Combination therapy of hTERTR and FAM96A for hepatocellular carcinoma through enhancing apoptosis sensitivity.

Avoidance of apoptosis induced by anticancer drugs is an essential factor of carcinogenesis and a hallmark of resistance to cancer therapy. Human telomerase reverse transcriptase receptor (hTERTR) is a potential anti-cancer agent for inhibiting tumor growth. Family with sequence similarity 96 member A (FAM96A) is a ubiquitous, conserved protein and possesses apoptosome-activating and pro-apoptotic tumor suppressor potential in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In the present study, hTERTR and FAM96A were identified as efficient anti-cancer agents for activating apoptosomes and reducing tumor growth. The potential tumor suppressor function of combination treatment with hTERTR and FAM96A in HCC was also investigated. hTERTR and FAM96A proteins were expressed by genetic engineering and their anti-cancer function was explored in vitro and in vivo. Effects of hTERTR and FAM96A on improvement of apoptotic sensitivity and inhibition of migration and invasion were examined in cancer cells and in a mouse model. The present results demonstrated that the therapeutic effects of hTERTR and FAM96A were effective for inhibiting tumor growth and inducing apoptosis of HCC cells in H22-bearing nude mice compared with single agent treatment. hTERTR and FAM96A were found to bind with apoptotic protease activating factor 1 and human telomerase reverse transcriptase, which enhanced the apoptosis of tumor cells and apoptosis sensitivity. In addition, hTERTR and FAM96A therapy enhanced cytotoxic effects by cytotoxic T lymphocyte responses, interferon-γ release, T lymphocytes infiltration and apoptosis on tumor cells. Furthermore, hTERTR and FAM96A protein inhibited tumor growth in HCC mice. In conclusion, the present findings suggested that combination therapy with hTERTR and FAM96A may serve as novel tumor suppressor agents.

[Characteristics and contribution of the strengthening units of composite constructed wetland for treating urban sewage].

There are some defects in constructed wetland, including the uneven distribution of flow, easily blocked, lack of oxygen supply systems and the unsatisfactory phosphorus adsorption capacity of the substrates, etc. The research mainly studied the function and contribution of the pool of hydrolysis acidification, the natural reoxygenation/sinking device and strengthen slot for reducing nitrogen and phosphorus. The results showed the removal efficiency of COD and SS in hydrolysis-acidification pool accounted for 38.05% and 34.82% of the total removal efficiency of system. The SS removal efficiency of the natural reoxygenation/sinking device accounted for 22.01% of the total removal efficiency of system, and the concentration of DO kept above 2.5 mg.L-1. The two strengthen slots can ensure the TP, TN, COD up to the standard of the level 1 of GB 18918-2002.

[Response of water quality to agricultural cultivation in Liangwanghe River catchment of Fuxianhu Lake region].

Response of water quality to agricultural cultivation was investigated for the Liangwanghe River catchment of Fuxianhu Lake region in Yunnan Province of China. Two typical tillage lands-the rice-wheat rotation (R-W) and the tobacco-pea (T-P) rotation were selected and monitored. Groundwater quality and water quality of Liangwanghe River were monitored simultaneously, as well as the farmland cultivation situation at that time. It was found that cultivation activities, such as transplanting, base fertilizer applying, top dressing, draining would cause apparent elevation of concentrations of TP, PO4(3-)-P, TN, NO3(-)-N and NH4(+)-N of groundwater in a short time period. Nutrients adsorption by crops during different bearing periods has an obvious relationship to the change of contents of TP, PO4(3-)-P, TN, NO3(-)-N, and NH4(+)-N in groundwater in a long time scale. When the crops are in a peak demand for nutrients, contents of nutrients in groundwater were found to reduce obviously, and contents of nutrients may rise for other crop conditions. Contents of TP and PO4(3-)-P of Liangwanghe River for full cultivation periods were found to be 5.8% and 21.7% lower than those for partial cultivation periods, while contents of TN, NH4(+)-N and NO3(-)-N for full cultivation periods were found to be 11.5%, 242.6% and 9.55% higher than those for partial cultivation periods.