Adult ; Anemia, Aplastic ; complications ; surgery ; Female ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation ; Hemoglobinuria, Paroxysmal ; complications ; surgery ; Humans

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of Syk on the VEGF-C expression in breast cancer.

METHODSImmunohistochemical EnVision method was used to detect the protein expression of Syk, NFκB and VEGF-C in breast carcinoma; and the relationship between protein expression of Syk, NFκB, VEGF-C and lymph node metastasis was analysed. MDA-MB-231 cells were transfected with pcDNA3.1(-)-Syk, and the effect of Syk gene on the VEGF-C and NFκB expression was determined.

RESULTSIn the lymph node metastatic group, a lower expression rate of Syk and higher expression rate of VEGF-C and NFκB were detected as compared to the non-metastatic group. The expression of Syk was negatively associated with NFκB (r = -0.448, P = 0.002) and VEGF-C (r = -0.620, P = 0.000) expression, and VEGF-C was associated with the nuclear expression of NFκB (r = 0.310, P = 0.036). Compared with the non-transfected cells, the pcDNA3.1(-)-Syk transfected MDA-MB-231 cells showed significantly lower transcriptional level of VEGF-C mRNA, expression level of VEGF-C protein and NFκB activity (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSSyk may play an important role in the lymph node metastasis of breast cancer. It may down-regulate the expression of VEGF-C by inhibiting the activity of NFκB, which thus suppresses lymph node metastasis of breast cancer.

Adult ; Aged ; Breast Neoplasms ; genetics ; metabolism ; pathology ; Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast ; genetics ; metabolism ; pathology ; Carcinoma, Lobular ; genetics ; metabolism ; pathology ; Carcinoma, Medullary ; genetics ; metabolism ; pathology ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Female ; Genetic Vectors ; Humans ; Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; physiology ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; Middle Aged ; NF-kappa B ; metabolism ; Plasmids ; Protein-Tyrosine Kinases ; genetics ; metabolism ; physiology ; RNA, Messenger ; metabolism ; Syk Kinase ; Transfection ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor C ; genetics ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo observe monocyte (Mo) development in wild type C57BL/6 mice and apoE gene knockout (apoE(-/-)) mice, and to evaluate the immuno-regulatory effect of Huanglian Jiedu Decoction (HJD) on peripheral Mo development in apoE(-/-) mice.

METHODSFour, 8, 12, and 16 weeks old female C57BL/6 mice were set up as control groups of different ages, while 4, 8, 12, and 16 weeks old female apoE(-/-) mice were set up as hyperlipidemia groups of different ages. Four-week old female C57BL/6 mice were recruited as a blank group. Four-week old female apoE(-/-) mice were randomly divided into the control group, the Western medicine group, and the Chinese medicine group by paired comparison, 5 in each group. Equivalent clinical dose was administered to mice according to body weight. Mice in the Western medicine group were administered with Atrovastatin at the daily dose of 10 mg/kg by gastrogavage, while those in the Chinese medicine group were administered with HJD at the daily dose of 5 g/kg by gastrogavage. Body weight was detected each week. After 4 weeks blood lipids levels (such as TG, TC, LDL-C, and HDL-C), and the proportions of Mo and Ly6c(hi) were detected.

RESULTSCompared with 4-week-old homogenic mice, the proportion of Mo decreased in 16-week-old C57BL/6 mice (P < 0.05). Levels of TC and TG, and the proportion of Ly6c(hi) subtype increased, but the proportion of Mo de- creased in 8-week-old apoE(-/-) mice (P <0. 05). Levels of TC, TG, and LDL-C increased in 12-week-old apoE(-/-) mice (P < 0.05). Levels of TC, TG, LDL-C, and HDL-C increased in 16-week-old apoE(-/-) mice (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). Compared with 8-week-old homogenic mice, the proportion of Mo decreased in 16-week-old C57BL/6 mice (P < 0.05); levels of TC and LDL-C increased in 12-week-old apoE(-/-) mice (P < 0.05); levels of TC and HDL-C increased in 16-week-old apoE(-/-) mice (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). Compared with C57BL/6 mice of the same age, TC and TG increased, HDL-C decreased (P < 0.01) in 4-and 8-week-old apoE(-/-) mice (P < 0.01); levels of TC, TG, LDL-C increased, and HDL-C level decreased in 12- and 16-week-old apoE(-/-) mice (P < 0.05, P < 0.01); the proportion of Mo increased in 4-week-old apoE(-/-) mice (P < 0.05); proportions of Mo and Ly6c(hi) increased in 8-week-old apoE(-/-) mice (P < 0.05). Compared with the blank control group, levels of TC, TG, and LDL-C, proportions of Mo and Ly6c(hi) increased (P < 0.01, P < 0.05), but HDL-C level decreased (P <0. 01) in the control group after intervention. Compared with the control group, body weight gained less in the Western medicine group and the Chinese medicine group (P < 0.05); the proportion of Ly6c(hi) subtype decreased in the Chinese medicine group (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSIn development process blood lipids levels in apoE(-/-) mice are not only associated with age. Blood lipids levels induced growth changes in natural immune system are also correlated with age. In early stage of lipids development HJD intervention could correct this special immune disorder in apoE(-/-) mice.

