Association of THBS1 rs1478605 T>C in 5'-untranslated regions with the development and progression of gastric cancer.

Thrombospondin 1 (THBS1) plays an important role in angiogenesis and tumor progression. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (rs1478605 and rs3743125) in the untranslated regions of the THBS1 gene on the development and progression of gastric cancer. In the case-control study, 275 gastric cancer patients and 275 cancer-free controls were successfully genotyped using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism. The data demonstrated that THBS1 rs1478605 genotypic distributions significantly differed between the patient and control groups (P=0.005). Carriers of the CC genotype exhibited a decreased risk of developing gastric cancer compared to the carriers of the CT and TT genotypes [adjusted odd ratio (OR), 0.56; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.39-0.79; P=0.001]. The CC genotype of rs1478605 was negatively associated with gastric cancer lymph node metastasis (OR, 0.41; 95% CI, 0.23-0.71; P=0.001) and was associated with a reduced risk of lymph node metastasis in male patients (OR, 0.27; 95% CI, 0.14-0.52; P<0.001). The THBS1 CT haplotype was associated with a reduced risk of developing gastric cancer (OR, 0.56; 95% CI, 0.33-0.93; P=0.02). By contrast, no association was observed between THBS1 rs3743125 and the development and progression of gastric cancer. These results suggest that THBS1 rs1478605 represents a potential molecular marker for gastric cancer.

Recombinant snake venom metalloproteinase inhibitor BJ46A inhibits invasion and metastasis of B16F10 and MHCC97H cells through reductions of matrix metalloproteinases 2 and 9 activities.

Studies have shown that the recombinant BJ46a (rBJ46a) protein can reduce matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) activities and inhibit invasion and metastasis of melanoma cells. Here, we optimized the Pichia pastoris system to evaluate rBJ46a protein as an anticancer agent. The Enzchek gelatinase/collagenase assay showed that rBJ46a inhibited MMP activities (IC50=0.119 mg/ml). Kinetic analyses using a series of double reciprocal Lineweaver-Burk plots (1/V vs. 1/S) showed a competitive mode of inhibition with rBJ46a with inhibitory efficiency against MMPs (Ki=13.6 nmol/l). Matrigel invasion assays showed significant activity of rBJ46a on tumor cells. For lung colonization assays, C57BL/6 mice were inoculated in the lateral tail vein with B16F10 cells and were treated with three i.v. injections of rBJ46a (1, 2, and 4 mg/kg) 24 h before cell inoculation, and 2 and 24 h after cell inoculation. Administration of rBJ46a suppressed lung tumor colony formation significantly. For spontaneous metastasis assays, MHCC97H cells were inoculated subcutaneously into nude mice. After 24 h, rBJ46a was administered by i.p. injections: 1, 2, and 4 mg/kg once daily for 6 days. rBJ46a decreased lung tumor colony formation significantly. Gelatin zymography showed that MMP2/MMP9 enzymatic activities in tumor cells were suppressed by rBJ46a in a dose-dependent manner, and the Km values of rBJ46a against MMP2 and MMP9 activities that were expressed in both B16F10 and MHCC97H cells were 3.6 and 1.4 µmol/l, respectively. Thus, rBJ46a can inhibit the invasion and metastasis of tumor cells by reducing MMP2/MMP9 activities, indicating that rBJ46a may be a novel therapeutic agent for antimetastasis of tumor cells.

Multicomponent DNA vaccine-encoding Toxoplasma gondii GRA1 and SAG1 primes: anti-Toxoplasma immune response in mice.

