Adult ; Agriculture ; Female ; Humans ; Lung ; physiology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Plastics ; Respiratory Function Tests ; Surveys and Questionnaires

italic>α-Conotoxin ArIB[V11L,V16D] is currently the most optimal selective inhibitor of α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) known. In order to explore chemical modification methods and enrich its application in targeting nAChR, this study utilized the linker to covalently connect camptothecin and 7-amino-4-methylcoumarin to the [2,4] disulfide bond of ArIB[V11L,V16D]. Therefore, two peptide-drug conjugates (PDCs), ArIB[V11L,V16D]-5 and ArIB[V11L,V16D]-6, and one fluorescent-labeled peptide, ArIB[V11L,V16D]-7 were constructed. Cytotoxicity evaluation showed that the IC₅₀ values against non-small cell lung cancer cell line A549 of the two PDCs were respectively 1.3 and 4.1 times of camptothecin, indicating slight reduction in activity at the cellular level which was related to the linker structure. Fluorescence spectrum scanning revealed that the excitation and emission wavelength of the fluorescent-labeled peptide were 340 nm and 403 nm respectively, and the fluorescence features of 7-amino-4-methylcoumarin as a marker were retained without fluorescence quenching. This modification strategy laid a solid foundation for the further application of α-conotoxin ArIB[V11L,V16D] in PDCs and fluorescent probes.

Spices have enjoyed a long history and a worldwide application. Of particular interest is the pharmaceutical value of spices in addition to its basic seasoning function in cooking. Concretely, equipped with complex chemical compositions, spices are of significant importance in pharmacologic actions, like antioxidant, antibacterial, antitumor, as well as therapeutical effects in gastrointestinal disorders and cardiovascular disease. Although increasing evidences in support of its distinct role in the medical field has recently reported, little information is available for substantive, thorough and sophisticated researches on its chemical constituents and pharmacological activities, especially mechanism of these actions. Therefore, in popular wave of studies directed at a single spice, this review presents systematic studies on the chemical constituents and pharmacological activities associated with common used spices, together with current typical individual studies on functional mechanism, in order to pave the way for the exploitation and development of new medicines derived from the chemical compounds of spice (such as, piperine, curcumin, geniposide, cinnamaldehyde, cinnamic acid, linalool, estragole, perillaldehyde, syringic acid, crocin).
Anti-Infective Agents ; pharmacology ; Antineoplastic Agents ; pharmacology ; Antioxidants ; pharmacology ; Cardiovascular System ; drug effects ; Digestive System ; drug effects ; Spices ; analysis ; toxicity

Objective To construct an RNAi lentiviral vector targeting rat CD86 gene and detect its effect of gene silencing in dendritic cells. Methods The effective sequence of siRNA targeting rat CD86 gene was confirmed in our previous work. DNA oligo containing short hairpin frame was synthesized and re-annealed, and then cloned into pGCL-GFP lentivind expression vector. PCR and sequencing analysis were made for verifying the positive clones. The virus packaging plasmids were transfected into 293T cells to har-vest shRNA lentivirus. After infection in dendritic cells, real-time PCR and Western blot were performed to determine the expression level of CD86 at mRNA and protein of NC( negative control virus). Results PCR and sequencing analysis revealed that shRNA plasmid was correctly constructed. Virus with a titer of 2×108 TU/ml was successfully packaged. CD86 expression in dendritic cells can be knockdown at both mRNA and protein level by virus infection as characterized by 90.6% decrease of mRNA and significant inhibition of protein compared with NC. Conclusion The recombinant lentiviral shRNA expressing vector targeting rat CD86 gene has been successfully constructed and packaged. CD86 mRNA and protein can be effectively down-regulated in dendritic cells.

