Anti-inflammation treatment for protection of hepatocytes and amelioration of hepatic fibrosis in rats.

Chronic inflammation is considered as an important pathophysiologic mechanism of hepatic cirrhosis, which induces hepatocyte injury and activates hepatic stellate cells (HSCs), thus resulting in hepatic fibrosis. Previous studies have reported that cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitor can effectively treat liver fibrosis, while somatostatin (SST) analogues inhibit the activation of HSCs. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of a COX-2 inhibitor, celecoxib, combined with a SST analogue, octreotide, for protection of hepatocytes and prevention of fibrosis in a rat model of hepatic fibrosis.

Modification of the method to establish a hepatic VX2 carcinoma model in rabbits.

The hepatic VX2 carcinoma model in rabbits is widely used for the preclinical study of hepatocellular carcinoma. In the present study, a modification was made to the conventional method to establish the animal model, as the conventional method gives rise to frequent tumor seeding due to the drop-out of tumor fragments. In order to evaluate each distinct method of establishing the model, the rabbits were divided into two groups: Group A (the conventional method; n=20) and group B (the modified method; n=20).

Morphological and molecular variations induce mitochondrial dysfunction as a possible underlying mechanism of athletic amenorrhea.

Female athletes may experience difficulties in achieving pregnancy due to athletic amenorrhea (AA); however, the underlying mechanisms of AA remain unknown. The present study focuses on the mitochondrial alteration and its function in detecting the possible mechanism of AA. An AA rat model was established by excessive swimming.

Anti-cancer effects of curcumin on lung cancer through the inhibition of EZH2 and NOTCH1.

Curcumin is potentially therapeutic for malignant diseases. The mechanisms of this effect might involve a combination of antioxidant, immunomodulatory, proapoptotic, and antiangiogenic activities. However, the exact mechanisms are not fully understood.

RNA sequencing reveals retinal transcriptome changes in STZ-induced diabetic rats.

The present study aimed to investigate changes in retinal gene expression in streptozotocin (STZ)‑induced diabetic rats using next‑generation sequencing, utilize transcriptome signatures to investigate the molecular mechanisms of diabetic retinopathy (DR), and identify novel strategies for the treatment of DR. Diabetes was chemically induced in 10‑week‑old male Sprague‑Dawley rats using STZ. Flash‑electroretinography (F‑ERG) was performed to evaluate the visual function of the rats.

Evidence for transcriptional interference in a dual-luciferase reporter system.

The dual-luciferase reporter assay is widely used for microRNA target identification and the functional validation of predicted targets. To determine whether curcumin regulates expression of the histone methyltransferase enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) by targeting its 3'untranslated region (3'UTR), two luciferase reporter systems containing exactly the same sequence of the EZH2 3'UTR were used to perform dual-luciferase reporter assays. Surprisingly, there were certain discrepancies between the luciferase activities derived from these two reporter constructs.

The therapeutic impact of HNP-1 in condyloma acuminatum.

Background: Condyloma acuminatum is one of the most commonly occurring sexually transmitted diseases. HNP1 is a small antimicrobial peptide that has been reported to have antiviral activities.

Aim: Using the condyloma acuminatum tissue culture to resemble the situation more closely in vivo, we investigate the therapeutic effect of a recombinant plasmid encoding HNP1 gene in condyloma acuminatum tissue.

Reduced BMP6 expression by DNA methylation contributes to EMT and drug resistance in breast cancer cells.

Bone morphogenetic protein 6 (BMP6) is an important regulator of cell growth, differentiation and apoptosis in various types of tumor. In breast cancer, it was considered as a tumor suppressor. Our previous study also confirmed that BMP6 was a critical regulator of breast cancer drug resistance.

[Expression and clinical significance of bone morphogenetic protein 6 in human breast cancer].

Objective: To investigate the expression pattern and clinical significance of bone morphogenetic protein 6 (BMP6) in breast tissues.

Methods: The tumor and adjacent noncancerous tissues were harvested from 36 cases of breast cancer, the expression level of BMP6 mRNA of each sample was measured by quantitative RT-PCR. Immunohistochemistry study was used to examine BMP6 protein expression in 80 cases of breast cancer, then the relationship between the expression of BMP6 and relevant clinical and pathological parameters was analyzed.

Downregulation of BMP6 enhances cell proliferation and chemoresistance via activation of the ERK signaling pathway in breast cancer.

