Transforming growth factor-? (TGF-?) is a multifunctional peptide growth factor with a wide range of effects. TGF-? signals are conveyed through cell-surface serine/threonine kinase receptors to the downstream cytoplasmic mediators, known as Smads proteins. Receptor-regulated Smads become phosphorylated by activated type Ⅰ receptors and form heteromeric complexes with a common Smad-Smad4, which translocates into the nucleus to regulate gene transcription. Inhibitory Smads inhibit the activation of receptor-regulated Smads. There are positive, negative and feedback regulations in the Smads mediated TGF-? signaling pathway.

AIM:To determine the methylation and expression of Wnt antagonist secreted Frizzled-related protein-2(SFRP2) in gastric cancer and to explore the role of SFRP2 in gastric carcinogenesis.METHODS:Methylation status of SFRP2 was detected by methylation-specific PCR(MSP).Real-time PCR was used to determine the expression of SFRP2 in gastric cancers and matched cancer adjacent normal tissues.SFRP2 expression in gastric cancer cell lines was determined by reverse-transcriptional PCR(RT-PCR) and Western blotting.RESULTS:SFRP2 methylation was found in 26(65%) gastric cancers and in 3(7.5%) matched cancer adjacent normal tissues.The frequency of methylation for SFRP2 was significantly higher in gastric cancers than that in matched normal tissues(x2=28.614,P

Objective To detect the effects and mechanisms of CD147 in thyroid cancer cell SW579. Methods RT-PCR and Western-blot were used to determine the levels of CD147 mRNA and protein in SW579 cells after treated with CD147 specific small interference RNA (siRNA). The proliferative ratio of SW579 cells after treated with CD147 siRNA was detected by CCK-8 assay. We detected the changes of cellular mobility after treated with CD147 siRNA by transwell assay. Mobility related proteins were analyzed by western-blot. Results The proliferative ratio and the mobility of SW579 cells were inhibited significantly by down-regulation of CD147. The levels of MMP-2 and MMP-9 were lower in treated cells than untreated ones. Expression of Wave 2 and a mobility related protein were decreased in accompany with down-regulation of CD147. Conclusion Down-regulation of CD147 inhibits mobility of SW579 by suppressing MMP-2, MMP-9 and WAVE 2.

The changes of immunoreactive neurotensin (ir-NT) contents in the brain areas, pituitary gland and plasma in the trautized rats were observed by radioimmunoassay. The results showed the significant changes of the ir-NT contents in the hypothalamus, pituitary gland, plasma, injured tissue, hippocampus, central gray and spinal cord in the posttraumatic rats at different intervals. A predominant characterization of the change of ir-NT levels in the brain areas, pituitary gland and plasma, was the dramatical decrease at various times except for the hypothalamus, central gray, and hippocampus with biphasic alterations. The ir-NT contents in the frontal cortex, pons and medulla also displayed changes to different extent under the acute craniocerebral trauma condition These results suggest that NT may play a role in the pathophysiology of traumatic injury.

There existed animal ethical issues in the process of functional experiment including poor breeding environment before animal experiment, insufficient prepare before class, not standard experimental operation, less attention paid to the study of anesthesia, disposal on animals after the experiment. Based on the analysis of these issues and combined with the thought of respect for animals′rights and attention to animal welfare, the authors put forward suggestions from the aspects including the schools′active attention and support, curriculum, standardizing the experimental design and operation steps, improving the animal experiment teachers′ethical consciousness, cul-tivating the students′experimental animal ethical consciousness. In addition, this paper put forward the thinking of further strengthening education:the domestic medical colleges generally need to strengthen medical ethics educa-tion, and should adopt various forms to cultivate medical students′medical ethics quality of treasuring life.

