UNBS5162 as a novel naphthalimide holds efficacy in human gastric carcinoma cell behaviors mediated by AKT/ERK signaling pathway.

Purpose: Studies have determined that UNBS5162, recognized as a new naphthalimide, holds inhibitory effects in prostate and breast tumors; however, its functional implication on gastric carcinoma is currently undetermined. Based on this, this study designed to assess the functional role of it on human gastric carcinoma and underlying mechanism of action. Methods: Cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay, transwell assay, and flow cytometry were used to assess capabilities of SGC-7901 cell proliferation, invasion/migration, and apoptosis, respectively. Moreover, western blot was performed to determine the relative expression of protein related to autophagy and protein kinase B (AKT)/extracellular regulated protein kinases (ERK) signaling pathway. Results: We found SGC-7901 cells proliferation, invasion, and migration were significantly inhibited after treatment of UNBS5162. Moreover, the expression levels of anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2 decreased while the expression of pro-apoptotic protein active caspase 3 and Bax increased concurrently after UNBS5162 stimulation. Further, upregulated LC3 II/I and Beclin-1 and downregulated P62 were induced by UNBS5162 addition. Mechanically, the ratios of phosphorylated-(p-)AKT/AKT, p-mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR)/mTOR, and p-ERK/ERK were hampered by UNBS5162 application. Conclusion: UNBS5162 could restrain gastric carcinoma cell proliferation, invasion, and migration, which maybe induced by enhancement of apoptosis, autophagy manipulated through AKT/ERK signaling pathway.

[Characterization and pathophysiological changes of cerebral infarction rat model with qi-deficiency and blood-stasis Syndrome].

This study aimed to observe the general state and changes in pathophysiological indexes of multiple cerebral infarction rat model with Qi-deficienty and Blood-stasis syndrome. Rats were randomly divided into 4 groups(with 30 in each group): the normal group, the sham group, the model group and the Yiqi Huoxue recipe group. Rats in the model group and Yiqi Huoxue group were provided with interruptable sleep deprivation for 7 days before the multiple cerebral infarction operation, and followed by another 4 weeks of sleep deprivation; rats in the Yiqi Huoxue group were intragastrically administrated with drug at a dose of 26 g·kg⁻¹, once a day for 4 weeks. The general state was observed, and the pathophysiological indexes were measured at 48 h, 2 weeks and 4 weeks after administration. The results showed that rats in the normal group and the sham group represented a good general state and behaviors, with a normal morphological structure of brain tissues; rats in the model group featured yellow fur, depression, accidie, loose stools and movement disorder, with obvious brain histomorphological damage, which became aggravated with the increase of modeling time; rats in the Yiqi Huoxue group showed release in the general state and above indexes. Compared with the sham group at three time points, rats in the model group showed decrease in body weight, exhaustive swimming time and RGB value of tongue surface image, and increase in whole blood viscosity of the shear rate under 5, 60 and 150 S⁻¹, reduction in cerebral cortex Na⁺-K⁺-ATPase, Ca²âº-ATPase activity and contents of 5-HT, rise in TXB2 levels and decline in 6-keto-PGF1a in serum(P<0.05, P<0.01). Compared with the model group, rats in the Yiqi Huoxue group showed alleviations in the above indexes at 2 w and 4 w(P<0.05, P<0.01). The results showed that the characterization and pathophysiological indexes in the multiple cerebral infarction rat model with Qi-deficiency and blood-stasis syndrome were deteriorated; Yiqi Huoxue recipe could significantly alliviate the abnormal conditions, which suggested of the model was stable and reliable and the pathophysiologic evolutionary mechanism might be related to energy metabolism dysfunction, vasoactive substance abnormality and changes in neurotransmitters.

[Analysis on composition principles of prescriptions for nausea by using traditional Chinese medicine inheritance support system].

