ObjectiveThe aim of this study is to evaluate diagnostic and prognostic value of matrix metalloproteinase-7 (MMP-7) in patients with bladder cancer.MethodsA total of 77 patients with bladder cancer and 65 healthy controls were recruited in this study.The levels of serum MMP-7 were measured by ELISA methods.ResultsThe level of serum MMP-7 in bladder cancer group was significantly higher than those in the healthy control [ [ 3.1 (0 - 32.1 ) ng/ml vs 1.0 ( 0.2 - 2.6) ng/ml,x2 =9.29,P ＜0.01 ].The level of serum MMP-7 was correlated to lymph node metastasis ( x2=10.49,P ＜ 0.01 ) and tumor grade ( x2=4.55,P =0.033 ).Receiver operating characteristic ( ROC ) curves of serum MMP-7level was 0.810.Serum MMP-7 was used to diagnose bladder cancer with the sensitivity of 83.6％ and specificity of 77.4％.The survival rate in patients with a high level of MMP-7 was lower than that with a low level of MMP-7 (x2=3.88,P =0.0488).ConclusionsMMP-7 may be closely associated with the progression of bladder cancer.Serum MMP-7 may be a useful index for diagnosis and prognosis for patients with bladder cancer.

AIM: To investigate whether the expression of integrin ?_3 and the activation of focal adhesion kinase(FAK) are involved in neointima formation after de-endothelium.METHODS: The model of intima hyperplasia was prepared by balloon injury.The levels of osteopontin(OPN),integrin ?_3 and FAK in vascular tissue were detected by Western blotting and immunohistochemistry.RESULTS: There were similar expression patterns in OPN,integrin ?_3 and FAK following balloon injury.The levels of three proteins were markedly increased 3 days after operation and reached the peak at 7th day.The increased FAK was mainly the phosphorylated form.The migration and proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells was associated with the increase in the expression of integrin ?_3 and FAK,and was parallel with rapid turnover of extracellular matrix(ECM).CONCLUSION: The interaction of cells with ECM mediated by OPN and integrin ?_3 is essential for migration.The integrin ?_3-FAK pathway is involved in neointima formation.

AIM: To determine the relationship between the changes of SM ?-actin and SM22? expression and vascular tone. METHODS: The expression of SM ?-actin and SM22? during restenosis after de-endothelialization were detected by Western blotting and immunohistochemistry. The structure of myofilaments was observed by transmission electron microscopy. The vascular contraction induced by phenylephrine was measured by a force transducer. RESULTS: The levels of SM ?-actin and SM22? expression in vascualar wall declined after de-endothelialization. The myofilaments in VSMC were modulated from well arranged and dense bundles to discrete network. However, the vascular tone and reactivity to agonist were much higher than that in control (P

Objective To explore six-degree-of-freedom (6-DF) registration methods between planning and cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) during image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT) in esophageal cancer.Methods Thirty pairs of CBCT images acquired before radiation and the corresponding planning computed tomography (CT) images of esophageal cancer were selected for further investigation.Registration markers for 6-DF image registration were determined and contoured in those images.The results of registration as well as time cost were compared among different registration methods of bone match, gray value match, manual match, and bone plus manual match.Results Contouring bone and spinal canal posterior to the target volume of esophageal carcinoma as registration marker could make 6-DF registration quick and precise.Compared with manual match, set-up errors of v rotation in bone plus manual match (-0.55° vs.-0.88°, t=2.55, P=0.020), of x-axis and v rotation in bone match (0.12 mm vs.-2.33 mm, t=5.75, P=0.000; -0.35° vs.-0.88°, t=3.00, P=0.007), and of x-axis and w rotation in gray value match (7.20 mm vs.-2.33 mm, t=3.10, P=0.006; -0.10° vs.-0.59°, t=2.81, P =0.011) were significantly different.Compared with manual match, the coincidence rate of bone plus manual match was the highest (85.55%), followed by bone match and gray value match (74.45% and 74.45%).The time cost of each registration method from longest to shortest was:6.00 -10.00 minutes for manual match, 1.00 - 5.00 minutes for bone plus manual match, 0.75 - 1.50 minutes for gray value match, and 0.50 - 0.83 minutes for bone match.Conclusions Registration marker is useful for image registration of CBCT and planning CT in patients with esophageal cancer.Bone plus manual match may be the best registration method considering both registration time and accuracy.

