Objective To construct a recombinant lentiviral expression vector for RNA interference (RNAi) of human Snail gene and to study its effects on the proliferation and invasion of nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell line 5-8F. Methods The effective sequence of short hairpin RNAs (shRNA) targeting Snail gene was designed and cloned into the linear pLVTHM vector after enzyme digestion. After confirmation by DNA sequencing, 5-8F cells were infected with the viral supernatants. The cells with stable Snail gene knock-down were separated by fluorescence activated cell sorter (FASC). The expression of Snail mRNA was detected by real time RT-PCR. MTT and cell invasion assay were used to detect the proliferation and invasion of 5-8F cells after plVTHM-siSnail transfection. Results The lentivirus vector plVTHM-siSnail was constructed successfully. The separated 5-8F-plVTHM-siSnail exhibited significant knock-down of Snail mRNA expression. Slower proliferation and decreased cells to permeate through the Matrigel were found after plVTHM-siSnail transfection (P

PurposeTo evaluate multislice spiral CT (MSCT) in diagnosing abdominal anaphylactoid purpura (AAP), and to explore its role in treatment follow-up.Materials and Methods Clinical and MSCT data of 13 patients with confirmed AAP were retrospectively analyzed. All patients underwent abdominal CT scan and thin layer reconstruction. Upper endoscopy was performed in 8 patients prior to treatment. MSCT was performed in 10 patients and endoscopy in 4 patients posttreatment, then clinical and CT features were compared to pretreatment findings.Results In pretreatment CT scan, single segment bowel involvement was found in 2 cases, multisegmental bowel involvement in 10 cases, and no positive finding in 1 patient. The duodenum and jejunum were involved in 8 patients and stomach in 5 patients. The diseased bowel wall showed swelling and thickening with decreased attenuation and homogeneous luminal narrowing with equivocal lining and double loop sign. Infiltration was found in 10 patients, small ascites in 3 patients. Patients were misdiagnosed as acute pancreatitis in 2 cases, acute cholecystitis, small bowel obstruction and peritonitis in 1 case respectively. Of 13 patients, five patients were cured, and the other 8 patients were improved. The clinical symptoms including rash, abdominal pain, occult blood, leukocytosis, vomiting, melena, urine occult blood were improved (χ2=5.59-18.33,P<0.05 orP<0.01). Post treatment CT showed significant improvement of bowel edema and infiltration (P<0.01). There was no statistically significant difference in change of ascites (P>0.05).Conclusion MSCT findings of AAP are nonspecific. CT diagnosis is difficult before skin rash. Combining CT characteristics of multisegmental bowel edema and clinical manifestations is helpful. CT examination can effectively follow up treatment response.

Objective:To introduce a 2-stage treatment protocol for the management of temporomandibular joint ankylosis with sec-ondary deformities in adults.Methods:24 adult patients (9 males and 15 female)(30 joints)at the average age of 26.1 years un-derwent TMJ reconstruction as the initial surgery,followed by orthodontic treatment and correction of secondary deformities as the sec-ond surgery.Clinical outcome was assessed based on maximal incisal opening,radiography and medical photography.Results:Skele-tal deformities were significantly improved in all patients,satisfactory occlusion was achieved with the orthodontic treatment,average maximal incisal opening increased from 3.4 mm to 32.5 mm(P <0.05).Conclusion:The 2-stage treatment protocol is an effective approach for management of TMJ ankylosis with secondary deformities in adult patients.

The effect of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) overexpression on matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) cells in vitro and the possible mechanism involved were investigated, and the correlation between the expression of VEGF and MMP-2 in NPC evaluated. The NPC cells were transfected with PAd-trackVEGF165 plasmid. The expression levels of VEGF and MMP-2 mRNA and protein in NPC cells were detected by semi-quantitative RT-PCR and Western blot respectively. It was found that the expression of VEGF and MMP-2 mRNA and protein was significantly increased in NPC cells after transfection of VEGF165. It was concluded that the expression of VEGF was correlated to the in vitro invasion of NPC cells, and the induction of MMP-2 by VEGF was a key process of NPC cell invasion.

In order to study the effect of and mechanism of lysophosphatidylcholine (LysoPC) on proliferation of the calf thoracic aorta smooth muscle cells (ASMCs), the ASMCs were used to observe the effects of LysoPC-induced endothelial cell conditioned medium on the DNA content and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) expression in the calf thoracic ASMCs by flow cytometry and Western Blot technique. It was found that LysoPC-induced endothelial cell conditioned medium could significantly promote PCNA expression of the calf ASMCs, induce the converting of ASMCs from G0/G1 phase to S phase of DNA synthesis, and increase the tyrosine phosphorylation protein expression. Tyrosine protein kinase inhibitor (TPKi) RG50864 could obviously inhibit proliferation of LysoPC-induced ASMCs in a dose-dependence manner. The results indicated that the effect of LysoPC promoting the proliferation of ASMCs is partly evoked by endothelial cell derived growth factors such as PDGF and so on.
Animals ; Aorta ; cytology ; Cattle ; Cell Division ; drug effects ; Cells, Cultured ; Culture Media, Conditioned ; Lysophosphatidylcholines ; pharmacology ; Muscle, Smooth, Vascular ; cytology ; metabolism ; Platelet-Derived Growth Factor ; metabolism ; Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen ; metabolism

The effect of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) overexpression on matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) cells in vitro and the possible mechanism involved were investigated, and the correlation between the expression of VEGF and MMP-2 in NPC evaluated. The NPC cells were transfected with PAd-trackVEGF165 plasmid. The expression levels of VEGF and MMP-2 mRNA and protein in NPC cells were detected by semi-quantitative RT-PCR and Western blot respectively. It was found that the expression of VEGF and MMP-2 mRNA and protein was significantly increased in NPC cells after transfection of VEGF165. It was concluded that the expression of VEGF was correlated to the in vitro invasion of NPC cells, and the induction of MMP-2 by VEGF was a key process of NPC cell invasion.