Characterization of active alkaloids and metabolites in rats after oral administration of Zuojin Pill using UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS combined with bioinformatics and molecular docking analyses.

Zuojin Pill (ZJP), a traditional Chinese medicine prescription composed of Rhizoma Coptidis and Euodiae Fructus in the ratio of 6:1 (w/w), has been widely used for the treatment of gastric disorders. However, an in-depth understanding of in vivo metabolism and distribution profiles of protoberberine alkaloids (PBAs) and indole alkaloids (IDAs) in ZJP is lacking. In this study, a method using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadruple time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS) was developed to systematically screen the alkaloids and their metabolites in rat plasma and various tissues after oral administration of ZJP. Furthermore, bioinformatics and molecular docking analyses were conducted to elucidate the contribution of the alkaloids and metabolites enriched in the stomach to the therapeutic effect of ZJP on gastritis. A total of 33 compounds, including 7 prototype alkaloids and 26 metabolites, were chemically defined or tentatively identified in this work. The metabolic pathways of PBAs (hydroxylation, oxidation, reduction, demethylation, demethylenation, glucuronide conjugation, sulfate conjugation) and IDAs (hydroxylation, glucuronide conjugation) were revealed. Notably, 7 prototype alkaloids and 18 metabolites were detected in the stomach, indicating their propensity for gastric distribution. These alkaloids and metabolites showed strong affinities with the 7 hub targets associated with gastritis, such as CCR7, CXCR4, IL6, IFNG, CCL2, TNF, and PTPRC, and could be considered the potential active substances of ZJP for treating gastritis. In conclusion, this study clarified the gastric distribution propensity of PBAs and IDAs and their metabolites, as well as their favorable binding interactions with gastritis-related targets, which could provide essential data for the further study of the pharmacodynamic material basis and gastroprotective mechanism of ZJP.

Direct Anterior Approach Total Hip Arthroplasty for Femoral Neck Fractures in the Lateral Position.

Objective: To compare the clinical efficacy of artificial total hip arthroplasty(THA) for femoral neck fracture between direct anterior approach(DAA) in lateral position and posterior lateral approach(PLA). Methods: Comparison of 200 cases of patients who underwent THA collected between September 2019 and August 2021 was done. Incision length, intraoperative bleeding, operative time, difference in postoperative haemoglobin from preoperative levels, length of hospital stay, postoperative time to get off the floor, visual analogue score (VAS) for pain, preoperative and postoperative Harris scores for the hip, and measurements of the acetabular abduction angle and anterior acetabular tilt angle at 6 months postoperatively were collected, and all the cases were followed up for at least 2 years. Results: Compared with the PLA group, the DAA group had a shorter incision length, less intraoperative blood loss, less postoperative haemoglobin reduction compared with the preoperative period, a shorter hospital stay and an earlier first time to get off the floor after surgery, however, the comparison of operative times was not statistically significant; Patients in the DAA group had a lower VAS in the early postoperative period compared to PLA; Patients in the DAA group had higher hip Harris scores at 6 weeks and 6 months postoperatively; There was no significant difference in acetabular abduction angle and acetabular anterior tilt angle between the two groups at 6 months postoperatively. Conclusion: Compared to PLA, DAA in THA is minimally invasive, has less pain, less bleeding, earlier time out of bed, shorter hospital stay, better early hip function, faster rehabilitation, and better joint stability.

In Situ Construction of Morphologically Different Hydroxyapatite-Mineralized Structures on a Three-Dimensional Bionic Chitin Scaffold.

Slow healing at the tendon-bone interface is a prominent factor in the failure of tendon repair surgeries. The development of functional biomaterials with 3D gradient structures is urgently needed to improve tendon-bone integration. The crystalline form of hydroxyapatite (HAP) has a crucial impact on cell behavior, which directly influences protein adsorption, such as bone morphogenetic protein 2, the adhesion, proliferation, and osteogenic differentiation with cells. This work aimed to generate gradient mineral structures in situ by stabilizing calcium and phosphate ions using a polymer-induced liquid precursor process. To regulate the crystalline growth of HAP at the interface of ß-chitin, this work made use of the surface properties of the organic matrix found in cuttlefish bone. These techniques allowed us to prepare an organic-inorganic composite gradient scaffold comprising plate-like HAP mineralized in situ on the surface of the scaffold and fibrous HAP in the scaffold's interior. Organic-inorganic composite gradient materials are anticipated for use in tendon-bone healing produced via the in situ construction of gradient-distributed HAP mineralization layers having varying crystalline morphologies on chitin scaffolds that possess a three-dimensional bionic structure.

