[Hydnocarpin inhibits malignant progression of triple negative breast cancer via CNOT4-mediated ubiquitination and degradation of YAP].

This study aims to investigate the effect and mechanism of hydnocarpin(HC) in treating triple negative breast cancer(TNBC). Cell counting kit-8(CCK-8), xCELLigence real-time cellular analysis(RTCA), and colony formation assay were employed to determine the effects of HC on the proliferation of two TNBC cell lines: MDA-MB-231 and MDA-MB-436. The effects of HC on the migration and invasion of TNBC cells were detected by high-content analysis, wound-healing assay, and Transwell assay. The changes in the epithelial-mesenchymal transition(EMT) and the expression of invasion-and migration-associated proteins [E-cadherin, vimentin, Snail, matrix metalloproteinase-2(MMP-2), and MMP-9] were detected by Western blot. Western blot and RT-qPCR were employed to determine the protein and mRNA levels of Yes-associated protein(YAP) and downstream targets(CTGF and Cyr61). TNBC cells were transfected with Flag-YAP for the overexpression of YAP, and the role of YAP as a key target for HC to inhibit TNBC malignant progression was examined by CCK-8 assay, Transwell assay, and wound-healing assay. The pathway of HC-induced YAP degradation was detected by the co-treatment of proteasome inhibitor with HC and ubiquitination assay. The binding of HC to YAP and the E3 ubiquitin ligase Ccr4-not transcription complex subunit 4(CNOT4) was detected by microscale thermophoresis(MST) assay and drug affinity responsive target stability(DARTS) assay. The results showed that HC significantly inhibited the proliferation, colony formation, invasion, and EMT of TNBC cells. HC down-regulated the protein and mRNA levels of CTGF and Cyr61. HC down-regulated the total protein level of YAP, while it had no effect on the mRNA level of YAP. The overexpression of YAP antagonized the inhibitory effects of HC on the proliferation, migration, and invasion of TNBC cells. HC promoted the degradation of YAP through the proteasome pathway and up-regulated the ubiquitination level of YAP. The results of MST and DARTS demonstrated direct binding between HC, YAP, and CNOT4. The above results indicated that HC inhibited the malignant progression of TNBC via CNOT4-mediated degradation and ubiquitination of YAP.

Comparative analysis of loop-mediated isothermal amplification combined with microfluidic chip technology and q-PCR in the detection of clinical infectious pathogens.

BACKGROUND: Rapid diagnosis of infectious pathogens at an early stage is crucial to stabilize the patient's condition, reduce medical costs, and shorten hospital stays. Currently, some point-of-care tests have their own shortcomings. Therefore, we built a microfluidic chip based on loop-mediated isothermal amplification to can quickly and sensitively detect infectious pathogens. METHODS: We extracted the DNA of S. aureus, MRSA, Shigella and Klebsiella pneumoniae. Then, the DNA samples were diluted by 10-fold and examined by two methods: LAMP-microfluidic chip and q-PCR, the sensitivity of whom was also compared. In addition, the specificity of the two was also examined by detecting the target bacteria and other microorganisms using the same methods. Finally, we extracted and tested the DNA of clinically infected humoral samples to determine the coincidence rate between the two methods and the bacterial culture method. RESULTS: For S. aureus, MRSA, Shigella, and Klebsiella pneumoniae, the detection limits of the chip were 2.25 × 103 copies/µl, 5.32 × 103 copies/µl, 2.89 × 103 copies/µl, 6.53 × 102 copies/µl, and the detection limits of q-PCR were 2.25 × 102 copies/µl, 5.32 × 101 copies/µl, 2.89 × 102 copies/µl, 6.53 × 101 copies/µl, respectively. In terms of detection specificity, neither method cross-reacted with other strains. For the detection of infectious humoral samples, the total coincidence rate between the q-PCR and bacterial culture method was 85.7%, 95%, 95%, and 95.5%, and the total coincidence rate between the chip and bacterial culture method was 81%, 95%, 90%, and 86.4%, respectively. CONCLUSION: LAMP-microfluidic chip provides a simple, sensitive, specific, convenient, and rapid pathogen detection method for clinically infected humoral samples without relying on expensive equipment or technical personnels.

Combined strategy of knowledge-based rule selection and historical data percentile-based range determination to improve an autoverification system for clinical chemistry test results.

