Recent studies reported that thymoquinone (TQ), a component derived from the medicinal spice Nigella sativa (also called black cumin), exhibited inhibitory effects on cell proliferation of many cancer cell lines. This study was performed to investigate the anti-metastatic effect of thymoquinone on the pancreatic cancer in vitro and in vivo. The results showed that thymoquinone suppressed the migration and invasion of Panc-1 cells in a does-dependent manner. To investigate the possible mechanisms involved in these events, Western blotting analysis was performed, and found that thymoquinone significantly down-regulates NF-kappaB and MMP-9 in Panc-1 cells. In addition, metastatic model simulating human pancreatic cancer was established by orthotropic implantation of histologically intact pancreatic tumor tissue into the pancreatic wall of nude mice. And administration of thymoquinone significantly reduced tumor metastasis compared to untreated control. Furthermore, the expression of NF-kappaB and MMP-9 in tumor tissues was also suppressed after treatment with thymoquinone. Taken together, the results indicate that thymoquinone exerts anti-metastatic activity on pancreatic cancer both in vitro and in vivo, which may be related to down-regulation of NF-kappaB and its regulated molecules such as MMP-9 protein. Consequently, these results provide important insights into thymoquinone as an antimetastatic agent for the treatment of human pancreatic cancer.

Objective To study the relationship between soluble CD147 (sCD147) level in peripheral blood and serum lipid level and explore the effect of sCD147 on atherosclerosis in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods The level of sCD147 in 36 patients with RA,36 patients with coronary artery disease (CAHD) and 30 healthy volunteers was detected by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) .The disease activity score (DAS28) in RA patients was evaluated and the correlation between sCD147 level and DAS28 score was analyzed.The serum lipid level of RA patients was detected by an automatic biochemical analyzer and the cor relation between sCD147 level and serum lipid level was analyzed.Results The level of sCD147 in serum of RA patients was significantly higher than that in patients with CAHD and healthy volunteers,sCDI47 level in the RA group with high DAS28 score was significantly higher than that with low or medium DAS28 score.In RA patients,elevated total cholesterol (TC) and triglyceride (TG) level was positively correlated with serum sCDI47 level (r=0.84,P＜0.05;r=0.87,P＜0.05;while slightly elevated,normal TC and normal TG had no correlation with serum sCDI47 level (r=0.41,P=0.21;r=0.14,P=0.57;r=0.49,P=0.87).Elevated or slight ly elevated LDL-C was positively correlated with serum sCD147 level (r=0.86,P＜0.05;r=0.81,P＜0.05), while no correlation could be found in the group with normal LDL-C level (r=0.78,P=0.22).The high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) level decrease in RA patients had no correlation with serum sCD147 level (r--0.04,P=0.96;r=0.13,P--0.87).Conclusion sCD147 may be involved in the pathogenesis of RA and associate with disease activity.Elevated sCD147 level may be associated with abnormal serum lipid in RA.

Adrenomedullin ; metabolism ; Child ; Endothelin-1 ; metabolism ; Female ; Heart Defects, Congenital ; complications ; Humans ; Hypertension ; metabolism ; Hypertension, Pulmonary ; metabolism ; Male ; Nitric Oxide ; metabolism

AIMTo investigate the effects of c-myb on progesterone-induced mouse germinal vesicle(GV) stage denuded oocyte (DO) maturation in vitro.

METHODSWe used mouse GV stage oocyte cultured with special concentration progesterone, or/and antisense c-myb ODN, or/and db-cAMP, or/and heparin for 24 h, and observed oocyte maturation and analysed the relationship among them.

RESULTSWe cultured DO in the medium 199 for 24 h, and found 10 micromol/L progesterone had more significant effect than 5 micromol/L progesterone (2 h GVBD% P < 0.05, 8 h PB 1% P < 0.05), but had not more significant effect than 20 micromol/L progesterone. We found that 16 micromol/L antisense c-myb ODN significantly inhibited progesterone (10 micromol/L)-induced mouse germinal vesicle stage oocyte maturation in vitro (2 h GVBD% P < 0.05, 8 h PBI% P < 0.01). 1 x 10(-4) micromol/L dbcAMP, 100 microg/ml heparin could single significantly inhibited progesterone-induced mouse GV stage oocyte maturation in vitro (2 h PBI% all P < 0.01, 8 h PBI% all P < 0.01), and could enhanced the inhibition of 16 micromol/L antisense c-myb ODN (2 h GVBD% all P < 0.01, 8h PBI% all P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONProgesterone, protooncogene c-myb,cAMP and calcium all pay important role in regulating oocyte maturation and the mechanism of progesterone, cAMP and calcium in regulating oocyte maturation may be through the expression of protooncogene c-myb.

Animals ; Cells, Cultured ; Genes, myb ; Meiosis ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred Strains ; Oocytes ; cytology ; drug effects ; Oogenesis ; Progesterone ; pharmacology

ObjectiveTo investigate the risk factors associated with macrovascular disease in patients with newly-diagnosed type 2 diabetes. MethodsAccording to arterial intima-media thickness(IMT)measured by color duplex ultrasonography,232 cases of newly-diagnosed type 2 diabetic patients were divided into two groups:one group were 95 cases with macrovascular disease(MD),and the other group were 137 cases without macrovascular disease (non-MD).Then various clinical data between the two groups were compared and the correlated risk factors for macrovascular disease were analyzed. Results (1)95 patients(40.9%)showed macrovascular disease in 232 patients.(2)Age,BMI,SI,systolic blood pressure,diastolic blood pressure,TC,LDL-C,CRP and 24h UmAlb were significantly higher in MD group compared with those in non-MD group(all P＜0.05);But ISI was significantly lower in MD group compared with that in non-MD group(P＜0.05).(3)Pearson correlation analysis showed that risk factors were old age,BMI,smoking,higher systolic blood pressure,higher diastolic blood pressure,TC,LDL-C,CRP and microalbuminuria. ConclusionMacrovascular disease was related to many factors.It was important to control some risk factors earlier for preventing the happening and progress of macrovascular disease.

rs of glucose and lipid metabolism in adolescents with abdominal obesity. Determimation of serum A-FABP concentration might be useful in diagnosis and prevention of metabolic syndrome and abdominal obesity in adolescent.

