Casein zymogram assessment of mu-calpain and m-calpain activity after traumatic brain injury in the rat in vivo.
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Animals↗
Biomedical subjects
X Zhao
Publications and source records attributed to X Zhao.
Concurrent assessment of calpain and caspase-3 activity by means of western blots of protease-specific spectrin breakdown products.
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Animals↗
Gene transfer and drug delivery by electronic pulse delivery. A nonviral delivery approach.
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Animals↗
Immediate post-abortal insertion of the frameless GyneFix IUD: initial experience in China.
The promising results obtained with the frameless GyneFix IUD for interval insertion led to the belief that the technology could be useful for immediate post-abortal application to reduce the number of induced and repeat abortions. IUDs have many advantages and the method is acceptable and safe. However, side effects and expulsion of conventional IUDs remain a problem. In an attempt to minimise these problems, the frameless GyneFix IUD was developed. Clinical studies conducted over the past 14 years have shown that the principles on which the device is based are valid. An increasing bulk of clinical evidence shows that the design characteristics of the device (fixed, frameless and flexible) are responsible for the low expulsion, high effectiveness, and high tolerance and continuation rates.1 Experience with the frameless IUD in China since 1989 confirms the international experience with the device. The present communication is a second report from China with the GyneFix IUD. In the present study the GyneFix IUD is inserted immediately following termination of pregnancy of less than 10 weeks amenorrhea. It is concluded that immediate post-abortal insertion of the frameless IUD is easy and safe, and appears to be as reliable and as effective as when it is inserted at interval. The GyneFix IUD could, therefore, constitute an important new option in the prevention of abortion.
Abortion, Induced↗
[Induction of apoptosis in ovarian carcinoma cells by HSP70 antisense oligodeoxynucleotides].
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the role of HSP70 in the proliferation and survival of ovarian carcinoma cells by inhibiting HSP70 expression with HSP70 antisense oligomer. METHODS: Morphological changes of apoptotic cells were investigated by light microscopy. DNA fragmentation was analysed by agarose gel electrophoresis. Kinetics of induction of apoptosis and cell cycle were analysed by flow cytometry. RESULTS: The HSP70 antisense oligomer treated ovarian carcinoma cells showed apparent inhibition of proliferation and characteristic morphological changes of apoptosis. Also, a ladder-like pattern of DNA fragments was demonstrated on agarose gel electrophoresis. HSP70 antisense-oligomer induced apoptosis of ovarian carcinoma cells mainly in G(1)/S phase in 8.3% to 41% at 1 to 20micromol/L. The apoptosis-inducting effect of HSP70 antisense oligomer was in a dose- and time-dependent manner. CONCLUSION: HSP70 antisense oligomer could not only inhibit the proliferation but also induce the apoptosis in ovarian carcinoma cells.
Apoptosis↗
Differential expression of VEGF isoforms and VEGF(164)-specific receptor neuropilin-1 in the mouse uterus suggests a role for VEGF(164) in vascular permeability and angiogenesis during implantation.
