Response of preosteoblasts on micromachined Ti-6Al-4V surface to microstructure dimension.

The cell incubation depends on the cultured surface, but various machining methods produce different surface topographies, but it has not been clear how it is related to the topographic feature until now. Hence, the machined Ti-6Al-4V surface is characterized for preosteoblasts incubation via different mechanical fabrication. The relationship between surface topography created by various machining methods and cell incubation behaviour was explored. The objective is to control the surface preosteoblasts growth in machining of biological titanium alloy. According to the cell growth kinetic, the cell incubation behaviour was first proposed and modelled in relation to microstructural dimension and culture duration. Then, the topological cultured microstructure surface was fabricated via mechanical fabrication. Finally, the cell initial adhesion and incubation behaviour on microstructured surface was investigated. It is shown that the surface undulation on machined microstructure is conducive to controlling the direction and distribution of cell incubation from cell growth kinetic model. The cell culture can be controlled on the peak with a small undulation, while it is concentred on the sidewall with a high aspect ratio. Increasing the aspect ratio extends cell growth, while low aspect ratio promotes initial cell adhesion and growth rate. Within the optimal cultured duration, the microstructured surface is more favourable for cell survival, and the cell growth keep positive beyond critical aspect ratio. As a result, the cell adhesion ability is topologically controlled to 5.4 times higher and the growth rate can be improved by 101.7% on milled microgrooved surface. It may be applied to the rapid production of biomedical Ti-6Al-4V implant.

Improving Etched Flatness by Micro Airflow Array Pressurization in ITO Glass Laser Machining.

In laser etching of ITO glass, the warpage due to workpiece positioning causes breakpoint or deformation of micron-scale etching circuits. Based on traditional laser etching, a micro-airflow array pressurization is proposed by using a micro-flow air bearing through airflow positioning. The objective is to achieve high-precision laser etching by pressurized micro-deformation of ITO glass during positioning. First, the micro-air flow and pressurized micro-deformation were modelled in relation to the airflow pressure and etching gap in order to analyze the flatness variation behavior. Then, the surface flatness was investigated in relation to the airflow parameters and relative bearing location. Finally, the critical value of the pressurization parameter were calculated using a data-twin and were applied to industrial ITO glass etching. It is shown that the uniform flow pressure distribution and surface central micro-deformation were formed by positive airflow pressure in the airflow area. The airflow pressure and etching gap could promote surface flatness, while excessive values could result in excessive deformation. Under the micro flow pressure, the initial flatness of the workpiece was able to be compensated within the critical pressurization parameter. By controlling the micro flow stress, the micro-airflow array pressurization could reduce the flatness to 22 µm with stress of 10.7-12.6 Pa. In industrial production, the surface fine circuits can be laser etched with an optimized micro flow pressure, which solves the problems of local breaks or deformed circuits due to the conventional etching process and the structural layout.

Metabolomics and integrated network pharmacology analysis reveal attenuates cardiac hypertrophic mechanisms of HuoXin pill.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Cardiac hypertrophy (CH) is maladaptive and contributes to the pathogenesis of heart failure. Huoxin pill (HXP), a Chinese herbal prescription, is widely applied in the treatment of cardiovascular disease (CAD). Its mechanism, however, is unclear. AIM OF THE STUDY: This study investigated the mechanism of action for Huoxin pill in the treatment of CH, an important stage of CAD. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 60 rats were injected with isoprenaline (ISO) to establish a model of CH. Echocardiography and histopathologic evaluation were performed to evaluate the disease severity, whereas ELISAs were conducted to determine the expression of oxidative stress. Network pharmacology and metabolomic analyses were conducted to identify the key compounds, core targets and pathways that mediate the effects of HXP against CH. Western blotting and immunohistochemistry were used to test apoptosis protein levels. RESULTS: HXP administration in ISO-treated rats decreased hypertrophy indices, alleviated cardiac pathological damage, and downregulated oxidative stress levels when compared to those of rats subjected to ISO treatment only. Moreover, network pharmacology results suggested that the PI3K-Akt pathway is a main mechanism by which HXP inhibits cardiac hypertrophy, and experimental verification showed that HXP inhibited cardiomyocyte apoptosis via activation of the PI3K-Akt pathway. The results of metabolomic analysis identified 21 differential metabolites between the HXPH group and ISO group, which were considered to be metabolic biomarkers of HXP in the treatment of CH. Among them, 6 differential metabolites were significantly upregulated, and 15 were significantly downregulated. CONCLUSIONS: The present study presents an integrated strategy for investigating the mechanisms of HXP in the treatment of CH and sheds new light on the application of HXP as a traditional Chinese medicine.

