Genetic alterations in primary and secondary hyperparathyroidism

Hyperparathyroidism refers to a term representing a wide spectrum of parathyroid disorders that are characterized by the increased production of parathyroid hormone. Hyperparathyroidism was once thought to be tare but is now more commonly recognized, aifecting 1 in 500 women over 40 years of age. Yet the interpretation of parathyroid pathology is still controversial and confusing. Over the past 10 years, genetic changes ( ret and menin genes) involved in the pathogenesis of MEN 2 and MEN 1 have been discovered in succession. Different mutations of the calcium-sensing receptor gene have been identified in neonatal severe hyperparathyroidism and familial hypocalciuric hypercal-cemia, respectively. The HRPT 2 gene responsible for the development of heredltaty hyperparathyroidism and jaw tumors has been localized on the 1q21–31 locus. Several genetic alterations have also been characterized in primary and secondary hyperparathyroidism. Different genetic alterations appear to involve the development of different types of hyperparathyroidism. These novel advances give us new insights into the pathogenesis of hyperparathyroidism and allow better differentiation between the different types of parathyroid disorders.     

WD患者ATP7B基因exon8 DNA突变检测方法的研究

目的对肝豆状核变性(又称Wilson病,WD)ATP7B基因的突变热点外显子8进行PCR扩增产物Msp I酶切和电泳分析及DNA直接双向测序,进而对实验中的方法进行优化研究。方法对102例患者和20例健康人提取基因组DNA,PCR扩增ATP7B基因第8号外显子,扩增产物进行Msp I酶切反应,并进行DNA直接双向测序;讨论分析改进PCR扩增、Msp I酶切的方法学,并对测序结果与临床表型做相关性研究。结果102例WD患者,用反复多次改进的实验方法研究分析后,发现35例存在Msp I酶切结果异常并经测序证实,8号外显子Arg778Leu纯合突变占所有WD病人的34.31%,其中1例伴Leu770Leu多态性同义突变;对照组未检出突变。结论改进实验方法后发现PCR扩增良好,适宜测序;WD突变热点8号外显子中Arg778Leu为主要突变形式,PCR-Msp I酶切反应可作为WD病人ATP7B8号外显子Arg778Leu突变的筛选方法,直接双向测序是确定8号外显子突变位点的可靠方法之一。     

Inspiratory activation is not required for episodic hypoxia-induced respiratory long-term facilitation in postnatal rats

Episodic hypoxia causes repetitive inspiratory activation that induces a form of respiratory plasticity termed long-term facilitation (LTF). While LTF is a function of the hypoxic exposures and inspiratory activation, their relative importance in evoking LTF is unknown. The aims of this study were to: (1) dissociate the relative roles played by episodic hypoxia and respiratory activation in LTF; and (2) determine whether the magnitude of LTF varies as a function of hypoxic intensity. We did this by examining the effects of episodic hypoxia in postnatal rats (15–25 days old), which unlike adult rats exhibit a prominent hypoxia-induced respiratory depression. We quantified inspiratory phrenic nerve activity generated by the in situ working-heart brainstem before, during and for 60 min after episodic hypoxia. We demonstrate that episodic hypoxia evokes LTF despite the fact that it potently suppresses inspiratory activity during individual hypoxic exposures ( P < 0.05). Specifically, we show that after episodic hypoxia (three 5 min periods of 10% O₂) respiratory frequency increased to 40 ± 3.3% above baseline values over the next 60 min ( P < 0.001). Continuous hypoxia (15 min of 10% O₂) had no lasting effects on respiratory frequency ( P > 0.05). To determine if LTF magnitude was affected by hypoxic intensity, the episodic hypoxia protocol was repeated under three different O₂ tensions. We demonstrate that the magnitude and time course of LTF depend on hypoxic severity, with more intense hypoxia inducing a more potent degree of LTF. We conclude that inspiratory activation is not required for LTF induction, and that hypoxia per se is the physiological stimulus for eliciting hypoxia-induced respiratory LTF.     

