Antibiotic resistance and screening of the resistant genes of Escherichia coli (E. coli) isolated from diarrheal yak calves in Sichuan Province, China

This study was conducted to determine the antibiotic and screening resistance genes of Escherichia coli (E. coli) isolated from diarrheal yak calves from high remote plateau in Sichuan, China. A total 41 rectal swabs were obtained from diarrheal yak calves. E. coli were isolated and identified. The antimicrobial sensitivity was tested by piloting the disk diffusion method for 21 antibiotics. Polymerase chain reaction was employed to detect the resistance genes. The results showed that the drug resistance ranged from 2.4% (amikacin) to 53.7% (tetracycline), while no isolates were found resistant to neomycin and polymyxin B. Multi-drug resistance was detected in 4.9% isolates to 17 antimicrobial agents; and 24.4% isolates were found susceptible to all antimicrobial agents. The aminoglycoside resistance genes of aac(3)-lla, ant(3')-la and aph(3')-lla was positive in 4.9%, 2.1% and 7.3% E. coli isolates respectively. The 4.9% and 2.1% of E. coli isolates were detected in b-Lactam resistance genes of TEM and CTX-M, respectively; and 12.2% and 4.9% of E. coli isolates were found to have Tetracycline resistance genes of tetM and tetA, respectively. The present study reveals that the yak calves from high cold plateau are potential reservoir of E. coli with widely distributed multiple drug resistance which requires the attention of concerned authorities regarding the use of non-standard antibiotics.

The importance of expressing PDCD4 and PDCD5 anti-oncogenes in glioma

Glioma is the most common malignant tumor of the brain, which is difficult to be completely resected. The recurrence and mortality rates are high and the prognosis is poor. The aim of this study was to investigate the expression of anti-oncogene programmed cell death 4 (PDCD4) and programmed cell death 5 (PDCD5) in glioma and their influence on the progression of the disease in order to provide new therapeutic approaches. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis was used to investigate PDCD4 mRNA and PDCD5 mRNA expression in 66 glioma patients who served as the study group and 22 patients who suffered from craniocerebral injuries or hematencephalon who were used as controls. The experimental group was divided into a low malignant group (tumors grade I - II) and a high malignant group (tumor grades III-IV). The PDCD4 mRNA and PDCD5 mRNA expression in the experimental group was 0.545±0.202 and 0.687±0.174 and in the control group was 0.942±0.131 and 0.868 ± 0.190, respectively (P less than 0.05). The PDCD4 mRNA and PDCD5 mRNA expressions in the low malignant group were 0.628±0.240 and 0.750±0.198, respectively, and in the high malignant group were 0.464±0.185 and 0.553±0.170, respectively (P less than 0.05). The results showed a downregulation of PDCD4 mRNA and PDCD5 mRNA expression in the experimental group compared with the control group. This downregulation was correlated with the pathological grade of glioma. In the high malignant group the PDCD4 mRNA and PDCD5 mRNA expressions were significantly decreased compared with the low malignant group and the control group. PDCD4 mRNA and PDCD5 mRNA expressions are promising targets for the diagnosis and treatment of glioma.

A novel inspection robot for nuclear station steam generator secondary side with self-localization

Nuclear energy is one of the most important clean energy on earth presently. The steam generator secondary side is the key device of nuclear power station. As an important branch of special robot, nuclear robot is the most convenient and effective mean to inspect the steam generator. This paper describes one robot system which could help users inspecting tubes and locating the robot inside the steam generator. The main part of this system is a climbing robot which can move inside the steam generator carrying a PT or telescopic arm. Four cameras are installed on the robot and PT to send real-time videos back for analysis. Experiments show that this system works stably and the localization is accuracy and effective.

