Efficacy of emergent transcatheter transplantation of stem cells for treatment of acute myocardial infarction (TCT-STAMI)

OBJECTIVE

To study whether emergent intracoronary autologous bone marrow cell transplantation (BMT) is applicable for the treatment of acute myocardial infarction (AMI).

METHODS

20 patients admitted within 24 h after the onset of a first AMI were randomly allocated to receive intracoronary autologous BMT (n = 10) or bone marrow supernatant (controls, n = 10) immediately after primary percutaneous coronary intervention. Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), left ventricular end diastolic internal diameter (LVDd) and myocardial perfusion defect scores were examined respectively by echocardiography and single-photon emission computed tomography at one week and six months after AMI.

RESULTS

From one week to six months after AMI, LVEF was enhanced from mean 53.8 (SD 9.2)% to 58.6 (9.9)% (p < 0.05) in the BMT group but was unchanged in the control group (58.2 (7.5)% v 56.3 (3.5)%, p > 0.05); LVDd remained unchanged (52.5 (2.8) v 52.1 (3.2) mm, p > 0.05) in the BMT group but was significantly enlarged in the control group (50.4 (6.0) v 55.2 (7.1) mm, p < 0.05). Additionally, myocardial perfusion defect scores decreased from 21 (11) to 13 (10) (p < 0.01) in the BMT group but were unchanged in the control group (20 (14) v 17 (15), p > 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Emergent intracoronary transplantation of bone marrow mononuclear cells after AMI is practicable, and it improved cardiac function, prevented myocardial remodelling and increased myocardial perfusion at six months' follow up.

Fascin is a potential biomarker for early-stage oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Fascin, an actin-binding protein, is usually expressed at a low level in normal epithelium, but is markedly up regulated in several types of carcinomas. Reports on fascin expression in oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) and precancerous lesions remain rare.

AIM

To show the roles of fascin in the progression from normal epithelium to invasive ESCC.

METHODS

Fascin expression in 102 sections embedded in paraffin wax, including samples of normal mucosa (n = 20), dysplasia (n = 10), ESCC (n = 62) and special sections (n = 10) of a full-length mucosa layer from the distant margin to the cancer focus of the excised oesophagus, and 49 fresh specimens of ESCC was analysed by immunohistochemistry, western blot and real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Fascin expression in ESCC cell lines was also investigated.

RESULTS

In the immunohistochemical study, the positive rate of fascin was significantly higher in the tumour tissue than in the normal epithelium (p = 0.020), but no significant difference was shown between ESCC and dysplasia (p = 1.000). Immunostaining for fascin was only apparent in the basal layer of the normal epithelium. However, in the dysplasia, positive staining was observed in most of the heterogeneous cells from the basal layer to the granular layer of the epithelium. Fascin expression was seen to increase progressively from the normal epithelium to invasive ESCC. Up regulation of fascin was observed in 87.76% (43/49) and 77.55% (38/49) of the specimens, respectively, using western blot and real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction assays; 80% (4/5) of ESCC cell lines also expressed fascin at a high level. Furthermore, overexpression of fascin was markedly correlated with cell proliferation and lymph node metastasis.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings suggested that fascin was associated with the transformation and development of ESCC and implicated the potential of fascin as a novel biomarker that would allow the tumour to be identified at an early stage in high-risk individuals.

Inhalation delivery of manganese superoxide dismutase-plasmid/liposomes protects the murine lung from irradiation damage

Intratracheal injection of manganese superoxide dismutase-plasmid/liposome (MnSOD-PL) complexes has been demonstrated to delay the onset and reduce the extent of ionizing irradiation-induced murine pulmonary organizing alveolitis/fibrosis. To facilitate translation of this modality to clinical fractionated radiotherapy, inhalation delivery of MnSOD-PL was developed using an ultrasonic nebulizer. Transgene product was quantitated by immunohistochemical quantitation and pulmonary tissue levels of MnSOD biochemical activity. C57BL/6NHsd female mice demonstrated a plasmid dose-dependent increased expression of MnSOD transgene product over the range of 250 microg-2.5 mg of MnSOD-PL administered over a constant 5 min interval. Delivery of a constant concentration of 500 microg of MnSOD-PL with varying times of administration ranging from 0.5 to 10 min demonstrated optimal MnSOD expression at 5 min. Mice pretreated by inhalation delivery of MnSOD-PL demonstrated significantly improved survival after 20 Gy single fraction irradiation to both lungs compared to LacZ-PL inhalation-treated or irradiated control mice. Mice receiving 10 fractions of 3.5 cGy demonstrated increased pulmonary MnSOD transgene product activity by a protocol of every Monday-Wednesday or daily inhalation of MnSOD-PL. Thus, inhalation radioprotective gene therapy using MnSOD-PL provides a practical and effective method for delivery of lung-specific radioprotection during fractionated radiotherapy protocols in a mouse model.

