Recent studies have revealed a significant association between Porphyromonas gingivalis(P.gingivalis)infection and poor prognosis in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma(ESCC).Although cer-tain circular RNAs(circRNA)have been shown to suppress ESCC tumorigenesis and progression,their regulatory mechanisms in P.gingivalis infection-associated ESCC remain elusive.In this study,RT-qPCR analysis demonstrated that P.gingivalis infection downregulated hsa_circ_0057552 expression in ESCC cells and tissues in a time-and dose-dependent manner.Actinomycin D assays further confirmed that P.gingivalis infection reduced the RNA stability of hsa_circ_0057552 in ESCC cells(P＜0.05).Functional assays in vitro and a subcutaneous tumor xenograft model in vivo revealed that hsa_circ_0057552 overexpression significantly inhibited ESCC cell proliferation,migration,invasion,and tumor growth(P＜0.05).Additionally,PCR array screening combined with RT-qPCR and Western blotting in-dicated that P.gingivalis infection markedly upregulated human antigen R(HuR)expression at both RNA and protein levels(P＜0.05).Mechanistic investigations demonstrated that HuR knockdown signifi-cantly increased hsa_circ_0057552 expression(P＜0.01),whereas hsa_circ_0057552 overexpression had no regulatory effect on HuR.Finally,si-HuR treatment reversed the inhibitory effect of P.gingivalis on hsa_circ_0057552 transcription.This study demonstrated that P.gingivalis may promote the progression of ESCC through a novel mechanism involving the regulation of HuR/hsa_circ_0057552,thereby identif-ying a novel therapeutic target and molecular marker for P.gingivalis-associated ESCC.

Recent studies have revealed a significant association between Porphyromonas gingivalis(P.gingivalis)infection and poor prognosis in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma(ESCC).Although cer-tain circular RNAs(circRNA)have been shown to suppress ESCC tumorigenesis and progression,their regulatory mechanisms in P.gingivalis infection-associated ESCC remain elusive.In this study,RT-qPCR analysis demonstrated that P.gingivalis infection downregulated hsa_circ_0057552 expression in ESCC cells and tissues in a time-and dose-dependent manner.Actinomycin D assays further confirmed that P.gingivalis infection reduced the RNA stability of hsa_circ_0057552 in ESCC cells(P＜0.05).Functional assays in vitro and a subcutaneous tumor xenograft model in vivo revealed that hsa_circ_0057552 overexpression significantly inhibited ESCC cell proliferation,migration,invasion,and tumor growth(P＜0.05).Additionally,PCR array screening combined with RT-qPCR and Western blotting in-dicated that P.gingivalis infection markedly upregulated human antigen R(HuR)expression at both RNA and protein levels(P＜0.05).Mechanistic investigations demonstrated that HuR knockdown signifi-cantly increased hsa_circ_0057552 expression(P＜0.01),whereas hsa_circ_0057552 overexpression had no regulatory effect on HuR.Finally,si-HuR treatment reversed the inhibitory effect of P.gingivalis on hsa_circ_0057552 transcription.This study demonstrated that P.gingivalis may promote the progression of ESCC through a novel mechanism involving the regulation of HuR/hsa_circ_0057552,thereby identif-ying a novel therapeutic target and molecular marker for P.gingivalis-associated ESCC.

