Enhancement of phytoextraction efficiency coupling Pteris vittata with low-dose biochar in arsenic-contaminated soil.

Phytoremediation of arsenic (As) by Pteris vittata (P. vittata) is a cost-effective and environmentally friendly method for restoring As-contaminated sites. However, the phytoextraction efficiency is low in some cases, such as clay soil, thus biochar was applied to enhance the efficiency of As extraction. The paper investigated the effect of biochar on soil characteristic, As mobility, and As uptake in P. vittata with a 90-day greenhouse experiment. Biochar derived from rice straw was added at rates of 0.5, 1.5, and 4% (w/w). The results showed that, under biochar amendment, soil pH raised from 5.24 to 6.03 and 4.91 to 5.85, soil dissolved organic carbon (DOC) increased 11.1-46.1% and 2.8-11.2%, respectively, in rhizosphere and bulk soils. Biochar also increased soil catalase (CAT) activity significantly, especially for the rhizosphere soil. Besides, biochar increased the labile As in the soils and transfer coefficient from roots to aboveground, thereby enhancing As accumulation by P. vittata tissues. The accumulation of As in fronds of P. vittata was up to 350 mg kg-1 in 1.5% biochar, which was more than twice the control and far beyond other biochar treatments. The results indicate that biochar addition is favorable to improve phytoremediation of P. vittata in As-contaminated soil and 1.5% (w/w) biochar may be a reasonable application ratio, thus providing an effective solution to enhance the efficiency of As phytoextraction.

Biochar increased soil catalase activity in the rhizosphere of P. vittata.Biochar increased the labile concentration of arsenic in soil and arsenic accumulation in P. vittata significantly.Combining biochar and P. vittata reduced arsenic in soil.Biochar amendment was favorable for phytoremediation of P. vittata in arsenic-contaminated soil.

Localized Intensification of Arsenic Release within the Emergent Rice Rhizosphere.

Behavior of trace elements in flooded/lowland rice soils is controlled by root-zone iron oxidation. Insoluble iron species bind/capture toxic elements, i.e., arsenic. However, it was recently observed that within this territory of arsenic immobilization lies a zone of prolific iron release, accompanied by a significant flux of arsenic in close proximity to rice root apices. Questions still remain on how common this phenomenon is and whether the chemical imaging approaches or soils/cultivars used influence this event. Here, three types of ultrathin/high-resolution diffusive gradient in thin films (DGT) substrates were integrated with oxygen planar optodes in a multilayer system, providing two-dimensional mapping of solute fluxes. The three DGT approaches revealed a consistent/overlapping spatial distribution with localized flux maxima for arsenic, which occurred in all experiments, concomitant with iron mobilization. Soil/porewater microsampling within the rhizosphere revealed no significant elevation in the solid phase's total iron and arsenic concentrations between aerobic and anaerobic zones. Contrary to arsenic, phosphorus bioavailability was shown to decrease in the arsenic/iron flux maxima. Rice roots, in addition to their role in nutrient acquisition, also perform a key sensory function. Flux maxima represent a significant departure from the chemical conditions of the bulk/field environment, but our observations of a complete rhizosphere reveal a mixed mode of root-soil interactions.

Arsenic Concentrations, Speciation, and Localization in 141 Cultivated Market Mushrooms: Implications for Arsenic Exposure to Humans.

Mushrooms accumulate arsenic (As), yet As concentrations, speciation, and localization in cultivated mushrooms across a large geographic distribution are unknown. We characterized 141 samples of nine species from markets in nine capital cities in China, with samples of Lentinula edodes, Pleurotus ostreatus, and Agaricus bisporus being analyzed for As speciation and localization. Total As concentrations ranged from 0.01 to 8.31 mg kg-1 dw, with A. bisporus (0.27-2.79 mg kg-1) containing the most As followed by P. ostreatus and L. edodes (0.04-8.31 and 0.12-2.58 mg kg-1). However, As in A. bisporus was mostly organic including nontoxic arsenobetaine, while P. ostreatus and L. edodes contained mainly inorganic As (iAs). On the basis of in situ imaging using LA-ICP-MS, As in L. edodes was localized to the surface coat of the cap, while As in P. ostreatus was localized to the junction of the pileus and stipe. When As speciation and daily mushroom consumption (1.37 g d-1 dw) are considered, daily mushroom consumption may result in elevated iAs exposure, with increased bladder and lung cancer rates up to 387 cases per 100000. Our study showed that market mushrooms could be a health risk to the general public so its production should be monitored.

