OBJECTIVETo study the effects of nimesulide, a selective COX-2 inhibitor, on cell viability, telomerase and PKB activities in human gastric cancer cell line SGC7901 and to explore its molecular mechanism of selective growth inhibition.

METHODSMTT assay was used to determine cell viability after incubation for 0, 12, 24, and 48 h in different concentrations (0, 25, 50, 100, 200 micro mol/L) of nimesulide and/or okadaic acid (300 nmol/L). Telomerase and protein kinase B (PKB) activities were detected using TRAP PCR-ELISA and nonradioactive IP-kinase assay.

RESULTSNimsulide caused a time and dose-dependent reduction of cell numbers of SGC7901. The telomerase and PKB activities were significantly inhibited, and the inhibition of telomerase activity was partly associated with decrease in PKB activity.

CONCLUSIONSelective COX-2 inhibitor nimesulide inhibits telomerase activity of gastric cancer cells by partly blocking the activation of protein kinase B. The results suggest an additional signaling pathway underlying the anti-cancer effect of COX-2 inhibitor.

Adenocarcinoma ; enzymology ; pathology ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Cyclooxygenase Inhibitors ; pharmacology ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Enzyme Activation ; drug effects ; Humans ; Protein-Serine-Threonine Kinases ; metabolism ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins ; metabolism ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt ; Stomach Neoplasms ; enzymology ; pathology ; Sulfonamides ; pharmacology ; Telomerase ; metabolism ; Time Factors

GM1 gangliosidosis is an autosomal recessive disorder caused by galactosidase beta1 (GLB1) gene variants which affect the activity of β-galactosidase (GLB). GLB dysfunction causes abnormalities in the degradation of GM1 and its accumulation in lysosome. This article reports the clinical and genetic features of a child with GM1 gangliosidosis. The girl, aged 2 years and 5 months, was referred to the hospital due to motor developmental regression for more than one year. Physical examination showed binocular deflection and horizontal nystagmus, but no abnormality was found on fundoscopy. The girl had increased muscular tone of the extremities, limitation of motion of the elbow, knee, and ankle joints, and hyperactive patellar tendon reflex. Blood biochemical examination showed a significant increase in aspartate aminotransferase. The 24-hour electroencephalographic monitoring detected frequent seizure attacks and diffuse θ wave activity, especially in the right hemisphere. Head magnetic resonance imaging showed thinner white matter in the periventricular region and diffuse high T2WI signal with unclear boundary. Three-dimensional reconstruction of white matter fiber tracts by diffusion tensor imaging showed smaller and thinner white matter fiber tracts, especially in the right hemisphere. Genetic analysis showed that the girl had compound heterozygous mutations of c.446C>T (p.Ser149Phe) and c.101T>C (p.Ile34Thr) in the GLB1 gene from her parents, among which c.101T>C (p.Ile34Thr) had not been reported in the literatures. The girl was finally diagnosed with GM1 gangliosidosis. Her conditions were not improved after antiepileptic treatment and rehabilitation training for 2 months.
Diffusion Tensor Imaging ; Female ; Gangliosidosis, GM1 ; genetics ; Humans ; Infant ; Mutation ; Virulence ; beta-Galactosidase ; genetics

The purpose of this study was to determine whether osteoprotegerin (OPG) could affect osteoclat differentiation and activation under serum-free conditions. Both duck embryo bone marrow cells and RAW264.7 cells were incubated with macrophage colony stimulatory factor (M-CSF) and receptor activator for nuclear factor kappaB ligand (RANKL) in serum-free medium to promote osteoclastogenesis. During cultivation, 0, 10, 20, 50, and 100 ng/mL OPG were added to various groups of cells. Osteoclast differentiation and activation were monitored via tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) staining, filamentous-actin rings analysis, and a bone resorption assay. Furthermore, the expression osteoclast-related genes, such as TRAP and receptor activator for nuclear factor kappaB (RANK), that was influenced by OPG in RAW264.7 cells was examined using real-time polymerase chain reaction. In summary, findings from the present study suggested that M-CSF with RANKL can promote osteoclast differentiation and activation, and enhance the expression of TRAP and RANK mRNA in osteoclasts. In contrast, OPG inhibited these activities under serum-free conditions.
Acid Phosphatase/genetics/metabolism ; Animals ; Avian Proteins/*pharmacology ; Bone Marrow Cells/drug effects/*metabolism ; Cells, Cultured ; Ducks ; Embryo, Nonmammalian/drug effects/metabolism ; Isoenzymes/genetics/metabolism ; Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor/metabolism ; Osteoclasts/cytology/*drug effects/*metabolism ; Osteoprotegerin/*pharmacology ; RANK Ligand/metabolism ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Receptor Activator of Nuclear Factor-kappa B/genetics/metabolism

OBJECTIVETo analyse the proportion of hepatitis associated aplastic anemia (HAAA) in severe aplastic anemia (SAA) and its clinical features of HAAA.

METHODSAll newly diagnosed SAA cases in our department in the recent 5 years were analyzed. A case-control study was undertaken to investigate the differences of clinical and laboratory features between HAAA and non-hepatitis associated SAA (non-HASAA) patients.

