Ferrovalley and Quantum Anomalous Hall Effect in Janus TiTeCl Monolayer.

Ferrovalley materials are garnering significant interest for their potential roles in advancing information processing and enhancing data storage capabilities. This study utilizes first-principles calculations to determine that the Janus monolayer TiTeCl exhibits the properties of a ferrovalley semiconductor. This material demonstrates valley polarization with a notable valley splitting of 80 meV. Additionally, the Berry curvature has been computed across the first Brillouin zone of the monolayer TiTeCl. The research also highlights that topological phase transitions ranging from ferrovalley and half-valley metals to quantum anomalous Hall effect states can occur in monolayer TiTeCl under compressive strains ranging from -1% to 0%. Throughout these strain changes, monolayer TiTeCl maintains its ferromagnetic coupling. These characteristics make monolayer TiTeCl a promising candidate for the development of new valleytronic and topological devices.

LINC00887 Acts as an Enhancer RNA to Promote Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma Progression by Binding with FOXQ1.

BACKGROUND: Medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) is a rare but aggressive endocrine malignancy that originates from the parafollicular C cells of the thyroid gland. Enhancer RNAs (eRNAs) are non-coding RNAs transcribed from enhancer regions, which are critical regulators of tumorigenesis. However, the roles and regulatory mechanisms of eRNAs in MTC remain poorly understood. This study aims to identify key eRNAs regulating the malignant phenotype of MTC and to uncover transcription factors involved in the regulation of key eRNAs. METHODS: GSE32662 and GSE114068 were used for the identification of differentially expressed genes, eRNAs, enhancers and enhancer-regulated genes in MTC. Metascape and the transcription factor affinity prediction method were used for gene function enrichment and transcription factor prediction, respectively. qRT-PCR was used to detect gene transcription levels. ChIP-qPCR was used to assess the binding of histone H3 lysine 27 acetylation (H3K27ac)-enriched regions to anti- H3K27ac. RIP-qPCR was used to detect the binding between FOXQ1 and LINC00887. CCK8 and Transwell were performed to measure the proliferation and invasion of MTC cells, respectively. Intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels were quantified using a ROS assay kit. RESULTS: Four eRNAs (H1FX-AS1, LINC00887, MCM3AP-AS1 and A1BG-AS1) were screened, among which LINC00887 was the key eRNA promoting the proliferation and invasion of MTC cells. A total of 135 genes controlled by LINC00887-regulated enhancers were identified; among them, BCL2, PRDX1, SFTPD, TPO, GSS, RAD52, ZNF580, and ZFP36L1 were significantly enriched in the "ROS metabolic process" term. As a transcription factor regulating genes enriched in the "ROS metabolic process" term, FOXQ1 could recruit LINC00887. Overexpression of FOXQ1 restored LINC00887 knockdown-induced downregulation of GSS and ZFP36L1 transcription in MTC cells. Additionally, FOXQ1 overexpression counteracted the inhibitory effects of LINC00887 knockdown on the proliferation and invasion of MTC cells and the promotion of intracellular ROS accumulation induced by LINC00887 knockdown. CONCLUSION: LINC00887 was identified as a key eRNA promoting the malignant phenotype of MTC cells. The involvement of FOXQ1 was essential for LINC00887 to play a pro-tumorigenic role in MTC. Our findings suggest that the FOXQ1/LINC00887 axis is a potential therapeutic target for MTC.

Influence of electronic correlation on the valley and topological properties of VSiGeP4 monolayer.

Valley is used as a new degree of freedom for information encoding and storage. In this work, the valley and topological properties of the VSiGeP4 monolayer were studied by adjusting the U value based on first-principles calculations. The VSiGeP4 monolayer remains in a ferromagnetic ground state regardless of the change in the U value. The magnetic anisotropy of the VSiGeP4 monolayer is initially in-plane, and then turns out-of-plane with the increase in the U value. Moreover, a topological phase transition is observed in the present VSiGeP4 monolayer with the increase in U value from 0 to 3 eV, i.e., the VSiGeP4 monolayer behaves as a bipolar magnetic semiconductor, a ferrovalley semiconductor, a half-valley metal characteristic, and a quantum anomalous Hall state. The mechanism of the topological phase transition behavior of the VSiGeP4 monolayer was analyzed. It was found that the variation in U values would change the strength of the electronic correlation effect, resulting in the valley and topological properties. In addition, carrier doping was studied to design a valleytronic device using this VSiGeP4 monolayer. By doping 0.05 electrons per f.u., the VSiGeP4 monolayer with a U value of 3 eV exhibits 100% spin polarization. This study indicates that the VSiGeP4 monolayer has potential applications in spintronic, valleytronic, and topological electronic nanodevices.