[Clinical Significance of Urinary Microalbumin to Creatinine Ratio in Physical Examinations].

OBJECTIVE: To-determine the association between urinary microalbumin to creatinine ratio (mALB/Cr) and metabolic indicators in people undergoing physical examinations. METHODS: A total of 4 184 people who took physical examinations in West China Hospital, Sichuan University from November 2013 to October 2014 participated in this study. We measured their body mass index (BMI), systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), waistline, hipline, Waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), urinary mALB/Cr, serum glucose (GLU), total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG) , high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), serum creatinine (SCr) , uric acid (UA), cystatin C (Cys-C), glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and homocysteine (Hcy). RESULTS: (1) The participants had a median (interquartile range) mALB/Cr of 5.7 (3.1-11.8) mg/g: 5.4 (3.0-11.3) mg/g for males and 6.3 (3.6-13.2) mg/g for females (P < 0.05). (2) About 10.95% participants (10.96% for males and 10.90% for females) had a mALB/Cr ≥ 30 mg/g. (3) mALB/Cr increased with age. (4) BMI, SBP, DBP, waistline, WHR, GLU, HDL-C, TG, SCr, BUN, UA, eGFR and Cys-C were associated the distribution of participants (P < 0.05) across the three groups of mALB/Cr: normal (< 30 mg/g), microalbuminuria (30-300 mg/g) , and proteinuria (> 300 mg/g). (5) Logistic regression demonstrated that age, SBP, WHR, GLU, TG and eGFR were significant predictors of albuminuria. CONCLUSION: A high level of abnormal/positive mALB/Cr was found in people undergoing physical examinations. Increased age, SBP, WHR, GLU, TG and decreased eGFR are major risk factors of abnormal mALB/Cr. mALB/Cr should be monitored, especially in the elderly and those with high-metabolic-syndrome.

[Effect of TIEG-siRNA on Smad2, p-smad2 and collagen IV in diabetic nephropathy].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of TIEG-siRNA on Smad2, p-smad2 and collagen IV in diabetic nephropathy rats induced by streptozotocin (STZ). METHODS: Ten Sprague-Dawley rats injected with STZ were randomly divided into TIEG-siRNA and Control groups. Other five normal rats were used as control. Each of the TIEG-siRNA and Control groups were injected with TIEG-siRNA and Control 0.5 ml via tail vein at 0 and 72 hours respectively. All rats were sacrificed at week 4 after a successful modeling. To confirmed the efficacy of TIEG-siRNA in rat kidney, the TIEG levels were determined by fluorescence quantitative PCR. The expressions of Smad2, p-smad2 and collagen IV protein were detected by immunohistochemical method while Smad2 and p-smad2 examined by Western blot. RESULTS: The TIEG levels were greatly down-regulated in the TIEG-siRNA treated group (0.0636 ± 0.0066) versus the empty vector treated group (0.1054 ± 0.0111) (P < 0.05). The immunohistochemical semi-quantitative method indicated that there was a decrease in the TIEG-siRNA treated group versus the empty vector treated group: (2.13 ± 0.19)% vs (2.53 ± 0.34)% in Smad2, (21.77 ± 2.00)% vs (27.03 ± 2.51)% in p-smad2 and (3.67 ± 0.42)% vs (4.85 ± 0.43)% in collagen IV. Western blot also showed that smad2 in the TIEG-siRNA treated group (0.32 ± 0.09) was much lower than that in the empty vector treated group (0.50 ± 0.04). And p-smad2 in the TIEG-siRNA treated group (0.16 ± 0.01) was much lower than that in the empty vector treated group (0.32 ± 0.02) (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: TIEG-siRNA may be useful in preventing the progression of diabetic nephropathy through influencing the expression of Smad2 and its activation and down-regulating collagen IV.

[Effects of drynaria total flavonoid on osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells at different glucose concentrations: experiment with rats].