血管紧张素Ⅱ经AT1受体和ERK1/2上调心肌细胞Cx43间隙连接

目的：探讨血管紧张素Ⅱ对培养新生鼠心室肌细胞Cx43间隙连接的影响及其机制。 方法： AngⅡ处理培养心肌细胞24 h。缬沙坦、PD98059在AngⅡ刺激细胞前1 h加到培养基中，对照组加等体积药物溶剂DMSO。用Western blotting分析、代谢标记和免疫沉淀测定、电镜观察心肌细胞Cx43表达、合成和间隙连接。 结果： Western blotting分析显示用10-9-10-6 mol/L AngⅡ刺激细胞24 h，Cx43的表达与对照组相比呈浓度依赖性增加；用AngⅡ 0.1 μmol/L刺激心肌细胞24 h，磷酸化ERK1/2(P-ERK1/2)活性高于对照组（P<0.01），AT1受体拮抗剂缬沙坦（1 μmol/L）能完全阻断AngⅡ增加P-ERK1/2活性；用AngⅡ 0.1 μmol/L刺激心肌细胞24 h，Cx43表达及P-ERK1/2活性均高于对照组(P<0.01)，ERK1/2激酶特异性抑制剂PD98059(1 μmol/L) 能阻断AngⅡ上调Cx43表达和增加P-ERK1/2活性。代谢标记和免疫沉淀测定显示AngⅡ处理组放射渗入Cx43的量明显高于对照组（P<0.01）,缬沙坦(1 μmol/L)能完全阻断AngⅡ增加放射渗入Cx43的量。电镜观察表明用AngⅡ 0.1 μmol/L刺激心肌细胞24 h，AngⅡ处理组细胞间隙连接数目和大小大于对照组（P<0.05）。 结论： AngⅡ通过AT1受体和ERK1/2促进培养心肌细胞合成Cx43，上调Cx43表达和增加间隙连接数目及大小。     

一氧化氮对慢性缺氧高二氧化碳大鼠肺血管尾加压素Ⅱ的影舷

目的探讨一氧化氮/L-精氨酸(NO/L-Arg)系统和尾加压素Ⅱ(U Ⅱ)在大鼠慢性缺氧(O2)高二氧化碳(CO2)肺动脉高压病理过程的作用及关系.方法40只大鼠随机分成4组(每组各10只)正常对照组(A组)、慢性缺O2高CO2加生理盐水4周组(B组)、慢性缺O2高CO2加L-Arg脂质体4周组(C组)、慢性缺O2高CO2加N-硝基-L-精氨酸甲酯(L-NAME)4周组(D组).免疫组化法和组织原位杂交法检测肺小动脉U Ⅱ和U Ⅱ mRNA、U Ⅱ受体(UT) mRNA的表达,并观察肺小动脉显微结构的变化.结果(1)肺动脉平均压(mPAP)、右心室(RV)和左心室+室间隔(LV+S)重量比值[RV/(LV+S)]B组高于A组(均P＜0.05);C组低于B组(均P＜0.01);D组两指标不仅高于A组(P＜0.01和＜0.05),且mPAP也高于B组(P＜0.01).(2)肺小动脉管壁面积/管总面积(WA/TA)和中膜厚度(PAMT)B组显著大于A组(P＜0.05);C组与B组的差异也有显著性(P＜0.01);而D组WA/TA也显著高于A组.(3)肺小动脉U Ⅱ、U Ⅱ mRNA、UT mRNA表达同A组比较,B组、D组各指标都显著增高(均P＜0.01);C组U Ⅱ、U Ⅱ mRNA的表达较B组明显下调(P＜0.01),同A组比较,其U Ⅱ表达下调但UT mRNA表达增加(均P＜0.01);D组U Ⅱ表达较B组低,而UT mRNA表达较B组高(均P＜0.01).结论慢性缺O2高CO2肺动脉高压的发生发展可能与U Ⅱ的异常表达增加有关,而外源性NO可能有抑制U Ⅱ的作用.     

