Objective To investigate the occurrence of p16 gene methylation in the population chronically exposed to arsenic in Inner Mongolia,and to study the molecular mechanisms of carcinogenesis associated with arsenic exposure.Methods The study group was composed of 40 cases of typical arseniasis selected from the epidemic area,and the two control groups consisting respectively of 40 non-arseniasis cases selected from the same epidemic area,and 40 healthy persons enrolled from non-epidemic area.Methylation of p16 gene in the blood specimens were analyzed for all the subjects with MS-PCR techniques,and statistical analysis was performed using chi square test.Results The positive rates of p16 hypermethylation in blood specimens were 65.0%,47.5% and 20.0% respectively in study group and two control groups,and the rate of hypermethylation increased with the increase in arsenic exposure with drinking water in epidemic areas.The positive rate of p16 hypermethylation showed significant differences(P

Objective To study whether the mechanism of mifepristone in treating adenomyosis is suppressing matrix metalloproteinase-9 and tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinase-1(MMP-9/TIMP-1). Methods Thirty-five patients in the mifepristone treated group(19 cases of adenomyosis) and the control group(16 cases of adenomyosis,non-drug treated) underwent hysterectomy.Endometrium was looked as eutopic endometrium and adenomyosis as ectopic endometrium.Expression of MMP-9 and TIMP-1 in eutopic and ectopic endometrium were measured by immunohistochemical techniques. Results The ectopic endometrium of the mifepristone treated group expressed lower level of MMP-9,higher level of TIMP-1 and lower ratio of MMP-9/TIMP-1 than the ectopic endometrium of the control group(P

Cell Transformation, Neoplastic ; drug effects ; genetics ; Dimethyl Sulfoxide ; pharmacology ; Electroporation ; methods ; HL-60 Cells ; Humans ; Membrane Proteins ; genetics ; Neoplasm Proteins ; genetics ; RNA Interference ; RNA, Small Interfering ; genetics ; Stromal Interaction Molecule 1 ; Transfection

China ; History, 20th Century ; History, 21st Century ; Pathology ; Periodicals as Topic ; history

Eleven compounds were isolated and purified from the barks extract of Nothopanax delavayi and their structures were identified as serratagenic acid-3-O-alpha-L-arabinopyranosyl-28-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl ester (1), serratagenic acid-3-0-alpha-L-arabi-nopyranosyl-28-O-[alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1-->4)-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-(1-->6)-beta-D-glucopyranosyl] ester (2), serratagenic acid (3), serratagenic acid-3-O-alpha-L-arabinopyranoside (4), serratagenic acid-beta-O-beta-(2', 4'-O-diacetyl) -D-xylopyranosyl-28-O-[alpha-L-rhamnopy-ranosyl-(1-->4)-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-(1-->46)-beta-D-glucopyranosyl] ester (5), serratagenic acid-3-O-alpha-(4'-O-acetyl)-L-arabino pyrano-syl-28-0- [-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1-->4)-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-(1-->6)-beta-D-glucopyranosyl] ester(6), serratagenic acid-3-O-alpha-(2'-O-acetyl)-L-arabinopyranosyl-28-O-[-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl- (1-->4) -beta-D-glucopyranosyl-(1-->6)-beta-D-glucopyranosyl] ester(7), serratagenic acid-3-0-beta-D-xylopyranosyl-28-O-[-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1-->4)-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-(1-->6)-beta-D-glucopyranosyl] ester (8), protocatechuic acid (9), ethyl caffeate (10) and caffeic anhydride (11) by physicochemical properties and spectroscopic data analysis. Among them, compounds 3-4 and 9-11 were firstly isolated from the genus Nothopanax, and compounds 5-8 were isolated from this plant for the first time.
Araliaceae ; chemistry ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy ; Molecular Structure ; Plant Bark ; chemistry

Objective　To study the occurence, development and regulation of reactive gliosis with astrocyte (Ast) in vitro. Methods　Ast was isolated and cultured in vitro and its model of reactive gliosis was established by scratching the cultured astrocytes. The reactivity and rules of Ast to injury was studied by morphological changes, RT-PCR, immunocytochemistry, in situ hybridization and imaging analysis. Results　After scratching, the astrocytes showed typical features of reactive gliosis, with the hypertrophic cell body, thickened and lengtheded processes, and enhanced glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) staining. In situ hybridization and RT-PCR analysis confirmed that the expression of GFAP mRNA was markedly increased. These changes occurred 1 d after scratching and reached the peak 5 to 7 d after injuring. Conclusion　A model of reactive astrogliosis was successfully established in vitro which showed an active reaction to injury. The characteristics of reactive gliosis parallel that seen in vivo.

