Mitochondrial ND3 G10398A mutation: a biomarker for breast cancer

Mitochondrial DNA mutations have been found to play important roles in carcinogenesis. The most common G10398A mutation, a non-conservative amino acid substitution from Thr to Ala, seems to be involved in the tumorigenesis of breast cancer. Results from studies concerning this mutation remain inconclusive. In the current study, we first took clinical and molecular datasets from case-control studies to determine the association between the G10398A mutation and breast cancer. We further used the Phylotree to determine the haplogroups of this mutation. The frequencies of this mutation in 500 unrelated healthy controls were also screened. We found that this mutation is very common in the human population, and may be a polymorph.

Treatment of tibia avulsion fracture of posterior cruciate ligament with high-strength suture fixation under arthroscopy

Aim

To evaluate the outcome of arthroscopy treatment using high-strength line in the treatment of tibial avulsion fracture of posterior cruciate ligament.

Methods

Both the avulsed bone block and the tibia bone bed were refreshed. The procedure was completed with the assistance of PCL director drill guide. The reduction and fixation using high-strength line were used to fix the avulsed bone by from posterior middle portal. Rehabilitation began early postoperatively.

Results

From January 2010 to June 2012, a total of 18 arthroscopically treated cases of PCL tibial avulsion fracture were retrospectively evaluated. Reduction of the avulsion fragment was obtained in all cases. 16 cases were followed up for 7–30 months (average 13.6), and 2 cases were out of follow-up. In the 16 followed patients, flexion and extension were back to normal within 6 weeks, and return to normal walk in 12 weeks. The bone healing was good without any vascular or nerve complications. All the patients regained the preinjury activity level. The mean score (and standard deviation) increased from 38.9 ± 4.9 points to 95.2 ± 3.8 points with the system of Lysholm, from 57.1 ± 10.3 points to 94.3 ± 4.4 points with the system of IKDC. Post-test displacement of KT3000 declined from 3.6 ± 0.39 to 1.1 ± 0.27 mm.

Conclusion

Arthroscopic vertical fixation by high-strength line is a simple, safe, reliable, and micro-invasive treatment to PCL tibial avulsion fracture. It is a kind of real all arthroscopic technique, and good for early postoperative rehabilitation. The total stability of the knee could be gained, and the second operation to remove the internal fixation is avoided.

Possible Role of Raf-1 Kinase in the Development of Cerebral Vasospasm and Early Brain Injury After Experimental Subarachnoid Hemorrhage in Rats

This study aims to clarify the potential role of Raf-1 kinase in cerebral vasospasm (CVS) and early brain injury (EBI) after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). Two experimental SAH models in rats, including cisterna magna double injection model for CVS study and prechiasmatic cistern single injection model for EBI study, were performed in this research. As a specific inhibitor of Raf-1, BAY 43-9006 was used in this study. In CVS study, time course study showed that the basilar artery exhibited vasospasm after SAH and became most severe at day 5, and the phosphorylation of Raf-1 had the same trends, while both vasospasm and the phosphorylation of Raf-1 induced by SAH were inhibited by BAY 43-9006 treatment. In addition, BAY 43-9006 treatment significantly reversed the phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and the activation of NF-κB induced by SAH and decreased the messenger RNA (mRNA) levels of IL-6 and IL-1β. In EBI study, BAY 43-9006 treatment significantly suppressed the brain injury induced by SAH. Besides, BAY 43-9006 inhibited the phosphorylation of Raf-1 and ERK1/2; decreased the protein levels of COX-2, VEGF, and MMP-9; and reversed the activation of NF-κB induced by SAH. These results demonstrate that Raf-1 kinase contributes to CVS and EBI after SAH by enhancing the activation of the Raf-1/ERK1/2 and Raf-1/NF-κB signaling pathways, and that the inhibition of these pathways might offer new treatment strategies for CVS and EBI.

Effects of Three Feeding Systems on Production Performance, Rumen Fermentation and Rumen Digesta Particle Structure of Beef Cattle

The effects of three different feeding systems on beef cattle production performance, rumen fermentation, and rumen digesta particle structure were investigated by using 18 Limousin (steers) with a similar body weight (575±10 kg) in a 80-d experiment. The animals were equally and randomly divided into three treatment groups, namely, total mixed ration group (cattle fed TMR), SI1 group (cattle fed concentrate firstly then roughage), and SI2 group (cattle fed roughage firstly then concentrate). The results showed that the average daily gain was significantly higher in cattle receiving TMR than in those receiving SI1 and SI2 (p<0.05). Consumption per kg weight gain of concentrate, silage, and combined net energy (NEmf) were significantly decreased when cattle received TMR, unlike when they received SI1 and SI2 (p<0.05), indicating that the feed efficiency of TMR was the highest. Blood urea nitrogen (BUN) was significantly decreased when cattle received TMR compared with that in cattle receiving SI1 (p<0.05), whereas there was no difference compared with that in cattle receiving SI2. Ammonia nitrogen concentration was significantly lower in cattle receiving TMR than in those receiving SI1 and SI2 (p<0.05). The rumen area of cattle that received TMR was significantly larger than that of cattle receiving SI1 (p<0.05), but there was no difference compared with that of cattle receiving SI2. Although there was no significant difference among the three feeding systems in rumen digesta particle distribution, the TMR group trended to have fewer large- and medium-sized particles and more small-sized particles than those in the SI1 and SI2 groups. In conclusion, cattle with dietary TMR showed increased weight gain and ruminal development and decreased BUN. This indicated that TMR feeding was more conducive toward improving the production performance and rumen fermentation of beef cattle.