The mechanism(s) by which localized vascular permeability and angiogenesis occur at the sites of implantation is not clearly understood. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a key regulator of vasculogenesis during embryogenesis and angiogenesis in adult tissues. VEGF is also a vascular permeability factor. VEGF acts via two tyrosine kinase family receptors: VEGFR1 (Flt-1) and VEGFR2 (KDR/Flk-1). Recent evidence suggests that neuropilin-1 (NRP1), a receptor involved in neuronal cell guidance, is expressed in endothelial cells, binds to VEGF(165) and enhances the binding of VEGF(165) to VEGFR2. We examined the spatiotemporal expression of vegf isoforms, nrp1 and vegfr2 as well as their interactions in the periimplantation mouse uterus. We observed that vegf(164) is the predominant isoform in the mouse uterus. vegf(164) mRNA accumulation primarily occurred in epithelial cells on days 1 and 2 of pregnancy. On days 3 and 4, the subepithelial stroma in addition to epithelial cells exhibited accumulation of this mRNA. After the initial attachment reaction on day 5, luminal epithelial and stromal cells immediately surrounding the blastocyst exhibited distinct accumulation of vegf(164) mRNA. On days 6-8, the accumulation of this mRNA occurred in both mesometrial and antimesometrial decidual cells. These results suggest that VEGF(164) is available in mediating vascular changes and angiogenesis in the uterus during implantation and decidualization. This is consistent with coordinate expression of vegfr2, and nrp1, a VEGF(164)-specific receptor, in uterine endothelial cells. Their expression was low during the first 2 days of pregnancy followed by increases thereafter. With the initiation and progression of implantation (days 5-8), these genes were distinctly expressed in endothelial cells of the decidualizing stroma. Expression was more intense on days 6-8 at the mesometrial pole, the presumptive site of heightened angiogenesis and placentation. However, the expression was absent in the avascular primary decidual zone immediately surrounding the implanting embryo. Crosslinking experiments showed that (125)I-VEGF(165) binds to both NRP1 and VEGFR2 present in decidual endothelial cells. These results suggest that VEGF(164), NRP1 and VEGFR2 play a role in VEGF-induced vascular permeability and angiogenesis in the uterus required for implantation. genesis 26:213-224, 2000.
Animals↗
[Expression of FADD in primary hepatocellular carcinoma and its relationship with hepatic apoptosis].
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the features of Fas-associated death domain (FADD) expression in HCC and to determine its relationship with hepatic apoptosis. METHODS: Immunohistochemistry method was used to detect FADD expression in HCC. In situ end-labeling (ISEL) was employed to determine apoptotic cells. RESULTS: Ten cases (25. 6%) of HCC were detected to express FADD protein. The positive rate in HCC was lower than that in non-cancerous adjacent liver tissues which showed as high as 62.5% cases harbored FADD protein (P<0.05). Six out of 18 (33.3%) cases of mid to well differentiated HCC had detectable FADD protein. It is a little higher, but with no statistic significance, than that in poorly differentiated HCC which showed only 19% cases were positive for FADD. In those of grade I/II, 8 cases (38.1%) were FADD positive, while only 11.1% (2/18) cases of grade III/IV had FADD protein (P<0.05). No relationship was found between FADD expression and other clinical features, such as sex, age, tumor size or metastasis. ISEL positive cells could be seen in all cases of HCC. The hepatic apoptosis was associated with FADD expression because more apoptotic cells were detected in those cases which showed moderate to strong FADD positive, as compared with negative or weak FADD positive cases (P<0.05). While no relationship was found between FADD expression and hepatic apoptosis in non-cancerous adjacent liver tissues. CONCLUSION: Loss of FADD expression plays an important role in HCC carcinogenesis. The apoptosis of cells is associated with FADD expression in HCC.
Adult↗
Detection of transfusion transmitted virus in hepatic and extra hepatic tissues using in situ hybridization.
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the location, distribution and significance of transfusion transmitted virus (TTV) in the liver and extra hepatic tissues. METHODS: A 123 bp fragment of TTV DNA within ORF(2) was amplified by PCR reaction and cloned into PCR2.1 vector. DNA sequencing revealed that the inserted fragment was highly isogenous with Japan ABO11494 strain. The inserted fragment was labeled with digoxigenin. Segment of liver, spleen, kidney, stomach and intestine tissues from 22 patients dead of liver diseases were detected by in situ hybridization with this digoxigenin labeled TTV DNA probe. RESULTS: TTV DNA was detected in 8 livers, 4 kidneys, 3 spleens, 2 intestines, and 2 stomachs. The positive cells of TTV DNA in livers were higher than that in other tissues. No obvious pathological topographical relationship of tissue inflammatory reaction with positive cells was found. CONCLUSION: TTV can infect hepatic and ex-hepatic tissues and may cause persistent infection.
Adolescent↗
[Advances in the researches of DNA vaccines against tumors].
