With the advanced development of information technology, there is a huge impact on various industries for the arrival of big data. In the biomedical field, innovative genome sequencing technology enables low-cost, high-throughput, and high-speed to become a reality, which leads to an explosive growth in data and also appeared in an urgent need to process those massive biological information. High performance computing (HPC) along with effective methods is one of the best ways to deal with the problem of big data in biomedical field which could serve the biomedical development best. We discussed the issues faced in biomedical big data processing and concluded that the bioinformatics is an indispensable component of biomedical technologies.
Biomedical Research ; trends ; Computational Biology ; Computing Methodologies ; Humans

Objective To investigate the cytolytic activity of extracellular cytolytic toxin rVVC of Vibrio vulnificus on the apoptosis of human ECV304 cells, and to analyze the activities of Caspase-3,-8 and -9. Methods The cytotoxic effect of refolded rVVC on the growth and apoptosis of ECV304 cells was identified by MTT, Hochest33342/PI fluorescent staining, flow cytometry and DNA agarose electrophoresis analysis, respectively. The activities of Caspase-3, -8 and -9 was measured using a colorimetric method. Results The viability of human ECV304 cells exposed to rVVC was inhibited by rVVC after 24 h. 2.0 HU/ml rVVC groups had a better cytotoxic effect to human ECV304 than that of 0.5 HU /ml rVVC groups. The apoptosis of human ECV304 cells in 2.0 HU/ml rVVC+40 μmol/L Z-VAD-FMK groups was relative reduced than that of 2.0 HU/ml of rVVC groups. After 0.5 h treatment with 2.0 HU/ml of rVVC, the Caspase-3 activity in human ECV304 cells increased gradually and reached the peak at 3 h (versus control groups, P<0.01). The activity of Caspase-8 and -9 remained unchanging. Conclusion The rVVC has cytotoxic effect on human ECV304 and the cytolysin is probably correlated with Caspase-3.

Aim To study the effect of simvastatin on the production of reactive oxygen species ( ROS ) and the secretion of interleukin-1 beta ( IL-1β) in oxidized low density lipoprotein ( oxLDL )-induced macropha-ges. Methods After the murine macrophage J774A. 1 was treated with 0,50,100,200 mg·L-1 oxLDL, the contents of aggregated lipid in macrophages were ob-served and determined by oil red O staining. Then, the oxLDL-primed macrophages were treated with 0 . 5 ,1 . 0μmol·L-1 simvastatin, the production of ROS was de-termined by flow cytometry and the expressions of pro-caspase-1 , cleaved caspase-1 and mature IL-1βon pro-tein level were determined by Western blot. Results The oil red O staining results showed that oxLDL could induce obvious lipid aggregation in macrophages, and reached the saturation point with 100 mg·L-1 concen-tration. Flow cytometry results indicated that oxLDL could induce the production of ROS in macrophages, up to 167% ± 0. 47%, and ROS level decreased to 139% ± 0. 97% in a dose-dependent manner after treatment with simvastatin. Western blot indicated that simvastatin could inhibit the expression of cleaved caspase-1 and mature IL-1β in macrophages triggered by oxLDL;compared with oxLDL group, the expression of cleaved caspase-1 and mature IL-1β decreased in simvastatin treated group, and all results had statistical significance ( P<0. 05 ) . Conclusion In the lipid ag-gregation model of macrophages induced by oxLDL, simvastatin can inhibit the production of ROS, caspase-1 activation, and secretion of IL-1β in macrophages.

BACKGROUNDSericin peptide (SP) has shown a powerful anti-oxidant property in a host of studies. The present study was designed to investigate the possible protective effects of SP against alcohol-induced gastric lesions in mice and to explore the potential mechanisms.

METHODSAnimals were randomly divided into 5 groups: control, alcohol (56%, 14.2 ml/kg), SP-treated mice (0.2, 0.4, 0.8 g/kg). Mice were pretreated with SP before administering alcohol, the concentration of ethanol in serum and urine, the contents of malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione (GSH) and the glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX), catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities in the gastric mucosa were measured, subsequently, the pathological evaluation of stomach was also observed.

RESULTSOf the animals pre-treated with SP (0.4, 0.8 g/kg), the concentration of ethanol in serum was significantly decreased, while increased in urine as compared to the alcohol-administered alone animals. Alcohol administration caused severe gastric damage as indicated by markedly increased MDA levels and decreased antioxidants, such as reduced GSH, GSH-PX and SOD in the gastric tissue while the CAT activity was not altered. On SP administration there was a reversal in these values towards normal. Histopathological studies confirmed the beneficial role of SP, which was in accordance with the biochemical parameters.

