Cyclophilin A promotes human hepatocellular carcinoma cell metastasis via regulation of MMP3 and MMP9.

Cyclophilin A (CypA) is a member of peptidyl prolyl isomerases (PPIases), which catalyze the cis/trans isomerization of prolyl peptide bonds on the NH-terminal side of Pro residues in peptide chains. Altered expression of CypA has been reported in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but the biological functions of CypA in HCC remain unknown. We found that the level of CypA expression correlated with the metastatic capability of two HCC cell lines, MHCC97-L and MHCC97-H.

[BP model for relation between anti-aging and four natures, five flavors and meridian tropism of Chinese prescription medicine].

Objective: To establish a scientific, rapid anti-aging prediction model.

Method: According to the institutional principle of Chinese prescription medicine and by using the theory and method of artificial neural network, a BP model was built up to cope with the relation between anti-aging and four natures, five flavors as well as meridian tropism of Chinese medicinal herbs.

Result: The accuracy that the model predicted the prescription's anti-aging index of superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX) was 93.

Targeting integrins in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Introduction: Integrins, which are heterodimeric membrane glycoproteins, consist of a family of cell-surface receptors mediating cell-matrix and cell-cell adhesion. Analysis of tumor-associated integrins has revealed an important relationship between integrins and tumor development, bringing new insights into integrin-based cancer therapies. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most malignant tumors worldwide and integrins appeal to be a novel group of potential therapeutic targets for HCC.

[Effect and mechanism of formation of intrauterine adhesion at different dose of estrogen].

Objective: To investigate the effect and mechanism of the formation of intrauterine adhesion (IUA) at different dose of estrogen.

Methods: Thirty-three New Zealand female rabbits were randomly divided into low estrogen group, normal physiological estrogen group, moderate estrogen group and high estrogen group. Animals of the low, moderate and high groups were ovariectomized (OVX) while normal group underwent sham operation.

Systematic analysis of gene expression level with tissue-specificity, function and protein subcellular localization in human transcriptome.

Recent studies have shown that, in mammals, the highly expressed genes have shorter gene length and their protein products have relatively lower evolutionary rates. However, the global relationship between genes' expression level and their features such as tissue-specificity, function and protein subcellular localization has not been investigated extensively, especially in mammalian. In order to solve it, we analysed 8,570 genes across 46 human tissues.

Mechanical force characterization in manipulating live cells with optical tweezers.

Laser trapping with optical tweezers is a noninvasive manipulation technique and has received increasing attentions in biological applications. Understanding forces exerted on live cells is essential to cell biomechanical characterizations. Traditional numerical or experimental force measurement assumes live cells as ideal objects, ignoring their complicated inner structures and rough membranes.

[Dynamic changes of landscape pattern and eco-disturbance degree in Shuangtai estuary wetland of Liaoning Province, China].

The main objective of establishing natural reserve is to protect its natural resources from human disturbances and maintain its critical ecological service values. This paper introduced the concept of hemeroby, and by using remote sensing technology, systematically assessed the dynamic changes of landscape pattern and eco-disturbance degree in Shuangtai estuary wetland of Liaoning Province, China. Firstly, a knowledge-based expert system was used to classify the landscape into three first-level types based on eco-disturbance degree, i.

Link of Dlk/ZIP kinase to cell apoptosis and tumor suppression.

Death-associated protein kinase (DAPk) family has emerged as a novel subfamily of pro-apoptotic serine/threonine kinase in the last 10 years. Although the functions of DAPk have been well documented, those of other family members remain uncertain. In this work, we characterized the expression pattern of human DAPk like kinase/Zipper interacting protein kinase (Dlk/ZIP kinase) in cancer specimens and cell lines.

Effects of Chinese herbal medicine combined with He-Ne laser on lipoperoxide and superoxide dismutase in chloasma patients.

Objective: To observe the effects of Chinese decoction and ligustrazin hydrochloride injection combined with He-Ne laser on lipoperoxide (LPO) and Superoxide dismutase (SOD) in patients with chloasma.

Methods: 90 cases of chloasma were randomly divided into the following two groups: a treatment group (of 54 cases) treated by a self-prepared prescription for toning the kidneys and relieving the depressed liver to remove blood stasis, ligustrazin hydrochloricde injection and He-Ne laser therapy, and a control group (of 36 cases) treated with oral administration of Vitamin E and Vitamin C plus external application of 20% Azelaic acid cream.

Results: The total effective rate in the treatment group was 79.

Characterization of a novel human CDK5 splicing variant that inhibits Wnt/beta-catenin signaling.

The cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) are a family of serine/threonine kinases, playing an essential role in regulating cell-cycle progression. In our present work, human CDK5 and a novel CDK5 splicing variant, named as CDK5-SV, were cloned from the cDNA library of human testis. CDK5-SV lacking the exon 7 of CDK5 encodes a protein of 260 amino acids.

