[Preparation and identification of the polyclonal antibody against human insulin-like growth factor 2 mRNA-binding protein 3].

Objective: To construct the prokaryotic expression vector of insulin-like growth factor 2 mRNA-binding protein 3 (IGF2BP3), express and purify IGF2BP3 protein in E.coli, and prepare the polyclonal antibody against IGF2BP3.

Methods: The full open reading frame (ORF) of human IGF2BP3 was amplified by PCR, subcloned into pET-28a vector, and transformed into E.

Electrochemical DNA Biosensor Based on a Tetrahedral Nanostructure Probe for the Detection of Avian Influenza A (H7N9) Virus.

A DNA tetrahedral nanostructure-based electrochemical biosensor was developed to detect avian influenza A (H7N9) virus through recognizing a fragment of the hemagglutinin gene sequence. The DNA tetrahedral probe was immobilized onto a gold electrode surface based on self-assembly between three thiolated nucleotide sequences and a longer nucleotide sequence containing complementary DNA to hybridize with the target single-stranded (ss)DNA. The captured target sequence was hybridized with a biotinylated-ssDNA oligonucleotide as a detection probe, and then avidin-horseradish peroxidase was introduced to produce an amperometric signal through the interaction with 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine substrate.

Hepatoprotective effects of lignans extract from Herpetospermum caudigerum against CCl₄-induced acute liver injury in mice.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Herpetospermum caudigerum (HCD) is traditionally used for the treatment of liver diseases, cholic diseases, and dyspepsia as a well-known Tibetan medicine in China. The present study was designed to investigate the hepatoprotective effect of HCD and ascertain its active ingredients and possible mechanism.

Materials And Methods: Mice were orally administrated with different parts (seeds, testa and kernel) and fractions of HCD.

Overexpression of WAVE3 promotes tumor invasiveness and confers an unfavorable prognosis in human hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background: Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome verprolin-homologous (WAVE) 3 has been reported to be implicated in various malignant tumors, but its role in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains elusive. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of WAVE3 on the behaviors of HCC cells and to evaluate its clinical impact.

Materials And Methods: A total of 120 paired of HCC and adjacent non-cancerous tissues were used to detect expression pattern of WAVE3 by immunohistochemistry.

Mesenchymal stem cells mitigate cirrhosis through BMP7.

Background/aims: Transplantation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) has therapeutic effects on various diseases, while its effect on developing cirrhosis as well as the underlying mechanism remained largely unknown.

Methods: Twenty C57BL/6 mice were randomly separated into 2 groups of ten each. One group received transplantation of MSCs, while the other group received saline as control.

GPCR-mediated PLCβγ/PKCβ/PKD signaling pathway regulates the cofilin phosphatase slingshot 2 in neutrophil chemotaxis.

Chemotaxis requires precisely coordinated polymerization and depolymerization of the actin cytoskeleton at leading fronts of migrating cells. However, GPCR activation-controlled F-actin depolymerization remains largely elusive. Here, we reveal a novel signaling pathway, including Gαi, PLC, PKCβ, protein kinase D (PKD), and SSH2, in control of cofilin phosphorylation and actin cytoskeletal reorganization, which is essential for neutrophil chemotaxis.

Hepatitis B virus regulates apoptosis and tumorigenesis through the microRNA-15a-Smad7-transforming growth factor beta pathway.

Unlabelled: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection causes chronic hepatitis in hundreds of millions of people worldwide, which can eventually lead to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Previously, we found that HBV mRNAs can absorb microRNA-15a (miR-15a) to affect apoptosis through the Bcl-2 pathway. We asked whether HBV could inhibit apoptosis and promote tumorigenesis through different pathways.

Omega-3 fatty acids intake and risks of dementia and Alzheimer's disease: a meta-analysis.

Background: We systematically reviewed the association of omega-3 fatty acids intake with the incidence of dementia and Alzheimer's disease (AD) in this meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies, as evidence from previous studies suggests inconsistent results.

Methods: We identified relevant studies by searching PubMed, EmBase, and Web of Science databases up to June 2013. Prospective cohort studies reporting on associations of dietary intake of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids or fish with the incidence of dementia and AD were eligible.

Changes and overlapping distribution in the expression of CB1/OX1-GPCRs in rat hippocampus by kainic acid-induced status epilepticus.

Status epilepticus (SE) is a life-threatening neurological disorder. It is important to discover new drugs to control SE without the development of pharmacoresistance. Focus on the cannabinoid receptor and cannabinoid-related compounds might be a good option.

Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization: time of flight mass spectrometry-identified models for detection of ESBL-producing bacterial strains.

Background: The increase in the amount of extended spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBL)-producing gram-negative bacteria is seriously threatening human health in recent years. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a rapid and reliable method for identification of ESBLs. The purpose of this study was to establish a novel method to discriminate between ESBL-producing and non- ESBL-producing bacteria by using the matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) technique.

Blocking and reversing hepatic fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B treated by traditional Chinese medicine (tablets of biejia ruangan or RGT): study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Chronic hepatitis B (CHB) can progress to cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and ultimately liver-related death. Although oral antiviral therapy for patients with CHB reduces the risk of such complications, once cirrhosis is established, the benefits of antiviral therapy are not robustly demonstrated. According to traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), some Chinese herbal medicines promote blood circulation and soften hard masses, and therefore they may block and reverse hepatic fibrosis.

Comparison of acoustic radiation force impulse imaging and transient elastography for non-invasive assessment of liver fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B.

The aims of this study were to compare the performance of acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) elastography and transient elastography (TE) in the assessment of liver fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B and to evaluate the impact of elevated alanine transaminase levels on liver stiffness assessment using ARFI elastography. One hundred eighty consecutive patients with chronic hepatitis B were enrolled in this study and evaluated with respect to histologic and biochemical features. All patients underwent ARFI elastography and TE.

