Pure drug-assembled nanomedicines (PDANs) are currently under intensive investigation as promising nanoplatforms for cancer therapy. However, poor colloidal stability and less tumor-homing ability remain critical unresolved problems that impede their clinical translation. Herein, we report a core-matched nanoassembly of pyropheophorbide a (PPa) for photodynamic therapy (PDT). Pure PPa molecules are found to self-assemble into nanoparticles (NPs), and an amphiphilic PEG polymer (PPa-PEG

BACKGROUNDBased on the excellent medical care and management system for Chinese veterans, as well as the detailed medical documentation available, we aim to construct a Chinese Veteran Clinical Research (CVCR) platform on non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and carry out studies of the primary disabling NCDs.

METHODSThe Geriatric Neurology Department of Chinese People's Liberation Army General Hospital and veterans' hospitals serve as the leading and participating units in the platform construction. The fundamental constituents of the platform are veteran communities. Stratified typical cluster sampling is adopted to recruit veteran communities. A cross-sectional study of mental, neurological, and substance use (MNS) disorders are performed in two stages using screening scale such as the Mini-Mental State Examination and Montreal cognitive assessment, followed by systematic neuropsychological assessments to make clinical diagnoses, evaluated disease awareness and care situation.

RESULTSA total of 9 676 among 277 veteran communities from 18 cities are recruited into this platform, yielding a response rate of 83.86%. 8 812 subjects complete the MNS subproject screening and total response rate is 91.70%. The average participant age is (82.01±4.61) years, 69.47% of veterans are 80 years or older. Most participants are male (94.01%), 83.36% of subjects have at least a junior high school degree. The overall health status of veterans is good and stable. The most common NCD are cardiovascular disorders (86.44%), urinary and genital diseases (73.14%), eye and ear problems (66.25%), endocrine (56.56%) and neuro-psychiatric disturbances (50.78%).

CONCLUSIONWe first construct a veterans' comprehensive clinical research platform for the study of NCDs that is primarily composed of highly educated Chinese males of advanced age and utilize this platform to complete a cross-sectional national investigation of MNS disorders among veterans. The good and stable health condition of the veterans could facilitate the long-term follow-up studies of NCDs and provide prospective data to the prevention and management of NCDs.

Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Disease ; Female ; Health Status ; Humans ; Male ; Veterans ; statistics & numerical data

Objective: To further study the effect of apoptin in inducing cancer cell specific apoptosis and the possible applications in cancer therapy. Methods: Apoptin gene was amplified by PCR and inserted into pcDNA3.1(+) with a FLAG tag in front of the multi-cloning-site. Apoptin gene with the FLAG tag was sub-cloned into an adenovirus vector. Several cancer cell lines were transfected with pcDNA3. 1/FLAG/apoptin or infected with apoptin containing recombinant adenoviruses to study the morphologic changes. Ad/apoptin infected cells were also analyzed by flowcytometry after staining with PI. Results: Expressed apoptin was localized in the nucleus of cancer cells. Chromatin condensation occurred 2 or 3 days after Ad/apoptin(+) infection. Cell number in G 2-M phase increased dramatically after Ad/apoptin(+) infection. Conclusion: Apoptin can induce cell cycle G 2-M arrest and chromatin condensation in cancer cells.

OBJECTIVETo explore the effect of p21(WAF1) on the proliferation and the sensitivity to Vp16 of leukemia cell line K562.

METHODSA p21(WAF1) retroviral expression vector pLXSN-p21(WAF1) was constructed by FuGENE 6, pLXSN-p21(WAF1) and pLXSN-neo, and transfected into p21(WAF1) defect leukemia cell line K562. After selected with G418, K562-p21(WAF1) cell clones that stably expressed p21(WAF1) were isolated. The ectopic expressions of p21(WAF1) mRNA and protein in K562-p21(WAF1) were identified by RT-PCR and Western b1ot. The cell growth rate was tested by trypan blue dye, the cell cycle by FCM and the sensitivity to Vpl6 by cell count and MTT assay.

RESULTSThe expression of p21(WAF1) protein and mRNA could be detected in K562-p21(WAF1) cells. A strong inhibition of cell proliferation was observed in K562-p21(WAF1) cell as compared with that of the control. The cell number in G(0)/G(1) phase was remarkably increased. The sensitivity to Vpl6 decreased, the IC (50) of K562-neo cells was (56.4 +/- 6.5) microgram/ml, and that of K562-p21(WAF1) cells was (131.0 +/- 8.7) microgram/ml (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONp21(WAF1) can inhibit the proliferation of leukemia cell and decrease its sensitivity to Vp16.

Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic ; pharmacology ; Blotting, Western ; Cell Division ; drug effects ; Cell Survival ; drug effects ; Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p21 ; Cyclins ; genetics ; metabolism ; physiology ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Etoposide ; pharmacology ; G1 Phase ; drug effects ; Gene Expression ; Humans ; K562 Cells ; cytology ; drug effects ; metabolism ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; metabolism ; Resting Phase, Cell Cycle ; drug effects ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Time Factors

Objective To study the expression of Fas associated phosphatase-1(FAP-1)in cerebral cortex and hippocampus after cerebral ischemia in rats.Methods The distribution and quantity of FAP-1 immunological positive cells in the brain were observed with immunohistochemistry method after focal ischemia.Results The number of FAP-1 positive cells in cerebral cortex and hippocampal gyrus of cerebral ischemia rats were 10.76?1.23 and 9.24?0.87,obviously higher than sham operation group(4.12?0.36,3.83?0.43)(all P

Objective　To observe the effect of aloe-emodin on the expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) in smooth muscle cells (SMCs) after arterial injury and study the molecular mechanism of inhibition of aloe-emodin on SMC proliferation. Methods　Deendothelialization was performed at the abdominal aorta in Japanese white rabbits using a 3F Fogarty arterial embolectomy catheter. 48 hours later, the medium of abdominal aorta was isolated and primary SMCs culture was performed. Cells were synchronized to G0 by serum starvation, then aloe-emodin at a concentration of 20?μg/ml was added to the culture medium containing 10%［v/v］ fetal calf serum. Vehicle was also added to the medium as a control. After 18 hours, the expression of PCNA at the level of mRNA and protein were examined using techniques of RT/PCR, Western blotting and inmmunocytochemistry respectively. Results　Compared with the control group, the expression of PCNA mRNA and protein was prominently decreased after addition of aloe-emodin. Conclusion　The inhibition of aloe-emodin on SMCs proliferation may be caused by inhibiting the expression of the PCNA gene.

Abstract:Objective To detect the mutation frequency of the bcl 10 gene in the early and advanced stages of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).Methods Genome DNA samples were extracted from 46 cases of fresh HCC tumor tissues and their non-tumor adjacent tissues. Polymerase chain reaction-single strand conformation polymorphism method was used to detect point mutations of the three exons of the bcl 10 gene. For each individual exon, six random samples from those showing abnormal DNA bands were sequenced to verify those mutations. The relationship between serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) level and bcl 10 mutation, between the tumor size and bcl 10 mutation was also analyzed.Results Among the 46 samples, 26 cases (56.5%) were found to have mutations in exon 1, 5 out of the 6 cases were shown to have 5744 C→G mutation by sequencing; 25 cases (54.3%) were found to have mutations in exon 2, 4 out of the 6 cases were shown to have 11?311 T deletion mutation by sequencing. Twenty-one cases (45.7%) were found to have mutations in exon 3, all of the 6 cases selected for sequencing were shown to have 14?116 C→T mutation. Statistical analysis showed that neither serum alpha-fetoprotein level nor the size of hepatocellular carcinoma has a significant relationship with bcl 10 mutation.Conclusion The bcl 10 gene has a high mutation frequency in liver cancer.

The aim of this work was to test the effect of p16 on the proliferation of leukemic cells and its potential in gene therapy for leukemia. The full-length p16 cDNA was transfered by recombinant retrovirus vector into leukemia cell line K562, which is homozygous p16 deletion and retains functional retinoblastoma (RB) protein. The cell proliferation was tested in liquid and in soft agar culture after transduction of p16 retrovirus. The results showed a strong inhibition of cell proliferation. Phosphorylation of RB protein was also inhibited. The findings demonstrated that p16 (MTS/CDKN2) inactivation is a significant factor in the genesis and progression of leukemia and p16 could be a candidate gene for gene therapy in leukemia.

To study the significance of calcium in the apoptosis of HL-60 cells induced by VP-16, the technology of flow cytometry, confocal laser scanning microscopy and Western blot were used. The results showed that VP-16 could induced the apoptosis of HL-60 cells and transient increase of intracellular calcium concentration; EGTA [ethylene glycol-bis(2-aminoethyl)-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid], that could combine the extracellular calcium, did not prevent the apoptosis of HL-60 cells. BAPTA-AM [1,2-bis(2-aminophenoxy) ethane-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid tetrakis (acetoxy-methyl) ester], however, a chelating agent of intracellular calcium ions, could prevent apoptosis and the release of cytochrome C from HL-60 cells. It was concluded that the calcium plays an important role in apoptosis and the release of cytochrome C.

For the purpose of thrombocytopenia gene therapy, recombinant RevTet-On and pRevTRE/TPO retrovirus were packaged and transfected to NIH3T3 after selected with G418 and hygromycin, the two inserting recombinant retrovirus cell strain RevTet-On3T3/TPO were established. TPO expression was controlled and regulated by doxycydine (Dox). After using Dox to control the expression of TPO in RevTet-On3T3/TPO cells, the result showed that when Dox is added to the RevTet-On3T3/TPO cells, cell populations expressed TPO highly in the presence of 2 mg/L of Dox, and lowly in the absence of Dox. By using the RevTet-On gene expression system (the retrovirus vector RevTet-On regulation system to control the expression gene by Dox), it could modulate the expression of multiple genes by tetracyline and its derivatives. This system maybe provides a safe and efficacient way for the thrombocy to penia gene therapy.