Feasibility of a novel abluminal groove-filled biodegradable polymer sirolimus-eluting stent in patients with complex anatomical and clinical scenarios

AIM

We aimed to investigate the feasibility, initial safety and efficacy of coronary intervention using FIREHAWK®, a novel abluminal groove-filled biodegradable polymer sirolimus-eluting stent (SES), in patients with complex anatomical and clinical scenarios.

METHODS

A total of 57 patients (79 lesions) with complex anatomical and clinical scenarios implanted with the FIREHAWK® SES between March and November 2014 were studied. The primary endpoint was target lesion failure (TLF), a composite endpoint of cardiac death, target vessel-myocardial infarction (TV-MI), and ischemia-driven target lesion revascularization (iTLR). Optical coherence tomography and intravascular ultrasound was performed according to the discretion of operators.

RESULTS

28.1% of patients presented acute myocardial infarction and all patients had at least one of the following anatomical and locational complexity: multi-vessel disease (64.9%), left main disease (24.6%), chronic total occlusion (17.5%), bifurcation (56.1%), and heavily calcified lesions (10.5%). One patients experienced coronary perforation during the procedure and resolved without any additional treatment. Device success was 100%, clinical success was 100%. There was 1 (1.8%) TLF occurred at follow-up of 150 ± 65 days. One patients had non-iTLR. Out of 2 non-Q-wave MI, 1 patient experienced TV-MI, but no death and stent thrombosis were reported. OCT and IVUS imaging showed a high rate of covered struts and low neointimal hyperplasia at follow-up.

CONCLUSION

The study showed the feasibility, initial safety and efficacy of coronary intervention using FIREHAWK® SES for treating patients with complex anatomical and clinical scenarios. The performance of the FIREHAWK® SES in complex patients justifies the conduct of a large, randomized trial.

Dimethylfumarate alleviates early brain injury and secondary cognitive deficits after experimental subarachnoid hemorrhage via activation of Keap1-Nrf2-ARE system

OBJECT

Oxidative stress and the inflammatory response are thought to promote brain damage in the setting of subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). Previous reports have shown that dimethylfumarate (DMF) can activate the Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1-nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2-antioxidant-responsive element (Keap1-Nrf2-ARE) system in vivo and in vitro, which leads to the downregulation of oxidative stress and inflammation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential neuroprotective effect of DMF on SAH-induced brain injury in rats.

METHODS

Rats were subjected to SAH by the injection of 300 μl of autologous blood into the chiasmatic cistern. Rats in a DMF-treated group were given 15 mg/kg DMF twice daily by oral gavage for 2 days after the onset of SAH. Cortical apoptosis, neural necrosis, brain edema, blood-brain barrier impairment, learning deficits, and changes in the Keap1-Nrf2-ARE pathway were assessed.

RESULTS

Administration of DMF significantly ameliorated the early brain injury and learning deficits induced by SAH in this animal model. Treatment with DMF markedly upregulated the expressions of agents related to Keap1-Nrf2-ARE signaling after SAH. The inflammatory response and oxidative stress were downregulated by DMF therapy.

CONCLUSIONS

DMF administration resulted in abatement of the development of early brain injury and cognitive dysfunction in this prechiasmatic cistern SAH model. This result was probably mediated by the effect of DMF on the Keap1-Nrf2-ARE system.

Transcriptome profiling of muscle by RNA-Seq reveals significant differences in digital gene expression profiling between Angus and Luxi cattle

The development of massively parallel sequencing technologies enables the sequencing of total cDNA to identify unigene expression and to discover novel regions of transcription. Here, we report the first use of RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) to find the digital gene expression profiles (DGEs) associated with the growth and development of muscle in Chinese Luxi and Angus beef cattle. More than 9 243 921 clean reads were found in samples of muscle tissue. We found 232 DGEs between Luxi cattle and Angus cattle (false discovery ratio ≤0.001 and |log2 ratio| ≥1). Among the DGEs, we determined that 147 genes were downregulated and 85 genes were upregulated. Gene Ontology and KEGG Pathway analyses were performed to analyse the biological role of the DGEs and determine their contribution to the differences seen in muscle growth and development between local Chinese Luxi cattle and the introduced Angus cattle. The results suggest that RNA-Seq is a useful tool for predicting differences in gene expression between Luxi and Angus beef cattle; moreover, our results provides unprecedented resolution of mRNAs that are expressed across the two breeds.