Hypoxia training attenuates left ventricular remodeling in rabbit with myocardial infarction.

Objective: Previous studies showed that hypoxia preconditioning could protect cardiac function against subsequent myocardial infarction injury. However, the effect of hypoxia on left ventricular after myocardial infarction is still unclear. This study therefore aims to investigate the effects of hypoxia training on left ventricular remodeling in rabbits post myocardial infarction.

[Clinical study of FibroScan efficiency for diagnosing size of oesophageal varices in liver cirrhosis patients].

Objective: To investigate reliability of FibroScan (FS) in diagnosing size of oesophageal varices (OV) in patients with liver cirrhosis.

Methods: A total of 260 patients with liver cirrhosis were enrolled in the study. All patients underwent endoscopy to assess OV stage and FS to measure liver stiffness.

The rtA181S mutation of hepatitis B virus primarily confers resistance to adefovir dipivoxil.

The study aimed to clarify clinical significance of hepatitis B virus (HBV) rtA181S mutation in Chinese HBV-infected patients. A total of 18 419 patients with chronic HBV infection from Beijing 302 Hospital were investigated. HBV complete reverse transcriptase region of polymerase was screened by direct sequencing, and the results were verified by clonal sequencing.

[Plasma sB7-H3 serves as an assistant diagnostic marker for hepatitis B virus-associated hepatocellular carcinoma].

Objective: To investigate the relationship between the expression of soluble B7-H3 (sB7-H3) in the plasma and hepatitis virus B-associated hepatocellular carcinoma (HBV-HCC).

Methods: Twenty-three patients with HBV-HCC and 15 healthy donors were enrolled in this study. The level of sB7-H3 in the plasma was detected by ELISA.

Investigation into drug-resistant mutations of HBV from 845 nucleoside/nucleotide analogue-naive Chinese patients with chronic HBV infection.

Background: This study aimed to clarify the clinical significance of drug-resistant HBV in nucleoside/nucleotide analogue (NA)-naive Chinese patients with chronic HBV infection in real clinical practice.

Methods: A total of 845 NA-naive patients who were admitted to Beijing 302 Hospital between July 2007 and March 2012 were included in the study. HBV drug-resistant mutations were examined by direct sequencing of the viral reverse transcriptase gene and verified by clonal sequencing.

MicroRNA-224 upregulation and AKT activation synergistically predict poor prognosis in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background And Aim: Previous evidence has shown that microRNA (miR)-224 may function as an onco-miRNA in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells by activating AKT signaling. However, little is known about the clinical significance of the combined expression of miR-224 and phosphorylated-AKT (pAKT) on human HCC. The aim of this study was to investigate the synergistical influence of miR-224 and pAKT on clinical characteristics and prognosis in patients with HCC.

Acoustic radiation force impulse elastography for non-invasive assessment of disease stage in patients with primary biliary cirrhosis: A preliminary study.

Aim: To investigate the diagnostic performance of the acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) elastography for the assessment of primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) stage.

Materials And Methods: Sixty-one patients with PBC in which liver biopsy and ARFI elastography measurements were performed in the same session were included in the study. The diagnostic performance of ARFI elastography for predicting the PBC stage was determined from the area under receiver operating characteristics (AUROC) curve analysis.

Non-invasive assessment of liver fibrosis in patients with alcoholic liver disease using acoustic radiation force impulse elastography.

Objectives: To investigate the diagnostic performance of the acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) elastography for the assessment of the liver fibrosis in alcoholic liver disease (ALD).

Methods: We included 112 patients with ALD in whom liver biopsy, ARFI elastography, and aspartate-to-platelet ratio index (APRI) measurements were performed.

Results: ARFI elastography correlated significantly with histological fibrosis (r = 0.

Assessment of the value of serum cholinesterase as a liver function test for cirrhotic patients.

A variety of laboratory tests are used in the evaluation of hepatic patients. Serum cholinesterase is reduced in liver dysfunction in contrast to other enzymes. The aim of this study was to assess the value of serum cholinesterase in evaluating liver reserve function in cirrhotic patients.

Prognostic significance of the combined expression of neutral endopeptidase and dipeptidyl peptidase IV in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma patients after surgery resection.

Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between the expression of neutral endopeptidase (NEP) and dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPP IV) proteins, and the clinical significance of the two proteins in patients with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinomas (IHCC).

Methods: Expression patterns and subcellular localizations of NEP and DPP IV proteins in 186 primary IHCC and 60 noncancerous liver tissue specimens were detected by immunohistochemistry.

Results: Both the expression of NEP and DPP IV proteins in IHCC tissues were significantly higher than those in noncancerous liver tissues (both P<0.

A systems biology-based investigation into the therapeutic effects of Gansui Banxia Tang on reversing the imbalanced network of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Several complex molecular events are involved in tumorigenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The interactions of these molecules may constitute the HCC imbalanced network. Gansui Banxia Tang (GSBXT), as a classic Chinese herbal formula, is a popular complementary and alternative medicine modality for treating HCC.

Formulation and optimization of a novel oral fast dissolving film containing drug nanoparticles by Box-Behnken design-response surface methodology.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to design and optimize a novel drug nanoparticles-loaded oral fast dissolving film (NP-OFDF) using Box-Behnken design-response surface methodology.

Methods: Drug nanosuspensions produced from high pressure homogenization were transformed into oral fast dissolving film containing drug nanoparticles by casting methods. Herpetrione (HPE), a novel and potent antiviral agent with poor water solubility that was extracted from Herpetospermum caudigerum, was studied as the model drug.