Stitching Locally Fitted T-Splines for Fast Fitting of Large-Scale Freeform Point Clouds.

Parametric splines are popular tools for precision optical metrology of complex freeform surfaces. However, as a promising topologically unconstrained solution, existing T-spline fitting techniques, such as improved global fitting, local fitting, and split-connect algorithms, still suffer the problems of low computational efficiency, especially in the case of large data scales and high accuracy requirements. This paper proposes a speed-improved algorithm for fast, large-scale freeform point cloud fitting by stitching locally fitted T-splines through three steps of localized operations. Experiments show that the proposed algorithm produces a three-to-eightfold efficiency improvement from the global and local fitting algorithms, and a two-to-fourfold improvement from the latest split-connect algorithm, in high-accuracy and large-scale fitting scenarios. A classical Lena image study showed that the algorithm is at least twice as fast as the split-connect algorithm using fewer than 80% control points of the latter.

Bibliometric and visualized analysis of arthroscopic treatment of acromioclavicular joint injury.

BACKGROUND: Since arthroscopy was discovered to treat acromioclavicular joint injury, people have had great interest and attention to this beautiful and minimally invasive operation, and related research has been increasing worldwide. At present, there is no bibliometric and visualized analysis in this field. The purpose of this study is to explore the research hotspots and trends of arthroscopic treatment of acromioclavicular joint injury through bibliometric and visualized analysis and look forward to the future development direction of clinical practice. METHODS: The publications on arthroscopic treatment of acromioclavicular joint injury diseases from its establishment to April 2023 were obtained from the Web of Science (WOS) Core Collection database. CiteSpace, VOSviewer, Scimago graphica and Origin were used for bibliometric and visualized analysis. RESULTS: This study included a total of 330 publications. The number of publications tends to increase every year. The USA has the most significant number of publications and citations. Imhoff AB is the most relevant scholar with the largest number of publications in this field, and the scholar with the highest citation and average citations is Mazzocca AD. Tech Univ Munich, Rush University and Charite are the three institutions with the greatest contribution. Tech Univ Munich, Rush University and Charite are the three institutions with the greatest contribution. In addition, "Arthroscopy-the Journal of Arthroscopic and Related Surgery" and "American Journal of Sports Medicine" are the institutions with the most significant number of publications and average citations, respectively. The most common keywords are "acromioclavicular joint dislocation," "arthroscopic resection," "arthroscopic reconstruction" and "coracoclavicular ligament." CONCLUSION: The number of publications shows a steady upward trend as a whole. However, there is still a lack of cooperation among countries, institutions and scholars around the world, so various countries, institutions and scholars need to strengthen academic exchanges and expand the field of cooperation, so as to promote further research and development in related fields. However, minimally invasive methods such as arthroscopy are still the hotspots and frontiers in the treatment of acromioclavicular joint injury in the future.

Impact of Sintering Temperature Variation on Porous Structure of Mo2TiAlC2 Ceramics.

Mo, TiH2, Al and graphite elemental powders were used as starting materials for the activation reaction sintering process, which was employed to fabricate porous Mo2TiAlC2. The alteration of phase constitution, volume expansion, porosity, pore size and surface morphology of porous Mo2TiAlC2 with sintering temperatures ranging from 700 °C to 1500 °C were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and pore size tester. Both the pore formation mechanism and activation reaction process at each temperature stage were investigated. The experimental results illustrate that the sintered discs of porous Mo2TiAlC2 exhibit obvious volume expansion and pore structure change during the sintering process. Before 1300 °C, the volume expansion rate and porosity increase with the increment of temperature. However, with the sintering temperature above 1300 °C, the volume expansion rate and porosity decrease. At the final sintering temperature of 1500 °C, porous Mo2TiAlC2 with a volume expansion rate of 35.74%, overall porosity of 47.1%, and uniform pore structure was synthesized. The pore-forming mechanism of porous Mo2TiAlC2 is discussed, and the evolution of pressed pores, the removal of molding agents, the decomposition of TiH2, and the Kirkendall effect caused by different diffusion rates of elements in the diffusion reaction are all accountable for the formation of pores.

