Multilocus phylogeny and cryptic diversity of white-toothed shrews (Mammalia, Eulipotyphla, Crocidura) in China.

BACKGROUND: Crocidura, the most speciose mammalian genus, occurs across much of Asia, Europe and Africa. The taxonomy of Chinese representatives has been studied primarily based on cursory morphological comparisons and their molecular phylogenetic analyses remain unexplored. In order to understand the phylogeny of this group in China, we estimated the first multilocus phylogeny and conducted species delimitation, including taxon sampling throughout their distribution range. RESULTS: We obtained one mitochondrial gene (cytb) (~ 1, 134 bp) and three nuclear genes (ApoB, BRCA1, RAG1) (~ 2, 170 bp) for 132 samples from 57 localities. Molecular analyses identified at least 14 putative species that occur within two major well-supported groups in China. Polyphyletic C. wuchihensis appears to be composed of two putative species. Two subspecies, C. rapax rapax and C. rapax kurodai should be elevated to full species status. A phylogenetic tree based on mitochondrial gene from Asian Crocidura species showed that the C. rapax rapax is embedded within C. attenuata, making the latter a paraphyletic group. Three strongly supported undescribed species (C. sp.1, C. sp.2 and C. sp.3) are revealed from Zada County of Tibet (Western China), Hongjiang County of Hunan Province (Central China) and Dongyang County of Zhejiang Province (Eastern China), Motuo County of Tibet, respectively. The divergence time estimation suggested that China's Crocidura species began to diversify during the late Pliocene (3.66 Ma) and the Early Pleistocene (2.29 Ma), followed by a series of diversifications through the Pleistocene. CONCLUSIONS: The cryptic diversity found in this study indicated that the number of species is strongly underestimated under the current taxonomy. We propose that the three undescribed species should be evaluated using extensive taxon sampling and comprehensive morphological and morphometric approaches. Climate change since the late Pliocene and the uplift of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau may result in the diversification and speciation of China's Crocidura species. In short, the underestimated diversity underlines the need for a taxonomic revision of Chinese Crocidura species.

Efficient markerless gene deletions in Pseudomonas protegens Pf-5 using a upp-based counterselective system.

OBJECTIVES: Developing a counterselective system for efficient markerless gene deletions in biocontrol strain P. protegens Pf-5. RESULTS: We successfully implemented a markerless deletion of upp in Pf-5 to obtain the 5-FU resistant strain Pf5139. With this strain, we performed markerless gene deletions for each component of Gac/Rsm system and a 17 kb DNA fragment with the deletion ratio of 20 to 50%, and efficiently constructed a strain with triple deletions based on the suicide plasmid pJQ200UPP. In addition, there is no obvious connection between the deleted fragment length and the deletion ratio. CONCLUSION: The upp-based counterselective system in this study is efficient and valuable for markerless gene deletions in Pf-5, indicating that it has great potential in the study of gene function and in the application of genome reduction for Pseudomonas strains.

Perceptions of Chinese Biomedical Researchers Towards Academic Misconduct: A Comparison Between 2015 and 2010.

Publications by Chinese researchers in scientific journals have dramatically increased over the past decade; however, academic misconduct also becomes more prevalent in the country. The aim of this prospective study was to understand the perceptions of Chinese biomedical researchers towards academic misconduct and the trend from 2010 to 2015. A questionnaire comprising 10 questions was designed and then validated by ten biomedical researchers in China. In the years 2010 and 2015, respectively, the questionnaire was sent as a survey to biomedical researchers at teaching hospitals, universities, and medical institutes in mainland China. Data were analyzed by the Chi squared test, one-way analysis of variance with the Tukey post hoc test, or Spearman's rank correlation method, where appropriate. The overall response rates in 2010 and 2015 were 4.5% (446/9986) and 5.5% (832/15,127), respectively. Data from 15 participants in 2010 were invalid, and analysis was thus performed for 1263 participants. Among the participants, 54.7% thought that academic misconduct was serious-to-extremely serious, and 71.2% believed that the Chinese authorities paid no or little attention to the academic misconduct. Moreover, 70.2 and 65.2% of participants considered that the punishment for academic misconduct at the authority and institution levels, respectively, was not appropriate or severe enough. Inappropriate authorship and plagiarism were the most common forms of academic misconduct. The most important factor underlying academic misconduct was the academic assessment system, as judged by 50.7% of the participants. Participants estimated that 40.1% (39.8 ± 23.5% in 2010; 40.2 ± 24.5% in 2015) of published scientific articles were associated with some form of academic misconduct. Their perceptions towards academic misconduct had not significantly changed over the 5 years. Reform of the academic assessment system should be the fundamental approach to tackling this problem in China.

