AIM:To investigate the changes of apoptosis and activation of I??-? induced by vinblastine via the blockage of caspase-3 signal transduction pathway, and to explore the possible mechanism of signal transduction pathway involving in the vinblastine-induced apoptosis. METHODS: The breast cancer cell lines Bcap37 were treated with different concentrations of vinblatine dissolved in dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO) or caspase-3 inhibitor (DEVD-CHO, 100 ?mol/L) for 3 h. The changes of the proliferation were detected by MTT methods. The apoptosis was determined by observing the internucleosomal DNA cleavage and PI staining, and the proteins of pro-caspase-3 and I??-? were detected by Western blotting methods. RESULTS: The results showed that vinblastine induced the pro-caspase-3 degradation. The significantly attenuation of vinblastine-induced apoptosis in breast cancer cell line by caspase-3 inhibitor DEVD-CHO was verified by MTT assay, internucleosomal DNA cleavage and flow cytometry PI staining analysis. The IC50 was 56.8 ?mol/L and 87.4 ?mol/L respectively for two groups. The inhibition of vinblastine-induced phosphorylated degradation of I??-? was also observed by DEVD-CHO. CONCLUSION: Based on these finding, vinblastine induces apoptosis in breast cancer cells via NF-??/I?? signal transduction pathway, which is co-operated by caspase signal pathway. Through the blockage of caspase pathway with caspase-3 inhibitor, vinblastine-induced apoptosis and the phosphorylated degradation of I??-? in breast cancer cells are suppressed greatly.

AIM: To investigate the expression of drug resistance genes, MDR1 and MRP, in patients with primary breast cancer after neoadjuvant chemotherapy. METHODS: MDR1 and MRP gene expression were detected by semi-quantitative RT-PCR in 20 patients with primary breast cancer before and after chemotherapy. RESULTS: Before chemotherapy, MDR1 and MRP expression could be detected in 15 cases (75%) and 18 cases (90%), respectively. After chemotherapy, expression of MDR1 was not significantly different from that before chemotherapy, but expression of MRP was significantly different from that before chemotherapy. CONCLUSION: Drug resistance gene MRP, but not MDR1 expression is enhanced in patients with primary breast cancer subjected to neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

AIM: To investigate the expression of angiopoietin-Ⅱ(Ang-Ⅱ)in primary gastric cancer and the pathological factors that influences it. METHODS: Expression of Ang-Ⅱ and VEGF were studied in 72 primary gastric cancer and adjacent normal tissue by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: The significant difference of Ang-Ⅱ expression between primary tumor and adjacent normal tissue samples was observed. The correlationship between Ang-Ⅱ and VEGF expression in tumors was statistically significant. The expression of Ang-Ⅱ was related to tumor stage and vascular involvement. CONCLUSION: The results manifested that Ang-Ⅱ may play a role in regulating tumor angiogenesis.

AIM: To construct pcDNA3.1+/MAGE-3 DNA vaccine and investigate the antigen-specific antitumor immune responses induced by pcDNA3.1+/MAGE-3 DNA vaccine in vivo. METHODS: C57BL/6 mice challenged with B16/MAGE-3 cells were immunized by intramuscular injection of pcDNA3.1+/MAGE-3 DNA vaccine every 10 days. pcDNA3.1+ plasmid and PBS were used as controls. After three cycles of immunization, murine splenic lymphocytes, serum, and tumor were obtained for cytotoxity assay, detections of cytokines (IL-2 and IFN-?), measurement of MAGE-3 antibody, and tumor inhibitory rates, respectively. RESULTS: The pcDNA3.1+/MAGE-3 DNA vaccine immunized murine lymphocytes induced specific cytotoxicity against B16/MAGE-3 cells. Significantly increased secretions of IL-2 and IFN-? were detected. The titres of antibody against MAGE-3 were 1∶1 and 1∶20, while controls were negative. The tumor inhibitory rate in pcDNA3.1+/MAGE-3 group was significantly different from that in controls. CONCLUSION: The pcDNA3.1+/MAGE-3 DNA vaccine was constructed successfully. pcDNA3.1+/MAGE-3 DNA vaccine activates both cellular and humoral immune responses, and induces antigen-specific antitumor immune responses in vivo. [

