RFX5 promotes the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma through transcriptional activation of KDM4A.

Regulatory factor X-5 (RFX5) represents a key transcription regulator of MHCII gene expression in the immune system. This study aims to explore the molecular mechanisms and biological significance of RFX5. Firstly, by analyzing ENCODE chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP)-seq in HepG2 and TCGA RNA-seq data, we discovered lysine-specific demethylase 4A (KDM4A), also named JMJD2A, to be a major downstream target gene of RFX5.

Diagnostic Value of Serum YKL-40 Level for Coronary Artery Disease: A Meta-Analysis.

Objective: This meta-analysis aimed to identify the value of serum YKL-40 level for the diagnosis of coronary artery disease (CAD).

Methods: Through searching the following electronic databases: the Cochrane Library Database (Issue 12, 2013), Web of Science (1945 ∼ 2013), PubMed (1966 ∼ 2013), CINAHL (1982 ∼ 2013), EMBASE (1980 ∼ 2013), and the Chinese Biomedical Database (CBM; 1982 ∼ 2013), related articles were determined without any language restrictions. STATA statistical software (Version 12.

CD4+CXCR5+ T cells activate CD27+IgG+ B cells via IL-21 in patients with hepatitis C virus infection.

Background: Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection causes the skewing and activation of B cell subsets, but the characteristics of IgG+ B cells in patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) infection have not been thoroughly elucidated. CD4+CXCR5+ follicular helper T (Tfh) cells, via interleukin (IL)-21 secretion, activate B cells. However, the role of CD4+CXCR5+ T cells in the activation of IgG+ B cells in CHC patients is not clear.

Absolute quantification of serum microRNA-122 and its correlation with liver inflammation grade and serum alanine aminotransferase in chronic hepatitis C patients.

Objectives: MicroRNA-122 has been shown to be crucial for efficient HCV RNA replication in vitro. Pretreatment intrahepatic microRNA-122 levels in chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients have been associated with the outcomes of interferon therapy. Here, we determined microRNA-122 serum levels in CHC patients and healthy donors using an absolute quantification approach and evaluated the correlation with liver inflammation grades and serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels.

In vitro interactions between rat bone marrow-derived endothelial progenitor cells and hepatic stellate cells: interaction between EPCs and HSCs.

Transplantation of bone marrow (BM)-derived endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) has been reported to improve liver fibrosis, but there is no direct evidence for the mechanism of improvement. We investigated the mechanism in vitro by coculturing BM-derived EPCs with activated hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) to mimic the hepatic environment. EPCs and HSCs were cultured alone and indirectly cocultured at a 1:1 ratio in a Transwell system.

In vitro inhibition of HBV replication by a novel compound, GLS4, and its efficacy against adefovir-dipivoxil-resistant HBV mutations.

Background: HBV infection continues to be an important worldwide cause of morbidity and mortality. Patients with chronic hepatitis B can be successfully treated using nucleoside/nucleotide analogues. However, drug-resistant HBV mutants frequently arise, leading to treatment failure and progression to liver disease.

Intestinal immune barrier integrity in rats with nonalcoholic hepatic steatosis and steatohepatitis.

Background: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has emerged as the major cause of chronic liver injury. Intestinal barrier plays an important role in the pathogenis of NAFLD. The aim of this article was to assess intestinal immune barrier function during the development of NAFLD.

Outcome of hepatitis C virus infection in Chinese paid plasma donors: a 12-19-year cohort study.

Background And Aims: Commercial plasma donation was introduced in China in the 1970s. Cases of non-A, non-B hepatitis (hepatitis C) continued to occur, with multiple outbreaks among plasma donors in Guan county, Hebei province between 1972 and 1990. The outcomes of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in these paid plasma donors from six villages of Guan county were followed up for 12-19 years.

Modulation of Ca²⁺ signals by epigallocatechin-3-gallate(EGCG) in cultured rat hippocampal neurons.

Green tea has been receiving considerable attention as a possible neuroprotective agent against neurodegenerative disease. Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) is the major compound of green tea. Calcium signaling has profound effects on almost all aspects of neuronal function.

α-2-HS-glycoprotein is a potential marker predicting hepatitis B e antigen seroconversion in patients with chronic hepatitis B during treatment with pegylated interferon alpha-2b.

The efficacy of interferon (IFN) is limited in about 1/3 of patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB). We used two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE)-based proteomic strategies to identify potential serum markers predicting hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) seroconversion in these patients during IFN therapy. Two groups of patients were enrolled: training and validation.

Inhibitory effect of human interferon-beta-1a on activated rat and human hepatic stellate cells.

Background And Aims: Hepatic stellate cells (HSC) are the primary cell type mediating hepatic fibrosis. Although known for its antiviral effects, the inhibitory effects of interferon-beta (IFN-β) on HSC treatment have not yet been established.

Methods: Both human and rat activated HSC cell lines were incubated with increasing concentrations of recombinant human IFN-β1a (rhIFN-β1a) for 24, 48 or 72 h.

Regulatory T cell depletion enhances tumor specific CD8 T-cell responses, elicited by tumor antigen NY-ESO-1b in hepatocellular carcinoma patients, in vitro.

Immunotherapy in hepatocellular carcinoma based on one or a few tumor specific antigens have shown limited antitumor efficacy. As a major suppressive factor in tumor immune response, better understanding of the role of regulatory T cells (Tregs) in hepatocellular carcinoma might be important for design of future immunotherapy-based clinical protocols. Tregs from 49 HCC patients and 40 controls were identified by flow cytometric analysis for the phenotype.

PI3K integrates the effects of insulin and leptin on large-conductance Ca2+-activated K+ channels in neuropeptide Y neurons of the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus.

The adipocyte-derived hormone leptin and the pancreatic beta-cell-derived hormone insulin function as afferent signals to the hypothalamus in an endocrine feedback loop that regulates body adiposity. They act in hypothalamic centers to modulate the function of specific neuronal subtypes, such as neuropeptide Y (NPY) neurons, by modifying neuronal electrical activity. To investigate the intrinsic activity of these neurons and their responses to insulin and leptin, we used a combination of morphological features and immunocytochemical technique to identify the NPY neurons of hypothalamic arcuate nucleus (ARC) and record whole cell large-conductance Ca(2+)-activated potassium (BK) currents on them.

Activation of phosphatidylinositol-linked novel D1 dopamine receptors inhibits high-voltage-activated Ca2+ currents in primary cultured striatal neurons.

Recent evidences indicate the existence of a putative novel phosphatidylinositol (PI)-linked D(1) dopamine receptor that mediates excellent anti-Parkinsonian but less severe dyskinesia action. To further understand the basic physiological function of this receptor in brain, the effects of a PI-linked D(1) dopamine receptor-selective agonist 6-chloro-7,8-dihydroxy-3-methyl-1-(3-methylphenyl)-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1H-3-benzazepine (SKF83959) on high-voltage activated (HVA) Ca(2+) currents in primary cultured striatal neurons were investigated by whole cell patch-clamp technique. The results indicated that stimulation by SKF83959 induced an inhibition of HVA Ca(2+) currents in a dose-dependent manner in substance-P (SP)-immunoreactive striatal neurons.

[Construction of eukaryotic expression vector expressing hepatitis B virus HBsAg and EGFP fusion protein and establishment of stable transfected Chang Liver cell line].

Objective: To construct a eukaryotic expression vector for expressing hepatitis B virus (HBV) recombinant HBsAg-EGFP fusion protein and obtain a stable transfected Chang Liver cell line.

Methods: The coding region of HBsAg gene of HBV was amplified by PCR and was digested by BamH I/EcoR I . This fragment was inserted into pEGFPN1 with T4 ligase and transformed E-coli TG1.

Activation of phosphatidylinositol-linked novel D1 dopamine receptor contributes to the calcium mobilization in cultured rat prefrontal cortical astrocytes.

Recent evidences indicate the existence of an atypical D(1) dopamine receptor other than traditional D(1) dopamine receptor in the brain that mediates PI hydrolysis via activation of phospholipase C(beta) (PLC(beta)). To further understand the basic physiological function of this receptor in brain, the effects of a selective phosphoinositide (PI)-linked D(1) dopamine receptor agonist SKF83959 on cytosolic free calcium concentration ([Ca(2+)](i)) in cultured rat prefrontal cortical astrocytes were investigated by calcium imaging. The results indicated that SKF83959 caused a transient dose-dependent increase in [Ca(2+)](i).