BACKGROUND:Acute poisoning is frequently encountered at emergency department. This study was to investigate the epidemiology and characteristics of patients with acute poisoning who were treated at the Emergency Center, Fujian Provincial Hospital, China. METHODS:We retrospectively analyzed the gender, age, causes of poisoning, types of poisons, poisoning route, emergency diagnoses, outcomes, and prognoses of these patients. RESULTS:Altogether 2867 patients with acute poisoning were treated from January 2004 to December 2009. The ratio of male to female was 1:1.04, and their average age was 33.8 years. Of the 2867 patients, 76.39％ were between 18 and 40 years old. The incidence of acute poisoning was as high as 11.33％ in January each year. The incidence of poisoning was in a descending order:alcohol poisoning (54.55％), medication poisoning (25.95％), pesticide poisoning (5.65％), and drug poisoning (4.88％). Most (56.44％) of the patients with drug poisoning were under 25 years and their mean age was significantly lower than that of patients with medication poisoning or alcohol poisoning (P < 0.01). Approximately 69.54％ of the patients were followed up after emergency treatment, 30.39％ were hospitalized, and four patients died. CONCLUSIONS:Acute poisoning is largely alcohol poisoning and medication poisoning in a city. The emergency green channel "pre-hospital emergency care-emergency department-hospital treatment"can significantly improve the survival rate of patients with acute poisoning.

A series of cycloberberine derivatives were designed, synthesized and evaluated for their anti-cancer activities in vitro. Among these analogs, compounds 6c, 6e and 6g showed strong inhibition on human HepG2 cells. They afforded a potent effect against DOX-resistant MCF-7 breast cells as well. The primary mechanism showed that cell cycle was blocked at G2/M phase of HepG2 cells treated with 6g using flow cytometry assay. It significantly inhibited the activity of DNA Top I at the concentration of 0.1 mg mL-1. Our results provided a basis for the development of this kind of compounds as novel anti-cancer agents.
Antineoplastic Agents ; chemical synthesis ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Berberine ; analogs & derivatives ; chemical synthesis ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Cell Cycle ; drug effects ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; DNA Topoisomerases, Type I ; metabolism ; Doxorubicin ; pharmacology ; Drug Resistance, Neoplasm ; Hep G2 Cells ; Humans ; MCF-7 Cells ; Molecular Structure ; Structure-Activity Relationship

Objective To observe the relationship between apoptosis of K562 cell induced by iron-deprivation and activation of Caspase-3.Methods K562 cells were treated with desferrioxamine(DFO) in different dosages were collected at different time points.K562 cells were labelled with Annexin V/PI,and then the rate of apoptosis was measured by flow cytometry;The activation of Caspase-3 were detected by colorimetric method with pAN labelled substrate;The active protein of Caspase-3 were analyzed by Western blot.Results When K562 cells were treated with different concentrations of DFO,the apoptosis rate and the activity of Caspase-3 increases gradually.When K562 cells were incubated with DFO(50 ?mol/L and 100 ?mol/L) 24 h later,the enzymatic activity of Caspase-3 increases dramatically more than that of control group,and the difference was significantly(P0.05).All those effect above can be counteracted by equal mole concentration of FeCl_3.Conclusion Iron-deprivation maybe induce the apoptosis of K562 cell by chelating intracellular iron and activing Caspase-3.

BACKGROUNDTo study p16 methylation status and p16 mRNA transcription of BEP2D cells during its malignant transformation.

METHODSNormal BEP2D cell and BEP2D cells irradiated by α particle for 20 weeks (R-20), 21 weeks (R-21), 35 weeks (T-35) and 54 weeks (T-54) respectively were chosen to study the p16 methylation status by methylation-specific PCR (MSP). Meanwhile, RT-PCR was used to study p16 mRNA transcription of the above cells.

RESULTS(1) p16 methylation was found in R-20, R-21, T-35 and T-54 cells, but not in normal BEP2D cell. (2) The p16 mRNA transcription levels of R-20, R-21, T-35 and T-54 cells were much lower than that of normal BEP2D cell.

CONCLUSIONSThe p16 methylation occurs in the early stage of lung cancer. The methylation of p16 gene may cause the inactivation of p16 gene.