· AlM: To study the effect of bone mesenchymal stem cells ( BMSCs ) and chondroitinaseABC ( ChABC ) on photoreceptor apoptosis in the retina of sodium iodate-induced rats.
·METHODS:Forty Sprague Dawley rats ( SD rats) were intraperitoneally injected with NalO3 (30g/L, 100mg/kg) to establish the retinal degeneration models ( postnatal 28d).These rats were devided into 4 groups.Group A was not injected, group B was injected with BMSCs, group C was injected with BMSCs and ChABC, and group D was injected with phosphate buffer saline ( PBS).After 28d, subretinal injection were applied. Hematoxyln - eosinstaining ( HE ) , tunel and immunohistochemistry were performed at 21d after subretinal injection.
· RESULTS: Photoreceptor number and photoreceptor apoptosis rate of B and C groups were more than those of A and D groups, and there was significant difference statistically ( P <0.05 ) . Photoreceptor number and photoreceptor apoptosis rate of group B were compared with those of group C, and there was no statistical significance between B and C groups ( P>0.05 ) .Glial fibrillary acidic protein ( GFAP) was expressed by BMSCs after intraocular injection.
· CONCLUSlON: BMSCs and ChABC injected into subretinal space may alleviate photoreceptor apoptosis so as to protect retinal photoreceptor cells in degenerated rats.

Objective To evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of tapering the dosage of recom-binant human tumor necrosis factor receptor-Fc fusion protein (rhTNFR-Fc) combined with DMARDs in the treatment of peripheral joints involvement of ankylosing spondylitis. Methods Sixty patients who met the classification criteria of ankyloding spondylitis were enrolled. Meanwhile, all patients had one or more of the following joint involvement: hip, knee, ankle, and shoulder. Their BASDAI was higher than 4, joint pain VAS≥4, ESR ≥30 mm/1 h and CRP≥8 mg/L. Tuberculosis, hepatitis B, hepatitis C infection or other microorgan-isms infections were excluded. All enrolled patients had no serious heart,liver,kidney, or other internal organ involvement. During the first stage (The first eight weeks patients were matched by age and, disease activity, then randomly divided into the rhTNFR-Fc (the control group) treatment group in which patients were treated with 25 mg rhTNFR-Fc subcutaneous injection twice per week for 4 months) and rhTNFR-Fc dosage tapering group in which 25 mg rhTNFR-Fc were subcutaneously injected once per week for 4 weeks and then followed by 12.5 mg per week for 4 weeks, then once every 10 days for 6 times. Then the dosage of rhTNFR-Fc dosage of the dosage tapering group (the experimental group) was changed to 12.5 mg subcutaneous injection once every 15 days for another 4 times combined with methotrexate 7.5 mg per week and Salfasalazine 2 g daily and thalidomide 100 mg per night. The second stage started from week 9 to 24. In addition to the 30 cases at the first stage, 42 cases were included based on the same inclusion criteria for stage one. Patients' clinical and laboratory parameters were evaluated at week 0, 4, 8, 16 and 24. Results During the first four weeks, all patients of both control group and experimental group reached ASAS20, 97% (29/30) patients reached ASAS50 in the control group, 83% (25/30) patients reached ASAS50 in the experimental group. At week 8, patients in both groups maintained at 100% ASAS20 improvement, 100% (13/13) patients in the control group reached ASAS50, and that of the experimental group was 97% (29/30), the differences between the two groups were not statistically significant (P>0.05). In the second stage, 72 cases (100%) could achieve ASAS20, 63 cases (88%) achieved ASASSO at week 16. At week 24, 72 cases (100%) remained to achieve ASAS20, 71 cases (99%) achieved ASAS50. The safety and compliance of the two groups were good. Two cases developed infection, one patient had mild elevation of serum transaminase. Conclusion Tapering the dosage combined with DMARDs is an effective and safe approach in the treatment of peripheral joints involvement of ankylosing spondylitis. The compliance of this strategy is good and only few patients have serum transaminase elevation. But attention should be paid to the increased rate of infection.

