[CD40/TNF receptor associated factor 1 expression and NF-κB-dependent proinflammatory gene expression in rheumatoid arthritis].

Objective: To investigatea cellular/molecular mechanism of the CD40/TRAF1 signalling pathway involved in Rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods: 16 patients with active RA and 9 patients with Fractures who underwent total knee or hip replacement in The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University were included in the study. Synovial tissues (ST) and serum were obtained from each patient. The CD40, TRAF1, NF-κB p65 were detected by ELISA and Immunohistochemistry in serum and tissue respectively. Real time-PCR (RT-PCR) was applied to measure NF-κB-related gene expression. Results: CD40 and TRAF1 positive area (%) in RA patients were 28.7±5.4, 34.3±4.8 respectively, which were significantly higher (P<0.05) than Fracture controls (21.2±9.5, 21.6±8.7 respectively). The expression of total NF-κB p65, and phospho-NF-κB p65 proteins, as well as NF-κB-related gene expression, including cytokines (TNFα, IL-6), chemokines (MCP-1),and adhesion molecules (ICAM-1) were significantly higher in the ST of RA patients compared to Fracture controls. Conclusion: It is thus possible that the CD40/TRAF1 pathway acted as a positive regulator through NF-κB activation and NF-κB-dependent proinflammatory genes in RA.

Temporal and spatial distribution of atmospheric antimony emission inventories from coal combustion in China.

A multiple-year inventory of atmospheric antimony (Sb) emissions from coal combustion in China for the period of 1980-2007 has been calculated for the first time. Specifically, the emission inventories of Sb from 30 provinces and 4 economic sectors (thermal power, industry, residential use, and others) are evaluated and analyzed in detail. It shows that the total Sb emissions released from coal combustion in China have increased from 133.19 t in 1980 to 546.67 t in 2007, at an annually average growth rate of 5.4%. The antimony emissions are largely emitted by industrial sector and thermal power generation sector, contributing 53.6% and 26.9% of the totals, respectively. At provincial level, the distribution of Sb emissions shows significant variation. Between 2005 and 2007, provinces always rank at the top five largest Sb emissions are: Guizhou, Hunan, Hebei, Shandong, and Anhui.

Occurrence of aliphatic hydrocarbons in water, suspended particulate matter and sediments of Daliao River system, China.

In August of 2005 a study was carried out to evaluate contamination of aliphatic hydrocarbons(AHc) in water, suspended particulate matter (SPM) and sediments from Daliao River system composed of the Hun River, Taizi River, and Daliao River in a heavy industrial area of northeast of China. The content of AHc ranged from 13.39 to 283.62 microg L(-1) in surface water, from 22.68 to 5,725.36 microg g(-1) in dry SPM, and from 61.37 to 229.42 microg g(-1) in dry sediments. High hydrocarbon levels were generally found in the areas associated with high anthropogenic impact and port activities. The calculated hydrocarbon indexes suggest that the stations with petrogenic sources and biogenic origin predominance would constitute aliphatic hydrocarbons for the river system. Hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) of aliphatic hydrocarbons is correspondence with hydrocarbons indexes results.

[The effect of neutral fraction of cigarette smoke condensate on DNA content of hamster's tracheal epithelial cells].

Histologic changes and DNA content alterations of hamster's tracheal epithelial cells induced by Benzo(a)pyrene[B(a)P] and/or the neutral fraction of cigarette smoke condensate (CSC-NF) in organ culture were investigated by light microscopy and automated image analysis technique. The results showed that B(a)P + CSC-NF induced severe atypical hyperplasia of the epithelium. Additionally, the DNA content and the percentage of cells with aneuploid DNA content also increased significantly. The histogram of DNA distribution became apparently widened. The high peak was shifted to the right and many irregular median and low peaks were also obtained.

[Flow cytome tric analysis of cellular DNA content and cytokinetic study of experimental lung squamous cell carcinoma in rats].

Cellular DNA content in normal lung tissues (group 1, 7 wistar rats), in tissues adjacent to lung cancers (group 2, 8 rats) and in experimental lung squamous cell carcinomas (group 3, 10 rats) was measured by flow cytometry. The results were as follows. Of 10 experimental lung cancers, 8 had aneuploid DNA content, 1 had multiple aneuploid stem lines, and 1 had diploid DNA content. But DNA content in normal lung tissues and in tissues adjacent to experimental lung cancers was all diploidy. Concerning the number of S phase cell and proliferative index, there was significant difference between group 1 and 2 as well as between group 3 and either group 1 or 2.

[Activity of alveolar macrophages of experimental lung cancer and inhibition of cell proliferation].

Alveolar macrophages (AM) from rats with lung cancer induced by 3,4-benzo(a)pyrene were collected and examined under SEM. According to changes of the surface ultrastructure, AMs were classified into activated and unactivated groups. Different groups of cells were incubated with Hela cells as the target, and cytostatic activity of AM was studied in vitro, including observation of the morphological changes as well as determination of the cytostatic index (CI). Results showed that AMs from non-tumor-bearing and control groups had spontaneous cytotoxicity, which might be related to the existence of a certain proportion of activated macrophages in the host, while the activity of AM from the tumor-bearing group was obviously inhibited.

In vitro alterations of tracheal epithelium of hamsters by carcinogens in organ culture.

In vitro organ culture of the hamster's trachea was improved and applied to a carcinogenesis research. The rotary culture enabled explants of tracheal epithelium to survive more than 8 weeks. The study was composed of 2 kinds of culture; untreated and treated with carcinogens. In the untreated culture, Eagle MEM medium had the same culture effect as RPMI 1640 medium. With prolongation of culture time (particularly longer than 5 weeks), irreversible degenerative changes appeared in epithelial cells. Culture for 4 weeks was usually thought to be appropriate for experimental research. In the treated culture, the effect of benzo-(a) pyrene (B(a)P) and B(a)P + cigarette smoking condensate-neutral fraction (CSC-NF) on tracheal epithelium was investigated with light and electron microscopies (TEM and SEM) and autoradiography. Atypical hyperplasia with or without lesions suggesting carcinoma in situ was induced by B(a)P + CSC-NF more evidently and frequently than by B(a)P alone. The present findings corroborated the cocarcinogenetic effect of CSC-NF.