AIM: To study mitochondrial mass and structural protein changes in dexamethasone (DEX)-mediated mouse thymocyte apoptosis process. METHODS: DEX-induced mouse thymocyte apoptosis model was established. Annexin V-FITC/PI double staining was used to identify apoptotic and necrotic cells by flowcytometry, JC-1 staining was adopted to test mitochondrial membrane potential (△?_m), and cellular structural protein changes were studied with CFDA-SE staining. RESULTS: By 1?10~(-6) mol/L DEX stimulation, the apoptotic rate was 51.25%?5.51% and had significantly difference from control group (12.03%?2.00%); the necrotic rate in DEX group was 30.25%?3.67% and also had significantly difference from control group (10.11%?1.11%, P

Cardiomegaly ; genetics ; Gene Expression Regulation ; Humans ; MicroRNAs ; biosynthesis

AIM: To investigate the expression of B lymphocyte stimulator(BLyS) and CD38 molecules on peripheral blood lymphocytes of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus(SLE). METHODS: Twenty-two patients with SLE and fourteen healthy subjects entered the study. Isolated peripheral blood lymphocyte were stained for the lymphocyte surface markers BLyS, CD19, and CD38, and then was measured by flow cytometry(FACS). RESULTS: BLyS + lymphocytes, CD19 + lymphocytes, and CD19 +CD38 + lymphocytes were increased significantly in patients with SLE( P

Objective:The purpose of this study is to evaluate the frequency of MDSCs in peripheral blood of hepatocellular carcinoma patients and to investigate the clinical significance of change of MDSCs in the peripheral blood and provide new ways for e-valuating immune state and prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma patients.Methods: Blood samples were obtained from 62 patients with HCC and 20 healthy donors.The phenotype of CD3,CD4,CD33,HLA-DR and Th1,Th2 immune subsets in peripheral blood of each group were observed by FCM methods.Results:There were statically different frequencies in the peripheral blood between hepato-cellular carcinoma and healthy control group,which the proportion of total CD3+T lymphocytes and CD3+CD4+T cells were lower and the proportion of CD33+HLA-DR-MDSCs was higher in hepatocellular carcinoma patients.( P<0.05 ).The increase of percentage of MDSCs was greater in patients at Stage C and D than in patients at stage A and B.Conclusion:The Th1/Th2 ratio in the PBMC were of imbalance and MDSCs was significantly increased in peripheral blood of hepatocellular carcinoma patients.The increase of MDSCs was significantly correlated with clinical stage.CD33+HLA-DR-MDSCs may play an important role in prediction in prognosis and tumor immune status of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Objective To compare the identifiability for depressive symptoms using different instruments while interviewing with different respondents in suicide prevention research in China. Methods One hundred and fifty-one suicide death cases (suicide group) and one hundred and twenty suicide attempt cases (attempt group) were recruited. For each identified cases, one family member proxy respondent, and another associate proxy respondent (friend or neighbor) and suicide attempter (only for attempt group) were interviewed separately by qualified psychiatrists. The Di-agnostic Screening Instrument for Depression (DSID) and the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-Ⅳ Axis Ⅰ Disorders (SCID-Ⅰ) were administered to each respondent to identify the depressive symptoms based on diagnostic criteria for major depressive episode in DSM-Ⅳ. Data collected from family members and associate respondents were merged as proxy data. The concordances of the DSID and SCID-Ⅰfor identifying depressive symptoms, meeting for criteria of Major Depressive Episode (MDE) and Mild and Major Depressive Episode (MMDE), were calculated based on different respondents' data. The prevalence of depressive symptoms, MDE and MMDE, were compared among merged proxy data, family member respondent's data, and associate respondent's data in suicide group and attempt group, and between self-respondent's data and merged proxy data in suicide attempt group. Results In suicide group, based on merged proxy data, the prevalence of MDE was 41.1%(62 cases) for DSID and 41.7%(63 cases) for SCID-Ⅰ, and the Kappa coeffi-cient was 0.77. Based on suicide attempters' self-raported data, the prevalence of MDE was 23.7% (27 cases) and 22.0% (24 cases) for DSID and SCID-Ⅰ respectively, with a Kappa of 0.74. Based on merged proxy report in attempt group, 16 (13.3%) and 15 (12.5%) cases were met for criteria of MDE (Kappa=0.89), using the 2 instruments. In both of the suicide and attempt groups, the merged proxy data got higher prevalence of depressive symptoms, MDE and MMDE than that only based on family respondent's data or associate's respondent's data using both of the 2 instruments (all P<0.05). Compared with merged proxy data, attempters' self-reported data got higher prevalence of MMD and MMDE using both of the 2 instruments (all P<0.05). Conclusions Based on same respondent's data, SCID-Ⅰ performs as well as DSID in identifying depressive symptoms. Collecting data from 2 respondents would get higher prevalence of MDE or MMDE than only from one family member or one associate. In attempt group, the prevalence of MDE or MMDE based on merged proxy data were lower than that based on attempters' self-reported data.