The role of osteopontin and its receptor in meningioma development and progression

Meningiomas are common in intracranial tumors, the majority of which are benign with slow growth and low recurrence rate. The aim of the present study was to assess the role of osteopontin and its receptor CD44 (Cluster of differentiation -44) in meningioma development and progression. A total of 2 groups were included, namely an experimental group with 54 meningioma patients and a control group with 30 patients with internal and external decompression. The disease group included subjects, from whom meningioma tissue specimens were collected during surgery for tumor excision, whereas the control group included subjects who were subjected to scalp laceration and provided normal meninx tissues. The expression of osteopontin and CD44 was determined by immunohistochemistry. Osteopontin expression was negative in normal meninx, and its expression was increased in meningioma tissues (P less than 0.05). The positive expression of osteopontin increased according to the histological grade of meningioma (r=0.417, P less than 0.001). A highly significant difference was noted between non-invasive and invasive meningiomas (P less than 0.001). The positive expression of CD44 correlated with the grade of meningioma and its invasiveness (P less than 0.05), although it exhibited no correlation with the degree of peritumoral edema (r=0.033, P>0.05). The increased expressions of osteopontin and CD44 were observed in all grades of meningioma, and correlated with its development (r=0.961, P less than 0.001). Osteopontin and CD44 play important roles in the development and progression of meningioma and can be used as prognostic markers for tumor recurrence and progression as well as therapeutic targets for the development of new drugs.

Prevalence, associated risk factors, and phylogenetic analysis of Echinococcus granulosus isolated from freerange Tibetan pigs in Tibet, China

The current study was performed to investigate the prevalence, associated risk factors exploration and phylogenetic analysis of Echinococcus granulosus (E. granulosus) genotypes isolated from Tibetan pigs. A total 373 Tibetan pigs were examined during 2014 and 2015, and the variables potentially associated with E. granulosus infection were explored with a multivariable logistic regression model. E. granulosus cysts (n=37) were collected from Tibetan pigs (lungs or livers). Fragments amplification of mitochondrial (mt) DNA of cox1 (shorter and longer) and atp6 were employed. The genotype of E. granulosus were identified by sequence and phylogenetic analysis. Results showed the prevalence of E. granulosus in Tibetan pigs was 9.9%. The prevalence of E. granulosus in male and female Tibetan pigs was 6.8% and 13.3%, with a significant difference in the two genders (P<0.05). In different seasons, the infection rate of E. granulosus in Tibetan pigs were ranged from 5.8% to 12.3%. E. granulosus infection rates in different growing stages of Tibetan pigs were ranged from 4.4% to 15.9%, with a statistical difference in the three stages (P<0.01). The prevalence of E. granulosus in Tibetan pigs were 7.9% in 2014 and 13.0% in 2015. Genders and growing stages were demonstrated to be risk factors to influence the prevalence significantly through multivariable logistic regression model. All the three fragments were successfully amplified from each of the 37 cysts. E. granulosus genotypes of G4 and G6 were identified by comparing with reference sequences of E. genotypes available at NCBI database and phylogenetic analysis by using MEGA software.

Coagulation in hindbrain membrane meningioma patients treated with different injections using acute hypervolemic hemodilution

The aim of this study was to analyze the changes in coagulation in meningioma patients treated with different injections using the method of acute hypervolemic hemodilution (AHH). One hundred fifty hindbrain membrane meningioma patients were randomly divided into 5 groups, 30 per group. The first group were injected 40ml/time with Danhong after anesthesia induction; the second group were injected with 40ml~60ml/time Kangai and combined with interventional chemotherapy and embolization procedure; the third group of AHH were injected with polygeline 15ml/kg; the fourth group were injected with hydroxyethyl starch (130/0.4) sodium chloride in doses of 15ml/kg; the control group underwent basic treatment for lowering blood pressure and lowering blood fat. The changes of coagulation index were recorded before and after surgery and before and after the injection of different medications. Compared to the control group, for the first group of AHH, after being treated for 10 days and 30 days, the concentrations of bone specific alkaline phosphatase (BALP), bone Gla protein (BGP) and pro-collagen carboxy-terminal propeptide (PICP) were higher than that of the control group, the levels of endotoxin (ET) and C-reactive protein (CRP) were decreased compared to the control group (p less than 0.05); for the second group of AHH, after being treated for 10 days, the index of prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), thrombin time (TT), fibrinogen (Fg) were not significantly changed, but the related level of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) significantly decreased (p less than 0.05). Comparing the coagulation function index after surgery in the third and fourth groups, there were no significant changes in mean arterial pressure (MAP) level, heart rate (HR) value presented a low decrease, central venous pressure (CVP) level increased and the level of interleukin IL-6 showed a steady state after increasing. Analyzing the levels of interleukin IL-8 and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) after surgery, it was seen that in the third group they increased and in the fourth group they decreased (p less than 0.05). Danhong injection improved the coagulation function and microcirculation of patients, Kangai injection and interventional chemotherapy and embolization restrained the appearance of tumor angiogenesis, AHH operation with polygeline injection and hydroxyethyl starch (130/0.4) sodium chloride kept blood flow in normal parameters.