A multicomponent DNA vaccine, encoding Toxoplasma gondii GRA1 and SAG1, was constructed and tested for its ability to confer protection. BALB/c mice were challenged with tachyzoites of the virulent T. gondii RH strain at 4 weeks following the last immunization, and immune responses and survival times were observed. The results show that vaccination by the multicomponent vaccine prolonged survival of mice challenged with the T. gondii RH strain (from average 4.50 ± 0.22 to 7.60 ± 0.74 days); induced high levels of IgG antibody (from 0.252 ± 0.080 to 0.790 ± 0.083), IFN-gamma (from 598.74 ± 67.50 to 853.77 ± 66.74 pg/ml), and IL-2 (from 89.44 ± 10.66 to 192.24 ± 19.90 pg/ml); changed the CD4(+)/CD8(+) lymphocyte ratio (from 1.81 ± 0.14 to 1.09 ± 0.19); and stimulated NK cell-killing activity (from 46.81 ± 3.96 to 64.15 ± 7.71 %). These findings demonstrate that a multicomponent DNA vaccine, encoding GRA1 and SAG1, primes a strong humoral and cellular immune response and enhances protection against T. gondii challenge. The new, combined DNA vaccine provides another means to combat T. gondii infection.

High-level expression, purification, characterization and structural prediction of a snake venom metalloproteinase inhibitor in Pichia pastoris.

Snake venom metalloproteinase inhibitor BJ46a is from the serum of the venomous snake Bothrops jararaca. It has been proven to possess the capacity to inhibit matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), likely based on its structural similarity to MMPs. This report describes the successful expression, purification, and characterization of the recombinant protein BJ46a in Pichia pastoris. Purified recombinant protein BJ46a was found to inhibit MMPs. Structural modeling was completed and should provide the foundation for further functional research. To our knowledge, this is the first report on the large scale expression of BJ46a, and it provides promise as a method for generation of BJ46a and investigation of its potential use as a new drug for treatment of antitumor invasion and metastasis.

Overexpression of thrombospondin-1 in stromal myofibroblasts is associated with tumor growth and nodal metastasis in gastric carcinoma.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The roles of thrombospondin-1 (THBS-1) in tumor growth and metastasis are complicated and its function as a cancer inhibitor or promoter remains controversial. This clinical study investigated the functional roles of THBS-1 in gastric carcinoma by examining the expression patterns of THBS-1 protein and mRNA levels during gastric cancer development. METHODS: Eighty-two gastric carcinomas were included in this study. THBS-1, α-smooth muscle actin, and CD34 proteins were localized by immunohistochemical staining, and the levels of THBS-1 mRNA were quantified by real-time polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: THBS-1 mRNA expression in gastric carcinoma tissues was significantly higher than in adjacent non-cancerous stomach tissues (P = 0.03). Tumor THBS-1 mRNA expression level was significantly related to lymph node metastasis (P = 0.031), tumor size (P = 0.021) and patient age (P = 0.005). THBS-1 protein was mainly located in stromal myofibroblasts, and was undetectable in tumor cells. Myofibroblasts may be mainly derived from stromal fibroblasts in gastric cancer. The abundance of myofibroblasts was positively correlated with tumor growth and nodal metastasis in gastric carcinoma (P = 0.03, P = 0.0008, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: This clinical study revealed that overexpression of THBS-1 in stromal myofibroblasts is associated with tumor growth and nodal metastasis in gastric carcinoma. THBS-1 may activate latent transforming growth factor-ß1 to stimulate fibroblasts to differentiate into myofibroblasts, though further studies are needed to validate this hypothesis. These results suggest that THBS-1 and myofibroblasts may serve as novel targets for strategies aimed at protection against and treatment of gastric carcinoma.

PA28ß regulates cell invasion of gastric cancer via modulating the expression of chloride intracellular channel 1.

