A Microtitre Plate Dilution Method for Minimum Killing Concentration Is Developed to Evaluate Metabolites-Enabled Killing of Bacteria by β-lactam Antibiotics.

Because, as of yet, there are few new antibiotics active against multidrug-resistant bacteria are being explored, compounds including metabolites that might help us tide over this crisis are greatly expected. A recently adopted method to evaluate the potentiation of metabolites is the plate-counting test. However, the method is time-consuming, strenuous, and unfeasible for a large scale of screening.

Inactivation of Nitrite-Dependent Nitric Oxide Biosynthesis Is Responsible for Overlapped Antibiotic Resistance between Naturally and Artificially Evolved Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Metabolic flexibility of Pseudomonas aeruginosa could lead to new strategies to combat bacterial infection. The present study used gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS)-based metabolomics to investigate global metabolism in naturally and artificially evolved strains with cefoperazone-sulbactam (SCF) resistance (AP-R and AP-R, respectively) from the same parent strain (AP-R). Inactivation of the pyruvate cycle and nitric oxide (NO) biosynthesis was identified as characteristic features of SCF resistance in both evolved strains.

Effects of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells transplanted via the portal vein or tail vein on liver injury in rats with liver cirrhosis.

The aim of the present study was to compare the effects of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) transplanted via the portal vein or tail vein on liver injury in rats with liver cirrhosis. BMSCs were isolated from rat bone marrow and labeled with green fluorescent protein (GFP). Then, the labeled BMSCs were injected into rats with liver injury via the portal vein or tail vein.

Disrupted interaction between CFTR and AF-6/afadin aggravates malignant phenotypes of colon cancer.

How mutations or dysfunction of CFTR may increase the risk of malignancies in various tissues remains an open question. Here we report the interaction between CFTR and an adherens junction molecule, AF-6/afadin, and its involvement in the development of colon cancer. We have found that CFTR and AF-6/afadin are co-localized at the cell-cell contacts and physically interact with each other in colon cancer cell lines.

Impact of experimental and demographic variables in serum peptide profiling based on magnetic bead and MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry.

Background: Serum peptidome profile is a promising tool to identify physiologic or pathologic conditions. Stable serum peptidome profiles with high quality are essential for serum peptidome research. The aim of this study is to examine the impact of experimental and demographic variables in serum peptide profiling.

[In vitro gene transfection by magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles and magnetic field increases transfection efficiency].

Objective: To evaluate the feasibility of using iron oxide nanoparticles as gene vector and the effect of magnetic field on efficiency of transfection.

Methods: Iron oxide nanoparticles were prepared by alkaline precipitation of divalent and trivalent iron chloride. The surface of iron oxide nanoparticles was modified by self-assembled poly-L-lysine to form particle complexes (IONP-PLL).

Poly(L-lysine)-modified silica nanoparticles for the delivery of antisense oligonucleotides.

Silica nanoparticles were prepared in a microemulsion system, using polyoxyethylene nonylphenyl ether/cyclohexane/ammonium hydroxide. The surface charge of the particle was modified with PLL [poly(L-lysine)]. PAGE demonstrated the ability of PMS-NP (PLL-modified silica nanoparticles) to bind and protect antisense ODNs (oligonucleotides).

A susceptibility locus at chromosome 3p21 linked to familial nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) poses one of the serious health problems in southern Chinese, with an incidence rate ranging from 15 to 50/100,000. Chromosome translocation t(1;3) and frequent loss of heterogeneity on short arms of chromosome 3 and 9 have been reported to be associated with NPC, and a genome-wide scan identified an NPC susceptibility locus on chromosome 4p15.1-q12 recently.

[Biocompatibility of poly-l-lysine-modified silica nanoparticles].

Background & Objective: Poly-l-lysine-modified silica nanoparticle(PMS-NP) was a novel non-viral vector for gene delivery. The current study was designed to evaluate the biocompatibility of PMS-NP for its further utilization in vivo.

Methods: Cell transfection and flow cytometry were used to elucidate the delivery efficiency of plasmid DNA and antisense ODN mediated by PMS-NP in the presence of serum-containing medium.

Expression of LRRC4 has the potential to decrease the growth rate and tumorigenesis of glioblastoma cell line U251.

Background & Objective: LRRC4 is a novel gene that the author has identified recently, which displayed significant downregulation in primary brain tumor biopsies. This study was designed to investigate if LRRC4 has the potential of suppressing brain tumor growth.

Methods: The full-length coding region of LRRC4 gene was subcloned into the expression vector pcDNA3.

IONP-PLL: a novel non-viral vector for efficient gene delivery.

Background: Non-viral methods of gene delivery have been an attractive alternative to virus-based gene therapy. However, the vectors that are currently available have drawbacks limiting their therapeutic application.

Methods: We have developed a self-assembled non-viral gene carrier, poly-L-lysine modified iron oxide nanoparticles (IONP-PLL), which is formed by modifying poly-L-lysine to the surface of iron oxide nanoparticles.

[Polymorphism of two novel SNPs, which locate on chromosome 9p21-22, in Han Chinese of Hunan].

Objective: To search novel SNPs in exons and regulatory regions of CDKN2A and two novel putative tumor suppressor genes NGX6 and UBAP1, which all reside on chromosome 9p21-22.

Methods: The exons and regulatory regions of those genes were amplified and sequenced in 96 subjects.

Results: Two novel SNPs were found, one resides on the sixth exon of UBAP1 gene and the other on the fourth exon of CDKN2A gene.

[Analysis of splicing variants in NASG 3'UTR, down-regulated in nasopharyngeal carcinoma, and its expression in multiple cancer tissues].

Background & Objective: NASG gene, a tissue-specific gene of human nasopharyngeal epithelium was isolated by suppression subtractive hybridization. This study was designed to analyze splicing variants in NASG 3'untranslated region (UTR) and its expression profiling in multiple cancer tissues.

Methods: The PCR primers were designed in NASG 3'UTR around the splicing variants and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was performed.

[Expression of connexin43 and connexin45 in nasopharyngeal carcinoma].

Background And Objective: The gap junction plays an important role in the exchange of nutrients, ions, and regulatory molecules between cells. It will result in an uncontrolled cell proliferation if it is abnormal. It was reported that some cancer tissues and cancer cells had abnormal gap junction and restoration of the gap junction function could revert the cancer cells to a normal phenotype.