Linear Versus Non-Linear Dose-Response Relationship Between Prenatal Alcohol Exposure and Meconium Concentration of Nine Different Fatty Acid Ethyl Esters

Presence of individual fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEEs) in meconium is considered to be a reliable biomarker of prenatal alcohol exposure, and their concentration has been found to be linearly associated with poor postnatal development, supporting the widely extended idea that ethanol is a non-threshold teratogen. However, a growing number of epidemiological studies have consistently found a lack of adverse short- and long-term fetal outcomes at low exposure levels. We therefore aimed to investigate the relationship between the concentration of individual FAEEs and prenatal alcohol exposure in meconium samples collected within the first 6 to 12?h after birth from 182 babies born to abstainer mothers and from 54 babies born to women who self-reported either light or moderate alcohol ingestion in the second or third trimester of pregnancy. In most cases, the individual FAEE concentrations were negligible and not significantly different (P >0.05) between exposed and control babies. The concentrations appeared to increase linearly with the dose only in the few babies born to mothers who reported >3 drinks/week. These results provide evidence that the correlation between prenatal alcohol exposure and individual FAEE concentrations in meconium is non-linear shape, with a threshold probably at 3 drinks/week.

Flagellin-PAc Fusion Protein Inhibits Progression of Established Caries

Dental caries remains one of the most common infectious diseases of humankind, which develops slowly throughout life, affecting children, adolescents, and adults. A vaccine against caries is urgently needed. We previously developed recombinant flagellin as a mucosal adjuvant for anti-Streptococcus mutans vaccines by nasal immunization. Furthermore, we demonstrated a fusion protein strategy that combined flagellin and the target surface adhesion protein (PAc) in a single construct. This construct enhanced specific IgA responses in oral fluids and provided improved prophylactic protection against caries. In the present study, we observed prolonged progression of dental caries in rats after S. mutans Ingbritt challenge. In addition, we observed a therapeutic effect of the flagellin-PAc fusion protein (KF-rPAc) against dental caries as a mucosal vaccine with a new immunization protocol. The present study demonstrated that KF-rPAc by nasal immunization can promote PAc-specific systemic and mucosal antibody responses and inhibit dental caries progression efficiently after the implant of S. mutans into the oral cavity of the rats. The rats immunized with KF-rPAc exhibited 53.9% caries reduction compared with the sham-immunized rats. Our data support the concept of administration of KF-rPAc to humans after infection and even caries that has begun to alleviate caries progression. In conclusion, our study demonstrated that KF-rPAc could be used as an anticaries therapeutic mucosal vaccine.

