lncRNA SNHG16 Mediates Cell Proliferation and Apoptosis in Cholangiocarcinoma by Directly Targeting miR-146a-5p/GATA6 Axis.

Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is a malignant tumour with high recurrence and mortality rates and poor prognosis. However, the pathogenic mechanism remains unclear. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the roles and regulatory mechanism of SNHG16 in the occurrence and development of CCA. Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA) was used to predict the expressions of SNHG16 and GATA6 in CCA samples from TCGA database. The levels of SNHG16, miR-146a-5p and GATA6 were evaluated using qRT-PCR. CCK-8 and flow cytometry assays were conducted to evaluate cell proliferation and apoptosis, respectively. Western blotting was applied to analyse the protein levels of GATA6 and apoptosis-related proteins. SNHG16 was significantly elevated in CCA tissues from TCGA database and CCA cell lines. Moreover, downregulation of SNHG16 restricted cell proliferation and increased apoptotic rate of RBE and HuCCT1 cells. miR-146a-5p, a downstream target of SNHG16, was shown to be an intermediate mediator of GATA6 expression regulated by SNHG16. In addition, either the miR-146a-5p inhibitor or overexpression of GATA6 obviously impaired the regulatory effects of SNHG16 downregulation in RBE and HuCCT1 cells. These data demonstrated that SNHG16 promoted cell proliferation and repressed apoptosis by regulating the miR-146a-5p/GATA6 axis, which provides some helpful insights for the diagnosis and treatment of CCA.

Therapeutic role of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) for infertile women under in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF-ET) treatment: a meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this meta-analysis is to explore the beneficial role of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) on infertile women under artificial reproduction technology treatment. METHOD: Medline, Embase and ISI Web of Science databases were searched to identify relevant randomized control trials. Studies before July, 2017 were included for primary screening. Meta-analysis of the total and subgroup patients was conducted, and relative risks (RRs) and their 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were calculated by a fixed-effect model if no heterogeneity (evaluated as I2 statistic) existed. Otherwise, a random-effects model was adopted. Subgroup analysis was performed by administrating route or clinical indication. Egger test and influence analysis were conducted to evaluate the publication bias and study power, respectively. RESULTS: The final selection enrolled 10 RCTs, involving 1016 IVF-ET cycles (521 distributed to the G-CSF group and 495 to the control). Compared with control group, G-CSF administration could significantly improve clinical pregnancy rate (CPR, RR 1.89, 95% CI 1.53-2.33), while it had no beneficial effect on embryo implantation rate (IR, RR 1.84, 95% CI 0.84-4.03). The subgroup analysis by administration route showed that both uterine infusion and subcutaneous injection can produce a substantial increase in CPR, with the pooled RRs (95% CI) 1.46 (1.04-2.05) and 2.23 (1.68-2.95), respectively. Nevertheless, most of included RCTs dealt with the RIF subjects, and the pooled analysis of this data showed a higher PR and IR in G-CSF group as compared to that in the control, with the RRs (95% CI) 2.07 (1.64-2.61) and 1.52 (1.08-2.14), respectively. Egger regression test did not demonstrate any significance for the publication bias. CONCLUSION: G-CSF administration has a beneficial role on the clinical outcome after embryo transfer by both routes of local infusion and systematic administration, especially for the cases with RIF. Further RCTs are needed to investigate the role of G-CSF in thin endometrium patients.

[Response of Soil Respiration and Organic Carbon to Returning of Different Agricultural Straws and Its Mechanism].

