OBJECTIVETo compare the metastatic characteristics of HCCLM3 cells and SMCC-7721 cells in nude mice model.

METHODSNude mice were divided into two groups (n = 8, each), mice were transplanted with HCCLM3 cells (group A) and SMMC-7721 cells (group B). Tumor size, metastasis rate and other clinical parameters were compared between the two groups. Statistical analysis was performed with the help of SPSS 16.0 for Windows computer software (SPSS, Inc., Chicago, IL). P values of less than 0.05 were considered statistically significant.

RESULTSIntrahepatic metastases rate was 100% (8 / 8), mean intrahepatic primary tumor volume was (6954+/-1945) mm(3) in group A, Intrahepatic metastases rate was 62.5% (5/8), and mean intrahepatic primary tumor volume was (6034+/-2035) mm(3) in the group B. There was no statistical difference in the primary liver tumor size and intrahepatic metastases rate (P = 0.20; t = 6.38, P = 0.37, respectively). The numbers of intrahepatic metastases and the involved lobes, and the volume of tumor were 4.5 (median), 3, and 975 mm(3) (median) respectively, in group A, and these were 1 (median), 1 and 274 mm(3) (median) respectively in group B. The difference between two groups was statistically significant (Z values, -2.818, -2.289, and -1.975, respectively).The rate of lung metastasis and other organ metastasis in the A group was significantly higher than that in group B (P less than 0.001, P less than 0.041, respectively).

CONCLUSIONHCCLM3 cells have higher metastatic potential than SMMC-7721 cells in nude mice.

Animals ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; pathology ; secondary ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Disease Models, Animal ; Female ; Humans ; Liver ; pathology ; Liver Neoplasms, Experimental ; pathology ; Lung Neoplasms ; secondary ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Nude ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Neoplasm Transplantation ; Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays

Objective To explore the distribution characteristics and function of peripheral regulatory T cells (CD4+CD25+Foxp3+T cells) in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).In addition,we analyzed the relationship between peripheral regulatory T cells and organ damage and the influence of different treatment regimens on them.Methods Two hundred and six SLE patients and 38 healthy volunteers were enrolled,which included 12 patients with untreated new-onset lupus,11 patients with drug withdrawal more than six months and 183 patients with treatments.Phenotypic and functional analysis of peripheral blood CD4+CD25+Foxp3+T cells were performed by flow cytometry.The correlations of CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ T cells with disease activity,organ involvement were analyzed.Thealtered frequency of CD4+CD25 +Foxp3+T cells under different treatment regimens was compared.Statistical Package form Soci-science (SPSS) 21.0 software was used for data analysis,Student's t test,one-way ANOVA,Mann-Whitney T test,Kruskal-Wallis test,Chi-square test,Simple linear correlation analysis was used.Results CD4 +CD25 +Foxp3 + T cells were significantly increased inactive SLE patients [1 1.9％ (9.3％,16.0％),mean difference =104.71,P＜0.01] and inactive SLE patients [11.0％(7.7％,14.7％),mean difference=86.10,P＜0.01] compared with healthy controls [6.1％(5.3％,7.4％)].CD4+CD25+Foxp3+T cellsshowed sign-ificantly positive correlations with SLEDAI-2K (r=0.191,P＜0.05),dsDNA (r=0.262,P＜0.05),ESR (r=0.208,P＜0.05) and lgG (r=0.163,P＜0.05),and significantly negatively correlated with complementC3 (r=-0.201,P＜0.05) and C4 (r=-0.227,P＜0.05).Compared with patients without organ damage (Occult lupus),the CD4+CD25+Foxp3+T cells were increased in SLE patients with organ damage,especially those with skin involvement [10.9％(7.8％,13.1％),mean difference=56.93,P＜0.05] and renal involvement [12.1％(9.1％,16.0％),mean difference=77.26,P＜0.05].The proportion of CD4+CD25+Foxp3+T cells had no significant difference between SLE patients with treatments and patients with untreated new-onset lupus.The expressions of CTLA-4 [(53±15)％,t=7.04,P＜0.01],GITR [(42±19)％,t=2.64,P＜0.01] and ICOS [(28±9)％,t=4.27,P＜0.01] on CD4+CD25+Foxp3+T cells were significantly lower in SLE patients than in healthy controls [CTLA-4 (71±4)％,GITR (53±10)％ and ICOS (41±6)％].IL-17 synthesized by CD4+CD25+Foxp3+T cells in SLE patients [3.0％(1.8％,3.9％)] was significantly higher than that in healthy controls [1.0％(0.7％,1.2％),Z=-4.40,P＜0.01].Conclusion The peripheral regulatory T cells are significantly increased in SLE patients and correlate with disease activity and organ damage.However,their inhibitory function is defective and they have more pro-inflammatory character-istics.

