Hyperplasia of smooth muscle cells is a major aspect of airway remodeling in asthma .In recent years.It is found that the epigenetic regulation plays an important role on the proliferation of airway smooth muscle cells and the secretion of inflammatory cytokines , including DNA methyltransferase inhibitors to inhibit the phenotype trans-formation;histone acetylation related with hypertrophy .In addition , the microRNA is potentially related with the regulation of a variety of physiological functions of airway smooth muscle cells of asthma model , including inhibition of proliferation and release of inflammatory factors .Hope that epigenetics can become a new target for the treatment of asthma .

AIM To explore the effect of breviscapine on primary cultural calf pulmonary artery smooth muscle cell (PASMC) proliferation. METHODS By primary cuture of calf PASMC, the effect of PASMC proliferation was analysed using MTT colorimetry, flow cytomerty, Giemsa staining. RESULTS Compared with control group, PASMC proliferations in breviscapine group was significantly inhibited from G 0/G 1 to S phases in the cell cycle. CONCLUSION Breviscapine could significantly inhibit PASMC profiferation. The mechanism for this may due to inhibition of protein kinase C.

AIM:To observe the effect of levcromakalim(Lev) on endthelin-1(ET-1) induced proliferation and the expression of protein kinase C(PKC) in cultured rat vascular smooth muscle cells(VSMCs).METHODS: VSMCs were isolated from rat aorta and were cultured with different concentrations of Lev in vitro after stimulated to proliferation by ET-1(10~(-8)(mol?L~(-1))).Vitality of VSMCs was detected by MTT;DNA replication was evaluated by 3H-TdR method.Flow cytometry was used to analyze cell cycle and apoptosis.The expression of PKC? protein and mRNA were determined by Western blot and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR).RESULTS:Vitality of VSMCs and 3H-TdR intermingle rate were decreased(P

ObjectiveTo explore the effect of TLR4,PI3K and NF-κB on the migration of asthmatic airway smooth muscle cell(ASMCs) induced by airway epithelial cells.MethodsPrimary ASMCs were cultured by the method of cell digestion.Cell culture supernatant of RTE cells were collected by TNF-α stimulation of epithelial cells.Detected the IL-8 and RANTES levels in the supernatant.The effect of TLR4/PI3K-related signaling molecules on the migration of asthmatic ASMCs induced by epithelial cells were detected by Modified Boyden chemotaxis chamber with anti-TLR4 antibody,Wortmannin and PDTC drugs as a tool.ResultsThe levels of IL-8 and RANTES in the supernatant of TNF-αgroups were significantly increased,and that in the 20 ng/ml group was significantly higher than other groups ( P＜0.01 ).Compared with control group,the transmembrane migration of asthmatic ASMCs from other groups was significantly increased (P＜0.01 ).The transmembrane migration of asthmatic ASMCs from treated groups was significantly increased than asthma group (P＜0.01).The migration of asthmatic ASMCs from TNF-α+anti-TLR4 antibody group,TNF-α+Wortmannin group and TNF-α+Wortmannin+PDTC were significantly decreased than that of TNF-αgroup( P＜0.01 ).The migration of asthmatic ASMCs from TNF-α+Wortmannin+PDTC were significantly decreased than that of TNF-α+Wortmannin group (P＜0.05).ConclusionTLR4/PI3K-related signaling molecules involved in the transmembrane migration of asthmatic ASMCs induced by airway epithelial cells and may be one of the mechanisms of airway remodeling of asthma.

AIM: To investigate the therapeutic effect of chloride channel blocker tamoxifen on hypoxia pulmonary hypertension in rats.METHODS: Sixty male Wistar rats were randomly divided into therapeutic group(H/Q group),hypoxia group(H group),normal control group(C group).Mean pulmonary artery pressure(mPAP),the ratio of the weight of right ventricle to that of left ventricle plus septum[RV(LV+S)],and the ratio of the pulmonary arteriole wall area to that of vascular total area(WA/TA),were measured at 4,7,14,21 days.RESULTS:The mPAP began to increase from 7 days,and reached peak at 21 days in hypoxia group,however it is obviously lower in therapeutic group at same time.The ratio of RV(LV+S) began to increase from 14 days,and reached peak at 21 days in hypoxia group,however it is obviously lower in therapeutic group at same time.The ratio of WA/TA at 21 days in hypoxia group was significantly higher than therapeutic group,respectively(P

AIM: To explore the expression of nuclear factor-?B(NF-?B) in asthmatic guinea pigs, and the effect of erigeron breviscapus, a protein kinase C(PKC) inhibitor, on the expression of nuclear factor-?B(NF-?B). METHODS: 48 guinea pigs were randomly divided into 6 groups ( n= 8). Airway resistance and eosinophilic inflammation of airway wall were examined, the expression of NF-?B in the lung tissue was detected by immunohistochemical staining. RESULTS: The expression of NF-?B was mainly found in airway epithelium, all the asthmatic animals showed significantly higher optical densities than that of the normal control group( P

