Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Biomarkers, Tumor ; metabolism ; Child ; Female ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic ; Hodgkin Disease ; genetics ; metabolism ; Humans ; Ki-1 Antigen ; metabolism ; Male ; Middle Aged ; PAX5 Transcription Factor ; metabolism ; Staining and Labeling ; methods ; Young Adult

Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Proliferation ; Colorectal Neoplasms ; Glycyrrhetinic Acid/pharmacology* ; Humans

OBJECTIVETo explore the relationship between maternal milk and serum thyroid hormones in patients with thyroid-related diseases.

METHODSSerum and breast milk samples were collected from 56 breastfeeding mothers. Milk and serum free triiodothyronine (FT3), free thyroxine (FT4), triiodothyronine(T3), thyroxine (T4), and thyrotrophin (TSH) were determined, and T3/T4 was calculated. Using the serum thyroid hormones as the independent variables and milk thyroid hormones as the dependent variables, we performed linear regression analysis.

RESULTSThe milk FT3, FT4, T3, T4, TSH, and T3/T4 were (2.30 ± 0.82) pg/ml ,(0.45 ± 0.26) ng/dl, (0.35 ± 0.20) ng/ml, (2.96 ± 1.55) Μg/dl, (0.12 ± 0.08) ΜU/ml, and 0.12 ± 0.04, respectively. Milk FT3 (r = 0.778, P = 0.000), T3 (r = 0.603, P = 0.000), T4 (r = 0.485, P = 0.004), and TSH (r = 0.605, P = 0.000) concentrations were positively correlated with those in serum.

CONCLUSIONThyroid hormones are present in human milk and are positively correlated with those in serum.

Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Milk, Human ; chemistry ; Thyroid Diseases ; blood ; Thyroid Hormones ; blood ; chemistry ; Thyrotropin ; blood ; chemistry ; Triiodothyronine ; blood ; chemistry

Objective To explore the gene expression of human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT)in childhood acute non- lymphocytic leukemia (ANLL) and its clinical implication. Methods Expression of hTERT mRNA was detected in HL - 60 leukemia cell line, 14 ANLL children and 11 healthy children by reverse transcriptase- polymerase chain reaction (RT- PCR). Results hTERT gene was expressed in HL-60 cell line, ANLL children (11/14) and healthy children (2/11). The expression of hTERT gene was observed in all subtypes of ANLL. Furthermore, there were statistically significant differences in expression levels of hTERT gene between children with ANLL and healthy children (t = 5.034 P = 0). Conclusions The up - regulation of gene expression of hTERT may play a very important role in the progression of children ANLL. The detection of hTERT expression may be a useful additional method for monitoring the state of illness.

OBJECTIVETo explore the relationship between gene expression of human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) and its clinical characteristics in leukemia.

METHODSThe protocol of RT-PCR was used to detect the hTERTmRNA expressing levels in peripheral blood samples from leukemic patients under primary treatment(n=42), in complete remission(n=21), with recurrent leukemia (n=4); and from normal subjects (n=5), respectively.

RESULTSThe positive percentage of hTERTmRNA expression was 73.81% for the primary treatment cases, and 19.05% for the complete remission cases. All of the recurrent cases gave positive results. One of the normal controls presented low level of hTERTmRNA expression. The expressing level of hTERTmRNA in primary treatment cases was 0.64+/-0.21, in complete remission leukemia 0.31+/-0.16, in recurrent cases 0.84+/-0.09, and in normal controls 0.10.

CONCLUSIONThe activation of telomerase may be an essential factor in the development of leukemia and usually be the late event in its progression. As an indicator of leukemia cell, the detection of hTERT mRNA may be used in clinical analysis, disease monitoring and prognosis judgement.

Acute Disease ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; DNA-Binding Proteins ; Female ; Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic ; Humans ; Infant ; Leukemia ; genetics ; pathology ; Male ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; metabolism ; Remission Induction ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Telomerase ; genetics

AIMTo investigate the neuroprotective effect of learning on glutamate-induced neuronal damage.

METHODSSD rats were intraperitoneally injected with monosodium glutamate (MSG) during the period of 3-9 days after born, and were trained to find their food by light-dark discrimination at 1 month old or 2 months old. At 3 months old, all rats were killed and their brains were taken out and cut into sections and ultrathin sections. The survival neurons in hippocampus were counted under light microscope, and under electric microscope, the ultrastructure, the numbers of synapses and the length of synaptic active zone in fields CA1 of hippocampus were observed.

