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Objective To investigate the expression and distribution of spalt-like transcription factor 1 (Sall1) in the lumbar spinal dorsal horn of mice with sciatic nerve branch selective injury. Methods BALB/c mice aged 6~8 weeks old were randomly divided into a control group, a sham operation group and a sciatic nerve branch selective injury group. The mechanical withdrawal threshold (MWT) was measured on the 1st day before the establishment of the model and on the 3rd, 7th, 10th and 14th day after operation. On the 3rd, 7th, 10th and 14th day after operation, the dorsal horn was collected from the L4-6 segments of the affected spinal cord. The expression of Sall1 and the mRNA levels of inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin 1β (IL-1β), IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) on the 7th day after operation were detected by real-time quantitative PCR. The expression of Sall1 protein was determined by Western blot analysis at the above four time points. Immunohistochemical staining and semi-quantitative analysis were performed to analyze the expression and distribution of Sall1 in the spinal cord on the 3rd, 7th, 10th and 14th day after operation. Results Compared with the control group and the sham operation group, MWT of the SNI group decreased on the 3rd, 7th, 10th and 14th day after operation. Compared with the control group, the mRNA and protein levels of Sall1 in SNI group decreased on the 7th, 10th and 14th day after operation. The mRNA levels of IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α increased at 7th day after operation. Sall1 in the control group and SNI group was mainly distributed in the spinal dorsal horn, and the expression in the SNI group was significantly lower than that in the control group at all time points except for the 3th day after operation. Conclusion Sall1 is distributed in the dorsal horn of spinal cord. Sciatic nerve branch selective injury could decrease the expression of Sall1 and increase the expression of IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α mRNA in the dorsal horn of lumbar spinal cord.

Objective: To evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) haploidentical stem cell transplantation in nonmalignant hematologic diseases., Method: To analyze the outcome of 13 patients with nonmalignant hematologic diseases who underwent HLA haploidentical stem cell transplantation from September 2001 to October 2013., Results: Thirteen patients including 9 of severe aplastic anemia, 3 of severe β thalassemia, 1 of congenital pure red cell aplastic anemia underwent HLA haploidentical stem cell transplantation. Three HLA loci mismatched in 4 cases, two HLA loci mismatched in 8 cases and one HLA locus mismatched in 1 case. The conditioning regime consisted of Fludarabine (30 mg×m(-2)×d(-1)×5 d ), Busulfan(0.8 mg×kg(-1)×6h(-1)×4 d), Cyclophosphamide (60 mg×kg(-1)×d(-1)×2 d ), rabbit anti-human lymphocyte globulin ( 2.5 mg×kg(-1)×d(-1)×5 d ). To prevent from graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), cyclosporin A and short term methotrexate (MTX) were used. All patients were successfully engrafted. The incidence of grade 1-2 acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) was 3/13, and that of grade 3-4 was 1/13. The cumulative incidence of total chronic GVHD (cGVHD) was 3/13. Eleven patients survived free of disease at a median follow-up period of 13 months (2-145)., Conclusion: HLA haploidentical stem cell transplantation is an effective and safe therapy for nonmalignant hematologic diseases.

Objective: To observe the effects of increased-intensity conditioning regimen with FBCA (Fludarabine, Busulfan, Cyclophosphamide, and Antithymocyte globulin) for allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) in acquired severe aplastic anemia (SAA)., Methods: From January 2000 to June 2011, twenty-two patients (male 12, female 10) with SAA underwent allo-HSCT with FBCA conditioning regimen which consisted of fludarabine (30 mg·m⁻²·d⁻¹×5 d), busulfan (3 mg/kg×2 d), cyclophosphamide (60 mg·kg⁻¹·d⁻¹×2 d) and ATG (2.5 mg·kg⁻¹·d⁻¹×5 d). GVHD prophylaxis was performed by cyclosporine and short-term course methotrexate. Nine patients received mobilized peripheral blood stem cells transplantation and 13 patients underwent mobilized peripheral blood combined with bone marrow stem cells. Fourteen cases were human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-matched related donors, while the other 8 cases were HLA-haploidentical transplantation. Engraftment was documented by short tandem repeats with polymerase chain reaction (STR-PCR) on approximately day + 30, + 90, + 180, + 1 year and + 2 year, respectively. Long-term survival and transplantation-related complications were analyzed., Results: All patients obtained prompt and sustained hematopoietic reconstitution. Median time for neutrophil and PLT engraftment was 15 (range: 11-22) days and 16 (range: 12-27) days, respectively. All patients were full donor chimerism identified by STR-PCR. 2 of the total 22 cases (9.1%) had grade I-III acute GVHD and 3 (15.8%) was chronic GVHD. Three patients (13.6%) died of transplantation related mortality and the other 19 cases were disease-free survival with a median time of 24 (range: 0.5-140.5) months. The causes of death were cytomegalovirus pneumonia (n=1), acute GVHD (n=1) and severe pulmonary infection (n=1)., Conclusion: Increased-intensity of FBCA conditioning regimen could favor donor stem cell sustained engraftment for allo-HSCT in SAA.