The injection of naked plasmid DNA directly into the muscle cells of hosts has been shown to induce potent immune responses, as well as to express large amounts of gene product; this has provided a new way of treatment for tumor. The past ten years have witnessed tremendous growth in the field of gene therapy for cancer using intramuscular injection of plasmid DNA. Many studies have suggested that the immunostimulatory DNA sequences(ISS) in vector backbone of plasmid DNA, delivering adjuvant and mitogenic activity, are necessary for effective intradermal gene immunization. It has been postulated that muscle cells serve as a reservoir of expressed antigen with subsequent transfer to bone marrow-derived APCs. Thus, immunization with plasmid DNA can trigger strong and persistent cell-mediated and humoral immune responses to the antigen encoded by the plasmid. Increasing evidence demonstrates that DNA immunization can prevent or inhibit tumor development. In this review, the present authors presented a discussion on the characteristics of immune response to DNA vaccines and a summary of the effects of immune response against tumors.
Animals↗
Synergistic interaction between anti-p185HER-2 ricin A chain immunotoxins and radionuclide conjugates for inhibiting growth of ovarian and breast cancer cells that overexpress HER-2.
Radionuclide conjugates or ricin A chain (RTA) immunotoxins that target pl85HER-2 have partially inhibited the growth of human ovarian cancer xenografts in athymic mice but generally have not cured mice bearing human tumor transplants. The present study was undertaken to explore whether a combination of ionizing radiation and an immunotoxin could exert additive or synergistic cytotoxicity in culture and in vivo against cancer cells that overexpress p185HER-2. In cell culture, treatment with 200-2000 cGy external beam irradiation followed by incubation with TA1-anti-pl85mHER2-RTA immunotoxin (TA1-RTA) produced synergistic inhibition of clonogenic growth of ovarian and breast cancer cells that expressed > 10(6) pl85HER-2 receptors/cell. The effect on cell survival correlated with an inhibition of DNA repair. A prior study (F. J. Xu et al, Nucl. Med. Biol., 24: 451-460, 1997) compared the biodistribution of radionuclide conjugates prepared with monoclonal antibodies that bind to different epitopes on the extracellular domain of pl85HER-2 and found optimal tumor uptake with the 520C9 antibody, which did not compete with TA1 for binding to the receptor. In this report, the TA1-RTA immunotoxin and the 131I-labeled 520C9 radionuclide conjugate could each inhibit the growth of clone-9002-18 xenografts in athymic mice but did not yield long-term survivors using maximally tolerated doses of each agent. When TA1-RTA and 131I-labeled 520C9 were used in combination, a greater inhibition of tumor growth was obtained than with either single agent. Similarly, survival with the combined treatment was significantly prolonged (P = 0.004) relative to treatment with immunotoxin or radionuclide conjugate alone. After treatment with an optimal combination of immunotoxin and radionuclide conjugate, 50% of mice survived >300 days, whereas controls succumbed with a median survival of 36 days. These results suggest that combinations of immunotoxins and radionuclide conjugates deserve further evaluation for the treatment of cancers that overexpress pl85HER-2.
Animals↗
[Synonymous codon usage in Pichia pastoris].
According to the synonymous codons used in 28 open reading frames from Pichia pastoris, the codon usage in this species was calculated and 19 codons have been inferred to be its optimal codons. The results show that pattern of the codon usage in P. pastoris is similar to that in S. cerevisiae and in K. lactis except for the synonymous codon of glutamic acid, which may be the special bias of P. pastoris.
Codon↗
[Preparation of polyclonal antibody to human prion protein using the expressed GST-PrP fusion protein as antigen].
OBJECTIVE: Preparing specific antibody to prion protein. METHODS: Using prokaryotic expressed GST-PrP fusion protein as antigen, rabbits were immunized subcutaneously. RESULTS: ELISA assay revealed that the titer of the prepared antiserum against expressed PrP protein was as high as 1:128 000. Western blot test showed that the antiserum was able to react with the in vitro expressed intact and different lengths of C-terminus truncated PrP proteins, as well as the native PrP proteins from brain homogenization of human and mouse. CONCLUSIONS: The prokaryotic expressed GST-PrP fusion protein can efficiently elicit in immunized animals the PrP-specific antibody.
