Chinese herbal injections in combination with radiotherapy for advanced pancreatic cancer: A systematic review and network meta-analysis

Background

Advanced pancreatic cancer (APC) is a fatal disease with limited treatment options. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of different Chinese herbal injections (CHIs) as adjuvants for radiotherapy (RT) in APC and compare their treatment potentials using network meta-analysis.

Methods

We systematically searched three English and four Chinese databases for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) from inception to July 25, 2023. The primary outcome was the objective response rate (ORR). Secondary outcomes included Karnofsky performance status (KPS) score, overall survival (OS), and adverse events (AEs). The treatment potentials of different CHIs were ranked using the surface under the cumulative ranking curve (SUCRA). The Cochrane RoB 2 tool and CINeMA were used for quality assessment and evidence grading.

Results

Eighteen RCTs involving 1199 patients were included. Five CHIs were evaluated. Compound Kushen injection (CKI) combined with RT significantly improved ORR compared to RT alone (RR 1.49, 95 % CrI 1.21-1.86). Kanglaite (KLT) plus RT (RR 1.58, 95 % CrI 1.20-2.16) and CKI plus RT (RR 1.49, 95 % CrI 1.16-1.95) were associated with improved KPS score compared to radiation monotherapy, with KLT+RT being the highest rank (SUCRA 72.28 %). Regarding AEs, CKI plus RT was the most favorable in reducing the incidence of leukopenia (SUCRA 90.37 %) and nausea/vomiting (SUCRA 85.79 %).

Conclusions

CKI may be the optimal choice of CHIs to combine with RT for APC as it may improve clinical response, quality of life, and reduce AEs. High-quality trials are necessary to establish a robust body of evidence.

Protocol registration

PROSPERO, CRD42023396828.

Erratum: Global Polarization of Ξ and Ω Hyperons in Au+Au Collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200 GeV [Phys. Rev. Lett. 126, 162301 (2021)]

This corrects the article DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.126.162301.

[New research advances in hypertrophic scar formation, prevention and treatment]

Scarring, naturally induced by fibroblasts(Fb) during wound healing, is an essential process in response to repair damaged tissue. Excessive Fb proliferation which produces the excessive collagen deposition, including increased extracellular matrix synthesis or insufficient decomposition, typically contributes to hypertrophic scar(HS) formation. Although exact mechanisms of HS are not yet fully understood, it is generally believed that dysfunction of Fb and regulation of signal pathways play an important role in HS formation. Biologically, Fb function is affected by various factors such as cytokines, extracellular matrix and itself. In addition, modifications of miRNA, ceRNA, lncRNA, peptides and histones participate in HS formation by affecting the biological function of Fb. Despite the clinical importance, very few therapeutic modalities are available to prevent HS. To achieve this, a deeper characterization of Fb is required to identify mechanisms of HS. To the aspect of HS prevention and treatment, we review recent findings, concentrating on Fb function and collagen secretion. The objective of this article is to frame the current understanding, gain the deeper insights into Fb function, and provide the more comprehensive cognition and perspective for prevention and treatment of HS.

Chinese herbal injections versus intrapleural cisplatin for lung cancer patients with malignant pleural effusion: A Bayesian network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Background

Malignant pleural effusion (MPE) is a common complication in patients with advanced lung cancer that can severely compromise the quality of life and limit life expectancy. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have shown that Chinese herbal injections (CHIs) may be beneficial in improving quality of life. This network meta-analysis (NMA) aims to explore several CHIs used for lung cancer patients with MPE.

Methods

Seven databases were systematically searched for eligible RCTs from inception to November 2021. The primary outcome was the clinical effective rate. Secondary outcomes were the improvement rate of Karnofsky performance status (KPS) score and incidence of adverse events (AEs). The Cochrane risk of bias 2 tool was used to assess the quality of included studies. Data analysis was performed using STATA 16.0 and R software 4.1.0. Both pairwise meta-analysis and Bayesian NMA were conducted. Competing interventions were ranked using the surface under the cumulative ranking (SUCRA) probabilities. Evidence grading was evaluated using the Confidence in Network Meta-Analysis online software (https://cinema.ispm.unibe.ch/).

Results

A total of 44 studies involving 2,573 patients were included. The combined Huachansu injection (HCS) with intrapleural cisplatin (cis-diamminedichloro-platinum, DDP) had the highest probability of improving the clinical effective rate (SUCRA, 84.33%). The Kangai injection (KA) combined with DDP had the most improvement rate of KPS score (SUCRA, 80.82%), while the Fufangkushen injection (FFKS) alone was more likely to reduce AEs including gastrointestinal reactions (SUCRA, 89.92%), leukopenia (SUCRA, 91.85%), and chest pain (SUCRA, 98.17%). FFKS combined with DDP ranked the best in reducing the incidence of fever (SUCRA, 75.45%).

Conclusions

Our NMA showed that CHIs alone or combined with DDP could improve clinical effectiveness and quality of life and reduce AEs, compared to DDP alone. HSC and KA, combined with DDP, may be the most effective considering clinical effective rate and improvement of KPS score, respectively. FFKS, either used alone or in combination therapy with DDP, may be the best in reducing AEs. However, high-quality RCTs with larger sample sizes are needed to further support the evidence.

Systematic review registration

PROSPERO https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/, identifier CRD42021285275.