RESULTSThe proportion of HAAA in SAA was 3.3%. There was no significant difference in PB cell counts, bone marrow hematopoiesis status and the amount of blood transfusion between HAAA and non-HASAA patients. Sera from 13 patients with HAAA were tested for antibodies to hepatitis viruses A, B, and C and hepatitis B surface antigen. Twelve (92.3%) of them had negative serologic results for the tests and only one (7.7%) had a positive result for HBsAg and HBeAg. Serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels were decreased prior to the diagnosis in twelve (92.3%) of the 13 HAAA patients. The percentage of CD4(+) cells in HAAA patients was significantly lower than that in non-HASAA patients (P < 0.05). HAAA patients had higher percentages of CD8(+) cells (P < 0.05) and lower ratios of CD4(+)/CD8(+) (P < 0.05). The early infection rate of the HAAA patients was significantly higher than that of non-HASAA patients (84.6% vs 42.3%, P < 0.05), with different mortalities (61.5% vs 15.4%, P < 0.05). The 2-year survival rate of HAAA patients was significantly lower than that of non-HASAA patients (16.6% vs 83.2%, P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONThe proportion of HAAA in SAA was 3.3%. Most of HAAA were associated with non-A, non-B and non-C hepatitis virus. Compared with that of non-HASAA, the abnormality of T cell immunity of HAAA was more severe, with a higher frequency of early infection and a higher mortality rate.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Anemia, Aplastic ; blood ; complications ; pathology ; Case-Control Studies ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hepacivirus ; immunology ; Hepatitis A Antibodies ; blood ; Hepatitis A virus ; immunology ; Hepatitis B Antibodies ; blood ; Hepatitis B virus ; immunology ; Hepatitis C Antibodies ; blood ; Hepatitis, Viral, Human ; blood ; complications ; virology ; Humans ; Male

Animals ; Rats ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A

IG-105, N-(2,6-dimethoxypyridine-3-yl)-9-methylcarbazole-3-sulfonamide, a novel antimicrotubule agent, showed potent anticancer activity in a variety of human tumor cells in vitro and in vivo. In order to characterize the metabolism and the possible drug-drug interaction of IG-105, we carried out a series of experiments. Drug metabolizing enzymes involved in IG-105 metabolism were investigated by using pooled human liver microsomes (HLMs) and recombinant cytochrome P450 isoforms (rP450s) respectively. The possible metabolites were analyzed by liquid chromatography-orbitrap-mass spectrometry (LC-Orbitrap-MS). The inhibitory effect of IG-105 on main P450 enzymes was also evaluated. The results showed that IG-105 can be metabolized by a series of rP450s, including CYP1A2, CYP2B6, CYP2C9, CYP2C19, CYP2D6, CYP3A4 and CYP3A5, with the major contribution enzymes being CYP1A2, CYP2B6, CYP2C19, and CYP3A. Three metabolites (M1-M3) were identified and demethylation was the major phase I metabolic reaction for IG-105. IG-105 moderately inhibited CYP1A2, CYP2C9, CYP2C19, CYP2D6, and CYP3A enzyme activities with IC₅₀ values of 6.42, 23.64, 0.39, 1.4, and 3.14 μmol·L^-1, respectively. Since the biotransformation of IG-105 involves multiple enzymatic pathways, the compound is less likely to be a victim of a concomitantly used medicine which inhibits activity of one of the CYPs. However, as IG-105 showed medium to strong inhibition on CYP1A2, CYP2D6, CYP3A, and CYP2C19, caution is particularly needed when IG-105 is co-administrated with other anticancer drugs which are mainly metabolized by the above enzymes.

Genetic risk factors have been shown to contribute to the development of sexual dysfunction. However, the role of methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene variants in the risk of erectile dysfunction (ED) remains unclear. In this study, we recruited 1254 participants who underwent ED assessed by the International Index of Erectile Function-5. The MTHFR c.677C>T variant was also measured by fluorescence polymerase chain reaction (PCR). No significant difference in the genotypic frequency of the MTHFR C677T polymorphism (CC, CT, and TT) was observed between men from the ED and non-ED groups. In addition, on binary logistic regression analysis, both crude and adjusted models showed that the risk of ED was not significantly associated with the C677T polymorphism. Interestingly, a significantly higher frequency of the 677TT polymorphism was found in severe and moderate ED (P = 0.02). The positive correlation between the MTHFR 677TT polymorphism and severe ED was confirmed by logistic regression analysis, even after adjusting for potential confounders (odds ratio [OR] = 2.46, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.15-5.50, P = 0.02). These findings suggest a positive correlation between the MTHFR 677TT polymorphism and the risk of severe ED. Identification of MTHFR gene polymorphisms may provide complementary information for ED patients during routine clinical diagnosis.

Lipopolysaccharides (LPS) are major outer membrane components of Gram-negative bacteria. Unlike most Gram-negative bacteria, Acinetobacter baumannii can still survive and acquire polymyxin resistance after complete loss of LPS. Previous studies of LPS-deficient Acinetobacter baumannii mostly focused on LPS-deficient strains induced by polymyxin, whose background was complex and unstable. To investigate LPS loss-mediated polymyxin resistant-Acinetobacter baumannii, this study constructed a stable and clear background LPS-deficient strain by knocking out lpxC gene in Acinetobacter baumannii ATCC 19606 with CIRSPR/Cas9, and then studied the phenotypic changes of the lpxC-deficient strain including morphology, growth rate, antibiotic susceptibility, virulence, membrane permeability, and membrane potential. Animal experiments were approved by the Animal Care and Welfare Committee Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, CAMS and PUMC (approval number: IMB-20240119D₉). The results indicated that the lpxC gene of Acinetobacter baumannii ATCC 19606 was successfully knocked out. After losing the lpxC, the strain underwent the morphological change from rod-shaped to spherical. Furthermore, it leads to reduced growth rate, enhanced membrane permeability, decreased membrane potential, lower virulence, and increased antibiotic susceptibility to β-lactams, quinolones, aminoglycosides, macrolides, glycopeptides. The lpxC deletion results in significant changes in membrane homeostasis and adaptability of Acinetobacter baumannii. Understanding the phenotypic changes of colistin-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii mediated by LPS loss is useful for exploring the resistance mechanism of Acinetobacter baumannii and developing new therapeutic strategies.