OBJECTIVETo compare binding activity of different zinc finger domain of human Kaiso with methylated CpG.

METHODSpGEX constructs with different human Kaiso domain were generated and then corresponding fusion proteins were induced and purified. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays were applied to evaluate the binding activity of fusion proteins with methylated CpG.

RESULTSThe purified GST-KaisoZF fusion protein (without the POZ protein binding domain) could bind with methylated CpG probe specifically, but not for three or two zinc fingers without flanking domains.

CONCLUSIONHuman zinc finger protein Kaiso could bind with methylated CpG specifically, only in the assistance of the neighboring flank sequence of the zinc finger domain.

Base Sequence ; CpG Islands ; DNA Methylation ; Humans ; Transcription Factors ; genetics ; Zinc Fingers ; genetics

OBJECTIVETo detect the therapeutic effect of selenium-enriched garlic (SeG) on chronic gastritis.

METHODSChronic gastritis was induced of the glandular stomach of male Mongolian Gerbils via gastric instillation of H. pylori TN2 strain once every 4 days for 5 consecutive times followed by random classification into six groups. Fresh SeG suspension was administrated daily at dosages of 4.70, 1.5, 0.47, 0.15 g.kg(-1).d(-1) for four weeks. The gerbils in the positive control group were treated with omeprazole, clarithromycin, and amoxicillin for one week. The gerbils were killed for pathological examination four weeks after SeG-treatment.

RESULTSChronic gastritis (CAG), low-grade dysplasia or gastric intraepithelial neoplasia (DYS/GIN) were observed among 77% and 38.5% of the 13 H. pylori-treated animals in the negative control group, respectively; whereas 40% and 26.7% in the positive control group (n = 15), respectively. The incidences of CAG and DYS/GIN in the SeG groups (n = 21 - 27) were reduced dose-dependently, 16.7% - 38.7% and 11.1% - 14.3% for CAG and DYS/GIN, respectively.

CONCLUSIONSeG administration inhibits the development and progression of CAG induced by H. pylori remarkably.

Animals ; Chronic Disease ; Disease Models, Animal ; Garlic ; Gastritis ; drug therapy ; microbiology ; Gerbillinae ; Helicobacter Infections ; drug therapy ; Helicobacter pylori ; Male ; Phytotherapy ; Selenium ; therapeutic use

OBJECTIVETo investigate the relationship between chromobox protein homolog 7 (cbx7) expression and the occurrence and development of colorectal carcinoma (CRC), gastric carcinoma (GC) and hepatocarcinoma (HCC) tissues.

METHODSThe samples of neoplastic tissues and the corresponding cutting-edge normal tissues from 22 cases of CRC, 20 cases of GC, 30 cases of HCC were surgically collected. Level of cbx7 mRNA was detected with a fluorescent quantitative RT-PCR assay, and the correlationship among expression of cbx7 mRNA, the patients' clinicopathologic features and the surviving time after surgery was analyzed.

RESULTSThe relative copy number of cbx7 mRNA in carcinomas and the normal tissues was 0.010 ± 0.015 vs 0.053 ± 0.042 for CRCs, 0.197 ± 0.195 vs 1.891 ± 1.254 for GCs, and 0.008 ± 0.008 vs 0.030 ± 0.021 for HCCs, respectively. Compared with the corresponding normal tissues, cbx7 expression was significantly downregulated in CRCs, GCs, and HCCs (t = -7.351, -5.417 and -6.680, respectively, P < 0.01). The expression of cbx7 mRNA in CRCs had significant differences not only between two age groups (the relative copy number of cbx7 mRNA in age > 55 group was 0.007 ± 0.015, but 0.017 ± 0.012 in age ≤ 55 group, t = -2.586, P = 0.022); but also between vascular embolus-positive and negative groups (the level of cbx7 mRNA in positive and negative group was 0.022 ± 0.021 vs 0.006 ± 0.011, t = -3.175, P = 0.010). The area under the receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve is 0.769 (P = 0.033). when the Cut-off value of the relative copy number of cbx7 mRNA was 0.002 in CRCs. The values less-than 0.002 were defined as low expression. The CRC patients with low expression of cbx7 had a shorter overall survival time; whose 5 years survival rate was only 30.8% (4/13); while the rate was 77.8% (7/9) in high expression of cbx7 group. The difference had statistical significance (χ(2) = 4.329, P = 0.037). The similar differences could not be found among GC and HCC patients.

CONCLUSIONDownregulation of cbx7 expression was very common among multiple carcinomas cases, and the downregulation influenced the prognosis of CRC patients.

Colorectal Neoplasms ; genetics ; metabolism ; Down-Regulation ; Female ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms ; genetics ; metabolism ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasms ; Polycomb Repressive Complex 1 ; Repressor Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Stomach Neoplasms ; genetics ; metabolism

Electrocardiography ; Emergency Medical Services ; Humans ; Myocardial Infarction ; Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest ; therapy ; Percutaneous Coronary Intervention ; ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction ; therapy ; Treatment Outcome