AIM: To study the changes in capillarity of skeletal muscle during acclimation to high altitude, and explore the effects of a certain extent physical activity under hypoxia on capillary formation and the role of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in this process. METHODS: 48 Wistar rats were divided into 3 groups: Ⅰ normoxic control; Ⅱ hypoxia and Ⅲ hypoxia+exercise. Rats of Ⅱ and Ⅲ groups were subjected to hypobaric hypoxia for 5 weeks (23 h/d). They were first brought to simulated 4 000 m altitude, where rats of the Ⅲgroup were forced to swim for 1 h/d (6 d/week). Then the animals were ascent to 5 000 m. Biomicrosphere method was used to determine blood flow of skeletal muscle. The mean fiber cross-sectional area (FCSA), capillary density (CD) and capillary/fiber ratio (C/F) of red portion of the lateral head of the gastrocneminus were assayed by myofibrillar ATPase histochemistry. VEGF and its receptor KDR were assayed with immunohistochemistry method.RESULTS: By comparison with the normoxic control, 5-week hypoxic exposure resulted in a decrease in cross-sectional area of skeletal muscle fiber and an increase in CD, but the C/F remained unchanged. The blood supply to the gastrocnemius was not changed. After 5-week-exercise at high altitude, the muscle fibers did not undergo atrophy. CD, C/F, and the blood flow at rest increased significantly. VEGF protein was found primarily in the matrix between muscle fibers; KDR were shown mainly in endothelial cells of capillary. VEGF was more strongly stained in the skeletal muscle of hypoxia-exercise rats.CONCLUSION: Hypoxia itself can not induce neovascularization. While exercise during hypoxic exposure can lead to capillary formation. VEGF and KDR may play roles in it. New capillary formation benefits the blood supply, oxygen delivery and working performance at high altitude.

Background and purpose: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play an important role in tumor biological behavior. miRNAs are down-regulated or up-regulated in various cancer types, triggering abnormal cell differentiation, proliferation and apoptosis. This study was designed to investigate the expression and clinical signiifcance of miR-187*in colorectal cancer (CRC), and further to investigate its roles in promoting cell apoptosis. Methods:The expressions of miR-187* in 40 CRC cases were examined by real-time quantitative reverse transcription-PCR (qRT-PCR). The relationship between miR-187*expression and clinical features of CRC was analyzed. HCT116 cells were transfected with a miR-187*mimic and the apoptosis of the transfected cells were examined by lfow cytometry (FCM). Results:The expression of miR-187*was down-regulated in CRC tissues 0.165 (0.106, 0.428) compared with those in normal tissues 0.334 (0.211, 0.712) (P<0.05), especially in mucinous carcinoma and older age CRC (P<0.05). Transfection of HCT116 cells with a miR-187*mimic up-regulated the expression of miR-187*and increased cell early apoptosis (P<0.05). Conclusion: The expression level of miR-187* was lower in CRC. miR-187* expression correlates with histological type and age. Transfection of HCT116 cells with a miR-187*mimic accelerates apoptosis of tumor cells, suggesting that miR-187*is a potent tumor suppressor.

AIM: To study the changes in myocardial blood flow (MBF), capillarization and cardiac function in the rat during acclimation to hypoxia. METHODS: Myocardial capillary density (CD) and capillary/myocyte ratio (C/M) was assayed by alkaline phosphatase histochemistry. Biomicrosphere method was used to determine MBF in the rat after 5, 15 or 30 days hypobaric hypoxic exposure (5 000 m). RESULTS: In the course of hypoxia, MBF and cardiac function increased in the right ventricle. However, in the left ventricle, acute hypoxia caused an increase in MBF and a decrease in cardiac function. Both returned to the control level on continued hypoxic exposure. Neovascularization occurred after 15 day or 30 day of hypoxic exposure in both ventricles, judged from the significant increment of C/M ratio albeit the CD remained unchanged in the right ventricle. CONCLUSION: Our findings indicate that adaptive changes in rat heart during acclimation to hypoxia include: ① persistent increase in MBF, hypertrophy associated with increase in capillarity and enhanced cardiac function of the right ventricle; ② increase in MBF and depression of cardiac function at first, then followed by recovery of MBF and increase in capillarity accompanied with recovery of left ventricular function.

Objective To investigate the expression and clinical significance of microRNA-224 and microRNA-378e in colorectal cancer tissues and normal mucosa adjacent to tumor lesions. Methods The gene chip technology was used to detect the different expression of miRNA in colorectal carcinoma tissues and adjacent normal tissues, which was then confirmed by real-time PCR. The relationship between the pathology and clinical data was analyzed. Results The expres-sion level of miR-224 was significantly up-regulated in tumor tissue, while miR-378e was down-regulated in tumor tissue, which was confirmed by real-time PCR. The expression of miR-224 was strongly associated with histological types, while miR-378e was strongly associated with the infiltration depth of colorectal cancer. Conclusion miR-224 is a potent tumor promoter, while miR-378e is a potent tumor suppressor. Both miR-224 and miR-378e can be used as potential colorectal cancer molecular markers.

