MiR-145, a microRNA targeting ADAM17, inhibits the invasion and migration of nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells.

MiR-145 is downregulated and functions as a tumor suppressor in many malignancies. In this study, the biological function, molecular mechanism, and direct target genes of miR-145 in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) cells were investigated. Cell survival was detected by cell viability assay, and cell cycle was determined through flow cytometry. Invasion and migration of NPC cells were examined using cell invasion and wound healing assays, respectively. A disintegrin and metalloproteinase 17 (ADAM17) was verified as the target of miR-145 through luciferase reporter assay, qRT-PCR, and Western blot analysis. In NPC cell lines, miR-145 expression was significantly downregulated and ADAM17 protein expression was upregulated. ADAM17 was downregulated at the post-transcriptional level by miR-145 via the binding site of ADAM17-3'UTR. Transfection with miR-145 mimic suppressed cell growth and induced cell cycle arrest in the G0/G1 phase by upregulating key G0/G1 phase regulators, namely, p53 and p21. MiR-145 also inhibited cellular migration and invasion through targeting ADAM17 involving the regulation of EGFR and E-cadherin. Knockdown of ADAM17 elicited similar effects to that of miR-145 on NPC cells. This study reveals that miR-145 suppressed the invasion and migration of NPC cells by targeting ADAM17. Thus, miR-145 could be a therapeutic target for NPC.

[Effect of total flavones of hawthorn leafonon expression of COX-2/Nrf2 in liver of rats with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis].

To explore the effect of total flavones from hawthorn leaf on (THFL) on the expression of COX-2/Nrf2 in the liver tissues of rats with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), and discuss its anti-NASH mechanism, thirty-two SD rats were randomly divided into the normal group, model group, THFL high dose group and low dose group, 8 in each group. High fat diet was given to the rats for 12 weeks to establish the NASH models, and the high and low dose groups were administered with TFHL at the dosage of 250, 125 mg•kg⁻¹â€¢d⁻¹ respectively. Steatosis and the inflammatory changes of the liver tissues in rats were observed by HE staining; T-AOC level was detected by colorimetry; the level of 8-OHdG and the protein expressions of COX-2, Nrf2 and HO-1 in the liver tissues were determined by immunohistochemistry; and the mRNA expressions of COX-2, Nrf2 and HO-1 in liver tissues were detected by Real time-PCR. Compared with the normal group, the liver steatosis, ballooning degeneration for inflammatory degree and NAFLD activity scores (NAS) were significantly increased in model group, while total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) was decreased, DNA damage marker 8-OHdG level was increased, and the mRNA and protein expressions of COX-2, Nrf2 and HO-1 were significantly increased. After the administration of high and low dose of TFHL, the inflammation degree of the liver tissues and NAS were significantly decreased, 8-OHdG level and COX-2mRNA and protein expressions were decreased, and the mRNA and protein expressions of Nrf2 and HO-1 were significantly increased when compared with the model group. COX-2/Nrf2 pathway was involved in the development and progression of NASH induced by high fat diet. TFHL could prevent the development of NASH by promoting the expression Nrf2/HO-1, regulating and inhibiting the over expression of COX-2, and further attenuating the cell injury and hepatic inflammation caused by oxidation reaction.

Formation of a built-in field at the porphyrin/ITO interface directly proven by the time-resolved photovoltage technique.

Two assemblies, porphyrin powder/ITO and porphyrin film/ITO, were built by a facile method. The time-resolved photovoltage technique was utilized to prove the behaviour of photo-induced charges in the two assemblies. The photovoltage results show that the porphyrin film/ITO assembly displays a reversal polarity response, which is different from the response of porphyrin powder/ITO. This phenomenon is due to the effect of a built-in field on photo-induced charge behaviour at the porphyrin film/ITO interface. This result is beneficial for the development of a measuring method for detecting heterojunction interface formation and understanding the photoelectric process in photoelectric materials and devices.

Performance evaluation of UHF RFID technologies for real-time bus recognition in the Taipei Bus Station.

