OBJECTIVES: To investigate the role of apelin in regulating proliferation, migration and angiogenesis of bladder cancer cells and the possible regulatory mechanism. METHODS: GEO database was used to screen the differentially expressed genes in bladder cancer tissues and cells. Bladder cancer and paired adjacent tissues were collected from 60 patients for analysis of apelin expressions in relation to clinicopathological parameters. In cultured bladder cancer J82 cells and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), the effects of transfection with an apelin-overexpressing plasmid or specific siRNAs targeting apelin, fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2) and fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 (FGFR1) on proliferation and migration of J82 cells and tube formation in HUVECs were examined using plate cloning assay, Transwell assay, and angiogenesis assay; the changes in FGF2 expression and FGFR1 phosphorylation were detected using Western blotting. RESULTS: The expression level of apelin was significantly higher in bladder cancer tissues than adjacent tissues, and bladder cancer cell lines (T24 and J82) also expressed higher mRNA and protein levels of apelin than SV-HUC-1 cells. Apelin expression level in bladder cancer tissues was correlated with tumor invasion, distant metastasis and advanced TNM stages. Apelin knockdown significantly suppressed proliferation and migration of J82 cells and decreased the total angiogenic length of HUVECs. In contrast, apelin overexpression significantly promoted proliferation and migration and enhanced FGFR1 phosphorylation in J82 cells, and increased the total angiogenesis length in HUVECs, but this effects were effectively mitigated by transfection of the cells with FGF2 siRNA or FGFR1 siRNA. CONCLUSIONS High expression of apelin promotes J82 cell proliferation and migration and HUVEC angiogenesis by promoting activation of the FGF2/FGFR1 pathway.
Humans ; Urinary Bladder Neoplasms/blood supply* ; Receptor, Fibroblast Growth Factor, Type 1/metabolism* ; Cell Proliferation ; Cell Movement ; Fibroblast Growth Factor 2/metabolism* ; Neovascularization, Pathologic ; Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Signal Transduction ; Apelin ; Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins/genetics* ; Female ; Male ; Angiogenesis

OBJECTIVETo understand the distributions of DNA and neutralizing antibodies of human papillomavirus (HPV)16, 18 in 18-45 year-old women.

METHODSTotally, 1494 women were enrolled through multistage random sampling in Funing, Jiangsu province. Cervical exfoliated cells were collected from them for HPV DNA testing, and serum samples were taken from them for the detection of HPV16, 18 neutralizing antibodies by using pseudovirion-based neutralization assay(PBNA).

RESULTSAmong the 1494 women, 28(1.9%) and 188(12.6%) were positive for DNA and neutralizing antibody of HPV16 respectively, and 15(1.0%) and 60(4.0%) were positive for DNA and neutralizing antibody of HPV18, respectively. There were no significant differences in the detection rates of DNA and neutralizing antibody of HPV16, 18 among different age groups. About 16.7% of the women were infected with HPV16, 18, or both.

CONCLUSIONIn Funing county of Jiangsu province, most women aged 18-45 years has no immunity to HPV16 and 18, indicating that they are appropriate targets for HPV 16/18 vaccination.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Antibodies, Neutralizing ; isolation & purification ; Antibodies, Viral ; isolation & purification ; China ; DNA, Viral ; isolation & purification ; Female ; Human papillomavirus 16 ; immunology ; Human papillomavirus 18 ; immunology ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Papillomavirus Infections ; prevention & control ; Papillomavirus Vaccines ; Young Adult