Molecular characterization of ascaris from Tibetan pigs by three mitochondrial markers of nad1, cox1 and cox2

Ascaris is a helminthic parasite, which infects a wide range of host species causing ascariasis, a predominant disease worldwide. This parasite causes significant economic losses to the pig industry. The current study was designed to determine the Ascaris nematode by the genetic characterization of three mitochondrial (mt) genes namely NADH dehydrogenase subunit 1 (nad1), cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (cox1) and cytochrome oxidase subunit 2 (cox2). A high infection rate of Ascaris nematode has been found in Tibetan pigs at the slaughter houses in Tibet Autonomous Region of China. The nad1, cox1 and cox2 genes sequences collected from adult Ascaris individuals were amplified by polymerase chain reaction. The cloned-amplicons and the positive products were sequenced and phylogenetic analysis was performed. The results indicated that the Ascaris infecting the Tibetan pigs were Ascaris suum (A. suum). This is the first report on the isolation, identification and genetic characterization of three mitochondrial genomes (nad1, cox1, and cox2) of A. suum originated from Tibetan pigs at high altitudes in Tibet.

Concordance in cervical HPV detection between hybrid capture 2 and HPV GenoArray tests

HPV type-specific detection may promote cervical screening program and vaccination development worldwide. We conduct a study comparing HPV Hybrid capture II (HC II) Test and Hybribio GenoArray test, a newly developed HPV type-specific assay, in patients with cervical epithelial neoplasm. Results showed a good concordance in cervical HPV detection between two tests (kappa value 0.80, p<0.05, McNemar test). Our study may promote utilization of type-specific HPV detection that is helpful for cervical cancer screening and vaccination.

Inhibitors of differentiation-1 promotes nitrosopyrrolidine-induced transformation of HPV 16-immortalized cervical epithelial cell

Our previous study implied a correlation between inhibitors of differentiation-1 (Id-1) and cervical cancer development. However, how Id-1 contributes to cervical carcinogenesis is unknown. In the present study, we used an in vitro transformation model to investigate the role of Id-1 in the transformation of cervical cells. Human papillomavirus (HPV)-immortalized cervical epithelial cells (H8) were successfully transformed by exposure to the carcinogen N-nitrosopyrrolidine (NPYR). The expression of both Id-1 RNA and protein was significantly increased in transformed H8 cells, suggesting a possible role of Id-1 in cervical cell transformation. Ectopic expression of Id-1 in H8 cells potentiated NPYR-induced cell transformation. In contrast, silencing of Id-1 suppressed NPYR-induced H8 cell transformation. In addition, the expression of HPV E6 and E7 oncoproteins was upregulated while that of the tumor suppressors p53 and pRb was suppressed after H8 cell transformation. Our results suggest that Id-1 plays an oncogenic role in HPV-related cervical carcinogenesis, which sheds light on cervical cancer development mechanisms and implies that Id-1 is a potential target for cervical cancer prevention and therapy.