Transport stations such as airports, ports, and railways have adopted blocked-type pathway management to process and control travel systems in a one-directional manner. However, this excludes highway transportation where large buses have great variability and mobility; thus, an instant influx of numerous buses increases risks and complicates station management. Focusing on Taipei Bus Station, this study employed RFID technology to develop a system platform integrated with modern information technology that has numerous characteristics. This modern information technology comprised the following systems: ultra-high frequency (UHF) radio-frequency identification (RFID), ultrasound and license number identification, and backstage graphic controls. In conclusion, the system enabled management, bus companies, and passengers to experience the national bus station's new generation technology, which provides diverse information and synchronization functions. Furthermore, this technology reached a new milestone in the energy-saving and efficiency-increasing performance of Taiwan's buses.

Evolutionary overview of sarcopenia - bibliometric study on the Web of science: A review.

Sarcopenia is an age-related degenerative disease associated with adverse outcomes such as falls, functional decline, weakness, and mortality. Exploring the dynamic evolutionary path and patterns of sarcopenia research topics within a temporal framework from the perspective of strategic coordinate maps and data flow can help identify the development rules of sarcopenia themes. After searching, a total of 16,326 articles were obtained. There are few early research topics, but the development maturity of the topics is high; the number of late research topics continues to increase, showing a trend of diversified development. The differentiation and fusion of the theme evolution path are obvious, and the theme inheritance index is high. The development trend of this research field is promising. The mature and stable professional topics such as "RESISTANCE EXERCISE" and "SURVIVAL" that appeared in the late stage belong to the core topics, while newly emerging topics like "FRACTURES" and "PROTEIN" belong to the marginal topics, indicating that the research on muscle and bone metabolism in the field of sarcopenia has yet to be further in-depth, and the "CANCER" topic is a highly promising research topic with strong development potential.

Acupuncture for migraine prophylaxis: a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Acupuncture is commonly used to treat migraine. We assessed the efficacy of acupuncture at migraine-specific acupuncture points compared with other acupuncture points and sham acupuncture. METHODS: We performed a multicentre, single-blind randomized controlled trial. In total, 480 patients with migraine were randomly assigned to one of four groups (Shaoyang-specific acupuncture, Shaoyang-nonspecific acupuncture, Yangming-specific acupuncture or sham acupuncture [control]). All groups received 20 treatments, which included electrical stimulation, over a period of four weeks. The primary outcome was the number of days with a migraine experienced during weeks 5-8 after randomization. Our secondary outcomes included the frequency of migraine attack, migraine intensity and migraine-specific quality of life. RESULTS: Compared with patients in the control group, patients in the acupuncture groups reported fewer days with a migraine during weeks 5-8, however the differences between treatments were not significant (p > 0.05). There was a significant reduction in the number of days with a migraine during weeks 13-16 in all acupuncture groups compared with control (Shaoyang-specific acupuncture v. control: difference -1.06 [95% confidence interval (CI) -1.77 to -0.5], p = 0.003; Shaoyang-nonspecific acupuncture v. control: difference -1.22 [95% CI -1.92 to -0.52], p < 0.001; Yangming-specific acupuncture v. control: difference -0.91 [95% CI -1.61 to -0.21], p = 0.011). We found that there was a significant, but not clinically relevant, benefit for almost all secondary outcomes in the three acupuncture groups compared with the control group. We found no relevant differences between the three acupuncture groups. INTERPRETATION: Acupuncture tested appeared to have a clinically minor effect on migraine prophylaxis compared with sham acupuncture. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinicaltrials.gov NCT00599586.

