ABSTRACT
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most frequent primary malignancies of the liver and is resistant to anticancer drugs. Hypoxia is a master cause of tumor resistance to chemotherapy. Hypoxia-inducible factor-one alpha (HIF-1α) plays a key role in the adaptive responses to hypoxic environments. HIF-1α is constitutively up-regulated in several tumor types might thus be implicated in tumor therapy resistance. We hypothesized that disruption of HIF-1α pathway could reverse the hypoxia-induced resistance to chemotherapy. In this report, we prepared DOTAP (a liposome formulation of a mono-cationic lipid N-[1-(2,3-Dioleoyloxy)]- N,N,N-trimethylammonium propane methylsulfate in sterile water) cationic liposomes containing an antisense oligonucleotide (AsODN) against HIF-1α. Gene transfer of antisense HIF-1α was effective in suppressing tumor growth, angiogenesis, and cell proliferation, and inducing cell apoptosis. Our results suggested that antisense HIF-1α therapy could be a therapeutic strategy for treating HCC.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To study the infection status of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) and sensitivity to commonly used antibiotics in Taizhou district,Zhejiang province. METHODS: 39 099 cases aged between 5 and 95 years old (mean as 48.42 years) were involved during January 2010 to December, 2013 for this study. Sex ratio was 1 : 0.95. Yearly distribution of the number of cases were 5 031, 6 709, 11 902 and 15 457 in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013, respectively. Gastric mucosal specimens were collected and H. pylori strains were isolated and cultured in the same platform in Zhiyuan Medical Inspection Institute of Hangzhou. Resistance tests of all the H. pylori isolates were performed to 6 commonly used antibiotics:metronidazole, clarithromycin, amoxicillin, gentamicin, levofloxacin and furazolidone with the agar dilution method. The antibiotic resistance rates of H. pylori strains isolated during year 2010-2013 and the changing trends were analyzed. RESULTS: Resistance rates to levofloxacin and clarithromycin kept at higher level and the highest was in 2011 and then decreased in both 2012 and 2013 (P < 0.01). The resistance rates to both levofloxacin and clarithromycin reached the highest in 2011 (P < 0.01), and decreased thereafter, with no significant change in 2013 to 2012 (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Antibiotic resistance rate against metronidazole for HP isolate was highest. Resistance rate against amoxicillin and furazolidone, gentamicin was low. Clinical treatment should choose amoxicillin and furazolidone, gentamicin. The resistance rates to levofloxacin and clarithromycin had been seen at a significantly downward trend since 2011. However, the combined resistance rates to levofloxacin and clarithromycin did not seem to reduce since 2012.
