Esophageal Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Female ; Humans ; Melanoma ; metabolism ; pathology ; Melanoma-Specific Antigens ; metabolism ; Middle Aged ; S100 Proteins ; metabolism

The effect of initial substrate concentration on the growth,metabolic activities of Photosynthetic bacteria (PSB) in the process of hydrogen production is studied.The empirical relation of the initial substrate concentration to the specific growth rate,specific substrate consumption rate and specific hydrogen production rate of PSB are developed based on the modified Monod model.It is found that the results given by the model are well agreed with the experimental data in growth phase and stationary phase of PSB.Meanwhile,the optimal substrate concentration in the process of growth,metabolism and hydrogen production is 50 mmol/L.Furthermore,when the initial substrate concentration deviates 50 mmol/L,the activation of PSB is limited or inhibited,and the inhibiting effect is more prominent than the limiting effect.In addition,it is demonstrated that initial substrate concentration has little effect on the specific substrate consumption rate.

The growth characteristics of hydrogen-production photosynthetic bacterial biofilm in a plate-type biofilm bioreactor were studied experimentally.The effect of hydraulic and nutritional conditions on the surface coverage,thickness,dry weight,and density of Rhodoseudomonas palustris biofilm was observed,respectively.Glucose in the influent concentration range from 0.05 to 10 g/L was used as the sole carbon source.Liquid flow rate was varied from 37.8 to 1080ml/h in the experiments.Experimental results showed that the hydraulic and nutritional conditions had significant influences on the growth rate and structure of biofilm.In a lower flow rate range,high liquid flow rate was propitious to the diffusion of substrate from liquid phase to solid-liquid interface,which resulted in the fast development of biofilm on the solid-liquid interface.However,some parts of biofilm were scraped off when the flow rate exceeded a threshold.At a fixed liquid flow rate,the biofilm density increased with the increase in the substrate concentration.The biofilm having thick and loose structure was developed under low substrate concentration condition.The biofilm structure was convenient for the nutrient transfer in the biofilm,which is a survival strategy of microorganisms facing adverse circumstances.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the feasibility of using cartilage link protein of hyaluronic acid (HA-CLP) for defining the tumor boundary in a mouse model of lung carcinoma.

METHODSLung carcinoma was induced in KM mice by chemical carcinogenesis. HA-CLP separated from bovine cartilage and purified by affinity chromatography was labeled with (125)I for autoradiography. Immunohistochemical analysis and Western blotting were used to examine the efficiency of HA-CLP in defining the boundaries of the lung tumors.

RESULTSWith autoradiography, the clearest image of lung cancer was obtained at 2 h. With immunohistochemical method, the tumor boundary was the most clearly displayed at 2 h when the strongest signals of HA-CLP was detected; Western blotting also showed the clearest bands of HA-CLP at 2 h.

CONCLUSIONHA-CLP has the immunogenicity of HABP, and can efficiently indicate lung tumor boundary in autoradiography and immunohistochemistry.

Animals ; Autoradiography ; methods ; Extracellular Matrix Proteins ; metabolism ; pharmacology ; Female ; Hyaluronic Acid ; metabolism ; Immunohistochemistry ; Iodine Radioisotopes ; Lung Neoplasms ; radiotherapy ; Male ; Mice ; Proteoglycans ; metabolism ; pharmacology ; Radiotherapy, Image-Guided ; methods

OBJECTIVETo study the physiologic indexes, yield and the contents of alkaloids of Fritillaria cirrhosa D. Don under different temperature.

METHODThe growth temperatures (15, 20, 25, 30 degrees C) of F. cirrhosa were controlled by using artificial climate, the growth was observed, the contents of chlorophyll a and b, soluble sugar, MAD, proline of the leaves of F. cirrhosa were tested, and the yield and the alkaloids content of the bulbs were analyzed.

RESULTThe growth period of F. cirrhosa under 15, 20 degrees C were appropriately extended. The difference of the content of leaves chlorophyll b under four temperatures and the contents of total chlorophyll and chlorophyll a under 15, 20, 30 degrees C were not significant. The contents of soluble sugar, MAD and proline of leaves and the growth ratio, dry weight and content of alkaloids of bulb increased with the temperature decrease.

CONCLUSIONHigher temperature is not suitable for the growth of F. cirrhosa. Under the relatively lower temperature, the growth period of F. cirrhosa extended, the bulb can grow properly, and the content of alkaloid increased. F. cirrhosa can improve its cold tolerance by increasing the content of proline and soluble sugar, and it also can maintain the normal content of chlorophyll under the lower temperature.

Alkaloids ; metabolism ; Fritillaria ; growth & development ; metabolism ; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant ; Temperature

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of tissue-engineering bone on repair of segmental bone defects.

METHODSSegmental bone defect of 21mm was created at sheep left metatarsus, which was then implanted with tissue-engineering bone (the experimental group) and pure porous beta-TCP (the control group) respectively. The bone defect in the blank group was left without treatment. After the sheep were sacrificed at the 1st, 3rd, or 6th month postoperatively, the samples were taken and examined by radiological, histological and biomechanical methods as well as scanning electron microscopy. The sheep in the blank group were sacrificed at the 6th month postoperatively.

RESULTSThe osteoid tissue, woven bone and lamellar bone in the defect of the experimental group occurred earlier than in the control group. The new bone formed directly without through a cartilaginous intermediate in the experimental group, while the defect was repaired in a "creep substitution" way in the control group. At the 6th month, radiological and biomechanical tests revealed nearly complete repair of the bone defect of the experimental group, partial repair in the control group and non-healing in the blank group.

CONCLUSIONSTissue-engineering bone can repair bone defect, accelerating healing and without "creep substitution", which is a good option in repair of critical segmental bone defects. This study set up a basis for clinical applications in the future.

