Objective: To observe the effects of recombinant adenovirus TRAIL (AdS-TRAIL & Ad5F35-TRAIL) on apoptosis of non-small cell lung (NSCLC) cells, so as to assess the value of Ad-TRAIL in gene therapy of NSCLC. Meth-ods: CAR and CD46 expression levels in lung cancer cell lines (A549, Z793, QG56 and NCI-H520) and the primary lung cancer cells from samples of 10 NSCLC patients were assayed by flow cytometry analysis. The lung cancer cell lines and primary lung cancer cells were infected with Ad5-TRAIL & Ad5F35-TRAIL adenoviral vectors at MOI 10 or 50, re-spectively; the percentage of apoptosis cells labeled by Annexin V-FITC in different cells were measured by flow cytometry 48 h after transfection. Results: The expression of CD46 were higher than that of CAR in all the lung cancer lines (A549, Z793, QG56 and NCI-H520) and the primary lung cancer cells. Significant apoptosis was observed in Z793 and QG56 cells transfected with Ad5-TRAIL or Ad5F35-TRAIL at MOI 10, with the apoptosis rate being (1.76±2.10)% (Ad5-TRAIL), (15.96±2.89) % (Ad5F35-THAIL) and (6.05±1.58) % (Ad5-TRAIL), (10.11±1.26) % (Ad5F35-TRAIL), respectively, compared to no adenovirus-transfected cells ([2.33±0.37] % and [5.95±1.89]%, respectively, P < 0.05). Less than 10% of apoptosis cells were detected in NCI-H520 cells transfected with Ad5- or Ad5F35-TRAIL at MOI 50 ([12.89±3.2] % for AdS-TRAIL and [9.08±1.35]% for Ad5F35-TRAIL, respectively) compared to no adenovirus-transfected cells ([7.04±2.17] %, P > 0.05). Moreover, apoptosis induced by Ad5- or Ad5F35-TRAIL transfection in A549 cells was not detected both at MOI 10 and 50. About half of the primary lung cancer cells from 10 patients induced apoptosis after transfected with Ad5-TRAIL or Ad5F35-TRAIL vector. A higher percentage of apoptotic cells were found in Ad5F35-TRAIL group than those in Ad5-TRAIL and control groups. Conclusion: Ad5-TRAIL can induce apoptosis of NSCLC cells in vitro, and Ad5F35-TRAIL is more potent than Ad5-TRAIL, so Ad5F35-TRAIL is more suitable for gene therapy of NSCLC.

Pancreas arises from dorsal and ventral anlagen,and there is an embryological fusion plane between them.The embryological fusion plane can be discriminated by immunohistochemical staining for an anti-pancreatic polypeptide or computed tomography.The embryological fusion plane can not only guide the management of benign or low malignant potential tumors,but also determine the clinicopathological characteristics of pancreatic head cancer and patients'survival,and the embryological fusion plane plays an important role in the management of pancreatic disease.In this review,the research progressions and clinical significance in the embryological fusion plane of dorsal and ventral pancreas are described.

Objective:To construct a three-dimensional imaging model of the pancreatic head based on the embryological fusion plane, and to provide morphological parameters of the pancreatic head for future developments of basic and clinical researches on the pancreas.Methods:Histologic cross-sections of the pancreatic head with its adjacent structures were made from healthy cadavers. Immunohistochemical analysis of pancreatic polypeptide antibody was then performed to verify the existence and location of the embryological fusion plane reported previously. The histologically positioning method of the embryological fusion plane was then applied to the corresponding sections on computed tomography (CT). Based on the results of the above work, volunteers from the Affiliated Changzhou No. 2 People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University were then used as research objects. A three-dimensional visualization reconstruction software was used to perform CT image-based structures to include the abdominal pancreas, dorsal pancreas head, and embryo fusion surface. Three-dimensional reconstruction of the pancreatic head, and morphological measurements of the relevant structures of the pancreatic head were then made.Results:Immunohistochemical analysis verified the existence and the position of the embryological fusion plane. The histologically positioning method was then successfully applied to the CT sections. The three-dimensional imaging model of the pancreatic head containing the embryological fusion plane, dorsal segment and ventral segment of head were built based on CT images. A total of 35 volunteers were included, including 19 males and 16 females, aged (48.26±8.26) years, and with a BMI of (22.29±1.78) kg/m 2. The morphological results showed that the volume of the pancreatic head, dorsal pancreas and abdominal pancreas were (32.80±8.15) cm 3, (22.21±6.94) cm 3, (10.59±3.87) cm 3, and the area of the embryo fusion surface was (12.46±3.20) cm 2. All volunteers were then grouped according to gender. Statistical analysis showed that there were no significant differences in the total pancreatic head volume, dorsal pancreatic head volume, abdominal pancreatic volume, and embryo fusion area among the groups ( P>0.05). Conclusions:It was feasible and practical to build a three-dimensional imaging model of the pancreatic head based on the embryological fusion plane by using a 3D computer system. This model and its morphological parameters could provide a new tool for research on pancreas.