The Neuroprotection of Lysosomotropic Agents in Experimental Subarachnoid Hemorrhage Probably Involving the Apoptosis Pathway Triggering by Cathepsins via Chelating Intralysosomal Iron

α-Lipoic acid-plus (LAP), an amine derivative of α-lipoic acid (LA), could protect cells against oxidant challenges via chelating intralysosomal iron. However, the application of LAP in experimental subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is still not well known. This study was designed to evaluate the potential neuroprotection of LAP on the early brain injury (EBI) and the underlying mechanisms in a rat model of SAH. The SAH models were induced in Sprague-Dawley rats. LA and LAP were oral administration and lasted for 72 h once a day. The brain tissue samples were obtained for assay at 72 h after SAH. In experiment 1, we found that lysosome amounts in neurons decreased significantly in SAH group, and LAP (100 mg/kg) could stabilize lysosomal membrane markedly based on lysosomal-associated membrane protein-1 (LAMP-1) expression in neurons by immunofluorescence. Hence, the LAP dosages of 100 and 150 mg/kg were applied in experiment 2. Firstly, Western blot analysis showed that the protein levels of cathepsin B/D, caspase-3, Bax, ferritin, and heme-oxygenase-1 (HO-1) markedly increased after SAH, which were further confirmed by double immunofluorescence staining and reversed by LA and LAP treatments. In addition, LA and LAP also reduced oxidative stress and iron deposition in brain tissue. Furthermore, LA and LAP significantly ameliorated brain edema, blood-brain barrier injury, cortical apoptosis, and neurological behavior impairment induced by SAH. Finally, it is noteworthy that LAP exerted more significant effects than LA on these parameters as described above. LAP probably exerted neuroprotective effects via targeting lysosomes and chelating intralysosomal iron in EBI post-SAH in rats.

Melatonin alleviates secondary brain damage and neurobehavioral dysfunction after experimental subarachnoid hemorrhage: possible involvement of TLR4-mediated inflammatory pathway

Previous studies proved that melatonin protected against secondary brain damage by modulating oxidative stress after experimental subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), but it has not been evaluated yet about its effects on inflammatory pathway and secondary cognitive dysfunction in SAH model. This study was undertaken to evaluate the influence of melatonin on toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) signaling pathway and neurobehavioral tests after SAH. Adult SD rats were divided into four groups: control group (n = 20), SAH group (n = 20), SAH+vehicle group (n = 20), and SAH+melatonin group (n = 20). The rat SAH model was induced by injection of 0.3 mL fresh arterial, nonheparinized blood into the prechiasmatic cistern in 20 s. In SAH+melatonin group, melatonin was administered i.p. at 150 mg/kg at 2 and 24 hr after the induction of SAH. Cognitive and memory changes were investigated in the Morris water maze. Treatment with melatonin markedly decreased the expressions of TLR4 pathway-related agents, such as high-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1), TLR4, nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS). Administration of melatonin following SAH significantly ameliorated spatial learning and memory deficits in this prechiasmatic blood injection model. Staining of apoptosis and necrosis indicated that fewer positive cells appeared in melatonin-treated group than SAH+vehicle group. In conclusion, melatonin may attenuate neurobehavioral dysfunction in this SAH model, and melatonin exhibits neuroprotection possibly not only through anti-oxidative pathway but also anti-inflammatory signaling after experimental SAH.

Correlation of Nrf2 and HIF-1α in glioblastoma and their relationships to clinicopathologic features and survival

OBJECTIVES

Glioblastoma (GB) is the most common, aggressive, and proliferative among all brain tumors. The prognosis of GB is still far from satisfactory currently, thus demanding great modification and enhancement, which may be acquired by the help of the molecular target therapy. Nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), a pivotal transcriptional factor of cellular responses to oxidative stress, was observed to function remarkably in cancer pathobiology. In the current study, we analyzed the correlation between Nrf2 and Hypoxia-inducible factor-1alpha (HIF-1alpha) in GB, together with their association to the features and survival of clinicopathology.

METHODS

We examined the expression of Nrf2 and HIF-1alpha in 68 specimens of GB by tissue microarray and immunohistochemistry, and correlated this investigation to the outcome of GB patients.

RESULTS

Nrf2 and HIF-1alpha were overexpressed in GB tissues. There was significant correlation between the high level of Nrf2 and tumor necrosis on MRI and 1-year survival. There was significant correlation between HIF-1alpha level and Nrf2 status (r = 0·294, P = 0·015). Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that high Nrf2 expression was significantly associated with shorter overall survival (OS) (log-rank test, P = 0·006), and was identified as an independent prognostic factor in multivariate analysis (P = 0·034). HIF-1alpha was another independent factor for both OS and progression-free survival by Cox regression analysis (P = 0·048 and P = 0·032, respectively).

