Ca2+/Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinase II Enhances Retinal Ganglion Cell Survival But Suppresses Axon Regeneration after Optic Nerve Injury

Neuroprotection after injury or in neurodegenerative disease remains a major goal for basic and translational neuroscience. Retinal ganglion cells (RGCs), the projection neurons of the eye, degenerate in optic neuropathies after axon injury, and there are no clinical therapies to prevent their loss or restore their connectivity to targets in the brain. Here we demonstrate a profound neuroprotective effect of the exogenous expression of various Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) isoforms in mice. A dramatic increase in RGC survival following the optic nerve trauma was elicited by the expression of constitutively active variants of multiple CaMKII isoforms in RGCs using adeno-associated viral (AAV) vectors across a 100-fold range of AAV dosing in vivo. Despite this neuroprotection, however, short-distance RGC axon sprouting was suppressed by CaMKII, and long-distance axon regeneration elicited by several pro-axon growth treatments was likewise inhibited even as CaMKII further enhanced RGC survival. Notably, in a dose-escalation study, AAV-expressed CaMKII was more potent for axon growth suppression than the promotion of survival. That diffuse overexpression of constitutively active CaMKII strongly promotes RGC survival after axon injury may be clinically valuable for neuroprotection per se. However, the associated strong suppression of the optic nerve axon regeneration demonstrates the need for understanding the intracellular domain- and target-specific CaMKII activities to the development of CaMKII signaling pathway-directed strategies for the treatment of optic neuropathies.

A molecular switch for neuroprotective astrocyte reactivity

The intrinsic mechanisms that regulate neurotoxic versus neuroprotective astrocyte phenotypes and their effects on central nervous system degeneration and repair remain poorly understood. Here we show that injured white matter astrocytes differentiate into two distinct C3-positive and C3-negative reactive populations, previously simplified as neurotoxic (A1) and neuroprotective (A2)1,2, which can be further subdivided into unique subpopulations defined by proliferation and differential gene expression signatures. We find the balance of neurotoxic versus neuroprotective astrocytes is regulated by discrete pools of compartmented cyclic adenosine monophosphate derived from soluble adenylyl cyclase and show that proliferating neuroprotective astrocytes inhibit microglial activation and downstream neurotoxic astrocyte differentiation to promote retinal ganglion cell survival. Finally, we report a new, therapeutically tractable viral vector to specifically target optic nerve head astrocytes and show that raising nuclear or depleting cytoplasmic cyclic AMP in reactive astrocytes inhibits deleterious microglial or macrophage cell activation and promotes retinal ganglion cell survival after optic nerve injury. Thus, soluble adenylyl cyclase and compartmented, nuclear- and cytoplasmic-localized cyclic adenosine monophosphate in reactive astrocytes act as a molecular switch for neuroprotective astrocyte reactivity that can be targeted to inhibit microglial activation and neurotoxic astrocyte differentiation to therapeutic effect. These data expand on and define new reactive astrocyte subtypes and represent a step towards the development of gliotherapeutics for the treatment of glaucoma and other optic neuropathies.

Directly induced human retinal ganglion cells mimic fetal RGCs and are neuroprotective after transplantation in vivo

Retinal ganglion cell (RGC) replacement therapy could restore vision in glaucoma and other optic neuropathies. We developed a rapid protocol for directly induced RGC (iRGC) differentiation from human stem cells, leveraging overexpression of NGN2. Neuronal morphology and neurite growth were observed within 1 week of induction; characteristic RGC-specific gene expression confirmed identity. Calcium imaging demonstrated γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-induced excitation characteristic of immature RGCs. Single-cell RNA sequencing showed more similarities between iRGCs and early-stage fetal human RGCs than retinal organoid-derived RGCs. Intravitreally transplanted iRGCs survived and migrated into host retinas independent of prior optic nerve trauma, but iRGCs protected host RGCs from neurodegeneration. These data demonstrate rapid iRGC generation in vitro into an immature cell with high similarity to human fetal RGCs and capacity for retinal integration after transplantation and neuroprotective function after optic nerve injury. The simplicity of this system may benefit translational studies on human RGCs.

Fusogenic liposome-enhanced cytosolic delivery of magnetic nanoparticles

Fusogenic liposomes facilitate MNPs passage into the cytosol and enable direct contact between MNPs and organelles other than endosomes.

