Wellbore Stability through Novel Catechol-Chitosan Biopolymer Encapsulator-Based Drilling Mud.

The problem of wellbore stability has a marked impact on oil and gas exploration and development in the process of drilling. Marine mussel proteins can adhere and encapsulate firmly on deep-water rocks, providing inspiration for solving borehole stability problem and this ability comes from catechol groups. In this paper, a novel biopolymer was synthesized with chitosan and catechol (named "SDGB") by Schiff base-reduction reaction, was developed as an encapsulator in water-based drilling fluids (WBDF).

Antibiotic prophylaxis in perioperative period of percutaneous nephrolithotomy: a systematic review and meta-analysis of comparative studies.

Objective: To explore the efficacy of antibiotic prophylaxis in perioperative period of percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) by conducting a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Materials And Methods: A systematic literature search using Pubmed, Embase, and the Chinese SinoMed, CNKI, WanFang and VIP databases was performed to find comparative studies on the efficacy of different antibiotic prophylaxis strategies in PCNL for preventing postoperative sepsis. The last search was conducted on 21 April 2019.

Conditionally replicative adenovirus carrying shRNA targeting EZH2 inhibits prostate cancer growth and invasion.

The present study aimed to construct conditionally replicative adenovirus (CRAds) carrying small hairpin (sh)RNA targeting enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2), in order to study its effect on inhibiting prostate cancer (PCa) cell growth and invasion. Immunohistochemical analyses of EZH2 was performed in tumor tissue samples from PCa and benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH). The human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) promoter was chosen to transcriptionally control EZH2 gene expression to obtain adenoviral replication (Ad‑hTERT‑EZH2shRNA) in human PCa cell lines.

Clinicopathological characteristics and survival outcomes of bladder neuroendocrine carcinomas: a population-based study.

Background: Bladder neuroendocrine carcinomas (BNECs) are relatively a rare type of tumor. The aim of this study was to examine the clinicopathological characteristics and predictors of survival outcomes of patients with BNECs based on the analysis of the national Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database.

Materials And Methods: Kaplan-Meier analysis with log-rank test was used for survival comparisons.

MiR-199b-5p targets HER2 in breast cancer cells.

HER2 (ErbB2) has been reported to be overexpressed in 20-30% of breast cancer and confers poor survival because of high proliferation and metastasis rates. MicroRNAs are small noncoding RNAs that are responsible for the post-transcriptional regulation of target genes. We found miR-199b-5p inhibited HER2 expression by direct targeting its 3'-untranslated region (3'UTR) in breast cancer cells.

Evaluation of novel saponins from Psammosilene tunicoides and their analogs as immunomodulators.

Two original oleanane-type triterpenoid saponins, tunicosaponin A (TSA) and tunicosaponin E (TSE) were isolated from the roots of Psammosilene tunicoides. Four semi-synthetic saponin derivatives, TSA1, TSA2, TSA3, and TSA4, were synthesized from TSA; two derivatives TSE1 and TSE2 were prepared from TSE. Through comparing their hemolytic activity and effects on ovalbumin (OVA)-induced IgG response with those of Quil A, TSA2 was selected as a lead candidate to evaluate acute and hepatotoxic toxicities and adjuvant potentials on the cellular and humoral immune responses of ICR mice against OVA.

Mimic peptides bonding specifically with the first and second extracellular loops of the CC chemokine receptor 5 derived from a phage display peptide library are potent inhibitors of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis.

Purpose: To obtain mimic peptides that specifically bind with the first and second extracellular loops (ECL1, ECL2) of the CC chemokine receptor 5 (CCR5) and to study their treatment effects on experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) mice.

Methods: A phage display peptide library was applied to screen peptides that bond with ECL1 and ECL2. ELISA and DNA sequence analysis were used to identify positive clones.

Camptothecin-induced cell proliferation inhibition and apoptosis enhanced by DNA methyltransferase inhibitor, 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine.