Preparation of Ce-MnOx Composite Oxides via Coprecipitation and Their Catalytic Performance for CO Oxidation.

Ce-MnOx composite oxide catalysts with different proportions were prepared using the coprecipitation method, and the CO-removal ability of the catalysts with the tested temperature range of 60-140 °C was investigated systematically. The effect of Ce and Mn ratios on the catalytic oxidation performance of CO was investigated using X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), H2 temperature programmed reduction (H2-TPR), CO-temperature programmed desorption (CO-TPD), and in situ infrared spectra. The experimental results reveal that under the same test conditions, the CO conversion rate of pure Mn3O4 reaches 95.4% at 170 °C. Additionally, at 140 °C, the Ce-MnOx series composite oxide catalyst converts CO at a rate of over 96%, outperforming single-phase Mn3O4 in terms of catalytic performance. With the decrement in Ce content, the performance of Ce-MnOx series composite oxide catalysts first increase and then decrease. The Ce MnOx catalyst behaves best when Ce:Mn = 1:1, with a CO conversion rate of 99.96% at 140 °C and 91.98% at 100 °C.

Revealing the antibacterial power of hydrogen-releasing PdH nanohydride against drug resistant Staphylococcus aureus: an in-depth mechanism study.

Currently, multidrug resistant (MDR) bacterial infections are a great threat to public health, and the development of novel strategies for high efficiency combatting of MDR bacteria is in urgent demand. Hydrogen (H2) is a small gas with a high reducing ability, and plenty of recent studies have demonstrated its therapeutic effect on many diseases. However, the antibacterial effectiveness and mechanism of H2 against MDR bacteria are still unknown. In the present work, using PdH nanohydride with a temperature responsive H2-releasing property as the H2 source, we demonstrated that H2 was not only able to inhibit the growth of normal Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), but could also effectively eliminate single drug resistant S. aureus (CRSA) and multidrug resistant S. aureus (MRSA), as well as the biofilms formed by those bacteria. Moreover, an in-depth mechanism regarding the anti-antibiotic-resistance activity of H2 was elucidated by us, in which H2 exerted its antibacterial effect by firstly causing severe membrane damage, followed by boosting generation of intracellular ROS, which subsequently triggered DNA damage and finally led to bacterial death. The proposed mechanism was further verified by genomic analysis, where a cluster of genes related to bacterial membrane integrity, biofilm formation, metabolism and DNA functions was significantly perturbed by the released H2. In particular, H2 boosted intracellular ROS generation by destroying the redox homeostasis of bacterial metabolism. More importantly, we revealed that H2 was able to alleviate the antibiotic resistance of CRSA and MRSA by significantly down-regulating the expression of many drug-resistant genes, e.g. the norG gene of CRSA, and fmtA, gpsB, sarA and marR genes of MRSA, as well as reducing the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of ciprofloxacin/ampicillin against CRSA/MRSA. The findings in our work suggested that H2 therapy is a promising tool for combating antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

Sodium formononetin-3'-sulphonate alleviates cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats via suppressing endoplasmic reticulum stress-mediated apoptosis.

BACKGROUND: Sodium formononetin-3'-sulphonate (Sul-F) may alleviate I/R injury in vivo with uncertain mechanism. Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress-mediated apoptosis participates in the process of cerebral ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury. Our aim is to figure out the effect of Sul-F on cerebral I/R injury and to verify whether it works through suppressing ER stress-mediated apoptosis. RESULTS: The cerebral lesions of middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) model in SD rats were aggravated after 24 h of reperfusion, including impaired neurological function, increased infarct volume, intensified inflammatory response and poor cell morphology. After intervention, the edaravone (EDA, 3 mg/kg) group and Sul-F high-dose (Sul-F-H, 80 mg/kg) group significantly alleviated I/R injury via decreasing neurological score, infarct volume and the serum levels of inflammatory factors (TNF-α, IL-1ß and IL-6), as well as alleviating pathological injury. Furthermore, the ER stress level and apoptosis rate were elevated in the ischemic penumbra of MCAO group, and were significantly blocked by EDA and Sul-F-H. In addition, EDA and Sul-F-H significantly down-regulated the ER stress related PERK/eIF2α/ATF4 and IRE1 signal pathways, which led to reduced cell apoptosis rate compared with the MCAO group. Furthermore, there was no difference between the EDA and Sul-F-H group in terms of therapeutic effect on cerebral I/R injury, indicating a therapeutic potential of Sul-F for ischemic stroke. CONCLUSIONS: Sul-F-H can significantly protects against cerebral I/R injury through inhibiting ER stress-mediated apoptosis in the ischemic penumbra, which might be a novel therapeutic target for ischemic stroke.

