Objective: To investigate the role of Bcl-XL siRNA in sensitizing ovary cancer cells for TRAIL-induced apoptosis and the underlying mechanisms.Methods: Western blotting analysis was performed to confirm whether Bcl-XL siRNA could effectively down-regulate Bcl-XL protein after SKOV3 cells were transfected with Bcl-XL siRNA and then the cells were treated with TRAIL.Flow cytometry analysis and cell counting were used for assessment of apoptotic rate and survival rate,respectively.Western blotting analysis was performed to determine the changes of apoptosis-related protein in SKOV3 cells.Results: Compared with control group,Bcl-XL siRNA transfection effectively down-regulated the expression of Bcl-XL protein and suppressed the growth of SKOV3 cells;the suppression peaked at 96 h after transfection,being 43.9% that of the control group(P

AIM: To study the expression of connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) induced by hypoxia, and the role and mechanism of hypoxia on promoting renal interstitial fibrosis. METHODS: Renal interstitial fibrosis was induced by unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) in rat animal model for 9 days as in vivo studies; marker of hypoxia-HIF-1? mRNA and protein, the expression of CTGF in the obstructed kidneys were assessed by RT-PCR, immunohistochemistry and Western blotting respectively. In vitro , normal rat kidney interstitial fibroblast cells (NRK-49F) were exposed to hypoxia (1%O 2) for up to 6 hours, hypoxia was confirmed by detecting the expression of HIF-1? protein in cells, cellular level of CTGF mRNA and protein were assessed by RT-PCR and Western blotting respectively. RESULTS: Neither HIF-1? mRNA nor HIF-1? protein was expressed in the kidney from sham-operated group of rats. High level of HIF-1? mRNA were occurred, and strongly HIF-1? positive immunostaining were seen in the tubular and interstitial cells in kidney from UUO rats. Expression and location of CTGF protein were paralleled and relevant with the expression of HIF-1? protein in kidney of UUO rats. In cultured NRK-49F cell line, subjected to hypoxia even for 6 hours stimulated the expression of CTGF mRNA and protein. CONCLUSION: Our results indicated that hypoxia could stimulate the expression of CTGF mRNA and protein in kidney from UUO rats, which may in turn contribute to renal interstitial fibrosis.

Objective To examine the impact of arid climates on distribution of Oncomelania hupensis snails in the Poyang Lake area, so as to provide insights into precision control of O. hupensis snails in the Poyang Lake area. Methods O. hupensis snails-infested grass islands in Hukou County, Lianxi District and Lushan City in the northern Poyang Lake area, and Jinxian County, Nanchang County and Poyang County in the southern Poyang Lake area were selected as the study areas, and the occurrence of frames with living snails and the mean density of living snails were captured from snail surveys in the study areas in spring and autumn each year from 2006 to 2023. Five years 2007, 2011, 2013, 2019 and 2022 were selected as drought years, and the mean daily water levels were collected at the Xingzi hydrological station in the drought years, normal flow year (2012) and flood year (2020). The numbers of days with water levels ranging from the lower elevation (11 m) to the upper elevation (16 m) for snail survival and the numbers of days with water levels of 11 m and below were collected in the Poyang Lake area, and the changes of snail indicators were compared in different grass islands in the Poyang Lake area before and after drought. Results The numbers of days with water levels ranging from 11 to 16 m were 110, 88, 136 d and 125 d at the Xingzi hydrological station in four drought years 2007, 2011, 2013 and 2019, which were less than in the flow year and flood year, and the days with water levels of 11 m and below were 242, 277, 220 d and 198 d in four drought years 2007, 2011, 2013 and 2019, which were longer than in the flow year and flood year. A total of 416 snails-infested marshlands were surveyed in the Poyang Lake area from 2006 to 2021, and the survey marshlands accounted for 43.12% (307/712) and 46.98% (109/232) of total marshlands in the southern and northern Poyang Lake areas, respectively. The median occurrence of frames with living snails and mean density of living snails were 0.60% (interquartile range, 4.04%) and 0.010 1 snail/0.1 m² (interquartile range, 0.076 1 snail/0.1 m²) in drought years, which were both lower than those [1.33% (5.19%) and 0.022 8 (0.098 9) snail/0.1 m²] in non-drought years (χ²= 42.170 and 44.911, both P values < 0.01). The proportion of grass islands with a continuous decline in snail indicators was higher in the southern Poyang Lake area than in the northern Poyang Lake area after the next year of drought (24.24% vs. 2.33%; χ² = 10.633, P < 0.01), and the proportion of grass islands with rebounding snail indicators was higher in the northern Poyang Lake area than in the southern Poyang Lake area (53.49% vs. 15.76%; χ² = 26.966, P < 0.01). A longitudinal analysis of snail indicators in marshlands with rebounding snail indicators after drought showed 1 to 5 years for return to pre-drought snail status, with a median of 2 (interquartile range, 1) years, and snail status was more likely to rebound if the occurrence of frames with living snails and the mean density of living snails were 2.11% and 0.025 5 snail/0.1 m² and greater in snails-infested grass islands. Conclusions Drought causes a remarkable decline in O. hupensis snail indicators in the Poyang Lake area, with a more remarkable impact in the southern Poyang Lake area, and 1 to 5 years are required for return to pre-drought snail status.