PA28ß is a subunit of proteasome activator PA28. Previous study suggests that PA28ß is involved in the invasiveness and metastasis of gastric adenocarcinoma (GA), however, the mechanism is not fully understood. In the present study, we showed that invasive abilities of gastric cancer cells were enhanced when PA28ß being down-regulated, and were inhibited when PA28ß being overexpressed. To explore the possible mechanism of PA28ß associated elevated invasiveness, the protein profiles of PA28ß knock down and parental negative control gastric cancer cells were compared using proteomics approach. The results revealed that there were 43 proteins were differentially expressed, among them, chloride intracellular channel 1 (CLIC1) was significantly up-regulated and selected for further functional study. Down-regulation of CLIC1 by RNA interference was able to markedly inhibit cell invasion of PA28ß knock down gastric carcinoma cells. In addition, an inverse correlation between PA28ß and CLIC1 expressions was also verified in GA tissue samples, suggesting that knockdown of PA28ß could enhance tumor invasion and metastasis, at least in part, through up-regulation of CLIC1. Our results provide novel insight into the mechanisms of PA28ß related invasiveness and metastasis of GA, and suggest new alternative approaches for GA treatment.

Polymorphism of THBS1 rs1478604 A>G in 5-untranslated region is associated with lymph node metastasis of gastric cancer in a Southeast Chinese population.

Thrombospondin-1 plays an important role in cancer development and progression. This study investigated if a correlation exists between single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the Thrombospondin-1 gene (THBS1) and gastric cancer. We conducted a case-control study on a randomly recruited population of 283 patients and 283 healthy individuals from the city of Fuzhou in Southeast China. Individuals were genotyped for four SNPs (rs1478604 A>G, rs2228261 C>T, rs2292305 T>C, and rs3743125 C>T) in THBS1 using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry. THBS1 genotypic distributions between the case and control groups were tested for correlations with cancer development. Comparisons between the case and control groups showed no significant differences in the genotypic distributions of rs1478604 A>G, rs2228261 C>T, and rs3743125 C>T. However, we found a statistically significant association between homozygous CC of THBS1 rs2292305 T>C and development of highly differentiated carcinoma (HDC). The rs1478604 A>G variant was found to be associated with invasion and lymph node metastasis in gastric cancer. After logistic regression and stratification analysis, rs1478604 A>G was more strongly associated with lymph node metastasis in HDC gastric cancer. The power to detect an effect for rs1478604 A>G in HDC was 90%. These findings indicate that the THBS1 rs1478604 A>G variant is linked with differential risks for gastric cancer nodal metastasis. These results support further investigation of THBS1 as a potential therapeutic target in gastric cancer.

Hepatitis B spliced protein (HBSP) generated by a spliced hepatitis B virus RNA participates in abnormality of fibrin formation and functions by binding to fibrinogen γ chain.

Hepatitis B spliced protein (HBSP) encoded by a 2.2 kb singly spliced hepatitis B virus (HBV) pre-genomic RNA (spliced between positions 2447 and 489 nt) is involved in the pathogenesis of HBV infection, whereas the exact mechanism is far from being fully elucidated. In this study, a yeast two-hybrid system using HBSP as bait was employed to screen binding partners for HBSP from a human liver cDNA library. The interaction between HBSP and fibrinogen γ chain (FGG) was further confirmed in vitro using a GST pull-down assay and confirmed in vivo using a mammalian two-hybrid assay and co-immunoprecipitation. It was identified that this interaction is mediated by the N terminal 47 amino acid residues of HBSP. HBSP could inhibit fibrin polymerization, factor XIIIa-mediated fibrin cross-linking, adhesion of platelets to fibrinogen and ADP-stimulated platelet aggregation. However, the interaction-mediating fragment 1-47 of HBSP is not sufficient for the inhibitory activity on fibrinogen function. The findings suggested that HBSP may participate in the hemostatic abnormality in patients with HBV-related liver diseases.

Association of a MYCL1 single nucleotide polymorphism, rs3134613, with susceptibility to diffuse-type gastric cancer and with differentiation of gastric cancer in a southeast Chinese population.

