The plasma level of soluble receptor for advanced glycation end products is decreased in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus

In recent years, the role of high mobility group box-1 (HMGB1) protein and its receptors in autoimmune diseases has received increasing attention. It has been documented that HMGB1 is associated with disease activity in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). This study was undertaken to determine the potential role of receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE), one receptor for HMGB1, in the pathogenesis of SLE. Plasma levels of soluble RAGE (sRAGE) from 105 patients with clinical diagnosis of SLE and 43 healthy controls were determined by ELISA. Associations between sRAGE levels and clinical, laboratory characteristics were assessed. The data showed that plasma levels of sRAGE in patients with SLE were significantly lower than those in healthy controls (HC) (P = 0.003). Plasma sRAGE in patients receiving short-period treatment showed an immediate decrease compared with the untreated patients (P = 0.023). In contrast, plasma sRAGE in patients receiving long-period treatment were significantly increased compared to those with short-period treatment (P = 0.000) and comparable with those in HC (P = 0.305). The significant decreased levels of sRAGE in patients with SLE suggest the potential association of RAGE signalling and SLE clinical pathology, whereas, long-period antilupus treatment may counteract the decreased sRAGE levels in patients with SLE.

Indium-rich InGaN epitaxial layers grown pseudomorphically on a nano-sculpted InGaN template

Indium-rich InGaN epitaxial layers with a p-i-n structure were grown pseudomorphically on a strain-relaxed InGaN template to reduce structural strain induced by lattice mismatch. We applied a nano-sculpting process to improve the crystal quality of the strain-relaxed InGaN template. The results show that the nano-sculpting process can suppress effectively the threading dislocation generation and improves significantly the I-V characteristic of the InGaN p-i-n structure. This InGaN template technique with nano-sculpting process shows great potential for future applications in indium-rich InGaN optic-electron devices.

Reliability test of an electron cyclotron resonance ion source for accelerator driven sub-critical system

The reliability test of an electron cyclotron resonance ion source developed for accelerator driven sub-critical system is carried out in China Institute of Atomic Energy. A unique technique to improve the reliability is adopted. The source is operated for more than 200 h at 75 keV, 100 mA extracted hydrogen current, while 2 beam trips are recorded in the period, and uninterrupted operation time is about 150 h. The experimental result is described.

Association between interleukin 21 and Graves' disease

Graves' disease (GD) is an organ-specific autoimmune thyroid disease; 25-50% of GD patients will develop Graves' ophthalmopathy (GO). The etiology of GD and GO may be multifactorial, but the immune response plays a central role. Many studies have reported that IL-21 has crucial roles in autoimmune diseases. We examined whether IL-21 is associated with the development of GD and GO. The serum concentration of IL-21 was tested in 40 primary GD patients, 42 treated GO patients and 24 healthy controls. Our data show that the serum level of IL-21 is associated with the development of GD. We also made an association study with the IL-21 gene polymorphisms rs4833837, rs907715 and rs13143866 in a comparison of 633 patients and 612 healthy controls from the Chinese population. This case-control association study demonstrated that rs907715 SNP is significantly associated with GD, while the rs13143866 A allele is significantly associated with GO. The haplotypes A-G-G and A-A-A were found at higher and lower frequencies, respectively, in GD patients, suggesting a protective role for A-A-A. However, there were no significant differences in the frequencies of these haplotypes between the GO patients and the control group. We found no association between IL-21 gene polymorphisms and the age of GD onset. We conclude that IL-21 is associated with GD and GO.

High-risk human papillomavirus reduces the expression of microRNA-218 in women with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia

This study was designed to investigate whether there is a correlation between the down-regulation of microRNA-218 (miR-218) and the presence of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection in the pathogenesis of cervical cancer. The participants comprised 78 women with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN); 22 (28.2%) had CIN 1, 27 (34.6%) had CIN 2 and 29 (37.2%) had CIN 3. MiR-218 expression was determined by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction and HPV genotypes in tissue specimens were identified with a microarray test kit. The findings showed that miR-218 levels in patients with high-risk HPV infection were lower than in those infected with low-risk or intermediate-risk HPV, or in those who were HPV-free. MiR-218 levels in patients with high-risk CIN were lower than in those with low-risk CIN. We concluded that infection with high-risk HPV lowered the expression of miR-218 and that down-regulation of miR-218 was involved in the pathogenesis of cervical cancer.

