ObjectiveTo investigate the effects of 5-Aza-CdR on the transcriptional regulation through methylation of the DNA promoter protocadherin 8(PCDHg) gene in pancreatic cancer cell line Capan-2.The Capan-2 retardation in growth rate and apoptosis were assessed in when administered 5-Aza-CdR and the chemotherapy agent,gemcitabine.MethodsMTT and flow cytometry were used to analyze the cell growth inhibition and apoptosis when treated with 5-Aza-CdR or in combination with gemcitabine.Methylation-specific PCR,RT-PCR and western blot were performed to detect methylation state,mRNA and protein respectively of PCDH8 gene in 5-Aza-CdR-treated Capan-2cells.Results Capan-2 cells treated with 5-Aza-CdR showed a slower growth rate,and a significant growth inhibition when given both 5-Aza-CdR in combination with gemcitabine.Compared with single drug administration and control,5-Aza-CdR together with gemcitabine can induce a stronger apoptosis signal.Different concentrations 5-Aza-CdR of were able to reverse methylation,restore mRNA and protein levels of PCDH8 in Capan-2.Conclusion5 Aza-CdR may demethylate the PCDH8 gene,which would effectively remove the gene silencing caused by high methylation,and thus induce gene mRNA transcription and protein expression to inhibit cell growth and have collaborative antitumor functions with gemcitabine.

OBJECTIVETo study the phosphorylation activity of mitochondrial signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) in the myocardium of rats with selenium deficiency and its association with myocardial injury.

METHODSThirty-six rats were randomized into normal control group (n=18) and selenium deficiency model group (n=18) for feeding with normal and low-selenium chow, respectively, for 20, 30 and 40 weeks. The cardiac function of the rats was evaluated by carotid artery intubation, and the damage of cardiac mitochondria was observed under electron microscopy. The cardiac mitochondria were extracted for assessing succinate dehydrogenase and cytochrome C oxidase activities, and the protein expressions of phosphorylated and total STAT3 were detected.

RESULTSCompared with the corresponding control groups, the rats in the model group showed significantly decreased cardiac function with obvious structural and functional damage of the cardiac mitochondria (P<0.05), which aggravated as the low-selenium feeding time extended (P<0.05). The rats in the model group also showed significantly decreased mitochondrial STAT3 activity (p-STAT3/STAT3) in the myocardium as the low-selenium feeding time prolonged (P<0.05). Pearson linear correlation analysis showed that the activity of cardiac mitochondrial STAT3 had positive correlations with the left ventricular systolic pressure, maximal increased rate of the left ventricular pressure, and the activities of succinate dehydrogenase and cytochrome C oxidase (P<0.01).

CONCLUSIONSelenium deficiency down-regulates the activity of mitochondrial STAT3 in rat heart to contribute to cardiac mitochondrial injury and the progression of heart failure.

Animals ; Diet ; Electron Transport Complex IV ; metabolism ; Female ; Heart Injuries ; metabolism ; Male ; Mitochondria, Heart ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; STAT3 Transcription Factor ; metabolism ; Selenium ; deficiency ; pharmacology ; Signal Transduction ; Succinate Dehydrogenase ; metabolism

Fluorescence imaging has been widely used in the fields of biomedicine and clinical diagnosis. Compared with traditional fluorescence imaging in the visible spectral region (400-760 nm), near-infrared (NIR, 700-1 700 nm) fluorescence imaging is more helpful to improve the signal-to-noise ratio and the sensitivity of imaging. Highly-sensitive fluorescent probes are required for high-quality fluorescence imaging, and the rapid development of nanotechnology has led to the emergence of organic dyes with excellent fluorescent properties. Among them, organic fluorescent probes with the advantages of high safety, good biocompatibility, and high optical stability, are more favorable than inorganic fluorescent probes. Therefore, NIR fluorescence imaging assisted with organic fluorescent probes can provide more structural and dynamic information of biological samples to the researchers, which becomes a hot spot in the interdisciplinary research field of optics, chemistry and biomedicine. This review summarizes the application of NIR organic fluorescent probes in cervical cancer imaging. Several typical organic fluorescent probes (such as indocyanine green, heptamethine cyanine dye, rhodamine and polymer fluorescent nanoparticles) assisted NIR fluorescence imaging and their applications in cervical cancer diagnosis were introduced, and the future development and application of these techniques were discussed.
Female ; Fluorescent Dyes ; Humans ; Nanoparticles ; Optical Imaging ; Polymers ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms/diagnostic imaging*