Effects of short-term extreme temperature treatment on the development and reproductive capacity of Encarsia formosa.

Encarsia formosa is a natural enemy of the invasive pest Bemisia tabaci and is known to be a dominant parasitic. The frequency and magnitude of climate extremes, particularly temperature extremes, have increased, which has put insect populations at risk. However, the effects of temperature extremes on E. formosa are not well understood. To examine the impact of short-term extreme temperature exposure on the development and reproduction of E. formosa, eggs, larvae, pupae, and adults were exposed to high/low temperature treatments (HLT25, HLT50, LLT25, and LLT50). Our findings indicate that the pupal stage of E. formosa exhibited the strongest tolerance to both heat and cold, while adults exhibited a weaker tolerance. The shortest egg-to-adult development period of 12.65 days was observed in E. formosa exposed to HLT50 treatment during the egg-larval stage. The parasitism peak of the adult stage was delayed by 1-6 days after exposure to extreme temperatures during the egg-larval stage. Conversely, the parasitism peak was advanced by 1-3 days after exposure to extreme temperatures during the pupal and adult stages. The eclosion rate, total parasitism, eclosion rate of the F1 generation, and adult longevity of the F1 generation were lower in the treatment groups than in the control groups. The F1 generation's development period was prolonged to 15.49 and 15.19 days after exposure to HLT25 and HLT50 treatments, respectively, during the egg-larval stage. The F1 generation's development period was shortened to 13.33 days after exposure to LLT50 treatment during the pupal stage. Male individuals appeared in the F1 generation after exposure to HLT50 treatment during the pupal stage, with females accounting for only 56.38%. Our results demonstrate that short-term exposure to extreme temperatures has detrimental effects on the growth and reproduction of E. formosa. In field biocontrol against E. formosa, the release of E. formosa should be avoided as much as possible when the ambient temperature is higher than 35°C or lower than 0°C. During extreme temperature conditions, timely supplementation and release of E. formosa population, along with ventilation and cooling in greenhouse facilities during summer, are necessary for better pest control efficacy.

Density and seasonal dynamics of Bemisia tabaci and its predators in different agricultural landscapes in South China.

Bemisia tabaci is the main pest of agriculture in many regions of the world. The resistance of whitefly to pesticides has increased as a consequence of the continuous irrational use of wide-spectrum pesticides. Thus, pesticides are no longer always effective as a long-term control method. The agricultural landscape can affect the occurrence of an insect population. The objective of this study was to clarify the occurrence of whitefly and its predators in tomato fields in different agricultural landscapes. Different landscapes are classified into urban, flower, water, and mountain landscapes by the principal component analysis method. In 2018-2019, whitefly had the longest main activity period and the lowest density in the flower landscape. The water landscape helped to maintain the highest densities of whitefly during the main activity period. Nine species of predators were sampled, and Nesidiocoris tenuis, Chrysoperla sinica, Menochilus sexmaculata, and Harmonia axyridis were the dominant species throughout the sampling season in both years. During the main activity period, N. tenuis had the highest density in all sampled landscapes. The density of the dominant predators was the highest in the flower landscape, and each natural predator had the largest temporal niche width in the 2-year sampling period. Bemisia tabaci, N. tenuis, and M. sexmaculata were highly synchronized temporally. The flower landscape showed satisfactory results in suppressing whitefly. Increasing the proportion of flowering plants and increasing the diversity of plant crops in the agricultural landscape can effectively reduce the densities of whitefly during an outbreak.

Effectiveness and Safety of PD-1 Inhibitor Monotherapy for Elderly Patients with Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Real-World Exploratory Study.

