Regulation of LDH-A gene expression by transcriptional and posttranscriptional signal transduction mechanisms

The lactate dehydrogenase-A (LDH-A) gene, whose product plays a pivotal role in normal anaerobic glycolysis and is frequently increased in human cancers, is highly regulated at the transcriptional and posttranscriptional levels. Our laboratory has carried out extensive studies concerning the regulation of LDH-A subunit expression. We have elucidated complex regulatory mechanisms by identifying multiple cis-acting promoter elements including functional sites for Sp1 and c-Myc interactions as well as sites that interact with the protein kinase A and protein kinase C substrates, CREB and AP1, respectively. Furthermore, we have reported the existence of a CRE-dependent silencer element in the LDH-A promoter. LDH-A expression is additionally regulated through the protein kinase A and C signal pathways at the posttranscriptional level, specifically mRNA stability.

[Image and quantity analysis of prostaglandin in rats' blood plasma and Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase in their cerebellum during the prevention of motion sickness by cinnarizine]

To study the mechanism of cinnarizine in preventing motion sickness, TXB2, 6-Keto-PGF1 alpha in rats' blood plasma and Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase activity in the endothelial cells of their cerebellar capillary were measured and analysed by a radioactive immunity analyser and a computer image system. The results showed that TXB2 and 6-Keto-PGF1 alpha in rats' blood plasma in the cinnarizine preventing group (CPG) decreased remarkably, compared with those in the motion sickness group(MSG) (p < 0.05). The activity of Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase in the endothelial cells of rats' cerebellar capillary in CPG was higher than that in MSG (p < 0.01). The authors suggest that the lower concentration of TXB2 and 6-Keto-PGF1 alpha in rats' blood plasma in CPG is closely related to cinnarizine which prevents Ca2+ from entering into the platelets and into the endothelial cells of blood vessels. The higher activity of Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase in the cerebellum may be caused by cinnarizene which dilates the blood vessels in the brain, increases the blood flow therein, and hinders Ca2+ from getting into the cerebellum cells. These change are believed to be the important mechanism of how cinnarizine prevents motion sickness.

[Study on relationship between ovulation inducing effect of drug-acupuncture and endometrial contents of estradiol receptor and progesterone receptor]

OBJECTIVE

To study the effect of Chinese herbal medicine for replenishing Kidney combined with acupuncture in treating anovulation and infertility, and the relationship between its ovulation inducing effect and endometrial contents of estradiol receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR).

METHODS

Twenty-nine cases were treated with replenishing Kidney drugs combined with acupuncture for 1-3 months. Patients' ER and PR were measured by immunohistochemical method. And patients were classified according to PR content into PR positive group and mild PR positive group.

RESULTS

Fifteen cases of PR positive group, completed treatment for 45 cycles, among them, 40 cycles showed ovulation, the ovulation rate being 88.89%. Ten in 14 cases, who complicated with infertility, became pregnant, the pregnant rate being 71.43%. While in 11 cases of PR mild positive group, 9 complicated with infertility, completed treatment for 33 cycle, 10 cycles showed ovulation (30.30%), and pregnant rate 22.22% (2/9). The difference between the two groups was significant (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSION

The replenishing Kidney drugs combined with acupuncture treatment could result a good effect in treating infertility due to anovulation, especially on those with high endometrial PR content.

