[Effects of beta-asarone on morphology and cell viability in PC12 cells and cultured rat cortical neurons].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effects of beta-asarone on the morphology and cell viability in PC12 cells and cultured neonate rat cortical neurons. METHODS: The cultured neonate rat cortical neurocytes were stained immunocytochemically with NSE, GFAP antibodies, respectively; Morphological changes were observed under phase contrast microscope after PC12 cells and cultured rat cortical neurons with beta-asarone of different concentrationfor 24h in vitro, and the cell viability of PC12 and cortical neurons were examined by MTT assay. RESULTS: Most of the cultured neonate rat cortical neurocytes were positively stained with NSE antibody, and positively with GFAP in a less degree; Treatment of PC12 cells with concentrations of 7.5, 15, 30, 60 microg/ml beta-asarone for 24 h could facilitate the proliferation in PC12 cells, 120, 240, 480 microg/ml beta-asarone could inhibit the proliferation inversely, and with the concentration of beta-asarone increasing, the inhibition was enhanced; Treatment of cultured neonate rat cortical neurons with concentrations of 7.5, 15, 30, 60,120 nicrog/ml beta-asarone for 24 h, there were no visible effects on morphology and cell viability, 240 microg/ml beta-asarone could facilitate the proliferation obviously, but 480 microg/ml beta-asarone induced injury on neurons. CONCLUSION: beta-asarone maybe has anti-tumor and protective effects on cultured neurons.

Detection of human papillomavirus in esophageal carcinoma.

The aim of the study was to assess the prevalence of human papillomavirus (HPV) in the esophagus in the coastal region of Eastern Guangdong, Southern China, an area with a high incidence of esophageal carcinoma. Fresh surgical resection esophageal specimens were obtained from 176 esophageal carcinoma patients admitted to the Tumor Hospital of Shantou University Medical College. The samples were subjected to polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to detect HPV infection using consensus and type-specific primers for HPV type 6, 11, 16, and 18. The incidence rate was 65.5%, 69.1%, and 60% in tissues of cancerous, paracancerous and normal mucosa, respectively. Further analysis of the distribution of HPV types in the three sections of tissues showed that the high-risk HPV types 16 and 18 were found mainly in the cancer cells (43.2%), whereas the low-risk HPV types 6 and 11 were seen mainly in the normal mucosa (52.3%). The total infection rate of the high-risk HPV types 16 and HPV 18 was the highest in cancerous tissues (54.5%), followed by paracancerous tissues (19.5%), and the lowest in normal mucosa (11.7%). There was high incidence of HPV infection in the esophageal epithelium in Eastern Guangdong, Southern China, where esophageal carcinoma is prevalent. HPV was seen in the normal, paracancerous and cancerous tissues, with the high-risk HPV type 16 and 18 more common in cancerous tissues. The results indicate that the high incidence of esophageal carcinoma in this area is associated with HPV infection.