microRNA-181a-5p impedes the proliferation, migration, and invasion of retinoblastoma cells by targeting the NRAS proto-oncogene

Abstract Objectives Accumulating research have reported that microRNAs (miRNAs) play important roles in Retinoblastoma (RB). Nonetheless, the function and underlying mechanism of miR-181a-5p in RB remain ambiguous. Methods The relative expression levels of miR-181a-5p and NRAS mRNA were detected by quantitative Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR). RB cell proliferation was measured using the Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) and 5′-Bromo-2′-deoxyuridine (BrdU) assays. Transwell assays and flow cytometry were performed to detect the migration, invasion, and apoptosis of RB cells. The interaction between miR-181a-5p and NRAS was explored using luciferase experiments, western blotting, and qRT-PCR. Results miR-181a-5p expression was found to be decreased in RB tissues and cell lines, and its expression was correlated with unfavorable pathological features of the patients. In vitro experiments revealed that miR-181a-5p reduced RB cell proliferation, migration, and invasion while enhancing apoptosis. Further research confirmed that NRAS is a direct target of miR-181a-5p. miR-181a-5p inhibited NRAS expression at both the mRNA and protein levels. Co-transfection of pcDNA-NRAS or NRAS small interfering RNA (siRNA) reversed the effects of miR-181a-5p mimics or miR-181a-5p inhibitors on RB cells. Conclusion miR-181a-5p was significantly downregulated during the development of RB, and it suppressed the malignant behaviors of RB cells by targeting NRAS.

Expression of SP7/Osterix and alkaline phosphatase in bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells with Cbfal/RUNX2 gene silencing regulated by the water extracts from Bushen Huoxue Decoction / 中国组织工程研究

BACKGROUND:Bushen Huoxue Decoction(BSHXD)can promote osteogenesis of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells(BMSCs)in vitro.Exploring the molecular mechanisms involved is of clinical benefits. OBJECTIVE: To discuss the changes in the expression of SP7/Osterix and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) in BMSCs with Cbfal/RUNX2 gene silencing regulated by the water extracts from BSHXD. METHODS: BMSCs were isolated and cultured by the bone marrow adherent method, and BMSCs at passage 3 were used in the assay. BMSCs were transfected with nothing (blank control group), Cbfal/RUNX2 gene silencing lentivirus (silencing group), and negative viral vector (negative control group), respectively. Then, the cells were cultured in 100 mg/L BSHXD water extract, and 3 days later, the protein and mRNA expression of RUNX2 and Osterix was detected by western blot and qPCR, respectively. Activity of ALP in the BMSCs was also detected in each group. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The transfection efficiency of Cbfal/RUNX2 gene silencing lentivirus was about 90%. The protein and mRNA expressions of RUNX2 and Osterix were significantly decreased in the BMSCs transfected with Cbfal/RUNX2 gene silencing lentivirus as compared with the other two groups, and so was the ALP activity (P < 0.01). After treated with the water extracts from BSHXD, the expression of RUNX2 and Osterix as well as the ALP activity in the BMSCs transfected with Cbfal/RUNX2 gene silencing lentivirus increased significantly (P < 0.01). To conclude, the water extract from the BXHXD can up-regulate the expression of RUNX2 and Osterix and the activity of ALP, thus promoting BMSCs osteogenic differentiation.

Upgrading database with high availability and elastic architecture under Oracle 11g RAC / 医疗卫生装备

Objective To upgrade No.1 Military Medical Project from single operation to Oracle RAC to eliminate single failure of the operation system, protect medical data and lay a foundation for the following upgrade and deployment.Methods RAC software and hardware environment was constructed for database upgrade and deployment of Data Guard.Results The database was gifted with high availability and high performances, and database maintenance and upgrade could be carried out with the operation system less ceased than before.Conclusion The database is upgraded from a single-mode rigid architecture to a multi-mode elastic one, with the performances, safety and extendibility enhanced greatly.

Progress in study of the structure, catalytic mechanism and inhibitors of aromatase / 药学学报

Aromatase is a key enzyme responsible for in vivo estrogen biosynthesis. Inhibition of the activity of the aromatase has become an alterative way for treatment of breast cancer. In this review, the structure and catalytic mechanism of the aromatase is briefly introduced followed by thorough review of the progress in the study of the steroidal and non-steroidal aromatase inhibitors. This review is focused on the natural compounds that exhibit the aromatase inhibition, which include flavonoids, xanthones, coumarins, and sesquiterpenes. The structure-activity relationship of these compounds is also discussed.