During the screening of a traditional Chinese folk herb library against HepG2 and Hep3B cell lines, the EtOAc extract from the Tibetan medicine, Caragana tibetica (CT-EtOAc) exhibited potential anti-hepatocellular carcinoma (anti-HCC) activity. HPLC-based activity profiling was performed for targeted identification of anti-HCC activity from CT-EtOAc by MS-directed purification method. CT-EtOAc was separated by time-based fractionation for further anti-HCC bioassay by a semipreparative HPLC column (150 mm × 10 mm i.d., 5 μm) with a single injection of 5 mg. Bioassay-guided and ESIMS-directed large scale purification was performed with a single injection of 400 mg of CT-EtOAc by peak-based fractionation. A 1.4-mm heavy wall micro NMR tube with z-gradient was used to measure one and two dimensional NMR spectra for the minor or trace amounts of components of the extract. Two active compounds could be elucidated as naringenin chalcone (CT-1) and 3-hydroxy-8, 9-dimethoxypterocarpan (CT-2) relevant to anti-HCC effects for the EtOAc extract of C. tibetica rapidly and unambiguously by this protocol.
Acetates ; pharmacology ; Antineoplastic Agents ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Caragana ; chemistry ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; drug therapy ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Chalcones ; pharmacology ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Hep G2 Cells ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; Medicine, Tibetan Traditional ; Plant Extracts ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Plant Roots ; chemistry

With the advent of an aging society,Alzheimer's disease(AD)has gradually become a major ailment affecting the elderly.AD is a neurodegenerative disorder associated with cognitive impairments.In AD patients,brain network connections are disrupted,and their topological properties are also affected,leading to the disintegration of anatomical and functional connections.Anatomical connections can be tracked and evaluated using structural magnetic imaging(MRI)and diffusion tensor imaging(DTI),while functional connections are detected through functional MRI to assess their connectivity status.This review incorporates the findings of previous scholars and summarizes the current research of AD.It mainly discusses the imaging characteristics of large-scale brain network changes in AD patients,so as to provide researchers with scientific and objective imaging markers for AD prediction and early diagnosis,as well as future research.

Objective To determine whether the combination of traditional risk factors and quantitative coronary angiography (QCA) assessment could provide accurate prognostic information on a population-based study including 1137 adults with subclinical artherosclerosis and with coronary risk factors. Methods Participants underwent coronary angiography examination before the minimal stenotic diameters, segment diameters, percent stenosis, plaque areas. Other parameters were analyzed by the computer-assisted Coronary Angiography Analysis System. The Framingham Risk Score for each participant was assessed. During the 1 year follow-up period, all kinds of endpoint cardiovascular events were screened. Endpoint events were defined as death from coronary heart disease, nonfatal myocardial infarction (MI) or unstable angina pectoris. Results During the 1 year of follow-up period, a total of 124 participants developed an endpoint event, which was significantly associated with the Framingham Risk Score, calcium of plaques and the plaque areas (all Ps＜0.05).The QCA score incorporated with the QCA parameters was related to the endpoint events. The Framingham Risk Score was combined with QCA score through logistic regression for prediction of end-point events. Data from the ROC analysis showed the accuracy of this prediction algorithm was superior to the accuracy when variables themselves were used. The event-free survival rate was inferior to the control group in participates under high risk, when being screened with this prediction algorithm (P＜0.05). Conclusion The risk of cardiovascular attack in subclinical artherosclerosis individual seemed to be associated with the Framingham Risk Score, calcium of plaques and the plaque areas. When the traditional risk factors (the Framingham Risk Score) were combined with QCA, the new method could provide more prognostic information on those adults with subclinical artherosclerosis.

Objective : To investigate the relationship between the 24 h ambulatory blood pressure c ircadian rhythm abnormalities and kidney damage in the patients of lupus nephritis (LN) . Methods : A total of 103 patients with LN patients were enrolled retrospectively. All patients were accepted 24 h ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) . The patients were divided into 2 groups according to the 24 h ambulatory blood pressure c ircadian rhythm, including nocturnal blood pressure meaning average declining during the day ( > 10% ) and non⁃dipper type blood pressure group ( < 10% ) . The kidney damage index of LN patients with or without hypertension or nocturnal blood pressure and non⁃dipper type blood pressure was analyzed. The influencing factors of the circadian rhythm of LN blood pressure were analyzed by binary Logistic regression. Results : Among the 103 LN patients, 66 patients were hypertension, 37 patients were none hypertension. Fifty⁃nine patients were non⁃dipper type blood pressure in LN with hypertension group, and 30 patients were non⁃dipper type blood pressure in LN without hypertension. There was no significant difference in the frequency of non⁃dipper type blood pressure between the two groups (81. 1% vs 89. 4% , χ2 = 1. 395, P = 0. 238) . Compared with hypertension group, the levels of serum creatinine (Z = 2. 911, P = 0. 004), urea ( Z = 3. 348, P = 0. 001) and uric acid levels ( t = 2. 017, P = 0. 047 ) were significantly higher than those of LN without hypertension patients, whereas the levels of glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) (Z = 4. 846, P < 0. 001) were significantly lower than those of LN without hypertension patients. In the group of LN with hypertension, the levels of uric acid (Z = 2. 893, P = 0. 004) were significantly higher than those of nocturnal blood pressure subgroup patients compared with no dipper type blood pressure subgroup patients, and the levels of eGFR (Z = 2. 017, P = 0. 0440) were significantly lower. Nevertheless, in the group of LN without hypertension, the kidney damage index had no significant difference between the two subgroups. Univariate and multivariate analysis showed that uric acid was associated with an abnormal rhythm of LN combined with hypertension. Conclusion Abnormal blood pressure rhythms are common in LN patients with or without hypertension. Renal damage significantly increases in the non⁃dipper group of LN compared with hypertension patients.

In December 2019, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), a new de novo infectious disease, was first identified in Wuhan, China and quickly spread across China and around the world. The etiology was a novel betacoronavirus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) (Lu et al., 2020). On Mar. 11, 2020, World Health Organization (WHO) characterized COVID-19 as a global pandemic. As of Mar. 22, 2020, over 292 000 confirmed COVID-19 cases have been reported globally. To date, COVID-19, with its high infectivity, has killed more people than severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) combined (Wu and McGoogan, 2020).
Adult ; Betacoronavirus ; COVID-19 ; COVID-19 Testing ; China ; Clinical Laboratory Techniques ; Coronavirus Infections/diagnostic imaging* ; Female ; Fever/virology* ; Humans ; Lymphocyte Count ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pandemics ; Pneumonia, Viral/diagnostic imaging* ; Radiography, Thoracic ; SARS-CoV-2 ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Treatment Outcome

【Objective】 To investigate the function and molecular mechanism of osteosarcoma cells derived exosome on microenvironment of target organs. 【Methods】 The osteosarcoma derived exosomes were extracted and injected into nude mice through tail vein after PKH26 fluorescence staining. The liver, spleen, lung, kidney and brain tissues were extracted 24 hours later and then the amount of red fluorescence in different fields was counted under fluorescence microscope. The uptake of exosomes in different types of cells was detected by immunofluorescence. 143B derived exosomes were co-cultured with human lung fibroblasts, and the uptake was detected by fluorescence microscopy. The expression levels of inflammatory cytokines IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α were detected by RT-qPCR, while the changes of p-p65 in inflammatory signaling pathway of NF- κB and p-ERK, p-p38 in MAPK signaling were detected by western blotting. 【Results】 TSG101, Flotillin-1, CD63 and CD9 were expressed in 143B derived exosomes, and Calnexin expression was absent(P<0.05). The exosomes presented a saucer-like structure under electron microscope. The size of the exosomes is(141.92± 52.85) nm. The exosomes distributed more in lung tissue than liver, kidney, spleen and brain after injection through the tail vein of nude mice(P<0.05). The mRNA levels of inflammatory cytokines IL-1β, IL-6and TNF-α were significantly increased in human lung fibroblast cells after incubation with 143B exosomes(P<0.05). p-p65, p-ERK and p-p38MAPK were significantly up-regulated(P<0.05) . 【Conclusions】 Osteosarcoma cells derived exosomes could activate inflammatory signaling pathway NF-κB and MAPK, and up-regulate the expression of the inflammatory cytokines IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α in lung fibroblast cells.