TNF-α and IL-1RA polymorphisms and silicosis susceptibility in Chinese workers exposed to silica particles: a case-control study.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the association of TNF-α and IL-1RA SNPs with the risk of silicosis in Chinese workers exposed to silica particles. METHODS: Case-control study design was used to enroll 68 silicotic patients induced by silica particles and 68 healthy workers matched for length of silica particle exposure as controls. Both cases and controls were from the same company in southwest China, and each of them was requested to complete a questionnaire. Blood samples were drawn for genomic DNA extraction from each participant. The genotyping of TNF-α (-238 and -308) and IL-1RA (+2018) was performed using polymerase chain reaction-based restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) and SYBR green-based quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), respectively. Unconditional logistic regression model was used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and their 95% confidential intervals (CI) for SNPs. RESULTS: No significant differences were found between cases and controls in particles exposure length, body mass index (BMI), and status of smoking and alcohol consumption except for age (P=0.001) and blood type (P=0.042). The frequencies of TNF-α (-238) and IL-1RA (+2018) genotypes in cases were significantly different from those in controls, (P=0.001 and P=0.002, respectively), while a borderline significant difference was found in the frequencies of TNF-α (-308) between cases and controls (P=0.063). The variants of three SNPs increased the risk of silicosis in the Chinese workers exposed to silica particles. The adjusted ORs of TNF-α (-308), TNF-α (-238) and IL-1RA (+2018) were 2.8 (95% CI: 1.1-7.5), 20.9 (95% CI: 1.8-236.4) and 4.0 (95% CI: 1.6-10.1), respectively. CONCLUSION: It is suggested that cytokine polymorphisms of TNF-α (-238, -308) and IL-1RA (+2018) are associated with the risk of silicosis in the Chinese workers exposed to silica particles. Further independent studies on the interaction between SNPs and exposure to silica particles with a larger sample size are therefore warranted.

[Analysis on occupational exposure levels and control effectiveness of dust in cement production line of new dry method].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the occupational exposure levels of dust in new suspension preheated dry process (NSP) cement production line and put forward rectification measures for dust-exposed posts, and to provide ideas for the modern cement production enterprises in dust control and occupational health management. METHODS: Occupational health field investigation combined with field test were used to measure the time-weighted average concentration (C(TWA)) of the dust in the workplace. Rectification measures were taken for the dust-exposed posts with unqualified dust concentration, and the protective effects of dustproof facilities in the rectified workplace were evaluated. RESULTS: The field investigation revealed incompletely closed dustproof facilities, improperly set dust hoods, excess of dust leakage points, and other problems in the dust-exposed posts of an NSP cement production line before rectification, and the dustproof facilities could hardly exert dust removal effect. The field test showed that the vast majority of dust-exposed posts had the dust concentrations exceeding the occupational exposure limits (OELs), with a qualified rate as low as 31.8%. A series of rectification measures were taken for these posts. After the rectification, the dust-exposed posts demonstrated dramatically dropped C(TWA), and the qualified rate of dust concentration in the dust-exposed posts rose to 90.9%. CONCLUSION: The dust hazards in NSP cement production line cannot be ignored. Taking appropriate protective measures are critical for curbing dust hazards in modern cement production.

[The regulatory mechanism of Raf/MEK/ERK pathway on the rat cardiac hypertrophy induced by transverse aortic constriction].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the mRNA, protein expression levels and the phosphorylation levels of key factors in rapidly accelerated fibrosarcoma/mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase/extracellular regulated protein kinases (Raf/MEK/ERK) pathway, and to clarify the regulatory function of Raf/MEK/ERK pathway in myocardial hypertrophy. METHODS: Twenty SD rats were divided into sham-operated group and model group. The myocardial hypertrophy model was established by transverse aortic constriction (TAC). At 12 weeks after TAC, blood samples were collected from the submandibular vein, and the serum was separated to detect the content of N terminal pro B type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP). After that, the rats were subjected to echocardiography and hemodynamic measurement. Then the pathological changes of myocardial tissue were observed. And the levels of mRNA, protein expression and the phosphorylation of key factors in Raf/MEK/ERK pathway were detected in myocardial tissue. RESULTS: Compared with sham-operated group, left ventricular end-diastolic interventricular septal thickness (IVSd), left ventricular end-systolic interventricular septal thickness (IVSs), left ventricular end-diastolic posterior wall thickness (LVPWd) and left vebtricular end-systolic posterior wall thickness (LVPWs) in TAC model group were increased significantly (P＜0.05,P＜0.01), left ventricular end-systolic diameter (LVIDs) was decreased significantly (P＜0.01), LV Mass and LW(LV Mass/Weight)were increased significantly (P＜0.05, P＜0.01). The levels of heart rate (HR), left ventricular pressure maximal rate of rise (+dp/dtmax), left ventricular pressure maximal rate of fall (-dp/dtmax) were decreased significantly (P＜0.01). The serum level of NT-proBNP in TAC rat was increased significantly (P＜0.01). The myocardial cells in TAC model group were arranged disorderly, myocardial cell hypertrophy, cytoplasm were increased significantly, and inflammatory cells infiltrated. A large amount of collagen fibers were deposited and large area of myocardial cells were stained blue in TAC rat. The expression levels of phospho-c-Raf (Ser259) and phospho-c-Raf (Ser338) in myocardial tissue were significantly increased (P＜0.01), meanwhile the expression levels of phospho- MEK1/2(Ser217/Ser221) and phospho-ERK1/2 (Thr202/Tyr204) were also significantly increased (P＜0.01). CONCLUSION: The regulatory role of Raf / MEK / ERK pathway in cardiac hypertrophy may be through the activation of phosphorylation of c-raf, MEK1, Mek2, ERK1 and ERK2 at specific sites.

Synthesis and plasmon-induced charge-transfer properties of monodisperse gold-doped titania microspheres.

Monodisperse gold-doped titania microspheres have been synthesized under high concentration of a titanium precursor (9.34 mM) by introducing a trace amount of chloroauric acid (CA) into the reaction system; the size of the microspheres can be easily tuned (from approximately 587 to approximately 392 nm) by varying the amount of the CA added. The plausible formation mechanism has been discussed in detail. Chloroauric acid was found to act as the stabilizing agent to induce the formation of monodisperse colloidal spheres. Gold-doped anatase titania spheres with approximately 7 nm gold nanodots on the surface were synthesized by calcination. Interestingly, results from surface photocurrent, surface photovoltage, and transient photovoltage measurements indicate that the gold nanodots exhibit different electronic properties when the gold-doped anatase titania spheres were illuminated by different wavelengths of light: one is an electron acceptor in the UV region, while the other is an electron donor in the visible region. Furthermore, the decay time of the injected plasmon-induced electrons was found to be on the millisecond timescale and increased with increasing amounts of gold doped.

Construction of a three-dimensional polynuclear zinc compound based on unique metallophthalocyanine-like subunits.

A polynuclear zinc compound, [Zn(7)(BTA)(7)(OABDC)(mu(3)-OH)(2)(mu(2)-OH)(2).H(2)O] (1), has been prepared by using benzotriazole (HBTA) and 5-oxyacetatoisophthalic acid (H(3)OABDC) as ligands under hydrothermal conditions. For compound 1, an unprecedented metallophthalocyanine-like "Zn(2)(mu(3)-OH)(2) subset [Zn(4)BTA(4)]" subunit is constructed from eta(3)-BTA ligands and Zn atoms and further linked via mu(2)-OH, outer four-connected Zn atoms, and 5-oxyacetateisophthalic acid to form a novel three-dimensional framework.

ZNF488 is an independent prognostic indicator in nasopharyngeal carcinoma and promotes cell adhesion and proliferation via collagen IV/FAK/AKT/Cyclin D1 pathway.

Background: ZNF488 acts as an oncogene which promotes cell invasion and endows tumor cells stem cell capacity in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), but its correlation with clinicopathologic characteristics and patients' survival in NPC remain undefined. Methods: In this study, 158 cases of confirmed NPC were subjected to immunohistochemistry staining for evaluating endogenous expression. Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank test were used to estimate the survival rates. The relationship between ZNF488 and clinicopathological characteristics was statistically calculated by chi-squared test, univariate and multivariate analysis. In addition, adhesion assay, MTT and colony formation assays were performed for measuring adhesion and proliferation capacity. Cell cycle analysis via flow cytometry was conducted to explore cell cycle distribution. Western blot was used to detect pathway protein levels, and the pFAK (Y397) kit was used for focal adhesion kinase (FAK) activation. Results: We demonstrated that high expression of ZNF488 was significantly correlated with locoregional failure (P=0.018) and distant metastasis (P=0.001). Patients with high ZNF488 expression had poorer overall survival (P<0.001), loco-regional recurrence-free survival (P<0.001), distance metastasis-free survival (P<0.001) and progression-free survival (P<0.001) than those with low ZNF488 group. Multivariate analysis showed that ZNF488 expression was an independent prognostic indicator for predicting NPC patients' survival (HR, 3.314; 95% CI, 1.489-7.386; P=0.003). Additionally, ZNF488-induced collagen IV/FAK/AKT to enhance adhesion ability meanwhile led to the upregulation of Cyclin D1 to facilitate cell proliferation through promoting cell cycle progression and inhibition of apoptosis through caspase-independent way. Conclusion: These results reveal that ZNF488, as an independent prognostic indicator, promotes cell adhesion and proliferation through collagen IV/FAK/AKT/Cyclin D1 pathway in NPC.

