Metformin is the most commonly prescibed drug for type 2 diabetes mellitus as it is inexpensive, safe, and efficient in ameliorating hyperglycemia and hyperinsulinemia. Numerous epidemiological studies indicate that diabetic population is not only at increased risk of cardiovascular complications, but also at substantially higher risk of many forms of malignancies. Meanwhile, epidemiological and clinical observation studies have shown that metformin use reduces risk of cancer in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and improves prognosis and survival rate of the cancer patients. Furthermore, metformin has been used for cancer therapy in clinical trials. Thus, metformin is emerging as a new cancer therapy or adjuvant anticancer drugs. This review summarizes recent progress in studies of metformin use and its molecular mechanism.

Objective: To investigate the ratios of peripheral blood CD4+CD25+,CD4+CD8+ regulative T cells of systemic lupus erythematosus(SLE) patients, and explore the association with disease active stage,nephropathy,serum anti-ds-DNA antibody,and both IgG and C3 levels. Methods: The percentage of CD4+CD25+T cells and CD4+CD8+T cells of peripheral blood from patients with systemic lupus erythematosus(SLE)(30 females and 7 males),30 rheumatism controls and 30 normal individuals were measured by flowcytometry. Results: Patients with active disease had statisitically lower levels of CD4+CD25+T cells than did normal controls(P

Objective To investigate the kinetic expression level of chemokines (MCP-1 and MIP-2) in vagina of a murine model of vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC).Methods The estrogen-treated murine model of VVC was set up.Vaginal specimens were obtained in different duration after inoculation of C.albicans intravaginally.Semi-quantitative RT-PCR was applied to determine MCP-1 and MIP-2 mRNA levels in these tissues.Results Compared with the control mice treated with olive oil,persistent growth of C.albicans was found from the 2nd day to 21st day after inoculation in estrogen-treated mice.Significantly higher levels of MCP-1 mRNA were observed in vaginal tissues in infected estrogen-treated mice than those in other 2 groups,infected but non estrogen-treated mice and estrogen-treated but uninfected mice.The high level of MCP-1 mRNA maintained from the 4th day to 21st day in infected estrogen-treated mice.It was also found that levels of MIP-2 mRNA were significantly higher in the vagina in the 2nd day in 3 groups of mice than those in naive mice,however,no significant difference was shown among 3 groups throughout the study period.Conclusion High level of MCP-1,rather than MIP-2,may be associated with susceptibility to VVC.

Objectives To investigate the ratios of peripheral blood CD4+CD8+ and CD4+CD25+ regulative T cells, and explore the association with hepatic damnification and anti-AMA-M2 antibodies.Methods The percentage of CD4+CD8+T cells and CD4+CD25+T cells in peripheral blood from patients with primary biliary cirrhosis(PBC) (n=27)、26 patients with other hepatic desease、30 normal individuals were measured by flowcytometry.Results Patients with PBC had statistically higher levels of CD4+CD25+T cells than the patients with other hepatic disease (P

ObjectiveTo establish the rapid molecular diagnosis of 16 common coagulase negative Staphylococcus(CNS).MethodsDNA sequencing of 16 CNS would be obtained with gap gene.After the alignment gap gene sequences which were available in the GenBank,the bacteria were identified with homological alignment and phylogenetic tree,and compared with the 16S rRNA gene.ResultsThe sequence similarity of the gap sequences ranged from 39% to 98% in 16 CNS.There were the highest similarity (98%) between S.hominis and S.hominis subsp,and the lowest(39% ) between S.saprophyticus and S.xylosus.The sequence similarity of the 16S rRNA sequences ranged from 96 to 98%,at least two species of bacteria similar rate of 99% and the most four species similar rate of 99%.Phylogenetic homology analysis showed that it was a high confidence(99% ) in the detection ofS.xylosus and S.lentus,S.chromogenes and S.intermedius,S.hominis and S.hominis subsp,but for 10 other species of bacteria,gap homology analysis has less unreliable confidence(49%,56% ) and 16S rRNA has more unreliable confidence(43%,43%,50%,56%,63%,65%,76% ).ConclusionAnalysis of gap sequence could identify 16 CNS timely and accurately,with higher confidence than 16S rRNA.

Objective To verify the association between common breast cancer susceptibility loci which have been confirmed in European and Asian populations and breast cancer susceptibility in sporadic breast cancer among the Han nationality in Henan province , and to analyze their genotypes in the internal type of breast cancer . Methods In 253 breast cancer patients ( the case group ) and 343 patients who had benign breast lesions ( the control group), rs2046210(6q25.1), rs2981582(EGFR2), rs889312(MAP3K1), and rs3803662(TOX3/TNRC9)were genotyped by SNP im-LDR technique.According to estrogen receptor(ER), progesterone receptor (PR), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2(HER2)and Ki67, breast cancer are divided into 5 types:Lu-minal A, Luminal B, HER2-enrich, Luminal HER2, and triple negative breast cancer ( TNBC).Results rs2046210(6q25.1), rs2981582(EGFR2), rs889312(MAP3K1)had no statistical differences between the case group and the control group(P=0.421, 0.459, and 0.468), but the genotype of rs3803662(TOX3/TNRC9)in the case group and the control group had statistical difference (P=0.037).The allelic frequencies of rs3803662 between the case group and control group were different in codominant inheritance ( OR=2.19, 95%CI:1.19-4.02)and recessive genetic models (OR =2.06,95% CI:1.15 -3.70).Compared with AA and GA, GG in-creased the risk of breast cancer ( P =0.012, 0.015 ).The genotypes of rs2046210 ( 6q25.1 ), rs2981582 (EGFR2), rs889312(MAP3K1), and rs3803662(TOX3/TNRC9)had no difference in different types of breast cancer.Conclusions Four common breast cancer susceptibility loci from GWAS are not entirely associated with breast cancer risk among the Han nationality in Henan province .Only rs3803662(TOX3/TNRC9)is confirmed to increase the risk of breast cancer .Different genotypes of 4 loci distribute equally in different types of breast cancer .

