LncRNA MCM3AP-AS1 Regulates miR-21/PTEN Axis to Affect Cervical Squamous Cell Carcinoma Cell Proliferation and Apoptosis.

LncRNA MCM3AP-AS1 has been reported to be upregulated and plays an oncogenic role in papillary thyroid cancer. However, analysis of the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) dataset revealed MCM3AP-AS1 downregulation in cervical squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC). This observation encouraged us to analyze the function of MCM3AP-AS1 in CSCC. The research subjects of the present study were 62 CSCC patients (42 to 68 years; 53.7 ± 6.8 years). Based on medical records, there were 51 HPV-positive cases of and 11 HPV-negative cases. Gene expression was analyzed by RT-qPCR. The interactions among MCM3AP-AS1, miR-21, and PTEN were explored by overexpression assays followed by RT-qPCR and Western blot. CCK-8 cell proliferation analysis and cell apoptosis analysis were applied to study the roles of MCM3AP-AS1, miR-21, and PTEN in regulating cell proliferation and apoptosis in CSCC. We found that MC-M3AP-AS1 was downregulated in CSCC patients, and its low level was closely correlated with patients' poor survival. MCM3AP-AS1 could directly interact with miR-21. However, miR-21 overexpression failed to affect MCM3AP-AS1 expression. Interestingly, MCM3AP-AS1 overexpression decreased the expression of PTEN, which is a target of miR-21. Cell proliferation and apoptosis analysis showed that MCM3AP-AS1 and PTEN overexpression increased apoptosis but decreased proliferation of CSCC cells. MiR-21 overexpression played an opposite role and attenuated the effects of MCM3AP-AS1 overexpression. Therefore, MCM3AP-AS1 may regulate the miR-21/PTEN axis to regulate CSCC cell proliferation and apoptosis.

The Preparation of Cu(II)- and Ag(I)-responsive Carbon Nanodots from the Right Amino-acid Carbon Source.

Carbon nanodots (CDs) have exhibited excellent sensing capability for various metal ions. However, it is difficult to determine the selectivity of CDs to metal ions. In this work, we chose appropriate carbon source to design CD sensors against Cu(II) and Ag(I). Glycine, histidine and leucine have been confirmed to form complexes with Cu(II) and Ag(I), and were applied to prepare CDs using microwave heating method. The as-prepared CDs inherited the specific ion-binding capability from their carbon source and could response to both Cu(II) and Ag(I). The response sensitivity corresponded to the binding energy between the carbon source and metal ions. These experimental results are very important for the further design of CD sensors for a large variety of analytes.

Tumor-targeted nano-assemblies for energy-blocking cocktail therapy in cancer.

Starvation therapy aims to "starve" tumor cells by cutting off their nutritional supply. However, due to the complex and varied energy metabolism of tumors, targeting a single nutrient supply often fails to yield significant therapeutic benefits. This study proposes a tumor energy cocktail therapy that combines metformin, an oxidative phosphorylation inhibitor, with 2-deoxy-d-glucose (2-DG), a glycolysis inhibitor, to target tumor cells. To minimize the dosage of both drugs, we have developed a drug delivery strategy that prepared metformin as a nanoderivative, denoted as MA-dots. These MA-dots not only preserve the antitumor properties of metformin but also serve as a targeted delivery platform for 2-DG, ensuring its direct reach to the tumor site. Upon reaching the acidic tumor environment, the composite disintegrates, releasing 2-DG to inhibit glycolysis by targeting hexokinase 2 (HK2), the key enzyme in glycolysis, while MA-dots inhibit mitochondrial OXPHOS. This dual action significantly reduces ATP production in tumor cells, leading to apoptosis. In human lung tumor cells, the half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 2-DG@MA-dots was significantly lower than that of either metformin or 2-DG alone, showing a nearly 100-fold and 30-fold reduction in IC50 values to 11.78 µg mL-1, from 1159 µg mL-1 and 351.20 µg mL-1, respectively. In studies with A549 tumor-bearing mice, the combination of low-dose 2-DG and metformin did not impede tumor growth, whereas 2-DG@MA-dots markedly decreased tumor volume, with the mean final tumor volume in the combination treatment group being approximately 89 times greater than that in the 2-DG@MA-dot group. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Metformin is a promising antitumor agent capable of modulating mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation to inhibit cancer growth. However, its antitumor efficacy is limited when used alone due to compensatory energy mechanisms. Hence, we introduced glycolysis inhibitor 2-deoxy-d-glucose (2-DG) to inhibit an alternative tumor energy pathway. In our study, we developed a drug delivery strategy using metformin-derived nanomedicine (MA-dots) to load 2-DG. This approach enables the co-delivery of both drugs and their synergistic effect at the tumor site, disrupting both energy pathways and introducing an innovative "energy cocktail therapy".