First Report of Wilt of Eucalyptus Caused by Ceratocystis fimbriata in China

Eucalyptus spp., most of which are native to Australia, are one of the world's most commonly planted forestry crops, and have been widely planted in the tropics and subtropics. Eucalyptus trees are distributed in more than 600 counties in 19 provinces/regions throughout China, especially in the southern regions of the country (1). From April of 2013 to May of 2014, eucalyptus trees were noted to be wilting and dying rapidly in Kunming, Yunnan Province (25°02' N, 102°42' E), southwest China. Symptomatic trees typically have many wilted or dead leaves hanging throughout the tree or on some major branches, sometimes followed by death of the whole tree. Dark brown to black discoloration can be seen in the woody xylem, and elongated cankers were also present on some affected trees. A fungus was consistently isolated from the leaves and cankers when symptomatic tissue was incubated between two slices of fresh carrot root. Spore masses were removed from the apices of perithecia, transferred to malt extract agar medium (MEA), and incubated at 25°C. Perithecia developed on the medium, and were black, globose, 212.5 to 242.4 × 207.5 to 254.2 μm, and possessed a long black neck (952.3 to 1,303.3 μm). Ascospores had the typical "hat" morphology and were 4.3 to 5.2 × 3.0 to 3.8 μm. Cylindrical endoconidia (11.2 to 22.2 × 3.9 to 6.1 μm) were found. Chlamydospores produced on media were ovoid and smooth, and were 7.8 to 9.7 × 9.9 to 12.8 μm. Chains of barrel-shaped conidia were not found. PCR amplification and sequencing of the ITS region of rDNA were carried out for one isolate, E2-2, using the procedures of Thorpe et al. (3). Analysis of ITS sequence data (GenBank Accession No. KJ511481) showed that the isolates were 99% homologous to the isolate of C. fimbriata from diseased Colocasia esculenta in Cuba, China, and Hawaii (AY526304 to 06) by BLAST analysis. Thus, the fungus was identified as C. fimbriata based on morphological and molecular characteristics. Pathogenicity tests were made on 1-year-old E. grandis seedlings as follows. A conidial suspension of each isolate was diluted to 10⁶ conidia/ml, and 0.2 ml was injected into wounds on three petioles on each of five healthy plants of E. grandis, and control seedlings were injected with sterile water that had been placed on MEA plates. The seedlings were incubated at 25°C in moist chambers. After 3 days, all inoculated E. grandis plants showed dark brown to black discoloration in the leaf axils. After 5 days, leaf wilting was present. C. fimbriata was re-isolated from all inoculated symptomatic tissue. No symptoms were visible in the control plants and no fungus was isolated from them. Ceratocystis wilt was first observed in eucalyptus in 1997 in the state of Bahia. This was followed by a report of C. fimbriata causing wilt of E. grandis in the Republic of Congo, Uganda, and Uruguay (2). Chen et al. reported two species of Ceratocystis, C. acaciivora and a previously undescribed species C. chinaeucensis, from eucalyptus plantations in Guangdong Province in China (1). To our knowledge, this is the first report of C. fimbriata causing wilt of eucalyptus in China. References: (1) S. F. Chen et al. Fungal Diversity 58:267, 2011. (2) F. A. Ferreira et al. Fitopatol. Bras. 24:284, 1999. (3) D. J. Thorpe et al. Phytopathology 95:316, 2005.

Association between metabolic syndrome and vascular endothelium dysfunction in children and adolescents

We aimed at investigating the association between metabolic syndrome (MS) and vascular endothelial cell dysfunction (ECD) in children and adolescents. Sixty children (30 obese children and 30 children with MS) were included in this retrospective analysis. Thirty healthy subjects were randomly selected as the control group. A series of indices/biomarkers known to be related to MS/ECD were determined using ELISA. Correlations between the variables measured were analyzed. Compared with the control group, PAI-1, vWF, VE-cad, TM, and VEGF were significantly increased in the MS group (P < 0.05). Adolescents in the obese group had significantly increased levels of serum PAI-1, VE-cad, TM, and VEGF as compared with the control group (P < 0.05). Further, vWF in the obese and control groups did not differ significantly (P = 0.556). Our results suggest that ECD is correlated with MS in children and adolescents. Pathophysiological changes of the vascular endothelium may exist in obese children who have yet to develope MS. PAI-1, vWF, VE-cad, TM, and VEGF could be used as biomarkers for predicting ECD. ECD that develops in patients with MS may be associated with obesity, elevated blood lipid, elevated blood glucose, and higher blood pressure.

Effects of feeding lutein on production performance, antioxidative status, and milk quality of high-yielding dairy cows

This experiment was conducted to determine the influences of supplementing different levels of an additive containing lutein in the diet of Chinese Holstein lactating cows on production performance, antioxidative plasma metabolites, and milk quality. This study was performed on 60 multiparous Holstein dairy cows in peak lactation. The cows were randomly allocated to 1 of 4 homogeneous treatments, with lutein preparation (extracted from marigolds; effective lutein content was 2%) added at levels of 0, 100, 150, and 200 g/d per head, with the actual available amounts being 0, 2, 3, and 4 g of lutein/d per head, respectively. The experiment lasted for 13 wk, with the first week for adaptation. Milk yield and milk compositions were recorded weekly, and milk concentrations of lutein, dry matter intake, and antioxidative blood index were analyzed in the first, fourth, seventh, and thirteenth week of the study. The results showed that adding lutein in the diet had no effect on dry matter intake compared with the control group; however, it slowed down the trend of decline in milk yield, and had a linear incremental effect on milk yield with increasing concentration of lutein. Dietary lutein tended to quadratically increase the percentage of milk fat, and linearly increased milk lactose concentration, with the highest value when treated at 200 g of lutein preparation/d per head, and decreased somatic cell count, with the lowest values when treated with 150 and 200 g of lutein preparation/d per head. The concentration of lutein in milk linearly increased with the incorporation of the additive, with a value of 0.59, 0.70, 1.20, and 1.50 μg/100mL when treated with 0, 100, 150, and 200 g/d, respectively. Total plasma antioxidant capacity tended to linearly increase in cows fed lutein preparation, whereas plasma superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase activities did not differ significantly. In conclusion, addition of lutein in the diet could improve the production performance and health status of dairy cows.