Addition of lipophilic grape seed proanthocyanidin effectively reduces acrylamide formation.

BACKGROUND: In this article the relationship between lipophilic grape seed proanthocyanidin (LGSP) and acrylamide formation in potato-based products was investigated. The acrylamide, reducing sugar, asparagine, and 3-aminopropionamide contents were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS). Sensory evaluation was used to evaluate the quality of the products. RESULTS: The results showed that LGSP presented greater inhibition effect on the acrylamide formation than the commonly used commercial antioxidants. Furthermore, 81.5% and 84.7% of acrylamide was reduced in potato crisps and French fries after adding 0.1% and 0.05% LGSP (w/w) in palm oil, respectively. When the concentrations of LGSP were less than 0.1%, there was no significant difference between LGSP-treated samples and control sample for sensory evaluation. CONCLUSION: Thus, LGSP is effective in reducing the level of acrylamide and maintaining the reasonable sensory attributes of potato fried foods. The results indicate that LGSP may be used as a potential additive for reducing acrylamide formation in fried foods. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry.

Soil fungal assemblage complexity is dependent on soil fertility and dominated by deterministic processes.

In the processes controlling ecosystem fertility, fungi are increasingly acknowledged as key drivers. However, our understanding of the rules behind fungal community assembly regarding the effect of soil fertility level remains limited. Using soil samples from typical tea plantations spanning c. 2167 km north-east to south-west across China, we investigated the assemblage complexity and assembly processes of 140 fungal communities along a soil fertility gradient. The community dissimilarities of total fungi and fungal functional guilds increased with increasing soil fertility index dissimilarity. The symbiotrophs were more sensitive to variations in soil fertility compared with pathotrophs and saprotrophs. Fungal networks were larger and showed higher connectivity as well as greater potential for inter-module connection in more fertile soils. Environmental factors had a slightly greater influence on fungal community composition than spatial factors. Species abundance fitted the Zipf-Mandelbrot distribution (niche-based mechanisms), which provided evidence for deterministic-based processes. Overall, the soil fungal communities in tea plantations responded in a deterministic manner to soil fertility, with high fertility correlated with complex fungal community assemblages. This study provides new insights that might contribute to predictions of fungal community complexity.

Hydrolysis and photolysis of bentazone in aqueous abiotic solutions and identification of its degradation products using quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry.

Hydrolysis and photolysis of bentazone in abiotic aqueous solutions were examined under laboratory conditions. Hydrolysis was studied in different buffer solutions (pH 4.0 ± 0.1, 7.0 ± 0.1, and 9.0 ± 0.1), at different temperatures (15 °C ± 2 °C, 25 °C ± 2 °C, 35 °C ± 2 °C, and 45 °C ± 2 °C), and at different Fe3+ concentrations (1, 5, and 10 mg/L). Photolysis was assessed in different buffer solutions and at different solvent (methanol and ethyl acetate) concentrations (10%, 20%, and 30%) or Fe3+ (1, 5, and 10 mg/L) concentrations and under mercury or xenon light irradiation. Hydrolysis half-lives ranged 46-99 days at three different conditions. Photolysis half-lives ranged 2.3-7.5 h in three different conditions under mercury and xenon irradiation. Hydrolysis and photolysis of bentazone were accelerated by both alkaline conditions and elevated temperatures, and solvents and Fe3+ strongly enhanced bentazone degradation. Photodecomposition was much faster under a mercury lamp than under a xenon lamp. N-methyl bentazone and 6-OH bentazone/8-OH bentazone were identified as degradation products using UPLC-Q-TOF-MS. The data generated from this study could be useful for risk assessment of pesticides in the environment.

Enhanced disappearance of mesotrione and fomesafen by water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) in water.