Carbonized polymer dots derived from metformin and L-arginine for tumor cell membrane- and mitochondria-dual targeting therapy.

Metformin has demonstrated antitumor potential in clinical studies; however, achieving optimal antitumor effects requires administering an extremely safe medication dose. To enhance the efficacy and reduce dosage requirements, we propose the creation of large-molecule drugs through the combination of small-molecule drugs. In this study, we developed novel polymer dots, referred to as MA-dots, with sizes of approximately 5 nm, featuring dual targeting capabilities for tumor cell membranes and mitochondria. MA-dots were synthesized using metformin and L-arginine via a rapid microwave-assisted method. Notably, the resulting MA-dots (with a half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 93.60 µg mL-1) exhibited more than a 12-fold increase in antitumor activity compared to the raw metformin material (IC50 = 1159.00 µg mL-1) over a 24-hour period. In addition, our MA-dots outperformed most metformin-derived nanodrugs in terms of antitumor efficacy. Furthermore, oral gavage treatment with MA-dots led to the suppression of A549 (lung cancer cell lines) tumor growth in vivo. Mechanistic investigations revealed that MA-dots bound to the large neutral amino acid transporter 1 (LAT1) proteins, which are overexpressed in malignant tumor cell membranes. Moreover, these MA-dots accumulated within the mitochondria, leading to increased production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), mitochondrial damage, and disruption of energy metabolism by modulating the 5'-adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK)/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway in tumor cells. This cascade of events triggers cell-cycle arrest and apoptosis. In summary, this study presented a rapid method for fabricating a novel nanoderivative, MA-dots, capable of both tumor targeting and exerting tumor-suppressive effects.

Histone acetyltransferase CSRP2BP promotes the epithelial-mesenchymal transition and metastasis of cervical cancer cells by activating N-cadherin.

BACKGROUND: Dysregulated epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is involved in cervical cancer metastasis and associated with histone acetylation. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms of histone acetylation in cervical cancer EMT and metastasis are still elusive. METHODS: We systematically investigated the expression patterns of histone acetylation genes and their correlations with the EMT pathway in cervical cancer. The expression of CSRP2BP among cervical cancer tissues and cell lines was detected using Western blotting and immunohistochemistry analyses. The effects of CSRP2BP on cervical cancer cell proliferation and tumorigenicity were examined by cell growth curve, EdU assay, flow cytometry and xenotransplantation assays. Wound healing assays, transwell migration assays and pulmonary metastasis model were used to evaluate the effects of CSRP2BP on cell invasion and metastasis of cervical cancer cells in vivo and in vitro. RNA-seq, chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP), co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP) and luciferase reporter assays were used to uncover the molecular mechanisms of CSRP2BP in promoting cervical cancer EMT and metastasis. RESULTS: We prioritized a top candidate histone acetyltransferase, CSRP2BP, as a key player in cervical cancer EMT and metastasis. The expression of CSRP2BP was significantly increased in cervical cancer tissues and high CSRP2BP expression was associated with poor prognosis. Overexpression of CSRP2BP promoted cervical cancer cell proliferation and metastasis both in vitro and in vivo, while knockdown of CSRP2BP obtained the opposite effects. In addition, CSRP2BP promoted resistance to cisplatin chemotherapy. Mechanistically, CSRP2BP mediated histone 4 acetylation at lysine sites 5 and 12, cooperated with the transcription factor SMAD4 to bind to the SEB2 sequence in the N-cadherin gene promotor and upregulated N-cadherin transcription. Consequently, CSRP2BP promoted cervical cancer cell EMT and metastasis through activating N-cadherin. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that the histone acetyltransferase CSRP2BP promotes cervical cancer metastasis partially through increasing the EMT and suggests that CSRP2BP could be a prognostic marker and a potential therapeutic target for combating cervical cancer metastasis.

Construction of CD19 targeted dual- and enhanced dual-antibodies and their efficiency in the treatment of B cell malignancy.