Lateral geniculate body evoked potentials elicited by visual and electrical stimulation

PURPOSE

Blind individuals who have photoreceptor loss are known to perceive phosphenes with electrical stimulation of their remaining retinal ganglion cells. We proposed that implantable lateral geniculate body (LGB) stimulus electrode arrays could be used to generate phosphene vision. We attempted to refine the basic reference of the electrical evoked potentials (EEPs) elicited by microelectrical stimulations of the optic nerve, optic tract and LGB of a domestic pig, and then compared it to visual evoked potentials (VEPs) elicited by short-flash stimuli.

METHODS

For visual function measurement, VEPs in response to short-flash stimuli on the left eye of the domestic pig were assessed over the visual cortex at position Oz with the reference electrode at Fz. After anesthesia, linearly configured platinum wire electrodes were inserted into the optic nerve, optic track and LGB. To determine the optimal stimulus current, EEPs were recorded repeatedly with controlling the pulse and power. The threshold of current and charge density to elicit EEPs at 0.3 ms pulse duration was about ±10 µA.

RESULTS

Our experimental results showed that visual cortex activity can be effectively evoked by stimulation of the optic nerve, optic tract and LGB using penetrating electrodes. The latency of P1 was more shortened as the electrical stimulation was closer to LGB. The EEPs of two-channel in the visual cortex demonstrated a similar pattern with stimulation of different spots of the stimulating electrodes. We found that the LGB-stimulated EEP pattern was very similar to the simultaneously generated VEP on the control side, although implicit time deferred.

CONCLUSIONS

EEPs and VEPs derived from visual-system stimulation were compared. The LGB-stimulated EEP wave demonstrated a similar pattern to the VEP waveform except implicit time, indicating prosthetic-based electrical stimulation of the LGB could be utilized for the blind to perceive vision of phosphenes.

Immediate radical therapy or conservative treatments when meeting the Milan criteria for advanced HCC patients after successful TACE

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Many advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cases can be successfully downstaged into the Milan criteria; however, immediate radical therapy cannot be applied to all such patients for various reasons. Of the patients who are not eligible for immediate radical therapy, some accept repeated downstaging therapies and some undergo persistent observation. The aim of the present study was to compare long-term survival between these two groups of patients.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Between August 2003 and October 2008, 156 HCC patients successfully received downstaging therapy resulting in compliance with the Milan criteria. Of those, 98 cases accepted radical therapies, including liver transplantation (LT), resection, or radiofrequency ablation (RFA) (group 1), and 58 cases underwent repeated transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) or persistent observation (group 2). The baseline characteristics, demographic data, downstaging protocol, and information on long-term outcomes were collected and compared.

RESULTS

No significant differences were observed in the patient demographic data, downstaging protocols, or tumor characteristics between the two groups. The 1-, 3-, and 5-year overall survival rates were 92.9, 82.7, and 78.6 %, respectively, in group 1, whereas these rates were 82.8, 65.5, and 48.3 %, respectively, in group 2 (P = 0.046). Among the 58 patients in group 2, the 1-, 3-, and 5-year overall survival rates were 92.3, 65.4, and 46.2 %, respectively, in the repeated TACE group, and 81.3, 65.6, and 50 %, respectively, in the persistent observation group (P = 0.783).

CONCLUSION

Immediate radical therapy should be the first choice for advanced HCC patients who undergo successful TACE, and repeated TACE is unnecessary.