Soybean, maize and rice straws were selected as raw materials to study the response of the soil respiration (SR) and soil organic carbon (SOC) to returning of different straws in the Chongming Dongtan area. The results showed that all of SR, SOC and the plant biomass of the lands with returning of different straws were higher than those of the controls. The soil with soybean straw returning possessed the lowest SR and highest SOC among the three kinds of straws, meaning its higher soil organic carbon sequestration capability than corn and maize straws returning. Straw returning significantly enhanced soil dehydrogenase, ß-glycosidase activities and microbial biomass, and soil dehydrogenase activity was significantly correlated with soil respiration. The dehydrogenase activity of the soil with soybean straw returning was the lowest, thus, the lowest SR and highest SOC. Soybean straw had the highest cellulose and lignin contents and the lowest N content among the three kinds of straws, resulting in its lowest biodegradability. Therefore, when soybean straw was returned to soil, it was difficult to degrade completely by soil microorganisms, thus the lowest soil microbial activity, eventually leading to the lowest SR and highest SOC.

[Response of Straw and Straw Biochar Returning to Soil Carbon Budget and Its Mechanism].

Direct straw returning and straw carbonization returning are the main measures of straw returning. Because of the differences in structure and nature as well as returning process between straw and straw biochar, the soil respiration and soil carbon budget after returning must have significant differences. In this study, outdoor pot experiment was carried out to study the response of soil respiration and carbon budget to straw and straw biochar returning and its possible mechanism. The results showed that soil respiration of straw biochar returning [mean value 21. 69 µmol.(m2.s)-1] was significantly lower than that of direct straw returning [mean value 65.32 µmol.(m2.s)-1], and its soil organic carbon content ( mean value 20. 40 g . kg-1) and plant biomass (mean value 138. 56 g) were higher than those of direct straw returning (mean values 17. 76 g . kg-1 and 76. 76 g). Considering the carbon loss after the biochar preparation process, its soil carbon budget was also significantly higher than that of direct straw returning, so it was a low carbon mode of straw returning. Direct straw returning significantly promoted soil dehydrogenase activity, soil ß-glycosidase activity and soil microorganism quantity, leading to higher soil respiration, but straw biochar did play an obvious role in promoting the microbial activity index. Easily oxidizable carbon (EOC) and biodegradability of straw biochar were lower than those of straw, which showed that straw biochar had higher stability, and was more difficult to degrade for soil microorganisms so its soil microbial activity was generally lower, and could be retained in the soil for a long time.

[Potential Carbon Fixation Capability of Non-photosynthetic Microbial Community at Different Depth of the South China Sea and Its Response to Different Electron Donors].

The seawater samples collected from many different areas with different depth in the South China Sea were cultivated using different electron donors respectively. And the variation in the potential carbon fixation capability ( PCFC ) of non-photosynthetic microbial community (NPMC) in seawater with different depth was determined after a cycle of cultivation through the statistic analysis. In addition, the cause for the variation was clarified through analyzing key gene abundance regarding CO2 fixation and characteristics of seawater with different depth. The result showed that the PCFCs of NPMC in seawater with different depth were generally low and had no significant difference when using NaNO2 as the electron donor. The PCFC of NPMC in surface seawater was higher than that in deep seawater when using H2 as the electron donor, on the contrary, the PCFC of NPMC in deep seawater was higher than that in surface seawater when using Na2S2O3 as the electron donor. The abundance of the main CO2 fixation gene cbbL in surface seawater was higher than that in deep seawater while the cbbM gene abundance in deep seawater was higher than that in surface seawater. Most hydrogen-oxidizing bacteria had the cbbL gene, and most sulfur bacteria had the cbbM gene. The tendency of seawater cbbL/cbbM gene abundance with the change of depth revealed that there were different kinds of bacteria accounting for the majority in NPMC fixing CO2 at different depth of ocean, which led to different response of PCFC of NPMC at different depth of the sea to different electron donors. The distributions of dissolved oxygen and inorganic carbon concentration with the change of the depth of the sea might be an important reason leading to the difference of NPMC structure and even the difference of PCFC at different depth of the sea.

Mouse dead end 1-ß interacts with c-Jun and stimulates activator protein 1 transactivation.