2D TiVCT x layered nanosheets grown on nickel foam as highly efficient electrocatalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction.

Exploring highly efficient and durable catalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is crucial for the hydrogen economy and environmental protection issues. Numerous studies have now found that transition metal carbide MXenes are ideal candidates as catalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction. However, MXenes are inclined to easily undergo lamellar structure agglomeration and stacking, which impedes their further applications. Besides, most of the extant research has focused on single transition metal carbides, and the investigation of double transition metal carbide MXenes is rather rare. In this research work, a three-dimensional (3D) TiVCT x -based conductive electrode was constructed by depositing 2D TiVCT x nanosheets on 3D network structured nickel foam (NF) to synthesize a hybrid electrode material (abbreviated as TiVCT x @NF). TiVCT x @NF exhibits efficient electrochemical properties with a low overpotential of 151 mV at 10 mA cm-2 and a small Tafel slope of 116 mV dec-1. Benefitting from the open layer structure and strong interfacial coupling effect, compared to the pristine structure, the resulting TiVCT x @NF has greatly increased active sites for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and encounters less resistance for charge transfer. In addition, TiVCT x @NF exhibits better stability in long-term acidic electrolytes. This work provides a tactic to prepare three-dimensional network electrode materials and broadens the application of single transition metal carbide MXenes as water splitting electrodes in the HER, which is beneficial to the application of noble metal-free electrocatalysts.

Near-infrared laser-controlled nitric oxide-releasing gold nanostar/hollow polydopamine Janus nanoparticles for synergistic elimination of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and wound healing.

Recently, nitric oxide (NO) has received increasing interest in combat against bacteria-induced infections because of its ability to sensitize and enhance the antibacterial effectiveness of many therapeutic approaches such as antibiotics. However, high-efficient loading and controlled release of NO remain a big challenge. In the present work, a type of gold nanostar/hollow polydopamine Janus nanostructure (GNS/HPDA JNPs) with precise near infrared (NIR)-controlled NO release property was fabricated using a facile seed-mediated method. Upon NIR laser irradiation, the NO-releasing GNS/HPDA JNPs (GNS/HPDA-BNN6) exhibited a synergistic photothermal and NO antibacterial effect by significantly inhibiting the growth and biofilm formation of both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacterial strains, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). An in-depth mechanism study revealed that two pathways were mainly involved in the synergistic photothermal and NO antibacterial effect. In one pathway, the synergistic effect severely destroyed the bacterial membrane by causing leakage of intracellular components such as DNA. In another pathway, the synergistic effect largely disturbed bacterial metabolism by regulating relative metabolic genes, followed by enhancing ROS generation to cause intracellular GSH depletion and DNA damage. More importantly, the synergistic effect significantly diminished the drug resistance of MRSA by downregulating the expression of the drug-resistant gene mecA and some relative multidrug efflux pumps (e.g., SepA and Tet38). An in vivo evaluation using a rat model with MRSA-infected wounds indicated that the synergistic photothermal and NO effect of GNS/HPDA-BNN6 can effectively eliminate MRSA from wounds, thereby alleviating inflammation and promoting wound healing. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria have become a big threat to mankind, and therefore, the development of innovative antibacterial agents with high antibacterial efficiency is urgently required. Nanomaterial-mediated nitric oxide (NO) therapy is a promising strategy to effectively combat MDR bacteria through a synergistic antibacterial effect. Here, a gold nanostar/hollow polydopamine Janus nanostructure with precise near infrared (NIR) light-controlled NO release property (GNS/HPDA-BNN6) was developed. Both in vitro and in vivo evaluations demonstrated that GNS/HPDA-BNN6 could effectively eliminate methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) from infected wounds and promote wound healing through a synergistic photothermal and NO therapeutic effect. Remarkably, the synergistic effect significantly diminished the drug resistance of MRSA by downregulating the expression of some drug-resistant genes and multidrug efflux pumps.