Anatomical substrates for direct interactions between hippocampus, medial prefrontal cortex, and the thalamic nucleus reuniens

The reuniens nucleus in the midline thalamus projects to the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and the hippocampus, and has been suggested to modulate interactions between these regions, such as spindle-ripple correlations during sleep and theta band coherence during exploratory behavior. Feedback from the hippocampus to the nucleus reuniens has received less attention but has the potential to influence thalamocortical networks as a function of hippocampal activation. We used the retrograde tracer cholera toxin B conjugated to two fluorophores to study thalamic projections to the dorsal and ventral hippocampus and to the prelimbic and infralimbic subregions of mPFC. We also examined the feedback connections from the hippocampus to reuniens. The goal was to evaluate the anatomical basis for direct coordination between reuniens, mPFC, and hippocampus by looking for double-labeled cells in reuniens and hippocampus. In confirmation of previous reports, the nucleus reuniens was the origin of most thalamic afferents to the dorsal hippocampus, whereas both reuniens and the lateral dorsal nucleus projected to ventral hippocampus. Feedback from hippocampus to reuniens originated primarily in the dorsal and ventral subiculum. Thalamic cells with collaterals to mPFC and hippocampus were found in reuniens, across its anteroposterior axis, and represented, on average, about 8 % of the labeled cells in reuniens. Hippocampal cells with collaterals to mPFC and reuniens were less common (~1 % of the labeled subicular cells), and located in the molecular layer of the subiculum. The results indicate that a subset of reuniens cells can directly coordinate activity in mPFC and hippocampus. Cells with collaterals in the hippocampus-reuniens-mPFC network may be important for the systems consolidation of memory traces and for theta synchronization during exploratory behavior.

Factors associated with colonization of Streptococcus mutans in 8- to 32-month-old children: a cohort study

BACKGROUND

The factors involved in Streptococcus mutans colonization in young children are not clear. The aim of this study was to determine the factors associated with S. mutans colonization in 8- to 32-month-old children.

METHODS

A group of 225 caries-free 8-month-old children was recruited for the study. They were examined every six months until they were 32 months old to investigate their environmental factors, host factors and bacterial transmission factors. At baseline and during each examination, their teeth were checked for the presence of dental plaque and developmental defects of enamel, and S. mutans plaque status was assessed using a real-time PCR test.

RESULTS

Eight children (3.6%) showed S. mutans colonization by the age of 8 months. The percentages of colonization were 6.0% at 14 months, 16.2% at 20 months, 26.7% at 26 months, and 33.5% at 32 months. The results showed that females (p = 0.006), children with enamel hypoplasia (p = 0.024), children with low birth weights (p = 0.005), those who consume more sweets (p < 0.001), and those with a higher proportion of visible plaque (p = 0.020 and p = 0.041) were more likely to be colonized by S. mutans.

CONCLUSIONS

Streptococcus mutans colonization in young children was associated with gender, tooth enamel hypoplasia, low birth weight, frequent consumption of sweets and poor oral hygiene.

Inhibition of Liver Cancer Cell Proliferation and Migration by a Combination of (-)-Epigallocatechin-3- Gallate and Ascorbic Acid

A mixture of (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) and ascorbic acid exhibited 73.2% inhibition of SMMC-7721 cell proliferation in a soft agar colony formation assay, which was much higher than EGCG (40.4%) or ascorbic acid (12.4%) alone. In the cell migration assay, the mixture also significantly suppressed the migration of SMMC-7721 cells by 65.9% while EGCG and/or ascorbic acid did by 28.9% and 18.7%, respectively. Ascorbic acid was able to enhance the antioxidant activity of EGCG by decreasing the intracellular oxidative stress according to fluorographic analysis of oxidative stress. In conclusion, the combination of EGCG and ascorbic acid can strongly suppress the proliferation and metastasis of liver cancer cells, possibly with a mechanism associated with the scavenging of reactive oxygen species. All these events add to our knowledge of liver cancer chemotherapy.

