Publications by authors named "Qun-Zhou Zhang"

The immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory functions of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) have been demonstrated in several autoimmune/inflammatory disease models, but their contribution to the mitigation of contact hypersensitivity (CHS) remains unclear. Here, we report a new immunological approach using human gingiva-derived MSCs (GMSCs) to desensitize and suppress CHS and the underlying mechanisms. Our results showed that systemic infusion of GMSCs before the sensitization and challenge phase dramatically suppress CHS, manifested as a decreased infiltration of dendritic cells (DCs), CD8(+) T cells, T(H)-17 and mast cells (MCs), a suppression of a variety of inflammatory cytokines, and a reciprocal increased infiltration of regulatory T cells and expression of IL-10 at the regional lymph nodes and the allergic contact areas.

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Increasing evidence has supported the important role of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in wound healing, however, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. Recently, we have isolated a unique population of MSCs from human gingiva (GMSCs) with similar stem cell-like properties, immunosuppressive, and anti-inflammatory functions as human bone marrow-derived MSCs (BMSCs). We describe here the interplay between GMSCs and macrophages and the potential relevance in skin wound healing.

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Gastrin and cholecystokinin-B receptor (CCK-B) were co-expressed in human gastric carcinoma tissues, suggesting that a functional autocrine loop, the gastrin and CCK-B receptor loop, may be presented in gastric cancer cells and play an important role in the pathogenesis and progression of gastric carcinomas. The present study was aimed at studying the effects of blocking the gastrin and CCK-B receptor loop on cell proliferation and apoptosis in gastric cancer cell line SGC-7901 cells (SGC-7901 cells). First, the expression of gastrin and CCK-B receptor mRNAs and gastrin protein in SGC-7901 cells were measured by RT-PCR and immunocytochemistry, respectively.

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Objective: To investigate the effects of green tea extract (GTE) and its major component (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) on the human papillomavirus (HPV) type 16 oncoproteins (E6 and E7)-induced expression of hypoxia-inducible factor-1alpha (HIF-1alpha) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in human cervical carcinoma cells.

Methods: Human cervical carcinoma cells of the line C-33A were divided to 4 groups to be transiently transfected with the plasmid HA-pSG5-HPV-16E6 containing the HPV type 16 oncoprotein E6, HA-pSG5-HPV-16 E7, or empty plasmid HA-pSG5, or just exposed to the transfection reagent Lipofectamine 2000 as mock transfection control group. Western blotting and ELISA were used to detect the protein expression of HIF-1alpha and the protein expression of VEGF 18, 24, and 48 h after the transfection.

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Aim: To compare the expression patterns of cholecystokinin-B (CCK-B)/gastrin receptor genes in matched human gastric carcinoma and adjacent non-neoplastic mucosa of patients with gastric cancer, inflammatory gastric mucosa from patients with gastritis, normal stomachs from 2 autopsied patients and a gastric carcinoma cell line (SGC-7901), and to explore their relationship with progression to malignancy of human gastric carcinomas.

Methods: RT-PCR and sequencing were employed to detect the mRNA expression levels of CCK-B receptor and gastrin gene in specimens from 30 patients with gastric carcinoma and healthy bordering non-cancerous mucosa, 10 gastritis patients and normal stomachs from 2 autopsied patients as well as SGC-7901. The results were semi-quantified by normalizing it to the mRNA level of beta-actin gene using Lab Image software.

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