HBx affects CUL4-DDB1 function in both positive and negative manners.

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a major public health problem by affecting 350 million people worldwide. The mechanisms that regulate HBV gene expression and viral replication remain poorly understood. HBx is known as the central regulator for HBV replication and is associated with the CUL4-DDB1 ubiquitin ligase through H-box motif.

Identification of coregulators influenced by estrogen receptor subtype specific binding of the ER antagonists 4-hydroxytamoxifen and fulvestrant.

The aim of the present study was to investigate modulation of the interaction of ERα and ERβ with coregulators in the ligand dependent responses induced by the ER antagonistic compounds 4OHT and fulvestrant. Comparison with the modulation index (MI) profiles for the ER agonist estradiol (E2) will elucidate whether differences in the (ant)agonist dependent interaction of ERα and ERβ with coregulators expressed in MI profiles contribute to the differences in (ant)agonist responses. To this end, the selected ER antagonistic compounds were first characterized for intrinsic relative potency and efficacy towards ERα and ERβ using ER selective U2OS reporter gene assays, and subsequently tested for ligand dependent modulation of the interaction of ERα and ERβ with coregulators using the MARCoNI assay.

Intermedin inhibits uptake of oxidized LDL via CD36 pathway in RAW264.7 cells.

Intermedin (IMD) exerts a potent function in preventing atherosclerosis, while the mechanism remains unclear. Here we investigated the potential molecular mechanism responsible for the protective function of IMD in preventing foam cell formation in RAW264.7 cells.

Prescription patterns for tuberculosis treatment and adherence to treatment guidelines: a population-based study in Taiwan.

Purpose: Tuberculosis is a health threat in Taiwan. Previous research is mainly focused on patients' compliance, and research on medicines prescribed by physicians is limited. This study endeavors to present the prescription patterns of Tuberculosis treatment and its adherence to the guidelines.

Extending an in vitro panel for estrogenicity testing: the added value of bioassays for measuring antiandrogenic activities and effects on steroidogenesis.

In the present study, a previously established integrated testing strategy (ITS) for in vitro estrogenicity testing was extended with additional in vitro assays in order to broaden its sensitivity to different modes of action resulting in apparent estrogenicity, i.e., other than estrogen receptor (ER) binding.

Cell proliferation and modulation of interaction of estrogen receptors with coregulators induced by ERα and ERβ agonists.

The aim of the present study was to investigate modulation of the interaction of the ERα and ERβ with coregulators in the ligand responses induced by estrogenic compounds. To this end, selective ERα and ERβ agonists were characterized for intrinsic relative potency reflected by EC50 and maximal efficacy towards ERα and ERβ mediated response in ER selective reporter gene assays, and subsequently tested for induction of cell proliferation in T47D-ERβ cells with variable ERα/ERβ ratio, and finally for ligand dependent modulation of the interaction of ERα and ERβ with coregulators using the MARCoNI assay, with 154 unique nuclear receptor coregulator peptides derived from 66 different coregulators. Results obtained reveal an important influence of the ERα/ERβ ratio and receptor selectivity of the compounds tested on induction of cell proliferation.

A tenosynovial giant cell tumor arising from femoral attachment of the anterior cruciate ligament.

The localized type of tenosynovial giant cell tumor usually occurs on the palmar side of fingers and toes. Tenosynovial giant cell tumors of the tendon sheath are rarely intra-articular. We report a giant cell tumor of the tendon sheath arising from femoral attachment of the anterior cruciate ligament and its treatment with arthroscopy in a 28-year-old man.

[DNA damage response of epithelial ovarian cancer cells (primary culture) to chemo-radiotherapy].

Objective: To detect protein dynamic changes of cellular localization and the DNA damage response of epithelial ovarian cancer cells to chemo-radiotherapy.

Methods: 28 specimens of epithelial ovarian cancer were collected, with 6 cases diagnosed as borderline serous cystadenoma, 5 as highly differentiated, 6 as medium differentiated and 11 as poorly differentiated cystadenocarcinoma. Collagenase A was used for digesting tissues before primary culture.

