OBJECTIVEIn order to investigate whether the presence of distant metastases is associated with serum lipid abnormalities.

METHODSThe fasting serum lipid profile and various clinicopathological data of 324 breast cancer patients with and without synchronous distant metastases were collected and analyzed. The serum lipid profile, including total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), low-density (LDL-C) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) was determined. The nutritional status, the serum albumin was measured and body mass index (BMI) was calculated. Univariate analysis and multiple logistic regression analysis were carried out to investigate the association of serum lipid profile with distant metastases.

RESULTSUnivariate analysis showed that the distant metastasis rate was significantly higher in the breast cancer patients with an higher level of serum TC, TG, LDL-C, and LDL-C/HDL-C ratio (P < 0.05). Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that higher serum levels of TC, LDL-C and LDL-C/HDL-C ratio were independent risk factors for distant metastasis in breast cancer (OR = 2.324, 2.648 and 4.862, respectively).

CONCLUSIONSHyperlipidemia is significantly associated with the distant metastasis in breast cancer patients. Monitoring of serum lipid profile may be helpful to predict the occurrence of distant metastasis in breast cancer patients.

Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Body Mass Index ; Breast Neoplasms ; blood ; pathology ; Cholesterol ; blood ; Cholesterol, HDL ; blood ; Cholesterol, LDL ; blood ; Female ; Humans ; Lipids ; blood ; Middle Aged ; Multivariate Analysis ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Neoplasm Staging ; Nutritional Status ; Risk Factors ; Serum Albumin ; Triglycerides ; blood

Acute Disease ; Animals ; Astrocytes ; metabolism ; pathology ; Cats ; Dimethoate ; analogs & derivatives ; poisoning ; Female ; Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein ; metabolism ; Male ; Poisoning ; metabolism ; pathology

OBJECTIVETo investigate the inhibitory effect of cinobufotalin (CBT) on the growth of xenograft endometrial carcinoma cell line ishikawa in nude mice, and its impact on the expression of ribonucleotide reductase subunit M2 (RRM2).

METHODSEleven nude mice with xenograft were randomly divided into two groups, the CBT group and the control group, which received intra-tumor injection of CBT and saline respectively for one week. The sizes of xenografts were measured before and after the treatment to calculate the inhibition ratio of tumor proliferation; the RRM2-mRNA and protein expressions in tumor tissue were measured by RT-PCR and Western blot respectively.

RESULTSAfter treatment, the size of xenografts in the CBT group was (0.1314 +/- 0.0304) cm3, which was significantly lower than that in the control group (0.360 0 +/- 0.1145) cm3, (P < 0.05), the tumor proliferation inhibition ratio being 43.46%. The differences of RRM2 mRNA and protein expression levels between the two group were significant (P = 0.019 and P = 0.001).

CONCLUSIONCBT significantly inhibits the growth of the xenografts of endometrial carcinoma Ishikawa in nude mice, and the action mechanism is possibly associated with the inhibition on RRM2 expression.

Animals ; Antineoplastic Agents ; pharmacology ; Bufanolides ; pharmacology ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Endometrial Neoplasms ; genetics ; metabolism ; pathology ; Female ; Humans ; Materia Medica ; pharmacology ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Mice, Nude ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; metabolism ; Ribonucleoside Diphosphate Reductase ; genetics ; metabolism ; Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays

OBJECTIVETo study the expression of the small subunit ribonucleotide reductase (R2) in gestational trophoblastic diseases (GTD) and to assess its prognostic value.

METHODSThe expression of R2 was detected with immunohistochemical method in 15 cases of normal villi, 38 cases of hydatidiform mole (HM), 42 cases of invasive moles (IM) and 18 cases of choriocarcinoma (CC).

RESULTSR2 expression in HM, IM and CC was significantly increased compared with that of normal villi (P=0.000). There were no significant differences in R2 protein expression among HM, IM and CC. Among 38 cases of HM, R2 expression in 8 cases with malignant transformation was significantly higher than in 30 cases of non-malignant transformation mole (P=0.02). Preoperative chemotherapy of gestational trophoblastic tumor including IM and CC did not influence the R2 expression. Compared with patients of stage I (WHO), the R2 protein in gestational trophoblastic tumor (GTT) patients of stage III or stage II was significantly increased (P=0.023 and P=0.038, respectively). The value of R2 in GTT patients with middle or high risk in WHO prognostic scoring system was higher than in the patients with low risk (P=0.018 and P=0.006, respectively).