Association analysis of polymorphisms in IL-3, IL-4, IL-5, IL-9, and IL-13 with Graves' disease

BACKGROUND

Graves' disease (GD) is a common autoimmune disorder with genetic predisposition. There is strong evidence that the Chr.5q31-33 region, which contains the immune response cytokine genes [interleukin (IL)-3, IL-4, IL-5, IL-9, and IL-13], is linked to autoimmune thyroid disorders in Chinese and Japanese populations. The aim of the present study is to elucidate whether the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) and the interaction of variants in the 5 genes are associated with the development of GD and Graves' ophthalmopathy (GO).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

GD patients (no.=751), with 190 of GO patients and healthy control subjects (no.=748) were included in this study. Six SNP [rs40401 (IL-3), rs2070874 (IL-4), rs2069812 (IL-5), rs1859430 (IL-9), rs2069868 (IL-9), and rs20541 (IL-13)] were genotyped by SNPstream Genotyping System.

RESULTS

There was a significant increase of C allele of rs40401 in GD [odds ratio (OR)=1.18 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.02-1.36], pallele=0.028] and GO [OR=1.30 (95%CI: 1.04-1.63), pallele=0.022] patients compared with those in the controls. The C allele of the rs2069812 was also significantly associated with GD [OR=1.22 (95%CI: 1.04-1.44), pallele=0.015] and GO [OR=1.45 (95%CI: 1.13-1.86), pallele=0.003] patients. Haplotype analysis showed a predominant increase of the 2 SNP (rs40401-rs2069812, CC) and all the 6 SNP (CCCCCC) haplotype in GD (OR=1.70, OR=3.70, respectively) and even stronger in GO (OR=2.18, OR=7.01, respectively) patients.

CONCLUSIONS

The results suggested that the polymorphism of IL-3 (rs40401) and IL-5 (rs2069812) were associated with GD and GO susceptibility in Chinese population. The interaction of 6-locus from the 5 genes might confer higher risk for GD and GO than single risk allele.

Bifunctional DNA alkylator 1,3-bis(2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea activates the ATR-Chk1 pathway independently of the mismatch repair pathway

The presence of DNA damage initiates signaling through the ataxia-telangiectasia mutated kinase (ATM) and the ATM- and the Rad3-related kinase (ATR), which phosphorylate, thus activating, the checkpoint kinases (Chk) 1 and 2, which leads to cell cycle arrest. The bifunctional DNA alkylator 1,3-bis(2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea (BCNU) is cytotoxic primarily by inducing DNA monoadducts and ultimately, interstrand cross-links, which block DNA replication. In this study, we investigated the activation of the ATR-Chk1 pathway in response to BCNU treatment and the dependence of this response on the DNA mismatch repair (MMR) capacity. Medulloblastoma cells were exposed to low and moderate doses of BCNU, and the effects on this DNA damage signaling pathway were examined. In response to BCNU, Chk1 was found to be phosphorylated at serine 345 and exhibited increased kinase activity. Caffeine and wortmannin, which are broad-spectrum inhibitors of ATM and ATR, reduced this phosphorylation. Cell cycle analysis further revealed an accumulation of cells in the S phase in response to BCNU, an effect that was attenuated by caffeine. Small interfering RNA knockdown of ATR also reduced Chk1 phosphorylation after exposure to BCNU. However, knockdown of ATM had no effect on the observed Chk1 phosphorylation, suggesting that ATR was primarily responsible for Chk1 activation. Analysis of Chk1 activation in cells deficient in MMR proteins MutLalpha or MutSalpha indicated that the DNA damage response induced by BCNU was independent of the MMR apparatus. This MMR-independent activation seems to be the result of DNA interstrand cross-link formation.

Fabrication of large area nanoprism arrays and their application for surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy

This work demonstrates the fabrication of metallic nanoprism (triangular nanostructure) arrays using a low-cost and high-throughput process. In the method, the triangular structure is defined by the shadow of a pyramid during angle evaporation of a metal etching mask. The pyramids were created by nanoimprint lithography in polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) using a mould having an inverse-pyramid-shaped hole array formed by KOH wet etching of silicon. Silver and gold nanoprism arrays with a period of 200 nm and an edge length of 100 nm have been fabricated and used as effective substrates for surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) detection of rhodamine 6G (R6G) molecules. Numerical calculations confirmed the great enhancement of electric field near the sharp nanoprism corners, as well as the detrimental effect of the chromium adhesion layer on localized surface plasmon resonance. The current method can also be used to fabricate non-equilateral nanoprism and three-dimensional (3D) nanopyramid arrays, and it can be readily extended to other metals.