Application of flexirigid thoracoscopy in the diagnosis of pleural disease with unknown etiology / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the diagnostic accuracy of flexirigid thoracoscopy for pleural diseases and the patients' compliance.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Forty-seven patients with pleural effusion and thickening of unknown etiology underwent examinations with flexirigid thoracoscopy with subsequent pathological examination, and the diagnostic accuracy and the patients' compliance were observed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Thoracoscopy identified lesions in the pleural and/or diaphragm in 42 patients and no lesions in 5 patients. Malignancy was confirmed in 21 (44.7%), tuberculosis in 17 (36.2%), idiopathic hypereosinophilic syndrome in 1 (2.1%), nocardiasis in 1 (2.1%), constrictive pericarditis in 1 (2.1%), chronic empyema in 2 (4.3%), splenic artery embolization in 1 (2.1%), and negative result in 3 (6.4%) of the cases. The diagnostic accuracy rate of flexirigid thoracoscopy reached 93.6%, and no serious complications in relation to the examination was found.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Flexirigid thoracoscopy is efficient and relatively safe for diagnosis of pleural diseases with or without hydrothorax.</p>

The comparison between the vascular endothelial cells special cdc42-deficient heterozygous mice and the non-knockout mice on lung tissue pathological change and vasopermeability in acute lung injury / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To compare the change of lung tissue and vasopermeability between the vascular endothelial cells special cdc42-deficient heterozygous mice and the non-knockout mice in acute lung injury.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The mice with vascular endothelial cell-specific expression of cre recombinase were crossed with cdc42(flox/flox) mice. The cdc42(flox/+)Cre(+/-) F1 offspring mice were crossed back with cdc42(flox/flox) mice, resulting in the F2 generation mice with three genotypes, namely cdc42(flox/+)Cre(+/-), cdc42(flox/flox)Cre(-/-) and cdc42(flox/+)Cre(+/-). The heterozygous mice with cdc42(flox/+)Cre(+/-) genotype were selected as the model mice, with the other two genotype groups as the control. After intratracheal instillation of 2 mg/kg LPS to induce acute lung injury, the mice were sacrificed to examine the lung pathologies, lung wet/dry ratio and lung microvascular permeability.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The heterozygous mice with cdc42 gene knockout (cdc42(flox/+)Cre(+/-)) showed no significant differences from the two control groups in the lung pathological score, lung wet/dry ratio or the lung microvascular permeability coefficient.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>There were no significant difference on lung tissue and vasopermeability between the vascular endothelial cells special cdc42-deficient heterozygous mice and the non-knockout mice.</p>

The generation of the endothelial specific cdc42-deficient mice and the effect of cdc42 deletion on the angiogenesis and embryonic development / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>High microvascular permeability plays an essential role in pathological process of multiple diseases such as septic shock, acute lung injury and acute respiratory distress syndrome, and burns. Inhibiting hyperpermeability is significant for controlling these conditions. Cdc42, as a main member of the small Rho GTPase family, plays a critical role in controlling and regulating the endothelial junctional permeability. We aimed to generate and identify endothelial specific cdc42-deficient mice by the Cre/loxp recombination approach, for examination in an animal model of the contribution of the cdc42 gene in the microvascular barrier function.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>We crossed cdc42(Flox/Flox) mice with mice expressing endothelial cell-specific Cre recombinase, and the offspring with the genotype cdc42(Flox/+)Tie2Cre(+/-) were back-crossed with the cdc42(Flox/Flox) mice. The cdc42(Flox/Flox)Tie2Cre(+/-) mice in the F2 generation were the target mice. If the cdc42 deficient mice did not survive, we would observe the cdc42 deficient mice embryos, and compare them with wild-type mice embryos.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Cdc42(flox/+)Cre(+/-) mice were mated with the cdc42(Flox/Flox) mice and among the living offspring there were no cdc42(Flox/Flox)Cre(+/-) target mice. We found the endothelial special cdc42 deficient embryos at the E7.5-E16.5 stage. We observed that cdc42 deficient embryos were much smaller, had fewer vessels and were a little more swollen compared with the wild-type embryos.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Endothelial specific knockout of cdc42 caused embryonic lethality and the mice did not survive to birth. The target embryos were much smaller, had fewer vessels and were a little more swollen compared with the wild-type embryos. These results demonstrated that the cdc42 plays an important role in development of embryos and in development of microvessels as well as microvascular permeability.</p>

Activation of Rho-kinase pathway is involved in angiotensin II-induced contraction of human airway smooth muscle cells / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate of the regulatory effect of Rho-kinase pathway activation on angiotensin II (Ang II)-induced contraction of human airway smooth muscle cells (HASMCs) in vitro.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Cultured primary HASMCs were divided into control group, AngII group, AngII + irbesartan group and AngII + Y-27632 group with corresponding treatment. AngII-induced contraction of HASMCs was evaluated using collagen gel lattices and observed morphologically using immunofluorescence assay. Western Blotting was significantly performed to examine the protein expression of Rho-kinase signal pathway.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>AngII-induced HASMC contraction was inhibited by treatments with irbesartan and Y-27632 as shown by gel contraction assay (P<0.001). Y-27632 treatment produced a stronger inhibitory effect than irbesartan on the expression of phosphorylated moesin, a substrate of Rho kinase (P<0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>AngII induces the contraction of HASMCs partially as a result of activation of Rho-kinase pathway.</p>