Relationship of coregulator and oestrogen receptor isoform expression to de novo tamoxifen resistance in human breast cancer

This study addresses the hypothesis that altered expression of oestrogen receptor-beta and/or altered relative expression of coactivators and corepressors of oestrogen receptors are associated with and may be mechanisms of de novo tamoxifen resistance in oestrogen receptor positive breast cancer. All cases were oestrogen receptor +, node negative, primary breast tumours from patients who later had no disease progression (tamoxifen sensitive) or whose disease progressed while on tamoxifen (tamoxifen resistant). Using an antibody to oestrogen receptor-beta that detects multiple forms of this protein (total) but not an antibody that detects only full-length oestrogen receptor-beta 1, it was found that high total oestrogen receptor beta protein expressors were more frequently observed in tamoxifen sensitive tumours than resistant tumours (Fisher's exact test, P=0.046). However, no significant differences in the relative expression of oestrogen receptor beta2, oestrogen receptor beta5 and full-length oestrogen receptor beta1 RNA in the tamoxifen sensitive and resistant groups were found. Also, when the relative expression of two known coactivators, steroid receptor RNA activator and amplified in breast cancer 1 RNA to the known corepressor, repressor of oestrogen receptor activity RNA, was examined, no significant differences between the tamoxifen sensitive and resistant groups were found. Altogether, there is little evidence for altered coregulators expression in breast tumours that are de novo tamoxifen resistant. However, our data provide preliminary evidence that the expression of oestrogen receptor beta protein isoforms may differ in primary tumours of breast cancer patients who prove to have differential sensitivity to tamoxifen therapy.

Polymorphism of metabolic genes and susceptibility to occupational chronic manganism

In this study we investigated genetic polymorphisms of five metabolizing genes and their association with occupational chronic manganism. We recruited 49 patients with chronic manganism and 50 unrelated healthy control subjects who were welders and ferromanganese smelters and occupationally exposed to manganese dust and fume in the same workshops from three metallurgical industries. The controls were matched to the cases by sex, age, cigarette and alcohol intake, as well as the manganese exposure duration. Polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) was used to genotype the cytochrome P450 2D6L gene (CYP2D6L) and the NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase gene (NQO1). Allele-specific PCR was used to detect the cytochrome P450 1A1 gene (CYP1A1), and the glutathione-S-transferase mu and theta genes (GSTM and GSTT). The frequency of polymorphic alleles, a mutation of CYP2D6L, was significantly lower in patients with chronic manganism (16.3%) than in controls (29.0%). Individuals with the homozygote polymorphism (L/L) of CYP2D6 had a 90% decreased risk of chronic manganism compared with the wild-type (Wt/Wt) (odds ratio =0.10, 95% confidence interval = 0.01-0.82). A significant association between the CYP2D6 genotype subgroup and the latency of chronic manganese poisoning was also found. Patients who had homozygous (L/L) or heterozygous (Wt/L) mutant alleles developed manganism an average of 10 years later than those who were homozygous wildtype (Wt/Wt). However, the allele and genotype frequencies of CYP1A1 and NQO1 genes were distributed similarly in cases and controls. In addition, no difference in the frequencies of GSTM1 and GSTT1 null genotypes were observed between cases and controls. The results suggest that CYP2D6L gene polymorphism might influence susceptibility to manganese-induced neurotoxicity. However, because of limited sample size, our results should be validated in large-scale studies.

[A study on expression of CD44V6 and PCNA in squamous cell carcinomas]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the expression of cluster of differentiation 44 variant 6 (CD44V6) and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) in squamous cell carcinomas (SCC) in eyes.