[Effects of different transfusion on intraoperative blood loss and postoperative drainage volume in posterior lumbar spinal surgery].

Objective: To explore the effects of autotransfusion on intraoperative blood loss and postoperative drainage volume in posterior lumbar spinal surgery.

Methods: From June 2010 to January 2012, a total of 183 patients with lumbar disease were enrolled. There were 74 males and 109 females with an average age of 56.

Design, synthesis and bioevaluation of an EphA2 receptor-based targeted delivery system.

Because of its overexpression in a range of solid tumors, the EphA2 receptor is a validated target for cancer therapeutics. We recently described a new targeted delivery system based on specific EphA2-targeting peptides conjugated with the chemotherapeutic agent paclitaxel. Here, we investigate the chemical determinants responsible for the stability and degradation of these agents in plasma.

Direct Electrochemistry and Electrocatalysis of Horseradish Peroxidase Immobilized in a DNA/Chitosan-Fe₃O₄ Magnetic Nanoparticle Bio-Complex Film.

A DNA/chitosan-Fe₃O₄ magnetic nanoparticle bio-complex film was constructed for the immobilization of horseradish peroxidase (HRP) on a glassy carbon electrode. HRP was simply mixed with DNA, chitosan and Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles, and then applied to the electrode surface to form an enzyme-incorporated polyion complex film. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to study the surface features of DNA/chitosan/Fe₃O₄/HRP layer.

Kaiso interacts with p120-catenin to regulate β-catenin expression at the transcriptional level.

Background: We have reported that p120-catenin could regulate β-catenin transcription in lung cancer cells, but the specific mechanism is unclear.

Methods And Results: In this study, bisulfite sequencing PCR showed that the β-catenin promoter region in SPC-A-1 and LTEP-a-2 lung cancer cell lines has Kaiso binding sites sequences and CpG islands which may combine with Kaiso. The demethylating reagent 5-Aza-2'-deoxycytidine significantly upregulated β-catenin mRNA expression in lung cancer cell lines, whereas expression was significantly reduced following transfection with Kaiso.

Combination treatment for myeloproliferative neoplasms using JAK and pan-class I PI3K inhibitors.

Current JAK2 inhibitors used for myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN) treatment are not specific enough to selectively suppress aberrant JAK2 signalling and preserve physiological JAK2 signalling. We tested whether combining a JAK2 inhibitor with a series of serine threonine kinase inhibitors, targeting nine signalling pathways and already used in clinical trials, synergized in inhibiting growth of haematopoietic cells expressing mutant and wild-type forms of JAK2 (V617F) or thrombopoietin receptor (W515L). Out of 15 kinase inhibitors, the ZSTK474 phosphatydylinositol-3'-kinase (PI3K) inhibitor molecule showed strong synergic inhibition by Chou and Talalay analysis with JAK2 and JAK2/JAK1 inhibitors.

Positional change of hyoid bone after anesthesia in anterior surgery of upper cervical spine.

Background Context: The hyoid bone is used as a landmark in anterior upper cervical spine operations and is supposed to represent the level of C3 body. However, this correspondence between hyoid bone position and cervical level is not static and changes during surgery (extension after anesthesia).

Purpose: To find the cervical level corresponding to the position of hyoid bone before and after anesthesia and to evaluate the adequacy of its usage as a surgical landmark.

Over time, do anthropometric measures still predict diabetes incidence in chinese han nationality population from chengdu community?

Objective. To examine whether anthropometric measures could predict diabetes incidence in a Chinese population during a 15-year follow-up. Design and Methods.

Towards an integrated in vitro strategy for estrogenicity testing.

In order to define an in vitro integrated testing strategy (ITS) for estrogenicity, a set of 23 reference compounds representing diverse chemical classes were tested in a series of in vitro assays including proliferation and reporter gene assays. Outcomes of these assays were combined with published results for estrogen receptor (ER) binding assays and the OECD validated BG1Luc ER transcriptional activation (TA) assay and compared with the outcomes of the in vivo uterotrophic assay to investigate which assays most accurately predict the in vivo uterotrophic effect and to identify discrepancies between the in vitro assays and the in vivo uterotrophic assay. All in vitro assays used revealed a reasonable to good correlation (R(2)  = 0.