[Clinical significance of hepatitis B virus pgRNA for deciding antiviral therapy discontinuation in patients with chronic hepatitis B]

Objective: To explore the clinical significance of hepatitis B pregenomic RNA (pgRNA) for deciding antiviral therapy discontinuation in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB). Methods: Data of patients with CHB who were treated with long-term antiviral therapy in the Center for Infectious Diseases, West China Hospital of Sichuan University from January 2019 to December 2019 were collected. Drug discontinuity after evaluation of high-sensitivity HBV DNA and HBV pgRNA (HBV DNA ≤20 IU/ml and HBV pgRNA<150 copies/ml) was observed. The prospective observational study on 91 patients with HBeAg-negative CHB was conducted. The clinical conditions were followed up 3, 6 and 12 months after the drug discontinuation. The relationship between HBV pgRNA and relapse after drug discontinuation was analyzed. Results: From observation to 12 months after drug discontinuation, a total of 34 patients (37.4%) had developed recurrence and resumed antiviral therapy, and the cumulative recurrence rate within 12 months of drug discontinuation was 46.8%. Among the relapsed patients, 14 (41.2%) had biochemical breakthroughs, and all achieved good biochemical and virological responses after the resumption of antiviral therapy. The Cox multivariate proportional hazards regression analysis showed that the level of HBV pgRNA before drug discontinuation and the type of antiviral drugs taken were associated with recurrence after drug discontinuation. The risk of recurrence after drug withdrawal in the HBV pgRNA ≤50 copies/ml group was 2.316 times higher than that in the HBV pgRNA negative group (HR=2.316, 95%CI: 1.047-5.126, P=0.038). The risk of recurrence after drug withdrawal in the HBV pgRNA >50 copies/ml group was 3.45 times higher than that in the HBV pgRNA negative group (HR=3.450, 95%CI: 1.338-8.892, P=0.010). Conclusion: HBV pgRNA can be used to predict the risk of recurrence after antiviral therapy discontinuation in patients with CHB. Patients with negative serum HBV pgRNA before drug discontinuation have a relatively low risk of relapse after drug discontinuation, and drug discontinuation is not recommended for patients with HBV pgRNA >50 copies/ml.

Observation of D_{s}^{±}/D^{0} Enhancement in Au+Au Collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200 GeV

We report on the first measurement of charm-strange meson D_{s}^{±} production at midrapidity in Au+Au collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200  GeV from the STAR experiment. The yield ratio between strange (D_{s}^{±}) and nonstrange (D^{0}) open-charm mesons is presented and compared to model calculations. A significant enhancement, relative to a pythia simulation of p+p collisions, is observed in the D_{s}^{±}/D^{0} yield ratio in Au+Au collisions over a large range of collision centralities. Model calculations incorporating abundant strange-quark production in the quark-gluon plasma and coalescence hadronization qualitatively reproduce the data. The transverse-momentum integrated yield ratio of D_{s}^{±}/D^{0} at midrapidity is consistent with a prediction from a statistical hadronization model with the parameters constrained by the yields of light and strange hadrons measured at the same collision energy. These results suggest that the coalescence of charm quarks with strange quarks in the quark-gluon plasma plays an important role in D_{s}^{±}-meson production in heavy-ion collisions.

Measurement of e^{+}e^{-} Momentum and Angular Distributions from Linearly Polarized Photon Collisions

The Breit-Wheeler process which produces matter and antimatter from photon collisions is experimentally investigated through the observation of 6085 exclusive electron-positron pairs in ultraperipheral Au+Au collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200  GeV. The measurements reveal a large fourth-order angular modulation of cos4Δϕ=(16.8±2.5)% and smooth invariant mass distribution absent of vector mesons (ϕ, ω, and ρ) at the experimental limit of ≤0.2% of the observed yields. The differential cross section as a function of e^{+}e^{-} pair transverse momentum P_{⊥} peaks at low value with sqrt[⟨P_{⊥}^{2}⟩]=38.1±0.9  MeV and displays a significant centrality dependence. These features are consistent with QED calculations for the collision of linearly polarized photons quantized from the extremely strong electromagnetic fields generated by the highly charged Au nuclei at ultrarelativistic speed. The experimental results have implications for vacuum birefringence and for mapping the magnetic field which is important for emergent QCD phenomena.

Global Polarization of Ξ and Ω Hyperons in Au+Au Collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200 GeV

Global polarization of Ξ and Ω hyperons has been measured for the first time in Au+Au collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200  GeV. The measurements of the Ξ^{-} and Ξ[over ¯]^{+} hyperon polarization have been performed by two independent methods, via analysis of the angular distribution of the daughter particles in the parity violating weak decay Ξ→Λ+π, as well as by measuring the polarization of the daughter Λ hyperon, polarized via polarization transfer from its parent. The polarization, obtained by combining the results from the two methods and averaged over Ξ^{-} and Ξ[over ¯]^{+}, is measured to be ⟨P_{Ξ}⟩=0.47±0.10(stat)±0.23(syst)% for the collision centrality 20%-80%. The ⟨P_{Ξ}⟩ is found to be slightly larger than the inclusive Λ polarization and in reasonable agreement with a multiphase transport model. The ⟨P_{Ξ}⟩ is found to follow the centrality dependence of the vorticity predicted in the model, increasing toward more peripheral collisions. The global polarization of Ω, ⟨P_{Ω}⟩=1.11±0.87(stat)±1.97(syst)% was obtained by measuring the polarization of daughter Λ in the decay Ω→Λ+K, assuming the polarization transfer factor C_{ΩΛ}=1.

Nonmonotonic Energy Dependence of Net-Proton Number Fluctuations

Nonmonotonic variation with collision energy (sqrt[s_{NN}]) of the moments of the net-baryon number distribution in heavy-ion collisions, related to the correlation length and the susceptibilities of the system, is suggested as a signature for the quantum chromodynamics critical point. We report the first evidence of a nonmonotonic variation in the kurtosis times variance of the net-proton number (proxy for net-baryon number) distribution as a function of sqrt[s_{NN}] with 3.1  σ significance for head-on (central) gold-on-gold (Au+Au) collisions measured solenoidal tracker at Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider. Data in noncentral Au+Au collisions and models of heavy-ion collisions without a critical point show a monotonic variation as a function of sqrt[s_{NN}].