Objective To investigate the relationship between plasma homocysteine (Hey) level and ankylosing spondylitis (AS).To analyze the association between the NS,N10 methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTFHR) gene polymorphism and AS.Methods One hundred patients with AS and 60 healthy controls were included in the study.The plasma Hey level was examined by enzyme-linked immunoadsorbent assay and MTHFR gene polymorphism was analyzed by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP).Results Compared with heahhy controls,the plasma Hey level in AS patients was significantly higher than that of the controls (P＜0.01).There was no significant difference in the frequen-cies of MTHFR genotype and alleles between AS and the controls (P＞0.05),But the ratio of T/T genotype mutation was different between AS and the controls (P＜0.05).The plasma Hey level of T/T genotype was significantly higher than that of C/T or C/C genotype in AS and the controls (P＜0.01).Logisticalregression analysis indicated that Hey was an independent risk factor for AS (P＜0.01,0R=4.582,95%CI=1.984～10.585).Conclusion The plasma homocysteine level is significantly increased in AS patients.Hyperhomo-cysteinemia is an independent risk factor for AS.MTHFR T/T genotype mutation is an important mechanism of hyperhomocysteinemia and may be related with AS.

Objective:To systematically evaluate the risks of anti-TNF-αtreatment-associated infection, severe infection and tuberculosis in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients, and to reduce the infection incidences associated with anti-TNF-αtherapy. Methods:We used Meta analysis to systematically review randomized controlled trials on anti-TNF-αtreatment associated risks of infecion, severe infection and tuberculosis in AR patients.Results:Although no statistically significant differences were detected in TB risk between anit-TNF-αtreatment and the control group (0.5%vs 0.07%;P=0.27, OR=1.85, 95%CI:0.62-5.52), there still existed a clinically obvious elevation of TB risk in monoclonal anti-TNF-αtreatment, which was illustrated by the results that no TB case was reported in the etanercept group, but 11 TBs in 2050 infliximab-treated cases, and 3 TBs in 722 adalimumab-treated cases. The total infection and severe infection risks were also signiifcantly higher in patients receiving anti-TNF-αtreatment (P<0.05). Subanalysis revealed that etanercept showed no signiifcantly higher infection or severe infection risk than control group (P>0.05), while both kinds of monoclonal antibodies of TNF-αblockers showed a signiifcantly elevated infection or severe infection risks (P<0.05). High doses of anti-TNF-αtreatment were associated with statistically increased risks of severe infection (6.0%vs 2.8%, P=0.04, OR=1.68, 95%CI:1.02-2.78). Conclusion:The TB risk of anti-TNF-αtreatment deserves close attention, especially in places with high rate of BCG vaccination and MTb infection. Monoclonal anti-TNF-αtreatment brings higher risks of infection and severe infection than soluble TNF-αreceptor.

OBJECTIVESThe effect of vascular active peptides on the development of pulmonary remodeling and pulmonary hypertension due to left to right shunt congenital heart diseases is the focus of today's studies. The present study was conducted to investigate the roles of adrenomedullin (ADM) and adrenotensin (ADT) in pulmonary remodeling due to left to right shunt in rat lungs.

METHODSTwenty-one male Wistar rats were divided into two groups randomly. A right common carotid artery to external jugular vein shunt operation was performed on experimental rats (n = 9) to establish a left to right shunt animal model. Meanwhile, the common carotid artery and external jugular vein of the control group rats (n = 12) were just isolated without connection. Twelve weeks later, the mean pulmonary artery pressure (mPAP), the right ventricle to left ventricle plus septum ratio [weight, RV/(LV + SP)], the percentage of media wall thickness (MT%) were calculated. The distributions and relative protein contents of ADM and ADT in lungs were measured by immunohistochemical staining and Western blotting analysis. The relative gene expression for ADM, ADT, p46-p54 stress-actived protein kinase (SAPK) and p44 extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase 1 (ERK(1)) were investigated by RT-PCR.

RESULTSThe muscular and the tunica intimae layer of pulmonary artery were thicker in experiment group rats than those of control group, and the mPAP increased significantly in shunt group [(27.10 +/- 6.67) mm Hg (1 mm Hg = 0.133 kPa)] compared with that in control group [(14.32 +/- 3.14) mm Hg] (t = 5.5507, P < 0.001). The ratios of RV/(LV + SP) and MT% increased significantly in experimental group in contrast to the control group (P < 0.001). ADM and ADT positive granules distributed mainly over vascular smooth muscle cells, and Western blotting and integrated optical density analysis showed that the content of ADM increased in shunt group rats (P < 0.001), however, ADT content decreased (P < 0.001). The mRNA expression of ADM, SAPK and ERK(1) up-regulated in experiment group compared with the control group (P < 0.01, and P < 0.001 respectively), however, the ADT mRNA expression decreased in experimental rats in contrast to the control group (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONSThe phenomenon of intramolecular regulation of ADM and ADT, which both derived from proadrenomedullin, existed in the development of pulmonary remodeling and pulmonary hypertension due to left to right shunt. The mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) signal transduction pathway has been activated in the formation of left to right shunt pulmonary remodeling and pulmonary hypertension, and ADM may slow down the occurrence of pulmonary hypertension through cutting off MAPKs signaling pathway.

