Pien Tze Huang () Overcomes Doxorubicin Resistance and Inhibits Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition in MCF-7/ADR Cells / 中国结合医学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To evaluate the effect of Pien Tze Huang (, PZH) on breast cancer chemoresistance and related epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and investigate the underlying mechanisms.@*METHODS@#3-(4,5-Dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2-H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay was used to determine the cell viability. Adriamycin (ADR) staining observed by fluorescence microscope was performed to detect the accumulation of ADR. Transwell assay was used to analyze the cell migration and invasion. Western-blot was performed to detect the protein expression of related genes.@*RESULTS@#MCF-7/ADR cells were resistant to ADR treatment, and PZH treatment inhibited the viability of MCF-7/ADR cells in a dose-dependent manner. PZH treatment also increased the intercellular accumulation of ADR and down-regulated the expression of ABCG2 and ABCB1 in MCF-7/ADR cells (P<0.05). In addition, PZH treatment inhibited EMT, migration and invasion of MCF-7/ADR cells (P<0.05). Moreover, PZH suppressed activation of transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β) signaling in MCF-7/ADR cells (P<0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#PZH treatment can effectively overcome chemoresistance via down regulating ABCG2, ABCB1 and inhibit EMT in ADR resistant human breast cancer cells via suppression of the TGF-β1 pathway.

Child with bilateral pheochromocytoma and a surgically solitary kidney: anesthetic challenges

Pheochromocytoma is a rare neuroendocrine tumor of childhood. We present a 14-year-old boy with bilateral pheochromocytoma, post nephrectomy in view of a non-functioning kidney presenting with severe hypertension and end organ damage. Diagnosis was confirmed with 24-hour urinary VMA, catechol amines, and CT scan. Preoperative blood pressure [BP] was controlled with prazosin, propranolol, nicardipine, and HCT-spironolactone. Anesthesia was given with general endotracheal anesthesia with epidural analgesia. Intraoperative BP rise was managed with infusion of NTG, MgSO4, esmolol, and dexmedetomidine which was especially challenging on account of bilateral tumor

Doppler assessment of hepatic venous waves for predicting large varices in cirrhotic patients

Color Doppler examination of changes in hepatic venous waveforms is being evaluated as a means of prediction of severity of portal hypertension and presence of esophageal varices. Normal hepatic venous waveform shows a triphasic pattern. In cirrhosis, this pattern changes to a biphasic or monophasic pattern. We aimed to study the sensitivity of loss of normal hepatic venous waveforms in predicting large varices in a cross-sectional analysis. All patients, admitted or attending the outpatient department, with a diagnosis of cirrhosis were included in the study. All patients were subjected to oesophagogastroduodenoscopy and Color Doppler examination, and waveform patterns in hepatic vein were recorded. The sensitivity and specificity of changes in waveform in detecting large varices were studied. A total of 51 cases were examined. Triphasic waves were seen in 4 [7.8%] cases, biphasic in 26 [51%] cases, and monophasic in 21 [41.2%] cases. Small varices were seen in 30 [58.8%] cases and large varices in 21 [41.2%] cases. The sensitivity of loss of the triphasic wave pattern in detecting significant varices [Grade 3 or 4] was very high [95.23%] and negative predictive value was also high [75%]. Severity of liver disease as indicated by Child-Pugh and MELD scores did not correlate with changes in hepatic venous waveforms. Loss of triphasic hepatic venous waveform is highly sensitive in predicting significant varices in patients with cirrhosis

Microlithiasis of the epididymis: a case report and review of literature.

Microlithiasis of the epididymis, which is not associated with epididymal inflammation, is a rare entity that has been infrequently published in the literature. We report, one such case that was incidentally detected in association with prostatic adenocarcinoma.

Multiple myeloma with amyloidosis presenting with recurrent gastrointestinal bleeding.

We report a 45-year-old woman who presented with hematemesis. Endoscopy showed nodular lesions and ulcers in the gastric antrum; histology of the lesions showed amyloidosis. The patient had received melphalan and prednisolone for multiple myeloma 5 years earlier.

Sodium requirement and metabolism in nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria.