[The diagnostic value of chromosome microarray analysis technique in the genetic causes of children with intellectual disability or global developmental delay]

Objective: To study the value of chromosome microarray analysis (CMA) application in children with developmental delay (DD), intellectual disability (ID), autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) and multiple congenital anomalies (MCA). Methods: Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood samples. Array-based comparative genomic hybridization (array-CGH) analysis and single nucleotide polymorphism array (SNP-array) were performed in 1 320 children with DD/ID, ASD, with or without epilepsy and MCA who were admitted to Peking University First Hospital from 2014 to 2019. The results of genetic etiology test of CMA in children with mental retardation or global DD was summarized. Results: Of 1 320 samples, there were 10 cases of aneuploid abnormality, 6 cases of uniparental disomy and one case of mosaicism, respectively. Pathogenic copy number variations (CNVs) were found in 320 cases and pathogenic CNVs were detected in 23 cases, with a combined detection rate of 26% (343/1 320). CNVs of uncertain clinical significance occurred in 107 cases, accounting for 8.1% (107/1 320). There were 25 cases of possible benign CNVs, accounting for 2% (25/1 320), while benign CNVs were reported in 20 cases, accounting for 1.5% (20/1 320). The detection rate of MCA with DD/ID was 39.8% (130/327). Conclusions: CMA has the advantages of high resolution and covering the whole genome. It can detect the chromosomal abnormalities, microdeletions and duplications seen under the microscope, thus the genetic etiology of children with mental retardation or global DD can be diagnosed.

First Measurement of Λ_{c} Baryon Production in Au+Au Collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200 GeV

We report on the first measurement of the charmed baryon Λ_{c}^{±} production at midrapidity (|y|<1) in Au+Au collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200  GeV collected by the STAR experiment at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider. The Λ_{c}/D^{0} [denoting (Λ_{c}^{+}+Λ_{c}^{-})/(D^{0}+D[over ¯]^{0})] yield ratio is measured to be 1.08±0.16  (stat)±0.26  (sys) in the 0%-20% most central Au+Au collisions for the transverse momentum (p_{T}) range 3<p_{T}<6  GeV/c. This is significantly larger than the pythia model calculations for p+p collisions. The measured Λ_{c}/D^{0} ratio, as a function of p_{T} and collision centrality, is comparable to the baryon-to-meson ratios for light and strange hadrons in Au+Au collisions. Model calculations including coalescence hadronization for charmed baryon and meson formation reproduce the features of our measured Λ_{c}/D^{0} ratio.

Effect of patchouli alcohol on macrophage mediated Helicobacter pylori digestion based on intracellular urease inhibition

BACKGROUND

Helicobacter pylori infects almost half of the world population and is listed as a type I carcinoma factor since 1994. Pogostemon cablin (Blanco) Benth. (Labiatae) has been used to treat gastro-intestinal diseases for thousands of years in many east Asian countries, and the key ingredient, patchouli alcohol (PA), has been observed to exert anti-H. pylori and anti-urease activities.

PURPOSE

We investigated the effect of PA on H. pylori urease and its subsequent influence on macrophage phagosome maturation and function.

METHODS

In H. pylori experiment, the berthelot method and pH shock assay were adopted to evaluate the effect of PA on extracellular and intracellular H. pylori urease. And then, Q-PCR and Western blot were carried out to analyze the alterations in the expression of urease-related genes and proteins after PA treatment. In the H. pylori and macrophage cell (RAW264.7) co-culture experiment, the effects of PA on H. pylori-induced phagocytosis and intracellular killing of RAW264.7 were investigated using gentamycin protection assay, and the underlying mechanism was explored by immunofluorescence.

RESULTS

PA at 25 and 50 μM inhibited intracellular H. pylori urease activity but not isolated urease by down-regulating the gene expression levels of ureB, ureE, ureI and nixA and reducing the protein expression level of UreB, thereby inhibiting the acid resistance of H. pylori. PA also recovered the function of macrophage bacterial digestion, and prior treatment with ammonium chloride inhibited the efficacy of PA.

CONCLUSION

PA suppressed intracellular H. pylori urease function and maturation, which increased macrophage digestion ability.

First Observation of the Directed Flow of D^{0} and D^{0}[over ¯] in Au+Au Collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200 GeV

We report the first measurement of rapidity-odd directed flow (v_{1}) for D^{0} and D^{0}[over ¯] mesons at midrapidity (|y|<0.8) in Au+Au collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200  GeV using the STAR detector at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider. In 10-80% Au+Au collisions, the slope of the v_{1} rapidity dependence (dv_{1}/dy), averaged over D^{0} and D^{0}[over ¯] mesons, is -0.080±0.017(stat)±0.016(syst) for transverse momentum p_{T} above 1.5  GeV/c. The absolute value of D^{0} meson dv_{1}/dy is about 25 times larger than that for charged kaons, with 3.4σ significance. These data give a unique insight into the initial tilt of the produced matter, and offer constraints on the geometric and transport parameters of the hot QCD medium created in relativistic heavy-ion collisions.

Polarization of Λ (Λ[over ¯]) Hyperons along the Beam Direction in Au+Au Collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200 GeV

The Λ (Λ[over ¯]) hyperon polarization along the beam direction has been measured in Au+Au collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200  GeV, for the first time in heavy-ion collisions. The polarization dependence on the hyperons' emission angle relative to the elliptic flow plane exhibits a second harmonic sine modulation, indicating a quadrupole pattern of the vorticity component along the beam direction, expected due to elliptic flow. The polarization is found to increase in more peripheral collisions, and shows no strong transverse momentum (p_{T}) dependence at p_{T} greater than 1  GeV/c. The magnitude of the signal is about 5 times smaller than those predicted by hydrodynamic and multiphase transport models; the observed phase of the emission angle dependence is also opposite to these model predictions. In contrast, the kinematic vorticity calculations in the blast-wave model tuned to reproduce particle spectra, elliptic flow, and the azimuthal dependence of the Gaussian source radii measured with the Hanbury Brown-Twiss intensity interferometry technique reproduce well the modulation phase measured in the data and capture the centrality and transverse momentum dependence of the polarization signal.