Background: Immunotherapy represented by PD-1 blockades had become the standard of care for advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) gradually. Unfortunately, several PD-1 inhibitor-related studies excluded elderly patients with NSCLC over 75 years of age, resulting in relatively limited evidence regarding the efficacy and safety of PD-1 in elderly patients with NSCLC clinically. Objective: This study aimed to identify the effectiveness and safety of PD-1 blockade monotherapy among elderly patients with advanced NSCLC. Methods: Elderly patients with advanced NSCLC (≥65 years) who received PD-1 blockade monotherapy from September 2018 to December 2021 were screened retrospectively, and a total of 68 elderly patients with NSCLC were eligible for inclusion ultimately. The PD-1 blockades in the study were the available PD-1 monoclonal antibodies that had been approved for marketing in China, including camrelizumab, sintilimab, pembrolizumab, and nivolumab. The effectiveness and safety of the patients was collected retrospectively. Additionally, the correlation between prognosis and baseline characteristic subgroups was analyzed to identify the potential risk factors for progression-free survival (PFS). Results: The median age of the 68 elderly patients with advanced NSCLC was 73 years (range: 65-82 years). Best overall response during PD-1 blockade administration suggested that no patients were found with complete response, partial response was found in 14 patients, stable disease was noted in 29 patients, and 25 patients had progressive disease, yielding an objective response rate (ORR) of 20.6% (95%CI: 11.7%-32.1%) and a disease control rate (DCR) of 63.2% (95%CI: 50.7%-74.6%). Furthermore, prognostic analysis exhibited that the median progression-free survival (PFS) of the 68 patients with advanced NSCLC was 3.5 months (95%CI: 2.4-4.6) and the median overall survival (OS) was 10.5 months (95%CI: 6.3-14.7). Additionally, a total of 48 patients were observed with the treatment-related adverse reaction (70.6%) of the 68 elderly patients with NSCLC, and the incidence of grade 3 or above adverse reactions was 16.2%. Specifically, the most common adverse reactions were fatigue, diarrhea, rash, and abnormal liver function with the incidence of 25.0%, 22.1%, 16.2%, and 14.7%, respectively. Exploratory analysis between PFS and baseline characteristic subgroups suggested that ECOG performance status and number of metastatic lesions might be independent factors for PFS. Conclusion: PD-1 blockade monotherapy exhibited potential effectiveness and acceptable toxicity for elderly patients with NSCLC. ECOG performance status and number of metastatic lesions might be potential risk factors to predict the PFS of elderly patients with advanced NSCLC.

Effect of sublethal Spirotetramat on host locating and parasitic behavior of Encarsia formosa Gahan.

BACKGROUND: The use of chemical insecticides to control Bemisia tabaci Gennadius (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) is widespread, although it might exert a sublethal effect on its dominant parasitoid, Encarsia formosa Gahan (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae). To investigate the sublethal effect of spirotetramat on E. formosa, we observed the ability of E. formosa to locate and handle the host, oviposit and preen after exposure to sublethal concentrations of spirotetramat. RESULTS: After exposure to spirotetramat at LC50 , the response time of E. formosa to the volatile reached 223.40 s and was significantly prolonged. Only 56.44% of the wasps were attracted by the volatile and the insect crawled the slowest among all of the treatments. The averages of oviposition posture adopted and host handled by each E. formosa in 1 h decreased significantly to 1.79 and 1.27, respectively. At the sublethal concentration of LC10 , 94.59% of the wasps were attracted by the volatile and the insect crawled the fastest. The average of host handled by each E. formosa was 3.92, and the frequency of drumming while walking and drumming the host was 12.34 times per second and 12.30 times per second, respectively, demonstrating a significant acceleration in these abilities. CONCLUSION: These findings demonstrate that spirotetramat induced hormesis in E. formosa on exposure to its LC10 concentration and accelerated its host locating, host handling and frequency of antennae drumming. These findings could assist in balancing the chemical and biological control of B. tabaci and enhancing the efficacy of E. formosa as a biocontrol agent. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.