Animals ; Apolipoproteins E ; genetics ; metabolism ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Gene Knockout Techniques ; Hyperlipidemias ; Lipids ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Mice, Knockout ; Monocytes ; physiology

OBJECTIVETo explore the correlation between the recurrence of cerebral infarction and aspirin resistance (AR)/Chinese medical (CM) constitutions.

METHODSTotally 413 cerebral infarction patients took Aspirin Enteric-coated Tablet (100 mg per day) while receiving routine therapy, 5 days at least in a week. They were followed-up for 12 months. Aspirin sensitivity (AS) was determined using turbidimetry. CM constitutions among patients with different AS were compared. Ratios of AR patients and AS patients of different CM constitutions in cerebral infarction recurrent patients were compared. Platelet membrane glycoproteins (GP) II b HPA-3 gene polymorphism was detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method. Correlation between recurrence of cerebral infarction and AR, bb genotypes, CM constitutions times AS were analyzed by Logistic regression.

RESULTSTotally 11 patients dropped out, 101 (25.12%)with recurrent cerebral infarction and 301 (74.88%) without recurrent cerebral infarction. There were 152 (37.81%) AR patients and 250 (62.19%) AS patients. AR accounted for 26.6% (80/ 301) and AS accounted for 73.4% (221/301) in non-recurrent cerebral infarction patients. AR accounted for 71.3% (72/101) and AS accounted for 28.7% (29/101) in recurrent cerebral infarction patients. There was statistical difference in AR and AS ratios (χ2 = 64.287, P = 0.000). The proportion of yin deficiency constitution (YDC) was the largest [28.3% (43/152)] in AR patients. The proportion of blood stasis constitution (BSC) was the largest [23.6% (59/250)] in AS patients. There was statistical difference in CM constitutions between AR patients and AS patients (χ2 = 21.574, P < 0.01). The former 4 recurrent rates occurred in AR patients of YDC, BSC, damp-phlegm constitution (DPC), qi deficiency constitution (QDC). YDC occupied the first place [22.4% (34/152)]. The former 4 recurrent rates occurred in AS patients of BSC, QDC, DPC, damp-heat constitution (DHC). BSC occupied the first place [3.2% (2/250)]. Compared with non-recurrent cerebral infarction patients and AS patients, bb gene occurred most often, but aa gene and ab gene occurred obviously lesser in non-recurrent cerebral infarction patients and AR patients (χ2 = 20.171, χ2 = 55.139, P < 0.01). AR and bb gene were positively correlated with recurrent cerebral infarction (OR = 18.423, P = 0.000; OR = 1.304, P = 0.028). Body constitutions interacted with AS (OR = 0.707, P = 0.000).

CONCLUSIONSRecurrent cerebral infarction was closely related to AR and constitutional types. The recurrence rate was higher in AR patients of YDC. GP I b HPA-3 bb genotype might be a risk factor for AR and recurrent cerebral infarction.

