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Three previously undescribed coumarins ( 1 - 3 ) were obtained from the roots of Notopterygium incisum . Their chemical structures were elucidated using a variety of spectroscopic techniques and chemical calculations. The inhibitory effects of these new compounds on NO production and pro-inflammatory factors ( IL-1β , IL-6 , and TNF-α ) in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells were investigated. Further studies revealed that compound 1 suppressed the expression of COX-2 and iNOS while also reduced ROS accumulation. Western blot analysis demonstrated that compound 1 could inhibit the PI3K/AKT pathway by decreasing the levels of p-PI3K and p-AKT. Collectively, these findings suggest that compounds 1 - 3 exhibit promising anti-inflammatory properties.

Background: Macrodactyly is a rare congenital malformation characterized by an increase in the size of all structures of a digit, accounting for less than 1% of all congenital upper extremity conditions., Case Summary: We report a case involving a 49-year-old woman who presented for the first time with untreated, radial-sided hand macrodactyly. We performed soft tissue debulking, amputation, median nerve neurotomy and coaptation, and carpal tunnel release. At the 6-year follow-up, no significant growth was observed in the bone or soft tissue of the affected area., Conclusion: Tissue overgrowth in patients with progressive macrodactyly can continue and progress excessively with age. Median nerve neurotomy and coaptation play a crucial role in preventing recurrence of the deformity., Competing Interests: Conflict-of-interest statement: All authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest to disclose., (©The Author(s) 2024. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.)

The transcription factor nuclear factor erythroid 2 like 1 (NFE2L1 or NRF1) regulates constitutive and inducible expression of proteasome subunits and assembly chaperones. The precursor of NRF1 is integrated into the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and can be retrotranslocated from the ER to the cytosol where it is processed by ubiquitin-directed endoprotease DDI2. DDI2 cleaves and activates NRF1 only when NRF1 is highly polyubiquitinated. It remains unclear how retrotranslocated NRF1 is primed with large amount of ubiquitin and/or very long polyubiquitin chain for subsequent processing. Here, we report that E3 ligase UBE4A catalyzes ubiquitination of retrotranslocated NRF1 and promotes its cleavage. Depletion of UBE4A reduces the amount of ubiquitin modified on NRF1, shortens the average length of polyubiquitin chain, decreases NRF1 cleavage efficiency and causes accumulation of non-cleaved, inactivated NRF1. Expression of a UBE4A mutant lacking ligase activity impairs the cleavage, likely due to a dominant negative effect. UBE4A interacts with NRF1 and the recombinant UBE4A can promote ubiquitination of retrotranslocated NRF1 in vitro. In addition, knocking out UBE4A reduces transcription of proteasomal subunits in cells. Our results indicate that UBE4A primes NRF1 for DDI2-mediated activation to facilitate expression of proteasomal genes., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To evaluate the diagnostic efficiency of left atrial shortening fraction (LASF) in the detection of fetal cardiac abnormalities and dysfunction in patients with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM)., Methods: In this study, we enrolled 256 pregnant women and divided them into GDM group ( n = 156) and control group ( n = 100). Fetal echocardiography was performed at 24-28 weeks of gestation to measure the LASF and interventricular septum (IVS) thickness. Based on IVS thickness, the GDM group was subdivided into the septal hypertrophy group (GDM I, n = 62) and non-septal hypertrophy group (GDM II, n = 94). LASF and IVS thickness were compared between the GDM and control groups and between GDM I and GDM II groups. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed to determine the diagnostic accuracy of LASF in predicting septal hypertrophy., Results: The GDM group had a larger IVS thickness ( P < 0.05) but a lower LASF level ( P < 0.001) than those of the control group. GDM I group had significantly lower LASF level than that in the GDM II group ( P < 0.001). At 38.41% as the cutoff value, the LASF can predict septal hypertrophy with diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of 96.7% and 65.2%, respectively., Conclusion: Fetal GDM are more likely to induce septal hypertrophy and ventricular dysfunction. LASF is a good indicator of septal hypertrophy or early diastolic dysfunction without septal hypertrophy., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Peng, Qiu, Wang, Li and Huo.)