Observation of Excess J/ψ Yield at Very Low Transverse Momenta in Au+Au Collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200 GeV and U+U Collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=193 GeV

We report on the first measurements of J/ψ production at very low transverse momentum (p_{T}<0.2  GeV/c) in hadronic Au+Au collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200  GeV and U+U collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=193  GeV. Remarkably, the inferred nuclear modification factor of J/ψ at midrapidity in Au+Au (U+U) collisions reaches about 24 (52) for p_{T}<0.05  GeV/c in the 60%-80% collision centrality class. This noteworthy enhancement cannot be explained by hadronic production accompanied by cold and hot medium effects. In addition, the dN/dt distribution of J/ψ for the very low p_{T} range is presented for the first time. The distribution is consistent with that expected from the Au nucleus and shows a hint of interference. Comparison of the measurements to theoretical calculations of coherent production shows that the excess yield can be described reasonably well and reveals a partial disruption of coherent production in semicentral collisions, perhaps due to the violent hadronic interactions. Incorporating theoretical calculations, the results strongly suggest that the dramatic enhancement of J/ψ yield observed at extremely low p_{T} originates from coherent photon-nucleus interactions. In particular, coherently produced J/ψ's in violent hadronic collisions may provide a novel probe of the quark-gluon plasma.

Azimuthal Harmonics in Small and Large Collision Systems at RHIC Top Energies

The first (v_{1}^{fluc}), second (v_{2}), and third (v_{3}) harmonic coefficients of the azimuthal particle distribution at midrapidity are extracted for charged hadrons and studied as a function of transverse momentum (p_{T}) and mean charged particle multiplicity density ⟨N_{ch}⟩ in U+U (sqrt[s_{NN}]=193  GeV), Au+Au, Cu+Au, Cu+Cu, d+Au, and p+Au collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200  GeV with the STAR detector. For the same ⟨N_{ch}⟩, the v_{1}^{fluc} and v_{3} coefficients are observed to be independent of the collision system, while v_{2} exhibits such a scaling only when normalized by the initial-state eccentricity (ϵ_{2}). The data also show that ln(v_{2}/ϵ_{2}) scales linearly with ⟨N_{ch}⟩^{-1/3}. These measurements provide insight into initial-geometry fluctuations and the role of viscous hydrodynamic attenuation on v_{n} from small to large collision systems.

Low-p_{T} e^{+}e^{-} Pair Production in Au+Au Collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200 GeV and U+U Collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=193 GeV at STAR

We report first measurements of e^{+}e^{-} pair production in the mass region 0.4<M_{ee}<2.6  GeV/c^{2} at low transverse momentum (p_{T}<0.15  GeV/c) in noncentral Au+Au collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200  GeV and U+U collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=193  GeV. Significant enhancement factors, expressed as ratios of data over known hadronic contributions, are observed in the 40%-80% centrality of these collisions. The excess yields peak distinctly at low p_{T} with a width (sqrt[⟨p_{T}^{2}⟩]) between 40 and 60  MeV/c. The absolute cross section of the excess depends weakly on centrality, while those from a theoretical model calculation incorporating an in-medium broadened ρ spectral function and radiation from a quark gluon plasma or hadronic cocktail contributions increase dramatically with an increasing number of participant nucleons. Model calculations of photon-photon interactions generated by the initial projectile and target nuclei describe the observed excess yields but fail to reproduce the p_{T}^{2} distributions.

Beam Energy Dependence of Jet-Quenching Effects in Au+Au Collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=7.7, 11.5, 14.5, 19.6, 27, 39, and 62.4 GeV

We report measurements of the nuclear modification factor R_{CP} for charged hadrons as well as identified π^{+(-)}, K^{+(-)}, and p(p[over ¯]) for Au+Au collision energies of sqrt[s_{NN}]=7.7, 11.5, 14.5, 19.6, 27, 39, and 62.4 GeV. We observe a clear high-p_{T} net suppression in central collisions at 62.4 GeV for charged hadrons which evolves smoothly to a large net enhancement at lower energies. This trend is driven by the evolution of the pion spectra but is also very similar for the kaon spectra. While the magnitude of the proton R_{CP} at high p_{T} does depend on the collision energy, neither the proton nor the antiproton R_{CP} at high p_{T} exhibit net suppression at any energy. A study of how the binary collision-scaled high-p_{T} yield evolves with centrality reveals a nonmonotonic shape that is consistent with the idea that jet quenching is increasing faster than the combined phenomena that lead to enhancement.

Beam-Energy Dependence of Directed Flow of Λ, Λ[over ¯], K^{±}, K_{s}^{0}, and ϕ in Au+Au Collisions

Rapidity-odd directed-flow measurements at midrapidity are presented for Λ, Λ[over ¯], K^{±}, K_{s}^{0}, and ϕ at sqrt[s_{NN}]=7.7, 11.5, 14.5, 19.6, 27, 39, 62.4, and 200 GeV in Au+Au collisions recorded by the Solenoidal Tracker detector at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider. These measurements greatly expand the scope of data available to constrain models with differing prescriptions for the equation of state of quantum chromodynamics. Results show good sensitivity for testing a picture where flow is assumed to be imposed before hadron formation and the observed particles are assumed to form via coalescence of constituent quarks. The pattern of departure from a coalescence-inspired sum rule can be a valuable new tool for probing the collision dynamics.

