Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers ; adverse effects ; Humans

China ; epidemiology ; Humans ; Occupational Diseases ; epidemiology ; prevention & control ; Occupational Exposure ; prevention & control ; statistics & numerical data ; Rural Population ; Transients and Migrants

Air Pollution ; prevention & control ; Epidemiologic Research Design

Aim To study the role of TNF-α/NF-κB signaling in matrix metalloproteinase ( MMP)-9 expres-sion induced by lipopolysaccharide ( LPS ) in airway epithelial cells, and to investigate the effects of lenti-virus mediated RNAi targeting a disintegrin and metal-loproteinase 17 ( ADAM17 ) gene on MMP-9 expression induced by LPS. Methods The ADAM17 siRNA ex-pression vector was constructed, and packaged to re-combinant lentivirus in 293T cells. The HBE4-E6/E7 cells were pretreated for 30 min by NF-κB inhibitor ( PDTC) and a recombinant human TNFR p75-Fc fu-sion protein ( Etanercept) , or infected by the recombi-nant lentivirus for 72 h, and then stimulated for 24 h by LPS or TNF-α. The release of TNF-α was detected by ELISA. The mRNA and protein levels of MMP-9 were analyzed respectively by RT-PCR and Western blot. NF-κB activity was detected by electrophoretic mobility shift assay. Results LPS and TNF-α signifi-cantly increased MMP-9 mRNA and protein expressions and the activation of NF-κB in HBE4-E6/E7 cells ( P<0. 05 ) . Etanercept and PDTC significantly inhibited MMP-9 expression and the activation of NF-κB induced by LPS ( P<0. 05 ) . Lentivirus mediated RNAi targe-ting ADAM17 significantly decreased TNF-α produc-tion, inhibited MMP-9 mRNA and protein expressions and the activation of NF-κB induced by LPS in HBE4-E6/E7 cells ( P <0. 05 ) . Lentivirus mediated RNAi targeting ADAM17 did not inhibit MMP-9 mRNA and protein expressions and the activation of NF-κB in-duced by TNF-α ( P>0. 05 ) . And PDTC significantly inhibited MMP-9 mRNA and protein expressions and the activation of NF-κB induced by TNF-α ( P <0. 05 ) . Conclusions TNF-α/NF-κB signaling partic-ipates in the regulation of MMP-9 expression induced by LPS in airway epithelial cells, and lentivirus-media-ted RNAi targeting ADAM17 plays an important role in that signaling pathway upstream by regulating TNF-αrelease.

AIM: To assess the impact of diabetes on corneal endothelial cells through the quantitative analysis of corneal endothelial cell morphology for patients with diabetics.
METHODS: The corneal thickness and endothelial cell morphology of 360 eyes of 299 cases were detected using full automatic corneal endothelial cell analyzer. The normal control group included 175 eyes of 148 cases, and there were 185 eyes of 151 cases for the patients with diabetes, 110 eyes of 92 cases for the non-proliferating phase group and 75 eyes of 59 cases for the proliferating phase group. The average density of central corneal endothelial cells, proportion of hexagonal cells, coefficient of variation and corneal thickness were compared among groups, and then the statistical analysis was conducted.
RESULTS: Compared with the cornea of the normal group, in the diabetes group, the coefficient of variation of corneal endothelial cells and central corneal thickness increased, while the average density of central corneal endothelial cells and proportion of hexagonal cells decreased, showing a significant difference (P<0. 05). Compared with the cornea of non-proliferating phase group, in the proliferating phase group, the density of central corneal endothelial cells decreased, the coefficient of variation of corneal endothelial cells increased, while the proportion of hexagonal cells decreased with a significant difference (P<0. 05), and the central corneal thickness increased, showing no significant difference(P>0. 05).
CONCLUSION: Compared with the cornea of normal control group, in the diabetes group, the corneal endothelial cells show abnormal morphology, which aggravates with the severity of lesions, especially for the significant changes in the coefficient of variation and the proportion of hexagonal cells. As a result, the corneal resistance to damage in patients with diabetes will decrease.

The purpose of this study was to construct the IgHV and IL-2 coexpressed vector. The IgHV gene fragments were obtained from the peripheral blood of patients with lymphoma, and were cloned into eukaryotic expression vector. Meanwhile, the gene fragments of IgHV linked with gene of IL-2 were inserted into pcDNA3.0 to form a fusion gene of IgHV-IL-2. Then fusion genes were transfected into COS cells by Lipofectin and the expression of IL-2 was detected by ELISA. The results showed that the IgHV/pcDNA3.0 expression vector was successfully constructed. The 3' end of IgHV was linked to IL-2 gene, and IL-2 could be correctly expressed. In conclusion, the expression vector of IgHV-IL-2 can express IL-2 correctly in COS cells.
Cancer Vaccines ; immunology ; Eukaryotic Cells ; metabolism ; Genes, Immunoglobulin ; Genetic Vectors ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains ; genetics ; Immunoglobulin Variable Region ; genetics ; Interleukin-2 ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Lymphoma ; immunology ; Recombinant Fusion Proteins ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; immunology ; Vaccines, DNA ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; immunology

