Multitarget therapy of malignant cancers by the head-to-tail tandem array multiple shRNAs expression system.

Coexpression of multiple shRNAs can simultaneously inhibit multiple genes or target multiple sites on a single gene. These approaches can be used for dissecting complex signaling pathways and even be applied to targeting multiple genes in cancer therapy. Here we established a simple and efficient multiple shRNAs expression system based on pSUPER, the most popular expression vector in mammalian cells. A series of head-to-tail tandem array multiple shRNAs expression vectors were constructed containing different combinations of six shRNA expression cassettes targeting genes involved in cell proliferation and survival pathways: Bcl-2, Survivin, Akt1, Erk2, CyclinE and NFkappaB. In HeLa and HEK293 cells, the multiple shRNAs expression constructs could efficiently and simultaneously induce inhibition of all six genes. We further evaluated the inhibition effects of the multiple shRNAs expression vectors on the human prostate cancer cell line PC3, which contains different cell variants with distinct oncogenic signaling alterations. The results revealed that the multiple shRNAs expression system could inhibit all six genes and was much more efficient in inducing apoptosis in the PC3 cells. Our results suggest that the multitarget shRNAs expression system could be an effective strategy in cancer therapy and be applied to any other DNA vector-based shRNA expression system.

Characterization and adsorption properties of eggshells and eggshell membrane.

The objective of this work was to study the chemical and physical characterization of eggshell and eggshell membrane particles prepared from the hen eggshell waste. Under the characterization measurements investigated, it was found that the pore structures of the two biomaterials belong to a typical Type II, indicating that they should be basically characteristic of nonporous materials or materials with macropores or open voids. Further, the chemical composition of the resulting eggshell particle was strongly associated with the presence of carbonate minerals from the Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra. In contrast to the resulting eggshell membrane particle, the presence of functional groups of amines and amides was observable because of its chemical composition of fibrous proteins. From the isotherm data of methylene blue at 25 degrees C, the Freundlich model yielded a somewhat better fit than the Langmuir model. The adsorption isotherms revealed the eggshell biosorbents could only uptake the basic dye of less than 1.0mg/g in aqueous medium, which was attributed to their poor pore properties.

In vivo tests of natural therapy, Tibetan yogurt or fresh broccoli, for Helicobacter pylori infection.

Plants and probiotics have a long history in the treatment of gastrointestinal ailments. Our aim was to evaluate the effectiveness of Tibetan yogurt and fresh broccoli tips in Helicobacter pylori- (H. pylori) infected volunteers, using the urea breath test (UBT) to assess the effect on H. pylori. Clinical trials consisted of ingestion of approximately 135 g of fresh, finely minced juvenile broccoli tips (var. Emperor) in commercial plain yogurt t.i.d, for ten servings (3.3 days) or ingestion of freshly made Tibetan yogurt whey (120 ml) given twice a day for 3.5 days. Urea breath testing was done before and after the natural therapies. Five volunteers received broccoli tips and seven received Tibetan yogurt. No trend for a beneficial effect was seen; the UBT results (delta over baseline) before and after yogurt (35.5+/-12.8 vs. 40.7+/-12.2) (p=0.76) or broccoli (15.8 vs. 19.4) (p=1.0) were unchanged. Antimicrobial end products derived from Tibetan yogurt or broccoli tips have little or no anti-H. pylori effect in vivo. It appears that the gastric mucosal microenvironment apparently shielded H. pylori. In vitro studies suggesting anti-H. pylori activity of compounds should be considered as hypotheses to be tested.

Suppression of fatty acid synthase in MCF-7 breast cancer cells by tea and tea polyphenols: a possible mechanism for their hypolipidemic effects.

Tea is a heavily consumed beverage world wide because of its unique aroma, less cost and broad availability. Fatty acid synthase (FAS) is a key enzyme in lipogenesis. FAS is overexpressed in the malignant human breast carcinoma MCF-7 cells and its expression is further enhanced by the epidermal growth factor (EGF). The EGF-induced expression of FAS was inhibited by green and black tea extracts. The expression of FAS was also suppressed by the tea polyphenol (-)-epigallocatechin 3-gallate (EGCG), theaflavin (TF-1), TF-2 and theaflavin 3,3'-digallate(TF-3) at both protein and mRNA levels that may lead to the inhibition of cell lipogenesis and proliferation. Both EGCG and TF-3 inhibit the activation of Akt and block the binding of Sp-1 to its target site. Furthermore, the EGF-induced biosyntheses of lipids and cell proliferation were significantly suppressed by EGCG and TF-3. These findings suggest that tea polyphenols suppress FAS expression by downregulating EGF receptor/PI3K/Akt/Sp-1 signal transduction pathway, and tea and tea polyphenols might induce hypolipidemic and antiproliferative effects by suppressing FAS.

Cervical schwannoma: a case report and eight years review.

Schwannomas are peripheral nerve tumours of nerve sheath origin. We report one case of cervical schwannoma originating from the brachial plexus. A 56-year-old man presented with a slow-growing mass on the right side of his neck that had been noted for more than 10 years. During operation, a well-encapsulated mass was seen beneath the brachial plexus with adhesion to the plexus element. It was reported as a schwannoma. Three days after surgery, the patient had a motor deficit of the right upper arm and neurological examination showed a CV nerve deficit. The neurological function recovered completely after three months. In addition, the other five cases of cervical schwannoma seen in our hospital between March 1990 and June 1998 are also reviewed. All patients had surgery. The pre-operative symptoms, impressions, and post-operative neurological status were shown and discussed. Only two cases were diagnosed as neurogenic tumour pre-operatively. Post-operatively, one patient had transient neurological deficit and another one had permanent deficit.

Transorbital penetrating injury of the paranasal sinuses.

Penetrating injuries of the paranasal sinuses due to foreign bodies are rare, especially as a result of a traffic accident. Here we report a patient with a ballpoint pen lodged in his left eye following a traffic accident. The pen extended from the medial aspect of the left orbit, through the left ethmoid sinus and the nasal septum, to the right sphenoid sinus. We removed the pen uneventfully using endoscopic sinus surgery. There are no similar reports in the English literature and we therefore present this case because of its rarity.

Severe atrophy of right hepatic lobe simulating right hepatic lobectomy.

Absence of the right hepatic lobe following blunt abdominal trauma without surgical resection is reported. The usual site of the right hepatic lobe is demonstrated to be occupied by bowel by hepatobiliary imaging.