Nausea is special in the symptoms, and is different from hiccups and vomiting. The main symptom is that the patients throw up the indigested food from the stomach regularly--if the patients have a dinner, they will throw out it in the next morning, or if the patients have a breakfast, they will throw out it at night. Nausea is common in clinic, and different physicians may use different treatment methods for it. This disease also cannot be treated efficiently and may happen repeatedly with the western medicine. In this study, the composition principles of prescriptions in past traditional Chinese medicine for nausea were analyzed and summarized by using traditional Chinese medicine inheritance support system(V2.5), hoping to provide guidance for clinical drug use and summarize the basic rules for treatment of nausea.The prescriptions for nausea in "the prescription of traditional Chinese medicine dictionary" were selected, and the information was entered into the traditional Chinese medicine inheritance support system(TCMISS) to build a database. Data mining methods such as frequency statistics, association rules, complex system entropy clustering were used to analyze and summarize the composition principles of these prescriptions. The herb frequencies of the prescriptions were finally determined; herbs with higher use frequencies were obtained; and the association rules between herbs were found. 19 commonly used herb pairs, 10 core combinations and 10 newly developed prescriptions were found. The basic pathogenesis of nausea in traditional Chinese medicine is the weakness and coldness of spleen and stomach, and the Qi adverseness of stomach. Generations of physicians' main therapeutic method for nausea is mainly to warm the middle and invigorate the spleen, lower Qi and regulate stomach. The commonly used herbs for nausea are ginger, ginseng, large head attractylodes, tuckahoe, licorice, and appropriately supplemented with the herbs of eliminating dampness and eliminating phlegm, and regulating Qi-flowing for harmonizing stomach. In addition, it shall be treated according to the different accompanying syndromes such as phlegm, blood stasis, and yin deficiency.

[Clinical analysis of syndrome-relative biological indices in acute lacuna encephalon infarction patients of upper hyperactivity of Gan Yang syndrome].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze and summarize changes of syndrome-related biological indices in acute lacuna encephalon infarction patients of upper hyperactivity of Gan yang syndrome (UHGYS), thus providing objective evidence for syndrome typing and disease identification. METHODS: Recruited were 50 patients at Department of Encephalopathy, Xiyuan Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, who were in line with diagnostic criteria of UHGYS as the experimental group in this study. Another 40 healthy volunteers were recruited as the control group from May 2010 to July 2012. Blood routines (including WBC, RBC, Hb, NEUT%, and LY%), hepatic and renal functions tests (including ALT, AST, TBIL, TP, ALB, Cr, and BUN) were performed by automatic whole blood analyzer and colorimetric technique. The levels of fasting blood glucose, HbAlc, blood lipids (including TC, TG, HDL-C, LDL-C, and VLDL-C), and coagulation functions (including AT-III, PT, PTA, INR, TT, APTT, and FBG, reaction time), renin, angiotensin II, hs-CRP, and Hcy were also measured. The thyroid functions (including FT3, FT4, T3, T4, and TSH) were detected by electrochemiluminescence immunoassay. The levels of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), IL-6 and IL-1 in serum were measured by ELISA and radioimmunoassay respectively. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, RBC, LY%, ALT, TP, ALB, HDL-C, AT-III activities, contents of PTA and FT4 obviously decreased, TBIL, BUN, Glu, HbAlc, TSH, hs-CRP, renin, Ang II, TNF-alpha, IL-1 and IL-6 significantly increased in the experimental group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: The pathological process of acute lacuna encephalon infarction patients of UHGYS was closely correlated with thyroid functions, the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, the extrinsic and intrinsic coagulation systems, as well as inflammation reaction.