Flagellin-PAc fusion protein is a high-efficacy anti-caries mucosal vaccine

We previously demonstrated that an anti-caries DNA vaccine intranasally administered with recombinant flagellin protein as a mucosal adjuvant enhanced salivary IgA response and conferred better protection against caries. However, the relatively weak immunogenicity of DNA vaccines and the necessity for a large quantity of antigens remain significant challenges. Here, we fused the flagellin derived from E. coli (KF) and target antigen PAc containing the A-P fragment of PAc from S. mutans (rPAc) to produce a single recombinant protein (KF-rPAc). The abilities of KF-rPAc to induce rPAc-specific mucosal and systemic responses and protective efficiency against caries following intranasal immunization were compared with those of rPAc alone or a mixture of rPAc and KF (KF + rPAc) in rats. Results showed that KF-rPAc promoted significantly higher rPAc-specific antibodies in serum as well as in saliva than did an equivalent dose of rPAc alone or a mixture of KF + rPAc. Intranasal immunization of 8.5 µg KF-rPAc could achieve 64.2% reduction of dental caries in rats. In conclusion, our study demonstrated that flagellin and PAc fusion strategy is promising for anti-caries vaccine development, and KF-rPAc could be used as an anti-caries mucosal vaccine.

Exposure to heavy metals in blood and risk perception of the population living in the vicinity of municipal waste incinerators in Korea

BACKGROUND, AIM, AND SCOPE

The purpose of this study was to monitor and present the heavy metal concentrations in the blood of residents of areas near municipal waste incinerators (MWIs), who are more prone to environmental pollution. We also sought to compare and analyze the residents' perception of environmental pollution as one of the factors affecting heavy metal concentrations in the blood using a survey about the perceived damage caused by the facilities. Since heavy metal levels in the blood can be affected not only by local environmental pollution but also by personal and occupational factors, heavy metal levels in the blood need to be verified and consistently monitored.

METHODS

Residents who live within 300 m of MWIs in Seoul are acknowledged to be under indirect influence according to the Waste Disposal Act. A survey was given to 841 residents living within 300 m of a MWI from 2006 to 2009. The concentrations of heavy metals (lead, cadmium, and mercury) in the blood were measured in the 841 surveyed residents and in 105 residents in reference areas. Additionally, the perception of the damage caused by municipal waste incinerators was investigated using scores from 1 to 5 on a Likert scale.

RESULTS

The measurements of the heavy metal concentrations in the blood showed that the mean concentrations of lead, cadmium, and mercury were 43.1, 1.7, and 1.3 ug/L, respectively. The blood levels of lead and cadmium were slightly higher in the group of the subjects who had resided the longest near the municipal waste incinerators. When compared with the domestic investigation by the Ministry of Environment, the concentrations of lead and cadmium were a little higher, while that of mercury was a little lower. Overall, there was no significant difference in the distribution of heavy metal levels in the blood among age groups. Additionally, the investigation of the perceived damage from municipal waste incinerators showed that the subjects.

Unsteady relativistic shock-wave diffraction by cylinders and spheres

The unsteady relativistic shock-wave diffraction patterns generated by a relativistic blast wave impinging on a circular cylinder and a sphere are numerically simulated using some high-resolution relativistic kinetic beam schemes in a general coordinate system for solving the relativistic Euler equations of gas dynamics. The diffraction patterns are followed through about 6 radii of travel of the incident shock past the body. The complete diffraction patterns, including regular reflection, transition from regular to Mach reflection, slip lines, and the complex shock-on-shock interaction at the wake region resulting from the Mach shocks collision behind the body are reported in detail. Computational results of several incident shock Mach numbers covering the near ultrarelativistic limit are studied. Various contours of flow properties including the Lorentz factor and velocity streamline plots are also presented to add a better understanding of the complex diffraction phenomena. The three-dimensional relieving effects of the sphere cases are evident and can be quantitatively evaluated as compared with the corresponding cylinder cases.

