OBJECTIVETo observe the effect of sodium tanshinone II (A) sulfonate (STS) on Ang II -induced atrial fibroblast collagen synthesis and TGF-beta1 activation.

METHODAtrial fibroblasts of neonatal rats were cultured to determine the content of collagen protein. The original synthesis rate determined by the [3H]-proline incorporation method was taken as the index for myocardial fibrosis. The content of active TGF-beta1 and total TGF-beta1 in cell culture supernatants were tested and cultured by ELISA. The expression of thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1) was assessed by using Western blot.

RESULTAng II could significantly increase the content of atrial fibroblast collagen and the collagen synthesis rate, the TSP-1 expression and the concentration of active TGF-beta1, without any obvious change in total TGF-beta1. After the STS treatment, all of the indexes, apart from total TGF-beta1, were obviously down-regulated.

CONCLUSIONSTS could decrease the secretion of Ang II -induced atrial fibroblast collagen and the synthesis rate. Its mechanism is related to the inhibition of TSP-1/TGF-beta1 pathway.

Angiotensin II ; pharmacology ; Animals ; Collagen ; biosynthesis ; Fibroblasts ; cytology ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Gene Expression Regulation ; drug effects ; Heart Atria ; cytology ; Phenanthrenes ; pharmacology ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Signal Transduction ; drug effects ; Thrombospondin 1 ; metabolism ; Transforming Growth Factor beta1 ; metabolism

Objective To investigate the genetic association of MTHFRC677T between CBS844ins68 polymorphism and young ischemic stroke.Methods The polymorphism of MTHFRC677T and CBS844ins68 in 98 stroke patients and 116 control subjects were examined and analyzed by using PCR-RFLP.Results The frequencies of two alleles were as follows: T allele 54.09%,C allele 45.91% in patients and T 37.93%,C 62.07% in controls(?2=11.18,P

Objective To compare the effect of different ways of water supply and whether or not drain water from waterlines for overnight on bacterial counts in dental unit waterlines(DUWLs).Methods In the first phase,6 sets of DUWLs were randomly divided into 2 groups (external storage tank water supply group and municipal water sup-ply group);in the second phase,6 sets of DUWLs were all changed to use external storage tank and randomly di-vided into 2 groups (draining water for overnight group and without draining water for overnight group),bacterial count before and within one week of disinfection between two groups at two phases were compared respectively. Results In the first phase,handpiece water of DUWLs was most seriously contaminated by bacteria,the average colony count was 4117 CFU/mL,qualified rate was 15.38%.Before disinfection,no significant difference in bacte-rial count were found among each groups (all P>0.05),bacterial count of DUWLs of all groups severely exceeded the standard(all >3000 CFU/mL).Comparison of bacterial count in DUWLs from different water supply routes after disinfection was not significantly different on day 1(P>0.05),but were significantly different at day 2-7(all P<0.05).On the second day after disinfection,municipal water supply group began to exceed bacteria standard;on the third day after disinfection,external storage tank group began to exceed bacteria standard.Bacterial count in DUWLs after disinfection between draining water for overnight group and without draining water for overnight group was no significantly different on day 1(P>0.05),but were significantly different on day 2-7(all P<0.05). On the fourth day of disinfection,bacterial count of without draining water for overnight group exceeded standard.On day 7 of disinfection,bacterial count in draining water for overnight group exceeded>100 CFU/mL.Conclusion Use of external storage tank,daily change of sterile distilled water,and daily emptying water for overnight can effectively reduce bacterial count in DUWLs.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the correlation of the deleted azoospermia (DAZ) gene copy related to gr/gr and b2/b3 deletions in the AZFc region with male spermatogenic impairment.

METHODSThis study included 121 infertile men with different de- grees of spermatogenic impairment and 95 healthy donors from the sperm bank. Using PCR, PCR-RFLP, and Y chromosome specific sequence tagged sites (STS) , we analyzed the association of DAZ gene copy deletions related to gr/gr and b2/b3 deletions in the AZFc region with spermatogenic impairment.