Excessive inflammation causes chronic diseases and tissue damage. Although there has been drug treatment, its side effects are relatively large. Searching for effective anti-inflammatory drugs from natural products has become the focus of attention. First isolated from Trichoderma longibraciatum , trichodimerol is a natural product with TNF inhibition. In this study, lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW264.7 macrophages were used as a model to investigate the anti-inflammatory activity of trichodimerol. The results of nitric oxide (NO) detection, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and reactive oxygen species (ROS) showed that trichodimerol could reduce the production of NO, ROS, and the proinflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-6 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α. Western blotting results showed that trichodimerol could inhibit the production of inflammatory mediators such as cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and the protein expression of nuclear transcription factor-kappaB (NF-κB), p-IKK, p-IκB, Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), NOD-like receptor thermal protein domain associated protein 3 (NLRP3), cysteinyl aspartate specific proteinase (Caspase)-1, and ASC, which indicated that trichodimerol may inhibit inflammation through the NF-κB and NLRP3 pathways. At the same time, molecular docking showed that trichodimerol can directly combine with the TLR4-MD2 complex. Hence, trichodimerol inhibits inflammation by obstructing the interaction between LPS and the TLR4-MD2 heterodimer and suppressing the downstream NF-κB and NLRP3 pathways., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Huo, Lei, Guo, Hu, Kuang, Liu, Peng, Dai, Wang, Gu, Guo and Deng.)

Transcriptome analysis is shown to be an effective strategy to understand the potential function of natural products. Here, it is reported that 11 previously undescribed hydroanthraquinones [nigroquinones A-K ( 1 - 11 )], along with eight known congeners, were isolated from Nigrospora sphaerica . Their structures were elucidated by interpreting spectroscopic and spectrometric data including high-resolution mass spectra and nuclear magnetic resonance. The absolute configurations of 1 - 11 were confirmed by electronic circular dichroism calculations. Transcriptome analysis revealed that 3 (isolated in the largest amount) might be anti-inflammatory. Assays based on LPS-induced RAW264.7 macrophages and zebrafish embryos confirmed that some of the isolated hydroanthraquinones attenuated the secretion of pro-inflammatory mediators in vitro and in vivo . Further Western blotting and immunofluorescence experiments indicated that 4 (which showed the most obvious nitric oxide inhibition) could suppress the expression of nuclear factor-kappa-B (NF-κB), phosphorylation of the inhibitor of NF-κB kinase and inhibit the transportation of NF-κB to the nucleus. Hence, the suppression of the NF-κB signaling pathway may be responsible for the anti-inflammatory effect. These results show that bioactivity evaluation on the basis of transcriptome analysis may be effective in the functional exploration of natural products.

Background: Since 1923, only a few hundred cases of pulmonary arterial sarcoma (PAS) have been reported. It is easy for PAS to be misdiagnosed as pulmonary thromboembolism, which makes treatment difficult. The median survival time without surgical treatment for PAS is only 1.5-3 mo. Echocardiography is widely used in screening for pulmonary artery space-occupying lesions in patients with chest pain, dyspnea, and cough; furthermore, it is typically considered the first imaging examination for patients with PAS., Case Summary: In May 2017, a 39-year-old male patient experienced chest pain with no particular obvious cause. At that time, the cause was thought to be pulmonary embolism. In July 2017, positron emission tomography-computed tomography revealed space-occupying lesions in the right lung and multiple metastases in both lungs. The lesions of the right lung were biopsied, and pathology revealed undifferentiated sarcoma. Chemotherapy had been performed since July 2017 in another hospital. In December 2019, the patient was admitted to our hospital for the sake of CyberKnife treatment. Echocardiography suggested: (1) A right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) solid mass of the main pulmonary artery; and (2) mild pulmonary valve regurgitation. Ultrasonography showed the absence of a thrombus in the deep veins of either lower limb., Conclusion: PAS is a single, central space-occupying lesion involving the RVOT and pulmonary valve. Echocardiography of PAS has its own characteristics., Competing Interests: Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest to report., (©The Author(s) 2021. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.)

