Synergistic effects of Rapamycin and Fluorouracil to treat a gastric tumor in a PTEN conditional deletion mouse model.

The tumor suppressor gene phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) in PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway is essential in inhibiting tumor growth and metastasis. However, whether the mutation of PTEN gene could induce tumorigenesis and impact the treatment of gastric cancer is still unclear. The purpose of the study was to investigate the combined treatment of gastric tumorigenesis using Rapamycin and Fluorouracil (5-Fu) through interfering with the Akt/mTOR pathway in a mouse model with PTEN conditional deletion.

Atorvastatin induces mitochondrial dysfunction and cell apoptosis in HepG2 cells via inhibition of the Nrf2 pathway.

Atorvastatin (ATO) is a 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase inhibitor widely used to treat hypercholesterolemia. However, clinical application is limited by potential hepatotoxicity. Nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) is a master regulator of cellular antioxidants, and oxidative stress is implicated in statin-induced liver injury.

Subchronic toxicity study of yttrium nitrate by 90-day repeated oral exposure in rats.

Concerns regarding the adverse effects of long-term exposure to low levels of rare earth elements (REEs) from foods on human health have arisen in recent years. Nevertheless, no official acceptable daily intake (ADI) has yet been proposed for either total REEs or individual REE. In accordance with the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) testing guideline, the present study was undertaken to evaluate the subchronic toxicity of yttrium, a representative heavy REE with higher contaminated level in foods in China, to achieve a no observed adverse effect level (NOAEL) which is a critical basis for the establishment of an ADI.

Metallothioneins attenuate paraquat-induced acute lung injury in mice through the mechanisms of anti-oxidation and anti-apoptosis.

Paraquat (PQ) is a widely used herbicide, and lung is the primary target of PQ poisoning. Metallothionein (MT) is a potent antioxidant and free radical scavenger, and has been shown to play a protective role in lung injury induced by different stressors. This study was undertaken to evaluate the protective potential of MT against PQ-induced acute lung injury using MT-I/II null (MT(-/-)) mice.

[The immunological responses induced by Mycobacterium tuberculosis heat shock protein 16.3 and its synthetic peptide in mice].

Objective: To evaluate the immune responses and resistance against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) infection in the mice induced by HSP16.3 of MTB and its synthetic peptide.

Methods: BALB/c mice were immunized subcutaneously 3 times at 2 week interval at the base of tail.

[Expression in E.coli and bioactivity assay of Micrococcus luteus resuscitation promoting factor domain and its mutants].

Objective: To express Micrococcus luteus resuscitation promoting factor (Rpf) domain and its mutants in prokaryotic cells, and to investigate their bioactivity.

Methods: The gene of Rpf domain and its mutants (E54K, E54A) were amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) from the genome of Micrococcus luteus and cloned into pMD18-T vector. After sequenced, the Rpf domain and its mutant gene were subcloned into expression vector PGEX-4T-1, and transfected into E.

Immune responses and protective efficacy of the gene vaccine expressing Ag85B and ESAT6 fusion protein from Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Genetic immunity is a new promising approach for the development of novel tuberculosis vaccines. In this study, it is shown that DNA vaccines expressing the fusion protein of antigen 85B (Ag85B) and early secreted antigenic target 6-kDa antigen (ESAT6) can induce high levels of specific IgG2a antibody subtype in the mice. With the prolongation of postimmunization time, the levels of IgG2a antibody decrease gradually.