The antagonism of two strains B1 and B2 of Bacillus spp. against pea root rot pathogen Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. pisi was studied. The result of pairing culture showed that B1 and B2 strains of Bacillus spp. had strong antifungal activity to the pathogen. The colonial color of the pathogen changed from gray to white, aerial hyphas increased and entangled into group after treatment with the cell-free fermentational filtrate of B1 or B2. Observation under optical microscope showed that hyphas and spores of the pathogen swelled and distorted with concentrated cytoplasm after treatment, the spores could not germinate or germinated abnormally . A lot of vesicles appeared at the top of the hyphas, and the hyphas stopped growing and broke finally, their cytoplasm spilled from the cell. The cell-free fermentational filtrate of B1 or B2 strains contained 1795.53?g/mL and 1345.93?g/mL protein respectively, from which two antifungal proteins of 103.5 kD (B1 ) and 127.6 kD (B2) were purified.

Objective:To evaluate the value of shear wave dispersion imaging in identifying inflammatory reaction zone after liver ablation in rabbits.Methods:The animal model was made by laser ablation of rabbit liver, and then shear wave dispersion imaging and strain elastography imaging were performed on the ablation area at 3 d, 7 d, and 14 d after ablation. The shear wave dispersion values, elastic value and strain ratio measured by shear wave elastography, shear wave dispersion and strain elastography in different regions such as central necrotic tissue, surrounding inflammatory reaction zone and normal liver tissue after ablation were analyzed.Results:The shear wave dispersion values of inflammatory reaction zone around ablation site, necrotic tissue in the center of ablation site and normal liver tissue in rabbits were (26.07±4.55)m·s -1·kHz -1, (21.97±10.53)m·s -1·kHz -1and (15.45±3.94)m·s -1·kHz -1, respectively, the differences were statistically significant (all P<0.05). Compared with the three time points of 3 d, 7 d and 14 d after ablation, the shear wave dispersion value of the inflammatory zone was the highest on the 7th day after ablation ( P<0.05), while the elastic value and strain ratio in this region did not change significantly among these three time points ( P>0.05). Conclusions:Shear wave dispersion imaging can simultaneously measure tissue elasticity and viscosity, which has certain application value in identifying the inflammatory reaction zone around the ablation site in rabbit liver.

OBJECTIVETransfusion transmitted virus (TTV) DNA was detected in serum samples obtained from healthy infants and volunteer blood donors living in Jiujiang city in an attempt to shed light on the prevalence of TTV infection and the transmission route of TTV infection in infants.

METHODSModified untranslated region, polymerase chain reaction (UTR PCR) and N22 PCR were performed to test TTV DNA in serum samples from 86 infants and 58 blood donors.

RESULTSTTV DNA was detected by UTR PCR in 51 (53.5%) infants and 58 (100%) in blood donors, while that tested by N22 PCR was 14 (16.3%) and 22 (37.3%) in infants and blood donors, respectively. Among infants younger than 30 days, 1 - 6 months and 7 - 12 months of age, TTV DNA was detected by UTR PCR and N22 PCR at rates of 0, 33.3%, 95.0% and 0, 7.4%, 30.0%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONThe prevalence rates of TTV DNA detected by UTR PCR were 95% in infants of 7 - 12 months after birth and 100% in healthy blood donors in Jiujiang city. However the results obtained by N22 PCR were much less frequently in the same population. Results showed that significant difference did exist in the prevalence of TTV DNA detected by the two different PCR systems. Age-dependent increase of TTV infection was observed in early childhood, while environmental sources were considered to be the most common route of TTV acquisition as the primary infection in infants. However, the prevalence of TTV in infants of 7 - 12 months was similar to that in healthy adults in the same region.

Base Sequence ; China ; epidemiology ; DNA Virus Infections ; epidemiology ; virology ; DNA, Viral ; chemistry ; genetics ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Prevalence ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid ; Torque teno virus ; genetics

BACKGROUNDMounting evidence suggests that tumors are histologically heterogeneous and are maintained by a small population of tumor cells termed cancer stem cells. CD133 has been identified as a candidate marker of cancer stem cells in laryngeal carcinoma. This study aimed to analyze the chemoresistance of CD133(+) cancer stem cells.