Objective To measure the expression of SFRP1 in bladder cancer and explore the corresponding mechanism,in order to study the roles of SFRP1 in the pathogenesis of bladder cancer.Methods SFRP1 mRNA was detected by RT-PCR.Methylation status of SFRP1 was detected by methylation specific PCR.SFRP1 protein was determined by Western blotting.Results SFRP1 was methylated in bladder cancer cell lines T24 and 5637,not in SCaBER.SFRP1 mRNA and protein were detected in SCaBER,but not in T24 and 5637.Six hours after treating T24 and 5637 with 5'-aza-deoxycytidine,both T24 and 5637 expressed SFRP1 mRNA and protein.In 45 bladder cancers,methylation of SFRP1 was detected in 28 (62.2％).In matched cancer adjacent tissues,6 (13.3％) were found with SFRP1 methylation.The methylation rate in bladder cancers was significant higher than that in matched cancer adjacent tissues (P ＜ 0.01).Conclusions SFRP1 is downregulated in some bladder cancers due to methylation.SFRP1 methylation and aberrant expression may be involved in the pathogenesis of bladder cancers.

Objective To evaluate the development of extravascular leakage of 6％ hydroxyethyl starch (HES) 130/0.4 when used for acute hemodilution in the pediatric patients undergoing open heart surgery.Methods Forty-eight American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status Ⅰ or Ⅱ pediatric patients,aged 2-12 yr,weighing 12-53 kg,scheduled for elective surgical repair of ventricular or atrial septal defect,were divided into 2 groups (n =24 each) according to age:preschool group (2 yr ≤ age ≤ 6 yr) and school-age group (6 yr＜age ≤ 12yr).After anesthesia induction and endotracheal intubation,a volume of 6％ HES 130/0.4 equivalent to 10％ of the blood volume was infused via the central veins at 0.5 ml · kg-1 · min-1 in two groups.Immediately before infusion of HES (T0) and at 15 and 30 min after the end of infusion (T1,2),blood samples were collected fron the central vein for determination of plasma colloid osmotic pressure (COP) and hemnoglobin (Hb) concentrations.The concentrations of 6％ HES 130/ 0.4 in plasma at T1 and T2 and in urine at T2 were measured by the anthranone colorimetric method.Results Compared with the baseline value at T0,the concentrations of Hh in plasma were significantly decreased at T1,2 in preschool group,and the concentrations of Hb in plasma were significantly decreased and plasma COP was increased at T1,2 in school-age group (P＜0.05).There were no significant differences in plasma Hb concentrations or COP at each time point between two groups (P＞0.05).The plasma 6％ HES 130/0.4 concentrations were significantly lower at T2 than at T1 in two groups (P＞0.05).Compared with school-age group,the plasma 6％ HES 130/0.4 concentrations were significantly decreased at T1,2 in preschool group (P＜0.05).There was no significant difference in 6％ HES 130/0.4 concentrations in urine between the two groups (P＞0.05).Conclusion When 6％ HES 130/0.4 is used for acute hemodilution,extravascular leakage happens after acute hemodilution and is more obvious in the preschool pediatric patients undergoing open heart surgery.

The contents of ir-oxytocin (it-OT), ir-Arg-yasopressin (ir-AVP) and ir-?-endorphin (ir-?-EP) in hypothalamus, pituitary and plasma were measured by. radioimmunoassay (RIA) when the rats were swimming. It was showed that the ir-OT contents in hypothalamus, pituitary and plasma were significantly increased in the animals having swum 1, 5, 15 and 20min (P

OBJECTIVETo investigate the postburn change in hypothalamic paraventricular beta-endorphin and the roles of delta-receptor in scalded rats.

METHODSMale Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into 3 groups, i.e. ICI174864, DPDPE and control groups. The rats were inflicted with 20% TBSA of III degree scalding on the back by boiling (100 degrees ) water. The postburn change in the tissue content of the hypothalamic paraventricular beta-endorphin was determined by radioimmuno assay (RIA). The effects of delta-receptor in scalded shock rats were investigated by observing the change of the rats'survival time and cardiac indices after the micro-injection of delta-receptor agonist DPDPE or antagonist ICI174864 into the hypothalamic paraventricle.