The non-immune-suppressive cyclophilin inhibitor CRV431 is a clinical candidate to cure nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and has the potential to treat liver fibrosis and cancer incidence. Herein we report a concise chemical semisynthesis of CRV431 in four steps from the commercially available cyclosporine, featuring in this the flow-chemistry-based methylenation an intermolecular ring-closing metathesis and a Rh-catalyzed diastereoselective hydrogenation.

The article "HOXB7 promotes proliferation and metastasis of glioma by regulating the Wnt/β-catenin pathway, by X.-Y. Huo, X.-Y. Zhang, F. Yuan, X.-Y. Zhao, B.-A. You, published in Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci 2019; 23 (6): 2476-2485-DOI: 10.26355/eurrev&#95;201903&#95;17395-PMID: 30964174" has been withdrawn from the authors who found some errors in the research data. The Publisher apologizes for any inconvenience this may cause. https://www.europeanreview.org/article/17395.

Objective: Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have been proved to play a vital role in tumorigenesis and progression. Nevertheless, the potential mechanism of circRNAs in prostate cancer (PC) remains unclear. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the exact role of circ&#95;0004417 in the progression of prostate cancer., Patients and Methods: Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to detect the expression of circ&#95;0004417 in primary PC tissues and cell lines. In vitro experiments were conducted to explore the function of circ&#95;0004417 in PC progression, including cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay, colony formation assay and transwell assay. Furthermore, the regulatory function of circ&#95;0004417 on miRNA, p-Akt and E-cadherin was investigated to elucidate the potential mechanisms., Results: Circ&#95;0004417 was significantly down-regulated in PC tissues and cells (p<0.05). Functional experiments proved that circ&#95;0004417 overexpression markedly inhibited the proliferation and invasion of PC cells (p<0.05). In addition, the results demonstrated that circ&#95;0004417 served as a sponge for miR-1228 and regulated expressions of p-Akt and E-cadherin., Conclusions: Circ&#95;0004417 inhibits the progression of prostate cancer through sponging miR-1228. All our findings suggest that circ&#95;0004417 can be used as a potential therapeutic target for PC.

Timely recognition of the characteristic electrocardiographic pattern of de Winter syndrome is important for providing immediate reperfusion therapy for acute anterior myocardial infarction. In this case, an electrocardiogram showed 1- to 3-mm upsloping ST-segment depression at the J point in leads V1 to V6, with loss of R wave progression in leads V1 to V4. Urgent angiography showed occlusion of the proximal left anterior descending coronary artery and 70% stenosis in the ostial first diagonal branch (Medina type 1.1.1.). For this bifurcation lesion, we successfully performed a modified jailed-balloon technique to protect the side branch during percutaneous coronary intervention stenting. Thereafter, thrombolysis in myocardial infarction 3 flow was restored in both branches. This modified jailed-balloon technique is safe and effective in stent placement for de Winter syndrome without any loss of side branches.

Objective: To research the auditory nerve transduction effects under multi-wavelength pulsed laser stimulations within a safe and acceptable signal range. Methods: The real-time detection of intracellular calcium concentration was adopted by specific fluorescent indicator staining based on calcium imager. The spiral ganglion cells of mice were cultured in vitro. After fluorescent indicating, morphologic observation under optical microscope, Fura-2 calcium ion fluorescence excitation, intact morphology cells selection, fixing the optical fiber, the spiral ganglion cells were irradiated by different wavelength laser, including visible light (450 nm) and near infrared light (808 nm,1 065 nm). The intracellular calcium concentration was monitored by calcium ion imaging. Results: When 450 nm laser stimulated spiral ganglion cells, the intracellular calcium concentration was strongly increased, however, for other wavelength laser stimulation, there was no obvious relative response. And the sensitivity expression of the nerve cells under laser was related with the location of laser fiber. Cells closer to the fiber produced more obvious changes in calcium ion concentration, while for cells farther away from the fiber, the change amplitudes were weaker although the number of changes in calcium ion concentration was consistent. Conclusion: The spiral ganglion cells of mice can induce a signal transduction response under the action of laser, and the response has laser wavelength selectivity.

