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The Aruhan granodiorite intrusion in Xiwuqi, Inner Mongolia, is exposed along the central and eastern parts of the Hegenshan suture zone. LA-ICP-MS zircon U-Pb dating shows that the ages of the granodiorite are ranging from 332±3 to 327 ±1 Ma, suggesting emplacement during the Early Carboniferous. The Aruhan granodiorite is characterized by high contents of SiO2 (65.20% to 68.27%), Al2O3 (15.61% to 17.35%), Sr (472x10-6 to 552x10-6) and low contents of MgO (1.16% to 1.61%), Yb (0.86x10-6 to 1.13x10-6), Y (7.29x10-6 to 11.42x10-6, with Na2O/K2O and Sr/Y ratios ranging from 2.56 to 4.35 and 43.45 to 75.68, respectively. The total REE is low (44.73x10-6 to 88.11x10-6), the fractionation of REE is significant [(La/Yb)N = 6.65 ~ 13.85], and the anomaly of Eu (δEu = 0.79 to 1.07) is not obvious. The geochemical characteristics of the whole-rock indicate that the Aruhan granodiorite belongs to typical high-SiO2 island arc adakites (O-type) series, formed in an environment of active continental marginal arc. The source of the maga might be the product of partial melting of subducting oceanic crust with oceanic sediments, which reacts with overlying mantle peridotite. Crystallization differentiation and contamination by crustal materials might occurre during its emplacement. This discovery may support the fact that the central and eastern parts of the Hegenshan Ocean was not yet closed during the Early Car-boniferous. Combined with the regional research, we preliminarily believe that the Hegenshan Ocean may have undergone bidirectional subduction and abatement during the Early Carboniferous, which is different from the previous view that the Hegenshan Ocean underwent unidirectional subduction and abatement northward only. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SWEET (sugars will be eventually exported transporters) constitute a large and conserved gene family of sugar transporters in eukaryotes, which are important in the cellular metabolisms, growth and development, and plant-microbe interaction in plants. In the present study, a full length cDNA of SWEET encoding gene, designed as DoSWEET1 (GenBank accession No. KT957550), was identified in Dendrobium officinale using RT-PCR and RACE approaches. DoSWEET1 was 1 150 bp in length and encoded a 262-aa protein with a molecular weight of 29.18 kD and an isoelectric point of 9.49. The deduced DoSWEET1 protein contained seven transmembrane regions and two conserved MtN3-slv domains (11-94, 130-212）. Multiple sequence alignment revealed that DoSWEET1 had high identities 45%-54.6%） with SWEET proteins from various plants. A neighbor joining phylogenetic analysis suggests that DoSWEET1 belonged to the class Ⅱ subgroup of the SWEET evolutionary tree, and was closely related to rice OsSWEET13, OsSWEET14, and OsSWEET15. qPCR analysis demonstrated that DoSWEET1 gene was differentially expressed in the three included organs of D. officinale, and the expression was most abundant in the roots at 9.88 fold over that of the stems, followed by that of the leaves with 2.85 fold higher. In the 3rd symbiotic germinating seeds infected by Tulasnella sp., the transcipts were dramatically induced by 1 359.06 fold over that in the ungerniamted control seeds, suggesting a vital role of the gene in the D. officinale symbiotic germination process. Molecular cloning and characterization of the novel DoSWEET1 gene provides a foundation for the functional study of the gene in sugar translocation during the D. officinale symbiotic germination process.

In order to investigate the content and distribution of available element in the rhizonsphere soil of the growing areas of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge, the contents of available element (N,P,K,B,Cu,Zn,Fe,Mn) in 26 soil samples were tested and evaluated. The results showed that the contents of available P and Fe were very plentiful, available K, Cu and Zn were rich, available N and Mn were deficient, available B was extremely deficient in all growing areas of S. miltiorrhiza of eight provinces in China. The correlation analysis showed that the contents of eight kinds of available elements were varying degree correlation. The stepwise regression analysis between the contents of available elements of rhizonsphere soil and ten kinds of active ingredients of Danshen (Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma) were researched. The results showed that the rates of contribution of available N,B,Mn and Fe to quality of Danshen were relatively large and they were the significant factors, and the other factors did not show statistical significance. The recommended fertilizing strategies is that the usage of N,B and Mn fertilizers should be controlled according to different stages of growth of S. miltiorrhiza, and P fertilizer should be reduced in all growing areas of S. miltiorrhiza., Competing Interests: The authors of this article and the planning committee members and staff have no relevant financial relationships with commercial interests to disclose., (Copyright© by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.)

