The effects of tumor suppressor in lung cancer-1(TSLC1)upregulation on gene expressions involved in glucose and lipid metabolism in Hepa1-6 cells were investigated.The results showed that TSLC1 overexpression decreased fatty acid synthase and acetyl CoA carboxylase expressions(P<0.05 or P<0.01),increased adipose triglyceride lipase expression(P<0.05),and did not change hormone-sensitive lipase,glucose transporter (GLUT)1,and GLUT4 expressions.These results suggest that TSLC1 overexpression may promote lipolysis and inhibit adipogenesis in liver cells.

Six hundred and eight fungi strains were isolated from seventy-eight samples of mangrove plants and soil that collected from Qinglan harbor. Cyctotoxic activity was detected by observing the growth inhibition or killing of the tumor cells under microscope. The result showed that 81 strains (about 13.32% of the total strains isolated) displayed cytotoxic activity against B16 tumor cell. The most fungi strains were isolated from mangrove plant Sonneratia alba, and most of cytotoxic active fungi strains were isolated from mangrove plant Heritiera littoralis.
Animals ; China ; Cytotoxicity Tests, Immunologic ; Fungi ; isolation & purification ; physiology ; Melanoma, Experimental ; pathology ; Mice ; Plant Roots ; microbiology ; Rhizophoraceae ; microbiology ; Soil Microbiology ; Tumor Cells, Cultured

[Objective] To evaluate the diagnostic values of multi-detector spiral computed tomography (MDCT) in pediatric sacrococcygeal tumors (SCT) and to improve the diagnostic ability.[Methods] 54 children (22 male and 32 female,age between 1 day and 16 years old) with pathologically confirmed SCT were involved in our study.All of them received 64-row spiral Computed Tomography before surgery,CT characteristics and clinical data were retrospectively analyzed.[Results] Pediatric SCT are more common in female children under four years old,with the germ cell tumors most common,followed by neurogenic tumors.Among the 54 SCT,39cases were malignant and 15 were benign (malignant∶ benign =2.60∶1).In CT image findings,37 cases (68％) were mainly solid mass,with 31 cases confirmed malignant by pathology.8 cases (15％) were mainly cystic,with all of them confirmed benign by pathology.9 cases (17％) were cystic-solid or with obvious necrosis in solid mass,with 8 cases confirmed malignant by pathology.[Conclusion] Malignant pediatric SCT are more common than benign SCT.Most malignant SCT are mainly solid mass or cystic-solid or with obvious necrosis in solid mass,and most benign tumors are mainly cystic.Combined with clinical data,MDCT can help to correctly diagnose SCT before surgery.

Objective To observe the clinical efficacy of acupuncture plus hyperbaric oxygen in treating depression after cerebral stroke.Method A total of 120 patients with depression after cerebral stroke were randomized into a treatment group of 60 cases and a control group of 60 cases. The treatment group was intervened by acupuncture plus hyperbaric oxygen, while the control group was intervened by Fluoxetine. Before the treatment, and respectively after 14-d and 28-d treatments, the patients were evaluated by Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD) and National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS), and the therapeutic efficacies were compared between the two groups. Result The treatment group was significantly superior to the control group in comparing therapeutic efficacy (P<0.01). After 1 course of treatment, the HAMD and NIHSS scores dropped significantly in the treatment group (P<0.01); the scores in the control group showed a declining tendency but without statistical significances (P>0.05). After 2 treatment courses, the HAMD and NIHSS scores were significantly different from those before the treatment in both groups (P<0.01), and the differences were more significant in the treatment group (P<0.01).Conclusion Acupuncture plus hyperbaric oxygen is effective in treating depression after cerebral stroke, and it can obviously improve the neural function.

The effects of liraglutide on glucose and lipid metabolism, fibroblast growth factor-21 ( FGF-21 )and its receptors (FGFR) in APoE-/-mice with hypoadiponectinemia were investigated.Hypoadiponectinemia facilitated disturbance in glucose and lipid metabolism and insulin resistance. Compared with the control mice, FGF21 mRNA and protein expressions of liver and adipose tissues as well as plasma FGF-21 level were significantly increased in ApoE-/-mice with hypoadiponectinemia, along with lowered expressions of FGFR1 and β-klotho mRNA in adipose tissues, and expressions of FGFR1-3 and β-klotho mRNA in liver. Liraglutide administration improved glucose and lipid metabolism and insulin resistance, and partially reversed the changes of FGF-21 and its receptors induced by hypoadiponectinemia.