Zc3h12d, a Novel of Hypomethylated and Immune-Related for Prognostic Marker of Lung Adenocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Zc3h12d is a negative regulator which plays a crucial role in immune modulation. However, the role of zc3h12d in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) remains unclear. We aim to explore the prognostic of zc3h12d and investigate the relationship between zc3h12d expression and immune infiltration in LUAD. METHODS: TIMER site was used to analyze the expression of zc3h12d in LUAD. The zc3h12d protein levels in patient tissue samples were detected by immunohistochemistry staining assays. Meanwhile, based on UALCAN database and samples' data from our cohort, we explored the relationship of clinicopathological features and zc3h12d expression to determine the clinical effect of zc3h12d in LUAD. Several databases including GEPIA, Kaplan-Meier plotter and our samples' data were used to explore the prognostic value of zc3h12d in LUAD. Cox regression analysis was established to further evaluate the prognostic value of zc3h12d in LUAD. In addition, zc3h12d promoter methylation was analyzed by UALCAN database. Genetic alteration analysis was observed in the cBioPortal web. GO and KEGG analyses were conducted to elucidate the underlying mechanisms. Finally, the correlation between zc3h12d and tumor-infiltrating immune cells in LUAD was investigated by TIMER database. The B cells level was investigated by flow cytometry analysis of peripheral blood from our LUAD cohort. RESULTS: Zc3h12d expression was significantly higher in LUAD, compared with adjacent normal tissues. The clinical data from the UALCAN database demonstrated that zc3h12d expression was closely related with cancer stage and nodal metastasis. However, patient sample detection revealed that zc3h12d expression was closely related to pathological N (p = 0.0431) and grade (p = 0.004). Moreover, low zc3h12d expression was associated with poorer overall survival in LUAD. We analyzed the methylation level of zc3h12d in LUAD and found that the methylation levels of zc3h12d promoter in LUAD were significantly reduced. In addition, zc3h12d genetic alterations, including deep deletion, could be found in LUAD. GO and KEGG pathway analysis results indicated that zc3h12d has a certain value in immune infiltration. We investigated the expression of zc3h12d in tumor-immune interactions. It was found that zc3h12d might be associated with the immune infiltration and markers of infiltrating immune cells of LUAD. The results of patient sample detection confirmed that B cells level was significantly lower in the patients with low zc3h12d expression than those in the patients with high zc3h12d expression. CONCLUSION: zc3h12d might be considered as a potential biomarker for determining prognosis and immune-related therapeutic target in LUAD.

Dusp6 inhibits epithelial-mesenchymal transition in endometrial adenocarcinoma via ERK signaling pathway.

Background Endometrial adenocarcinoma (EAC) is one of the most commonly diagnosed gynaecological malignancies among female population of the developed countries. DUSP6 is a negative regulator of ERK signaling, which is a molecular switch involved in MAPK signaling during the progress of malignancies. DUSP6 was previously found to inhibit tumorigenesis and EMT-associated properties in several cancers, however, its exact role in EAC remains unclear Methods The level of DUSP6, (E-cad) and (N-cad) in EAC cancerous tissues and respective adjacent non-cancerous tissues were examined by western-blot or immunohistochemistry. The cell growth, invasion and migration abilities were measured in Ishikawa 3H12 endometrial cancer cell lines with overexpressed or knock down DUSP6. Protein levels of EMT-associated markers E-cadherin, N-cadherin and Vimentin were also determined. The impacts of DUSP6 on ERK signaling was assessed by detection of ERK and p-ERK. Results Down-regulation of DUSP6 was observed in EAC compared with the normal controls. The overexpression of DUSP6 significantly attenuated tumor cell growth, invasion, migration abilities and inhibited EMT-associated markers, while knock down of DUSP6 showed opposite trends. Overexpression of DUSP6 also down-regulated p-ERK and the knock down of DUSP6 inversely up-regulated p-ERK level. Conclusions DUSP6 inhibited cell growth, invasion and migration abilities in Ishikawa 3H12 cells as well as attenuating EMT-associated properties. This tumor suppressive effect of DUSP6 in EAC is achieved by inhibiting ERK signaling pathway.