[Effect of formula of removing both phlegm and blood stasis on inflammatory reaction in Chinese mini-swine with coronary atherosclerosis].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of formula of removing both phlegm and blood stasis (TYTZ) in inhibiting the inflammatory reaction in Chinese mini-swine with coronary atherosclerosis. METHOD: Totally 36 Chinese mini-swine were randomly divided to six groups: the normal control group, the model group, the Shujiangzhi group and TYTZ groups with does of 2.0, 1.0 and 0.5 g x kg(-1), and six each in every group. Except for the normal control group, all of other groups were fed with high-fat diet for 2 weeks. Interventional balloons are adopted to injure their left anterior descending artery endothelium. After the operation, they were fed with high-fat diet for 8 weeks to prepare the coronary atherosclerosis model. In the 8th week after the operation and administration, the intravascular ultrasound was adopted to observe the coronary artery plaque burden of each group and the pathological morphology of coronary artery. Such inflammatory factors as high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha and interleukin (IL)-6 were detected by ELISA. The expression of NF-kappaB p65 nuclear translocation was observed by the immunohistochemical method. RESULT: Compared with the normal control group, the model group showed significant increase in the coronary artery plaque burden at the end of the experiment (P < 0.01), notably abnormal structural changes in atherosclerotic vascular tissues, luminal stenosis, a large number of foam cells and inflammatory cell infiltration, remarkable growth of hs-CRP, TNF-alpha and IL-6 levels (P < 0.01). The immunohistochemical staining also showed the significant increase in the NF-kappaB p65 nuclear translocation of coronary artery of Chinese mini-swine in the model group. Compared with the model group, TYTZ could significantly attenuate atherosclerotic plaque burden (P < 0.01), inhibit the coronary luminal stenosis, reduce inflammatory cell infiltration, decrease such inflammatory cell factors as hs-CRP, TNF-alpha and IL-6 in serum, and inhibit the NF-kappaB p65 nuclear translocation of coronary artery (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: TYTZ can reduce the downstream inflammatory reaction by controlling NF-kappaB p65 nuclear translocation, so as to inhibit the occurrence and development of coronary atherosclerotic plaque in Chinese mini-swine.

[Effect of formula of removing both phlegm and blood stasis in improving hemorheology and blood fat of mini-swine with coronary heart disease of phlegm-stasis cementation syndrome].

OBJECTIVE: To observe effect of formula of removing both phlegm and blood stasis (TYTZ) in improving hemorheology and blood fat of mini-swine with coronary heart disease of phlegm-stasis cementation syndrome. METHOD: Thirty-six Chinese mini-swine were randomly divided to six groups: the normal control group, the model group, the Shujiangzhi group and TYTZ groups with doses of 2.0, 1.0 and 0.5 g x kg(-1), with six mice in each group. Except for the normal control group, all of other groups were fed with high-fat diet for 2 weeks. Interventional balloons are adopted to injure their left anterior descending artery endothelium. After the operation, they were fed with high-fat diet for 8 weeks to prepare the coronary heart disease model of phlegm-stasis cementation syndrome. In the 8th week after the operation and administration, the changes in hemorheological parameters, serum lipid level, myocardial ischemia level and range were observed. RESULT: Compared with the normal control group, the model group showed significant increase in serum TC, TG, LDL-C and VLDL-C levels (P < 0.01), whole blood viscosity under the shear rate of 5 s (-1) and 60 s (-1) (P < 0.01), and myocardial ischemia degree and range (P < 0.01). Compared with the model group, TYTZ groups revealed significant decrease in myocardial ischemia degree and range (P < 0.01), serum TC, TG, LDL-C and VLDL-C levels (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01) and whole blood viscosity under the shear rate of 5 s(-1) and 60 s(-1) (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: TYTZ could improve the abnormal hemorheology in Chinese mini-swine with coronary heart disease of phlegm-stasis cementation syndrome, and regulate serum lipid, with a certain efficacy for coronary heart disease of phlegm-stasis cementation syndrome.

Electroacupuncture improves survival in rats with lethal endotoxemia via the autonomic nervous system.

BACKGROUND: Recent advances have indicated a complex interplay between the autonomic nervous system and the innate immune system. Targeting neural networks for the treatment of sepsis is being developed as a therapeutic strategy. Because electroacupuncture at select acupoints can modulate activities of the autonomic nervous system, we tested the hypothesis that electroacupuncture at specific acupoints could modulate systemic inflammatory responses and improve survival via its impact on the autonomic nervous system in a rat model of sepsis. METHODS: Sprague-Dawley male rats received electroacupuncture for 45 min before and at 1, 2, or 4 h after a lethal dose of intraperitoneal lipopolysaccharide injection (6 mg/kg). Outcomes included survival and systemic cytokine responses. Also, the possible roles of neural circuitry, including the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and the autonomic nervous system, were evaluated. RESULTS: Electroacupuncture pretreatment at the Hegu acupoints significantly attenuate systemic inflammatory responses and improve survival rate from 20% to 80% in rats with lethal endotoxemia. Such a site-specific effect requires the activation of muscarinic receptors in the central nervous system, but not increasing central sympathetic tone. In the periphery synergistic, rather than independent, action of the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems is also necessary. CONCLUSIONS: Electroacupuncture pretreatment has a dramatic survival-enhancing effect in rats with lethal endotoxemia, which involves the activation of efferent neural circuits of the autonomic nervous system (e.g., cholinergic antiinflammatory pathway). This approach could be developed as a prophylactic treatment for sepsis or perioperative conditions related to excessive inflammation.

