SIGIRR, a member of the interleukin 1 receptor superfamily, is also known as a single immunoglobulin (Ig)-related receptor, which is believed to play a key role in the development of inflammation and the regulation of anti-inflammatory effects. Some studies believe that the abnormal down-regulation of SIGIRR can lead to intestinal inflammation, pyelonephritis, systemic lupus erythematosus and other diseases, but it can promote tumor growth and potentially cause anti-tumor immune damage when its genes are overexpressed. Therefore, the role of SIGIRR in disease occurrence and development is considered a double-edged sword. At present, the detailed molecular mechanism of SIGIRR′s biological role is not fully understood. This article reviews the functions of SIGIRR in the occurrence and development of immune-related diseases and immune regulation, as well as related cell signaling pathways, which have been discovered and confirmed.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) on the proliferation and osteogenesis of human periodontal ligament stem cells (hPDLC) under three-dimensional (3D) culture system.

METHODSHuman periodontal cells were isolated from the ligament of surgically extracted human teeth, and through the limiting dilution assay, got mono-clone of the cell, hPDLCs were isolated from MesenPRO RS medium. Rotary cell culture system (RCCS) was enrolled to set 3D environment. Control group and experiment groups were assigned according to the concentration of IGF-I. There were 5 level of experiment groups (0.1, 1, 10, 50, 100 µg/L). Proliferation was tested with methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT), and alkine phosphatase (ALP) level was assayed by spectrophotometer to analyze the osteogenesis of hPDLCs. Gene expression of ostetocalcin (OCN) and type I collagen (Col I) were assayed by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).

RESULTSIn 3D culture system, the effect of IGF-I on cell proliferation was significantly different between control group and experiment groups (P < 0.05), and there showed significant differences between the group of 0.1 µg/L (0.219 ± 0.021) IGF-I and the groups of 50, 100 µg/L (0.287 ± 0.011, 0.293 ± 0.012). However, there showed no significant differences among other groups. Significant differences of ALP activity were observed between the control group and experiment groups, and between the groups of 1, 10 µg/L (0.304 ± 0.020, 0.310 ± 0.013) and that of 50, 100 µg/L (0.347 ± 0.011, 0.344 ± 0.010) (P < 0.05). While no significant differences were detected between the group of 1 µg/L and that of 10 µg/L, nor between the group of 50 µg/L and that of 100 µg/L. Expressions of Col I and OCN in mRNA and protein level both showed dose-dependent increase.

CONCLUSIONSIn 3D culture system, in the scale of 0.1 - 100 µg/L, the effect of IGF-I on the proliferation of hPDLCs increased dose-dependently. 100 µg/L IGF-I promotes osteogenesis of the cells significantly.

Alkaline Phosphatase ; metabolism ; Cell Culture Techniques ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Cells, Cultured ; Collagen Type I ; genetics ; metabolism ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Humans ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor I ; pharmacology ; Osteocalcin ; genetics ; metabolism ; Osteogenesis ; drug effects ; Periodontal Ligament ; cytology ; RNA, Messenger ; metabolism ; Stem Cells ; cytology ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of insulin-like growth factor- I (IGF- I) on the proliferation and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity of human periodontal ligament cells (hPDLCs) under three-dimensional (3D) culture system.

METHODSThe hPDLCs were cultured from periodontium of human teeth by the outgrowth method. Rotary cell culture system (RCCS) was enrolled to set 3D culture system. Samples were set to four groups: Negative control group, positive control group (3D group, IGF-I group), and experimental group (3D with IGF- I group). Proliferation was tested with methylthiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT), and ALP activity was assayed by spectrophotometer at 1, 3, 5, 7 d respectively.

RESULTSCompared with that of negative control group, cell proliferation increased significantly in 3D with IGF-I group since 3 d (P < 0.05). Besides, the cell proliferation of 3D with IGF-I group was significantly higher than that of 3D group (P < 0.05). ALP activity of 3D with IGF- I group was significantly higher than that of negative control group, and 3D group at 3, 5, 7 d (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONIGF-I significantly promotes the proliferation and ALP activity of hPDLCs under 3D culture system.

Alkaline Phosphatase ; Cell Differentiation ; Cell Proliferation ; Cells, Cultured ; Humans ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor I ; Periodontal Ligament ; Somatomedins

OBJECTIVETo compare the efficacy and safety of PEG-IFNalpha-2b (Peg-Intron) with IFNalpha-2b (Intron A) in treating HBeAg positive chronic hepatitis B patients.

METHODSTwo hundred thirty chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients eligible to the following criteria were enrolled into this study: HBsAg and HBeAg(Abbott kit) positive for at least 6 months, serum HBV DNA > or =10(5) copies/ml (real time PCR, LLQ <10(3) copies/ml) and ALT > or =2 x ULN. After 1:1 randomization, the patients received PegIntron (group A: 1.0 microg/kg body weight, SC, once a week) or Intron A (group B: 3 MIU SC, three times a week) for 24 weeks, and followed up for 24 weeks.