Animals ; Biocompatible Materials ; Bone Diseases ; surgery ; Bone Marrow Cells ; cytology ; Bone Regeneration ; Calcium Phosphates ; therapeutic use ; Cell Culture Techniques ; Cells, Cultured ; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells ; cytology ; Sheep ; Tissue Engineering ; methods ; Transplantation, Autologous

OBJECTIVETo establish a gastric cancer cell line with stable expression of metastasis-associated in colon cancer 1 (MACC1) and detect the changes in tumor-related gene expression profiles for investigating the possible regulation mechanisms between MACC1 and the differentially expressed genes.

METHODSThe full-length MACC1 cDNA was amplified from human embryonic kidney 293FT cells and cloned into the pBaBb-puro vector. The recombinant pBaBb-puro-MACC1 expression vector, after identification with restriction enzyme digestion, was transfected into 293FT cells, and the expression of fluorescent reporter gene was observed. pBaBb-puro-MACC1 vector was transfected into human gastric cancer BGC-823 cell line to establish BGC-823/pBaBb-puro-MACC1 cell line stably expressing MACC1. Quantitative RT-PCR and Western blotting were used to detect MACC1 expression in both BGC-823/pBaBb-puro-MACC1 and control BGC-823 cells. High-throughout cDNA microarray was used to screen the effects of MACC1 on the gene expression profiles of gastric cancer cells.

RESULTSThe recombinant pBaBb-puro-MACC1 plasmid was successfully constructed and verified by PCR and sequencing. BGC-823/pBaBb-puro-MACC1 cells showed significantly increased MACC1 mRNA expression as compared with the control cells. The results of cDNA microarray identified 33 up-regulated and 24 down-regulated genes in the cells after MACC1 transfection involved were in various cellular functions.

CONCLUSIONThe established BGC-823/pBaBb-puro-MACC1 gastric cancer cell line show some important molecular changes caused by MACC1.

Cell Line, Tumor ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic ; genetics ; Genetic Vectors ; genetics ; Green Fluorescent Proteins ; genetics ; HEK293 Cells ; Humans ; Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis ; Stomach Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Transcription Factors ; genetics ; metabolism ; Transcriptome ; Transfection

OBJECTIVETo determine the optimal cytokine combinations with hepatic growth factor (HGF) that results in the most significant simultaneous in vitro expansion of cc-kit(+)Lin(-) cells derived from the bone marrow.

METHODSC-kit(+)Lin(-) cells were isolated from mouse bone marrow using a high-gradient magnetic cell sorting system (MACS) and expanded in the presence of stem cell factor (SCF), FLt-3 ligand (FL), leukemia inhibitor factor (LIF) thrombopoietin (TPO) and different concentrations of HGF for 7days in a liquid culture system. The total cell number and Annexin-V-positive cell number were counted, and the antigen expressions were studied with fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS).

RESULTSIn each group, c-kit(+)Lin(-) cells were expanded effectively and rapidly by 2 to 8 folds. Addition of 10 ng/ml HGF into SCF+FL+LIF+TPO resulted in the most significant expansion of c-kit(+)Lin(-) and total cells by 8.00 and 45.43 folds, respectively, with cell apoptosis rate of 17.42 %. But as the concentration of HGF increased, the c-kit(+)Lin(-) cells and the apoptosis rate decreased.

CONCLUSIONHGF at10 ng/ml shows optimal synergistic effect with SCF, FL, LIF and TPO in expansion of c-kit(+)Lin(-) cells, and excessive HGF may induce cell differentiation.

Animals ; Bone Marrow Cells ; cytology ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Cell Count ; Cell Differentiation ; drug effects ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Flow Cytometry ; Hepatocyte Growth Factor ; pharmacology ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo detect changes of Foxp3 expression in the decidua in patients with preeclampsia and investigate the correlation of Foxp3-924 (rs2232365) polymorphisms with preeclampsia.

METHODSFrom October 2011 to December 2012, 252 normal pregnant women and 156 preeclampsia patients of Han nationality from the same geographic region were tested for Foxp3-924 genotypes by polymerase chain reaction with sequence-specific primer (PCR-SSP). Sixty-eight of the patients with preeclampsia (33 with mild and 35 with severe preeclampsia) and 30 of the normal pregnant women were also examined for Foxp3 expression in the decidua using immunohistochemical method.

RESULTSFoxp3 positive expression rates in the decidua was 51.52% in mild preeclampsia and 28.57% in severe preeclampsia cases, significantly lower than that in the control group (86.67%, P<0.05). In preeclampsia patients, the frequencies of Foxp3-924G/G, G/A, and A/A genotypes were 0.1346, 0.4615 and 0.4038, respectively, and the frequencies of Foxp3-924A and Foxp3-924 G were 0.6346 and 0.3654, respectively. The genotype frequencies of Foxp3-924G/G, G/A and A/A in the control group were 0.1508, 0.4087 and 0.4405, respectively, and the frequencies of Foxp3-924 A and Foxp3-924 G were 0.6448 and 0.3552, respectively. No significant differences were found in the gene frequencies of Foxp3-924G/A between preeclampsia patients and the control group (P>0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe expression level of Foxp3 in the placental tissue of preeclampsia patients is significantly lower than that in normal pregnant women, suggesting that lowered Foxp3 expression decreases the immunosuppressive function and causes imbalance of immune tolerance between maternal-fetal to induce preeclampsia. Foxp3-924 polymorphisms is not significantly correlated with the occurrence of preeclampsia.

Case-Control Studies ; Female ; Forkhead Transcription Factors ; genetics ; metabolism ; Gene Frequency ; Genotype ; Humans ; Placenta ; metabolism ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Pre-Eclampsia ; genetics ; Pregnancy