CONCLUSIONR2 expression in GTD is increased, which may be associated with the hyperplasia of trophoblasts, malignant transformation of hydatidiform mole and drug resistance of trophoblastic tumor.

Adult ; Female ; Gestational Trophoblastic Disease ; enzymology ; pathology ; Humans ; Pregnancy ; Ribonucleotide Reductases ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Uterine Neoplasms ; enzymology ; pathology

OBJECTIVETo prepare monoclonal antibody (mAb) against prM epitope.

METHODSThe gene encoding prM was isolated using RT-PCR from brain of JEV infected mouse and cloned into prokaryotic expression vector pET-32a. Recombinant plasmid was transformed into E.coli BL21/DE3/LysS, then the transformed cells were expressed with the induction of IPTG. The expression and purification of the prM protein was analyzed by SDS-PAGE. The BALB/c mice were immunized with purified prM protein. Hybridoma cell lines secreting monoclonal antibodies against prM were established after cell fusion of mouse splenic cell and P3-X63-Ag8.653 cells. The specificity of mAb was identified by ELISA, Western Blot and Immunohistochemistry assay.

RESULTSmAb against prM epitope of JEV was prepared successfully.

CONCLUSIONThe obtained prM specific mAb was valuable for the prevention and dignosis of Japanese encephalitis.

Animals ; Antibodies, Monoclonal ; analysis ; immunology ; isolation & purification ; Antibody Specificity ; BALB 3T3 Cells ; Cell Line ; Cloning, Molecular ; Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel ; Encephalitis Virus, Japanese ; genetics ; immunology ; Epitopes ; immunology ; Escherichia coli ; genetics ; Mice ; Plasmids ; genetics ; metabolism ; Prokaryotic Cells ; metabolism ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Viral Proteins ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; immunology ; isolation & purification

OBJECTIVETo investigate whether acute dipterex poisoning (ADP) may cause oxidative stress and free radical damage in the bodies of acute dipterex poisoning patients (ADPPs), and to explore the mechanisms by which ADP may cause oxidative stress and free radical damage.

METHODSFifty ADPPs and fifty healthy adult volunteers (HAVs) whose ages, gender and others were matched with the ADPPs were enrolled in a randomized controlled study, in which concentrations of nitric oxide (NO), vitamin C (VC), vitamin E (VE) and beta-carotene (beta-CAR) in plasma as well as concentration of lipoperoxide (LPO), and activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPX) and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) in erythrocytes were determined by spectrophotometric analytical methods.

RESULTSCompared with the average values of experimental parameters in the HAVs group, the average values of plasma NO and erythrocyte LPO in the ADPPs group were significantly increased (P<0.0001), while those of plasma VC, VE and beta-CAR as well as erythrocyte SOD, CAT, GPX and AChE in the ADPPs group were significantly decreased (P<0.0001). Bivariate correlation analysis and partial correlation analysis suggested that when NO and LPO values were increased, and VC, VE, beta-CAR, SOD, CAT and GPX values were decreased in the ADPPs, AChE value was decreased gradually in the ADPPs (P<0.001-0.0001). Reliability analysis of experimental parameters reflecting oxidative stress and free radical damage in the ADPPs showed that the reliability coefficient (8 items) alpha=0.6909, and the standardized item alpha=0.8574.

CONCLUSIONThe findings in the present study suggest that ADP can cause oxidative stress and free radical damage, and inhibit markedly erythrocyte acetylcholinesterase activity in ADPPs.

