The effects of over-expression of testis-specific expressed gene 1 (TSEG-1) on the viability and apoptosis of cultured spermatogonial GC-1spg cells were investigated, and the immortal spermatogonial cell line GC-1spg (CRL-2053™) was obtained as the cell model in order to explore the function of TSEG-1. We transfected the eukaryotic vector of TSEG-1, named as pEGFP-TSEG-1 into cultured spermatogonial GC-1spg cells. Over-expression of TSEG-1 inhibited the proliferation of GC-1spg cells, and arrested cell cycle slightly at G0/G1 phase. Transfection of TSEG-1 attenuated the transcript levels of Ki-67, PCNA and cyclin D1. In addition, over-expression of TSEG-1 induced early and late apoptosis, and reduced the mitochondrial membrane potential of GC-1spg cells. Moreover, transfection of TSEG-1 significantly enhanced the ratio of Bax/Bcl-2 and transcript levels of caspase 9, and decreased the expression of Fas and caspase 8 in GC-1spg cells. These results indicated over-expression of TSEG-1 suppresses the proliferation and induces the apoptosis of GC-1spg cells, which establishes a basis for further study on the function of TSEG-1.

High mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) protein is released by apoptotic cells and monocytes／macrophages.It plays an important role in mediating inflammation development and promoting tissue repairment and regeneration via combining with corresponding receptors .In recent years ,some researches indicated that HMGB1 possessed im-portant diagnostic and prognostic assessment value for coronary heart disease ,heart failure and myocardial injury etc .The present article summarized research progress of HMGB1 in cardiovascular diseases in recent years .

OBJECTIVETo determine the possible myocilin molecular genetic defect underlying POAG in China and to identify the pathogenic mutation causing the disease.

METHODSThe majority of 1 branch of a large Chinese POAG family were personally examined by two senior ophthalmologists. The diagnoses were made by both doctors according to the signs of elevated intraocular pressure, glaucomatous optic neuropathy and glaucomatous visual field defect. All coding sequences of the myocilin gene plus the flanking sites were amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using genomic DNA from all examined family members followed by sequencing of the PCR products. One hundred normal control subjects were screened by single strand confirmational polymorphism analysis for the mutation.

RESULTSThis Chinese pedigree exhibited autosomal dominant mode of inheritance. The onset age ranged from 26 to 59 years. A novel disease-causing missense mutation T455K in the third exon of the myocilin gene was identified in all affected family members, all glaucoma suspects and 4 individuals who have not shown apparently signs of glaucoma. None of the subjects without the mutation had glaucoma. Affected individuals with the T455K mutation showed variable onset between 26 and 59 years of age. Filtering surgery was performed on all of 7 affected family members. The T455K mutation in myocilin gene was not found in the normal controls. A previously reported polymorphism IVS2+35(A to G)was detected in 4 individuals.

CONCLUSIONThe novel myocilin sequence alteration T455K that is highly associated with the development of glaucoma and locates in a very conserved residue is proven to be a disease-causing missence mutation. All affected individuals and all POAG suspects in this family are identified to have this mutation. The mutation in this family is associated with a phenotype characterized by mix-onset open angle glaucoma and associated with a high penetrance. It is important for the mutation screening and periodical checkups of presymptomatic individuals belonging to the family of a POAG patient with T455K mutation.

Adult ; Age of Onset ; Aged ; Amino Acid Substitution ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; genetics ; China ; Cytoskeletal Proteins ; genetics ; DNA Mutational Analysis ; Eye Proteins ; genetics ; Female ; Glaucoma, Open-Angle ; genetics ; Glycoproteins ; genetics ; Humans ; Intraocular Pressure ; genetics ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pedigree ; Point Mutation ; Polymorphism, Single-Stranded Conformational

