OBJECTIVETo explore the biomarkers of early diagnosis in patients with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)-related lung cancer for the application to detection of occupational lung cancer or related lung cancer.

METHODSWestern dot blotting was used to explore the expression of ras, p53 and heat stress protein 70 (HSP70) in 29 patients with PAHs-related lung cancer (LC), and 28 patients with non-cancerous pulmonary disease, and 30 healthy controls.

RESULTSThe positive detection rates of P21, P53, and HSP70 in LC group (58.62%, 34.48%, 41.38% respectively) were higher than those in non-cancerous pulmonary disease group (14.29%, 7.14%, 10.71% respectively, P < 0.01). The sensitivity of P21, P53 and HSP70 were 58.62%, 34.48% and 41.38% respectively, negative predictive value (NPV) were 68.42%, 78.05% and 63.04% respectively. The co-detection of the three proteins mentioned above produced a sensitivity of 82.76% with a NPV of 78.26% (P < 0.05). Of 18 cases of LC with negative cytology, 13 (72.22%) were found HSP21, P53 or HSP70 positive.

CONCLUSIONSCo-detection of the P21, P53, and HSP70 may be used as the screening marker for diagnosis of PAHs-related lung cancer, and may supplement the diagnostic value of conventional cytology.

Aged ; Biomarkers ; analysis ; Blotting, Western ; Case-Control Studies ; HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins ; analysis ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms ; chemically induced ; metabolism ; pathology ; Middle Aged ; Occupational Exposure ; Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons ; poisoning ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras) ; analysis ; Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 ; analysis

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of water soluble extracts of traditional Chinese herbs on growth of mouse hair follicles and hair bulb cells in vitro.

METHODSMouse hair follicles and hair bulb cells were cultured in Williams E medium with (experimental groups) or without (control group) water soluble extracts of Chinese herbs; the experimental group was further divided into mixture and single herb groups. Hair growth was observed by microscopy and growth activity of hair bulb cells was detected by MTT colorimetric assay.

RESULTOn day 7 of culture, the hair growth in the mixture groups was faster than that in the control group (P<0.05). On day 3 and 5 of culture, the cell growth activity in the mixture groups was greater than that in the control group (P<0.05). While the hair growth and the cell growth activity between the single herb groups and the control group were not significantly different.

CONCLUSIONThe water soluble extracts of mixed traditional Chinese medicines can promote the growth of mouse hair in vitro and stimulate the proliferation of hair bulb cells; while those of the single traditional Chinese herb have no effect.

Angelica sinensis ; Animals ; Animals, Newborn ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Cells, Cultured ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Hair ; drug effects ; growth & development ; Hair Cells, Auditory ; cytology ; drug effects ; Hair Follicle ; drug effects ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Organ Culture Techniques

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of tetrandrine (TTD) on doxorubicin-induced mdr1 gene expression and its mechanism.

METHODSMTT assay was used to detect the cytotoxicity of TTD to K562 cells. K562 cells were treated with doxorubicin alone or 0.6 microg/ml doxorubicin combined with various concentrations of TTD. RT-PCR was used to detect the mRNA expression of mdr1 and NF-kappa B. Flow cytometry was used to assay the expression of P-glycoprotein (P-gp). Intracellular rhodamine 123 (Rho123) retention assay was applied to test the P-gp function.

RESULTSAfter treatment with 0.6 microg/ml doxorubicin for 24 hours, the expressions of mdr1 mRNA, NF-kappa B mRNA and P-gp in K562 cells were increased from 0.171 +/- 0.012, 0.783 +/- 0.090, 7.85 +/- 0.15 to 0.428 +/- 0.012, 1.075 +/- 0.047 and 73.68 +/- 1.84, respectively. The intracellular Rho123 retention was decreased from 711.9 +/- 63.6 to 347.8 +/- 60.6, indicating up-regulation of P-gp function (P<0.05). Pretreatment of K562 cells with 2.0 microg/ml TTD for 24 hours and then incubated for another 24 h with doxorubicin, the expressions of mdr1 mRNA, NF-kappa B mRNA, P-gp and up-regulation of P-gp function induced by doxorubicin were prevented in K562 cells (0.148 +/- 0.006, 0.627 +/- 0.098, 7.18 +/- 0.38 and 799.7 +/- 45.8, respectively P<0.05). But 0.5 microg/ml and 1.0 microg/ml TTD had little effect.

