[Primary adrenal NK/T cell lymphoma: a clinicopathologic analysis of six cases]

Objective: To investigate the clinicopathologic features of primary adrenal NK/T cell lymphoma (PANKL). Methods: Six cases of PANKL were collected at Henan Provincial People's Hospital from January 2000 to December 2021. The clinicopathologic features including morphology, immunophenotype, treatment and prognosis were retrospectively analyzed, and relevant literature was reviewed. Results: There were two males and four females. The median age was 63 years (ranged from 57 to 68 years). The tumors involved bilateral adrenal glands in 4 cases and unilateral adrenal gland in 2 cases. The main clinical symptom was low back pain without obvious cause. Serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) is elevated in five cases. The imaging feature was rapidly enlarging mass initially confined to unilateral/bilateral adrenal glands. Morphologically, the lymphoid cells were mainly medium-sized with a diffuse growth pattern. Coagulative necrosis and nuclear fragmentation were common. Angioinvasion was seen. Immunophenotypically, the neoplastic cells were positive for CD3, CD56 and TIA-1 while CD5 was negative in 5 cases. All cases were positive for EBER by in situ hybridization with more than 80% proliferative activity by Ki-67. Four cases received chemotherapy, one case underwent surgery, and one case underwent surgery with chemotherapy. Follow-up was done in 5 cases; one case was lost to follow-up. Three patients died with a median survival of 11.6 months (3-42 months). Conclusions: PANKL is rare with highly aggressive clinical presentation and poor prognosis. Accurate diagnosis entails correlation of histomorphology, immunohistochemistry, EBER in situ hybridization and clinical history.

[Metal artifact reduction and clinical verification in oral and maxillofacial region based on deep learning]

Objective: To construct a kind of neural network for eliminating the metal artifacts in CT images by training the generative adversarial networks (GAN) model, so as to provide reference for clinical practice. Methods: The CT data of patients treated in the Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University from January 2017 to June 2022 were collected. A total of 1 000 cases of artifact-free CT data and 620 cases of metal artifact CT data were obtained, including 5 types of metal restorative materials, namely, fillings, crowns, titanium plates and screws, orthodontic brackets and metal foreign bodies. Four hundred metal artifact CT data and 1 000 artifact-free CT data were utilized for simulation synthesis, and 1 000 pairs of simulated artifacts and metal images and simulated metal images (200 pairs of each type) were constructed. Under the condition that the data of the five metal artifacts were equal, the entire data set was randomly (computer random) divided into a training set (800 pairs) and a test set (200 pairs). The former was used to train the GAN model, and the latter was used to evaluate the performance of the GAN model. The test set was evaluated quantitatively and the quantitative indexes were root-mean-square error (RMSE) and structural similarity index measure (SSIM). The trained GAN model was employed to eliminate the metal artifacts from the CT data of the remaining 220 clinical cases of metal artifact CT data, and the elimination results were evaluated by two senior attending doctors using the modified LiKert scale. Results: The RMSE values for artifact elimination of fillings, crowns, titanium plates and screws, orthodontic brackets and metal foreign bodies in test set were 0.018±0.004, 0.023±0.007, 0.015±0.003, 0.019±0.004, 0.024±0.008, respectively (F=1.29, P=0.274). The SSIM values were 0.963±0.023, 0.961±0.023, 0.965±0.013, 0.958±0.022, 0.957±0.026, respectively (F=2.22, P=0.069). The intra-group correlation coefficient of 2 evaluators was 0.972. For 220 clinical cases, the overall score of the modified LiKert scale was (3.73±1.13), indicating a satisfactory performance. The scores of modified LiKert scale for fillings, crowns, titanium plates and screws, orthodontic brackets and metal foreign bodies were (3.68±1.13), (3.67±1.16), (3.97±1.03), (3.83±1.14), (3.33±1.12), respectively (F=1.44, P=0.145). Conclusions: The metal artifact reduction GAN model constructed in this study can effectively remove the interference of metal artifacts and improve the image quality.

[Establishment and preliminary application of organoids in ovarian cancer]

Objective: To explore the establishment and application of ovarian cancer organoids. Methods: Fresh ovarian tumor tissues, obtaining from patients underwent surgery in the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University between October 2021 and March 2022, were collected, enzymatic degraded, digested, and embedded into matrigel to establish organoids. A total of 32 ovarian cancer samples were collected. Hematoxylin eosin (HE) staining and immunofluorescence (IF) procedure were used to verify the morphological structure of organoids and their expression of molecular markers. 3D cyto-live or dead assay was used to detecte the live or dead cells in organoids. Carboplatin with a concentration ranging from 5 to 80 μmol/L (5, 10, 20, 40, 80 μmol/L) was added to organoids to calculate the 50% inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) in different organoids. Results: (1) Organoids from a total of 32 patients were established, of which 18 cases could be passaged stably in the long term in vitro, while 14 could be passaged in the short time. The average amplification time of long-term passage in vitro was over 3 months, and the longest reached 9 months. (2) In HE staining, significant nuclei atypia and local micropapillary structures were observed in organoids. IF staining revealed that ovarian cancer organoids expressed molecular markers similar to primary tumor tissues, such as Pan cytokeratin (Pan-CK), p53, paired box gene 8 (PAX8), and Wilms tumor gene 1 (WT1). (3) In 3D cyto-live or dead assay, a large number of apoptotic cells were observed inside and around the organoids after added carboplatin. The sensitivity to carboplatin varied in 18 organoids could amplify in the long term, with an average IC₅₀ of (29.5±15.8) μmol/L. Moreover, IC₅₀ values of 4 organoids derived from patients received neoadjuvant chemotherapy were much higher than the 14 organoids which did not received neoadjuvant chemotherapy [(48.7±11.3) μmol/L vs (24.0±12.1) μmol/L; t=3.429, P=0.022]. Conclusions: Organoids recapitulate ovarian cancers in vitro and could be stably passaged. Organoids derived from patients received neoadjuvant chemotherapy have higher resistance to carboplatin.

[Relationship between parental reproductive age and the risk of overweight and obesity in offspring]

Objective: To explore the role of parental reproductive age on the risk of overweight and obesity in offspring. Methods: The participants were derived from physical examination data of students aged 6-18 years in seven provinces in China, and questionnaire survey was used to collect demographic characteristics and lifestyle information of the students and their parents. A total of 41 567 children with complete data were included. According to the restricted cubic spline curve, maternal reproductive age was divided into three categories, 14-23, 24-28, and 29-38 years, and paternal reproductive age was divided into 14-23, 24-30, and 31-42 years. Multivariate logistic regression model was used to analyze the association between parental reproductive age and parental nutritional status and the risk of overweight and obesity in offspring. Results: The mean age of 41 567 children was (10.6±3.2) years, and the mean paternal and maternal age were (27.9±4.4) years and (25.8±4.0) years, respectively. The detection rate of overweight and obesity was 23.4%. After adjusting factors of children diet and behaviors, the OR(95%CI)of offspring overweight and obesity in groups of fathers aged 24-30 years and mothers aged 24-28 years was 1.11 (1.04-1.18) and 1.16 (1.08-1.24), respectively. When none parents were overweight and obese, the difference of obesity risk was not statistically significant. When both parents were overweight and obese, the OR(95%CI)of offspring overweight and obesity in groups of fathers aged 24-30 years and mothers aged 14-28 years old was 1.27 (1.00-1.62) and 1.33 (1.07-1.65) respectively. Conclusion: Parental reproductive age and parental overweight and obesity status may both increase the risk of overweight and obesity in offspring, with a significant interaction effect.