Effect of Total Flavone of Haw Leaves on Nuclear Factor Erythroid-2 Related Factor and Other Related Factors in Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis Rats.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of total flavone of haw leaves (TFHL) on the expression of nuclear factor erythroid-2 related factor (Nrf2) and other related factors in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) rats induced by high-fat diet and then to further discuss the mechanism of TFHL's prevention against NASH. METHODS: High-fat diet was fed to 40 rats to establish the NASH model. Then model rats were intragastrically administrated with 40, 80, 160 mg/(kg•day) TFHL, respectively. The pathological changes of liver tissues in NASH rats were detected by oil red O and hematoxylin-eosin (HE) stainings. The expression of Nrf2 in rat liver was examined through immunohistochemistry. The level of 8-iso-prostaglandin F2α in serum was detected through enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The mRNA and protein levels of Nrf2 and other related factors in liver tissue were measured by real-time reverse transcriptionpolymerase chain reaction and western blot. RESULTS: Lipid deposition, hepatic steatosis, focal necrosis in lobular inflammation and ballooning degeneration were emerged in livers of NASH rats. The 8-iso-prostaglandin F2α in the serum of NASH rats increased significantly compared with the control group (P<0.05). The mRNA of Nrf2, hemeoxyenase1 (HO-1) and the mRNA and protein levels of quinine oxidoreductase (NQO1) in NASH rats liver tissue showed a striking increase, while the mRNA levels of Keap1, r-glutamylcysteine synthethase (rGCS) and glutathione S-transferase (GST) were significantly decreased compared with the control group (P<0.05). After TFHL treatment, 8-iso-prostaglandin F2α level in serum significantly decreased, and Nrf2 mRNA and protein levels in hepatocytes nucleus enhanced compared with the model group (P<0.05 or 0.01). Meanwhile the Keap1 mRNA, the mRNA and protein levels of HO-1, NQO1 antibody, rGCS antibody, GST increased after TFHL treatment (P<0.05 or 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Nrf2 and other related factors were involved in development of NASH, and they also served as an important part in its occurrence. By regulating expression of Nrf2 and other related factors, TFHL may play a role in antioxidative stress and prevention of NASH.

Cap1p plays regulation roles in redox, energy metabolism and substance transport: an investigation on Candida albicans under normal culture condition.

Cap1p, a transcription factor in Candida albicans, is believed to be required for tolerance to oxidative stress. However, no information is available concerning its function on basal transcriptional profile. In this study, differentially expressed genes between the CAP1-deleted strain and its parental strain under normal culture condition were identified through microarray analysis. Notably, among the 48 down-regulated genes with the deletion of CAP1, there were three clusters, functionally related to intracellular redox, energy metabolism and substance transport. IPF7817, IPF11105 and FDH11, the three putative Cap1p target genes functionally related to redox, were shown to be activated by oxidative stress in a Cap1p-dependent manner. Furthermore, rhodamine 6G efflux analyses demonstrated that Cap1p contributed to the energy-driven efflux. Taken together, these results reveal that Cap1p plays a significant role in redox status regulation, energy metabolism and substance transport under normal culture condition.

Study on effect and mechanism of sodium ferulate in preventing and treating ozone induced lung injury in mice.

