OBJECTIVE:To explore the effects of tamsulosin on proliferation and apoptosis in prostatic cancer PC-3 cells. METHODS:After treated with 0 (blank control group),12.5,25 and 50 μmol/L tamsulosin (tamsulosin low,medium and high-concentration groups)for 48 h,the viability of PC-3 cells was detected by MTT method. Hoechst 33258 staining was used to detect cell apoptosis rate. Western blot was used to determine the expression level of Bax and Bcl-2 protein,and the phosphoryla-tion level of protein kinase B(Akt),mammalian target rapamycin(mTOR),ribosomal S6 protein kinase(p70S6K)and 4E bind-ing protein 1(4E-BP1). RESULTS:Compared with blank control group,PC-3 cells viability and the phosphorylation level of Akt, p70S6K and 4E-BP1 decreased in tamsulosin low,medium and high-concentration groups,while expression level of Bax protein in-creased (P<0.05 or P<0.01);the apoptosis rate of PC-3 cells was increased in tamsulosin medium and high-concentration groups,while the expression level of Bcl-2 and phosphorylation level of mTOR were decreased(P<0.01),in concentration-depen-dent manner. CONCLUSIONS:Tamsulosin can inhibit PC-3 cells proliferation and induce cell apoptosis via blocking Akt/mTOR signal pathway.

Drug therapy is one of the efficient methods for prostate cancer treatment. However, drug resistance greatly hindered the treatment of prostate cancer patients. Herein, the mechanisms of drug resistance in prostate cancer have been exhaustively reviewed, and that can provide an alternative strategy and new targets for anti-prostate cancer therapy.
Drug Resistance, Neoplasm ; Humans ; Male ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; drug therapy

OBJECTIVETo study the effect of beta-hydroxyisovaleryl shikonin (beta-HIVS) combined cisplatin on activities of ovarian cancer cell line SKOV3 in vivo and its possible mechanisms.

METHODSCells were divided into the blank control group and six beta-HIVS groups (2 - 30 micromol/L). Effect of beta-HIVS at different concentrations on the activities of ovarian cancer cell line SKOV3 was detected using MTT assay. SKOV3 cells were treated with cisplatin (10, 20, and 40 micromol/L) and beta-HIVS (0.25, 1, and 2.5 micromol/L) combined cisplatin. Effect of beta-HIVS combined cisplatin on the activities of ovarian cancer cell line SKOV3 was determined by MTT assay. The expression of Bcl-2 and Bax after treated by different concentrations of beta-HIVS was detected by Western blot.

RESULTSThe activities of SKOV3 were inhibited by different concentrations of beta-HIVS dose-dependently. The 50% inhibition rate (IC50) was 7.37 micromol/L. There was statistical difference in IC50 between each concentration beta-HIVS group and the blank control group (P < 0.05). There was statistical difference in IC50 between the beta-HIVS (1 and 2.5 micromol/L) combined cisplatin groups and the cisplatin group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). The synergistic effect on beta-HIVS showed dose-dependent manner. Results of Western blot showed beta-HIVS at different concentrations (5, 7.5, and 10 micromol/L) could obviously up-regulate the expression level of Bax protein and inhibit the expression level of Bcl-2 protein, showing statistical difference when compared with the control group (P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS; HIVS could obviously inhibit in vitro growth of SKOV3 in a dose-dependent manner. With the range of concentration, beta-HIVS showed synergetic effect with cisplatin. Besides, along with increasing beta-HIVS concentrations, the synergetic effect was more significant. The synergetic effect might accelerate the apoptosis of SKOV3 through up-regulating Bax expression and inhibiting Bcl-2 expression.

Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cisplatin ; pharmacology ; Female ; Humans ; Naphthoquinones ; pharmacology ; Ovarian Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 ; metabolism ; bcl-2-Associated X Protein ; metabolism

Objective To investigate question comprehension and production among agrammatic aphasics, and to explore the mechanisms of any dysfunction in questioning.Methods Twenty aphasics were recruited in this study.According to the Chinese Agrammatism Battery,10 were classified as agrammatic (the agrammatic group) and 10 as non-agrammatic (the non-agrammatic group).Ten normal subjects served as a control group.All the subjects were tested in terms of their comprehension and production of questions using a set of general and what-where-who- why questions (wh-questions).Results No significant difference was found between the two experimental groups with regard to the correct comprehension and production of both general and wh-questions.However,there was a sig- nificant difference in correctness between comprehension and production.The performance of the agrammatic aphasics was worse than that of the non-agramatics and the normal subjects.Conclusion The impaired question comprehen- sion and production of Chinese agrammatic aphasics has its own characteristies which can form a basis for rehabilita- tion planning and outcome prediction.

Objective:To find a feasible method to stimulate tumor-draining lymph node(TDLN) cells in clinic.Methods:CTL activity of TDLN cells induced by different stimulus (IL-2 group, IL-2+autologous tumor antigen group, IL-2+GM-CSF+IL-4+autologous tumor antigen group) was measured by the method of maximal LDH enzyme release. The mechanisms were explored by observation in morphology and detection of the CD83 positive rate of TDLN cells.Results:The level of growth of TDLN cells induced by (IL-2+GM-CSF+IL-4+autologous tumor antigen) was significantly higher than TDLN cells induced by IL-2 and (IL-2+autologous tumor antigen)(P

Adult ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Female ; HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins ; blood ; Humans ; Lead ; toxicity ; Male ; Occupational Exposure

OBJECTIVETo compare the surface apposition and the bone response at early period of implantation in two differently treated implants.

METHODSThe implants were subject to double acid-etched-H2O2/HCl-heat treatment and double acid-etching treatment, and then randomly implanted into the tibia of rabbits. After 2, 4, 8 weeks of follow up, the bone specimens containing implants were prepared and examined by a field emission SEM and EDX.

RESULTA layer rich with calcium and phosphorus was clearly demonstrated on the implants surface of both groups after 2 weeks of implantation, but it was mostly disappeared after 4 weeks. There were large amounts of osteoblasts cells on double acid-etched-H2O2/HCl-heat treated implants surface indicating the initiation of osteogenesis. After 8 weeks of implantation some new bones were attached on the implants surface in both groups, more bones attached were shown on double acid-etched- H2O2/HCl-heat treated implants surface.

CONCLUSIONA calcium and phosphorus-rich layer was formed on the implants surface of both groups at early period of implantation.

Animals ; Dental Implantation ; Dental Implants ; Dental Materials ; chemistry ; Dental Prosthesis Design ; Hydrogen Peroxide ; chemistry ; Osseointegration ; physiology ; Osteogenesis ; physiology ; Rabbits ; Surface Properties ; Tibia ; surgery ; ultrastructure ; Titanium ; chemistry

Objective To study the expression of PI3K and MMP-7 in esophageal carcinoma and the rela-tionship between the expression of PI3K and MMP-7 and carcinogenesis and progression of esophageal carcinoma. Methods PI3K and MMP-7 expression were detected in 24 normal esophageal mucosa,94 primary tumor tissues with SP immunohistochemistal method. Results There were significant differences of PI3K and MMP-7 expressions between esophageal carcinoma and normal mucesa epithelium ( all P < 0.01 ) [71.28% (67/94) vs 4.17% ( 1/24 ) and 52.13% (49/94) vs 0% (0/24)]. There were significant correlations between PI3K expression and the degrees of differentiation,invasive depth,clinical staging and the metastasis of lymph node (all P <0.01 ). The positive ex-pression rate of MMP-7 had the relationship with metastasis of lymph node (P < 0.05 ), the degrees of differentiation ( P < 0.05 ) invasive depth ( P < 0.01 ), and clinical staging( P < 0.05 ) . There was a positive relationship between PI3K and MMP-7 expression in this study (r = 0. 232 ,P = 0.025). Conlusions PBK and MMP-7 play an impor-tant roles in carcinogenesis and progression of esophageal carcinoma and can be used as valuable biomarkers to eval-uate biological characteristics in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

A 2,4 -dichlorophenol degrading Pseudomonas strain GI241-1 was isolated from a soil sample. The dienelactone hydrolase gene, designated as dcpD which encodes dienelactone hydrolase involved in transforming cis-2-chloro-dienelactone into 2-chloromaleylacetic acid, was cloned from this bacterium strain. The gene cloning strategy was to construct genomic library after location of its neighbouring gene by Southem blot and to screen the aim transformant by dot blotting. Sequencing results showed that length of dcpD is 702bp. The sequence of dcpD and the deduced amino acid are different from the relative sequences registered in the GenBank.

ObjectiveTo observe the thyroid status of pregnant women during the 1st and 2nd trimester of gestation,and its role in brain and neural development of their offspring's.MethodsFrom 2008 to 2009,pregnant women from nine townships of two counties in Wushi and Baicheng in Aksu prefecture of Xinjiang were selected as research subjects according to the survey standard.After informed consent signed,their urinary iodine,serum thyroid stimulating hormone(TSH) and free thyroxin(FT4) were analyzed.The value of thyroid hormone of normal pregnant women was used in diagnosis of subclinical hypothyroidism and hypothyroxinemia in pregnant women.From 2010 to 2011, The brain and neural development status among offspring born by those pregnant women were evaluated with DDST.In accordance with the results of Denver Development Screen Test (DDST) screening,pregnant women were classified into survey and control groups,and the survey group was the suspicious and abnormal of the result of DDST screening(delay),the control group was normal of the result.According to gestational age,pregnant women were divided into 4 gestation groups:G1(6 to 13 weeks),G2(14 to 18 weeks),G3 ( 19 to 23 weeks) and G4(24 to 28 weeks).ResultsA total of 396 cases of pregnant women during the 1st and 2nd trimester of gestation were investigated(survey group 102 cases,control group 294 cases).The median value of urinary iodine concentration among pregnant women in survey group was 152.4 μg/L The prevalence of subclinical hypothyroidism and hypothyroxinemia among pregnant women was 10.78％(11/102) and 3.93％(4/102),respectively.In control group,the median value of urinary iodine concentration was 180.0 μg/L The prevalence of subclinical hypothyroidism and hypothyroxinemia among pregnant women was 7.48％ (22/294) and 4.42％ (13/294),respectively.During the pregnant period from G1 to G3,the median serum TSH of pregnant women in DDST survey group (2.24,3.49,2.85 mU/L) was higher than that of DDST control group( 1.59,2.70,2.28 mU/L).Especially,the difference of TSH between the two groups during the period of G3 was statistically significant (t =4.906,P ＜ 0.05 ).ConclusionsHypothyroidism tendency of pregnant women during the period from gestation week 19th to 23rd may be an important factor in the development of brain abnormalities of their offsprings.