OBJECTIVETo study aberrant DNA methylation potentially resulting in changes in the expression of cancer-related genes as a possible epigenetic mechanism for cadmium carcinogenesis.

METHODSGenomic DNA isolated from CdCl(2)-transformed BALB/c-3T3 cells was digested with Mse1 (methylation non-sensitive) alone or with Mse1 and BstU1 (methylation sensitive). The resulting DNA was analyzed for aberrant methylation using PCR-based technique-Methylation-Sensitive Restriction Fingerprinting (MSRF). Several DNA fragments differentially methylated in the transformed cells identified by MSRF were confirmed by Southern hybridization analysis using the aberrantly methylated DNA fragments as the probes.

RESULTSAberrant DNA methylation was identified in the transformed cells. DNA sequencing and sequence similarity analysis identified one of the aberrantly methylated DNA fragments as the p16 tumor suppressor gene.

CONCLUSIONDNA hypermethylation is known to result in gene silencing, it appears that hypermethylation of p16 gene may represent a possible epigenetic mechanism for Cd-induced cell transformation and carcinogenesis.

Animals ; BALB 3T3 Cells ; Blotting, Southern ; Cadmium ; toxicity ; Cell Transformation, Neoplastic ; CpG Islands ; DNA Methylation ; Genes, p16 ; Mice ; Restriction Mapping

Objective To investigate the safe and effective method for laryngeal microsurgery in difficult la‐ryngeal exposure cases .Methods We selected 62 patients’ clinical data who had received laryngeal microsurgery with difficult laryngeal exposure and could not exposure by normal self -retaining laryngoscope between July 2012 and June 2015 .There were 42 cases of vocal cord polyp ,9 cases of the vocal cyst ,5 cases of the vocal amyloidosis , 4 cases of severe atypical hyperplasia of vocal cords and 2 cases of vocal cord high differentiated squamous carcino‐ma .We completed all kinds of laryngeal microsurgery to expose the glottis by adjusting the postures of patients ,in‐creasing the anesthesia depth ,using self -retaining laryngoscope with endoscopy which can be adjusted and pressing the throat .Results In 62 patients ,58 patients were successfully operated with adjustable self -retaining laryngo‐scope with endoscopy ,the success rate was 93 .55% .And 25 cases was exposed the glottis completely by increasing the anesthesia depth ,however ,when we increased the anesthesia depth ,there were 10 cases needed to combined with pressing the throat to expose .Five patients had retropharyngeal injure with different levels .One case with small jaw deformity of the vocal cord polyp surgery was not successful ,the success of electronic endoscopic under surface anesthesia surgery .The other one case with teeth unkempt and porcelain teeth and two cases of intraoperative frozen tip vocal cord cancer completed the operation of the open throat under the non trachea incision .Conclusion Most of difficult exposed laryngeal can be safely and effectively exposed through using the adjustable self -retaining laryngo‐scope with endoscopy while normal self -retaining laryngoscope can not .When necessary ,we can put 30°endoscope into the side channel of self -retaining laryngoscope to complete all kinds of laryngeal microsurgery .

