[Effects of heat-reinforcing acupuncture on urine metabolites in rheumatoid arthritis rabbits].

Objective: To compare the effects of different acupuncture methods on urine metabolites in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) rabbits, and to explore the specificity mechanism of heat-reinforcing acupuncture for RA.

Methods: A total of 40 clean purple-blue rabbits were randomly allocated to a normal group, a model group, a mild reinforcing-reducing needling (MRRN) group, a twirling-reinforcing needling (TRN) group and a heat-reinforcing needling (HRN) group, 8 rabbits in each one. Except the normal group, the rabbits in the remaining groups were treated with ovalbumin and freezing to establish RA model.

Metabolic Profiling of Plasma in Gestational Diabetes Mellitus Using Liquid Chromatography and Q-TOF Mass Spectrometry.

Background: To delineate the metabolomic profiling and identify early diagnostic biomarkers in maternal plasma from the pregnant women who subsequently developed gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) using liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC-Q-TOF MS).

Methods: Plasma samples were collected from GDM pregnant women (n = 30) and healthy controls (n = 30) at the 20th gestational week in Huzhou Central Hospital and Huzhou Maternal and Child Health Hospital. The principle component analysis (PCA), partial least-squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA), and orthogonal PLS (OPLS) were sequentially applied to discover the differential metabolites for GDM diagnosis.

Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry-Based Metabolomic Profiling Reveals Alterations in Mouse Plasma and Liver in Response to Fava Beans.

Favism is a life-threatening hemolytic anemia resulting from the intake of fava beans by susceptible individuals with low erythrocytic glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) activity. However, little is known about the metabolomic changes in plasma and liver after the intake of fava beans in G6PD normal and deficient states. In this study, gas chromatography/mass spectrometry was used to analyze the plasma and liver metabolic alterations underlying the effects of fava beans in C3H- and G6PD-deficient (G6PDx) mice, and to find potential biomarkers and metabolic changes associated with favism.

Investigation into the role of catabolite control protein A in the metabolic regulation of serotype 2 using gene expression profile analysis.

Catabolite control protein A (CcpA) serves a key function in the catabolism of serotype 2 () by affecting the biological function and metabolic regulatory mechanisms of this bacterium. The aim of the present study was to identify variations in CcpA expression in using gene expression profile analysis. Using sequencing and functional analysis, CcpA was demonstrated to play a regulatory role in the expression and regulation of virulence genes, carbon metabolism and immunoregulation in .

A systematic analysis of predicted MiR-31-targets identifies a diagnostic and prognostic signature for lung cancer.

Introduction: Recent studies have shown that miR-31 could play a potential role as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers of several cancers including lung cancer. The aim of this study is to globally summarize the predicting targets of miR-31 and their potential function, pathways and networks, which are involved in the biological behavior of lung cancer.

Methods: We have conducted the natural language processing (NLP) analysis to identify lung cancer-related molecules in our previous work.

A study on the extraction process of active ingredients from Akebia Stem and an analysis of their anti-gastric cancer activity.

The study investigated the extraction process of active ingredients from akebia stem and an analysis of their anti-gastric cancer activity. Three different extraction methods were used to obtain extracts, namely the decoction method (group A), reflux extraction method (group B), and maceration method (group C), of which reflux extraction method and maceration method used ethanol as the extraction solvent, while decoction method used distilled water for extraction. The differences in anti-gastric cancer activity of the three extracts were compared.

The associated ion between the VDR gene polymorphisms and susceptibility to hepatocellular carcinoma and the clinicopathological features in subjects infected with HBV.

Aim: To evaluate the possible association between the vitamin D receptor (VDR), single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection.

Method: 968 chronic HBV infection patients were enrolled, of which 436 patients were diagnosed HCC patients, and 532 were non-HCC patients. The clinicopathological characteristics of HCC were evaluated.