Objective:To evaluate the efficacy and safety of hypomethylating agents (HMA) in patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) .Methods:A total of 409 MDS patients from 45 hospitals in Zhejiang province who received at least four consecutive cycles of HMA monotherapy as initial therapy were enrolled to evaluate the efficacy and safety of HMA. Mann-Whitney U or Chi-square tests were used to compare the differences in the clinical data. Logistic regression and Cox regression were used to analyze the factors affecting efficacy and survival. Kaplan-Meier was used for survival analysis. Results:Patients received HMA treatment for a median of 6 cycles (range, 4-25 cycles) . The complete remission (CR) rate was 33.98% and the overall response rate (ORR) was 77.02%. Multivariate analysis revealed that complex karyotype ( P=0.02, OR=0.39, 95% CI 0.18-0.84) was an independent favorable factor for CR rate. TP53 mutation ( P=0.02, OR=0.22, 95% CI 0.06-0.77) was a predictive factor for a higher ORR. The median OS for the HMA-treated patients was 25.67 (95% CI 21.14-30.19) months. HMA response ( P=0.036, HR=0.47, 95% CI 0.23-0.95) was an independent favorable prognostic factor, whereas complex karyotype ( P=0.024, HR=2.14, 95% CI 1.10-4.15) , leukemia transformation ( P<0.001, HR=2.839, 95% CI 1.64-4.92) , and TP53 mutation ( P=0.012, HR=2.19, 95% CI 1.19-4.07) were independent adverse prognostic factors. There was no significant difference in efficacy and survival between the reduced and standard doses of HMA. The CR rate and ORR of MDS patients treated with decitabine and azacitidine were not significantly different. The median OS of patients treated with decitabine was longer compared with that of patients treated with azacitidine (29.53 months vs 20.17 months, P=0.007) . The incidence of bone marrow suppression and pneumonia in the decitabine group was higher compared with that in the azacitidine group. Conclusion:Continuous and regular use of appropriate doses of hypomethylating agents may benefit MDS patients to the greatest extent if it is tolerated.

Excessive application of chemical fertilizer has caused many problems in Angelica dahurica var. formosana planting, such as yield decline and quality degradation. In order to promote the green cultivation mode of A. dahurica var. formosana and explore rhizosphere fungus resources, the rhizosphere fungi with nitrogen fixation, phosphorus solubilization, potassium solubilization, iron-producing carrier, and IAA-producing properties were isolated and screened in the rhizosphere of A. dahurica var. formosana from the genuine and non-genuine areas, respectively. The strains were identified comprehensively in light of the morphological characteristics and ITS rDNA sequences, and the growth-promoting effect of the screened strains was verified by pot experiment. The results showed that 37 strains of growth-promoting fungi were isolated and screened from the rhizosphere of A. dahurica var. formosana, mostly belonging to Fusarium. The cultured rhizosphere growth-promoting fungi of A. dahurica var. formosana were more abundant and diverse in the genuine producing areas than in the non-genuine producing areas. Among all strains, Aspergillus niger ZJ-17 had the strongest growth promotion potential. Under the condition of no fertilization outdoors, ZJ-17 inoculation significantly promoted the growth, yield, and accumulation of effective components of A. dahurica var. formosana planted in the soil of genuine and non-genuine producing areas, with yield increases of 73.59% and 37.84%, respectively. To a certain extent, it alleviated the restriction without additional fertilization on the growth of A. dahurica var. formosana. Therefore, A. niger ZJ-17 has great application prospects in increasing yield and quality of A. dahurica var. formosana and reducing fertilizer application and can be actually applied in promoting the growth of A. dahurica var. formosana and producing biofertilizer.
Fertilizers ; Rhizosphere ; Angelica/chemistry* ; Fungi/genetics* ; Phosphorus