Study on the quantification of ecological compensation in a river basin considering different industries based on water pollution loss value.

The study on the quantification of ecological compensation (eco-compensation) in a river basin can help to make environmental protection more compatible with ecological construction. In this paper, the upstream and downstream of the river basin were treated as the subjects and objects of eco-compensation, and the mechanism of eco-compensation was clarified. The emergy analysis theory (EMA) was used to calculate the values of water resources in sub-industries (agriculture, industry, life, and recreation). The pollution loss rate theory (PLR) was adopted to calculate the water pollution loss rate in sub-industries. According to the value of water resources and pollution loss rate in sub-industries, combined with the water consumption of sub-industries in the river basin, the Ecological Compensation Quantification Model of Sub-industries (ECQ-Is Model) was constructed. Under the guidance of the aforementioned theory and model, a comprehensive research was conducted on the Xiaohong River. The results showed that the eco-compensation values of the upstream area, industry, and agriculture in the river basin were higher. Therefore, it is essential that the water resources in the Xiaohong River basin be well conserved and managed. In addition, the research results point out the direction for water pollution control, which includes promoting the coordinated development of the upstream and downstream, and maximizing the ecological benefits of the river basin.

Comprehensive evaluation of ecological compensation effect in the Xiaohong River Basin, China.

Due to the complexity of ecological compensation standards and methods, some problems cannot be expected before compensation, but the evaluation of eco-compensation effect can feedback the implementation effect of eco-compensation policies and provide reference for the improvement of eco-compensation policies. This paper constructed a comprehensive evaluation index system of eco-compensation, which covered social and economic development, pollution discharge and monitoring, and pollution treatment aspects. An eco-compensation comprehensive evaluation model was established, which consisted of the projection pursuit model (PP model) and the chaotic particle swarm optimization algorithm (CPSO algorithm). The Xiaohong River Basin in China was selected as a case study. Before and after the implementation of eco-compensation policy, the compensation effects in the four counties in the basin from 2008 to 2015 were evaluated. The results showed that through the implementation of the basin eco-compensation policies, the comprehensive indicators in the four counties showed an upward trend, which indicated that the eco-compensation of the basin had achieved certain effects. Among them, Xincai was the best, and could provide reference for other counties. The research results can provide new ideas and new methods for the evaluation of eco-compensation effects.

Expression pattern of the ASPP family members in endometrial endometrioid adenocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Apoptosis-stimulating protein of p53 (ASPP) family members can stimulate the apoptotic function of p53 but have no impact on its cell cycle arrest function. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The expression pattern of the ASPP family consisting of ASPP1, ASPP2, and iASPP was examined by immunohistochemistry in 45 formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded endometrial endometrioid adenocarcinoma (EEA) specimens and 26 normal endometrial tissue (NET) samples. RESULTS: The expression rates of ASPP1 and ASPP2 in EEA were significantly lower than those in NET (p < 0.05). However, the iASPP expression rate in EEA was statistically higher in contrast to NET (p < 0.05). Expression of ASPP1 and iASPP in EEA had no correlation with any clinicopathological features (p > 0.05). iASPP was associated with grade, invasion, and lymph node metastasis (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: It is a novel finding that the expression pattern of the ASPP family members has respective pathological and clinical implications in EEA, and iASPP might be a candidate target for EEA therapy.

Expression of PSCA, PIWIL1, and TBX2 in endometrial adenocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Endometrial cancer is the 4th most common gynecological cancer. The expression of prostate stem cell antigen (PSCA), piwi-like 1 (PIWIL1), and T-box 2 (TBX2) in endometrial cancer remains to be elucidated. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The expression of PSCA, PIWIL1, and TBX2 was examined using the streptavidin-peroxidase method in 64 endometrial endometrioid adenocarcinoma (EAC) and paired normal endometrium (NE) samples from the Shaanxi Province in China. RESULTS: Positive expression rates of PSCA, PIWIL1, and TBX2 were 75% (48/64), 25% (16/64), and 56% (36/64), respectively in EACs, but 5% (3/64), 6% (4/64), and 2% (1/64), respectively in NEs. The difference was statistically significant (p < 0.05). PSCA was positively correlated with TBX2 (p = 0.003) but not PIWIL1 (p = 0.188). PIWIL1 was positively correlated with TBX2 (p = 0.003). PSCA was positively correlated with age, tumor grade, and lymph node metastasis (p < 0.05). TBX2 had an association with lymph node metastasis (p = 0.014). PIWIL1 was not associated with clinicopathological features (p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: We report the first analysis of PSCA, PIWIL1, and TBX2 expression in EAC. Our findings suggest that PSCA and TBX2 might be candidate targets for cancer therapy, and have helped us further understand the carcinogenesis of endometrial cancer.