Overexpression of PeHA1 enhances hydrogen peroxide signaling in salt-stressed Arabidopsis

The plant plasma membrane (PM) H(+)-ATPase plays a crucial role in controlling K(+)/Na(+) homeostasis under salt stress. Our previous microarray analysis indicated that Populus euphratica retained a higher abundance of PM H(+)-ATPase transcript versus a salt-sensitive poplar. To clarify the roles of the PM H(+)-ATPase in salt sensing and adaptation, we isolated the PM H(+)-ATPase gene PeHA1 from P. euphratica and introduced it into Arabidopsis thaliana. Compared to wild-type, PeHA1-transgenic Arabidopsis had a greater germination rate, root length, and biomass under NaCl stress (50-150 mM). Ectopic expression of PeHA1 remarkably enhanced the capacity to control the homeostasis of ions and reactive oxygen species in salinized Arabidopsis. Flux data from salinized roots showed that transgenic plants exhibited a more pronounced Na(+)/H(+) antiport and less reduction of K(+) influx versus wild-type. Enhanced PM ATP hydrolytic activity, proton pumping, and Na(+)/H(+) antiport in PeHA1-transgenic plants, were consistent to those observed in vivo, i.e., H(+) extrusion, external acidification, and Na(+) efflux. Activities of the antioxidant enzymes ascorbate peroxidase and catalase were typically higher in transgenic seedlings irrespective of salt concentration. In transgenic Arabidopsis roots, H2O2 production was higher under control conditions and increased more rapidly than wild-type when plants were subjected to NaCl treatment. Interestingly, transgenic plants were unable to control K(+)/Na(+) homeostasis when salt-induced H2O2 production was inhibited by diphenylene iodonium, an inhibitor of NADPH oxidase. These observations suggest that PeHA1 accelerates salt tolerance partially through rapid H2O2 production upon salt treatment, which triggers adjustments in K(+)/Na(+) homeostasis and antioxidant defense in Arabidopsis.

A review of contraceptive practices among married and unmarried women in China from 1982 to 2010

OBJECTIVE

To analyse the contraceptive prevalence rate (CPR) among - and contraceptive methods used by - married and unmarried women in China, from 1982 to 2010.

METHOD

Data concerning married women were collected from national surveys conducted by the Chinese government. Those pertaining to unmarried women were obtained by searching the China Academic Journal Network Publishing database and PubMed.

RESULTS

CPR among married women in China was 89% in 2010, the highest in the world. Most married women use long-acting reversible contraceptives, particularly intrauterine devices, and sterilisation. CPR among sexually active unmarried women has fluctuated between 17 and 70% since 1988, although the frequency of condom use has increased (Cochran-Armitage trend test, χ(2) = 126.1, p < 0.001). More than 25% of unmarried women rely since at least 1982 on less effective contraceptive methods, including rhythm and withdrawal. This has led to an annual induced abortion rate of approximately 20% among those women.

CONCLUSION

In sharp contrast to the high CPR among married women, the rate among sexually active unmarried women in China has remained extremely low since 1988. More efforts should be directed at raising contraception awareness among this population to improve their reproductive health and reduce the rate of unwanted pregnancy.

The prognostic value of vascular endothelial growth factor in ovarian cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

The prognostic role of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in ovarian cancer remains inconclusive. This meta-analysis aimed to explore the association between VEGF overexpression and survival outcomes in ovarian cancer patients.

METHODS

Studies were identified from PubMed and EMBASE searches performed on January 2nd, 2011. After careful review, survival data were extracted from eligible studies. A meta-analysis was performed to generate combined hazard ratio (HR) for progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) in serum and tumor tissue studies.