[Effect of sailuotong capsule on intervening cognitive dysfunction of multi-infarct dementia in rats].

OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of Sailuotong capsule (Sailuotong) on learning and memory functions of multi-infarct dementia (MID) rats and its mechanism. METHOD: All SD rats were divided into five groups, namely the sham operation group, the model group, the positive group, the low dosage Sailuotong-treated group and the high dosage Sailuotong-treated group. The multi-infarct dementia model was established by injecting the micro-sphere vascular occlusive agent. On the 10th day after the successful operation, the rats were administered intragastrically with distilled water, memantine hydrochloride (20 mg x kg(-1)) and Sailuotong (16.5 mg x kg(-1) and 33.0 mg x kg(-1)) once a day for 60 days respectively, in order to detect the effect of Sailuotong in different doses on the latent period and route length in Morris water maze and the activities of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) and acetylcholinesterase (AchE) in brain tissues. RESULT: Compared with the sham operation rats, it had been observed that the latent period and route length of MID rats in Morris water maze were significantly increased (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01), and the activity of ChAT in brain tissues was significantly decreased (P < 0.05). After the intervention with Sailuotong for sixty days, the latent period and route length of MID rats in Morris water maze significantly shrank (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). Additionally, Sailuotong decreased AchE activity, while increasing ChAT activity in brain tissues of MID rats (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Sailuotong capsule can improve cognitive dysfunction of MID rats to some extent. Its mechanism may be related to its different regulation of activities of ChAT and AchE in brain tissues.

[Separation and determination of aconitine in medicine wine by reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography].

OBJECTIVE: For the purpose of more accurate and rapid analysis of aconitine in medicine wine, a reversed-phase High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) method was developed. METHODS: Standard aconitine was added to the blank wine when the wine sample was pretreated. The pretreatment method of samples, the linear range, the precision, the recoveries in the plasma were investigated by using of white wine plasma spiked with standard aconitine. RESULTS: The linear range was 0.45 approximately 9.0 microg x mL(-1), r=0.998 8. The detective limit was 0.45 microg x mL(-1), The intra and inter-day precision of assay for aconitine were less than 3.1% and 4.7% (n=5) in wine respectively. The recoveries of aconitine were more (97.3+/-2.8)% in medicine wine. The HPLC method has been used to investigate the concentration of aconitine in one forensic medicine case. CONCLUSION: The HPLC method of quantitative analysis aconitine is rapid and sensitive. It is only in the 2.0 h that determination of aconitine in the medicine wine.

Oridonin enhances antitumor activity of gemcitabine in pancreatic cancer through MAPK-p38 signaling pathway.

Gemcitabine is currently the best treatment available for pancreatic cancer (PaCa); however, patients with the disease develop resistance to the drug over time. Agents that can either enhance the effects of gemcitabine or overcome chemoresistance to the drug are required for the treatment of PaCa. Oridonin is one such agent which is safe and multitargeted, and has been linked with the suppression of survival, proliferation, invasion and angiogenesis of cancer. In this study, we investigated whether oridonin could sensitize PaCa to gemcitabine in vitro and in vivo. In vitro, oridonin inhibited the proliferation of the PaCa cell line, BxPC-3, potentiated the apoptosis induced by gemcitabine, induced G1 cell cycle arrest and activated p38 and p53; these results were significant when oridonin was combined with gemcitabine. In vivo, we found that oridonin significantly suppressed tumor growth and this effect was further enhanced by gemcitabine (P<0.05). Tumors from nude mice injected with BxPC-3 PaCa cells and treated with a combination of oridonin and gemcitabine showed a significant upregulation in p38 and p53 activation (P<0.05 vs. control, P<0.05 vs. gemcitabine or oridonin alone). Taken together, our results demonstrate that oridonin can potentiate the effects of gemcitabine in PaCa through the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)-p38 signaling pathway, which is dependent on p53 activation.

Emodin induces Panc-1 cell apoptosis via declining the mitochondrial membrane potential.