CONCLUSIONSSP could protect gastric mucosa from alcohol-induced mucosal injury. These gastroprotective effects might be due to increasing 'first-pass metabolism' in the stomach and hastening ethanol elimination directly through the urine. SP might also play an important role in the protection of the structure and function of gastric mitochondria, at least partly based on their anti-oxidant effect.

Amino Acids ; analysis ; Animals ; Cytoprotection ; Ethanol ; blood ; toxicity ; urine ; Gastric Mucosa ; drug effects ; pathology ; Glutathione ; metabolism ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred ICR ; Sericins ; analysis ; pharmacology ; Superoxide Dismutase ; metabolism

AIMTo study the effects of 9-cis-retinoic acid (9-cis-RA) on cell cycle and expression of cyclin D1 and cdk4 in lung cancer cells.

METHODS9-cis-RA (1 x 10(-6) mol.L-1) was used to treat lung cancer cells for 24 h; Flow cytometry (FCM) was used to detect the percent of G0/G1 phase and S phase cells of three groups including blank control, DMSO control and 9-cis-RA groups; RT-PCR was used to analyze the expression changes of cyclin D1 and cdk4 before and after treatment with 9-cis-RA in lung cancer cells.

RESULTSThe percent of G0/G1 phase cells of 9-cis-RA groups was significantly higher than that of the control groups (P < 0.01 or P < 0.05) and the percent of S phase cells of 9-cis-RA groups was lower than that of the control groups (P < 0.01 or P < 0.05); the expression of cyclin D1 of PG, SPC-A1 and L78 cells was decreased (P < 0.01) and the expression of cdk4 of PG, A549 and L78 cells was also decreased (P < 0.01) after treatment with 9-cis-RA.

CONCLUSIONMost of the proliferation and the expression of cyclin D1 and cdk4 of PG, A549, SPC-A1 and L78 were inhibited by 9-cis-RA.

Adenocarcinoma ; metabolism ; pathology ; Antineoplastic Agents ; pharmacology ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; metabolism ; pathology ; Cell Division ; drug effects ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cyclin D1 ; biosynthesis ; Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 4 ; Cyclin-Dependent Kinases ; biosynthesis ; G1 Phase ; drug effects ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins ; Resting Phase, Cell Cycle ; drug effects ; S Phase ; drug effects ; Tretinoin ; pharmacology

The purification and the characteristics of an enzyme from Morganella morganii J-8, which could produce d-pseudoephedrine from 1-phenyl-2-methylamine-acetone, were performed in this study. In this research, first, cells were disrupted by ultrasonic treatment at 4 degrees C. The carbonyl enantioselective reductase was purified with a combination of ammonium precipitation, Phenyl Superose hydrophobic chromatography, DEAE anion exchange, and native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The molecular mass of the purified enzyme subunit was estimated to be 42.5kD on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). The native molecular mass of the enzyme that was analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography was found out to be 84.1 kD, which indicated that the enzyme was a dimmer. The purified enzyme was analyzed by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry, and the result showed that the purified enzyme had high homology with leucine dehydrogenase.
Bacterial Proteins ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; metabolism ; Biocatalysis ; drug effects ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel ; Enzyme Stability ; drug effects ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Kinetics ; Leucine Dehydrogenase ; metabolism ; Metals, Heavy ; pharmacology ; Molecular Weight ; Morganella morganii ; enzymology ; metabolism ; Oxidoreductases ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; metabolism ; Pseudoephedrine ; chemistry ; metabolism ; Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization ; Stereoisomerism ; Temperature

Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Follicle Stimulating Hormone ; blood ; Gonadotropins ; blood ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Male ; Sex Factors ; Time Factors