[Spindle cell type squamous dysplasia of the esophagus: a clinicopathological analysis]

Objective: To investigate the clinicopathological features and significance of spindle cell type squamous dysplasia of the esophagus. Methods: The clinicopathological data of 37 cases of spindle cell type squamous dysplasia of esophagus were collected retrospectively at People's Liberation Army Joint Logistics Support Force 989 Hospital (formerly 152 Hospital), Pingdingshan, China, from 2009 to 2019. The histological and immunohistochemical characteristics were analyzed, with a literature review. Results: The median age of the 37 patients was 65 years (range 47-81 years), while the ratio of men to women was 1.5∶1.0. There were 4 cases in the upper esophagus, 31 in the middle esophagus and 2 in the lower esophagus. The median diameter of the lesions was 14 mm (range 3-40 mm). According to the Paris classification, 11 cases were 0-Ⅱa, 14 cases were 0-Ⅱb, 3 cases were 0-Ⅱb and 0-Ⅱa, and 9 cases were 0-Ⅱc. Under endoscope, the lesional mucosa was reddish. The micro-vessels were dilated, with various shapes and density. Histologically, tumor cells and nuclei were spindle shaped or elongated spindle shaped, with considerable homogeneity, dark nuclei and delicate or slightly thickened chromatin. The mitosis was conspicuous, and atypic mitoses were seen; the cytoplasm was acidophilic, and the intercellular bridge was obvious. The cells were dense and often lost polarity, but still arranged in parallel, mostly perpendicular to the basement membrane. Spindle cells often involved the whole layer of epithelium, with no gradient maturation and differentiation of normal squamous epithelium. The tumor was well demarcated. The spindle cells often invaded lamina propria. There were 15 cases with focal high-grade dysplasia and superficial invasive squamous cell carcinoma. Immunohistochemical staining showed that the mutation rate of p53 was 41.4% (12/29), the median of Ki-67 labeling index was 40% (range 20%-80%), and the abnormal distribution pattern of Ki-67 was 29 (100%). According to the initial pathological diagnosis, there were 6 cases of low-grade dysplasia, 4 cases of atypical epithelial cells and 27 cases of high-grade dysplasia and superficial invasive squamous cell carcinoma. Conclusions: Spindle tumor cells have moderate to severe atypia, and some tumors show invasive pattern. P53 mutation and Ki-67 abnormal distribution pattern indicate that they are high-grade dysplasia of esophageal squamous epithelium. The unique characteristics of spindle tumor cells suggest that they may represent a spindle cell subtype in the morphological spectrum of esophageal squamous dysplasia. When the knowledge of the lesion is insufficient, it can be easily misdiagnosed or missed.

[Clinicopathological features of basal cell type dysplasia of esophagus]

Objective: To investigate the clinicpathological features of basal cell type dysplasia of the esophagus. Methods: The clinicopathological data of 71 cases of basal cell type dysplasia of esophagus were collected at the People's Liberation Army Joint Logistics Support Force 989 Hospital, from 2009 to 2019, and the histomorphologic characteristics and immunophenotype were evaluated. The relevant literature was reviewed. Results: The ratio of male to female patients was 1.6∶1.0, and the median age was 65 years (range 48-81 years). The tumors were located in the upper segment of the esophagus in four cases (5.6%), the middle segment in 54 cases (76.1%), and the lower segment in 13 cases (18.3%).The median maximal tumor diameter was 12.0 mm (range 3-42 mm). According to Paris Classification, 0-Ⅱb accounted for 42.3% (30/71) of the cases. Under endoscope, the lesions were reddish with abnormal mucosal microvessels. Histologically, the neoplastic cells were small, with a high nuclear-cytoplasmic ratio, similar to basal cells, and uniform in morphology. The structural atypia was characterized by dense and disordered tumor cells, loss of basal cell polarity, and absence of normal squamous differentiation gradient. In 10 cases, the tumors were confined to the lower part of the epithelium. The tumor cells were smaller and more uniform in shape, and extend to the superficial lamina propria. Sixty-one tumors involved at least the entire layer of the upper cortex. There were 31 cases of neoplasms with superficial invasive carcinoma. The types of neoplasms included typical squamous cell carcinoma, basaloid squamous cell carcinoma, small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma with sebaceous adenoid carcinoma, and differentiation of glandular/ductal epithelioid carcinoma. Immunohistochemical staining showed that the mutant expression rate of p53 protein was 41.5% (17/41). All 41 cases (100.0%) showed abnormal distribution pattern of Ki-67. According to the initial pathologic diagnosis, there were 18 cases of low grade dysplasia, 12 cases of atypical epithelial cells, and 41 cases of high grade dysplasia and superficially invasive carcinoma. Conclusions: Basal cell type dysplasia has unique morphologic characteristics and represents a tumor subtype in the morphologic lineage of esophageal squamous dysplasia. Tumor cells of basal cell type dysplasia, especially those distributed only in the lower part of the stratified squamous epithelium, may be tumor stem cells at the earliest stage of esophageal carcinogenesis and have multidirectional differentiation potential. When the tumor is confined to the lower part of the stratified squamous epithelium, it does not meet the diagnostic criteria for esophageal squamous dysplasia as defined by the current WHO classification.

[Effects of fecal microbiota transplantation in different routes on the clinical efficacy of slow transit constipation]

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of the fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) in the different route administration for slow transit constipation (STC). Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted. The clinical data of 270 STC patients who voluntarily received FMT treatment in the Tenth People's Hospital of Tongji University from May 2018 to May 2019 were collected. Non-relative healthy adult standard donors were applied. The treatment routes of bacterial flora transplantation included nasojejunal tube (nasal enteral tube group, 120 cases), oral enterobacterial capsule treatment (oral capsule group, 120 cases), and colonoscopy infusion (colonoscopy group, 30 cases). The efficacy and safety of treatment among the three groups were compared. Results: Transplanted bacteria of three groups were extracted from 100 g of fresh feces. All the patients successfully completed the transplantation. The waiting time for the nasal enteral tube group, oral capsule group and colonoscopy group was (1.5±0.5) d, (0.4±0.3) d and (3.6±0.8) d respectively; the cost of establishing the transplantation path was (495±20) yuan, (25±10) yuan and (1420±45) yuan respectively, whose differences were statistically significant (F=9.210, P=0.03; F=10.600,P=0.01). The clinical improvement rates at 1 month after FMT treatment in the nasojejunal tube group, oral capsule group and colonoscopy group were 74.2% (89/120), 60.0% (72/120) and 53.3% (16/30) respectively, whose difference was statistically significant (χ(2)=5.990, P<0.05). The clinical improvement rates at 3 months after treatment were 71.1% (69/97), 53.6% (45/84), and 44.0% (11/25) respectively, whose difference was statistically significant (χ(2)=7.620, P<0.05). The incidence of adverse reactions in the colonoscopy group was 76.7% (23/30), which was higher than that in the nasal nasojejunal group (39.2%, 47/120) and oral capsule group (21.7%, 26/120). The most common adverse reactions in the nasojejunal tube group, oral capsule group and colonoscopy group were respiratory discomfort (17.5%, 21/120), nausea and vomiting (10.0%, 12/120), and diarrhea (36.7%, 11/30). During the 3-month follow-up after treatment, no FMT-related adverse reactions were reported. Conclusions: The nasojejunal tube route has stable clinical efficacy and operability, while the oral capsule route has shorter waiting time and less cost. However, the adverse reactions caused by different transplantation methods are different, thus personalized transplantation method should be recommended.

RNA-binding protein MSI2 isoforms expression and regulation in progression of triple-negative breast cancer

BACKGROUND

The RNA-binding protein Musashi-2 (MSI2) has been implicated in the tumorigenesis and tumor progression of some human cancers. MSI2 has also been reported to suppress tumor epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) progression in breast cancer, and low MSI2 expression is associated with poor outcomes for breast cancer patients; however, the underlying mechanisms have not been fully investigated. This study investigated the expression and phenotypic functions of two major alternatively spliced MSI2 isoforms (MSI2a and MSI2b) and the potential molecular mechanisms involved in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) progression.

METHODS

The Illumina sequencing platform was used to analyze the mRNA transcriptomes of TNBC and normal tissues, while quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry validated MSI2 isoform expression in breast cancer tissues. The effects of MSI2a and MSI2b on TNBC cells were assayed in vitro and in vivo. RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) and RNA sequencing were performed to identify the potential mRNA targets of MSI2a, and RIP and luciferase analyses were used to confirm the mRNA targets of MSI2.

RESULTS

MSI2 expression in TNBC tissues was significantly downregulated compared to that in normal tissues. In TNBC, MSI2a expression was associated with poor overall survival of patients. MSI2a overexpression in vitro and in vivo inhibited TNBC cell invasion as well as extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) activity. However, MSI2b overexpression had no significant effects on TNBC cell migration. Mechanistically, MSI2a expression promoted TP53INP1 mRNA stability by its interaction with the 3'-untranslated region of TP53INP1 mRNA. Furthermore, TP53INP1 knockdown reversed MSI2a-induced suppression of TNBC cell invasion, whereas ectopic expression of TP53INP1 and inhibition of ERK1/2 activity blocked MSI2 knockdown-induced TNBC cell invasion.