A MYCL1 single nucleotide polymorphism, rs3134613, has been reported to play an important role in many cancers. However, its involvement in gastric cancer is controversial. The aim of the study was to investigate the influence of rs3134613 on the development and progression of gastric cancer in a southeast Chinese population. Genotypes were analyzed by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism in 317 gastric cancer patients and 200 cancer-free controls. Data show that the risk of diffuse-type gastric cancer in carriers with the T allele (T/T or G/T genotype) was higher than that in carriers with the G/G genotype (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 2.601, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.431-4.895, p = 0.003). The risk of diffuse-type gastric cancer in T allele carriers was higher than that in G allele carriers (adjusted OR = 1.594, 95% CI = 1.157-2.286, p = 0.009). The risk of poorly differentiated cancer in carriers with the T allele (T/T or G/T genotype) was higher than that in carriers with the G/G genotype (adjusted OR = 1.963, 95% CI = 1.156-3.325, p = 0.015). The results demonstrate that rs3134613 is associated with susceptibility to diffuse-type gastric cancer and with differentiation of gastric cancer. rs3134613 may be used as a potential marker to identify individuals who are at high risk of diffuse-type gastric cancer.

Hepatitis B doubly spliced protein, generated by a 2.2 kb doubly spliced hepatitis B virus RNA, is a pleiotropic activator protein mediating its effects via activator protein-1- and CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein-binding sites.

The 2.2 kb doubly spliced defective hepatitis B virus (HBV) genome is frequently detected in the serum of patients with chronic hepatitis B. However, the biological significance of this type of defective genome is not well understood. In this study, expression of the hepatitis B doubly spliced protein (HBDSP) was confirmed from the 2.2 kb doubly spliced defective HBV genome, which was isolated and transfected into Huh-7 hepatoma cells. To explore the potential pathogenicity of HBDSP, hepatocellular proteins interacting with HBDSP were screened by a yeast two-hybrid assay. Unexpectedly, HBDSP could transactivate the GAL4-responsive element, and deletion mapping revealed that the fragment located between residues Leu-48 and Gln-75 of HBDSP was crucial for transactivation activity. In Huh-7 hepatoma cells, HBDSP localized predominantly to the cytoplasm and showed transactivating effects on the cytomegalovirus immediate-early promoter, simian virus 40 enhancer/promoter and HBV regulatory elements including the S1 promoter, S2 promoter, Enhancer I and core upstream regulatory sequences. Further studies revealed that the transactivating activities were mediated by activator protein-1- and CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein-binding sites. These findings suggest that HBDSP is a pleiotropic activator protein that can potentially serve as an HBV virulence factor.

PLC/CAMK IV-NF-kappaB involved in the receptor for advanced glycation end products mediated signaling pathway in human endothelial cells.

Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) and their interaction with the receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) play an important role in diabetic vascular complications. The current study demonstrated that AGEs significantly increased RAGE expression and the release of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), interleukin-6 (IL-6) in human umbilical vein endothelial cell-derived line ECV304 cells. RAGE antisense RNA partially inhibited the expression of TNF-alpha and IL-6 induced by AGEs. Oligonucleotide microarray was used to identify the genes that respond to RAGE activation. Phospholipase C beta 1 (PLC beta 1), phospholipase C beta 4 (PLC beta 4) and calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase IV (CAMK IV) which associated with Ca(2+) signaling were upregulated. The rise of intracellular calcium and the NF-kappaB promoter activity induced by AGEs were suppressed by RAGE antisense RNA, PLC inhibitor U73122 and dominant negative CAMK IV, respectively. These findings suggest that PLC/CAMK IV-NF-kappaB is involved in RAGE mediated signaling pathway in human endothelial cells.

Toxoplasma gondii: expression of GRA1 gene in endoplasmic reticulum promotes both growth and adherence and modulates intracellular calcium release in macrophages.