Evaluating a thrombosed azygous vein aneurysm combined with pulmonary arterial thromboembolism by ECG-gated multidetector CT: a case report

Azygous vein aneurysm is a rare congenital lesion that needs to be differentiated from mediastinal mass lesions. Although almost of these anomalies are asymptomatic lesions, we experienced an interesting case in which a thrombus within an azygous vein aneurysm in a 75-year-old woman caused pulmonary thromboembolism. The patient was managed by medical treatment for one month and then the thrombus within both the azygous vein aneurysm and the pulmonary arteries completely resolved.

Acaricidal activities of apiol and its derivatives from Petroselinum sativum seeds against Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, Dermatophagoides farinae, and Tyrophagus putrescentiae

The acaricidal effects of an active constituent derived from Petroselinum sativum seeds and its derivatives were determined using impregnated fabric disk bioassay against Dermatophagoides farinae , Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus , and Tyrophagus putrescentiae and compared with that of synthetic acaricide. The acaricidal constituent of P. sativum was isolated by various chromatographic techniques and identified as apiol. On the basis of LD(50) values against D. farinae and D. pteronyssinus, apiol (0.81 and 0.94 μg/cm(2)) was 12.4 and 10.2 times more toxic than benzyl benzoate (10.0 and 9.58 μg/cm(2)), respectively. In acaricidal studies of apiol derivatives, 3,4-methylenedioxybenzonitrile (0.04, 0.03, and 0.59 μg/cm(2)) was 250, 319, and 20.7 times more toxic than benzyl benzoate (10.0, 9.58, and 12.2 μg/cm(2)) against D. farinae, D. pteronyssinus, and T. putrescentiae. In structure-activity relationships, the acaricidal activities of apiol derivatives could be related to allyl (-C(3)H(5)) and methoxy (-OCH(3)) functional groups. Furthermore, apiol and its derivatives could be useful for natural acaricides against these three mite species.

Evaluating the PM damage cost due to urban air pollution and vehicle emissions in Seoul, Korea

This study evaluated the prospective damage costs of PM(2.5) inhalation. We performed a health risk assessment based on an exposure-response function to estimate the annual population risk in the Seoul metropolitan city, Korea. Also, we estimated a willingness-to-pay (WTP) amount for reducing the mortality rate in order to evaluate a statistical life value. We combined the annual population risk and the value-of-statistical-life to calculate the damage cost estimate. In the health risk assessment, we applied the PM(2.5) relative risk to evaluate the annual population risk. We targeted an exposure population of 5,401,369 persons who were over the age of 30. Using a Monte-Carlo simulation for uncertainty analysis, we estimated that the population risk of PM(2.5) inhalation during a year in Seoul is 2181 premature deaths for acute exposure and 18,510 premature deaths for chronic exposure. The monthly average WTP for 5/1000 mortality reduction over ten years is $20.20 USD (95% C.I: $16.60-24.50) and the implied value-of-statistical-life (VSL) is $485,000 USD (95% C.I: $398,000-588,000). The damage cost estimate due to risk from PM(2.5) inhalation in Seoul is about $1057 million USD per year for acute exposure, and $8972 million USD per year for chronic exposure. It is important to note that this cost estimate does not reflect all health damage cost estimates in this urban area. This recommendation is a model for evaluating a mortality risk reduction and as such we must re-evaluate an integrated application of morbidity risk.

Significant association between IL-17F promoter region polymorphism and susceptibility to asthma in a Korean population

BACKGROUND

Individual differences in susceptibility to asthma would be expected because of common DNA variants of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) across populations. The pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-17F has homology with the IL-17 motif and induces the expression of other inflammatory cytokines in airway epithelial cells. This study aimed to identify IL-17F gene polymorphisms and to determine a possible association between these polymorphisms and susceptibility to asthma through a case-control study in a Korean population.

METHODS

We identified SNPs in the IL-17F gene by sequencing. Genotyping was conducted using the high-resolution melting (HRM) method on 424 asthma patients and 548 healthy controls.

RESULTS

The genotype and allele frequencies of rs1889570 SNP were significantly different between asthma patients and healthy controls (p = 0.001 and 0.002, respectively). The rs1889570 SNP genotype was also positively associated with the number of peripheral blood eosinophils in asthma patients (p = 0.03). The frequencies of haplotypes AA (p = 0.01), GG (p = 0.01) and AG (p = 0.006) were significantly different between asthma patients and healthy controls.