Aspirin ; therapeutic use ; Body Constitution ; Cerebral Infarction ; Drug Resistance ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Neoplasms ; Recurrence ; Yin Deficiency

Objective: To study the clinical efficacy of Jinghuang tablet (Rhubarb extract tablet, RET) in treating simple obesity. Methods: Four hundred and seventy-two simple obesity patients were randomly divided into 3 pairs of groups: (1) RET-2 treated group (50 cases): treated with RET vs western drug fenfluramine control group (50 cases). (2) RET treated group vs Chinese patent drug Xiaopangmei (XPM) control group with 50 cases randomly divided into each. (3) RET-1 treated group with 137 cases vs blank control of 135 cases. The aim was to observe markedly effective rate, effective rate and side-effect of RET group and fenfluramine and XPM control groups. At the same time, the slimming efficacy of RET-1 treated group and the blank control group were observed. Results: The slimming effective rate of RET is similar to that of fenfluramine (P<0.05), and better than domestically well accepted slimming Chinese patent drug XPM (P<0.05). In comparing RET-1 group with blank control group, the difference of weight loss of the 2 groups after 1 week treatment was 0.93 kg on average, which was significant. Conclusion: The efficacy of RET in treating simple obesity was similar to that of fenfluramine, but the side-effect was obviously less than that of fenfluramine, while the markedly effective rate and effective rate in slimming were significantly better than that of XPM.

OBJECTIVETo construct the human/mouse chimeric antibody of a functional anti-death receptor 5 (DR5) antibody. Methods The viable region of light chain (VL) and viable region of heavy chain (VH) genes of anti-DR5 antibody were amplified and cloned into the light- and heavy-chain expression vectors respectively, then the recombinant plasmids were co-transfected into dihydrofolate reductase(-) Chinese hamster ovary cell (CHO-dhfr(-)) for expression. The positive clone was screened by the two selective genes (neo and dhfr). The humanization and specificity of chimeric antibody was identified by ELISA and Western blotting, and the tumoricidal activity of the expressed chimeric antibody was detected by tetrazolium salt phenazine methosulfate assay.

RESULTSThe expression vectors stably expressed chimeric antibody in CHO-dhfr(-). In the cell supernatant of the F4' clone, the human IgG heavy constant region and light constant region were identified. Moreover, the secreted chimeric antibody retained the binding capacity to the antigen (DR5) and decreased the cell viability of Jurkat and HCT116 cells to 73.15% and 77.30% in vitro respectively.

CONCLUSIONThe human/mouse anti-DR5 chimeric antibody has been successfully expressed in eukaryotic cells and shows tumoricidal activity, which establishes a foundation for the future research of humanized antibody medicine.

Animals ; Antibodies ; genetics ; immunology ; pharmacology ; Antineoplastic Agents ; immunology ; pharmacology ; CHO Cells ; Cell Survival ; drug effects ; Cricetinae ; Cricetulus ; Gene Expression ; Humans ; Mice ; Protein Engineering ; Receptors, TNF-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand ; genetics ; immunology ; Recombinant Fusion Proteins ; genetics ; immunology ; pharmacology

OBJECTIVETo investigate the multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) technology in the detection of gene deletion and prenatal diagnosis of α-thalassaemia.

METHODSPhenotypes were analyzed by whole blood cell counting and hemoglobin component detection of peripheral blood samples from the subjects. The gene deletions and point mutations of α- thalassaemia were detected with regular gap-PCR and reverse dot blot (RDB) method. At last, the MLPA method was applied for detection of α-globin gene deletion. All the prenatal diagnosis samples were detected with both gap-PCR and MLPA method.

RESULTSα-thalassaemia phenotype was found in 75 samples from 1256 (628 couples) peripheral blood samples for pre-pregnancy or prenatal thalassemia gene screening. Among them, 71 samples carrying α-gene mutations and consistent with phenotypes were detected by routine methods. In the other 3 samples with no α-gene mutations detected and 1 sample with HbH phenotype but genotype of ﹣α(4.2)/αα were analyzed by MLPA and found each one samples of whole α-globin gene cluster deletion, respectively. Seventeen high risk couples were screened. Among the 17 prenatal diagnosis samples, 2 villus samples contaminated by exogenous DNA were confirmed by MLPA method.

CONCLUSIONMLPA is an effective complement for α-thalassaemia gene deletion detection. The molecular diagnosis strategy and process of gap-PCR combined with MLPA for α- thalassaemia gene deletion detection can prevent the missing of gene deletion, and false-positive or false-negative misdiagnosis of α-thalassaemia in prenatal diagnosis.

DNA Mutational Analysis ; Female ; Gene Deletion ; Genotype ; Humans ; Male ; Multigene Family ; Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Phenotype ; Pregnancy ; Prenatal Diagnosis ; methods ; alpha-Thalassemia ; diagnosis ; genetics

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of Compound Qingqin Liquid (CQL) on the expression level of angiotensin II (Ang II) and COX-2 mRNA transcription and protein expression in the renal tissue of rats with uric acid nephropathy.