RESULTS

Sixteen studies with 1111 patients were analyzed. Elevated serum VEGF was significantly associated with poor PFS [HR 2.46, 95% CI (1.84, 3.29)] and OS [HR 2.21, 95% CI (1.57, 3.13)]. No significant heterogeneity existed in serum studies. Similarly, tissue VEGF overexpression was associated with poor PFS [HR 1.63, 95% CI (1.09, 2.42)] and OS [HR 1.70, 95% CI (1.01, 2.87)]. However, significant heterogeneity was found in tissue studies, with I(2) of 44% for PFS and 64% for OS. Studies were stratified into subgroups by International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stages. Subgroup analyses showed that high tissue VEGF was significantly associated with shorter PFS [HR 5.34, 95% CI (1.95, 14.59)] and OS [HR 6.13, 95% CI (2.47, 15.26)] in studies where predominantly early-stage patients were included, but not in studies with a majority of advanced-stage patients. Subgroup analysis was not performed in serum studies because all those studies enrolled more patients in advanced stages than early stages.

CONCLUSIONS

Overexpression of VEGF in primary tumor and serum associates with poor PFS and OS for patients with ovarian cancer. The association between high tissue VEGF level and poor prognosis exists in early stage patients, but not in advanced stage patients.

Adjuvant gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogues for the prevention of chemotherapy induced premature ovarian failure in premenopausal women

BACKGROUND

Chemotherapy has significantly improved prognosis for patients with malignant and some non-malignant conditions. This treatment, however, is associated with ovarian toxicity and gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) analogues may have a protective effect on the ovaries. The mechanism of action of GnRH is based on suppression of the gonadotropin levels to simulate pre-pubertal hormonal milieu and decrease utero-ovarian perfusion.

OBJECTIVES

To assess the efficacy and safety of GnRH analogues given before or in parallel to chemotherapy to prevent chemotherapy-related ovarian damage in premenopausal women with malignant or non-malignant conditions.

SEARCH METHODS

We searched the Cochrane Gynaecological Cancer Group Specialized Register (up to July 2011), the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) (The Cochrane Library, Issue 2, 2011); MEDLINE (1950 to July 2011); EMBASE (1980 to July 2011); and the Chinese Biomedicine Database (CBM) (1976 to July 2011).

SELECTION CRITERIA

Randomized controlled trials (RCTs), in all languages, which examined the effect of GnRH analogues for chemotherapy-induced ovarian failure in premenopausal women, were eligible for inclusion in the review.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

The review authors independently extracted data and assessed trial quality using the Cochrane risk of bias tool. We analyzed binary data using risk ratios (RRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) and for continuous data, we used the standardized mean difference (SMD) to combine trials. As there was substantial difference in the types of chemotherapy used, we applied the random-effects model in our analyses. We contacted study authors for additional information.

MAIN RESULTS

Included studies in this review showed that intramuscular/subcutaneous administration of GnRH agonists was effective in protecting menstruation and ovulation after chemotherapy (resumed menses: RR 1.90, 95% CI 1.30 to 2.79; amenorrhoea: RR 0.08, 95% CI 0.01 to 0.58; ovulation: RR 2.70, 95% CI 1.52 to 4.79), whereas intranasal administration of GnRH agonists had no protective effect on ovaries (resumed menses: RR 0.75, 95% CI 0.33 to 1.72; ovulation: RR 1.13, 95% CI 0.20 to 6.24). Pregnancy rates were not significantly different between groups (intramuscular/subcutaneous GnRH agonist: RR 0.21, 95% CI 0.01 to 4.09; intranasal GnRH agonist: RR 0.41, 95% CI 0.02 to 8.84). Ultrasound antral follicular count (AFC) was not significantly different between groups (SMD 1.11, 95% CI 0.32 to 1.90).

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

The use of GnRH agonists should be considered in women of reproductive age receiving chemotherapy. Intramuscular or subcutaneous GnRH analogues seem to be effective in protecting ovaries during chemotherapy and should be given before or during treatment, although no significant difference in pregnancy rates was seen.