[Clinical Analysis of PEG-rhG-CSF in Mobilization of Autologous Hematopoietic Stem Cells in Hematological Tumors].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the efficiency and optimal time of stem cell apheresis mobilized by pegylated recombinant human granulocyte colony stimulating factor (PEG-rhG-CSF) in autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) for hematological malignancies without monitoring pre-collection CD34+ cells. METHODS: Forty-six patients underwent stem cell mobilization were retrospectively analyzed between August 2017 and January 2022 at the First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University. 27 patients using high dose chemotherapy combined with PEG-rhG-CSF mobilization were enrolled in the PEG-rhG-CSF group, and other 19 patients mobilized with recombinant human granulocyte colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) were enrolled in G-CSF group. The mobilization and collection effects of the patients in two groups were compared. RESULTS: A total of 46 patients underwent 86 apheresis procedures, the median amount of mononuclear cell (MNC) in the PEG-rhG-CSF group and G-CSF group was 6.54（3.85-12.61）×108/kg and 6.15（1.13-11.58）×108/kg, respectively (P >0.05), the total CD34+ cells of the grafts were 11.44(1.33-65.02)×106/kg and 4.95(0.30-24.02)×106/kg (P < 0.05), with harvest timing of 14(10-20) days and 14(4-22) days, respectively (P >0.05). In the PEG-rhG-CSF group, there was a significant difference between the number of CD34+ cells collected when white blood cells (WBC) ≥10×109/L and WBC<10×109 /L, 19.04(2.85-65.02)×106/kg and 6.22(0.81-34.86)×106/kg, respectively (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Stem cells mobilization with PEG-rhG-CSF was highly efficient with a median mobilization time of 14 days. In the absence of peripheral blood CD34 monitoring, peripheral blood WBC≥10×109/L can be considered as a threshold for a single stem cell apheresis to collect sufficient stem cells.

Dihydrotestosterone regulating apolipoprotein M expression mediates via protein kinase C in HepG2 cells.

BACKGROUND: Administration of androgens decreases plasma concentrations of high-density lipid cholesterol (HDL-C). However, the mechanisms by which androgens mediate lipid metabolism remain unknown. This present study used HepG2 cell cultures and ovariectomized C57BL/6 J mice to determine whether apolipoprotein M (ApoM), a constituent of HDL, was affected by dihydrotestosterone (DHT). METHODS: HepG2 cells were cultured in the presence of either DHT, agonist of protein kinase C (PKC), phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA), blocker of androgen receptor flutamide together with different concentrations of DHT, or DHT together with staurosporine at different concentrations for 24 hrs. Ovariectomized C57BL/6 J mice were treated with DHT or vehicle for 7d or 14d and the levels of plasma ApoM and livers ApoM mRNA were measured. The mRNA levels of ApoM, ApoAI were determined by real-time RT-PCR. ApoM and ApoAI were determined by western blotting analysis. RESULTS: Addition of DHT to cell culture medium selectively down-regulated ApoM mRNA expression and ApoM secretion in a dose-dependent manner. At 10 nM DHT, the ApoM mRNA levels were about 20% lower than in untreated cells and about 40% lower at 1000 nM DHT than in the control cells. The secretion of ApoM into the medium was reduced to a similar extent. The inhibitory effect of DHT on ApoM secretion was not blocked by the classical androgen receptor blocker flutamide but by an antagonist of PKC, Staurosporine. Agonist of PKC, PMA, also reduced ApoM. At 0.5 µM PMA, the ApoM mRNA levels and the secretion of ApoM into the medium were about 30% lower than in the control cells. The mRNA expression levels and secretion of another HDL-associated apolipoprotein AI (ApoAI) were not affected by DHT. The levels of plasma ApoM and liver ApoM mRNA of DHT-treated C57BL/6 J mice were lower than those of vehicle-treated mice. CONCLUSIONS: DHT directly and selectively down-regulated the level of ApoM mRNA and the secretion of ApoM by protein kinase C but independently of the classical androgen receptor.

