Roles of Loss of Chromosome 14q Allele in the Prognosis of Renal Cell Carcinoma with C-reactive Protein Abnormity / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>Background:</b>Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is frequently associated with paraneoplastic inflammatory syndrome (PIS). This study aimed at exploring the connections between the survival rate and specific gene alterations and the potential mechanism.</p><p><b>Methods:</b>We retrospectively studied 69 surgical RCC cases from August 2014 to February 2016, including 18 cases of clear cell RCC (ccRCC) demonstrating elevated pretreatment serum C-reactive protein (CRP, Group A). Twelve of the 18 cases were symptomized with febrile episode. We also selected 49 cases of ccRCC with normal pretreatment CRP (Group B). Using 22 microsatellite markers, we compared the incidence of loss of heterozygosity (LOH) between Group A and Group B. All statistical tests are two-sided.</p><p><b>Results:</b>The 3p LOH was common in both Group A (89%) and Group B (92%). The frequency of 14q LOH in Group A (16 of 18) was higher than Group B (4 of 49, χ= 40.97 P < 0.0001). The 3p and 14q LOH were the characteristics of ccRCC with elevated acute phase reactants, including PIS, regardless of the presence of metastasis. On the contrary, 14q LOH was a rare genomic alternation in advanced-staged ccRCC without PIS. The overall survival of patients with elevated CRP (33.3%) was lower than its counterparts (6.1%, hazard ratio=1.852, P < 0.0001) in Kaplan-Meier curve.</p><p><b>Conclusions:</b>The results imply that the disruption of a 14q gene(s) might result in not only the inflammatory manifestations in the tumor host but also the poor survival rate as well. The isolation of the gene(s) on 14q might be a vital goal in the treatment of PIS-associated RCC.</p>

Construction and identification of lentiviral vector for RNA interference targeting STUB1 gene / 浙江大学学报·医学版

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To construct and identification of a lentiviral vector for RNA interference (RNAi) targeting STUB1 gene.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A pair of complementary small hairpin RNA (shRNA) oligonucleotides targeting STUB1 gene was designed, synthesized and inserted into linearized pMagic 4.0 vector. The recombinant plasmid was identified by double restriction digestion with Age I/EcoR I and DNA sequencing.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>PCR and DNA sequencing showed that the shRNA sequence was successfully inserted into pMagic 4.0 vector. The pMagic 4.0 vector was successfully packaged into lentivirus particles.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>A lentiviral shRNA expression vector and particles targeting STUB1 gene has been successfully constructed for the further study of the STUB1 gene.</p>

Effect of cholesterol lowering on stiffness of aortic and femoral arterial walls in rabbits on a high fat diet / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Researches in arterial elasticity have increased over the past few years. We investigated the effects of simvastatin on vascular stiffness in fat fed rabbits by ultrasonography.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Thirty rabbits were assigned randomly to 3 groups: normal control group (A), the cholesterol group (B), simvastatin group (C: high fat diet for 4 weeks and high fat diet + simvastatin for further 4 weeks). Stiffness coefficient, pressure strain elastic modulus and velocity of pulse waves in abdominal aorta and femoral artery were measured by ultrasonographic echo tracking at the end of the 4th and the 8th weeks.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>At the end of the 4th week, stiffness coefficient, pressure strain elastic modulus and pulse wave velocity of femoral artery were significantly increased in group B compared with those in group A. Similarly, at the end of the 8th week, the same parameters of abdominal aorta were significantly increased in group B compared with those in group A. In contrast, stiffness coefficient, pressure strain elastic modulus and pulse wave velocity of femoral artery were significantly decreased in group C compared with those in group B, however, there was no significant difference in parameters of abdominal aorta between groups B and C.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Short term administration of simvastatin can improve the elasticity of femoral artery but not abdominal aorta.</p>

Interferon-gamma decreases the adhesiveness and invasiveness of prostate cancer cells / 中华男科学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the effects of interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) on the adhesiveness and invasiveness of prostate cancer cells.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>We determined the effect of IFN-gamma on the adhesiveness of prostate cancer cell lines LNCaP and PC-3 by treating the plate with fibronectin and laminin, on the invasiveness of prostate cancer cells into the artificial basal membrane consisting of Matrigel and fibronectin using the Transwell chamber, and on the expression of annexin-2 in these cells by Western blot.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The adhesion rates of prostate cancer cell lines LNCaP and PC-3 were 21% and 23% in the IFN-gamma treatment group, significantly lower than 46% and 40% in the untreated group (P < 0.05). The invasiveness of the cells was markedly decreased in the former as compared with the latter (P < 0.05). IFN-gamma significantly inhibited the expression of annexin-2 in prostate cancer cell lines LNCaP and PC-3 (P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>IFN-gamma can decrease the adhesiveness and invasiveness of the prostate cancer cell line by down-regulating the expression of annexin-2.</p>

Edaravone attenuates ischemia-reperfusion injury by inhibiting oxidative stress in a canine lung transplantation model / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Previous reports have confirmed that edaravone has protective effects against ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury of many organs. In this study, we investigated the effect of edaravone on preventing IR injury of the lung in a canine lung transplantation model.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Twelve weight-matched pairs of random-bred dogs were randomized into two groups. Within each pair, one dog served as donor and the other as recipient. In the study group, prostaglandin E1(PGE1)(8 microg/kg) was injected into the donor pulmonary artery (PA) before occlusion and the donor lungs were flushed with 1.0 L of LPD solution containing edaravone (10 mg/kg) and stored in the same LPD solution at a temperature of 1 degrees C for 8 hours. The left single lung transplantation was then performed and recipients received intravenous injection with edaravone (10 mg/kg) at the onset of reperfusion. In the control group, edaravone was substituted by the same volume of sterile saline solution. Another six dogs were obtained as normal control group in which left lungs were dissected after thoracotomy without an IR injury. One hour after reperfusion, or after dissection of the left lung, the right lung was excluded from perfusion and ventilation after which, cardiopulmonary parameters were measured. Wet/dry ratios, malondialdehyde (MDA) and myeloperoxidase (MPO) levels were assessed and histological analysis of lung tissue performed at the same time.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>All animals survived until the end of the experiment. The study group showed significantly decreased wet/dry ratios (treated: (74.1 +/- 4.2)% vs control: (86.8 +/- 5.2)%, P < 0.01), MDA levels (treated: 0.50 +/- 0.08 vs. control: 0.88 +/- 0.15, P < 0.01) and MPO activity (treated: 0.23 +/- 0.05 vs. control: 0.43 +/- 0.07, P < 0.01) compared to the control group two hours after occlusion of the right side. In the control group, pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) was increased markedly and arterial oxygen partial pressure deteriorated significantly after exclusion of the right side compared to those in the treatment group.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Edaravone attenuates IR-induced lung injury and preserves lung function by inhibiting oxidative stress and decreasing leukocyte extravasation in a canine lung transplantation model.</p>