[ ABSTRACT] AIM:To investigate the depressant effect of FK228 combined with rapamycin on the human breast cancer cell line MCF-7 and MDA-MB-435.METHODS:FK228, a new histone deacetylase inhibitor, and rapamycin, the specific inhibitor of the mammalian target of rapamycin ( mTOR) protein, were used in the study.MCF-7 cells and MDA-MB-435 cells were exposed to different concentrations of FK228 and rapamycin.The inhibitory rate of cell growth was de-termined by SRB assay.Combination index ( CI) was used to evaluate the interaction between FK228 and rapamycin.The expression of the apoptotic proteins, cycle proteins and nucleic acid proteins were detected by Western blotting.The cell cycle was analyzed by flow cytometry.RESULTS: Both FK228 and rapamycin showed growth inhibitory effects on the breast cancer cell lines in a time-and dose-dependent manner.CI of the 2 drugs was less than 1 when the inhibitory rate of the cell growth was 50%effective dose (ED50)~ED70, indicating a synergistic effect.The combination therapy of FK228 with rapamycin increased the apoptotic proteins, and induced the down-regulation of phosphorylated Akt and over-expres-sion of caspase-3 compared with a single use of the drugs.The combination therapy of FK228 with rapamycin reduced the cycle proteins, and the cell cycle was arrested in G2/M.The levels of phosphorylated H2AX and acetylated H3 were ob-viously increased after combination therapy.CONCLUSION:The combination therapy of FK228 with rapamycin inhibits the cell proliferation and increases apoptosis with a synergistic effect, which may become a new trend for treating endometri-al cancer.

OBJECTIVETo optimize the protocols for isolation, in vitro culture, identification and induction of hepatic differentiation of rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs).

METHODSRat BMSCs were separated and purified by differential adherent culture for 1.5 h with the first medium change at 12 h. The surface markers of BMSCs were detected by flow cytometry. The cells were induced to differentiate into adipogenic, osteogenic, and chondrogenesis lineages. A 3-step protocol including sequential addition of growth factors, cytokines and hormones was used to induce the BMSCs to differentiate into hepatocyte-like cells.

RESULTSThe cells isolated using this protocol were positive for CD29, CD44, and CD90 and negative for CD29 and CD45. The adipogenic, osteogenic, and chondrogenic differentiation of the BMSCs were verified by Oil red, Alizarin red, and toluidine blue staining. The BMSCs induced with the 3-step protocol differentiated into hepatic-like cells that expressed hepatocyte-specific proteins (ALB and AFP) and genes.

CONCLUSIONThe optimized protocol allows simple and efficient isolation of highly purified populations of BMSCs, which can be induced into hepatic lineages in specific microenvironment.

Programmed death-1 and programmed death-ligand 1(PD-1/PD-L1)are regulatory immune checkpoint molecules that inhibit T cell activation and,therefore,play an important role in tumor immunotherapy.In recent years,increasing numbers of targeted therapeutic agents have been developed,but single immune checkpoint blockers cannot completely inhibit tumor occurrence,and tumor escape sporadically occurs.Consequently,combination therapy of targeted drugs is considered a useful method to inhibit tumorigenesis and tumor development.T cell immunoglobulin and immunoreceptor tyrosine-based inhibition motif(ITIM)domain(TIGIT)is an inhibitory type 1 poliovirus receptor that has recently been a hotspot of targeted drug therapy research.It has been shown that the combination therapy of TIGIT plus PD-1/PD-L1 can reduce tumor escape and inhibit tumorigenesis more effectively.Therefore,this review summarizes and discusses the progress on the dual blockade of TIGIT and PD-1/PD-L1 pathways in tumor immunotherapy to provide a theoretical basis for tumor im-munotherapy.

N-acetyl-p-aminophenol （APAP） is an antipyretic analgesic commonly used in clinical practice， and APAP overdose can cause severe liver injury and even death. In recent years， the incidence rate of APAP-induced liver injury （AILI） tends to increase， and it has become the second most common cause of liver transplantation worldwide. Autophagy is a highly conserved catabolic process that removes unwanted cytosolic proteins and organelles through lysosomal degradation to achieve the metabolic needs of cells themselves and the renewal of organelles. A large number of studies have shown that autophagy plays a key role in the pathophysiology of AILI， involving the mechanisms such as APAP protein conjugates， oxidative stress， JNK activation， mitochondrial dysfunction， inflammatory response and apoptosis. This article elaborates on the biological mechanism of autophagy in AILI， in order to provide a theoretical basis for the treatment of AILI and the development of autophagy regulators.

OBJECTIVE To analyse the prognosis and laryngeal function retention of patients undergoing minimally invasive and open surgery after induction chemotherapy.METHODS The clinical data of 54 hypopharyngeal carcinoma patients who received induction chemotherapy and underwent laryngeal preservation surgery in Beijing Tongren Hospital from 2016 to 2022 were retrospectively analyzed.The laryngeal function recovery and survival rate were compared between the two groups.RESULTS Twenty-eight patients underwent transoral minimally invasive surgery and 26 patients underwent partial laryngectomy and/or partial laryngectomy via external cervical approach.The 3-year survival rates of the two groups were 63%and 59%,respectively,and the difference was not statistically significant(P＞0.05).The differences were statistically significant(P＜0.05).CONCLUSION In patients with downstaged hypopharyngeal carcinoma after induction chemotherapy,the survival rate of transoral minimally invasive surgery is similar to that of open surgery,and the laryngeal function recovery of transoral minimally invasive surgery is better.

Dyskinesia-hyperpyrexia syndrome（DHS）is an acute hyperpyrexia syndrome that is different from Parkinsonism-hyperpyrexia syndrome and serotonin syndrome in patients with advanced Parkinson's disease（PD），with the main symptoms of high fever，disturbance of consciousness，elevated creatine kinase，and dyskinesia. Syndrome of inappropriate secretion of antidiuretic hormone（SIADH）is a clinical syndrome caused by excessive secretion of antidiuretic hormone，which leads to the symptoms of dilutional hyponatremia，water retention，and increases in urine sodium and urine osmotic pressure. DHS has not received widespread attention in clinical practice，and there are rare reports of DHS comorbid with SIADH. This article reports the diagnosis and treatment processes of a case of DHS comorbid with SIADH and reviews the relevant literature，in order to guide the diagnosis and treatment of PD-related critical diseases.
Hyponatremia