RESULTSThere were 15 cases of gr/gr deletion (12. 40% ) and 6 cases of b2/b3 deletion (4.96%) in the infertility group as compared with 13 cases of gr/gr deletion (13.68%) and 1 case of b2/b3 deletion (1.05%) in the control. Analysis of the DAZ-specific single nucleotide variant (SNV) loci revealed 11 gr/gr-DAZI/DAZ2 deletions (9.09%), 4 gr/gr-DAZ3/DAZ4 deletions (3.31%), and 6 b2/b3-DAZ1/DAZ2 deletions (4.96%) in the infertile men in comparison with 3 gr/ gr-DAZ1/DAZ2 deletions (3.16%), 10 gr/gr-DAZ3/DAZ4 deletions (10.53%), and 1 b2/b3- DAZ3/DAZ4 deletion (1.05%) in the control.

CONCLUSIONPartial deletions of gr/gr and b2/b3 exist in both healthy men and male patients with different degrees of spermatogenic impairment and cannot be considered as a risk factor for spermatogenesis impairment. However, deletions of different DAZ duplicons in gr/gr and b2/b3 deletions have different effects on spermatogenesis. DAZ1/DAZ2 instead of DAZ3/DAZ4 deletions might be associated with spermatogenesis impairment.

Deleted in Azoospermia 1 Protein ; Gene Deletion ; Gene Dosage ; Humans ; Male ; RNA-Binding Proteins ; genetics ; Spermatogenesis ; genetics

Prostate cancer (PCa) is one of the most common malignant tumors as well as a frequent cause of cancer-related mortality in men worldwide. The test of serum markers has dramatically improved the early diagnosis of PCa, but its underlying molecular mechanisms are not yet completely identified. Long noncoding RNA (IncRNA) is emerging as a new player in the PCa paradigm demonstrating its potential roles in both oncogenic and tumor suppressive pathways. LncRNA is frequently aberrantly expressed in the majority of PCa cases. This review highlights recent findings of the aberrant expression of lncRNA in PCa and discusses its novel roles in the diagnosis, prediction, prognosis, metastasis, and potential clinical treatment of PCa.
Humans ; Male ; Prognosis ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; metabolism ; RNA, Long Noncoding ; metabolism

AIM: To investigate the influence and mechanism of blue light on the proliferation of human retinal pigment epithelial cells.METHODS: Cells were divided into two groups,including blue light group and control group.The 35W white light lamp with blue filter was used to establish damaged RPE cell model in vitro.Blue ray wavelength ranged between 470nm and 520nm.And the light intensity was about 2000Lx.After exposure to blue light,we tested the proliferation of human retinal pigment epithelial cells by CCK-8 kit.And then expression of miR-103 was measured by the real-time PCR.RESULTS: Exposure to blue light inhibited the proliferation of human retinal pigment epithelial cells and increased the expression of miR-103.Moreover,up-regulation of miR-103 inhibited the proliferation of human retinal pigment epithelial cells,and down-regulates miR-103 promoted the proliferation of human retinal pigment epithelial cells.CONCLUSION: Blue light inhibits the proliferation of human retinal pigment epithelial cells by the up-regulation of miR-103.

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a genetic heterogeneous disease in which primordial and juvenile myeloid cells proliferate or accumulate abnormally in bone marrow, peripheral blood and other tissues, resulting in damage to normal hematopoietic function. Studies have shown that about 30% of AML patients have FMS-like tyrosine kinase 3 (FLT3), FLT3 abnormal regulation is closely related to the occurrence and development of AML. At present, FLT3 has become an important target for developing small molecular targeted drugs. Currently, a variety of FLT3 inhibitors and FLT3 degraders have been developed targeting FLT3, and some compounds have exhibited good anti-AML activity. This article summarizes and sorts out the current mainstream drugs for AML therapeutic targeting FLT3, in order to provide a reference for the development and design of AML drugs.