Objective: To investigate the effect of licorice flavonoid (LF) on kainic acid (KA)-induced seizure in mice and its mechanism., Methods: Male adult ICR mice were injected with 25 mg/kg KA to induce temporal lobe seizure. LF was administrated 7 d before seizure induction (pre-treatment) or 24 h after seizure induction (post-treatment) for 7 d. Acute seizure latency, seizure stage and duration were observed and compared between LF- and vehicle-treated mice. From d2 on, mice with status epilepticus were video-monitored for spontaneous seizures, 10 h/d for 6 w. Immunohistochemical analysis of BrdU and Timm staining was conducted to detect the neurogenesis and mossy fiber sprouting, respectively., Results: No significant difference was observed in acute seizure latency, seizure stage and duration between LF-and vehicle-treated mice. KA-induced acute seizure resulted in spontaneous seizure in mice, and the seizure frequency was increased with time. Pre- and post-treatment with LF decreased seizure frequency from w3 after modeling [(0.58±0.15)/d, (0.38±0.38)/d vs (1.23±0.23)/d, P <0.05]. Furthermore, KA-induced seizure resulted in robust neurogenesis and mossy fiber sprouting, while treatment with LF both pre- and post- KA injection significantly inhibited neurogenesis (15.6±2.6, 17.1±3.1 vs 28.9±3.5, P <0.05) and mossy fiber sprouting (1.33±0.31, 1.56±0.42 vs 3.0±0.37, P <0.05)., Conclusion: LF has no significant anti-seizure effect. However, it can decrease epileptogenesis through inhibition of neurogenesis and mossy fiber sprouting.

Objective: To investigate the Daodi habitat of Panacis Majoris Rhizoma by analyzing the characteristics of inorganic elements in Panacis Majoris Rhizoma from different habitats., Methods: The contents of inorganic elements in Panacis Majoris Rhizoma from different habitats were determined by ICP-AES. The characteristics of inorganic elements in Panacis Majoris Rhizoma were analyzed by correlation analysis, principal component analysis and cluster analysis., Results: It was showed that there was a correlation between the contents of inorganic elements and the medicine quality of Panacis Majoris Rhizoma; Fe, Cr, Al, Mg, Cd, Ca and Zn were principal components of Panacis Majoris Rhizoma; and the contents of inorganic elements in Panacis Majoris Rhizoma existed regional differences., Conclusion: The contents of inorganic elements Ca, Fe and Zn,especially the content of the essential trace elements Fe and Zn, can be used as one of the key reference for medicinal quality evaluation of Panacis Majoris Rhizoma; as well, Shaanxi Province is probably the Daodi habitat of Panacis Majoris Rhizoma.

Objective: To research and screen the soil factors which influenced the quality of Panacis Majoris Rhizoma., Methods: By determining the effective constituent of saponin of Panacis Majoris Rhizoma from different habitats, and the soil nutrient and heavy metal content, using correlation analysis, stepwise regression analysis and other statistical methods to analyze the soil factors on the quality of Panacis Majoris Rhizoma., Results: The contents of ginsenoside Ro and chikusetsusaponin NVa of samples from different habitats were different, the corresponding soil nutrient and heavy metal content were also different. The content of ginsenoside-Ro was positively related with the soil pH value (P <0. 01) and negatively related with the soil available N(P < 0.05). The content of chikusetsusaponin IVa was positively related with the soil pH (P < 0.01) and copper content (P < 0.05), and negatively with the soil available N(P < 0.05) CONCLUSION: Soil factors are the leading factors that influence the quality of Panacis Majoris Rhizoma, soil pH and soil available N were the dominating factors.

Objective: To explore the efficacy and side effects of icotinib hydrochloride in the treatment of patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)., Methods: The efficacy and side effects of icotinib hydrochloride in treatment of 59 cases with stage IV NSCIC and followed-up from March 2009 to January 2012 were retrospectively analyzed., Results: Twenty seven patients (45.8%) showed partial response (PR), 17 patients (28.8%) achieved SD, and 15 (25.4%) had progressive disease. The objective response rate (ORR) was 45.8% (27/59), and disease control rate (DCR) was 74.6% (44/59). Among the 23 patients with EGFR mutation, ORR was 73.9% (17/23), and DCR was 95.7% (22/23). Thirty six patients (61.0%) achieved remission of symptoms to varying degrees. The main symptoms relieved were cough, asthmatic suffocating, pain and hoarseness. The major adverse events were mild skin rash (35.6%) and diarrhea (15.3%). Others were dry skin, nausea and stomach problems. The efficacy of icotinib hydrochloride were related to the ECOG performance status, smoking history, EGFR mutation and rash significantly (P < 0.05)., Conclusions: Monotherapy with icotinib hydrochloride is effective and tolerable for patients with advanced NSCLC, especially with EGFR mutation.

Objective: To investigate the effects of DNA hypomethylation on mRNA and protein expression of perforin promotor in T cells., Methods: T cells were isolated from the peripheral venous blood of healthy donors by density gradient centrifugation. CD4(+) and CD8(+) subsets were isolated using Miltenyi beads and protocols provided by the manufacturer. Where indicated the T cells were stimulated with PHA for 24 h, then treated with 5-azaC for an additional 72 h. Genomic DNA, mRNA, and protein were isolated from untreated and 5-azaC-treated T cells. Purified DNA was treated with sodium bisulfite, the desired sequences were amplified in sequential fragments using nested PCR. The amplified fragments were cloned into bacteria DH5 alpha and 5 independent clones for each of the amplified fragments were sequenced. The expression of perforin was determined using real time RT-PCR and Western blot., Results: The perforin mRNA and protein in the CD4(+) and CD8(+) subsets treated with 5-azaC were significantly higher than those in the untreated subsets (P<0.05). The results of bisulfite genomic sequencing showed that the methylation of perforin promotor was significantly reduced in the treated cells compared with the untreated cells (P<0.05)., Conclusion: The mRNA and protein expression of perforin significantly increases in the CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells treated with 5-azaC,which is associated with DNA hypomethylation of perforin promoter in T cells.