BACKGROUND:Fluoride treatment of osteoporosis has been controversial.Literatures addressing the effect of fluoride on bone bio-mechanical parameters of femur in young rats are few.OBJECTIVE:To study the effects of fluoride on bone biomechanical parameters of femur in young rats.METHODS:Ninety 2-month-old SPF Sprague Dawley rats,half male and female,were randomly divided into 9 groups:control group(young,adult and long-time)and drug-administered group(young high-fluoride,young low-fluoride,adult high-fluoride,adut low-fluoride,long-term high-fluoride and long-term low-fluoride).Rats in the control group were orally administered with physiological saline,while in the drug-administered group were given orally with different dose fluoride at the corresponding times.After experiment,rats were sacrificed under anaesthesia.Three-point bending test was performed at the left femur.The effects of fluoride on maximum load and rigidity of femur were measured.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Compared with young control group,the maximum load and the rigidity of femur in the young high-fluoride group were decreased by 13.18%and 13.61%,respectively(P＜0.05),which had no dramatically difference in the young low-fluoride group.Compared with long-term high-fluoride group,the maximum load and the rigidity offemur in the young high-fluoride were decreased by 17.22%and 17.17%(P＜0.05),which were obvious increased in the long.term low-fluoride grou by 18.33%and 19.15%,respectively(P＜0.05).The maximum load and the rigidity of femur were strengthened in the adult high-fluoride and adult low-fluoride groups(P＜0.05).The results suggested that young rats are more sensitive to high-dose fluoride,which can reduce bone quality in rats.The negative effects on bone quailty of rats were gradually displayed as the prolongation of the period of fluoride.

AIM: To evaluate the influence of radiofrequency (RF) hyperthermia on immunity function in mice. METHODS: The expression pattern of T helper type 1 (Th1) and T helper type 2 (Th2) cytokines in splenocyte culture supernatants, mainly the expression levels of IFN-?, IL-2, IL-4 and IL-10 in splenocyte culture supernatants of mice in tumor-bearing group, surgical resection group, RF therapy group and normal control group were detected by enzyme-linked immunoadsordent assay (ELISA). RESULTS: IL-2 concentration in two weeks after RF therapy group was higher than that in two weeks after surgical resection and normal control groups (P0.05). CONCLUSION: RF hyperthermia may activate the transformation from Th2 to Th1 and facilitate the excretion of Th1 type cytokines that play an important role in the anti-tumor immunity.

Objective The brain volume and behavioral performance of emotional memory were measured by combining voxel-hased morphometry (VBM) and behavior to explore the morphological characters of brain regions related to the emotional enhancement effect of memory.Methods A total of 32 healthy young subjects participated in the study.The experimental processes included MR scan and behavioral performance of emotional memory the latter of which involved two phases-encoding and retrieval.Behavioral performance was recorded and the whole-brain 3D MRI data were acquired via 3.0T MR.3D MRI data were segmented by VBM5,and the wholebrain volumes of gray matter,white matter and CSF were produced.SPM5 and SPSS13.0 were used for statistical analysis of the 3D MRI data and behavioral data,respectively.Results Retrieval accuracy of the emotional pictures was higher than that of the neutral pictures ( t =5.08,P＜0.001 ),the emotional enhancement effect was significant ( Δ Pr =0.12 ± 0.01 ).Brain regions related to emotional enhancement effect included bilateral amygdala,dorsolateral prefrontal cortex,middle frontal gyrus,dorsomedial prefrontal cortex,fusiform gyms,right parahippocampus,left orbitofrontal cortex and middle cingulate gyms.Volume ratio of bilateral amygdala were related to emotion enhancement effect evidently (left:r=0.564,P＜0.01 ; right:r=0.541,P＜0.01 ).Conclusion This study morphologically confirms that brain regions,such as amygdale and prefrontal cortex,are critical structures for the enhancement of emotional memory,and further extends the findings of previous functional imaging studies.

Objective To evaluate the accuracy of five blood glucose measurements commonly used in ICU and to determine the potential factors interfering the accuracy. Method This prospective study carried out in consecutively enrolled 49 patients stayed more than 48 hours in the medical ICU of Peking Union Medical College Hospital from November 2007 to January 2008. A total of 130 blood samples were measured to determine blood glucose with five different methods, and the biochemistry analyzer in central laboratory was regarded as reference method for comparison with other four methods, ( 1 ) capillary blood/glucometer;(2) arterial blood/glucometer; (3) arterial blood/blood gas analyzer; and (4) arterial blood/biochemistry analyzer. The accuracy of a method tested was judged by the difference in level of blood glucose between it and reference method, correlation coefficient, bias correction factor and discrepancy. The independent factors for the discrepancies were identified by multivariate logistic regression. Results The values of differences in level of blood glucose between above four methods and the reference were ( 1.7 ± 1.4) mmol/L,( 1.6 ± 1.4 ) mmol/L, ( 1.1 ± 1.2) mmol/L, and (0.5 ± 1.2 ) mmol/L, respectively. The rates of discrepancy were 66.9%, 63.8%, 40.0% and 23.8%. The correlation coefficients were 0. 844, 0. 845, 0. 895and 0. 896. The bias correction factors were 0. 821,0.831,0.914 and 0. 979. Decrease in hematocrit was statistically associated with the discrepancy between glucometer analysis methods and the reference, with OR of 0.923 for capillary blood ( P = 0.03 ) and 0. 912 for arterial blood( P = 0.014), respectively. Conclusions Glucometer analysis poorly correlated with reference method and blood gas analysis in ICU patients. Decrease in hematocrit significantly increased the degree of discrepancy in glucose measurements between glucometer analysis and the reference.

