AIM: To examine T-lymphocyte rDNA transcription activity in peripheral blood of patients with gastrointestinal maliganant tumor and to clarify its clinical significance.METHODS: T-lymphocyte rDNA transcription activity in peripheral blood of 48 cases of patients with stomach-intestine tract malignant tumor were measured.RESULTS: Before surgery, the T-lymphocyte rDNA transcviption activity was obviously lower than that after surgery, also lower than that of the normal control( P

[Summary]_ This is a pedigree of multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1(MEN1). The proband pursuit medical assistance because of hypertension and weakness. Adrenal cortical carcinoma with possible Cushing's syndrome was diagnosed after a series of tests. During this process, the proband was found to have hypercalcemia, and he was diagnosed as primary hyperparathyroidism. Adrenal carcinoma plus primary hyperparathyroidism suggested MEN1, which was confirmed by MEN1 gene 400_401insC mutation. Pedigree investigation found six additional patients, including one with high parathyroid hormone level and two without clinical evidence of any MEN1 diseases. The proband died of metastatic malignancy 7 months after diagnosis while the other 3 patients with clinically confirmed MEN1 tumor responded well to surgery, including one with adrenal cortical carcinoma.

Objective To study the inhibitory effect of pterin acid (PTA) against ricin and recombinant ricin A chain protein. Methods Luciferase protein synthesis inhibition assay in a cell-free system and in vitro cytotoxicity experiments were performed to assess the biological activity of ricin and rRTA treated with PTA.Results The result showed that PTA could significantly inhibit the activity of ricin and rRTA in a dose-dependent manner.Conclusion PTA might be used as a small molecular probe to develop an evaluating system for ricin/RTA small molecular inhibitor in vitro. The cell-free system adopted in the current study could also serve as a necessary basis for screening some novel small molecular compounds against ricin and RTA in the future.

Objective To observe DNA damage and morphological changes of lung cells in rats with acute carbonyl nickel poisoning. Methods SD rats were exposed to 20, 135 and 250 mg/m3 carbonyl nickel for 30 min by inhalation. On the third day and 7th day after exposure, DNA damage of lung cells were examined by single cell gel electrophoresis (SCGE) and the pathological changes in lung tissues and the changes of microstructure in lung cells were observed. Results The DNA damage of the rat lung cells were obviously found in all exposure groups at different exposure times and there was the most obvious DNA damage at 72 hour after exposure to nickel carbonyl but the damage appeared later than chlorine exposure group. The inflammatory infiltration and hyperplasia in lung tissue, bronchiolar damage and the bronchial mucosa defulvium appeared in the rats exposed to carbonyl nickel. The results of microstructure examination indicated that the organelles of type I pneumocytes was swellen, the body of type Ⅱ pneumocytes was emptied. The cytoplasm empty bubbles increased, the mitochondria was swellen, and alveolar mediastinum inside the collagen fiber in alveolar mediastinum increased. Conclusion The acute carbonyl nickel exposure could induce the injury of lung tissues and cells with dose-effect relationship and time-effect relationship.

Objective To observe DNA damage and morphological changes of lung cells in rats with acute carbonyl nickel poisoning. Methods SD rats were exposed to 20, 135 and 250 mg/m3 carbonyl nickel for 30 min by inhalation. On the third day and 7th day after exposure, DNA damage of lung cells were examined by single cell gel electrophoresis (SCGE) and the pathological changes in lung tissues and the changes of microstructure in lung cells were observed. Results The DNA damage of the rat lung cells were obviously found in all exposure groups at different exposure times and there was the most obvious DNA damage at 72 hour after exposure to nickel carbonyl but the damage appeared later than chlorine exposure group. The inflammatory infiltration and hyperplasia in lung tissue, bronchiolar damage and the bronchial mucosa defulvium appeared in the rats exposed to carbonyl nickel. The results of microstructure examination indicated that the organelles of type I pneumocytes was swellen, the body of type Ⅱ pneumocytes was emptied. The cytoplasm empty bubbles increased, the mitochondria was swellen, and alveolar mediastinum inside the collagen fiber in alveolar mediastinum increased. Conclusion The acute carbonyl nickel exposure could induce the injury of lung tissues and cells with dose-effect relationship and time-effect relationship.