Transcriptome Analyses Provide Insights into the Auditory Function in Trachemys scripta elegans.

An auditory ability is essential for communication in vertebrates, and considerable attention has been paid to auditory sensitivity in mammals, birds, and frogs. Turtles were thought to be deaf for a long time; however, recent studies have confirmed the presence of an auditory ability in Trachemys scripta elegans as well as sex-related differences in hearing sensitivity. Earlier studies mainly focused on the morphological and physiological functions of the hearing organ in turtles; thus, the gene expression patterns remain unclear. In this study, 36 transcriptomes from six tissues (inner ear, tympanic membrane, brain, eye, lung, and muscle) were sequenced to explore the gene expression patterns of the hearing system in T. scripta elegans. A weighted gene co-expression network analysis revealed that hub genes related to the inner ear and tympanic membrane are involved in development and signal transduction. Moreover, we identified six differently expressed genes (GABRA1, GABRG2, GABBR2, GNAO1, SLC38A1, and SLC12A5) related to the GABAergic synapse pathway as candidate genes to explain the differences in sexually dimorphic hearing sensitivity. Collectively, this study provides a critical foundation for genetic research on auditory functions in turtles.

A new species of Tamiops (Rodentia, Sciuridae) from Sichuan, China.

During a small mammal survey in Wanglang National Natural Reserve, Sichuan, China in AugustOctober 2018, we collected four specimens of an Asiatic striped squirrel (genus Tamiops) that could not be assigned morphologically to any described species. Phylogenetic analyses of CYTB and nuDNA sequences strongly supported them in the genus Tamiops. The p-distances of CYTB between these individuals and other species of Tamiops ranged from 17.4 to 19.1%. Morphologically, they differed from their congeners, including T. maritimus, T. mcclellandii, T. rodolphii, and T. swinhoei by pelage, skull, and baculum characteristics. Based on the results of morphological comparisons and molecular analyses, we describe the four specimens as the new species Tamiops minshanica sp. nov.

An Extremely Rare Epithelioid Sarcoma Arising from the Infratemporal Fossa: A Case Report and Literature Review.

INTRODUCTION: Epithelioid sarcoma (ES) is a rare histopathological type of soft tissue sarcoma. They are subcutaneous soft tissue masses that tend to arise in extremity sites (the classic type, formerly referred to as distal type) or proximal midline region of the body (the proximal type), such as the perineum, genital tract, and pelvis. The head and neck regions are rarely affected by ES, but the infratemporal fossa (ITF) is extremely rare. ES involving the ITF has not been reported before in literature. In this paper, the imaging features of ES were reviewed in detail, and the anatomical structure and epidemiology of ITF were briefly introduced. SOURCES: We performed a systematic search from 3 databases, CNKI(China National Knowledge Internet), FMRS(Foreign Medical Literature Retrieval Service, Shenzhen METSTR Technology CO., Led. China), and PubMed, to obtain literature from January 1970 to July 2020. Epithelioid sarcoma, head and neck regions, infratemporal fossa, diagnostic imaging, anatomy, MRI, and CT were used as keywords for advanced retrieval. A study had to be found eligible for inclusion to be closely related to ES and/or ITF. A total of 129 related pieces of literature were retrieved successfully, of which 37 were closely related to this study. The case report in this article is from the Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College. The present study was approved by the institutional review board of the Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College and a written informed consent for the publication of the case was obtained from the patient. CASE PRESENTATION: A 33-year-old man accidentally found a slowly growing, painless mass in the left cheek more than a month ago. On plain computed tomography (CT) scan of the outpatient department, an oval slightly low-density mass with well-defined and uniform boundary in the infratemporal fossa was revealed, and on the contrast-enhanced scan, it was homogeneous and moderately enhanced. Initially, the CT appearance favored benign lesions. However, the possibility of a malignant tumor can not be excluded completely. Finally, the patient was referred to the inpatient department a tumor arose from IF and underwent a selective operation. The tumor was completely removed. Histologic findings were compatible with epithelioid sarcoma. Post-operatively, the patient received 2 cycles of radiotherapy, and there was no evidence of recurrence after 6 months follow- up. CONCLUSION: The imaging manifestations of ES are various. The anatomic structure of ITF is complex and the pathological types are various. It should be very careful in the qualitative diagnosis of tumors from the ITF, and advanced imaging techniques will be useful in imaging diagnosis.