Acetylcholinesterase ; blood ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Ascorbic Acid ; blood ; Case-Control Studies ; Catalase ; blood ; China ; Cholinesterase Inhibitors ; poisoning ; Erythrocytes ; drug effects ; enzymology ; Female ; Free Radicals ; Glutathione Peroxidase ; blood ; Humans ; Insecticides ; poisoning ; Lipid Peroxides ; blood ; Male ; Nitric Oxide ; blood ; Oxidative Stress ; Poisoning ; blood ; Random Allocation ; Superoxide Dismutase ; blood ; Trichlorfon ; poisoning ; Vitamin E ; blood ; beta Carotene ; blood

It has been found in recent years that Artesunate (Art), a water soluble derivative of arteannuin, mainly previously used for its anti-malarial activity, has some other effects, e.g. it could act as an anti-tumor agent by way of inducing cell apoptosis, antagonizing angiogenesis, reversing immunosuppression of tumor cells, etc. More and more attention is being paid to the anti-tumor effects of Art. Such progress is reviewed in this paper.
Amebicides ; pharmacology ; Animals ; Antimalarials ; pharmacology ; Antineoplastic Agents ; pharmacology ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Artemisinins ; pharmacology ; Free Radicals ; metabolism ; Humans ; Immunosuppression ; Iron ; pharmacology ; Neovascularization, Pathologic ; drug therapy ; Tumor Cells, Cultured ; drug effects

Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Myxoma ; pathology ; surgery ; Vulvar Neoplasms ; pathology ; surgery

BACKGROUNDGlaucoma can cause progressive damage to retinal ganglion cells. These cells can be classified as cells projecting to the superior colliculus and melanopsin-containing retinal ganglion cells, which project to the suprachiasmatic nucleus. This study was to investigate the effects of chronic intraocular pressure elevation on melanopsin-containing retinal ganglion cells in rats.

METHODSChronic intraocular pressure elevation was induced in one eye of adult Wistar rats by cauterization of three episcleral veins. Intraocular pressure was measured at different intervals with a rebound tonometer. Superior collicular retinal ganglion cells were retrogradely labeled from the superior colliculus with Fluorogold. Melanopsin-containing retinal ganglion cells were visualized by free-floating immunohistochemistry on whole-mount retinas. The number of labeled superior collicular and melanopsin-containing retinal ganglion cells were counted in the sample areas on flat-mounted retinas.

RESULTSCompared with contralateral control eyes, the numbers of both superior collicular and melanopsin-containing retinal ganglion cells were significantly reduced after 12 weeks of experimental intraocular pressure elevation ((2317.41 +/- 29.96)/mm(2) vs (1815.82 +/- 24.25)/mm(2); (26.20 +/- 2.10)/mm(2) vs (20.62 +/- 1.52)/mm(2), respectively). The extent of cell loss of the two types of retinal ganglion cells was similar. However, no morphologic changes were found in melanopsin-containing retinal ganglion cells.

CONCLUSIONBoth melanopsin-containing and superior collicular retinal ganglion cells were damaged by chronic ocular hypertension, indicating that glaucomatous neural degeneration involves the non-image-forming visual pathway.

Animals ; Disease Models, Animal ; Glaucoma ; pathology ; Intraocular Pressure ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Retinal Ganglion Cells ; pathology ; Rod Opsins ; analysis

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of heat exposure during the second week of pregnancy on placental development and intrauterine growth of fetal rats.

METHODS24 pregnant rats were either exposed or not to a temperature of 35∓1 degrees celsius; during the second week of pregnancy. The body weight gain of the pregnant rats was measured regularly, and in late pregnancy, the pregnant rats were dissected and the number, weight, length, tail length, appearance of the offspring rats, number of live and still births, and the placental weight were recorded. The expressions of HSP70, Bax and Bcl-2 in the placenta were determined.

RESULTSCompared with the control group, the pregnant rats in heat exposure group had significantly lower body weight at the end of pregnancy and gestational weight gain, and the body weight, body length and tail length of the offspring rats were also significantly lower or smaller (P<0.05). The placental weight was comparable between the two groups. The placental expressions of HSP70,Bax,and Bcl-2 were significantly higher in the heat exposure group than in the control group (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONHeat exposure during the second trimester of pregnancy has adverse effects on placental development and intrauterine growth of the fetal rats by inducing heat shock response of placental tissue and apoptosis of the placental cells.