Chromosomally encoded toxin–antitoxin (TA) systems are thought to result in growth arrest and eventual cell death upon exposure to environmental stress in E. coli. In the chromosome of cyanobacteria Synechocystis sp. PCC6803, the genetic organization of a 360 bp open reading frame (ORF), slr0664, and another small ORF of 256 bp, ssr1114, is similar to that of TA system. The predicted protein encoded by slr0664 is homologous to RelE, but neither homologue of ssr1114 nor ssr1114-encoding protein was found in TA system. To see whether slr0664 encodes a toxin protein, ssr1114 encodes an antitoxin, an expressing plasmid containing promoter Plac and PBAD, was constructed. In this construct, Both slr0664 and ssr1114 were controlled by Plac and PBAD, respectively. Expression of slr0664 in Escherichia coli results in the inhi-bition of bacterial growth, the expression of ssr1114 neutralize the toxicity of slr0664 expression. These re-sults show that slr0664 is toxin gene and ssr1114 is antitoxin gene, both ssr1114 and slr0664 constitute achromosomal TA system in Synechocystis sp. PCC6803.

Subtilis bacillus spores for novel vaccine delivery has attracted significant interest of more and more researchers by their unique biological characteristics. In this review,the structure and immunogenicity of spores were briefly discussed, then special emphasis placed on the use of recombinant spores as vaccine delivery vehicles,some ideas for further studies on surface display of recombinant vaccines on Subtilis bacillus spores were also proposed

Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Aortic Valve Stenosis ; surgery ; China ; Female ; Heart Valve Prosthesis Implantation ; methods ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged

This study was aimed to screen human papillomavirus (HPV) types associated with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma of Kazakh in Xinjiang using the gene chip technique and study the clinical significance of this application. The DNAs were collected from esophageal squamous cell carcinoma tissues and healthy esophageal mucosa of Kazakh adults in Xinjiang, and amplified firstly using HPV MY09/11 and then using HPV G5+/6+ to screen positive HPV specimens. These positive specimens were further detected by the gene chip technique to screen highly pathogenic HPV types. After determination with nested PCR amplification with HPV MY09/11 and G5+/6+, the infection rate of HPV was 66.67% in the esophageal squamous cell carcinoma group and 12.12% in the healthy control group. By testing the positive HPV specimens from the esophageal squamous cell carcinoma group, the infection rate of HPV16 was 97.72% and the co-infection rate of HPV16 and HPV18 was 2.27%. HPV16 infection may be involved in the development of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma in Xinjiang Hazakh adults.

OBJECTIVETo discuss the early diagnostic methods and therapeutic principles of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), and evaluate the therapeutic efficacy objectively.

METHODSUsing neuro-imaging examinations combined with case history and clinical symptoms to make the early diagnosis of 96 case with aneurysmal SAH, and Guglielmi detachable microcoil (GDC) was utilized for early intracapsular embolization in the ruptured aneurysms. Efficient symptomatic treatment was done early after operation.

RESULTSAll of 96 cases were early diagnosed and successfully embolized; Among them, the aneurysmal lumen was 100% occluded in 83 cases, 95% in 8 cases, 90% in 5 cases. There were 3 cases complicating with aneurysms rupture during operation, 5 cases with cerebral vasospasm. One case was affected by microcoil terminal escape after operation, 3 recurrent cases were all cured with secondary GDC embolization. There were 9 complications associated with embolization techniques and 13 cases (13.5%) occurring permanent sequelae associated with SAH. According to the Glasgow prognosis score, 77 patients got grade I, 7 grade II, 6 grade III, 3 grade IV, and 3 grade V. The mortality rate was 3.1%.

CONCLUSIONSTo make early etiological diagnosis of the SAH patients, using GDC to embolize the aneurysms, and earlier efficient symptomatic treatment are important methods to improve the curative rate and reduce the mortality rate.

Adult ; Aged ; Aneurysm, Ruptured ; complications ; diagnosis ; therapy ; Angiography ; methods ; Early Diagnosis ; Embolization, Therapeutic ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Intracranial Aneurysm ; complications ; diagnosis ; therapy ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Subarachnoid Hemorrhage ; diagnosis ; etiology ; therapy ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVETo improve the protocol of BALB/c 3T3 cell transformation assay, and apply it to the cocarcinogenesis study.

METHODAppropriate serum concentration, culture media and method of administration were selected by testing their effects on the growth and transformation of BALB/c 3T3 cells. The co-carcinogenic activity between diethylnitrosamine (DEN) and microcystin-LR (MC-LR) or 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) were examined using the improved cell transformation assay. The malignant characteristics of transformed cells were verified by neoplasia in SCID mice.

RESULTSThere were strong co-carcinogenic activity between DEN and TCDD. On the contrary, although MC-LR has strong ability to induce cell transformation, the effect was markely inhibited by DEN. The transformed cells show some malignant characteristics.

CONCLUSIONThe improved BALB/c 3T3 cell transformation assay is reliable and time-saving, and can be efficiently used in the study of cocarcinogenesis.

