[The effect of visual-vestibular sensory input consistency on standing stability and electroencephalogram brain network characteristics in the elderly].

Aging is a crucial factor influencing postural stability control and contributing to frequent falls, yet its underlying mechanisms remain incompletely understood. This study aims to explore the effects of aging on postural stability control by comparing differences in postural stability and node strength of electroencephalogram (EEG) brain network between elderly and young people under the conditions of congruent and incongruent visual-vestibular sensory inputs. Eighteen elderly volunteers without neuromuscular disorders and eighteen young individuals participated in the present study. Virtual reality (VR) technology was employed to manipulate visual rotation stimuli (clockwise and counterclockwise), and a horizontal rotating platform was used for vestibular rotation stimuli (clockwise). Based on the directional disparity of sensory input in the horizontal plane, visual-vestibular input consistency was categorized as congruent and incongruent. Postural stability was assessed by the center of pressure (COP) trajectory, and EEG signals were collected and analyzed using directed network analysis to observe EEG brain network node connectivity strength. The results revealed that, under conditions of incongruent visual-vestibular sensory inputs, the elderly exhibited significantly inferior postural stability performance in terms of COP anterior-posterior (Y-axial) sway speed, total path length, anterior-posterior and medial-lateral sample entropy, compared to the young adults. Moreover, the node connectivity strength of visual cortex in the elderly was notably higher, while node connectivity strength of superior temporal cortex was significantly lower than that in the young adults. These findings suggest that the elderly have a heightened reliance on visual information in postural control and an impaired ability to cope with sensory conflicts arising from incongruent visual-vestibular sensory inputs, leading to compromised postural stability. The outcomes of this study hold significant implications for future assessments of balance function in the elder and fall prevention trainings.

[Research on Test Method of Metallic Element Contained in Tea Based on EDXRF Technique].

As it has been certified by experimental testing that when using the energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) method to analyze the metallic elements contained in the tea the energy segment of effective X-ray fluorescence photons is located between 3 and 16 keV. Accordingly the spectral correction element is targeted at the copper elements located near the energy center(8 keV). The copper elements are also used as the picketage to be the standard curve. In the energy segment of effective X-ray fluorescence photons contained in the tea 1.25 mg · kg(-1) of the average detection limit was obtained by using the spiked method to analyze four elements of copper, iron, zinc and lead. Compared with the flame atomic absorption spectrum(FAAS), the actual relative error of the tested value by EDXRF is less than 6%, and the relative standard deviation is less than 5%. The result by T test shows that p > 0.05. The conclusions are that there are no statistically significant differences between EDXRF and FAAS. The measured results gained by the two methods agree with each other. And EDXRF can be used thoroughly to test the metal contents contained in the tea. The result shows that it is feasible to test the metallic contents contained in the tea by EDXRF, and its measured result can meet the requirements of field testing and analysis.

Cytotoxic T lymphocyte epitopes from human heparanase can elicit a potent anti-tumor immune response in mice.

Heparanase is expressed in almost all advanced tumors, and therefore it may serve as a potential target for tumor therapy. Our previous study has shown that heparanase can serve as a potential universal tumor-associated antigen (TAA) for the immunotherapy of advanced tumors. Further study demonstrated that the HLA-A*0201-restricted Cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) epitopes Hpa525 (PAFSYSFFV), Hpa277 (KMLKSFLKA) and Hpa405 (WLSLLFKKL) from human heparanase could induce a potent anti-tumor immune response in vitro. The present study was designed to investigate whether the above peptides could induce immune responses in mice. Our results demonstrated that the effectors from heparanase peptide-immunized mice could effectively lyse various tumor cells that were heparanase positive and HLA-A*0201 matched. We also found that these peptide-specific CTLs did not lyse autologous lymphocytes that had low heparanase activity. Further study revealed that Hpa525, Hpa277, and Hpa405 peptides increased the frequency of IFN-gamma-producing T cells as compared to a negative peptide. These results suggest that Hpa525, Hpa277, and Hpa405 peptides are novel HLA-A*0201-restricted CTL epitopes capable of inducing heparanase-specific CTLs in mice. Because heparanase is expressed in most advanced malignant tumors, Hpa525, Hpa277, and Hpa405 peptide-based vaccines may be useful for the immunotherapy of patients with advanced tumors.