OBJECTIVEThe aim of this study was designed to investigate the effect of TSA on human umbilical vein endothelial cells and to reveal its possible mechanisms and relationship between apoptosis and activity of telomerase reverse transcriptase.

METHODSsulforhodamine B method was employed to determine the growth rate of umbilical vein endothelial cells. The cell apoptotic rate was measured by flow cytometry (FCM). The hTERT and p21(Waf1) mRNA expression before and after TSA treatment were detected by semiquantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The quantitative of hTERT protein expression in cells were detected by flow cytometry. After transfection, the cell telomerase activity was detected by PCR and telomeric repeat amplification protocol assay (PCR-TRAP-ELISA) and early apoptosis was measured by Annexin V/PI stain and flow cytometry.

RESULTSAfter being treated with TSA, the proliferation of umbilical vein endothelial cells was inhibited. Slight apoptosis and cell cycle arrest were detected. However, the same concentration of TSA induced serious apoptosis in HeLa cells. Up-regulation of hTERT mRNA expression was observed within 48 h after TSA treatment, but the change of p21(Waf1) expression was not significant. The umbilical vein endothelial cells hTERT protein expression level was increased within 24 h. After transfection of the dominant negative, wild type and control hTERT plasmid, a significant difference of telomerase activity in these cells was observed by PCR-TRAP-ELISA assay. WT-hTERT-transfected cells were more resistant to apoptosis induced by trichostatin A.

CONCLUSIONHuman umbilical vein endothelial cells could be resistant to apoptosis induced by high concentrate TSA, and hTERT might play an important role in this process.

Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Blotting, Western ; Cell Cycle ; drug effects ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Cells, Cultured ; Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p21 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Endothelial Cells ; cytology ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Enzyme Inhibitors ; pharmacology ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; methods ; Flow Cytometry ; Gene Expression ; drug effects ; HeLa Cells ; Humans ; Hydroxamic Acids ; pharmacology ; Plasmids ; genetics ; RNA, Messenger ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; methods ; Telomerase ; genetics ; metabolism ; Transfection ; Umbilical Veins ; cytology

Objective To evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of docetaxel plus cisplatin ( DP) chemotherapy regimen combined with parenteral enteral nutrition in the treatment of gastric cancer .Methods Seventy -three gastric cancer patients with pyloric obstruction were recruited in this study.Of the included 73 patients, 42 subjects (control group) received surgery immediately on diagnosis and other 31 subjects (treatment group) received neoadjuvant chemotherapy of DP regimen combined with parenteral enteral nutrition before the surgery .The clinical efficacy and complications in the two groups were compared after the surgery.Results The radical resection rates were 87.1%(27 /31) in the treatment group and 71.4% (30 /42 ) in the control group ( P <0.05).The Complication incidences were much lower in treatment group compared with those of control group (P all <0.05), such as abdominal infections, lung infections and stomach paralysis. Conclusion DP chemotherapy regimen combined with parenteral enteral nutrition can enhance the radical resection rate and decrease the general complications in the treatment of gastric cancer patients with pyloric obstruction.