Imaging diagnosis of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors / 中国实用外科杂志

Pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms(pNENs)are a group of tumors that originate from stem cells and have neuroendocrine markers and are capable of producing biologically active amines and/or polypeptide hormones with significant heterogeneity.With advances in endoscopic and imaging techniques and improved diagnostic levels,the detection rate of the pNENs has increased.But at present,there is still easy to be misdiagnosed and missed because of insufficient understanding of the pNENs.Therefore,early diagnosis which by understanding the imaging features and using the effective imaging methods has great significance for improving prognosis.

Individual strategy of retroperitoneoscopic nephrectomy for benign non-functioning kidneys (84 cases) / 中国内镜杂志

Objective To explore the technique and clinical efficacy of retroperitoneoscopic nephrectomy (RN) at different anatomical plane for benign non-functioning kidneys. Method We retrospectively reviewed the clinical data of 84 patients who underwent RN for benign non-functioning kidneys from February 2010 to November 2016. Various anatomical plane was performed for differing etiology, image and plane, included radical nephrectomy (A group, n = 35), simple nephrectomy (B group, n = 27) and subcapsular nephrectomy (C group, n = 22). Clinical data and preoperative information was collected and analyzed. Result Nephrectomy was performed successfully in 84 patients. There are significantly longer mean operative time and more estimated blood loss in the C group than that in A group and B group (P < 0.05), however, postoperative hospital stay, complications and recovery time were significantly less in the three groups. There was longer mean operative time and more estimated blood in specific and nonspecific infection group compared with the other two groups (P < 0.05). Conclusion Retroperitoneoscopic nephrectomy, although challenging, is safe, reliable, and successful for treatment of benign non-functioning kidneys.Anatomical plane of avascular zone should be offered as the choice of modality to all patients with benign non-functioning kidney.

Gelatin fibrous scaffolds promote fibrogenic differentiation of human dental pulp stem cells / 中国组织工程研究

BACKGROUND: A tooth can be led to lose viability, split easily and miss immune defensive response by pulpitis and pulp necrosis. Determining how to achieve dental pulp regeneration has become a research focus in dentistry. The physicochemical properties and biocompatibility of scaffold materials are crucial for proliferation and differentiation of stem cells. OBJECTIVE: To study whether a gelatin scaffold can induce dental pulp stem cells to differentiate into fibroblasts.METHODS: Gelatin scaffolds at different concentrations were prepared by electrospinning method. The surface morphology and physical properties of gelatin scaffolds were tested by using scanning electron microscope and tensile tests. The human dental pulp stem cells (hDPSCs) were seeded on the scaffolds and the cell proliferation and fibrogenic differentiation were tested using MTT and RT-PCR. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The fiber diameter of the 7.5% gelatin scaffold was (2.02±0.36) μm, and it was increased to (3.15±0.52) μm after cross-linking. In the 15% gelatin scaffold, fiber bonding was detected and strengthened until the emergence of flat structures after cross-linking. Both 7.5% and 15% gelatin scaffolds could promote the adhesion and growth of hDPSCs. On day 7, the cell number on the 7.5% gelatin scaffold was significantly higher than that on the 15% gelatin scaffold (P < 0.05). The levels of Collagen I, α-SMA, Periostin and Fibronectin were also higher in the 7.5% gelatin scaffold than in the 15% gelatin scaffold (P < 0.05). In conclusion, 7.5% gelatin scaffold is more beneficial to the proliferation and fibrogenic differentiation of hDPSCs.

Protective Effect of Isorhamnetin on Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Acute Lung Injury in Mice.

Isorhamnetin has been reported to have anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative, and anti-proliferative effects. The aim of this study was to investigate the protective effect of isorhamnetin on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced acute lung injury (ALI) in mice by inhibiting the expression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2). The effects of isorhamnetin on LPS-induced lung pathological damage, wet/dry ratios and the total protein level in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), inflammatory cytokine release, myeloperoxidase (MPO) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities, and malondialdehyde (MDA) level were examined. In addition, the COX-2 activation in lung tissues was detected by Western blot. Isorhamnetin pretreatment improved the mice survival rates. Moreover, isorhamnetin pretreatment significantly attenuated edema and the pathological changes in the lung and inhibited protein extravasation in BALF. Isorhamnetin also significantly decreased the levels of inflammatory cytokines in BALF. In addition, isorhamnetin markedly prevented LPS-induced oxidative stress. Furthermore, isorhamnetin pretreatment significantly suppressed LPS-induced activation of COX-2. Isorhamnetin has been demonstrated to protect mice from LPS-induced ALI by inhibiting the expression of COX-2.