Antitumor Activity of Berberine by Activating Autophagy and Apoptosis in CAL-62 and BHT-101 Anaplastic Thyroid Carcinoma Cell Lines.

Introduction: Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC) is the most lethal thyroid carcinoma. Doxorubicin (DOX) is the only drug approved for anaplastic thyroid cancer treatment, but its clinical use is restricted due to irreversible tissue toxicity. Berberine (BER), an isoquinoline alkaloid extracted from Coptidis Rhizoma, has been proposed to have antitumor activity in many cancers. However, the underlying mechanisms by which BER regulates apoptosis and autophagy in ATC remain unclear. Thus, the present study aimed to assess the therapeutic effect of BER in human ATC cell lines CAL-62 and BHT-101 as well as the underlying mechanisms. In addition, we assessed the antitumor effects of a combination of BER and DOX in ATC cells. Methods: The cell viability of CAL-62 and BTH-101 with treatment of BER for different hours was measured by CCK-8 assay, and cell apoptosis was assessed by clone formation assay and flow cytometric analysis. The protein levels of apoptosis protein, autophagy-related proteins and PI3K/AKT/mTORpathway were determined Using Western blot. Autophagy in cells was observed with GFP-LC3 plasmid using confocal fluorescent microscopy. Flow cytometry was used to detect intracellular ROS. Results: The present results showed that BER significantly inhibited cell growth and induced apoptosis in ATC cells. BER treatment also significantly upregulated the expression of LC3B-II and increased the number of GFP-LC3 puncta in ATC cells. Inhibition of autophagy by 3-methyladenine (3-MA) suppressed BER-induced autophagic cell death. Moreover, BER induced the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Mechanistically, we demonstrated that BER regulated the autophagy and apoptosis of human ATC cells through the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathways. Furthermore, BER and DOX cooperated to promote apoptosis and autophagy in ATC cells. Conclusion: Taken together, the present findings indicated that BER induces apoptosis and autophagic cell death by activating ROS and regulating the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway.

Coexisting Ferroelectric and Ferrovalley Polarizations in Bilayer Stacked Magnetic Semiconductors.

It has long been expected that the coexistence of ferroelectric and ferrovalley polarizations in one magnetic semiconductor could offer the possibility to revolutionize electronic devices. In this study, monolayer and bilayer YI2 are studied. Monolayer YI2 is a ferromagnetic semiconductor and exhibits a valley polarization up to 105 meV. All of the present bilayer YI2 regardless of stacking orders show antiferromagnetic states. Interestingly, the bilayer YI2 with 3R-type stackings shows not only valley polarization but also unexpected ferroelectric polarization, proving the concurrent ferrovalley and multiferroics behaviors. Moreover, the valley polarization of 3R-type bilayer YI2 can be reversed by controlling the direction of ferroelectric polarization through an electric field or manipulating the magnetization direction using an external magnetic field. The amazing phenomenon is also demonstrated in 2D van der Waals LaI2 and GdBr2 bilayers. A design idea of multifunctional devices is proposed based on the concurrent ferrovalley and multiferroics characteristics.

Recent Progress for Single-Molecule Magnets Based on Rare Earth Elements.

Single-molecule magnets (SMMs) have attracted much attention due to their potential applications in molecular spintronic devices. Rare earth SMMs are considered to be the most promising for application owing to their large magnetic moment and strong magnetic anisotropy. In this review, the recent progress in rare earth SMMs represented by mononuclear and dinuclear complexes is highlighted, especially for the modulation of magnetic anisotropy, effective energy barrier (Ueff) and blocking temperature (TB). The terbium- and dysprosium-based SMMs have a Ueff of 1541 cm-1 and an increased TB of 80 K. They break the boiling point temperature of liquid nitrogen. The development of the preparation technology of rare earth element SMMs is also summarized in an overview. This review has important implications and insights for the design and research of Ln-SMMs.

