Diagnosis, Differential ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Phytotherapy ; Research Design

Aged ; Antibodies, Monoclonal ; metabolism ; Carcinoma, Transitional Cell ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Cystectomy ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Keratin-7 ; metabolism ; Keratins ; immunology ; Lung Neoplasms ; secondary ; Male ; Urinary Bladder Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Vimentin ; metabolism

To investigate the therapeutic effect of artesunate on mouse cytomegalovirus pneumonia, the BALB/c-nu mice were infected with murine cytomegalovirus-green fluorescent protein (MCMV-GFP) by nose dropping method. The experimental protocol was approved by the Medical Laboratory Animal Ethics Committee of Guangzhou Medical University. The BALB/c-nu mice were randomly divided into five groups: control group, MCMV pneumonia group, and artesunate (60, 120, and 240 mg·kg^-1) groups. The survival rate, weights, and virus loads in lungs among the groups were observed. The degree of histopathologic changes in lungs was assessed directly by hematoxylin-eosin (HE) assay. MCMV-GFP expression was assessed by immunofluorescence. In addition, reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis was performed to investigate the content of major immediate early 1 (Mie1) mRNA, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to detect the changes of inflammatory factors, interleukin 10 (IL-10), IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α). Western blot analysis was used to detect the expression of the changes of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) signaling pathways in total proteins. Compared with MCMV group, artesunate (120 mg·kg^-1) significantly increased body weights of MCMV-infected nude mice over 30 days, and decreased the viral titer in lung homogenate, lung inflammation, and histological severity. Moreover, the administration of artesunate (120 mg·kg^-1) could downregulate the expression of phospho-NF-κB (p-NF-κB) p65 in the lungs of mice. The present study suggested that artesunate can protect the immunocompromised mice from MCMV-induced interstitial pneumonia via downregulating NF-κB signaling pathway, thus attenuating inflammation in the lungs.

AIM: To observe the role of c-fos in the protection by cholecystokinin-octapeptide (CCK-8) against pulmonary artery smooth muscle cell (PASMC) injury induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). METHODS: The ultrastructure of PASMC was observed under transmission electron microscope (TEM). MDA content,LDH release and the rate of trypan blue in PASMC were measured,and immunocytochemistry technique was adopted to observe the c-fos protein expression. RESULTS: The TEM results showed significant PASMC structural injury in LPS group and alleviated structural changes in LPS+CCK-8 group. CCK-8 reduced the increase in the rate of trypan blue uptake,MDA content and LDH release in PASMC induced by LPS. LPS lightly increased c-fos protein expression,which was enhanced by CCK-8. CONCLUSION: CCK-8 attenuated the injury of PASMC induced by LPS,which may be concerned with the increase in c-fos protein expression.

Objective To investigate the distribution and expression of immunoreactive interleukin-8 (IL-8) in the human nasal polyps. Methods Thirty-two specimens of nasal polyp and 12 specimens of normal inferior turbinate were studied with immunohistochemistry SABC method. Results IL-8 antigen staining was observed predominantly in the acidophilic and the epithelium cells in the nasal polyps, and immunoreactive IL-8 was distributed widely in the cell plasm of these cells, and IL-8 antigen staining was barely observed in control. Conclusion IL-8 may play a significant role in the pathogenesis of nasal polyps.

Objective To investigate the distribution and expression of immunoreactive interleukin-8 (IL-8) in the human nasal polyps. Methods Thirty-two specimens of nasal polyp and 12 specimens of normal inferior turbinate were studied with immunohistochemistry SABC method. Results IL-8 antigen staining was observed predominantly in the acidophilic and the epithelium cells in the nasal polyps, and immunoreactive IL-8 was distributed widely in the cell plasm of these cells, and IL-8 antigen staining was barely observed in control. Conclusion IL-8 may play a significant role in the pathogenesis of nasal polyps.

Animals ; Behavior, Animal ; drug effects ; Depressive Disorder ; drug therapy ; psychology ; Eleutherococcus ; Male ; Plant Extracts ; pharmacology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Stress, Psychological

OBJECTIVETo compare the sensitivity of different hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell lines (HepG2, QGY7701, HepG2.2.15) and the normal liver cell line L02 to 5-aza-dC, an DNA methyltransferase inhibitor, and to explore the relationship between global DNA methylation level and the sensitivity to 5-aza-dC.

