Expression of cyclooxygenase-2 and vascular endothelial growth factor in human prostate cancer and its significance / 中华男科学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate expressions of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in primary prostate cancer and its clinical significance.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Expressions of COX-2 and VEGF were detected by immunohistochemical assay in tissues of 40 prostate cancer and 10 benign prostatic hyperplasia samples.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>COX-2 and VEGF levels in prostate cancer were much higher than those in BPH. The degrees of cancer malignancy and invasion positively correlated with the expressions of COX-2 and VEGF. COX-2 level positively correlated with VEGF level.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The abnormal expression of COX-2 plays an important role in the development of primary prostate cancer. COX-2 and VEGF are good molecular markers of prostate cancer which are hopeful to be used for the assistant diagnosis and the prediction of prognosis of prostate cancer.</p>

Effects of immunoglobulin on the neuronal expression of IL-1beta and IL-1ra and the neuronal death at hippocampus in rats with convulsion induced by pentylenetetrazol / 中华儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the effects of immunoglobulin on the neuronal expression of IL-1beta and IL-1ra and the neuronal death at hippocampus in rats with convulsion induced by pentylenetetrazol.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The epilepsy model was established by injecting intraperitoneally pentylenetetrazol (PTZ) into Wistar rats. Forty-five rats were randomly divided into three groups, normal control group, PTZ plus intravenous immunoglobulin (PTZ-IVIG); PTZ plus normal saline (PTZ-NS). Neuronal death was assessed by light microscopy with the hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining and with in situ terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL). IL-1beta and IL-1ra expressions were examined by histochemistry.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The ratio of IL-1beta/IL-1ra at hippocampal CA(1) region in PTZ-IVIG group (0.5 +/- 0.1) was significantly lower than that in PTZ-NS group (1.9 +/- 0.5, t = 12.9, P < 0.05). Apoptotic cell numbers at the hippocampal CA(1) region were significantly decreased in the PTZ-IVIG group, compared to PTZ-NS group (t = 27.1, P < 0.05). The numbers of positive cells were 16.4 +/- 3.3/1000 microm(2) in the former and 41.7 +/- 3.5/1000 microm(2) in the latter. Necrotic cell numbers at the hippocampal CA(1) region were significantly decreased in the PTZ-IVIG group (19.0 +/- 2.6/1000 microm(2)), compared to PTZ-NS group (42.3 +/- 4.9/1000 microm(2), t = 20.9, P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Immunoglobulin could inhibit neuronal death induced by convulsion and its possible mechanism might be the regulation of IL-1 system in neurons.</p>