BACKGROUND: T cell-redirecting bispecific antibodies establish a connection between endogenous T cells and tumor cells, activating T cells function to eliminate tumor cells without ex vivo genetic alteration or manipulation. Here, we developed a novel dual-specific antibody (DuAb) and an enhanced DuAb (EDuAb) with different stimulation signal to activate T cells, and evaluated their impact on the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). METHODS: The expression plasmids of the DuAb and EDuAb containing CD80 molecule were constructed by cloning heavy chain and light chain variable fragments from anti-human CD19 (HI19a) and CD3 (HIT3a) monoclonal antibody hybridomas, respectively. The activation and the anti-tumor efficacy of human T cells mediated by DuAb and EDuAb were evaluated in vitro. B-cell ALL xenograft NSG mouse model was established to investigate the therapeutic effect in vivo. RESULTS: EDuAb promoted the optimal expansion of primary human T cells with low expression of inhibitory markers in vitro than DuAb did. Both DuAb and EDuAb showed a similar capability in inducing healthy donor T cells to specifically eliminate B-ALL cell lines and primary blasts from patients. The similar ability was also observed in the patient-derived T cells. In vivo study showed that both DuAb and EDuAb significantly alleviated tumor burden and extended survival of B-ALL xenograft NSG mice. The median survival of PBS, DuAb and EDuAb treatment groups were 27, 38 and 45 days, respectively. The phenotype of T cells and cytokine release in peripheral blood (PB) of B-ALL xenograft NSG mice on day 24 were analyzed as well. The results showed that the proportion of CD8+ T cells and cytokine levels, including IL-2, IFN-γ and TNF-α, were higher in the EDuAb group than that of DuAb. Moreover, both DuAb and EDuAb significantly decreased the residual leukemia cells in PB of B-ALL xenograft NSG mice. CONCLUSIONS: Both DuAb and EDuAb showed great potential as novel treatments for B-ALL in clinical applications. However, compared to DuAb, EDuAb showed a significant advantage in promoting the proliferation and survival of T cells. Furthermore, EDuAb showed a better promising effect on eliminating tumor cells and extending survival in vivo, which provides new insights for the development of new multi-specific antibodies.

[Clinical curative effects of preoperative neoadjuvant chemotherapy on cervical cancer: analysis of 62 patients].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the clinical curative effects of preoperative neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) on locally advanced cervical cancer. METHODS: A total of 62 patients of stage Ib2-IIb cervical cancer received neoadjuvant chemotherapy of paclitaxel plus cisplatin for 2 - 3 courses. The clinical curative effects were evaluated according to the changes of lesion size, intraoperative conditions and postoperative pathological reactions. RESULTS: The overall response rate was 90.32% (56/62) and the complete response rate 30.65% (19/62). The tumor volumes decreased after NACT. The differences were significant (P < 0.05). After NACT, 56 patients undergoing radical hysterectomy recovered smoothly. The surgical resection rate was 90.32%. Chemotherapeutic reactions of cancerous tissue and a large number of infiltrated lymphocytes were seen in 50 cases. Lymph nodes were positive in 3 cases. There were parametrial invasion (n = 2) and vascular tumor emboli (n = 2). CONCLUSION: Preoperative neoadjuvant chemotherapy is efficacious in cervical cancer. The parametrium becomes softer and the tumor staging decreases.

Pro-Resolving Mediator Resolvin E1 Restores Alveolar Fluid Clearance in Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome.

ABSTRACT: Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a life-threatening condition characterized by increased permeability of the alveolar-capillary barrier and impaired alveolar fluid clearance. Resolvin E1 (RvE1) is a specialized pro-resolving mediator derived endogenously from omega-3-polyunsaturated fatty acids. RvE1 (10 µg/kg i.v.) was injected to rats 6 h post-lipopolysaccharide (LPS) (14 mg/kg) induction. After another 3 h, alveolar fluid clearance was measured in live rats (n = 8-9). The primary Type II alveolar epithelial cell was isolated and treated by LPS (1 µg/mL) with or without RvE1 (250 nM). The expression of epithelial sodium channel (ENaC), Na+/K+-ATPase (NKA), AKT, serum- and glucocorticoid-induced kinase 1 (SGK1), and Nedd4-2 were detected. RvE1 improved survival rate (30% vs. 70%, P = 0.048), increased the clearance of alveolar fluid (13.34% vs. 18.73%, P  < 0.001), reduced lung wet-dry weight ratio (5.01 vs. 4.63, P  < 0.001), mitigated lung injury scores (13.38 vs. 7.0, P  < 0.05) and inflammation in LPS-induced ARDS in rats. RvE1 upregulated alveolar ENaC and NKA expression in vivo and in vitro. In addition, RvE1 significantly increased the expression of phosphorylated AKT, SGK1, and phosphorylated Nedd4-2 in LPS-stimulated primary alveolar type II cells. The effects of RvE1 were abrogated by blocking phosphatidylinositide3'-kinase (PI3K) and SGK1 with LY294002 and GSK650394, respectively. In summary, RvE1 upregulated ENaC and NKA expression by activating PI3K/AKT/SGK1 pathway to promote alveolar fluid clearance, suggesting that RvE1 may be a potentially effective drug for ARDS treatment.

