Annexin-1 downregulation is associated with clinical outcome in Chinese patients with hilar cholangiocarcinoma

AIMS

Annexin A1 (ANXA1) is a calcium- and phospholipid-binding protein and has been implicated in regulating inflammatory responses, cell proliferation and apoptosis. The evidence of its importance in carcinogenesis increased rapidly. However, the status of ANXA1 in hilar cholangiocarcinoma remains unclear. Here, we detected ANXA1 expression and determined its clinical significance in Chinese patients with hilar cholangiocarcinoma.

METHODS

Tissue microarray blocks containing tumor specimens obtained from 61 patients were constructed. Expression of ANXA1 in these specimens was analyzed using immunohistochemical studies.

RESULTS

ANXA1 expression was observed in 27 cases (44.3%). Loss of ANXA1 expression was significantly associated with lymph node metastases and histopathologic grade. ANXA1 expression has a significant inverse correlation with recurrence and poor survival in univariate analyses.Multivariate analyses revealed that loss of ANXA1 expression was an independent predictor for future recurrence and overall survival in patients with cholangiocarcinoma.

CONCLUSIONS

Decreased expression of ANXA1 is a common event in human hilar cholangiocarcinoma and is significantly correlated with the poor outcome of patients with cholangiocarcinoma, suggesting a potential role of ANXA1 in cancer development and progression.

Mannitol facilitates neurotrophic factor up-regulation and behavioural recovery in neonatal hypoxic-ischaemic rats with human umbilical cord blood grafts

We recently demonstrated that blood–brain barrier permeabilization using mannitol enhances the therapeutic efficacy of systemically administered human umbilical cord blood (HUCB) by facilitating the entry of neurotrophic factors from the periphery into the adult stroke brain. Here, we examined whether the same blood–brain barrier manipulation approach increases the therapeutic effects of intravenously delivered HUCB in a neonatal hypoxic-ischaemic (HI) injury model. Seven-day-old Sprague–Dawley rats were subjected to unilateral HI injury and then at day 7 after the insult, animals intravenously received vehicle alone, mannitol alone, HUCB cells (15k mononuclear fraction) alone or a combination of mannitol and HUCB cells. Behavioural tests at post-transplantation days 7 and 14 showed that HI animals that received HUCB cells alone or when combined with mannitol were significantly less impaired in motor asymmetry and motor coordination compared with those that received vehicle alone or mannitol alone. Brain tissues from a separate animal cohort from the four treatment conditions were processed for enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay at day 3 post-transplantation, and revealed elevated levels of GDNF, NGF and BDNF in those that received HUCB cells alone or when combined with mannitol compared with those that received vehicle or mannitol alone, with the combined HUCB cells and mannitol exhibiting the most robust neurotropic factor up-regulation. Histological assays revealed only sporadic detection of HUCB cells, suggesting that the trophic factor–mediated mechanism, rather than cell replacement per se, principally contributed to the behavioural improvement. These findings extend the utility of blood–brain barrier permeabilization in facilitating cell therapy for treating neonatal HI injury.

Polymer light-emitting electrochemical cells

A device configuration for light emission from electroactive polymers is described. In these light-emitting electrochemical cells, a p-n junction diode is created in situ through simultaneous p-type and n-type electrochemical doping on opposite sides of a thin film of conjugated polymer that contains added electrolyte to provide the necessary counterions for doping. Light-emitting devices based on conjugated polymers have been fabricated that operate by the proposed electrochemical oxidation-reduction mechanism. Blue, green, and orange emission have been obtained with turn-on voltages close to the band gap of the emissive material.

Surgical treatment of a 56-year-old woman with an intracardiac type of total anomalous pulmonary venous connection

Total anomalous pulmonary venous connection (TAPVC) is a rare congenital cardiac anomaly. Death usually occurs in the first 3 months of life in about 50% of neonates with this disease, and no more than 20% of patients survive to the age of 1 year. The patient with the longest recorded survival is 49 years old. Here, we report successful surgical treatment of this disease in a 56-year-old female patient. This patient was discharged in good health about 1 month after operation, with no evidence of recurrence of heart failure at 13 months' follow-up.

Adipogenesis in ducks interfered by small interfering ribonucleic acids of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma gene

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) participates in adipocyte differentiation and maintenance, including the promotion of lipid storage in mammals. In the present study, 3 duck PPARγ small interfering RNA (siRNA) expression plasmids were constructed to investigate the effect of downregulating the expression of PPARγ on adipogenesis and fat accumulation in ducks. The results indicate that the 3 siRNA specific for conserved regions of PPARγ can effectively inhibit expression of PPARγ. It was demonstrated that the expression of lipoprotein lipase and adipocyte fatty acid-binding protein in duck adipose tissue is repressed when the expression of PPARγ is downregulated by siRNA. At the same time, the weight of abdominal fat at 21 and 35 d of age is decreased significantly (P < 0.05) compared with the control. However, the triglyceride levels in serum and muscle are not affected when the mRNA of PPARγ is repressed. The current study indicates that the suppression of PPARγ reduces abdominal fat deposition and regulates adipogenesis in ducks.