OBJECTIVE: To study the effects of drynaria total flavonoid on osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) at different glucose concentrations. METHODS: BMSCs of SD rats were isolated, cultivated in vitro, and divided into 6 groups to be induced to differentiate into osteoblasts under different conditions: (1) low glucose control group, (2) high glucose control group, (3) low glucose classical induction group (sodium glycerophosphate+vitamin C+dexamethasone), (4) high glucose classical induction group (sodium glycerophosphate+vitamin C+dexamethasone), (5) low glucose+drynaria total flavonoid group, and (6) high glucose with drynaria total flavonoid group. Alkaline phosphate (ALP) test kit was used to examine the level of ALP. The ALP staining positive rate was examined with modified calcium cobalt method. Alizarin red staining was adopted to observe the number of calcium nodes. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect type I collagen level. Advanced glycosylation end products (AGEs) were tested by ELISA. RESULTS: The A value indicating the ALP activity, ALP staining positive rate, calcium node number, and type I collagen expression score of the low glucose+drynaria total flavonoid group were (0.439±0.024), 48.7%, (9.75±1.71) nodes/HP, and (2.21±0.07) respectively, all significantly higher than those of the sodium glycerophosphate+vitamin C+dexamethasone [(0.385±0.029), 35.0%, (6.25±0.96) nodes/HP, and (1.93±0.13) respectively, all P<0.05]. The A value, ALP staining positive rate, calcium node number, and type I collagen expression score of the high glucose with drynaria total flavonoid group were (0.352±0.022), 25.3%, (4.50±1.29)/HP, and (1.70±0.03) respectively, all significantly higher than those of the sodium glycerophosphate+vitamin C+dexamethasone [(0.139±0.013), 22.7%, (3.25±1.50)/HP, and (1.28±0.27) respectively, all P<0.05]. The AGE expression levels of the high glucose classical induction group and high glucose+drynaria total flavonoid group were both significantly higher than those of the low glucose classical induction group and low glucose+drynaria total flavonoid group (both P<0.05). There were no significant differences in the AGE level among the low glucose control, low glucose classical induction, and low glucose+drynaria total flavonoid groups (all P<0.05); and among the high glucose control, high glucose classical induction, and high glucose+drynaria total flavonoid groups (all P<0.05). However, the AGE levels of the high glucose groups were all significantly higher than those of the corresponding low glucose groups (all P<0.05). Glucose increased the AGE levels dose- and time-dependently. The concentrations of AGEs were significantly negatively correlated with the expression of type I collagen (r=-0.410, P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Drynaria total flavonoid promotes the osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs and relieves the inhibitory effect of osteogenic differentiation by glucose at high concentration. Thus drynaria total flavonoid may provide a potential therapy for diabetic osteoporosis.

[In vitro studies on the growth and proliferation characteristics of rat bone mesenchymal stem cells].

OBJECTIVE: This study was to investigate the growth and proliferation characteristics of rat bone mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) isolated by the method of whole bone marrow culture and to explore the effect of cell inoculation density and incubation period on cell proliferation, with an aim to provide multipotential seed cells for preventing from degenerative disease. METHODS: Bone mesenchymal stem cells were isolated by the method of whole bone marrow culture and then cultured in vitro. The cell morphologic features were observed by inverted microscope. The cell surface antigens were identified by flow cytometry. The effect of cell inoculation density and culture period on cell growth and proliferation was explored by analyzing the characteristics of a ten-day cell growth curve in 96-well plates. RESULTS: Flow cytometry results showed the detection rates for CD29, CD34 and CD45 were 97.68% (7607/7788), 7.93% (661/8340) and 2.76% (215/7788) respectively, which was consistent with the expression characteristics of BMSCs surface antigens. BMSCs became uniform after three cell passages, existing in a typical shape of whirlpool or radial colony. The senescent cells started to appear at 7(th) passage, and more senescent cells were found at 10(th) passage. The growth curve for moderate inoculation density was typically S-shaped. Lag phase was found during the first two days, and logarithm growth phase was in the following three days. Plateau phase started from the 6(th) day and cell numbers decreased slightly from the 8(th) day. CONCLUSION: The whole bone marrow culture is an effective way to obtain BMSCs. A moderate inoculation density was more advantageous to cell proliferation, by which more seed cells could be obtained.