Previous studies indicate that bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) 6 is involved in breast cancer development and progression. However, the mechanism underlying the role of BMP6 in breast cancer cell proliferation, differentiation and chemoresistance remains unknown. In this study, we confirmed that BMP6 expression was downregulated in breast cancer tissues compared with the adjacent normal breast tissues.

Effects of exercise intensity on copy number and mutations of mitochondrial DNA in gastrocnemus muscles in mice.

The present study aimed to investigate the effects of exercise intensity on mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) alterations of copy numbers and mutations in the gastrocnemii of mice. A total of 50 male mice were randomly divided into 5 groups; control group (K) and groups A-D, which underwent 10,30,60 and 90 min of swimming per day, respectively. Samples were obtained after 20 weeks of exercise.

Decreased expression of repulsive guidance molecule member A by DNA methylation in colorectal cancer is related to tumor progression.

Previous studies have shown decreased expression of repulsive guidance molecule member A (RGMa) in colorectal cancer. However, the relationship between the expression levels and promoter DNA methylation status of RGMa and the clinical characteristics of colorectal cancer has not been previously reported. Here, we investigated the expression of RGMa by immunohistochemistry, real-time PCR and western blotting and analyzed the methylation status of the RGMa promoter using Sequenom's MassARRAY platform in colorectal cancer tissues and adjacent normal colorectal tissues.

Systematic analysis of microRNA involved in resistance of the MCF-7 human breast cancer cell to doxorubicin.

Multidrug resistance remains a major clinical obstacle to successful treatment of breast cancer and leads to poor prognosis for the patients. Recently studies have shown that microRNAs play an important role in breast cancer cell resistance to chemotherapeutic agents. In this study, microRNA expression profiles of MCF-7/AdrVp and MCF-7 were analyzed using microarray and the results were confirmed by real-time RT-polymerase chain reaction.

[Relationship between photosynthetic characteristics and environmental factors in leaves of Pueraria lobata].

Objective: To study the relationship between photosynthetic characteristics and environmental factors in leaves of P. lobata.

Method: Photosynthetic characteristics and environmental factors were measured by using CIRAS-2 portable photosynthesis system.

[Study on the role of Wnt/beta-catenin signaling transduction pathway in hepatocellular carcinoma cell line HepG2 and L02 cell line].

Aim: To explore the possible mechanism of action of Wnt/beta-catenin signaling pathway in hepatocarcinogenesis by investigating the different expressions of the main members on this signaling pathway in hepatocellular carcinoma cell line HepG2 and L02 cell line.

Methods: The mRNAs of Wnt1, Wnt4, beta-catenin, cyclinD1 and c-myc genes were amplified by means of semiquantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in normal liver cell line L02 and hepatocellular carcinoma cell line HepG2, respectively. At the same time, the proteins expression of beta-catenin which was the key member in the Wnt/beta-catenin signaling pathway was examined by immunocytochemical method and Western blot technique.

[Separation and determination of puerarin, daidzin and daidzein in stems and leaves of Pueraria thomsonii by RP-HPLC].

Objective: To separation and determine the contents of puerarin, daidzin and daidzein in the stems and the leaves of Pueraria thomsonii, and to provide scientific basis for developing and using of the stems and the leaves.

Method: A RP-HPLC method was applied with a Diamonsil C18 column (4.6 mm x 150 mm, 5 microm) by gradient elution using methanol-1% glacial acetic acid solution as the mobil phase.

[Expression pattern of nitric oxide synthase in the retina of diabetic rats].

Objective: To investigate the expression of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) in the retina of 8-week-old diabetic rats, and explore the potential molecular mechanisms for the role of NO in diabetic retinopathy (DR).

Methods: Retinal gene expression profile of normal and 8-week-old diabetic rats was constructed with restriction fragment differential display polymerase chain reaction (RFDD-PCR). Bioinformatic analysis of the differentially expressed gene identified the genes coding for 3 subtypes of NOS, namely eNOS, nNOS and iNOS as the candidate genes related to DR, which was verified using semi-quantitative RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry.

[Expression of fatty acid binding protein in human breast cancer tissues].

Aim: To detect the expression pattern of fatty acid binding protein (FABP) in human breast cancer, and to find potential markers and therapeutic targets for breast cancer.