Extrahepatic and intrahepatic replication and expression of hepatitis C virus

In order to determine the replication sites of hepatitis C virus, the in situ hybridization and immunohistochemical technique using digoxin-labeled 531 bp plus-strand and minus-strand HCVRNA probes were employed to detect HCVRNA in the liver tissues, bone marrow mononuclear cells and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from the patients with chronic hepatitis C, and in HCV transfected COS cells. The results showed that both plus-strand and minus-strand HCVRNA were detected in 80% of liver tissues (4/5). Plus-strand HCVRNA could be detected in 90% of PBMCs and bone marrow mononuclear cells (18/20), minus-strand HCVRNA in 25% of PBMCs. In HCV transfected COS cells, plus-strand HCVRNA distributed evenly in 20% cellular nuclei and cytoplasms. No minus-strand HCVRNA was detected in the bone marrow mononuclear cells and HCV transfected COS cells. The positive signal appeared in more cells when the liver tissues, PBMCs and marrow mononuclear cells were hybridized by plus-strand probes than when hybridized by minus-strand probes. Our results suggested that the hepatocytic cytoplasms and PBMC cytoplasms were the replication sites of HCV, but the marrow mononuclear cells were not the replication sites of HCV although they were infected by HCV. HCV infection might be accounted for the pathogenesis of chronic hepatitis and relapse of hepatitis C after liver transplantation.

[Reconstruction of anterior cruciate ligament using bone-patellar tendon-prepatellar periosteum free graft with impacting bone technique]

In order to make full and effective use of patellar tendon (middle one-third) during reconstruction of anterior cruciate ligament, we designed bone-patellar tendon-tendon of quadriceps femoris free graft with impacting bone technique and 38 cases were treated by this method. Follow-up for 2 years and 7 months showed that the clinical results were good. The exellent and good rate was 89.7%. Clinical results indicated that the fixation of this reconstructive method was firm and grafts in the joint cavity were patellar tendon tissue. The anterior medial rotatory instability of the knee joint could be corrected with the same graft that have enough length. The experience of acute rupture of anterior cruciate ligament and the rupture of anterior cruciate ligament combined with injury of meniscus were reported.

[Influence of human bone morphogenetic protein (hBMP) on the articular cartilage pieces cultured in vitro]

To understand the influence of hBMP on the articular cartilage, we investigated the expression of osteocalcin (BGP) and hBMP, and calcium deposit in cartilage matrix induced by hBMP. Under the inducing of hBMP, chondrocytes in cartilage pieces begun to express BGP and hBMP. The hBMP promoted calcium deposition in the cartilage matrix, hBMP made some chondrocytes further differentiat into osteoblast-like cells. We consider that these osteoblast-like cells might be other source of osteoblasts in endochondral osteogenesis.

[The role of nitric oxide in the pathogenesis of asthma]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the role of nitric oxide (NO) in the pathogenesis of asthma, we observed the influence of L-NG-arginine-methylester (L-NAME), the inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase (NOS), on the contraction of isolated guinea pig tracheal smooth muscles and observed the changes of NOS in the guinea pig asthma model lung tissues using histochemical detection.

METHODS

Male Hartley guinea pig isolated tracheal ring were incubated with L-NAME 2.0 mmol/L for 30 min and histamine was given to make a concentration response curve. The sections of guinea pig asthma model lung tissues were stained with NADPH diaphorase.

RESULTS

The histamine concentration response curve was significantly shifted upward in the L-NAME incubated group, the maximal response increased by 170% compared with that of control group. The numbers of alveolar macrophages were significantly increased and NADPH diaphorase staining was positive in asthma model group, in contrast, the alveolar macrophages were hardly seen and there was almost no positive staining of NOS in the control group.

CONCLUSIONS

The inhibition of NO synthesis of guinea pig respiratory tract with L-NAME results in a marked increase in airway contraction in vitro after histamine provocation. This result indicate that NO has relaxant effect on tracheal smooth muscles and may decrease airway responsiveness to histamine. The increased alveolar macrophages and positive stained NOS in the lung tissues of asthma model indicate that NO, which is synthesized by the NOS in alveolar macrophages, may play an important role in asthma pathogenesis.

[Effect of xiaopiling granules on the treatment of gastric precancerous changes as detected by image analyzer and electronic microscope]

Therapeutic effect of Xiaopiling Granules on gastric precancerous changes was observed, using image analyzer and electronic microscope. The result indicated that the Granules could efficiently eliminate gastric mucositis, nourish gastric mucosa, soften or restrain dysplasia, ameliorate structure atypism and cell atypism of dysplasia, promote elimination of dysplasia and efficiently ameliorate the ultrastructure of gastric precancerous changes.