Expression of PSCA, PIWIL1 and TBX2 and its correlation with HPV16 infection in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded cervical squamous cell carcinoma specimens.

The purpose of our study was to investigate the expression of prostate stem cell antigen (PSCA), piwi-like 1 (PIWIL1) and T-box 2 (TBX2) and its correlation with HPV16 infection in cervical squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC). HPV16 was detected by amplifying the HPV16 E7 gene by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method, and the expression of PSCA, PIWIL1, TBX2 and HPV16 E7 in 59 CSCCs and matched adjacent normal cervix (MANC) was examined by the streptavidin-peroxidase (SP) method. Fifty-two CSCCs and MANC specimens that were positive for the E7 gene and the E7 protein were identified as infected with HPV16 and included in present study. The rate of infection with HPV16 in CSCC was 52% (27/52), but that in matched adjacent normal cervix (MANC) samples was 4% (2/52). Infection with HPV16 was found to be statistically more frequent in CSCC (P = 0.000). The expression rates of PSCA, PIWIL1 and TBX2 in MANC were 6% (3/52), 8% (4/52) and 2% (1/52), respectively, but those in CSCC were 62% (32/52), 75% (39/52) and 52% (27/52), respectively. Higher expression rates of PSCA, PIWIL1 and TBX2 were observed in CSCC than in MANC (P = 0.000). HPV16 had a statistical positive correlation with PSCA, PIWIL1 and TBX2 in CSCC (P < 0.05). The increased expression of PSCA, PIWIL1 and TBX2 had no correlation with the patient's age or histological grade P > 0.05). The elevated expression of PSCA and PIWIL1 was associated with invasion of CSCC (P < 0.05). Up-regulated expression of TBX2 had a positive association with lymph node metastasis (P = 0.014). These findings demonstrate for the first time the expression of PSCA, PIWIL1 and TBX2 in CSCC. Their correlation with HPV16 might provide new basic information for investigating the molecular mechanism of HPV and help us to deepen our understanding of the interaction between HPV16 and host cells the carcinogenesis of CSCC.

The relationship between HPV16 and expression of cyclooxygenase-2, P53 and their prognostic roles in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV16) and expression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), P53 in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), which has not yet been elucidated. METHODS: HPV16 was detected by amplifying the HPV16 E6 gene by the PCR method, and the expression of COX-2, P53 protein in 69 ESCCs and 32 normal esophageal mucosa (NEM) from Shaanxi Province was examined by the streptavidin-peroxidase method. Estimation of overall survival by HPV16, COX-2, and P53 was calculated with the Kaplan-Meier method and analyzed with the log-rank test. RESULTS: The infection rate of HPV16 in ESCCs (35 of 69, 50.7%) was significantly higher than that in NEMs (two of 32, 6.25%) (P<0.01). The expression rate of COX-2 in ESCCs (44 of 69, 63.8%) was higher than that in NEMs (two of 32, 6.25%) (P<0.01). The expression intensity of COX-2 expression had statistical difference in histological grade (R = 0.4453, P = 0.0019), tumor stage (R = 0.438, P = 0.000), and metastasis (R = 0.417, P = 0.002). P53 expression rate was 49.3% (34 of 69) in ESCC and 18.8% (six of 32) in NEMs. The expression rate of P53 proteins in ESCC was statistically higher than that in N67EMs (P = 0.0037). The infection of HPV16 had inverse correlation with the overexpression of COX-2 in ESCCs (R = -0.321, P = 0.008). The HPV16 DNA in ESCC had no statistical correlation with P53 protein (R = -0.014, P = 0.9055) and the elevated expression of COX-2 had positive correlation with P53 protein in ESCC (R = 0.441, P = 0.000). No statistical correlation was observed between the infection of HPV16 and clinicopathological features in ESCCs including sex, age, tumor stage, and lymph node metastasis, respectively (P>0.05). The COX-2 had no statistical correlation with sex and age (P>0.05), but had association with tumor stage and lymph node metastasis, respectively (P<0.05). The expression of P53 protein had significant association with lymph node metastasis (P = 0.0005), but not with sex, age, and tumor stage, respectively (P>0.05). The overexpression of COX-2, infection of HPV16, and P53 protein in ESCC were not correlated with survival during the 5-year follow-up period (P>0.05). CONCLUSION: We first concluded that the increased expression of COX-2 had inverse correlation with HPV16 in ESCC. COX-2, HPV16, and P53 had no significant effect on the survival of patients with ESCC. These observations might help us to further understand the significant association between HPV16 and other molecules involved in the carcinogenesis and progression of ESCC.