[Present situation of health education work in schistosomiasis control and evaluation on its effectiveness in Hubei Province].

OBJECTIVE: To understand the present situation and requirements of health education in schistosomiasis control in Hubei Province, so as to improve the health education to the targeted people. METHODS: Through the questionnaire survey and field investigation, the data of the present situation and requirements of health education in schistosomiasis control were collected in 24 counties (cities) of Hubei Province, and these data included the related institution structure of health education, basic information of personnel, equipment, funds, and health education working form. All the data collected were analyzed and evaluated. RESULTS: Among the 24 counties, there were 12 independent departments of health education, accounting for 50%. In terms of the basic information of the health education staff, the youngest person was 34 years old and the eldest was 58 years old, and the mean age was 46.55± 6.9 years. For the formal school education of the staff, 5 had senior high school or below education (20.8%), 16 had college education (66.7%), 3 had bachelor degree or above (12.5%). There were 10 counties (41.70%) with the special funds for health education work but there were 3 counties (12.50%) without the special funds. CONCLUSIONS: The effectiveness of health education work in schistosomiasis control is remarkable, but there are still deficiencies in professional staff and funds in Hubei Province.

Growth differentiation factor-15 (GDF-15), novel biomarker for assessing atrial fibrosis in patients with atrial fibrillation and rheumatic heart disease.

OBJECTIVE: Growth differentiation factor-15 (GDF-15) has been identified as a strong biomarker of cardiovascular diseases; however, no evidence are available concerning the relationship of GDF-15 and atrial fibrosis in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and rheumatic heart disease (RHD). METHODS: Twenty patients with rheumatic heart disease were divided into two groups, 10 cases with AF and 10 cases with sinus rhythm (SR). Clinical data and blood samples were collected; left atrial appendage was taken by the surgeon in the process of valve replacement. Masson stained sections and mRNA levels of cardiac fibrosis biomarkers were used to determine the level of cardiac fibrosis, the expression level of GDF-15 was evaluated via immunohistochemistry, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). RESULTS: Compared with SR group, more collagen deposited in the atrial tissue of AF group. The distribution of GDF-15 in the AF group was significantly higher than SR group (P<0.05). In addition, plasma GDF-15 level and mRNA level of GDF-15 in atrial tissue of AF showed the same trend as the result of immunohistochemistry. After linear correlation analysis, the expression level of GDF-15 was found to be positively related to the degree of cardiac fibrosis. CONCLUSION: GDF-15 might involve in the development and maintenance of atrial fibrosis in patients with atrial fibrillation and rheumatic heart disease, and GDF-15 could be used as a novel biomarker to evaluate myocardial fibrosis in the future.

Chlorophyll content and chlorophyll fluorescence in tomato leaves infested with an invasive mealybug, Phenacoccus solenopsis (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae).

Herbivore injury has indirect effects on the growth and performance of host plants through photosynthetic suppression. It causes uncertain reduction in photosynthesis, which likely depends on the degree of infestation. Rapid light curves provide detailed information on the saturation characteristics of electron transport as well as the overall photosynthetic performance of a plant. We examined the effects of different intensities of infestation of the invasive mealybug, Phenacoccus solenopsis Tinsley (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae), on the relative chlorophyll content and rapid light curves of tomato Solanum lycopersicum L. leaves using a chlorophyll meter and chlorophyll fluorescence measurement system, respectively, under greenhouse conditions. After 38 d of P. solenopsis feeding, relative chlorophyll content of tomato plants with initial high of P. solenopsis was reduced by 57.3%. Light utilization efficiency (α) for the initial high-density treatment was reduced by 42.4%. However, no significant difference between initial low-density treatment and uninfested control was found. The values of the maximum electron transport rate and minimum saturating irradiance for initial high-density treatment were reduced by 82.0 and 69.7%, respectively, whereas the corresponding values for low-density treatment were reduced by 55.9 and 58.1%, respectively. These data indicated that changes were induced by P. solenopsis feeding in the relative chlorophyll content and chlorophyll fluorescence of infested tomato plants. The results indicating that low initial infestation by P. solenopsis caused no change in relative leaf chlorophyll content or light utilization efficiency could have been because the plants rapidly adapted to P. solenopsis feeding or because of compensatory photosynthesis.