Coptidis Rhizoma and Aconiti Kusnezoffii Radix represent hot Chinese medicine and cold Chinese medicine respectively. The purpose of this study is to observe the differentiation effect of Coptidis Rhizoma and Aconiti Kusnezoffii Radix on lewis lung cancer and compare effect of hot Chinese medicine and cold Chinese medicine on tumor progression. In this study, the rat serum containing Coptidis Rhizoma or Aconiti Kusnezoffii Radix was prepared to treat lewis lung cancer cells in vitro, and effects of the serum containing Coptidis Rhizoma or Aconiti Kusnezoffii Radix on cell differentiation, proliferation, adhesion, succinic dehydrogenase (SDH) activity and gap-junction intercellular communication (GJIC) were investigated. In vivo, the subcutaneous implant model and pulmonary metastasis model of lewis lung cancer were established. Tumor bearing mice were taken water decoction of coptis chinensis or aconite by intragastric administration bid for four weeks, and the influences of coptis chinensis and aconite on tumor progression were evaluated by body temperature, blood oxygen saturation, red cell ATPase, blood rheology, intratumor hypoxia, capillary permeability and GJIC. The results showed that the serum containing aconite could induce cell differentiation, inhibit cell proliferation and migration, promote SDH activity and GJIC in lewis lung cancer cells. The serum containing Coptidis Rhizoma increased cell adhesion and decreased SDH activity and GJIC without cell differentiation although it also suppressed cell proliferation. Aconiti Kusnezoffii Radix water decoction could keep body temperature, blood oxygen saturation, red cell ATPase and blood rheology, and improve intratumor hypoxia, capillary permeability and GJIC in tumor bearing mice, which led to slower tumor growth and less metastasis. Coptidis Rhizoma water decoction decreased body temperature, blood oxygen saturation, red cell ATPase, blood rheology and GJIC, and promoted intratumor hypoxia and capillary permeability, which resulted to more tumor metastasis although it also prevented tumor growth. These results suggested that the hot Chinese medicine could induce tumor cell differentiation and prevent tumor poison invagination, which is better for tumor treatment than cold Chinese medicine.
Aconitum ; chemistry ; Animals ; Antineoplastic Agents ; pharmacology ; Carcinoma, Lewis Lung ; pathology ; Cell Differentiation ; drug effects ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Curcuma ; chemistry ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Mice ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Rats ; Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of the third-party bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) on the allogeneic skin transplantation.

METHODS40 female C57BL/6 mice and 50 male BALB/C mice were respectively used as donors and recipients of skin transplantation. 50 BALB/C mice were divided randomly into 5 groups: Blank control group, Cyclophosphamide group BMSCs group, Cyclophosphamide + BMSCs group and CM-DiI staining group, with 10 mice in each group. Before skin transplantation, high-dose abdominal injection of Cyclophosphamide (200 mg/kg, 2 d) was performed in recipient mice. On the transplantation day, a bonus of 1 x 10(5) BMSCs of the SD rat (SD-BMSCs) were injected through the tail vein. The observation of skin grafts, mixed lymphocyte culture (MLC), HE staining, the observation of CM-DiI-labeled SD-BMSCs and FACS were used.

RESULTSThe skin graft survival time was significantly prolonged in the Cyclophosphamide + BMSCs group, as compared with the blank control group, the Cyclophosphamide group, the BMSCs group respectively. When BMSC and lymphocyte mixed at the ratio of 1:1 and 1:10, rat BMSCs inhibited T lymphocyte proliferation. More angiogenesis and less lymphocyte infiltration were found in the experimental group than them in other groups. Red fluorescent cells were found in CM-DiI staining group under long-term observation. The SD-BMSCs can he detected by flow cytometry in the cell group and the Cyclophosphamide + BMSCs group.

CONCLUSIONSBMSCs can survive in the heterogeneous recipient body; the third-party BMSCs transplantation can prolong skin graft survival time; BMSCs can inhibit T lymphocyte activation and proliferation.

Animals ; Cells, Cultured ; Female ; Male ; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells ; cytology ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Skin Transplantation ; Transplantation, Homologous

Objective To investigate the level and influencing factors of caring behaviors perceived by elderly residents in nursing homes in Zhengzhou.Methods Totally 366 elderly residents from 20 nursing homes in Zhengzhou were investigated with a demographic data questionnaire,Short Portable Mental Status Questionnaire (SPMSQ),Barthel Index Scale (BI),and Elderly Residents-Perceived Caring Behaviors Inventory.Results The total score of caring behaviors needs was (110.99±10.09),the mean score was (3.96±0.36),the dimension score of meeting the emotion needs was the highest(4.39±0.61),the dimension score of giving confidence and hope demand was the lowest (3.56±0.58).Multiple logistic regression showed that occupation before retirement,living pattern,the type of medical insurance,ADL,satisfaction of nursing service and length of residence were the major influencing factors (P＜0.05).Conclusion The elderly in nursing homes have a high demand for caring behaviors.The nursing staff should consider the specific situation of them and do regular assessment,to provide safe,professional and holistic caring behaviors from different perspectives so as to improve their quality of life.