RESULTS(1) In groups A and B, respectively, 80.87% and 83.48% were males; their median ages were 31.0 and 32.0 years old; their median body weights were 65.6 and 65.5 kg; mean serum HBV DNA loads were 8.06 log10 and 7.99 log10; their mean ALT values were 4.17 x ULN and 3.77 x ULN. All of the above parameters between the two groups had no statistically significance differences. (2) At the end of treatment and after follow-up, compared to the Intron A group, the PegIntron group showed better response (including complete and partial response rate, HBV DNA undetectable rate, HBeAg seroconversion rate), but the differences of all of them had no statistical significance. The rate of HBeAg loss was higher in patients receiving PegIntron after follow-up (P = 0.0424). (Table 2) (3) PegIntron and Intron A reduced serum HBV DAN persistently during the therapy. Mean reduction at the end of the treatment was much higher in the PegIntron group than in the Intron group (2.22 log10 copies/ml vs 1.66 log10 copies/ml, P = 0.0283). (4) The overall incidence of adverse events (AEs) in the PegIntron group was similar to that of the Intron A group (94.78% vs 95.65%). The AEs associated with PegIntron administration were similar in nature to those with Interon A, such as influenza-like symptoms, fever, fatigue, headache, nausea, etc and the differences of their incidences had no statistical significance.

CONCLUSIONSThe efficacy and safety of PEG-IFNalpha-2b treatment for CHB patients seems to be better than that of IFNalpha-2b; however, further studies are needed to confirm it.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Antiviral Agents ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Hepatitis B e Antigens ; blood ; Hepatitis B, Chronic ; drug therapy ; immunology ; Humans ; Interferon-alpha ; adverse effects ; therapeutic use ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Polyethylene Glycols ; Recombinant Proteins

To investigate the cell-killing effect and its possible mechanism of rClone30-hDR5 in combination with TRAIL on human hepatic carcinoma (HCC) cell line, first of all, recombinant plasmid pee12.4-hDR5 was introduced into HepG2 cells by liposome transfection. After five rounds of screening by flow cytometry, HepG2 cells expressing high levels of DR5 on cell surface were isolated. The cytotoxicity of TRAIL to selected cells was higher than that of TRAIL to HepG2 cells by MTT method (P < 0.01). The result suggested that the cloned hDR5 gene had biological activity. MTT assay showed that, rClone30- hDR5 in combination with TRAIL more efficiently inhibited the tumor growth of HepG2 cells compared to rClone30-hDR5 or TRAIL in vitro. The results of Annexin V-FITC/PI staining and Quantitative Real-time PCR indicated that rClone30-hDR5 in combination with TRAIL significantly increased the mRNA levels of caspase 3 and caspase 8, and induced the apoptosis of tumor cells. HepG2 cells were infected with rClone30-hDR5 or rClone30 at MOI of 1. The expression of hDR5 on tumor surface increased significantly by rClone30-hDR5 compared to that by rClone30, which contributed to the sensitivity to TRAIL. In conclusion, rClone30-hDR5 in combination with TRAIL has potential application value in cancer treatment.
Apoptosis ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; pathology ; Caspase 3 ; metabolism ; Caspase 8 ; metabolism ; Drug Synergism ; Hep G2 Cells ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms ; pathology ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Receptors, TNF-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand ; pharmacology ; TNF-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand ; pharmacology ; Transfection

Notoginsenosides， the saponins extracted from Panax notoginseng， have many pharmacological effects， such as anti-inflammation， anti-oxidation， anti-tumor， nervous system and cardiovascular system protection， microcirculation improvement and calcium overload inhibition. At present， notoginsenosides are widely used clinically for treating many diseases with good efficacy， especially for nervous system diseases such as stroke， stroke sequelae and Alzheimer's disease. In recent years， the mechanism underlying their neuroprotective effect has been continuously explored. To advance the applied research on notoginsenosides in the prevention and treatment of central nervous system diseases， this paper， combined with the latest reports， summarizes their neuroprotective effect and mechanisms in terms of regulating voltage-gated ion channels， protecting nerve cells and neurovascular unit， inhibiting oxidative stress and inflammatory reaction， promoting angiogenesis and reducing excitatory neurotoxicity. Although the protective mechanism of notoginsenosides for the nervous system mainly involves the above several aspects， some of them still remain to be fully elucidated， which necessitates the further exploration of neuroprotective effect of notoginsenosides with molecular biology， metabolomics， proteomics and other technologies.