Endogenous NO-releasing Carbon Nanodots for Tumor-specific Gas Therapy.

Carbon nanodots based on L-arginine (L-Arg) were developed for enhanced nitric oxide (NO) gas therapy for cancer. The L-Arg-based carbon nanodots (Arg-dots) produced high levels of NO in the tumor environment rich in endogenous H2O2. In vitro cell experiments revealed that the Arg-dots could kill tumor cells (including human breast cancer cell line MCF-7, female gastric cancer cell line BGC-823, male lung cancer cell line A549, and female leukemic cell line K562) but did not affect the activity of normal cells (human normal lung epithelial cell line BEAS-2B). The Arg-dots produced twice the amount of NO for an equivalent amount of L-Arg. Theoretical calculations showed that the carbonization structure of the Arg-dots promoted significantly more electrons toward the guanidinium groups of L-Arg and boosted the adsorption of H2O2 molecules. In vitro and in vivo investigations confirmed that the Arg-dots reduced the multidrug resistance (MDR) effect of the tumor cells (MCF-7/ADR cells) and produced a combined antitumor efficacy with traditional chemotherapeutic drugs (adriamycin [ADR]). The fluorescence property (quantum yield, 6.88%) allows the Arg-dots to be used as a suitable fluorescent probe for fluorescence imaging of tumor cells. The ultra-small size of the Arg-dots (diameter: ca. 2.5 nm) enables them not only to penetrate deep tumors and provide enhanced antitumor activity but also to be removed through kidney filtration and have a renal clearance property. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Nitric oxide (NO), which serves as a biological messenger, can be used in gas therapy for cancer. The development of a safe and efficient NO cancer therapy is, however, challenging because of the low NO release amount and poor tumor specificity of most NO donors. Many efforts have been made to overcome these drawbacks, but solving both these limitations through a single approach has been seldom achieved. In the present work, carbon nanodots (Arg-dots) from L-arginine were used for gas therapy of cancer. The Arg-dots produced NO in the H2O2-rich tumor environment. Theoretical calculations were consistent with the mechanism of enhanced NO release amount. The Arg-dots also reduced the multidrug resistance effect in cancer chemotherapy. In vivo and in vitro toxicity assessments confirmed that the Arg-dots have excellent biosafety.

[Effects of monocular visual deprivation on parameters of GLuRs in visual cortex in developing kittens].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the molecular mechanism of the development of amplyopia. METHODS: Lid suture was performed on 5 kittens at 3 weeks of age to produce monocular visual deprivation. Six kittens were used as controls without any treatment. Three months later, the characteristics of [3,4-3H]-glutamate binding to the visual cortical membranes of the kittens were studied using radiolabelled ligand receptor binding assay. RESULTS: The kittens with monocular deprivation had decreased GluRs binding sites in the visual cortex as compared with the controls (P < 0.001). The kittens with monocular deprivation had greater value of KD than the controls (P < 0.001), indicating a decrease in the affinify of GluRs. The Hill coefficients of all of the kittens were close to 1, indicating that [3,4-3H]1-glutamate binded to a single-site receptor, obeying mass action law. Even if there were multi binding sites in GluRs, the affinity of these sites to [3,4-3H]1-glutamate was almost identical. Neither positive nor negative interactive effects existed. CONCLUSION: Monocular deprivation does affect the binding parameters (KD and Bmax) of GluRs, which may be a molecular mechanism of the development of amblyopia.

