The Association Between S100A12 Protein and C-Reactive Protein with Malignant Ventricular Arrhythmias Following Acute Myocardial Infarction in the Elderly.

Objective: To investigate the association of S100A12 protein and C-reactive protein (CRP) with the onset of malignant ventricular arrhythmias (MVA) after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in the elderly. Methods: A total of 159 elderly AMI patients admitted to Chongming Hospital affiliated to Shanghai University of Medicine & Health Sciences from January 2018 to January 2023 were enrolled in the study. CRP levels were determined using an automatic biochemical analyzer, and S100A12 levels were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Patients were categorized based on the Lown classification into groups without MVA and with MVA. Univariate analysis was initially performed to identify independent variables, followed by multivariate logistic regression to determine the risk factors for malignant ventricular arrhythmias post-AMI. The predictive value of S100A12 protein and CRP for malignant ventricular arrhythmias after acute myocardial infarction in the elderly was analyzed using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Results: Among the 159 patients with AMI, 27 (17%) had MVA. Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that both S100A12 protein and CRP could be independent risk factors for malignant ventricular arrhythmias following acute myocardial infarction in the elderly (p < 0.05). The area under the ROC curve showed the area under the curve (AUC) for S100A12 protein to be 0.7147, for CRP 0.7356, and for the combined diagnosis 0.8350 (p < 0.05). Conclusion: S100A12 protein and CRP are independent risk factors for MVA after MI in the elderly. The combined application of S100A12 protein and CRP has higher diagnostic sensitivity and specificity.

[Response of water status indicators in apple saplings to drought stress under shelter from rain.] / é¿é›¨çŽ¯å¢ƒä¸‹è‹¹æžœå¹¼æ ‘æ°´åˆ†çŠ¶æ€æŒ‡æ ‡å¯¹å¹²æ—±èƒè¿«çš„å“åº”.

The main tree water status indicators which sensitively responded to drought stress and related to tree water balance were investigated in treatment of progressive decrease of soil water potential under shelter from rain. The results showed that stem maximum daily shrinkage (MDS) and midday stem water potential (Ψstem) were most sensitive to drought stress among all the water status indicators. MDS not only significantly responded to reference crop evapotranspiration (ET0), but also was sensitive to soil drought stress. MDS was significantly positively related to ET0, and the correlation between relative stem daily maximum shrinkage (MDSr) and relative soil water potential (Ψr soil) was highly significant. Moreover, the stems could be measured in succession and recorded automatically. Midday Ψstem was also sensitive to soil drought stress, and significantly negatively related to ET0. The correlation between relative midday stem potential (Ψr stem) and Ψr soil was significant. But so far, it is difficult to automatically measure either leaf or stem water potential. Predawn leaf water potential (Ψpd), daily stem growth (DG) or stomatal conductance (gs) also responded to drought stress to some extent under moderate or heavy drought stress, but they were not sensitive.

Magnesium isoglycyrrhizinate inhibits inflammatory response through STAT3 pathway to protect remnant liver function.

AIM: To investigate the protective effect of magnesium isoglycyrrhizinate (MgIG) on excessive hepatectomy animal model and its possible mechanism. METHODS: We used the standard 90% hepatectomy model in Sprague-Dawley rats developed using the modified Emond's method, in which the left, middle, right upper, and right lower lobes of the liver were removed. Rats with 90% liver resection were divided into three groups, and were injected intraperitoneally with 3 mL saline (control group), 30 mg/kg (low-dose group) and 60 mg/kg (high-dose group) of MgIG, respectively. Animals were sacrificed at various time points and blood was drawn from the vena cava. Biochemical tests were performed with an automatic biochemical analyzer for the following items: serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), glutamyl endopeptidase, total bilirubin (TBil), direct bilirubin (DBil), total protein, albumin, blood glucose (Glu), hyper-sensitivity C-reactive protein, prothrombin time (PT), and thrombin time (TT). Postoperative survival time was observed hourly until death. Hepatocyte regeneration was analyzed by immunohistochemistry. Serum inflammatory cytokines (IL-1, IL-6, IL-10, and iNOS) was analyzed by ELISA. STAT3 protein and mRNA were analyzed by Western blot and quantitative reverse-transcription PCR, respectively. RESULTS: The high-dose group demonstrated a significantly prolonged survival time, compared with both the control and the low-dose groups (22.0 ± 4.7 h vs 8.9 ± 2.0 vs 10.3 ± 3.3 h, P = 0.018). There were significant differences among the groups in ALT, Glu and PT levels starting from 6 h after surgery. The ALT levels were significantly lower in the MgIG treated groups than in the control group. Both Glu and PT levels were significantly higher in the MgIG treated groups than in the control group. At 12 h, ALT, AST, TBil, DBil and TT levels showed significant differences between the MgIG treated groups and the control group. No significant differences in hepatocyte regeneration were found. Compared to the control group, the high-dose group showed a significantly increase in serum inflammatory cytokines IL-1 and IL-10, and a decrease in IL-6. Both STAT3 protein and mRNA levels were significantly lower in the MgIG treated groups than in the control group at 6 h, 12 h, and 18 h after surgery. CONCLUSION: High-dose MgIG can extend survival time in rats after excessive hepatectomy. This hepatoprotective effect is mediated by inhibiting the inflammatory response through inhibition of the STAT3 pathway.