This study aimed to investigate the potential use of water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) in removing two herbicides (mesotrione and fomesafen) with long degradation cycles in water. The relative growth rate (RGR) of water hyacinth in the presence of 100-mg/L mesotrione and fomesafen was significantly lower than that in their absence, particularly with fomesafen. Moreover, the RGRFW and RGRDW with treatment with fomesafen were 1.47- and 1.58-fold lower than those with treatment with mesotrione, respectively. The disappearance rate constants of mesotrione and fomesafen in natural water were, respectively, 0.1148 and 0.0276 d-1 with plants and 0.0038 and 0.0005 d-1 without plants. The disappearance rate constants with and without plants were significantly different, indicating that uptake by plants combined with degradation by plant-associated bacteria account for 96.7% and 98.2% of the removal of mesotrione and fomesafen, respectively. The bioconcentration factor for mesotrione and fomesafen in living water hyacinth plants ranged 0.38-16.97 and 1.05-3.50 L/kg, respectively, whereas the residues of mesotrione and fomesafen in water decreased by 70-92 and 22-34%, respectively, after the plants were grown for 14 d in culture solution with 100-mg/L mesotrione and fomesafen. These results show that uptake by plants combined with degradation by plant-associated bacteria may be the dominant process in the removal of mesotrione and fomesafen from water by plants. Water hyacinth may be applied as an efficient, economical, and ecological alternative to accelerate the removal and degradation of agro-industrial waste water polluted with mesotrione and fomesafen.

Determinations of dinotefuran and metabolite levels before and after household coffee processing in coffee beans using solid-phase extraction coupled with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

BACKGROUND: Coffee is one of the most popular beverages in the world. However, as daily consumables, coffee beans may contain pesticide residues that are capable of causing adverse health effects. Thus, we investigated residue dynamics in coffee beans using supervised field trials under Good Agricultural Practice conditions and determined the effects of household coffee processing on the coffee-bean pesticide residues dinotefuran and its metabolites 1-methyl-3-(tetrahydro-3-furylmethyl) urea (UF) and 1-methyl-3-(tetrahydro-3-furylmethyl) guanidine (DN). RESULTS: The recovery rate of dinotefuran and its metabolites UF and DN was in the range 73.5%-106.3%, with a relative SD < 10%. The limits of detection and limits of quantification for dinotefuran, UF and DN were all 0.003 and 0.01 mg kg-1 , respectively. Dissipation experiments were conducted over 2015 and 2016 and showed a mean half-life of 40.8 days. Coffee processing procedures were performed as described for traditional household coffee processing in Ethiopia. Dinotefuran contents were reduced by 44.4%-86.7% with washing of coffee beans and the roasting process reduced these contents by 62.2%-100%. DN residues were not detected in roasted coffee beans before day 21 or in brewed coffee before day 35 and UF residues were not detected in brewed coffee before day 35. Kruskal-Wallis analyses indicated large variations in the stability of pesticide residues between processing methods (P ≤ 0.05). Reductions of pesticide concentrations with washing were also significantly lower than those following roasting (P = 0.0001) and brewing processes (P = 0.002). Moreover, processing factors were less than one for all processing stages, indicating reductions of pesticides contents for all processing stages. CONCLUSION: The cumulative effects of the three processing methods are of paramount importance with respect to an evaluation of the risks associated with the ingestion of pesticide residues, particularly those in coffee beans. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.

Simultaneous determination of neonicotinoid insecticides and insect growth regulators residues in honey using LC-MS/MS with anion exchanger-disposable pipette extraction.

In this study, we developed an anion exchanger-disposable pipette extraction (DPX) method to detect the residual concentrations of eight neonicotinoid insecticides (dinotefuran, acetamiprid, clothianidin, thiacloprid, imidachloprid, imidaclothiz, nitenpyram, and thiamethoxam) and eight insect growth regulators (IGRs; triflumuron, cyromazine, buprofezin, methoxyfenozide, tebufenozide, chromafenozide, fenoxycarb, and RH 5849) in Chinese honey samples collected from different floral sources and different geographical regions using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). QAE Sephadex A-25 was used as the anion exchanger in the DPX column for the purification and cleanup of honey samples. Analytes were eluted with a mixture of acetonitrile and 0.1 M HCl, and the elution was subjected to LC analysis. This method was thoroughly validated for its reproducibility, linearity, trueness, and recovery. Satisfactory recovery of pesticides was obtained ranging from 72% to 111% with intraday RSDs (n = 5) of 1%-10%. High linearity (R2 ≥ 0.9987) was observed for all 16 pesticides. Limits of detection and quantification for all 16 compounds ranged from 0.3 to 3 µg/kg and from 1 to 10 µg/kg, respectively. Pesticide residues (9-113 µg/kg) were found in Chinese honey samples. The anion exchanger-DPX method was effective for removing sugars and retaining target analytes. Moreover, this method was highly reliable and sensitive for detecting neonicotinoids and IGRs in different floral sources of honey and will be applicable to matrixes with high sugar content.