METHOD

Streptavidinbiotin peroxidase complex (SABC) immunohistochemical method was used to study the expression of CD44V6 and PCNA in 35 cases with squamous cell carcinoma in eyes, 20 cases with papilloma, 11 cases with normal eyelid tissue.

RESULTS

The CD44V6 positive rate was 62.9% (22/35) in squamous cell carcinomas in eyes, 15.0% (3/20) in papillomas, none in 11 cases with normal eyelid tissue. The positive expression rate of CD44V6 in the malignant group was significantly higher than that in the benign and control group, and the positive expression rate of CD44V6 in cases with metastasis was significantly higher than that without metastasis. PCNA labeling index (PI) in the CD44V6 positive expression of tumors was significantly higher than that in the CD44V6 negative expression of tumors (t = 20.21, P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

The over-expression of CD44V6 is correlated with the progress and metastasis of SCC. CD44V6 protein expression is correlated positively with PCNA expression, and the evaluation of both CD44V6 and PCNA is useful for predicting the prognosis.

Towards development of an edible vaccine against bovine pneumonic pasteurellosis using transgenic white clover expressing a Mannheimia haemolytica A1 leukotoxin 50 fusion protein

Development of vaccines against bovine pneumonia pasteurellosis, or shipping fever, has focused mainly on Mannheimia haemolytica A1 leukotoxin (Lkt). In this study, the feasibility of expressing Lkt in a forage plant for use as an edible vaccine was investigated. Derivatives of the M. haemolytica Lkt in which the hydrophobic transmembrane domains were removed were made. Lkt66 retained its immunogenicity and was capable of eliciting an antibody response in rabbits that recognized and neutralized authentic Lkt. Genes encoding a shorter Lkt derivative, Lkt50, fused to a modified green fluorescent protein (mGFP5), were constructed for plant transformation. Constructs were screened by Western immunoblot analysis for their ability to express the fusion protein after agroinfiltration in tobacco. The fusion construct pBlkt50-mgfp5, which employs the cauliflower mosaic virus 35S promoter for transcription, was selected and introduced into white clover by Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation. Transgenic lines of white clover were recovered, and expression of Lkt50-GFP was monitored and confirmed by laser confocal microscopy and Western immunoblot analysis. Lkt50-GFP was found to be stable in clover tissue after drying of the plant material at room temperature for 4 days. An extract containing Lkt50-GFP from white clover was able to induce an immune response in rabbits (via injection), and rabbit antisera recognized and neutralized authentic Lkt. This is the first demonstration of the expression of an M. haemolytica antigen in plants and paves the way for the development of transgenic plants expressing M. haemolytica antigens as an edible vaccine against bovine pneumonic pasteurellosis.

[The manufacturing of penicillin in China in 1940s]

A small modernized factory was established in early 1947, and developed into industrialized production. The manufacture of penicillin in China in the 1940s lay down the foundation for the industrialized production of penicillin in China which occupies an important position in the medical history of China.

Structure and conformation of DAB dendrimers in solution via multidimensional NMR techniques

NOESY-HSQC 3D-NMR and NOESY 2D-NMR techniques have been used on a 750 MHz spectrometer to study the chain conformations of different generation DAB dendrimers (poly[propylene imine] dendrimers) in chloroform and benzene solutions. The high-field multidimensional NMR techniques provided the chemical shift dispersion needed to resolve all of the unique resonances in the dendrimers. By studying the NOE interactions among dendritic chain protons, information about through space interactions between protons on different parts of the dendrimer chain is obtained, which is directly related to the conformation of the dendrimer. These experiments also give further proof of the chemical shift assignments obtained from the HMQC-TOCSY 2D and 3D NMR experiments. The concentration effects on chemical shifts have also been observed, revealing information about the interactions between solvent and different parts of dendrimer molecules. These studies clearly show for DAB dendrimers, that folded chain conformations can occur in nonpolar solvents such as benzene and extended chain conformations are predominant in polar solvents such as chloroform.

[A pathological study of lens subcapsular epithelial proliferation]

OBJECTIVE

To observe the histopathological changes of lens subcapsular epithelial proliferation and analyze their etiology.