Objective To compare the effectiveness of medicated γintrauterine device (IUD) and medicated genefix IUD inserted immediately after abortion. Methods A multicenter clinical trail was performed for the study from Mar. 2012 to Jan. 2013. Totally 840 women who volunteered to participate were randomly allocated to γ-group (medicated γ IUD) or genefix-group (medicated genefix IUD) immediately after abortion. While 464 abortion women who had not used IUD or steroids contraceptive methods were chosen as control group. The effectiveness of the IUD were followed up for 1 year. All women were required to record the number of vaginal bleeding days and blood volume of vaginal bleeding within 3 months after abortion. Results At the 12th month, the expulsion was the most common reason for termination. The expulsion rates of genefix-group and γ-group were 2.48/100 women years and 3.12/100 women years, respectively (P>0.05). For the expulsion reasons, IUD moving down could account for more than seventy percent. The removal rate for IUD usage of two IUD groups were almost equal (3.91/100 women years verus 4.35/100 women years), the differences were not statistically significant (P>0.05). At the 90th day after abortion, comparing with control group, the bleeding and (or) spotting days of genefix-group and γ-group extended by 3.9 and 2.6 days respectively, the differences had statistical significance between the three groups (P<0.05). Among the bleeding and (or) spotting days, spotting days prolonged significantly. At the 12th month, spotting days of genefix-group andγ-group were (9.2±5.9) days and (8.5±4.6) days respectively, more than (5.2 ± 4.0) days of control group. The differences had statistical significance between IUD with control group (P<0.05), and had not between the two kinds of IUD (P>0.05). Conclusion The insertion of medicated genefix IUD and medicated γ IUD immediately after abortion is safe, feasible, has slight side effects and could be effective contraception.

Objective To establish the method of measuring quercetin content in semen cuscutae(SC) and to explore its in- vivo pharmacokinetics features.Methods The rapid and sensitive HPLC- UV method was adopted with carbamazepine acting as internal standard. After the extract of SC was given, serum samples of rats were collected and measured on C18 reverse- phase chromatographic column after liquid- liquid extract. Results The linear range of calibration curve were 0.05～ 9? g/mL (r=0.9998). The method showed good precision and recoveries for serum with 86.65～ 99.07% , and extracting recoveries 79.91～ 84.56% .The limit of detection(LOD) as 0.05? g/mL. Conclusion The pharmacokinetic process of quercetin in vivo manifestated an opening two- compartment model with t1/2(Ab)=0.13h, t1/2(? )=0.19h, t1/2(? ) =1.22h, tmax=0.333h. The results may provide evidence of safety and effectiveness for clinical use of SC.

Aim To study the mechanism of anti-tumor effect of PHⅡ-7 to K562 and K562/A02 cells.Methods The effects of individual and combined doxorubicin on K562 and K562/A02 cells were observed by MTT assay.The coefficient of drug interaction was used to analyse the synergistic effect of PHⅡ-7,obtaining the RNA from the cells stimulated by PHⅡ-7 with different doses to analyse the MDR1 gene expression level.Finally,the cumulation of doxorubicin was observed in K562 and K562/A02 cells after being coped with PHⅡ-7.Results PH Ⅱ-7 had anti-tumor effect with IC50 of (1.37?0.37) ?mol?L-1;(1.48?0.34) ?mol?L-1 for K562 and K562/A02,respectively.It could potentiate the anti-tumor effect of dororubicin with CDI of 0.22 and 0.09 for K562 and K562/A02,respectively.PHⅡ-7 could synergistically inhibit the proliferation of K562 and K562/A02 cells.The decrease of MDR1 expression level depended on the increase of dose of PHⅡ-7 acting on cells.PHⅡ-7 could also develop the cumulation of doxorubicin in cells.Conclusion PHⅡ-7 is not only a Cytotoxinic drug but also can synergistically inhibit the proliferation of K562 and K562/A02 cells with the decrease of MDR1 expression level,especially in K562/A02 cells.

OBJECTIVESTo explore the effect of lead acetate on the apoptosis of rat brain neural cells and the relationship between the apoptosis and the bcl-2 as well as bax gene expression.