Dead end 1 (DND1), important for maintaining the viability of primordial germ cells, is the first protein containing an RNA recognition motif that has been directly implicated as a heritable cause of spontaneous tumorigenesis. In the present study, c-Jun was identified through yeast two-hybrid screening of a 10.5-day old mouse embryo cDNA library as one of the proteins which interact with DND1-ß. The interaction between DND1-ß and c-Jun was demonstrated to occur by glutathione S­transferase pull­down and co-immunoprecipitation. Using confocal microscopy, DND1-ß was found to be specifically expressed in GC-1 spermatogonia cells, mainly in the nuclei. When transfected into GC-1 cells, DND1-ß and c-Jun were demonstrated to be co-localized principally in the nuclei. Furthermore, in a dual luciferase reporter assay, the transcriptional activity of activator protein 1 was demonstrated to be significantly increased by co-transfection with DND1-ß and c-Jun plasmids in GC-1 cells. The identification and confirmation of an additional protein interacting with DND1-ß facilitates the investigation of the functions and molecular mechanisms of DND1.

[Association of menopausal specific fat distribution changes with metabolic risk factors].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association of menopausal specific fat distribution with metabolic risk factors. METHODS: Two hundred Chinese women including 110 premenopausal women aged 39.7±9.2 y and 90 postmenopausal women aged 55.4±4.6 years were enrolled. Total and regional fat depots including android fat and gynoid fat were measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. The differences of regional fat depot between pre-and post menopausal women were compared by covariate analysis. The association of regional fat changes with metabolic risk factors were analyzed by logistic models. RESULTS: Gynoid fat was significantly decreased in postmenopausal women after accounting for total fat changes. After adjusting covariates (including age, BMI, and %BF), the inverse associations of gynoid fat with metabolic risk factors still remained (OR=1.8-3.7,P<0.05). Furthermore, the interaction between menopause and gynoid fat was significantly in all logistic models (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Android fat was increased whereas gynoid fat was decreased after menopause. Opposite to the detrimental effects of android fat, gynoid fat was inversely associated with metabolic risk factors, especially in postmenopausal women.

[Prediction of blood tacrolimus concentration in liver transplantation recipients by artificial neural network].

This study is to establish an artificial neural network (ANN) for predicting blood tacrolimus concentration in liver transplantation recipients. Tacrolimus concentration samples (176 samples) from 37 Chinese liver transplantation recipients were collected. ANN established after network parameters were optimized by using momentum method combined with genetic algorithm. Furthermore, the performance of ANN was compared with that of multiple linear regression (MLR). When using accumulated dose of 4 days before therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) of tacrolimus concentration as input factor, mean prediction error and mean absolute prediction error of ANN were 0.02 +/- 2.40 ng x mL(-1) and 1.93 +/- 1.37 ng x mL(-1), respectively. The absolute prediction error of 84.6% of testing data sets was less than 3.0 ng x mL(-1). Accuracy and precision of ANN are superior to those of MLR. The correlation, accuracy and precision of ANN are good enough to predict blood tacrolimus concentration.

Protective effects of 7-difluoromethyl-5,4'-dimethoxygenistein against human aorta endothelial injury caused by lysophosphatidyl choline.

7-Difluoromethyl-5,4'-dimethoxygenistein (DFMG) is an active new derivative of genistein (GEN). It has shown effective protection in vascular endothelial injury. To further investigate its potential protective effects and its mechanism probably related to atherosclerosis, in present study, human aorta endothelial cells (HAECs) were chosen and treated with various concentrations of lysophosphatidyl choline (LPC) to establish an experimental model. Results showed that 10.0 µmol/l of LPC was optimal for inducing HAEC injury. DFMG pretreatment was able to prevent HAEC injury induced by LPC and restore cell viability in a concentration-dependent manner. The protective efficacy of DFMG (10.0 µmol/l) was significantly greater than that of GEN (10.0 µmol/l) and vitamin E (50.0 µmol/l). The mechanisms underlying the protective effects of DFMG are related to the activation of the antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase and to the clearance of intracellular reactive oxygen species. DFMG inhibits the apoptosis of HAECs mediated by LPC involving the blockage of the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway.