CONCLUSIONS

In this study, we confirmed that the rs1889570 polymorphism of the IL-17F gene is associated with susceptibility to asthma in a Korean population.

p-Glycoprotein ABCB5 and YB-1 expression plays a role in increased heterogeneity of breast cancer cells: correlations with cell fusion and doxorubicin resistance

BACKGROUND

Cancer cells recurrently develop into acquired resistance to the administered drugs. The iatrogenic mechanisms of induced chemotherapy-resistance remain elusive and the degree of drug resistance did not exclusively correlate with reductions of drug accumulation, suggesting that drug resistance may involve additional mechanisms. Our aim is to define the potential targets, that makes drug-sensitive MCF-7 breast cancer cells turn to drug-resistant, for the anti-cancer drug development against drug resistant breast cancer cells.

METHODS

Doxorubicin resistant human breast MCF-7 clones were generated. The doxorubicin-induced cell fusion events were examined. Heterokaryons were identified and sorted by FACS. In the development of doxorubicin resistance, cell-fusion associated genes, from the previous results of microarray, were verified using dot blot array and quantitative RT-PCR. The doxorubicin-induced expression patterns of pro-survival and pro-apoptotic genes were validated.

RESULTS

YB-1 and ABCB5 were up regulated in the doxorubicin treated MCF-7 cells that resulted in certain degree of genomic instability that accompanied by the drug resistance phenotype. Cell fusion increased diversity within the cell population and doxorubicin resistant MCF-7 cells emerged probably through clonal selection. Most of the drug resistant hybrid cells were anchorage independent. But some of the anchorage dependent MCF-7 cells exhibited several unique morphological appearances suggesting minor population of the fused cells maybe de-differentiated and have progenitor cell like characteristics.

CONCLUSION

Our work provides valuable insight into the drug induced cell fusion event and outcome, and suggests YB-1, GST, ABCB5 and ERK3 could be potential targets for the anti-cancer drug development against drug resistant breast cancer cells. Especially, the ERK-3 serine/threonine kinase is specifically up-regulated in the resistant cells and known to be susceptible to synthetic antagonists.

Risk of water contamination by nitrogen in Canada as estimated by the IROWC-N model

With increasing amounts of nitrogen (N) being added to farmland in the form of fertilizer and manure to optimize crop yields, and more broadly, to meet the growing demands for food, feed and energy, there are public concerns regarding its possible negative impact on the environment. An optimal balance between N requirements for production versus efficient N use is required, so as to minimize N losses from the agricultural system. An agri-environmental indicator i.e., the Indicator of the Risk of Water Contamination by Nitrogen (IROWC-N) was developed to assess the risk of N moving from agricultural areas into groundwater and/or nearby surface water bodies. The indicator linked the quantity of mineral nitrogen remaining in the soil at harvest, i.e., the Residual Soil Nitrogen (RSN) indicator, and the subsequent climatic conditions during the winter period. The results were assessed in terms of nitrate lost through leaching and nitrate concentration in the drainage water, expressed in five IROWC-N risk classes. Unlike previous versions of the indicator, the current model provided a more complete description of the soil-water balance, including the calculation of rainfall interception by crops, surface runoff, actual evapotranspiration and soil-water contents. Consequently, the current IROWC-N estimates differed markedly from those obtained previously. Between 1981 and 2006, the risk of water contamination by N in Canada was small, and reflected what was happening in the three Prairie provinces where 85% of Canada's farmland is located. However, the aggregated IROWC-N index, which is a combination of all five risk classes, increased steadily by 2.3% per year, from 6.7 in 1981 to 10.6 in 2006. The proportion of farmland in the very low IROWC-N risk class decreased from 88 to 78%; correspondingly, the proportion in the low risk class increased from 2 to 12%. The proportion of farmland in the moderate-, high- and very high-risk classes changed by less than 3% over time. The trends in IROWC-N in the Atlantic provinces were significantly worse than the national trend; for example, in Atlantic Canada, the aggregated IROWC-N index tripled from 27.8 in 1981 to 87.5 in 2006. Increases in fertilizer use (except in British Columbia), increases in livestock numbers in Manitoba and the Atlantic provinces, and an increase in legume crop acreage were the main factors that contributed to the increase in IROWC-N estimates. Climatic factors were also involved, as droughts reduced yields, N uptake and N leaching in many regions of Canada in 2001.

