Effect of TRPV1 channel on proliferation and apoptosis of airway smooth muscle cells of rats / 华中科技大学学报（医学）（英德文版）

Airway remodeling is an important pathological feature of asthma and the basis of severe asthma. Proliferation of airway smooth muscle cells (ASMCs) is a major contributor to airway remodeling. As an important Ca(2+) channel, transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) plays the key role in the cell pathological and physiological processes. This study investigated the expression and activity of TRPV1 channel, and further clarified the effect of TRPV1 channel on the ASMCs proliferation and apoptosis in order to provide the scientific basis to treat asthmatic airway remodeling in clinical practice. Immunofluorescence staining and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) were used to detect the expression of TRPV1 in rat ASMCs. Intracellular Ca(2+) was detected using the single cell confocal fluorescence microscopy measurement loaded with Fluo-4/AM. The cell cycles were observed by flow cytometry. MTT assay and Hoechst 33258 staining were used to detect the proliferation and apoptosis of ASMCs in rats respectively. The data showed that: (1) TRPV1 channel was present in rat ASMCs. (2) TRPV1 channel agonist, capsaicin, increased the Ca(2+) influx in a concentration-dependent manner (EC50=284.3±58 nmol/L). TRPV1 channel antagonist, capsazepine, inhibited Ca(2+) influx in rat ASMCs. (3) Capsaicin significantly increased the percentage of S+G2M ASMCs and the absorbance of MTT assay. Capsazepine had the opposite effect. (4) Capsaicin significantly inhibited the apoptosis, whereas capsazepine had the opposite effect. These results suggest that TRPV1 is present and mediates Ca(2+) influx in rat ASMCs. TRPV1 activity stimulates proliferation of ASMCs in rats.

Effect of TRPV1 channel on proliferation and apoptosis of airway smooth muscle cells of rats / 华中科技大学学报（医学）（英德文版）

Airway remodeling is an important pathological feature of asthma and the basis of severe asthma. Proliferation of airway smooth muscle cells (ASMCs) is a major contributor to airway remodeling. As an important Ca(2+) channel, transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) plays the key role in the cell pathological and physiological processes. This study investigated the expression and activity of TRPV1 channel, and further clarified the effect of TRPV1 channel on the ASMCs proliferation and apoptosis in order to provide the scientific basis to treat asthmatic airway remodeling in clinical practice. Immunofluorescence staining and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) were used to detect the expression of TRPV1 in rat ASMCs. Intracellular Ca(2+) was detected using the single cell confocal fluorescence microscopy measurement loaded with Fluo-4/AM. The cell cycles were observed by flow cytometry. MTT assay and Hoechst 33258 staining were used to detect the proliferation and apoptosis of ASMCs in rats respectively. The data showed that: (1) TRPV1 channel was present in rat ASMCs. (2) TRPV1 channel agonist, capsaicin, increased the Ca(2+) influx in a concentration-dependent manner (EC50=284.3±58 nmol/L). TRPV1 channel antagonist, capsazepine, inhibited Ca(2+) influx in rat ASMCs. (3) Capsaicin significantly increased the percentage of S+G2M ASMCs and the absorbance of MTT assay. Capsazepine had the opposite effect. (4) Capsaicin significantly inhibited the apoptosis, whereas capsazepine had the opposite effect. These results suggest that TRPV1 is present and mediates Ca(2+) influx in rat ASMCs. TRPV1 activity stimulates proliferation of ASMCs in rats.

Significance of fractional exhaled nitric oxide combined with serum procalcitonin and C-reactive protein in evaluation of elderly asthma / 华中科技大学学报（医学）（英德文版）