Distinct ferrovalley characteristics of the Janus RuClX (X = F, Br) monolayer.

Two-dimensional ferrovalley materials should simultaneously possess three characteristics, that is, a Curie temperature beyond atmospheric temperature, perpendicular magnetic anisotropy, and large valley polarization for potential commercial applications. In this report, we predict two ferrovalley Janus RuClX (X = F, Br) monolayers by first-principles calculations and Monte Carlo simulations. The RuClF monolayer exhibited a valley-splitting energy as large as 194 meV, perpendicular magnetic anisotropy energy of 187 µeV per f.u., and Curie temperature of 320 K. Thus, spontaneous valley polarization at room temperature will be present in the RuClF monolayer, which is nonvolatile for spintronic and valleytronic devices. Although the valley-splitting energy of the RuClBr monolayer was as high as 226 meV with magnetic anisotropy energy of 1.852 meV per f.u., the magnetic anisotropy of the RuClBr monolayer was in-plane, and its Curie temperature was only 179 K. The orbital-resolved magnetic anisotropy energy revealed that the interaction between the occupied spin-up states of dyz and the unoccupied spin-down states of dz2 dominated the out-of-plane magnetic anisotropy in the RuClF monolayer, but the in-plane magnetic anisotropy of the RuClBr monolayer was mostly contributed by the coupling of the dxy and dx2-y2 orbitals. Interestingly, the valley polarizations in the Janus RuClF and RuClBr monolayers appeared in their valence band and conduction band, respectively. Thus, two anomalous valley Hall devices are proposed using the present Janus RuClF and RuClBr monolayers with hole and electron doping, respectively. This study provides interesting and alternative candidate materials for the development of valleytronic devices.

Therapeutic effects of atorvastatin on doxorubicin-induced hepatotoxicity in rats via antioxidative damage, anti-inflammatory, and anti-lipotoxicity.

Doxorubicin (DOX), is a high efficiency anthracycline antitumor drug. However, the clinical application of DOX is limited mainly by dose-related adverse drug reactions. Currently, the therapeutic effects of Atorvastatin (ATO) on DOX-induced hepatotoxicity were studied in vivo. The results indicated that DOX impaired hepatic function, as measured by an increased levels of liver weight index and serum concentrations of aspartate transaminase and alanine transaminase, as well as alteration of hepatic histology. In addition, DOX increased the serum levles of triglyceride (TG) and nonestesterified fatty acid. ATO prevented these changes. Mechanical analysis revealed that ATO restored the changes of malondialdehyde, reactive oxygen radical species, glutathione peroxidase and manganese superoxide dismutase. Additionally, ATO inhibited the increased expression levels of nuclear factor-kappa B and interleukin 1ß, hence suppressing inflammation. Meanwhile, ATO inhibited cell apoptosis by dramatically decreasing the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio. In addition, ATO mitigated the lipidtoxicity by inhibiting the adipolysis of TG and accelerating hepatic lipid metabolism. Taken together, the results suggest ATO has therapeutic effect on DOX-induced hepatotoxicity via inhibition of oxidative damage, inflammatory and apoptosis. In addition, ATO attenuates DOX-induced hyperlipidemia via modulation of lipid metabolism.

A protective factor against lymph node metastasis of papillary thyroid cancer: Female gender.