In this study, we investigated the apoptotic effect of emodin on human pancreatic cancer cell line Panc-1 in vitro and in vivo as well as the possible mechanisms involved. In vitro, human pancreatic cancer cell line Panc-1 was exposed to varying concentrations of emodin (0, 10, 20, 40 or 80 µmol/l). Then the mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) was analyzed by JC-1 staining, cell apoptosis was analyzed by flow cytometry (FCM) and cell proliferation was analyzed by MTT. In vivo, nude mice orthotopically implanted were randomly divided into five groups to receive treatments by different doses of emodin: control group (normal saline 0.2 ml), E10 group (emodin 10 mg/kg), E20 group (emodin 20 mg/kg), E40 group (emodin 40 mg/kg) and E80 group (emodin 80 mg/kg). Each mouse was treated 5 times by intraperitoneal injection of emodin every 3 days. During the treatment, the feeding stuff was recorded. One week after the last treatment, we recorded the body weight and the maximum diameter of tumor in each group before the mice were sacrificed. Then the cell apoptosis of the tumor was tested by TUNEL assay. The results in vitro showed that the MMP of the cells declined and the apoptosis rate increased with the emodin concentration increasing and the cell proliferation of each group was inhibited in a dose- and time-dependent manner by emodin. The feeding stuff curve did not decline significantly in E40 group and the apoptosis rate of the tumor cells in this group was higher than the lower-dose groups. Taken together, our results demonstrate that emodin may induce the pancreatic cancer cell apoptosis via declining the MMP and a moderate dose of emodin improved the living state of the model mice.

Emodin potentiates the antitumor effects of gemcitabine in PANC-1 pancreatic cancer xenograft model in vivo via inhibition of inhibitors of apoptosis.

Pancreatic cancer is a highly aggressive malignant disease. Gemcitabine is currently the standard first-line chemotherapeutic agent for pancreatic cancer. As members of apoptosis inhibitors, Survivin and XIAP play an important role in chemotherapy resistance in pancreatic cancer. Emodin has therapeutic potential against cancers. This study was designed to investigate whether combination therapy with gemcitabine and emodin enhanced antitumor efficacy in pancreatic cancer. The application of the combination therapy triggered significantly higher frequency of pancreatic cancer cell apoptosis. Our research demonstrated that the combination of emodin and gemcitabine resulted in significantly reduced tumor volumes compared to gemcitabine or emodin treatment alone. Immunohistochemistry and western immunoblot analyses showed that Survivin and XIAP expression were downregulated in emodin and the combination groups compared to the other two groups. Reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction analyses showed that Survivin and XIAP mRNA expression in emodin and the combination groups were downregulated significantly compared to the other two groups. Furthermore, the expression of the nuclear transcription factor κB (NF-κB) protein and NF-κB mRNA were downregulated in the emodin and the combination groups. DNA-binding activity of NF-κB was inhibited in emodin and combination groups compared to the other groups. This study suggests that emodin potentiates the antitumor effects of gemcitabine in PANC-1 cell xenografts via promotion of apoptosis and IAP suppression.

Decreased hepatic peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ contributes to increased sensitivity to endotoxin in obstructive jaundice.

AIM: To investigate the role of hepatic peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPAR-γ) in increased susceptibility to endotoxin-induced toxicity in rats with bile duct ligation during endotoxemia. METHODS: Male Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to bile duct ligation (BDL). Sham-operated animals served as controls. DNA binding were determined by polymerase chain reaction, Western blotting analysis, and electrophoretic mobility shift assay, respectively. BDL and sham-operated rats received a non-lethal dose of intraperitoneal lipopolysaccharide (LPS) injection (3 mg/kg, i.p.). Additionally, the potential beneficial effects of the PPAR-γ agonist rosiglitazone were determined in BDL and sham-operated rats treated with a non-lethal dose of LPS. Survival was assessed in BDL rats treated with a non-lethal dose of LPS and in sham-operated rats treated at a lethal dose of LPS (6 mg/kg, i.p.). RESULTS: PPAR-γ activity in rats undergoing BDL was significantly lower than in the sham-controls. Hepatic PPAR-γ gene expression was downregulated at both the mRNA and protein levels. In a parallel group, serum levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines were nearly undetectable in the sham-operated rats. When challenged with a non-lethal dose of LPS (3 mg/kg), the BDL rats had approximately a 2.4-fold increase in serum IL-6, a 2.7 fold increase in serum TNF-α, 2.2-fold increase in serum IL-1 and 4.2-fold increase in serum ALT. The survival rate was significantly lower as compared with that in sham-operated group. Additionally, rosiglitazone significantly reduced the concentration of TNF-α, IL-1ß, IL-6 and ALT in sham-operated rats, but not in BDL rats, in response to LPS (3 mg/kg). Also, the survival was improved by rosiglitazone in sham-operated rats challenged with a lethal dose of LPS, but not in BDL rats, even with a non-lethal dose of LPS (3 mg/kg). CONCLUSION: Obstructive jaundice downregulates hepatic PPAR-γ expression, which in turn may contribute to hypersensitivity towards endotoxin.