RAGE genetic polymorphisms are associated with risk, chemotherapy response and prognosis in patients with advanced NSCLC.

Aim: To explore the association between genetic polymorphisms of the receptor for advanced glycation end-products (RAGE) and susceptibility, chemotherapy response rate and prognosis of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Method: This is a prospective study in which 562 patients with NSCLC and 764 healthy controls were enrolled. Three RAGE genetic polymorphisms, namely, -429T/C, -374T/A and 82G/S were genotyped.

CD146 expression correlates with epithelial-mesenchymal transition markers and a poor prognosis in gastric cancer.

CD146 has been regarded as a novel potential therapeutic target for multiple cancers. The aim of the study was to investigate the expression of CD146 in gastric cancer and evaluate its clinical-pathological and prognostic significance. The expression of CD146 and three epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related proteins (E-cadherin, β-catenin and vimentin) was examined in 144 gastric cancers by immunohistochemistry.

Identification of serum biomarkers for lung cancer using magnetic bead-based SELDI-TOF-MS.

Aim: To identify novel serum biomarkers for lung cancer diagnosis using magnetic bead-based surface-enhanced laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrum (SELDI-TOF-MS).

Methods: The protein fractions of 121 serum specimens from 30 lung cancer patients, 30 pulmonary tuberculosis patients and 33 healthy controls were enriched using WCX magnetic beads and subjected to SELDI-TOF-MS. The spectra were analyzed using Bio-marker Wizard version 3.

Association of two polymorphisms within and near SOCS3 gene with obesity in three nationalities in Xinjiang province of China.

Aim: SOCS3 gene plays an important role in the pathogenesis of obesity in animal models, but the data from human studies are relatively limited. To address this issue, a genetic association analysis on nationalities with different genetic background living in the similar environmental conditions was performed.

Methods: Two thousand seven hundred eleven subjects were randomly recruited from the Kazakh, Uygur and Han nationalities in Xinjiang of China.

Proteomic analysis identified DJ-1 as a cisplatin resistant marker in non-small cell lung cancer.

The aim of study is to identify cisplatin-resistance associated biomarkers for non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLC). We use two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE) combined with MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry to compare the proteome between lung cancer cell line A549 and its cisplatin-resistant subline A549/DDP. Nine cisplatin resistance-related proteins were identified, and DJ-1, one of the differently expressed proteins, was selected for further validation and evaluation.

GC/MS-based metabolomic approach to validate the role of urinary sarcosine and target biomarkers for human prostate cancer by microwave-assisted derivatization.

A recent study showed that sarcosine may be potentially useful for the diagnosis and prognosis of prostate cancer (PCa). The aim of this study was to validate diagnostic value of sarcosine for PCa, to evaluate urine metabolomic profiles in patients with PCa in comparison of non-cancerous control, and to further explore the other potential metabolic biomarkers for PCa. Isotope dilution gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (ID GC/MS) metabolomic approach was applied to evaluate sarcosine using [methyl-D(3)]-sarcosine as an internal standard.

miRNA-145 inhibits non-small cell lung cancer cell proliferation by targeting c-Myc.

MicroRNAs are important gene regulators that potentially play a profound role in tumorigenesis. Increasing evidence indicates that miR-145 is a tumor suppressor capable of inhibiting breast and colon cancer cell growth both in vitro and in vivo. However, the biological function of miR-145 in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is largely unknown.

miR-199a regulates the tumor suppressor mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase 11 in gastric cancer.

Small noncoding microRNAs (miRNAs) have been shown to play an important role in tumor proliferation and metastasis. However, their function and mechanism in the proliferation and metastasis of gastric cancer has not yet been elucidated. Here, we investigated the relationship between miRNA-199a and gastric cancer proliferation and metastasis.

Interruption of β-catenin suppresses the EGFR pathway by blocking multiple oncogenic targets in human glioma cells.