Objective To evaluate the clinical significance of CT angiography(CTA)in the diagnosis of arterioportal shunts(APS)associated with hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC).Methods One hundred and twenty-seven consecutive HCC patients accepted both dynamic enhancement CT and DSA examinations.The interval between CT and DSA exam was from 3 to 15 days.Based on transverse CT images in hepatic artery phase,CTA was performed for all the patients.By contrast with DSA results,the capabilities of transverse CT and transverse images combined with CTA in APS diagnosis were analyzed. Results In all 127 HCC cases,52 cases with APS were confirmed by DSA(40.94%),33 with central type of APS and 19 with peripheral type.Diagnostic sensitivity of APS based on transverse CT and combined CTA with transverse CT images were both 94.23%(49/52).However,specificity was 84.00%(63/75) and 97.33%(73/75),respectively,accuracy was 88.19%(112/127)and 96.06%(122/127),the predictive value of positive cases was 80.33%(49/61)and 96.08%(49/51),and the predictive value of negative cases was 95.45%(63/66)and 96.05%(73/76).Combined with CTA,false positive cases of 4 central type of APS and 6 peripheral type of APS were excluded which were demonstrated by transverse CT images.By contrast with DSA,the coincidence rate of the type of APS diagnosed by transverse images combined with CTA was 88.46%(46/52),including 90.91%(30/33)of central type of APS and 84.21%(16/19)of peripheral type.The supplying arteries of central type of APS were intuitively displayed by CTA in 23 cases,19 from proper hepatic artery and 4 from gastro-duodenal artery.Conclusion CTA techniques based on the dynamic enhancement CT exams could effectively promote the specificity and the accuracy of APS diagnosis.

Adult ; Aged ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; pathology ; virology ; Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia ; pathology ; virology ; Colposcopy ; Cytodiagnosis ; DNA Probes, HPV ; DNA, Viral ; isolation & purification ; Female ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Nucleic Acid Hybridization ; Papillomaviridae ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; Papillomavirus Infections ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms ; pathology ; virology ; Vaginal Smears ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo study the impact of the chloride channel dysfunction of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) on the cytoskeleton of Sertoli cells in the mouse.

METHODSTM4 Sertoli cells were cultured and treated with CFTR(inh)-172 at the concentrations of 1, 5, 10 and 20 μmol/L for 48 hours. Then the cytotoxicity of CFT(inh)-172 was assessed by CCK-8 assay, the expressions of F-actin and Ac-tub in the TM4 Sertoli cells detected by immunofluorescence assay, and those of N-cadherin, vimentin and vinculin determined by qPCR.

RESULTSCFTR(inh)-172 produced cytotoxicity to the TM4 Sertoli cells at the concentration of 20 μmol/L. The expressions of F-actin and Ac-tub were decreased gradually in the TM4 Sertoli cells with the prolonging of treatment time and increasing concentration of CFTR(inh)-172 (P < 0.05). The results of qPCR showed that different concentrations of CFTR(inh)-172 worked no significant influence on the mRNA expressions of N-cadherin, vimentin and vinculin in the Sertoli cells.

CONCLUSIONThe CFTR chloride channel plays an important role in maintaining the normal cytoskeleton of Sertoli cells. The reduced function and expression of the CFTR chloride channel may affect the function of Sertoli cells and consequently spermatogenesis of the testis.

Actins ; metabolism ; Animals ; Benzoates ; pharmacology ; Chloride Channels ; physiology ; Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator ; antagonists & inhibitors ; Cytoskeleton ; drug effects ; Male ; Mice ; Sertoli Cells ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Spermatogenesis ; Thiazolidines ; pharmacology ; Time Factors

OBJECTIVETo explore whether the inhibitory effect of Genipin on uncoupling protein-2 (UCP-2) in mitochondria is involved in energy metabolism of androgen-independent PC3 prostate cancer cells.

METHODSPC3 prostate cancer cells were cultured and treated with Genipin at the concentrations of 40, 80, and 160 μmol/L for 48 hours. Then the proliferation of the cells was detected by MTT assay, the expression of UCP-2 mRNA determined by RT-PCR, and the content of intracellular pyruvic acid (PA) and the activity of succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) in the mitochondria measured by visible spectrophotometry.

RESULTSWith the increased concentration of Genipin, the proliferative activity of the PC-3 cells, the expression level of UCP-2 mRNA, the content of intracellular PA and the activity of SDH in the cells were all decreased, namely, with the enhanced inhibitory effect of Genipin on UCP-2, a trend of reduction was observed in the proliferation of the cells, intracellular PA content, and SDH activity in the mitochondria.

CONCLUSIONGenipin is involved in the energy metabolism of androgen-independent PC3 prostate cancer cells by reducing the content of intracellular PA and the activity of SDH in the mitochondria, which may be associated with its inhibitory effect on UCP-2.

Cell Line, Tumor ; drug effects ; Energy Metabolism ; Humans ; Ion Channels ; metabolism ; Iridoids ; pharmacology ; Male ; Mitochondria ; metabolism ; Mitochondrial Proteins ; metabolism ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; metabolism ; Pyruvic Acid ; metabolism ; RNA, Messenger ; Succinate Dehydrogenase ; metabolism ; Uncoupling Protein 2