OBJECTIVETo explore the effect of Sedum sarmentosum Bunge Extract (SSBE) on severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) induced acute lung injury (ALI) model rats and their excessive inflammatory reactions.

METHODSForty-two healthy adult male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into 3 groups, the sham-operated control group (C), the SAP group (SAP), and the SSBE treated group (SSBE), 14 in each group. SAP induced ALl rat model was induced by retrograde injection of 5% sodium taurocholate (1 mL/kg) into the pancreatic duct. SSBE (100 m/kg) was administrated subcutaneously after the establishment of the SAP model. Equal dose of SSBE was injected again 12 h later. Equal volume of normal saline was administrated in the same way for rats in the C group and the SAP group. Rats were sacrificed after successful modeling and samples taken at 12 and 24 h. Pathological changes in the pancreas and the lung tissue were observed under light microscope. The ascites, serum amylase (AMS), wet/dry proportion (W/D) of the lung tissue, activities of myeloperoxidase (MPO), interleukin-1 (IL-1), IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) were also measured.

RESULTSAscites and serum AMS activities significantly increased; MPO, IL-1, IL-6, TNF-alpha contents, and W/D ratio also significantly increased in the SAP group, when compared with the C group (P<0.05). Compared with the SAP group, those parameters were all attenuated in the SSBE group at 12 and 24 h (P<0.05, P<0.01). Pathological changes in the pancreas and the lung tissue were alleviated in the SSBE group under light microscope. The injury degree ranged between that of the C group and the SAP group.

CONCLUSIONSSBE could relieve the ALl in SAP model rats, which could be achieved through alleviating inflammation responses of SAP rats.

Acute Lung Injury ; drug therapy ; etiology ; Animals ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Interleukin-1 ; Interleukin-6 ; Lung ; Male ; Pancreas ; Pancreatitis ; complications ; drug therapy ; Peroxidase ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Sedum ; Taurocholic Acid ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha

Important forensic diagnostic indicators of sudden death in coronary atherosclerotic heart dis-ease,such as acute or chronic myocardial ischemic changes,sometimes make it difficult to locate the ischemic site due to the short death process,the lack of tissue reaction time.In some cases,the de-ceased died of sudden death on the first-episode,resulting in difficulty for medical examiners to make an accurate diagnosis.However,clinical studies on coronary instability plaque revealed the key role of coronary spasm and thrombosis caused by their lesions in sudden coronary death process.This paper mainly summarizes the pathological characteristics of unstable coronary plaque based on clinical medi-cal research,including plaque rupture,plaque erosion and calcified nodules,as well as the influencing factors leading to plaque instability,and briefly describes the research progress and technique of the atherosclerotic plaques,in order to improve the study on the mechanism of sudden coronary death and improve the accuracy of the forensic diagnosis of sudden coronary death by diagnosing different patho-logic states of coronary atherosclerotic plaques.

Aim To investigate the effect of baicalein on insulin secretion from rat islets and the underlying mechanism. Methods Pancreatic islets were obtained from the pancreas of male Wistar rats by collagenase P digestion and histopaque-1077 density gradient separa-tion. Single islet cells were dispersed from pancreatic islets by Dispase II digestion. Insulin secretion experi-ment was applied to observe insulin release after baica-lein stimulation. To study the potential mechanism, calcium imaging technique and patch-clamp experiment were applied to measure intracellular Ca2+ concentra-tion and voltage-dependent potassium channel currents (Kv). Results In 16. 7mmol·L-1 glucose, baica-lein accelerated insulin secretion in a dose-dependent manner. Baicalein promoted the intracellular Ca2+ con-centration. The patch-clamp experiment showed that baicalein inhibited Kv current in a dose-dependent manner. Conclusion Baicalein can increase the in-tracellular Ca2+ concentration by inhibiting Kv chan-nels and eventually promoting insulin secretion.