RESULTSThe survival neurons in field CA3 and CA4, the number of synapses and the length of synaptic active zone in field CA1 of hippocampus increased in learning group than non-learning group.

CONCLUSIONThese finding indicate that discriminative learning can alleviate neuronal injury of hippocampus induced by MSG.

Animals ; Cell Death ; Glutamic Acid ; toxicity ; Hippocampus ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Learning ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Synapses ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo investigate effects of hydroxyapatite (HA) and porous tricalcium phosphate/hydroxyapatite (TCP/HA)-coating titanium on the adhesion behavior of human gingival fibroblasts (HGFs).

METHODSCoatings of HA and duplex phases TCP/HA on titanium (Ti) were formed by ion beam assisted deposition (IBAD) method. Attachment, spreading, extracellular matrix (ECM) production, and focal adhesion plaque formation of HGFs were investigated on commercially pure (CP) titanium, HA-coated CP titanium and porous TCP/HA-coated CP titanium. After incubation of HGFs on these substrates, the number of attached cell, the area of cell spreading, immunostained ECM including fibronectin (FN) and type I collage, and vinculin (presenting the formation of focal adhesion plaque) were quantified by morphometric analysis using immunofluorescence microscope.

RESULTSTCP/HA and HA coatings exhibited that the attached cell number and cell spreading area were greater than those of CP titanium (P < 0.05), and the formation of focal adhesion plaque was earlier than that of uncoated substrate (P < 0.05). The number of attached cell and the formation of type I collagen on TCP/HA were more than those on Ti and HA. After 24-hour incubation on TCP/HA surface, the number of attached cell was 198.1 +/- 27.7 and the fluorescent intensity of type I collagen was 154.10 +/- 31.56. While under the same condition, the corresponding numbers for the CP titanium were 125.1 +/- 29.9 and 132.63 +/- 35.26. The differences between the two groups were significant (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSIn this study, the porous TCP/HA coating significantly facilitated the adherence of human gingival fibroblasts to Ti surface and could improve the biocompatibility of titanium.

Calcium Phosphates ; pharmacology ; Cell Adhesion ; drug effects ; Cells, Cultured ; Coated Materials, Biocompatible ; chemistry ; Durapatite ; pharmacology ; Fibroblasts ; cytology ; drug effects ; Gingiva ; cytology ; Humans ; Materials Testing ; Titanium ; chemistry

AIM:To evaluate specific metabolomics profiles in the serum of patients with chronic mountain sickness (CMS) and to explore the potential metabolic biomarkers in the native Tibetans living on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.METHODS:A gas chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC-TOF-MS) approach as a metabolomics technique was used to evaluate metabolic differences.The native Tibetan CMS patients (n =10) and healthy Tibetan controls (n =10) were enrolled from YuShu in Qinghai province in this study.The serum samples were collected and analyzed by GC-TOF-MS coupled with a series of multivariate statistical analyses such as principal component analysis (PCA),partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) and orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA).RESULTS:The intergroup differences between CMS patients and control subjects have been observed.A list of differential metabolites and several top altered rnetabolic pathways have been identified.The levels of fumaric acid,an intermediate in the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle,and inosine were highly upregulated in the CMS patients,suggesting a greater effort to hypoxic adaptation in high elevation area.Other differential metabolites,such as methyl phosphate,2-ketoadipate,lyxose and phytanic acid were also identified.Importantly,the differential metabolites possessed higher area under the ROC curve (AUC) values,indicating an excellent clinical ability for the prediction of CMS.Increased levels of amino acids (isoleucine,glycine,serine,L-cysteine,citrulline and trimethyllysine) were detected in CMS group,yet significantly decreased levels of sulfuric acid,oxamic acid,lyxose and glutamine were also detected in CMS group than those in control group.At the same time,the levels of ribose and glucose-1-phosphate were markedly elevated in CMS group (P ＜ 0.05).CONCLUSION:The metabolic activities are significantly altered in the serum of CMS patients.High altitude hypoxia may act on the disturbed glucose metabolism and amino acid metabolism in part of the Tibetan triggered by CMS.