The effects of over-expression of testis-specific expressed gene 1 (TSEG-1) on the viability and apoptosis of cultured spermatogonial GC-1spg cells were investigated, and the immortal spermatogonial cell line GC-1spg (CRL-2053™) was obtained as the cell model in order to explore the function of TSEG-1. We transfected the eukaryotic vector of TSEG-1, named as pEGFP-TSEG-1 into cultured spermatogonial GC-1spg cells. Over-expression of TSEG-1 inhibited the proliferation of GC-1spg cells, and arrested cell cycle slightly at G0/G1 phase. Transfection of TSEG-1 attenuated the transcript levels of Ki-67, PCNA and cyclin D1. In addition, over-expression of TSEG-1 induced early and late apoptosis, and reduced the mitochondrial membrane potential of GC-1spg cells. Moreover, transfection of TSEG-1 significantly enhanced the ratio of Bax/Bcl-2 and transcript levels of caspase 9, and decreased the expression of Fas and caspase 8 in GC-1spg cells. These results indicated over-expression of TSEG-1 suppresses the proliferation and induces the apoptosis of GC-1spg cells, which establishes a basis for further study on the function of TSEG-1.
Animals ; Caspase 8 ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Cell Line ; Cyclin D1 ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; G1 Phase ; physiology ; Histones ; genetics ; metabolism ; Ki-67 Antigen ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Male ; Mice ; Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Resting Phase, Cell Cycle ; physiology ; Spermatogonia ; cytology ; metabolism ; bcl-2-Associated X Protein ; biosynthesis ; genetics

BACKGROUNDThe difference in clinical outcome between paclitaxal-eluting stents (PES) and sirolimus-eluting stents with bio-degradable polymer (SES-BDP) for bifurcation lesions remains unclear. The present study aimed to investigate the one-year clinical outcome after DK crush stenting using PES (Taxus(TM)) vs. SES-BDP (Excel(TM)) from our database.

METHODSA total of 275 patients (90 from the DKCRUSH-I and 185 from the DKCRUSH-II study) were studied. The primary endpoint was the occurrence of major adverse cardiac events (MACE) at 12 months; including cardiac death, myocardial infarction (MI), or target vessel revascularization (TVR). The rate of binary restenosis and stent thrombosis served as secondary endpoints.

RESULTSAt follow-up, minimal luminal diameter (MLD) in the Taxus group was (2.11 ± 0.66) mm, with resultant increased target lesion revascularization (TLR) 12.2% and TVR 14.4%, significantly different from the Excel group; (2.47 ± 0.56) mm, P < 0.001, 3.2%, P = 0.006, 4.9%, P = 0.019, respectively. As a result there was a significant difference in MACE between the Taxus (20.0%) and Excel (10.3%, P = 0.038) groups. Overall stent thrombosis was monitored in 11 patients (4.0%), with five in the Excel group (2.7%) and six in the Taxus group (6.7%). All stent thrombosis in the Excel group was classified as early, and all were defined as late in the Taxus group.

CONCLUSIONThe Excel stent had lower rate of stent thrombosis, TLR, TVR, and composite MACE at 12-month after an indexed stenting procedure, compared to the Taxus stent.

Absorbable Implants ; Aged ; Coronary Artery Disease ; therapy ; Drug-Eluting Stents ; adverse effects ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Paclitaxel ; therapeutic use ; Polymers ; Sirolimus ; therapeutic use

BACKGROUNDThe predictive value of bifurcation angle (BA) for worse events after stenting bifurcation lesions remains to be unknown. The present study was to investigate the dynamic change of BA and clinical relevance for patients with coronary bifurcation lesions treated by drug-eluting stent (DES).

METHODSBA was calculated by 3-D quantitative coronary analysis from 347 patients in DKCRUSH-II study. Primary endpoint was the occurrence of composite major adverse cardiac events (MACE) at 12-month, including cardiac death, myocardial infarction (MI) and target vessel revascularization (TVR). Secondary end points were the rate of binary restenosis and stent thrombosis at 12-month.