[Source Profiles of Industrial Emission-Based VOCs in Chengdu].

The volatile organic compound (VOC) emission characteristics of various production procedures were analyzed through GC-MS after the emissions of typical enterprises such as automobile manufacturing, petrochemical, and other industries had been sampled with SUMMA canisters. Each production procedure in the automobile manufacturing and petrochemical industries was considered. The results showed that each automobile manufacturing procedure had its own dominant species, and alkanes (32%) and aromatics (35%) were the main emission species of coating spraying. The emission characteristics of furniture manufacturing were highly correlated with the raw materials, and the VOC emission species were mainly composed of aromatics (50%) and oxygenated VOCs (OVOCs) (38%). As for the petrochemical industry, VOC concentrations in various process plant areas ranged from 49 µg·m-3 to 1387 µg·m-3. As the main products of the refining area were C5-C9 gasoline and benzene series, whereas comparatively more solvents were used in the chemical area, which would generate alkene products, VOC concentrations greatly differed in the various process plant areas. In terms of electronic manufacturing, OVOCs were the main emission species, accounting for more than 50% of total VOCs. Alkanes and OVOCs were the main contributors to VOC emissions in shoemaking, accounting for 52% and 36% on average, respectively, which was strongly related to the species of the used solvents. The VOC emission species of automobile manufacturing were quite different, predominantly including n-dodecane and 2-butanone. The emission species of furniture manufacturing mainly included styrene, ethyl acetate, m/p-xylene, etc., which are typical species of coatings and diluents. As for the differences in the emission species of process plant areas in the petrochemical industry, styrene was the main species in the refining area, 1,3-butadiene in the chemical area, C3-C5 alkanes in the storage area, and C6-C8 alkanes in the wastewater treatment area. The main emission species of electronic manufacturing were ethanol, acetone, and other aldehyde ketone species. The emission species of shoemaking enterprises are mainly C5 and C6 alkanes. According to the results of ozone formation potential (OFP), alkenes and aromatics were the main VOC emission species that contribute significantly to the OFP in the automobile manufacturing and petrochemical industries, with relatively high pollution source reaction activity. The results showed that the emission ratio (17%-96%) and OFP contributions of OVOCs were significant in various industries. Therefore, for VOC emission control, in addition to focusing on the control of aromatics and alkenes, attention should also be paid to OVOCs.

Arsenic-resistance mechanisms in bacterium Leclercia adecarboxylata strain As3-1: Biochemical and genomic analyses.

Microbial arsenic transformation is important in As biogeochemical cycles in the environment. In this study, a new As-resistant bacterial strain Leclercia adecarboxylata As3-1 was isolated and its associated mechanisms in As resistance and detoxification were evaluated based on genome sequencing and gene annotations. After subjecting strain As3-1 to medium containing arsenate (AsV), AsV reduction occurred and an AsV-enhanced bacterial growth was observed. Strain As3-1 lacked arsenite (AsIII) oxidation ability and displayed lower AsIII resistance than AsV, probably due to its higher AsIII accumulation. Polymerase chain reaction and phylogenetic analysis showed that strain As3-1 harbored a typical AsV reductase gene (arsC) on the plasmids. Genome sequencing and gene annotations identified four operons phoUpstBACS, arsHRBC, arsCRDABC and ttrRSBCA, with 8 additional genes outside the operons that might have involved in As resistance and detoxification in strain As3-1. These included 5 arsC genes explaining why strain As3-1 tolerated high AsV concentrations. Besides ArsC, TtrB, TtrC and TtrA proteins could also be involved in AsV reduction and consequent energy acquisition for bacterial growth. Our data provided a new example of diverse As-regulating systems and AsV-enhanced growth without ArrA in bacteria. The information helps to understand the role of As in selecting microbial systems that can transform and utilize As.

