ABSTRACT
Due to the high mortality and rapid disease progression, ovarian cancer remains one of the most common malignancies threatening the health of women. The present study was conducted to explore the anticancer effects and the underlying mechanisms of poricoic acid A (PAA), the main components of Poria cocos, on ovarian cancer. We investigated the anticancer effects of different concentrations of PAA in the SKOV3 cell line. Cell viability and proliferation were examined by CCK-8 assay. Cellular migration and invasion were assessed by the scratch and Transwell migration assays, respectively. The effect of PPA on cell apoptosis was measured by flow cytometry and caspase-3/8/9 colorimetric assay. Western blot was performed to detect protein level changes related to apoptosis and mTOR signaling pathways. The in vivo anticancer effect of PAA was evaluated using xenograft tumorigenesis model in nude mice. Our results showed that PAA suppressed SKOV3 cellular viability, migration, and invasion in a dosage-dependent manner. Flow cytometry results demonstrated PAA treatment could induce SKOV3 cell apoptosis. In addition, increased ratio of LC3-II/LC3-I (a marker for autophagosome formation) was observed after PAA treatment, as well as inhibition of m-TOR and p70s6k phosphorylation. In nude mice, PAA treatment reduced the xenograft tumor weight by 70% (P<0.05). In conclusion, our data suggested that PAA induced apoptosis and autophagy in ovarian cancer via modulating the mTOR/p70s6k signaling axis.
ABSTRACT
Exercise-based training decreases hospitalizations in heart failure patients but such patients have exercise intolerance. The objectives of the study were to evaluate the effect of 12 weeks of Tai Chi exercise and lower limb muscles' functional electrical stimulation in older chronic heart failure adults. A total of 1,084 older adults with chronic systolic heart failure were included in a non-randomized clinical trial (n=271 per group). The control group did not receive any kind of intervention, one group received functional electrical stimulation of lower limb muscles (FES group), another group practiced Tai Chi exercise (TCE group), and another received functional electrical stimulation of lower limb muscles and practiced Tai Chi exercise (FES & TCE group). Quality of life and cardiorespiratory functions of all patients were evaluated. Compared to the control group, only FES group had increased Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire (KCCQ) score (P<0.0001, q=9.06), only the TCE group had decreased heart rate (P<0.0001, q=5.72), and decreased peak oxygen consumption was reported in the TCE group (P<0.0001, q=9.15) and FES & TCE group (P<0.0001, q=10.69). FES of lower limb muscles and Tai Chi exercise can recover the quality of life and cardiorespiratory functions of older chronic heart failure adults (trial registration: Research Registry 4474, January 1, 2015).
Subject(s)
Humans , Aged , Electric Stimulation Therapy/methods , Muscle, Skeletal/physiopathology , Tai Ji/methods , Lower Extremity/physiopathology , Heart Failure, Systolic/rehabilitation , Quality of Life , Chronic Disease , Treatment Outcome , Heart Failure, Systolic/physiopathologyABSTRACT
@#Objective To compare clinical outcomes between the performed titanium locking plate and nickel-titanium memory alloy embracing fixator for the treatment of multiple rib fractures, and to select a better internal fixator for multiple rib fractures. Methods A total of 206 consecutive patients with multiple rib fractures were admitted to Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery in Beijing Luhe Hospital of Capital Medical University from October 2011 to September 2016. According to different treatment strategies, the patients were divided into 2 groups: a performed titanium locking plate group (a titanium plate group, n=105) and a nickel-titanium memory alloy embracing fixator group (an embracing fixator group, n=101). There were 82 males and 23 females with a mean age of 46.5±9.7 years ranging from 23 to 65 years in the titanium plate group, and 83 males and 18 females with a mean age of 44.7±10.3 years ranging from 19 to 63 years in the embracing fixator group. The preoperative data, curative outcomes, visual analogue scale (VAS) and postoperative complications were compared between the two groups. Results There was no statistical difference in the preoperative data between the two groups, and all patients successfully completed the operation. Compared with the embracing fixator group, the incision length and operation time were shorter, intraoperative bleeding and VAS score were less, and curative outcome was better in the titanium plate group. Conclusion The performed titanium locking plate has a great advantage in the clinic, which can be preferred.
ABSTRACT
The pathogenesis of HBsAg (+)/HBsAb(+) double positive hepatitis B virus infection was investigated by simulating HBsAg/HBsAb coexistence in vitro and establishing HBsAg/HBsAb double positive model in vivo. Eukaryotic expression plasmids PCI-SY, PCI-adw, PCI-adr, PCI-ayw, which ex-pressed S gene product of different serotypes, were constructed and transfected into HepG2 cells. Re-combinant proteins were purified from the transfeeted cells. At the same time, HBsAg mouse antiserum was obtained by immunizing mice with PCI-SY plasmid. HBsAg/HBsAb coexistence was simulated using these antigens and antiserum. Furthermore, the expression plasmids expressing different serotypes of S gene product including PCI-adw, PCI-adr, and PCI-ayw were injected into mice via tail vein.HBsAg and HBsAb in mice sera were tested at the first and 7th day respectively after antigen plasmids injection. Both in vitro simulation and in vivo animal models demonstrated that HBsAg antigen and HBsAb of the same serotypes could not coexist, but HBsAg antigen and HBsAb of different serotype could coexist. HBsAg/HBsAb double positive hepatitis B virus infection could be due to infection of viruses of different serorypes.