Objective: The technique of isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ) was used to analyze the expression levels of serum biomarkers of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) based on mass spectrometry. Methods: The literature about HCC biomarkers identified by screening of differential protein expression combined with matrix-assisted laser desorption/ ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) published between January 2003 and August 2010 were selected by searching PubMed database. Screening for serum differential proteins was performed in 20 HCC patients and 20 healthy volunteers by using iTRAQ labeling and MALDI-TOF-MS. The reported data of HCC biomarkers were compared with the screening results of serum differential protein expression in HCC. Results: Twenty-two pieces of eligible literature were obtained by information retrieval, involving 262 HCC biomarkers. Fifty-one proteins were identified having differential expression by using screening of serum differential protein expression in HCC. In the 51 proteins, the expression level of 23 proteins was high, while the expression level of 28 proteins was low. Eight differential proteins which were identified by screening, were in accordance with literature reports, and 6 differential proteins (alpha-1-antitrypsin, apolipoprotein E, ceruloplasmin, alpha fetoprotein, complement C3 and serum amyloid P-component) had the similar expression levels in accordance with literature reports. Conclusion: Six differential proteins identified in serum are the same as reported in the literatures, and these proteins may become potential HCC biomarkers. There is a need for further study to explore these differential proteins. Copyright© 2011 by Tumor.

To understand molecular modules related to polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) synthesis and eventually produce PUFA at high efficiency, we developed a protein complex analysis technology in Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803, and applied it to identify possible partner proteins interacting with the key enzymes that catalyze PUFA biosynthesis. We first constructed a recombinant expression of protein of slr1609 encoding the fatty acid activation enzyme, by fusing 3xFLAG tag with the target protein. Then we verified its expression by Western blotting targeting 3xFLAG tag. To maximize purification of Slr1609 protein complex, we optimized the protein expression conditions of Slr1609 in Synechocystis in a 5 L fermenter by monitoring its gene expression using RT-qPCR. The purification of the Slr1609 protein complexes was demonstrated by a Native-PAGE analysis. Finally, LC-MS/MS proteomic analysis allowed identification of the possible partner proteins interacting with Slr1609.
Bacterial Proteins ; chemistry ; Chromatography, Liquid ; Fatty Acid Synthases ; chemistry ; Fatty Acids, Unsaturated ; biosynthesis ; Proteome ; chemistry ; Proteomics ; Synechocystis ; enzymology ; Tandem Mass Spectrometry

OBJECTIVETo search for the best method for treatment of fasciitis of back muscles.

METHODSOne hundred cases of fasciitis of back muscles were randomly divided into two groups. The treatment group of 50 cases were treated with scraping and warming acupuncture and moxibustion at Fengmen (BL 12), Feishu (BL 13), Quyuan (SI 13), Bingfeng (SI 12), Jiafeng, local pressure pain points, and cord-like node; and the control group of 50 cases with simple acupuncture.

RESULTSIn the treatment group, 40 cases were cured and 10 cases improved with a total effective rate of 100.0%; in the control group, 26 cases were cured and 16 cases improved, 8 cases were ineffective with a total effective rate of 84.0%. The treatment group in improvement of pressure pain and pain was better than the control group, with scores significantly decreased (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONScraping therapy and warming acup-moxibustion have obvious effect on fasciitis of back muscles, and it is a better therapy for this disease.

Acupuncture Therapy ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Back Pain ; therapy ; Fasciitis ; therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Middle Aged ; Moxibustion

The purpose of the study is to construct R8 peptide (RRRRRRRR) and pH sensitive polyethylene glycols (PEG) co-modified liposomes (Cl-Lip) and utilize them in breast cancer treatment. The co-modified liposomes were prepared with soybean phospholipid, cholesterol, DSPE-PEG2K-R8 and PEG5K-Hz-PE (pH sensitive PEG). The size and zeta potential of Cl-Lip were also characterized. The in vitro experiment demonstrated that the Cl-Lip had high serum stability in 50% fetal bovine serum. The cellular uptake of Cl-Lip under different pre-incubated conditions was evaluated on 4T1 cells. And the endocytosis pathway, lysosome escape ability and tumor spheroid penetration ability were also evaluated. The results showed the particle size of the Cl-Lip was (110.4 ± 5.2) nm, PDI of the Cl-Lip was 0.207 ± 0.039 and zeta potential of the Cl-Lip was (-3.46 ± 0.05) mV. The cellular uptake of Cl-Lip on 4T1 cells was pH sensitive, as the cellular uptake of Cl-Lip pre-incubated in pH 6.0 was higher than that of pH 7.4 under each time point. The main endocytosis pathways of Cl-Lip under pH 6.0 were micropinocytosis and energy-dependent pathway. At the same time, the Cl-Lip with pre-incubation in pH 6.0 had high lysosome escape ability and high tumor spheroid penetration ability. All the above results demonstrated that the Cl-Lip we constructed had high pH sensitivity and is a promising drug delivery system.
Animals ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell-Penetrating Peptides ; chemical synthesis ; chemistry ; Cholesterol ; chemistry ; Drug Delivery Systems ; Liposomes ; Mice ; Oligopeptides ; chemical synthesis ; chemistry ; Particle Size ; Phospholipids ; chemistry ; Polyethylene Glycols