DISCUSSION

Mutual association between Nrf2 and HIF-1alpha was found in GB: higher Nrf2 expression and poorer outcome of GB patients. Nrf2 would therefore be a new molecular marker for the targeted treatment of GB.

How accurate is the electronic health record? - a pilot study evaluating information accuracy in a primary care setting

BACKGROUND

Electronic health records (EHR) are increasingly used for both administrative and clinical tasks with major implications for patient safety and quality of care. This study aims to determine a baseline EHR level of accuracy present on measurable information fields within an Australian general practice.

METHODS

Quantitative and descriptive pilot study of patients attending a private general practice. Patients who consented to participate in the study had their patient records reviewed to determine how many items were correct, incorrect or not recorded in each EHR information field. Statistical analysis was performed on the data collected.

RESULTS

A total of 33 patients gave consent to participate in this study. High levels of accuracy were found in the area of demographic details (94%). Moderately high levels of accuracy were reported for allergies (61%) but also a considerable percentage of non-recorded information was present (36%). Inaccuracies in medication lists were reported in 51% of records reviewed with 32.1% of all medications being inaccurately recorded. While over 91% of participants had a history summary with eight or less items present, omissions were reported for one in every five participants. There were no significant associations present between inaccurate data and frequency of practice visits or those with more than five past medical conditions listed in the EHR.

CONCLUSION

The study has confirmed that errors and inaccuracies exist in EHR in our Australian pilot study. The pilot study has also allowed us to complete a trial ensuring that a study of this type can be done safely and with correct methodology. As health informatics plays an increasingly important role in health care, studies of this type will better inform practitioners/ researchers in designing systems to ensure quality electronic patient information.

[Septorhinoplasty for nasal deviation complicated with septal cartilage deformity]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate a method for safe, simple and effective correction of nasal deviation complicated with the deformity of nasal septal cartilage.

METHODS

From one side of the septal cartilage, the whole muco-perichondrium was separated, and from the other side a U-shaped muco-perichondrium was separated. The bottom of the septal cartilage was freed while a part of cartilage connected with the vomer was reserved.

RESULTS

12 patients were operated on with this technique for nasal deviation from March 1996 to August 1999. The follow-up period ranged from 1 to 12 months. The overall result was successful in all cases except one of recurrence.

CONCLUSION

This technique not only provides wide space for removing the spetal cartilage, but also creates a cartilaginous framework to support the septal cartilage in the middle without lowing the nasal tip, which avoids the tendency of migrating to its original position caused by external fixation. This technique also ensures replacing the septal cartilage in the midline regardless of the deformity of anterior nasal spine and the vomer.

[Cloning and primary expression analyses of down-regulated cDNA fragment in human gastric cancer]

OBJECTIVE

To identify human gastric cancer related genes.

METHODS

Specimens of paired tumor, paratumor and normal gastric mucosa tissues were collected from five patients (male 3, female 2, with average age 48.8 +/- 18.1 years) who suffered from stomach antrum adenocarcinoma. Total RNA samples were extracted from these specimens, then studied by fluorescent differential display reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (DDRT- PCR) analysis. The differentially expressed bands of interest were recovered, purified and cloned, then they were analyzed by sequencing, Northern blot and RT-PCR. Through BLAST, the sequencing results were compared with GenBank database for homology analysis.

RESULTS

One of the interesting cDNA bands expressed much lower in all five tested tumor samples than in their normal and paratumor counterparts. This band was named W4. Northern blot analysis showed a consistent result with that of DDRT-PCR. W4 was cloned into pGEM-T easy vector. Sequence analysis showed that W4 consists of 712bp, this sequence was named W44. BLAST analysis revealed that W44 has extremely low sequence identity with any genes from GenBank and any sequences from EST database. This sequence data was submitted to GenBank with accession No. AF150631. RT-PCR analysis showed that W4 was expressed much lower in 11/15 gastric cancer tissue than in paratumor and normal samples.

CONCLUSION

A novel cDNA sequence related to human stomach adenocarcinoma was identified.

Flow cytometric analysis of androgen receptor expression in human prostate tumors and benign tissues

Androgen receptor (AR) plays an important role in growth and hormonal therapy of human prostate tumors. Immunohistochemical analysis of AR expression, a nonquantitative technique, is currently used for screening of receptor expression in prostate tissues. The present report describes a laser flow cytometric method for monitoring AR expression in human cell lines and in archival formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded prostate tissues and tumors. Multiparametric flow analysis can be used for simultaneous detection of other cellular markers (e.g., DNA aneuploidy), and by gated analysis, AR expression in subpopulations of a tumor can be quantitatively determined.