METHODSHepG2, QGY7701, HepG2.2.15 and L02 cells were treated with 5-aza-dC at different concentration, cell proliferation was measured by MTT method, cell apoptosis was detected by measuring caspase 3 activity and cellular DNA fragmentation ELISA.

RESULTSCompared to HepG2 and QGY7701 cells, HepG2.2.15 were less sensitive to the treatment of 5-aza-dC; the normal liver cell line L02 was less sensitive to 5-aza-dC than the HCC cell lines.

CONCLUSIONSThe sensitivity to 5-aza-dC of HCC cell lines and normal liver cells is not correlated with the global DNA methylation level.

Azacitidine ; analogs & derivatives ; pharmacology ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; metabolism ; Caspase 3 ; metabolism ; DNA Methylation ; drug effects ; DNA Modification Methylases ; antagonists & inhibitors ; Hep G2 Cells ; Humans

OBJECTIVETo evaluate clinical applicability of a novel technique that can quantify the lamivudine-resistant mutants of hepatitis B virus (HBV) in the serum of patients utilizing gene microarray technology.

METHODSThe oligonucleotide microarray was designed to detect 3 important mutational positions. Fifty-one patients who were receiving lamivudine therapy were selected as subjects. The oligonucleotide microarray and traditional sequencing were applied to detect the lamivudine resistant mutation, the monitoring lasted for 24 months. Then the clinical result was analyzed and the obtained data were compared between the two methods.

RESULTSLamivudine resistant mutation was detected in 39 percent of the patients during the 2 years period. The results of the oligonucleotide microarray technique was consistent to the results of traditional sequencing in accuracy and the miroarray was more sensitive in detection of the mixed infection.

CONCLUSIONApplication of the oligonucleotide microarray for quantitative detection of lamivudine-resistant mutation of HBV is feasible.

Antiviral Agents ; therapeutic use ; Drug Resistance, Viral ; Female ; Hepatitis B ; drug therapy ; virology ; Hepatitis B virus ; drug effects ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; Humans ; Lamivudine ; therapeutic use ; Male ; Mutation ; Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis ; methods

AIMTo investigate the effects of hypoxia on the proliferation and apoptosis of PASMC, to evaluate the role of iNOS protein expression and ADM on the hypoxic pulmonary hypertension (HPH) pathogenesis.

METHODSTo culture rat pulmonary artery smooth muscle cell (PASMC), cultured PASMC cells were grouped into: normoxic group; hypoxic group; hypoxia + L-NAME group; hypoxia+ ADM group. Proliferation of PASMC were investigated by MTT and PCNA. Apoptosis of PASMC were examined by flow-cytometry. Westen blot was used to measure protein expression of iNOS induced by hypoxia.

RESULTS(By MTT, the value of 24 h hypoxia was significantly higher than that in the normoxic group (P < 0.01), the value of the hypoxia + ADM was significantly lower than that in hypoxia group, the value of the hypoxia + L-NAME was significantly higher than those of hypoxic group and normoxic group (P < 0.01). (2) By immunohistochemistry, PCNA was poorly positive in PASMC, whereas positive after 24 h hypoxia (P < 0.01), ADM inhibited the expression of PCNA significantly (P < 0.01), whereas L-NAME increased the expression of PCNA significantly (P < 0.01). (3) By FCM, apoptosis index was not significantly different between the normoxic group, hypoxic group, hypoxia + L-NAME and hypoxia + ADM (P > 0.05). (4) By Western blot, iNOS expression was poorly positive in control group, positive after 4 h hypoxia (P < 0.01), increasing as the hypoxia environment continued (P < 0.01). L-NAME had no effect on iNOS protein, ADM promoted iNOS expression (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSION(1) Hypoxia stimulates the proliferation of PASMC, and has no obvious effects on the apoptosis of PASMC. (2) Hypoxia induces the expression of iNOS, ADM can increase expression of iNOS, ADM and INOS plays a role of protection in HPH pathogenesis.

Adrenomedullin ; pharmacology ; Animals ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Cell Hypoxia ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Cells, Cultured ; Male ; Muscle, Smooth, Vascular ; cytology ; drug effects ; pathology ; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II ; metabolism ; Pulmonary Artery ; cytology ; pathology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley