Objective To investigate the age-related change of secretory leukocyte protease inhibitor (SLPI) content in stimulated whole saliva. Methods Ninety-four healthy adults aged 20-94 yrs were enrolled. Samples of whole stimulated saliva were collected from all subjects, the SLPI content was analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results The flow rate of the SLPI in older groups was lower than in the young group (P0. 05) , but the contents of SLPI secretion per time-unit of the three older groups[(2. 12?1. 70), (2. 17?2. 65) , (1. 91?2. 51) ng/min, all P

[ ABSTRACT] AIM: To investigate the effect of miR-496 over-expression on the growth and metastasis of colon cancer cells and its molecular mechanism .METHODS:The proteins interacting with miR-496 were screened by bioinfor-matic method.The levels of miR-496, CTNNB1 mRNA and β-catenin protein in colon cancer cell lines , HT29, HCT116 and SW480, and normal colonic epithelial cell line NCM 460 were detected by real-time PCR and Western blot .HT29, HCT116 and SW480 cells were transfected with miR-496 mimics using Lipofectamine 2000 and named as HT29-miR-496 mimics, HCT116-miR-496 mimics and SW480-miR-496 mimics cells, respectively, and the cells transfected with the scramble served as negative control .The cell viability, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) leakage, and colony formation and metastatic abilities were determined by MTT assay , LDH assay, colony formation assay and Transwell method , respective-ly.The promoter activity of miR-496 was measured using luciferase reporter gene assay .The protein levels of β-catenin, eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E-binding protein 1 (4E-BP1), p-4E-BP1, low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 6(LRP6), p-LRP6, MMP-7, MMP-9, MMP-13 and TIMP-2 were monitored by Western blot.RESULTS:Endog-enous miR-406 interacted with β-catenin was found in the colon cancer cells .Low miR-496 expression in the HT29, HCT116 and SW480 cells and high miR-496 expression in NCM460 cells were detected.In contrast, high β-catenin ex-pression was found in the HT29, HCT116 and SW480 cells and low β-catenin expression was observed in the NCM460 cells.Compared with control group , the cell viability, colony formation rate and the number of metastatic cells remarkably decreased in the HT29-miR-496 mimics, HCT116-miR-496 mimics and SW480-miR-496 mimic cells (P<0.05).The promoter activity of miR-496 was significantly increased in colon cancer cells transfected with miR-496 mimics, and was 1.75, 2.04 and 1.61 times as high as control group .miR-496 over-expression inhibited β-catenin levels, and p-4E-BP1 and p-LRP6 protein levels were also reduced .siRNA-or over-expressed miR-496-mediated β-catenin down-regulation in-hibited MMP-7 and MMP-9 expression , but promoted TIMP-2 expression .CONCLUSION:The expression level of miR-496 in the colon cancer cells is low , but in the normal colonic epithelial cells is high .miR-496 over-expression inhibits the protein levels of MMP-7 and MMP-9, and promotes the protein expression of TIMP-2 via inhibiting Wnt/β-catenin path-way, thus suppressing malignant phenotype in the colon cancer cells .

Subacute thyroiditis can cause destruction of thyroid follicles and subsequent transient thyrotoxicosis.In cases of simultaneous occurrences of subacute thyroiditis and Graves' disease,the former may be missed and thus may further exacerbate thyrotoxicosis.Herein,we report in detail a case with abrupt onset of thyrotoxic heart disease when taking anti-thyroid medications,in order to call attention to the diagnosis and treatment of concomitant Graves' disease and subacute thyroiditis.

Objective To investigate the effects of paeonol on renin-angiotensin system (RAS) occurred on the development of ventricular remodeling after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in rats. Methods The left anterior descending coronary artery was ligated to establish the model of AMI in male SD rats. Six groups were set up:sham-operation group, AMI model group, captopril control group, paeonol low dose group (6 mg/kg), paeonol middle dose group (9 mg/kg) and paeonol high dose group (12 mg/kg). Rats were given treatment for 4 weeks after the AMI model was established. HE staining was used to observe changes of myocardial tissue. Real-time PCR was used to detect the mRNA levels of angiotensinogen (AGT), angiotensin Ⅱ receptor type1(AGTR1) and endothelin (ET)-1 of six groups. Western blot assay was used to detect the protein levels of peptidyl-dipeptidase A (ACE), angiotensin Ⅱ(Ang)-Ⅱand AGTR1 in six groups. Results The transcription of AGT, AGTR1, ET-1mRNA and the expressions of ACE, Ang-Ⅱ and AGTR1 protein were significantly higher in myocardial tissue of AMI rats than those of sham-operation rats (P＜0.05). Compared with model group, the expressions of AGT, AGTR1, ET-1mRNA and ACE, Ang-Ⅱ, AGTR1 protein were significantly decreased in paeonol high dose group and captopril control group (P＜0.05). Paeonol reduced the expressions of those mRNA and protein levels in a significant dose dependent manner. Conclusion Paeonol can slow down the deterioration of the ventricular remodeling after AMI in rats, which may be related to the inhibition of over-activation of RAS.

Objective To evaluate the effect of gender matching on the outcomes of livingdonor renal transplantation.Methods A total of 419 cases of living-donor renal transplantation in our center were divided into male-donor-male-recipient (MDMR) group,male-donor-female-recipient (MDFR) group,female-donor-male-recipient (FDMR) group,female-donor-female-recipient (FDFR)group.The outcomes including graft and patient survival,acute rejection and renal function were analyzed retrospectively.Results Compared to MDMR group,MDFR group and FDFR group had lower Scr [(80.7±17.9),(87.4±21.9) μmol/L vs (120.3±72.5) μmol/L,all P ＜ 0.05] and uric acid (UA) [(318.1 ± 86.4),(303.5 ± 66.9) μmol/L vs (358.4 ± 77.8) μmol/L,P ＜ 0.05] 6 months after operation.Compared to MDFR group,FDMR group had higher Scr[(117.7±27.4) μmol/L vs (80.7±17.9) μmol/L,P ＜ 0.01],UA [(371.0±92.4) μmol/L vs (318.1±86.4) μmol/L,P ＜ 0.05] and lower glomerular filtration rate (GFR) [(70.4± 17.8) ml/min vs (79.6± 18.9) ml/min,P ＜ 0.05].Compared to FDMR group,FDFR group had lower Scr [(87.4±21.9) μmol/L vs (117.7±27.4) μmol/L,P ＜ 0.01] and UA [(303.5±66.9)μmol/L vs (371.092.4) μmol/L,P＜ 0.01].Compared to MDFR group,FDFR group showed lower GFR [(72.4±25.3) ml/min vs (82.7± 18.7) ml/min,P ＜ 0.05] 1 year after operation.Compared to MDMR group,FDFR group showed lower UA [(322.9±69.7) μmol/L vs (376.0±66.2) μmol/L,P ＜ 0.05] 2 years after operation.Compared to FDMR group,FDFR group showed lower Scr [(88.7 ±27.0) μmol/L vs (112.7±27.8) μmol/L,P ＜ 0.05] and UA [(318.3 ±61.2) μmol/L vs (396.2± 100.3) μmol/L,P ＜ 0.05] 3 years after operation.5 years after operation,there were no significant differences in above indexes,the incidence of slow graft function,acute rejection and survival of graft and patient among groups.Conclusions Male recipients of female donors have the worst renal function while female recipients have better outcomes after operation.

This study examined the methylation difference in AIRE and RASSF1A between maternal and placental DNA, and the implication of this difference in the identification of free fetal DNA in maternal plasma and in prenatal diagnosis of trisomy 21. Maternal plasma samples were collected from 388 singleton pregnancies, and placental or chorionic villus tissues from 112 of them. Methylation-specific PCR (MSP) and methylation-sensitive restriction enzyme digestion followed by fluorescent quantitative PCR (MSRE + PCR) were employed to detect the maternal-fetal methylation difference in AIRE and RASSF1A. Diagnosis of trisomy 21 was established according to the ratio of fetal-specific AIRE to RASSF1A in maternal plasma. Both methods confirmed that AIRE and RASSF1A were hypomethylated in maternal blood cells but hypermethylated in placental or chorionic villus tissues. Moreover, the differential methylation for each locus could be seen during the whole pregnant period. The positive rates of fetal AIRE and RASSF1A in maternal plasma were found to be 78.1% and 82.1% by MSP and 94.8% and 96.9% by MSRE + PCR. MSRE + PCR was superior to MSP in the identification of fetal-specific hypermethylated sequences (P<0.05). Based on the data from 266 euploidy pregnancies, the 95% reference interval of the fetal AIRE/RASSF1A ratio in maternal plasma was 0.33-1.77, which was taken as the reference value for determining the numbers of fetal chromosome 21 in 102 pregnancies. The accuracy rate in 98 euploidy pregnancies was 96.9% (95/98). Three of the four trisomy 21 pregnancies were confirmed with this method. It was concluded that hypermethylated AIRE and RASSF1A may serve as fetal-specific markers for the identification of fetal DNA in maternal plasma and may be used for noninvasive prenatal diagnosis of trisomy 21.

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome(SARS)is a deadly infectious disease caused by SARS Coronavirus(SARS-CoV).Inactivated SARS-CoV has been explored as a vaccine against SARS-CoV.However,safe and potent adjuvants,especially with more efficient and economical needle-free vaccination are always needed more urgently in a pandemic.The development of a safe and effective mucosal adjuvant and vaccine for prevention of emergent infectious diseases such as SARS will be an important advancement.PIKA,a stabilized derivative of Poly(I:C),was previously reported to be safe and potent as adjuvant in mouse models.In the present study,we demonstrated that the intraperitoneal and intranasal co-administration of inactivated SARS-CoV vaccine together with this improved Poly(I:C)derivative induced strong anti-SARS-CoV mucosal and systemic humoral immune responses with neutralizing activity against pseudotyped virus.Although intraperitoneal immunization of inactivated SARS-CoV vaccine alone could induce a certain level of neutralizing activity in serum as well as in mucosal sites,co-administration of inactivated SARS-CoV vaccine with PIKA as adjuvant could induce a much higher neutralizing activity.When intranasal immunization was used,PIKA was obligatorily for inducing neutralizing activity in serum as well as in mucosal sites and was correlated with both mucosal IgA and mucosal IgG response.Overall,PIKA could be a good mucosal adjuvant candidate for inactivated SARS-CoV vaccine for use in possible future pandemic.

Background and purpose: Diffusion-weighted whole-body imaging with background body signal suppression (DWIBS) can be used for magnetic resonance imaging systemic examination, especially in examing the metastatic lesions, lymph node and bone diseases, and the imaging result is similar with PET. This study aimed to evaluate the application value of magnetic resonance DWIBS and positron emission tomography with computed tomography (PET/CT) on malignant metastatic diseases. Methods: Thirty-six patients confirmed with malignant tumors accompanying metastasis by the pathology of operation or biopsy underwent both DWIBS imaging and PET/CT, chi-square test and Kappa test were used for comparing the detection results of metastasis by these 2 imaging methods. Results:Among the 36 malignant tumor patients with 238 metastatic lesions, 218 (91.6%, 218/238) lesions in DWIBS and 209 (87.8%, 209/238) lesions in PET/CT were detected, with 200 lesions detected by the two methods simultaneously, and the concordance rate was 88.7%(211/238);but there was no statistical signiifcance between this two methods (χ2=1.843, P=0.157). Kappa test showed a fair concordance rate between DWIBS and PET/CT (P=0.000).There were different significance between DWIBS and PET/CT in detecting metastatic lesions of brain and bone (P=0.005 and 0.031);But there was no signiifcant differences (P=0.309 and 1.000) in detecting metastatic lesions of lymph nodes and liver. Conclusion:DWIBS could detect metastatic lesions effectively, and there is ifne consistency with PET/CT. DWIBS is more sensitive than PET/CT in detecting metastatic lesions of brain and bone, so DWIBS could be chosed for screening metastatic lesions according to the characteristics of different primary tumors.