[Changes of platelet rheological behavior and the interventional effects of ulinastatin in rats with high-voltage electrical burns]

Objective: To explore the influence of high-voltage electrical burns on the number of platelet aggregation, β-thromboglobulin (β-TG) and platelet factor 4 (PF-4) and the interventional effects of ulinastatin in rats with high-voltage electrical burns. Methods: A total of 240 Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into sham injury (SI) group, simple electrical burn (SEB) group, normal saline (NS) group, and ulinastatin (UTI) group according to the random number table, with 60 rats in each group. The electrical current was applied to the outside proximal part of left forelimb of rats and exited from the outside proximal part of right hind limb of rats. Rats in groups SEB, NS, and UTI were inflicted with high-voltage electrical burn wounds of 1 cm×1 cm at current entrances and exits, with the voltage regulator and experimental transformer. Rats in group SI were sham injured through connecting the same equipments without electricity. At 2 min post injury, rats in group NS were intraperitoneally injected with 2 mL/kg NS, and rats in group UTI were intraperitoneally injected with 2×10(4) U/kg UTI of 10 g/L. At 15 min before injury and 5 min, 1 h, 2 h, 4 h, 8 h post injury, 10 rats in each group were selected to collect 5-7 mL blood of heart respectively. Blood of 0.05 mL were collected to make fresh blood smear for observing the number of platelet aggregation, and serum were separated from the remaining blood to determine content of β-TG and PF-4 with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Data were processed with analysis of factorial design of variance, student-Newman-Keuls test, Kruskal-Wallis H test, Wilcoxon rank sum test, and Bonferroni correction. Results: (1) At 15 min before injury, the numbers of platelet aggregation of rats were close among groups SI, SEB, NS and UTI (5.9±1.2, 5.8±1.2, 5.9±1.3, 5.9±1.1, respectively, with P values above 0.05). At 5 min, 1 h, 2 h, 4 h, 8 h post injury, the numbers of platelet aggregation of rats in group SEB were 57.2±16.3, 59.1±16.9, 60.8±20.6, 83.6±24.9, and 83.4±30.3, respectively, obviously more than those in group SI (6.0±1.3, 6.0±1.4, 5.9±1.4, 5.7±1.1, and 5.8±1.3, respectively, with P values below 0.001); the numbers of platelet aggregation of rats in group UTI were 29.6±7.4, 31.9±10.1, 35.0±14.2, 43.0±13.6, and 35.2±11.1, respectively, obviously more than those in group NS (58.3±16.1, 63.9±18.0, 60.8±17.7, 74.2±23.0, and 82.3±21.9, respectively, with P values below 0.001). There was no significantly statistical difference in the number of platelet aggregation of rats in group SI between each two time points within the same group (with P values above 0.05), but the number of platelet aggregation of rats in the other 3 groups at each time point post injury was significantly more than that of the same group at 15 min before injury (with P values below 0.001). (2) At 2, 4, and 8 h post injury, β-TG content of serum of rats in group SEB was significantly higher than that in group SI (with Z values from -3.780 to -3.477, P values below 0.05). At 5 min and 4 h post injury, β-TG content of serum of rats in group UTI was significantly lower than that in group NS (with Z values respectively -3.477 and -3.780, P values below 0.05). There was no significantly statistical difference in β-TG content of serum of rats in group SI at all time points of the same group (χ(2)=0.130, P >0.05). At 2, 4, and 8 h post injury, β-TG content of serum of rats in group SEB was significantly higher than that of the same group at 15 min before injury (with Z values from -3.780 to -3.553, P values below 0.05). At 5 min, 1 h, and 4 h post injury, β-TG content of serum of rats in group NS was significantly higher than that of the same group at 15 min before injury (with Z values from -3.780 to -3.477, P values below 0.05). At 1 and 4 h post injury, β-TG content of serum of rats in group UTI was significantly higher than that of the same group at 15 min before injury (with Z values respectively -3.250 and -3.780, P values below 0.05). (3) At 2 and 8 h post injury, PF-4 content of serum of rats in group SEB was significantly higher than that in group SI (with P values below 0.05). At 2 h post injury, PF-4 content of serum of rats in group UTI was significantly higher than that in group NS (P<0.05), and at 4 and 8 h post injury, PF-4 content of serum of rats in group UTI was significantly lower than that in group NS (with P values below 0.05). At all time points, PF-4 content of serum of rats in group SI was close (with P values above 0.05). At 2 and 8 h post injury, PF-4 content of serum of rats in group SEB was significantly higher than that of the same group at 15 min before injury (with P values below 0.05). At 1, 4, and 8 h post injury, PF-4 content of serum of rats in group NS was significantly higher than that of the same group at 15 min before injury (with P values below 0.05). There were significantly statistical differences in PF-4 content of serum of rats between all time points except for 5 min post injury and 15 min before injury (with P values below 0.05). Conclusions: Increasing number of platelet aggregation and abnormal secretion of β-TG and PF-4 of rats with high-voltage electrical burns can lead to microcirculation disturbance. UTI can alleviate microcirculation disturbance caused by high-voltage electrical burns by reducing the number of platelet aggregation and inhibiting secretion of β-TG and PF-4.

Dijet imbalance measurements in Au+Au and pp collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200 GeV at STAR

We report the first dijet transverse momentum asymmetry measurements from Au+Au and pp collisions at RHIC. The two highest-energy back-to-back jets reconstructed from fragments with transverse momenta above 2  GeV/c display a significantly higher momentum imbalance in heavy-ion collisions than in the pp reference. When reexamined with correlated soft particles included, we observe that these dijets then exhibit a unique new feature-momentum balance is restored to that observed in pp for a jet resolution parameter of R=0.4, while rebalancing is not attained with a smaller value of R=0.2.

Measurement of D^{0} Azimuthal Anisotropy at Midrapidity in Au+Au Collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200 GeV

We report the first measurement of the elliptic anisotropy (v_{2}) of the charm meson D^{0} at midrapidity (|y|<1) in Au+Au collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200  GeV. The measurement was conducted by the STAR experiment at RHIC utilizing a new high-resolution silicon tracker. The measured D^{0} v_{2} in 0%-80% centrality Au+Au collisions can be described by a viscous hydrodynamic calculation for a transverse momentum (p_{T}) of less than 4  GeV/c. The D^{0} v_{2} as a function of transverse kinetic energy (m_{T}-m_{0}, where m_{T}=sqrt[p_{T}^{2}+m_{0}^{2}]) is consistent with that of light mesons in 10%-40% centrality Au+Au collisions. These results suggest that charm quarks have achieved local thermal equilibrium with the medium created in such collisions. Several theoretical models, with the temperature-dependent, dimensionless charm spatial diffusion coefficient (2πTD_{s}) in the range of ∼2-12, are able to simultaneously reproduce our D^{0} v_{2} result and our previously published results for the D^{0} nuclear modification factor.

