The inflammatory cytokine profiles and ocular biometric characteristics of primary angle-closure glaucoma.

Objective: To investigate the pathogenesis of primary angle-closure disease (PACG) by measuring the anatomical structures of the anterior and posterior segments of the eye and inflammatory markers in the peripheral blood.

Methods: This case-control study enrolled patients diagnosed with acute PACG (APACG) and chronic PACG (CPACG). It also enrolled control subjects without PACG.

[Prognostic analysis of 42 patients with gastric neuroendocrine carcinoma].

Objective: To investigate the clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis of gastric neuroendocrine carcinoma (NEC).

Methods: Clinical data of 42 patients with gastric neuroendocrine carcinoma admitted in the Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University between May 2006 and July 2011 were analyzed retrospectively. The prognostic factors were determined by Log-rank test.

[Efficacy observation of paralleled clipping of rectal ligament in resection of rectal cancer in obese male patients].

Objective: To investigate the approach and efficacy of dealing the rectal ligament in resection of rectal cancer in obese male patients.

Methods: A total of 92 patients (BMI>25 kg/m(2)) undergoing resection of rectal cancer from December 2008 to December 2010 in Henan Tumor hospital were assigned into 2 groups according to the surgical technique, the modified group (paralleled clipping of rectal ligament, 48 patients) and traditional group (44 patients). Operative time, intra-operational bleeding, rectal ulceration, ureteral injury, mesorectal integrity, and positive rate of lateral margin of pelvic wall were compared between two groups.

Tumorigenic effect of some commonly used moisturizing creams when applied topically to UVB-pretreated high-risk mice.

Irradiation of SKH-1 mice with UVB (30 mJ cm(-2)) twice a week for 20 weeks resulted in mice with a high risk of developing skin tumors over the next several months in the absence of further irradiation with UVB (high-risk mice). Topical applications of 100 mg of Dermabase, Dermovan, Eucerin Original Moisturizing Cream (Eucerin), or Vanicream once a day, 5 days a week for 17 weeks to these high-risk mice increased significantly the rate of formation of tumors and the rate of increase in tumor size per mouse. Additional studies indicated that treatment of high-risk mice with Dermabase, Dermovan, Eucerin, or Vanicream for 17 weeks increased the total number of histologically characterized tumors by 69% (average of two experiments; P<0.

Effect of caffeine on the ATR/Chk1 pathway in the epidermis of UVB-irradiated mice.

Administration of caffeine was shown in earlier studies to enhance UVB-induced apoptosis and inhibit UVB-induced carcinogenesis in hairless SKH-1 mice. Here, we describe a potential mechanism for these in vivo effects. A single irradiation of mouse skin with UVB activated the ataxia-telangiectasia mutated- and Rad3-related (ATR) pathway, causing a severalfold increase in keratinocytes with phospho-Chk1 (Ser(345)) and a marked decrease in mitotic keratinocytes with cyclin B1 compared with baseline.

Establishment of hepatocellular carcinoma multidrug resistant monoclone cell line HepG2/mdr1.

Background: The multidrug resistance (MDR) associated with the expression of the mdr1 gene and its product P-glycoprotein is a major factor in the prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma cell (HCC) patients treated with chemotherapy. Our study was to establish a stable HCC MDR cell line where a de novo acquisition of multidrug resistance specifically related to overexpression of a transgenic mdr1.

Methods: The 4.

Stimulatory effect of oral administration of tea, coffee or caffeine on UVB-induced apoptosis in the epidermis of SKH-1 mice.

Oral administration of green tea or a caffeine solution, but not decaffeinated green tea, inhibits UVB-induced complete carcinogenesis in SKH-1 mice. Oral administration of green tea, coffee or a caffeine solution for 2 weeks enhanced UVB-induced increases in apoptosis in the epidermis, but these treatments had no effect in non-UVB treated normal epidermis. Our results suggest that administration of green tea, coffee and caffeine may inhibit UVB-induced carcinogenesis--at least in part--by enhancing UVB-induced apoptosis.

Stimulatory effect of voluntary exercise or fat removal (partial lipectomy) on apoptosis in the skin of UVB light-irradiated mice.

Earlier studies indicated that high dietary fat and obesity are associated with an increased risk of cancer at several organ sites in experimental animals and in humans. In a recent study we found that voluntary running wheel exercise decreased body fat and inhibited ultraviolet B light (UVB)-induced carcinogenesis in the epidermis of SKH-1 mice. In the present study we demonstrate that voluntary running wheel exercise stimulated UVB-induced apoptosis in the epidermis by a p53-independent mechanism, and voluntary exercise also stimulated apoptosis in UVB-induced tumors in tumor-bearing mice.

Overexpression of TIMP-1 mediated by recombinant adenovirus in hepatocellular carcinoma cells inhibits proliferation and invasion in vitro.