MEF2 transcription factors differentially contribute to retinal ganglion cell loss after optic nerve injury

Loss of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) in optic neuropathies results in permanent partial or complete blindness. Myocyte enhancer factor 2 (MEF2) transcription factors have been shown to play a pivotal role in neuronal systems, and in particular MEF2A knockout was shown to enhance RGC survival after optic nerve crush injury. Here we expanded these prior data to study bi-allelic, tri-allelic and heterozygous allele deletion. We observed that deletion of all MEF2A, MEF2C, and MEF2D alleles had no effect on RGC survival during development. Our extended experiments suggest that the majority of the neuroprotective effect was conferred by complete deletion of MEF2A but that MEF2D knockout, although not sufficient to increase RGC survival on its own, increased the positive effect of MEF2A knockout. Conversely, MEF2A over-expression in wildtype mice worsened RGC survival after optic nerve crush. Interestingly, MEF2 transcription factors are regulated by post-translational modification, including by calcineurin-catalyzed dephosphorylation of MEF2A Ser-408 known to increase MEF2A-dependent transactivation in neurons. However, neither phospho-mimetic nor phospho-ablative mutation of MEF2A Ser-408 affected the ability of MEF2A to promote RGC death in vivo after optic nerve injury. Together these findings demonstrate that MEF2 gene expression opposes RGC survival following axon injury in a complex hierarchy, and further support the hypothesis that loss of or interference with MEF2A expression might be beneficial for RGC neuroprotection in diseases such as glaucoma and other optic neuropathies.

Relative efficiencies of alternative preference-based designs for randomised trials

Recent work has shown that outcomes in clinical trials can be affected by which treatment the trial participants would select if they were allowed to do so, and if they do or do not actually receive that treatment. These influences are known as selection and preference effects, respectively. Unfortunately, they cannot be evaluated in conventional, parallel group trials because patient preferences remain unknown. However, several alternative designs have been proposed, to measure and take account of patient preferences. In this paper, we discuss three preference-based designs (the two-stage, fully randomised, and partially randomised designs). In conventional trials, only the treatment effect is estimable, while the preference-based designs have the potential to estimate some or all of the selection and preference effects. The relative efficiency of these designs is affected by several factors, including the proportion of participants who are undecided about treatments, or who are unable or unwilling to state a preference; the relative preference rate between the treatments being compared, among patients who do have a preference; and the ratio of patients randomised to each treatment. We also discuss the advantages and disadvantages of these designs under different scenarios.

Combination of ginsenoside Rb1 and Rd protects the retina against bright light-induced degeneration

Photoreceptor degeneration is a central pathology of various retinal degenerative diseases which currently lack effective therapies. Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities are noted for Panax notoginsenoside saponins (PNS) and related saponin compound(s). However, the photoreceptor protective potentials of PNS or related saponin compound(s) remain unknown. The current study revealed that PNS protected against photoreceptor loss in bright light-exposed BALB/c mice. Combination of ginsenoside Rb1 and Rd, two major saponin compounds of PNS, recapitulated the retinal protection of PNS and attenuated retinal oxidative stress and inflammatory changes. Rb1 or Rd partially alleviated all-trans-Retinal-induced oxidative stress in ARPE19 cells. Rb1 or Rd suppressed lipopolysaccharides (LPS)-induced proinflammatory gene expression in ARPE19 and RAW264.7 cells. Rb1 or Rd also modulated the expression of proinflammatory microRNA, miR-155 and its direct target, anti-inflammatory SHIP1, in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. The retinal expression of miR-155 and SHIP1 was altered preceding extensive retinal damage, which was maintained at normal level by Rb1 and Rd combination. This work shows for the first time that altered expression of miR-155 and SHIP1 are involved in photoreceptor degeneration. Most importantly, novel retinal protective activities of combination of Rb1 and Rd justify further evaluation for the treatment of related retinal degenerative disorders.