BACKGROUND:The mechanical properties of monkeys are the closest to the human body.Monkey is the ideal animal model of osteoporosis research.OBJECTIVE:To explore the biomechanical properties of the long bones and vertebrae in rhesus monkeys.DESIGN.TIME AND SETTING:The mechanics experiment for the study was based on monkeys,which was completed in the South Medical University,Key Laboratory of Medical Biomechanics in Octobor 2006.MATERIALS:Four male macaca mulattas aged 17.5 years on average and three female crab-eating monkeys aged 9 years on average.METHODS:Long bones(femur,tibia,fibula,humerus,radius and ulna)and the third and fourth lumbar vertebrae of three adult crab-eating monkeys and four old macaca mulattes were teken to do four-point bending test,torsion test,indentation test and compression test respectively.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES:①The results of compression experiments and indentation experiments in monkey vertebrae.②The maximum load and the rigidity factor in left side of long bone of monkeys.③The maximum torque(N·m)in the right side of long bone of monkeys.RESULTS:①In the four-point bending tests,the maximum Ioad of the left ulna,fibula,humerus,femur,tibia and radius in macaca mulattas were(574.16±163.53),(179.98±38.32),(1487.9±965.12),(1928.60±336.23),(1303.23±969.35),(559.92±1.12)N,respectively.While the rigidity factor of the left femur,tibia,fibula,humerus,radius and ulna in macaca mulattas were (53.49±14.22),(28.41±5.86),(114.22±13.24),(142.16±18.56).(101.11±15.46),(69.13±5.54)N/mm,respectively.The maximum load of the left femur,tibia.fibula,humerus,radius and ulna in crab-eating monkeys were(179.93±19.38),(53.82±5.31),(631.61±225.81),(726.07±245.69),(424.52±49.s0),(1 91.97±67.73)N,respectively;however,the rigidity factor of the left femur,tibia,fibula,humerus,radius and ulna in crab-eating monkeys were(21.45±2.63),(16.25±6.66),(68.5±12.22),(76.79±14.01),(41.80±2.79),(64.31±15.89)N/mm,respectively.②In the torsion test,the maximum torque of the right fibula,humerus,femur and tibia in macaca mulattas were(1.55±0.82),(22.26±4.26),(30.93±6.54),(17.49±4.04)N·m,respectively.The maximum torqua of the right fibula,humerus,femur,tibia in crab-eating monkeys were(0.81±0.15),(10.34±2.06),(11.58±0.76),(6.68±1.34)N·m,respectively;③In the compression test,the maximal compression load and the rigidity factor of L4 in macaca mulattas were (2811.21±403.90)N,and(69.47±8.92)N/mm,respectively;the maximal compression load and the rigidity factor of L4 in crab-eating monkeys were(1659.90±339.08)N,and(36.29±6.61)N/mm,respectively.④In the indentation test,the maximal indentation and the maximal anti-pressure of L_3 in macaca mulattas were(521.90±38.94)N,and(699.16±43.46)MPa,respectively;the maximal indentation and the maximal anti-pressure of L_3 in crab-eating monkeys were(614±145.94)N,and (815.92±193.69)MPa,respectively.CONCLUSION:Experimental data derived from the experiments demonstrated that rhesus monkeys as a kind of nonhuman primate animals have an important reference value in the animal studies of osteoporosis.

[Summary] A 32 year-old woman in the third trimester of pregnancy was admitted for severe acute pancreatitis due to hypertriglyceridemia . During hospitalization she developed multiorgan dysfunction , infected pancreatic necrosis , abdominal compartment syndrome and intrauterine fetal death . She was successfully treated by multidisciplinary team including department of emergency medicine , ICU, gastroenterology, obstetrics, endocrinology, ultrasonography, radiology, infectious disease, nutrition and surgery.