Objective To evaluate the MUC1 promoter's role in driving gene expression in pancreatic cancer and its therapeutic significance.Methods Two plasmids were made.The plasmid pEGFP-MUC1N1 contained MUC1 promoter fragment connected to the pEGFP-N1 vector with the EGFG reporter gene.The pShuttle-MUC1-EGFP plasmid contained MUC1 promoter fragment and EGFP reporter gene connected to pShuttle plasmid.Lipofectamine 2000 was used to transfect the two plasmids into cells of MUC1-positive human pancreatic cell line Panc-1 and MUC1-negative human cervical carcinoma Hela.Fluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry compared the specificity and activity of the MUC1 promoter and CMV promoter.Results Reporter gene EGFP-positive cells 48 hours after transfection with pEGFP-MUC1-N1 and pShuttleMUC1-EGFP plasmid were 69.6％ and 63.6％ respectively,in Panc-1 cells,and 4.2％ and 3.7％ respectively,in Hela cells.Conclusions MUC1 promoter can drive reporter gene activity in MUC1-positive tumor cells targeting functional expression.There is potentially a use of targeted therapy in pancreatic cancer at the genetic level.

Objective:To construct a RNAi lentiviral vector targeting rat CD80 gene and detect its effect of gene silencing in NRK and IEC6 cells.Methods:The effective sequence of siRNA targeting rat CD80 gene was confirmed in our previous work.Oligo-DNA fragment containing short hairpin frame was synthesized and reannealed,and then cloned into pGCSIL-GFP lentiviral expression vector.PCR and sequencing analysis were made for verifying the positive clones.The virus packaging plasmids were transfected into 293T cells to harvest shRNA lentivirus.After infection in NRK and IEC6 cells,Real-time PCR was performed to determine the expressing level of CD80.Results:PCR and sequencing revealed that shRNA plasmids was correctly constructed.Virus with a titer of 4×10~8 TU/ml was successfully packaged.CD80 expression in NRK and IEC6 cells could be knockdown by virus infection as characterized by 66.9% and 63.5% decrease of CD80 mRNA in NRK and IEC6 cells respectively,compared with negative control lentivirus.Conclusion:The recombinant lentiviral shRNA expressing vector targeting rat CD80 gene has been successfully constructed and packaged.CD80 mRNA could be down-regulated availably in NRK and IEC6 cells.

Objective To investigate the expressions of HBXIP and GRIM-19 in hepatocellular carcinoma tissues and their clinic significance. Methods Hepatocellular carcinoma tissue (n=42) and normal liver tissue (n=28) were collected from Tianjin First Central Hospital,immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expressions of HBXIP and GRIM-19 in these two groups. Results Rate of cells with positive expressions of HBXIP in hepatocellular carcinoma and normal liver tissues were 80.95%(34/42)and 42.86%(12/28)respectively;Rate of cells with positive expression of GRIM-19 in hepato?cellular carcinoma tissues and normal liver tissues was 40.48%(17/42)and 75.00%(21/28)respectively, and the difference between these two groups was statistically significant(P<0.05);The expression of HBXIP was higher but the expression of GRIM-19 was lower in poor differentiated and stageⅢ-IV cells than those in well and moderate differentiated cells and in stage I-II, cells. What′s more, the expression of GRIM-19 is higher in tissue without portal thrombosis than that in tissue with portal thrombosis. The expression of HBXIP was negatively correlated with GRIM-19 expression(rS=-0.400,P<0.01). Conclusion The abnormal expressions of HBXIP and GRIM-19 may play important roles in the process of development and metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Objective: To explore the value of quantitative parameters of multi-parameter MR imaging (mp-MRI) for estimating aggressiveness of peripheral prostate cancer. Methods: Totally 41 peripheral prostate cancer patients (69 prostate cancer tissue samples) who underwent mp-MRI were collected. The scanning images were post-processed, and mp-MRI quantitative pseudo-color maps were obtained. Quantitative parameters of tumor tissue were measured, respectively. The samples were divided into ISUP<3 group (n=27) and ISUP ≥3 group (n=42) according to pathological ISUP grading. The parameters of mp-MRI were compared between two groups, and their diagnostic efficacy for ISUP<3 and ISUP≥3 peripheral prostate cancer was evaluated by using ROC curves. Results: ADC of ISUP<3 group was higher than that of ISUP≥3 group (P<0.05), while Ktrans value of ISUP<3 group was lower than that of ISUP≥3 group (P<0.05). Using independent predictors to estimate ISUP<3 and ISUP≥3 prostate cancer, taken 0.55 mm2/s as the cutoff value of ADC, the sensitivity was 0.80, specificity was 0.71, accuracy was 0.74 and AUC was 0.81, when taken 80.77×10-3/min as the cutoff value of Ktrans, the sensitivity was 0.85, specificity was 0.49, accuracy was 0.59 and AUC was 0.69. Using combination of the two above indicators, when cutoff value of was 0.290 1, the sensitivity was 0.90, specificity was 0.65, accuracy was 0.75 and AUC was 0.81. Conclusion: ADC and Ktrans of mp-MRI can be used as independent predictors to estimate aggressiveness of peripheral prostate cancer, and the combination of ADC and Ktrans is more effective than each single ones.