[Survival analysis of 104 cases of osteosarcoma with lung metastases]

Objective: To investigate the prognosis of osteosarcoma patients with lung metastases and its correlated factors. Methods: The clinical data of 104 osteosarcoma patients with lung metastasis from April 2007 to September 2015 were retrospectively analyzed. Univariate analysis was performed using Kaplan-Meier and Log rank test. Multivariate Cox regression was applied to analyze independent prognostic factor for patient survival. Results: The one-year, two-year and five-year survival rates of the 104 osteosarcoma patients with lung pulmonary metastasis were 93.3%, 61.5% and 11.5%, respectively, and the median survival time was 33 months. The univariate analysis revealed that number of lung metastases, objective response of first-line chemotherapy and therapeutic methods for lung metastases were significant prognostic factors for patient survival, whereas gender, age, time to lung metastasis and time to other metastasis were not (P>0.05). The multivariate analysis indicated that number of lung metastases, objective response of first-line chemotherapy and therapeutic methods for lung metastases were independent significant prognostic factors for patient survival. Conclusions: The prognosis of osteosarcoma patients with advanced lung metastases and active treatment is better. Surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy could effectively prolong survival time for osteosarcoma patients with pulmonary metastasis.

[Influences of high-voltage electrical burns on microcirculation perfusion on serosal surface of small intestine of rats and the interventional effects of pentoxifylline]

Objective: To investigate influences of high-voltage electrical burns on microcirculation perfusion on serosal surface of small intestine of rats and the interventional effects of pentoxifylline (PTX). Methods: Totally 180 SD rats were divided into sham injury group, simple electrical burn group, and treatment group according to the random number table, with 60 rats in each group. The electrical current was applied to the outside proximal part of left forelimb of rats and exited from the outside proximal part of right hind limb of rats. Rats in simple electrical burn group and treatment group were inflicted with high-voltage electrical burn wounds of 1cm×1cm at current entrances and exits, with the voltage regulator and experimental transformer. Rats in sham injury group were sham injured through connecting the same equipments without electricity. At 2 min post injury, rats in sham injury group and simple electrical burn group were intraperitoneally injected with 2 mL normal saline, and rats in treatment group were injected with 2 mL PTX injection (50 mg/mL). At 15 min before injury and 5 min, 1 h, 2 h, 4 h, and 8 h post injury, 10 rats in each group were selected to collect blood of heart respectively. Serum were separated from the blood to determine the level of soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1(sVCAM-1) with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method. The number of adhesional leukocyte in mesenteric venule of rats was determined with Bradford variable projection microscope system. The microcirculation perfusion on serosal surface of small intestine of rats was detected with laser Doppler perfusion imager. Data were processed with analysis of variance of factorial design and LSD test. Results: (1) At 5 min, 1 h, 2 h, 4 h, 8 h post injury, the serum content of sVCAM-1 in rats of simple electrical burn group were (8 502±1 158), (11 793±3 310), (9 960±2 146), (9 708±1 429), (7 292±1 386) ng/mL respectively, higher than that in sham injury group and treatment group [ (1 897±946), (1 882±940), (1 882±938), (1 888±946), (1 884±942) ng/mL, and (6 840±1 558), (6 742±2 465), (5 625±2 593), (2 373±1 463), (5 187±2 797) ng/mL, respectively, with P values below 0.001]. The serum content of sVCAM-1 in rats of sham injury group and treatment group at all time points post injury, except 4 h post injury of treatment group, was higher than that of the same group at 15 min before injury (with P values below 0.001). (2) At all time points post injury, the number of adhesional leukocyte in mesenteric venule of rats in simple electrical burn group was higher than that in sham injury group and treatment group (with P values below 0.001). The number of adhesional leukocyte in mesenteric venule of rats in simple electrical burn group and treatment group at all time points post injury was higher than that of the same group at 15 min before injury (with P values below 0.001). (3) At all time points post injury, the microcirculation perfusion on serosal surface of small intestine of rats in simple electrical burn group was lower than that in sham injury group and treatment group (with P values below 0.001). The microcirculation perfusion on serosal surface of small intestine of rats in simple electrical burn group and treatment group at all time points post injury was lower than that of the same group at 15 min before injury (with P values below 0.001). Conclusions: High-voltage electrical burns can increase the serum content of sVCAM-1, the number of adhesional leukocyte in mesenteric venule, and reduce microcirculation perfusion on serosal surface of small intestine of rats. PTX can inhibit secretion of serum sVCAM-1, reduce the number of adhensional leukocyte in mesenteric venule to alleviate microcirculation disturbance caused by high-voltage electrical burns.

Charge-Dependent Directed Flow in Cu+Au Collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200 GeV

We present the first measurement of charge-dependent directed flow in Cu+Au collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200  GeV. The results are presented as a function of the particle transverse momentum and pseudorapidity for different centralities. A finite difference between the directed flow of positive and negative charged particles is observed that qualitatively agrees with the expectations from the effects of the initial strong electric field between two colliding ions with different nuclear charges. The measured difference in directed flow is much smaller than that obtained from the parton-hadron-string-dynamics model, which suggests that most of the electric charges, i.e., quarks and antiquarks, have not yet been created during the lifetime of the strong electric field, which is of the order of, or less than, 1  fm/c.

