Interaction between Illite and a Pseudomonas stutzeri-Heavy Oil Biodegradation Complex.

Illite is a widely distributed clay mineral with huge reserves in Earth's crust, but its effect on heavy oil biodegradation is rarely reported. This study made an investigation of the interactions between illite and a Pseudomonas stutzeri-heavy oil complex (PstHO). Results showed that, although illite exerted a negative effect on P. stutzeri degrading heavy oil by inhibiting the biodegradation of 64 saturated hydrocarbons (SHs) and 50 aromatic hydrocarbons (AHs), it selectively stimulated the biodegradation of 45 AHs with a specific structure, and its biogenic kaolinization at room temperature (35 °C) and pressure (1 atm) was observed in PstHO for the first time. The finding points out for the first time that, in PstHO, illite may change the quasi-sequential of AHs biodegradation of heavy oil, as well as its kaolinization without clay intermediate.

Computer Image-Guided Precise Acromioplasty for Reducing the Critical Shoulder Angle.

The shoulders with critical shoulder angle (CSA) of greater than 33-35° are associated with rotator cuff tears, whereas a CSA of less than 30° is likely to be osteoarthritic. However, anterior acromioplasty or lateral acromioplasty could not reduce high CSAs to the desired range (30-33°), with satisfactory accuracy and efficacy. Thus, we introduce a computer image-guided precise acromioplasty (CIG-PAP) technique, an individualized treatment based on three-dimensional planning. We believe that the introduction of this technique will provide an alternative approach to reduce a large CSA to the desired range (30-33°).

Trans-Rotator Cuff Approach for Spinoglenoid Cysts: Tips and Traps.

In this study, we introduce an arthroscopic technique for posterior-superior capsular fenestration and spinoglenoid cyst resection completely via a trans-rotator cuff approach. This approach can provide a full field of view and allow evaluation of the scope of the cyst under direct vision, which reduces the risk of recurrence and injury to the suprascapular neurovascular bundle.

[Immunoexpression of apollon in breast cancer tissues before neoadjuvant chemotherapy and its clinical significance].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether apollon immunoexpression in breast cancer tissues helps to predict pathological complete response (pCR) after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC). METHODS: The expressions of Apollon, Her-2, estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) were detected immunohistochemically in biopsy tissues from 124 breast cancer patients. The clinical responses to NAC were evaluated in line with the response evaluation criteria in solid tumors (RECIST). The pCR rate was analyzed for different types of breast cancer. The correlations between Apollon status with Her-2, ER, PR, lymph node status and tumor size were analyzed. Immunohistochemistry was used to compared the changes in Apollon expression in the breast cancer tissues before and after NAC. RESULTS: The pCR rate was 18.5% (23/124) in these patients. Negative expressions of apollon, ER and PR were all associated with a higher pCR rate after NAC. Apollon was significantly correlated with Her-2, ER, PR and lymph node involvement. Chemotherapy significantly down-regulated apollon expression in the tumor cells. CONCLUSION: A negative apollon expression might be a predictor of pCR in patients with breast cancer.

[Small interfering RNA targeting Apollon enhances the chemosensitivity of hepatocellular carcinoma cells in vitro].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of small interfering RNA (siRNA) targeting Apollon in enhancing the chemosensitivity of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells in vitro. METHODS: HCC cells transfected with the siRNA targeting Apollon were tested for Apollon protein expression using Western blotting. MTT assay and ELISA were used to evaluate the proliferation and apoptosis of HCC cells transfected with siRNA after exposure to 5-FU or adriamycin. RESULTS: Apollon siRNA obviously down-regulated Apollon protein expression in HCC cells. The siRNA-mediated suppression of Apollon expression resulted in a marked inhibition of cell growth and increased apoptotic rate of HCC cells, and enhanced both the growth-inhibiting and apoptosis-inducing effects of the chemotherapeutic drugs. CONCLUSION: Apollon siRNA can enhance the chemosensitivity of HCC cells to the chemotherapeutic drugs. Apollon can be a potentially important and feasible therapeutic target for HCC.