OBJECTIVE: To study the effect and mechanism of sodium ferulate (SF) in preventing and treating ozone (O3) induced lung oxidative injury in mice. METHODS: Lung oxidative injury model mice were established by making them inhale O3. The activity of anti-oxidase and membranous microviscosity in epithelial cells in the lung of mice were determined, and the ultrastructural change of lung tissues was observed with electromicroscopy. RESULTS: Activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) were reduced, while membranous lipo-microviscosity significantly increased in the pulmonary epithelial cells of model mice, revealing ultrastructural change. These abnormal changes were reversed by SF treatment, which was manifested as the significantly raised activities of SOD and GSH-Px after treatment with high and moderate doses of SF, showing a significant difference compared with those in the model group (P<0.01). Membranous lipo-microviscosity basically approached that in the control group (P>0.05); electron microscopic examination showed a basically normal morphological structure of pulmonary epithelial cells, with the change in lung injury significantly milder than that in the model group. CONCLUSION: O3 could induce oxidative injury of lungs in mice, and SF could enhance the anti-oxidation capacity of mice and scavenge the oxygen free radicals so as to alleviate the injury.

[The influence of miR-21 on HK-2 EMT cells induced by TGF-beta 1].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of the miR-21 and its target mRNA in renal tubular epithelial mesenchymal transformation (EMT) model induced by transformation growth factor-ß1(TGF-ß1) in human renal tubular epithelial (HK-2) cells. METHODS: HK-2 cells were divided into 6 groups:normal control group, TGF-ß1 group, miR-21 mimic negative group, miR-21 mimic group, miR-21 inhibitor negative group and miR-21 inhibitor group. EMT model was established in HK-2 cells induced by 4 ng/ml TGF-ß1. The level of miR-21, the mRNA and protein expression of EMT related factors were detected. MiR-21 mimic plasmid and miR-21 inhibitor plasmid were transfected into HK-2 cells that treated with TGF-ß1 respectively using liposome transfection technique. Observe the impact of overexpression or inhibition expression of miR-21 on the mRNA and protein expression of EMT related factors and PTEN. RESULTS: ①Compared with the normal group, the level of miR-21 was significantly increased in model group (P<0.05), the mRNA and protein expression levels of epithelial cells marker E-cadherin was significantly decreased (P<0.01), while the mRNA and protein levels of mesenchymal cells marker α-SMA was significantly increased (P<0.05,P<0.01). ②Compared with the miR-21 mimic negative group, the level of miR-21 in miR-21 mimic group increased significantly (P<0.01), the mRNA and protein expression levels of PTEN and E-cadherin decreased significantly (P<0.05,P<0.01), the mRNA and protein levels of α-SMA increased significantly (P<0.05,P<0.01). Compared with the miR-21 inhibitor negative control group, the level of miR-21 in miR-21 inhibitor group decreased significantly (P<0.01), the mRNA and protein expression levels of PTEN and E-cadherin increased significantly (P<0.05,P<0.01), the mRNA and protein levels of α-SMA decreased significantly (P<0.05,P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: MiR-21 may play an important role in EMT induced by TGF-ß1 in HK-2 cells and regulate the expression of EMT related factors its target gene PTEN.

Effect of sodium ferulate on fluidity and morphology of cell membrane in ozone induced lung injury.

OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of sodium ferulate (SF), an active component of Radix Angelica, on lung damage induced by ozone (03). METHODS: Mice model of lung injury was induced by ozone inhalation and treated with SF. The level of lipid peroxide and microviscosity in alveolar epithelial cell membrane of the mice was determined, and the structural change of lung cells was observed by microscopy. RESULTS: Ozone could increase the level of malondialdehyde (MDA) and the microviscosity in alveolar epithelial cell membrane, and induce inflammatory changes in morphologic structure. These abnormal changes were improved after SF administration, which was manifested as alleviation of heightened microviscosity, increase of membrane fluidity, as well as the basically normalized pulmonary cellular structure under microscope. CONCLUSION: SF has a preventive effect against oxidized pulmonary injury induced by ozone, the action of which could be through scavenging oxygen free radicals, reducing lipid peroxide production, increasing membranous fluidity and mitigating inflammatory changes in cell structure. sodium ferulate, ozone, malondialdehyde, membranous fluidity, morphology

[Study on association of interleukin-1 receptor antagonist(RA) gene + 2018 locus mutation with silicosis].