OBJECTIVE: Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is the most common pathological type of thyroid cancer, with good prognosis, but the rate of lymph node metastasis (LNM) is high, and the difference between men and women is significant. Therefore, the related risk factors for LNM of PTC based on gender were examined in this study in order to draw attention to gender factor in PTC. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the clinicopathological data of 2103 patients with surgically confirmed PTC at the Fourth affiliated Hospital of Hebei Medical University West Side between January 2016 and December 2019. RESULTS: LNM was detected in 1124 of the 2103 cases of PTC. Logistic regression analysis showed that LNM was associated with age (p < 0.001, OR:0.547), gender (p < 0.001, OR:2.609), tumor diameter (p < 0.001, OR:2.995), bilaterality (p=0.003, OR:1.683), and extrathyroid extension (p < 0.001, OR:1.657). After propensity score matching, female gender (p < 0.001, OR: 0.393) remained an independent factor of LNM in patients with PTC. LNM in men was only associated with diameter (p < 0.001, OR: 3.246). LNM in woman was associated with menopausal history (p = 0.012, OR=0.684), reproductive history (p < 0.001, OR=0.360), abortion history (p = 0.011, OR=0.725), tumor diameter >1 cm (p < 0.001, OR=2.807), bilaterality (p =0.006, OR:1.728), and extrathyroid extension (p < 0.001, OR=1.879). CONCLUSION: Although the invasion is high in female patients, the rate of LNM is significantly reduced due to the influence of sex hormones and reproductive factors. For female patients of childbearing age who were not pregnant and did not have children, it is suggested to take a positive attitude towards their lymph nodes.

Inflammatory Myofibroblastic Tumor in the Thyroid Gland: A Retrospective Case Series Study and Literature Review.

BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to investigate the clinical characteristics, diagnosis, and treatment of inflammatory myofibroblastoma tumor (IMT) in the thyroid gland. METHODS: A total of 17 patients with IMT by pathology from 2010 to 2020 were included in this study. Clinical features, imaging features, treatment, and prognosis were analyzed in this retrospective study. RESULTS: The case series comprised 5 males and 12 females, with an average age of 49.6 ± 15.36 years. The patients were divided into two cohorts: with IMT without further pathological changes and with further pathological changes of the thyroid gland (e.g., nodular goiter or autoimmune thyroid disease). No significant differences were detected in tumor size and extrathyroid extension between the two groups. Fine needle aspiration biopsy examination before the operation was performed in 2 cases, and rapid freezing pathology examination during the operation was performed in 7 cases. Ultrasound images of 5 cases with only one type of pathology, IMT, presented a high and intermediate risk of malignancy. In the other 11 cases with further pathological changes of the thyroid gland, the image could be very low risk of malignancy or benign feature. Only 2 cases showed a high risk of malignancy ultrasound features. 5/17 patients underwent preventive cervical lymph node dissection additional to thyroid surgery. None of the lymph nodes were confirmed positive by postoperative pathology. Thyroid ultrasound, computed tomography scan of the lungs, abdomen ultrasound, and thyroid function tests were routine follow-up tests. During the follow-up period of 26-141 months, 2 cases were lost, and remaining 15 cases had no recurrence or metastasis and were considered cured. CONCLUSION: IMT in the thyroid gland is a rare disease with a good prognosis and surgical resection is the preferred treatment.

Clinicopathological features and prognosis of papillary thyroid cancer patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Background: The clinicopathological characteristics of patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) combined with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and patients with PTC alone were explored and compared in order to provide a more reasonable treatment plan for the clinical diagnosis and treatment of these patients. Methods: A total of 1,771 patients from January 2017 to December 2019 who underwent PTC surgery for the first time in the west branch of the Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University were analyzed retrospectively. Among them, 111 patients had PTC with T2DM (D-T group) and 1,660 patients had PTC alone (PTC group). The differences in general data and clinical characteristics between the D-T group and the PTC group were analyzed. Results: There were statistically significant differences in age, gender, and body mass index (BMI) between the D-T group and PTC group (P<0.05). Multifocality and extra-glandular invasion in the D-T group were significantly higher than the PTC group (P<0.05). In women, the D-T group was older, had a higher BMI, and was more likely to have extra-glandular invasion (P<0.05) than the PTC group. The prognosis of the D-T group was worse than that of the PTC group as determined by 3 well-developed prognostic staging systems, 8th AJCC TNM staging, MAGIS SCORE, AMES staging, and the results were statistically significant (P=0.001, P<0.001, P=0.021). Conclusions: Our study showed that the overall prognosis of PTC patients with T2DM was worse than that of patients with PTC alone. At the same time, especially in patients younger than 55 years of age, multifocal carcinoma and extra-glandular invasion are likely to occur. In addition, female patients with T2DM are more likely to have extra-glandular invasion than male patients. Therefore, for such patients, preoperative evaluation should be fully conducted.

