AIM: To observe the effect of exogenous androgen responsive element decoy on the promoter of prostate specific antigen (PSA) and the growth of LNCaP cells for searching the possibility of gene therapy for prostate cancer. METHODS: Firstly, pGL3 - PSA luciferase expression vector containing 640bp - promoter fragment of PSA gene was constructed. Then, a 23 -mer phosphorothioated ARE decoy based on the deduced ARE sequence at the promoter region of PSA gene was synthesized. pGL3 - PSA and ARE decoy DNA were cotransfected into PC3 - M cell by lipofectamineTM 2000. Through detecting the activity of luciferase, the effect of ARE decoy on the promoter of PSA was studied. Then the ARE decoy DNA was transfected into LNCaP cells. The effect of decoy DNA on the proliferation of LNCaP cells was examined by using MTT assay. The effects of apoptosis were detected by phase contrast microscopy, DNA agrose gel electrophoresis and flow cytometry. Meanwhile, the nuclear extract was prepared from LNCaP cells and DNA - protein interactions were examined by electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA). RESULTS: The reporter assay showed that the aetivity of luciferase was significantly reduced in the ARE decoy - transfected cells, bnt not in the cells transfected with the control decoy. EMSA demonstrated specific binding of the ARE decoy to androgen receptor. The growth of LNCaP was remarkably inhibited and apoptotic morphological changes as well as DNA fragmentation were observed in the ARE decoy- transfected cells. The rate of apoptosis was 22.4% detected by FCM. CONCLUSION: The ARE decoy is capable of inhibiting the promoter of PSA gene and inducing the apoptosis in prostate cancer cells. It may become a potential therapeutic tool for prostate cancers.

Periampullary carcinoma is a rare malignant tumor of digestive system,and its accurate diagnosis is still difficult.From January 2007 to July 2012,12 patients with periampullary carcinoma had been admitted to the Southwest Hospital of Third Military Medical University,and the imaging data were retrospectively analyzed.The results of ultrasonography revealed that all tumors were hypoechoic.The tumor displayed hyperenhancement in 3 patients,isoenhancement in 1 patient,hypoenhancement in 8 patients during the arterial phase on contrastenhanced ultrasonography (CEUS),while the tumor displayed hypoenhancement in all patients during the venous phase.Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) plain scanning showed duodenal papilla enlargement in 1 patient,ampullary tissue mass signal in 2 patients,tissue mass signal at distal common bile duct in 2 patients,the rest 7 patients did not show tissue mass signal.Lower biliary obstruction was the common manifestation of the 12 patients on magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP),intrahepatic and extrahepatic bile vine-like expansion in 4 patients,double duct sign in 2 patients,the bottom of common bile duct with filling defect in 2 patients and it revealed beak-like narrow in 1 patient.CEUS,MRI and MRCP could both play an important role as conventional methods in diagnosing periampullary carcinoma.

Objective To study the clinical significance of apolipoprotein B and apolipoprotein A1 ratio (ApoB/ApoA1) in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) combined metabolic syndrome (MS),by detecting the level of ApoB and ApoA1 in patients' serum.Methods 160 patients with PCOS were selected in our hospital from Jan.2014 to Dec.2015,and they were divided into MS group and non-MS group according to the diagnostic criteria of MS.The anthropometric measurements,endocrine markers,glucose and lipid metabolism indexes of patients in the two groups were measured and compared.Correlation of ApoB/ApoA 1 ratio and components of MS were analyzed,respectively.Relationship between ApoB/ApoA1 ratio and the number of abnormal components in MS were also investigated.Results Significant difference was found in the levels of ApoB ((1.01±0.34) g/L) and ApoA1((1.15±0.29) g/L) between MS group and non-MS group (P＜0.05),and ApoB/ApoA1 ratio in MS group was obviously higher than that in non-MS group (P＜0.05).ApoB/ApoAl ratio was positively correlated with BMI,waist circumference (WC),systolic blood pressure (SBP),diastolic blood pressure (DBP),fasting plasma glucose (FPG),insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR),high triglycerides (TG) and low density lipoprotein (LDL-C),respectively,and it was negatively correlated with high density lipoprotein (HDL-C)(P＜0.05).However,there was no significant correlation between ApoB/ApoA1 ratio and the age,fasting insulin (FINS),as well as the total cholesterol (TC) (P＞0.05).Moreover,ApoB/ApoA1 ratio increased with increase in the number of abnormal components (P＜0.05).Conclusion ApoB/ApoA1 ratio is closely related to the components of MS,and it may have important clinical significance for diagnosis of PCOS combined MS and preventing long-term complications of PCOS.