Apigenin-7-diglucuronide protects retinas against bright light-induced photoreceptor degeneration through the inhibition of retinal oxidative stress and inflammation

Vision impairment in retinal degenerative diseases such as age-related macular degeneration is primarily associated with photoreceptor degeneration, in which oxidative stress and inflammatory responses are mechanistically involved as central players. Therapies with photoreceptor protective properties remain to be developed. Apigenin-7-diglucuronide (A7DG), a flavonoid glycoside, is present in an assortment of medicinal plants with anti-inflammatory or ant-oxidant activities. However, the pharmacological significance of A7DG remains unknown in vivo. The current study isolated A7DG from Glechoma longituba (Nakai) Kuprian and investigated the retinal protective effect A7DG in mice characterized by bright light-induced photoreceptor degeneration. The results showed that A7DG treatment led to remarkable photoreceptor protection in bright light-exposed BALB/c mice. Moreover, A7DG treatment alleviated photoreceptor apoptosis, mitigated oxidative stress, suppressed reactive gliosis and microglial activation and attenuated the expression of proinflammatory genes in bright light-exposed retinas. The results demonstrated for the first time remarkable photoreceptor protective activities of A7DG in vivo. Inhibition of bright light-induced retinal oxidative stress and retinal inflammatory responses was associated with the retinal protection conferred by A7DG. The work here warrants further evaluation of A7DG as a pharmacological candidate for the treatment of vision-threatening retinal degenerative disorders. Moreover, given the general implication of oxidative stress and inflammation in the pathogenesis of neurodegeneration, A7DG could be further tested for the treatment of other neurodegenerative disorders.

Activation of PPARγ/P53 signaling is required for curcumin to induce hepatic stellate cell senescence

Activation of quiescent hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) is the major event in hepatic fibrogenesis, along with enhancement of cell proliferation and overproduction of extracellular matrix. Although inhibition of cell proliferation and induction of apoptosis are potential strategies to block the activation of HSCs, a better understanding of the senescence of activated HSCs can provide a new therapeutic strategy for prevention and treatment of liver fibrosis. The antioxidant curcumin, a phytochemical from turmeric, has been shown to suppress HSC activation in vitro and in vivo. The current work was aimed to evaluate the effect of curcumin on senescence of activated HSCs and to elucidate the underlying mechanisms. In this study, curcumin promoted the expression of senescence marker Hmga1 in rat fibrotic liver. In addition, curcumin increased the number of senescence-associated β-galactosidase-positive HSCs in vitro. At the same time, curcumin induced HSC senescence by elevating the expression of senescence markers P16, P21 and Hmga1, concomitant with reduced abundance of HSC activation markers α-smooth muscle actin and α1(I)-procollagen in cultured HSCs. Moreover, curcumin affected the cell cycle and telomerase activity. We further demonstrated that P53 pharmacological inhibitor pifithrin-α (PFT-α) or transfection with P53 siRNA abrogated the curcumin-induced HSC senescence in vitro. Meanwhile, curcumin disruption of P53 leading to increased senescence of activated HSCs was further verified in vivo. Further studies indicated that curcumin promoted the expression of P53 through a PPARγ activation-dependent mechanism. Moreover, promoting PPARγ transactivating activity by a PPARγ agonist 15d-PGJ2 markedly enhanced curcumin induction of senescence of activated HSCs. However, the PPARγ antagonist PD68235 eliminated curcumin induction of HSC senescence. Taken together, our results provided a novel insight into the mechanisms underlying curcumin inhibition of HSC activation through inducing senescence.

Celastrol protects mouse retinas from bright light-induced degeneration through inhibition of oxidative stress and inflammation

Background

Photoreceptor death leads to vision impairment in several retinal degenerative disorders. Therapies protecting photoreceptor from degeneration remain to be developed. Anti-inflammation, anti-oxidative stress, and neuroprotective effects of celastrol have been demonstrated in a variety of disease models. The current study aimed to investigate the photoreceptor protective effect of celastrol.

Methods

Bright light-induced retinal degeneration in BALB/c mice was used, and morphological, functional, and molecular changes of retina were evaluated in the absence and presence of celastrol treatment.

Results

Significant morphological and functional protection was observed as a result of celastrol treatment in bright light-exposed BALB/c mice. Celastrol treatment resulted in suppression of cell death in photoreceptor cells, alleviation of oxidative stress in the retinal pigment epithelium and photoreceptors, downregulation of retinal expression of proinflammatory genes, and suppression of microglia activation and gliosis in the retina. Additionally, leukostasis was found to be induced in the retinal vasculature in light-exposed BALB/c mice, which was significantly attenuated by celastrol treatment. In vitro, celastrol attenuated all-trans-retinal-induced oxidative stress in cultured APRE19 cells. Moreover, celastrol treatment significantly suppressed lipopolysaccharides-stimulated expression of proinflammatory genes in both APRE19 and RAW264.7 cells.