Changing trend in diabetes-related death and probability of premature mortality among residents in Yangpu District of Shanghai from 2002 to 2020 / 上海预防医学

ObjectiveTo determine the trend in diabetes-related death and probability of premature mortality among residents in Yangpu District of Shanghai and provide evidence for the formulation of relevant intervention strategies. MethodsMortality and demographic data were collected among residents in Yangpu District of Shanghai from 2002 to 2020. Statistical analysis was conducted using chi-square test with SPSS 21.0 and Excel 2010. Joinpoint regression was used to determine annual percent change （APC）. The mortality was standardized by utilizing the world standard population in 2000. ResultsA total of 25 091 cases of diabetes-related deaths were reported in Yangpu District， Shanghai from 2002 to 2020. The average annual crude mortality of diabetes-related diseases was 122.10/105， which was 116.13/105 in males and 128.23/105 in females. The difference between males and females in crude mortality was statistically significant （P<0.05）. Moreover， primary causes of diabetes-related deaths were diabetes， cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases， and tumors. Among diabetic deaths， peripheral circulatory complications accounted for 50.79%， followed by renal complications （16.05%）. The crude mortality in males， females， and total of diabetes-related diseases showed an upward trend， while the standardized mortality remained stable with an upward trend in male and a downward trend in female. Furthermore， the crude mortality in males， females， and total of diabetes complicated with cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases showed an increasing trend. In contrast， both the standardized mortality in males and in total showed an increasing trend， while that in females remained stable. The overall crude mortality of diabetes was on the rise， which was increasing in males and stable in females. The overall standard mortality of diabetes was on the decline， which was increasing in males while declining in females. In addition， the probability of premature mortality caused by diabetes-related diseases， cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases complicated with diabetes， and diabetes decreased from 2002 to 2020 with no statistical significance. Males showed an upward trend while females showed a downward trend. ConclusionThe mortality of diabetes-related diseases， cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases complicated with diabetes， and diabetes among residents in Yangpu District of Shanghai is on the rise. Similarly， standardized mortality and probability of premature mortality in males for all three diseases are also on the rise. It warrants more attention to the health of male diabetes patients and targeted measures to reduce the disease burden.

Coupling bioavailability and stable isotope ratio to discern dietary and non-dietary contribution of metal exposure to residents in mining-impacted areas.

Both dietary and non-dietary pathways contribute to metal exposure in residents living near mining-impacted areas. In this study, bioavailability-based metal intake estimation coupled with stable Pb isotope ratio fingerprinting technique were used to discern dietary (i.e., rice consumption) and non-dietary (i.e., housedust ingestion) contribution to As, Cd, and Pb exposure in residents living near mining-impacted areas. Results showed that not only rice (n = 44; 0.10-0.56, 0.01-1.77, and 0.03-0.88 mg kg-1) but also housedust (n = 44; 2.15-2380, 2.55-329, and 87.0-56,184 mg kg-1) were contaminated with As, Cd, and Pb. Based on in vivo mouse bioassays, bioavailability of As, Cd, and Pb in rice (n = 11; 34 ±â€¯15, 59 ±â€¯13, and 31 ±â€¯15%) were greater than housedust (n = 14; 17 ±â€¯6.7, 46 ±â€¯10, and 25 ±â€¯6.8%). Estimated daily intake of As, Cd, and Pb after incorporating metal bioavailability showed that As intake via rice was 5-fold higher than housedust for adults, whereas As intake via housedust was 3-fold higher than rice for children. For both adults and children, rice was the main source for Cd exposure, while housedust was the predominant Pb contributor. To ascertain the dominant Pb source from housedust ingestion, stable Pb isotope ratios (207Pb/206Pb and 208Pb/206Pb) of hair samples of local residents (n = 27, 0.8481 ±â€¯0.0049 and 2.0904 ±â€¯0.0102) were compared to housedust (n = 27, 0.8485 ±â€¯0.0047 and 2.0885 ±â€¯0.0107) and rice (n = 27, 0.8369 ±â€¯0.0057 and 2.0521 ±â€¯0.0119), showing an overlap between hair and housedust, but not rice, confirming that incidental housedust ingestion was the main source of Pb exposure. This study coupled bioavailability and stable isotope techniques to accurately identify the source of metal exposure as well as their potential health risk.

