Appropriate selection and measurement of lead biomarkers of exposure are critically important for health care management purposes, public health decision making, and primary prevention synthesis. Lead is one of the neurotoxicants that seems to be involved in the etiology of psychologies. Biomarkers are generally classified into three groups: biomarkers of exposure, effect, and susceptibility.The main body compartments that store lead are the blood, soft tissues, and bone; the half-life of lead in these tissues is measured in weeks for blood, months for soft tissues, and years for bone. Within the brain, lead-induced damage in the prefrontal cerebral cortex, hippocampus, and cerebellum can lead to a variety of neurological disorders, such as brain damage, mental retardation, behavioral problems, nerve damage, and possibly Alzheimer's disease, Parkinsons disease, and schizophrenia. This paper presents an overview of biomarkers of lead exposure and discusses the neurotoxic effects of lead with regard to children and adults.
Alzheimer Disease ; chemically induced ; metabolism ; pathology ; physiopathology ; psychology ; Animals ; Behavior ; drug effects ; Biomarkers ; metabolism ; Brain ; metabolism ; pathology ; physiopathology ; Brain Diseases ; chemically induced ; pathology ; physiopathology ; Environmental Exposure ; adverse effects ; Humans ; Lead ; pharmacokinetics ; toxicity ; Lead Poisoning ; etiology ; metabolism ; pathology ; physiopathology ; psychology ; Neurotoxicity Syndromes ; etiology ; metabolism ; pathology ; physiopathology ; psychology ; Parkinson Disease, Secondary ; chemically induced ; metabolism ; pathology ; physiopathology ; psychology ; Schizophrenia ; chemically induced ; metabolism ; pathology ; physiopathology

BACKGROUND/AIMS: This study aimed to investigate the precise mechanism and function of miR-16 in heat-denatured primary human dermal fibroblasts. METHODS: Primary human dermal fibroblasts were separated from normal human skin samples. Under heat stress, the levels of miR-16 and heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) were detected in primary human dermal fibroblasts by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Next, heat-denatured cells were transfected with synthetic scrambled negative control (NC) RNA (NC group), miR-16 mimics, miR-16 inhibitor or miR-16 inhibitor accompanied by small interfering RNA targeting HSP70, then the mRNA level of HSP70 was detected by qRT-PCR, cell proliferation was evaluated by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) and AlamarBlue assay, cell migration was examined by Transwell assay and cell apoptosis was assessed by transferase dUTP (deoxyuridine triphosphate) nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay. In addition, cell apoptosis-related proteins, Bax and Bcl-2, were detected by Western blotting. RESULTS: Heat stress significantly reduced miR-16 level and increased the mRNA level of HSP70 compared with untreated cells (p < 0.05). Overexpressed miR-16 reduced the mRNA level of HSP70, suppressed cell proliferation (p < 0.05 or p < 0.01), migration (p < 0.05), and promoted cell apoptosis (p < 0.001) compared with the NC group. Down-regulated miR-16 exerted an opposite effect on primary human dermal fibroblasts with heat-denaturation. Furthermore, effects of miR16 down-regulation on cell proliferation and migration were reversed by HSP70 silence. CONCLUSIONS MiR-16 might have an inhibitory effect on cell proliferation and migration in heat-denatured human dermal fibroblasts, and HSP70 might be associated with the cell proliferation and migration as a target gene of miR-16.

Animals ; Bone Marrow Cells ; cytology ; Bone Marrow Transplantation ; Cell Differentiation ; Cell Proliferation ; Humans ; Liver Cirrhosis ; pathology ; surgery ; Liver Function Tests ; Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation ; Rats ; Stem Cells ; cytology

Adenocarcinoma ; blood supply ; physiopathology ; Capillaries ; metabolism ; ultrastructure ; Cell Separation ; Cells, Cultured ; Endothelial Cells ; cytology ; metabolism ; ultrastructure ; Humans ; Microcirculation ; Stomach Neoplasms ; blood supply ; physiopathology

Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Hemodynamics ; Hepatitis B, Chronic ; complications ; Humans ; Hypertension, Portal ; diagnostic imaging ; physiopathology ; Liver Cirrhosis ; diagnostic imaging ; physiopathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Portal Vein ; diagnostic imaging ; physiopathology ; Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color ; Venous Pressure

OBJECTIVETo observe whether H. pylori administered orally in mice could arrive in their livers after a long-term infection, leading to active inflammation and even causing HCC as an independent etiological factor.

METHODSTwenty C57BL/6 mice were orally administered H. pylori SS1 and kept for 24 months (experimental group) along with 13 mice which served as blank controls (control group). H. pylori colonization and pathologic consequences were studied in the livers and gastric tissues of the mice. The bacterial DNA extracted from liver tissues was examined by nested PCR for H. pylori 16S rRNA genes. 16S rRNA PCR amplicons were sequenced and compared with sequencing results of 16S rRNA PCR amplicons of the bacteria cultured from gastric mucosa and compared with that of the inoculated H. pylori SS1.

