OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of baicalein on the gap junction intercellular communication (GJIC) in the TM4 Sertoli cells of the mouse testis and its related mechanism.

METHODSWe measured the cytotoxicity of different concentrations of baicalein on the TM4 Sertoli cells in the mouse testis by MTT, detected the fluorescence transfer of the TM4 Sertoli cells by parachute assay, and determined the expression of the protein connexin 43 ( Cx43) in the baicalein-treated cells by Western blot and immunofluorescence assay.

RESULTSBaicalein produced no obvious cytotoxicity on the TM4 Sertoli cells at the concentration below 60 µmol/L but significantly increased their GJIC at 0-20 µmol/L (P < 0.01). Western blot and immunofluorescence assay showed that 0-20 µmol/L baicalein remarkably elevated the expression of Cx43 in the TM4 cells (P < 0.01) and on the membrane of the TM4 cells.

CONCLUSIONBaicalein at the concentration of 0-20 µmol/L can significantly enhance GJIC in mouse TM4 Sertoli cells by increasing the expression of the Cx43 protein.

Animals ; Cell Communication ; drug effects ; Connexin 43 ; metabolism ; Flavanones ; administration & dosage ; pharmacology ; Gap Junctions ; drug effects ; Male ; Mice ; Sertoli Cells ; drug effects ; metabolism ; ultrastructure

Child ; Humans ; Lymphoma, T-Cell ; complications ; Panniculitis ; etiology ; Subcutaneous Tissue

Humans ; Infant ; Lead Poisoning, Nervous System, Childhood ; diagnosis ; therapy ; Male

Objective To obtain acquired immunity evidence in hamsters elicited by third stage hookworm larvae of Necator americanas(NaL3).morphology changes of NaL3 and inflammatory responses in the skin and undedying subcutaneous tissue and muscles of hamsters were observed.Methods Hamsters were immunized subcutaneously with one dose of 150 NaL3 at 2 weeks earlier,and then challenged pereutaneously with 900 NaL3.Skins were excised from post-challenge hamsters at 6,24,72 hours and 1,2 weeks,and then examined under light microscopy.Non-immunized hamsters served as negative controls.Results In non-immunized hamsters the number of NaL3 were 15,33,11.0 and 0 at 6,24,72 hours and 1,2 weeks post-infection.No damaged or dead NaL3 section was observed.All NaL3 exhibited no structural damage and infihrating inflammatory cells were absent from the sunDunding tissues.There were no cutaneous changes.In contrast.the total number of Nak sections in the skin of immunized hamsters were 25,53,15,5 and 4 at 6,24,72 hours and 1,2 weeks post-challenge.Among these NaL3 sections,damaged and dead section number were 0,24,6,0,0 and 0,0,7,5,4.At 24 hours post-challenge the Nak exhibited cutieular swelling and damage.By 72 hours post-challenge pyknosis of the somatic cells nuclei and sparseness or loss of definition in the internal structures of NaL3 were seen.One or two weeks after chanenge,the NaL3 showed severe damage or even dead with remnants.Inflammatory responses including macrophages,epithelioid cells and eosinophils infiltrating and granulomata forming were mainly seen around the NaL3 sections in the skin of immunized hamsters.Conclusions Hamsters initially immunized with NaL3 exhibited obvious acquired immunity protection against percutaneously challenged infection as evidenced by vigorous inflammatory responses in the skin and underlying subcutaneous tissue and muscle.

Objective: To evaluate the safety of DCVAC/LuCa combined with pemetrexed/carboplatin in patients with stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods: A total of 20 newly diagnosed stage , non-squamous, wild-type epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) negative or unknown NSCLC patients were randomized into test group (n=10) and control group (n=10). Test group received pemetrexed/ carboplatin chemotherapy (4-6 cycles), combined with DCVAC/LuCa treatment in the third cycle, followed by pemetrexed monotherapy in combination with DCVAC/LuCa; control group received pemetrexed/carboplatin chemotherapy (4-6 cycles), followed by pemetrexed alone. The efficiency of the patients in two groups was evaluated and adverse effects (AEs) were collected and analyzed. Results: There was a significant positive correlation between DCVAC/LuCa transfusion dose and progression-free survival (PFS) (r=0.773, P=0.009). The common AEs in both groups were chemotherapy related leukopenia, hemoglobin decrease etc. All AEs were grade 1 or 2 according to common terminology criteria for adverse events (CTCAE) V4.03, and there were no grade 4 toxicities or treatment-related deaths. One patient in test group got non-infectious fever and body ache, and returned to normal without treatment. Conclusion: In patients with stage NSCLC, DCVAC/LuCa therapy is well tolerated with the favorable safety.