BACKGROUND: Current autoverification, which is only knowledge-based, has low efficiency. Regular historical data analysis may improve autoverification range determination. We attempted to enhance autoverification by selecting autoverification rules by knowledge and ranges from historical data. This new system was compared with the original knowledge-based system. METHODS: New types of rules, extreme values, and consistency checks were added and the autoverification workflow was rearranged to construct a framework. Criteria for creating rules for extreme value ranges, limit checks, consistency checks, and delta checks were determined by analyzing historical Zhongshan laboratory data. The new system's effectiveness was evaluated using pooled data from 20 centers. Efficiency improvement was assessed by a multicenter process. RESULTS: Effectiveness was evaluated by the true positive rate, true negative rate, and overall consistency rate, as compared to manual verification, which were 77.55%, 78.53%, and 78.3%, respectively for the new system. The original overall consistency rate was 56.2%. The new pass rates, indicating efficiency, were increased by 19%-51% among hospitals. Further customization using individualized data increased this rate. CONCLUSIONS: The improved system showed a comparable effectiveness and markedly increased efficiency. This transferable system could be further improved and popularized by utilizing historical data from each hospital.

Vibsanin A sensitizes human acute myeloid leukemia cells to tyrosine kinase inhibitor-induced myeloid differentiation via activation of PKC and upregulation of Lyn.

Differentiation therapies have been proposed to overcome the impaired cell differentiation in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). However, thus far the all-trans retinoic acid-based differentiation therapy has been the only successful modality in treating acute promyelocytic leukemia. Here, we showed that vibsanin A, a novel protein kinase C (PKC) activator, sensitized AML cells to tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI)-induced differentiation. Vibsanin A augmented the ability of TKIs to induce growth inhibition and G1 cell cycle arrest of AML cells. Mechanistically, PKC activation was involved in the differentiation-inducing effects of combining vibsanin A with TKIs. Moreover, we found that vibsanin A enhanced TKI-induced Lyn expression and suppression of Lyn interfered with AML cell differentiation, indicating an essential role for Lyn expression in the combination-induced differentiation. Finally, combining vibsanin A and TKIs enhanced the activation of the Raf/MEK/ERK cascade. Together, this is the first study to evaluate the synergy of vibsanin A and TKIs in AML cell differentiation. Our study lays the foundation in assessing new opportunities for the combination of vibsanin A and TKIs as a promising approach for future differentiation therapy.

The vanillin derivative 6-bromine-5-hydroxy-4-methoxybenzaldehyde induces aberrant mitotic progression and enhances radio-sensitivity accompanying suppression the expression of PLK1 in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is the most common form of esophageal cancer in China. Since chemotherapy is the standard clinical intervention for advanced ESCC, the development of highly effective and minimal/non-toxic drugs is essential to improve the clinical outcome and prognosis of the patients. A novel derivative of vanillin, 6-bromine-5-hydroxy-4-methoxybenzaldehyde (BVAN08), has been recently reported to activate different cell death pathways in cancer cells. In this study, we demonstrate that BVAN08 exhibits a potent anti-proliferation effect on ESCC cells (TE-1 and ECA-109) by inhibiting the expression of PLK1, an important mitotic kinase. Consistent with this, BVAN08 induces mitotic arrest and chromosomal misalignment in ESCC cells. The disruption of microtubule nucleation around centrosomes is also observed in BVAN08 treated ESCC cells. Furthermore, BVAN08 enhances radio-sensitivity of ESCC cells by prolonging DNA damage repair. These findings underscore the potential value of BVAN08 in cancer therapeutics and demonstrate the underlying mechanism by which BVAN08 induces mitotic catastrophe and enhances radio-sensitivity in ESCC cells.

Genome-wide association study of rice grain width variation.

Seed size is variable within many plant species, and understanding the underlying genetic factors can provide insights into mechanisms of local environmental adaptation. Here we make use of the abundant genomic and germplasm resources available for rice (Oryza sativa) to perform a large-scale genome-wide association study (GWAS) of grain width. Grain width varies widely within the crop and is also known to show climate-associated variation across populations of its wild progenitor. Using a filtered dataset of >1.9 million genome-wide SNPs in a sample of 570 cultivated and wild rice accessions, we performed GWAS with two complementary models, GLM and MLM. The models yielded 10 and 33 significant associations, respectively, and jointly yielded seven candidate locus regions, two of which have been previously identified. Analyses of nucleotide diversity and haplotype distributions at these loci revealed signatures of selection and patterns consistent with adaptive introgression of grain width alleles across rice variety groups. The results provide a 50% increase in the total number of rice grain width loci mapped to date and support a polygenic model whereby grain width is shaped by gene-by-environment interactions. These loci can potentially serve as candidates for studies of adaptive seed size variation in wild grass species.