Determination of propineb and its metabolites propylenethiourea and propylenediamine in banana and soil using gas chromatography with flame photometric detection and LC-MS/MS analysis.

A sensitive and specific method for the determination of propineb and its metabolites, propylenethiourea (PTU) and propylenediamine (PDA), using gas chromatography with flame photometric detection (GC-FPD) and LC-MS/MS was developed and validated. Propineb and its metabolite residue dynamics in supervised field trials under Good Agricultural Practice (GAP) conditions in banana and soil were studied. Recovery of propineb (as CS2), PDA and PTU ranged from 75.3 to 115.4% with RSD (n = 5) of 1.3-11.1%. The limit of quantification (LOQ) of CS2, PDA and PTU ranged from 0.005 to 0.01 mg kg-1, and the limit of detection (LOD) ranged from 0.0015 to 0.0033 mg kg-1. Dissipation experiments showed that the half-life of propineb in banana and soil ranged from 4.4 to 13.3 days. PTU was found in banana with a half-life of 31.5-69.3 days, while levels of PDA were less than 0.01 mg kg-1 in banana and soil. It has been suggested that PTU is the major metabolite of propineb in banana. The method was demonstrated to be reliable and sensitive for the routine monitoring of propineb and its metabolites in banana and soil. It also serves as a reference for the detection and monitoring of dithiocarbamates (DTCs) residues and the evaluation of their metabolic pathway.

Interactions between salicylic acid and antioxidant enzymes tilting the balance of H2O2 from photorespiration in non-target crops under halosulfuron-methyl stress.

Halosulfuron-methyl (HSM) is a safe, selective and effective sulfonylurea herbicide (SU) for the control of sedge and broadleaf weeds in sugarcane, corn, tomato, and other crops. The primary site of action is acetolactate synthase (ALS), a key enzyme of branched chain amino acids (BCAAs) synthesis. In addition to ALS inhibition, BCAAs deficiencies and oxidative damage may be involved in toxic effects of SUs. However, secondary targets of HSM relevant to plant physiological responses are unclear. In the present study, comparative growth inhibition and peroxidization injury between sensitive and tolerance crops were observed at biochemical and physiological levels suggesting involvement of H2O2, ethylene, salicylic acid (SA) in the oxidative stress responses to HSM. HSM caused accumulation of H2O2, stimulated photorespiration and consequent accumulation of SA that worsened the peroxidization injury to the sensitive C3 plant soybean (Glycine max). The growth inhibition at low concentrations of HSM could be lessened by supplementary BCAAs, reactive oxygen species scavengers or ethylene inducers, whereas the oxidation damage at high concentrations of HSM could not be reversed and ultimately lead to plant death. H2O2 at a low level stimulated the antioxidase system including glutathione S-transferase activities in the HSM-tolerant C4 maize (Zea mays), which contributes to HSM tolerance. H2O2 plays an important role on HSM stress responses in both HSM-sensitive and HSM-tolerant soybean and maize.

A novel therapy for ovarian cancer using real­time imaging.

The present study was designed to develop an activable, dual­targeted theranostic platform combining fluorescent and cytotoxic templates to provide a novel strategy for specific drug delivery and cellular imaging in ovarian cancer cells. Two compounds of a folic acid­prodrug­doxorubicin (Dox) scaffold were synthesized, and their antiproliferative activities were evaluated using 3­(4,5­dimethylthiazol­2­yl)­2,5­diphenyltetrazolium bromide and flow cytometric analysis. The process of drug release was investigated using fluorescence emission spectra assay and confocal laser scanning microscopy. The results showed that the synthesized compounds exhibited potent antitumor activities against ovarian cell lines. Among them, compound 1e exhibited the most potent activity demonstrating half maximal inhibitory concentration values of 0.85±0.10, 8.64±0.37 and 0.81±0.03 µM against A2780, A2780/Dox and A2780/cisplatin cell lines. The fluorescence imaging of live cell lines also provided an easy and reliable method to monitor site­specific drug activities through turn­on systems induced by drug release. The results of the present study may assist in the treatment of ovarian cancer cells with strengthened efficiency and real­time imaging, which may be used as a multifunctional system for the optimization of anticancer drugs.

