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Tianfu peanut series represents a prominent category in China and recognized as the primary cultivar within the peanut-producing region of Sichuan Basin. To comprehend the phylogeny of Tianfu peanut varieties and the evolution of key agronomic and economic traits, we conducted an analysis on the pedigree relationship and evolutionary trends of 37 main Tianfu peanut varieties, focusing on 14 essential agronomic and economic characteristics. Our findings revealed that these 37 varieties originated from 55 nuclear ancestor parents and 15 cytoplasmic ancestor parents, predominatly including Luojiangjiwo, Fuhuasheng, and Xiongyue 1. Among the 52 related direct parents predominately comprising bred varieties and intermediate materials, 34 were derived from Sichuan Basin, accounting for approximately 65.38% of all parentage combinations. Notably, variety improvement predominantly occurred through crossbreeding techniques, with "bred variety x intermediate materials" combinations representing the highest proportion at 40.63%. While there were no significant quality attributes, pod yield significantly increased due to breeding efforts; additionally, a few oleic acid and high oil varieties were successfully developed. Moving forward, our focus lies in transforming general common oleic acid varieties into specialized high oleic acid variants suitable for edible oil production or processing while preserving the traditional characteristics associated with medium-small seed size typical to Tianfu peanuts -- thus meeting diverse demands for superior-quality Tianfu peanut cultivars in this new era. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The adsorption property of adsorbent has an important effect on the solar adsorption water from atmospheric air. The influence of different dipped conditions on the salt content in the composite adsorbent was studied, and then studied its influence on the water vapor adsorption performance to select the efficient composite adsorbent for solar water extraction from air. CaCl2 as hygroscopic salt and activated alumina,3A and 13X as substrates,the composite adsorbents were prepared respectively. The results showed that when the concentration of CaCl2 solution was in the range of 10% -30%,the salt content in the composite adsorbents increased with the increase of the solution concentration. When the concentration of CaCl2 solution and dipped temperature are constant,the salt content in the composite adsorbent soaked for 72 h can reach the maximum. When the dipped time is constant,the salt content in the composite adsorbent increases with the increase of the dipped temperature in the range of 25 - 85 °C. Open adsorption test was conducted on the composite adsorbent obtained, and the optimal dipped time was 48 - 60 h, and the optimal dipped temperature was 85 °C. According to the characteristics of composite adsorbents, Al2 03/ CaCl2 composite adsorbent can be used as a better material for solar water extraction from air, and the maximum amount of water extraction can reach 188 g/( kg • h) under experimental conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The composite adsorbent was prepared using vermicullte impregnated with MgCl2/MgS04 binary salt solution. The adsorption performance of the composite adsorbent on water vapor in air under open environment was investigated. The adsorption performance of the composite adsorbent under different adsorption temperature and humidity conditions was studied experimentally,and the effects of the mass concentration of the impregnated salt and the ratio of the binary salt on the adsorption performance of the composite adsorbent were investigated, and water extraction experiments were conducted under actual conditions. The results showed that the composite adsorbent was less prone to deliquescence in the adsorption process than the pure MgCl2/vermiculite composite adsorbent, and the adsorption performance of the composite adsorbent on water vapor increased with the increase of relative humidity, and the adsorption amount increased with the increase of temperature in the adsorption temperature range of 10 - 25 °C ; the composite adsorbents corresponding to 5% mass fraction of MgS04 in the binary salt all showed a better water vapor adsorption. The adsorption capacity of the composite adsorbent vermiculite/MgCl2/MgS04 was 1. 35 g/g at 25 °C and 80% RH,and the actual water extraction under winter conditions was 0. 5 mL/g. The preparation of the composite adsorbent vermiculite/MgCl2/MgS04 was studied to provide basic data for solar adsorption air extraction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To study the effect of pertussis vaccination on the clinical manifestations of infants and young children with pertussis. Methods A retrospective analysis was performed to investigate the differences in clinical manifestations and peripheral blood cell levels between pertussis children with different pertussis vaccination status. Results A total of 1 083 children with pertussisat at age of <3 years were enrolled, with 551 children in the unvaccinated group and 532 in the vaccinated group. Of all the children, 392 had an age of onset of <3 months (372 were unvaccinated and 20 were vaccinated) and 691 children had an age of onset of ≥3 months (179 were unvaccinated and 512 were vaccinated). Compared with the vaccinated group, the unvaccinated group had a longer length of hospital stay and a higher incidence rate of respiratory failure (P<0.05). Among the children ≥3 months of age, the incidence of severe pneumonia in the unvaccinated group was higher than that in the vaccinated group (P<0.05), and the incidence of severe pneumonia was the highest in the unvaccinated group (10.6%) and the lowest in the 4-dose vaccination group (1.2%). Among the 101 patients with severe pneumonia, 80 (79.2%) were observed in the unvaccinated group and only 21 (20.8%) in the four different doses vaccination groups. For the children with an age of onset of ≥3 months, the unvaccinated group had higher white blood cell count, absolute value of lymphocytes, and platelet count than the vaccinated group (P<0.05). Conclusions Pertussis vaccination can reduce the incidence of severe pneumonia and respiratory failure and alleviate the severity of respiratory complications in infants and young children with pertussis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The xylem sap flows of two pioneer tree species, i. e. , Acacia mangium and Schima superba, in degraded hill lands of South China, were continually monitored with Granier's thermal dissipation probes during 2004-2007 and 2008-2012, respectively, and their seasonal transpiration changes at different tree age levels were compared. The results showed that the annual transpiration of both species increased with tree ages, and S. superba demonstrated a higher value than A. mangium. The average annual whole-tree transpiration of S. superba (7014. 76 kg) was higher than that of A. mangium (3704. 97 kg). A. mangium (511. 46-1802. 17 kg) had greater seasonal variation than S. superba (1346. 48-2349. 35 kg). The standard regression coefficients (β) of transpiration (Eh), photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) and vapor pressure deficit (VPD) for both species increased with soil moisture, suggesting the increase of soil moisture generated a greater sensitivity of plants to environmental factors. Partial correlation analysis revealed that soil moisture played an important role in the seasonal variation of transpiration of both species. The optimum soil moistures of S. superba and A. mangium were 0. 22-0. 40 and 0. 29-0. 30 (V/ V), respectively, indicating the native pioneer species S. superba better adapted to water deficit compared with exotic pioneer species A. mangium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To explore lumbar plexus nerve block combined with general anesthesia in elderly patients undergoing hip operation could improve analgesia effect, reduce consumption of analgesics, prevent inflammatory reaction, and avoid postoperative delirium(POD)., Methods: Totally 200 elderly patients underwent hip fracture surgery from February 2020 to September 2021 were selected and were divided into observation group and control group according to different anesthesia methods. There were 97 patients in observation group including 66 males and 33 females; aged (70.23±6.60) years old;body mass index (BMI) was (23.13±1.94) kg·m-2;19 patients with hemi arthroplasty, 46 patients with total hip arthroplasty, and 32 patients with femur intertrochanteric fixation;treated with lumbar plexus block combined with general anesthesia. There were 94 patients in control group, including 66 males and 33 females;aged (68.80±6.24) years old;BMI was (22.88±1.85) kg·m-2;14 patients with hemi arthroplasty, 39 patients with total hip arthroplasty, and 41 patients with femur intertrochanteric fixation;treated with only general anesthesia. Nine patients were separated due to the change of surgical protocol or chronic disease. The incidence of POD at 1, 2 and 3 days after surgery, mini-mental state examination (MMSE) score, visual analogue scale (VAS) in resting state, serum inflammatory factors levels [such as C-reactive protein(CRP), interleukin-1β(IL-1β), interleukin-6(IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α)] at 1 d before operation, 1 and 6 h after surgery, consumption of sufentanil between two groups were compared., Results: The incidences of POD in observation group were lower than control group at 1, 2 and 3 days of operation ( P <0.05), MMSE score in observation group was higher than that of control group ( P <0.05), VAS in observation group was lower than that of control group ( P <0.01). The incidences of POD decreased and MMSE score were increaed in both groups day by day ( P <0.01). The levels of CRP, IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α in observation group were lower than that of control group at 1 h after operation ( P <0.01). The levels of CRP, IL-6 and TNF-α in observation group were lower than that of control group at 6 h after operation ( P <0.01), while no statisitical difference in IL-1β between two groups( P >0.05). The consumption of sufentanil in observation group was lower than that of control group ( P <0.01)., Conclusion: Compared with general anesthesia, lumbar plexus nerve block combined with general anesthesia for the operations of hip fracture in elderly patients has better analgesic effect, has advantages of slight inflammatory reaction, and could decrease consumption of opioid and incidence of POD.