The receptor binding domain of MERS-CoV: the dawn of vaccine and treatment development.

The newly emerged Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) is becoming another "SARS-like" threat to the world. It has an extremely high death rate (∼50%) as there is no vaccine or efficient therapeutics. The identification of the structures of both the MERS-CoV receptor binding domain (RBD) and its complex with dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP4), raises the hope of alleviating this currently severe situation. In this review, we examined the molecular basis of the RBD-receptor interaction to outline why/how could we use MERS-CoV RBD to develop vaccines and antiviral drugs.

[Experimental study of the impact of hyperlipidemia on the chemotherapy in colorectal cancer model].

OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of hyperlipidemia on the prognosis and therapeutic response for colorectal cancer and to explore the associated mechanism. METHODS: The hyperlipidemic subcutaneous heterotopic colorectal cancer orthotopic transplant model of nude mice was established by feeding high fat diet and performing transplantation. Seventy mice were divided into 7 groups with 10 mice in each group. Two groups were used as pre-experiment. The remaining 5 groups included 4 high-fat groups (G1 to G4), and 1 normal-diet control group (G5). G1, G2, G3, G4, and G5 received normal saline, capecitabine, simvastatin, capecitabine plus simvastatin and capecitabine respectively for 3 weeks. Changes of tumor volume, tumor weight, tumor growth rate and blood lipid parameters (TC, TG, HDL, LDL, Lpa, apoA and apoB) were observed. RESULTS: In G1 to G4, TC, HDL, apoA, TG, LDL, Lpa, apoB increased, but only TC, HDL, apoA were significantly different as compared with G5 (P=0.020, P=0.001, P=0.001, P=0.911, P=0.249, P=0.681, P=0.053). The tumor in G1 grew fastest, and its growth rate was significantly different as compared with G2, G4, G5 except G3 (P=0.001, P=0.806, P=0.001, P=0.010). The tumor growth rate of G3 was lower than group G1, but higher than G2, G4, G5 with significant difference (P=0.001, P=0.002, P=0.016). The tumor of G5 grew faster than G2 and G4, but without significant differences (P=0.051, P=0.070). The tumor of G4 grew slowest without significant difference as compared to G2 (P=0.438). Compared with pre-administration, at the third week, the TC of G1 was increased [(3.8±0.4) mmol/L], while the other 4 groups decreased [G2 (2.8±1.8) mmol/L, G3 (2.9±0.7) mmol/L, G4 (1.4±0.9) mmol/L, G5 (2.1±0.2) mmol/L]. G4 decreased significantly (P=0.004). At the fifth week, the TC of all the 5 groups decreased, while the lipids of G4 were higher as compared to those at the third week. The TG, Lpa, ApoA were significantly decreased at the third week (all P<0.05), while no significant differences were found in HDL and apoB. CONCLUSIONS: A hyperlipidemia colon tumor model involving subcutaneous colon translocation and orthotopic transplantation of nude mice is successfully established. This model is an ideal research model for hyperlipidemia and colorectal cancer. The effect of capecitabine on tumors in hyperlipidemia groups is better as compared to normal diet group. The proliferation of tumor cells can increase serum total serum cholesterol.

[Effects of Jing'an Oral Liquid on the central neurotransmitter of multiple tics children].

OBJECTIVE: To study the effects of Jing'an Oral Liquid (JOL) on the central neurotransmitters of multiple tics (MT) children. METHODS: Sixty MT children patients were randomly assigned to the treatment group and the control group, 30 cases in each group. Another 30 healthy children were recruited as the health group. JOL and Tiapride Tablet (TT) was respectively given to patients in the treatment group and the control group. The treatment course was 2 months. The levels of central neurotransmitters [dopamine (DA), homovanillic acid (HVA), 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), norepinephrine (NE), glutamic acid (GLU), aspartate (ASP), gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)] were measured using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) before and after treatment, and compared with the health group. RESULTS: Compared with the health group, the levels of 5-HT, HVA, GLU, and ASP significantly increased in the treatment group and the control group before treatment (P < 0.05), GABA significantly decreased (P < 0.05). Compared with before treatment in the same group, the levels 5-HT, HVA, and GLU significantly decreased in the treatment group (P < 0.05), while the levels of NE and GABA significantly increased (P < 0.05). The levels of DA, 5-HT, GLU, and ASP significantly decreased, while the levels of NE ang GABA significantly increased in the control group, showing statistical difference (P < 0.05). There was no statistical difference in each index between the treatment group and the control group before and after treatment (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: (1) The imbalance of a variety of monoamines and amino acid neurotransmitters can lead to MT, especially in the changes of 5-HT, HVA, GLU, ASP, and GABA. (2) JOL can significantly reduce the levels of 5-HT, HVA, and GLU, and significantly increase the levels of NE and GABA, which might be its pharmacodynamic mechanisms for treating MT.