[Effect of Ent-11α-hydroxy-15-oxo-kaur-16-en-19-oic-acid on human gastric cancer cells and its mechanism].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the apoptosis-inducing effect of Ent-11α-hydroxy-15-oxo-kaur-16-en-19-oic-acid (5F), a compound isolated from Pteris semipinnata L (PsL), on human gastric cancer SGC7901 cells and explore its mechanism. METHODS: The inhibitory effect of 5F on SGC7901 cells was observed by MTT assay and flow cytometry, and the changes of the expression of Bcl-2 and Bax in SGC7901 cells following 5F exposure were evaluated by Western blot analysis. RESULTS: 5F inhibited the proliferation of SGC7901 cells in a concentration- and time-dependent manner, and the cell apoptosis induced by 5F was confirmed by Annexin V-EGFP staining and caspase-3 activation assay. The cell apoptosis induced by 5F was associated with decreased Bcl-2 and increased Bax expressions. CONCLUSION: 5F exposure induces apoptosis in SGC7901 cells by activating mitochondrial apoptotic pathways.

[Construction of recombinant adenoviruses encoding TK suicide gene driven by VEGF promoter using efficient AdEasier-1 system].

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE: One of the bottlenecks of suicide gene therapy is the low specific expression of suicide genes in tumor cells. Using tumor specific promoter to modulate suicide genes resulting in high specific expression of genes in tumor cells has became a hot research topic of tumor suicide gene therapy. It has showed that vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) over-expresses in almost all solid tumors, but not in normal tissues, which is highly relevant to the up-regulation of VEGF promoter (VEGFP) activity. This study was to use the simplified and efficient AdEasier-1 system to generate recombinant adenoviruses encoding TK gene driven by VEGFP, and determine whether VEGFP could increase the expression of TK suicide gene in tumor cells. METHODS: A fragment containing VEGFP was isolated from pEGFP-1-SV-VEGFP (Not I /Xho I), and cloned into the shuttle plasmid pAdTrack resulting in pAdTrack-VEGFP. TK gene by polyadenylation site was cut from pREP8-TK by HindIII,and XbaI, and subcloned into pAdTrack-VEGFP resulting in pAdtrack-VEGFP-TK, which was linearized by PmeI and transformed into AdEasier-1 Cells. Transformants were selected on LB agar plates containing 25 microg/mL kanamycin, and positive pAdEasy-VEGFP-TK was identified by electrophoretic analysis and enzymatic digestion, then digested with PacI, and transfected into 293 cells to produce the recombinant adenovirus Ad-VEGFP-TK. Ad-VEGFP-TK was finally confirmed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) procedure, and DNA sequence analysis. RESULTS: The pAdTrack-VEGFP-TK (about 12 kb)and pAdEasy-VEGFP-TK(larger than 33 kb), both selectable by kanamycin resistance, could be clearly identified by electrophoretic analysis. Digesting pAdEasy-VEGFP-TK with PacI resulted in 1 specific small fragment (about 3.0 kb), and 1 large fragment (larger than 33 kb). The pAdEasy-VEGFP-TK was successfully constructed at a frequency of 60% (6/10). After being packaged in 293 cells, and purified by CsCl banding, the recombinant adenovirus Ad-VEGFP-TK, whose titer was as high as 5.6x1012 viral particle/ml, were produced, which were further proved to be correct by enzyme digestion, PCR analysis, and DNA sequence analysis. CONCLUSION: AdEasier-1 system is an efficient way to construct the recombinant adenoviruses encoding TK gene under control of VEGFP.

[Construction of recombinant adenoviruses containing cytosine deaminase gene driven by the vascular endothelial growth factor promoter using an AdEasier-1 system].