Malignant gliomas are the most common type of intrinsic central nervous system (CNS) tumors with high mortality and morbidity. β-catenin is overexpressed in human glioblastoma and knockdown of β-catenin inhibits glioblastoma cell proliferation and invasive ability, and induces apoptotic cell death. Furthermore, treating the nude mice carrying established subcutaneous LN229 gliomas with siRNA targeting β-catenin intratumorally also delayed the tumor growth.

The combination of stem cell markers CD133 and ABCG2 predicts relapse in stage I non-small cell lung carcinomas.

The aim of the study was to investigate the expression of two cancer stem cell markers CD133 and ATP-binding cassette superfamily G member 2 (ABCG2) in non-small cell lung carcinomas (NSCLC) and evaluate their prognostic values for postoperative relapse. The expression levels of CD133 and ABCG2 in 145 stage I NSCLC tumors were detected by immunohistochemistry. Positive CD133 and ABCG2 expression was defined in 31.

Global changes of mRNA expression reveals an increased activity of the interferon-induced signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) pathway by repression of miR-221/222 in glioblastoma U251 cells.

MicroRNA (miR)-221 and miR-222 are frequently upregulated in various types of human malignancy including glioblastoma. Previous studies have identified some targets of miR-221 and miR-222, such as p27 and p57. Inter-relationship between miR-221 and miR-222 expression and global mRNA expression remains elusive.

Metabolomic investigation of gastric cancer tissue using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry.

Gastric cancer screening or diagnosis is mainly based on endoscopy and biopsy. The aim of this study was to identify the difference of metabolomic profile between normal and malignant gastric tissue, and to further explore tumor biomarkers. Chemical derivatization together with gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) was utilized to obtain the metabolomic information of the malignant and non-malignant tissues of gastric mucosae in 18 gastric cancer patients.

Metabolomic study for diagnostic model of oesophageal cancer using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry.

The prognosis for oesophageal cancer is poor. Attempts have been made for the identification of biomarkers for early diagnosis. Metabolomic panel has been evaluated as potential candidate biomarkers.

Metabolomic profiling of human urine in hepatocellular carcinoma patients using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry.

With the technique of metabolomics, gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS), urine or serum metabolites can be assayed to explore disease biomarkers. In this work, we present a metabolomic method to investigate the urinary metabolic difference between hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC, n - 20) male patients and normal male subjects (n - 20). The urinary endogenous metabolome was assayed using chemical derivatization followed by GC/MS.

An integrative multi-platform analysis for discovering biomarkers of osteosarcoma.

Background: SELDI-TOF-MS (Surface Enhanced Laser Desorption/Ionization-Time of Flight-Mass Spectrometry) has become an attractive approach for cancer biomarker discovery due to its ability to resolve low mass proteins and high-throughput capability. However, the analytes from mass spectrometry are described only by their mass-to-charge ratio (m/z) values without further identification and annotation. To discover potential biomarkers for early diagnosis of osteosarcoma, we designed an integrative workflow combining data sets from both SELDI-TOF-MS and gene microarray analysis.

PlantQTL-GE: a database system for identifying candidate genes in rice and Arabidopsis by gene expression and QTL information.

We have designed and implemented a web-based database system, called PlantQTL-GE, to facilitate quantitatine traits locus (QTL) based candidate gene identification and gene function analysis. We collected a large number of genes, gene expression information in microarray data and expressed sequence tags (ESTs) and genetic markers from multiple sources of Oryza sativa and Arabidopsis thaliana. The system integrates these diverse data sources and has a uniform web interface for easy access.

Drought tolerance genes in rice.

Quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for drought tolerance (DT) can be readily identified in available databases and in this paper, these QTLs were summarized in the form of a consensus map. An in silico strategy was then deployed to mine for candidate genes associated with DT QTLs using rice dbEST and rice genome databases. DT QTLs on rice chromosomes 1, 2, 4, 8, and 9 were selected to test the method.