METHODSThe response of Hep-2 cells to different chemotherapeutic agents was investigated and the expression of CD133 was studied. Fluorescence-activated cell sorting analysis was used to identify CD133, and the CD133(+) subset of cells was separated and analyzed in colony formation assays, cell invasion assays, chemotherapy resistance studies, and analyzed for the expression of the drug resistance gene ABCG2.

RESULTSAbout 1% - 2% of Hep-2 cells were CD133(+) cells, and the CD133(+) proportion was enriched by chemotherapy. CD133(+) cancer stem cells exhibited higher potential for clonogenicity and invasion, and were more resistant to chemotherapy. This resistance was correlated with higher expression of ABCG2.

CONCLUSIONSThis study suggested that CD133(+) cancer stem cells are more resistant to chemotherapy. The expression of ABCG2 could be partially responsible for this. Targeting this small population of CD133(+) cancer stem cells could be a strategy to develop more effective treatments for laryngeal carcinoma.

AC133 Antigen ; ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Sub-Family G, Member 2 ; ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters ; genetics ; metabolism ; Antigens, CD ; genetics ; metabolism ; Antineoplastic Agents ; pharmacology ; Blotting, Western ; Carcinoma ; genetics ; metabolism ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cisplatin ; pharmacology ; Flow Cytometry ; Fluorouracil ; pharmacology ; Glycoproteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Humans ; Laryngeal Neoplasms ; genetics ; metabolism ; Neoplasm Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Neoplastic Stem Cells ; cytology ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Paclitaxel ; pharmacology ; Peptides ; genetics ; metabolism ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the effect of chemical compounds extracted from Galla chinensis on enamel surface rehardening in vitro.

METHODSSixty bovine enamel blocks with early carious lesions were randomly divided into six groups: group1 treated NaF (positive control); group2 with GCE; group3 with GCE-B; group4 with GCE-B1; group5 with GCE-B2 and group6 with deionized water (negative control). The lesions were subjected to a pH-cycling regime for 12 days. Surface enamel microhardness was measured on the enamel blocks before and after demineralization. After pH-cycling, and the percentage of surface microhardness recovery (SMHR) was calculated.

RESULTSObvious increase of the surface hardness of the enamel was observed in all the treatments except GCE-B2 and deionized water (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSThe present study demonstrates the potential of the three GCEs (GCE, GCE-B and GCE-B1) to effect net rehardening of artificial carious lesions under dynamic pH-cyclic conditions.

Animals ; Cattle ; Dental Caries ; drug therapy ; Dental Enamel ; drug effects ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Gallic Acid ; pharmacology ; In Vitro Techniques ; Tooth Remineralization

Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Angiomyolipoma ; diagnostic imaging ; Carcinoma, Renal Cell ; diagnostic imaging ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Tomography, Spiral Computed ; methods ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo observe the effect of Nur77 on lipid loading in macrophages exposed to 40 microg/ml oxidized low density lipoprotein (ox-LDL).

METHODSStable RAW264.7 strain expressing green fluorescent protein (GFP) or GFP-Nur77 was established by G418 screening after transfection with corresponding plasmids and identified by Western blot. After 24 h stimulation with ox-LDL, intracellular lipid loading of each strain was observed by Oil Red O dyeing, and the intracellular cholesterol level was measured by liquid chromatographic-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). The transcriptional changes of CD36 and ABCA1 were monitored by Real Time Quantitative-PCR, while the expressions of these two proteins were assayed by flow cytometry and Western blot, respectively.

RESULTSAfter 24 h stimulation with ox-LDL, intracellular total cholesterol and esterified cholesterol concentration in GFP-Nur77-RAW264.7 were significantly dropped by 26.15% and 30.93% respectively (P < 0.05 vs. GFP-RAW264.7). The transcription and expression of ABCA1 in GFP-Nur77-RAW264.7 were significantly increased while the transcription and expression of CD36 were significantly reduced (all P < 0.05 vs. GFP-RAW264.7).

CONCLUSIONOrphan nuclear receptor Nur77 reduced ox-LDL induced intracellular lipid loading in macrophages by inhibiting lipid influx and enhancing lipid efflux.