Animals↗
[The study on hepatitis G virus infection among patients with liver diseases].
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the hepatitis G virus (HGV) infection among patients with liver diseases. METHODS: Anti-HGV was detected by ELISA among 154 patients with liver diseases (no history of blood transfusion), 54 of them, HGV RNA was detected by RT-PCR concomitantly. The rates of anti-HGV and HGV RNA were calculated, respectively. The positivity of HGV RNA was taken as diagnostic criteria for HGV infection in different kinds of liver disease. RESULTS: Of 154 patients with liver diseases, anti-HGV was positive in 31 patients, the detectable rate of anti- HGV was 20.13%. HGV RNA was detected in 13 of 54 patients, the detectable rate was 24.07%. The positive rates of HGV RNA tested in 35 patients with chronic hepatitis and 6 patients with fatty-liver were 20.00% (7/35) and a ratio of 5/6, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: (1) HGV infection is considerably prevalent among patients with non-transfusion transmitted sporadic hepatitis. (2) HGV is a responsible agent for chronic hepatitis. (3) The clinical significance of detectable HGV RNA in patients with fatty-liver remains for further study.
Adolescent↗
CT via percutaneous splenoportography: experiment and application.
OBJECTIVE: To introduce computed tomography via percutaneous splenoportography (CTSP), a new method for determining hepatic diseases. METHODS: Ten hybrid dogs and 31 patients with primary hepatic cancer (PHC) were included in the study. Each dog was examined by CT, computed tomography via arterial portography (CTAP), and CTSP to compare the enhanced density of the liver. The 31 patients were examined by CTSP and the appearance of PHC was compared with their pathological results to evaluate the diagnostic significance of CTSP. RESULTS: The animal experiment showed that both CTAP and CTSP could obviously enhance the density of the liver (P < 0.01), but no significant difference was observed in the enhanced densities between the two methods (P > 0.05). On the CTSP images of the 31 patients, the density of the livers was increased to 168-192 Hu, whereas the density of the cancers was as low as that on the images of CT scans (< 58 Hu). The CTSP findings were consistent with the surgical ones from space occupying lesions. The diagnostic value of CTSP was obviously superior to that of general enhanced CT. However, it was difficult for CTSP to show nodules less than 1 cm in size located on the surface of the liver or the hepatic portal zone. CONCLUSIONS: Like CTAP, CTSP is also a sensitive method for showing occupant in the liver. But the equipments and the procedures are simpler for CTSP than for CTAP. CTSP is an alternative procedure in clinical practice.
Animals↗
[Increase in thermosensitivity of cervical cancer and ovarian cancer cells by HSP70 antisense oligodeoxynucleotides].
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the thermosensitizing effect of HSP70 antisense oligodeoxynucleolides (ODN) on cervical and ovarian cancer cells. METHODS: Cervical cancer cell line Hela and ovarian cancer cell line MCAS were used to study their sensitivity to heat (42 degrees C, 1 hr) treatment. Heat-induced changes in cell viability was assessed by colony formation assay and apoptosis by cell morphology, agarose gel electrophoresis and flow cytometry. RESULTS: Thermosensitivity of Hela and MCAS cells pretreated with HSP70 antisense ODN was increased as compared to cells treated with heat alone. The increase was antisense dose dependent. Although heat treatment or antisense ODN did induce apoptosis of HeLa and MCAS cells, the percentage of apoptotic cells was significantly increased when both heat and antisense ODN were applied. The effect was dependent on the dose of HSP70 antisense ODN. CONCLUSION: The thermosensitivity of ovarian cancer cells and cervial cancer cells can be increased by HSP70 antisense oligomer. Apoptosis may be involved in the increase in thermosensitivity.
Apoptosis↗
[Analysis on loss of heterozygosity of chromosome 17p13.3 in hepatocellular carcinoma and construction of genomic contig in the deleted region].