CONCLUSIONS

The current study demonstrated that MSI2a is the predominant functional isoform of MSI2 proteins in TNBC, that its downregulation is associated with TNBC progression and poor prognosis and that MSI2a expression inhibited TNBC invasion by stabilizing TP53INP1 mRNA and inhibiting ERK1/2 activity. Overall, our study provides new insights into the isoform-specific roles of MSI2a and MSI2b in the tumor progression of TNBC, allowing for novel therapeutic strategies to be developed for TNBC.

[Effects of copper and cadmium ions on protective enzyme activity in Oncomelania hupensis]

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the effects of Cu²⁺ and Cd²⁺ at different concentrations on superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and peroxidase (POD) activity in Oncomelania hupensis.

METHODS

Cu²⁺- and Cd²⁺-containing solutions were prepared at 7 concentrations, and O. hupensis snails were exposed to the solutions for 24 h, of 15 snails in each concentration. Then, the snail body was collected following removal of the snail shell and homogenated, and the SOD, CAT and POS activities were detected in the supernatants.

RESULTS

With the increase of the Cu²⁺ concentration, the SOD activity appeared a rise followed by a reduction in O. hupensis snails, and the CTA activity appeared a decline-rise-decline tendency, while the POD activity showed a tendency towards rise followed by decline. With the increase of the Cd²⁺ concentration, the SOD activity appeared a rise followed by a reduction in O. hupensis snails, and the CTA activity appeared a decline- rise- decline tendency, while the POD activity showed a decline-rise-decline tendency.

CONCLUSIONS

Exposure to Cu²⁺ and Cd²⁺ at high concentrations results in a decline in the activity of SOD, CAT and POD in O. hupensis at the same time.

[Acute toxicity of four heavy metal ions to Oncomelania hupensis]

OBJECTIVE

To assess the acute toxicity of Cu²⁺, Cd²⁺, Hg²⁺ and Pb²⁺ to Oncomelania hupensis.

METHODS

Cu²⁺, Cd²⁺, Hg²⁺ and Pb²⁺ solutions were prepared at five concentrations, and 10 snails were exposed to each concentration for 24, 48, 72 h and 96 h. Then, the inhibition of snail activity and snail death was observed, and the half maximal effective concentration (EC₅₀) and median lethal concentrations (LC₅₀) were estimated.

RESULTS

The 24, 48, 72 h and 96 h EC50 values of Cu²⁺, Cd²⁺, Hg²⁺ and Pb²⁺ were 0.74, 0.56, 0.46, 0.37 mg/L, 4.79, 3.52, 1.70, 1.26 mg/L, 1.90, 1.49, 0.83, 0.76 mg/L and 21.40, 9.98, 7.90, 5.42 mg/L for snails, respectively. The 96 h LC₅₀ values of Cu²⁺, Cd²⁺, Hg²⁺ and Pb²⁺ were 0.43, 2.96, 1.12 mg/L and 12.22 mg/L for snails, the safe concentrations were 0.004 3, 0.029 6, 0.011 2, 0.122 2 mg/L, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Cu²⁺ shows a high acute toxicity to snails, and Cd²⁺ and Hg²⁺ exhibit a moderate acute toxicity to snails, while Pb²⁺ is lowly toxic to snails.

Determination of Place of Residence Using the Gene Information of Plants Carried by the Human Body

Abstract

Objective To identify the plant species using the DNA sequence of plant pollen from lung tissues of a unidentified body, infer the possible long-term places of residence of the deceased according to the distribution area of the pollen in the lung tissues, therefore narrow the scope of criminal investigation and provide clues for case solving. Methods Lung tissues were extracted from the deceased, total DNA was extracted by the mCTAB method. Gene fragments of the two plant DNA barcodes, matK and rbcL, were acquired using specific primers for amplification, then sequenced. The DNA sequences of target gene fragments were acquired through bioinformatics analysis. The sequences were combined with reference sequence data. Phylogenetic analysis was made to identify the species that the DNA sequences belonged to. The places where the deceased could have lived for a long time were inferred, according to the distribution information of plant species. Results Gene fragments of 32 plant species which belonged to 31 genera of 27 families were in the lung tissues of the deceased. Among them, plants of 9 genera that had certain indicative function were mainly endemic plants from Hainan, Guangdong, Guangxi and Yunnan. These results showed that the deceased may have stayed in these areas for a long time before death. After further investigation, the victim was confirmed to have come from a county in southern Guangxi, which was in accordance with the research results. Conclusion The method of using gene information of plants from lung tissues of human bodies to infer places of residence can assist inference of the places where the deceased could have lived for a long time. The present study may also provide new ideas for locating sources of the corpses in cases with unidentified victims.

Long non-coding RNA metastasis associated in lung adenocarcinoma transcript 1 (MALAT1) interacts with estrogen receptor and predicted poor survival in breast cancer

Metastasis associated in lung adenocarcinoma transcript 1 (MALAT1), a lncRNA that was first recognized as a prognostic parameter for patient survival of stage I lung cancer, is up-regulated in multiple human malignancies, including breast cancer. However, the mechanism of its function remained elusive. In the current study, by examining MALAT1 expression on mRNA level, we demonstrated that compared with MCF10A, MALAT1 expression was up-regulated in the majority of breast cancer cell lines (9/12). In 26 pairs of estrogen receptor (ER)-positive breast cancer samples, MALAT1 expression was significantly up-regulated compared with adjacent normal tissues (P = 0.012). Furthermore, of 204 breast cancer patients, high MALAT1 expression was associated with positive ER (P = 0.023) and progesterone receptor (PR) (P = 0.024) status. Further analysis using TCGA database revealed that ER and its target genes PGR and CCND1, were overexpressed in MALAT1 altered group compared with unaltered group, both on the mRNA and protein level. Lastly, we verified MALAT1's prognostic value in breast cancer. At the cut-off value of 75%, MALAT1 was the only independent prognostic factor of recurrence-free survival (RFS) in ER-negative patients in a multivariate Cox regression model (hazard ratio [HR] = 2.83, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.02–7.83). MALAT1 overexpression was also associated with poor RFS in tamoxifen treated ER-positive breast cancer patients, which might serve as a potential biomarker to predict endocrine treatment sensitivity.

Global land-water nexus: Agricultural land and freshwater use embodied in worldwide supply chains

As agricultural land and freshwater inextricably interrelate and interact with each other, the conventional water and land policy in "silos" should give way to nexus thinking when formulating the land and water management strategies. This study constructs a systems multi-regional input-output (MRIO) model to expound global land-water nexus by simultaneously tracking agricultural land and freshwater use flows along the global supply chains. Furthermore, land productivity and irrigation water requirements of 160 crops in different regions are investigated to reflect the land-water linkage. Results show that developed economies (e.g., USA and Japan) and major large developing economies (e.g., mainland China and India) are the overriding drivers of agricultural land and freshwater use globally. In general, significant net transfers of these two resources are identified from resource-rich and less-developed economies to resource-poor and more-developed economies. For some crops, blue water productivity is inversely related to land productivity, indicating that irrigation water consumption is sometimes at odds with land use. The results could stimulus international cooperation for sustainable land and freshwater management targeting on original suppliers and final consumers along the global supply chains. Moreover, crop-specific land-water linkage could provide insights for trade-off decisions on minimizing the environmental impacts on local land and water resources.