Background: Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and its natural tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs) are involved in cancer progression. This study was undertaken to determine the effects of overexpression of TIMP-1 on human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell growth, proliferation, and invasion.

Methods: Employing the efficient AdEasy(TM) system, recombinant adenovirus AdTIMP-1 containing full-length cDNA of TIMP-1 was generated by homologous recombination and amplified in 293 cells.

Caffeine and caffeine sodium benzoate have a sunscreen effect, enhance UVB-induced apoptosis, and inhibit UVB-induced skin carcinogenesis in SKH-1 mice.

Topical application of caffeine sodium benzoate (caffeine-SB) immediately after UVB irradiation of SKH-1 mice enhanced UVB-induced apoptosis by a 2- to 3-fold greater extent than occurred after the topical application of an equimolar amount of caffeine. Although topical application of caffeine-SB or caffeine enhanced UVB-induced apoptosis, both substances were inactive on non-UVB-treated normal skin. Topical application of caffeine-SB or caffeine (each has UVB absorption properties) 0.

Inhibitory effects of voluntary running wheel exercise on UVB-induced skin carcinogenesis in SKH-1 mice.

Earlier studies showed that oral administration of green tea or caffeine to SKH-1 mice inhibited ultraviolet B light (UVB)-induced skin carcinogenesis, decreased dermal fat thickness and increased locomotor activity. In the present study, the effects of voluntary running wheel exercise on thickness of dermal fat as well as on UVB-induced tumorigenesis in SKH-1 mice were studied in UVB-initiated high-risk and UVB-induced complete carcinogenesis models. In the high-risk model, animals were exposed to UVB (30 mJ/cm(2)) 3 times/week for 16 weeks.

Administration of green tea or caffeine enhances the disappearance of UVB-induced patches of mutant p53 positive epidermal cells in SKH-1 mice.

Irradiation of female SKH-1 hairless mice with UVB (30 mJ/cm2) twice a week for 10-20 weeks resulted in the formation of a large number of cellular patches (>8 adjacent cells/patch) that are recognized with an antibody (Pab240) which recognizes mutated but not wild-type p53 protein. These patches are not recognized by an antibody (Pab1620) to wild-type p53 protein. The patches, which are considered putative early cellular markers of the beginning of tumor formation, started appearing after 4-6 weeks of UVB treatment, and multiple patches were observed after treatment for 10 weeks.

Inhibitory effect of topical applications of nondenatured soymilk on the formation and growth of UVB-induced skin tumors.

Treatment of female SKH-1 hairless mice with ultraviolet B light twice a week for 20 weeks resulted in a population of tumor-free mice with a high risk of developing skin tumors during the next several months in the absence of additional UVB treatment (high-risk mice). Topical applications of nondenatured soymilk but not heat-denatured soymilk once a day, 5 days a week to these high-risk mice inhibited the formation and growth of skin tumors. Similar topical applications of soybean trypsin inhibitor or Bowman-Birk inhibitor also inhibited the formation and growth of skin tumors, but these agents were less active than nondenatured soymilk.

Stimulatory effect of topical application of caffeine on UVB-induced apoptosis in the epidermis of p53 and Bax knockout mice.

Shaved male or female p53(-/-) C57BL/6J mice and their wild-type littermates were irradiated once with UVB (60 mJ/cm(2)). The UVB-induced increase in apoptotic sunburn cells in p53(-/-) mice at 6-10 h after exposure to UVB was only 10-30% of that observed after treatment of p53(+/+) mice with UVB. Topical applications of caffeine immediately after UVB irradiation in female p53(+/+) or p53(-/-) mice enhanced the UVB-induced increase in apoptotic sunburn cells 6 h later by 127% and 563%, respectively.

Stimulatory effect of topical application of caffeine on UVB-induced apoptosis in mouse skin.

In an earlier study, we showed that oral administration of green tea or caffeine to SKH-1 mice for 2 weeks prior to a single application of UVB enhanced UVB-induced increases in the number of p53-positive cells, p21(WAF1/CIP1)-positive cells, and apoptotic sunburn cells in the epidermis. In the present study, we found that topical application of caffeine, a major chemopreventive agent in tea, to the dorsal skin of SKH-1 mice immediately after irradiation with UVB (30 mJ/cm2) enhanced UVB-induced apoptosis as measured by the number of morphologically distinct epidermal apoptotic sunburn cells and the number of caspase 3-positive cells. Time course studies indicated that UVB-induced increases in apoptotic sunburn cells were correlated with elevated levels of caspase 3, a key protease that becomes activated during an early stage of apoptosis.

Topical applications of caffeine or (-)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) inhibit carcinogenesis and selectively increase apoptosis in UVB-induced skin tumors in mice.

SKH-1 hairless mice were irradiated with ultraviolet B (UVB) twice weekly for 20 weeks. These tumor-free mice, which had a high risk of developing skin tumors during the next several months, were then treated topically with caffeine (6.2 micromol) or (-)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG; 6.