[Effects of calcium fertilizer on the development, survival, and feeding of B-biotype Bemisia tabaci on Euphorbia pulcherrima].

This paper studied the development, survival, and feeding of B-biotype Bemisia tabaci on Euphorbia pulcherrima under the conditions of 26 +/- 1 degrees C and 60% - 80% relative humidity after applying calcium fertilizer, taking applying fresh water as the control. There existed significant differences in the developmental duration of B. tabaci between treatment applying calcium fertilizer and the control. After applying calcium fertilizer, the egg stage of B. tabaci shortened significantly, and the development from egg to adult took 20.18 days (for the control, it took 18.72 days). However, there were no significant differences in the survival rates of B. tabaci at different development stages between the two treatments. The feeding of B. tabaci on E. pulcherrima induced the plant leaf chlorophyll fluorescence parameters changed, i. e., the photochemical efficiency (Fv/Fm), photochemical quenching coefficient (q(p)), light use efficiency (alpha), maximum photosynthesis rate (rETRmax), and tolerance to light (I(k)) decreased significantly, while the non-photochemical quenching coefficient (NPQ) had a significant increase. After applying calcium fertilizer, the plant leaf photoinhibition parameter (beta), rETRmax, and I(k) had less difference with th e control. The nail polish blot observation on the lower epidermis structure of plant leaf showed that calcium fertilizer could effectively compensate the decrease in the photosynthesis of E. pulcherrima damaged by B-biotype B. tabaci.

[Effects and mechanisms of platelet-activating factor on the invasiveness of ovarian cancer cells in vitro].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects and possible mechanisms of platelet-activating factor (PAF) on the invasion of ovarian cancer cells and to provide a potential target for ovarian cancer therapy. METHODS: (1)Serous type ovarian cancer cell line OVCA429 with platelet-activating factor receptor (PAFR) positive and mucinous type cell line RMUG-L (PAFR negative) were treated with 100 nmol/L of the PAF, cell invasion ability was determined by transwell cell migration assay. (2) For determination of the optimal PAF concentration, ovarian cancer cell OVCA429 was treated by 0, 0.1, 1, 10, 100, and 1000 nmol/L of PAF for 10 minutes or 24 hour, respectively. To observe the different time point of protein changes, OVCA429 were treated by 100 nmol/L of PAF for 0, 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 30 minutes, 1 hour or 12 hours, respectively. The total proteins of treated cells were extracted according to standard protocol. The expression of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK), phosphorylated p38 MAPK (p-p38 MAPK), transcription factor response element-binding protein (CREB), phosphorylated CREB (p-CREB) and matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) were detected by western blot. (3) To verify the pathway involved in the PAF induction of the cancer cell invasion, we repeated the experiments by adding the inhibitors when treating cells with PAF. The inhibitors used were as follows, PAFR inhibitor-WEB2076 (50 µmol/L), p-p38 MAPK inhibitor-SB203580 (10 µmol/L), CREB binding protein (CBP)-CREB interaction inhibitor-217505(25 µmol/L). All treated cells were divided into 6 groups: control group, PAF group, PAF + WEB2076 group, PAF + SB203580 group, PAF + 217505 group and PAF + SB203580 + 217505 group. RESULTS: (1) By transwell assay, 100 nmol/L of PAF could improve the invasion ability of OVCA429 cell significantly [PAF: (118 ± 23) cells vs. control: (36 ± 8) cells, P < 0.01], while the same treatment had no effect on RMUG-L cells [PAF: (45 ± 13) cells vs. control: (53 ± 9) cells, P > 0.05]. (2) Even a very low concentration of PAF (0.1 nmol/L) could increase the expression of p-CREB and MMP-2, while the most effective concentration of PAF was 100 nmol/L. The highest p-CREB protein expression was detected at 10 minutes after administration of 100 nmol/L PAF, as well as the expression of p-p38 MAPK protein. Even 12 hours after treatment the p-p38 MAPK protein could be detected, while there was no significant difference in the expression of CREB (P > 0.05). (3) As compared with PAF group, both in PAF + WEB2076 group and PAF + SB203580 group, the expressions of p-p38 MAPK, p-CREB and MMP-2 protein were decreased significantly; in PAF + 217505 group, although the expression of p-p38 MAPK and p-CREB protein was significantly higher than the control group, the expression of MMP-2 protein was significantly lower; in PAF + SB203580 + 217505 group, the expression of these three proteins were also significantly lower, but there was no significant difference as compared with that in the PAF + WEB2076 or PAF + SB203580 group. CONCLUSION: PAF could induce MMP-2 expression and contributed to PAFR positive ovarian cancer cell invasion via activation of CREB by phosphorylating of p38 MAPK.