PAH emission from the industrial boilers

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) emitted from 25 industrial boilers were investigated. The fuels used for these 25 boilers included 21 heavy oil, two diesel, a co-combustion of heavy oil and natural gas (HO+NG) and a co-combustion of coke oven gas and blast furnace gas (COG+BFG) boilers. PAH samples from the stack flue gas (gas and particle phases) of these 25 boilers were collected by using a PAH stack sampling system. Twenty one individual PAHs were analyzed primarily by a gas chromatography/mass spectrometer (GC/MS). Total-PAH concentration in the flue gas of 83 measured data for these 25 boiler stacks ranged between 29.0 and 4250 microg/m(3) and averaged 488 microg/m(3). The average of PAH-homologue mass (F%) counted for the total-PAH mass was 54.7%, 9.47% and 15.3% for the 2-ring, 3-ring and 4-ring PAHs, respectively. The PAHs in the stack flue gas were dominant in the lower molecular weight PAHs. The emission factors (EFs) of total-PAHs were 13,300, 2920, 2880 and 208 microg/kg-fuel for the heavy oil, diesel, HO+NG and COG+BFG fueled-boiler, respectively. Nap was the most predominant PAH occurring in the stack flue gas. In addition, the EF of 21 individual PAHs in heavy-oil boiler were almost the highest among the four various fueled-boilers except for those of FL and BkF in the diesel boiler. Furthermore, the EF of total-PAHs or BaP for heavy oil were both one order of magnitude higher than that for the diesel-fueled boiler.

Differential sensitivity of human mammary epithelial and breast carcinoma cell lines to curcumin

Curcumin has anti-inflammatory, antiproliferative, and antitumor effects. To understand the chemopreventive mechanism of curcumin against human malignancies, the cellular and molecular changes induced by this agent in human mammary epithelial (MCF-10A) and breast carcinoma (MCF- 7/TH) cell lines were investigated. The human multidrug- resistant breast cancer cell line was 3.5 fold more sensitive to curcumin than the mammary epithelial cell line. Even though both cell lines accumulated a similar amount of curcumin, a significantly higher percentage of apoptotic cells was induced in breast cancer cells compared to a very low percentage of apoptosis in mammary epithelial cells. Incubation of breast cancer cells with 20 and 40 microM curcumin for 24 h induced G2 block and sub-G0/G1 cell population, respectively. Curcumin treatment caused a reduction in the expression of Ki67, PCNA, and p53 mRNAs in breast cancer cells. The human mammary epithelial cell line showed a down-regulation of p21 mRNA and an up-regulation of Bax mRNA expression with curcumin treatment. The results suggest that apoptosis is involved in the curcumin-induced inhibition of tumor cell growth, and genes associated with cell proliferation and apoptosis may be playing a role in the chemopreventive action of curcumin.

Phorbol ester-induced P-glycoprotein phosphorylation and functionality in the HTB-123 human breast cancer cell line

The discordance between P-glycoprotein (P-gp) expression and functionality [as measured by the efflux of doxorubicin (DOX)] was analyzed in a DOX-sensitive human breast cancer cell line (HTB-123) with high reactivity against four P-gp specific monoclonal antibodies (C219, MRK-16, UIC2, and 4E3). Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blotting analyses confirmed the overexpression of MDR1 mRNA and P-gp in this cell line. However, incubation of cells with efflux blockers, verapamil (VPL) or dipyridamole (DPD), did not enhance cellular (DOX) accumulation or cytotoxicity. Upon incubation with 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA), HTB-123 cells retained less DOX than control cells and were sensitive to the efflux blockers verapamil or dipyridamole. These observations suggest that 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate-induced P-gp phosphorylation may be associated with induction of P-gp-mediated drug efflux in the HTB-123 cell line.

[Quantitative determination of ursolic acid in Herba cynomorii by ultraviolet spectrophotometry]

Ursolic acid was isolated form Herba Cynomorii by thin layer chromatography and was quantitatively determined by ultraviolet spectrophotometry. The results indicate that the content of ursolic acid is 0.78%. The average recovery rate of ursolic acid is 97.4%, RSD = 0.45% (n = 4).

Bcl-2 and mdr-1 gene expression during doxorubicin-induced apoptosis in murine leukemic P388 and P388/R84 cells