Value of Golgi protein 73 monoclonal antibody in diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma / 中国医学科学院学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the sensitivity and specificity of Golgi protein 73 (GP73) monoclonal antibody in the diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Self-prepared GP73 monoclonal antibody was used as the primary antibody for detecting the serum GP73 levels in healthy controls(n=31)and HCC patients (n=59). The baseline level of the healthy controls was determined by semiquantitative analysis. The results were compared with those from GP73 polyclonal antibody and alpha-fetoprotein (AFP).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The GP73 level of healthy controls was 1.2 (0.9-1.7) relative unit (RU), which was significantly lower than that of HCC patients [5.7 (2.5-7.8) RU] (P<0.001) with monoclonal antibody. Using polyclonal antibody, the GP73 level of HCC patients was also significantly higher than healthy controls [7.8 (3.0-12.4) RU vs. 1.1 (1.0-2.0) RU, P<0.001]. The sensitivity and specificity of GP73 monoclonal antibody in diagnosis of HCC were 84.7% and 93.5%; on the contrary, those of GP73 polyclonal antibody were 78.0% and 93.5%, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of AFP (67.8% and 74.2%, respectively) in the HCC patients were markedly lower than those of GP73. Logistic regression analysis showed that the odds ratio (OR) of GP73 monoclonal antibody was 7.18 and that of GP73 polyclonal antibody was 1.51.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Our self-prepared monoclonal antibody can effectively detect GP73 serum level in HCC patients, and has higher sensitivity and specificity than AFP. It may be superior to the currently used GP73 polyclonal antibody. The results lay the foundation for the further development of ELISA methods by using this monoclonal antibody.</p>

[Distribution characteristics of colorectal neoplasm in 4450 patients and implication for colorectal cancer screening].

OBJECTIVE: To study the distribution characteristics of colorectal neoplasm and evaluate the implication for colorectal cancer screening. METHODS: A total of 17,939 colonoscopies were performed in the National Center of Colorectal Surgery between October 2004 and June 2009. Characteristics of colorectal neoplasm including anatomical distribution, sex, and age were investigated. RESULTS: Colorectal neoplasm was found in 24.8% (4450/17,939) of the patients during colonoscopy, including adenomatous polyp (n=3410, 19.0%) and adenocarcinoma (n=1040, 5.8%). The prevalence of colorectal neoplasm was higher in male and significantly increased in patients older than 40 years. 63.3% of the lesions located at the distal colon (sigmoid colon and rectum) and 36.7% at the proximal colon (36.7%). In patients with adenomatous polyp, 52.8% (1802/3410) of the lesions were at the distal colon, 30.8% (1049/3410) at the proximal colon, and 16.4% (559/3410) at both distal and proximal colon. In patients with carcinoma (n=1040), 921 (88.6%) lesions located at the distal colon, 118 (11.3%) at the proximal colon, and 1 (0.1%) at both segments. CONCLUSION: Sigmoidoscopy is inadequate for colorectal cancer screening as compared to colonoscopy.

[Significance of Golgi glycoprotein 73, a new tumor marker in diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma: a primary study].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of Golgi glycoprotein 73 (GP73) for the diagnosis of hepatitis B related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). METHODS: Western blotting was used to detect the serum GP73level in 25 patients being HBV carrier, 24 HCC patients, 12 patients with non-liver disease, and 99 healthy controls. Serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) was detected by electrochemiluminescence reaction. The levels of sensitivity and specificity of serum GP73 in diagnosing HCC were compared with those of AFP. The serum GP73 levels of some HCC patients during the perioperative period were compared. RESULTS: The serum GP73 level of the HCC patients, all HBV positive, was (40.36 +/- 64.43) relative units, significantly higher than those of the HBV carriers, non-liver patients, and healthy controls [(7.82 +/- 10.72), (4.48 +/- 5.70), and (2.59 +/- 5.12) relative units respectively, all P < 0.01]. There was no difference of GP73 levels between the healthy controls and the patients of non liver diseases (P = 0.2925). The sensitivity of GP73 for the diagnosis of HCC was 76.9%, significantly higher than that of AFP (48.6%). The specificity for the diagnosis of HCC of GP73 was 92.9%. Findings in a few HCC patients showed that the GP73 level remained not remarkably lowered within a week after surgical resection; but became lower 1.5-2 years after surgery. There was no raise of GP73 in the patients with non- malignant liver lesions. The GP73 levels of 4 of the 6 intra-hepatic cholangiocarcinoma patients were between those of the HCC patients and HBV carriers. CONCLUSION: Serum GP73 has higher sensitivity and specificity in diagnosis of hepatitis B-related HCC than AFP, and it can become a new effective HCC tumor marker.