Identification and characterization of a novel capsid protein encoded by Singapore grouper iridovirus ORF038L.

Singapore grouper iridovirus (SGIV) is an important pathogen isolated from grouper, Epinephelus tauvina, and characterized as a novel ranavirus. To better understand the function of viral structural genes involved in SGIV infection and virus-host interactions, a candidate gene, VP38 (ORF038L), was investigated in this study. SGIV VP38 was found to encode a 170-aa peptide containing an RGD motif, and it showed significant identity only to members of the genus Iridovirus, family Iridoviridae, except megalocytivirus. The VP38 gene was identified by temporal expression pattern analysis and drug inhibition assay as a late (L) gene. Immunofluorescence localization revealed that P38 was distributed predominately in the cytoplasm and that association of VP38 with viral factories increased at the late stage of SGIV infection. Consistent results from immunoelectron microscopy (IEM) and western blot analysis revealed that SGIV VP38 is a viral capsid protein. Furthermore, antibodies specific for SGIV VP38 exhibited substantial SGIV-neutralizing activity in vitro, suggesting that VP38 might play an important role in SGIV infectivity.

The complete mitochondrial genome of pygmy red-toothed shrew (Chodsigoa parva).

The study of pygmy red-toothed shrew (Chodsigoa parva), which is the smallest species of geuns Chodsigoa, is extremely lacking. Also, it is classified as data deficient (DD) on The IUCN Red List. Here, we obtained a complete mitochondrial genome of Chodsigoa parva. The mitochondrial genome of C. parva is totally 17,216 bp in length and it is composed of 13 protein-coding genes, 22 transfer RNA genes (tRNA), 2 ribosomal RNA genes (rRNA), and 2 non-coding regions. We restructured Bayesian phylogenetic tree by using 19 species those belong to family Soricidae. The mitochondrial genome can provide basic data for further study about the phylogenetic relationship of family Soricidae.

Clinical Significance of MRI and Pathological Features of Giant Cell Tumor of Bone Boundary.

OBJECTIVE: To find new clues to reduce postoperative recurrence after intralesional curettage by studying MRI and pathological features of giant tumor of bone (GCTB) boundaries. METHODS: A retrospective study was performed in the departments of orthopaedic surgery and medical imaging at our hospitals from January 2006 to August 2016. A total of 16 GCTB patients confirmed by pathology were asked to participate in the present study. The age range was from 18 to 44 years (9 women and 7 men). All patients underwent MRI examination. All patients underwent en bloc resection and complete postoperative tumor segments were obtained. Five specimens were obtained randomly at the place of the segments where the GCTB boundary showed different types on MRI. Ordinary HE staining was used for all specimens and we measured the depth of local tumor cell infiltration (240 measurements). Results were expressed as means ± standard deviation. Statistical analyses were carried out with one-way ANOVA and the Student-Newman-Keuls test. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. The kappa test was used to analyze the degree of agreement of observers. RESULTS: A total of 16 patients (median age 30.56 years; range, 18-44 years) with GCTB (the number of distal femurs and proximal tibias was 9 and 7, respectively) were tested. The boundaries of all GCTB cases were composed of clear boundary, relatively clear boundary, and blurred boundary in different proportions on MRI. Based on continuous observation of all MRI, all boundaries were incomplete. The kappa value between two radiologists and two pathologists was 0.91 and 0.88, respectively. The average depth of local tumor cell infiltration in the clear boundary, relatively clear boundary, and blurred boundary groups was 0.42 ± 0.11 mm, 2.85 ± 0.21 mm, and 4.83 ± 0.12 mm, respectively. There was statistical difference among the three groups (F = 17.62, P < 0.05). There was also statistical difference between each of the two groups (q-value was 8.95, 14.28, and 5.21, respectively, P < 0.05). The depth of local tumor cell infiltration with blurred boundaries on MRI was the largest and the depth with clear boundaries was the smallest. CONCLUSION: The intralesional curettage boundaries need to be expanded on the basis of different types of boundaries provided by MRI.

HCV NS2 protein inhibits cell proliferation and induces cell cycle arrest in the S-phase in mammalian cells through down-regulation of cyclin A expression.

Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection often leads to liver cancer. NS2 protein is a HCV hydrophobic transmembrane protein that associates with several cellular proteins in mammalian cells. In this report, we investigated the functions of NS2 protein by examining its effects on cell growth and cell cycle progression. Stable NS2-expressing HeLa and Vero cell lines were established by transfection of the cells with pcDNA3.1(-)-NS2 followed by selection of the transfected cells in the presence of G418. We found that the proliferation rates of both NS2-expressing cell lines were inhibited by 40-50% compared with the control cells that were transfected with pcDNA3.1(-) control vector. Cell cycle analysis of these NS2-expressing cell lines shows that the proportion of cells in the S-phase increased significantly compared to that of control cells that do not express NS2 protein, suggesting NS2 protein induces cell cycle arrest in the S-phase. Further studies showed that the induction of cell cycle arrest in the S-phase by NS2 protein is associated with the decrease of cyclin A level. In contrast, the expression of NS2 protein does not affect the levels of cyclin-dependent kinase CDK2, CDK4, cyclin D1, or cyclin E. Our results suggest that HCV NS2 protein inhibits cell growth and induces the cell cycle arrest in the S-phase through down-regulation of cyclin A expression, which may be beneficial to HCV viral replication. Our findings not only provide information in the understanding mechanism of HCV infection, but also provide guidance for the future development of potential therapeutics for the prevention and treatment of the viral infection.

Hepatitis C virus non-structural 5A protein can enhance full-length core protein-induced nuclear factor-kappaB activation.

AIM: To study the effects of hepatitis C virus (HCV) core and non-structural 5A (NS5A) proteins on nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) activity for understanding their biological function on chronic hepatitis caused by HCV infection. METHODS: Luciferase assay was used to measure the activity of NF-kappaB in three different cell lines cotransfected with a series of deletion mutants of core protein alone or together with NS5A protein using pNF-kappaB-Luc as a reporter plasmid. Western blot and indirect immunofluorescence assays were used to confirm the expression of proteins and to detect their subcellular localization, respectively. Furthermore, Western blot was also used to detect the expression levels of NF-kappaB/p65, NF-kappaB/p50, and inhibitor kappaB-a (IkappaB-a). RESULTS: The wild-type core protein (C191) and its mutant segments (C173 and C158) could activate NF-kappaB in Huh7 cells only and activation caused by (C191) could be enhanced by NS5A protein. Moreover, the full-length core protein and its different deletion mutants alone or together with NS5A protein did not enhance the expression level of NF-kappaB. The NF-kappaB activity was augmented due to the dissociation of NF-kappaB-IkappaB complex and the degradation of IkappaB-a. CONCLUSION: NF-kappaB is the key transcription factor that can activate many genes that are involved in the cellular immune response and inflammation. Coexpression of the full-length core protein along with NS5A can enhance the NF-kappaB activation, and this activation may play a significant role in chronic liver diseases including hepatocellular carcinoma associated with HCV infection.

Lung transplantation as therapeutic option in acute respiratory distress syndrome for coronavirus disease 2019-related pulmonary fibrosis / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

BACKGROUND@#Critical patients with the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), even those whose nucleic acid test results had turned negative and those receiving maximal medical support, have been noted to progress to irreversible fatal respiratory failure. Lung transplantation (LT) as the sole therapy for end-stage pulmonary fibrosis related to acute respiratory distress syndrome has been considered as the ultimate rescue therapy for these patients.@*METHODS@#From February 10 to March 10, 2020, three male patients were urgently assessed and listed for transplantation. After conducting a full ethical review and after obtaining assent from the family of the patients, we performed three LT procedures for COVID-19 patients with illness durations of more than one month and extremely high sequential organ failure assessment scores.@*RESULTS@#Two of the three recipients survived post-LT and started participating in a rehabilitation program. Pearls of the LT team collaboration and perioperative logistics were summarized and continually improved. The pathological results of the explanted lungs were concordant with the critical clinical manifestation, and provided insight towards better understanding of the disease. Government health affair systems, virology detection tools, and modern communication technology all play key roles towards the survival of the patients and their rehabilitation.@*CONCLUSIONS@#LT can be performed in end-stage patients with respiratory failure due to COVID-19-related pulmonary fibrosis. If confirmed positive-turned-negative virology status without organ dysfunction that could contraindicate LT, LT provided the final option for these patients to avoid certain death, with proper protection of transplant surgeons and medical staffs. By ensuring instant seamless care for both patients and medical teams, the goal of reducing the mortality rate and salvaging the lives of patients with COVID-19 can be attained.