[High expression of hnRNPAB/Kap1 together promote poor prognosis in HCC]

Objective: To further understand the interaction protein spectrum of heterogeneous ribonucleoprotein AB (hnRNP AB), and to investigate their clinical significance in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods: We carried out mass spectrometry to reveal the specific peptides of KRAB-associated protein 1 (Kap1) and hnRNPAB, and verified their interaction by immunocoprecipitation and western blotting. Expression of hnRNPAB/Kap1 proteins were detected by immunohistochemical staining in the tissue microarrays. Categorical data were analyzed by the chi square test or Fisher exact test; enumeration data between groups were compared using Student t-test or Wilcocon signed rank test; the cumulative recurrence and survival rates were evaluated using the Kaplan-Meier method and the differences were assessed using the log-rank test. Results: We identified Kap1 as a molecular partner for hnRNPAB in HCCLM3 cells and HepG2 cells as well. We found that the 5-year survival rate of the Kap1high patients was significantly lower than the survival rate of those of the Kap1low group (36% vs 59% , HR = 1.67, P < 0.001). Similarly, Kap1high HCC patients had the poorest prognosis at 5-years, with higher cumulative recurrence rate than Kap1low patients (72% vs 54%, HR = 1.66, P = 0.001). Univariate and Multivariate analyses revealed that hnRNPAB /Kap1 alone (HR = 1.35 /1.28, P = 0.001) or in combination with Kap1 (HR =1.24 /1.27, P < 0.05) were independent prognostic indicators for overall survival and time to recurrence. Conclusion: In HCC cells, hnRNPAB and Kap1 form protein complexes. The expression levels of hnRNPAB alone or in combination with Kap1 in HCC patients are important because they provide not only a predictor for HCC prognosis but also a therapeutic target for future studies.

[The expression of serum hepatocyte growth factor in OSAHS]

Objective:To investigate the clinical significance of detecting peripheral blood hepatocyte growth factor（HGF） in OSAHS patients.Method:Ninety-six cases of OSAHS patients in our hospital were selected as OSAHS group,and were divided into 3 subgroups according to the PSG results：mild,medium and severe. Each group included 32 cases,Thirty-five cases of healthy persons were selected as control group. ELISA method was utilized to detect the HGF level of peripheral blood. HGF concentration was measured in 32 patients with severe OSAHS after 3 months of comprehensive treatment. The relationship between serum HGF and sleep respiration events was further analyzed.Result: The HGF concentration of peripheral blood increased with the severity of OSAHS.The serum levels of HGF in the control,mild,medium and severe group were（487.75±46.74）pg/ml，（519.44±50.77）pg/ml，（753.52±58.91） pg/ml and（829.49±61.74）pg/ml,respectively. There were significant differences among groups（F=117．733,P<0.01). HGF concentration in peripheral blood of OSAHS patients was unrelated to sex,age,and BMI（P>0.05）,and positively correlated with AHI,negatively correlated with LSaO₂（P<0.01）. After comprehensive treatment,the serum HGF concentration and AHI in severe OSAHS group were significantly decreased,while LSaO₂ was significantly increased.Conclusion:The level of HGF was increased in OSAHS patients and was positively correlated with the severity of OSAHS. Determining the level of HGF in peripheral blood is important for evaluating the severity of OSAHS and the degree of vascular endothelial dysfunction,and assessing the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Detection of autoantibodies to a panel of tumor-associated antigens for the diagnosis values of gastric cardia adenocarcinoma

To evaluate the diagnostic values of using autoantibodies in sera to a panel of eight tumor-associated antigens (TAAs) of P53, Koc, P62, C-myc, IMP1, Survivn, P16 and Cyclin B1 full-length recombinant proteins for early detection of patients with gastric cardia adenocarcinoma (GCA) and high-risk subjects screening. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to detect autoantibodies against the eight selected TAAs in 383 sera samples from four groups, including 140 subjects with normal gastric cardia epithelia (NOR), 76 patients with chronic atrophic gastritis (CAG), 79 patients with gastric cardia dysplasia (DYS) and 88 patients with GCA. In addition, the expression of the eight antigens was analyzed in gastric cardia tissues by immunohistochemical method. The individual autoantibodies to six TAAs (P53, P62, IMP1, Survivn P16 and Cyclin B1) were significantly higher in sera from patients with GCA than that in normal subjects (P < 0.05). When autoantibody assay successively accumulated to seven TAAs (P53, Koc, P62, C-myc, IMP1, Survivn and P16), a stepwise increased detection frequency of autoantibodies was found in the four sera groups (13% in NOR, 39% in CAG, 46% in DYS, and 64% in GCA, respectively), the risks to CAG, DYS and GCA steadily increased about 4.4-, 5.7- and 12.0-fold. The sensitivity and the specificity for autoantibodies against the seven TAAs in diagnosing GCA reached up to 64% and 87%, respectively. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for the seven anti-TAA autoantibodies was 0.73 (95%CI: 0.68-0.78) No more increase in sensitivity was found with the addition of new anti-TAA autoantibodies. A combination detection of autoantibodies to TAAs might be helpful to distinguish GCA patients from normal subjects and the patients with gastric cardia precancerous lesions. In addition, further studies in patients with GCA and precancerous lesions using enlarged TAA panels might improve the sensitivity and specificity of cancer detection and high-risk subjects screening.

Autoantibody detection to tumor-associated antigens of P53, IMP1, P16, cyclin B1, P62, C-myc, Survivn, and Koc for the screening of high-risk subjects and early detection of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic values by detecting sera autoantibodies to eight tumor-associated antigens (TAAs) of P53, IMP1, P16, cyclin B1, P62, C-myc, Survivn and Koc full-length recombinant proteins for the screening of high-risk subjects and early detection of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to detect autoantibodies against the eight selected TAAs in 567 sera samples from four groups, including 200 individuals with normal esophageal epithelia (NOR), 214 patients with esophageal basal cell hyperplasia (BCH), 65 patients with esophageal dysplasia (DYS), and 88 patients with ESCC. In addition, the expression of the eight antigens in esophageal tissues was analyzed by immunohistochemistry. Statistically significant distribution differences were identified among the four groups for each of the individual autoantibodies to six TAAs (P53, IMP1, P16, cyclin B1, P62, and C-myc); the detection rates of antoantibodies were positively correlated with the progression of ESCC. When autoantibody assay successively accumulated to six TAAs (P53, IMP1, P16, cyclin B1, P62, and C-myc), a stepwise increased detection frequency of autoantibodies was found in the four sera groups (6% in NOR, 18% in BCH, 38% in DYS, and 64% in ESCC, respectively), the risks to BHC, DYS, and ESCC steadily increased about 3-, 9-, and 27-folds. The sensitivity and the specificity for autoantibodies against the six TAAs in diagnosing ESCC reached up to 64% and 94%, respectively. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for the six anti-TAA autoantibodies was 0.78 (95% confidence interval 0.74-0.83). No more increasing in sensitivity was found with the addition of new anti-TAA autoantibodies. A combination detection of autoantibodies to TAAs might distinguish ESCC patients from normal individuals and the patients with esophageal precancerous lesions.

Methylation-sensitive amplification polymorphism analysis of fat and muscle tissues in pigs

DNA methylation may be involved in regulating the expression of protein-coding genes, resulting in different fat and muscle phenotypes. Using a methylation-sensitive amplified polymorphism approach, we obtained 7423 bands by selective amplification of genomic DNA from six different fat depots and two heterogeneous muscle types from Duroc/Landrace/Yorkshire cross-bred pigs. The degrees of DNA methylation, determined by the percentages of hemi- and fully methylated sites relative to the total number of CCGG sites, were similar in male and female pigs for each specific tissue [χ(2) test; P (two-tailed) > 0.05]. Gender bias was therefore ignored. There were significant differences in the degree of DNA methylation among the eight tissue types [χ(2) test; P(total) (two-tailed) = 0.009]. However, similar degrees of methylation were observed among the six fat depots [χ(2) test; P(fat) (two-tailed) = 0.24 > 0.05]and between the two muscle types [χ(2) test; P(muscle) (two-tailed) = 0.76 > 0.05]. We conclude that the degree of DNA methylation differs between porcine fat and muscle tissue, but that the methylation status of a particular tissue type is similar, despite being deposited at different body sites.

Differential expression analysis of porcine MDH1, MDH2 and ME1 genes in adipose tissues

Malate dehydrogenases 1 and 2 (MDH1 and MDH2), and malic enzyme 1 (ME1) play important roles in the Krebs cycle for energy metabolism. The mRNA abundance changes of MDH1, MDH2 and ME1 genes were measured across six different adipose tissues from the leaner Landrace and fatty Rongchang pig breeds using quantitative real-time PCR. The mRNA of MDH1, MDH2 and ME1 was more abundant in fatty Rongchang pigs than in leaner Landrace pigs. In both breeds, females exhibited higher adipocyte volume and mRNA abundance of MDH1, MDH2 and ME1 compared with males. These values were higher in the subcutaneous adipose tissue compared with visceral adipose tissue. Furthermore, mRNA abundance changes of MDH1, MDH2 and ME1 have the remarked significant positive correlation with adipocyte volume across the six adipose tissue types. We conclude that there are breed-, gender- and tissue-specific expression patterns of ME1, MDH1 and MDH2, which highlight their potential as candidate genes for selecting for fat volume in pigs.