Bronchial asthma is a common chronic airway inflammatory disease. Asthma is associated with high mortality, especially in the elderly patients. Repeated exacerbations cause disease progression. Therefore, identifying the onset of acute elderly asthma as soon as possible and giving the effective treatment is crucial to improve the prognosis. This study was to investigate the significance of fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) combined with serum procalcitonin (PCT) and C-reactive protein (CRP) in the evaluation of elderly asthma. A total of 120 elderly patients with an acute attack of asthma from July, 2010 to May, 2012 were studied. On presentation, FeNO, serum PCT and CRP concentrations were measured and sputum culture was also performed. The elderly patients were re-evaluated when they had returned to their stable clinical state. The elderly patients were classified into two groups: positive bacterial culture group (A) and negative bacterial culture group (B). The results showed that: (1) In patients with an acute exacerbation of asthma, 48 (40%) patients had positive sputum bacterial culture and 72 (60%) had negative sputum bacterial culture. (2) The levels of FeNO in patients with acute exacerbation of asthma were significantly higher than in those with no acute exacerbation state (63.8±24.6 vs. 19±6.5 ppb, P<0.05). There was no significant difference in FeNO between group A and group B (P>0.05). (3) The levels of PCT and CRP in group A patients with an acute exacerbation of asthma were significantly higher (P<0.05) than in group B (for PCT: 27.46±9.32 vs. 7.85±3.52 ng/mL; for CRP: 51.25±11.46 vs. 17.11±5.87 mg/L, respectively). When they had returned to stable clinical state, the levels of PCT and CRP in group A were decreased significantly (P<0.05), and those in group B had no significant change (P>0.05) when compared with the exacerbation group. There were no significant differences in the levels of PCT and CRP between the two groups in non-acute exacerbation state (P>0.05). These results suggest that the increase in FeNO indicates the acute exacerbation of asthma, and the elevation of serum PCT and CRP levels may be associated with bacterial infection.

Significance of fractional exhaled nitric oxide combined with serum procalcitonin and C-reactive protein in evaluation of elderly asthma / 华中科技大学学报（医学）（英德文版）

Bronchial asthma is a common chronic airway inflammatory disease. Asthma is associated with high mortality, especially in the elderly patients. Repeated exacerbations cause disease progression. Therefore, identifying the onset of acute elderly asthma as soon as possible and giving the effective treatment is crucial to improve the prognosis. This study was to investigate the significance of fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) combined with serum procalcitonin (PCT) and C-reactive protein (CRP) in the evaluation of elderly asthma. A total of 120 elderly patients with an acute attack of asthma from July, 2010 to May, 2012 were studied. On presentation, FeNO, serum PCT and CRP concentrations were measured and sputum culture was also performed. The elderly patients were re-evaluated when they had returned to their stable clinical state. The elderly patients were classified into two groups: positive bacterial culture group (A) and negative bacterial culture group (B). The results showed that: (1) In patients with an acute exacerbation of asthma, 48 (40%) patients had positive sputum bacterial culture and 72 (60%) had negative sputum bacterial culture. (2) The levels of FeNO in patients with acute exacerbation of asthma were significantly higher than in those with no acute exacerbation state (63.8±24.6 vs. 19±6.5 ppb, P0.05). (3) The levels of PCT and CRP in group A patients with an acute exacerbation of asthma were significantly higher (P0.05) when compared with the exacerbation group. There were no significant differences in the levels of PCT and CRP between the two groups in non-acute exacerbation state (P>0.05). These results suggest that the increase in FeNO indicates the acute exacerbation of asthma, and the elevation of serum PCT and CRP levels may be associated with bacterial infection.

Regulatory role of Syk gene on vascular endothelial growth factor C expression in breast cancer / 中华病理学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the effect of Syk on the VEGF-C expression in breast cancer.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Immunohistochemical EnVision method was used to detect the protein expression of Syk, NFκB and VEGF-C in breast carcinoma; and the relationship between protein expression of Syk, NFκB, VEGF-C and lymph node metastasis was analysed. MDA-MB-231 cells were transfected with pcDNA3.1(-)-Syk, and the effect of Syk gene on the VEGF-C and NFκB expression was determined.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>In the lymph node metastatic group, a lower expression rate of Syk and higher expression rate of VEGF-C and NFκB were detected as compared to the non-metastatic group. The expression of Syk was negatively associated with NFκB (r = -0.448, P = 0.002) and VEGF-C (r = -0.620, P = 0.000) expression, and VEGF-C was associated with the nuclear expression of NFκB (r = 0.310, P = 0.036). Compared with the non-transfected cells, the pcDNA3.1(-)-Syk transfected MDA-MB-231 cells showed significantly lower transcriptional level of VEGF-C mRNA, expression level of VEGF-C protein and NFκB activity (P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Syk may play an important role in the lymph node metastasis of breast cancer. It may down-regulate the expression of VEGF-C by inhibiting the activity of NFκB, which thus suppresses lymph node metastasis of breast cancer.</p>