[Evaluation of immunological efficiency induced by Campylobacter jejuni PEB1 DNA combined with PEB1 protein in mice]

OBJECTIVE

To explore the improved immunological responses induced by an amino acid ABC transporter, permease protein PEB1 DNA vaccine primer-protein boost immunization method against Campylobacter jejuni.

METHODS

The DNA vaccine pcDNA3.1(-)-PEB1 and protein vaccine were prepared, respectively. The female BALB/c mice were intranasally immunized with the vaccines. PBS and pcDNA3.1(-) were used as controls. The humoral and cellular immunological responses were detected in female BALB/c mice that were challenged by Campylobacter jejuni at 28 days after the final immunization.

RESULTS

In the DNA primer-protein boost group at day 56, the stimulation index (SI) of lymphocytes was 2.625±0.275, serum IgG was (2.507±0.124) μg/mL, IL-4 in spleen supernatant was (377.47±14.560) pg/mL, IFN-γ in spleen supernatant was (258.920±13.472) pg/mL, and sIgA in genital tract was (80.351±5.769) ng/mL. All of them were significantly higher than those in controls (P<0.05). The DNA primer-protein boost vaccines induced the strongest levels of protection to BALB/c mice (91.53%).

CONCLUSION

The DNA primer-protein boost immunization could induce significant protective immunity against Campylobacter jejuni challenge. It could significantly enhance both humoral and cellular immunologic responses in BALB/c mice, compared with DNA vaccine or protein vaccine immunization alone.

[Effect of dihydrotestosterone on the transcriptions and expressions of Smad3 and Smad4 in LNCaP cell line]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the effect of dihydrotestosterone (DHT) on the gene transcriptions and expressions of Smad3 and Smad4 in androgen dependent prostate cancer cell line LNCaP, and whether this effect can be suppressed by the androgen receptor inhibitor flutamide.

METHODS

The androgen dependent prostate cancer cell line LNCaP was cultured in RPMI 1640 medium and treated with different concentrations of DHT(2, 10, 50 nmol/L) and flutamide (100 nmol/L). Quantitative reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR) was used to detect the mRNAs of Smad3 and Smad4. The expressions of Smad3 and Smad4 protein were detected by Western blot assay.

RESULTS

Compared with the control group without any DHT or flutamide, higher concentration(10, 50 nmol/L) of DHT enhanced the transcription of Smad3 mRNA (P <0.05). Serial concentrations of DHT increased the expression of Smad3 protein(P < 0.05). Flutamide inhibited the up-regulation of both Smad3 mRNA transcription and expression significantly (P <0.05). 10 nmol/L DHT significantly suppressed the transcription of Smad4 (P <0.05). There was considerable suppressions of Smad4 expression at the presence of DHT in different concentrations (P < 0.05). And the degree of this suppression was more significant than that of DHT on Smad4 mRNA transcription. Flutamide inhibited the suppressive effects of DHT on both Smad4 mRNA transcription and expression.

CONCLUSION

DHT can enhance the transcription and expression of Smad3, while it decreases the transcription and expression of Smad4 in LNCaP cell line. There is a possible crosstalk between the AR signal and TGF-beta signal passways at the level of Smads.

[Correlation between EPS composition and elevated serum PSA in prostatitis patients]

OBJECTIVE

To explore the correlation between the content of lecithin mass and white blood cells (WBC) of the expressed prostatic secretion (EPS) and the concentration of serum PSA in patients with prostatitis, and to study the difference in serum PSA concentration between patients with bacterial prostatitis and those with nonbacterial prostatitis.

METHODS

The serum PSA concentration in 62 patients with prostatitis and 22 controls were measured with ELISA method. The correlation between the content of lecithin mass and WBC of the EPS and the elevation of serum PSA was analyzed. And the serum PSA concentration of bacterial prostatitis (9 patients) and that of nonbacterial inflammatory prostatitis (53 patients) were compared.

RESULTS

The mean concentrations of serum PSA in the prostatitis and the control groups were (1.79 +/- 0.68) microg/L and (0.63 +/- 0.29) microg/L, respectively. The difference of the serum PSA concentration was significant between the prostatitis and the control groups (P < 0.001) as well as between the groups with higher and lower WBC contents in EPS (P < 0.05), but not between the groups with higher (27 patients) and lower (35 patients) lecithin mass contents in EPS (P > 0.05), nor between the groups of bacterial prostatitis and nonbacterial prostatitis (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Prostatitis may cause the elevation of serum PSA concentration. The elevated serum PSA correlates with the content of white blood cells in EPS, but not with the content of lecithin mass in EPS, nor with the type of prostatitis, either bacterial or nonbacterial.