Biomedical subjects

Zhi-Jian Yao

Publications and source records attributed to Zhi-Jian Yao.

7 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2004

Effects of antipsychotics on fat deposition and changes in leptin and insulin levels. Magnetic resonance imaging study of previously untreated people with schizophrenia.

BACKGROUND: Weight gain is a common consequence of antipsychotic drug treatment and can lead to further morbidity. AIMS: To assess the effects of antipsychotic drug therapy on abdominal fat deposition, on insulin and leptin secretion, and on circulating glucose and lipids. METHOD: Abdominal body fat was determined by magnetic resonance imaging in a group of previously untreated patients with schizophrenia, before and after 10 weeks' antipsychotic drug treatment. Body mass and blood concentrations of glucose, insulin, leptin and lipids were also measured. RESULTS: Significant increases in both subcutaneous and intra-abdominal fat were identified after antipsychotic drug treatment. A three-fold increase in leptin secretion as well as significant increases in levels of circulating lipids and non-fasting glucose were also identified. CONCLUSIONS: Patients first receiving antipsychotic drugs experience substantial deposition of both subcutaneous and intra-abdominal fat, reflecting a loss of the normal inhibitory control of leptin on body mass. Along with fat deposition, the increase in levels of fasting lipids and in non-fasting glucose may provide early signs of drug-induced progression towards the metabolic syndrome.

Abdomen↗

PubMed2003

Unique physiological and pathogenic features of Leptospira interrogans revealed by whole-genome sequencing.

Leptospirosis is a widely spread disease of global concern. Infection causes flu-like episodes with frequent severe renal and hepatic damage, such as haemorrhage and jaundice. In more severe cases, massive pulmonary haemorrhages, including fatal sudden haemoptysis, can occur. Here we report the complete genomic sequence of a representative virulent serovar type strain (Lai) of Leptospira interrogans serogroup Icterohaemorrhagiae consisting of a 4.33-megabase large chromosome and a 359-kilobase small chromosome, with a total of 4,768 predicted genes. In terms of the genetic determinants of physiological characteristics, the facultatively parasitic L. interrogans differs extensively from two other strictly parasitic pathogenic spirochaetes, Treponema pallidum and Borrelia burgdorferi, although similarities exist in the genes that govern their unique morphological features. A comprehensive analysis of the L. interrogans genes for chemotaxis/motility and lipopolysaccharide synthesis provides a basis for in-depth studies of virulence and pathogenesis. The discovery of a series of genes possibly related to adhesion, invasion and the haematological changes that characterize leptospirosis has provided clues about how an environmental organism might evolve into an important human pathogen.

Bacterial Adhesion↗

PubMed2003

GenomeComp: a visualization tool for microbial genome comparison.

We have developed a software tool, GenomeComp, for summarizing, parsing and visualizing the genome sequences comparison results derived from voluminous BLAST textual output. With GenomeComp, the variation between genomes can be easily highlighted, such as repeat regions, insertions, deletions and rearrangements of genomic segments. This software provides a new visualizing tool for microbe comparative genomics.

Computational Biology↗

PubMed2003

Protein kinase C/zeta (PRKCZ) gene is associated with type 2 diabetes in Han population of North China and analysis of its haplotypes.

AIM: To identify the susceptible gene (s) for type 2 diabetes in the previously mapped region, 1p36.33-p36.23, in Han population of North China using single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and to analyze the haplotypes of the gene (s) related to type 2 diabetes. METHODS: Twenty three SNPs located in 10 candidate genes in the mapped region were chosen from public SNP domains with bioinformatic methods, and the single base extension (SBE) method was used to genotype the loci for 192 sporadic type 2 diabetes patients and 172 normal individuals, all with Han ethical origin, to perform this case-control study. The haplotypes with significant difference in the gene (s) were further analyzed. RESULTS: Among the 23 SNPs, 8 were found to be common in Chinese Han population. Allele frequency of one SNP, rs436045 in the protein kinase C/zetagene (PRKCZ) was statistically different between the case and control groups(P<0.05). Furthermore, haplotypes at five SNP sites of PRKCZ gene were identified. CONCLUSION: PRKCZ gene may be associated with type 2 diabetes in Han population in North China. The haplotypes at five SNP sites in this gene may be responsible for this association.

