MiR-122 inhibits cell proliferation and induces apoptosis by targeting runt-related transcription factors 2 in human glioma.

OBJECTIVE: Accumulating evidence has suggested that microRNAs play critical roles in the development and progression of human glioma. The role of miR-122 in glioma tumorigenesis has been poorly defined. The current study is designed to investigate whether and how miR-122 affects proliferation and apoptosis of human glioma cells. PATIENTS AND METHODS: 8 normal brain tissues and 19 glioma tissues (7 for low grade and 12 for high grade) were collected. The expressions of miR-122 and runt-related transcription factors (RUNX2) in normal brain/glioma tissues and normal astrocytes (NHA)/multiple glioma cell lines (U87, U251, and U118) were analyzed by Real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Western blot and luciferase activity assays were performed to validate the predicted relationship between miR-122 and RUNX2. The effects of miR-122 on cell proliferation and apoptosis were assessed by cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8), colony forming, and Annexin V-FITC/PI apoptosis assays using both gain- and loss-of-function approaches. RESULTS: MiR-122 expression is downregulated in glioma tissues compared with normal brain tissues, and is negatively correlated with the WHO grade. In contrast, the RUNX2 expression is upregulated in glioma tissues, and is positively correlated with the WHO grade. In glioma cell lines, the miR-122 expression is also constantly downregulated. MiR-122 functions as a tumor suppressor by inhibiting proliferation and inducing apoptosis, which is achieved by directly targeting RUNX2. Overexpression of RUNX2 can partially abrogate the effect of miR-122 on glioma cells. CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrate a crucial role of miR-122 in regulating cell proliferation and apoptosis. Identifying the miR-122/RUNX2 signaling provides novel insights into the development of therapeutic targets for glioma.

[Research and promotion of severe trauma rescue standard].

Trauma is a global social problem, with the number of deaths up to 5.8 million all over the world annually. Currently, severe trauma has become the first cause of death in young adults in China. Nowadays, there are many problems in the trauma rescue system, including long pre-hospital transfer period, several secondary transfers, no information exchange between pre-hospital and in-hospital care, and the poor integrated treatment, which results in the situation that the overall treatment level of severe trauma in China is relatively low. In order to solve these problems, we carried out the research and promotion of severe trauma rescue standard, involving completing severe trauma information database, providing local rescue medical workers with standard training, and building up the information system for the linkage and warning of severe trauma. In addition, we developed and promoted the new standard system for severe trauma in 15 cities with 124 medical centers. Due to our research, the treatment ability of severe trauma in the pilot areas was enhanced, and the mortality and morbidity of severe trauma were reduced significantly. To sum up, we had got the expected results after implementing the project.

[Clinical characteristics and risk factors of newly developed vertebral fractures after vertebral augmentation].

OBJECTIVE: To identify the characteristics and risk factors of the refractures after percutaneous kyphoplasty (PKP) and percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP). METHODS: A retrospective analysis of 148 patients who had undergone PKP or PVP between March 2006 and October 2013 in Peking University People's Hospital was conducted. In the study, 29 patients with 42 refractured vertebra and 119 patients without refracture were included. All the patients were observed for a time of (34.4±26.8) months. Clinical, imaging and procedure related factors (gender, age, height, weight, body mass index, the level of the injured vertebra, the time interval between the procedure and the refracture, the level of the refractured vertebra, the bone cement volume injected, performed PKP or PVP,performed unilateral or bilateral, the percentage of anterior vertebral height restoration, the correction of the Cobb angle, cement diffusion, bone mineral density, presence or absence of diabetes mellitus, history of fractures of the whole body, anti-osteoporosis treatment, cement leakage) for each group were analyzed by Cox proportional hazards regression analysis. RESULTS: Of all the patients,16 (55.17%, 16/29) had refractures in the adjacent vertebra, and 13 (44.83%, 13/29) had refractures in the nonadjacent vertebra. Refractures within 3 months accounted for 31.03% (9/29) of all the refractures, and within 1 year accounted for 55.17% (16/29). Both older age (P=0.027, HR=1.051, 95% CI=1.006-1.098) and a history of fractures of the whole body (P=0.012, HR=0.386, 95% CI=0.184-0.812) were statistically significant as the independent risk factors for predicting refractures. Others were not associated with refractures (P>0.05). CONCLUSION: Older age and a history of fractures of the whole body are the independent risk factors of the refractures after PKP and PVP. The mechanism of the refractures after PKP and PVP is mainly the natural development of osteoporosis.

Proteomic analysis of low-abundant integral plasma membrane proteins based on gels.

To characterize low-copy integral membrane proteins and offer some methods for human liver proteome projects, we fractionated highly purified rat liver plasma membrane (PM). PM was purified through two sucrose density gradient centrifugations, and treated with 0.1 M Na(2)CO(3), chloroform/methanol and Triton X-100. Proteins were separated by electrophoresis and submitted to mass spectrometry analysis. Four hundred and fifty-seven non-redundant membrane proteins were identified, of which 23% (105) were integral membrane proteins with one or more transmembrane domains. One hundred and fifty-three (33.5%) had no location annotation and 68 were unknown-function proteins. The proteins from different fractions were complementory. A database search for all identified proteins revealed that 53 proteins were involved in the cell communication pathway. More interestingly, more than 50% of the proteins had a protein abundance index concentration of less than 0.1 mol/l, and 12% proteins a concentration 100 times less than that of arginase 1 and actin.