Objective To explore the mechanism of puerarin inhibiting the proliferation,invasion,and migration of non-small cell lung cancer cells. Methods A549 cells were cultured and treated with different concentrations of puerarin.The inhibition rate (IR) on cell proliferation was detected by CCK-8,and qRT-PCR was performed to detect the mRNA levels of miR-490 and denticleless E3 ubiquitin protein ligase(DTL).Double luciferase reporter assay was employed to identify the targets of miR-490 and DTL based on the establishment of NC mimic group,miR-490 mimic group,NC inhibitor group,and miR-490 inhibitor group.The cells treated by 20 μmol/L puerarin were classified into six groups:DMSO,puerarin,puerarin+NC inhibitor,puerarin+miR-490 inhibitor,puerarin+miR-490 inhibitor+Si-NC,and puerarin+miR-490 inhibitor+Si-DTL.Transwell was used to detect cell migration and invasion.Western blotting was performed to detect the protein levels of epithelial-mesenchymal transition-related markers E-cadherin,N-cadherin,and Vimentin. Results With the increase in puerarin concentration,the IR gradually elevated ( F =105.375, P <0.001),miR-490 expression gradually increased ( F =32.919, P <0.001),and DTL expression gradually decreased ( F =116.120, P <0.001).Compared with NC mimic group,miR-490 mimic group had decreased luciferase activity ( t =7.762, P =0.016),raised miR-490 mRNA level ( t =13.319, P <0.001),and declined DTL mRNA level ( t =7.415, P =0.002).Compared with those in NC inhibitor group,miR-490 demonstrated decreased mRNA level ( t =9.523, P =0.001) and DTL presented increased mRNA level ( t =11.305, P <0.001) in miR-490 inhibitor group.Western blotting showed that the protein level of DTL was higher in NC mimic group ( t =7.953, P =0.001) than in miR-490 mimic group and higher in miR-490 inhibitor group than in NC inhibitor group ( t =10.552, P <0.001).Compared with DMSO group,puerarin group showed up-regulated mRNA level of miR-490 ( t =10.255, P =0.001) while down-regulated mRNA level of DTL ( t =6.682, P =0.003).Compared with those in puerarin+NC inhibitor group,the mRNA level of miR-490 declined ( t =10.995, P <0.001) while that of DTL raised ( t =12.478, P <0.001) in puerarin+miR-490 inhibitor group.The mRNA level of miR-490 had no significant difference between puerarin+miR-490 inhibitor+Si-NC group and puerarin+miR-490 inhibitor+Si-DTL group ( t =1.081, P =0.341),and that of DTL was lower in the latter group ( t =14.321, P <0.001).The protein level of DTL was higher in puerarin+miR-490 inhibitor group than in puerarin+NC inhibitor group ( t =11.423, P <0.001),and lower in puerarin+miR-490 inhibitor+Si-DTL group than in puerarin+miR-490 inhibitor+Si-NC group ( t =12.080, P <0.001).Compared with DMSO group,puerarin group showed inhibited cell proliferation ( F =129.27, P <0.001).The activity of cell proliferation was higher in puerarin+miR-490 inhibitor group than in puerarin+NC inhibitor group ( F =75.12, P <0.001),and higher in puerarin+miR-490 inhibitor+Si-NC group than in puerarin+miR-490 inhibitor+Si-DTL group ( F =52.59, P <0.001).Compared with DMSO group,puerarin group had suppressed cell migration ( t =8.963, P =0.001).The cell migration ability was higher in puerarin+miR-490 inhibitor group than in puerarin+NC inhibitor group ( t =12.117, P <0.001) and higher in puerarin+miR-490 inhibitor+Si-NC group than in puerarin+miR-490 inhibitor+Si-DTL group ( t =12.934, P <0.001).Puerarin group showed weakened cell invasion ability compared with DMSO group ( t =4.710, P =0.009).The cell invasion ability was higher in puerarin+miR-490 inhibitor group than in puerarin+NC inhibitor group ( t =13.264, P <0.001) and lower in puerarin+miR-490 inhibitor+Si-DTL group than in puerarin+miR-490 inhibitor+Si-NC group ( t =13.476, P <0.001).Compared with DMSO group,puerarin group showed up-regulated protein level of E-cadherin ( t =7.137, P =0.002) while down-regulated protein levels of N-cadherin ( t =8.828, P =0.001) and vimentin ( t =6.594, P =0.003).Compared with those in puerarin+NC inhibitor group,the protein level of E-cadherin ( t =12.376, P <0.001) decreased while those of N-cadherin ( t =13.436, P <0.001) and vimentin ( t =11.467, P <0.001) increased in puerarin+miR-490 inhibitor group.Compared with puerarin+miR-490 inhibitor+Si-NC group,puerarin+miR-490 inhibitor+Si-DTL group up-regulated the protein level of E-cadherin ( t =13.081, P <0.001) while down-regulated the protein levels of N-cadherin ( t =10.835, P <0.001) and vimentin ( t =11.862, P <0.001). Conclusion Puerarin could inhibit the proliferation,invasion,and migration of non-small cell lung cancer cells by up-regulating miR-490 and down-regulating DTL.