CONCLUSIONSTTD inhibits the expression of mdr1 mRNA, P-gp and up-regulated P-gp function induced by doxorubicin in a dose dependent manner. The mechanism of this effect may be down-regulation of NF-kappa B by TTD.

ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Sub-Family B ; ATP-Binding Cassette, Sub-Family B, Member 1 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Benzylisoquinolines ; pharmacology ; Doxorubicin ; pharmacology ; Humans ; K562 Cells ; NF-kappa B ; metabolism ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; Up-Regulation ; drug effects

OBJECTIVETo analyze the geographical distribution and risk factors of HIV-1 subtypes in Yunnan province.

METHODSBlood samples from 1319 HIV positives were collected in Yunnan Province from 2001 to 2006. The nested polymerase chain reaction was used to amplify the gag (p24)-protease fragments from RNA extracted from plasma or sera. The sequences were used for subtype determination by phylogenetic tree analysis.

RESULTSAmong 1319 samples studied, the subtypes has been successfully obtained from 644 samples that were constituted of seven subtypes: CRF08_BC, CRF07_BC, CRF07/08_BC, CRF01_AE, C, B' and URFB/C. C/CRF07_BC/CRF08_BC were distributed in the whole province, but CRF01_AE were mainly distributed in the boarding areas with Myanmar such as Dehong, Baoshan, Xishuangbanna and Puer. Moreover, injecting drugs users accounted for 61.6% (270/438) among C/CRF07_BC/CRF08_BC infections, while only 8.5% (15/177) among CRF01_AE infections.

CONCLUSIONOur data indicated that at least seven subtypes were identified in Yunnan province, the relationship between subtypes and transmission routes were analyzed, and the geographic difference of subtypes was also observed.

China ; DNA, Viral ; Genotype ; HIV Infections ; transmission ; virology ; HIV-1 ; classification ; isolation & purification ; Humans ; Sequence Analysis, DNA

Given the dual role of autophagy presenting in tumorigenesis and inhibition, we established an autophagy-related gene prognostic index (ARGPI) with validation to well predict the biochemical recurrence (BCR), metastasis, as well as chemoresistance for patients with prostate cancer (PCa) who underwent radical radiotherapy or prostatectomy. Then, Lasso and COX regression was used to develop the ARGPI. We performed the whole analyses through R packages (version 3.6.3). Secreted phosphoprotein 1 (SPP1), single-minded 2 (SIM2), serine protease inhibitor b5 (SERPINB5), aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2), and acyl-CoA synthetase long-chain 3 (ACSL3) were eventually used to establish the ARGPI score. Patients were divided into two different-risk groups based on the median ARGPI score, high-risk patients with a higher risk of BCR than low-risk patients (hazard ratio [HR]: 5.46, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 3.23-9.24). The risk of metastasis of high-risk patients was higher than low-risk patients (HR: 11.31, 95% CI: 4.89-26.12). In The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) dataset, we observed similar prognostic value of ARGPI in terms of BCR-free survival (HR: 1.79, 95% CI: 1.07-2.99) and metastasis-free survival (HR: 1.80, 95% CI: 1.16-2.78). ARGPI score showed a diagnostic accuracy of 0.703 for drug resistance. Analysis of gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) indicated that patients in the high-risk group were significantly positively related to interleukin (IL)-18 signaling pathway. Moreover, ARGPI score was significantly related to cancer-related fibroblasts (CAFs; r = 0.36), macrophages (r = 0.28), stromal score (r = 0.38), immune score (r = 0.35), estimate score (r = 0.39), as well as tumor purity (r = -0.39; all P < 0.05). Drug analysis showed that PI-103 was the common sensitive drug and cell line analysis indicated that PC3 was the common cell line of PI-103 and the definitive gene. In conclusion, we found that ARGPI could predict BCR, metastasis, and chemoresistance in PCa patients who underwent radical radiotherapy or prostatectomy.
Male ; Humans ; Prognosis ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local/pathology* ; Prostatic Neoplasms/pathology* ; Prostatectomy ; Drug Resistance ; Aldehyde Dehydrogenase, Mitochondrial