Comparison of full length sequences of hepatitis B virus isolates in hepatocellular carcinoma patients and asymptomatic carriers of Korea

Relatively few genomic sequences of Korean hepatitis B virus (HBV) isolates are available. Moreover, no comparative study has been made between the full-length genomes of Korean HBV isolates and clinical status. To evaluate mutations in HBV isolates obtained from chronically infected HBV patients in terms of clinical significance, we determined the genomic sequences of HBV isolates obtained from three hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients (He52, He53, and He82) and from three asymptomatic carriers (He74, He100, and He127). A comparison of sequence variations showed that the HBV isolates from the three HCC patients showed higher frequencies of mutation than the isolates from the three asymptomatic carriers. Three characteristic mutation patterns were identified in the HBV isolates from the HCC patients, which distinguished the HBV isolates from the asymptomatic carriers. First, HBV isolates from the three HCC patients both had double mutations in a core promoter (T1762/A1764) and a precore mutation (A1896). Second, although these isolates belonged to genotype C, 11 amino acids deletions in the preS1 region, specific for HBV genotype D, were detected in the isolates of two HCC patients (He52 and He82). Third, mutations (I127T/N, K130M, and V131I) at three codons in the carboxy functional region of X protein were observed in isolates from all three HCC patients. Additionally, phylogenetic analysis based on the entire HBV sequences showed that all six isolates belonged to genotype C2, as do other Korean strains.     

Population survey of CCR5 delta32, CCR5 m303, CCR2b 64I,and SDF1 3'A allele frequencies in indigenous Chinese healthy individuals,and in HIV-1-infected and HIV-1-uninfected individuals in HIV-1 risk groups

The aim of this study is to determine in indigenous Chinese ethnic groups the frequencies of the chemokine (SDF1 3'A) and chemokine receptors (CCR5 delta32, CCR5 m303, and CCR2b 64I) HIV-1/AIDS restriction alleles. The study includes two cohorts; the first comprised 3165 indigenous healthy subjects representing eight ethnic groups: Han (n = 1406), Uygur (n = 316), Mongolia (n = 134), Hui (n = 386), Tibetan (n = 330), Zhuang (n = 378), Dai (n = 101), and Jingbo (n =114). The second cohort consisted of 330 HIV-1-infected (86 subjects infected by sexual transmission and 198 subjects infected by HIV-1-contaminated blood or by sharing injection equipment; the remaining 46 subjects said nothing about HIV-1 transmission) and 474 HIV-1-uninfected Han Chinese belonging to one of two HIV-1 high-risk groups: intravenous drug users (n = 215) and individuals with sexually transmitted diseases (n = 259). Genotypes for the four genes were obtained using PCR (CCR5 delta32) or PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism. Randomly selected amplified PCR products were further confirmed by direct DNA sequencing. The variant allele frequencies were determined to be 0% to 3.48% for CCR5 delta32, 0% for CCR5 m303, 16.23% to 28.79% for CCR2b 64I, and 17.70% to 27.76% for SDF1 3'A in Chinese healthy individuals from eight ethnic groups. These findings show that allele frequencies differ among the eight Chinese ethnic groups for CCR5 delta32, CCR2b 64I, and SDF1 3'A and that the CCR5 m303 and CCR5 delta32 mutant alleles were absent or infrequent in Chinese, which may be helpful for studies of specific anti-HIV-1 vaccine trials and coreceptor inhibitor drug targets in Chinese populations. Furthermore, we observed no significant differences in allele or genotypic frequencies between HIV-1-infected and HIV-1-uninfected groups from the Han ethnic group. Our finding is the first reporting that there is likely no effect of the examined polymorphisms in our study on HIV-1 transmission in the Chinese Han population, However, the genetic effects of these and other AIDS-modifying polymorphisms on the pathogenesis and clinical outcome of HIV-1/AIDS diseases is under investigation in Chinese populations.     