Objective: To study the effect of pertussis vaccination on the clinical manifestations of infants and young children with pertussis., Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed to investigate the differences in clinical manifestations and peripheral blood cell levels between pertussis children with different pertussis vaccination status., Results: A total of 1 083 children with pertussisat at age of < 3 years were enrolled, with 551 children in the unvaccinated group and 532 in the vaccinated group. Of all the children, 392 had an age of onset of < 3 months (372 were unvaccinated and 20 were vaccinated) and 691 children had an age of onset of ≥ 3 months (179 were unvaccinated and 512 were vaccinated). Compared with the vaccinated group, the unvaccinated group had a longer length of hospital stay and a higher incidence rate of respiratory failure ( P < 0.05). Among the children ≥ 3 months of age, the incidence of severe pneumonia in the unvaccinated group was higher than that in the vaccinated group ( P < 0.05), and the incidence of severe pneumonia was the highest in the unvaccinated group (10.6%) and the lowest in the 4-dose vaccination group (1.2%). Among the 101 patients with severe pneumonia, 80 (79.2%) were observed in the unvaccinated group and only 21 (20.8%) in the four different doses vaccination groups. For the children with an age of onset of ≥ 3 months, the unvaccinated group had higher white blood cell count, absolute value of lymphocytes, and platelet count than the vaccinated group ( P < 0.05)., Conclusions: Pertussis vaccination can reduce the incidence of severe pneumonia and respiratory failure and alleviate the severity of respiratory complications in infants and young children with pertussis.

