hepatic differentiation potential of human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells: Therapeutic effect on liver fibrosis/cirrhosis.

Aim: To investigate the hepatic differentiation potential of human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hUC-MSCs) and to evaluate their therapeutic effect on liver fibrosis/cirrhosis.

Methods: A CCl-induced liver fibrotic/cirrhotic rat model was used to assess the effect of hUC-MSCs. Histopathology was assessed by hematoxylin and eosin (H&E), Masson trichrome and Sirius red staining.

Effects and mechanism of adenovirus-mediated phosphatase and tension homologue deleted on chromosome ten gene on collagen deposition in rat liver fibrosis.

Aim: To evaluate the effects of phosphatase and tension homologue deleted on chromosome ten () gene on collagen metabolism in hepatic fibrosis and the underlying mechanisms.

Methods: Rat primary hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) and human LX-2 cells were transfected with adenovirus containing cDNA constructs encoding wild-type (Ad-PTEN), mutant gene (Ad-G129E), and RNA interference constructs targeting the sequence short hairpin RNA to up-regulate and down-regulate the expression of . HSCs were assayed using fluorescent microscopy, real-time polymerase chain reaction, and western blotting.

Immunopathology of inflammatory bowel disease.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) results from a complex series of interactions between susceptibility genes, the environment, and the immune system. The host microbiome, as well as viruses and fungi, play important roles in the development of IBD either by causing inflammation directly or indirectly through an altered immune system. New technologies have allowed researchers to be able to quantify the various components of the microbiome, which will allow for future developments in the etiology of IBD.

[Characteristics of soil organic carbon and total nitrogen under different land use types in Shanghai].

By the methods of field sampling and laboratory analysis, this paper studied the variations of soil organic carbon (SOC) and total nitrogen (TN) contents and SOC density under different land use types in Shanghai. Significant differences were observed in the test parameters among different land use types. The SOC density was the highest in paddy field (3.

Specific shRNA targeting of FAK influenced collagen metabolism in rat hepatic stellate cells.

Aim: To investigate the effects and mechanism of disruption of focal adhesion kinase (FAK) expression on collagen metabolism in rat hepatic stellate cells (HSC).

Methods: The plasmids expressing FAK short hairpin RNA (shRNA) were transfected into HSC-T6 cells, and the level of FAK expression was determined by both real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (Q-PCR) and Western blotting analysis. The production of type I collagen and type III collagen in FAK-disrupted cells was analyzed by real-time Q-PCR.