Experimental study on the apoptosis of cervical cancer Hela cells induced by juglone through c-Jun N-terminal kinase/c-Jun pathway.

OBJECTIVE: To study the regulatory effect and molecular mechanism of juglone on apoptosis of cervical cancer Hela cells. METHODS: Cervical cancer Hela cells were cultured and treated with different dosages of juglone (10, 20, and 40 µmol/L, respectively) and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) inhibitor SP600125 (10, 20, and 40 µmol/L, respectively). Then cellular proliferative activity and the expression of JNK/c-Jun pathway molecule and apoptotic molecule in the cells were detected. RESULTS: After 6, 12, 18 and 24 h of treatment, the value for proliferative activity of cells treated with juglone was significantly lower than that of control group (P < 0.05), and the anti-proliferative effect was more significant as the treatment period and juglone dosage increased (P < 0.05). The protein expressions of Bax, CytC, Fas, FasL, Caspase-3, p-JNK and p-c-Jun in cells treated with juglone were significantly higher than those of control group (P < 0.05), and the protein expressions of Bax, CytC, Fas, FasL, Caspase-3, p-JNK and p-c-Jun increased more remarkably as the juglone dosage increased (P < 0.05). In cells treated with 40 µmol/L juglone and SP600125, the protein expressions of Bax, CytC, Fas, FasL and Caspase-3 were significantly lower than those of cells treated with 40 µmol/L juglone (P < 0.05), and the protein expressions of Bax, CytC, Fas, FasL and Caspase-3 reduced more remarkably as the SP600125 dosage increased (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Juglone can increase the expression of apoptotic molecules in mitochondrial pathway and death receptor pathway by activating JNK/c-Jun pathway, thus inducing apoptosis of cervical cancer cells.

Expression and clinical significance of high risk human papillomavirus and invasive gene in cervical carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE: To study the expression of E6 and E7 mRNA in high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) HPV-18 and the relationship between the expression of invasive gene and cervical carcinoma. METHODS: A total of 119 patients with cervical cancer, cervical erosion and cervical HPV infection who were diagnosed in our hospital were selected and randomly divided into two groups: cervical cancer group (n = 58) and non-cancerous group (n = 61). Another 60 patients with uterine leiomyoma were selected as normal control group. Detection of HPV18 E6, E7 mRNA expression and invasion, migration, proliferation inhibition genes, epithelial mesenchymal transition genes and proliferation related protein content. RESULTS: The relative expression of E6 and E7 HPV-18 in cervical cancer group was significant higher than that in non-cancerous group and control group (mRNA) (P < 0.05). The content of TRAF6 and c-FLIP in invasive cervical cancer group was significantly higher than that in non-cancerous group and control group (P < 0.05). The mRNA content of CD44v6 and MMP-9 in cervical cancer group was significantly higher than that in non-cancerous group and control group (P < 0.05). The content of DEC-1, IKK16, MBP-1 in cervical cancer group was significant lower than that in non-cancerous group and control group (P < 0.05). The mRNA content of beta -catenin and Vimentin in cervical cancer group was significantly lower than that in non cancerous group and control group (P < 0.05). The proliferation related protein E2F1 of cervical cancer group was significantly lower than that of non-cancerous group and control group, Bmi-1 content was significantly higher than non-cancerous group and control group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The expression of the detection of cervical cancer in high-risk human papilloma virus HPV-18 E6 and E7 mRNA, and the invasion, migration, proliferation inhibition gene, epithelial mesenchymal transition and proliferation related gene protein content, HPV expression rate of mRNA increased with the development of cervical cancer, the expression is also enhanced. The expression has a certain correlation between the level and development of cervical cancer. Through the above indicators, the development of cervical cancer monitoring and treatment to provide important clinical guidance.

Coexpression of cholecystokinin-B/gastrin receptor and gastrin gene in human gastric tissues and gastric cancer cell line.