MSH2 promoter hypermethylation in circulating tumor DNA is a valuable predictor of disease-free survival for patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Tumor-specific alterations of DNA methylation in circulating DNA have been associated with tumor burden and malignant progression. A wealth of information indicating the potential use of DNA methylation in circulating DNA for cancer screening, prognosis and monitoring of the efficacy of anticancer therapies has emerged. In this study, we examined prospectively whether the presence of plasma DNA with tumor characteristics before oesophagectomy is a predictive factor related to disease-free survival (DFS).

METHODS

Promoter hypermethylation of MSH2 was analyzed using real-time methylation-specific PCR (real-time MSP) in paired tumor and plasma samples of 209 patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC).

RESULTS

Aberrant MSH2 methylation was found in 101 of 209 ESCC patients. Of these 101 patients, 77 cases exhibited the same alteration in their plasma DNA. No alterations were found in the plasma DNA of the remaining 108 patients. As a control, we screened for aberrant methylation in the plasma DNA of 60 health individuals. No methylation was found in plasma DNA of these control groups. Follow-up analysis indicated significantly lower DFS for patients with high MSH2 methylation compared to those with MSH2 unmethylation after surgery.

CONCLUSIONS

It was suggestted that MSH2 methylation in the plasma would be a good predictor of DFS for these ESCC patients before oesophagectomy.

Correlated expression of Fas, NF-kappaB, and VEGF-C in infiltrating ductal carcinoma of the breast

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the expressions of Fas, NF-kappaB, and vascular endothelial growth factor-C (VEGF-C) in infiltrating ductal carcinoma of the breast and provide scientific basis for early diagnosis and prognosis of breast cancer.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The immunohistochemical technique (SP method) was used to detect expression of Fas, NF-kappaB, and VEGF-C in 137 cases of breast-infiltrating ductal carcinoma, 17 cases of intraductal carcinoma of the breast, and 20 cases of normal breast tissues, and analyze its relationship with clinicopathologic factors of breast cancer and patients' survival rate, as well as the correlation among their expression, clinicopathologic factors, and survival rate.

RESULTS

Fas expression was less commonly detected in infiltrating ductal carcinoma than in intraductal carcinoma and normal tissue. In contrast, both NF-kappaB and VEGF-C were more commonly detected in infiltrating ductal carcinoma than in intraductal carcinoma and normal tissue. Fas expression was correlated with tumor size, histological grade, and clinicopathological stage; NF-kappaB expression was correlated with tumor size, histological grade, lymph node metastasis; VEGF-C expression was correlated with lymph node metastasis and clinical and pathological stages of breast cancer (p < or = 0.05). Spearman rank correlation analysis revealed a negative correlation between Fas expression and both NF-kappaB and VEGF-C expression in infiltrating breast cancer (p < 0.05) Additionally, Kaplan-Meier survival analysis demonstrated that five-year survival was higher for patients with Fas-positive samples but lower for those with VEGF-C-positive samples.

CONCLUSIONS

The present results demonstrate that Fas and NF-B play a role in the initiation and development of breast cancer, while VEGF-C appears to promote lymph node metastasis. Thus, these proteins may serve as useful diagnostic and prognostic markers of invasive breast cancer.

Isolation and characterization of 19 microsatellite markers in a tropical and warm subtropical birch, Betula alnoides Buch.-Ham. ex D. Don

Betula alnoides is an ecologically and economically important species in the tropics and warm subtropics. Nineteen polymorphic microsatellite markers were isolated from this species, which displayed three to 12 alleles per locus. The observed heterozygosities ranged from 0.100 to 0.905, and the expected heterozygosities from 0.510 to 0.893. These markers would be useful tools in genetic resource assessment, molecular marker-assistant breeding, parentage analysis and genetic diversity studies for this species.

Experimental investigation on moving chemical reaction boundary theory for weak-acid-strong-base system with background electrolyte KCl in large concentration

In this report, the moving chemical reaction boundary (MCRB) was formed with the weak acid of acetic acid (HAc) and the strong alkali of NaOH, coupled with the excess of background electrolyte KCl. The experiments were compared with the predictions by the moving chemical reaction boundary equation (MCRBE). It is very interesting that (1) the experimental results are in good agreement with the predictions with the original MCRBE if the MCRB is an anodic moving boundary, (2) however, the experiments are extremely far away from the predictions with the original MCRBE if a cathodic moving boundary. Hence, the original MCRBE must be corrected under the later situation of cathodic moving MCRB. The corrected MCRBE was well quantitatively proved to be valid for the cathodic moving MNRB formed with the same electrolytes of HAc, NaOH and KCl.

Corrections to moving chemical reaction boundary equation for weak reactive electrolytes under the existence of background electrolyte KCl in large concentrations

In this report, the moving chemical reaction boundary (MCRB) was formed by the weak reaction electrolytes of NH3.H2O and CH3COOH under the existence of background electrolyte KCl in large concentrations, the experiments were compared with the predictions by the moving chemical reaction boundary equation (MCRBE) for weak reactive electrolytes. It was found that the experimental results are far from the predictions with the MCRBE. So the MCRBEs must be corrected under the given experimental conditions. The corrected MCRBEs are given for the MCRB formed with weak reactive electrolytes coupled with KCl at high concentrations.

Experimental study on moving neutralization reaction boundary created with the strong reactive electrolytes of HCl and NaOH in agarose gel

In this paper, a moving neutralization reaction boundary (MNRB) is created with the strong reactive electrolytes of HCl and NaOH in agarose gel. The motions of the MNRB are investigated and compared with the predictions with the theory of the moving chemical reaction boundary (MCRB). The results show that, under appreciate experimental conditions, the experiments on the MNRB are exactly in coincidence with the predictions with the MCRB theory. Thus, the results excellently demonstrate that the MCRB theory is valid for the MNRB formed with the strong reactive electrolytes of HCl and NaOH. Additionally, it is, as discussed in this paper, imperative to develop a method to obtain ionic mobility at different temperatures and ionic strengths, in order to investigate the movements of the MCRB more efficiently.

Ethanol up-regulates fatty acid uptake and plasma membrane expression and export of mitochondrial aspartate aminotransferase in HepG2 cells

To explain the increased plasma mitochondrial aspartate aminotransferase (mAspAT) observed in alcoholics, we cultured HepG2 hepatoma cells in ethanol. Acute (24 hour) exposure to 0, 20, 40, or 80 mmol/L ethanol produced a dose-dependent (r = .98) increase in mAspAT messenger RNA (mRNA) of < or = thirteen-fold, with no significant change in the cellular content of mAspAT or of several other enzymes. The recovery of mAspAT in the medium over 24 hours of ethanol exposure correlated with both ethanol concentration and with mAspAT mRNA (r = .90), reaching 808% of cellular enzyme content/24 hours at 80 mmol/L. Recovery of all other enzymes studied was < or = 20% of cellular content and unaffected by ethanol. Plasma membrane mAspAT content also correlated with mAspAT mRNA (r = .96) and mitochondrial levels were unchanged. No mitochondrial morphologic abnormalities were observed at any ethanol concentration studied. In cells cultured chronically at 0 to 80 mmol/L ethanol, fatty acid uptake Vmax increased in parallel with plasma membrane expression of mAspAT (r = .98). Cellular triglyceride content was highly correlated with Vmax. Thus, the data suggest that: 1) the increased plasma mAspAT observed in alcoholics may reflect pharmacologic upregulation of mAspAT mRNA and of mAspAT synthesis by ethanol; and 2) increased mAspAT-mediated fatty acid uptake may contribute to alcoholic fatty liver.