Extracellular histones stimulate collagen expression in vitro and promote liver fibrogenesis in a mouse model via the TLR4-MyD88 signaling pathway.

BACKGROUND: Liver fibrosis progressing to liver cirrhosis and hepatic carcinoma is very common and causes more than one million deaths annually. Fibrosis develops from recurrent liver injury but the molecular mechanisms are not fully understood. Recently, the TLR4-MyD88 signaling pathway has been reported to contribute to fibrosis. Extracellular histones are ligands of TLR4 but their roles in liver fibrosis have not been investigated. AIM: To investigate the roles and potential mechanisms of extracellular histones in liver fibrosis. METHODS: In vitro, LX2 human hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) were treated with histones in the presence or absence of non-anticoagulant heparin (NAHP) for neutralizing histones or TLR4-blocking antibody. The resultant cellular expression of collagen I was detected using western blotting and immunofluorescent staining. In vivo, the CCl4-induced liver fibrosis model was generated in male 6-week-old ICR mice and in TLR4 or MyD88 knockout and parental mice. Circulating histones were detected and the effect of NAHP was evaluated. RESULTS: Extracellular histones strongly stimulated LX2 cells to produce collagen I. Histone-enhanced collagen expression was significantly reduced by NAHP and TLR4-blocking antibody. In CCl4-treated wild type mice, circulating histones were dramatically increased and maintained high levels during the duration of fibrosis-induction. Injection of NAHP not only reduced alanine aminotransferase and liver injury scores, but also significantly reduced fibrogenesis. Since the TLR4-blocking antibody reduced histone-enhanced collagen I production in HSC, the CCl4 model with TLR4 and MyD88 knockout mice was used to demonstrate the roles of the TLR4-MyD88 signaling pathway in CCl4-induced liver fibrosis. The levels of liver fibrosis were indeed significantly reduced in knockout mice compared to wild type parental mice. CONCLUSION: Extracellular histones potentially enhance fibrogenesis via the TLR4-MyD88 signaling pathway and NAHP has therapeutic potential by detoxifying extracellular histones.

[Effect of thyroid hormone on the contents of NOS and CO in the penile corpus cavernosum of rats].

OBJECTIVE: To determine the contents of NOS and endogenous CO in the penile corpus cavernosum of Wistar rat models of hyperthyroid and hypothyroid, to detect the effects of thyroid hormone and endogenous CO on rat penile erection, and to further investigate the influence of thyroid hormone on human penile erection. METHODS: Fifty 3-month-old male Wistar rats were randomly and equally divided into 5 groups: a hyperthyroid, a hyperthyroid treatment, a hypothyroid, a hypothyroid treatment and a control group. The contents of NOS and CO were detected by ultraviolet spectrophotometry. RESULTS: Compared with the controls, the content of NOS was significantly decreased in both the hyperthyroid and the hypothyroid groups (P < 0.01), even lower in the latter than in the former (P < 0.01), and so was the content of CO (P < 0.01), lower in the former than in the latter (P < 0.01). After treatment, the levels of NOS and CO were both elevated in either the hyperthyroid or the hypothyroid group, with no significant difference from that of the controls (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: The contents of NOS and CO in the penile corpus cavernosum decrease with the imbalance of thyroid hormones, but return to normal once the imbalance is corrected. Under the same conditions, hypothyroid inflicts more damage on penile erection than hyperthyroid.