Conclusions

The results demonstrated for the first time that celastrol prevents against light-induced retinal degeneration through inhibition of retinal oxidative stress and inflammation.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12974-016-0516-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Characterization of agronomic and quality traits and HSW-G5 compositions from the progenies of common wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) with different protein content

High molecular weight glutenin subunits (HMW-GS) play an essential role in wheat processing quality. In this study, we evaluated the genetic pattern with HMW-GS composition between generations and examined whether agronomic and quality traits were correlated with each other. A wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivar with high protein content and 2 cultivars with low protein content were subjected to a reciprocal cross. Sixteen agronomic and 4 quality characteristics were investigated. A total of 216 seeds from each F2 generation were chosen randomly and analyzed for HMW-GS composition using sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Agronomic and quality characteristics were not significantly different between reciprocal crosses, indicating no cytoplasmic effect on the characteristics studied. The separation ratio of 2 HMW-GS loci was 9:3:3:1, indicating no linkage between any 2 loci. The novel HMW-GS N was detected in cultivar R145, which did not follow the Mendelian segregation ratio. A Glu-A1a(1) band was not detected in 1 individual from Tian8901xR145. Average grain weight per spike was significantly correlated with quality characteristics and may be a suitable criterion for selecting high protein content in wheat breeding programs.

Topographical distribution pattern of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia across the cervix

OBJECTIVE

The distribution of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) lesions across the cervix was determined.

METHODS

A total of 575 women whose pathological diagnosis after cervical conization was confirmed as CIN were studied; 146 had low-grade CIN and 429 had high-grade CIN. CIN lesion location on the cervix was recorded using 12-h clock face notation.

RESULTS

In both groups, 12 o'clock was the most common and 2 o'clock the least common lesion location. The most severe lesions were most often located at 8 o'clock and 7 o'clock, in the low- and high-grade groups, respectively. The 2 o'clock site was the least frequent site for the most severe lesion in both groups. Lesions were found more frequently on the posterior lip of the cervix than on the anterior lip, and on the right side of the cervix than on the left side, in both groups.

CONCLUSIONS

The distribution of CIN lesions is not randomly distributed across the cervix. The 12, 8 and 7 o'clock sites, and the posterior lip and right side of the cervix, should be targeted during colposcopy-directed biopsy of patients with CIN lesions as this may improve diagnostic accuracy.

Cold water stress attenuates dopaminergic neurotoxicity induced by 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine in mice

In the present study, we tested the effect of cold water stress (CWS) on dopaminergic neurons in 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)-induced Parkinson's disease (PD) mouse model, and found that CWS pretreatment elicited less MPTP neurotoxicity. To understand the molecular mechanism underlying this phenomenon, we detected the expression of heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) in the striatum of the experimental mice, and found that CWS pretreatment could significantly increase striatal Hsp70 in MPTP-treated mice. Furthermore, in parallel with the induction of Hsp70, the MPTP-induced increase of striatal α-synuclein was inhibited in the CWS + MPTP-treated mice. CWS pretreatment also significantly inhibited the reduction of anti-apoptotic molecule Bcl-2 expression in the striatum and enhanced Bcl-2 transcription in the substantia nigra of MPTP-treated mice. Taken together, these data indicated that Hsp70 might be an important intermediate for the neuroprotective effect of CWS against MPTP-induced dopaminergic toxicity.

Ethanol-induced neurodegeneration in NRSF/REST neuronal conditional knockout mice

The transcription regulator, neuron-restrictive silencer factor (NRSF), also known as repressor element-1 silencing transcription factor (REST), plays an important role in neurogenesis and various neuronal diseases such as ischaemia, epilepsy, and Huntington's disease. In these disease processes, neuronal loss is associated with abnormal expression and/or localization of NRSF. Previous studies have demonstrated that NRSF regulates the effect of ethanol on neuronal cells in vitro, however, the role of NRSF in ethanol-induced neuronal cell death remains unclear. We generated nrsf conditional knockout mice using the Cre-loxP system to disrupt neuronal expression of nrsf and its truncated forms. At postnatal day 6, ethanol significantly increased the expression of REST4, a neuron-specific truncated form of NRSF, in the brains of wild type mice, and this effect was diminished in nrsf conditional knockout mice. The apoptotic effect of ethanol was pronounced in multiple brain regions of nrsf conditional mutant mice. These results indicate that NRSF, specifically REST4, may protect the developing brain from ethanol, and provide new evidence that NRSF can be a therapeutic target in foetal alcohol syndrome (FAS).

