Alterations of bone marrow-derived endothelial progenitor cells following acute pulmonary embolism in mice.

Pulmonary embolism (PE) is a common, lethal, ischemic disease. PE-induced endothelium injury plays a critical role in the pathophysiological consequences of PE. Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) can be mobilized from the bone marrow to enter circulation and play important roles in repair of damaged endothelium.

Feasibility and safety of transradial approach for catheter ablation of idiopathic left ventricular tachycardia.

Background: The feasibility and safety of the transradial approach for catheter ablation of idiopathic left ventricular tachycardia (ILVT) have not been evaluated. The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility and safety of transradial approach for catheter ablation in ILVT patients.

Methods: Thirty consecutive ILVT patients with negative Allen's test undergoing catheter ablation via transradial approach were enrolled to compare the safety and efficacy with 30 other ILVT patients who previously underwent catheter ablation via transfemoral approach.

Computational analysis of tissue-specific gene networks: application to murine retinal functional studies.

Motivation: The vertebrate retina is a complex neuronal tissue, and its development, normal functioning and response to injury and disease is subject to a variety of genetic factors. To understand better the regulatory and functional relationships between the genes expressed within the retina, we constructed an interactive gene network of the mouse retina by applying a Bayesian statistics approach to information derived from a variety of gene expression, protein-protein interaction and gene ontology annotation databases.

Results: The network contains 673 retina-related genes.

Copy-number increase of AURKA in gastric cancers in a Chinese population: a correlation with tumor progression.

The centrosome-associated kinase aurora A (AURKA) has been shown to be involved in genetic instability and to be over-expressed in several human carcinomas including gastric cancers (GCs). The chromosome locus of AURKA, 20q13, is frequently amplified in GCs, and the functional impact of such regions needs to be extensively investigated in large amount of clinical samples. Case-matched tissues of gastric carcinomas and adjacent normal epithelium (n=141) were included in this study.

Functional elucidation and methylation-mediated downregulation of ITGA5 gene in breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-468.

Expression level of integrin alpha5 in tumor cells has been indicated to be involved in cell proliferation and organ-specific metastasis. We previously demonstrated that ITGA5 expression was downregulated in the high invasive MDA-MB-468 cells compared with other breast cancer cell lines. In this study, we found that the methylation status in the region around transcriptional start site of ITGA5 gene was increased in MDA-MB-468 cells.

Diethyl (6-amino-9H-purin-9-yl) methylphosphonate induces apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in hepatocellular carcinoma BEL-7402 cells: Role of reactive oxygen species.

The primary purpose of this work was to study the mechanism of the anti-proliferation activity of compound diethyl (6-amino-9H-purin-9-yl) methylphosphonate (DaMP), a novel acyclic nucleoside phosphonate. Using cell survival MTT assay, flow cytometry analysis, DNA laddering, DCF fluorescence detection and caspases assays, this study investigated the effects of this compound on cell apoptosis, cell cycle regulation and reactive oxygen species in human hepatocarcinoma BEL-7402 cell lines. Exposure to DaMP at 80 microM for 24 h, BEL-7402 cells displayed a marked retardation of S-phase progression, leading to a severe perturbation of normal cell cycle.

Tyk2/STAT3 signaling mediates beta-amyloid-induced neuronal cell death: implications in Alzheimer's disease.

One of the pathological hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is deposition of extracellular amyloid-beta (Abeta) peptide, which is generated from the cleavage of amyloid precursor protein (APP). Accumulation of Abeta is thought to associate with the progressive neuronal death observed in AD. However, the precise signaling mechanisms underlying the action of Abeta in AD pathophysiology are not completely understood.

Pre-operative blood test for antibody to nucleus pulposus may distinguish types of lumbar disc herniation.

The types of lumbar disc herniation not only play a key role in planning therapeutic procedure, but also appear to be connected with prognosis. However, it is difficult to distinguish the types preoperatively. To the best of our knowledge, the intervertebral disc is the largest avascular structure in the human body.

Analysis of copy number variations of BS69 in multiple types of hematological malignancies.

BS69 was originally identified as an adenovirus E1A-binding protein and was found to be involved in multiple cellular events. A recent array-based study implicated the presence of copy number variations (CNVs) of BS69 in the genomes of acute myelogenous leukemia. CNVs are present in the general population at varying degrees and have been found to associate with various types of diseases including hematological malignancies.

High-resolution melting analysis of BLU methylation levels in gastric, colorectal, and pancreatic cancers.

BLU was recently characterized as a novel tumor suppressor gene (TSG), and was epigenetically silenced in some tumor cell lines and primary tumor samples. High-resolution melting (HRM) analysis has been used as a novel tool for analysis of promoter methylation. We used HRM analysis to detect the methylation levels of BLU gene in 100 gastric, 100 colorectal, and 70 pancreatic cancers, and also in an equal number of adjacent normal tissues for all.

Association of GSTT1, GSTM1 and CYP1A1 polymorphisms with susceptibility to systemic lupus erythematosus in the Chinese population.

Background: GSTT1, GSTM1, CYP1A1 are enzymes responsible for the detoxification of the toxicant which may be involved in the development of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). We examined the relationship between the risk of SLE and the polymorphisms of these genes in the Chinese population.

Methods: Samples from 298 SLE patients and 284 healthy controls were collected.

Semi-quantitative detection of GADD45-gamma methylation levels in gastric, colorectal and pancreatic cancers using methylation-sensitive high-resolution melting analysis.