Aberrant Resting-State Functional Connectivity in the Default Mode Network in Pediatric Bipolar Disorder Patients with and without Psychotic Symptoms / 神经科学通报·英文版

Mood disorders/psychosis have been associated with dysfunctions in the default mode network (DMN). However, the relative contributions of DMN regions to state and trait disturbances in pediatric bipolar disorder (PBD) remain unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the possible mechanisms of PBD through brain imaging and explore the influence of psychotic symptoms on functional alterations in PBD patients. Twenty-nine psychotic and 26 non-psychotic PBD patients, as well as 19 age- and sex-matched healthy controls underwent a resting-state functional MRI scan and the data were analyzed by independent component analysis. The DMN component from the fMRI data was extracted for each participant. Spearman's rank correlation analysis was performed between aberrant connectivity and clinical measurements. The results demonstrated that psychotic PBD was characterized by aberrant DMN connectivity in the anterior cingulate cortex/medial prefrontal cortex, bilateral caudate nucleus, bilateral angular gyri, and left middle temporal gyrus, while non-psychotic PBD was not, suggesting further impairment with the development of psychosis. In summary, we demonstrated unique impairment in DMN functional connectivity in the psychotic PBD group. These specific neuroanatomical abnormalities may shed light on the underlying pathophysiology and presentation of PBD.

Development of DSA Information Management and Image Analysis System Based on Java Web / 中国医疗器械杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To establish a digital subtraction angiography (DSA) information management and image analysis system to realize scientific management of DSA image information and efficient processing of image data.@*METHODS@#Based on Java Web under Windows 7 environment, a dynamic Browser/Server mode system was constructed by JSP and Servlet on the network. Eclipse and MySQL were used as development tool and database development platform. Tomcat network information service was used as application server. Matlab codes were embedded to analyze DSA image.@*RESULTS@#The system consists of five modules:image information management, image processing, image analysis, advanced retrieval and clinical data management. It may complete such process as storing, deleting, saving, analyzing of DSA image and basic information of patients.@*CONCLUSIONS@#The main interface of the system is user-friendly and easy to operate. The system will be helpful to the clinical, teaching and scientific research work related to DSA.

Effects of different doses of progesterone on MMP-9 and NF-κB in cerebral hemorrhage in male rats / 医学研究生学报

Objective There are few studies on whether progesterone has neuroprotective effects on cerebral hemorrhage. This study aimed to observe the effects of different doses of progesterone on Matrix metalloproteinase-9（MMP-9）and Nuclear factor-κB （NF-κB）in cerebral hemorrhage in male rats, and to explore the neuroprotective effects and possible mechanism of progesterone on cerebral hemorrhage in rats. Methods We randomly divided 174 adult male rats into six groups of equal number with random number table. The models of cerebral hemorrhage were established. The low-, medium- and high-dose progesterone groups were administered with progesterone 4, 8, 16 mg/kg, respectively. The rats in the sham operation and model groups were given same volume of normal saline. We detected the expression of MMP-9 and NF-κB in the brain tissue of each group by Western blotting at 3 days. Moreover, we used the other rats to obtain the neurological severity scores（NSS），and measure the water content of brain tissue. Furthermore, we detected the expressions of MMP-9 and NF-κB by immunohistochemistry at 1, 3 and 7 days. Results The low-, medium- and high-dose progesterone groups could all improve the neurological function of rats after cerebral hemorrhage, and the middle dose group showed the best effects（P<0.05）. Moreover, the low-, medium- and high-dose progesterone groups can reduce the expression of MMP-9 and NF-κB, and the middle dose group also indicated the best effects （P<0.05）. Conclusion Progesterone might improve the neurological function and reduce edema in rats after cerebral hemorrhage, which may be related to the decrease of MMP-9 and NF-κB expression.