Expression of Cbl-interacting protein of 85 kDa in MPTP mouse model of Parkinson's disease and 1-methyl-4-phenyl-pyridinium ion-treated dopaminergic SH-SY5Y cells

The newly discovered Cbl-interacting protein of 85 kDa (CIN85) is involved in many cellular processes, but its functions in the brain and in neurodegenerative diseases remain unclear. In this paper, we investigated the distribution of CIN85 protein in different regions of adult mouse brain using Western blot analysis and immunohistochemistry, and found that CIN85 was ubiquitously expressed in mouse brain. In the striatum and substantia nigra, two regions most deeply affected in Parkinson's disease, the level of CIN85 protein was relatively high. In the MPTP mouse model of Parkinson's disease, the expression of CIN85 in the striatum and substantia nigra was complicated. But in 1-methyl-4-phenyl-pyridinium ion-treated human dopaminergic SH-SY5Y cells, the expression of CIN85 increased dramatically. Knocking down of CIN85 by short hairpin RNA reduced SH-SY5Y cell death. Therefore, CIN85 might play different roles in the dopaminergic cell line and in the nigrostriatum of mouse brain under neurotoxin challenge.

[Analysis of pregnancy rates after treatment of tubal pregnancy with systemic methotrexate]

OBJECTIVE

To analyse the pregnancy rate after treatment of tubal pregnancy with the systemic methotrexate (MTX) injection.

METHODS

From March 1985 to August 1999, 129 women with confirmed unruptured tubal pregnancy, and desiring to conceive were selected. Among them 60 women were successfully treated with systemic MTX, and 69 with unilateral salpingectomy. All cases were followed up for 1-15 years.

RESULTS

The rates of subsequent intrauterine pregnancies (IUP) in the MTX group was 73% (44 cases) and of recurrent extrauterine pregnancies (EP) was 8% (5 cases). Among 69 patients treated by salpingectomy, the rates of IUP and EP was 70% (48 cases) and 4% (3 cases) respectively. The differences between the two groups were not statistically significant.

CONCLUSIONS

The effect of conservative management with MTX was similar to those of salpingectomy. The rate of subsequent pregnancy did not increased.

[Application of high frequency radiosurgical knife in the treatment of cervical diseases]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the indication, resection scope of loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP) and pathological characteristics.

METHODS

176 cases with abnormal cytological and colposcopical findings, including cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) and atypical squamous cells of undermined significance (ASCUS), were studied. Conization of cervix was performed in 63 cases of > or = CIN2, of which 33 cases with LEEP and 30 by traditional electrosurgical knife (TEK) as controls. Cervical biopsy was performed in 113 cases of CIN1 and ASCUS, of which 60 cases by LEEP and 53 by cervical biopsy forceps (CBF) as controls.

RESULTS

Three months after conization of cervix the cytological persistent rate of disease was 6.1% in LEEP group and 6.7% in TEK group (P > 0.05). The operation duration of LEEP is (5.0 +/- 0.5) min, and is much shorter than TEK [(15.0 +/- 0.4) min]. The bleeding and recovery time of the cervix are also shorter (P < 0.01). Three months after cervical biopsy the cytological persistent rate of diseases was only 1.7% in LEEP group, significantly less than that in CBF group (35.8%).

CONCLUSION

LEEP is indicated to conization of cervix of CIN2-3 and cervical biopsy of CIN1 and ASCUS. It is safe and time-saving. The optimal depth of cervical conization and biopsy was 7 mm and 4 mm respectively in the cervix, and 15 mm and 4 mm respectively in the cervical tube. It can offer intact sample for pathological diagnosis, and has special value for detecting cervical microinvasive carcinoma and local minor carcinoma.

[A pathological study on the correlation of HPV infection with precancerous cervical lesions]

OBJECTIVE

To study the correlation of cervical condyloma and cancerous lesions with HPV infection.