To explore the effect and mechanism of Guhong injection against cerebral ischemia reperfusion injury, SD rats were randomly divided into the sham-operated group, the model group, the nimodipine group, and high, medium and low-dose Guhong injection groups, with 10 rats in each group. The middle cerebral artery embolization (MCAO) model was established to observe neurological deficit symptoms, infarct volume, SOD activity, MDA content, GSH-Px and CAT activity in rats, as well as the contents of t-PA, PAI, TXB2 and 6-keto-PGF1α in serum. The results showed that Guhong injection could obviously promote the recovery of neurological deficit symptoms, narrow the brain infarct volume in rats after surgery, significantlyincrease the activities of SOD, GSH-Px and CAT and decrease the content of MDA. Meanwhile, it also could obviously increase the contents of t-PA and 6-keto-PGF1α and decrease the contents of PAI and TXB2 in serum, indicating that Guhong injection have better antioxidant and antithrombus effects, as well as a significant protective effect against cerebral ischemia reperfusion injury in rats.
Animals ; Antioxidants ; pharmacology ; Brain Ischemia ; drug therapy ; Catalase ; metabolism ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Injections ; Male ; Malondialdehyde ; metabolism ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Reperfusion Injury ; drug therapy ; Superoxide Dismutase ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of total flavonoids of Litsea Coreana (TFLC) on the gap junction (GJ) intercellular communication in TM3 testicular Leydig cells and whether TFLC can reduce the cytotoxicity of oxaliplatin (OHP) in vitro.

METHODSWe detected the effect of TFLC on the dye spread of the in vitro cultured TM3 cells by parachute assay, observed changes in the expression of connexin 43 (Cx43) total protein in the TFLC-treated TM3 cells by Western blot, and determined the effects of TFLC on the expression of Cx43 on the membrane of the TM3 cells by immunofluorescence assay and on the cytotoxicity of OHP by MTT assay.

RESULTSTFLC obviously enhanced the GJ function with the increasing of the TFLC concentration in the TM3 cells. Western blot and immunofluorescence assay confirmed that TFLC significantly enhanced the expression of Cx43 total protein and Cx43 expression on the membrane of the TM3 cells. MTT assay showed that at a high cell density (confluent with GJ formation), 20 microg/ml TFLC enhanced the GJ function of the TM3 cells and reduced the cytotoxicity of OHP (P < 0.05), while at a low density (preconfluent with no GJ formation), TFLC exhibited no effect on the cytotoxicity of OHP (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONTFLC increases the Cx43 expression and GJ function in normal TM3 Leydig cells, and the enhancement of GJ function reduces the cytotoxicity of OHP.

Antineoplastic Agents ; toxicity ; Cell Communication ; drug effects ; physiology ; Cell Count ; Connexin 43 ; metabolism ; Flavonoids ; pharmacology ; Gap Junctions ; drug effects ; Humans ; In Vitro Techniques ; Leydig Cells ; drug effects ; ultrastructure ; Litsea ; chemistry ; Male ; Organoplatinum Compounds ; antagonists & inhibitors ; toxicity ; Proteins ; metabolism