Delta sleep-inducing peptide and glucocorticoid-induced leucine zipper: potential links between circadian mechanisms and obesity?

As the obesity pandemic has accelerated, investigators have begun to explore alternative mechanisms linking circadian biology and sleep to adipose tissue metabolism and obesity. This manuscript reviews recent findings in murine and human models demonstrating the oscillatory expression of the mRNAs encoding the core circadian regulatory proteins in adipose tissue. Comparative transcriptomic analyses of circadian oscillating genes have been used to identify the 'delta sleep-inducing peptide immunoreactor', also known as 'glucocorticoid-induced leucine zipper (GILZ)', as a potential link in this chain. The GILZ gene has been found to differentially regulate stromal stem cell adipogenic and osteogenic differentiation in a reciprocal manner. In adipose and other metabolically active tissues, the circadian oscillation of GILZ expression is subject to entrainment by external stimuli. Together, these observations suggest that GILZ is an attractive candidate for future studies evaluating the role of circadian mechanisms in adipose tissue physiology and pathology.

Expression profile of mRNAs encoding core circadian regulatory proteins in human subcutaneous adipose tissue: correlation with age and body mass index

Objective

Circadian mechanisms underlie the physiology of mammals as an adaptation to the earth’s rotation on its axis. Highly conserved core circadian regulatory proteins (CCRP) maintain an oscillatory expression profile in the central and peripheral tissues. The CCRP include both a positive and negative arm as well as downstream transcriptional regulators. Recent studies in murine models have determined that the mRNAs encoding the CCRP are present in multiple adipose tissue depots and exhibit a robust oscillatory expression profile. The current study set out to examine the expression of CCRP mRNAs in human subcutaneous adipose tissues.

Design

Retrospective analysis of total RNA isolated from subcutaneous adipose tissue.

Subjects

150 healthy female and male lean (BMI < 25), overweight (BMI between 25 and 29.99) or obese (BMI >30) subjects of varied ethnic backgrounds undergoing elective liposuction or surgical procedures.

Results

The expression of the CCRP mRNAs displayed a significant correlation between each other and mRNAs representative of adipogenic biomarkers. Hierarchical cluster analyses of mRNAs isolated from the cohort of female Caucasian subjects (n = 116) identified three major clusters based on expression of downstream CCRP mRNAs. The mRNAs encoding D site of albumin promoter binding protein (DBP), E4 promoter binding protein 4 (E4BP4), PPARγ Co-Activator 1β (PGC-1β), and Rev-erb α were negatively correlated with BMI in a lean cluster (n = 66), positively correlated with BMI in a younger overweight/obese cluster (n = 19), and not significantly correlated with BMI in an older, overweight/obese cluster (n = 31).

Conclusions

These data confirm and extend findings that link the CCRP and circadian mechanisms to the risk of obesity.

Rebound bursts in GABAergic neurons of the thalamic reticular nucleus in postnatal mice

Whole cell patch-clamp recordings from GABAergic cells of thalamic reticular nucleus (RTN) in thalamocortical slices made from postnatal day 6 (P6) to 10 (P10) were used to investigate the pattern of rebound bursts (RBs) triggered by an injection of hyperpolarizing current into RTN cells. The number of RBs in the RTN and the overlying Na(+)/K(+) spikes changed in an age-dependent manner. The generation of RBs depended largely on the amplitude of the after-hyperpolarizations (AHPs). RB patterns in response to hyperpolarizing current injection into relay cells were markedly different from RB patterns in RTN cells with an after-depolarization. GABA(A) receptor antagonist bicuculline methiodide (BMI) changed burst firing patterns, increasing the duration of RB and decreasing the amplitude of AHP in RTN cells. Furthermore, local puffs of NMDA in the presence of BMI induced RBs. K(+) channel blocker 4-aminopyridine partially mimicked the effect of BMI on AHPs. The shapes of RBs were altered by a selective CaMKII inhibitor KN-62, but not by an inactive analog KN-04.

Simvastatin Reduces OX40 and OX40 Ligand Expression in Human Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells and in Patients with Atherosclerotic Cerebral Infarction

This study investigated the effect of simvastatin on the expression of OX40 and OX40 ligand (OX40L) in vitro and in vivo. OX40 and OX40L mRNA and protein levels were measured in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells, using reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction and Western blot, respectively, in response to simvastatin alone or given in combination with interferon-γ, mevalonate or GW9662, a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPAR-γ) antagonist. Simvastatin induced down-regulation of OX40 and OX40L mRNA and protein in a concentration-dependent manner, and antagonized the interferon-γ-induced increase in OX40 and OX40L mRNA and protein levels. Mevalonate, but not GW9662, reversed the simvastatin-induced down-regulation of OX40 and OX40L expression, indicating that these effects were mediated through the mevalonate pathway. Serum levels of soluble OX40L and matrix metalloproteinase 9 levels were significantly reduced in patients with atherosclerotic cerebral infarction who were treated for 6 months with routine therapy plus simvastatin ( n = 46) compared with patients receiving routine therapy alone ( n = 30). These findings improve our understanding of the anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties of simvastatin treatment for atherosclerotic disorders.