The aim of this study was to investigate the anti-inflammatory effect of Guizhi Fuling capsule and its active complex (consistent of 15 active compounds) on LPS-induced RAW264. 7 cells. The effect of Guizhi Fuling capsule and its active complex on cell viability in RAW264. 7 cells were determined by MTT assay. The inhibitory effect of Guizhi Fuling capsule and active complex on the releasing of IL-1β, TNF-α and PGE2 induced by LPS in RAW264. 7 cells was detected by ELISA assay. The expression of IL-1β and mPGES-1 in Guizhi Fuling capsule or active complex treated RAW264. 7 cells was examined by Western blot assay. Guizhi Fuling capsule and active complex showed no significant effect on the cell viability in RAW264. 7 cells at doses range from 12.5 to 400 mg x L(-1). Compared with LPS treated group, Guizhi Fuling capsule and active complex dose dependently reduced the releasing of IL-1β, TNF-α and PGE2 induced by LPS in RAW264. 7 cells. Moreover, the expression of IL-1β and mPGES-1 was decreased after Guizhi Fuling capsule and active complex treatment, which might contribute to the inhibitory effect of Guizhi Fuling capsule in the releasing of IL-1β, TNF-α and PGE2. This study provided the evidence that Guizhi Fuling capsule and active complex remarkably inhibited the releasing of IL-1β, TNF-α and PGE2induced by LPS in RAW264. 7 cells by reducing the expression IL-1β and mPGES-1. This study provided an experimental basis of Guizhi Fuling capsule for the treatment of inflammation and a theoretical basis for the development of effective compounds of Guizhi Fuling capsule.

