The changes in the expression of aquaporin-1 (AQP1) mRNA and protein in cultured human trabecular meshwork (HTM) cells treated with dexamethasone and transfected with antisense oligonucleotides (AS-ODN) were studied, and the implication of AQP1 regulation in corticosteroid-glaucoma and the possibility of AS-ODN inhibiting the AQP1 expression were evaluated. The cultured HTM cellsin vitro were treated with different concentrations of dexamethasone and transfected with oligonucleotides for 5 days respectively. Then, total RNA and protein of HTM cells were extracted. The changes of AQP1 mRNA and protein were demonstrated qualitatively and quantitatively by RT-PCR and Western blot. Band intensities were detected by imaging analysis. There was a parallel relationship between the results of RT-PCR and those of Western blot. The expression levels of AQP1 mRNA and protein in dexamethasone-treated groups were increased initially and decreased later as dexamethasone concentration was stepped up. In the 0.04 μg/mL and 0.4 μg/mL groups, the levels of AQP1 were higher than in control group (0 μg/mL). In the 4 μg/mL and 40 μg/mL groups, the AQP1 expression levels were lower than in control group. AS-ODN could down regulate the expression of AQP1 mRNA and protein in a dose-dependent manner. At 5 μg/mL, down-regulation efficiency reached the maximum. There was no statistically significant difference in the expression of AQP1 mRNA and protein between all sense oligonucleotides groups and control group. It was suggested that dexamethasone may induce the changes of the AQP1 expression in HTM cells to be involved in the occurrence of corticosteroid-glaucoma. AS-ODN can down-regulate the AQP1 expression in HTM cells to some extent.

In order to explore the value of combined detection of atypical lymphocytes (ATL) and transaminase (alanine aminotransferase, ALT; asparate aminotransferase, AST) in the diagnosis of infectious mononucleosis (IM), The data of blood routine and liver function were collected from 54 IM patients, 34 acute hepatitis (AH) patients, 44 upper respiratory infection (URI) patients in Union Hospital during March 2002 to March 2005. Same data were also collected from 40 healthy children as normal control. These data were analyzed retrospectively. Both proportion of atypical lymphocytes and enzyme activity of transaminase were elevated simultaneously (ALT>40 IU/L, AST>45 IU/L) in 57.4% (31.54) IM patients. There was significant difference (P<0.01) between IM group and the other groups. Combined detection of atypical lymphocytes and transaminase can be regarded as a diagnostic marker of infectious mononucleosis.