In this study, effects of GRA1 organelle-targeted expression on macrophage functions were investigated. The recombinant plasmid pCMV/myc/ER-GRA1 was constructed and then was transfected into murine macrophage RAW264.7 by Lipofectamine, selected by resistance of G418. The selected mono-clone cell line was named ER-GRA1-RAW264.7. The expression of GRA1 was localized in ER of ER-GRA1-RAW264.7 cells by indirect immunofluorescence detection. GRA1 mRNA expression level in ER-GRA1-RAW264.7 cell was significantly enhanced with a concomitant increase in its growth and adherence activity. Fluorescence intensity of intracellular calcium in ER-GRA1-RAW264.7, ER-ctrl-RAW264.7 and RAW264.7 cells in the presence of 1 mmol/l arachidonic acid (AA) were assayed by confocal microscopy using calcium-sensitive dye, Fluo-3 AM. Cytoplasm [Ca2+]i peaked at about 18 s after AA treatment, and cytoplasm [Ca2+]i of RAW264.7 cell almost instantly stepped up after AA was added, and peaked in 3 s, with a minor cytoplasm [Ca2+]i vibration subsequently. These results demonstrated that the expression of GRA1 in ER of macrophages promotes both growth and adherence of macrophages and modulates the intracellular calcium release stimulated by AA.

[A hospital-based case-control study on influencing factors of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease].

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the influencing factors of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). METHODS: A hospital-based case-control study was conducted in patients with NAFLD and controls without NAFLD in a hospital from January to August in 2007. All data were analyzed by SPSS 13.0 software. RESULTS: One-way analysis of variance found that the two groups were significantly different in cigarette smoking, alcohol and tea comsumption, movement index, speed of food intake, frequency of social engagement, kinds of edible oil, marine products, family history of NAFLD, hypertension, higher blood sugar, abnormality of blood fat, higher level of ALT, higher level of AST, hyperuricemia, obesity, decrease of high density lipoprotein (HDL), and increase of low density lipoprotein. By non-conditional logistic stepwise regression analysis, 12 of 18 factors were used to construct a model, ten of which were the risk factors and two were protective factors of NAFLD. Risk factors included obesity (OR=6.35), hypertension(OR=3.82), dyslipidemia (OR=2.95), decrease of HDL (OR=2.85), hyperglycemia (OR=2.82), increase of ALT (OR=2.80), hyperuricemia (OR=2.35), HBsAg positive (OR=1.99), family history of fatty liver (OR=1.79) and frequently intake of marine products (OR=1.58), and protective factors included tea drinking (OR=0.72) and exercise (OR=0.90). CONCLUSIONS: There are many influencing factors of NAFLD, and life styles are the key factors. Genetic background may also play some roles in NAFLD.

Identification of miRNAs associated with tumorigenesis of retinoblastoma by miRNA microarray analysis.

INTRODUCTION: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small (approximately 22 nucleotides) regulatory RNAs which play fundamental roles in many human diseases, including cancer. There is no report on the miRNA expression profile of retinoblastoma. METHODS: This work was undertaken to identify differentially expressed miRNAs in human retinoblastoma tissues by microRNA microarray technique, and some miRNAs were verified using northern blot analysis and the in situ hybridization method. RESULTS: A cluster of microRNAs was identified as highly expressed in retinoblastoma, including hsa-miR-494, hsa-let-7e, hsa-miR-513-1, hsa-miR-513-2, hsa-miR-518c*, hsa-miR-129-1, hsa-miR-129-2, hsa-miR-198, hsa-miR-492, hsa-miR-498, hsa-miR-320, hsa-miR-503, and hsa-miR-373*. CONCLUSION: These miRNAs are the first to be reported for human retinoblastoma and may play significant roles in regulating tumor genesis.

[Effects of snake venom cystatin gene on gene expression profiles in mouse melanoma cell line B16F1].