OBJECTIVE: To efficiently construct a recombinant adenovirus containing cytosine deaminase (CD) gene driven by vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) promoter using an AdEasier-1 system and observe its killing effect on LoVo cells in vitro. METHODS: The CD gene was amplified by PCR, and amplicons were cloned in JM109 bacteria, and then recombined into pREP8 to obtain pREP8-CD, which was then digested by HindIIIand XbaIfor the CD fragment with polyadenylation site (CD-pA) subcloned into the VEGFP -containing shuttle plasmid pAdtrack-VEGFP to generate pAdtrack-VEGFP-CD-pA. After linearization with PmeI, pAdtrack-VEGFP-CD-pA was transformed into AdEasier-1 cells, and the transformants were selected on LB agar plates containing 25 microg/ml kanamycin followed by identification of the positive pAdEasy-VEGFP-CD with electrophoretic analysis and enzymatic digestion. pAdEasy-VEGFP-CD was then digested with PacIand transfected into 293 cells to produce the recombinant adenovirus Ad-VEGFP-CD, which was finally confirmed by PCR. The positive recombinant adenoviruses were transfected into LoVo cells to observe their in vitro anti-tumor effect. RESULTS: pAdEasy-VEGFP-CD was constructed with a success rate of 70%. After being packaged in 293 cells and purified by CsCl banding, the titer of the recombinant adenovirus Ad-VEGFP-CD reached as high as 4.8x10(12) CFU particle/ml, and the adenovirus was further confirmed by PCR analysis. In the presence of the prodrug 5-FC, the recombinant adenoviruses remarkably inhibited the growth of LoVo cells. CONCLUSION: The recombinant adenoviruses containing CD gene under the control of VEGF promoter can be efficiently generated using the AdEasier-1 system, and exhibit potent anti-tumor effect in vitro.

[An easier method for generating recombinant adenovirus containing CD/TK fusion gene driven by vascular endothelial growth factor promoter].

OBJECTIVE: To efficiently construct the recombinant adenovirus containing CD/TK fusion gene driven by vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) promoter using improved homologous recombination in bacteria. METHODS: Chemical transformation, instead of electroporation, of the plasmid pAdEasy-1 into E.coli BJ5183 strain was performed to prepare BJ5183pAdEasy-1 as the competent bacterium, in which pAdEasy-1 and pAdtrack-VEGFP-CDglyTK were recombined. Finally, the recombinant adenovirus of AdVEGFP-CDglyTK was constructed by transfecting 293 cells with linearized adenoviral genomes of pAdEasy-VEGFP-CDglyTK. RESULTS: This new transformation procedure generated recombinant plasmids in a yield of 60% (6/10), and the adenovirus AdVEGFP-CDglyTK was harvested 7-12 d after transfection. CONCLUSION: The improved homologous recombination in bacteria is efficient, convenient and easy to be carried out.

Anal cushion resection versus Milligan-Morgan hemorrhoidectomy for circular hemorrhoids: randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the clinical effect of anal cushion resection with Milligan-Morgan hemorrhoidectomy for the third- or fourth-degree circular hemorrhoids. METHODS: Forty-eight patients with third- or fourth-degree circular hemorrhoids were randomly assigned into two groups to receive either anal cushion resection or Milligan-Morgan hemorrhoidectomy. Comparison of the two approaches were conducted in terms of postoperative pain scores, operation time, wound healing time, mean hospital stay, incidence of postoperative complications and the curative effect. Results No significant difference was found in view of postoperative pain scores according to visual analogue scale between the 2 groups. The operative time of anal cushion resection was significantly longer than that of the other group, however, its wound healing time, mean hospital stay and incidence of postoperative complications were significantly less. Follow-up study for 3 months after operation found that anal cushion resection had significantly better curative effect than Milligan-Morgan hemorrhoidectomy. Conclusion Anal cushion resection is a safe and practical approach for third- or fourth-degree circular hemorrhoids.