Objective:This study was conducted to investigate the levels of IL-23 and IL-17 in sera and tumor tissues and to ana-lyze their association with clinico-pathological parameters in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC). Methods:A total of 24 healthy sub-jects and 56 patients with CRC were recruited in this study. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was performed to measure the concen-trations of IL-23 and IL-17 in the sera of CRC patients and healthy controls and in cultured normal tissues and tumor tissues from CRC patients. Results:The levels of serum IL-23 and IL-17 were significantly higher in CRC patients than in healthy controls (P<0.01). The supernatant levels of IL-23 and IL-17 in tumor tissues were significantly higher than in normal tissues (P<0.05). Serum IL-17 level was correlated with tumor location, lymph node metastasis, and TNM stage (P<0.05), whereas serum IL-23 level showed no correlation with all clinico-pathological parameters (P>0.05). Tumor supernatant IL-17 level was correlated with tumor differentiation, lymph node metastasis, and TNM stage (P<0.05), whereas tumor supernatant IL-23 level was correlated only with TNM stage (P<0.05). Conclu-sion:IL-23 and IL-17 may be involved in the immuno-pathogenesis of CRC progression.

AIM: To investigate the changes of potassium channels in thoracic aorta of streptozotocin-induced diabetic mouse in the early stage of diabetes mellitus. METHODS: The effects of 60 mmol/L KCl, phenylephrine (PE), sodium nitroprusside (SNP) were measured and concentration-response curves to SNP were determined in the presence and in the absence of the inhibitors of potassium channels on the thoracic aortic rings of diabetic and age-matched control mice in vitro. RESULTS: STZ-diabetic mice showed a significant increase in the maximum contractile response and sensitivity of thoracic aorta to 60 mmol/L KCl and PE. The endothelium-independent relaxation response to SNP was increased by diabetes and were decreased significantly by pretreatment of the vessels with 1 mmol/L tetraethylammonium (TEA), 1 mmol/L 4-aminopyridine (4-AP) and 10 ?mol/L glibenclamide in diabetes thoracic aorta. Only 4-AP decreased relaxation response to SNP in age-matched control mice. The -logIC 50 difference of TEA in thoracic aorta rings of diabetes was significantly higher than age-matched control mice.CONCLUSION: In early stage of diabetes mellitus, the opening or expression of K Ca channels is significantly enhanced.The opening of K ATP channels is also enhanced in this stage.