Adrenomedullin ; biosynthesis ; Airway Remodeling ; Animals ; Hypertension, Pulmonary ; metabolism ; Lung ; metabolism ; physiopathology ; Male ; Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases ; metabolism ; Peptide Fragments ; biosynthesis ; Pulmonary Artery ; metabolism ; Pulmonary Circulation ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Signal Transduction

OBJECTIVETo study the inhibitive effects of gastric cancer cell-dendritic cell fusion vaccine on tumor cells of proliferation cycle.

METHODSPeripheral blood mononuclear cells were separated from gastric cancer patients and co-cultured with granulocyte macrophage colony stimulating factors(GM-CSF), interleukin-4(IL-4) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha(TNF-alpha) to generate mature dendritic cells. The dendritic cells and SGC7901 cells were fused by polyethylene glycol, and the pure fusion cells were screened out by selective culture systems. The inhibitive effects of gastric cancer cell-dendritic cell fusion vaccines on tumor cell proliferation cycle in vivo and in vitro were detected by flow cytometry.

RESULTSTreated with the fusion vaccine in vitro, the percentages of G(0)/G(1), S and G(2)/M cells of tumor cells were (76.77+/- 4.38)%, (16.50+/- 2.90)% and (6.73+/- 1.59)% respectively. There were significant differences in the percentages of different cell cycle tumor cells between the tumor cells treated with the fusion vaccine and those co-cultured with dendritic cell or T cells alone(P< 0.01). The proliferative index of the tumor cells treated with the fusion vaccine was 23.34+/- 3.51, significantly lower than those co-cultured with dendritic cell and controls (P< 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSFusion vaccines can affect cell cycle of the tumor cells, thus inhibit tumor cell proliferation and growth.

Cancer Vaccines ; immunology ; pharmacology ; Cell Cycle ; drug effects ; Cell Fusion ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Dendritic Cells ; immunology ; Humans ; Stomach Neoplasms ; immunology ; Tumor Cells, Cultured

UNLABELLED: OBJECTIVE To investigate the time-dependent expression of fibroblast activation protein (FAP) and alpha-smooth muscle actin(alpha-SMA) during the incised wound healing of the skin in mice. METHODS: The expression of FAP and alpha-SMA in incised wound of mice skin was detected by immunohistochemistry and Western blot. RESULTS: By immunohistochemistry, the expression of FAP and alpha-SMA in the normal skin and the skin 1 h after injury maintained at a very low level, but the positive cells expressing FAP and alpha-SMA started to elevate 6 h after injury and reached its peak on 5 d for FAP and on 3 d for alpha-SMA, then gradually decreased to the normal level on 14 d. The expression of FAP and alpha-SMA was observed throughout the wound healing stages 1 d after injuries by Western blot as well with a peak expression occurring on 5 d for FAP and on 3 d for alpha-SMA after injury. CONCLUSION FAP may be a potentially useful marker for wound age determination and alpha-SMA may be used as an effective indicator for the mid- and late stage incised wound of mice skin. The combination use of FAP and alpha-SMA may be potentially effective indicators for wound age determination.
Actins/metabolism* ; Animals ; Blotting, Western ; Disease Models, Animal ; Endopeptidases ; Female ; Fibroblasts/metabolism* ; Forensic Pathology ; Gelatinases/metabolism* ; Immunohistochemistry ; Male ; Membrane Proteins/metabolism* ; Mice ; Random Allocation ; Serine Endopeptidases/metabolism* ; Skin/metabolism* ; Time Factors ; Wound Healing ; Wounds and Injuries/physiopathology*

AIMTo design and synthesize new phenyloxyisobutyric acid analogues as antidiabetic compounds.

METHODSEight new target compounds were synthesized by combination of lipophilic moieties and acidic moiety with nucleophilic replacement or Mitsunobu condensation. The eight compounds were confirmed by 1H NMR, 13C NMR, IR and MS.