Enhanced CO2 fixation by a non-photosynthetic microbial community under anaerobic conditions: optimization of electron donors.

To enhance the CO(2) fixation efficiency of the non-photosynthetic microbial community (NPMC) isolated from sea water under anaerobic conditions without hydrogen, the concentration of inorganic compounds as electron donors and their ratios were optimized by response surface methodology design (RSMD). The results indicated that the CO(2) fixation efficiency of NPMC using NaNO(2), Na(2)S(2)O(3) and Na(2)S as the electron donors was increased about 90%, 75% and 207%, respectively. Additionally, there were interactions between two electron donors and three electron donors. Central composite RSMD experimentation predicted that the optimal concentration and ratios of these inorganic compounds was 1.04% NaNO(2), 1.07% Na(2)S(2)O(3) and 0.98% Na(2)S. Under these conditions, the fixed CO(2) was 139.89 mg/L, which obviously exceeded the amount prior to optimization, as well as when H(2) was used as an electron donor. The established electron donor system can effectively enhance the CO(2) fixation efficiency of NPMC without hydrogen under anaerobic conditions.

Optimization of electron donors to improve CO2 fixation efficiency by a non-photosynthetic microbial community under aerobic condition using statistical experimental design.

To improve the CO(2) fixation efficiency of non-photosynthetic microbial community (NPMC) isolated from sea water under aerobic conditions without hydrogen, the concentration of inorganic compounds as electron donors and their ratios were optimized using response surface methodology design (RSMD). These results indicated that Na(2)S, followed by Na(2)S(2)O(3) and NaNO(2) enhanced the CO(2) fixation by NPMC and the efficiency was increased about 100%, 200% and 200%, respectively. Some interaction between NaNO(2) and Na(2)S(2)O(3), as well as between Na(2)S(2)O(3) and Na(2)S was observed. Central composite RSMD experimentation predicted that the optimal concentration of these inorganic compounds and their ratios was 0.457% NaNO(2), 0.50% Na(2)S(2)O(3) and 1.25% Na(2)S. Under these conditions, the fixed CO(2) was 105.76 mg/L, which obviously exceeded the amount before optimization, as well as that obtained using hydrogen as the electron donor. This indicates that the NPMC using the established electron donors system can effectively fix CO(2) without light and hydrogen gas under aerobic condition.

[Difference and its formation cause in soil organic carbon accumulation capability of two typical tidal wetlands at Dongtan of Chongming Island in Shanghai].

Through the analyses of soil organic carbon content and vegetation input, this paper studied the difference in soil organic carbon accumulation capability of two typical tidal wetlands, one (A) was on the erosion bank with Phragmites communis and sandy loam soil at southeast Dongtan in Shanghai, and the other (B) was on the alluvial bank with P. communis, Spartina alterniflora, and clay soil at northeast Dongtan of Chongming Island. The main formation causes of the difference were analyzed based on the determinations of soil microbial activities and physical-chemical properties. In A, the average soil total organic carbon content was 46.10% (P < 0.05) of that in B, while the annual aboveground vegetation dry mass was only 9.16% lower than that in B, illustrating that the soil organic carbon output was higher in A than in B. The total count of soil bacteria and the activities of soil catalase and invertase in A were 3.82 times (P < 0.05), 46.81% (P < 0.05), and 34.33% (P < 0.05) higher than those in B, respectively, and the soil microbial respiration in A was also higher than that in B, which indicated that the stronger soil microbial C-metabolic activity in A was the main cause inducing the lower soil organic carbon accumulation capability. The sandy loam soil in A had higher porosity and lower salinity and moisture, being favorable to the growth of soil microbes and the decomposition of soil organic carbon, while the clay soil in B had higher salinity and moisture but lower microbial activity, leading to the weaker soil organic carbon decomposition and higher organic carbon accumulation.