Large-scale growth and characteristics of N-doped carbon nanotubes with ultra-large cavity

N-doped carbon nanotubes (CNTs) with ultra-large cavity have been synthesized by using a mixture of ZnO and graphite as catalyst in the floating catalyst method. The as-synthesized N-doped CNTs are very pure, and a striking characteristic structure is that the outer diameter is at least 10 times larger than the wall thickness. Moreover, electronic properties analysis reveals that the N-doped CNTs with ultra-large cavity have a reduced room temperature resistance compared with those of the common N-doped CNTs, which give an experimental prove for the previous theoretical predictions.

Effects of subchronic exposure to carbendazim on spermatogenesis and fertility in male rats

The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of subchronic exposure to carbendazim on spermatogenesis and fertility in male rats. Ninety-eight healthy male rats were divided into four groups: three exposure groups and a control group. Carbendazim was administered orally to male rats at 0, 20, 100 and 200 mg/kg for 80 days prior to mating. Each male was cohabited with an unexposed female for a maximum of 5 days. In 100 and 200 mg/kg groups, the mating index was relatively increased, the fertility index was decreased, and the testis weight, the sperm counts and motility were also decreased. The levels of luteinizing hormone (LH) showed a decreasing tendency and there was a statistical difference between the 200 mg/kg group and the control group. There were no obvious effects on the levels of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and testosterone (T). Histopathological evaluation showed atrophic seminiferous tubules, decreased germ cells, and increased sloughing of germ cells. Flow cytometric analysis of the testicular tissue revealed that carbendazim inhibited meiotic transformation and interfered with the spermatogenic process. These results suggest that carbendazim has adverse effects on spermatogenesis, resulting in reduced fertility in male rats.

Coherent three-level mixing in an electronic quantum dot

We observe magnetic-field-induced level mixing and quantum superposition phenomena between three approaching single-particle states in a quantum dot probed via the ground state of an adjacent quantum dot by single-electron resonant tunneling. The mixing is attributed to anisotropy and anharmonicity in realistic dot confining potentials. The pronounced anticrossing and transfer of strengths (both enhancement and suppression) between resonances can be understood with a simple coherent level mixing model. Superposition can lead to the formation of a dark state by complete cancellation of an otherwise strong resonance, an effect resembling coherent population trapping in a three-level-system of quantum and atom optics.

Health risk assessment of organic pollutants in Jiangsu reach of the Huaihe River, China

In order to evaluate the potential health risk to local public caused by water pollution in Jiangsu reach of the Huaihe River, various organic pollutants, including Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs), Organochlorine Pesticides (OCPs) and some other Semi-Volatile Organic Compounds (SVOCs), were determined. Preliminary health risk assessment (HRA) was performed by calculating the probability that the concentrations of detected compounds exceeded HHCWO (Human Health Criteria for Consumption of Water and Organism) after Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. The probabilities of posing a risk higher than 10(-6) for most potential carcinogens were greater than 0.5, and some even approximated 1. Further HRA for potential carcinogens was performed based on Monte Carlo simulation. Cumulative Risk Probability (CRP) was introduced to characterize risk. The result showed that 3,3'-dichlorobenzidine posed the highest risk. PAHs with 4 approximately 6 rings and some OCPs, such as heptachlorepoxide, aldrin and o,p'-DDT, also posed relatively high risk. Generally, there was a high level of heath risk in the study area. The study validated the high cancer incidence rate in areas along the Huaihe River.

Multiscale active contour model for vessel segmentation

This paper presents a novel multiscale active contour model for vessel segmentation. The model is based on accurate analysis of the vessel structure in the image. According to different scale response of the eigenvalues of local second order derivative (Hessian matrix), a new vessel region information function, which shows a valid estimation of the vesselness measure, is defined. We introduce the posteriori probability estimation into the active contours framework and design a new objective function. The defined objective function is minimized using the variational method, and a new region-based external force is obtained, which is more accurate to the vessel structure and not sensitive to the initial condition. This active contour model combines the obtained region-based and conventional boundary-based force, which aims at finding more accurate vessel edges even when the vessel branches are low contrast or blurry. Furthermore, the proposed model is implemented by an implicit method of level set framework, the solution of which is steady and suitable for various topology changes. Moreover, two new speed functions for vessel segmentation in the level set method are presented, one for fast marching and the other for a narrow-band algorithm. The vessel segmentation experiments compared with previous geometric active contour models are shown on several medical images. The experimental results demonstrate the performance of our approach.

Turbulence with combined stratification and rotation: Limitations of Corrsin's hypothesis

The properties of one-particle and particle-pair diffusion in rotating and stratified turbulence are studied by applying the rapid distortion theory to a kinematic simulation of the Boussinesq equation with a Coriolis term. We discuss the simplified Corrsin hypothesis and restrict the validity of its predictions to pure rotation. We emphasize the existence of two tau regimes driven by very different physics when rotation is present. Particular attention is given to the locality-in-scale hypothesis for two-particle diffusion in both the horizontal and the vertical directions.