The induction of apoptosis by doxorubicin (DOX) alone or in the presence of efflux blockers, verapamil (VPL) or trifluoperazine (TFP), and of bcl-2 and mdr-1 gene expression was analyzed in murine leukemic P388 and doxorubicin resistant P388/R84 cells. Incubation with DOX (0.1-1 microM) for 24 hours induced apoptosis in sensitive cells but not in the resistant P388/R84 cells. Flow cytometric analysis of apoptosis by terminal dideoxynucleotidyl (TdT) assay showed that 1 microM DOX induced apoptosis in 70% of P388 cells and in less than 5% of P388/R84 cells. When P388/R84 resistant cells were co-incubated with DOX and efflux blockers (10 microM VPL or 15 microM TFP), enhanced cellular DOX accumulation was accompanied by apoptosis. Quantitative analysis of DNA fragmentation by 14C-thymidine incorporation and gel electrophoresis of fragmented DNA confirmed the results from TdT assay and showed enhancement of DOX-induced DNA fragmentation in the presence of efflux blockers (VPL or TFP). DOX + VPL and DOX + TFP combination treatments induced apoptosis in upto 55% and 83% of P388/R84 cells, respectively. mdr-1 mRNA and P-gp expression were not altered during DOX-induced apoptosis. The results suggest that in murine leukemic cells, down-regulation of bcl-2 mRNA expression occurs during DOX-induced apoptosis and it depends on the cellular drug retention determined by mdr-1/P-gp drug efflux.

Sickle cell anemia causes a distinct pattern of glomerular dysfunction

We characterized glomerular function in adults with sickle cell anemia (SSA): 12 with normal renal function (SSA-controls), and 15 with renal insufficiency (SSA-CRF). GFR was similar in SSA-controls and healthy-controls, however, renal plasma flow was increased in SSA-controls. In SSA-CRF, the albumin and IgG excretion rates were enhanced. The fractional clearances of all dextran sizes (26 to 64 A) were significantly increased in both SSA-controls and SSA-CRF versus healthy-controls. In SSA-CRF, the fractional clearance of dextrans > 58 A was enhanced. Analysis with an "isoporous+shunt" model revealed an increase in the mean restrictive pore radius (ro) by 5 A in SSA-controls and SSA-CRF, versus healthy-controls. In SSA-CRF, the total number of membrane pores was reduced > 70%, and the shunt parameter increased twofold. We conclude that SSA patients have a distinct pattern of glomerular dysfunction with generalized increased permeability to dextrans, resulting from an increase in pore radius. When CRF develops, the total number of membrane pores is reduced, and a size-selectivity defect occurs. The changes in dextran permeability cannot be attributed to purely hemodynamic changes (increased RPF or low filtration fraction), or to known modulators of membrane porosity. These findings suggest that unique mechanism(s) are implicated in the pathogenesis of sickle glomerulopathy.

[The correlation of TGF-alpha, EGFR in precancerous lesions and carcinoma of stomach with PCNA expression]

OBJECTIVE

To assess the changes and possible role of expression of TGF-alpha and EGFR in gastric carcinogenesis and its relationship with PCNA labelling index (PCNA LI).

METHODS

Immunohistochemical study using LSAB kit.

RESULTS

(1) The expression of TGF-alpha was increased in normal mucosa and metaplastic tissue near the carcinoma when compared with non-cancer controls (P < 0.01). (2) Increased expression of EGFR was found in the intestinal metaplastic and dysplastic areas compared with nomral mucosa and carcinoma tissue (P < 0.01). (3) Coexpression rate of TGF-alpha and EGFR was higher in dysplasia than in other tissues (P < 0.01). (4) There was a close correlation between the intensities of TGF-alpha, EGFR and PCNA. (5) The expression of TGF-alpha, EGFR and PCNA was not related to infiltration and lymph node metastasis of gastric carcinoma.

CONCLUSION

The increased expression of EGFR, TGF-alpha may serve as an important molecular marker of gastric premalignant lesions when combined with measurement of PCNA LI and may be of assistance in screening of early gastric carcinoma in high risk populations.

Overexpression of c-myc gene without gene amplification in human hepatocellular carcinoma

OBJECTIVE

To clarify the relationship between c-myc gene amplification and expression in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tissue.

METHODS

Levels of amplification, transcription and P62 myc expression of c-myc gene in tumor tissues and corresponding non-tumor tissues were systematically studied using Dot blot hybridization, in situ hybridization and immunohistochemical technique, respectively. The 14 pairs of specimens were resected from patients with HCC.

RESULTS

The amplification of c-myc gene was not found in tumor and non-tumor tissues. Overexpression of c-myc mRNA transcription was detected in 11 tumor tissues and 10 non-tumor tissues. The positive rate of P62 myc was 85.7% (12/14) in tumor tissues and 92.9% (13/14) in non-tumor tissues, respectively. A close correlation was noticed between c-myc mRNA and P62 myc expression. The results suggested that c-myc gene overexpression was not related to its amplification.

CONCLUSIONS

The overexpression of c-myc mRNA and gene product without amplification may be characteristic in HCC.

[Overexpression of c-myc and p53 gene in human hepato-cellular carcinoma--a study with immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization]

Immunohistochemistry (ABC method) and in situ hybridization (DNA-RNA) were used to detect c-myc and p53 gene expression in tissues of human HCC and nearby non-tumorous liver (NT) from 23 patients. The results showed that the positive rates of P62c-myc were 87% (20/23) in HCC and 91% (21/23) in NT. The positive rates of P53 protein were 39% (9/23) in HCC as well as in NT. The positive rates of c-myc and p53 mRNA were 70% (16/23) and 56% (13/23) in HCC and NT respectively. The expression of c-myc and p53 at protein level was significantly correlated with that at mRNA level. These observations suggest a close association of c-myc and p53 gene overexpression with hepatocarcinogenesis. Immunohistochemistry (ABC method) on section of paraffin embedded tissue is a reliable method for detecting c-myc and p53 gene expression in HCC.