Exome sequencing in a family segregating for celiac disease

Celiac disease is a multifactorial disorder caused by an unknown number of genetic factors interacting with an environmental factor. Hence, most patients are singletons and large families segregating with celiac disease are rare. We report on a three-generation family with six patients in which the inheritance pattern is consistent with an autosomal dominant model. To date, 27 loci explain up to 40% of the heritable disease risk. We hypothesized that part of the missing heritability is because of low frequency or rare variants. Such causal variants could be more prominent in multigeneration families where private mutations might co-segregate with the disease. They can be identified by linkage analysis combined with whole exome sequencing. We found three linkage regions on 4q32.3-4q33, 8q24.13-8q24.21 and 10q23.1-10q23.32 that segregate with celiac disease in this family. We performed exome sequencing on two affected individuals to investigate the positional candidate regions and the remaining exome for causal nonsense variants. We identified 12 nonsense mutations with a low frequency (minor allele frequency <10%) present in both individuals, but none mapped to the linkage regions. Two variants in the CSAG1 and KRT37 genes were present in all six affected individuals. Two nonsense variants in the MADD and GBGT1 genes were also present in 5 of 6 and 4 of 6 individuals, respectively; future studies should determine if any of these nonsense variants is causally related to celiac disease.

The influence of corticosterone on antizyme gene expression in early regenerating rat liver

BACKGROUND AND STUDY AIMS

Antizyme 1, a specific inhibitor of Ornithine decarboxylase (ODC), plays a critical role in cell proliferation. Little is known about the impact of glucocorticoid on antizyme expression in the regenerating liver. In this paper, the effect of corticosterone on the gene expression of antizyme 1 in early regenerating rat liver induced by partial hepatectomy (PH) was investigated.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Bilateral adrenalectomies (ADX) were performed 3 days before PH. Corticosterone in sesame oil or sesame oil was injected sub-cutaneously to ADX rats. Antizyme 1 mRNA and protein levels as well as polyamine contents in the regenerating liver were determined by RT-PCR, Western blotting and HPLC, respectively.

RESULTS

Antizyme 1 protein content in the oil-treated ADX group decreased significantly at 5, 7 and 9 h after PH compared to control. Following corticosterone administration the content rose dose-dependently during the whole experiment. At 5 h post-PH, the protein levels in 10 and 40 mg/kg corticosterone-treated ADX rats increased by 66% and 148%, respectively, when compared with the control group. However, no significant changes in antizyme 1 mRNA levels were observed in oil-treated ADX rats or corticosterone-treated groups compared to control. Polyamine contents in oil-treated ADX rats were the highest among all groups at 5 and 9 h. Corticosterone treatment resulted in a dramatic decrease of polyamine contents at most of the time points investigated when compared with those in control rats.

CONCLUSIONS

Corticosterone treatment induces antizyme 1 protein synthesis in early regenerating rat liver. However, it has little effect on antizyme 1 gene transcription. (Acta gastroenterol. belg., 2011, 74, 289-294).

Prevalence and genotype distribution of human papillomavirus in women with cervical cancer or high-grade precancerous lesions in Chengdu, western China

OBJECTIVE

To study the prevalence and genotype distribution of human papillomavirus (HPV) among women with cervical cancer or high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSIL) in western China.

METHODS

Cervical cast-off cells from 144 women with cervical cancer and 63 women with HSIL were tested for HPV genotypes using an oligonucleotide microarray.

RESULTS

The overall HPV prevalence was 80.6% in cases of carcinoma and 61.9% in cases of HSIL. The most common genotypes were HPV-16 (carcinoma, 68.1%; HSIL, 34.9%) and HPV-58 (carcinoma, 8.3%; HSIL, 17.5%). Other high-risk types included HPV-18, -31, -33, -35, -45, and -52, with HPV-18 more common in adenocarcinomas than in squamous cell carcinomas (21.4% vs 3.1%; P<0.02). The HPV prevalence was lower among patients older than 49 years (P<0.02).

CONCLUSION

The prevalence of HPV-16 and HPV-58 was high. This finding may help to improve HPV vaccination and cervical cancer prevention programs in western China.