RESULTSOf the 20 mice in the experimental group, H. pylori was found in the gastric mucosa of 12, and in 11 of them pathological gastric lesions were found, including one with gastric lymphoma. H. pylori were found in the livers of 7 mice. Liver lesions, one with mild inflammation, 3 with inflammation and fibrosis, 2 with inflammation, fibrosis and hepatocyte hyperplasia with atypia were found in 6 of them. No liver lesions were found in the mice of the control group. In the mice of the experimental group no liver lesions were found in those mice with no H. pylori in their gastric mucosae. Sequencing results of 16S rRNA PCR products of the liver showed 100% homogeneity with the cultured H. pylori from gastric mucosa and the administered H. pylori SS1.

CONCLUSIONTwo years after oral administration of H. pylori to C57BL/6 mice, gastric mucosal lesions and liver lesions, including inflammation, cirrhosis and hepatocyte hyperplasia with atypia were found in those animals.

Animals ; Disease Models, Animal ; Helicobacter Infections ; pathology ; Helicobacter pylori ; Liver ; microbiology ; pathology ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL

OBJECTIVETo investigate the role of human angiopoietin-1 (Ang1) in tumorigenesis and angiogenesis of human gastric cancer cell line SGC7901 in nude mice.

METHODSRecombinant human Ang1 sense or antisense eukaryotic expression vectors were constructed, and transfected by lipofectin into human gastric cancer line SGC7901. Stable transfectants were obtained respectively, namely 7Ang1+ for sense, 7Ang1- for antisense, and 7901P for empty vector transfected cells. Semiquantitative PCR and Western blot were employed to testify the transfection efficiency. Cell growth curve and cell cycle were observed by MTT assays or flow cytometry. In in vivo study, growth of SGC7901 xeno-transplant was observed in BALB/c nude mice. Microvessel density (MVD) was analyzed by immunohistochemistry for Factor VIII staining.

RESULTSStably transfected cell lines were established and decreased expression of Ang1 protein and mRNA in the antisense transfected SGC7901 cells was achieved. Tumorigenesis of 7Ang1- cells on day 30 days was significantly inhibited with decreased MVD as compared to that in 7901P and 7Ang1+ cells (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONAngiopoietin-1 plays an important role in tumorigenesis and angiogenesis of gastric cancer which can be partially abrogated by antisense technique.

Angiopoietin-1 ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Animals ; Cell Line, Tumor ; DNA, Antisense ; genetics ; Genetic Vectors ; Humans ; Mice ; Mice, Nude ; Microcirculation ; pathology ; Neoplasm Transplantation ; Neovascularization, Pathologic ; RNA, Messenger ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Stomach Neoplasms ; blood supply ; metabolism ; pathology ; Transfection

Objective To observe the effects of genistein and 17?-estradiol on microstructure of cancellous bone in ovariectomized (OVX) rats.Methods Ninty 7-month-old SD rats were randomly divided into baseline group,ovariectomized (OVX),sham-operated (SHAM),17?-estradiol treated (10?g?kg~(-1).day~(-1),EST) and genistein treated (5 mg?kg~(-1)?day~(-1),GEN) groups,and were killed at the beginning of the experiment,the 3rd and 15th week after operation.MicroCT scanning was performed on the left tibia in vitro.The regions involving 0.5 mm slice thickness and 1.6 mm distal to the tibial growth plate were selected as the regions of interest.Results At the 3rd week after operation,the tissue bone mineral density (tBMD) and trabecular thickness (sTh.Th) in group GEN were significantly higher than those in OVX and EST groups (all P

OBJECTIVETo use COI gene on the Mauremys reevesii and its adulterants by molecular identification. Search a rapid, accurate method of identification of Teseudinis Carapax et Planstrum and its adulterants.

METHODWe collected 8 species of the authentic and adulterants of teseudinis carapax et planstrum in a nationwide then, extracted DNA, got the COI sequences. Use ContigExpress, Dnaman, Edit Sequence and Mega 5 to analyze the variable site and construct the N-J tree.

RESULTCompare with the authentic Teseudinis Carapax et Planstrum, the adulterant exist lots of variable site. The N-J tree Indicates that the same genus belong together and each species belong to relatively independent branch.

CONCLUSIONBased on the COI gene, the technology of DNA bar code can be a excellent identification of Teseudinis Carapax et Planstrum and its adulterants.

Animals ; Base Sequence ; DNA Barcoding, Taxonomic ; Electron Transport Complex IV ; genetics ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; standards ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Phylogeny ; Quality Control ; Reptilian Proteins ; genetics ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Turtles ; classification ; genetics