This study was purposed to analyze the characteristics of morphology, immunology, cytogenetic and molecular biology of leukemia cells in 12 AML patients with Ph(+) and their correlation with survival of patients. 12 patients with Ph(+) AML were diagnosed according to diagnostic criteria of WHO and existence of t(9;22) (q34;q11) or t(9;22) abnormality, meanwhile no evidence of CML chronic phase was observed. The results showed that 8 out of 12 cases were confirmedly diagnosed to be AML by morphologic and immunophenotypic examination, 4 cases were diagnosed as myeloid and B lymphocytic mixed acute leukemia. The Ph chromosome was detected in 10 cases by chromosome analysis at the first time of diagnosis, and some of the cases had coexistence of complex chromosome and/or normal karyotype. BCR-ABL transcript was detected in all 12 cases, including 7 cases with b3a2, 1 case with b2a2, 1 case with b2a2 variants, 2 cases with e1a2 and 1 case with e18a2. The 12 cases all got complete remission after chemotherapy and/or gleevec treatment, out of them 3 cases received chemotherapy and gleevec treatment, but 2 cases died; 9 cases received allogeneic hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation (allo-HSCT), 1 case died from relapse, among them 1 case died from transplant complications. The median survival was 24 (8 - 80) months, the overall survival of 3 years was (51.4 ± 17.7)%. It is concluded that the Ph(+) AML is a acute myelogenous leukemia with poor prognosis, but long-term survival may be achieved with HSCT as quick as after complete remission from gleevec and chemotherapy treatment. Meanwhile, the detection of BCR-ABL gene and it variants may be give more opportunity for diagnose and treatment, which can be used as routine screening for newly diagnosed leukemia.
Adult ; Child ; Female ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation ; Humans ; Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive ; diagnosis ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma ; diagnosis ; Prognosis

OBJECTIVETo investigate the association between paternal exposure to occupational electromagnetic radiation and the sex ratio of the offspring.

METHODSWe searched various databases, including PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, OVID, Bioscience Information Service (BIOSIS), China National Knowledge Infrastructure, VIP Database for Chinese Technical Periodicals and Wanfang Database, for the literature relevant to the association of paternal exposure to occupational electromagnetic radiation with the sex ratio of the offspring. We conducted a meta-analysis on their correlation using Stata 11.0.

RESULTSThere was no statistically significant difference in the sex ratio between the offspring with paternal exposure to occupational electromagnetic radiation and those without (pooled OR = 1.00 [95% CI: 0.95 -1.05], P = 0.875). Subgroup analysis of both case-control and cohort studies revealed no significant difference (pooled OR = 1.03 [95% CI: 0.99 -1.08], P = 0.104 and pooled OR = 0.98 [95% CI: 0.99 -1.08], P = 0.186, respectively).

CONCLUSIONPaternal exposure to occupational electromagnetic radiation is not correlated with the sex ratio of the offspring.

Electromagnetic Radiation ; Humans ; Male ; Occupational Exposure ; Paternal Exposure ; Risk Factors ; Sex Ratio

OBJECTIVETo observe the influence of Cx26/Cx32 gap junction channel on the antineoplastic effect of etoposide in Hela cervical cancer cells.

METHODSFluorescence trace was used to assay the gap junction intercellular communication mediated by Cx26/Cx32 in Hela cells and its functional modulation by the pharmacological agents (oleamide, retinoid acid). A standard colony-forming assay was applied to determine the cell growth-inhibiting effect of etoposide in Hela cells with functional modulation of the gap junction. Hoechst 33258 staining was used to assess the changes in etoposide-induced apoptosis of Hela cells with altered gap junction functions.

RESULTSOleamide markedly decreased while retinoid acid obviously increased the gap junction function in Hela cells. Standard colony-forming assay showed that etoposide produced a lowered antiproliferative effect in Hela cells with reduced gap junction and an increased antiproliferative effect in cells with enhanced gap junction function. In cells with a reduced gap junction function, etoposide induced a lowered apoptosis rate, which increased obviously in cells with an enhanced gap junction function.

CONCLUSIONThe antineoplastic effect of etoposide is reduced in Hela cells with a decreased gap junction intercellular communication mediated by Cx26/Cx32 and is enhanced in cells with an increased gap junction intercellular communication.

Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic ; pharmacology ; Connexin 26 ; Connexins ; genetics ; metabolism ; physiology ; Etoposide ; pharmacology ; Gap Junctions ; physiology ; HeLa Cells ; Humans ; Transfection