The term vasculogenic mimicry describes the formation of fluid-conducting channels by highly invasive and genetically dysregulated tumor cells. The molecular mechanisms of vasculogenic mimicry may be associated with phenotypically interconversion, tumor-extracellular matrix interactions and abnormality in signal pathway of tumor cells. It is recently discovered that in hepatocellular carcinoma vasculogenic mimicry may be associated with the invasive and metastatic potential of tumor cells, as well as poor clinical outcome. This article reviews the present research progression of vasculogenic mimicry in hepatocellular carcinoma.

0.05 ). But CD8 +CD28 -T suppressor cells from colitis rats was significantly higher than that from controls (spleen: 11.3% ? 2.3% vs. 5.6% ? 1.0% ; colon: 6.5% ?5.4% vs. 1.1 %? 0.6% , P 0.05 ; colon: 7.5% ? 4.2% vs. 16.9% ? 4.1% , P

Acupuncture Therapy ; Humans ; Pharyngeal Diseases ; physiopathology ; therapy ; Pharynx ; innervation ; physiopathology ; Sensation

Objective To study the function of ginsenoside Rg3 on proliferation in human breast cancer cell line MCF-7 and effect of ginsenoside Rg3 on Cx26 gene expression and gap junctional intercellular communication (GJIC) in MCF-7, cultured in vitro. MethodsHuman breast cancer cells MCF-7 was exposed to ginsenoside Rg3 at differential concentrations for 24 h, respectively. The cell proliferation inhibition was measured by 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazo-2-yl]-2,5 diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. The expression of Cx26 mRNA was measured by RT-PCR in experimental groups and control goup. The GJIC function of MCF-7 cell was examined with scrape-loading dye transfer assay.ResultsHuman breast cancer cell line MCF-7 was exposed to ginsenoside Rg3 at a concentration of 10, 20, 40, 80, 160 μg/ml, respectively.The inhibition ratio was 3.1%, 5.2 %, 16.0 %, 26.3 %, 29.1% respectively after 24 h. Compared with control group, the concentration of 40 μg/ml above could significantly inhibit MCF-7 cell proliferation (P ＜0.05), so the experimental groups were exposed to ginsenoside Rg3 at a concentration of 40, 80, 160 μg/ml,respectively. The expression of Cx26 mRNA in every experimental group compared with control group was enhanced when MCF-7 cell was exposed to ginsenoside Rg3 at a higher concentration. It was observed that Lucifer yellow fluorescent staining was limited to a single cell in control group through fluorescent microscope,but Lucifer yellow fluorescent transfered through gap junction cells to neighboring cells, then came into being flake fluorescent staining in experiment groups. ConclusionGinsenoside Rg3 can enhance the expression of Cx26 mRNA in MCF-7 cell and restore the gap junctional intercellular communication, which may be one of important mechanisms of ginsenoside Rg3 in antitumor.

Objective To measure the macular function of the fellow eye in patients with unilateral retinal vein occlusion (RVO).Methods A total of 24 cases of unilateral RVO were diagnosed by fundus fluorescein angiography (FFA),and multifocal ERG (mfERG) was recorded by RETI scan.The mfERG data of 24 fellow eyes of those RVO patients,and 18 normal control eyes were analyzed and compared.The parameters included the amplitude density,latency of the P1 and N1 wave in 6 concentric circles and 4quadrants of the mfERG graphics.Results The amplitude densities of P1 and N1 wave in first and second concentric circles of RVO fellow eyes were significantly lower than normal eyes (t=4.520,2.147;P＜0.05).There was no significant difference (P＞0.05) of P1/N1 latency in any concentric circles or quadrants between RVO fellow eyes and normal eyes.Conclusion The central fovea of the RVO fellow eyes was functionally impaired.

Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Adult ; Asthma ; therapy ; Female ; Humans

The expression of nm23-H1 and p53 genes were studied with ABC immunohistochemical method in 54 cases of gastric cancer and 57 cases of colorectal cancer. The result showed that the expression of nm23-H1 was 72.2% in gastric cancer and 64.9% in colorectal cancer, respectively. No significant difference was found between the expression of this gene and lymph node metastasis of the cancers. The mutant p53 protein expression was 53.7% and 52.6% in gastric and colorectal cancers, respectively. Although it was not correlated with lymph node metastasis, its expression was significantly higher in cancers with distant metastases, suggesting that the mutant p53 protein expression may be indicative of poor prognosis in gastrointestinal cancers.

Objective To study the changes of lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) and ? hydroxybutyric acid (HBD) in atrophic gastritis type A(AAG) patients. Methods Auto biochemistry instrument was used to detect serum LDH and HBD. Hemoglobin, vitamin B 12 and gastrin were also examined routinely. Results All AAG patients had elevated levels of LDH and HBD in serum and 60 percent of patients had a rise of indirect bilirubin. In the first day after supplement with folic acid and vitamin B 12 , LDH and HBD decreased simultaneously by 30% along with a decrease of indirect bilirubin. The changes of LDH and HBD were earlier than changes of reticulocytes. Conclusions Serum LDH and HBD rise significantly in AAG patients. This might be associated with in situ hemolysis of bone marrow. And it may be a good index for differential diagnosis between AAG and atrophic gastritis type B.

Objective By analysing the relation between the proportion of NBCA and the arteriovenous circulation time will give the optimal proportion of NBCA for embolizing cerebral AVM with microcatheter clinically.Methods (1) The fresh aterial blood fractions from intracranial hemorrhage in vitro of 16 cases were mixed with the 20%、33%、50%、70% and 80% NBCA respectively and evaluated the coagulation times with the different densities of NBCA in the fresh aterial blood in vitro; (2) two cases were performed with superselective embolotherapy to five feeding arteri. Results (1) the correlation index between different densities of NBCA and the fresh areterial blood in vitro , T (c) =e 1.9994-1.487D , (2) about 90% nidus of AVM were occluded after embolization, and the fistulas of AVF were basically closed after embolization.Conclusions There is a mathematical model between the arteriovenous circulation time and the proportion of NBCA, thus providing the theoretical clinical application of the embolotherapy of CAVM with microcatheter.

Objective To study the expressing status of antisense tissue inhibitor of metalloproteina se-1(TIMP-1) in hepatic stellate cells (HSC) constructed in vitro, and to eval u ate the effects on the production of type Ⅰ and Ⅲ collagens secreted by activated rat HSC. Methods HSC were extracted from normal rat liver by pronase and co llagenase digestion and purified by centrifugal elutriation, and were cultured pla stic until they were activated to a myofibroblastic phenotype after 7-10 days. RT-nest-PCR and gene recombinant techniques were used to construct the rat ant isense TIMP-1 expression plasmid which can express in eukaryotic cells, and seg uenced after being counstructed. The expressing plasmid and the pcDNA3 empty pla smid were transfected into HSC by Effectene reagent separately. The cells were sel ected after growing in DMEM containing 400 ?g/ml G418 for 3 to 4 weeks. Exp ression of TIMP-1 in HSC was d etermined by Northern blot and Western blot. We tested the interstitial collagen ase activity in culture media with FITC-labled type Ⅰ collagen as substrate. U ltimately, we quantified the typeⅠ and type Ⅲ collagen in HSC by Wester n blot. Results The exogenous antisense TIMP-1 recombinant plasmid could block the expression of TIMP-1 greatly, while there were not the same outcome i n pcDNA3 empty plasmid g roup and non-transfecting control group. The ratio of TIMP-1/GAPDH was 0.67, 2 .41 and 2.97 respectively at mRNA level( P