Objective: To observe the therapeutic efficacy and safety of gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRHa) combined Wenshen Xiaozheng Decoction (WXD) in auxiliary treating endometriosis after laparoscopy., Methods: One hundred and thirty-four endometriosis patients with confirmative pathological diagnosis were assigned to three groups depending on whether they would receive adjuvant therapy or Chinese medicine treatment, i.e., the control group, the observation 1 group, and the observation 2 group. The 22 patients in the control group received no adjuvant therapy after laparoscopy. The 42 patients in the observation 1 group were treated with GnRHa 3.6 mg by subcutaneous injection starting from the 1st day to the 5th day of menstruation, once per 28 days. The 70 patients in the observation 2 group were treated with GnRHa 3.6 mg by subcutaneous injection in combination with WXD starting from the 1st day to the 5th day of menstruation, once per 28 days. They also took WXD for 7 doses, one cycle per every 28 days. The treatment lasted for three to six months. Serum levels of estradiol (E2), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), and cancer antigen 125 (CA125), as well as clinical efficacy, and adverse drug reactions were observed before and after treatment., Results: There was statistical difference in serum levels of E2, FSH, or LH between the control group and the observation 1 and 2 groups (P < 0.05). There was no statistical difference in serum levels of E2, FSH, or LH between the observation 1 group and the observation 2 group (P > 0.05). There was statistical difference in the clinical efficiency among the 3 groups (P < 0.05). There was statistical difference in the pre-post difference of CA125 levels among the three groups (P < 0.01). Compared with the control group, there was no statistical difference in the pre-post difference of CA125 levels between the observation 1 group and the observation 2 group (P > 0.05). No obvious adverse reaction occurred during the treatment., Conclusions: GnRHa combined WXD showed confirmative clinical efficacy in treating endometriosis after laparoscopy. It also could lower serum levels of E2, FSH, and LH levels. So it was an ideal solution for treatment of endometriosis.

The xylem sap flows of two pioneer tree species, i.e., Acacia mangium and Schima superba, in degraded hill lands of South China, were continually monitored with Granier' s thermal dissipation probes during 2004-2007 and 2008-2012, respectively, and their seasonal transpiration changes at different tree age levels were compared. The results showed that the annual transpiration of both species increased with tree ages, and S. superba demonstrated a higher value than A. mangium. The average annual whole-tree transpiration of S. superba (7014.76 kg) was higher than that of A. mangium (3704.97 kg). A. mangium (511.46-1802.17 kg) had greater seasonal variation than S. superba (1346.48-2349.35 kg). The standard regression coefficients (beta) of transpiration (Eh), photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) and vapor pressure deficit (VPD) for both species increased with soil moisture, suggesting the increase of soil moisture generated a greater sensitivity of plants to environmental factors. Partial correlation analysis revealed that soil moisture played an important role in the seasonal variation of transpiration of both species. The optimum soil moistures of S. superba and A. mangium were 0.22-0.40 and 0.29-0.30 (V/V), respectively, indicating the native pioneer species S. superba better adapted to water deficit compared with exotic pioneer species A. mangium.

Objective: To investigate the effects of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) on airway inflammation, airway remodeling and the expression of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) mRNA in asthmatic rats., Methods: Twenty-four SPF level SD rats were randomly divided into four groups (n = 6): control group, low dose of LPS group, high dose of LPS group and asthma group. Using ovalbumin (OVA) to sensitize and challenge to establish asthmatic rat model. Observed pathological changes of lung tissue by HE staining, inflammatory cell infiltration was observed by airway wall eosinophils (EOS) counts; airway resistance was determined; image analysis software was used to determine the thickness of airway wall, detected airway smooth muscle TLR4 expression levels by RT-PCR., Results: The rat airway resistance and the EOS number of airway wall and the thickness of airway wall in asthma group, low dose of LPS group and high dose of LPS group were significantly higher than those in control group (P < 0.01). The above-mentioned parameters of high dose of LPS group showed significantly lower than those in asthma group and low dose of LPS group (P < 0.05). The expression of rat airway smooth muscle TLR4 mRNA in low dose of LPS group and high dose of LPS group were significantly higher than those in asthma group (P < 0.01). And the expression of rat airway smooth muscle TLR4 mRNA in high dose of LPS group was significantly higher than that in low dose of LPS group (P < 0.05)., Conclusion: TLR4 plays an important role in asthmatic airway inflammation and airway remodeling, LPS may play double-sided regulation in asthmatic airway inflammation and airway remodeling by activated TLR4.

Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) belongs to the transmembrane glycoprotein receptor family. Overexpression of HER2 could directly lead to tumorigenesis and metastasis. This phenomenon could be observed in the breast cancer, ovarian cancer, gastric cancer, lung cancer and prostate cancer. Compared with the conventional chemotherapy, the targeted treatment of antibody is more specific and has lower side effects. This review describes the current status of monotherapy and combination therapies of anti-HER2 antibodies, trastuzumab and pertuzumab, with chemotherapeutic drugs. The development trends of new formats of anti-HER2 antibody drugs such as bispecific antibody, immunotoxin are also discussed.

Monoclonal antibody-targeted therapy has been a hot spot in current clinical cancer treatment. As current antibody drugs have large molecule sizes leading to poor tissue penetration, and high dosage in clinical application leading to high cost, to overcome the problems, the development of new antibody drugs with miniaturization and high potency has become a new trend. In recent years, the conjugates of monoclonal antibodies and cytotoxins, called antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), have entered the arsenal of anti-cancer drugs, becoming a new format of antibody drugs and attracting extensive attentions. The ADC molecule usually consists of antibody, linker and effector molecule. According to different effector molecules, ADCs can be divided into three categories as chemo-conjugates, immunotoxins and radio-conjugates. When ADC molecules are internalized into cancer cells, cytotoxins will be released by chemical, enzyme degradation or by action of lysosomal proteases, then kill targeted cells by inhibiting protein synthesis, depolymerizing microtubules or breaking double-strand DNA. Recently, two ADC drugs have been approved by the US FDA and more ADC drug candidates are in clinical phase II or III trials which show significantly clinical effects and attracting much attention and competition of pharmaceutical enterprises. In this review, antibody conjugates in the past and present will be summarized and the future development trends and challenges of this type of antibody drugs will be discussed.

Objective: To study the protective effects and the related mechanism of valproic acid (VPA) on ischemia-reperfusion-induced injury in retina of rat., Methods: Experimental study. Ninety Wistar rats were divided randomly into three groups: normal (blank) control group, retinal ischemia-reperfusion (experimental control) group treated with PBS, retinal ischemia-reperfusion (experimental) group treated with VPA. Retinal ischemia was induced by acute high intraocular pressure. Rats were executed at 6, 12, 24, 48 h and 7 d after reperfusion. The eyeballs were enucleated for retinal histopathological examination. The fluoro-gold retrograde labeling was performed and the survival of retinal ganglion cells was analyzed by calculating the densities in fluoro-gold labeled retinal ganglion cell. The protein expression of heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) and the acetylation of transcription factor Sp1 were analyzed by Western blot assay. The levels of bcl-2 and bax mRNA were analyzed by RT-PCR assay. To determine the significance of differences, analysis of paired-samples t-test was carried out., Results: (1) The HE staining of retinal histological section showed that the edema of retina were attenuated significantly by VPA in experimental group, the difference between the experimental group and the experimental control group was statistically significant (t = 7.491, P < 0.05). The fluoro-gold retrograde labeling showed that the survival of retinal ganglion cells in experimental group [(1629 ± 63)/mm(2)] was significantly higher than experimental group [(908 ± 65)/mm(2)], the difference between the two groups was statistically significant (t = 7.248, P < 0.05). (2) The immuno-blot analysis showed that VPA resulted in significant increase in expression of Hsp70 protein in ischemic retinas, the difference between experimental group and experimental control group was statistically significant (t = 6.176, P < 0.05). The acetylation of Sp1 was significantly higher in experimental group than experimental control group, the difference between the two groups was statistically significant (t = 11.264, P < 0.05). The RT-PCR analysis showed that VPA increased the expression of bcl-2 mRNA in experimental group (0.403 ± 0.009), the difference between experimental group and experimental control group (0.314 ± 0.012) was statistically significant (t = 5.489, P < 0.05). VPA attenuated the expression of bax mRNA in experimental group (0.383 ± 0.009), the difference between experimental group and experimental control group (0.492 ± 0.016) was statistically significant (t = 5.723, P < 0.05)., Conclusions: (1) VPA protected retina from ischemic injury. (2) The upregulation of Hsp70 and bcl-2, downregulation of bax maybe involved in the mechanism of the protection.