Adolescent ; Child ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Obesity ; drug therapy ; Phytotherapy

Acupuncture Therapy ; Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Hearing Loss ; therapy ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Young Adult

Objective To assess the value of combination of susceptibility weighted imaging (SWI)and dynamic susceptibility-weighted contrast-enhanced (DSC) perfusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging in astrocytoma grading.Methods SWI and DSC scans were performed in 82 patients with pathologically confirmed astrocytoma.The patient group consisted of grade Ⅱ (15),grade Ⅲ (10),and grade Ⅳ (57).The intratumoral susceptibility signal intensity (ITSS) and relative cerebral blood volume (rCBV) max were used to determine the grade of astrocytomas by Kruskal Wallis test,Welch test,Spearman correlation coefficients,Pearson correlation coefficients,and receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC)statistic methods.Results There were no ITSS in 14 cases of low-grade astrocytomas,the degree of ITSS were grade 1 to 3 in anaplastic astrocytomas,the degree of ITSS were grade 3 in all of the glioblastomas,the degree of ITSS were significant difference in all grades (H =71.96,P ＜ 0.01).rCBV max in grade Ⅱ,grade Ⅲ and grade Ⅳ astrocytomas were 1.26 ± 0.42,3.59 ± 2.09 and 8.34 ± 1.16 respectively,rCBV max were significant difference in all grades (F' =681.72,P ＜ 0.01).ITSS showed significant correlation with rCBV max (r =0.72,P ＜0.01) and tumor grades (r =0.89,P ＜0.01),and rCBV and tumor grades showed significant correlation (r =0.78,P ＜ 0.01).Area under the ROC curve application SWI,DSC,SWI and DSC in differentiation of the grade Ⅱ and grade Ⅲ astrocytomas were 0.99,0.93,1.00,differentiate grade Ⅲ from grade Ⅳ were 0.70,0.94,0.94,and differentiate high-grade from low-grade astrocytomas were 1.00,0.99,1.00.Conclusions ITSS is helpful to determine the grade of astrocytomas.The use of SWI in combination with DSC may improve the diagnostic accuracy of astrocytoma grading.

Objective To explore the effect of electroacupuncture at Hegu (LI 4) on the expressions of P2X2 and P2X3 receptors in experimental pulpalgia rats.Method Forty-two male SD rats were randomized into a normal group (group N), a control group (group C), a pulpalgia model group (group M), an antagonist group (group A), an electroacupuncture group (group E), and an antagonist+electroacupuncture group (group AE), 7 rats in each group. Group N didn’t receive any interventions; group C received injection of normal saline into pulp cavity of the same dose as the injection in group M, and the cavity was then blocked by dental fillings 5-6 min later; in group M, maxillary first and second molar teeth were drilled (drill bit of 1 mm in diameter) to expose pulp and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) solution 5μg/μL was injected into the holes (1~3μL for each hole), and the holes were then covered by dental fillings 5-6 min later; group A received the same modeling method as that in group M, but A-317491 was injected together with LPS (0.5 mg/kg); group E received electroacupuncture at bilateral Hegu (LI 4) with needles retained for 30 min, once a day, totally for 3 times; group AE received the same electroacupuncture intervention after receiving the same treatments as that in group A. The rats’ behaviors and weight were observed for 30 min after intervention each day. The rats were sacrificed on the 4th day, and the mRNA expressions of P2X2 and P2X3 receptors andβ-actin in trigeminal ganglion were detected by using RT-PCR. The mRNA expressions were then compared among the groups.Result The behavioral changes in group M, E, and AE were more significant than that in group C and N (P<0.01); the behavioral changes in group A, E, and AE were less significant than that in group M (P<0.01). The weight in group C was significantly lower than that in group N (P<0.01); the weights in group M, A, E and AE were significantly lower than that in group C and N (P<0.01); the weights in group E and AE were significantly higher than that in group M and A (P<0.01,P<0.05); the weight in group A was slightly higher than that in group M (P<0.05); the weights in group AE was significantly higher than that in group E (P<0.01). The mRNA expressions of P2X2 receptor in group M, A, and AE were significantly higher than that in group N and C (P<0.01); the mRNA expressions of P2X2 receptor in group A, E, and AE were lower than that in group M (P<0.05); the mRNA expression of P2X2 receptor in group A was lower than that in group E (P<0.05); the mRNA expression of P2X2 receptor in group E was higher than that in group AE (P<0.05). The mRNA expressions of P2X3 receptor in group M, A, and E were significantly higher than that in group C (P<0.05) and group N (P<0.01); the mRNA expressions of P2X3 receptor in group A, E, and AE were significantly lower than that in group M (P<0.01); the mRNA expression of P2X3 receptor in group AE was markedly lower than that in group E (P<0.01).Conclusion The expressions of P2X2 and P2X3 receptors in trigeminal ganglion were increased in LPS-induced pulpalgia rats. Electroacupuncture at Hegu (LI 4) and injection of A-317491 both can down-regulate the mRNA expressions of P2X2 and P2X3 receptors, which is plausibly the action mechanism of electroacupuncture at Hegu (LI 4) in analgesia.