Animals ; CD36 Antigens ; metabolism ; Cell Line ; Cholesterol ; metabolism ; DNA, Complementary ; DNA-Binding Proteins ; genetics ; Lipid Metabolism ; Lipoproteins, LDL ; metabolism ; Macrophages ; metabolism ; Mice ; Nuclear Receptor Subfamily 4, Group A, Member 1 ; Receptors, Steroid ; genetics ; Transfection

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the accuracy of dual-source CT coronary angiography (DSCTCA) for the depiction of functionally relevant coronary artery lesion(FRCAL), by using myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) with single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT).

METHODSDSCTCA, (99)Tc(m)-MIBI SPECT myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) and conventional coronary angiography (CCA) were performed in 59 patients with clinical suspected CAD. Coronary artery diameter narrowing of 50% or greater at DSCTCA was defined as stenosis and was compared with MPI findings. CCA was served as a reference standard for DSCTCA.

RESULTS(1) Agreement between DSCTCA and CCA was good (kappa = 0.93 for patient-based analysis, Kappa = 0.88 for vessel-based analysis). (2) DSCTCA revealed stenoses in 86 segments corresponding to 60 arteries in 34 patients. (3) MPI revealed 19 reversible, 21 partially reversible, and 5 fixed defects in 25 patients. (4) About 65.0% (39/60) of all the narrowed coronary arteries were determined to be FRCAL. Sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive values and negative predictive values, respectively, of DSCTCA in the detection of all MPI defects were 92.0%, 67.6%, 78.0%, 67.6% and 92.0% on a per-patient basis and 86.7%, 89.0%, 88.6%, 65.0% and 96.6% on a per-artery basis. (5) ROC analysis showed that predictive value of DSCTCA in FRCAL was similar with those of CCA (AUCs = 0.80, 0.82).

CONCLUSIONSDSCTCA can evaluate FRCAL indirectly. When DSCTCA results are negative, it can help ruled out patients with FRCAL. The positive DSCTCA results should combine MPI in predictor of myocardial ischemia.

Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Coronary Angiography ; methods ; Coronary Artery Disease ; diagnostic imaging ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Myocardial Perfusion Imaging ; methods ; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon ; methods ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

OBJECTIVETo explore the inhibitory effect of estrogen against metastasis of human hepatocellular carcinoma MHCC97H cells and explore the molecular mechanism.

METHODSThe inhibitory effect of estrogen on the migration and invasion of MHCC97H cells was evaluated with wound healing assay and Transwell assay. Western blotting was used for investigating the expression of MMP-2, MMP-9, AKT and p-AKT in the cells treated with estrogen.

RESULTSEstrogen treatment significantly inhibited the migration and invasion of MHCC97H cells in a dose-dependent manner. Estrogen significantly down-regulated the protein expressions of MMP-2 and MMP-9 and lowered the phosphorylation level of AKT.

CONCLUSIONThe anti-metastatic effect of estrogen involves inhibition of MMP-2 and MMP-9 in MHCC97H cells probably by regulating AKT signal pathway.

OBJECTIVETo screen the peptides that bind specifically to the hepatoma cells using phage display random peptides library.

METHODSThree rounds of panning were conducted in vitro targeting HepG2 cell lines. In nude mice bearing HepG2 tumor, one round of panning was conducted, and 30 phage clones were randomly selected for sequence analysis to identify the consensus sequence. Immunocytochemistry and immunohistochemistry were performed to determine the specificity of the phages to the hepatoma cells.

RESULTSAfter three rounds of panning in vitro and one round of panning in vivo, the phages binding to HepG2 cells were enriched. Sequence analysis of the randomly selected clones identified the peptide sequence VRKRSECLGAHD as the most frequent sequence. Immunocytochemistry and immunohistochemistry confirmed the specificity of the phage binding to the hepatoma cells.

CONCLUSIONSSpecific peptides against hepatoma cells can be obtained from a phage- display peptide library, which provides an experimental basis for developing therapeutic agents targeting hepatoma cells.

Animals ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; metabolism ; Hep G2 Cells ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms ; metabolism ; Mice ; Neoplasm Transplantation ; Peptide Library ; Peptides ; isolation & purification ; metabolism ; Protein Binding