Redox modulation of long-term potentiation in the hippocampus via regulation of the glycogen synthase kinase-3beta pathway.

Alzheimer disease (AD) is an age-related neurodegenerative disorder. Many observations indicate that impaired redox regulation is implicated in AD with synaptic failure. The aim of the current investigation was to characterize the role of redox-active agents on long-term potentiation (LTP) in the CA1 region of rat hippocampal slices and to elucidate the molecular sequence of events leading to these changes.

Senescence marker protein 30 in acute liver failure: validation of a mass spectrometry proteomics assay.

Background: Our previous proteomic study showed that the senescence marker protein (SMP30) is selectively present in the plasma of a murine model of acute liver failure (ALF). The aim of this study was to validate this SMP30 expression in the plasma and liver tissues of mice and humans with ALF.

Methods: After the proteomic analysis of plasma from a murine model of D-galactosamine/lipopolysaccharide (GalN/LPS)-induced ALF by two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE) and mass spectrometry, the expression levels of SMP30 in the plasma and liver tissues were validated by western blot and RT-PCR analyses.

[Effect of glia maturation factor beta on the activation of hepatic stellate cells and on liver fibrosis].

Objective: To further study the mechanism of the inhibitory effect of interferon beta-1a (IFN beta-1a) on the activation of human hepatic stellate cell (HSC) LX-2, and to analyze the differences on the protein expression in LX-2 induced by I IFN beta-1a.

Methods: Cultured LX-2 cells were treated with 2000 U/ml IFN beta-1a for 48 h. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) was performed to compare protein patterns of the control (untreated) and IFN beta-1a treated LX-2 and for quantitative and qualitative analyses of protein expression.

Identification of novel molecular candidates for acute liver failure in plasma of BALB/c murine model.

In an effort to identify proteins involved in the disease process of acute liver failure (ALF), we investigated changes in the plasma proteome associated with d-galactosamine/lipopolysaccharide (GalN/LPS) treatment of BALB/c mice. The plasma samples from mice with ALF and control were screened for potential differences using two-dimensional electrophoresis followed by liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry or matrix associated laser desorption ionization-time-of-flight mass spectrometry. The expression levels of candidate protein named phosphatidylethanolamine binding protein (PEBP) in plasma and liver, brain tissues were confirmed by western blot and RT-PCR analyses.

Role of ISGF3 in modulating the anti-hepatitis B virus activity of interferon-alpha in vitro.

Background And Aim: Although interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) is an effective treatment for hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, its precise mechanism of action has not been identified. In this study, we investigated the role of signal transduction pathways in the activation of anti-HBV responses mediated by IFN-alpha.

Methods: Using an oligo microarray, we found that four genes in the IFN-alpha signal pathway were markedly upregulated by IFN-alpha in human hepatoma cells regardless of whether they had been transfected with a plasmid containing the HBV genome: signal transducers and activators of transcription 1 (STAT1), interferon regulatory factor-9 (IRF-9, also called ISGF3gamma or P48), IFN-alpha-inducible protein 15 (IFI-15) and IFN-alpha-inducible protein 6-16 (IFI-6-16).

Microsatellite instability and MLH1 promoter methylation in human retinoblastoma.

Purpose: To investigate the link between microsatellite instability and epigenetic silencing of the MLH1 gene in the human retinoblastoma genome.

Methods: Methylation at the 5' region of MLH1 was studied, along with its protein expression level by using immunohistochemical staining in 51 retinoblastoma tumors and 2 retinoblastoma cell lines. Also assessed was the genomic stability of 26 retinoblastoma DNAs from microdissected tumor tissue and matched normal retina tissue obtained from the same patient by microsatellite instability (MSI) analysis.

Hepatic differentiation capability of rat bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells and hematopoietic stem cells.

Aim: To investigate the different effects of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) on hepatic differentiation.

Methods: MSCs from rat bone marrow were isolated and cultured by standard methods. HSCs from rat bone marrow were isolated and purified by magnetic activated cell sorting.