Carcinoma in Situ ; epidemiology ; etiology ; pathology ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; pathology ; surgery ; Disease Progression ; Female ; Humans ; Lichen Sclerosus et Atrophicus ; epidemiology ; etiology ; pathology ; Prevalence ; Vulvar Neoplasms ; epidemiology ; etiology ; pathology

Biomedical Research ; Histones ; Humans ; Neoplasms

Aged ; Humans ; Lung ; pathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pneumoconiosis ; complications ; diagnosis ; pathology ; Reference Standards

Breast Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Cell Proliferation ; Female ; Humans ; Neoplasm Proteins ; metabolism

Adenocarcinoma, Clear Cell ; pathology ; Humans ; Salivary Gland Neoplasms ; pathology ; Salivary Glands ; pathology

Female ; Humans ; Male ; Mouth ; injuries ; Mouth Diseases ; chemically induced ; nursing ; Paraquat ; poisoning ; Patient Care ; standards

Objective It is known that free radicals are involved in neurodegeneration and cognitive dysfunction, as seen in Alzheimer' s disease (AD) and aging. The present study examines the protective effects of aniracetam against H2O2-induced toxicity to neuron viability, mitochondria potential and hippocampal long-term potentiation (LTP). Methods Tetrazolium salt 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) was used to detect neuronal viability. MitoTracker Red (CMX Ros), a fluorescent stain for mitochondria, was used to measure mitochondria potential. Electrophysiological technique was carried out to record hippocampal LTP. Results H2O2 exposure impaired the viability of neurons, reduced mitochondria potential, and decreased LTP in the CA1 region of hippocampus. These deficient effects were significantly rescued by pre-treatment with aniracetam (10-100 mu mol/L). Conclusion These results indicate that aniracetam has a strong neuroprotective effect against H2O2-induced toxicity, which could partly explain the mechanism of its clinical application in neurodegenerative diseases.

OBJECTIVEElectron microscopical study of infected cells to identify the pathogenic agent of SARS.

METHODSVero E6 cells infected with lung autopsy samples or nasopharyngeal swabs from SARS patients of Beijing and Guangzhou were inoculated. The supernatant and cultured cells exhibiting identifiable cytopathic effect (CPE) were prepared for electron microscopic study.

RESULTSExamination of CPE cells on thin-section revealed characteristic coronavirus particles within the cisternae of endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus, vesicles and extracellular space. They were mainly spherical or oval in shape, annular or dense, about 80 nm in diameter. Negative-stain electron microscopy identified coronavirus particles in culture supernatant, 80 - 120 nm in diameter, with club-shaped surface projections. Elongated, rod-, kidney- or other irregular shaped virons with the size of 100 - 200 nm by 60 - 90 nm were also found in the cultured cells infected with the lung samples from the Guangdong patients. Infectious virons entered cells by endocytosis or membrane fusion and released through a budding process.

CONCLUSIONThese data indicate a novel coronavirus as the causative agent of SARS. Most viral particles showed typical characteristics of coronavirus. The potential role of special shape viruses is expected to be further investigated.

Animals ; Cercopithecus aethiops ; Humans ; Microscopy, Electron ; SARS Virus ; ultrastructure ; Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ; virology ; Vero Cells

OBJECTIVETo explore the effects of silencing HERC4 on the proliferation, apoptosis, and migration of cervical cancer cell line Hela and the possible molecular mechanisms.

METHODSThree HERC4-specific small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) were transfected into Hela cells, and HERC4 expression in the cells was examined with Western blotting. CCK-8 assay, annexin V-FITC/PI assay, and wound healing assay were used to assess the effect of HERC4 silencing on the proliferation, apoptosis and migration ability of Hela cells. The expression levels of cyclin D1 and Bcl-2 in the cells were detected using Western blotting.

RESULTSTransfection of siRNA-3 resulted in significantly decreased HERC4 protein expression (P<0.01). HERC4 silencing by siRNA-3 markedly suppressed the proliferation and migration of Hela cells, increased the apoptosis rate (P<0.01) and reduced the expression levels of cyclin D1 and Bcl-2 (P<0.01).

CONCLUSIONSilencing of HERC4 efficiently inhibits the proliferation, migration, and invasion of Hela cells in vitro, and the underlying mechanisms may involve the down-regulation of cyclin D1 and Bcl-2.

Apoptosis ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Movement ; Cell Proliferation ; Cyclin D1 ; metabolism ; Down-Regulation ; Female ; HeLa Cells ; Humans ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 ; metabolism ; RNA Interference ; RNA, Small Interfering ; genetics ; Transfection ; Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases ; genetics ; metabolism ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms ; pathology

Background & Objective: No clinical study of any interferon beta therapy has yet been successfully conducted in Chinese multiple sclerosis patients, probably due to the low incidence of this disease in China. The primary objective of this study was to demonstrate that treating multiple sclerosis patients of Chinese origin with interferon beta-1b has a beneficial effect on disease course, as measured by the decrease of newly active lesions on magnetic resonance imaging. Methods: Chinese patients diagnosed with relapsing-remitting or secondary-progressive multiple sclerosis were enrolled in this multicenter, open label, single-arm study. Following a 3-month pre-treatment phase, patients were treated with 250 µg interferon beta-1b subcutaneously every other day for 6 months. Patients had regular assessments for treatment safety and efficacy of the treatment. Results: Thirty seven patients completed the trial. Significant decreases in the number of newly active lesions were observed in the 6-month treatment period compared with the pre-treatment period (median decrease 1.5 lesions, p<0.001). Most adverse events were mild and transient and no serious ones were observed. Conclusions: Treatment with interferon beta-1b significantly reduced the occurrence of new lesions and was well tolerated in this Chinese population. These findings support the use of interferon beta- 1b for treating Chinese MS patients.