In recent years, the MYB-related gene family has been found pivotal in plant growth and development. MYB-related gene family in Angelica dahurica var. formosana was systematically investigated based on "Chuanzhi No. 2" through transcriptome database search and bioinformatics and the temporal and spatial expression patterns were analyzed through real-time fluorescence-based quantitative polymerase chain reaction(PCR). The results showed that 122 MYB-related proteins family were identified, mainly including the unstable hydrophilic proteins with good thermal stability. Most of the proteins were located in nuclei. The majority of the proteins had the structures of random coil and α-helix. Five MYB-related proteins family of A. dahurica var. formosana had membrane-binding domains. The conserved domain analysis of MYB-related proteins family of A. dahurica var. formosana showed that the MYB domains of genes in five subgroups, similar to 2 R-, 3 R-, and 4 R-MYB proteins, contained three evenly distributed Trp(W) residues in the MYB repeat sequence. The phylogenetic analysis of MYB-related proteins family in A. dahurica var. formosana and Arabidopsis thaliana showed that the MYB-related members were unevenly distributed in five subgroups, and A. thaliana and A. dahurica var. formosana had almost the same number of genes in the CCA1-like subgroup. There were differences in the number, type, and distribution of motifs contained in 122 encoded proteins. Transcription factors with similar branches had similar domains and motifs. The expression pattern analysis showed that the transcription factors AdMYB53, AdMYB83, and AdMYB89 responded to hormones to varying degrees, and they were highly expressed in leaves and responded quickly in roots. This study lays a foundation for further investigating the function of MYB-related transcription factors of A. dahurica var. formosana and solving the corresponding biological problems such as bolting early.
Angelica/chemistry* ; Animals ; Computational Biology ; Gastropoda ; Phylogeny ; Plant Leaves ; Plant Proteins/genetics* ; Transcription Factors/genetics*

Objective To investigate the effects of a novel standardized training program on the satisfaction and training quality of general practitioners (GPs). Methods 114 GPs trained in Wuxi People's Hospital between 2009 and 2013 were included, 52 GPs and 62 GPs were trained before and after the reform respectively. The measures of teaching reform included improvements in curriculum provision, theory teaching, learning modality and skills training. The evaluation indexes of satisfaction questionnaire and examination were confirmed by literature method and small-group discussion. Self-report satisfaction ques-tionnaire were distributed to graduate GPs and valid questionnaires were collected, while the results of entrance examination and graduation examination of GPs were recorded before and after the teaching reform. The research data were analyzed by chi-square test using SPSS 16.0 software. Results The basic characteristics of GPs and results of entrance examination before and after the teaching reform were compa-rable (P>0.05), however, GPs' satisfaction with curriculum, theoretical education, study form and skill training were increased significantly after teaching reform (P<0.05). Besides that,the results of graduation examination of GPs after the teaching reform, both the theory and skill examination, were improved signifi-cantly (P<0.05). Conclusion The study showed that GPs satisfaction with training modality and the results of graduation examination were improved greatly through our innovative teaching reform.

Objective To study the expression of forkhead box 2(FOXC2)and delta-like liGand 4 (DLL4)in invasive ductal carcinoma(IDC)of breast and the clinical siGnificance. Methods The expression of FOXC2 and DLL4 in l22 cases of IDC(Grade Ⅰ33,Grade Ⅱ40,GradeⅢ 49)were observed by tissue chip and immunohistochemistry. The relationship of the expression with clinicopatholoGical characteristics and between FOXC2 and DLL4 were statistically analyzed. PCR experiment was performed in normal breast tissue,ductal carcinoma in situ(DCIS)IDC Grade Ⅰ,Grade Ⅱ and Grade Ⅲ(l0 cases respectively). Results The positive rate of FOXC2 and DLL4 in IDC was 77. 87% and 74. 59% respectively. A hiGher expression was observed in GradeⅢ than in GradeⅠand Ⅱ( P<0. 05 ). The expression of FOXC2 was related to the neGative expression of ER. The expression of DLL4 was related to the tumour size,clinical staGe and lymph node metastasis( P<0. 05). The RCR of FOXC2 and DLL4 were Gradually increased in normal breast tissue,DCIS,IDC GradeⅠ, Grade Ⅱ and Grade Ⅲ(P<0. 05). Moreover the expression of FOXC2 was related to the expression of DLL4(r=0. 233,P=0. 0l0). Conclusion FOXC2 and DLL4 miGht toGether have influence on the proGression and outcome of breast carcinoma,and could be important markers of proGnosis. DLL4 miGht be reGulated by variety of factors includinG FOXC2 at the same time.