A controlled clinical trial on the therapy of injured shoulder arthrochalasis by shoulder-elbow elastic band immobilization with functional exercise / 中国骨伤

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the therapeutic effects of shoulder-elbow elastic immobilization and functional exercise for injured shoulder arthrochalasis, and compare it with forearm-suspending immobilization and functional exercise therapy.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The patients with injured shoulder arthrochalasis were randomly divided into treatment group (38 cases) and control group (37 cases). Treatment group underwent the therapy of shoulder-elbow elastic band immobilization and functional exercise; control group was managed by forearm-suspending band immobilization and functional exercise therapy.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>In treatment group, 29 (76.3%) cases recovered, 7 (18.4%) improved and 2 (5.3%) failed; in control group, 15 (40.5%) cases recovered, 15 (40.5%) cases improved and 7 (19.0%) failed. The differences between two groups were statistically significant (P<0.01). The AHI (acromio-humeral interval) ranged from 8 to 19 mm (11.9+/-5.1) in treatment group and 8 to 27 mm (14.2+/-5.4) in control group, and the difference was also statistically distinct (t=2.7525, P<0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The treatment with shoulder-elbow elastic band immobilization and exercise therapy for injured shoulder arthrochalasis is a safe and effective method. Immobilization with shoulder-elbow elastic band is better than forearm-suspending band for injured shoulder arthrochalasis.</p>

Perindopril and losartan attenuate bleomycin A5-induced pulmonary fibrosis in rats / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the effects of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI) and angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AT-1 receptor) blocker on the progression of rat pulmonary fibrosis induced by bleomycin A5.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Twenty-four male Wistar rats were randomized into pulmonary fibrosis model, perindopril treatment, losartan treatment and control groups. In the former 3 groups, pulmonary fibrosis was induced via intratracheal injection of bleomycin A5 (5 mg/kg), after which the rats in the perindopril and losartan groups received intragastric administration of the corresponding agents at the daily dose of 2 mg/kg and 10 m/kg, respectively. The rats in the control group had intratracheal injection of normal saline only. In the 4th week, the histological changes of the lung tissues were examined microscopically with Masson staining. Hydroxyproline content in the lungs was measured, and the protein expressions of AT-1 receptor, TGF-beta1 and IkappaBalpha were examined using Western blotting. DNA binding activity of NF-kappaB was analyzed with electrophoretic gel mobility shift assay (EMSA), and zymography was used to assess the activity of matrix metalloproteinase-2 and 9 (MMP-2, 9).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Both perindopril and losartan treatment significantly reduced the pulmonary fibrosis score, content of hydroxyproline, protein expression of TGF-beta1, DNA binding activity of NF-kappaB and MMP-2, 9 activity, and increased cytoplasmic protein expression of IkappaBalpha. Perindopril treatment lowered the protein level of AT-1 receptor.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Perindopril and losartan may inhibit bleomycin A5-induced pulmonary fibrosis in rats by reducing the protein expression of TGF-beta1 and suppressing the DNA binding activity of NF-kappaB and MMP-2, 9 activity.</p>

Effection of compositie salviae dropping pill on hyperlipemia patients with phlegm and blood stasis syndrome / 中国中药杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the effect of compositie salviae dropping pill (CSDP) on hyperlipemia patients with phlegm and blood stasis syndrome.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>Hyperlipemia patients were divided randomly into two groups. One group of 40 patients were treated by CSDP, another group of 41 patients were treated by simvastatin. The TC, TG, HDL-C, LDL-C, ApoA and ApoB levels, ALT, r-GT, IL-6, MDA level and SOD activity were determined before and after being treated.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>After 3 months treatment, the TC, TG and LDL-C levels were obviously decreased in two groups (P <0.01, P < 0.05), there is no significant difference between the effective rate of two groups. The ALT, r-GT, IL-8 and MDA levels of treatment group were obviously decreased (P < 0.01, P < 0.05), while the ApoA level and SOD activity increased obviously in those patients (P <0.05, P <0.01, respectively). However, the ALT, r-GT, IL-6, MDA, HDL-C, ApoA level and SOD activity had no significant difference after treatment in control group.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Our study suggest that CSDP have the function of falling serum lipid level without damaging liver function, its function of protecting liver function might related to its function of improving of anti-oxidation and decreasing of inflammation, the mechanism of CSDP disparting and removing phlem and blood stasis in the processes lipid metabolism need to be studied further.</p>

Design and development of Intelligent Outpatient Queuing System / 医疗卫生装备

Objective To introduce the idea and the structure of Intelligent Outpatient Queuing System.Methods The hardware was constructed and the software was developed for the application of Intelligent Outpatient Queuing System.Results Run and debugged for one year,the system achieved anticipated results: the outpatient queuing order was effectively improved.Conclusion With a friendly interface,the system is easy to operate and suitable to the complicated situation of an outpatient department.