Diagnostic value of two dimensional shear wave elastography combined with texture analysis in early liver fibrosis.

Background: Staging diagnosis of liver fibrosis is a prerequisite for timely diagnosis and therapy in patients with chronic hepatitis B. In recent years, ultrasound elastography has become an important method for clinical noninvasive assessment of liver fibrosis stage, but its diagnostic value for early liver fibrosis still needs to be further improved. In this study, the texture analysis was carried out on the basis of two dimensional shear wave elastography (2D-SWE), and the feasibility of 2D-SWE plus texture analysis in the diagnosis of early liver fibrosis was discussed.

Conversion of human adipose-derived stem cells into functional and expandable endothelial-like cells for cell-based therapies.

Background: Ischemic vascular diseases are the major cause of death worldwide. In recent years, endothelial cell (EC)-based approaches to vascular regeneration are increasingly viable strategies for treating ischemic diseases, but their applications are challenged by the difficulties in their efficient generation and stable maintenance. Here, we show an alternative protocol that facilitates the generation of functional and expandable ETS variant 2 (ETV2)-induced endothelial-like cells (EiECs) from human adipose-derived stem cells (hADSCs), providing a potential source of cells for autologous ECs to treat ischemic vascular diseases.

[DNA barcoding and its utility in commonly-used medicinal snakes].

Identification accuracy of traditional Chinese medicine is crucial for the traditional Chinese medicine research, production and application. DNA barcoding based on the mitochondrial gene coding for cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI), are more and more used for identification of traditional Chinese medicine. Using universal barcoding primers to sequence, we discussed the feasibility of DNA barcoding method for identification commonly-used medicinal snakes (a total of 109 samples belonging to 19 species 15 genera 6 families).

[DNA barcoding of COI gene in some medicinal animals of Lacertilia].

To identify some medicinal animals of Lacertilia, in total 59 individuals belonging to 12 species 7 genera 3 families, we used the universal barcoding primers to sequence these species, compared with other homologous sequences (564 bp) obtaining from the GenBank and finally constructed phylogenetic trees using Neighbor-joining, Maximum parsimony and Bayesian inference, respectively. As a result, the mean content of G + C (46.5%) was lower than that of A + T (53.

[Prime study of Gekko gecko in HPLC fingerprint].

Objective: To establish HPLC fingerprint of Gekko gecko.

Methods: The relative retention time and relative peak area of exteacts of Gekko gecko were determine by HPLC to confirm proper chromatographic condition and obtain the data.

Results: Better distribution of relative retention time and relative peak area were shown under the chromatographic condition and the HPLC fingerprint was established.

[The molecular mechanism of extravasation in mouse melanoma lung metastasis model].

Objective: To study molecular mechanisms underlying the extravasation of mice melanoma cells during lung metastasis.

Methods: B16-RED melanoma cell line was established which stably express the red fluorescent protein. B16-RED cells were compared with B16 cells in ability of proliferation and lung metastasis.

Hyperthermia increases the therapeutic efficacy of survivinT34A in mouse tumor models.

The use of survivinT34A mutant targeted disruption of survivin, the strongest inhibitor of apoptosis protein overexpressed in tumors, has proved a promising strategy for advanced cancers. However, hyperthermia, as a cytotoxic enhancer, regularly activates the expression of survivin to counteract the heat-induced antitumor activity. Here, we investigated the combinational antitumor effect by using liposome-encapsulated mouse survivinT34A and hyperthermia in mouse models.

Enhanced antitumor efficacy by blocking activation of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt pathway during anti-angiogenesis therapy.

Anti-angiogenesis has been a promising strategy for cancer therapy. However, many signal pathways are activated during anti-angiogenic treatment to counteract the therapeutic efficacy. Among these pathways, evidence has directly pointed to the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt (PI3K/Akt) pathway, whose activation resulted in tolerance to the absence of nutrients and oxygen when tumor angiogenesis has been inhibited.

[IL-15 enhance the therapeutic effects of whole cell vaccine in mouse CT26 colon carcinoma model].

Objective: To determine the enhancement effects of IL-15 to the tumor whole cell vaccine in tumor immunotherapy.

Methods: CT26 colon carcinoma model was established with BALB/c mice. Thirty two mice with CT26 colon carcinoma were divided randomly into four groups, which were subcutaneously injected at several spots with PBS (200 microL), CT26 whole cell vaccine (2 x 10(6) cells in 200 microL PBS), mIL-15 (20 microg, encapsulated with liposome in 200 microL 5% glucose solution) and CT26 whole cell vaccine (2 x 10(6) cells in 100 microL PBS) plus mIL-15 (20 microg, encapsulated with liposome in 100 microL 5% glucose solution) respectively every three days for six doses, the plasmid was injected beside the vaccine injecting spots.

[Anti-tumor effects induced by the DNA vaccine coding human and mouse soluble VEGFR2].

Objective: To develop a novel anti-angiogenesis strategy based on a DNA vaccine coding both human and mouse soluble VEGFR2.

Methods: The gene fragments coding human and mouse sVEGFR2 were amplified with PCR and cloned into pVITRO2 to generate pVITRO2-hm-sVEGFR2 recombinant. The in vitro VEGF blocking effect of the pVITRO2-hm-sVEGFR2 expression products on HUVEC cells were evaluated.

Vascular endothelial cell antigen (VECA), a novel secreted protein: overexpression in Escherichia coli of the hexahistidine- tagged protein and production of polyclonal antibodies.

A novel VECA (vascular endothelial cell antigen) was previously identified by using an antibody pool against antigens in HUVECs (human umbilical-vein endothelial cells). VECA has been evolutionarily conserved in vertebrate species ranging from frog and fish to mouse and human. Bioinformatics analysis indicated that VECA was 10.

[Selection of light source used for plant cultivation in controlled ecological life support system].

Objective: To select suitable light source for higher plant cultivation in the controlled ecological life support system of the future space station.

Method: The experiment was carried out in the Space Higher Plant Cultivation Ground-based Experimental Facility (SHPCGEF); four combinations of two red and blue light-emitting diode (LED) were utilized as light sources; soilless cultivation technique with porous ceramic tubes and porous ceramic particles was utilized in the growth system.

Result: The plants grown under the shelf of pure red LED showed a lying-down state in early stage, and stood erect in later period with slender and long stems; the plants under various combinations of red and blue LED grew with nearly normal state, but the plants under the combination of 90% red and 10% blue LED possessed the best comprehensive indexes.