[Blocking Two Signals of Immuno-Activated T Cells from Antigen Presenting Cells Can Prevent Chronic GVHD of Murine].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effects of blocking TCR-CD3 and B7-CD28 signals on immune function of mice with chronic GVHD by using TJU103 and CTLA4-Ig. METHODS: On the basis of foregoing murine model of chronic GVHD, according to interference modes after infusion 6×107 spleen cells of donor mice, the recipients were divided into 5 groups: blank control, cGVHD, TJU103 interference, CTLA4-Ig interference and TJU103+CTLA4-Ig interference groups. The score of clinical manifestation and tissue histopathology were used to evaluate the effects of all the interferences on chronic GVHD. RESULTS: TJU103 and CTLA4-Ig could not influence the formation of the mouse chimera. The analysis of Kaplan survival curve of mice with chronic GVHD showed that the CTLA4-Ig and TJU103+CTLA4-Ig reduced the incidence of chronic GVHD, the TJU103 could delay the occurrence of chronic GVHD, but all the interference factors could not change the severity of chronic GVHD. CONCLUSION: TJU103 can delay the onset time of chronic GVHD, and the CTLA4-Ig can reduce the incidences of cGVHD, the combining use of TJU103 and CTLA4-Ig can significantly reduce the incidence of chronic GVHD, but can not change the severity of chronic GVHD.

Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) upregulates heparanase expression via the PI3K/Akt/NF-κB signaling pathway for gastric cancer metastasis.

Heparanase (HPA) is an endoglucuronidase that can promote the shedding of associated cytokines in several types of tumors. However, little is known about what controls the expression of HPA or its role in gastric cancer. In this study, we report for the first time that HGF regulates HPA expression to promote gastric cancer metastasis. In this study, HGF and HPA were found to be significantly expressed in 58 gastric cancer patients. High expression of both HGF and HPA was positively associated with TNM stage, invasion depth and poor prognosis. In MKN74 cells, exogenous HGF significantly increased HPA expression at both the mRNA and protein levels. Further study revealed that HGF first activated PI3K/Akt signaling. NF-κB signaling was activated downstream of PI3K/Akt and promoted HPA expression. However, when c-met, PI3K/Akt or NF-κB signal inhibitors were used, HPA expression was significantly decreased. All of these results indicate that HGF regulates HPA expression by PI3K/Akt and downstream NF-κB signaling. Using bioinformatics and the ChIP assay, p65 was observed to bind to the HPA promoter. Furthermore, HGF significantly induced tumor cell migration, whereas treatment with an NF-κB inhibitor decreased migration. Moreover, when HPA was overexpressed in MKN74 cells, migration was significantly enhanced, and the HGF concentration was increased. However, when HPA was down-regulated in MKN45 cells, migration and HGF levels decreased. Together, these results demonstrate that HGF/c-met can activate PI3K/Akt and downstream NF-κB signaling to promote HPA expression and subsequent tumor metastasis.

[Expression characteristics of differentiation antigens on granulocytes in patients with megaloblastic anemia].

This study was aimed to explore the change characteristics of cell differentiation antigen (CD) on bone marrow (BM) granulocytes in patients,with megaloblastic anemia (MA). In combination with BM cell morphology, hemogram, level of blood serum folic acid, level of Vit B(12), cell genetics and biological examination data, the BM granulocytes differentiation antigens in 13 patients with MA were detected by flow cyto metry and analyzed retrospectively, in order to summarize the variation characteristics of CD13, CD33 and CD15 expressed on myeloid cells in patient with MA, including forward scatter light (FSC) and side scatter light (SSC) signal intensity, then these findings were compared with that in normal healthy persons. The results showed that the expression rates of CD13, CD15 and CD33 on granulocytic in patients with MA and normal healthy persons were (44.53 ± 16)%, (96.16 ± 2.67)%, (80.81 ± 14.71)% and (62.33 ± 11.02)%, (99.53 ± 0.46)%, (70.00 ± 7.81)% respectively, in which the expression rate of CD13 and CD15 in patients with MA decreased (P < 0.01), while the expression rate of CD33 increased (P < 0.01). The mean fluorescence intensity (MFI) of CD13, CD15, CD33, SSC and FSC in MA patients and normal healthy persons were 3.39 ± 1.41, 14.29 ± 6.59, 1.95 ± 0.94, 478.78 ± 70.43, 633.46 ± 75.53 and 5.12 ± 1.15, 20.67 ± 5.13, 1.04 ± 0.17, 332.00 ± 38.16, 537.00 ± 16.70 respectively, in which the MFI of CD13 and CD15 on granulocytes in MA patients decreased (P < 0.01),while the MFI of FSC,SSC and CD33 increased (P < 0.01 and P < 0.05). It is concluded that not only the morphology of BM granulocytes in patents with MA shows dysmaturity, but the expressing feature of differentiation antigens on BM granulocytes in MA patients also displays dysmaturity.These findings will contribute to the clinical diagnosis of MA patients.