Enhanced surface plasmon resonance imaging detection of DNA hybridization on periodic gold nanoposts

We explore periodic gold nanoposts as substrates for the enhanced surface plasmon resonance imaging (SPRi) detection of DNA hybridization. Rigorous coupled-wave analysis was used to model and design the nanopost-based SPRi biosensor. Arrayed gold nanoposts on gold-coated glass substrate, with various widths and periodicity, were fabricated using electron-beam lithography and characterized with scanning electron and atomic force microscopy. A scanning-angle SPRi apparatus was used to conduct the kinetic analysis of DNA hybridization on nanopost-based sensor surface and assess the corresponding SPR signal amplification. Experimental results showed that both the nanostructure size and period influenced the SPR signal enhancement; the optimized 30 nm height, 50 nm size, and 110 nm period nanoposts provided a fivefold SPR signal amplification compared with the plain 50 nm thick gold film used as control.

Therapeutic Potential of Human Umbilical Cord–Derived Stem Cells in Ischemic Diseases

Recent advances suggest human umbilical cord is a new source for stem cells. Our laboratory has established a method to readily isolate and expand stem cells from human umbilical cord tissues. The aim of this study was to investigate the therapeutic potential of human umbilical cord-derived stem (UCDS) cells in ischemic diseases. The UCDS cells were characterized by flow cytometry and differentiation into osteogenic and adipogenic cells. Unilateral hind limb ischemia was surgically induced by femoral artery ligation in nude mice. The animals were intramuscularly injected with 10(6) UCDS cells or control phosphate-buffered saline. Blood perfusion of ischemic limbs was detected by laser Doppler perfusion imaging. Transplantation of UCDS cells to the ischemic limbs of nude mice significantly improved the blood flow to the affected limbs. Thus, transplantation of UCDS cells may potentially be a promising treatment for human ischemic diseases.

Arsenic trioxide induces apoptosis in cisplatin-sensitive and -resistant ovarian cancer cell lines

Arsenic trioxide (As(2)O(3)), has been used for centuries in traditional Chinese medicine; it has considerable efficacy in the treatment of relapsed acute promyelocytic leukemia, inducing partial differentiation and promoting apoptosis of malignant promyelocytes. Although a number of studies have demonstrated that As(2)O(3) has potent activity against cell growth in a series of leukemia cell lines, little information is available regarding this compound's effect on cell growth in solid tumor cell lines. In this study, we investigated the effects of As(2)O(3)in vitro on ovarian cancer cell lines sensitive (3AO) and resistant (3AO/CDDP) to cisplatin. The 3-(4,5-dimethy-thiazoyl-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-tetrazolium bromide assay was used to evaluate cytotoxicity. Flow cytometric analysis was used to determine the apoptosis, cell cycle distribution. We clearly demonstrated that As(2)O(3) induced cell apoptosis and inhibition of cell growth in both the cell lines. Furthermore, we identified that As(2)O(3)-induced apoptosis involved Fas pathway. As(2)O(3) is an active agent against ovarian cancer cells and could be effective in the clinical treatment of ovarian cancer.

Modulation of the multidrug-resistance phenotype by new tropane alkaloid aromatic esters from Erythroxylum pervillei

Nine tropane alkaloid aromatic esters (1-9) were isolated from the roots of Erythroxylum pervillei by following their potential to reverse multidrug-resistance with vinblastine-resistant oral epidermoid carcinoma (KB-V1) cells. All isolates, including seven new structures (3-9), were evaluated against a panel of human cancer cell lines, and it was found that alkaloids 3 and 5-9 showed the greatest activity with KB-V1 cells assessed in the presence of vinblastine, suggesting that these new compounds are potent modulators of P-glycoprotein. Confirmatory results were obtained with human ovarian adenocarcinoma (SKVLB) cells evaluated in the presence of adriamycin and synergistic studies performed with several cell lines from the NCI tumor panel. The structures of the new compounds were determined using spectroscopic techniques. Single-crystal X-ray analysis was performed on the monoester, tropane-3 alpha,6 beta,7 beta-triol 3-phenylacetate (1).

[An epidemiological survey of thyroid disorders in an area with high iodine content in water supply]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the status of thyroid disorders among people aged 14 years and older residing in Huanghua County, an iodine excess intake area in north China.

METHODS

4,230 people were asked to fulfill the questionnaire and 1,074 among them aged (36.97 +/- 12.83) years were accepted to be samples for the test. All subjects who were taken as samples needed to fill the questionnaire on thyroid disorders in detail, accept physical and ultrasound examination. Their morning fasting urine were collected for measurement of iodide concentration, and their sera were measured for thyroid-stimulating hormone(TSH, the third generation), thyroid peroxidase antibody (TPOAb), thyroglobulin antibody (TGAb) and thyroglobulin (TG). If some people had abnormal TSH level, their free T4, free T3 and TSH receptor antibody(TRAb) were measured.