[Breeding, optimization and community structure analysis of non-photosynthetic CO2 assimilation microbial flora].

Isolation and screening from sea water and sediments, and the optimization of electron donor and inorganic carbon source structure were performed for obtaining microbial flora with high efficient inorganic carbon fixation without the light and hydrogen. In addition, the structure of the microbial flora was studied through 16S rDNA sequence analysis and contrast for providing theoretical basis to improve carbon fixation efficiency through optimizing microbial flora structure. The result showed that non-photosynthetic microbial flora with the capacity of inorganic carbon fixation under the general aerobic and anaerobic conditions could be obtained from the sea by long-term domestication and isolation. Inorganic carbon fixation efficiency of the microbial flora was enhanced significantly by adding of sodium thiosulfate, sodium sulfide and hydrogen as electron donor. Under the aerobic and anaerobic conditions with sodium thiosulfate as electron donor, the efficiency of inorganic carbon assimilation was 10.44 mg/L and 12.56 mg/L respectively. The assimilation efficiency of the microbial flora with mixed inorganic carbon source was higher than that with single carbon source. When CO2, sodium bicarbonate and sodium carbonate were added as carbon sources, carbon fixation efficiency of the microbial flora under the aerobic and anaerobic condition was 110 mg x (L x d)(-1) and 72 mg x (L x d)(-1) respectively which had been closed to the efficiency of hydrogen-oxidizing bacteria. The analysis results showed that the predominant species of the microbial flora varied significantly after the adding of different electron donor. And 11 species of the 16 predominant species in the microbial flora was uncultured. It means that the microbial flora could only exist in symbiotic manner. The inorganic carbon fixation effect of the microbial flora may be the results of co-function of multi-microbial species. Therefore, the optimization of microbial flora structure and proportion is benefit for the further improvement of carbon fixation efficiency.

7-difluoromethyl-5,4'-dimethoxygenistein, a novel agent protecting against vascular endothelial injury caused by oxidative stress.

1. Genistein is known to protect the vascular endothelium. However, genistein exhibits poor bioavailability, which limits its use in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. 7-Difluoromethyl-5,4'-dimethoxygenistein (dFMGEN), prepared by the difluoromethylation and alkylation of genistein, is a new active chemical entity. The protective effects of dFMGEN against vascular endothelial injury caused by oxidative stress were investigated in the present study. 2. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells were treated with either genistein (10 micromol/L) or various concentrations of dFMGEN (0.1, 0.3, 1, 3 and 10 micromol/L) for 30 min before exposure to 1 mmol/L H(2)O(2) for 24 h. The generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) was assessed by fluorescence flow cytometry, the release of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) was examined by biochemical assay, cell viability was measured by the 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2 thiazoyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide assay, cell apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry and the expression of caspase 3 was examined by western blot analysis. 3. Pretreatment with 0.1, 0.3, 1, 3 and 10 micromol/L dFMGEN decreased the generation of ROS and the release of LDH in H(2)O(2)-exposed vascular endothelial cells, enhanced cell viability in a concentration-dependent manner over the concentration range 0.1-10 micromol/L, suppressed H(2)O(2)-induced apoptosis of vascular endothelial cells and downregulated the expression of caspase 3. The protective effect of 10 micromol/L dFMGEN against oxidative stress-induced endothelial injury was stronger than that of 10 micromol/L genistein. 4. The results of the present study suggest that dFMGEN can protect against vascular endothelial injury caused by oxidative stress.

7-Difluoromethyl-5,4'-dimethoxygenistein, a novel genistein derivative, has therapeutic effects on atherosclerosis in a rabbit model.