The protective roles of mitochondrial ATP-sensitive potassium channels during hypoxia-ischemia-reperfusion in brain.

The role of ATP-sensitive potassium (K(ATP)) channels in cerebral ischemia-reperfusion has been well documented. K(ATP) channel openers protect neuron by mimicking ischemic preconditioning. However, the different protection between the mitochondrial and sarcolemma K(ATP) openers has been seldom studied. In the experiment, we investigated the effects of K(ATP) channel openers diazoxide and pinacidil on the hypoxia-ischemia-reperfusion in cultured hippocampal neurons and gerbil brain. The cultured hippocampal neurons and gerbil brain were pretreated with diazoxide or pinacidil before oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) and cerebral ischemia-reperfusion, respectively. Survival rate, apoptosis rate and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) releasing after the reperfusion were subsequently detected. Then the subunits mRNA was detected by RT-PCR. The survival rate and LDH content in diazoxide group increased more than that in pinacidil group (86.21±2.73% vs. 78.59±1.94%, P<0.05; 133.29±15.00 U/L vs. 193.47±3.39 U/L, P<0.01). The apoptosis rate in diazoxide group decreased significantly more than that in pinacidil group (23.82±0.14% vs. 37.05±0.67%, P<0.01). Diazoxide pretreatment increased the expression of Kir6.1 mRNA obviously. The results suggested that mitoK(ATP) channels opener diazoxide played a major protective role on cerebral ischemia-reperfusion. Furthermore, diazoxide might become a new treatment for cerebral ischemia diseases through increasing the expression of Kir6.1 mRNA.

An optimized telomerase-specific lentivirus for optical imaging of tumors.

Advances in medical imaging techniques, such as ultrasound, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and positron emission tomography, have made great progress in detecting tumors. However, these imaging techniques are unable to differentiate malignant tumors from benign ones. Recently developed optical imaging of tumors in small animals provides a useful method to distinguish malignant tumors from their surrounding normal tissues. Human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) is normally inactivated in most somatic cells, whereas it is commonly reactivated in many cancer cells. In this study, we constructed a lentiviral vector that expresses green fluorescent protein (GFP) driven by an optimized hTERT promoter to create a noninvasive tumor-specific imaging methodology. The activity of this optimized hTERT promoter was found to be equal to the activity of SV40 and cytomegalovirus promoters. In vitro experiments showed that GFP was only expressed in telomerase-positive tumor cells infected with this lentivirus, whereas there was no GFP expression in telomerase-negative tumor cells or normal somatic cells. We also found that subcutaneous telomerase-positive tumors could be visualized 24 hours after an intratumoral injection with this lentivirus by using a charge-coupled device (CCD) camera. In contrast, telomerase-negative tumors could not be imaged after an intratumoral injection even for 30 days. These results suggest that infection with lentivirus containing this optimized hTERT promoter might be a useful diagnostic tool for the real-time visualization of macroscopically invisible tumor tissues using a highly sensitive CCD imaging system.