CircRNA ZNF609 promotes the growth and metastasis of thyroid cancer in vivo and in vitro by downregulating miR-514a-5p.

Thyroid cancer (TC) often manifests in the form of a painless cervical mass or nodule and continues to increase in incidence. Currently, much less is known about its pathogenesis in TC cells. This study sought to figure out what role the circular RNA (circRNA) ZNF609/miR-514a-5p might play in TC development and metastasis. In this study, the detection of circ-ZNF609 and miR-514a-5p expressions was carried out by qRT-PCR in TC cell lines. Cell proliferation assessment is employed by cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay, colony formation, Western blot and immunofluorescence. Cell invasion and migration measurement were conducted applying wound healing and transwell. The relationship between circ-ZNF609 and miR-514a-5p was subjected to prediction with bioinformatics analysis and validated with the aid of luciferase reporter assay. Furthermore, xenograft animal experiment was adopted to confirm the role of circ-ZNF609/miR-514a-5p in TC in vivo. The data indicated that circ-ZNF609 was highly expressed, while miR-514a-5p was downregulated in TC cells. Circ-ZNF609 knockdown prevented the malignant biological behaviors of TPC-1 and IHH-4 cells. Besides, circ-ZNF609 sponged miR-514a-5p and miR-514a-5p knockdown reversed the suppressed impacts of circ-ZNF609 knockdown on TC cell malignant biological behaviors. In addition, the silence of circ-ZNF6091 significantly repressed, whereas miR-514a-5p silencing promoted TC tumorigenesis in vivo. The findings highlighted the importance of circ-ZNF609 function in facilitating TC cell development and metastasis in vitro and in vivo via binding to miR-514a-5p.

Enhanced resistive switching performance in yttrium-doped CH3NH3PbI3 perovskite devices.

In this study, yttrium-doped CH3NH3PbI3 (Y-MAPbI3) and pure CH3NH3PbI3 (MAPbI3) perovskite films have been fabricated using a one-step solution spin coating method in a glove box. X-ray diffractometry and field-emission scanning electron microscopy were used to characterize the crystal structures and morphologies of perovskite films, respectively. It was found that the orientation of the crystal changed and the grains became more uniform in Y-MAPbI3 film, compared with the pure MAPbI3 perovskite film. The films were used to prepare the resistive switching memory devices with the device structure of Al/Y-MAPbI3 (MAPbI3)/ITO-glass. The memory performance of both devices was studied and showed a bipolar resistive switching behavior. The Al/MAPbI3/ITO device had an endurance of about 328 cycles. In contrast, the Al/Y-MAPbI3/ITO device exhibited an enhanced performance with a long endurance up to 3000 cycles. Moreover, the Al/Y-MAPbI3/ITO device also showed a higher ON/OFF ratio of over 103, long retention time (≥104 s), lower operation voltage (±0.5 V) and outstanding reproducibility. Additionally, the conduction mechanism of the high resistance state transformed from space-charge limited current for a Y free device to the Schottky emission after Y doping. The present results indicate that the Al/Y-MAPbI3/ITO device has a great potential to be used in high-performance memory devices.

Full-Electrical Writing and Reading of Magnetization States in a Magnetic Junction with Symmetrical Structure and Antiparallel Magnetic Configuration.

Full-electrical writing and reading of magnetization states are vital for the development of next-generation spintronic devices with high density and ultralow-power consumption. Here, we proposed a method to realize the full-electrical writing and reading of magnetization states via a structural design, which only requires a symmetrical device structure and an antiparallel magnetic configuration. CrBr3, h-BN, and 1T-MnSe2 were selected to construct the device of CrBr3/h-BN/1T-MnSe2/h-BN/CrBr3, where the magnetization of two CrBr3 layers was fixed to the antiparallel state. By changing the direction and magnitude of the applied electric field, it is proved that the magnetization of 1T-MnSe2 could be reversed. Moreover, the device energies before and after the magnetization reversal are the same when the applied electric field is removed due to the structural symmetry. Meanwhile, the magnetic anisotropy energy of 1T-MnSe2 could induce an energy barrier, to guarantee the nonvolatile magnetization reversal in the present device. In addition, the tunnel magnetoresistance ratio was found up to 421%, showing a promising application to full-electrically write and read magnetization in spintronics. The present study likely promotes the development of full-electrical and ultralow-power spintronics devices.