Background: Clarithromycin-resistance is becoming a global health concern in the treatment of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori). The mutant prevention concentration (MPC) represent the propensities of antimicrobial agents to select resistant mutants. The concentration range between the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and the MPC is defined as mutant selection window (MSW). In this study, we aimed to determine the cause of increasing clarithromycin resistance by investigating the MSW for clinical isolates of H. pylori., Results: A retrospective subgroup, which included 68 clarithromycin-sensitive H. pylori strains, was selected from a double-blind trial. The MICs and MPCs were determined using agar plate assays. Genotypic tests were performed using Sanger sequencing. All isolates were wild-type, and 33.82% (23/68) had a 0.016 mg/L MIC, 45.59% (31/68) had a 0.031 mg/L MIC, 16.18% (11/68) had a 0.062 ≤ MIC ≤ 0.125 mg/L, and 4.41% (3/68) had a 0.25 mg/L MIC. The MPC 50/90 (mg/L) of the isolates were: 0.062/0.125, 0.125/0.5, 0.25/0.25 and 1/2, respectively. The MPCs showed a moderate correlation with the MICs (r s  = 0.65, P < 0.0001). Using published data and MPC 90 , we calculated the time inside the MSW (T MSW ) for low- and high-dose (200 or 500 mg bid) clarithromycin that were 6 and 0 h, 24 and 4 h, 15 and 2 h, 5 and 17 h for the strains with MICs (mg/L) of 0.016, 0.031, 0.062-0.125, and 0.25, respectively., Conclusions: This study showed that in the clarithromycin-sensitive clinical isolates of H. pylori, low-dose clarithromycin may lead to decreased drug sensitivity or even clarithromycin resistance; strains with a 0.25 mg/L MIC display a high risk of treatment failure.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the expression level of HOXB7 in gliomas and its effect on the proliferation and metastasis of gliomas, as well as its regulatory mechanism of promoting the malignant progression of glioma., Patients and Methods: In this study, 32 pairs of glioma tumor tissue specimens and adjacent ones were collected and the HOXB7 expression levels in these tissues were detected using quantitative Real Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR), and the interplay between HOXB7 level and clinical parameters of glioma was analyzed. QRT-PCR was used to further verify the expression of HOXB7 in glioma cell lines. The sh-HOXB7 knockdown model was constructed in glioma cell lines, and the influence of HOXB7 on the biological function of glioma cells was examined by Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) and transwell assay. Meanwhile, Western blot was applied to explore whether HOXB7 can promote the progression of glioma through the Wnt/ β-catenin pathway., Results: QRT-PCR results showed that the level of HOXB7 in glioma tumor tissue specimens was conspicuously higher than that in the adjacent normal ones. The occurrence of lymph node or distant metastasis was higher and the prognosis was worse in patients with higher HOXB7 expression. In addition, compared with the sh-NC group, cell proliferation, invasiveness and migration ability of the sh-HOXB7 group decreased conspicuously. Subsequently, the Western blot result revealed that the expression of key proteins in the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway was conspicuously reduced in the sh-HOXB7 group, thereby promoting the malignant progression of glioma., Conclusions: HOXB7 may promote the invasiveness and migration of glioma cells via regulating the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, and is conspicuously associated with lymph node or distant metastasis and poor prognosis.