Simultaneous visualization of G- and F-actin in endothelial cells

We developed site-specific fluorescent probes that permit simultaneous microscopic observation of G- and F-actin in bovine endothelial cells. G-actin distribution was visualized with fluorescein-deoxyribonuclease I (DNAse I). F-actin was labeled with phalloidin conjugated to the new long-wavelength fluorophore BODIPY 581/591 (581-nm excitation, 591-nm emission), which is spectrally similar to Texas Red. The G-actin appeared as pervasive green fluorescence that was more intense in the nuclear region, where cell thickness is greater and stress fibers are less frequent. In addition, we observed a punctate fluorescein pattern around the nuclei and in other parts of the cells, suggesting that some G-actin is localized to small discrete sites. F-actin was observed as red fluorescent filaments. Unlabeled DNAse I effectively prevented staining of G-actin by the fluorescent DNAse I conjugates. The specificity of DNAse I for G-actin was confirmed by the presence of a single labeled band with molecular weight corresponding to actin in a Western blot of total cytoplasmic endothelial proteins reacted with biotin-DNAse I-streptavidin-alkaline phosphatase. Anti-actin antibody, which associates with both G- and F-actin, in conjunction with fluorescent secondary antibody produced a pattern similar to that obtained by simultaneous visualization with fluorescein-DNAse I and BODIPY 581/591- or rhodamine-phalloidin.

A fluorometric microplate-based assay of submicrogram monomeric actin by inhibition of deoxyribonuclease I

Inhibition of bovine pancreatic deoxyribonuclease I (DNase I) has been a standard method for specific quantitation of monomeric (G-) actin. The aim of this work is to substantially enhance the sensitivity of this type of G-actin assay by using a fluorescent dye, thiazole orange (TO), which has a high optical absorption, moderate DNA affinity, and large fluorescence enhancement upon binding to DNA. The high fluorescence output and moderate affinity of TO's DNA complex produce a large fluorescence decrease when the complex is disrupted by DNase I, thus permitting a highly sensitive detection of G-actin by its inhibition on the fluorescence decrease. The results show that the dynamic responsiveness of a fluorometric G-actin assay can be improved by lowering the concentration of DNA and affinity of the labeling dye, as long as the fluorescence signal of the dye-DNA complex is sufficient for instrumental detection. With a DNA concentration of 6.0 micrograms/ml and TO dye labeling, as little as 20 ng of G-actin can be reliably detected in a fluorescence microplate scanner. This sensitivity also appears to be the utmost detection limit of any G-actin assay that is based on DNase I inhibition.

A novel fluorogenic substrate for detecting alkaline phosphatase activity in situ

We describe here the in situ detection of alkaline phosphatase (APase) activity with a new fluorogenic substrate, 2-(5'-chloro-2'-phosphoryloxyphenyl)-6-chloro-4-(3H)-quinazolinone (CPPCQ). CPPCQ is very soluble and colorless. APase converts it into a rapidly precipitating product, whose strong fluorescence marks the sites of APase activity. The detected APase was either a probing enzyme anchored to epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptors of fixed human epidermoid carcinoma cell line (A431) by biotinylated EGF and streptavidin-APase conjugates or an endogenous marker existing in a fixed canine kidney cell line (MDCK). With CPPCQ staining, the EGF receptors and the endogenous APase were both visualized by fluorescence microscopy as contrasting, photostable, and well-resolved fluorescent stains. The EGF receptor staining was specific since it could be blocked by excessive unlabeled EGF. In contrast, fluorescein-labeled EGF failed to specifically stain the EGF receptors under the same fluorescent microscope. The endogenous APase staining with CPPCQ was sensitive to heating, levamisole and L-homoarginine, showing an APase tissue specificity of the liver/bone/kidney type. Therefore, CPPCQ appears to be a novel substrate dye for sensitive fluorescence APase histochemistry.