RESULTSIn vitro insulin-sensitizing activity (3T3-L1 adipocyte) demonstrated, that the cultured glucose concentration of up-clear solution detected with GOD-POD assay were 5.942, 6.339, 6.226 and 6.512 mmol x L(-1), respectively, when rosiglitazone, pioglitazone, compounds A and B were added to the insulin-resistant system.

CONCLUSIONIn vitro insulin-sensitizing activity of target compound A is in between that of rosiglitazone and pioglitazone, and activity of target compound B is slightly less than that of pioglitazone.

3T3-L1 Cells ; Adipocytes ; drug effects ; Animals ; Butyrates ; chemical synthesis ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Hypoglycemic Agents ; chemical synthesis ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Insulin ; pharmacology ; Mice ; Molecular Structure ; PPAR gamma ; agonists ; pharmacology

OBJECTIVETo explore the effect of microRNA-21 (miR-21) antisense oligonucleotide on the biological characteristics of human cervical squamous carcinoma cell lines SiHa in vivo and in vitro.

METHODSSpecific phosphorothioate antisense oligodeoxynucleotides targeting miR-21 were synthesized and transfected into cervical cancer cells in vitro. Expression of miR-21 in SiHa after transfection was detected by real-time RT-PCR. The cell proliferation was evaluated by MTT assay and colony formation experiment. The cell apoptosis was analyzed by annexin V-FITC/PI analysis. The inhibitory effect of miR-21 antisense oligonucleotide on tumor growth was evaluated by tumor growth curves and immunohistochemistry (MaxVision method). H-E staining was used to document morphological changes and fluorometric TUNEL assay was to detect the apoptotic activity.

RESULTSAfter the transfection of antisense miR-21, the expression of miR-21 decreased along with an obvious growth inhibition, compared with that of the control groups (P < 0.05). Colony formation of both cell lines was markedly inhibited with antisense miR-21 (55.6% ± 1.4%), as compared with that in the negative group (98.3% ± 2.0%, P < 0.05). Flow cytometry assay showed that antisense miR-21 expression significantly enhanced the cell apoptosis (6.7% ± 1.3% and 29.4% ± 1.7%, P < 0.05). The tumor-forming rates of miR-21 transfected group, and negative control groups were 3/8 and 6/8, respectively (P < 0.05). Ki-67 proliferative marker staining decreased significantly (42% vs 90%) in the transfected group compared with negative control groups. Extensive dead tumor cells were seen in the miR-21 transfected cells along with a marked increase of apoptosis (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONTargeted antisense oligonucleotide miR-21 effectively suppresses the growth of cervical carcinoma SiHa cells both in vitro and in vivo through an induction of apoptosis.

Animals ; Apoptosis ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; genetics ; metabolism ; pathology ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Proliferation ; Female ; Humans ; Ki-67 Antigen ; metabolism ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Mice, Nude ; MicroRNAs ; genetics ; metabolism ; Neoplasm Transplantation ; Oligonucleotides, Antisense ; metabolism ; Transfection ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms ; genetics ; metabolism ; pathology

In recent years, Bacterial resistance is more and more serious for the irrational use of antibiotics produces resistant strains and other reasons. Human are trying to solve the problem from different ways, including the study of antimicrobial peptides. Defensin is one of the most important of antimicrobial peptides. A novel antimicrobial peptide, human beta-defensin 3, was isolated and demonstrated a salt-insensitive broad spectrum of potent antimicrobial activity against many potentially pathogenic microbes. The total RNA was extracted from human tonsil and the hbetaD-3 specific cDNA sequence was amplified with RT-PCR. After sequenced, the target DNA fragment was cloned into pQE-80L vector together with the DNA fragment encoding carrier protein DHFR. The recombinant vectors were transformed into E. coli M15 and the expression was induced based on the optimal values of the IPTG concentration incubation temperature and induction time determined in the previous section. The expressed proteins were analyzed by SDS-PAGE and Western-blotting. The mass of the recombinant protein was about 40% of total bacteria protein. Isolate and purify the target protein. The recombinant hbetaD-3 fusion proteins possess the antimicrobial activity to staphylococcus aureus, multiresistant staphylococcus aureus (only vancomycin-sensitive) and Candida albicans in the assay of drug susceptibility. Advanced study can be continued based on our experiments.
Cloning, Molecular ; Escherichia coli ; genetics ; Plasmids ; Recombinant Fusion Proteins ; biosynthesis ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Staphylococcus aureus ; drug effects ; Tetrahydrofolate Dehydrogenase ; genetics ; beta-Defensins ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; pharmacology