Methods: adipocyte-FABP (A-FABP), heart or muscle FABP (H-FABP), brain-FABP (B-FABP), epidermis or psoriasis FABP (E-FABP), liver FABP (L-FABP), intestinal FABP (I-FABP) and gastro-FABP (G-FABP) expression in 35 ductal infiltrating carcinoma and 16 fibroadenoma of breast were detected by RT-PCR, immunohistochemical staining and Western blot analysis, respectively.

Results: E-, L-, and H-FABP were up regulated significantly in ductal infiltrating carcinoma when compared with those in benign tissue (P<0.

[Expression of liver-type fatty acid-binding protein and vascular endothelial growth factor and their correlation in human hepatocellular carcinoma].

Objective: To detect the expression of liver-type fatty acid-binding protein (L-FABP) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and its adjacent liver tissues, and investigate the correlation between the expressions of L-FABP and VEGF and their role in the occurrence and progression of HCC.

Methods: Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and immunohistochemical (IHC) staining were employed to examine the expression of L-FABP and VEGF in HCC and its adjacent liver tissues obtained from the surgical specimens of 61 HCC patients who underwent liver resections in West China hospital.

Results: The results of RT-PCR showed that the expression level of L-FABP and VEGF in HCC was significantly higher than that in its adjacent liver tissues (L-FABP: 0.

[The expression of matrix metalloproteinases and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases in transplanted tumor of salivary adenoid cystic carcinoma cell lines].

Purpose: To study the differential expression pattern of MMPs and TIMPs in ACC-M and ACC-2 tumor model.

Methods: High and low metastatic tumor models were set up by transplantion of ACC-M and ACC-2 to nude mouse respectively. Then 3 mice in each group were selected randomly to detect the mRNA level of MMP-2, MMP-7, MMP-9, TIMP-1 and TIMP-2 using semiquantitative RT-PCR,GAPDH was used as internal control.

[The role of beta-catenin in rat embryonic development and tumorigenesis].

Objective: To investigate the role of beta-catenin as a key element of Wnt/beta-catenin signaling pathway in the development of embryonic liver and liver tumorigenesis.

Methods: Immunohistochemical method was used to examined beta-catenin proteins in 12-day (E12), 16-day (E16) embryonic rat liver, neonate rat liver, and in adult rat liver as well as in rat hepatoma. Beta-catenin mRNA was amplified in the above-mentioned samples by means of semiquantitative RT-PCR.

Comparative proteome analysis of breast cancer and adjacent normal breast tissues in human.

Two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (2D-PAGE) and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization tandem time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF/TOF-MS), incorporated with online database searching, were performed to investigate differential proteins of breast cancer and adjacent normal breast tissues. Considering that serum albumin is abundantly presented in normal control samples, 15 differential spots detected in 11 out of 12 (91.7%) breast cancer samples were identified by online SIENA-2DPAGE database searching and MALDI-TOF/TOF-MS analysis.

[Analysis of differential expression genes related to different metastasis potential of adenoid cystic carcinoma using restriction fragments differential display PCR].

Objective: To construct differential expression profiles of adenoid cystic carcinoma cell lines for screening candidate genes related to metastasis and to verify some candidate genes in adenoid cystic carcinoma.

Methods: Restriction fragments differential display PCR (RFDD-PCR) was used to set up gene expression profiles of adenoid cystic carcinoma cell lines-ACC-M and ACC-2, with high and low metastasis potential respectively. Candidate genes were screened through bioinformatics analysis.

[Role of Wnt/beta-catenin signaling transduction pathway in rat hepatocarcinogenesis].

Aim: To investigate the role of Wnt/beta-catenin signaling transduction pathway in rat hepatocarcinogenesis.

Methods: The mRNAs of Wnt1, beta-catenin, APC, cyclin D1 and c-myc genes were amplified by using of semiquantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) from normal rat livers, atypical hyperplasia livers and hepatoma tissues, respectively. Then the proteins expression of beta-catenin, APC and cyclin D1 was examined by immunohistochemical staining.

[Expression of Nestin, CK19, insulin, glucagon and somatostatin in embryonic pancreas].

Aim: To investigate the expression of Nestin, CK19, insulin, glucagon and somatostatin in the development of embryonic pancreas.

Method: Sample collection was conducted in accordance to the principle of informed consent. Immunohistochemical SABC method and LAB-SA for double satining were used to study the expression of the molecules in human embryonic pancreas.