METHODS

Sixty-four enucleated eyes with lens subcapsular epithelial proliferation were observed with light microscopy and analyzed retrospectively. Among all the cases of lens subcapsular epithelial proliferation, there were 36 ones enucleated because of trauma, 10 absolute glaucoma, 6 corneoscleral staphyloma, 5 intraocular tumor, 2 after cataract extraction, 4 endophthalmitis, 1 cataract combined with ocular atrophy (diabetes type II).

RESULTS

Proliferated lens subcapsular epithelial cells were atypical, irregularly arranged, and extended to the posterior subcapsule. In cases with lens capsular rupture or partial absence, there were subcapsular fibro-connective tissue metaplasia, scar tissue formation, cortical collapse, local liquefaction and calcification.

CONCLUSION

Lens subcapsular epithelial proliferation is caused by some intraocular pathological conditions. In cases with endophthalmitis and ocular trauma, its severity is the most serious.

Ocular histopathological changes after eyeball enucleation induced by corneal trauma

OBJECTIVE

To observe the ocular histopathological changes after eyeball enucleation induced by corneal trauma.

METHODS

Light microscopic examination was done on 117 eyeball specimens enucleated after corneal trauma (18 with corneal fissure and 99 with corneal perforating trauma).

RESULTS

Acute, subacute or chronic inflammatory changes, and fibrous membrane formation were observed in well-closed corneal wounds, whereas inflammation, atrophy and scar were observed in the focal tissues. But at the late period, secondary glaucoma, retinal detachment, endophthalmitis and eyeball atrophy resulted in blindness. Corneal fistula was observed in those with inadequate cure of wounds caused by ingrowth of corneal epithelium, embedment of iris and vitreous body, and large area of centrally located tissue deficiency of the corneal. A high incidence of endophthalmitis was noted due to the presence of corneal fistula. Severe inflammation was observed in the anterior segmental tissues with fibrous infiltration in the anterior chamber, which might result in rapid destruction of the eyeballs.

CONCLUSIONS

Ocular pathology varies with the difference of the position, form, size and closing conditions of the corneal laceration after trauma.

Regulation of growth and tumorigenicity of breast cancer cells by the low molecular weight GTPase Rad and nm23

Rad is the prototypic member of a family of novel Ras-related GTPases that is normally expressed in heart, skeletal muscle, and lung and that has been shown to exhibit a novel form of bi-directional interaction with the nm23 metastasis suppressor. In the present study, we have investigated the expression of Rad in normal and neoplastic breast tissues by Western blot and immunohistochemistry and the functional effect of altered Rad expression in breast cancer cell lines. We found that, although Rad is frequently expressed in normal breast tissue (23/30 Rad+ve), expression is usually lost in adjacent invasive carcinoma (8/30 Rad+ve; P < 0.0001). However, where Rad expression persists in a small proportion of tumors, it is associated with higher grade, larger size, and extensive axillary nodal involvement (n = 48; P = 0.035, P = 0.016, P = 0.022, respectively). Furthermore, Rad is also highly expressed in a breast cancer cell line with high tumorigenic and metastatic potential (MDA-MB231). To further examine the role of Rad in breast cancer, we stably transfected a Rad-ve breast cancer cell line (MDA-MB435). We observed an increase in growth and marked increased colony formation in soft agar in vitro (P < 0.05) and an increase in tumor growth rate in nude mice (P < 0.05). Moreover, coexpression of nm23 with wild-type Rad inhibited the effect of Rad on growth of these cells in culture and markedly inhibited tumor growth in vivo. Additional transfection studies with mutated Rad cDNAs revealed that the growth-promoting effects of Rad appeared to be mediated through its NH2- and COOH-terminal regions, rather than its GTPase domain, and might involve acceleration of cell cycle transition. These findings suggest that Rad may act as an oncogenic protein in breast tissues and demonstrate a potential mechanism by which interaction between Rad and nm23 may regulate growth and tumorigenicity of breast cancer.