Cervical carcinoma high-expressed long non-coding RNA 1 promotes papillary thyroid carcinoma cell proliferation and invasion.

BACKGROUND: Studies have shown that cervical carcinoma high-expressed long non-coding RNA 1 (lncRNA-CCHE1) may promote tumor development by regulating tumor migration and invasion in a variety of cancers; yet, the role of lncRNA-CCHE1 in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to explore the mechanism of lncRNA-CCHE1 in PTC. METHODS: The expression of lncRNA-CCHE1 in 51 PTC carcinoma tissues and normal adjacent tissues was measured using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK8), plate cloning assay, transwell assay, and flow cytometry were used to analyze the effect of lncRNA-CCHE1 on PTC cell proliferation, invasion, and apoptosis in vitro. RESULTS: A higher expression of lncRNA-CCHE1 was found in PTC tissues than in adjacent tissues. High expression of lncRNA-CCHE1 was positively correlated with the number of tumors, extra-glandular invasion, and tumor stage. In addition, the down-regulation of lncRNA-CCHE1 reduced the proliferation and invasion of PTC cell lines and promoted cell apoptosis, while its up-regulation caused the opposite effect. These effects were regulated via the extracellular signal-regulated kinase/mitogen-activated protein kinase (ERK/MAPK) pathway. CONCLUSIONS: The lncRNA-CCHE1 is closely related to PTC progression and may be used as a potential biomarker for early diagnosis and treatment of PTC.

Berberine Ameliorates Doxorubicin-Induced Cardiotoxicity via a SIRT1/p66Shc-Mediated Pathway.

Doxorubicin- (DOX-) induced cardiotoxicity is associated with oxidative stress and cardiomyocyte apoptosis. The adaptor protein p66Shc regulates the cellular redox status and determines cell susceptibility to apoptosis. This study is aimed at investigating the involvement of sirtuin 1- (SIRT1-) mediated p66Shc inhibition in DOX-induced redox signalling and exploring the possible protective mechanisms of berberine (Ber) against DOX-triggered cardiac injury in rats and a cultured H9c2 cell line. Our results showed that the Ber pretreatment markedly increased CAT, SOD, and GSH-PX activities, decreased the levels of MDA, and improved the electrocardiogram and histopathological changes in the myocardium in DOX-treated rats (in vivo). Furthermore, Ber significantly ameliorated the DOX-induced oxidative insult and mitochondrial damage by adjusting the levels of intracellular ROS, ΔΨm, and [Ca2+]m in H9c2 cells (in vitro). Importantly, the Ber pretreatment increased SIRT1 expression following DOX exposure but downregulated p66Shc. Consistent with the results demonstrating the SIRT1-mediated inhibition of p66Shc expression, the Ber pretreatment inhibited DOX-triggered cardiomyocyte apoptosis and mitochondrial dysfunction. After exposing H9c2 cells to DOX, the increased SIRT1 expression induced by Ber was abrogated by a SIRT1-specific inhibitor (EX527) or the use of siRNA against SIRT1. Accordingly, SIRT1 inhibition significantly abrogated the suppression of p66Shc expression and protection of Ber against DOX-induced oxidative stress and apoptosis. These results suggest that Ber protects the heart from DOX injury through SIRT1-mediated p66Shc suppression, offering a novel mechanism responsible for the protection of Ber against DOX-induced cardiomyopathy.

Protective effect of berberine on acute cardiomyopathy associated with doxorubicin treatment.