AIM: To compare the expression patterns of cholecystokinin-B (CCK-B)/gastrin receptor genes in matched human gastric carcinoma and adjacent non-neoplastic mucosa of patients with gastric cancer, inflammatory gastric mucosa from patients with gastritis, normal stomachs from 2 autopsied patients and a gastric carcinoma cell line (SGC-7901), and to explore their relationship with progression to malignancy of human gastric carcinomas. METHODS: RT-PCR and sequencing were employed to detect the mRNA expression levels of CCK-B receptor and gastrin gene in specimens from 30 patients with gastric carcinoma and healthy bordering non-cancerous mucosa, 10 gastritis patients and normal stomachs from 2 autopsied patients as well as SGC-7901. The results were semi-quantified by normalizing it to the mRNA level of beta-actin gene using Lab Image software. The sequences were analyzed by BLAST program. RESULTS: CCK-B receptor transcripts were detected in all of human gastric tissues in this study, including normal, inflammatory and malignant tissues and SGC-7901. However, the expression levels of CCK-B receptor in normal gastric tissues were higher than those in other groups (P<0.05), and its expressions did not correlate with the differentiation and metastasis of gastric cancer (P>0.05). On the other hand, gastrin mRNA was detected in SGC-7901 and in specimens obtained from gastric cancer patients (22/30) but not in other gastric tissues, and its expression was highly correlated with the metastases of gastric cancer (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Human gastric carcinomas and gastric cancer cell line SGC-7901 cells coexpress CCK-B receptor and gastrin mRNA. Gastrin/CCK-B receptor autocrine or paracrine pathway may possibly play an important role in the progression of gastric cancer.

[Studies on the effects of human chorionic gonadotropin on the growth of human gastric adenocarcinoma cells].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of human gastric chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) on the growth of human gastric adenocarcinoma cells. METHODS: MTT reduction assay was used to determine the cell growth and survival rates. RESULTS: Within the concentration range of 10(-11)-10(-6) mol/L, hCG could slightly stimulate the growth of gastric cancer cells but in a obvious time-dependent manner. CONCLUSION: hCG has slightly stimulatory effect on the proliferation gastric adenocarcinoma cells, suggestion that hCG may possibly play a role in regulation the tumorigenesis of gastric cancer.

[Preliminary study on correlation between double-contrast and serum 5'-nucleotidase of gastric carcinoma].

OBJECTIVE: To determine the relationship between double-contrast manifestation and 5'-nucleotidase (5'-NT) of gastric carcinoma. METHODS: Serum specimens were taken from 41 cases with gastric carcinoma documented by double-contrast visualization and pathology. 5'-NT activity was determined by spectrophotometry. 40 healthy subjects were recruited and studied as normal controls. RESULTS: The serum level of 5'-NT(1.14 u/ml) in gastric carcinoma group was lower than that of control group (2.60 u/ml) (P < 0.05). Anatomically, it was found that the 5'-NT level of gastric carcinoma gradually increased as the sites of the tumor lined up from the orifice (0.98 u/ml) to the antrum (1.28 u/ml) via the body (1.20 u/ml). 5'-NT of the ulcerative type (0.96 u/ml) was lower than that of the fungating type (1.12 u/ml) or the infiltrating type (1.40 u/ml). 5'-NT(1.53 u/ml) of stage IV gastric carcinoma was higher than that of stage 1 (0.83 u/ml), stage I (0.98 u/ml) and stage III (1.03 u/ml) (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The change of 5'-NT from gastric carcinoma was correlated with the site, type or stage shown on the double-contrast images of the tumor.

[Cloning the gene fragment coding the putative integrase-like protein from X maltophilia].

OBJECTIVE: To amplify the nucleotide sequence of CG-like receptor from X anthomonas maltophilia(X maltophilia). METHODS: Using the specific primer P1 designed by Grover's reported 342 bp partial nucleotide sequence of X maltophilia CG-like receptor and random primer to PCR amplify, PCR product was cloned in the pUCm-T vector. After the recombinant plasmid was tested by restriction endonuclease digestion, the insert on the recombinant plasmid was sequenced and analyzed. RESULTS: About 500 bp PCR product was cloned in the pUCm-T vector and obtained the recombinant pUCm-Int. By sequencing to the insert on the pUCm-Int with M13 universal sequencing primers, the 410-486 bp fragment of the cloned 510 bp nucleotide sequence (GenBank accession number: AY363962) showed 84% identity with the 9304-8958 bp fragment of the XACb0009 gene on plasmid pXAC64 of Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. citri. And the 4-166aa fragment of its translated 169aa sequence had 62% identity with the 38-200aa sequence of integrase-like protein coded by the XACb0009 gene. CONCLUSION: The cloned 510 bp nucleotide sequence was possibly the partial gene sequence coding the integrase-like protein of X maltophilia.

