Menthol enhances interleukin-13-induced synthesis and secretion of mucin 5AC in human bronchial epithelial cells / 南方医科大学学报

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the effect of interleukin (IL) -13 combined with cold stimulation on synthesis and secretion of mucin (MUC) 5AC in human bronchial epithelial cell line 16HBE and explore the role of transient receptor potential 8 (TRPM8) and anti-apoptotic factor B-cell lymphoblast-2 (Bcl-2) in this process.@*METHODS@#16HBE cells were stimulated with 10 ng/mL IL-13, 1 mmol/L menthol, or both (1 mmol/L menthol was added after 6 days of IL-13 stimulation), and the changes in the expression of MUC5AC, intracellular Ca@*RESULTS@#The mRNA and protein expressions of MUC5AC increased significantly in 16HBE cells following stimulation with IL-13, menthol, and both (@*CONCLUSIONS@#Menthol combined with IL-13 produces a synergistic effect to promote the synthesis and secretion of MUC5AC in 16HBE cells possibly by activating TRPM8 receptor to upregulate the expression of Bcl-2.

Expression of BAG3 protein in colon cancer tissue detected by tissue microarray method and its clinical significance / 吉林大学学报(医学版)

Objective:To explore the expression of Bcl related anti-apoptotic protein 3 (BAG3 protein)in colon cancer and its clinical significance,and to clarify the relationship between its expression and the occurrence and development of colon cancer.Methods:A total of 90 cases of colon cancer tissue and paracancerous tissue were selected, the expressions of BAG3 protein in different tissues were detected by tissue microarray and immunohistochemical SP method;Kaplan-Meier method,univariate analysis and multivariate analysis were used to investigate the relationship between the clinicopathological parameters and the prognosis of the patients with colon cancer.Results:The expression of BAG3 protein in the colon cancer tissue was high,and the positive expression rates of BAG3 protein in the colon cancer tissue and paracancerous tissue were 37.8% and 0.01%,respectively, and the difference was significant (P < 0.05).The expression of BAG3 protein was associated with gender and tumor size (P <0.05),but there was no correlation between the expression of BAG3 protein in the colon cancer tissue and age,pathologic grade,TNM stage,and lymph node metastasis (P >0.05).The Kaplan-Meier results showed that the expression of BAG3 protein in the colon cancer tissue was not related with the prognosis of the patients and the survival rates of the younger patients and the higher TNM staging patients were high. Conclusion:The expression of BAG3 protein in the colon cancer tissue is high,and its expression is associated with the tumor size;BAG3 protein may act as a tumor marker and therapeutic target for colon cancer.

Using Bcl-xL anti-apoptotic protein for altering target cell apoptosis

Background: Altering target cell apoptosis is one of the challenging ideas of biotechnological applications. There are several applications of over expressing Bcl-xL anti-apoptotic protein from recombinant protein production to DNA vaccination strategies. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the anti-apoptotic efficacy of Bcl-xL expressing dual promoter plasmid system as a candidate to be used for recombinant protein production and DNA vaccination approaches. For this purpose, Bcl-xL anti-apoptotic protein gene was inserted in a dual expressing vector system in frame with EGFP (enhanced green fluorescence protein) after IRES (internal ribosomal site). The plasmid has a multiple cloning site after CMV (cytomegalovirus promoter) left empty to be inserted a biopharmaceutical protein gene region or DNA vaccine antigens. Results: In order to determine the anti-apoptotic efficacy of Bcl-xL inserted dual expressing vector, BHK-21 cells were transfected both with this plasmid and empty vector as control. Apoptosis was stimulated by several apoptosis inducing agents and serum deprivation in the transfected cells for 48 hrs. Cells expressing Bcl-xL protein in frame with EGFP were determined by flow cytometry as an indicator of cell viability. Additionally, apoptosis were determined by intracellular cleaved Casp 3 staining in Bcl-xL expressing EGFP positive cells. The dual expression plasmid bearing Bcl-xL anti-apoptotic protein prolonged the cell survival rate and protected cells from apoptosis upon apoptosis induction by doxorubicin and camptothecin in which the anti-apoptotic efficacies are inhibited through over expressing of Bcl-xL. pIRES2EGFP/Bcl-xL transfected cell ratio was significantly higher compared to empty vector transfected cells (P < 0.001). In contrast, apoptotic cell ratio was significantly lower in pIRES2EGFP/Bcl-xL transfected cell population compared to empty vector transfected cells (P < 0.001). Conclusion: In conclusion...

An Anti-apoptotic Protein Expressed Specifically and Highly in The Cardiac Tissue:ARC / 生物化学与生物物理进展

Many apoptosis-related heart diseases such as myocardial infarction, cardiomyopathies, and heart failure severely impair human's health and life. Currently, a key focus for the medical researchers is to find out effective ways to prevent or treat these heart diseases. ARC (apoptosis repressor with caspase recruitment domain) is the first anti-apoptotic protein so far identified to be highly and specifically expressed in the cardiac tissue. ARC could be structurally phosphorylated and involved in various signaling pathways during apoptosis.