[IL-8 Induces Epithelial-to-mesenchymal Transition of Ovarian Carcinoma Cells: a Preliminary Study].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effect of IL-8 on the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in ovarian cancer,which will provide experimental basis for revealing related molecular mechanism in malignant metastasis of ovarian cancer. METHODS: The migration of ovarian cancer cell line SKOV3 cells was explored with Real time label free cell analysis (RTCA) after treatment with recombinant human IL-8.SKOV3 cells were co-cultured with IL-8 for 48 h,proteins involved in EMT were investigated via Western blot to explore the effect of IL-8 on the activation of the EMT. Invasion of SKOV3 cells after treatment with IL-8 were evaluated by transwell assay. RESULTS: According to the results of RTCA,after treatment with IL-8 for 48 h,the migration of SKOV3 cells was in platform phase. The treatment of IL-8 unregulated vimentin and snail and downregulated E-cadherin,which suggested that IL-8 induced EMT in ovarian cancer. The results of transwell test showed that invasive ability of IL-8 pretreated SKOV3 cells was enhanced (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: IL-8 can induce the EMT of ovarian cancer and enhance the invasion and migration of ovarian cancer.

[The effect of PKC activation and Smac release on inhibition of myocardial cell apoptosis by Sini Decoction].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of Sini Decoction on myocardial cell apoptosis after MI/R and the possible relation to myocardial cell apoptosis, PKC and Smac. METHODS: Sprage-Dawley rats were divided into four groups: control group, sham group, MI/R group and SND group. The rats in MI/R group, left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) was occluded for 1 h and reperfused for 1 h. The rats in SND group were pretreated with Sini decoction(5 g/kg x d) for three days, the last treatment was pretreated 24 h before the index occlusion. Cell apoptosis was measured by flow cytometry, the expression of PKC was measured by immunohistochemistry. The expression of Smac was analyzed by Western blotting. The activity of Caspase-3 was also measured. RESULTS: 24 h after Sini Decoction treatment, Myocardial cell apoptosis significantly decreased, PKC was translocated and its expression increased, the release of Smac decreased, the activity of Caspase-3 decreased. CONCLUSION: Sini Decoction treatment can protect myocardial cell from apoptosis caused by MI/R, the mechanism is related to PKC activation, Mitochondria protection and in turn inhibition of Smac release, and inhibition of apoptosis signal transduction.

Detection of serum neopterin for early assessment of dengue virus infection.

OBJECTIVE: Neopterin is generated and released in increased amounts by macrophages upon activation by interferon-gamma during Th1-type immune response. The potential usefulness of neopterin in early prognostic information of dengue virus infection was investigated. METHODS: Neopterin concentrations were determined in serum samples from 110 dengue fever (DF) patients. The neopterin levels were compared with those in 50 measles and 40 influenza patients; 155 healthy blood donors served as controls. RESULTS: In acute sera of DF patients mean neopterin concentration was 48.2 nmol/L, which was higher than that in patients with measles (mean: 36.3 nmol/L) and influenza (18.8 nmol/L) and in healthy controls (6.7 nmol/L; P<0.001). In the patients with confirmed DF, an early neopterin elevation was detected already at the first day after the onset of symptoms and rose to a maximum level of 54.3 nmol/L 4 days after the onset. Higher increase of neopterin level in DF patients was associated with longer duration of fever and thus predicted the clinical course of the disease. CONCLUSIONS: Neopterin concentrations were found significantly higher in DF patients compared with healthy controls and also with other viral infections (P<0.001) and may allow early assessment of the severity of DF.