[Mechanisms of sensitization by 8-chloro-adenosine of human tumor cells to TRAIL-induced apoptosis].

OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of 8-chloro-adenosine (8-Cl-Ado) on the sensitivity of human hepatoma and breast cancer cell lines to TRAIL-induced apoptosis in vitro and its mechanisms. METHODS: Recombinant soluble TRAIL (rsTRAIL) or 8-Cl-Ado was used to treat hepatoma cell line BEL-7402 and breast cancer cell line MCF-7 in vitro. MTT assay was used to evaluate cell viability. The effect of cotreatment with rsTRAIL and 8-Cl-Ado was analyzed. NF-kappaB activity reporter plasmid was designed to measure the activity of transcription factor NF-kappaB. After transient transfection with the reporter plasmid, which contains NF-kappaB-responsive elements, into the cell lines, cells were treated with rsTRAIL and/or 8-Cl-Ado, then the activity of the reporter gene luciferase was determined. Different kinds of caspase inhibitors were used to measure the effect of caspases in the rsTRAIL and/or 8-Cl-Ado induced apoptosis. RESULTS: 8-Cl-Ado could greatly enhance sensitivity of BEL-7402 and MCF-7 cells to reTRAIL. Treatment with 8-Cl-Ado and rsTRAIL inactivated transcription factor NF-kappaB and induced apoptosis in BEL-7402, but not in MCF-7. Caspase family inhibitor could not prevent apoptosis induced by 8-Cl-Ado and rsTRAIL in BEL-7402 cells, however, it could block apoptosis in MCF-7 cells, indicating that two different apoptosis pathways in MCF-7 and BEL-7402 might exist, one was caspase dependent and the other caspase independent. Moreover, all of the inhibitors of caspse-3, -8 and -9 could not block apoptosis induced by the co-treatment. CONCLUSION: 8-chloro-adenosine can enhance the sensitivity of human hepatoma cell line BEL-7402 and breast cancer cell line MCF-7 to rsTRAIL, even though MCF-7 is TRAIL-resistant. 8-Cl-Ado combined with rsTRAIL can trigger different signal pathways in MCF-7 and BEL-7402, which are caspase dependent and independent, respectively.

Application of uncertainty reasoning based on cloud model in time series prediction.

Time series prediction has been successfully used in several application areas, such as meteorological forecasting, market prediction, network traffic forecasting, etc., and a number of techniques have been developed for modeling and predicting time series. In the traditional exponential smoothing method, a fixed weight is assigned to data history, and the trend changes of time series are ignored. In this paper, an uncertainty reasoning method, based on cloud model, is employed in time series prediction, which uses cloud logic controller to adjust the smoothing coefficient of the simple exponential smoothing method dynamically to fit the current trend of the time series. The validity of this solution was proved by experiments on various data sets.

[Synergetic role of CD3epsilon and 5-fluorouracil in T Lymphocyte apoptosis and P53 expression].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between apoptosis induced by CD3epsilon and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), and study the P53 expression in the apoptosis process provide a novel insight and useful information of the apoptosis signaling pathway induced by CD3epsilon and/or 5-FU, and an important implication for the treatment of T-lymphocyte leukemia. METHODS: The viabilities of Jurkat T lymphocytes (JK), TJK [JK with over-expression of the CD8epsilon chimeria molecule] and T3JK [JK with over-expression of the CD8epsilon (Y170F/Y181F) mutation molecule] cells were cultured and treated with pre-coated anti-CD8 mAb (200 micro g/ml) and/or 5-FU (2.5 micro g/ml) were detected with MTS assay and the apoptosis percentages were calculated. Western blot was used to detect P53 expression. To confirm the role of P53 in 5-FU-treated T lymphocytes, pCMV-p53 plasmid with wild type or mutant p53 were co-transfected transiently with pEGFP-c1 into TJK and T3JK cells, respectively. RESULTS: CD3epsilon or 5-FU induced apoptosis of TJK with increase of P53 expression. Co-treatment with CD3epsilon specific antibody and 5-FU elevated the apoptotic rates and P53 expression in TJK cells remarkably. The cells transfected with wild-type p53 exhibited more sensitivity to 5-FU than that transfected with mutant p53. CONCLUSION: Co-treatment of CD3epsilon and 5-FU increases the apoptosis and p53 expression, suggesting that there is a synergetic role of CD3epsilon and 5-FU on T lymphocytes.