Genistein is a phytoestrogen that is known to have a protective effect on the vascular endothelial wall. However, it exhibits poor bioavailability, which limits the use of genistein to treat cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. A novel genistein derivative, 7-difluoromethyl-5,4'-dimethoxygenistein (dFMGEN), has shown a better protective effect on vascular endothelial damage in vitro than genistein. In this study, we further evaluated therapeutic effects of dFMGEN on the vascular endothelial wall and atherosclerosis in a rabbit model in vivo. There were 5 groups: the GEN group (genistein 5 mg/kg per day), lovastatin group (lovastatin 5 mg/kg per day), dFMGEN group (dFMGEN 5 mg/kg per day), model control group (the same amount of vehicle solvent), and the normal control group; all feedings administered via intragastric administration. We demonstrated that dFMGEN (1) attenuated the development of atherosclerosis, (2) reduced serum total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations, (3) decreased lipid peroxidation in the rabbit atherosclerosis model, and (4) increased smooth muscle cell and collagen content in atheroma of thoracic aortas. These results provide an experimental foundation for dFMGEN's potential effects in preventing and treating atherosclerosis, acute coronary syndromes, and potentially ischemia-reperfusion injury during acute myocardial infarction and cerebral infarction.

[Evaluation of a rabbit model of abdominal aorta atherosclerosis].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the methods for non-invasive evaluation of a rabbit model of aorta atherosclerosis model. METHODS: Sixteen male New Zealand rabbits (n=16) were randomized into the experimental group and control group and fed with high-cholesterol diet and normal diet after balloon injury in the abdominal aorta, respectively. Eight weeks later, pathological examination, angiography and surface ultrasonography were carried out to evaluate the plaques in the aorta. RESULTS: After feeding with high-cholesterol diet for 8 weeks, the weight, total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) were significantly increased in the rabbits (P<0.001), and atherosclerosis in the abdominal aorta was directly observed using angiography and surface ultrasonography. The rate of vasoconstriction showed significant difference between the experimental group and control group (t=5.921, P=0.000). In the experimental rabbits, the vasoconstriction increased obviously after drug stimulation with high lumen eccentricity index. A significant positive correlation was noted between the lumen eccentricity index and the rate of vasoconstriction (r=0.983, P=0.000). CONCLUSION: A rabbit model of abdominal aorta atherosclerosis can be established rapidly by balloon injury and high-cholesterol diet. The aortic wall thickness, lumen diameter and lumen eccentricity index determined by surface ultrasonography can be used to evaluate the validity of the model establishment and the nature of the plaque.

Relationship between age-related serum concentrations of TGF-beta1 and TGF-beta2 and those of osteoprotegerin and leptin in native Chinese women.

BACKGROUND: Transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-beta1), TGF-beta2, osteoprotegerin (OPG), and leptin are important cytokines in the regulation of bone remodeling. We investigated the relationship of TGF-beta1 and TGF-beta2 concentrations with those of OPG and leptin in Chinese females. METHODS: The serum concentrations of TGF-beta1, TGF-beta2, OPG, and leptin were measured by ELISA in 459 healthy Chinese females aged 25-80 y. RESULTS: The mean values (+/-SD) of the serum concentrations of TGF-beta1, TGF-beta2, OPG, and leptin in Chinese females were 29.7+/-1.69 microg/l, 13.7+/-3.86 microg/l, 3.81+/-1.96 pmol/l, and 10.5+/-2.01 microg/l, respectively. Further, the serum TGF-beta1 concentrations of postmenopausal women were significantly lower than those of perimenopausal and premenopausal women (24.3+/-1.59 vs 33.4+/-1.69 and 37.6+/-1.64, respectively), while the TGF-beta2 concentrations of postmenopausal women were significantly higher than those of perimenopausal and premenopausal women (14.6+/-3.91 vs 13.5+/-3.93 and 11.7+/-2.68, respectively). The serum TGF-beta1 concentration was found to be significantly negatively correlated with age (r=-0.335, P=0.000) and the TGF-beta2 concentration, to be significantly positively correlated with age (r=0.230, P=0.000). The TGF-beta1 concentration was found to be significantly negatively correlated with both TGF-beta2 (r=-0.261, P=0.000) and OPG (r=-0.313, P=0.000) concentrations; a significantly positive correlation was found between the TGF-beta1 and leptin concentrations (r=0.164, P=0.000) and between TGF-beta2 and OPG concentrations (r=0.432, P=0.000). CONCLUSION: These results provide age-related reference values of TGF-beta1 and TGF-beta2 in Chinese adult women, and reveal the relationships between these cytokines.