In this study, organic acid could be used as co-catalyst for assisting solid acid SO 4 2- /SnO 2 -argil to convert hemicellulose-derived D-xylose into furfural. The relationship between pKa of organic acid and turnover frequency (TOF) of co-catalysis with organic acid plus SO 4 2- /SnO 2 -argil was explored on the conversion of D-xylose to furfural. Oxalic acid (pKa = 1.25) (0.35 wt%) was found to be the optimum co-catalyst for assisting SO 4 2- /SnO 2 -argil (3.6 wt%) to synthesize furfural from D-xylose (20 g/L) at 180 °C for 20 min, and the furfural yield and TOF could be obtained at 57.07% and 6.26 h -1 , respectively. Finally, the obtained furfural (107.6 mM) could be completely biotransformed to furfuralcohol by recombinant Escherichia coli CCZU-K14 whole-cells at 30 °C and pH 6.5 in the presence of 1.5 mol glucose/mol furfural and 400 mM D-xylose. Clearly, this strategy shows high potential application for the effective synthesis of furfuralcohol from biomass-derived D-xylose., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The copper catalytic azide and terminal alkyne cycloaddition reaction, namely "click chemistry", gives a new and convenient way to create l,4-disubstitutd-l,2,3-triazoles. In this work, 2-pyrrolecarbaldiminato⁻Cu(II) complexes were established as efficient catalysts for the three-component 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction of arylboronic acid and sodium azide (NaN₃) with terminal alkynes in ethanol at room temperature to 50 °C, 1,4-disubstituted 1,2,3-triazoles were synthesized. Following the optimized protocol, two series of new aryl-1,2,3-triazole-β-carboline hybrids have been designed and synthesized, and the chemical structures were characterized by ¹H NMR, 13 C NMR, and high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS). All of the target compounds were evaluated in vitro for their antifungal activity against Rhizoctorzia solani , Fusarium oxysporum , Botrytis cinerea Pers., sunflower sclerotinia rot, and rape sclerotinia rot by mycelia growth inhibition assay at 50 μg/mL. The antifungal evaluation of the novel hybrids showed that, among the tested compounds, 5a , 5b , 5c , and 9b showed good antifungal activity against sunflower sclerotinia rot. Specifically, compound 9b also exhibited high broad-spectrum fungicidal against all the tested fungi with inhibition rates of 58.3%, 18.52%, 63.07%, 84.47%, and 81.23%. However, for F. oxysporum , all the target compounds showed no in vitro antifungal activities with an inhibition rate lower than 20%. These results provide an encouraging framework that could lead to the development of potent novel antifungal agents.

This study analyzed the dynamics of net primary productivity (NPP) of Pinus tabuliformis forest under future climate scenarios in Shaanxi Province during 2015-2100, using a dynamic vegetation model (LPJ-GUESS). The results showed that in the 2015-2100 period, annual mean temperature of this region would significantly increase by 0.12, 0.23 and 0.54 ℃·10 a -1 under RCP 2.6 , RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5 scenarios, respectively, while the annual precipitation would have no significant change under climate scenarios except RCP 4.5 , under which it would significantly increase by 14.36 mm·10 a -1 . Compared with the NPP of P. tabuliformis forest in the historical period (1961-1990), it would increase by 1.6%-29.6% in the future period, and the enhancement could reach 45.4% at the end of this century (2071-2100) under RCP 8.5 scenario. The NPP under the RCP 8.5 scenario was the highest, followed by the RCP 4.5 and RCP 2.6 scenarios. During 2015-2100, the NPP in the northern Shaanxi region would significantly decrease with the rate of 41.00 and 21.00 g C·m -2 ·10 a -1 under the RCP 2.6 and RCP 4.5 scenarios, respectively, implying that this area has the potentiality to be carbon source.

Background: Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are an important class of functional regulators involved in human cancers development, including gastric cancer (GC). Studying aberrantly expressed lncRNAs may provide us with new insights into the occurrence and development of gastric cancer by acting as oncogenes or tumor suppressors. In this study, we aim to examine the expression pattern of lncRNA HAGLROS in GC and its clinical significance as well as its biological role in tumor progression., Methods: Bioinformatics analysis and qRT-PCR were performed to detect the relative expression of HAGLROS in GC tissues and cell lines. Gain or loss of function approaches were used to investigate the biological functions of HAGLROS. The effect of HAGLROS on proliferation was evaluated by MTT, colony formation assay and nude mouse xenograft model. Wound healing and Transwell assays were used to study the invasion and migration of GC cells. FISH, RIP, RNA-seq, Luciferase report assays, RNA pulldown and Western blot were fulfilled to measure molecular mechanisms. Results are shown as means ± S.D. and differences were tested for significance using Student's t-test (two-tailed)., Results: We screened out HAGLROS, whose expression was significantly increased and correlated with outcomes of GC patients by publicly available lncRNAs expression profiling and integrating analyses. Exogenous down-regulation of HAGLROS expression significantly suppressed the cell proliferation, invasion and migration. Mechanistic investigations showed that HAGLROS was a direct target of transcriptional factor STAT3. Moreover, HAGLROS knockdown decreased mTOR expression and increased autophagy-related genes ATG9A and ATG9B expression. Further investigation showed that HAGLROS regulated mTOR signals in two manners. In the one hand, HAGLROS competitively sponged miR-100-5p to increase mTOR expression by antagonizing miR-100-5p-mediated mTOR mRNA inhibition. On the other hand, HAGLROS interacted with mTORC1 components to activate mTORC1 signaling pathway which was known to be an important negative signal of autophagy. Here activation of mTORC1 signaling pathway by HAGLROS inhibited autophagy, thereby promoted excessive proliferation and maintained the malignant phenotype of GC cells., Conclusion: The present study demonstrates that HAGLROS overexpression contributes to GC development and poor prognosis and will be a target for GC therapy and further develop as a potential prognostic biomarker.