The association between vitamin D and the progression of diabetic nephropathy: insights into potential mechanisms.

Aims: Vitamin D deficiency (VDD) is prevalent in the population, with inadequate intake, impaired absorption and metabolism as the main causative factors. VDD increases the risk of developing chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and diabetic nephropathy (DN), but the molecular mechanisms underlying this phenomenon are not known. The aim of this study was to investigate the association and potential mechanisms of vitamin D levels with the progression of DN by analyzing general clinical data and using bioinformatics methods. Methods: The study included 567 diabetes mellitus type 2 (T2DM) patients from the Rocket Force Characteristic Medical Center as the case group and 221 healthy examinees as the normal control group. T2DM patients were categorized into T2DM, early diabetic nephropathy (EDN), and advanced diabetic nephropathy (ADN) based on the progression of diabetic nephropathy. The renal RNA-seq and scRNA-seq data of patients with DN were mined from public databases, and the differential expression of vitamin D-related genes in normal-EDN-ADN was analyzed by bioinformatics method, protein interaction network was constructed, immune infiltration was evaluated, single cell map was drawn, and potential mechanisms of VD and DN interaction were explored. Results: Chi-square test showed that vitamin D level was significantly negatively correlated with DN progression (p < 0.001). Bioinformatics showed that the expression of vitamin D-related cytochrome P450 family genes was down-regulated, and TLR4 and other related inflammatory genes were abnormally up-regulated with the progression of DN. Vitamin D metabolism disturbance up-regulate "Nf-Kappa B signaling pathway," B cell receptor signaling pathway and other immune regulation and insulin resistance related pathways, and inhibit a variety of metabolic pathways. In addition, vitamin D metabolism disturbance are strongly associated with the development of diabetic cardiomyopathy and several neurological disease complications. Conclusion: VDD or vitamin D metabolism disturbance is positively associated with the severity of renal injury. The mechanisms may involve abnormal regulation of the immune system by vitamin D metabolism disturbance, metabolic suppression, upregulation of insulin resistance and inflammatory signalling pathways.

[The Application Study of Voriconazole and Its Metabolites Concentration Monitoring in Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation Patients].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the application value of simultaneous monitoring of voriconazole (VRCZ) and voriconazole N-oxide (VNO) in efficacy and safety of VRCZ in the prevention and treatment of fungal infections in allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) patients before engraftment (i.e., days +1 to +30 after transplantation). METHODS: The influencing factors of VRCZ, VNO concentration and MR (CVNO/CVRCZ) and the difference of VRCZ in the prevention and treatment of fungal infection and liver and kidney injury were analyzed. The receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) was used to analyze the differences (the corresponding to the maximum of the Youden index on the curve was set as the cut-off value) to confirm the critical value. RESULTS: The factors affecting VRCZ concentration (CVRCZ), VNO concentration (CVNO) and MR were patient weight, VRCZ daily dose, and transplantation type (all P < 0.05). CVRCZ and CVNO in the effective group were higher than those in the ineffective group (P < 0.001), the opposite of MR (P < 0.001); the liver and renal injury group had lower MR than the normal group (P < 0.05). ROC showed that CVRCZ, C VNO and MR had important value in predicting VRCZ in the prevention and treatment of invasive fungal infections in allo-HSCT patients before engraftment, and their cutoff of concentrations were 0.95 µg/ml, 1.35 µg/ml and 1.645, respectively (AUC: 0.9677, 0.7634, 0.9564). CVRCZ and MR can assist in indicating liver ï¼»cutoff values: 0.65 µg/ml, 1.96 (AUC: 0.5971, 0.6663)ï¼½ and renal injury ï¼»cutoff values: 0.95 µg/ml, 1.705 (AUC: 0.6039, 0.6164)ï¼½. CONCLUSION: The great value of simultaneous monitoring of VRCZ, VNO and MR can predict in the efficacy and safety of VRCZ in allo-HSCT patients before engraftment. The prediction accuracy of CVRCZ was higher than that of MR, followed by that of CVNO. Increased CVRCZ and decreased MR increase the risk of liver and kidney injury.

