This study aims to investigate the effects of Bushen Huoxue Decoction regulating adipose-derived stem cells(ADSCs)-exosomes(Exos) on the apoptosis of intervertebral disc nucleus pulposus cells(NPCs) and extracellular signal-regulated kinase(ERK) signaling pathway. Tert-butyl hydrogen peroxide(TBHP)-induced NPCs were divided into control, model, drug-containing serum, blank Exos, normal serum Exos, and drug-containing serum Exos groups. Cell viability and proliferation were examined by the CCK-8 assay and EdU staining, respectively. The cell cycle and apoptosis were evaluated by flow cytometry. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was employed to measure the levels of interleukin(IL)-1β, tumor necrosis factor(TNF)-α, and IL-6. The mRNA levels of aggrecan, collagen type Ⅱ alpha 1 chain(COL2A1), and ERK were determined by qRT-PCR, and the protein levels of aggrecan, COL2A1, and p-ERK were determined by Western blot. The results showed that compared with the model group, the treatments with drug-containing serum, blank Exos, and normal serum Exos enhanced the viability and proliferation of NPCs, decreased the proportion of cells in the G_0/G_1 phase, increased the proportion of cells in the S phase, reduced apoptosis, lowered the levels of IL-1β, TNF-α, and IL-6, up-regulated the mRNA and protein levels of aggrecan and COL2A1, and down-regulated the mRNA level of ERK and the protein level of p-ERK. Compared with the drug-containing serum, blank Exos, and normal serum Exos groups, the treatment with drug-containing serum Exos enhanced the viability and proliferation of NPCs, decreased the proportion of cells in the G_0/G_1 phase, increased the cells in the S phase, reduced apoptosis, lowered the levels of IL-1β, TNF-α, and IL-6, up-regulated the mRNA and protein levels of aggrecan and COL2A1, and down-regulated the mRNA level of ERK and the protein level of p-ERK. The results confirmed that the Exos secreted by ADSCs after treatment with Bushen Huoxue Decoction-containing serum promoted the proliferation of degenerated NPCs, inhibited apoptosis and the expression of inflammatory mediators, and promoted the production of proteoglycans and collagen, thus delaying the progression of intervertebral disc degeneration, the mechanism of which was related to the regulation of the ERK signaling pathway.
Intervertebral Disc Degeneration/drug therapy* ; Apoptosis/drug effects* ; Nucleus Pulposus/cytology* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology* ; Animals ; Rats ; MAP Kinase Signaling System/drug effects* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Collagen Type II/metabolism* ; Humans ; Cell Proliferation/drug effects* ; Stem Cells/metabolism* ; Aggrecans/metabolism* ; Cell Survival/drug effects* ; Male ; Cells, Cultured ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/metabolism*

OBJECTIVETo observe the levels of pulmonary surfactant proteins A and D (SP-A, SP-D) in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of children with pneumonia, and to explore their relationships with clinical characteristics.

METHODSThirty-five children with pneumonia were enrolled in this study. Differential cell counts were obtained by Countstar counting board. The levels of SP-A and SP-D in BALF were detected using ELISA.

RESULTSIn children with pneumonia, SP-D levels were significantly higher than SP-A levels (P<0.001). SP-D levels were negatively correlated with the neutrophil percentage in BALF (r(s)=-0.5255, P<0.01). SP-D levels in BALF in children with increased blood C-reactive protein levels (>8 mg/L) were significantly lower than in those with a normal level of C-reactive protein (P<0.05). Compared with those in children without wheezing, SP-D levels in children with wheezing were significantly lower (P<0.01). There was no correlation between SP-A levels and clinical characteristics.

CONCLUSIONSSP-D levels in BALF are significantly higher than SP-A levels, and have a certain correlation with clinical characteristics in children with pneumonia. As a protective factor, SP-D plays a more important role than SP-A in regulating the immune and inflammatory responses.

Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid ; chemistry ; C-Reactive Protein ; analysis ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Pneumonia ; metabolism ; Pulmonary Surfactant-Associated Protein A ; analysis ; Pulmonary Surfactant-Associated Protein D ; analysis

OBJECTIVETo investigate the expression of p120(ctn) in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and its correlation with the clinical and pathologic parameters.

METHODSImmunohistochemistry (S-P method) was used to detect the expression of p120(ctn) in 143 NSCLC cases. The variation of protein expression was further analyzed in 36 cases by Western blot. The correlation with clinical and pathologic parameters was studied.

RESULTSImmunohistochemically, normal bronchial cells showed membranous expression for p120(ctn), while NSCLC was characterized by cytoplasmic or diminished membranous staining. The rate of abnormal p120(ctn) expression was 79.7% (114/143). There was a significant correlation between abnormal expression of p120(ctn) and tumor differentiation, clinical stage, lymph node metastasis and poor prognosis (< 0.05), but not histologic typing. Western blot showed that the total amount of p120(ctn) in normal bronchial cells was significantly higher than that in NSCLC. The p120(ctn) isoform 1 (120,000) and isoform 3 (100,000) were expressed in normal lung tissue, while there was a reduced expression or absence of isoform 1 in NSCLC.

CONCLUSIONThe expression of p120(ctn) is abnormal in NSCLC; p120(ctn) may serve as a useful prognostic marker for NSCLC.

Aged ; Biomarkers, Tumor ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung ; metabolism ; pathology ; Catenins ; Cell Adhesion Molecules ; metabolism ; Female ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic ; Humans ; Lung ; metabolism ; pathology ; Lung Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Staging ; Phosphoproteins ; metabolism ; Prognosis ; Proportional Hazards Models

0.05),and there was significant difference in ICA,VP,RI,AT,and the levels of TXB_2 and 6-K-PGF_(1?) of the blood plasma(P