RESULTSStenting was associated with the reduction of distal BA. The cut-off value of distal BA for predicting MACE was 60°. Distal BA in < 60° group had less reduction after stenting ((-1.96 ± 13.58)° vs. (-12.12 ± 23.58)°, P < 0.001); two-stent technique was associated with significant reduction of distal BA (Δ(-4.05 ± 14.20)°), compared to single stent group (Δ + 1.55 ± 11.73, P = 0.003); the target lesion revascularization (TLR), TVR and MACE rate was higher in one-stent group (16.5%, 19.0% and 21.5%), compared to two-stent group (3.8%, P = 0.002; 7.5%, P = 0.016; and 9.8%, P = 0.024), respectively. Among patients in ≥ 60° group, there were no significant differences in distal BA, stent thrombosis (ST), MI, MACE, death, TLR, TVR between one- and two-stent groups; after stenting procedure, there was only slight change of distal BA in left anterior descending (LAD)-left circumflex (LCX) subgroup (from (88.54 ± 21.33)° at baseline to (82.44 ± 31.72)° post-stenting), compared to either LAD-diagonal branch (Di), or LCX-obtuse marginal branch (OM), or RCA distal (RCAd) (all P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONTwo-stent technique was associated with significant reduction of distal BA. DK crush stenting had reduced rate of MACE in patients in < 60° group, compared to one-stent technique.

Adult ; Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary ; adverse effects ; methods ; Coronary Angiography ; Coronary Artery Disease ; diagnostic imaging ; therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Prospective Studies ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo investigate the risk factors related to the esophageal squamous cell cancer in Feicheng county in Shandong province.

METHODSA case-control study was carried out in Feicheng county. There were two parts consisted in the cases. 253 cases, aged from 40 to 69 years old, were recruited from the screened endoscopic survey program from January 2004 to December 2006. The other part of cases was recruited from the people's Hospital of Feicheng city. 8159 subjects whose had normal endoscope test result were recruited as the control group. Besides cardiograph and ventral ultrasound examination the screening program also included an endoscope test during which mucosal stain with 1.2% iodine solution. The biopsies were taken from the screen and underwent pathologic evaluation by two pathologists; A self-administrative questionnaire survey was conducted in all the subjects to collect information about smoking, alcohol consumption and dietary. The binary Logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI). The study protocol was approved by the local ethics committee and the study was conducted with the informed consents of all the study subjects.

RESULTSThere were 235 esophageal cancers cases (70 identified in screening program, 183 were hospitalized patients) and 8159 controls in the case-control study. Three potential confounders were detected after univariate analysis. After adjusted the three confounders, age, sex and education, we found, smoking, alcohol drinking were the top ranked risk factors for esophageal cancer. When combing smoking and alcohol drinking, the or was 2.73 (95% CI: 1.54 - 4.82) for male, and the proportional attribute relative risk was 51.47%. We also observed that more dietary cellulose and vitamin C intake have protective effects.

CONCLUSIONSmoking and alcohol drinking could increase the risk of esophageal cancer, and taking more dietary cellulose and vitamin C might decrease the risk.

Adult ; Aged ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; epidemiology ; etiology ; Case-Control Studies ; China ; epidemiology ; Esophageal Neoplasms ; epidemiology ; etiology ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Risk Factors ; Surveys and Questionnaires

Objective To investigate the effects of changes in elastic modulus of dental implants on stress distributions in implants and peri-implant bone by 3D finite element analysis, so as to supply experimental evidence for new implant system. Methods The model of the mandible with implant bone was constructed based on CT data. The elastic modulus of implants was set as 110, 90, 70, 55 and 40 GPa, respectively. The model was applied with static load of 300 N in vertical direction, 100 N in horizontal direction and 130 N in oblique direction, respectively, to stimulate occlusal state. The stresses on different parts of implants with different elastic modulus and peri-implant bone under 3 kinds of loads were calculated and analyzed. Results As the elastic modulus of implants declined, stresses in cortical bone around implants under horizontal and oblique loads decreased, and stresses in the implants showed a decreasing tendency as well. Conclusions The decrease in elastic modulus of implants can benefit the transferring of load from the implants to the surrounding bone, and reduce the risk of long-term implant failure.