OBJECTIVE: To detect the status of loss of heterozygosity (LOH) on chromosome 17p13.3 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and determine a minimum region of LOH as well as construct genomic contig in LOH region. METHODS: Variable number tandem repeat (VNTR) and RFLP markers examined by Southern hybridization were used to detect LOH of HCC. Microsatellite markers amplified by PCR were detected for LOH by denatured PAGE. Using microsatellite primers, 3 rounds of PCR amplification were carried out to screen positive genomic clones. The contig was constructed by PCR detecting the reaction between microsatellite markers and individual genomic clone. RESULT: Fifty-four paired HCC samples were analysed with 16 polymorphic markers on chromosome 17p13.3. The data revealed that the region between D17S5 and D17S34 had a high rate of LOH (> 63%), but three markers (proximal to D17S5) toward centromere had low or no LOH. TP53 marker on chromosome 17p13.1 had a LOH rate of 31% which was lower than that on D17S5-D17S34 region. No LOH was found at D17S34, D17S1866 (proximal to telomere) and D17S5, D17S1574 (distal to telomere) in 2 cases of HCC. However, there was LOH between D17S849 and D17S1574 in some cases. In LOH region, genomic clones relative to 18 of markers were obtained. A contig covering 9 markers was constructed. CONCLUSION: Determination of the minimum LOH region on chromosome 17p13.3 in HCC and the construction of genomic clone contig provide basis for further identification of putative new tumor suppressor gene(s) in HCC.
Carcinoma, Hepatocellular↗
[The practicability of increasing exercise tolerance in mild to moderate asthmatic patients].
OBJECTIVE: By performing the cardiopulmonary exercise testing in mild to moderate asthmatic patients and healthy volunteers, to assess the practicability of increasing exercise tolerance and improving life quality in the patients, and to assess the relationship between the resting IC and the maximal workload. METHODS: 19 mild to moderate asthmatic patients participating in the cardiopulmonary exercise testing with 19 health volunteers as controls. The incremental test was used. Forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) and inspiratory capacity (IC) were measured before the test and FEV1 measurements were repeated after exercise. Heart rate(HR), oxygen uptake(VO2), ventilation per minute(VE), breathing frequency(BF) were continuously measured during the test. RESULTS: There were changes of FEV1 after exercise in asthmatic patients [-(15.5 +/- 13.2)%] vs [+(1.7 +/- 2.7)%], (P < 0.05). They could achieve comparable VO2max (1.8 +/- 0.5) L/min vs (1.8 +/- 0.4) L/min, VEmax (29 +/- 7) L/min vs (31 +/- 5) L/min and O2-pulse max (0.0110 +/- 0.0020) L/beat vs (0.0110 +/- 0.0020) ml/beat with controls, but the BF at maximal exercise in asthmatic patients is significantly decreased (37 +/- 5) times/min vs (41 +/- 6) times/min, (P < 0.05). IC correlate with the maximum workload (r = 0.695, P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The mild to moderate asthmatic patients had the same cardiopulmonary exercise response as the healthy volunteers, indicating that they did not have ventilatory and circulatory limitation to exercise.
Adult↗
[Immunohistochemical findings on liver tissue in patients with hepatitis C].
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the distributions and infer relations of HCV antigens in the liver tissues. METHODS: Immunohistochemical techniques as polyclonal antibody to HCV, monoclonal antibody to HCV - NS3 and monoclonal antibody to HCV - NS5 were used to detect HCV antigens in 107 patients with hepatitis C. RESULTS: HCV antigens in liver tissues were identified on these three kinds of antibodies. The positive rates were 38.3%, 28.0% and 52.3% respectively. The positive granules were located in the cytoplasma of liver cells. The distributions of positive cells were scattered, diffusive and clustered. No obvious anatomic association was observed between the expression of HCV - NS3 and inflammatory reaction. HCV - NS5 positive cells were more commonly seen around or in the flammatory focci. CONCLUSION: The expressions of various components of HCV were demonstrated in different concentrations. The expressions of HCV - NS5 might be related to the pathogenesis of hepatitis C.
Adult↗