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the sub-acute oral effect of titanium dioxide (TiO₂) nanoparticles on the oxidation/antioxidation biomarkers and inflammatory cytokines in blood, liver, intestine, and colon in rats. METHODS: Twenty four 4-week-old clean-grade Sprague Dawley (SD) rats were randomly devided into 4 groups by body weight (n=6, control, low, middle, and high), in which the rats were orally exposed to TiO₂ nanoparticles at doses of 0, 2, 10 and 50 mg/kg body weight/day for 28 consecutive days separately. Food intake, body weight and abnormal behaviors during the experiment were recorded. The rats were euthanized on the 29th day. The blood was collected via abdominal aortic method and centrifuged to collect the serum. Tissues from liver, intestine and colon were collected and homogenated. Then enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and microwell plate methods were used to detect oxidation/antioxidation biomarkers including superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione (GSH), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), total mercapto (T-SH), glutathione disulfide (GSSG), malomdialdehvde (MDA) and inflammatory cytokines including interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) in the serum, liver, intestine and colon in the rats. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, no significant differences in body weight, food intake and organ coefficients were observed in all the three groups after TiO₂ gavage. No significant changes in GSH, GSH-Px, T-SH, and IL-6 were observed. Compared with the control group, significant increase of SOD activity in serum in high dose group, signi-ficant increase of GSSG concentration in intestine in middle and high dose group and significant increase of MDA concentration in liver in low and high dose group were observed. Compared with the control group, a significant increase of TNF-α in liver in middle and high dose group was observed. CONCLUSION TiO₂ nanoparticle can increase antioxidant enzymes activities in blood, increase oxidative biomarkers in liver and intestine, increase inflammatory cytokines in liver in rats after a 28-day sub-acute orally administration. Among blood, liver, intestine, and colon, liver is most sensitive to the toxicity induced by TiO₂ nanoparticles, followed by intestine, blood, and colon in sequence.
Animals ; Antioxidants ; Biomarkers ; Cytokines ; Nanoparticles ; Oxidative Stress ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Titanium

·AIM: To evaluate the efficacy of anti - vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and photodynamic therapy (PDT) on pathological myopia (PM) combined with choroidal neovascularization (CNV). ·METHODS: Forty-three patients (45 eyes) diagnosed by fundus fluorescein angiography (FFA), indocyanine green angiography ( ICGA ) and optical coherence tomography (OCT) with PM combined with macular CNV were recruited in this study. The patients were randomly divided into two groups for different treatments, intravitreal injection with Ranibizumab (20 patients, 22 eyes) and PDT(23 patients,23 eyes). After treatment,all patients had been followed up monthly for 12mo. The further treatments were operated according to referral situations. The best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was recorded with the ETDRS chart and the mean defect(MD) of the center 10° visual field was measured. At the last follow-up,the therapy efficacy was determined by ETDRS numbers and MD and analyzed. ·RESULTS: Before treatment, there was no significant difference on the baseline in ETDRS and MD between ranibizumab group and PDT group (P>0.05). After 12mo treatment, the ETDRS number in ranibizumab group (39.23±20.06) significantly increased (by 5.88 ± 9.03, P<0.05), but the PDT group (37. 38 ± 16. 95) was not significantly improved(by 0.33±6.94,P>0.05). The MD in ranibizumab group decreased significantly (P<0.05), and no significant change was found in PDT group(P>0.05). · CONCLUSION: In the treatment of macular CNV complicated by the PM, ranibizumab injection can improve visual function better than PDT.

·AIM: To evaluate the efficacy of anti - vascular endothelial growth factor ( VEGF ) and photodynamic therapy ( PDT) on pathological myopia ( PM) combined with choroidal neovascularization ( CNV ) using ETDRS chart and multifocal electroretinogram (mfERG). ·METHODS: Forty-three patients ( 45 eyes) diagnosed by fundus fluorescein angiography ( FFA ), indocyanine green angiograph ( ICGA ) and optical coherence tomography (OCT) with PM combined with macular CNV were recruited in this study. The patients were randomly divided into two groups for different treatments, intravitreal injection with Ranibizumab ( 20 patients, 22 eyes) and PDT (23 patients, 23 eyes). After treatment, all patients had been followed up monthly for 12mo. The further treatments were operated according to referral situations. The best corrected visual acuity ( BCVA) was recorded with the ETDRS chart and mfERG. At the last follow-up, the therapy efficacy was determined by ETDRS numbers and mfERG and analyzed. ·RESULTS: Before treatment, there was no significant difference on the baseline in ETDRS and mfERG latency of N1 wave, latency and the density values of P1 wave between ranibizumab group and PDT group. After 12mo treatment, the ETDRS number in ranibizumab group (39. 23± 20. 06) significantly increased to the baseline by 5. 88±9. 03(P<0. 05), and in PDT group (37. 38±16. 95) was not significantly improved by 0. 33±6. 94(P>0. 05). There was no significant difference in latency of N1 wave, latency and the density values of P1 wave from treatment response of mfERG in the two groups (P>0. 05). · CONCLUSION: In the treatment of macular CNV complicated by the PM, ranibizumab injection can improve visual function better than PDT, while similar on macular.