ObjectiveTo prepare high specific monoclonal antibodies(mAbs) against BP26 of Brucella(B.)melitensis.Methods A recombinant plasmid pET-28a-BP26 was constructed and transformed into competent Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3),and then the bacteria were induced by 1 mmol/L isopropylthio-β-D-galactoside (IPTG).After induction,the recombinant BP26 protein (rBP26) was purified by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis(SDS-PGAE) and nickel ion affinity chromatography(Ni-NTA).Mice were inoculated with rBP26 antigens for three times at 2-week intervals.The first subcutaneous injection contained 100 μg rBP26 with 0.1 ml complete Freund adjuvant.The second subcutaneous injection was 50 μg rBP26 with 0.1 ml incomplete Freund adjuvant.The antibody titers to rBP26 were determined 2 weeks after each reimmunization.Three days before cell fusion,the mice with the highest titer were intraperitoneally injected with 50 μg rBP26 in 0.1 ml PBS.Pre- and post-immunization sera were collected and used as negative or positive controls for screening mAbs.Mice with the highest titer were sacrificed and spleen cells were isolated.The spleen cells of rBP26 immunized mice were fused with SP2/0 myeloma cells in a ratio of 5 ∶ 1 by polyethylene glycol(PEG) 1450.Antibody-producing hybridomas were primarily screened by an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbnent assay(ELISA) with rBP26.Reactive hybridomas were subcloned for 3 times,then the strains of hybridoma cells secreting antibodies against BP26 were obtained.Supernatant of cloned hybridoma cultures was collected for mAb analyses.These mAbs were named by the hybridoma clone number and tested their reactivity to membrane proteins extracted(NMP) from B.melitensis vaccine strain(M5-90) by Western blotting and Dot-ELISA.mAbs isotyping and kappa(κ) or lambda(λ) light chain was identified by Mouse Monoclonal Antibody Isotyping Kit.Results A total of two mAbs reactive to rBP26 of B.melitensis were selected from antibody screening hybridomas by indirect-ELISA.The two mAbs were named 3C3 and 5A5,and identified as IgG1 (κ) and IgG2(κ),respectively.They could react with NMP from M5-90.Conclusions Results of identification show that two mAbs against rBP26 can be produced.The two mAbs can recognize natural BP26 protein,giving the experimental materials for further research on identification of its epitopes.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of siRNA-mediated inhibition of NF-κB on apoptosis of hepatocarcinoma cells.

METHODSSpecific small interfering RNA Targeting NF-κB gene was synthesized and transfected into HepG2 cells by liposomes. Nested RT-PCR and quantitative RT-PCR were used to detect the mRNA expression of NF-κB. Immunohistochemistry, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and Western blot were performed to examine the protein expression of NF-κB. Annexin V-FITC was used to test cell apoptosis.

RESULTSThe expression of NF-κB in HepG2 cells (1.13+/-0.03) was significantly higher (t=27.02, P<0.05) than that in normal hepatocytes (0.29+/-0.07). The down-regulation of NF-κB expression was depended on the dosage of siRNA and the time after transfection. 72 h after siRNA transfection, NF-κB expression reduced by 93% and 62% at the mRNA and protein levels, respectively. The apoptosis of HepG2 cells increased by 85% with NF-κB inhibition.

CONCLUSIONSNF-κB is abnormally active in HepG2 cells and NF-κB inhibition mediated by siRNA promotes HepG2 cells apoptosis. It suggested that NF-κB could be a potential target for HCC prevention gene therapy.

Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; metabolism ; pathology ; Gene Expression Regulation ; Hep G2 Cells ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; NF-kappa B ; antagonists & inhibitors ; metabolism ; RNA, Small Interfering ; pharmacology

2-Acetylaminofluorene ; Angiogenesis Inhibitors ; pharmacology ; Animals ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; chemically induced ; metabolism ; pathology ; Immunohistochemistry ; Liver ; drug effects ; metabolism ; pathology ; Liver Neoplasms, Experimental ; chemically induced ; metabolism ; pathology ; Male ; NF-kappa B ; antagonists & inhibitors ; metabolism ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Thalidomide ; pharmacology