Doxorubicin (DOX) is a potent and broad-spectrum anthracycline chemotherapeutic agent, but dose-dependent cardiotoxic side effects limit its clinical application. This toxicity is closely associated with the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) radical during DOX metabolism. The present study investigated the effects of Berberine (Ber) on DOX-induced acute cardiac injury in a rat model and analysed its mechanism in cardiomyocytes in vitro. Serum creatine kinase (CK), creatine kinase isoenzyme (CK-MB) and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were significantly increased in the DOX group compared with the control group. This increase was accompanied by cardiac histopathological injury and a decrease in cardiomyocyte superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT). CK, CK-MB and MDA levels decreased and SOD and CAT levels increased in the Ber-treated group compared to the DOX group. Ber ameliorated the DOX-induced increase in cytosolic calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i), attenuated mitochondrial Ca2+ overload and restored the DOX-induced loss of mitochondrial membrane potential in vitro. These results demonstrated that Ber exhibited protective effects against DOX-induced heart tissue free radical injury, potentially via the inhibition of intracellular Ca2+ elevation and attenuation of mitochondrial dysfunction.

Curcumin inhibits hypoxia inducible factor­1α­induced epithelial­mesenchymal transition in HepG2 hepatocellular carcinoma cells.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) accounts for the majority of liver cancers. A hypoxic microenvironment is a common feature of HCC, and is associated with malignant invasion, metastasis and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) changes. Curcumin is a botanical agent derived from the dried rhizome of Curcuma longa. Although a number of preclinical studies have shown that curcumin has anticancer properties when administered in a normoxic microenvironment, no studies have directly examined the effect of curcumin on preventing HCC invasion and metastasis under hypoxic conditions. This study aimed to determine whether curcumin has effects on the hypoxia-induced malignant biological behavior of HCC. CoCl2 was used to establish a hypoxia model in vitro. The results showed that curcumin significantly decreased hypoxia-induced hypoxia inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) protein level in HepG2 cells. Furthermore, cell proliferation, migration and invasiveness, as well as EMT changes associated with HIF-1α accumulation generated by a hypoxic microenvironment, were eliminated by curcumin. In conclusion, these data indicate that curcumin may be a viable anticancer agent in the treatment of HCC.

[The expression and significance of SDF-1/CXCR4 biological axis in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma and lymph node metastasize].

OBJECTIVE: To study the correlation between the stromal cell-derived factor (SDF-1) and the receptor fusin (CXCR4) in carcinoma of larynx, and investigate some mechanisms of SDF-1/CXCR4 during the development, invasion and lymph node metastasis of laryngocarcinoma. METHOD: Detecting the expression of SDF-1 and CXCR4 by immunohistochemical method (SP) in laryngocarcinoma, paraneoplastic tissues, normal laryngeal mucosa and cervical lymph node. Using Kruskal-Wallis H test, chi2 test, Spearman rank correlation analysis and so on to do statistical analysis. RESULT: The positive expression rate of SDF-1 and CXCR4 in laryngocarcinoma was obviously higher than in paraneoplastic tissues and normal laryngeal mucosa tissues (P < 0.01). And the expression of two proteins was correlated with lymph node metastasis (P < 0.01), clinical stage (P < 0.01) and pathological grading of tumor (P < 0.05). The positive expression rate of SDF-1 and CXCR4 protein in metastasis lymph node tissue was higher than that in non metastasis lymph node tissue (P < 0.01). The expression of SDF-1 is correlated positively with the expression of CXCR4 in laryngocarcinoma. CONCLUSION: SDF-1 and CXCR4 protein are highly expressed in laryngocarcinoma and in metastasis lymph node tissue. And they are correlated with lymph node metastasis, clinical stage and pathological grading of the tumor. According to the results, the two proteins may relate to infiltration and metastasis of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma and play a role of synergistic action in the development and invasion of carcinoma of larynx.

Phonon vibrational frequencies of all single-wall carbon nanotubes at the lambda point: reduced matrix calculations.

With a simple method-the reduced matrix method, we simplified the calculation of the phonon vibrational frequencies according to SWNTs structure and their phonon symmetric property and got the dispersion properties of all SWNTs at Gamma point in Brillouin zone, whose diameters lie between 0.6 and 2.5 nm. The calculating time is shrunk about 2-4 orders. A series of the dependent relationships between the diameters of SWNTs and the frequencies of Raman and IR active modes are given. Several fine structures including "glazed tile" structures in omega approximately d figures are found, which might predict a certain macro-quantum phenomenon of the phonons in SWNTs.