Annexin A2 promotes the migration and invasion of human hepatocellular carcinoma cells in vitro by regulating the shedding of CD147-harboring microvesicles from tumor cells.

It has been reported that Annexin A2 (ANXA2) is up-regulated in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but the roles of ANXA2 in the migration and invasion of HCC cells have not been determined. In this study, we found that ANXA2-specific siRNA (si-ANXA2) significantly inhibited the migration and invasion of HCC cells co-cultured with fibroblasts in vitro. In addition, the production of MMP-2 by fibroblasts cultured in supernatant collected from si-ANXA2-transfected HCC cells was notably down-regulated.

Tolerance induction by exosomes from immature dendritic cells and rapamycin in a mouse cardiac allograft model.

Background: Dendritic cells (DCs) release bioactive exosomes that play an important role in immune regulation. Because they express low levels of class I major histocompatibility complex (MHC) and co-stimulatory molecules, exosomes derived from donor immature DCs (imDex) prolong allograft survival by inhibiting T-cell activation. However, this effect is limited and does not induce immunological tolerance when imDex are administered alone.

Intravenous injection of mesenchymal stem cells is effective in treating liver fibrosis.

Aim: To compare the influence of different transplant sites in bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)-based therapy for liver fibrosis.

Methods: MSCs isolated from Sprague Dawley (SD) rats were induced into hepatocyte-like cells. Liver fibrosis in SD rats was induced with carbon tetrachloride.

Spinal astrocytic activation contributes to mechanical allodynia in a mouse model of type 2 diabetes.

Diabetic neuropathic pain (DNP) plays a major role in decreased life quality of type 2 diabetes patients, however, the molecular mechanisms underlying DNP remain unclear. Emerging research implicates the participation of spinal glial cells in some neuropathic pain models. However, it remains unknown whether spinal glial cells are activated under type 2 diabetic conditions and whether they contribute to diabetes-induced neuropathic pain.

Increased expression of a disintegrin and metalloprotease-9 in hepatocellular carcinoma: implications for tumor progression and prognosis.

Objective: A disintegrin and metalloprotease-9 has been involved in the carcinogenesis of various solid tumors. However, its role in hepatocellular carcinoma remains unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the clinicopathological and prognostic relevance of a disintegrin and metalloprotease-9 by immunohistochemistry.

Dendritic cells fused with allogeneic hepatocellular carcinoma cell line compared with fused autologous tumor cells as hepatocellular carcinoma vaccines.

Purpose: To investigate the specific antitumor responses against autologous hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells of dendritic cells (DCs) fused with allogeneic HCC cell line, and evaluated the feasibility of BEL7402 as an alternative strategy to deliver shared HCC antigens to DCs.

Methods: Previous studies demonstrated fusions of patient-derived DCs and autologous tumor cells could induce T-cell responses against autologous tumors. These fusion cells require patient-derived tumor cells, which are not, however, always available.

Characterization of a stem-like population in hepatocellular carcinoma MHCC97 cells.

A small stem-like subpopulation was isolated from human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) MHCC97 cells, characterized by their high efflux ability of the Hoechst 33342 dye. These side population (SP) cells were able to generate a heterogeneous mixture of SP and main population (MP) cells, while the MP cells rarely generated SP cells. Cell cycle analysis also revealed that more SP cells were in the G0 phase.

Improvement of dendritic-based vaccine efficacy against hepatitis B virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma by two tumor-associated antigen gene-infected dendritic cells.

Recently, studies on dendritic cell (DC) vaccine have focused on the development of more effective DC vaccine regimen, such as the application of multiple tumor-associated antigen-targeted DC vaccine. This approach could be used to enhance efficacy of DC-based vaccine against tumors and infectious diseases. In this study, we analyzed whether DC from patients with hepatocellular carcinoma can be infected with the alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) gene and/or HBsAg gene (hepatocellular carcinoma-related antigen).

Comparative analysis of DC fused with allogeneic hepatocellular carcinoma cell line HepG2 and autologous tumor cells as potential cancer vaccines against hepatocellular carcinoma.