Sodium affects the metabolism of eukaryotes and prokaryotes in several ways. This review collates information on the effects of Na+ on the metabolism of cyanobacteria with emphasis on the N2,fixing filamentous species. Na+ is required for nitrogenase activity in Anabaena torulosa, Anabaena L-31 and Plectonema boryanum. The features of this requirement have been mainly studied in Anabaena torulosa. The need for Na+ is specific and cannot be replaced by Κ+, Li+, Ca 2 + or Mg2+. Processes crucial for expression of nitrogenase such as molybdenum uptake, protection of the enzyme from oxygen inactivation and conformational activation of the enzyme are not affected by Na+. Mo-Fe protein and Fe protein, the two components of nitrogenase are synthesized in the absence of Na+ but the enzyme complex is catalytically inactive. Photoevolution of O2 and CO2 fixation, which are severely inhibited in the absence of Na+, are quickly restored by glutamine or glutamate indicating that Na+ deprivation affects photosynthesis indirectly due to deficiency in the products of N 2 fixation. Na+ deprivation decreases phosphate uptake, nucleoside phosphate pool and nitrogenase activity. These effects are reversed by the addition of Na+ suggesting that a limitation of available ATP caused by reduced phosphate uptake results in loss of nitrogenase activity during Na+ starvation. Na+ influx in Anabaena torulosa and Anabaena L-31 is unaffected by low K+ concentration, is carrier mediated, follows Michaelis-Menten kinetics and is modulated mainly by membrane potential. Treatments which cause membrane depolarisation and hyperpolarisation inhibit and enhance Na+ influx respectively. These cyanobacteria exhibit rapid active efflux of Na+, in a manner different from the Na+/H+ antiporter mechanism found in Anacystis nidulans. Na+ requirement in nitrogen metabolism including nitrate assimilation, synthesis of amino acids and proteins, in respiration and oxidative phosphorylation, in transport of sugars and amino acids, cellular distribution of absorbed sodium, physiological basis of salt tolerance and prospects of reclamation of saline soils by cyanobacteria are the other aspects discussed in this review.

Sodium transport in filamentous nitrogen fixing cyanobacteria.

Two filamentous, nitrogen fixing cyanobacteria were examined for their salt tolerance and sodium (Na+) transport. Anabaena torulosa, a saline form, grew effi ciently and fixed nitrogen even at 150 mM salt (NaCl) concentration while, Anabaena L 31, a fresh water cyanobacterium, failed to grow beyond 35 mM NaCl. Anabaena torulosa showed a rapidly saturating kinetics of Na+ transport with a high affinity for Na+ (Km , 0.3 mM). Anabaena L 31 had a much lower affinity for Na+ (Km , 2.8 mM) than Anabaena torulosa and the pattern of uptake was somewhat different. Both Ana baena spp. exhibited an active Na+ extrusion which seems to be mediated by a Na+ K+ ATPase and aided by oxidative phosphorylation. Anabaena L 31 was found to retain much more intracellular Na+ than Anabaena torulosa. The results suggest that the saline form tolerates high Na+ concentrations by curtailing its influx and also by an efficient Na+ extrusion, although these alone may not entirely account for its success in saline environment.

Control of sporulation in the filamentous cyanobacterium A nabaena torulosa.

In the cyanobacterium Anabaena torulosa, sporulation occurred even during the logarithmic growth phase. Sporulation was initiated by differentiation of the vegetative cell on one side, adjoining the heterocyst followed by differentiation of the vegetative cell on the other side. Subsequently, spores were differentiated alternately on either side to form spore strings. The sequence of sporulation supports the previous notion that a gradient of spore maturation exists in cyanobacteria and also indicates that the gradient is manifested unequally on either side of heterocysts. Sporulation was absent or negligible in a minerally enriched medium but ocurred readily in a minimal medium. The extent of sporulation was inversely related to phosphate concentration. Sporulation was enhanced at higher temperature. Incandescent light, but not fluorescent light, greatly stimulated sporulation suggesting possible involvement of red light in spore differentiation. Addition of filtrate, from 5 to 8 day old cultures, to freshly inoculated A. torulosa greatly enhanced sporulation indicating the influence of extracellular products in spore formation.

Extracellular polypeptides of Anabaena L-31 : Evidence for their role in regulation of heterocyst formation.

Extracellular polypeptides released by both N2-grown [peptide I] and NO3-grown [peptide II] Anabaena L-31 have molecular weight of approximately 3,500 but have distinctly different amino acid composition. Acid hydrolysis of the peptide I fraction (obtained by separation on Sephadex G-25) yielded ten amino acids whereas that from peptide II fraction yielded only 3 amino acids. On addition to a freshly inoculated N2-grown culture, the peptide I fraction stimulated pro-heterocyst and to a lesser extent heterocyst differentiation, whereas the peptide II fraction strongly inhibited differentiation. The inhibitory effect of polypeptide II fraction could not be relieved by methionine sulphoximine, which by itself enhances differenttiation, but was greatly relieved by addition of the peptide I fraction. The data suggest but does not prove, that Anabaena L-31 synthesises "inducer" or " inhibitor " peptides which could possibly control pattern formation.