The complete mitochondrial genome of the Tamarisk jird, Meriones tamariscinus , was sequenced. The 16,389bp genome contains 37 genes, typical for rodent mitogenomes, including 22 tRNA genes, 2 rRNA genes, and 13 protein-coding genes. The total GC content of the mitochondrial genome is 36.8%, with a base composition of 34.0% A, 24.5% C, 12.3% G, and 29.2% T. The phylogenetic analysis showed that M. tamariscinus was classified in the genus Meriones , Muridae., Competing Interests: The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest., (© 2016 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.)

The grey hamster has been used in biomedical research for decades. However, effective molecular methods for evaluating the genetic structure of this species are lacking, which hinders its wider usage. In this study, we employed cross-amplification of microsatellite loci of species within the same genus by polymerase chain reaction. Loci screened included 107 from the Mongolian gerbil (MG) and 60 from the Chinese hamster (CH); of these, 15 polymorphic loci were identified for the grey hamster. Of the 167 loci screened, 95 (56.9%) with clear bands on agarose gel were initially identified. After sequencing, 74 (77.9%) of these matched the criteria for microsatellite characteristics, including 41 from MG and 33 from CH. Lastly, 15 (20.3%) loci with more than two alleles for each locus were identified through capillary electrophoresis scanning. To justify the applicability of the 15 grey hamster loci, genetic indexes of grey hamsters were evaluated using 46 generations of outbred stock, established 20 years ago, from Xinjiang, China. Mean effective allele numbers and expected heterozygosity of stock were as low as, respectively, 1.2 and 0.14; these were 2.8 and 4.0 times inferior, respectively, to wild grey hamsters. This finding suggests that the genetic structure of the stock-bred population is too weak to resist artificial and natural selection, mutation and genetic drifting. In conclusion, we have developed de novo microsatellite markers for genetic analysis of the grey hamster, providing data and methodology for the enrichment of a genetic library for this species.

Published data regarding the association between the cytosolic serine hydroxymethyltransferase (SHMT1) C1420T (Leu474Phe) polymorphism and solid tumor risk have shown inconclusive results. To derive a more precise estimation of the relationship, we performed a meta-analysis of 23 published studies that included 14,409 cancer cases and 16,996 controls. A comprehensive search was conducted to identify all eligible studies of the SHMT1 rs1979277 polymorphism and solid tumor risk. The pooled odds ratios (ORs) and the 95% confidence intervals (95%CIs) were calculated using a fixed- or random-effects model. Heterogeneity was represented by PH; publication bias and sensitivity analysis were also explored. Overall, no significant associations were found for any genetic models tested. However, upon stratification by cancer type, a significant decreased risk of breast cancer risk was identified in the homozygote comparison (OR = 0.79, 95%CI = 0.65-0.97 for TT versus CC). An analysis stratified by ethnicity and source of controls revealed an obvious decrease in risk among Asian groups in all genetic models, and among population-based controls only in the homozygote comparison and recessive model. Therefore, our meta-analysis suggested that the SHMT1 C1420T polymorphism was associated with decreased risk of breast cancer. Significant protective effects were found among Asian populations, but not in Caucasian groups. Due to some minor limitations, our findings should be confirmed by further studies.