2-(2'-phosphoryloxyphenyl)-4(3H)-quinazolinone derivatives as fluorogenic precipitating substrates of phosphatases

Characterization of 2-(2'-phosphoryloxyphenyl)-4(3H)-quinazolinone (PPQ) derivatives as fluorogenic precipitating substrates of phosphatases is reported in this work. Soluble and colorless PPQ derivatives can be specifically hydrolyzed by acid and alkaline phosphatases into insoluble products, 2-(2'-hydroxyphenyl)-4(3H)-quinazolinone (HPQ) derivatives which appear as fluorescent precipitates in water. The fluorescence and precipitation of HPQ depend on the concentration of its neutral phenolic form and therefore are related to the aqueous pH and PPQ concentration converted. Since HPQ formed from corresponding PPQ hydrolysis by phosphatases instantly precipitates and simultaneously fluoresces with a high photostability and large Stokes shift in water, PPQ can serve as a novel class of substrate dyes for detecting any immobilized phosphatase activities in situ, especially for applications of sensitive fluorescence histochemistry and cytochemistry. This is demonstrated by the alkaline phosphatase-aided visualization of static concanavalin A (Con A) receptors. By a linkage-amplification technique involving biotinylated Con A, streptavidin-alkaline phosphatase conjugate, and a PPQ substrate, the Con A receptors on the membrane of fixed NIH 3T3 cell were specifically viewed as dense, contrasting, durable, and cytologically resolved fluorescent stains under a conventional fluorescent microscope.

Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic studies of the effect of ketoconazole on reproductive function in male rats

A single oral dose (300 mg kg-1) of ketoconazole induced reversible immobilization of rat epididymal spermatozoa at 8-24 h after dosing. This occurred when the drug concentrations in cauda epididymal fluid and seminal plasma were at their peak (18.0 +/- 7.3 and 13.5 +/- 3.0 micrograms ml-1, respectively), and which was preceded by a peak plasma concentration (Cmax) of 64.82 +/- 2.47 micrograms ml-1 at 5.15 +/- 0.68 h (Tmax). In contrast, rete testis fluid collected from the same animals contained only minute amounts of ketoconazole (0.47 +/- 0.34 micrograms ml-1). Plasma testosterone concentration showed a sharp decline within 4 h of dosing, followed by a recovery from suppression, even after administration of a low dose (100 mg kg-1) which did not affect sperm motility. These findings suggest that ketoconazole gains access to the post-testicular sex organs and affects the mature spermatozoa therein much more readily than it affects testicular spermatogenesis. Synthesis and screening of compounds with a related molecular structure but which exhibit more pronounced spermicidal and less pronounced anti-androgenic effects are thus suggested in the hope that rapidly acting and reversible male contraceptives might be identified and developed.

Cosedimentation of pea root polysomes with the cytoskeleton

When conventional, high ionic strength buffers were used for the isolation of polysomes from pea roots, only about 10% were retained in the detergent-insoluble pellet, and they were not degraded by endogenous RNase. A low ionic strength, cytoskeleton-stabilizing buffer increased retention to 60%, but polysomes were severely degraded. The RNase inhibitors, ribonucleoside-vanadyl complexes, heparin, KCl and ammonium sulphate lessened degradation but caused release, while Tris-HCl at 15-25 mM was able to prevent degradation without causing release. Cosedimentation of polysomes with the cytoskeleton is not an artefact of adsorption or trapping since isolated polysomes labelled through their nascent polypeptides and added to unfractionated tissue were not retained in the cytoskeletal pellet.

A sensitive competitive ELISA for 2,4-dinitrophenol using 3,6-fluorescein diphosphate as a fluorogenic substrate

A competitive ELISA for sensitive detection of 2,4-dinitrophenol (DNP) was established. Certain amounts of bovine serum albumin conjugate of DNP were readily coated on a polystyrene microplate. Free DNP was then quantitated by its competition with the coated DNP for binding to anti-DNP (antibody)-alkaline phosphatase conjugate. The enzyme conjugate remaining on the plate surface as a result of the competition was detected by an enzymatic reaction with a fluorogenic substrate, 3,6-fluorescein diphosphate (FDP), or comparatively with a conventional chromogenic substrate, p-nitrophenyl phosphate (PNPP). The results showed that the ELISA with FDP at the optimal conditions of enzymatic reaction can detect as little as 10 fmol DNP, a detection limit of 50 times less than that with PNPP. The easy and sensitive DNP assay procedures in this work can be generalized to ELISAs for other antigens, particularly small antigens, haptens or drugs.

Chronic neutrophilic leukemia. Report of two cases and review of the literature

Chronic neutrophilic leukemia is a rare, infrequently recognized, myeloproliferative disorder. It usually manifests as a leukemoid reaction, with mostly mature granulocytes in the peripheral blood, with rare to occasional immature forms, and sometimes with normoblasts. The clinical manifestations also include hepatosplenomegaly, elevated leukocytic alkaline phosphatase, elevated serum vitamin B12 and serum vitamin B12 binder ("R" fraction), and elevated serum uric acid. Distinction from a leukemegaly, the absence of sepsis, usually normal erythrocytic sedimentation, and the absence of fever. Leukemoid reactions may be associated with elevated serum vitamin B12 and uric acid, but the levels are usually lower than those found in chronic neutrophilic leukemia. Many patients have gouty symptoms, especially after treatment with Busulfan, and many have an unexplained hemorrhagic tendency, making major operations a risk. The authors add two cases to the 11 previously described.