G protein pathway suppressor 2 suppresses aerobic glycolysis through RACK1-mediated HIF-1α degradation in breast cancer.

Aerobic glycolysis has been recognized as a hallmark of human cancer. G protein pathway suppressor 2 (GPS2) is a negative regulator of the G protein-MAPK pathway and a core subunit of the NCoR/SMRT transcriptional co-repressor complex. However, how its biological properties intersect with cellular metabolism in breast cancer (BC) development remains poorly elucidated. Here, we report that GPS2 is low expressed in BC tissues and negatively correlated with poor prognosis. Both in vitro and in vivo studies demonstrate that GPS2 suppresses malignant progression of BC. Moreover, GPS2 suppresses aerobic glycolysis in BC cells. Mechanistically, GPS2 destabilizes HIF-1α to reduce the transcription of its downstream glycolytic regulators (PGK1, PGAM1, ENO1, PKM2, LDHA, PDK1, PDK2, and PDK4), and then suppresses cellular aerobic glycolysis. Notably, receptor for activated C kinase 1 (RACK1) is identified as a key ubiquitin ligase for GPS2 to promote HIF-1α degradation. GPS2 stabilizes the binding of HIF-1α to RACK1 by directly binding to RACK1, resulting in polyubiquitination and instability of HIF-1α. Amino acid residues 70-92 aa of the GPS2 N-terminus bind RACK1. A 23-amino-acid-long GPS2-derived peptide was developed based on this N-terminal region, which promotes the interaction of RACK1 with HIF-1α, downregulates HIF-1α expression and significantly suppresses BC tumorigenesis in vitro and in vivo. In conclusion, our findings indicate that GPS2 decreases the stability of HIF-1α, which in turn suppresses aerobic glycolysis and tumorigenesis in BC, suggesting that targeting HIF-1α degradation and treating with peptides may be a promising approach to treat BC.

Single-dose Administration of Recombinant Human Thrombopoietin Enhances Survival and Hematopoietic Reconstruction in Canines Irradiated with 3 Gy Gamma Radiation.

We conducted this study to investigate the radioprotective effects of recombinant human thrombopoietin (rhTPO) on beagle dogs irradiated with 3.0 Gy 60Co gamma rays. Fifteen healthy adult beagles were randomly assigned to a control group with alleviating care, and 5 and 10 µg/kg rhTPO treatment group. All animals received total-body irradiation using 60Co γ-ray source at a dose of 3.0 Gy (dose rate was 69.1 cGy/min). The treatment group received intramuscular injection of rhTPO 5 and 10 µg/kg at 2 h postirradiation, and the control group was administrated the same volume of normal saline. The survival rate, clinical signs, peripheral hemogram, serum biochemistry, and histopathological examination of animals in each group were assessed. Single administration of 10 µg/kg rhTPO at 2 h postirradiation promoted the recovery of multilineage hematopoiesis and improved the survival rate of beagles irradiated with 3 Gy 60Co γ rays. The administration of 10 µg/kg rhTPO alleviated fever and bleeding, reduced the requirement for supportive care, and may have mitigated multiple organ damage.

Enhanced adsorption and photocatalytic Cr(VI) reduction and sterilization of defective MoS2/PVP.

The exploration of novel nanomaterials to resolve the issues of water pollution with the aid of photocatalytic technology has always been a research hotspot. MoS2 is acknowledged to be one of the promising photocatalysts for its interesting layered structure, suitable band gap, and good chemical stability. However, the fast recombination of photogenerated electrons and holes within the MoS2 impedes its extensive application. Here, hydrophilic polymer (polyvinyl pyrrolidone, PVP) and sulfur vacancy (Vs) are simultaneously introduced into the MoS2 nanosheets to achieve high-efficient photocatalytic hexavalent chromium Cr(VI) removal and antibacterial performance. The incorporation of PVP greatly enhances the adsorption capacity of MoS2, and creating Vs essentially strengthens the photogenerated carrier separation of MoS2. As a result, the Cr(VI) removal efficiency of MoS2-PVP with an appropriate Vs concentration is up to 99.5 % for 3 h. Meanwhile, MoS2-PVP with a relatively higher Vs concentration displays a superior Escherichia coli (E. coli) removal efficiency of 91.8 % within 30 min with the initial E. coli concentration of âˆ¼1.0 × 107 CFU/mL. This study extends photocatalysts to a higher level in designing advanced materials for environmental remediation and establishes a feasible platform for emphasizing the versatility of defect engineering in regulating catalytic activity.