Analysis of the curative effect of extensive pterional approach combined with cutting of the zygomatic arch for the resection of large sphenoid ridge meningioma / 中国肿瘤临床

Objective: To explore the application of extensive pterional approach combined with cutting of the zygomatic arch for the resection of large sphenoid ridge meningioma. Methods: Thirty-three patients with large sphenoid ridge meningioma underwent operation using the extensive pterional approach combined with cutting of the zygomatic arch. Twenty patients with large sphenoid ridge meningioma received operation with the traditional pterional approach as the control. The resection rate, operative time, intraoperative blood loss, and postoperative complications were compared between the groups. Results: Two groups of patients underwent craniotomy under microscope. The Simpon grade I resection and grade Ⅱ resection rate was 93.9％ in the cutting of the zygomatic arch approach group and 60.0％ in the control group (P<0.01). The operative time was (325.2±121.3) min in the cutting of the zygomatic arch approach group, which was significantly shorter than that in the control group with (406.4±182.9) min (P<0.05). The intraoperative blood loss was (502.5±101.8) mL and (697.7±115.4) mL in the two groups (P<0.05). In addition, postoperative complication rate was 15.2％ and 45.0％ in the cutting the zygomatic arch approach group and the control group, respectively (P<0.05). No death was reported in both groups. Conclusion: Extensive pterional approach combined with cutting of the zygomatic arch can fully expose the anatomical structures of the skull base and the sellar region to eliminate the influence of temporal muscle in the exposure of the surgical area. The operative field is exposed to reduce the stretch injury to only the frontotemporal brain tissue, which might be helpful for the complete resection of large sphenoid ridge meningioma, and is more conducive to neurovascular anatomy and relevant functional protection.

Protective effects of SFE-CO2 of Notoginseng against glutamate-induced apoptosis in PC12 cells / 中国药理学通报

Aim To investigate the protective effects of supercritical CO2 fluid extract(SFE)of Notoginseng a-gainst glutamate-induced PC12 cells damage and the underlying mechanism. Methods PC12 cells were dealt with glutamate to establish cell models. MTT as-say,LDH method,Hoschst 33342 staining,Fluo-3 /AM fluorescence staining and Western blot were used to observe the changes of cell viability,intracellular Ca2 + concentration and the expression of protein that interacted with C kinase l(PICK1)and glutamate re-ceptors 2 (GluR2),respectively. Results Glutamate was cytotoxic to PC12 cells with an inhibitory concen-tration 50(IC 50 )of 25 mmol·L - 1 . Pretreatment with SFE(25,50,100 mg·L-1)and FSC231(100 μmol ·L-1 )and SFE(100 mg·L-1 )+FSC231(100μmol ·L-1 )remarkablely improved cell viability,reduced LDH leakage,decreased apoptosis rate,debased intra-cellular calcium concentration,decreased the expres-sion of PICK1 ,and increased the expression of GluR2 . Conclusions SFE of Notoginseng shows protective effects against glutamate-induced PC12 cell damage, and its mechanism may be related to the inhibition of PICK1 and the increase of GluR2 protein expression.

Progress and perspective of silkworm as a model of human diseases for drug screening / 药学学报

As a typical representative of Lepidopteran insects, the silkworm, Bombyx mori, has numerous advantages, such as simple husbandry, highly prolific nature, short generation time, easily handled to be operated with moderate body size, clear genetic background and abundant mutation resources. Silkworm has not only been studied by the geneticists, but also been used as a new laboratory animal model of human disease and drug screening. There is a plenty of genetic resources in silkworm, some of which could be used as models of human genetic diseases, such as Phenylketonuria, Parkinson 's disease, Hermansky-Pudlak syndrome and so on. Silkworm has also played a significant role in the study of pathogenesis of human pathogenic microorganisms. Moreover, silkworm could be used to evaluate the pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamics properties and safety of a new drug comprehensively and systematically. At the same time, it can be used in the high throughput drug screening assays to shorten the period of the new drug research and development. This review summarizes that the silkworm is an excellent model in the drug screening assays, and has a potential in application to the large-scale drug screening.