Force assessment of the stimulated arm flexors: quantification of contractile properties

The primary objective was to develop equipment and evaluate protocols for non-invasive assessment of contractile properties of human arm flexors. The research design consisted of a non-randomized control trial, with repeated measures. Data from six males and two females were gathered in a clinical research laboratory. The elbow flexor torque following motor point or direct nerve stimulation was measured in response to single pulses or short trains of electrical pulses. Length--tension relationships were determined; comparative data were obtained at the identified optimal muscle lengths. Twitch waveforms and peak torques following either type of stimulation were reproducible (within 10%). Peak torques following a 4-pulse small interpulse interval stimulation were nearly identical for motor-point activation and direct nerve stimulation (15.2+/- 6.6Nm for motor point stimulation; 14.5 +/- 6.6Nm for nerve stimulation). Average perceived pain indexes associated with 4-pulse stimuli were slightly higher following nerve stimulation (782 for nerve versus 6.23 for motor-point, n=8). A reliable methodology (motor-point stimulation) has been identified to perform stimulated force assessment of human arm flexors.     

Antitumor immune response by CX3CL1 fractalkine gene transfer depends on both NK and T cells

The CX3C chemokine fractalkine (CX3CL1) exists as both a membrane-bound form promoting firm cell-cell adhesion and a soluble form chemoattracting leukocytes expressing its receptor CX3CR1. When adenoviral vector expressing mouse fractalkine (AdFKN) was transduced to the tumor cells, fractalkine was expressed as both membrane-bound form on the tumor cells and soluble form in the supernatant in vitro. Intratumoral injection of AdFKN (1 x 10(9)PFU/tumor) into C26 and B16F10 tumors resulted in marked reduction of tumor growth compared to control (C26: 86.5%, p<0.001; B16F10: 85.5%, p<0.001). Histological examination of tumor tissues revealed abundant infiltration of NK cells, dendritic cells, and CD8(+) T lymphocytes 3 and/or 6 days after treatment with AdFKN. Splenocytes from mice treated by AdFKN developed tumor-specific cytotoxic T cells, and thereby protected from rechallenging with parental tumor cells. Antitumor effects by AdFKN were completely abrogated in both NK cell-depleted mice and CD8(-/-) mice, and partially blocked in CD4(-/-) mice. These data indicated that fractalkine mediates antitumor effects by both NK cell-dependent and T cell-dependent mechanisms. This study suggests that fractalkine can be a suitable candidate for immunogene therapy of cancer because fractalkine induces both innate and adaptive immunity.     

Periodic explosive expansion of human retroelements associated with the evolution of the hominoid primate

Five retroelement families, L1 and L2 (long interspersed nuclear element, LINE), Alu and MIR (short interspersed nuclear element, SINE), and LTR (long terminal repeat), comprise almost half of the human genome. This genome-wide analysis on the time-scaled expansion of retroelements sheds light on the chronologically synchronous amplification peaks of each retroelement family in variable heights across human chromosomes. Especially, L1s and LTRs in the highest density on sex chromosomes Xq and Y, respectively, disclose peak activities that are obscured in autosomes. The periods of young L1, Alu, LTR, and old L1 peak activities calibrated based on sequence divergence coincide with the divergence of the three major hominoid divergence as well as early eutherian radiation while the amplification peaks of old MIR and L2 account for the marsupial-placental split. Overall, the peaks of autonomous LINE (young and old L1s and L2s) peaks and non-autonomous SINE (Alus and MIRs) have alternated repeatedly for 150 million years. In addition, a single burst of LTR parallels the Cretaceous-Tertiary (K-T) boundary, an exceptional global event. These findings suggest that the periodic explosive expansions of LINEs and SINEs and an exceptional burst of LTR comprise the genome dynamics underlying the macroevolution of the hominoid primate lineage.