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE: Previously, we have demonstrated that snake venom cystatin (sv-cystatin) plays an important role in tumor invasion and metastasis. This study was to investigate the effects of sv-cystatin on the gene expression profile of mouse melanoma B16F1 cells. METHODS: pcDNA3.1/sv-cystatin plasmid was constructed and transfected into B16F1 using lipofectamine. Differentially expressed genes between B16F1 transfected with pcDNA3.1/sv-cystatin and pcDNA3.1 were analysed by high throughput microarray technique. Five up-regulated genes and five down-regulated genes were confirmed by semiquantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). RESULTS: Out of 1218 transcript species, 45 showed altered expressions: 21 were up-regulated and 24 were down-regulated. These altered genes are involved in cell adhesion and migration, cell immunomodulation, proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis, as well as gene transcription and intra-cellular signal transduction. RT-PCR results of 10 alerted genes were in accordance with the microarray data. CONCLUSIONS: Sv-cystatin not only inhibits the extracellular matrix, but may also possess other diverse biological functions, including cell immunomodulation, proliferation and differentiation, apoptosis, gene transcription and intra-cellular signal transduction.

The cytotoxicity of a Grb2-SH3 inhibitor in Bcr-Abl positive K562 cells.

Chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) is characterized by the presence of Bcr-Abl oncoprotein. Gleevec has been designed to treat many CML patients by specifically targeting Bcr-Abl, but resistance to it is already apparent in many cases. In CML cells, Bcr-Abl activates several signaling pathways, including the Ras-dependent pathway, in which growth factor receptor binding 2 (Grb2) acts as an adaptor protein. A specific Grb2-SH3 inhibitor (denoted as peptidimer-c) that disrupts Grb2-Sos complex was designed and synthesized in our laboratory. In this study, we investigated the effect and the molecular mechanism of this inhibitor. Peptidimer-c was shown to bind to Grb2 in K562 cells, a cell line over-expressing Bcr-Abl oncoprotein. It caused cytotoxicity in the cells, and inhibited their ability of colony formation in the semi-solid medium. It was shown to induce apoptosis of K562 cells in a dose-dependent mode, the apoptotic effect of peptidimer-c being associated with caspase-3 activation. The effect of peptidimer-c on growth inhibition was also shown to be accompanied by S-phase arrest of cell cycle mediated by down-regulation of cyclin A and Cdk2, as well as phospho-Cdk2. The above results indicated that peptidimer-c may be another potential therapeutic agent for CML, which can induce S-phase arrest in the Bcr-Abl positive K562.

Identification of candidate cancer genes involved in human retinoblastoma by data mining.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to discover potential cancer-related genes involved in retinoblastoma (RB) tumorigenesis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Using a data-mining tool called cDNA Digital Gene Expression Displayer (DGED) and serial analysis of gene expression DGED from the Cancer Genome Anatomy Project (CGAP) database, eight cDNA libraries and five serial analysis of gene expression libraries from retinoblastoma (RB) solid tumors and normal retina tissues were analyzed. The deregulated genes were classified into major families using information from Gene Ontology. Several candidate cancer-related genes were analyzed by real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and immunohistochemistry (IHC) on tissue microarrays (TMA) of RB and human normal retina samples. RESULTS: A total of 260 genes with deregulated expression emerged when examined by DGED from the CGAP database. Functional classification of these genes not only provided an interesting insight into RB tumorigenesis but also facilitated target identification for RB therapeutics. Several candidate genes were confirmed by real-time RT-PCR and IHC analysis on TMA and were found to be associated with RB genesis through text-mining in Information Hyperlinked over Proteins. The results also implicated MCM7 and WIF1 as promising therapeutic targets for RB, but further validation is needed.

Toxoplasma gondii induces prostaglandin E2 synthesis in macrophages via signal pathways for calcium-dependent arachidonic acid production and PKC-dependent induction of cyclooxygenase-2.