OBJECTIVE: To approach whether + 2018 locus (T-- C) mutation within the interleukin- receptor antagonist (IL-1RA) gene promoter region are associated with susceptibility to silicosis in Southwest Chinese Han population. METHODS: 75 cases of silicosis and 137 silica-exposed workers(being employed) were selected as subjects.5ml peripheral vein blood was drawn from each subject. By real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction and sequencing techniques, IL-1RA gene mutation of all subjects were analyzed. RESULTS: The frequency of IL-1RA + 2018C among the cases with silicosis was higher than that among the silica-exposed workers (controls) (28.0% versus 15.0% , Fisher' s exact P < 0.01 ). The frequency of allelic C was higher in cases with phase I silicosis than in controls(31.8% versus 15.0%, Fisher's exact P < 0.01 ). The frequency of allelic C was higher in cases with phase I and Ill silicosis than in controls, but which statistic difference being not significant(22.6% versus 15.0%, Fisher's exact P < 0.01). After adjusted for confounding factors, the frequency of IL-1RA + 2018C among silicoses and its subgroups was still higher than among controls, which statistic difference being significant (Fisher' s exact P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: IL-1RA gene polymorphisms played an important role in making the Han population of Southwest China susceptible to silicosis. IL-1RA might be took as a gene to be selected for studying the susceptibility of silicosis.

Effects of Changtai granules, a traditional compound Chinese medicine, on chronic trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid-induced colitis in rats.

AIM: To study the effects of Changtai granules (CTG), a traditional compound Chinese medicine, on chronic trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid-induced colitis in rats. METHODS: Healthy adult Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats of both sexes, weighing 250-300 g, were employed in the present study. The rat colitis models were induced by 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS) enemas at a concentration of 100 mg/kg in 50% ethanol. The experimental animals were randomly divided into dexamethasone (DX) treatment, CTG treatment, and model control groups, which were intracolicly treated daily with DX (0.2 mg/kg), CTG at doses of 2.9, 5.7 and 11.4 g crude drug/kg, and the equal amount of saline respectively from 6 h following induction of the colitis in rats inflicted with TNBS to the end of study. A normal control group of rats treated without TNBS but saline enema was also included in the study. After 3 wk of treatment, the animals were assessed for colonal inflammatory and ulcerative responses with respect to mortality, frequency of diarrhea, histology and myeloperoxidase activity (MPO). RESULTS: The therapeutic effect of CTG on ulcerative colitis (UC) was better than DX. CTG effectively inhibited the activity of granulocytes, macrophages and monocytes in a dose-dependent manner. Also it reduced MPO and formation of inflammation in colonic mucosal tissue. Furthermore, administration of CTG significantly prevented body mass loss and death, and decreased frequency of diarrhea in UC rats, when compared with the model control group rats. CONCLUSION: CTG would prove to be an ideal drug for chronic UC, and is warranted to be studied further.

[On the association of tumor necrosis factor-alpha gene polymorphisms with the susceptibility to silicosis].

OBJECTIVE: To find out whether -308 and -238 locus (G --> A) mutation within the tumor necrosis factor-alpha gene (TNF-alpha) promoter region are associated with susceptibility to silicosis in the Han population of southwest China. METHODS: Governed by the principles of voluntatiness and cooperation, 75 patients with silicosis and 137 control with silica-exposure but without silicosis were recruited, and additionally, 140 elderly patients with silicosis and 135 healthy elderly (retired) controls were recruited in this case-control study. 5 ml peripheral vein blood was drawn from each subject. By means of polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphisms (PCR-RFLP) and sequencing techniques, TNF-alpha gene polymorphisms of all subjects were analyzed. RESULTS: The frequencies of TNF-alpha -308A and -238A in the 75 patients with silicosis were higher than those in the 137 controls (P < 0.01). After being adjusted for confounding factors, the -308A and the -238A were still associated with the presence of silicosis (P < 0.01). But the frequency of TNF-alpha -308A in the 140 elderly patients was significantly lower than that in the controls (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: TNF-alpha gene -308 and -238 locus (G --> A) mutation might be related to the occurrence of silicosis and the severity of pulmonary fibrosis in silicosis among the Han population of southwest China, and TNF2 (-308A) allele might increase the risk of the disease.