[The effect of curcumin on the expression of miR-155 to apoptosis and invasion of extravillus trophoblast cells treated by lipopolysaccharide].

Objective: To investigate the effect of curcumin on the expression of miR-155, apoptosis and invasion of extravillus trophoblast cells treated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Methods: Human trophoblast cells (HTR-8/SVneo cells) were divided into 4 groups, the curcumin + LPS group (pre-treated by curcumin of 12.5, 25, 50 µmol/L, then LPS of 100 ng/ml), the LPS group (100 ng/ml), the recombinant adenovirus group (miR-155, multiplicity of infection100) and the control group. The miR-155 level in HTR-8/SVneo cells was measured by real-time PCR, and the expression of NF-κB was analyzed by luciferase gene expression. The apoptosis of HTR-8/SVneo cells was tested by cell death detection ELISA and the level of NF-κB in HTR-8/SVneo cells was measured by western blot. In addition, transwell was used to test the invasive ability of HTR-8/SVneo cells in all the groups. Results: (1) The intracellular expression of miR-155 in the LPS group was (2.13±0.22) times of the control group (P<0.01); and the expressions of miR-155 in 12.5, 25, 50 µmol/L curcumin+LPS groups were (0.37±0.08) , (0.68±0.14) , (0.49±0.09) times as the LPS group, with statistically significant difference (P<0.05). (2) The expreesion of NF-κB in the LPS group was (2.25±0.56) times of the control group. The expreesion of NF-κB in the 12.5, 25, 50 µmol/L curcumin+LPS groups were (0.80±0.07) , (0.74±0.05) , (0.49±0.19) times to the LPS group, with statistically significant difference(P<0.01). (3)The p65 protein in the LPS group was (1.50±0.22) , significantly higher than the control group (0.95±0.25, P<0.01) . In 12.5, 25, 50 µmol/L curcumin+LPS groups, the p65 protein were (0.31±0.07) , (0.75±0.14) , (0.49±0.08) . Compared with the LPS group, p65 was down-regulated by curcumin, with statistically significant difference (P<0.05). (4) In the cell death detection ELISA, the A value in the control group, the LPS group and the recombined adenovirus group were (0.89±0.17) , (2.02±0.35) and (1.67±0.48) , respectively, with statistically significant difference (P<0.05). In the curcumin+LPS groups, when the curcumin concentrations were 25 or 50 µmol/L, the A value were (0.74±0.05) , (0.49±0.09) , respectively, compared with the LPS group(set as 1.00), with statistically significant difference (P<0.05). When the curcumin concentration was 12.5 µmol/L, the A value was (0.80±0.07) , with no statistical significance (P>0.05). (5) The transmembrane cells were (47±8), (60±14) in the LPS group and the recombined adenovirus group, respectively. Compared with the control group (169±18), the differences were statistically significant (P<0.05). In the curcumin + LPS groups, the transmembrane cells were (143±10), (137±10) when the curcumin concentrations were 12.5, 25 µmol/L, significantly higher than the LPS group (P<0.05) . The transmembrane cells were (55±7) when the curcumin concentration was 50 µmol/L, with no statistical difference(P>0.05). Conclusion: The treatment of curcumin could downregulate the expression of NF-κB/miR-155, thus inhibit NF-κB signal pathway and the apoptosis of extravillus trophoblast cells, and protect their invasive ability.

Real-time ultrasonography of the pancreas in normal Chinese children in Taiwan.

The real-time ultrasound images of the pancreas in 142 children without clinical or laboratory evidence of pancreatic disease prospectively were analyzed to determine normal pancreatic size in Chinese children in Taiwan. Sonographic examinations of the pancreas were performed by sagittal scanning at the epigastrium; the long axis and short axis of the oval cross-sections of both the pancreatic head and body were measured. The relationships between pancreatic dimensions and body height, body weight, surface area and age were evaluated with linear regression analysis. Correlations with body height and age were better than those obtained with body surface area and body weight. Since all the physical parameters had better correlations with the long, rather than the short, axis of the pancreas, this indicated that the growth of the pancreas in children is primarily in the craniocaudal direction rather than the anteroposterior direction.