Objective: To investigate the effect of HS3ST3B1 on hepatitis B virus (HBV) replication., Methods: HepG2 cells were classified into 7 groups according to the plasmids transfected: (1) Blank group, no plasmid transfected; 2. Positive control, transfected with pCH9-HBV which permits HBV replication; (3) Negative control, transfected with pCH9-HBV + pcDNA3.1 + pTZU6+1; (4) Treatment A, transfected with pCH9-HBV + pCDNA3.1-HS3ST3B1 + pTZU6+1; (5) Interference A, transfected with pCH9-HBV + pCDNA3.1-HS3ST3B1 + psh1126 (a plasmid to interfere HS3ST3B1 expression); (6) Treatment B, transfected with pCH9-HBV + pTZU6+1; (7) Interference B, transfected with pCH9-HBV + psh1126. The levels of HBV DNA were detected in the above groups by Southern blotting. HBV total RNA of Negative control, Treatment A and Interference A were quantified by Real-time PCR to determine the influence of HS3ST3B1 over-expression on the HBV RNA transcription. The activity of the four HBV promoters [core promoter (cp), x promoter(xp), surface antigen promoter1(sp1), surface antigen promoter2 (sp2)] were assayed by Dual-Luciferase Reporter Assay System. The data was analyzed using one way ANOVA, with P < 0.05 indicating statistically meaningful difference., Result: Southern blot data revealed the level of HBV DNA in Treatment A and Interference A accounted for 10% +/- 2% and 31% +/- 4% of that in control. Compared with control, a statistical difference existed between Treatment A and Control, with F value equalling to 20.8 and P value equalling to 0.034 respectively. A statistical difference also existed between Interfere A and Treatment A, with F value equalling to 24.9 and P value equalling to 0.021 respectively. The level of HBV DNA in Experiment B was raised by 130% +/- 11% as compared to that in Interference B, and the levels of HBV DNA showed a dose-dependent decrease when H7 cells were transfected with 0.5, 1.0, 1.5 microg pCDNA3.1-HS3ST3B1 respectively. Statistical differences existed between control and H7 transfected with different dose of pCDNA3.1-HS3ST3B1, with F values equalling to 22.7, 20.3, 26.5 and P values equalling to 0.029, 0.041 and 0.015 respectively. Real-time PCR revealed that the HBV total RNA in Treatment A accounted for 17.0% +/- 2.7% of that in control and there was a statistical difference between Treatment A and control, with F value equalling to 25.6 and P value equalling to 0.018. In addition, HBV DNA in Interference A was restored to 74.0% +/- 3.9% of that in control, and there was also a statistical difference between Treatment A and Interference A, with F value equalling to 21.3 and P value equalling to 0.032. However, the down regulation of HBV total RNA had nothing to do with HBV promoters activity., Conclusion: HS3ST3B1 can inhibit HBV replication and reduce the level of HBV total RNA, but the downregulation of HBV total RNA may not be the result of direct interaction of HS3ST3B1 and HBV promoters.

Objective: To investigate the role of HBV genotypes on their response to adefovir dipivoxil (ADV) antiviral therapy., Methods: HBV genotypes from 177 HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients were identified and the patients were treated with ADV 10 mg per day for 48 weeks. The clinical data in terms of serum HBV DNA seroclearance, mean HBV DNA reduction (log value), HBeAg loss, anti-HBe seroconversion and serum ALT of those patients were analyzed against their HBV genotypes., Results: Genotype B and genotype C were found in 102 and 65 cases, respectively. The mean HBV DNA reduction in patients with genotype B and genotype C at their treatment times of 12, 24 and 48 weeks was 2.2 log10copies/ml, 2.1 log10copies/ml (P more than 0.05), 2.7 log10copies/ml, 2.4 log10copies/ml (P more than 0.05) and 3.6 log10copies/ml, 3.1 log10copies/ml (P less than 0.05), respectively. At the end of the therapy (48 weeks), 43 (42.2%) patients with genotype B HBV infection and 22 (33.8%) patients with genotype C HBV infection had achieved HBV DNA seroclearance (P less than 0.05)., Conclusions: Our results suggest that genotype B HBV has a better virological response to ADV therapy in HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B patients than that of genotype C. Longer terms of ADV treatment are needed to confirm this conclusion.

Objective: To study the effect of HCV NS5A protein on HCV IRES-dependent translation in HepG2 cells., Methods: HepG2 cells were co-transfected with a plasmid vector containing a bicistronic transcript carrying Renilla luciferase and firefly luciferase genes separated by HCV IRES sequences, and an expressing vector producing the NS5A protein. The luciferase activity and the mRNA of the luciferase gene were then detected. The NS5A expression was confirmed by fluorescence microscopy., Results: HCV NS5A protein was detected in the cytoplasm of the HepG2 cells transfected with pcDNA-NS5A, and the luciferase activity was up-regulated in the presence of the HCV NS5A protein while the expression of luciferase mRNA showed no difference., Conclusion: HCV NS5A protein can upregulate the HCV IRES activity and this effect is dose-dependent with NS5A.