METHODSSD rats were randomly divided into the blank control group, the model group, the positive drug group, the high, moderate, and low dose CQL group according to number randomization principle. The model was established by gastrogavage of adenine, accompanied with yeast feeding. Distilled water was given by gastrogavage to rats in the blank control group and the model group. Allopurinol at the daily dose of 9.33 mg/kg was given by gastrogavage to rats of the positive control group. CQL at the daily dose of 3.77 g/kg, 1.89 g/kg, and 0.09 g/kg was respectively given by gastrogavage to rats in the high, moderate, and low dose CQL groups. All treatment lasted for 6 weeks. Rats were randomly divided at week 4 (3 in the blank control group, and 6 in the rest groups), and the rest rats were killed at week 6. The renal tissue was extracted. The expression level of Ang II and COX-2 mRNA transcription were detected by RT-PCR. The expression level of Ang II was detected by ELISA. The expression level of COX-2 protein was detected by Western blot and immunohistochemical assay.

RESULTSCompared with the blank control group, except the mRNA expression of Ang II at week 4, the mRNA and protein expression of Ang II and COX-2 obviously increased at week 4 and 6 in the model group (P < 0.01, P < 0.05). The COX-2 protein expression at week 4 was obviously lower in the high and moderate dose CQL groups than in the model group and the low dose CQL group (P < 0.05); the average integral of optical density value was obviously lower in the positive control group than in the model group. Except the mRNA expression of Ang II in the high dose CQL group at week 6, the mRNA and protein expression of Ang II obviously decreased in the positive control group and each dose CQL group (P < 0.01, P < 0.05). Of them, the effects were better in the high and moderate dose CQL groups than in the positive control group and the low dose CQL group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). Besides, the mRNA expression of COX-2, the average integral of optical density value were obviously lower in the positive control group and each dose CQL group than in the model group (P < 0.05). The protein expression of COX-2 was obviously lower in the high and moderate dose CQL groups than in the model group (P < 0.05). Of them, the mRNA expression of COX-2 was better in the moderate dose CQL group than in the positive control group (P < 0.05); the protein expression of COX-2 was better in the high dose CQL group than in the low dose CQL group (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONCQL was capable of lowering the expression level of Ang II, COX-2 mRNA transcription and protein expression, thus suppressing the inflammatory pathological injury of the renal tissue.

Angiotensin II ; metabolism ; Animals ; Cyclooxygenase 2 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Disease Models, Animal ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Kidney ; metabolism ; Kidney Diseases ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; Male ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Uric Acid

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of compound qingqin liquid (CQL) on Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) and toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) in rats with urate nephropathy, and to explore its renal protection mechanism.

METHODSTotally 55 SD rats were randomly divided into 5 groups, i.e., the normal control group (n =5), the model group (n =10), the positive drug group (n=10), and the high-, medium-, low-dose CQL groups (n=10) respectively. The urate nephropathy model was induced by intragastrically administering adenine and feeding yeast. Distilled water was intragastrically administered at the daily dose of 10 mL/kg to rats in the normal control group and the model group. Allopurinol was intragastrically administered at the daily dose of 9.33 mg/kg to rats in the positive control group. CQL was intragastrically administered at the daily dose of 3.77, 1.89, 0.94 g/kg to rats in the high-, medium-, and low-dose CQL groups. Rats of each group were executed in batches at the 4th and 6th week respectively. Their kidney tissues were taken out to determine the mRNA transcription level of TLR2 and TLR4 by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The protein expression level of TLR2 and TLR4 were determined by Western blot. The protein expression level of TLR4 was also detected by immunohistochemical assay.

RESULTSAt week 4 and 6, the protein expression of TLR2 and TLR4 as well as the mRNA transcription of TLR4 increased in the model group, when compared with the control group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). Compared with the model group, there was no statistical difference in the transcription level of TLR2 mRNA or TLR4 mRNA among the 3 CQL groups (P > 0.05) at week 4 and 6. Additionally, at week 6, the protein expression of TLR4 and TLR2 could be reduced by CQL (P < 0.05, P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONCQL might protect kidney tissue against inflammatory injury by inhibiting the protein expression levels of TLR2 and TLR4.

Animals ; Disease Models, Animal ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Kidney ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Kidney Diseases ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; Male ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Toll-Like Receptor 2 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Toll-Like Receptor 4 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Uric Acid