Acupuncture Therapy ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Moxibustion ; Osteoporosis ; diagnosis ; pathology ; therapy ; Practice Guidelines as Topic

In order to construct a pichia pastoris expression vector containing the extracellular domain of human Jagged1 and the Fc fragment of human IgG1 fusion gene, or containing only the Fc fragment of human IgG1 and to express them in pichia pastoris. The extracellular domain of human Jagged1 gene was cloned from normal human bone marrow cells. After DNA sequencing, the extracellular domain of Jagged1 gene was inserted into pIC-Fc vector constructed previously, which is Pichia pastoris expression vector containing only the Fc fragment of human IgG1. The constructed plasmid was transformed into yeast GS115 by means of electroporation. The recombinant transformants with a high copy number of the plasmid were selected on MD plate with G418. The expression of protein was induced by addition of methanol. Then, protein expression was analyzed by SDS-PAGE. The results indicated that the extracellular domain of human Jagged1 gene was effectively amplified. The DNA sequencing result showed that the constructed plasmid containing hJagged1(ext)-Fc fusion gene was the same as designed. The fusion protein was successfully expressed in Pichia pastoris. It is concluded that the hJagged1(ext) gene has been successfully cloned and expressed, which provides a new fusion protein for further experiments, the hJagged1(ext)-Fc fusion protein can be used as a new stimulator for proliferation of hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells in vitro.
Calcium-Binding Proteins ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Genetic Vectors ; genetics ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin Fc Fragments ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Immunoglobulin G ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Jagged-1 Protein ; Membrane Proteins ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Pichia ; genetics ; metabolism ; Recombinant Fusion Proteins ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Serrate-Jagged Proteins ; Transfection

BACKGROUNDThe percutaneous transcatheter closure of secundum atrial septal defect (ASD) is increasingly a widespread alternative to surgical closure. The aim of this study was to assess long-term results of percutaneous closure of secundum-type atrial septal defect (ASDII).

METHODSBetween January 2001 and December 2005, 61 patients underwent a successful percutaneous closure of ASDII; including 25 male and 36 female. All were included in the patient study and were followed up to monitor by electrocardiogram and echocardiography, at intervals of 3 days, 3 months, 6 months, 1 year, 2 years, and 5 years after operation.

RESULTSThree days after percutaneous transcatheter septal closure (PTSC), the right atrium diameter, right ventricular end-diastolic left-right diameter and right ventricular end-diastolic volume (RVEDV) decreased significantly (P < 0.05). Right ventricular end-diastolic anteroposterior diameter (RVEDD), right ventricular end-systolic volume (RVESV) and right ventricular ejection fraction (RVEF) also decreased (P < 0.01). During the period from 3 to 6 months, the size of the right atrium and right ventricle returned to normal range. Three days after PTSC, the left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (LVEDD), left ventricular end-diastolic volume (LVEDV), left ventricular end-systolic volume (LVESV), left ventricular-systolic volume (LVSV) and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) were significantly increased (P < 0.05). At 1 year, the size of the left atrium, left ventricle and left cardiac function returned to normal range (P < 0.01). There were no deaths or significant complications during the study. At five year follow-up, all defects were completely closed and remained closed thereafter.

CONCLUSIONTranscatheter closure of ASDII effectively eliminated the abnormal shunt and, subsequently improved the dimensions of each chamber and cardiac function.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Heart Septal Defects, Atrial ; diagnostic imaging ; surgery ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Ultrasonography ; Young Adult

To a certain extent, put forward the concept of " component of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM)" simplifies the complexity of multi-component and multi-target of TCM, which provides a possibility for the clarification of the material basis of the efficacy of TCM, and also provides a new direction for promoting the modernization and industrialization of TCM, promots the high quality development of TCM. The correlation between prescription and disease syndrome has made rapid progress, both basic research and clinical application are fruitful. However, the correlation between components and disease syndrome still needs to be further studied. The syndrome of blood stasis is a common syndrome of TCM science, and it is more common in various diseases, especially cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, kidney disease, diabetes and hyperlipoidemia. A large number of studies have shown that some specific components contained in TCM or TCM compound can improve the related indexes of patients or experimental animal model with blood stasis syndrome. It is manifested in reducing blood viscosity, inhibiting platelet activation and adhesion aggregation, changing erythrocyte deformability index, inhibiting thrombosis and so on. Blood stasis is not only the pathogenic factor of many diseases, but also the pathological product of many kinds of diseases, which involves a wide range of diseases. Therefore, this study will study the progress of different components of TCM in the prevention and treatment of blood stasis syndrome, focusing on saponins, flavonoids, organic acids, polysaccharides, alkaloids and other active components in improving hemorheological abnormalities, hypercoagulability, platelet activation and adhesion aggregation, thrombosis. Based on the thought of component-disease syndrome, this paper searches the relevant literature in recent 20 years, classifies and summarizes the achievements of different components in the prevention and treatment of blood stasis syndrome, and hopes to provide some ideas for the further study of the pharmacological action of TCM components, the study of compatibility of TCM components and the research of TCM components.