AIM:To investigate the effect of nuclear factor kappa B(NF-?B)on proliferation,apoptosis and the expression of TGF-?1 in airway smooth muscle cells(ASMCs).METHODS:Cultured ASMCs were divided into three groups and stimulated with or without TNF-? and pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate(PDTC)in vitro.Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR)was used to detect the expression of TGF-?1 mRNA.The location and protein expression of PCNA and Bcl-2 were observed by immunocytochemical staining.The protein expression of TGF-?1 and NF-?B was detected by Western blotting.The proliferation and apoptosis of ASMCs were also observed.RESULTS:The activity of NF-?B in TNF-? group was significantly higher than that in control group and TNF-? plus PDTC group,respectively(P

To explore the expression of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and its relationship with pulmonary ventilation function in asthmatic patients, 18 asthmatic patients and 18 healthy subjects were selected. HO-1 protein and mRNA levels in PBMCs were measured by immunohistochemical staining and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), respectively. Blood carbon monoxide Hb (COHb), serum total IgE and pulmonary ventilatory function were observed. Our results showed that the percentage of cells positive for immunohistochemical staining of HO-1 were significantly higher in asthmatic patients (41.72 +/- 7.44) % than that in with healthy subjects (10.45 +/- 4.36) % (P < 0.001) and the optical density of PBMC HO-1 mRNA was higher in asthmatic patients (26.05 +/- 4.14) than that in healthy subjects (10. 82 +/- 4.26) (P < 0.001). The relation analysis showed that PBMC HO-1 protein and mRNA levels had significantly negative relation with FEV1%, PEFR, MEFR50%, respectively (r = -0.51-0.89, P < 0.05-0.001, respectively) and a positive relation with COHb and serum total IgE (r = 0.48-0. 85, 0.05-0.001, respectively). It is concluded that the expression of PBMC HO-1 protein and mRNA increased significantly in asthmatic patients, and HO-1 may play a significant role in the pathogenesis of asthma. The expression of HO-1 may bear a relation with severity of asthma.
Asthma/blood ; Asthma/*enzymology ; Carbon Monoxide/blood ; Heme Oxygenase-1/*biosynthesis ; Heme Oxygenase-1/blood ; Immunoglobulin E/*blood ; Leukocytes, Mononuclear/*enzymology ; RNA, Messenger/blood

Objective To study the diagnostic value of Sox2 mRNA transcription level in bronchoscopic biopsy specimens from lung cancer patients. Methods The expression of Sox2 mRNA was detected using RT-PCR from 100 hu-man lung cancer biopsy and 18 non-cancer lung biopsy through bronchoscopy. The expression of Sox2 protein was examined by immunohistochemistry from 50 cases of lung cancer biopsy, 32 cases of benign lung lesions and 18 cases of pericarcino-matous normal lung tissues. Then the relationships between Sox2 mRNA transcription level and lung cancer clinical patho-logical parameters were analyzed to test the diagnostic value of Sox2 transcription level. Results The transcription of Sox2 mRNA and its protein expression level were significantly higher in lung cancer than that in benign pulmonary disease tissues (P＜0.05). The transcription of Sox2 mRNA was not correlated with age, gender, histology, lymph node metastasis, TNM stage and differentiation of lung cancer patients (P>0.05). The Sox2 mRNA yielded an area of 0.748 under the ROC curve with the sensitivity of 85.0%and the specificity of 61.1%, taking the cut-off value of 0.513. Conclusion The Sox2 mRNA might be a useful diagnostic marker for lung cancer.

Objective To detect the expressions and clinical significance of Nanog and CD44 protein in lung cancer. Methods The expressions of Nanog and CD44 were detected by immunohistochemistry in 50 cases of lung cancer, 32 cases of benign lesion lung tissue and 18 cases of paraneoplastic normal lung tissue. Then their relationships with clinicopathological factors were analyzed. Results The expression of Nanog in lung cancer was significantly higher than those in benign lesion lung tissue and paraneoplastic normal lung tissue (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference of the expression of CD44 among the three groups (P > 0.05). The expressions of Nanog and CD44 in squamous cell carcinomas were higher than those in adenocarcinomas and small cell lung carcinomas (P < 0.05). The expressions of Nanog and CD44 were significantly correlated with lymph node metastasis (P < 0.05), but were not correlated with age, gender, tumour size, TNM stage and differentiation of lung cancer (P>0.05). The positive correlation was also noted between the expressions of Nanog and CD44 in lung cancer (r = 0.564, P < 0.05). Conclusion Nanog and CD44 proteins may participate in the genesis and progression of lung cancer. Nanog protein is a potential diagnostic marker and therapeutic target for lung cancer.