ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: A variety of stem cells have been found to be effective in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease in rats. However, few reports have been reported on the treatment of Alzheimer's disease rats with brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF)-modified human amniotic membrane-derived mesenchymal stem cells. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of BDNF-modified human amniotic membrane-derived mesenchymal stem cell transplantation on the learning and memory abilities of Alzheimer's disease rats. METHODS: Forty-eight Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into control group (no treatment), model group (Alzheimer's disease model), stem cell transplantation group (human amniotic membrane-derived mesenchymal stem cell transplantation+Alzheimer's disease model) and BDNF-modified stem cell transplantation group (BDNF-modified human amniotic membrane-derived mesenchymal stem cell transplantation+Alzheimer's disease model), 12 rats in each group. Learning and memory of model rats were determined in a trisection radiation maze and immunohistochemical staining was used to determine the number of p75 positive neurons at 2 weeks after cell transplantation. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The number of p75 positive neurons in the bevel zone and medial septal nucleus was ranked as follows: the model group < the stem cell transplantation group < the BDNF-modified stem cell transplantation group < the control group, and there were significant differences among groups (P < 0.05). The learning and memory abilities of the rats were ranked as follows: the model group < the stem cell transplantation group < the BDNF-modified stem cell transplantation group < the control group, and there were significant differences among groups (P < 0.05). In the BDNF-modified stem cell transplantation group, the number of learnings was negatively correlated with the number of p75 NGFR-positive neurons (P < 0.05), while the memory capacity was positively correlated with the number of p75 NGFR-positive neurons (P < 0.05). These findings reveal that human amniotic membrane-derived mesenchymal stem cell transplantation can improve learning and memory abilities of Alzheimer's disease rats, and BDNF-modified human amniotic membrane-derived mesenchymal stem cells can further improve this therapeutic effect.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE@#To explore the expression of Annexin II and its relationship with the cell differentiation, proliferation in lung cancer.@*METHODS@#RT-PCR and Western blot assays were used to detect the expression of Annexin II in lung cancer tissues and cell lines.@*RESULTS@#Annexin II was significantly up-regulated in lung cancer tissues, and in lung cancer cell lines, Annexin II had higher mRNA and protein expressions.@*CONCLUSIONS@#Annexin II is up-regulated in lung cancer, suggesting that the Annexin II has a potential value in the human lung cancer.
Subject(s)
Aged , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Analysis of Variance , Annexin A2 , Genetics , Metabolism , Blotting, Western , Cell Differentiation , Physiology , Cell Growth Processes , Physiology , Cell Line, Tumor , Lung Neoplasms , Chemistry , Metabolism , Pathology , RNA, Messenger , Genetics , Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction , Up-RegulationABSTRACT
<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>The association between increased serum uric acid (SUA) levels and cardiovascular risk has been debated for decades. Several large studies have provided conflicting results regarding the clinical significance of elevated SUA levels in cardiovascular disease (CVD) or cerebrovascular disease. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between SUA and CVD and all-cause mortality and their potential diagnostic value.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A total of 3570 in-patients ranging in age from 56 to 95 years (mean (67.36 +/- 11.36) years) were selected from 20 hospitals in Beijing and Shanghai. A carefully designed questionnaire was used to gather baseline data of each patient. All patients were divided into two main groups according to their SUA levels: high SUA and normal SUA groups. Serum indices and other important parameters were measured.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Compared with normal SUA group, high SUA group had significant difference in systolic blood pressure (SBP), total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), body mass index (BMI), and age (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). High SUA prevailed in female and patients with history of essential hypertension, while history of smoking and diabetes showed no significant difference between two groups. All-cause and CVD mortality occurred more frequently in high SUA group than in normal SUA group. In the accumulative survival analysis, high SUA group had lower survival rate than normal SUA group both in CVD and all-cause mortality. COX regression analysis indicated that the history of smoking, age and high SUA were independent risk factors for the development of CVD.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>These preliminary observations suggest that patients with high SUA levels would face higher risk of mortality. SUA measurement may be applied as a routine predictor for clinical assessment.</p>