Exploring TCGA database for identification of potential prognostic genes in stomach adenocarcinoma.

Background: Stomach adenocarcinoma (STAD) is the fifth most prevalent cancer in the world and ranks third among cancer-related deaths worldwide. The tumour microenvironment (TME) plays an important role in tumorigenesis, development, and metastasis. Hence, we calculated the immune and stromal scores to find the potential prognosis-related genes in STAD using bioinformatics analysis.

[ABCC8, KCNJ11 and GLUD1 gene mutation analysis in congenital hyperinsulinism pedigree].

Objective: To explore the ABCC8, KCNJ11, and GLUD1 gene mutations of the 11 patients diagnosed as congenital hyperinsulinism (CHI).

Methods: A total of 11 CHI children hospitalized in Beijing Children's Hospital from November 2008 to February 2012 and their parents were chosen as the study subjects. Direct sequencing of PCR-DNA was used to analyze the 39 exons of ABCC8 gene, non-translational region and exon of KCNJ11 gene and 6, 7, 10, 11 and 12 exons of GLUD1 gene.

Effect of heat and pH denaturation on the structure and conformation of recombinant human hepatic stimulator substance.

Hepatic stimulator substance (HSS) is a novel liver-specific growth-promoting factor. Although HSS has been successfully crystallized, several properties of this protein have yet to be determined. This study shows that recombinant human HSS (rhHSS) is a dimer with a molecular mass of 31 kDa, the protein is weakly acidic and has an isoelectric point (pI) of 4.

[Changes of matrix metalloproteinases activities in pulmonary fibrosis rats].

Objective: To observe the changes of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) activities in pulmonary fibrosis rats.

Methods: Eighty male SD rats were randomly divided into sham group (n = 40) and bleomycin group (BLM, n = 40), in which SD rats were injected with a single intratracheal dose of sham saline or bleomycin respectively. On day 1, 3, 7, 14, and 28 following bleomycin or saline instillation, rats were randomly killed, and serum from abdominal aorta, alveolar fluid from the bronchoalveolar lavage, and the lung homogenate were collected and then stored at -80 degrees C.