Proliferation and differentiation of prostatic stromal cells

OBJECTIVES

To investigate the effects of androgen, transforming growth factor beta1 (TGF-beta) and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) on the proliferation and differentiation of prostatic stromal cells of the dog in vivo and human stromal cells in vitro.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Twenty-two dogs had their serum concentration of testosterone and oestradiol determined by radioimmunoassay before and after castration. Light microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and an in situ cell-death assay were carried out successively before and after castration to evaluate prostatic histomorphology. A semi-quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used to evaluate the expression of TGF-beta, bFGF and myosin in the canine prostate tissue after castration. In vitro serum-free cell cultures from human prostatic stroma were established and exposed to dihydrotestosterone (DHT), TGF-beta and bFGF in various concentrations. The proliferation of the cell cultures was detected by the tetrazolium assay. The differentiation from fibroblasts to smooth muscle cells (SMCs) was deduced by measuring the expression of SMC-specific proteins (myosin and smoothelin) using immunohistochemistry and RT-PCR.

RESULTS

Castration resulted in a significant decrease in circulating testosterone levels (P < 0.01), but did not affect the circulating oestradiol levels (P > 0.05). The prostatic stromal cells, including SMCs and fibroblasts, diminished and underwent a serial pathological change of atrophy and apoptosis after castration. The atrophic cells were filled with intracellular lipofuscin. The expression of SMC myosin declined after castration, coincident with the increase in TGF-beta mRNA level and decline in bFGF mRNA. In vitro, TGF-beta inhibited the growth of human prostatic stromal cells during exponential growth, while enhancing myosin staining and stimulating the expression of smoothelin in confluent cultured stromal cells. bFGF stimulated the growth of the culture and inhibited the expression of smoothelin. DHT caused a weak increase in the proliferation and expression of SMC-specific proteins (P < 0.05). However, DHT and bFGF together stimulated the proliferation of stromal cells significantly more than either agent alone (P < 0.01). The combination of DHT and TGF-beta greatly enhanced the expression of SMC-specific proteins (P < 0.01), more strongly than either alone (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

The whole prostate gland is an androgen-sensitive organ, with both the epithelium and stroma under the control of androgen. Androgen may direct the proliferation and differentiation of prostatic stromal cells by regulating the expression of TGF-beta and bFGF. Thus DHT, TGF-beta and bFGF may have important roles in regulating stromal cell homeostasis.

[A study on the expression of p16 protein and bcl-2 protein in cutaneous eyelid tumors]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the relationship between p16 (tumor suppressor) and bcl-2 (apoptosis inhibitor) gene expression and the incidence and development of eyelid malignant tumors.

METHODS

Streptavidin-biotin-peroxidase complex immunohistochemical method was used to study the expression of p16 gene and bcl-2 gene in 96 cases with eyelid malignant tumors.

RESULTS

In the 96 cases, including 40 cases of basal cell carcinoma (BCC), 33 squamous and 23 sebaceous carcinomas, their p16 protein positive (nuclear staining) rates were 70.0%, 54.6% and 56.5% respectively. The p16 positive rate was negatively correlated to the degree of tumor histological differentiation, and the rate difference between the high differentiated carcinoma and the low differentiated one was significant (P < 0.05). bcl-2 protein positive expression was detected in the cytoplasm. All of the 40 BCCs were bcl-2 positive and nearly all the tumor cells showed positive cytoplasmic expression, while in the 33 specimens of squamous cell carcinoma, only did one show positive focal reaction and the staining in other 32 cases was relatively faint. None of the 23 sebaceous carcinoma expressed bcl-2.

CONCLUSIONS

The expression of p16 protein is related to the occurrence and degree of differentiation of eyelid malignant tumors. The over-expression of bcl-2 protein suggests that suppression of apoptosis might play a role in the tumorigenesis of BCC.

[Effects of vitamin E and vitamin C on nonenzymatic glycation and peroxidation in experimental diabetic rats]

SD rats were peritoneally injected with streptozotocin (STZ) to establish diabetic animal model. The changes of nonenzymatic glycation and peroxidation in rats supplemented with vitamin C and/or vitamin E during five weeks were investigated. It was found that the glycated hemoglobin, glycated LDL, renal cortical AGEs and MDA in sera and renal cortex significantly decreased after supplementation of vitamins E and C jointly. It was also observed that the MDA in serum and the cortex of kidney but not glycated hemoglobin, glycated LDL and AGEs significantly decreased in the groups supplemented with vitamin C or vitamin E separately. The results suggested that joint supplementation of vitamin C and vitamin E could inhibit nonenzymatic glycation obviously and peroxidation in diabetic rats and protect the kidney from damage under hyperglycemia.