[Zoledronic acid blocks cell cycle and induces apoptosis in lung cancer cell line 95D cells and their mechanisms of action].

OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of zoledronic acid on cell cycle blocking and induction of apoptosis in lung cancer cell line 95D cells, and their mechanisms of action. METHODS: The effect of zoledronic acid (ZOL) on proliferation of lung cancer cell line 95D cells was observed by MTT assay. Cell cycle and apoptosis of the lung cancer cells was examined by flow cytometry. The apoptosis in the cancer cells was also examined by light and transmission electron microscopy. The expressions of ERK, Bcl-2, Bax and survivin were measured by Western blot and RT-PCR. RESULTS: ZOL showed inhibitory effect on the proliferation of lung cancer cells in vitro, in a time-dependant and a dose-dependant manner. With time extending after ZOL treatment, the number of apoptosis cells was increased. The expression of ERK, Bcl-2 and survivin was down-regulated and that of Bax up-regulated. CONCLUSION: Zoledronic acid can block the cell cycle and induce apoptosis in lung cancer cells in vitro.

[Increased expression of transient receptor potential melastatin 7 in mouse cardiac fibroblasts post myocardial infarction].

OBJECTIVE: To observe transient receptor potential melastatin 7-like (TRPM7L) expression changes post myocardial infarction (MI) in mouse cardiac fibroblast (CF). METHODS: TRPM7 expression and Ca2+ influx in CF from MI and control mice were quantified by mRNA RT-PCR and whole cell patch clamp technique. RESULTS: (1) TRPM7 expression was significantly upregulated post MI and Ca2+ influx of CF were significantly increased post MI [(7.4 +/- 0.7) pA/pF vs. (16.2 +/- 1.7) pA/pF, P < 0.01] and Ca2+ influx of CF increased 3-fold under lower pH condition; (2) These effects could be blocked by knock-out TRPM7 gene with SiRNA. CONCLUSION: TRPM7L upregulation post MI and under lower pH condition are responsible for increased Ca2+ influx in CF.

Activation of platelet-activating factor receptor and pleiotropic effects on tyrosine phospho-EGFR/Src/FAK/paxillin in ovarian cancer.