Adsorbent-to-photocatalyst: Recycling heavy metal cadmium by natural clay mineral for visible-light-driven photocatalytic antibacterial.

High value-added recycling of hazardous substances emerges as one of the most promising directions in current society, which can simultaneously relieve the environmental burden and obtain useful products. Here, we propose a transformation strategy from adsorbent to photocatalyst by recycling heavy metal with natural clay mineral. Sepiolite is selected as an adsorbent for removing Cd2+ in wastewater due to its excellent adsorption properties in terms of high specific surface area and structural channels. Then, in-situ sulfidation of the adsorbed Cd2+ is carried out, transforming it into CdS/Sep photocatalyst, which exhibits efficient photocatalytic antibacterial activity for Escherichia coli with a sterilization efficiency of 98.8% within 2 h. The intense visible light absorption of CdS and the efficient separation of photogenerated carriers render the prominent antibacterial activity. The main reactive species including superoxide radicals and hydroxyl radicals produced by CdS/Sep under visible light irradiation are diffused into the solution and attack the bacteria surrounding the photocatalysts. This work not only develops new ideas for recycling heavy metals for fabrication of efficient photocatalysts, but also provides a reference for water purification based on cost-effective natural minerals.

Rapid detection of Salmonella based on loop-mediated isothermal amplification.

BACKGROUND: Salmonella enterica is a zoonotic pathogen of substantial concern to human and animal health and is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in people worldwide. Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) technology is a new type of nucleic acid amplification technology, which has the characteristics of high specificity, high sensitivity, simple operation, convenience, and low cost. This study aims to establish a rapid detection method for Salmonella based on LAMP technology. METHODS: Primers were designed for Salmonella's specific conservative invA gene. Through primer screening and optimization of reaction conditions, and a LAMP method for detecting Salmonella with real-time fluorescence and visual observation results was established. The sensitivity and specificity of the method were assessed, and the accuracy was evaluated through the testing of Salmonella-contaminated and non-contaminated clinical samples. RESULTS: The optimal reaction temperature of LAMP was 60-65 °C, and the optimal reaction time was 25-30 minutes. The detection limits of real-time fluorescence and visual observation were both 1.4 pg/µL. There was no cross-reactivity observed with 22 non-Salmonella species, and the specificity was 100%. Additionally, 30 samples contaminated with Salmonella, 30 samples not contaminated with Salmonella, and 8 clinical samples identified as positive by bacterial culture and microbial mass spectrometry were tested. The positive coincidence rate of the detection system was 97.4% by real-time fluorescence and 89.5% by visual observation, the negative coincidence rate was 100%, and the total coincidence rate was 98.5% and 94.1%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: In the scene of infection, primary hospital, disaster area treatment and other scenarios, the conditions of environment, equipment and personnel was limited, therefore, the established real-time fluorescence and visual lamp method can provide a powerful means for the rapid detection of Salmonella.

Rapid detection of multiple pathogens by the combined loop-mediated isothermal amplification technology and microfluidic chip technology.

BACKGROUND: A rapid detection system for multiple pathogens that combines loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) technology and microfluidic chip technology was established. METHODS: Primers were designed for the specific conservative genes of the multiple pathogens. A rapid detection method for multiple pathogens based on LAMP technology was established using the primer screening and optimization of reaction conditions. The microfluidic chip was designed. manufactured, and combined with the LAMP method for detection pathogenic bacteria as detected by a chip detector. After this, the detection limit and anti-interference ability of the chip were evaluated, and the accuracy of chip was verified by clinical samples. RESULTS: A rapid microfluidic detection system for Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Pneumoniae klebsiella, Shigella, Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) and Candida albicans was established. The detection limits of the 6 strains above were 6.95, 44.6, 3.89, 15.33, 16.45, and 463 pg/µL, respectively; there was no cross-reaction with the other 15 strains; analysis of ROC curve showed the best cut-off values for the 6 strains are 38.5, 21.25, 31.5, 36.5, 22.5 and 33.75 respectively and the area under the curve for the 6 strains was 0.91, 0.91, 0.83, 0.97, 0.96, and 0.9, respectively, as analyzed by receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC). A total of 278 clinical samples collected including blood, urine, sputum and drainage fluid were analyzed, and the total coincidence rates were 0.91, 0.83, 0.75, 0.99, 0.92 and 0.76, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The establishment of microfluidic detection chips for multiple pathogen types can be used for the rapid detection of bacteria and may be particularly useful in environments with the limited equipment and personnel, such as infection sites, grassroots hospitals, disaster area rescue, etc.