The preparation, cytocompatibility, and in vitro biodegradation study of pure beta-TCP on magnesium

Biodegradable and bioactive beta-tricalcium phosphate (beta-TCP) coatings were prepared on magnesium (Mg) in order to improve its biocompatibility by a chemical method. The tensile bonding strength of beta-TCP coating and Mg substrate was measured by the standard adhesion test (ISO 13779-4). And the cytocompatibility of beta-TCP coated Mg was studied by using human osteoblast-like MG63 cells. It was found that the MG63 cells could grow well on the surface of beta-TCP coated Mg and the cell viability on beta-TCP coated Mg was above 80% during the cocultivation of MG63 cells and beta-TCP coated Mg for 10 days, indicating no cytotoxicity. It was concluded that the beta-TCP coated Mg had good cytocompatibility. The degradation of Mg substrate with beta-TCP coating in vitro was studied in detail by XRD, EDX, SEM, and ICP. The results showed that a bone-like apatite continually formed on the surface of the sample with the degradation of both Mg substrate and beta-TCP coating in Hank's solution (a simulated body fluid). The biodegradation mechanism was preliminarily analyzed in the paper.

Preliminary experience with indications for liver transplantation for hepatolithiasis

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to explore the indications for liver transplantation among patients with hepatolithiasis.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Data from 1,431 consecutive patients who underwent surgical treatment from January 2000 to December 2006 were retrospectively collected for analysis. Surgical procedures included T-tube insertion combined with intraoperative cholangioscopic removal of intrahepatic stones, hepatectomy, cholangiojejunostomy, and liver transplantation.

RESULTS

Nine hundred sixty-one patients who had a stone located in the left or right intrahepatic duct underwent hepatectomy or T-tube insertion combined with intraoperative cholangioscopic removal of intrahepatic stones. The rate of residual stones was 7.5%. Four hundred seventy patients who had a stone located in the bilateral intrahepatic ducts underwent surgical procedures other than liver transplantation; the rate of residual stones was 21.7%. Only 15 patients with hepatolithiasis underwent liver transplantation; they all survived. According to the degree of biliary cirrhosis, recipients were divided into 2 groups: a group with biliary decompensated cirrhosis (n = 7), or group with compensated cirrhosis or no cirrhosis (n = 8). There were significant differences in operative times, transfusion volumes, and blood losses between the 2 groups (P < .05). In the first group, 6 of 7 patients experienced surgical complications, and in the second, 8 recipients recovered smoothly with no complications. Health status, disability, and psychological wellness of all recipients (n = 15) were significantly improved at 1 year after transplantation compared with pretransplantation (P < .05).

CONCLUSIONS

Liver transplantation is a possible method to address hepatolithiasis and secondary decompensated biliary cirrhosis or difficult to remove, diffusely distributed intrahepatic duct stones unavailable by hepatectomy, cholangiojejunostomy, and choledochoscopy.

Inhibitory effect of a novel resveratrol derivative on nitric oxide production in lipopolysaccharide-activated microglia

Excessive nitric oxide (NO) production by activated microglial cells has been implicated in various neurodegenerative diseases. In the present study, we found that a new resveratrol derivative, (E)-5-(3-nitrostyryl)benzene-1,3-diol (RV06), has a more potential inhibitory effect on the production of NO in LPS-activated N9 microglial cells, and the result was confirmed on primary rat microglial cells. Further studies showed that RV06 inhibited LPS-induced iNOS expression in N9 microglial cells, with no activity on direct scavenging nitric oxide radical in a cell-free environment. The results suggest that RV06 might be a potential anti-inflammatory agent or leading compound which can inhibit inflammatory responses of microglia.