Uptake of long chain free fatty acids is selectively up-regulated in adipocytes of Zucker rats with genetic obesity and non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus

To examine whether fatty acid transport is abnormal in obesity, the kinetics of [3H]oleate uptake by hepatocytes, cardiac myocytes, and adipocytes from adult male Wistar (+/+), Zucker lean (fa/+) and fatty (fa/fa), and Zucker diabetic fatty (ZDF) rats were studied. A tissue-specific increase in oleate uptake was found in fa/fa and ZDF adipocytes, in which the Vmax was increased 9-fold (p < 0.005) and 13-fold (p < 0.001), respectively. This increase greatly exceeded the 2-fold increase in the surface area of adipocytes from obese animals, and did not result from trans-stimulation secondary to increased lipolysis. Adipocyte tumor necrosis factor-alpha mRNA levels, assayed by Northern hybridization, increased in the order +/+ < fa/fa < ZDF. Oleate uptake was also studied in adipocytes from 20-24-day-old male +/+, fa/+, and fa/fa weanlings. These animals were not obese, and had equivalent plasma fatty acid and glucose levels. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha mRNA levels in +/+ and fa/fa cells also were similar. Nevertheless, Vmax was increased 2.9-fold (p < 0.005) in fa/fa compared +/+ cells. These studies indicate 1) that regulation of fatty acid uptake is tissue-specific and 2) that up-regulation of adipocyte fatty acid uptake is an early event in Zucker fa/fa rats. These findings are independent of the role of any particular fatty acid transporter. Adipocyte mRNA levels of three putative transporters, mitochondrial aspartate aminotransferase, fatty acid translocase, and fatty acid transporting protein (FATP) were also determined; mitochondrial aspartate aminotransferase and FATP mRNAs correlated strongly with fatty acid uptake.

Regulated membrane transport of free fatty acids in adipocytes: role in obesity and non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus

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Characterization of membrane transport processes: lessons from the study of BSP, bilirubin, and fatty acid uptake

Recent efforts to identify plasma membrane transporters mediating the selective uptake of specific classes of organic anions have employed expression cloning techniques. The transporters identified by these procedures have, almost without exception, differed from putative transporters identified earlier by classical methods. In this review, the classical and molecular approaches to the identification of membrane transporters are examined and compared, with particular attention paid to the results obtained by each with respect to sulfobromophthalein, bilirubin, and fatty acid transport. The classical approach requires the initial identification and purification of a candidate transport protein, proof of its function as a transporter by antibody inhibition or liposome reconstitution studies, and following the cloning of its cDNA, genetic expression in transfected mammalian cells or in Xenopus laevis oocytes. Expression cloning affords more rapid identification of proteins which (by definition) influence uptake, avoids several potential artifacts (e.g., of conventional cDNA library screening techniques), and yields rapid access to sequence information and derived structural characteristics. However, it is ultimately necessary to express and purify the recombinant protein product, produce antibodies against synthetic peptides and/or the purified recombinant protein, use the antibodies to identify the subcellular location of the cloned protein, demonstrate that the protein binds the ligand of interest, and document that the protein mediates a facilitated process with the characteristics of the one under study. Hence, the two approaches ultimately require similar efforts. It is argued that the different putative BSP/bilirubin and fatty acid transporters identified by the two approaches may mediate different parallel transport pathways.

Oleate uptake by isolated hepatocytes and the perfused rat liver is competitively inhibited by palmitate

Competition for uptake between long-chain free fatty acids has been difficult to document, because there has been no algorithm for computing unbound concentrations of two fatty acids simultaneously in solution with albumin. We modified an iterative procedure to permit this computation and studied initial [3H]oleate uptake by isolated hepatocytes and steady-state uptake by the single-pass perfused rat liver from 600 microM bovine serum albumin solutions containing various concentrations of oleate in the presence and absence of palmitate. In both systems, the Michaelis-Menten constant was significantly higher in the presence of palmitate than in its absence, whereas the maximal reaction velocity was unaltered, indicating competitive inhibition. In additional experiments employing the multiple transhepatic indicator-dilution technique, the influx rate constant and permeability-surface area product for oleate influx were significantly reduced by palmitate, confirming that the competition observed in the conventional perfused liver studies was at the influx step. Long-chain fatty acid uptake has now been shown to exhibit all the kinetic properties of facilitated transport and cannot be attributed solely to passive diffusion.

3T3 fibroblasts transfected with a cDNA for mitochondrial aspartate aminotransferase express plasma membrane fatty acid-binding protein and saturable fatty acid uptake

To explore the relationship between mitochondrial aspartate aminotransferase (mAspAT; EC 2.6.1.1) and plasma membrane fatty acid-binding protein (FABPpm) and their role in cellular fatty acid uptake, 3T3 fibroblasts were cotransfected with plasmid pMAAT2, containing a full-length mAspAT cDNA downstream of a Zn(2+)-inducible metallothionein promoter, and pFR400, which conveys methotrexate resistance. Transfectants were selected in methotrexate, cloned, and exposed to increasing methotrexate concentrations to induce gene amplification. Stably transfected clones were characterized by Southern blotting; those with highest copy numbers of pFR400 alone (pFR400) or pFR400 and pMAAT2 (pFR400/pMAAT2) were expanded for further study. [3H]Oleate uptake was measured in medium containing 500 microM bovine serum albumin and 125-1000 microM total oleate (unbound oleate, 18-420 nM) and consisted of saturable and nonsaturable components. pFR400/pMAAT2 cells exhibited no increase in the rate constant for nonsaturable oleate uptake or in the uptake rate of [14C]octanoate under any conditions. By contrast, Vmax (fmol/sec per 50,000 cells) of the saturable oleate uptake component increased 3.5-fold in pFR400/pMAAT2 cells compared to pFR400, with a further 3.2-fold increase in the presence of Zn2+. Zn2+ had no effect in pFR400 controls (P > 0.5). The overall increase in Vmax between pFR400 and pFR400/pMAAT2 in the presence of Zn2+ was 10.4-fold (P < 0.01) and was highly correlated (r = 0.99) with expression of FABPpm in plasma membranes as determined by Western blotting. Neither untransfected 3T3 nor pFR400 cells expressed cell surface FABPpm detectable by immunofluorescence. By contrast, plasma membrane immunofluorescence was detected in pFR400/pMAAT2 cells, especially if cultured in 100 microM Zn2+. The data support the dual hypotheses that mAspAT and FABPpm are identical and mediate saturable long-chain free fatty acid uptake.

Mitochondrial aspartate aminotransferase expressed on the surface of 3T3-L1 adipocytes mediates saturable fatty acid uptake

Physicochemical studies have suggested that the 43-kDa plasma membrane fatty acid binding protein (FABPpm) is closely related to the mitochondrial isoform of aspartate aminotransferase (mAspAT). In the present studies, mAspAT was not detected immunohistochemically or by immunoblotting in plasma membranes of proliferating 3T3-L1 fibroblasts. During controlled differentiation to an adipocyte phenotype, mAspAT became detectable by the second day of confluent growth, prior to accumulation of visible lipid droplets, and was strongly expressed in 8-day differentiated 3T3-L1 adipocytes. The pattern of expression paralleled the previously reported expression both of FABPpm and of the Vmax for saturable uptake of long chain free fatty acids. As with anti-FABPpm, antibodies to mAspAT selectively inhibited the uptake of [3H]-oleate in 3T3-L1 adipocytes but not in fibroblasts, while having no effect on uptake of either 2-deoxyglucose or the medium chain fatty acid octanoate. Preabsorption of anti-FABPpm with mAspAT, or of anti-mAspAT with FABPpm, abolished immunopositivity in immunohistochemical and immunoblotting studies, as well as the ability of either antibody to inhibit [3H]-oleate uptake. These studies provide strong biologic evidence for the identity of FABPpm and mAspAT, and for the hypothesis that FABPpm/mAspAT mediates the uptake of long chain free fatty acids.

The hepatocellular uptake of free fatty acids is selectively preserved during starvation

BACKGROUND/AIMS

The liver loses protein during fasting. This study sought to determine if hepatic protein loss during fasting selectively preserves functions important to survival such as uptake of fatty acids, which are major energy substrates in that condition.

METHODS

Initial [3H]oleate uptake and efflux rates in hepatocytes from starved (for 48 hours) and fed male rats were measured in media containing 250 mumol/L albumin at oleate/albumin ratios of 0.2:1-2:1. Uptake rates of sulfobromophthalein, taurocholate, and glucose were also determined.