METHODS

Cervical biopsies and histopathological examinations were performed on 179 cases which had abnormal cervical cytological smears. PCR was used to study the HPV-DNA of 128 cases and in situ hybridization (ISH) was used to study 10 cases.

RESULTS

1. Morphologic observations. Most cervical condyloma cases were of the morphologically flat type (97.7%). Two koilocyte types were observed, the classical, or so called diagnostic koilocyte type (39.7%) and the atypical type (60.3%). Cervical condyloma often occurred together with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN, 42.5%). 2. PCR HPV DNA subtype analysis. Of the 58 cervical flat condyloma, 5 were PHV6/11 positive (8.6%) and 28 were HPV16/18 positive (48.3%). 86.1% of those with atypical koilocyte and 9.1% of those with diagnostic koilocyte had HPV16/18 infection. 66.7% of the lesions in which condyloma coexisted with CIN(2-3) had HPV16/18 infection.

CONCLUSIONS

Most cervical condyloma lesions were of the flat type. The appearance of atypical koilocyte is correlated to HPV16/18 infection, which in turn is correlated to the degree of CIN malignancy.

[Relationship between histopathologic observation of cervical condyloma and human papillomavirus infection]

OBJECTIVE

To study the relationship between histopathologic changes of cervical condyloma and different subtypes human papillomavirus (HPV) infection.

METHODS

158 women with abnormal Pap smears diagnosed by computer assisted cytologic technique (CCT) including 71 cases with atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASCUS), 65 cases with low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (LSIL), 17 cases with high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSIL) and 5 cases with squamous cancers, underwent directed biopsies under colposcopy and were simultaneously detected for HPV6/11, HPV16/18 DNA by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Koilocytotisis in 73 cases with pathologically proven cervical condyloma were grouped into type I and II according to its atypical degree of nuclei.

RESULTS

HPV16/18 infection rate among condylomas cases was 86.0%, which was significantly higher than that of type I (16.7%) (P < 0.01). In LSIL with type II koilocytotisis, HPV16/18 infection rate and abnormal mitotic figures (AMFs) occurrence were 85.7%, significantly higher than those in type I koilocytotisis or cervical intraepithelial neoplasia I.

CONCLUSIONS

Type II koilocytotisis was correlated with HPV16/18 infection. LSIL with type II koilocytotisises, distinct atypical nuclei, also associated with high HPV16/18 rate and AMFs, therefore treatment and follow-up should be more aggressive.

[Detection and sequence analysis of the p53 gene mutation in epithelial ovarian cancer]

OBJECTIVE

To find the characteristics of p53 gene mutation in epithelial ovarian cancer and to analyze the relationship between p53 mutation and FIGO stage.

METHODS

p53 mutations in exon 5 to 7 were detected by single-strand conformational polymorphism (SSCP) and sequencing technique.

RESULTS

8 of 46 tumor tissues demonstrated a SSCP band shift in the region of the gene. All of them have been characterized to represent DNA alterations by sequencing, including 8 point mutations (6 missence, 1 silent mutation and 1 in intron) and a 1-base pair insertion (introducing a stop codon downstream). Overall, 88.9% of mutation were transitions, and most of them are G-->A transitions (7/8, 87.5%). 62.5% of the mutation were found in 175 and 245 codon. The percentage of the mutation in stage I and stage II was 20.0%, and in stage III and stage IV was 16.7% (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSION

The arising of p53 mutations in ovarian cancer is due to spontaneous error in DNA synthesis and repair. Codon 175, 245 are the two mutational hot spots. There is no relationship between the mutation of p53 gene and FIGO stage in epithelial ovarian cancer.

Amplifications of proto-oncogenes in ovarian carcinoma

Thirty-two cases of ovarian carcinoma, two of normal ovaries, four of benign epithelial ovarian tumor, and three of borderline epithelial ovarian tumor were studied using Southern blot hybridization of DNA. In 15 of the 32 cases of ovarian carcinoma, peripheral lymphocytes were also studied. The amplification rate of C-myc, C-N-ras, C-Ki-ras and C-erbB-2 in ovarian carcinoma were 50%, 44%, 31% and 25% respectively. The amplification of C-Ki-ras and C-N-ras took place chiefly in cases of early stage and those of good differentiation. The amplification of C-N-ras was also found in cases of advanced stage. The amplifications of C-myc and C-erbB-2 were chiefly found in cases above stage III and those of poor differentiation. A total of 83% of the patients who died were found to have amplifications of more than 2 proto-oncogenes, with which the amplification of C-erbB-2 was involved.