3T3 Cells ; Animals ; BALB 3T3 Cells ; Biological Assay ; methods ; Carcinogens ; toxicity ; Cell Transformation, Neoplastic ; chemically induced ; Cocarcinogenesis ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, SCID ; Random Allocation

BACKGROUNDInvasion growth is the most characteristic biological phenotype of glioblastoma, but the molecular mechanism in glioma cell invasion is poorly understood. Recent data have showed that microRNA plays an essential role in tumor invasion. Our study aimed to explore the mechanism of miR-7 involved in the control of glioblastoma cell invasion.

METHODSGlioma cell invasion was evaluated by transwell and scratch assays after up-regulation of miR-7 using miR-7 mimics in U87 and U251 cells. Luciferase reporter assay was used to determine focal adhesion kinase (FAK) as a target of miR-7. The levels of miR-7, matrix metalloproteinases (MMP)-2 and MMP-9 mRNA were detected by PCR assay, and the levels of FAK, MMP-2, MMP-9, total and phosphorylation serine/threonine kinase (AKT), and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) 1/2 were measured by Western blotting analysis.

RESULTSOver-expression of miR-7 inhibited the invasion and migration activity of U87 and U251 cells. And up-regulation of miR-7 reduced FAK protein expression, Further, luciferase reporter assay showed that miR-7 modulated FAK expression directly by binding 3'UTR of FAK mRNA. In addition, miR-7 repressed p-ERK1/2 and p-AKT level, MMP-2 and MMP-9 expression. Finally, the inverse relationship between FAK and miR-7 expression was certificated in human glioma tissues.

CONCLUSIONTo our knowledge, these data indicate for the first time that miR-7 directly regulates cell invasion by targeting FAK in glioblastoma and that miR-7 could be a potential therapeutic target for glioblastoma intervention.

Blotting, Western ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Focal Adhesion Protein-Tyrosine Kinases ; genetics ; metabolism ; Glioblastoma ; enzymology ; genetics ; Humans ; In Vitro Techniques ; Matrix Metalloproteinase 2 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 ; genetics ; metabolism ; MicroRNAs ; genetics ; metabolism ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction

Atrial Fibrillation ; surgery ; Cardiac Tamponade ; etiology ; surgery ; Catheter Ablation ; adverse effects ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged

OBJECTIVETo study the efficacy of gene therapy with human vascular endothelial growth factor-c (VEGF-C) on obstructive lymphedema.

METHODSTwo animal models of lymphedema were created: one in the right hind limb of adult New Zealand white rabbits and the other in SD mouse tail. Each model was randomly divided into two groups to receive intradermal injection of either VEGF-C gene (experimental group), or saline(control group). In rabbit model, the volume change of affected limb was measured. In mouse model, biopsy was performed after 3 weeks treatment to detect the expression of VEGF-C mRNA and proteins. The lymphagenesis was evaluated by immunohistochemical examination with lymphatic endothelium hyaluronan receptor antibody.

RESULTSThe volume of the affect rabbit limb decreased by (24.40 +/- 1.08) ml in experimental group, compared with (5.80 +/- 1.92) ml in control group (P = 0.0001). The expression of VEGF-C mRNA and protein increased markedly in experiment group, but not in controls. More lymphatic vessels with large caliber were seen in experiment group (P = 0.0004).

CONCLUSIONSVEGF-C gene therapy may alleviate or treat lymphedema by inducing lyphmangiogenesis.

Animals ; Disease Models, Animal ; Gene Transfer Techniques ; Genetic Therapy ; Humans ; Lymphedema ; therapy ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; Rabbits ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor C ; genetics

This study was aimed to screen human papillomavirus (HPV) types associated with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma of Kazakh in Xinjiang using the gene chip technique and study the clinical significance of this application. The DNAs were collected from esophageal squamous cell carcinoma tissues and healthy esophageal mucosa of Kazakh adults in Xinjiang, and amplified firstly using HPV MY09/11 and then using HPV G5+/6+ to screen positive HPV specimens. These positive specimens were further detected by the gene chip technique to screen highly pathogenic HPV types. After determination with nested PCR amplification with HPV MY09/11 and G5+/6+, the infection rate of HPV was 66.67% in the esophageal squamous cell carcinoma group and 12.12% in the healthy control group. By testing the positive HPV specimens from the esophageal squamous cell carcinoma group, the infection rate of HPV16 was 97.72% and the co-infection rate of HPV16 and HPV18 was 2.27%. HPV16 infection may be involved in the development of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma in Xinjiang Hazakh adults.
Aged ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; ethnology ; genetics ; virology ; Case-Control Studies ; China ; DNA, Neoplasm ; analysis ; genetics ; DNA, Viral ; analysis ; genetics ; Esophageal Neoplasms ; ethnology ; genetics ; virology ; Female ; Host-Pathogen Interactions ; genetics ; Human papillomavirus 16 ; genetics ; Human papillomavirus 18 ; genetics ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Molecular Typing ; methods ; statistics & numerical data ; Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis ; methods ; Papillomaviridae ; classification ; genetics ; physiology ; Papillomavirus Infections ; ethnology ; genetics ; virology ; Polymerase Chain Reaction