Development and evaluation of topotecan loaded solid lipid nanoparticles: A study in cervical cancer cell lines.

The study aims at statistical development of solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) loaded with topotecan hydrochloride for avoiding the drawbacks of conventional drug therapies used in cervical cancer. Twenty SLN batches were prepared using organic solvent evaporation method to provide response surface curves. Thereafter, optimized SLNs were obtained using numeric method based on desirability functions providing maximum drug loading and appropriate particle size. Physical characterization of optimized TPH loaded SLNs was performed in terms of particle size, zeta potential, transmission and scanning electron microscopic evaluation. Cytotoxicity studies were performed against cervical cancer cell lines, including cervical squamous cell carcinoma cell line (HeLa) and human squamous cell carcinoma cell line (SiHa). Also, Swiss mouse embryo fibroblast cells (3T3-L1) and African green monkey kidney epithelial (Vero) cells were used to evaluate biocompatibility in normal cells. As pronounced from the results, optimized SLNs may provide an attractive alternative to conventional cervical cancer drug products.

Menopause is associated with articular cartilage degeneration: a clinical study of knee joint in 860 women.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between menopause and severity of knee joint cartilage degeneration using a magnetic resonance imaging-based six-level grading system, with six cartilage surfaces, the medial and lateral femoral condyle, the femoral trochlea, the medial and lateral tibia plateau, and the patella. METHODS: The study cohort comprised 860 healthy women (age 36-83 y), and 5,160 cartilage surfaces were analyzed. Age, weight, height, age at natural menopause, and years since menopause (YSM) were obtained. Cartilage degeneration was assessed using a magnetic resonance imaging-based six-level grading system. RESULTS: After removing the age, height, and weight effects, postmenopausal women had more severe cartilage degeneration than pre- and perimenopausal women (P < 0.001). A positive trend was observed between YSM and severity of cartilage degeneration (P < 0.05). Postmenopausal women were divided into seven subgroups by every five YSM. When YSM was less than 25 years, the analysis of covariance indicated a significant difference in medial tibia plateau, medial femoral condyle, trochlea, patella, and total surfaces (P < 0.05 or 0.01) between every two groups. When YSM was more than 25 years, the significant difference, however, disappeared in these four surfaces (P > 0.05). No significant difference was observed in lateral tibia plateau and lateral femoral condyle in postmenopausal women. CONCLUSIONS: Menopause is associated with cartilage degeneration of knee joint. After menopause, cartilage showed progressive severe degeneration that occurred in the first 25 YSM, suggesting estrogen deficiency might be a risk factor of cartilage degeneration of the knee joint. Further studies are needed to investigate whether age or menopause plays a more important role in the progression of cartilage degeneration in the knee joint.

Genetic polymorphisms in MMP 2, 3, 7, and 9 genes and the susceptibility and clinical outcome of cervical cancer in a Chinese Han population.

Matrix metalloproteases (MMPs) are proteolytic enzymes that contribute to all stages of tumor progression, including the invasion and metastasis. However, there are no data about the role of MMP polymorphism in the development of cervical cancer. A hospital-based case-control study was conducted in 230 patients with cervical cancer and 230 healthy controls to investigate the possible association between the MMP2 rs243865, MMP3 rs3025058, MMP7 rs11568818, and MMP9 rs3918242 polymorphisms, respectively, and the risk of cervical cancer. Our results suggested that the MMP2 rs243865-1306 C/T was significantly associated with an increased risk of cervical cancer (CT vs. CC, OR = 1.46; 95 % CI 1.18-3.55; P = 0.032; TT vs. CC, OR = 1.72; 95 % CI 1.28-4.02; P = 0.031; CT + TT vs. CC, OR = 1.43; 95 % CI 1.21-3.44; P = 0.029). Similarly, the MMP7 rs11568818-181A/G genotypes can also elevate the risk of cervical cancer in all genetic models. However, the genotype and allele frequencies of MMP3 rs3025058 and MMP9 rs3918242 polymorphisms in cervical cancer patients were not significantly different from controls. Further analysis showed MMP2 rs243865 and MMP7 rs11568818 genotypes were associated with advanced tumor stages of cervical cancer patients. More interestingly, the MMP2 rs243865 and MMP7 rs11568818 genotype was statistically significantly associated with a poor survival in cervical cancer patients. Our results showed that the MMP2 rs243865 and MMP7 rs11568818 genotypes e were associated with increased susceptibility and development of cervical cancer in Chinese Han population.