Cloning and expression analysis of leucoanthocyanidin reductase gene in Fagopyrum dibotrys / 药学学报

The leucoanthocyantin reducase (LAR) gene, an important functional gene of catechins biosynthesis pathway, was cloned from Fagopyrum dibotrys (D.Don) Hara by degenerate PCR and rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE). The full-length cDNA of FdLAR is 1 581 bp (GenBank accession: JN793953), containing a 1 176 bp ORF encoding a 391 amino acids protein, and its 3'-untranslated region has an obvious polyadenylation signal. The recombinant plasmid containing FdLAR completed ORF was transformed into E. coli BL21 (DE3). The target fusion peptide with molecular weight of 66 kD was expressed under the condition of 16 degrees C and induced by IPTG at final concentration of 1.0 mmol x L(-1). Bioinformation analysis indicated that the amino acid sequence of FdLAR showed great homology to other LAR with the NADB-Rossmann conversed domain in the N-terminus. Real-time quantitative PCR was used to detect the expression levels of FdLAR gene during different development periods. The determination of flavonoids contents in appropriate rhizomes showed that the relationship between FdLAR gene expression and the accumulation of flavonoids displayed different trends during vegetative growth and reproductive growth stages, suggesting that the FdLAR gene may be involved in the pathway of flavonoid metabolisms in Fagopyrum dibotrys.

Cloning and expression analysis of leucoanthocyanidin reductase gene in Fagopyrum dibotrys / 药学学报

The leucoanthocyantin reducase (LAR) gene, an important functional gene of catechins biosynthesis pathway, was cloned from Fagopyrum dibotrys (D.Don) Hara by degenerate PCR and rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE). The full-length cDNA of FdLAR is 1 581 bp (GenBank accession: JN793953), containing a 1 176 bp ORF encoding a 391 amino acids protein, and its 3'-untranslated region has an obvious polyadenylation signal. The recombinant plasmid containing FdLAR completed ORF was transformed into E. coli BL21 (DE3). The target fusion peptide with molecular weight of 66 kD was expressed under the condition of 16 degrees C and induced by IPTG at final concentration of 1.0 mmol x L(-1). Bioinformation analysis indicated that the amino acid sequence of FdLAR showed great homology to other LAR with the NADB-Rossmann conversed domain in the N-terminus. Real-time quantitative PCR was used to detect the expression levels of FdLAR gene during different development periods. The determination of flavonoids contents in appropriate rhizomes showed that the relationship between FdLAR gene expression and the accumulation of flavonoids displayed different trends during vegetative growth and reproductive growth stages, suggesting that the FdLAR gene may be involved in the pathway of flavonoid metabolisms in Fagopyrum dibotrys.

Evaluation of contrast-enhanced ultrasound for the diagnosis of dysplastic nodule in liver cirrhosis / 中华超声影像学杂志

Objective To observe the enhancement pattern of focal liver lesions in cirrhotic patients and to evaluate the value of contrast-enhanced ultrasound(CEUS) in the diagnosis of dysplastic nodule with hepatocellular carcinoma(DN-Ca). Methods One hundred and forty-one cirrhotic patients with 163 focal liver lesions with the size of 1 - 3 cm were included in this study. All the nodules were examined using CEUS with SonoVue and underwent biopsy. The biopsies were performed using 18G needles in the different parts of enhancement. The enhancement patterns of DN-Ca, HCC and regenerative nodule(RN) were analyzed.Results Twenty-one lesions were diagnosed as DN-Ca by biopsy,45 lesions as hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and 97 lesions as RN. All the 21 lesions of DN-Ca presented partial enhancement during arterial phase or portal phase and wash-out during the late phase; the other areas of the lesions presented delayed or simultaneous enhancement during arterial phase and 23.8 % (5/21 ) slight wash-out in the late phase. Of the 45 lesions of HCC,82.2 % (37/45) presented global enhancement during arterial phase or portal phase, and 17.8% (8/45) presented inhomogeneous enhancement with no-enhancement in the central area during arterial phase, 100% (45/45) presented wash-out during the late phase. In 97 RNs, 96.9% (94/97)presented delayed or simultaneous enhancement during arterial phase, 3.1% (3/97) presented slightly enhancement during arterial phase;25.8% (25/97) showed wash-out and 74. 2% (72/97) showed no washout during the late phase. The pathological diagnosis was HCC in the enhanced area and hepatocytes regeneration in the un-enhanced area in the 21 DN-Ca. Conclusions CEUS is helpful in predicting the progress from RN to HCC by analyzing the hemodynamics. CEUS can improve the diagnostic accuracy of biopsy by providing more accurate information.