RESULTS(1) The tissue content of the hypothalamic paraventricular beta-endorphin increased significantly (P < 0.01) at 1, 2 and 4 postburn hours (PBHs) in the scalded rats. (2) When compared with that of control group, the ratio of the cardiovascular parameters [mean arterial pressure (MAP), dp/dt(max) and HR] were obviously increased at different time points in rats with pre-injection of ICI174864 whereas the ratio was decreased when DPDPE was used. Nevertheless, the change in the heart rate ratio was not obvious whether ICI174864 or DPDPE was used. (3) The average animal survival time in ICI174864 group was much longer than that in DPDPE group.

CONCLUSIONAn excessive increase in hypothalamic paraventricular beta-endorphin was one of the factors leading to the aggravation of burn shock and earlier death. delta-receptor located in the tissue might have played important roles in the mediation of the action of hypothalamic paraventricular beta-endorphin. It is beneficial to antagonize the action of delta-receptor for the correction of burn shock and for the prolongation of the of life of animals.

Analgesics, Opioid ; pharmacology ; Animals ; Blood Pressure ; drug effects ; Burns ; physiopathology ; Enkephalin, D-Penicillamine (2,5)- ; pharmacology ; Enkephalin, Leucine ; analogs & derivatives ; pharmacology ; Heart Rate ; drug effects ; Male ; Narcotic Antagonists ; pharmacology ; Paraventricular Hypothalamic Nucleus ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Receptors, Opioid, delta ; drug effects ; physiology ; Survival Analysis ; beta-Endorphin ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo observe the effects of cross electro-nape-acupuncture on reflex remodeling of airway protective reflex cough in patients with tracheotomy after cerebral hemorrhage.

METHODSWith the method of completely random design, according to treatment order, 60 patients who received tracheotomy after cerebral hemorrhage accompanied with cough reflex difficulty were randomly divided into a cross electro-nape-acupuncture group and an acupuncture group, 30 cases in each group. Both groups were treated with basic treatment, including anti-inflammation, eliminating phlegm, improving cerebral metabolism and so on. The acupuncture group was treated with acupuncture at Yifeng (TE 17), Fengchi (GB 20), Lianquan (CV 23), Baihui (GV 20), Touwei (ST 8), Dicang (ST 4) through Jiache (ST 6), Hegu (LI 4), Quchi (LI 11), and motor area on the affected side, and the needles were retained for 30 min. Based on the treatment of acupuncture group, the cross electro-nape-acupuncture group was additionally treated with cross electro-nape-acupuncture (continuous wave) for 30 min per treatment. The treatment was both given twice a day from Monday to Friday and once a day on Saturday and Sun day for 4 weeks. Tracheostomy cough reflex grading score (TCRGS) and clinical pulmonary infection score (CPIS) were observed before and after treatment in the two groups, and the clinical efficacy of two groups was evaluated.

RESULTSCompared before the treatment, TCRGS and CPIS were both reduced in two groups (both P < 0.01); after treatment, there were significant differences of TCRGS and CPIS between two groups (both P < 0.01), indicating cross electro-nape-acupuncture group was superior to acupuncture group. Regarding the effects of cough reflex remodeling, the cured and markedly effective rate was 96.7% (29/30) in the cross electro-nape-acupuncture group, which was significantly different from 55.2% (16/29) in the acupuncture group (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONCross electro-nape-acupuncture could effectively improve the remodeling of cough reflex and promote the recovery of lung infection in patients with tracheotomy after cerebral hemorrhage, leading to an increased quality of life.

Acupuncture Points ; Aged ; Cerebral Hemorrhage ; physiopathology ; surgery ; therapy ; Cough ; physiopathology ; Electroacupuncture ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Reflex ; Tracheotomy