Plant cells response to water deficit through a variety of physiological processes. In this work, we studied the function of microtubule cytoskeleton during dehydration/rehydration cycle in moss (Atrichum undulatum) protonemal cells as a model system. The morphological and cytological change of protonemal cells during dehydration and rehydration cycle were first investigated. Under normal conditions, protonemal cells showed bright green colour and appeared wet and fresh. Numerous chloroplasts distributed regularly throughout the cytoplasm in each cell. After dehydration treatment, protonemal cells lost most of their chlorophylls and turned to look yellow and dry. In addition, dehydration caused plasmolysis in these cells. Upon rehydration, the cells could recover completely from the dehydrated state. These results indicated that moss had a remarkable intrinsic ability to survive from the extreme drought stress. Microtubule, an important component of cytoskeleton, is considered to play crucial roles in the responses to some environmental stresses such as cold and light. To see if it is also involved in the drought tolerance, dynamic organization of microtubules in protonemal cells of Atrichum undulatum subjected to drought and rehydration were examined by indirect immunofluorescence combined with confocal lasersharp scanning microscopy. The cortical microtubules were arranged into a fine structure with a predominant orientation parallel to the long axis of the cells in the control cells. After dehydration, the microtubule organization was remarkablly altered and the fine microtubule structure disappeared whereas some thicker cables formed. When the cells were grown under rehydration conditions, the fine microtubule arrays reappeared. These results provided a piece of evidence that microtubules play a role in the cellular responses to drought stress in moss. Furthermore, we analyzed the effects of the microtubule-disrupting agent colchicine on the morphology recovery of the protonemal cells during rehydration process. The cells were incubated with colchicine, followed by drought stress treatment and rehydration in the presence of colchicine to prevent recovery of microtubule organization. Results from immunofluorescence showed that microtubule arrays were broken down into smaller fragments. Compared to the cells treated with drought stress alone, the cells treated with drought stress in the presence of colchicine could not recover after rehydration treatment. The morphology resembled those of the drought treated cells, with obvious plasmolysis phenomena and loss of chlorophyll content. These results support the notion that microtubules were involved in the deccication tolerance mechanism in Atrichum undulatum.
Bryophyta ; metabolism ; physiology ; Droughts ; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant ; physiology ; Microscopy ; Microtubules ; metabolism

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the expressions and time-dependent changes of phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K), phospho-PI3K (p-PI3K), protein kinase B (PKB/Akt) and phospho-Akt (p-Akt) during wound healing process of mice skin. METHODS: The changes of PI3K, p-PI3K, Akt and p-Akt expression in skin wound were detected by immunohistochemistry, Western blotting and real-time PCR. RESULTS: Immunohistochemistry showed the expression of PI3K and p-Akt were observed in mononuclear and fibroblast after skin wound, and reached peak in reconstruction. The positive bands of PI3K, p-PI3K, Akt and p-Akt were observed in all time points of the wound healing process by Western blotting. The expression peak of p-PI3K and p-Akt showed in inflammation and proliferation; the expression peak of PI3K and Akt in reconstruction. Real-time PCR showed the expression peak of PI3K mRNA in inflammation and reconstruction and the peak of Akt mRNA in reconstruction. CONCLUSION During the wound healing process, the expressions of PI3K, Akt, p-PI3K and p-Akt show different changes with significant correlation to wound time. The expression of PI3K/Akt may be a valuable marker for wound time estimation.
Animals ; Blotting, Western ; Class I Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases ; Fibroblasts/metabolism* ; Mice ; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase ; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases/metabolism* ; Phosphorylation ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt/metabolism* ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Signal Transduction ; Skin/injuries* ; Wound Healing

Adult ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Benzene ; poisoning ; Biomarkers ; analysis ; Bone Marrow Cells ; drug effects ; Female ; Flow Cytometry ; Humans ; Leukocytes, Mononuclear ; drug effects ; Lymphocytes ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Male ; Micronuclei, Chromosome-Defective ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Occupational Exposure ; analysis

OBJECTIVEThrombin and factor Xa are key players in the process of arterial thrombi formation and lectin-like oxidized low density lipoprotein receptor-1 (LOX-1) is a cell surface endocytosis receptor for atherogenic oxidized LDL (ox-LDL). Here we investigate whether thrombin and factor Xa can induce LOX-1 protein expressions in cell-associated forms and soluble forms in cultured bovine aortic smooth muscle cells (BSMCs).

METHODSBSMCs were treated with thrombin or factor Xa in the presence or absence of AG1478, an epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor-associated tyrosine kinase inhibitor. Total cell lysates and concentrated culture medium were then analyzed by Western blot using a mouse anti-LOX-1 monoclonal antibody.

RESULTSLOX-1 protein levels in cell lysates and culture medium were significantly increased by thrombin and factor Xa in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. Upregulation of LOX-1 protein expressions in cell lysates and concentrated culture medium was observed at concentrations above 2.0 and 3.0 U/ml of thrombin and 50 and 100 nmol/L of factor Xa, respectively. Increased LOX-1 protein expressions in cell lysates and cell culture medium were detectable as early as 4 h and peaked at 12 h after treatment with thrombin or factor Xa. LOX-1 expression induced by thrombin and factor Xa could be blocked by pretreatment with AG1478.

CONCLUSIONSThrombin and factor Xa can act as LOX-1 inducers via tyrosine kinase activation.

Animals ; Atherosclerosis ; pathology ; Cattle ; Cells, Cultured ; Factor Xa ; pharmacology ; Muscle, Smooth, Vascular ; cytology ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Myocytes, Smooth Muscle ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Scavenger Receptors, Class E ; biosynthesis ; Thrombin ; pharmacology