Objective: To clone outer membrane protein A (ompA) gene from Aeromonas hydrophila HBNUAh01 and transiently express this protein in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) leaf cells., Methods: A. hydrophila outer membrane protein A (AhompA) gene was amplified by PCR using A. hydrophila HBNUAh01 cells as template, and cloned into the pEASY-Blunt Simple vector for sequencing. After sequence confirmation, AhompA gene was inserted into expression vector pCAMBIA1300 containing a yellow fluorescent protein (YFP) gene, to obtain a recombinant expression plasmid. The recombinant expression plasmid was introduced into Agrobacterium tumefaciens GV3101 competent cells, and the positive clones were transfected to tobacco leaf cells. The expression of yellow fluorescent protein fused with AhompA was observed by Confocal Laser Scanning Microscope, and the mRNA of AhompA was detected by RT-PCR., Results: The AhompA gene cloned from A. hydrophila HBNUAh01 was 1032 bp. The fusion protein of AhompA and YFP was successfully expressed in tobacco leaf cells., Conclusion: The successful expression of the AhompA gene in tobacco leaf cells has laid a foundation for further investigation of prevention of limnobios diseases caused by A. hydrophila with plant vaccine.

Pot experiment showed that after 30 days of transgenic Bt rice planting and by the end of the growth season of transgenic Bt cotton, the contents of soil total C, total N, alkali-hydrolyzable N, and available P and S had no significant difference with the control, which suggested that there was a little disturbance in the cycle and balance of soil nutrients after a short period of transgenic Bt crops planting.

This study showed that the amounts of Bt toxin expressed in transgenic Bt cotton leaves and stems (103.5 - 134.1 ng x g(-1)) were rather higher than those expressed in transgenic Bt cotton roots (44.7 - 21.2 ng x g(-1)), indicating that total amount of soil Bt toxin introduced by transgenic Bt cotton could be decreased through treating its above-ground biomass. In comparing with the amount of Bt toxin expressed in transgenic Bt cotton plant, that expressed in its root exudates was rather lower, showing that the effects of plant Bt toxin on soil ecosystem would be limited if other sources of Bt toxin introduced into soil were controlled.

The study on the photosynthetic characters and Bt toxin content of different Bt cottons (ZK, GK) and non-Bt cotton (CZ) indicated that Bt cottons GK and ZK had different total expressed amount of Bt toxin and its distribution in different tissues. The Bt cottons had obviously different chlorophyll contents, responses of photosynthetic rate to photosynthetic active radiation, and diurnal changes of photosynthetic rate and transpiration rate, but the diurnal change of leaf temperature, CO2 concentration inside leaf cells and stomatal limit values were approximately the same. There was a significant difference between two transgenic Bt cottons in the diurnal average value of CO2 concentration inside leaf cells, but the differences in other characteristics were not significant among different cottons.

A pot experiment was conducted with silty loam Agrodolf as test soil and with transgenic Bt rice and non-Bt rice as test crops to study the effect of transgenic Bt rice planting on soil urease, phophatase, arylsulfatase, invertase, and dehydrogenase activities. The results showed that Bt toxin could be introduced into soil through root exudates of transgenic Bt rice, and its survival amount in soil varied with time. Compared with non-Bt rice treatment, transgenic Bt rice treatment had a significant decrease (2.47%) of soil urease activity and a significant increase (8.91%) of soil acid phosphatase activity, but no significant change in soil arylsulfatase, invertase, and dehydrogenase activities at the 15th day of emergence. At the 30th day of emergence, the transgenic Bt rice treatment still had a significant decrease of soil urease activity (16.36%) and a significant increase of acid phosphatase activity (35.69%), and no change in invertase activity. It also had significant increase in soil arylsulfatase (19.70%) and dehydrogenase activities (16.83%).

With the popularization and application of transgenic Bt crops, and increasing attention has been paid to their potential impact on ecological environment and other aspects. And, as the development of detecting techniques for Bt toxin protein and soil were made by oversea researchers. This paper reviewed the current situation of the studies on the insecticidal characteristics and detecting methods of toxin proteins released by transgenic Bt crops, the potentical risk of their field release, the impact of soil mineral, organic matter and organo-mineral complex on the persistence of purified Bt toxins, and the behavior of Bt toxins in rhizospheric soil. Based on our researches, several problems which should be paid attention to in related studies were also pointed out.