OBJECTIVE To explore the characteristics of cochlear hair cell injuries in guinea pigs exposed to blast underpressure(BUP). METHODS The guinea pigs were killed 14 days after exposure to experimental BUP. Their basilar membranes were stained by silver nitrate and the hair cell injuries were quantitatively assessed using the light microscope. RESULTS The outer hair cells(OHCs) of the guinea pigs clearly appeared to be injured following exposure to the experimental BUP at a peak underpressure varying between -22.4kPa and -63.3kPa. The most obvious injury was in the second turn and OHC loss was smallest in the first row and more severe in the second and third rows. OHC loss was seen in all of three experimental groups of animals following exposure to BUP. Furthermore, the higher the peak of underpressure, the more obvious the injury of OHCs. Quantitative morphological analysis of cochlear hair cells showed that the total OHC loss rates in all the experimental groups of guinea pigs exposed to BUP were significantly higher than that of control group animals(P

Objective To clone and express the human asialoglycoprotein receptor(ASGPR) H1 subunit, purify and identify the immunoreactivity of the recombinant protein, and establish the enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to detect anti-ASGPR antibodies in diagnosis of autoimmune hepatitis. Methods The CRDHI cDNA (435 bp) was subcloned into eukaryotic vector PEGH, and the recombinant protein expression was induced by D (+)-Galactose. The recombinant CRDH1 was purified with Glutathione Sepharose 4B, and its immunoreactivity was identified by SDS-PAGE and western blot as well as MALDI-TOF. ELISA was established to detect the anti-ASGPR antibodies in serum samples of 45 patients with AIH, 30 patients with SLE, 30 patients with RA, 10 patients with SS and 30 normal controls. Results The sequencing of recombinant plasmid showed the CRDH1 gene was successfully inserted to the eukaryotic expression vector with correct sequence and open reading frame. The fusion protein showed a molecular weight of 42 500 Da on SDS-PAGE gel and confirmed to be the human ASGPR by MALDI-MS through peptide mass fingerprint analysis with Mascot in human protein database. It shared 98. 34% homology with ASGPR H1 subunit. Western blot analysis showed that the fusion protein had the same immunoreactivity as human ASGPR. The results of ELISA indicated that the positive rate of anti-ASGPR was 35.6% ( 16/45 ), but the ELISA was negative in other control. There was significant difference of positivity of the autoantibodies between AIH and non-AIH controls (χ2 = 31.85,P < 0. 01 ). Conclusions The human plasmid containing ASGPR is successfully clone into Saccharomyces cerevisiae Y258. The recombinant autoantigen owns good antigenicity and specificity. ELISA established with the purified protein shows good specificity for diagnosis of AIH.

Objective To study the relationship between the expression of eostimulating factor B7-H4 in patients with primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) and the pathogenesis of PBC. Methods The expression of B7-H4 mRNA on peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) of 65 patients with PBC was tested by real-time PCR. Serum levels of IL-2 were assayed by ELISA. CD4+, CD8+ T lymphocytes expression level and B7-H4 expression rate before and after activation were measured by three-color flow cytometry (FCM). Re-sults (1) Expression of B7-H4 mRNA and BT-H4 percentage in PBC group were significantly lower than that in none-PBC group and healthy controls(P<0.01);(2)After 72 h activation, the percentage of CD4+, CD8+, and CD4+ CD8+T lymphoeytes and serum levels of IL-2 decreased (P<0.05), and the percentage of CD4+, CD4+ CD8+T lymphocytes and serum levels of IL-2 were significantly higher than that of none-PBC group and healthy controls(P<0.01);(3)Levels of alanine aminotransferase(ALT), aspartate amin-otransferase(AST), alkaline phosphatase(ALP) and γ-glutamyl transpeptidase(GGT) of patients with posi-tive anti-mitochondrial antibody(AMA)-M2 rose. There was no significant difference of B7-H4 expressions on T cells between patients either with or without AMA-M2 antibody. Conclusion The costimulating factor B7-H4 can express on T lymphocytes which is activated by phytohemagglatinin(PHA) aad plays a negative role on T cells responses.

Objective To explore the ultrasonographical characteristics of placental abruption, especially the light placental abruption that was diagnosed by color Doppler ultrasonic combining with enhancement Doppler E-flow imaging, providing diagnosis data for clinical treatment. Methods With color Doppler ultrasonic and enhancement Doppler E-flow imaging, an analysis was made on the ultrasonography and clinical result of 50 patients with heavy placental abruption and 23 patients with light placental abruption. Results The diagnosis and clinical treatment of 50 patients with heavy placental abruption who had been diagnosed by color Doppler ultrasonic combining with enhancement Doppler E-flow imaging were in conformity with the postnatal pathological diagnosis. The coincidence rate in diagnosis was 100%. Of 23 patients with light placental abruption who had been diagnosed by color Doppler ultrasonic combining with enhancement E-flow Doppler imaging, 19 cases' diagnosis and clinical treatment were in accordance with their postnatal pathological diagnosis and the coincidence rate was 83%, 4 cases were misdiagnosis and missed diagnosis. Of 73 patients with placental abruption, 60 cases were carried out caesarean birth and 13 cases performed natural labor. Conclusion The enhancement Doppler E-flow imaging combining with color Doppler ultrasonic can accurately diagnose the heavy placental abruption and also provide a new method for the diagnosis of light placental abruption and perform a dynamic monitoring for the treatment transfer result of it.