Stress-up-regulated myocardial endothelin receptors are suppressed by chlo-robenzyltetrahydroberberine CPU86017 and its RS chiral isomer / 中国药科大学学报

Aim: To investigate the changes of endothelin( ET) receptors by isoproterenol in myocardial cells, and the invervention effects of CPU86017 and its RS isomer. Methods: Primary cultures of neonatal rat cardiomyo-cytes were prepared, and isoproterenol was added to each group for modeling, followed by drug interventions with propranolol, CPU86017 and RS chiral isomer respectively. Results: The expressions of ET_A and ET_B were increased by isoproterenol, in which the level of ET_B was higher than ET_A . This phenomenon was adjusted to different degrees by using propranolol, CPU86017 and RS chiral isomer in a dosage-relevant manner. The infervention effect of RS isomer was better than that of CPU86017 at the high dosage( 10 μmol/L). Conclusion: The cardiovascular effects of CPU86017 and RS chiral isomer could be correlative to the inhibition of the over-expressions of ET_A and ET_B.

The effect of Nifedipine and mechanical strain on matrix metalloproteinase expression in human periodontal ligament fibroblast / 华西口腔医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the effect of Nifedipine on matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-10 and MMP-13 expression in human periodontal ligament fibroblast (HPDLF) induced by mechanical strain in vitro.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>HPDLF was divided into four groups at random by mechanical strain of elongation 0%, 8%, 12% and 16%. Each group was divided into four subgroups again by the concentration of Nifedipine 0, 10, 30, 50 microm. The cells were imposed to state mechanical strain 12 h after incubated with Nifedipine 1 h. And then immunohistochemical staining was used to investigate the expressions of MMP-10 and MMP-13 in intracytoplasm.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>In 0% group, there was no significant difference of MMP-10 and MMP-13 expression in all subgroups (P>0.05). The expressions of MMP-10 and MMP-13 were high in group 8%, 12% and 16% without Nifedipine, and increasing significantly with elongation (P<0.001). The expressions of MMP-10 and MMP-13 decreased with dose increasing (P<0.001) in HPDLF after imposed to Nifidepine.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The expressions of MMP-10 and MMP-13 induced by mechanical strain were inhibited by Nifedipine, which suggested calcium ions channels participate in expressions of MMP-10 and MMP-13 induced by loading.</p>

Treating high angle bimaxillary protrusion with three kinds of extraction method: a clinical study / 华西口腔医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To compare the effect of three kinds of extraction model on high angle bimaxillary protrusion patients.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A total of 30 patients with Class I malocclusion and bimaxillary protrusion, aged 14-25 years old, were selected and divided into three groups. Four first premolars were extracted in the first group. The two maxillary first premolars and two mandibular first molars were extracted in the second group. The two maxillary first premolars and two mandibular first molars were extracted in the third group, and two additional micro-implants used as orthodontic anchorage in maxilla. Three groups were all treated with MBT appliance. Cephalometric analysis were carried out before and after treatment, and the results were analyzed with statistics.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>1) About the hard tissues, compared with the first group, there were statistically significant differences of N-Me, SGo/NMe, ANS-Me, FH/MP, SN/MP, and ODI in the second and the third group after treatment (P<0.01). 2) About the soft tissues, the teeth and the alveolar bone, compared with the first group, there were statistically significant differences of Pg-Pos, Li-SnPos, Si-LiPos, LL-E, L1-NB, L1/NB, U1/L1, L7-MP in the second and the third group after treatment (P<0.01). 3) All patients received consummate orthodontic treatment and obtained fine occlusion. Facial profiles were improved significantly after orthodontic treatment.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>1) After orthodontic treatment with mandibular first molars extraction, FH/MP, SN/MP, N-Me, ANS-Me, L1-NB and L1/NB decreased respectively, and soft tissue profiles were improved significantly. 2) Additional micro-implant used as orthodontic anchorage in maxilla significantly contributed to the maxillary incisor retraction and subsequent soft tissue change. 3) The first molars extraction and additional micro-implant used as orthodontic anchorage are efficient in improving the facial profiles for high angle bimaxillary protrusion patients.</p>