The relationship between cyclooxygenase-2, CD44v6, and nm23H1 in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Esophageal cancer is the fourth most prevalent malignancy in China. The relationship between COX-2, CD44v6, and nm23H1 in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) remains unclear. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Expression of COX-2, CD44v6, and nm23H1 was examined, using the streptavidin-peroxidase method, in 82 ESCC and 30 normal esophageal mucosa (NEM) samples from the Shaanxi Province in China. RESULTS: The positive rates of COX-2, CD44v6, and nm23H1 were 73.2% (60/82), 64.6% (53/82), and 24.4% (31/82), respectively in ESCC, but 6.7% (2/30), 3.3% (1/30), and 90% (27/30), respectively in NEMs. There was a statistically significant difference between NEMs and ESCCs (p < 0.05). Expression of COX-2 showed a positive statistical correlation with expression of CD44v6 (r = 0.4732, p < 0.0001), and an inverse correlation with nm23H1 (r = -0.3226, p = 0.0035). Expression of COX-2, CD44v6, and nm23H1 had no significant correlation with gender or age (p > 0.05), but increased expression of COX-2 and CD44v6 showed statistical correlation with invasion and lymph node metastasis, respectively (p < 0.05). Decreased expression of nm23H1 was statistically correlated with lymph node metastasis (p = 0.0007) but had no correlation with invasion (p = 0.8221). CONCLUSIONS: This is the first report of a significant correlation between COX-2, CD44v6, and nm23H1 in ESCC. This knowledge might help us to further understand the molecular mechanisms of carcinogenesis and progression of ESCC.

Detection of human papillomavirus type 16 DNA in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue specimens of gastric carcinoma.

OBJECTIVES: Human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV16) is regarded as one of the important tumor-related viruses, which are known to have a role in cervical carcinoma; however, there are few reports on HPV16 in gastric carcinoma (GC). Our study aimed to investigate the relationship between HPV16 and the occurrence of GC. METHODS: Liquid PCR (LPCR) and in-situ PCR (ISPCR) methods were carried out to detect the HPV16 oncogene E6 cell-type-specific enhancer in the long control region of HPV16 in 40 GCs and corresponding gastric adjacent normal mucosa (GANM). The patients were from Shaanxi Province in China; Helicobacter pylori (Hp) was detected by immunohistochemistry and by hematoxylin and eosin staining in their gastric tissues. RESULTS: The HPV16 E6 gene was detected in 37.5% (15/40) of the GCs and 5% (2/40) of the GANMs with LPCR, as was the cell-type-specific enhancer; however, the positive rate of E6 was 27.5% (11/40) in GCs and 0% (0/40) in GANMs, respectively, with ISPCR. HPV16 DNA was mainly located in the nucleus of gastric glandular epithelium cells. The infection rate of HPV16 DNA in GCs was higher than that in GANMs (P=0.0004), and the HPV16 had no statistical correlations with sex, age, invasion, grading or lymph node metastasis (P>0.05). The infection rate of HPV16 in cardiac GCs was significantly higher than that in noncardiac ones (P=0.0136), and HPV16 had no correlation with Hp in GCs (P=0.0829). Receiver operator characteristic curve analysis indicated that there was no statistical difference between the LPCR and ISPCR methods in our study through optimizing parameters in ISPCR procedures (P=0.768). CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggested that HPV16 can infect gastric glandular epithelium cells and that viral infection might play a role in the occurrence of GCs independent of or without the cooperation of an Hp infection.