Use of fluorometry for monitoring and control of a bioreactor

A new fluorescent bioreactor monitoring probe-multiple excitation fluorometric system (MEFS)-has been developed. This probe was compared to the commercially available BioChem Technology FluroMeasure system (NADH probe). In this task the fluorescence behavior of three model fermentation systems, ethanol fermentation by Candida utilis, phenol fermentation by Pseudomonas putida, and glucose fermentation by Saccharomyces cerevisiae, were examined. The results indicated that the fluorescence intensity and behavior of various cellular fluorophors vary significantly between the different fermentation systems. Monitoring a fermentation process using only NAD(P)H fluorescence provided limited information. The NAD(P)H fluorescence was found not to be the best fluorescence signal for monitoring cell concentrations. The best way of monitoring a bioreactor by fluorometry may be to monitor several fluorophors in the whole culture broth simultaneously and to relate these fluorescence signals to various biological parameters.

Identification of differentially expressed genes in the growth plate of broiler chickens with thiram-induced tibial dyschondroplasia

Tibial dyschondroplasia (TD) is characterized by expansion of the proximal growth plates of the tibiotarsus that fail to form bone, lack blood vessels, and contain non-viable cells. Thiram (a carbamate pesticide), when fed to young broiler chicks, induces TD with high regularity and precision. We used this experimental model to understand the cause of the defects associated with TD by selecting and identifying the genes differentially expressed in the TD growth plate of broiler chickens. Broiler chicks at 7 days of age were randomly divided into two groups. After fasting overnight, they were fed with regular diet (control) or the same diet containing 100 mg/kg thiram for 96 h to induce TD (thiram-fed). mRNA was purified from the growth plates of control and thiram-fed broilers. Forward and reverse-subtracted cDNA libraries were generated by suppression subtractive hybridization technology. Ten selected genes from cDNA libraries were identified by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. All were differentially expressed in TD growth plates (P<0.05 or P<0.01). The levels of collagen type X (Col X), pro-alpha-1 collagen type I (Col I alpha1), collagen type IX (Col IX), NADH dehydrogenase (NADH DH), cytochrome C oxidase subunit III (COX III), enolase 1, alpha (ENO1), carbonic anhydrase II (CA2) and heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) mRNA transcripts were up-regulated, while the expression levels of Matrilin 3 (MATN3) and chondromodulin-I (ChM-I) were down-regulated. Col I and Hsp90 were detected by immunohistochemistry at different stages. Given that these genes are involved in matrix formation, endochondral ossification, developmental regulation, electron transport in the mitochondrial respiratory chain and vascularization, our findings may provide new insights into understanding the pathogenesis of TD.

Correlation of inhibitor of differentiation 1 expression to tumor progression, poor differentiation and aggressive behaviors in cervical carcinoma

OBJECTIVE

To study the correlation of inhibitor of differentiation 1 (Id-1) to tumor invasion and metastasis by examining Id-1 expression levels in different stages of cervical carcinogenesis.

METHODS

Id-1 mRNA and protein expression was detected in total of 171 cervical samples including precancerous and cancerous tissues by quantitative RT-PCR (qRT-PCR) and immunohistochemistry (IHC), respectively. Twenty-five normal cervical tissues were used as a normal control. Correlation between Id-1 positive rates and expression levels to cancer progression and clinicopathologic features was statistically analyzed.

RESULTS

A gradual increase of Id-1 protein expression associated with cervical cancer progression was detected (4%, 16%, 50% and 75.9% in normal, low squamous intraepithelial lesion (LSIL), high squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL) and cancer tissue, respectively, p<0.001). A similar trend of Id-1 mRNA expression was also observed (1.3, 3.4 and 10.4 fold higher than normal tissues in LSIL, HSIL and cancer tissue, respectively, p<0.001). Furthermore, the Id-1 expression level was correlated to tumor grade (p=0.005), lymph node metastasis (p=0.001), interstitial invasive (p<0.001) and tumor size (p<0.001). These results suggest that high Id-1 expression is associated with tumor growth, invasion and metastasis.

CONCLUSION

Id-1 expression is correlated to progression and aggressive behaviors in cervical cancer, suggesting a tumor-promoting role for Id-1 in progression of this malignancy.