[Amplification of proto-oncogenes C-myc, C-N-ras, C-Ki-ras, C-erbB2 in ovarian carcinoma]

OBJECTIVE

To observe the amplification rate of C-myc, C-N-ras, C-Ki-ras, C-erbB2 in human ovarian carcinoma.

METHODS

Southern blot hybridization of DNA was employed, pathological diagnosis was made from fresh tissues. The beta-globin gene was used as an internal control.

RESULTS

The amplification rate of C-myc, C-N-ras, C-Ki-ras and C-erbB2 in ovarian carcinoma was 50%, 44%, 31% and 25% respectively. The amplification rates of C-myc, C-erbB2 in stage III and IV were all significantly greater than that in stage I (P < 0.01). The amplification rate of C-N-ras in stage I was also significantly greater than that in stage III (P < 0.01). The amplification rate of C-Ki-ras in stage I was significantly greater than that in stage III or IV (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

The amplification of C-Ki-ras and C-N-ras took place chiefly in cases of the early stages and in cases with good differentiation. The amplification of C-N-ras was also found in cases of advanced stages. The amplifications of C-myc and C-erbB2 were chiefly found in cases above stage III and in cases with poor differentiation, 83% of the patients who died were found to have amplifications of more than 2 proto-oncogenes, with the amplification of C-erbB2 involved in all of them.

Comparison of four methods to generate immunoreactive fragments of a murine monoclonal antibody OC859 against human ovarian epithelial cancer antigen

In the present study, four different proteases (pepsin, papain, bromelain and ficin) were screened with a murine monoclonal antibody OC859, in order to verify whether different digestion procedures could improve yield and stability of the F(ab')2 or Fab fragments. The yields of F(ab')2 or Fab fragments from digestion with pepsin, papain, bromelain and ficin were respectively 20.3 +/- 2.0%, 50.5 +/- 5.0%, 74.4 +/- 2.7% and 82.8 +/- 10.2% of the theoretical maximum. Immunoreactivity in a noncompetitive solid-phase radioimmunoassay (SPRIA) of the fragments generated by the four proteases were respectively 10 +/- 5%, 36 +/- 5%, 60 +/- 6% and 75 +/- 6% of the intact OC859 IgG. These results suggested that the fragmentation of OC859 with ficin gave a higher yield of superior immunoreactive fragments.

[Serum lipid-associated sialic acid (LSA) in diagnosing and monitoring ovarian cancer]

Serum from 161 patients with ovarian cancer, 28 patients with benign gynecologic disorders and 22 healthy women, was assayed for levels of tumor marker LSA, which were compared with CA125. The results showed that in the patients with ovarian cancer, the sensitivities of LSA and CA125 for the patients prior to surgery were 83.0% and 92.5%, respectively; the sensitivities for the recurrent patients after surgery were 73.7% and 82.5% respectively. A total sensitivity of 89.5% was obtained by combination of both markers. The positive predictive value of LSA and CA125 for the patients with suspected tumor recurrence were 89.4% and 100%, respectively, and their corroborative rate with the postoperative courses were 94.4% and 100%, respectively. Thus serum assay of LSA, can be used in monitoring patients with ovarian cancer. The technique for determination of serum level of LSA is much more simple and less expensive than the radioimmuno-assay of serum level of CA125.

[The prenatal diagnosis of hemophilia A--the use of PCR and family RFLP analysis]

Seven families with hemophilia A were analyzed by using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique. Prenatal diagnosis was performed in 4 cases at high risk of hemophilia A. The results suggested that the gene fragment of factor VIII might be amplified by the simple, fast and sensitive PCR technique and is especially suited to prenatal diagnosis using very small amounts of chorionic villi or amniocytes. Restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLPs) analysis of BclI was also performed. The sample, which could not be diagnosed by BclI, could be analyzed with RFLPs of XbaI. Finally, DNA probe's Southern blotting analysis could be used for those samples which could not be diagnosed with XbaI. 85% of all hemophilia A cases could be diagnosed with our technique.