METHODSLead acetate was given to SD rats by intraperitoneal injection for 5 days at the dosage of 25, 50 and l00 mg/kg body weight respectively. The rates of apoptosis and the expression of bcl-2 (Bcl-2) and bax (Bax) in neural cells from cerebral cortex, hippocampus and carebellum were measured respectively by flow cytometry (FCM).

RESULTSThe rates of apoptosis in neural cells from cerebral cortex, hippocampus and cerebellum in every treatment group were significantly higher than that of control (P < 0.01), and there was a significant dose-response relationship (r = 0.998, 0.989 and 0.997 respectively). The expression of bcl-2 was significantly decreased, whereas bax was significantly increased, in neural cells from cerebral cortex, hippocampus and cerebellum in every lead acetate treatment group (FI) compared with the control group, and there was a significant dose-response relationship (r = -0.886, -0.787 and -0.832 respectively for bcl-2, r = 0.971, 0.988 and 0.991 respectively for bax). The value of Bcl-2/Bax in every treatment group decreased significantly compared with control, and there was a nice dose-response relationship (r = -0.863, -0.829 and -0.999, respectively). Correlation analysis showed that rates of apoptosis were inversely correlated with the expression of bcl-2 (r = -0.750, -0.509, and -0.667, respectively), whereas positively correlated with the expression of bax (r = 0.748, 0.56l, and 0.668, respectively). And there were inverse correlations between the rates of apoptosis and Bcl-2/Bax expression.

CONCLUSIONLead may induce apoptosis in rat brain neural cells through the down regulation of bcl-2 and the up regulation of bax gene expression.

Animals ; Apoptosis ; Brain ; cytology ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Female ; Male ; Organometallic Compounds ; administration & dosage ; pharmacology ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins ; biosynthesis ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 ; biosynthesis ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; bcl-2-Associated X Protein

Objective To investigate the effects of down-regulation of Beclin 1, which is an autophagy regulatory molecule, expression induced by RNA interference on the proliferation and apoptosis in skin fibroblasts of naked mole rat. Methods The expression levels of Beclin 1 were detected after starvation or H2 O2 treatment.The fibroblasts were transi-ently transfected with specific siRNA targeting Beclin 1 and then screened by real-time PCR and Western blot.Cell prolifer-ation and apoptosis were determined using CCK-8 detection kit and flow cytometry ( FCM ) .The expressions of related genes were detected by Western blot.Results The expression of Beclin 1 gene at mRNA and protein levels was signifi-cantly lower in fibroblasts of the naked mole rat.Starvation and H2 O2 treatment induced changes of the Beclin 1 expression. Inhibition of Beclin 1 gene expression can inhibit cell proliferation and induce early and late apoptosis.The protein levels of p53, BAX, Bcl2, LC3B, p-AKT and mTOR were reduced after transient transfection with Beclin 1-siRNA.Conclusions The expression of Beclin 1 in fibroblasts of naked mole rat are changed in response to starvation or H2 O2 stimulation.Inhi-bition of Beclin 1 gene expression can inhibit cell proliferation and induce apoptosis.Therefore, Beclin1 gene may play a regulatory role in autophagy, proliferation and apoptosis in the skin fibroblasts of naked mole rat.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the possible effects of long-term exposure to dust containing thorium and thoron progeny on dust-exposed miners.

METHODSA negative, high voltage, exhaled thoron progeny measurement system was used to estimate the miners' thorium lung burden.

RESULTSThe highest thorium lung burden of 638 miners was 11.11 Bq. The incidence of stage 0(+) pneumoconiosis was higher among dust-exposed miners. Lung cancer mortality of the dust-exposed miners was significantly higher than that of controls (P < 0.005).

CONCLUSIONThere is a difference in cancer rates between those who have long-term exposure to dust containing thorium (in which carcinogenic ThO(2) and SiO(2) exist) and thoron progeny and those who have not.

Air Pollutants, Radioactive ; adverse effects ; Body Burden ; China ; epidemiology ; Dust ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms ; epidemiology ; Mining ; Occupational Diseases ; epidemiology ; Occupational Exposure ; adverse effects ; Thorium ; adverse effects