Objective To study whether the organs besides digestive system of musca domestica Ⅲ instar larvae have the capability of produceing musca β-glucosidase.Methods Tissues of malpighian tubules,trachea,epiploon and body wall of musca domestica Ⅲ instar lar-vae were dissected under anatomic microscope,and the expression of β-glucosidase gene in these dissected tissues were detected by reverse transcription PCR.And the tissue localization of β-glucosidase mRNA was further identified by in situ hybridization.Moreover,anti-cellulase was used to determinate the tissue distribution with immunohistochemical staining.The relative mRNA expression levels of musca domesticaβ-glucosidase gene in these organs were tested by real-time quantitative PCR.Results The reverse transcription PCR showed that the ampli-fication products of β-glucosidase gene were observed in tissues of malpighian tubules,trachea and body wall.β-glucosidase mRNA was shown in the epithelium cells of malpighian tubules,trachea and body wall by in situ hybridization,and it was almost the same in the results of im-munohistochemical staining.The real-time quantitative PCR showed that the relative expression quantity of β-glucosidase gene in malpighian tubules and body wall were higher than that in foregut,while it was lower in itrachea than that in foregut.And it was of statistical difference in gene expression level of β-glucosidase among these organs (P <0.05).Conclusion Malpighian tubules,trachea and body wall of musca domestica Ⅲ instar larvae have the function of secreting β-glucosidase.Combining with the characteristics of secreting β-glucosidase in most organs of digestive system,it may provide a new biological method for the prevention and treatment of human diseases transmitted by musca domestica with the use of taget gene β-glucosidase.

Objective To assess the clinical efficacy and safety of benzoyl peroxide gel(BPG)with different concentrations in the treatment of acne vulgaris,and to compare the quality between the domestic products with imported products.Methods The study was an open-controlled clinical trial.The patients were divided into4groups:imported2.5%,5%,10%gel and domestic5%gel.All preparations were ap-plied twice daily for6weeks.Study visits took place at baseline and week2,4and6.Results Different concentrations of benzoyl peroxide gel were effective for inflammatory lesions.The longer the course of treat-ment and the higher the drug concentration were,the better global clinical efficacy was,and the optimum concentration was5%or10%.In addition,the higher the drug concentration was,the higher adverse reac-tion rate was.Transient and mild local skin irritation occurred but was well tolerated by the patients.The imported benzoyl peroxide5%gel was as effective as domestic benzoyl peroxide5%gel,but the adverse re-action rate was less than the latter.Conclusion Different concentrations of benzoyl peroxide gel are all ef-fective and safe in the treatment of acne vulgaris,with the optimum concertration is5%or10%.

Objective·To study the change of circulating endothelial progenitor cells (cEPCs) in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients within one week after attack,and the correlation of cEPCs with the prognosis.Methods·Ninty-two patients with AIS (AIS group) and 20 patients with risk factors (Risk group) were recruited.The proportion of cEPCs (CD34TKDR+ cells) in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of AIS patients was measured by flow cytometry (FCM) on the first day of admission and the seventh day after attack.Functional recovery was assessed by modified Rankin Scale (mRS) on the 90th day after onset.The cEPCs percentages of AIS patients with different mRS were compared to analyze their correlation.Results·Compared with Risk group,cEPCs percentage of AIS group on the 1st day of admission was lower (P=0.016).In AIS group,compared with poor prognosis group (mRS＞2),eEPCs percentage of good prognosis group on the 7th day after onset (mRS ≤ 2) elevates (P=0.002).The result of multiple linear regression showed that cEPCs percentage on the 7th day after onset was positively correlated with mRS on the 90th day (t=4.608,P=0.011).Conclusion·The percentage of cEPCs in peripheral blood of AIS patients decreases significantly during the acute phase.The percentage on the 7th day after onset is correlated with prognosis of AIS patients.

Objective To investigate the inhibitory effects of high mobility group chromosomal protein N2 (HMGN2)on growth of human bladder cancer T24 cells and ectopic tumor growth of nude mice. Methods MTT and flow cytometry assay were conducted to detect cell growth of bladder epithelial cells(T24)cells in vitro. The transplantation tumor models in nude mice were constructed by injecting T24 cells in vivo. The para-tumorswere injected with PBS,HMGN2 protein and cisdichlorodiamineplatinum(DDP),respectively. Tumor volume and weight were calculated. The expression of cell proliferation-related proteins was detected by Western blot assay. Results MTT assay proved that HMGN2 could significantly inhibit the growth of T24 cells. Flow cytometry assay verified that HMGN2 could block T24 cells in S stage of the cell cycle. The average tumor volume and weight in the HMGN2 group and DDP positive control group were smaller than those in the PBS group(P<0.05,respectively), with the tumor inhibitory rate of 25% and 23%,respectively. The results of Westernblot showed that HMGN2 could decrease Bcl-2 expression and increase Bax expression in tumor. Conclusion HMGN2 has a significant antitumor effect on T24 cells and bladder carcinoma in nude mice,which may be associated with the induction of the apoptosis of carcinoma cells and the regulation of the cell cycle.