[An experimental study on the relationship between BMP's activity and its carrier]

To find out the relationship between human bone morphogenetic protein's activity and its carrier and to document the clinical application of BMP, we investigated six kinds of BMP carrier's influence upon hBMP's osteogenic activity with small sample size at first. Then three kinds of carriers selected from the six, added with the seventh carrier, were investigated with large sample size. The result showed that the compound of hBMP and hDDBM had best osteogenic ability. The human bone matrix had been formerly demineralized and extracted without hBMP. The hDDBM showed porous structure under SEM, its mean pore's diameter was 127 +/- 34 microns. It was demonstrated that the function of demineralized bone matrix extracted without BMP (i.e. DDBM) was related not only to its pore's diameter, but to the fibrolike matter in it as well. With the method of BMP bioassay, BMP was composited with carrier, then the compound was injected into the calf of mouse. This made BMP's bioassay become simple and reliable.

[Effects of three kinds of decoction on histopathology of gastric mucosa, gastric pH and the content of bile acid in experimental chronic gastritis in rats]

Experimental chronic gastritis (ECG) models were established in rats by inserting a spring into pyloric canal as well as feeding sodium deoxycholate. An experiment was undertaken to observe the therapeutic effects of three formulas of traditional Chinese medicine "Shipitong", "Ganpingyangwei" and "Weile". The experimental results show that all of the three decoctions can reduce gastric pH and bile acid of the ECG rats and make gastric mucosal histomorphology of these rats change markedly.

Measurement of the Mueller scattering matrix by use of optical beats from a Zeeman laser

A two-frequency beam from a Zeeman laser scatters elastically from an isotropic medium, such as randomly oriented viruses or other particles suspended in water. The Zeeman effect splits the laser line by 250 kHz, and beats can be seen electronically in the signal from a phototube that views the scattered light. There are independently rotatable half-wave and quarter-wave retardation plates in the incident beam and a similar pair in the observed scattered beam, plus a fixed linear polarizer directly in front of the detector. Each of the four retarders has two angular positions, providing a total of 16 possible polarization cases. For each of the 16 cases, there are three data to be collected: (1) the average total intensity of the scattered light, (2) the amplitude of the beats in the scattered light, and (3) the phase shift between the beats of the scattered light and those of a reference signal from the laser. When a singular value decomposition technique is used, these threefold redundant data are rapidly ransformed into a best-fit 4 × 4 Mueller scattering matrix. We discuss several different measurement strategies and their systematic and statistical errors. We present experimental results for two kinds of particle of wavelength size: polystyrene spheres and tobacco mosaic virus. In both cases the achiral retardation element M(34) of the Mueller matrix is easily measurable.

Histocompatibility antigens associated with Behçet's disease in northern Han Chinese

Among Han nationality Chinese and living in the northern area of the Yellow River, 120 patients suffering from Behçet's disease and 100 unrelated healthy individuals were typed for histocompatibility antigens (HLA)-A, -B, -C, and -DR and -DQ antigens. HLA-DR and DQ typing was performed on B-lymphocyte separated with Lympho-B-Kwik. The HLA-antisera were provided by 11th IHWC. Bf alleles and C4 allotypes were determined by immunofixation agarose-gel electrophoresis. HLA-B51 was found in 67/120 (55.83%) patients and in 12/100 (12%) controls, the Chi-square and relative risk values were 45.54 and 9.27, respectively (p < 0.0005). C4AQ0 frequency was significantly increased in the patient group. In the complete form group HLA-B51 was observed more frequently (62.79%). No significant differences of other HLA antigens, frequencies, Bf or B4 alleles were found between the groups.