Assessing sequence and relationship of regional maturation in corpus callosum and internal capsule in preterm and term newborns by diffusion-tensor imaging.

Background: Diffusion-tensor imaging (DTI) can be used to investigate water diffusion in living tissue.

Objective: To investigate sequence and relationship of regional maturation in corpus callosum (CC) and internal capsule (IC) in preterm and term.

Methods: DTI was performed on 11 preterm infants at less than 37 weeks of corrected gestational age (group I), 21 preterm infants at equivalent-term (group II), 11 term infants during neonatal period (group III).

[Effects of small interfering RNA (siRNA) against Par-4 gene on the apoptosis of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells].

Objective: The prostate apoptosis response factor-4 (Par-4) gene was originally identified by differential screening for genes that are up-regulated when prostate cells are induced to undergo apoptosis. Par-4 was found to possess potent apoptotic activity in various cellular systems in response to numerous stimuli. The aim of this study was to explore the effects of small interfering RNA (siRNA) against Par-4 gene on the apoptosis of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (hBMSCs) exposed to glutamate.

Multimolecular complex of Par-4 and E2F1 binding to Smac promoter contributes to glutamate-induced apoptosis in human- bone mesenchymal stem cells.

Neural cells undergo glutamate-induced apoptosis in ischaemic brain tissue, in which prostate apoptosis response-4 gene (Par-4) is involved. Human-bone mesenchymal stem cells can be utilized as an effective therapy for ischemic brain injury. In this study, we found that glutamate could induce apoptosis in human-bone mesenchymal stem cells, accompanied by increased expression of Par-4 gene and Smac release from mitochondria.

[Effects of Par-4 gene silencing induced by siRNA on the expression of Smac gene, activity of caspase-3, and apoptosis of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells].

Objective: To investigate the effects of Par-4 gene silencing induced by siRNA on the expression of Smac gene, activity of caspase-3, and apoptosis of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (hBMSCs).

Methods: Bone marrow was obtained from a healthy young man and hBMSCs were isolated and cultured. Two siRNAs (Par-4-siRNA-1 and -2) targeting Par-4 gene were chemically synthesized.