RESULTS

The median level of urinary iodide of the sample subjects was 614.61 micrograms/L. The prevalence of clinical and subclinical hyperthyroidism was 1.21% and 1.12% respectively; 92.3% of the clinical hyperthyroidism were of Graves' disease and 75% of the subjects with subclinical hypothyroidism were TRAb positive. The average incidence of clinical hyperthyroidism was not different between 2 periods before and after general iodinization of table salt in this area (1991-1995 and 1996-2000). The prevalence of clinical and subclinical hypothyroidism was 1.96% and 6.05% respectively. All the clinical patients were female, among them 85.71% were TPOAb and/or TGAb positive, while only 29.23% of the subclinical patients were TPOAb and/or TGAb positive. Positive TPOAb and TGAb were seen in 11.6% and 9.3% respectively of the sample subjects with an age-related increase. Positive thyroid autoantibody was more common in the female and those with abnormal TSH. The prevalence of thyroid cancer during the period of 1994-2000 was 91.58/100,000.

CONCLUSION

The high prevalence of hypothyroidism and thyroid cancer indicates that excessive iodine intake in this area is not safe.

Pervilleine A, a novel tropane alkaloid that reverses the multidrug-resistance phenotype

P-Glycoprotein-mediated drug efflux can yield a multidrug-resistance (MDR) phenotype that is associated with a poor response to cancer chemotherapy. Pervilleine A, a novel tropane alkaloid obtained from a chloroform extract of Erythroxylum pervillei as the result of bioactivity-guided fractionation, was found to restore the vinblastine sensitivity of cultured multidrug-resistant KB-V1 and CEM/VLB(100) cells, with IC(50) values of 0.36 and 0.02 microM, respectively. Similarly, the chemosensitivity of KB-8-5 cells to colchicine was restored with an IC(50) value of 0.61 microM. The mechanism of this response was evaluated with a number of model systems. First, incubation of multidrug-resistant KB-V1 and CEM/VLB(100) cells with up to 45 microM pervilleine A for 72 h did not significantly affect either the transcription of MDR1, as revealed by reverse transcriptional-PCR-based analysis of MDR1 mRNA, or levels of P-glycoprotein, as shown by Western blots. ATP-dependent binding of [(3)H]vinblastine observed with isolated multidrug-resistant KB-V1 cell membrane vesicles was inhibited by pervilleine A in a dose-dependent manner, and kinetic analysis indicted competitive inhibition with respect to vinblastine binding with a K(i) of 7.3 microM. Consistent with this effect, intracellular accumulation of [(3)H]vinblastine was increased from 0.18 pmol [(3)H]vinblastine/50 x 10(4) cells to approximately 5 pmol [(3)H]vinblastine/50 x 10(4) cells in the presence of 40 microM pervilleine A. To explore the potential relevance of these responses, KB-V1 or KB-8-5 cells were placed in hollow fibers and implanted into NCr nu/nu mice. Cell growth was not significantly inhibited when vinblastine or pervilleine A were administered as single agents, but when used in combination, inhibition of up to 75% was observed. Equimolar doses of verapamil were less effective. These data suggest that pervilleine A is an effective inhibitor of P-glycoprotein and should be further evaluated for clinical utility.

Discovery of novel inducers of cellular differentiation using HL-60 promyelocytic cells

Non-physiological inducers of terminal differentiation have been used as novel therapies for the prevention and therapy of cancer. We have used cultured HL-60 promyelocytic cells to monitor differentiation, proliferation and cell death events as induced by a large set of extracts derived from plants. Screening of more than 1400 extracts led to the discovery of 34 with potent activity (ED50 <8 mg/ml). Bioassay-guided fractionation led to the isolation of zapotin and 2',5,6-trimethoxyflavone as active principles from Casimiroa edulis, dibenzyltrisulfide and 2-[(phenylmethyl)dithio]ethanol as active principles from Petiveria alliacea, and desmethylrocaglamide from Aglaia ponapensis. Zapotin demonstrated the most favorable biological profile in that induction of differentiation correlated with proliferation arrest, and a lack of cytotoxicity. We conclude that the HL-60 cell model is a useful system for the discovery of novel pharmacophores with potential to suppress the process of carcinogenesis, and that flavonoids may be especially useful in this capacity.