Single-Dose Administration of Recombinant Human Thrombopoietin Mitigates Total Body Irradiation-Induced Hematopoietic System Injury in Mice and Nonhuman Primates.

PURPOSE: Recombinant human thrombopoietin (rhTPO) has been evaluated as a therapeutic intervention for radiation-induced myelosuppression. However, the immunogenicity induced by a repeated-dosing strategy raises concerns about the therapeutic use of rhTPO. In this study, single-dose administration of rhTPO was evaluated for efficacy in the hematopoietic response and survival effect on mice and nonhuman primates exposed to total body irradiation (TBI). METHODS AND MATERIALS: Survival of lethally (9.0 Gy) irradiated C57BL/6J male mice was observed for 30 days after irradiation. Hematologic evaluations were performed on C57BL/6J male mice given a sublethal dose of radiation (6.5 Gy). Furthermore, in sublethally irradiated mice, we performed bone marrow (BM) histologic evaluation and evaluated BM-derived clonogenic activity. Next, the proportion and number of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) were analyzed. Competitive repopulation experiments were conducted to assess the multilineage engraftment of irradiated HSCs after BM transplantation. Flow cytometry was used to evaluate DNA damage, cell apoptosis, and cell cycle stage in HSCs after irradiation. Finally, we evaluated the efficacy of a single dose of rhTPO administered after 7 Gy TBI in male and female rhesus monkeys. RESULTS: A single administration of rhTPO 2 hours after irradiation significantly mitigated TBI-induced death in mice. rhTPO promoted multilineage hematopoietic recovery, increasing peripheral blood cell counts, BM cellularity, and BM colony-forming ability. rhTPO administration led to an accelerated recovery of BM HSC frequency and multilineage engraftment after transplantation. rhTPO treatment reduced radiation-induced DNA damage and apoptosis and promoted HSC proliferation after TBI. Notably, a single administration of rhTPO significantly promoted multilineage hematopoietic recovery and improved survival in nonhuman primates after TBI. CONCLUSIONS: These findings indicate that early intervention with a single administration of rhTPO may represent a promising and effective radiomitigative strategy for victims of radiation disasters.

Vibsanol A induces differentiation of acute myeloid leukemia cells via activation of the PKC signaling pathway and induction of ROS.

Identifying novel differentiating agents to promote leukemia-cell differentiation is a pressing need. Here, we demonstrated that vibsanol A, a vibsane-type diterpenoid, inhibited the growth of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cells via induction of cell differentiation, which was characterized by G1 cell cycle arrest. The differentiation-inducing effects of vibsanol A were dependent upon protein kinase C (PKC) activation, and subsequent activation of the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) pathway. Furthermore, vibsanol A treatment increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, and the ROS scavenger NAC reversed the vibsanol A-induced cell differentiation, indicating an important role for ROS in the action of vibsanol A. Finally, vibsanol A exhibited a differentiation-enhancing effect when used in combination with all-trans retinoic acid in AML cells. Overall results suggested that vibsanol A induces AML cell differentiation via activation of the PKC/ERK signaling and induction of ROS. Vibsanol A may prove to be an effective differentiating agent against AML.

Rapid detection of Staphylococcus aureus by loop-mediated isothermal amplification.

Staphylococcus aureus, including methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), is a major bacterial pathogen associated with nosocomial and community-acquired S. aureus infections all over the world. A rapid detection assay for staphylococcal gene of nuc and mecA is needed. In this study, a rapid identification assay based on the loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) method was established. PCR and LAMP assays were used to detect Staphylococcus aureus and other related species for nuc and mecA. With optimization of the primers and reaction temperature, the LAMP successfully amplified the genes under isothermal conditions at 62 °C within 60 min, of which the results were identical with those of the conventional PCR methods. The detection limits of the LAMP for nuc and mecA were 1.47 and 14.7 pg/µl DNA per tube, respectively, by naked eye inspections, while the detection limits of the PCR for nuc and mecA were 14.7 pg/µl and 147 pg/µl DNA, respectively. Finally, The LAMP method was then applied to clinical blood plaque samples. The LAMP and PCR demonstrated identical results for the plaque samples with the culture assay. Together, the LAMP offers an alternative detection assay for nuc and mecA with a great advantage of the sensitivity and rapidity.