Objective:The study is to compare the prevalence and related factors of suicidal ideation in ado-lescents between China and Philippine.Methods:Our research data was downloaded from the website of world health organization (WHO).It was the data of China and Philippine from the Global school-based student health survey(GSHS)which was launched by the WHO,and 9173 students in China and 7338 students in Philippine aged 11 -16 years were involved.The situations of being serious injury,being bullied,sense of loneliness,insomnia, sense of hopelessness,friends,smoking,alcohol consumption,drug abuse and exercise were assessed by the ques-tionnaire.The definition of suicidal ideation was that ever thinking of suicide seriously in the last 12 months.Results:The rate of having suicidal ideation in China and Philippine were 17.4% (1544 /8881 )and 19.3% (1371 /7089),respectively.Multivariate analysis showed that female (OR =1.45),grade two and three of middle school (OR =1.29,1.43),being serious injury (OR =1.35),being bullied (OR =1.87),sense of loneliness (OR =1.47),insomnia (OR =1.55),sense of hopelessness (OR =3.36),alcohol consumption (OR =1.45)and drug abuse (OR =1.55)were the risk factors to suicidal ideation in China adolescents,and having good friends (OR=0.66)and exercise regularly (OR =0.78)were the protective factors.However,the female,grade,sense of lone-liness,insomnia and drug abuse were not the risk factors to suicidal ideation in Philippine adolescents,and other fac-tors were similar to China sample.Conclusion:There may be differences in the prevalence rate of suicidal ideation between adolescents in China and Philippine,with lower rate in China.Meanwhile,there are similarities in the relat-ed factors on the adolescent suicidal ideation of the two countries,with more risk factors in China sample.Therefore,the individualized targeted measures should be taken to prevent suicide in China and Philippine respectively.

Objective To study the role of CT in the evaluation after patellar dislocation triple surgeries.Methods Retrospectively analysed the CT measurements of 60 recurrent patellar dislocation patients (61 knees),who had undergone patellar dislocation triple surgeries,within one month before and after procedures.The measurements included patellar tilt angle,lateral patellar displacement,trochlear con-gruence angle,Tibial Tuberosity-Trochlear Groove distance,Insall-Salvati Ratio and Caton-Deschamps Index.Moreover,the troch-lear dysplasia classifications of all patients were evaluated.In addtion,an analysis has also been completed for 40 (41 knees)of 60 patients who had second postoperative CT examinations as follow-up assessment 3 to 6 months after surgeries.Results All one-month postoperative measurements decreased obviously with statistical significance(P <0.05 ).Furthermore,one case of subluxa-tion,1 1 cases of abnormal Tibial Tuberosity-Trochlear Groove distance,13 cases of abnormal Insall-Salvati Ratio and 14 cases of Ca-ton-Deschamps Index abnormities were also observed.Besides that,it was also found that all patients had trochlear dysplasia and 5 cases were diagnosed with patellar subluxation or dislocation at the second postoperative follow-up assessment.Conclusion The patients with redislocation or risks for patellar instability can be detectecd by CT which provides objective evidence for postoperative evaluation and further treatments.