7-Difluoromethyl-5,4'-dimethoxygenistein inhibits oxidative stress induced adhesion between endothelial cells and monocytes via NF-kappaB.

7-Difluoromethyl-5,4'-dimethoxygenistein (dFMGEN), prepared by the difluoromethylation and alkylation of genistein, is an active new chemical entity. The effects of dFMGEN on cell adhesion and inflammation were investigated in human umbilical vein endothelial cells, and whether its role involved regulation of NF-kappaB expression was also studied. Results demonstrated that pretreatment with dFMGEN decreased the adhesion between vascular endothelial cells and monocytes, reduced the release of E-Selectin, ICAM-1, IL-6 and TNF-alpha in vascular endothelial cells, and down-regulated the expression of NF-kappaB. Therefore, data suggested that dFMGEN can effectually inhibit the adhesion between vascular endothelial cells and monocytes induced by oxidative stress and inflammatory reaction, and its role is connected with the downregulation of NF-kappaB.

Evaluation of the effectiveness and safety of the thermo-treatment process to dispose of recombinant DNA waste from biological research laboratories.

The discharge of recombinant DNA waste from biological laboratories into the eco-system may be one of the pathways resulting in horizontal gene transfer or "gene pollution". Heating at 100 degrees C for 5-10 min is a common method for treating recombinant DNA waste in biological research laboratories in China. In this study, we evaluated the effectiveness and the safety of the thermo-treatment method in the disposal of recombinant DNA waste. Quantitative PCR, plasmid transformation and electrophoresis technology were used to evaluate the decay/denaturation efficiency during the thermo-treatment process of recombinant plasmid, pET-28b. Results showed that prolonging thermo-treatment time could improve decay efficiency of the plasmid, and its decay half-life was 2.7-4.0 min during the thermo-treatment at 100 degrees C. However, after 30 min of thermo-treatment some transforming activity remained. Higher ionic strength could protect recombinant plasmid from decay during the treatment process. These results indicate that thermo-treatment at 100 degrees C cannot decay and inactivate pET-28b completely. In addition, preliminary results showed that thermo-treated recombinant plasmids were not degraded completely in a short period when they were discharged into an aquatic environment. This implies that when thermo-treated recombinant DNAs are discharged into the eco-system, they may have enough time to re-nature and transform, thus resulting in gene diffusion.

[Peripheral dendritic cell subpopulation changes in patients with coronary artery disease].

OBJECTIVE: To compare the peripheral dendritic cell subpopulation changes in patients with or without coronary artery disease. METHODS: A total of 60 patients with angiographic documented coronary artery disease (CAD) were recruited in this study, including 20 cases with acute myocardial infarction (AMI group), 20 cases with unstable angina(UA group) and 20 patients with stable angina (SA group). Eleven patients with chest pain and without coronary stenosis served as chest pain control (CPS group). Ten cases without heart diseases served as normal control (Normal control group). Numbers of peripheral myeloid dendritic cell (mDC) and plasmacytoid dendritic cell (pDC) precursors were determined by FACS. RESULT: The proportions of mDC precursors were significantly lower in UA group and AMI group (4.7% +/- 2.6%, 5.0% +/- 2.7%) than that in SA, CPS and control groups (11.0% +/- 6.4%, 12.0% +/- 3.9%, 12.3% +/- 3.3%, respectively, all P < 0.001). pDC numbers were similar among groups. CONCLUSION: Reduced circulating mDC subsets in patients with unstable angina and AMI might suggest enhanced mDC recruitment to vulnerable plaques in these patients.