RESULTS

Initial oleate uptake rate was saturable with respect to unbound oleate concentration. Maximum initial velocity expressed per cell number did not differ between fasted and fed animals, but measured cell volume and estimated surface area were decreased in starved vs. fed hepatocytes (921 +/- 21 vs. 1623 +/- 58 microns2, respectively; P < 0.001). Consequently, when expressed per surface area, maximum initial velocity was greater in starved cells (17 +/- 3 vs. 10 +/- 2 [pmol.min-1.micron2] x 10(-7); P < 0.02). Expressed similarly, oleate efflux was also greater from starved hepatocytes and was inhibited by an antibody to plasma membrane fatty acid binding protein (FABPpm). FABPpm concentration per unit area of plasma membrane also increased in starved hepatocytes (P < 0.05). By contrast, uptake rates of sulfobromophthalein, taurocholate, and glucose by starved hepatocytes were decreased when expressed per cell number and unchanged per unit area.

CONCLUSIONS

During fasting, the hepatocellular uptake mechanism for oleate is selectively preserved compared with those for sulfobromophthalein, taurocholate, or glucose.

[Chinese strain of hepatitis D virus: molecular cloning and sequencing, and the significance of its genome divergence]

The hepatitis D virus (HDV) obtained from a chronic asymptomatic HDV/HBsAg carrier (SZ 93) in Sichuan province was cloned with 1,684 nucleotides in full-length genome by reverse transcription-PCR. Comparison of SZ 93 with those obtained from different geographic area: i.e., Italia, United States, British, Nauru, Taiwan, Netherland, showed 81.8%-95.4% homology in nucleotide sequence of whole genome, 88.9%-96.1% homology in nucleotide sequence of HDAg-coding region, and 86.4%-93.0% homology in amino acid sequence of HDAg protein. Also, another isolate (SZ 92) obtained from a chronic severe hepatitis patient in Sichuan was cloned with HDAg-coding region. There were some mutations in SZ 92 compared with SZ 93 as well as the other clones mentioned above. The meaning for the genome divergence of HDV SZ 93 and SZ 92 was discussed.

Early hair-cell degeneration in the extreme apex of the guinea pig cochlea

Guinea pigs, aged from 3 weeks before term to 31 weeks after birth, were prepared for scanning electron microscopy. Examination of the extreme apex of the cochlea showed apparently pathological hair cells, even 3 weeks before term. The pathologies included loss and fusion of stereocilia, and the formation of giant stereocilia. The pathologies were most prevalent on row 3 of outer hair cells, declining to outer hair cell rows 2 and 1, with the inner hair cells being least affected. The abnormalities increased with time, increasing rapidly over the first few weeks of life, and more slowly thereafter. It is suggested that early degeneration in the extreme cochlear apex forms a novel model for spontaneous hair cell degeneration, with applicability to other types of spontaneous hair cell degeneration.

Constitutive expression of a saturable transport system for non-esterified fatty acids in Xenopus laevis oocytes

In the presence of 150 microM BSA, uptake of [3H]oleate by Xenopus laevis oocytes was a saturable function of the unbound oleate concentration (Vmax. 110 +/- 4 pmol/h per oocyte; Km 193 +/- 11 nM unbound oleate). Oleate uptake was three orders of magnitude faster than that of another test substance, [35S]bromosulphophthalein, and was competitively inhibited by 55 nM unbound palmitate (Vmax. 111 +/- 14 pmol/h per oocyte; Km 424 +/- 63 nM unbound oleate) (P < 0.01). Oleate uptake was also inhibited by antibodies to a 43 kDa rat liver plasma-membrane fatty acid-binding protein, a putative transporter of long-chain fatty acids in mammalian cells; uptake of the medium-chain fatty acid [14C]octanoate was unaffected. Immunofluorescence and immunoblotting demonstrated that the antiserum reacted with a single 43 kDa protein on the oocyte surface. Hence a protein related to the mammalian plasma-membrane fatty acid-binding protein may play a role in saturable uptake of long-chain fatty acids by Xenopus oocytes.

Recent studies of the cellular uptake of long chain free fatty acids

Over the last 12 years, we and others have demonstrated that fatty acid uptake is not simply a passive, diffusive process, but an interesting, facilitated mechanism the regulation of which has specific implications for disease. This work also tells another tale. Our earliest experiments were called "squirt studies" by our technician because they involved "squirting" a bolus of labelled metabolite intravenously into one limb of the subject and drawing blood samples from another. These studies were conducted in patients, and later in intact animals. From these we moved progressively to investigations in isolated perfused organs, isolated cells, and sub-cellular organelles and membrane vesicles; to the chemistry of membrane proteins, and most recently, to studies combining recombinant DNA technology with cellular biologic studies of controlled differentiation in tissue culture (Figure 5). The work has been not only a continuing process of scientific investigation but, for the investigators, an on-going process of self-education.

von Willebrand factor binding to collagen in patients with end-stage renal disease

Bleeding abnormalities are common in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Although von Willebrand factor (vWF) abnormalities have been suspected in patients with ESRD, none have been clearly defined. Because vWF function is related to its collagen-binding capacity, we investigated whether this parameter might be altered in patients with ESRD. We measured vWF binding to type III collagen and levels of vWF antigen and ristocetin cofactor in 20 patients undergoing hemodialysis before and after routine hemodialysis sessions, in 10 patients with ESRD who had not previously undergone dialysis, and in 22 healthy, nonsmoking persons who served as controls. We found significant increases of vWF antigen levels in all patients with ESRD (undialyzed: mean, 6.4 +/- 3.0 U/ml, p < 0.001; before dialysis: mean, 5.1 +/- 4.0 U/ml, p < 0.001; after dialysis: mean, 4.8 +/- 3.4 U/ml, versus 0.81 +/- 0.26 U/ml in controls, p < 0.001). The ristocetin cofactor levels were increased in the patients who had not undergone dialysis (mean, 1.30 +/- 1.26 U/ml, p = 0.04), whereas both before and after hemodialysis groups (means, 0.71 U/ml and 0.75 U/ml, respectively) were not significantly different from controls (mean, 0.72 +/- 0.30 U/ml, p = 0.96 and p = 0.8, respectively). Patients with ESRD who had not undergone dialysis showed no difference in vWF binding to collagen (mean, 1.21 +/- 0.63 U/ml) compared with the control group (mean, 1.16 +/- 0.13).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Comparison of plasma membrane FABP and mitochondrial isoform of aspartate aminotransferase from rat liver

A relationship between plasma membrane fatty acid binding protein (FABPpm), a putative membrane transporter for long-chain fatty acids, and the mitochondrial isoform of aspartate aminotransferase (m-AspAT) has been reported. Accordingly, we have compared the chemical and immunological properties of rat liver m-AspAT with those of rat liver FABPpm isolated by two procedures: 1) detergent solubilization of the membranes followed by purification via fatty acid affinity chromatography (FABP-1) or 2) salt extraction of the membranes and subsequent purification by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC; FABP-2). Comparison of the three protein preparations revealed no differences with respect to NH2-terminal amino acid sequence, amino acid composition, peptides from tryptic digests, AspAT enzymatic activity, isoelectric point, mobility on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), retention on five different HPLC columns, and immunoprecipitation and immunoblotting of SDS-PAGE separated proteins with polyclonal antisera. Examination of the proteins by nondenaturing PAGE showed a consistent second band in FABP-1 and FABP-2 not always present in m-AspAT. However, whenever present, this band was immunoreactive with antibodies to both m-AspAT and FABP-1. Hence, FABP-1 and FABP-2 are indistinguishable from one another. They are also at least closely related, if not identical, to m-AspAT.

Avian auditory pathways show met-enkephalin-like immunoreactivity

Pathways associated with a recently defined region of the avian auditory thalamus, the shell of the nucleus ovoidalis (Ov), were examined for met-enkephalin immunoreactivity. The presence of enkephalin-like immunoreactive (ELI) perikarya within the medial margin of the inferior colliculus (ICM), afferent to the Ov shell, implicated ICM as a source of ELI fibers within the Ov shell and tract. The shell also contained ELI perikarya and its targets, including the ventromedial hypothalamus and caudoventral paleostriatal complex, were characterized by ELI fields. These data suggest that enkephalinergic auditory pathways, in parallel with traditionally recognized auditory projections, target regions of the avian basal forebrain.