Among the proinflammatory mediators, platelet-activating factor (PAF, 1-O-alkyl-2-acetyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphorylcholine) is a major primary and secondary messenger involved in intracellular and extracellular communication. Evidence suggests that PAF plays a significant role in oncogenic transformation, tumor growth, angiogenesis, and metastasis. However, PAF, with its receptor (PAFR) and their downstream signaling targets, has not been thoroughly studied in cancer. Here, we characterized the PAFR expression pattern in 4 normal human ovarian surface epithelial (HOSE) cell lines, 13 ovarian cancer cell lines, paraffin blocks (n = 84), and tissue microarrays (n = 230) from patients with ovarian cancer. Overexpression of PAFR was found in most nonmucinous types of ovarian cancer but not in HOSE and mucinous cancer cells. Correspondingly, PAF significantly induced cell proliferation and invasion only in PAFR-positive cells (i.e., OVCA429 and OVCA432), but not in PAFR-negative ovarian cells (HOSE and mucinous RMUG-L). The dependency of cell proliferation and invasion on PAFR was further confirmed using PAFR-specific small interfering RNA gene silencing probes, antibodies against PAFR and PAFR antagonist, ginkgolide B. Using quantitative multiplex phospho-antibody array technology, we found that tyrosine phosphorylation of EGFR/Src/FAK/paxillin was coordinately activated by PAF treatment, which was correlated with the activation of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase and cyclin D1 as markers for cell proliferation, as well as matrix metalloproteinase 2 and 9 for invasion. Specific tyrosine Src inhibitor (PP2) reversibly blocked PAF-activated cancer cell proliferation and invasion. We suggest that PAFR is an essential upstream target of Src and other signal pathways to control the PAF-mediated cancer progression.

Preparation and immunogenicity of a Pichia pastoris-derived hepatitis B vaccine containing preS1, preS2 and S epitopes / 生物工程学报

The preparation process and immunogenicity of a novel hepatitis B vaccine containing preS1, preS2 and S epitopes were investigated in this study. A Pichia pastoris stain GS115-SS1S2 harbouring two chimeric HBsAg gene constructs, SS1 and SS2 was cultivated by high-density fermentation. 300-600 mg/L of the expression level was achieved through 48-72 h methanol induction. SSIS2 antigen was extracted and purified by silica adsorption, HIC and SEC to 99% purity from the harvested cells. 82 mg purified antigen could be achieved from one liter of fermentation culture. The immunogenicity of the purified antigen was evaluated in NIH mice. Three groups of female NIH mice, 14-16 g in weight, were injected once intraperitoneally with 2.5, 0.625, 0.156 microg of each of the two vaccines: SS1S2 or a commercially available S vaccine. Part of the mice were bled in 30 days after injection to compare the ED50 of the two vaccines. For the SSIS2 vaccine, the ED50 is 0.46, 0.29 and 0.84 microg respectively for the preS1, preS2 and S antigens. For the S vaccine, the ED50 is 0.99 microg for the S antigen. Another part of the mice were bleed in 7 or 14 days to detect preS1, preS2 and S antibodies. Higher ratios of mice were seroconverted for preS1 and preS2 antibodies as compared to the S antibody in these two time points. These results suggest that the SS1S2 vaccine may be more immunogenic than the conventional S vaccines.

Research on effect of acupuncture at Sanyinjiao on brain function by means of positron emission tomographic imaging / 中国中西医结合杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the mechanism of puncturing at Sanyinjiao (SP6) on modulatory function of central nerve system.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Positron emission tomography (PET) was performed, using 18F-FDG as contrast medium, in six healthy female volunteers before and after puncturing right SP6 to detect the cerebral districts with changed glucose metabolism, using statistical parametric mapping (SPM) analysis.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Glucose metabolism was increased in contralateral primary somatosensory cortex, primary somatic motor cortex, pre-supplementary motor cortex (BA8), and medial prefrontal cortex (BA10), bilateral supplementary motor cortex (BA6), anterior cingulate gyrus (BA24, BA32), and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (BA9), while glucose metabolism was decreased in lingual gyrus (BA17,18), hippocampus and parahippocampal gyrus (BA28, BA35, BA30).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Functions of cerebral districts with changed glucose metabolism after puncturing SP6 was well parallels to the clinical effect of puncturing SP6, illustrating the brain plays a great role in the body regulation of acupuncture at SP6, which possibly was the central foundation of acupuncture therapy.</p>