To optimize the combination of microsatellite loci for genetic control of outbred swine stocks, 32 of 100 loci distributed among almost all chromosomes (except 12) were screened out by 1.5% agarose, 8% polyacrylamide gel and capillary electrophoresis scanning among 3 miniature swine outbred stocks, namely Bama (BM), Guizhou (GZ) and Tibeta (TB). The mean total and effective allele numbers among these stocks were 12.1 and 5.9, respectively. The mean heterozygosity for these breeds was 0.5428, 0.6978 and 0.7646, and polymorphism information content was 0.5469, 0.7296 and 0.7663, respectively. Accordingly, hereditary variation from low to high was BM < GZ < TB. This showed that the genetic relationship between BM and GZ pigs was closer, and both were distant from TB. Additionally, the effectiveness of the 32-locus combination for evaluation of genetic quality was demonstrated in Changchun-junmo-1 (CJ-1), a standard outbred Chinese pig stock, in which the mean total and effective allele numbers and mean heterozygosity were 6.1613, 3.8483 and 0.6903, respectively. Since our results were consistent with the breeding pedigrees, the 32 loci could be used for both genetic monitoring within the individual outbred miniature swine stocks and population structure analysis between them.

We optimized a panel of microsatellite markers from cat and tiger genetic data for efficient genetic monitoring and used it to analyze the genetic structure of an outbred cat stock in China. We selected a set of rich polymorphic microsatellite loci from 131 cat microsatellite loci and 3 Sumatran tiger microsatellite loci using agarose gel electrophoresis. Next, the set of optimized genetic markers was used to analyze the genetic variation in an outbred population of orange tabby cats in China by simple-tandem repeat scanning. Thirty-one loci rich in polymorphisms were selected and the highest allele number in a single locus was 8. Analysis of the orange tabby cat population illustrated that the average observed number of alleles, mean effective allele number, mean Shannon's information index, mean expected heterozygosity, and observed heterozygosity were 3.8387, 2.4027, 0.9787, 0.5565, and 0.5528, respectively. The 31 microsatellite markers used were polymorphic and suitable for analyzing the genetic structure of cats. The population of orange tabby cats was confirmed to be a well-outbred stock.

Aim of the Study: In Chinese medicine clinics, traditional Chinese herbs are used to treat disorders of Yin and Yang balance, including Kidney-Yang Deficiency. The activity of the hepatic cytochrome P450 3A (CYP3A) is closely associated with body status. The aim of the present study is to investigate CYP3A enzymatic activity and CYP3A4 protein expression using a Kidney-Yang Deficiency rat model and furthermore to investigate the intervention effects of the Pungent-hot herb Xian Mao. This work contributes rationale for personalized medicine and enhances our understanding of herb-drug interactions., Materials and Methods: Rats were randomly divided into three groups: the model group, the Xian Mao group and the intervention group (model rats treated with Xian Mao). The model rats were given an intramuscular injection of hydrocortisone for 14 days, and the control rats were given normal saline. The Xian Mao group consisted of normal rats treated with Xian Mao by oral gavage for 7 days. The intervention group was given Xian Mao for 7 days after treatment with hydrocortisone. The activity of CYP3A was detected by using the erythromycin-N-demethylase method. CYP3A4 protein expression level was detected by Western-blot., Results: CYP3A enzymatic activity in the Kidney-Yang Deficiency rat was decreased by 44% compared to normal animals. The relative CYP3A4 protein expression level of the Kidney-Yang Deficiency rat (mean value 0.663±0.188) was 20% lower than that of normal rat (0.830±0.199). The in vitro data showed that CYP3A activity was significantly (P<0.001) inhibited (decreased by 59%) by Xian Mao concentrations of 1mg/mL. The in vivo data also showed that CYP3A activity was significantly decreased in the rats treated with the three doses of Xian Mao. The CYP3A4 protein expression was significantly decreased by Xian Mao treatment at the high and intermediate doses (30 and 20 g/kg, respectively) compared with the normal group. However, the intervention group (the Kidney-Yang Deficiency rat treated with Xian Mao at 20 and 30 g/kg) showed an increased CYP3A activity and CYP3A4 protein expression compared with the herb-untreated model rats., Conclusion: CYP3A enzymatic activity and CYP3A4 protein expression could be inhibited by Xian Mao. The CYP3A activity and CYP3A4 expression in the Kidney-Yang Deficiency model rat were lower than that of normal rat but this deficiency could be rescued by treatment with Xian Mao., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)