Sex differences in hepatic fatty acid uptake reflect a greater affinity of the transport system in females

In this study, we examined the hypothesis that the reported sex difference in hepatic free fatty acid (FFA) uptake involves the putative FFA transport system, the plasma membrane fatty acid binding protein (FABPpm). In hepatocytes isolated from both male and female rats, initial [3H]oleate uptake velocity reflected transmembrane influx and not subsequent metabolism and was a saturable function of the unbound oleate concentration. Although Vmax values were similar (61 +/- 2 vs. 65 +/- 5 pmol.min-1.5 x 10(4) cells-1 for females and males, respectively), the apparent Km was significantly smaller in females (40 +/- 4 vs. 90 +/- 11 nM; P less than 0.05), reflecting faster influx velocities in female cells over a range of unbound oleate concentrations. The oleate efflux rate constant was also greater in females (0.280 +/- 0.014 vs. 0.198 +/- 0.020 min-1; P less than 0.05) despite their greater hepatic content of cytosolic FABP. Finally, despite the greater rates of transmembrane FFA flux in female hepatocytes, the surface expression of FABPpm was virtually identical in the two sexes (2.5 +/- 0.5 vs. 2.4 +/- 0.4 microgram/10(6) cells). Collectively, these data indicate that at FFA-to-albumin ratios occurring in vivo the plasma membrane of female hepatocytes transports oleate bidirectionally at a greater rate than that of male hepatocytes. A sex-related difference in the functional affinity of FABPpm for FFA appears the most likely explanation for the greater oleate uptake in females.

Adipocyte differentiation of 3T3-L1 cells involves augmented expression of a 43-kDa plasma membrane fatty acid-binding protein

A previously described 43-kDa plasma membrane fatty acid-binding protein (FABPPM) was not observed by immunohistochemical methods in proliferating 3T3-L1 fibroblasts. However, it was detectable in plasma membranes by the second day of confluent growth, prior to accumulation of visible lipid droplets, and was strongly expressed in 8-day differentiated adipocytes. These observations were confirmed by extraction of plasma membrane proteins and subsequent immunoblotting. Kinetics of initial [3H]oleate uptake by both fibroblasts and adipocytes consisted of the sum of a saturable and a non-saturable component. During differentiation the saturable component increased progressively. Vmax increased from 3 to 25 to 110 pmol.s-1.mg cell protein-1 between the fibroblast, the 4-day, and 8 day adipocyte stages; Km was 24 nM in fibroblasts and approximately 55 nM in both 4- and 8-day differentiated adipocytes. By contrast, the rate constant for nonsaturable oleate influx decreased progressively from 0.026 to 0.010 ml.s-1.mg protein-1 between the fibroblast and 8 day adipocyte stages. In 8-day adipocytes saturable oleate uptake was inhibited by up to 55% by antibodies against rat liver FABPPM; these antibodies had no effect on uptake of 2-deoxyglucose or the medium chain fatty acid octanoate. They also had no effect on oleate uptake by fibroblasts. These studies support the hypothesis that FABPPM is a component of a saturable transport mechanism for long chain fatty acids.

Pharmacokinetics of ribostamycin in paediatric patients

In the present study, ribostamycin concentrations in serum were measured by microbiological assay in 20 paediatric patients aged 3 months to 11 years after intramuscular ribostamycin 10, 15 and 20 mg/kg. All pharmacokinetic parameters and statistical analyses were calculated by computer. These results showed that the absorption rate constant (ka), elimination rate constant (ke), time to peak serum concentration (tmax), elimination half-life (t1/2), apparent volume of distribution (Vd/F), total body clearance (CL) and area under the serum concentration-time curve (AUC) were significantly different in infants under 6 months from those in children over 3 years (p less than 0.05), except for the peak serum concentration (Cmax) and lag time from administration to the first appearance of drug in the serum (tlag) [p greater than 0.05]. The absorption of ribostamycin in infants was more rapid than that in children, but elimination was slower (p less than 0.05). The Vd/F and CL in infants were also larger than in children (p less than 0.01). There were significant positive correlations between Cmax, AUC and ribostamycin dosage (p less than 0.01). Pharmacokinetic parameters for infants and children were compared with those observed in adults, and it was found that ribostamycin absorption and elimination were more rapid in the paediatric patients. The Cmax in children and infants after intramuscular ribostamycin 10 mg/kg approached that in adults after an intramuscular dose of ribostamycin 500mg. Using a 1-compartment open pharmacokinetic model, the optimum intramuscular ribostamycin administration interval was estimated as 6.01 and 7.56h for children and infants, respectively, while the value was 8.5h in adults. When the drug was administered in multiple doses of 15 mg/kg intramuscularly every 8h, no accumulation occurred in children. It is suggested that ribostamycin be administered in intramuscular doses of 10 to 15 mg/kg twice daily in infants and 3 times daily in children, respectively.

Production of hepatitis B virus nucleocapsidlike core particles in Xenopus oocytes: assembly occurs mainly in the cytoplasm and does not require the nucleus

The location of hepatitis B virus (HBV) nucleocapsid (core particle) assembly in infected cells remains controversial. Some lines of evidence implicate the nucleus; others favor the cytoplasm. Via injection of a synthetic mRNA encoding the HBV nucleocapsid protein (p21.5), we have expressed both unassembled p21.5 and nucleocapsidlike core particles in Xenopus oocytes. Subcellular fractionation reveals that approximately 91% of the unassembled p21.5 and 95% of the core particles are cytoplasmic, with only 9 and 5%, respectively, in the nucleus. We present evidence showing that unassembled p21.5 equilibrates between nucleus and cytoplasm by passive diffusion and that intact core particles do not enter the nucleus. To examine the role of the nucleus in core particle formation, we expressed p21.5 in surgically anucleate oocytes. We show that anucleate oocytes support efficient core particle formation, indicating that (i) the nucleus is not essential for assembly and (ii) the cytoplasm can assemble most core particles found in oocytes. On the basis of our data, we propose that in oocytes, most core particle assembly (up to 95%) occurs in the cytoplasm, but that at least approximately 5% of the cellular core particles are assembled in the nucleus and remain there. We discuss the implications of these findings for the formation of replication-competent core particles in infected cells.

150-kD von Willebrand factor binding protein extracted from human vascular subendothelium is type VI collagen

We have previously shown that von Willebrand factor (vWF), a glycoprotein which plays a critical role in the adhesion of platelets to injured blood vessels, is present within vascular subendothelium. We investigated the identity of the subendothelial binding site(s) for vWF by examining vWF binding to subendothelial constituents and solubilized a 150-kD protein with SDS-urea that bound vWF. This protein had an amino-acid composition similar to that of the type VI collagen alpha-1/alpha-2 chains, was recognized by specific polyclonal antibodies against type VI collagen, and had a similar acidic isoelectric point. Furthermore, we found that purified type VI collagen also bound vWF. Thus, we have identified the extracted 150-kD protein as type VI collagen. This protein may play a significant role in the binding of vWF to vascular subendothelium in vivo.

Quantitation of plasma membrane fatty acid-binding protein by enzyme dilution and monoclonal antibody based immunoassay

A plasma membrane fatty acid-binding protein (h-FABPpm) has been isolated from rat hepatocytes. Analogous proteins have also been identified in adipocytes, jejunal enterocytes and cardiac myocytes, all cells with high transmembrane fluxes of fatty acids. These 43 kDa, highly basic (pI = 9.1) FABPpm's appear unrelated to the smaller, cytosolic FABP's (designated FABP's) identified previously in the same tissues. h-FABPpm appears closely related to the mitochondrial isoform of glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase (mGOT), and both the purified protein and liver cell plasma membranes (LPM) possess GOT enzymatic activity. From their relative GOT specific activities it is estimated that h-FABPpm constitutes approximately 2% of LPM protein, or about 0.7 x 10(7) sites per cell. A monoclonal antibody-based competitive inhibition enzyme immunoassay (CIEIA) for h-FABPpm is described; it yields an estimate of 3.4 x 10(7) h-FABPpm sites per hepatocyte. Quantitated by either method, h-FABPpm appears to be a highly abundant protein constituent of LPM.