ObjectiveTo analyze the effect of frailty status on the risk of mortality in a community-based population aged 45 years and above in Shanghai with different characteristics， and to provide further basis for population-based interventions for frailty and prevention of adverse outcomes. MethodsData were derived from baseline data from the Shanghai prospective study on AGEing and adult health （2009-2010） and cohort follow-up of causes of death up to October 30， 2021. Frailty index （FI） scores were constructed from 40 variables. Those with frailty index FI≥0.2 were judged to be in a frail state， and a multifactorial Cox regression model was used to calculate the hazard ratio （HR） to evaluate the effect of frailty status on the risk of death in different age groups by gender. Socioeconomic characteristics （age， residence， marital status， education and family economic level， etc.） and health-related behaviors （smoking， alcohol consumption， fruit and vegetable intake， social participation， etc.） were included as control variables. ResultsThe study included 7 978 subjects， 777 （9.7%） of whom were in a frail state. After （11.3±1.8） years of follow-up， 1 043 （13.1%） individuals were dead， including 214 （27.5%） who were frail. The results of the multifactorial Cox regression analysis showed that the effect of frailty on the risk of death in each subgroup was in descending order of men in the middle-aged group （45‒ years） （HR=2.92， 95%CI： 1.38-6.19）， women in the low-aged elderly group （60‒ years） （HR=1.68， 95% CI： 1.08-2.60）， and women in the old-aged elderly group （≥75 years and older） （HR=1.59， 95%CI： 1.22‒2.06）. ConclusionFrailty is associated with the risk of death， and we should focus on the frailty status of men aged 45~59 years and women aged 60 years and above. Early screening and assessment of frailty status and taking appropriate preventive interventions may reduce the occurrence of adverse outcomes and premature death.

ObjectiveTo observe the therapeutic effect of Shugan Huazheng prescription on hepatic fibrosis model rats induced by carbon tetrachloride （CCl₄） and explore whether it plays its role through hypoxia-induced factor-1α/vascular endothelial growth factor/transforming growth factor-β₁ （HIF-1α/VEGF/TGF-β₁） pathway. MethodA total of 54 male SPF SD rats were randomly divided into six groups： blank group， model group， colchicine group （0.2 mg·kg^-1）， and high-， medium-， and low-dose groups （29.52， 14.76， and 7.38 g·kg^-1） of Shugan Huazheng prescription， with nine rats in each group. The molding was conducted three times a week for eight weeks. Administration began the day after the first injection， and the drug intervention was once a day for eight weeks. On the day after the last administration， the rats were deprived of food and water， and they were killed the next day， during which the physiological status of each group of rats was dynamically monitored. The pathological changes in the liver were observed by hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining， and the content of hydroxyproline （HYP） and angiotensin Ⅱ （AngⅡ） in liver tissue were detected by enzyme-related immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. Real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR （Real-time PCR） was used to determine the mRNA expression levels of HIF-1α， VEGF， and TGF-β₁ in liver tissue， and immunohistochemical method （IHC） and Western blot were used to detect the protein expression levels of HIF-1α， VEGF， and TGF-β₁ in liver tissue. ResultCompared with the blank group， the overall condition of rats in the model group decreased significantly. The proliferation of connective tissue and the increase in adipose cells between hepatocytes were obvious. The content of HYP and Ang was increased. The mRNA and protein expressions of HIF-1α， VEGF， and TGF-β₁ were increased to varying degrees （P<0.05）. Compared with the model group， the proliferation of connective tissue and inflammatory cell infiltration in the liver tissue of colchicine and Shugan Huazheng prescription groups were reduced. The content of HYP and Ang was decreased. The mRNA and protein expression levels of HIF-1α， VEGF， and TGF-β₁ were decreased， and the colchicine group and high-dose group of Shugan Huazheng prescription were the most significant （P<0.05）. ConclusionShugan Huazheng prescription has an obvious therapeutic effect on CCl₄-induced hepatic fibrosis model rats. Its therapeutic mechanism may be related to the regulation of the HIF-1α/VEGF/TGF-β₁ signaling pathway and the improvement of hepatic hypoxia， vascular remodeling， and the syndrome of Qi deficiency and blood stasis in hepatic fibrosis.