Ginsenoside Rg1 promotes endothelial progenitor cell migration and proliferation.

AIM: To investigate the effect of ginsenoside Rg1 on the migration, adhesion, proliferation, and VEGF expression of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs). METHODS: EPCs were isolated from human peripheral blood and incubated with different concentrations of ginsenoside Rg1 (0.1, 0.5, 1.0, and 5.0 micromol/L) and vehicle controls. EPC migration was detected with a modified Boyden chamber assay. EPC adhesion was determined by counting adherent cells on fibronectin-coated culture dishes. EPC proliferation was analyzed with the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. In vitro vasculogenesis was assayed using an in vitro vasculogenesis detection kit. A VEGF-ELISA kit was used to measure the amount of VEGF protein in the cell culture medium. RESULTS: Ginsenoside Rg1 promoted EPC adhesion, proliferation, migration and in vitro vasculogenesis in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Cell cycle analysis showed that 5.0 micromol/L of ginsenoside Rg1 significantly increased the EPC proliferative phase (S phase) and decreased the resting phase (G(0)/G(1) phase). Ginsenoside Rg1 increased vascular endothelial growth factor production. CONCLUSION: The results indicate that ginsenoside Rg1 promotes proliferation, migration, adhesion and in vitro vasculogenesis.

[Expression of Ki-67 and Bcl-2 in adults and children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia and its clinical significance].

To evaluate the expressions of proliferative antigen Ki-67 and apoptosis-antagonizing protein Bcl-2 as well as their clinical significance, immunohistochemistry staining with SAP was used to detect Ki-67 antigen and Bcl-2 protein in 18 cases of children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and 43 cases of adults with ALL. The results showed that the levels of Ki-67 and Bcl-2 expression in children with ALL were lower than that in adults, but only Bcl-2 expression had significant difference. Both in children and in adults, the levels of Ki-67 expression in T-ALL and My(+) ALL were higher than that in B-ALL and null-ALL. The highest complete remission rate (CR) was seen in the group with lower expression of both indexes (Ki-67 and Bcl-2). The lowest CR rate was seen in the group with higher expression of both indexes. It is concluded that the levels of Ki-67 and Bcl-2 expression in children and adults with ALL were closely related with the subtype of ALL and chemotherapeutic effects.

[Progress on the research of microRNA and its functions in lymphoid malignancies--review].

Plant and animal genomes contain an abundance of small genes that produce RNAs of about 22 nucleotides in length, which was dubbed as microRNA (miRNA). These newly found endogenous RNAs may participate in a wide range of genetic regulatory pathways and play an important role in the organism development. This paper reviewed the recent studies and progress on the characteristics, functions and mechanisms of the microRNAs, as well as the advances of research on lymphoid malignancies.

[Expressions of ki-67 and bcl-2 in 29 cases of chronic lymphocytic leukemia and their clinical significance].

To investigate the expressions of proliferative antigen Ki-67 and apoptosis-antagonizing protein Bcl-2 in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and their clinical significance, immunohistochemistry method was used for detection of Ki-67 and Bcl-2 in bone marrow or peripheral blood of 29 patients with CLL. The results showed that the level of Ki-67 expression in advanced stage of CLL was higher than that in early stage of CLL and there was significant difference between these stages of CLL, but there was no significant difference between expression levels of Bcl-2 in two stages. The survival time in the group with Ki-67 expression < or = 8% was longer than that in the group of Ki-67 > 8%, and there was no significant difference of survival time between high and low groups in terms of Bcl-2 expression. It is concluded that detection of Ki-67 antigen and Bcl-2 protein for CLL patients can reflect the status of proliferation activity and apoptosis suppression of leukemia cells in patients; the level of Ki-67 expression closely correlate with the Binet stage and prognosis of CLL.

[Expression of miR-28 in B cell lymphoma cell lines detected by solution hybridization].

microRNA (miRNA) is evolutionarily conserved, non-coding small RNA (19-25 nt) involved in post-transcriptional gene regulation. To further understand the biogenesis and functions of miRNA, and to quantify miRNA expression levels, the expression of miR-28 in B lymphoma cell lines was detected by solution hybridization and Northern blot, and their detected results were compared. The results indicated that detection of miR-28 by solution hybridization and Northern blot showed positive, but total RNA amount used for solution hybridization detection was significantly lower than that for Northern blot detection (5 microg vs 30 microg), signal of solution hybridization was stronger than that of Northern blot. It is concluded that the solution hybridization for detection of miR-28 in B cell lymphoma cell lines is a faster and more sensitive method as compared with standard Northern blot technique.

[Value of metoprolol injection at dobutamine-atropine stress echocardiography for detection of coronary artery disease].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the value of metoprolol injection at dobutamine-atropine stress echocardiography (DASE) for detection of coronary artery disease (CAD). METHODS: DASE was performed in 72 patients with suspected CAD. All the patients received rapid metoprolol injection immediately after getting peak heart rate at DASE (DASE-Meto) and were subjected to coronary angiography (CAG) within two weeks. Regional wall motion and haemodynamic parameters at peak heart rate during DASE and after metoprolol injection were analyzed, and DASE and DASE-Meto results were compared with CAG. RESULTS: There were 35 patients with CAG positive and 37 negative. The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy and positive and negative predictive values of DASE for detecting CAD were 65.7%, 86.5%, 76.4%, 82.1% and 84.6%, respectively. There were 10 patients with positive result at CAG undetected by DASE but observed regional wall motion abnormality (RWMA) after metoprolol injection. So the sensitivity, specificity, accuracy and positive and negative predictive values of DASE-Meto for detecting CAD were 94.3%, 83.8%, 88.9%, 72.7%, 93.9%, respectively. After metoprolol injection, the symptoms caused by the medicine used in detection were alleviated soon and recovery time was shortened. CONCLUSION: The use of metoprolol at DASE can improve the accuracy and security of CAD detection.