[Effect of GW003 on the granulocyte macrophage colony formation ability of bone marrow cells in vitro].

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of GW003 on the ability of granulocyte colony forming in vitro of bone marrow cells. The bone marrow samples was collected from normal rhesus, the patients with leukemia in stages of remission and chemotherapy respectively, and the nucleated cells were separated and cultured for 12 days after addition of different concentrations of GW003 or rhG-CSF, or G-CSF mutant. Then the amount of colony-forming unit-granulocyte-macrophage was counted. The results indicated that GW003 could enhance the ability of bone marrow nucleated cells of rhesus to forming CFU-GM in vitro, and its effect was much better than that of rhG-CSF or G-CSF mutant at the same concentration(®). The GW003 showed dose-response relationship to CFU-GM level (r = R(2) = 0.965, P = 0.003, in a certain concentration), the GW003 also could enhance CFU-GM formation of marrow nucleated cells in leukemic patients, especially for patients receiving chemotherapy. The GW003 could relieve the marrow suppression caused by chemotherapy significantly. It is concluded that the GW003 can significantly improve the ability of bone marrow cells to form granulocyte colony in vitro as well as effectively alleviate bone marrow suppression.

High dose granulocyte colony-stimulating factor enhances survival and hematopoietic reconstruction in canines irradiated by 2.3 Gy mixed fission neutron and gamma ray.

This study was purposed to evaluate the effects of recombinant human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (rhG-CSF) on hematopoietic reconstruction and survival in beagles exposed to mixed fission neutron and γ-ray. 13 beagles were unilaterally exposed to single dose of 2.3 Gy 90% neutrons. The experiments were divided into 3 groups: irradiation control group (no any treatment, n = 4), supportive care group (n = 5) and rhG-CSF plus supportive care group (n = 4, abbreviated as rhG-CSF group) in which the beagles were subcutaneously injected with 200 µg/kg of rhG-CSF early at half an hour and 24 hours post-irradiation respectively. The results showed that 2.3 Gy 90% neutron irradiation induced a severe acute radiation sickness of bone marrow type. The administration of rhG-CSF increased the survival rate from 60% in supportive care group to 100%. Twice injection of rhG-CSF in the first 24 hours reduced duration of neutropenia, enhanced neutrophil nadir and promoted neutrophil recovery when compared with control cohort administered clinical support. The number of colony-forming cells (CFU-GM, CFU-E, and BFU-E) in peripheral blood of rhG-CSF treated canines increased 2-to 5-fold relative to those of the supportive care group on day 3. All canines treated with rhG-CSF achieved hematopoietic reconstruction as evidenced by the pathological section of sternum while severe shortage of hemopoietic cells remained in the cohorts given supportive care alone. It is concluded that the combination of supportive care and high-dose rhG-CSF can accelerate hematopoietic recovery and enhance survival of dogs exposed to 2.3 Gy mixed neutron and gamma ray.

RhG-CSF improves radiation-induced myelosuppression and survival in the canine exposed to fission neutron irradiation.

Fission-neutron radiation damage is hard to treat due to its critical injuries to hematopoietic and gastrointestinal systems, and so far few data are available on the therapeutic measures for neutron-radiation syndrome. This study was designed to test the effects of recombinant human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (rhG-CSF) in dogs which had received 2.3 Gy mixed fission-neutron-γ irradiation with a high ratio of neutrons (~90%). Following irradiation, rhG-CSF treatment induced 100% survival versus 60% in controls. Only two of five rhG-CSF-treated dogs experienced leukopenia (white blood cells [WBC] count < 1.0 × 10(9)/L) and neutropenia (neutrophil [ANC] count < 0.5 × 10(9)/L), whereas all irradiated controls displayed a profound period of leukopenia and neutropenia. Furthermore, administration of rhG-CSF significantly delayed the onset of leukopenia and reduced the duration of leucopenia as compared with controls. In addition, individual dogs in the rhG-CSF-treated group exhibited evident differences in rhG-CSF responsiveness after neutron-irradiation. Finally, histopathological evaluation of the surviving dogs revealed that the incidence and severity of bone marrow, thymus and spleen damage decreased in rhG-CSF-treated dogs as compared with surviving controls. Thus, these results demonstrated that rhG-CSF administration enhanced recovery of myelopoiesis and survival after neutron-irradiation.