Objective To explore the investigate of X-chromosome-linked inhibitor of apoptosis pro- tein(XIAP)and its effect on chemotherapeutic sensitivity in bladder carcinoma.Methods Using immu- nohistochemistry methods,the expression of XIAP was evaluated in 47 bladder carcinomas and 6 normal bladder tissues.The XIAP gene was transfected into bladder cancer cell line T24 by liposome and the positive clone was screened by G418.Cellular XIAP mRNA level was detected by RT-PCR.The apoptosis of T24 cells was induced by low-dose of mitocycin C(0.005 mg/ml and 0.05 mg/ml,respectively).The in vitro cellular growth activities were assayed by MTT color imetry;and the apoptosis rate was assayed by TUNEL methods. Results The expression rate of XIAP was 78.7%(37/47)in bladder carcinoma samples,with no corre- lation with carcinoma stages and grades(P＞0.05).XIAP mRNA level in transfected T24 ceils was signifi- cantly increased by 3.8 times.Treated with 0.005 mg/ml and 0.05 mg/ml of mitomycin C,the growth rates of XIAP transfected T24 cells were increased [(11.60?0.25)% and(16.51?0.87)% ,respectively,P＜0.05];and the apoptosis rates were decreased [(10.1?0.2)% and( 11.9?0.2)% ,respectively,P＜0.05]compared with those in control cells.Conclusions XIAP is highly expressed in humun bladder car- cinoma samples.Overexpression of XIAP in T24 cells results in decrease in bladder carcinoma cell apoptosis induced by MMC,which may decrease the chemotherapeutic sensitivity of T24 cells.

AIMTo establish an accurate and reliable method for quantitative analysis of the diterpenoids in Pteris semipinnata L.

METHODSA quadruple mass spectrometer coupled with atmospheric pressure chemical ionization interface was employed as a detector for HPLC. As to MS detector, selective ion monitoring (SIM) scan mode was used. For ent-11 alpha-hydroxy-15-oxo-kaur-16-en-19-olic acid (5F) and ent-11 alpha-hydroxy-15-oxo-kaur-16(R) methyl-19-olic acid (4F), the majority of the diterpenoids in Pteris semipinnata L, the [M-H]-1 ion were observed, and the [M-H2O-H]-1 ion could be observed from the collision-induced dissociation spectua. [M-H]-1 was selected as the SIM ion in quantification, the mobile phase and the MS conditions were optimized. The mobile phase of HPLC was 30% CH3CN-70% 2 mmol.L-1 NH4Ac, analytical column was Diamonsil ODS (4.6 mm x 150 mm), flow rate 1.0 mL.min-1, inject volume 5 microL. The area of ion flow peak were used for quantitative determination. As an example of its application, this method was used to determine the content of 5F as an antitumor diterpenoid in Pteris semipinnata L.

RESULTSThe content of 5F accounted 1.18 mg.g-1 in Pteris semipinnata L sample. For 5F, RT is about 4.3 min, the standard curve showed good linearity over the range of 0.05-2.5 micrograms, gamma = 0.9998 (n = 5); the recovery was 97.8% (n = 5); the limit of detection was 0.4 ng (inject 5 microL).

CONCLUSIONThis method is highly sensitive, accurate and fast, which can be applied to study the antitumor drug of diterpenoids in Pteris semipinnata L and to establish the raw herb standard.

Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic ; analysis ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; methods ; Diterpenes ; analysis ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry ; Molecular Structure ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Pteris ; chemistry ; Quality Control

OBJECTIVETo demonstrate the myocardial lesion associated with long-term administration of methamphetamine in rats.

METHODSThe experimental models of intoxication of methamphetamine were established in Sprague-Dawley rats. Methamphetamine hydrochloride (3 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1)) was subcutaneously injected to rats in methamphetamine-treated group (n = 16), and normal saline at the same dose was injected to rats in control group (n = 16). After 1 week and 8 weeks of injection, 8 rats in each group were sacrificed and their hearts were examined with light microscopy and electron microscopy, respectively.

RESULTSAfter 1 week of methamphetamine exposure, foci of contraction band and cellular degeneration were present in subendocardial myocardium. Cellular degeneration, myocytolysis, and contraction band necrosis became prominent and extensive in methamphetamine-treated rats after 8 weeks. Hypertrophy, intracellular vacuolization, and fibrosis were also observed. The ultrastructural feature showed marked swelling and degeneration of mitochondria, enlargement of sarcoplasmic reticulum, and dissolution of myofilaments. No obvious cardiac myocyte lesions were observed in rats of control group.

CONCLUSIONMethamphetamine abuse daily for a long time may result in an increased risk of cardiovascular lesions similar to cardiomyopathy.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Animals ; Heart ; drug effects ; Humans ; Male ; Methamphetamine ; administration & dosage ; adverse effects ; Myocardium ; pathology ; ultrastructure ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley