miR-218 tissue expression level is associated with aggressive progression of gastric cancer.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the clinical significance of microRNA-218 (miR-218) in gastric cancer. We enrolled 112 patients having undergone surgery for gastric cancer between May 2008 and June 2014. Expression of miR-218 was determined by real-time quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Survival curves were plotted using the Kaplan-Meier method and compared by the log-rank test. We found that miR-218 expression was significantly downregulated in gastric cancer tissues compared to adjacent normal tissues (P < 0.001). Low miR-218 expression was significantly associated with tumor differentiation (P < 0.001), depth of tumor invasion (P = 0.006), and tumor node metastasis stage (P < 0.001). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis revealed that patients with low miR-218 levels showed significantly lower 5-year overall survival than those demonstrating high expression (P = 0.04). Multivariate Cox regression analyses indicated that low miR-218 expression constitutes an independent molecular biomarker for prediction of poor overall survival of gastric cancer patients (hazard ratio = 3.187, 95% confidence interval = 1.551-8.365, P = 0.037). In conclusion, miR-218 was remarkably downregulated in gastric cancer tissues and may serve as a prognostic biomarker for patients suffering from this disease.

Elevated serum homocysteine level in the development of diabetic peripheral neuropathy.

The development of diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) is always followed by changes in vascular endothelial cells that are related to the reactivity of the homocysteine (Hcy) sulfhydryl group. In this meta-analysis, we investigated the association of Hcy with the pathogenesis and progression of DPN. We screened the Embase, Ovid, PubMed, Web of Science, Wangfang, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure databases. All analyses were performed by using the STATA software, version 12.0 (StataCorp, College Station, TX, USA) and the Comprehensive Meta-analysis 2.0 software (Biostatic Inc., Englewood, NJ, USA). The standardized mean difference (SMD) and 95% confidence interval (95%CI) were further calculated. The electronic literature search identified six articles that included 603 patients with DPN and 687 healthy controls. The pooled SMD of those six studies revealed that increased serum levels of Hcy may be correlated with DPN (SMD = 1.23, 95%CI: 1.09-1.36, P < 0.001). Subgroup analysis according to ethnicity indicated that high serum Hcy levels might be an important risk factor for DPN in both Asian and Caucasian populations (Asians: SMD = 0.62, 95%CI: 0.45-0.79, P < 0.001; Caucasians: SMD = 2.32, 95%CI: 2.10-2.55, P < 0.001; respectively). Elevated serum levels of Hcy indicate the risk of development of DPN in patients, suggesting that Hcy levels could be used as a marker for new therapeutic approaches to DPN.

Performance of the rapidly extracted auditory evoked potentials index to detect the recovery and loss of wakefulness in anesthetized and paralyzed patients.

BACKGROUND: The rapidly extracted auditory evoked potentials index (A-lineTM ARX Index or AAI) has been proposed as a method to measure the depth of anesthesia. A prospective study was designed to assess the performance of AAI to detect the recovery and loss of wakefulness in anesthetized and paralyzed patients. METHODS: Fourteen adult patients undergoing elective surgery were anesthetized with propofol 1.5 mg kg-1, vecuronium 0.1 mg kg-1 and further propofol 1.0 mg kg-1. Wakefulness was measured by the ability of the patient to respond to command using the isolated forearm technique (IFT). After the patient responded, propofol was infused at 10 mg kg-1. h-1 until wakefulness (responsiveness) was lost. The AAI was recorded continuously throughout the study and analyzed off-line. RESULTS: The AAI showed a significant difference between the values registered during, 30 s before and 30 s after the recovery, and also between 30 s before and 30 s after the loss of wakefulness. The prediction probability (Pk) values for AAI were 0.786 and 0.864 during the transitions from unresponsiveness to responsiveness and from responsiveness to unresponsiveness. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for the responsive and unresponsive values was 0.926 (SE 0.002, 95% CI 0.922-0.931), and the AAI values of approximately 5%, 50% and 95% predicted probability of wakefulness were 19, 29 and 39, respectively. CONCLUSION: The AAI may be a good predictor of recovery and loss of wakefulness for anesthetized and paralyzed patients.

Changes in the rapidly extracted auditory evoked potentials index and the bispectral index during sedation induced by propofol or midazolam under epidural block.

BACKGROUND: The bispectral index (BIS) and the rapidly extracted auditory evoked potentials index (A-line ARX Index or AAI) have been proposed as methods to measure the depth of sedation. A prospective study was designed to assess the performance of both these methods for measuring the depth of sedation induced by propofol or midazolam under epidural block. METHODS: Thirty-two ASA I and II adult patients undergoing elective gynaecological surgery under low-thoracolumbar epidural block were studied. Eighteen patients received propofol (Group P: 20 mg bolus every 3 min) and 14 received midazolam (Group M: 0.5 mg bolus every 5 min) until an observer's assessment of alertness/sedation (OAA/S) scale score of 1 was achieved. AAI and BIS were monitored for different OAA/S scores. RESULTS: AAI and BIS decreased and increased following the changes on the patients' OAA/S scores and correlated with sedation significantly. During the onset phase, the coefficients of Spearman's rank correlation for AAI and BIS were respectively 0.958 and 0.898 (P < 0.001) for Group P, and 0.973 and 0.945 (P < 0.001) for Group M. During the recovery phase in Group P, the coefficients were respectively 0.946 and 0.702 (P < 0.001). Linear regression analysis showed that both AAI and BIS were linearly related to the OAA/S scores. The coefficients of Spearman's rank correlation and linear regression for AAI were all greater than those for BIS (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Both AAI and BIS correlated well with the depth of sedation induced by propofol or midazolam under epidural block. AAI may be more valuable when monitoring depth of sedation.

An Arabidopsis embryonic lethal mutant with reduced expression of alanyl-tRNA synthetase gene.

In present paper, one of the T-DNA insertional embryonic lethal mutant of Arabidopsis is identified and designated as acd mutant. The embryo development of this mutant is arrested in globular stage. The cell division pattern is abnormal during early embryogenesis and results in disturbed cellular differentiation. Most of mutant embryos are finally degenerated and aborted in globular stage. However, a few of them still can germinate in agar plate and produce seedlings with shorter hypocotyl and distorted shoot meristem. To understand the molecular basis of the phenotype of this mutant, the joint fragment of T-DNA/plant DNA is isolated by plasmid rescue and Dig-labeled as probe for cDNA library screening. According to the sequence analysis and similarity searching, a 936 bp cDNA sequence (EMBL accession #: Y12555) from selected positive clone shows a 99.8% (923/925bp) sequence homology with Alanyl-tRNA Synthetase (AlaRS) gene of Arabidopsis thaliana. Furthermore, the data of in situ hybridization experiment indicate that the expression of AlaRS gene is weak in early embryogenesis and declines along with globular embryo 'development' in this mutant. Accordingly, the reduced expression of AlaRS gene may be closely related to the morphological changes in early embryogenesis of this lethal mutant.

Dimorphic fungus characteristic of fumonisin-producing strains of Fusarium moniliforme from Zhejiang.

Fusarium moniliforme and its fumonisins have been shown to be carcinogenic in lab animals and have been linked to high incidences of human esophageal cancer. In this study we report the dimorphic fungus characteristic of fumonisin-producing strains of F. moniliforme from foodstuffs in Zhejiang, China. All of the twenty strains of F. moniliforme shown produce fumonisin B1 475.9-6322.2 micrograms/g in corn medium. These strains of F. moniliforme form yeast-like colonies in Sabouraud's agar plates contained 9% NaCl at 37 degrees C incubator and shows mostly budding reproduction. In blood agar plates these strains of F. moniliforme appear grass-green haemolytic reactions. This is the first report that yeast-like growth, dimorphic pathogenic fungus feature is found in F. moniliforme. These results suggest that it is also important to program epidemiological surveys of F. moniliforme as a primary pathogenic fungus, while proceeding to produce mycotoxins of F. moniliforme in food hygiene.

Continuous production of high degree casein hydrolysates by immobilized proteases in column reactor.