OBJECTIVETo study the permeability of intact mouse abdominal skin to aniline and the protective capability of two typical lab gloves against aniline.

METHODSA Franz diffusion cell was used to perform in vitro transdermal absorption test and glove permeation test for aniline (0.102 mg/ml and 0.010 mg/ml). The permeabilities of intact mouse abdominal skin and gloves to aniline were measured by high performance liquid chromatography-diode array detection.

RESULTSThe transdermal penetration of the two concentrations of aniline followed zero order kinetics within 12 h, exhibiting total aniline permeabilities within 24 h of 51.71% and 48.31%, respectively. The absorption liquid had an aniline concentration of at least 18 µg/L. The medical disposable latex glove could not stop the penetration of 0.010 mg/ml aniline, but the industrial natural latex glove could.

CONCLUSIONThe penetration of 0.102 mg/ml and 0.010 mg/ml aniline through the mouse abdominal skin follows zero order kinetics within 12 h. The medical disposable latex glove cannot stop the penetration of 0.010 mg/ml aniline, but the industrial natural latex glove can.

Aniline Compounds ; pharmacokinetics ; toxicity ; Animals ; Gloves, Protective ; Mice ; Skin Absorption ; drug effects

OBJECTIVETo investigate whether low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) may suppress the expression and secretion of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) from tumor cells in vitro and inhibit the VEGF-induced proliferation of human tumor vascular endothelial cells.

METHODSHuman lung cancer cell line A549, human liver cancer cell line HepG2, human colon carcinoma cell lines HCT116 and HCT8 were used in this study. The expression levels of VEGF and TNF-alpha (tumor necrosis factor-alpha) in the tumor cells with or without pretreatment of LMWH/heparin were measured by standard sandwich ELISA technique. The VEGF mRNA level of HepG2 cells cultured with or without LMWH/heparin was determined by RT-PCR and real time PCR. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) were cultured in tissue culture medium (TCM) with or without LMWH/heparin for 3 days. Then non-radioactive cell proliferation assay (MTS) kit and cell cycle assay by flow cytometry were performed to measure the proliferation of HUVEC.

RESULTSThe VEGF levels in the control, LMWH, and heparin groups of the pulmonary adenocarcinoma cell line A549 were (1045.89 +/- 165.30) pg/ml, (782.45 +/- 67.17) pg/ml and (916.54 +/- 71.25) pg/ml, respectively. The VEGF levels in the control, LMWH, and heparin groups of the colon adenocarcinoma cell line HCT116 were (955.76 +/- 51.14) pg/ml, (822.89 +/- 142.39) pg/ml and (951.77 +/- 188.22) pg/ml, respectively. The VEGF levels in the control, LMWH, and heparin groups in the colon adenocarcinoma cell line HCT8 were (1290.62 +/- 41.23) pg/ml, (1063.34 +/- 63.82) pg/ml and (1257.14 +/- 11.40) pg/ml, respectively. The VEGF levels in the control, LMWH, and heparin groups in the liver cancer cell line HepG2 were (1083.00 +/- 134.35) pg/ml, (758.00 +/- 84.85) pg/ml and (874.00 +/- 22.62) pg/ml, respectively. The VEGF expression levels in the above mentioned cell lines cultured in TCM were significantly reduced in the LMWH-treated groups compared with that of the control group (P < 0.05). But the level of TNF-alpha in TCM-cultured cells was unaffected by LMWH. The VEGF mRNA was reduced in the LMWH-treated HepG2 cell line. Moreover, TCM exhibited stimulating effect on proliferation of HUVEC and the effect was significantly impaired by LMWH treatment. Flow cytometric analysis revealed that LMWH treatment arrested HUVECs at the G1 phase of cell cycle.

CONCLUSIONLMWH can suppress the expression and secretion of VEGF by tumor cell lines and therefore have a potential inhibiting effect on angiogenesis induced by VEGF.

Adenocarcinoma ; metabolism ; pathology ; Cell Cycle ; drug effects ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Cells, Cultured ; Culture Media, Conditioned ; Endothelial Cells ; cytology ; HCT116 Cells ; Hep G2 Cells ; Heparin ; pharmacology ; Heparin, Low-Molecular-Weight ; pharmacology ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; RNA, Messenger ; metabolism ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; metabolism ; Umbilical Veins ; cytology ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A ; genetics ; metabolism ; secretion