Purpose: GADD45 is a family of proteins involved in DNA damage response and cell growth arrest. GADD45G was identified as an interleukin-2-induced immediate-early gene, and methylation of GADD45G was studied in various tumor cell lines and a few primary tumor samples. High-resolution melting (HRM) analysis has been used as a novel tool for analysis of promoter methylation.

Facile synthesis of novel benzotriazole derivatives and their antibacterial activities.

A series of benzotriazole derivatives (compounds ) were synthesized, and (compounds , ) of which were first reported. Their chemical structures were confirmed by means of H NMR, IR and elemental analyses, coupled with one selected single crystal structure (compound ). All the compounds were assayed for antibacterial activities against three Gram positive bacterial strains ( and ) and three Gram negative bacterial strains ( and ) by MTT method.

Activation of PPARdelta up-regulates fatty acid oxidation and energy uncoupling genes of mitochondria and reduces palmitate-induced apoptosis in pancreatic beta-cells.

Recent evidence indicates that decreased oxidative capacity, lipotoxicity, and mitochondrial aberrations contribute to the development of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. The goal of this study was to investigate the effects of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor delta (PPARdelta) activation on lipid oxidation, mitochondrial function, and insulin secretion in pancreatic beta-cells. After HIT-T15 cells (a beta-cell line) were exposed to high concentrations of palmitate and GW501516 (GW; a selective agonist of PPARdelta), we found that administration of GW increased the expression of PPARdelta mRNA.

Inhibition of SOC/Ca2+/NFAT pathway is involved in the anti-proliferative effect of sildenafil on pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells.

Background: Sildenafil, a potent phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) inhibitor, has been proposed as a treatment for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). The mechanism of its anti-proliferative effect on pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (PASMC) is unclear. Nuclear translocation of nuclear factor of activated T-cells (NFAT) is thought to be involved in PASMC proliferation and PAH.

The effects of HIF-1alpha on gene expression profiles of NCI-H446 human small cell lung cancer cells.

Background: Gene targeted therapy refers to any therapy focused on one of the many biological features of the tumor. Such features are mediated by specific genes that are involved in tumor metastasis, recurrence, poor response to chemotherapy and others. Hypoxia is an important pathognomonic feature of many malignant tumors including SCLC (small cell lung cancer).

High-resolution melting analysis of ADAMTS9 methylation levels in gastric, colorectal, and pancreatic cancers.

ADAMTS (a disintegrin and metalloprotease with thrombospondin motifs) is a family of proteins characterized by the presence of a metalloproteinase domain linked to a variety of specialized ancillary domains. The ADAMTS9 gene (ADAM metallopeptidase with thrombospondin type 1 motif, 9); has been characterized as a novel tumor suppressor gene in and epigenetically silenced in association with lymph node metastases in nasopharyngeal carcinoma. High-resolution melting (HRM) analysis has been used as a tool for analysis of promoter methylation.

[Treatment of fluorosis cervical canal stenosis by open-door cervical expansive laminoplasty using anchor fixation].

Objective: To evaluate the therapeutic effect of open-door cervical expansive laminoplasty (ELP) with anchor fixation on fluorosis cervical stenosis (FCS).

Methods: From February 2005 to February 2006, 20 patients with FCS underwent ELP using anchor fixation (group A) and 24 patients with FCS received ELP using conventional silk thread fixation (group B). In group A, there were 11 males and 9 females aged (58.

MicroRNA profile of the developing mouse retina.

Purpose. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short, noncoding transcripts that negatively regulate gene expression. They are implicated in diverse cellular processes.

Quasi-BLOCH oscillations in curved coupled optical waveguides.

We report the observation of quasi-Bloch oscillations, a recently proposed, new type of dynamic localization in the spatial evolution of light in a curved coupled optical waveguide array. By spatially resolving the optical intensity at various propagation distances, we show the delocalization and final relocalization of the beam in the waveguide array. Through comparisons with other structures, we show that this dynamic localization is robust beyond the nearest-neighbor tight-binding approximation and exhibits a wavelength dependence different from conventional dynamic localization.

Depressive symptoms and risk factors in Chinese patients with premature ventricular contractions without structural heart disease.

Hypothesis: Our objective was to study depressive symptoms and potential risk factors in Chinese persons with premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) without structural heart disease.

Methods: The Zung self-rating depression scale (ZSDS) was used to assess depressive symptoms. Correlations between depressive symptoms and sociodemographic and medical factors were analyzed by logistic regression.

High-resolution melting analysis of ADAMTS18 methylation levels in gastric, colorectal and pancreatic cancers.

A disintegrin and metalloprotease with trombospondin motifs (ADAMTS) is a family of proteins characterized by the presence of a metalloproteinase domain linked to a variety of specialized ancillary domains. ADAMTS18 is a putative tumor suppressive gene related to nasopharyngeal carcinoma. We used high-resolution melting (HRM) analysis to detect the methylation levels of ADAMTS18 gene in 100 gastric cancers, 100 colorectal cancers, 70 pancreatic cancers, and equal number of adjacent normal tissues.

BS69 undergoes SUMO modification and plays an inhibitory role in muscle and neuronal differentiation.

BS69, an adenovirus E1A binding protein, has been described as a co-repressor in association with various transcription factors. But its characteristics and exact biological functions remain largely unknown at present. Now we intensively investigated the localization of BS69 and its various truncated derivatives and found that: (a) BS69 forms oligomer through its C-terminus and (b) both PHD and MYND domain are important for the localization of BS69.