Five ternary complexes were synthesized from europium with aromatic carboxylic acid (p-methylbenzoic acid, methoxybenzoic acid, m-chlorobenzoic acid and benzoic acid, p-hydroxylbenzoic acid) and acrylonitrile, and characterized by means of elemental analysis, thermal analysis, FTIR spectra and UV spectra. The fluorescence spectra show that five ternary complexes have good luminescence properties, and the sequence of the ability of the aromatic carboxylic acids to transfer light energy to europium ion is as follows: p-methylbenzoic acid>benzoic acid>m-chlorobenzoic acid>p-hydroxylbenzoic acid>methoxybenzoic acid. Meanwhile, the ternary europium complexes containing a reactive ligand acrylonitrile will possibly have a potential application to the fabrication of bonding-type europium polymer luminescent materials.

Objective: To develop a RNAi approach that specifically targets the HCV IRES sequence by vector-expressed short hairpin RNA (shRNA) in vitro, and to assess the inhibitory effect of the shRNA on reporter gene expression., Methods: Eukaryotic expressing plasmids, pIRES-GFP and p5' UTR-Luc containing GFP or luciferase gene controlled by HCV IRES were cotransfected into HepG2 cells with either a RNAi plasmid pshRNA-HCV or a control plasmid pTZU6+1. At 24, 48, 72 hours post transfection, the fluorescence in the transfected cells was studied using fluorescence microscopy. The levels of GFP RNA were determined using RT-PCR and those of protein were determined using Western blot. The activities of luciferase were assayed using a dual luciferase assay system., Results: The introduction of RNAi plasmid efficiently and specifically down-regulated the expression of the reporter gene. RT-PCR showed that the RNAs of GFP gene were distinctly reduced (about 60%) when the pIRES-GFP was cotransfected with pshRNA-HCV, whereas the control vector did not exhibit inhibitory effect on the mRNA level, according to Western blot assay. The luciferase activity also decreased by 60%-70% in comparison to the control plasmid., Conclusion: Our results demonstrate that the shRNA targeting HCV IRES shows a strong inhibitive effect on the expression of the reporter gene controlled by this sequence, suggesting that RNAi-based anti-HCV strategy may represent a potential approach in the therapy of HCV infection.

Objective: To explore the effects of angiopoietins (Ang-1 and Ang-2) and Tie-2 expression on microvessel density (MVD) in gastric cancers., Methods: By using semiquantitative RT-PCR, immunohistochemistry and image analysis system, the expression of Ang-1, Ang-2, Tie-2 mRNA and their proteins were detected in 68 primary gastric cancers and their adjacent normal tissues. Microvessel density (MVD) was figured out based on CD34 immunohistochemical staining., Results: The expression of all Ang-1, Ang -2, Tie-2 mRNA and their proteins was detected in gastric cancers and their paired adjacent gastric mucosa tissues. A negative correlation between Ang-1 protein, Tie-2 mRNA and MVD in gastric cancers was observed (r = -0.440, r = -0.267; P < 0.05), while the relation between Ang-2 mRNA and its protein, Ang-2/Ang-1 protein ratio with MVD were positive (r = 0.319, r = 0.729, r = 0.739; P < 0.05). It was found that MVD in groups with Ang-2 mRNA T/N ratio over 1.2 (the ratio of Ang-2 mRNA in gastric cancers and its adjacent normal mucosa) was higher than that in those with a ratio under 1.2, revealed by analysing the effects of Ang-1 and Ang-2 mRNA T/N ratio on MVD in gastric cancers., Conclusion: Ang-1 activates Tie-2 receptor, whereas Ang-2 antagonizes Ang-1 in the angiogenesis, and the Ang-2/Ang-1 ratio determines angiogenesis and tumor growth in gastric cancers. When the expression of Ang-2 is high and Ang-1 is low, the angiogenesis in gastric cancers is promoted, otherwise oppositely. The role of Ang-2 is dominant in the effect of Angs and their receptor on angiogenesis in gastric cancers.