Selection and Characterization of a Novel DNA Aptamer, Apt-07S Specific to Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells.

Background: The efficacy of traditional therapeutic methods for liver cancer is unsatisfying because of the poor targeting, and inefficient drug delivery system. A recent study has proven that aptamers, developed through cell-SELEX, could specifically recognize cancer cells and show great potential in the development of a delivery system for anticancer drugs.

Purpose: To develop a hepatocellular carcinoma specific aptamer using two kinds of hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines, HepG and SMMC-7721, as double targets and a normal hepatocyte, L02, as a negative control cell.

Phytic acid attenuates upregulation of GSK-3β and disturbance of synaptic vesicle recycling in MPTP-induced Parkinson's disease models.

Heightened activity of glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β) is linked to the degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in Parkinson's disease (PD). Phytic acid (PA), a naturally occurring compound with potent antioxidant property, has been shown to confer neuroprotection on dopaminergic neurons in PD. However, the underlying mechanism remains unclear.

RNAi-mediated gene silencing of vascular endothelial growth factor C suppresses growth and induces apoptosis in mouse breast cancer and .

Vascular endothelial cell growth factor (VEGF)-C promotes tumorigenesis by allowing lymph node metastasis and lymphangiogenesis, among other actions. RNA interference (RNAi) is a novel technique for suppressing target gene expression and may increase the effectiveness of cancer treatments. The present study assessed the influence of VEGF-C RNAi on the apoptosis and proliferation of mouse breast cancer cells and .

Antiviral effects of IFIT1 in human cytomegalovirus-infected fetal astrocytes.

The prominent feature of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is cell tropism specificity for human fetal nervous system, which leads to severe fetal nervous system damage especially in first-trimester gestation. In this study, human astrocytes isolated from fetal brain were infected with HCMV AD169 and whole genome transcriptome profile was performed. The results showed that the gene expression of interferon stimulated genes (ISGs), chemokine and chemokine receptors were significantly up-regulated (P < 0.

Downregulation of survivin expression exerts antitumoral effects on mouse breast cancer cells and .

Metastasis constantly occurs in the majority of cases of primary breast cancer at late stage or following surgical treatment. Survivin, a member of the inhibitor of apoptosis protein family, has long been recognized as a promising anticancer target, but its antitumor effects remain largely unexplored. In order to elucidate the role of survivin in breast cancer metastasis, short interfering RNA (siRNA) was used in the present study to specifically downregulate survivin expression in the murine breast cancer cell line 4T1.

Form-deprivation myopia induces decreased expression of bone morphogenetic protein-2, 5 in guinea pig sclera.

Aim: To identify the presence of various bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) and their receptors in normal sclera of human, rat and guinea pigs, and to determine whether their expression changed with form-deprivation myopia (FDM) in guinea pig sclera.

Methods: The expression of BMPs and BMP receptors were detected using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and immunofluorescence. Two-week-old guinea pigs were monocularly form-deprived with a translucent lens.

Chemically modified siRNA directed against the KDR gene inhibits the proliferation of breast cancer cells.

Vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 or kinase insert domain-containing receptor (VEGFR2/KDR) is secreted by most solid tumors, including breast cancer, and is an important mediator of angiogenesis. To observe the effects of KDR gene expression on cell proliferation and the cell cycle in MCF-7 cells in vitro and in vivo, we used chemically modified siRNA directed against KDR. The results revealed that chemically modified siRNA transfection of the KDR gene effectively inhibited the proliferation of MCF-7 cells, arrested cells in the G1 phase and down-regulated the expression of KDR.

[Study on influence of different dosage of vitamin E on peripheral blood cell activities in rats].

Objective: To investigate the influences of vitamin E (VE) at different dosage on peripheral blood lymphocyte (PBL) proliferation and anti-DNA oxidative damage activities and erythrocyte membrane fluidity.

Methods: 48 Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups including control group, VE1, VE2, and VE3 groups supplemented with 7.5, 50, 200, 750 IU/kg bw x d VE, respectively.