM1) gene was differentially expressed in tissues of Chinese Meishan and Large White pigs. In this study, the promoter region, expression profile, and genetic mutations of the gene were determined. Expression of a 5'-deletion in both C2C12 and PK-15 cells showed that a negative regulatory element was at -1871 to +185 bp and a positive regulatory element was at -1158 to +185 bp. Among the different types of muscle fibers, PGM1 had the highest expression in both longissimus dorsi and biceps femoris. The expression was concentrated in the muscle fibers at different growth stages of Meishan and Large White pigs. The synonymous mutation C462T in the coding sequence was confirmed by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism, and the frequency of the C allele was dominant in Chinese indigenous breeds. Association analysis with lean meat showed that the C462T site was different.

Expression patterns and promoter activity analysis of UGP2 in pigs.

The function of the UDP-glucose pyrophosphorylase 2 gene (UGP2) in pig is not clear. In the present study, we used RNA isolated from Large White pigs and Chinese indigenous MeiShan pigs to examine the temporal coordination of changes in gene expression within muscle tissues. We cloned both the complete genomic DNA sequence and 2077-bp 5ꞌ-flanking sequence of porcine UGP2, to determine the genomic sequence. Real-time RT-PCR revealed that UGP2 was highly expressed in liver and skeletal muscle of MeiShan pigs. Among different types of muscle fibers, the UGP2 had the highest expression in both soleus muscle and longissimus dorsi in Large White pigs. In the progression of muscle fibers at different growth stages, UGP2 plays a role in the early days after birth in Large White pigs, while in MeiShan pigs it is important later. Furthermore, the 5ꞌ-flanking sequence we cloned exhibited the promoter activity of UGP2, and the sequence 588 bp upstream from the transcriptional site had the greatest activity.

Single nucleotide polymorphisms of the bovine VEGF-B gene and their associations with growth traits in the Nanyang cattle breed.

PCR-SSCP and DNA sequencing methods were applied to reveal single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the bovine VEGF-B gene in 675 samples belonging to three native Chinese cattle breeds. We found 3 SNPs and a duplication NC_007330.5: g. [782 A>G p. (Gly112 =) (;) 1000-1001dup CT (;) 1079 C>T (;) 2129 G>A p. (Arg184Gln)]. We also observed a statistically significant association of the polymorphism (1000-1001dup CT) in intron 3 of the VEGF-B gene with the body weight of the Nanyang cattle (p < 0.05). This polymorphisms of VEGF-B gene need to be verified among a larger cattle population before it can be identified as a marker for bovine body weight.

Low cathepsin D and low plasminogen activator type 1 inhibitor in tumor cytosols defines a group of node negative breast cancer patients with low risk of recurrence.

Prognostic factors are highly needed to divide node negative breast cancer patients into groups of low versus high risk of recurrence and death. In order to invade and spread, cancer cells must degrade extracellular matrix proteins. Accordingly, tumor levels of molecules involved in this degradation might be associated with patient outcome. Previous work has demonstrated that high levels of the aspartyl protease cathepsin D in breast cancer are associated with a poor prognosis and similar findings have been reported for molecules involved in the urokinase pathway of plasminogen activation. Interactions between different protease systems have been described and data suggest that several proteolytic enzymes may be operable at the same time in a tumor. In the present study we measured cathepsin D (n=162), uPA (n=116), uPAR (n=109) and PAI-1 (n=135) in tumor cytosols obtained from a population of node negative breast cancer patients. A significant correlation was found between levels of uPA, uPAR, and PAI-1. Levels of cathepsin D were directly related to levels of uPA and uPAR. With a median observation time of 4.81 years, univariate survival analyses showed that high levels of uPA and cathepsin D significantly predicted a shorter disease free survival, while only high levels of cathepsin D were able to significantly predict a shorter overall survival. Tumor levels of uPAR and PAI-1 gave mixed results depending on the cut-off point chosen. Interestingly, multivariate analysis demonstrated that PAI-1 and cathepsin D were independent significant prognostic indicators for disease-free survival while only cathepsin D was helpful in overall survival. The five year relapse rate of patients with low PAI-1 and low cathepsin D was 13% while patients who had greater than the median value for both of these molecules had a 5 year relapse rate of 40%. These data would indicate that at least two different protease systems are active in spread of node negative breast cancer and that measurement of these molecules may aid in the decisions to be made when offering adjuvant treatment to these patients.