Oncoprotein p28 GANK binds to RelA and retains NF-kappaB in the cytoplasm through nuclear export.

p28(GANK) (also known as PSMD10, p28 and gankyrin) is an ankyrin repeat anti-apoptotic oncoprotein that is commonly overexpressed in hepatocellular carcinomas and increases the degradation of p53 and Rb. NF-kappaB (nuclear factor-kappaB) is known to be sequestered in the cytoplasm by I kappaB (inhibitor of NF-kappaB) proteins, but much less is known about the cytoplasmic retention of NF-kappaB by other cellular proteins. Here we show that p28(GANK) inhibits NF-kappaB activity. As a nuclear-cytoplasmic shuttling protein, p28(GANK) directly binds to NF-kappaB/RelA and exports RelA from nucleus through a chromosomal region maintenance-1 (CRM-1) dependent pathway, which results in the cytoplasmic retention of NF-kappaB/RelA. We demonstrate that all the ankyrin repeats of p28(GANK) are required for the interaction with RelA and that the N terminus of p28(GANK), which contains the nuclear export sequence (NES), is responsible for suppressing NF-kappaB/RelA nuclear translocation. These results suggest that overexpression of p28(GANK) prevents the nuclear localization and inhibits the activity of NF-kappaB/RelA.

Expression of p28GANK and its correlation with RB in human hepatocellular carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Aberrance of retinoblastoma protein (RB) signal pathway is known to play an important role in the carcinogenesis of human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). p28GANK, originally purified from human 26S proteasome as a non-ATPase subunit, was recently found in HCC and shown to interact with RB. The aim of this study was to investigate the expression profile of p28GANK and its correlation with RB in HCC. METHODS: The expression of p28GANK was evaluated in 55 surgically resected HCCs by immunohistochemistry (IHC), and the associations were explored between p28GANK level and clinicopathologic features as well as tumor suppressor RB. Western blotting was performed to determine p28GANK expression level in 12 HCCs. Immunofluorescence stainings of p28GANK and RB in U2-OS cells were examined by confocal microscopy. RESULTS: Positive p28GANK cytoplasmic staining was recognized in 55 HCCs. Nuclear positive occurrence of p28(GANK) in HCCs was more frequent than paracancerous hepatic tissues (P < 0.05). The overexpression probability of p28GANK was inversely associated with Edmonson's grade: overexpression occurred in nine out of 11 (81.8%), 22 out of 35 (62.9%) and two out of nine (22.2%) in I-II, III and IV graded cases, respectively (P = 0.004). Total cellular expression of p28GANK had curvilinear correlation with the nuclear expression of RB (r = 0.475, P = 0.019), while the nuclear expression of p28GANK had not. Western blot analysis showed that up-regulation of p28GANK expression was found in nine out of 12 HCCs compared with paracancerous liver tissues. Exogenously expressed p28GANK colocalized with RB in cytoplasm of U2-OS cells. CONCLUSIONS: These results confirm the role of p28GANK as a highly expressed oncoprotein in HCC by in situ examination. Its overexpression correlates with the differentiation status of HCC. The whole cellular p28GANK activation, not nuclear portion only, influences the alteration of RB. Underlying nuclear translocation of p28GANK may contribute to the counteraction against RB through a feed back loop. These data provide new evidence for p28GANK to be used as a promising drug target of a therapeutic agent against HCC.