Camptothecin (CPT) reversibly binds and stabilizes cleavable complexes formed between DNA and topoisomerase I (Top1), thereby activating many downstream signaling pathways. Although several pathways induced by CPT have been elucidated, there are additional proteins that represent targets of CPT pharmacological mechanisms and remain uncharacterized. Using two-dimensional electrophoresis analysis and matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight (MALDI-TOF)-MS/MS identification, we investigated the hepatocellular carcinoma cell line SMMC-7721 for changes of protein expression following CPT treatment.

Induction of copper/zinc-superoxide dismutase by CCL5/CCR5 activation causes tumour necrosis factor-alpha and reactive oxygen species production in macrophages.

Using two-dimensional sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, we found that copper/zinc superoxide dismutase (Cu/Zn-SOD, SOD-1) was induced in constructed CCR5 stably transfected HEK 293 cells, but not in mock cells, treated with CCL5. CCL5-induced SOD-1 expression was also confirmed in HEK 293-CCR5 cells and CCR5-positive granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor-induced human macrophages and murine macrophage RAW264.7 cells.

Increased expression of CCR5 in experimental autoimmune myocarditis and reduced severity induced by anti-CCR5 monoclonal antibody.

Experimental autoimmune myocarditis (EAM) is a T-cell-mediated autoimmune disease. CCR5, which is expressed mostly on activated T cells and monocytes/macrophages, are potent chemotactic factors for autoimmune myocarditis. We investigated the role of CCR5 in the formation of experimental autoimmune myocarditis.

The zinc finger transcription factor 191 is required for early embryonic development and cell proliferation.

Human zinc finger protein 191 (ZNF191/ZNF24) was cloned and characterized as a SCAN family member, which shows 94% identity to its mouse homologue zinc finger protein 191 (Zfp191). ZNF191 can specifically interact with an intronic polymorphic TCAT repeat (HUMTH01) in the tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) gene. Allelic variations of HUMTH01 have been stated to have a quantitative silencing effect on TH gene expression and to correlate with quantitative and qualitative changes in the binding by ZNF191.

Profiling of differentially expressed chemotactic-related genes in MCP-1 treated macrophage cell line using human cDNA arrays.

Aim: To study the global gene expression of chemotactic genes in macrophage line U937 treated with human monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) through the use of ExpreeChipHO2 cDNA array.

Methods: Total RNA was extracted from MCP-1 treated macrophage line U937 and normal U937 cells, reversely transcribed to cDNA, and then screened in parallel with HO2 human cDNA array chip. The scanned result was additionally validated using RT-PCR.

Establishment of transgenic mice carrying gene encoding human zinc finger protein 191.

Aim: Human zinc finger protein 191 (ZNF191) was cloned and characterized as a Kruppel-like transcription factor, which might be relevant to many diseases such as liver cancer, neuropsychiatric and cardiovascular diseases. Although progress has been made recently, the biological function of ZNF191 remains largely unidentified. The aim of this study was to establish a ZNF 191 transgenic mouse model, which would promote the functional study of ZNF191.

[Effect of recombinant prothymosin alpha on secretion of IFN-gamma, IFN-alpha and TNF-alpha in vitro].

Aim: To study the effect of prothymosin alpha (Pro T alpha) as a fusion protein on secretion of IFN-gamma, IFN-alpha and TNF-alpha in vitro.

Methods: The in vitro study was carried out on the culture of splenocytes, splenic and peritoneal macrophages isolated from Balb/c mice. Splenocytes were incubated with various concentrations of Pro T alpha (1 x 10(-7)-1 x 10(-10) mol.

CCR5 gene expression in fulminant hepatitis and DTH in mice.

AIM:To isolate mouse CCR5 cDNA (muCCR5) and study its expression in vivo.METHODS: Marathon PCR was used to isolate muCCR5 cDNA and two animal models were designed to investigate the gene expression in vivo, one was mouse fulminant hepatitis induced by Propionibacterium acnes (P.acnes) and the other was that with delayed type hypersensitivity reaction (DTH).