The evolution, complex structures and function of septin proteins.

The septin family is a conserved GTP-binding protein family and was originally discovered through genetic screening for budding yeast mutants. Septins are implicated in many cellular processes in fungi and metazoa. The function of septins usually depends on septin assembling into oligomeric complexes and highly ordered polymers.

[Study on the molecular recognization of fungicide of kresoxim-methyl with beta-cyclodextrin and its derivatives].

The molecular recognition of fungicide of kresoxim-methyl with beta-cyclodextrin (beta-CD), methyl-beta-cyclodextrin (RAMEB)and hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin (RAMEB) was investigated by using UV-Vis spectroscopy analysis. The effect of temperature and polarity of solvent on the recognition interaction was studied. The driving force and the possible structure of the inclusion complexes were also discussed.

Proapoptotic function of integrin beta(3) in human hepatocellular carcinoma cells.

Purpose: This study evaluates the proapoptotic function of integrin beta(3) in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Experimental Design: The expression of integrin beta(3) in 67 HCC specimens paired with corresponding neighboring nontumorous tissue was studied by quantitative real-time PCR and Western blot. The proapoptotic function of integrin beta(3) in SMMC-7721 human hepatoma cells overexpressing ITGB3 (gene coding integrin beta(3)) was determined through colony formation, serum starvation, and anoikis assay.

[Effect of fibrinogen, fibrin and fibrin (ogen) degradation products on the tissue plasminogen activator and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 expressions of vascular endothelial cells in coculture system].

Objective: To investigate the effect of fibrinogen (Fg), fibrin (Fb) and fibrin (ogen) degradation products (FDPs) on tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) expressions of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) in coculture system.

Methods: Fg, Fb and FDPs at various concentrations (0, 0.5, 1.

[The functional mechanism between the pesticide Pyrimorph and humic acid].

In the present experiment, we mainly discussed the function mechanism between the humic acid and a new kind of fungicide Pyrimorph, aiming to play a positive role in the reduction of contamination caused by pesticides on environment. After the disposition step by step, the humic acid was separated into three parts. Then IR and fluorescence analytical methods were employed to explain the functional mechanism between the pesticide and each part of humic acid.

LAMA4, highly expressed in human hepatocellular carcinoma from Chinese patients, is a novel marker of tumor invasion and metastasis.

Purpose: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignant tumors in China. Hepatocarcinogenesis is correlated with a series of gene expression alteration. Here, we investigated LAMA4 gene expression in hepatocellular carcinoma on both mRNA and protein levels, expecting to explore the relationship between expressional abundances of LAMA4 and the clinical characteristics of HCC specimens.

Inhibition of highly pathogenic avian H5N1 influenza virus replication by RNA oligonucleotides targeting NS1 gene.

H5N1 avian influenza virus (AIV) has caused widespread infections in poultry and wild birds, and has the potential to emerge as a pandemic threat to human. In order to explore novel approaches to inhibiting highly pathogenic H5N1 influenza virus infection, we have developed short RNA oligonucleotides, specific for conserved regions of the non-structural protein gene (NS1) of AIV. In vitro the hemagglutination (HA) titers in RNA oligonucleotide-treated cells were at least 5-fold lower than that of the control.

Survivin mutant (Surv-DD70, 71AA) disrupts the interaction of Survivin with Aurora B and causes multinucleation in HeLa cells.

Survivin is associated with Aurora B, inner centromere protein (INCENP), and borealin to form a chromosomal passenger complex that plays multiple roles during cell division. We used mutational analysis to study interaction of Survivin with Aurora B and the effect of this interaction on cell division. A Survivin mutant with the terminal domain deleted (Survivin 1-107) bound Aurora B as efficiently as Survivin wild type.

Aurora C is directly associated with Survivin and required for cytokinesis.

Much recent attention has been focused on Aurora C, the third member of the mammalian Aurora kinases family that plays significant roles in mitosis. We report here that using sensitive RT-PCR to amplify the C-terminal, we found that Aurora C is not only expressed highly in testis, but also among 16 other human tissues in a broad-spectrum way. Aurora C, as a chromosomal passenger protein, is co-localized with Aurora B and Survivin in mitotic cells.

Cloning and characterization of a novel human Aurora C splicing variant.

In the last 10 years, Aurora kinases have emerged as the key proteins regulating many events during cell mitosis. Despite the wealth of studies on human Aurora A and B, little is known about human Aurora C. Here we report a novel splicing variant of Aurora C, named as Aurora C-SV (Aurora C splicing variant), which encodes a 290-amino-acid protein.

[A study on genetic epidemiology of cerebral infarction].

Objective: To explore the genetic model of cerebral infarction and to examine the relationship between cerebral infarction and genetic factor.

Methods: A matched case-control study including 112 pairs pedigrees was carried out. Using the Li-Mantel-Gart method and the Falconer method to estimate the segregation ratio and the heritability of cerebral infarction.