Abnormal expression of Pygopus 2 correlates with a malignant phenotype in human lung cancer.

Background: Pygopus 2 (Pygo2) is a Pygo family member and an important component of the Wnt signaling transcriptional complex. Despite this data, no clinical studies investigating Pygo2 expression in lung cancer have yet been reported.

Methods: In the present study, the expression patterns of Pygo2 were evaluated by immunochemistry in 168 patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

The effect of intermedin on angiotensin II and endothelin-1 induced ventricular myocyte hypertrophy in neonatal rat.

Background: Intermedin (IMD), a novel peptide related to calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) and adrenomedullin (ADM), may have localized actions as a modulator of cardiac function. The aim of the study is to explore the effect of IMD on angiotensin II (Ang II) and endothelin-1 (ET-1) induced hypertrophy in ventricular myocytes of neonatal rat and to try to elucidate the possible mechanism.

Methods: Neonatal rat cardiomyocytes were cultured in serum-free medium with and without AngII (1 micromol/L) or ET-1 (60 micromol/L) in the presence and absence of IMD (1 micromol/L).

Comparison of survival and tumor recurrence rates in patients undergoing liver transplantation for hepatitis B-related hepatocellular carcinoma using Milan, Shanghai Fudan and Hangzhou criteria.

Objectives: To assess the performance of the Milan, Shanghai Fudan and Hangzhou criteria based on a preoperative evaluation in patients undergoing liver transplantation (LT) for hepatitis B-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Methods: Using a prospectively collected database, the data of consecutive patients with hepatitis B-related HCC undergoing LT at the Department of Liver Surgery of Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiaotong University from January 2005 to December 2009 were reviewed. Overall survival and tumor recurrence rates of patients fulfilling the Milan, Shanghai Fudan and Hangzhou criteria were compared using log-rank test.

HSF2BP represses BNC1 transcriptional activity by sequestering BNC1 to the cytoplasm.

Basonuclin (BNC1), a zinc finger transcriptional factor, is essential for mouse spermatogenesis. However, the regulatory mechanisms of BNC1 in spermatogenesis are poorly understood. In this study, we identified HSF2BP, a testis-specific binding protein of HSF2, as a binding partner of BNC1 by using yeast two-hybrid screening.

Signal restoration combining Tikhonov regularization and multilevel method with thresholding strategy.

Singular value decomposition (SVD)-based approaches, e.g., truncated SVD and Tikhonov regularization methods, are effective ways to solve problems of small or moderate size.

A 155-plex high-throughput in vitro coregulator binding assay for (anti-)estrogenicity testing evaluated with 23 reference compounds.

To further develop an integrated in vitro testing strategy for replacement of in vivo tests for (anti-)estrogenicity testing, the ligand-modulated interaction of coregulators with estrogen receptor α was assessed using a PamChip® plate. The relative estrogenic potencies determined, based on ERα binding to coregulator peptides in the presence of ligands on the PamChip® plate, were compared to the relative estrogenic potencies as determined in the in vivo uterotrophic assay. The results show that the estrogenic potencies predicted by the 57 coactivators on the peptide microarray for 18 compounds that display a clear E2 dose-dependent response (goodness of fit of a logistic dose-response model of 0.

De novo hepatitis B virus infection from anti-HBc-positive donors in pediatric living donor liver transplantation.

Objective: The aim of this study was to analyze the incidence and risk factors of de novo hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection from hepatitis B core antibody (anti-HBc)-positive donors in pediatric living donor liver transplantation (LDLT).

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 46 recipients without pre-liver transplantation (LT) HBV infection evidence who underwent LDLT from October 2006 to May 2011 in our center. HBV markers, including hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and antibody (anti-HBs), anti-HBc, hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) and antibody (anti-HBe) were determined in both donors and recipients before LT and in recipients after LT.