Analysis of the Oxidative Stress Status in Nonspecific Vaginitis and Its Role in Vaginal Epithelial Cells Apoptosis.

Nonspecific vaginitis (NSV), also named bacterial vaginosis, is one of the most common genital system diseases in women during their reproductive years. The specific pathogenic mechanism of NSV is not clear yet. Upon the balance alteration, large amount of reactive oxidant species (ROS) is generated and accumulated in the genital tract, and thus resulting in oxidative stress, which has been reported to be an important trigger of mitochondrial pathway cell apoptosis. In this study, the antioxidant secretion level and antioxidant enzyme activity in the vaginal discharge were evaluated to analyze the oxidative status in the vaginal tract of NSV patients. The effect of oxidative stress on the vaginal mucosa epithelial cell apoptosis was then studied. The role of oxidative stress on NSV development was uncovered; thus open new direction for the prevention and treatment of NSV by providing antiradical agents was revealed.

Viscosities of the ternary solution dimethyl sulfoxide/water/sodium chloride at subzero temperatures and their application in cryopreservation.

Vitrification is considered as the most promising method for long-term storage of tissues and organs. An effective way to reduce the accompanied cryoprotectant (CPA) toxicity, during CPA addition/removal, is to operate at low temperatures. The permeation process of CPA into/out of biomaterials is affected by the viscosity of CPA solution, especially at low temperatures. The objective of the present study is to measure the viscosity of the ternary solution, dimethyl sulfoxide (Me2SO)/water/sodium chloride (NaCl), at low temperatures and in a wide range of concentrations. A rotary viscometer coupled with a low temperature thermostat bath was used. The measurement was carried out at temperatures from -10 to -50°C. The highest mass fraction of Me2SO was 75% (w/w) and the lowest mass fraction of Me2SO was the value that kept the solution unfrozen at the measurement temperature. The concentration of NaCl was kept as a constant [0.85% (w/w), the normal salt content of extracellular fluids]. The Williams-Landel-Ferry (WLF) model was employed to fit the obtained viscosity data. As an example, the effect of solution viscosity on modeling the permeation of Me2SO into articular cartilage was qualitatively analyzed.

[Expression of hypoxia-inducible factor 1 alpha and vascular endothelial growth factor in prostate cancer and its significance].

OBJECTIVE: To study the expression of hypoxia-inducible factor 1 alpha (HIF-1 alpha) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in prostate cancer (PCa) and its biological significance. METHODS: Specimens from 75 patients with PCa (32 cases), benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH, 16 cases), high-grade prostate intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN, 15 cases) and normal prostate (NP, 12 cases) were comprised in the study. The PCa was divided into high Gleason score group (Gleason score > or = 7) and low Gleason score group (Gleason score < 7). Immunohistochemistry was performed with antibodies against HIF-1 alpha, VEGF and CD34. Microvessel density (MVD) was analyzed by staining with antibodies to CD34. RESULTS: The positive rates of HIF-1alpha were significantly higher in PCa (62.5%) and PIN (60.0%) than those in BPH (6.3%) and NP(0) (P < 0.05), respectively. The positive rates of VEGF were significantly higher in PCa (78.1%) and PIN (73.3%) than those in BPH (18.7%) and NP (8.3%) (P < 0.05), respectively. A higher concentration of MVD was observed in PCa (66.9 +/- 18.0) compared with those in BPH (28.3 +/- 6.9) and NP (15.3 +/- 2.9) (P < 0.05). MVD and the positive rates of HIF-1alpha and VEGF were significantly higher in high Gleason score group than those in low Gleason score group. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that the overexpression of HIF-1alpha and VEGF are closely related to PCa, and the son score group. up-regulation of HIF-1alpha and VEGF are early events in PCa.