Wnt7b gene expression and functional analysis in the mussel Mytilus coruscus

To understand the potential functions of Wnt7b in different developmental stages and adult tissues of the mussel Mytilus coruscus, the Wnt7b gene was cloned using the rapid amplification of cDNA ends technique. The full-length Wnt7b gene was 1910 bp long, with a 1059-bp open reading frame encoding 352 amino acids. The amino acid sequence of the M. coruscus Wnt7b gene shared high homology with that of Homo sapiens (59%), Mus musculus (61%), Danio rerio (61% similarity), Biomphalaria glabrata (62% similarity), Aplysia californica (66% similarity), and Crassostrea gigas (74%). Wnt7b mRNA expression was detected by reverse transcription PCR in all tissues studied (mantle, adductor muscle, gill, foot, digestive gland, and male and female gonads), with the highest expression found in the gill, and in the male and female gonads. This indicates that Wnt7b may play an important role in gonadal maturation and in the functions of gills in the mussel M. coruscus. Expression of the Wnt7b gene during larval development stages, including the trochophore, D-shaped veliger, umbo veliger, pediveliger, and juvenile stages, was also detected. Wnt7b mRNA was highly expressed in the D-shaped veliger, umbo veliger, and pediveliger larvae stages, suggesting that Wnt7b may participate in larval development and in the process of metamorphosis in the mussel M. coruscus. Taken together, these findings provide new insights into the functions of the Wnt gene family during mussel larval development and settlement and metamorphosis.

Measurement of the Transverse Single-Spin Asymmetry in p^{↑}+p→W^{±}/Z^{0} at RHIC

We present the measurement of the transverse single-spin asymmetry of weak boson production in transversely polarized proton-proton collisions at sqrt[s]=500  GeV by the STAR experiment at RHIC. The measured observable is sensitive to the Sivers function, one of the transverse-momentum-dependent parton distribution functions, which is predicted to have the opposite sign in proton-proton collisions from that observed in deep inelastic lepton-proton scattering. These data provide the first experimental investigation of the nonuniversality of the Sivers function, fundamental to our understanding of QCD.

Beam Energy Dependence of the Third Harmonic of Azimuthal Correlations in Au+Au Collisions at RHIC

We present results from a harmonic decomposition of two-particle azimuthal correlations measured with the STAR detector in Au+Au collisions for energies ranging from sqrt[s_{NN}]=7.7 to 200 GeV. The third harmonic v_{3}^{2}{2}=⟨cos3(ϕ_{1}-ϕ_{2})⟩, where ϕ_{1}-ϕ_{2} is the angular difference in azimuth, is studied as a function of the pseudorapidity difference between particle pairs Δη=η_{1}-η_{2}. Nonzero v_{3}^{2}{2} is directly related to the previously observed large-Δη narrow-Δϕ ridge correlations and has been shown in models to be sensitive to the existence of a low viscosity quark gluon plasma phase. For sufficiently central collisions, v_{3}^{2}{2} persist down to an energy of 7.7 GeV, suggesting that quark gluon plasma may be created even in these low energy collisions. In peripheral collisions at these low energies, however, v_{3}^{2}{2} is consistent with zero. When scaled by the pseudorapidity density of charged-particle multiplicity per participating nucleon pair, v_{3}^{2}{2} for central collisions shows a minimum near sqrt[s_{NN}]=20  GeV.

Centrality and Transverse Momentum Dependence of Elliptic Flow of Multistrange Hadrons and ϕ Meson in Au+Au Collisions at √[sNN]=200 GeV

We present high precision measurements of elliptic flow near midrapidity (|y|<1.0) for multistrange hadrons and ϕ meson as a function of centrality and transverse momentum in Au+Au collisions at center of mass energy √[sNN]=200  GeV. We observe that the transverse momentum dependence of ϕ and Ω v2 is similar to that of π and p, respectively, which may indicate that the heavier strange quark flows as strongly as the lighter up and down quarks. This observation constitutes a clear piece of evidence for the development of partonic collectivity in heavy-ion collisions at the top RHIC energy. Number of constituent quark scaling is found to hold within statistical uncertainty for both 0%-30% and 30%-80% collision centrality. There is an indication of the breakdown of previously observed mass ordering between ϕ and proton v2 at low transverse momentum in the 0%-30% centrality range, possibly indicating late hadronic interactions affecting the proton v2.

Observation of Transverse Spin-Dependent Azimuthal Correlations of Charged Pion Pairs in p^{↑}+p at sqrt[s]=200 GeV

We report the observation of transverse polarization-dependent azimuthal correlations in charged pion pair production with the STAR experiment in p^{↑}+p collisions at RHIC. These correlations directly probe quark transversity distributions. We measure signals in excess of 5 standard deviations at high transverse momenta, at high pseudorapidities η>0.5, and for pair masses around the mass of the ρ meson. This is the first direct transversity measurement in p+p collisions.

Azimuthal Anisotropy in U+U and Au+Au Collisions at RHIC

Collisions between prolate uranium nuclei are used to study how particle production and azimuthal anisotropies depend on initial geometry in heavy-ion collisions. We report the two- and four-particle cumulants, v_{2}{2} and v_{2}{4}, for charged hadrons from U+U collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=193  GeV and Au+Au collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200  GeV. Nearly fully overlapping collisions are selected based on the energy deposited by spectators in zero degree calorimeters (ZDCs). Within this sample, the observed dependence of v_{2}{2} on multiplicity demonstrates that ZDC information combined with multiplicity can preferentially select different overlap configurations in U+U collisions. We also show that v_{2} vs multiplicity can be better described by models, such as gluon saturation or quark participant models, that eliminate the dependence of the multiplicity on the number of binary nucleon-nucleon collisions.