In this study, the intracellular signaling pathway of PGE2 synthesis in macrophages (RAW264.7) induced by Toxoplasma gondii was investigated. The T. gondii-induced PGE2 production in macrophages increased in a time-dependent manner, as PGE2 induction began at 4 h, peaked at 12 h, and then plateaued at a high level. COX-2 mRNA in macrophages was detectable as early as 4 h after treatment; the maximal expression was observed at 8 h. The earliest induction of COX-2 protein occurred at 4 h and peaked at 16 h; meanwhile, COX-1 mRNA level and protein production remained unchanged throughout. Indomethacin and nimesulide inhibited tachyzoite-induced PGE2 production and COX-2 mRNA expression in macrophages but they had no significant effect on COX-2 protein expression. EGTA, TFP and BAPTA/AM inhibited both arachidonic acid (AA) and PGE2 production without effecting COX-2 protein expression, but verapamil inhibited neither AA nor PGE2 production. H7 was found to inhibit PGE2 production, and COX-2 mRNA expression and protein expression by tachyzoite or LPS stimulated macrophages in a dose-dependent manner. Our results demonstrate that T. gondii induces PGE2 biosynthesis in RAW264.7 macrophages by regulating AA production through a calcium-dependent pathway and induction of COX-2 expression by a PKC-dependent pathway.

Influence of enterococci on human sperm membrane in vitro.

AIM: To study the influence of enterococci on human sperm membrane in vitro. METHODS: Ejaculated human sperm were artificially infected with beta-hemolytic or non-beta-hemolytic enterococci at the bacteria: sperm ratio of 50:1 at 37 degrees . Sperm membrane integrity was examined after incubation for 1, 3 and 5 h by hypoosmotic swelling (HOS) test and electron microscopy. RESULTS: Sperm infected with beta-hemolytic enterococci had lower HOS scores compared with non-beta-hemolytic strains or uninfected control (P < 0.01). The HOS test scores of sperm infected with beta-hemolytic enterococci increased in the presence of phosphatidylcholine, an inhibitor of hemolysin. Non-beta-hemolytic strains showed no significant difference in swelling rate, compared with the control group (P > 0.05). It was shown by electron microscopy that beta-hemolytic enterococci caused significant rupture of human sperm membrane. CONCLUSION: Beta-hemolytic enterococci caused human sperm membrane injury, and might be mediated by the hemolysin of enterococci.

[Correlation between the expression of angiopoietins and their receptor and angiogenesis in gastric cancers].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effects of angiopoietins (Ang-1 and Ang-2) and Tie-2 expression on microvessel density (MVD) in gastric cancers. METHODS: By using semiquantitative RT-PCR, immunohistochemistry and image analysis system, the expression of Ang-1, Ang-2, Tie-2 mRNA and their proteins were detected in 68 primary gastric cancers and their adjacent normal tissues. Microvessel density (MVD) was figured out based on CD34 immunohistochemical staining. RESULTS: The expression of all Ang-1, Ang -2, Tie-2 mRNA and their proteins was detected in gastric cancers and their paired adjacent gastric mucosa tissues. A negative correlation between Ang-1 protein, Tie-2 mRNA and MVD in gastric cancers was observed (r = -0.440, r = -0.267; P < 0.05), while the relation between Ang-2 mRNA and its protein, Ang-2/Ang-1 protein ratio with MVD were positive (r = 0.319, r = 0.729, r = 0.739; P < 0.05). It was found that MVD in groups with Ang-2 mRNA T/N ratio over 1.2 (the ratio of Ang-2 mRNA in gastric cancers and its adjacent normal mucosa) was higher than that in those with a ratio under 1.2, revealed by analysing the effects of Ang-1 and Ang-2 mRNA T/N ratio on MVD in gastric cancers. CONCLUSION: Ang-1 activates Tie-2 receptor, whereas Ang-2 antagonizes Ang-1 in the angiogenesis, and the Ang-2/Ang-1 ratio determines angiogenesis and tumor growth in gastric cancers. When the expression of Ang-2 is high and Ang-1 is low, the angiogenesis in gastric cancers is promoted, otherwise oppositely. The role of Ang-2 is dominant in the effect of Angs and their receptor on angiogenesis in gastric cancers.