Asian People↗

PubMed2003

No association of antipsychotic agent-induced weight gain with a DA receptor gene polymorphism and therapeutic response.

AIM: To investigate whether there is an association of antipsychotic agent-induced weight gain with the TaqI A polymorphism of dopamine D2 receptor (DRD2) gene and therapeutic response to antipsychotic treatment in schizophrenia. METHODS: Genotyping was performed using the PCR-RFLP techniques in a total of 117 first-episode Chinese Han schizophrenic patients (mean age 26+/-8 a; 58 male, 59 female). Moreover, the measurements were finished either for baseline weight and body mass index (BMI) or for changed weight and BMI 10 weeks after antipsychotic treatment. The Positive and Negative Symptom Scale (PANSS) was used for the evaluation of the improvement of clinical psychotic symptoms. RESULTS: There was an average increase in body weight of (3+/-3) kg or (6+/-6) % of baseline weight with a changed range of -7 kg - 12 kg or -7.8 % - 32.4 % 10 weeks after treatment, and the change in the BMI was associated with the baseline BMI and patients' age (P=0.0001; P=0.03; respectively). However, there was no significant difference in distribution of allelic frequencies (X2=0.65, v1, P>0.05) and genotype (x2=1.47, v2, P>0.05) between the subgroups, and the change in BMI was not associated with genotypes of DRD2. Furthermore, there was no relationship of the therapeutic response to antipsychotic treatment with changed BMI in the patients (P>0.05). CONCLUSION: The TaqI A polymorphism of DRD2 gene is therefore unlikely to play an important role in antipsychotic agent-induced weight gain, a side effect of antipsychotic treatment. Furthermore, increase in body weight is unlikely to be prediction of therapeutic response to antipsychotic treatment in schizophrenia.

Adult↗

PubMed2002

Single nucleotide polymorphisms in CAPN10 gene of Chinese people and its correlation with type 2 diabetes mellitus in Han people of northern China.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the distribution of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in CAPN10 gene in Chinese population and their relation with type 2 diabetes mellitus in Han people of Northern China. METHODS: CAPN10 gene was sequenced to detect SNPs in different nationalities of China. Five SNPs were chosen to perform case-control study and haplotype analysis in 156 normal Han people of Northern China and 173 type 2 diabetes. One SNP was also analyzed with transmission-disequilibrium test (TDT) and sib transmission-disequilibrium test (STDT) in 68 type 2 diabetes pedigrees (377 people). RESULTS: A total of 40 SNPs were identified in length of 8,936 bp, with an average of 1 in every 223 bp. The SNPs in CAPN10 gene did not distribute evenly and the SNPs in Chinese were different from those reported in Mexican American. There was no significantly statistical difference in the allele frequency of the 5 SNPs between case and control, and the haplotype frequencies in the two groups were not significantly different. No positive results was found in TDT and STDT analysis. CONCLUSIONS: The SNP distribution of CAPN10 gene differs in different nationalities. The studied SNPs in CAPN10 gene may not be the major susceptibility ones of type 2 diabetes mellitus in Han people of Northern China.

Calpain↗

PubMed1998

Identification of Epitope of TNF Recognized by Monoclonal Antibody with Phage-displayed Random Peptide Library.

Phage-displayed random peptide libraries have become an efficient tool for epitope mapping. We used a 6-mer library displayed on PIII of fd phage to screen for the epitope of tumor necrosis factor(TNF-alpha) by monoclonal antibodied. Three rounds of biopanning have been carried out and dot blot and ELISA were used to estimate the enrichment. Seventeen clones from the third rounds of biopanning were randomly selected and the insert DNA sequences were determined. Based on the deduced amino acid sequences, the motifs, LHPGIL and LHPGVC, have found to show homology with TNF-alpha. Finally, the binding inhibition tests proved that binding of antibody (T(5)McAb) was competitively inhibited by phage-borne HLPGIL.

Journal Article↗