The enzymatic complete hydrolysis of casein was investigated by using immobilized endopeptidase and exopeptidase packed in the jacketed column reactors. The mass transfer efficiency of proteins was improved by using sliced shrimp chitin hull as enzyme support, which formed a network structure inside the column reactor that prevented the formation of protein precipitate and increased the line flow rate of protein solution. The specificity of the protease was of crucial importance for both the hydrolysis degree and the free amino acid content of the hydrolysates. Of the enzymes, tested, the immobilized A. oryzae protease was the most effective enzyme in breaking down the casein molecules and releasing the free amino acid from casein hydrolysates. The immobilized pancreatic and kidney exopeptidase could lead to a 20% increase of free amino acids. The free amino acid content of casein hydrolysates was 34.81% after processing and could reach to 64% if the column length was doubled, but 100% hydrolysis was impossible as the reverse reaction was also taking place. The casein hydrolysates was characterized by its high degree of hydrolysis and high content of free amino acids. It can be applied in infant formula, element diet, and as a protein ingredient for food industry.

The immobilized porcine pancreatic exopeptidases and its application in casein hydrolysates debittering.

The practical application of exopeptidase has been limited by the high cost of the enzymes resulting from the low content of individual exopeptidase in the raw material. This can be overcome by the use of a combination of all the exopeptidases in the same enzyme source, as well as the use of the enzyme immobilization technology. A porcine pancreatic exopeptidase mixture was prepared by the ammonium sulfate precipitation at 35% saturation of the autolyzed pancreatic juice. The enzyme preparation was immobilized on thin shrimp chitin film by crosslinking with glutaraldehyde. The immobilized porcine pancreatic exopeptidases (IPPE) was effective in releasing the free amino acids from peptides. Of these amino acids, the concentrations of arginine, lysine, histidine, tyrosine, phenylalanine, leucine, and glutamine were increased much more than those of other amino acids. This indicated that both the porcine pancreatic exopeptidases preparation and the IPPE contained carboxypeptidase A, B, and aminopeptidase. The IPPE was also efficient in the decrease of the hydrophobicity of protein hydrolysates demonstrated by hydrophobic chromatographic analysis. This led to the application of the immobilized exopeptidases in protein hydrolysate debittering. The IPPE was able to remove the bitterness of the tryptic/chymotryptic casein hydrolysates.

[Alteration in lipid peroxide content in cerebral cysticercosis].

Serum lipid peroxide (LPO) content in eighty-three cases of cysticercosis cellulosae was determined by the fluorescence method. the results showed that the LPO level in epileptic type and non-epileptic type of cerebral cysticercosis was significantly higher than that in the normal controls (P < 0.01). No significant difference in LPO was observed between epileptic type and non-epileptic type (P > 0.05). The results showed that LPO might play a role in the pathophysiology of cerebral cysticercosis.

Predigestion of soybean proteins with immobilized trypsin for infant formula.

Soybean protein isolates of low soybean trypsin inhibitor (STI) residue were prepared by acidic precipitation of soybean flour water extracts (0.8-1.2%) at pH 5.0, followed by acidic washing at this pH and affinity adsorption of residual STI with immobilized trypsin on polystyrene anion-exchange resin GM 201. After heat treatment, soybean protein isolates were subjected to controlled hydrolysis with the immobilized trypsin. Then, the predigested soybean protein was prepared. The predigested soybean protein was free of STI activity, and its solubility at acidic pH range was greatly increased. Sedimentation test showed that it formed a much finer clot at pH 4.5 than that of untreated soybean protein. The pepsin digestibility index at pH 4.0 and chymotrypsin digestibility index at pH 8.0 were obviously improved. These results suggested that the predigested soybean protein prepared by this method may be used in infant formulas.

[Factors predicting mortality in idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy].

A study of factors predicting mortality was performed in 69 patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy by analyzing 14 parameters according to clinical, electrocardiographic and echocardiographic findings. On admission 64% of the patients were in NYHA functional class 3 or 4. During a mean follow-up period of 18 months 43 patients died; 31 of refractory heart failure and 12 suddenly. 1 year survival was 58%. Multivariate analysis (Cox model) revealed that the independent predictors for mortality due to refractory heart failure were left ventricular enddiastolic diameter, NYHA functional class and systolic blood pressure; the presence of tricuspid regurgitation predicted mortality due to sudden death.