Expression change of PTGFR gene in articular capsule and ligamentum teres in DDH and its correlation with pathogenesis of DDH / 重庆医学

Objective To analyze the expression change of PTGFR gene in hip joint tissues of development dysplasia of the hip (DDH) and its correlation with DDH pathogenesis .Methods Eight age-and gender-matched children with DDH (DDH group) and control children (control group) were enrolled for conducting the compaison .The real-time quantitative PCR method and West-ern-blot method were adopted to detect the PTGFR mRNA and protein expression levels .Results PTGFR mRNA expression level in the hip articular capsule and ligamentum teres of the DDH group were significantly decreased compared with those of the control group (t=3 .472 ,2 .887 ,P<0 .05 ,) .The PTGFR protein expression level in the hip articular capsule and ligamentum teres of the DDH group were significantly decreased compared with those of the control group (t=5 .488 ,3 .942 ,P<0 .05) .Conclusion PTG-FR could play an important role in DDH pathogenesis and may be one of DDH pathogenic genes .

Epigallocatechin gallate inhibits HBV DNA synthesis in a viral replication - inducible cell line.

AIM: To analyze the antiviral mechanism of Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) against hepatitis B virus (HBV) replication. METHODS: In this research, the HBV-replicating cell line HepG2.117 was used to investigate the antiviral mechanism of EGCG. Cytotoxicity of EGCG was analyzed by 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay. Hepatitis B virus e antigen (HBeAg) and hepatitis B virus surface antigen (HBsAg) in the supernatant were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Precore mRNA and pregenomic RNA (pgRNA) levels were determined by semi-quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay. The effect of EGCG on HBV core promoter activity was measured by dual luciferase reporter assay. HBV covalently closed circular DNA and replicative intermediates of DNA were quantified by real-time PCR assay. RESULTS: When HepG2.117 cells were grown in the presence of EGCG, the expression of HBeAg was suppressed, however, the expression of HBsAg was not affected. HBV precore mRNA level was also down-regulated by EGCG, while the transcription of precore mRNA was not impaired. The synthesis of both HBV covalently closed circular DNA and replicative intermediates of DNA were reduced by EGCG treatment to a similar extent, however, HBV pgRNA transcripted from chromosome-integrated HBV genome was not affected by EGCG treatment, indicating that EGCG targets only replicative intermediates of DNA synthesis. CONCLUSION: In HepG2.117 cells, EGCG inhibits HBV replication by impairing HBV replicative intermediates of DNA synthesis and such inhibition results in reduced production of HBV covalently closed circular DNA.

Studies on the stereoselective synthesis of a protected α-D-Gal-(1→2)-D-Glc fragment.

A novel 1,2-cis stereoselective synthesis of protected α-D-Gal-(1→2)-D-Glc fragments was developed. Methyl 2-O-acetyl-3-O-allyl-4,6-O-benzylidene-α-D-galactopyranosyl-(1→2)-3-O-benzoyl-4,6-O-benzylidene-α-D-glucopyranoside (13), methyl 2-O-acetyl-3-O-allyl-4,6-O-benzylidene-α-D-galactopyranosyl-(1→2)-3,4,6-tri-O-benzoyl-α-D-glucopyranoside (15), methyl 2-O-acetyl-3-O-allyl-4,6-O-benzylidene-α-D-galactopyranosyl-(1→2)-3-O-benzoyl-4,6-O-benzylidene-ß-D-glucopyranoside (17), and methyl 2-O-acetyl-3-O-allyl-4,6-O-benzylidene-α-D-galactopyranosyl-(1→2)-3,4,6-tri-O-benzoyl-ß-D-glucopyranoside (19) were favorably obtained by coupling a new donor, isopropyl 2-O-acetyl-3-O-allyl-4,6-O-benzylidene-1-thio-ß-D-galactopyranoside (2), with acceptors, methyl 3-O-benzoyl-4,6-O-benzylidene-α-D-glucopyranoside (4), methyl 3,4,6-tri-O-benzoyl-α-D-glucopyranoside (5), methyl 3-O-benzoyl-4,6-O-benzylidene-ß-D-glucopyranoside (8), and methyl 3,4,6-tri-O-benzoyl-ß-D-glucopyranoside (12), respectively. By virtue of the concerted 1,2-cis α-directing action induced by the 3-O-allyl and 4,6-O-benzylidene groups in donor 2 with a C-2 acetyl group capable of neighboring-group participation, the couplings were achieved with a high degree of α selectivity. In particular, higher α/ß stereoselective galactosylation (5.0:1.0) was noted in the case of the coupling of donor 2 with acceptor 12 having a ß-CH(3) at C-1 and benzoyl groups at C-4 and C-6.