[Study on the insulin and insulin receptor in the progression of renal ischemic and reperfusion].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of insulin and it's receptor on the kidney of rabbit with acute ischemic/reperfusion injury. METHODS: Twenty three Japanese white rabbits were allocated randomly into the control group, ischemic/reperfusion group(IR group), and insulin treatment group(Ins-IR group). The IR group received clamping for 1 h followed by 2 h or 48 h of reperfusion. In the Ins-IR group, insulin injection (Ins 3U/kg, glucose 1.5 g/kg, K+ 4 mg/kg, Mg2+ 1.7 mg/kg) was administered intravenously twice a day for two days, whereas only normal saline in equal amount was given to the IR group and control group. At 2 h or 48 h after reperfusion, glucose and insulin in serum were determined. Rough plasma of renal tissue was prepared by repeated centrifugation. Insulin receptor in renal tissue was analyzed by radiologand binding assay. The binding data were calculated according to Scatchard using the ligand program. Statistical significance was analyzed with the paired t-test. RESULTS: The level of blood glucose increased after 2 h reperfusion in three groups, but the level in IR group increased much higher than those in control and Ins-IR groups(P < 0.05). The level of serum insulin of IR group after 2 h reperfusion was significantly higher than that of control (P < 0.05). Scatchard analysis showed curvilinear profiles, indicating that there are two classes of receptors with different affinity or the presence of a single class of receptors with a negative cooperative hormone-receptor interaction. Data analyzed by a two-site model showed that the values of Bmax1 (high affinity site), Bmax2 (low affinity site) and Kd1, Kd2 after 2 h reperfusion were significantly lower than those of control (P < 0.05). In IR-Ins group, only Bmax2 decreased (P < 0.05, compared with control). 48 h after IR there was no difference in Bmax1, Kd1 between the 3 groups, but Bmax2 of IR-Ins group was still lower than that of control (P < 0.001) and IR group (P < 0.05). The Kd2 of IR group increased (P < 0.05 compared with control and IR-Ins group). CONCLUSION: The results indicate that the effect of intrinsic insulin decreases during renal ischemic/reperfusion. The extrinsic insulin can protect renal tissue through its high affinity receptor. There exits down-regulation of low affinity receptor but none of high affinity receptor during insulin treatment.

[Expression of heat shock protein-70, estrogen receptor and progesterone receptor in ovarian carcinomas and the correlation between HSP70 and sex steroid receptor].

OBJECTIVE: This study was aimed to determine the expression of HSP70, ER and PR in ovarian carcinomas and to explore the relationship between HSP70 and sex steroid receptor. METHODS: The immunohistochemical way SP was performed to estimate the expression of HSP70, ER and PR in 41 cases of ovarian carcinomas and in 11 cases of normal ovarian tissue. RESULTS: The positive staining rate of HSP70 was 68.29% (28/41), which was remarkably higher than that in normal ovarian tissue (18.18%) (P<0.05). Furthermore, the expression rate of HSP70 was much higher in poorly differentiated ovarian carcinomas than in well differentiated ovarian carcinomas (P<0.05). ER positive staining was observed in 19 cases (46.34%), and PR in 24 cases (58.54%). ER and PR positive staining occurred more frequently in the group of HSP70 negative staining than in the group of HSP70 positive staining. related with the expression of PR (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: The expression of HSP70 was negatively related with the expression of PR (P<0.05).

[Human gastric tissues coexpress two different splicing cholecystokinin-B/gastrin receptors].

This study was conducted to explore whether cholecystokinin-B/gastrin receptor (CCKBRwt) gene and its alternative splicing variant (CCKBRi4sv) are expressed in human gastric carcinomas cell line and tissues, and to find out their relationship with the development and progression of human gastric carcinoma. The mRNA expression levels of CCKBRwt and CCKBRi4sv were detected in 30 human gastric carcinomas and normal tissues adjacent to cancer, 10 gastritis specimens, 2 autopsied normal stomach specimens as well as in a gastric carcinoma cell line SGC-7901 cells. The results revealed that the transcripts of CCKBRwt and CCKBRi4sv were observed in all of the human gastric specimens tested, but only CCKBRwt was expressed in gastric cancer cell line SGC-7901 cells. The expression levels of the two receptors were not correlated with the differentiation and metastases of gastric cancers. From the results, we infer that human gastric tissues simultaneously express CCKBRwt and CCKBRi4sv, and CCKBRi4sv may have unknown physiological functions in gastric epithelial cells.