Objective To investigate the relationship between nerve conduction velocity(NCV)and syndrome differentiation of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)in patients with diabetic peripheral neuropathy(DPN).Methods 172 patients with DPN were scored by 5 grades according to their symptoms which were classified by 5 kinds of patterns such as Qi-deficiency,Yin-deficiency,Yang-deficiency,Blood-stasis,Phlegm-dampness.NCV of the patients were also tested.Results The frequency of Yin-deficiency and Blood-stasis was more than 50%.The proportion and scores were significantly higher in the elder-age group than in the younger-age group(P<0.05).The scores of Blood-stasis and Yang-deficiency increased in the patients with longer-course(P<0.01).The correlation analysis showed that scores of nervous system were correlated positively with scores of Yin-deficiency,Yang-deficiency and Blood-stasis.There were positive correlation between scores of Qi-deficiency and fasting blood glucose(FBG)as well as between scores of Yin-deficiency and a-lipoprotein(LPa),and between scores of Yang-deficiency and homocysteine(Hcy).The proportion of Yin-deficiency and blood stasis in abnormal NCV group were higher than the normal while the results of Qi-deficiency and Phlegm-dampness were contrary.But the consequence had no statistical significance(P>0.05).Abnormality of NCV was aggravated with the high scores of Yang-deficiency and blood stasis.The analysis with logistic stepwise regression showed that diabetic course,levels of FBG and systolic blood pressure(SBP),be complicated by DN and DR,scores of nervous system sign were the independent risk factors for NCV.Conclusion Yin-deficiency and Blood-stasis are the major TCM syndromes in patients with DPN.The degree of Yang-deficiency and Blood-stasis influenced on the parameters of NCV.Abnormality of NCV can be aggravated with long diabetic course,high levels of FBG and SBP,be complicated by DN and DR,high scores of nerve system sign.

In order to investigate the antioxidant properties of the polysaccharides from the brown alga Sargassum fusiforme, the crude polysaccharides from S. fusiforme (SFPS) were extracted in hot water, and the lipid peroxidation inhibition assay exhibited that SFPS possessed a potential antioxidant activity. Hence, two purely polymeric fractions, SFPS-1 and SFPS-2 were isolated by the column of DEAE (2-diethylaminoethanol)-Sepharose Fast Flow, with their molecular weights of 51.4 and 30.3 kDa determined by high performance gel permeation chromatography (HPGPC). They were preliminarily characterized using chemical analysis in combination of infrared (IR) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopies and found to contain large amounts of uronic acids and beta-glycosidical linkages. The antioxidant activities of these two SFPS fractions were evaluated using superoxide and hydroxyl radical-scavenging assays. The results show that the antioxidant ability of SFPS-2 was higher than that of SFPS-1, probably correlating with the molecular weight and uronic acid content.
Antioxidants ; chemistry ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Molecular Weight ; Pilot Projects ; Polysaccharides ; chemistry ; Sargassum ; metabolism