Fusions of patient-derived dendritic cells (DCs) and autologous tumor cells induce T-cell responses against autologous tumors in animal models and human clinical trials. These fusion cells require patient-derived tumor cells, which are not, however, always available. Here we fused autologous DCs from patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) to an allogeneic HCC cell line (HepG2).

The multifaceted mechanisms for coffee's anti-tumorigenic effect on liver.

Epidemiological studies have found an inverse association between coffee consumption and the risk of liver cancer. Animal data support such a chemopreventive effect of coffee. Substantial research has been devoted to the identification of coffee components that may be responsible for these beneficial effects.

[Immune response of HBsAg gene-modified dendritic cell-based vaccine in HepG2. 2. 15 hepatocellular carcinoma cells].

Objective: To study the cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) response induced by dendritic cells (DC) transduced with recombinant adenovirus vector bearing hepatitis B virus surface antigen (HBsAg) gene in hepatocellular carcinoma HepG2. 2. 15 cells in vitro.

Quantitation assay for absorption and first-pass metabolism of emodin in isolated rat small intestine using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

Emodin has numerous biochemical and pharmacological activities, though information about its intestinal absorption and first-pass metabolism is scarce. The purpose of this study was to evaluate intestinal absorption and metabolism of luminally administered emodin in an isolated rat small intestine using the method of LC/MS/MS. About 22.

alpha-fetoprotein and interleukin-18 gene-modified dendritic cells effectively stimulate specific type-1 CD4- and CD8-mediated T-Cell response from hepatocellular carcinoma patients in Vitro.

The T-helper 1 (Th1) immune reaction is most important in dendritic cell (DC)-based immunotherapy. Interleukin (IL)-18, a Th1-biasing cytokine, plays a pivotal role in inducing cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) responses. In this study, we analyzed whether dendritic cells (DCs) from patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) can be transduced with the IL-18 gene and/or alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) gene, and we examined whether vaccinations using these genetically engineered DC can induce stronger therapeutic antitumor immunity.

[Effect of vacuum-assisted closure on the expression of urokinase-type plasminogen activator and urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor in acute and chronic wounds healing].

Objective: To study the effect of vacuum-assisted closure (V.A.C) on the expression of Urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) and Urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor(uPAR) protein in margin tissue of pigs with acute wounds and patients with chronic wounds.

Dendritic cell generated from CD34+ hematopoietic progenitors can be transfected with adenovirus containing gene of HBsAg and induce antigen-specific cytotoxic T cell responses.

Dendritic cells (DCs) are professional antigen presenting cells that are being considered as potential immunotherapeutic agents to promote host immune responses against tumor antigens. The use of such modified antigen-presenting cells for research or therapeutic have been limited by several factors, including maintaining DCs in a highly activated state, efficient transduction and expression, stable expression, identification of appropriate tumor-associated antigens, and absence of unintended functional changes or cytotoxicity. In this study, the feasibility of using CD34-DCs for tumor immunotherapy after transduction with a recombinant adenovirus containing HBsAg gene (AdVHBsAg), an HCC-associated antigen, was investigated.

[Effect of vacuum-assisted closure on the expression of proto-oncogenes and its significance during wound healing].

Objective: To study the effects of VAC on starting the process of wound healing and decreasing apoptosis.

Methods: To examine the variations in expression of proto-oncogenes c-myc, c-jun and Bcl-2 in pig wound model with acute full-thickness skin defect and human chronic wounds by immunohistochemistry, calculate the numbers of expressive positive cells and the labelling index (LI), and observe the process of wound healing.

Results: (1) In pig experiment, the wound in experimental group was very clean and without obvious exudates, many neoepiderm and granulation tissue rapidly appeared or formed after 6 days, and healed completely by the 25th day.

[Influence of vacuum-assisted closure technique on expression of Bcl-2 and NGF/NGFmRNA during wound healing].

Objective: To explore the influence of vacuum-assisted closure technique (VAC) on expression of Bcl-2 and NGF during wound healing.

Methods: Eighty Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into 4 groups with 20 rats of each. Group T was the experimental group; group C1, C2 and C3 were the control groups.