Triptolide inhibits the multidrug resistance in prostate cancer cells via the downregulation of MDR1 expression

Triptolide (TPL) is a diterpenoid triepoxide derived from the Chinese herb Tripterygium wilfordii and possesses anti-tumor activity against a range of cancer cells. However, the effect of TPL on prostate cancer cells and its potential to overcome multidrug resistance (MDR) have not been explored. Therefore, in this study we used prostate cancer cell line DU145 as the experimental model and established DU145/ADM cell line resistant to adriamycin (ADM). Our results showed that TPL inhibited the proliferation and induced the cell cycle arrest and apoptosis of DU145 cells in a dose and time dependent manner. TPL decreased the levels of Cyclin D1 and anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2, and increased the levels of pro-apoptotic proteins Fas and Bax. Furthermore, we found that TPL restored the sensitivity DU145/ADM cells to ADM in a dose dependent manner, and this was accompanied by the inhibition of MDR1 expression at both mRNA and protein levels. Taken together, these results provide strong evidence that TPL overcomes MDR in prostate cancer cells by downregulating MDR1 expression, and suggest that TPL is a promising agent for prostate cancer therapy, especially for chemoresistant prostate cancer.

GATA-3 is down-regulated in patients with clear cell renal carcinoma

BACKGROUND

GATA-3 is a transcription factor involved in human growth and development. Recent studies found its association with breast cancer, however, its expression profile in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) has not been investigated.

MATERIAL AND METHOD

The study included 35 patients submitted to radical nephrectomy with confirmed pathological diagnosis of RCC. Normal control kidney tissues were obtained from 25 living kidney donors and tissues were biopsied before implantation. The majority of RCC samples were diagnosed as clear cell renal cell carcinoma (94.3%) except for 1 case of papillary RCC and 1 case of collecting duct carcinoma. GATA-3 expression was evaluated by quantitative PCR and Western blotting (WB) in RCC samples and normal kidneys respectively, immunohistochemical staining was performed as well. Meanwhile, the GATA-3 expression in two cancer cell lines (786-O, ACHN) and normal kidney epithelial cells (HK-2) was detected by PCR and WB. In addition, renal cancer cells and HK-2 cells were cultivated and detected by confocal microscopy for the exact intra-cellular localization of GATA-3.

RESULTS

Data showed a significant down-regulation of GATA-3 expression present in neoplastic tissues compared with normal tissues; similarly, GATA-3 was significantly attenuated in all renal cancer cell lines compared with normal HK-2 cells. Confocal displayed a strong cytoplasmic immno-fluorescence activity of GATA-3 with peri-nuclear zone in HK-2, whereas the intensity in cancer cells was markedly weaker than that of HK-2.

CONCLUSIONS

In summary, our present study clarifies that the aberrant expression profile of GATA-3 in human RCC is possibly involved with tumorigenesis, and the complicated mechanism is worthy of further investigation.

Organochlorine pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls in soils surrounding the Tanggu Chemical Industrial District of Tianjin, China

The spatial distribution of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) was examined in soils surrounding the Tanggu Chemical Industrial District in Tianjin, China. The concentrations of hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs), dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethanes (DDTs), hexachlorobenzenes (HCBs), and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were determined in 70 surface soils using accelerated solvent extraction and gas chromatography with electron capture detection. The results showed that the ranges of ∑HCH, ∑DDT, ΣHCB, and ∑PCB concentrations in soils were 2.1-12,549 μg kg(-1) (average, 965 μg kg(-1)), n.d.-2,033 μg kg(-1) (average, 88.4 μg kg(-1)), n.d.-1,924 μg kg(-1) (average, 349 μg kg(-1)), and n.d.-373 μg kg(-1) (average, 46.2 μg kg(-1)), respectively. Of these, HCHs were the dominant POPs, accounting for 75 % of the total organochlorine pesticide (OCP) residues. Overall, the spatial distribution of OCP concentrations showed a decreasing trend from the center of the Tanggu District to the surrounding areas. Two major pollution sources were Tianjin Dagu Chemical Co., Ltd. in the district center and the Tianjin Chemical Plant in Hangu District. In contrast, PCB concentrations were relatively high in the Haihe estuary to the east and low to the west of the study area. Component analysis of OCPs in these soils showed that they mainly came from industrial point sources. Compared with soils in other regions, soil DDT pollution was at a medium level in the Tanggu Chemical Industrial District, but associated HCH, HCB, and PCB pollution was relatively heavy. By multivariate statistical analyses, Tianjin Dagu Chemical Co., Ltd. was recognized as the main source of POPs, and soil properties were clarified to play an important role on the distribution and composition of POPs, especially the organic carbon content.

Naloxone inhibition of lipopolysaccharide-induced activation of retinal microglia is partly mediated via the p38 mitogen activated protein kinase signalling pathway

OBJECTIVES

To investigate the effects and underlying mechanism of action of naloxone on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced activation of retinal microglia in vitro.

METHODS

Rat retinal microglia primary cultures were divided into four treatment groups: untreated; 1 μg/ml LPS for 12 h; 0.5, 1.0 or 2.0 μM naloxone for 30 min before LPS; 2.5 or 5.0 μM SB203580 for 12 h before LPS and naloxone. Levels of tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interleukin (IL)-1β were determined by enzyme-linked immuno sorbent assay. Western blot analysis and double immunofluorescence were used to examine activation of the mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) signalling pathway.

RESULTS

LPS induced an increase in TNF-α and IL-1β in culture supernatants, which was dose-dependently inhibited by naloxone. Naloxone also dose-dependently inhibited LPS-induced increases in phosphorylated p38 MAPK. Pretreatment of cells with SB203580 attenuated the inhibitory effect of naloxone on TNF-α and IL-1β production.

CONCLUSIONS

Naloxone suppressed LPS-induced activation of cultured retinal microglia and this suppression appeared to occur partly through the p38 MAPK signalling pathway. Naloxone may have therapeutic potential in neuro degenerative diseases characterized by the activation of microglia.

Molecular cloning of a new wheat calreticulin gene TaCRT1 and expression analysis in plant defense responses and abiotic stress resistance

Calreticulin proteins play essential roles in regulating various metabolic processes and in molecular signal transduction in animals and plants. Using homologous PCR, we screened a cDNA library of the wheat resistance gene Yr5 from a near-isogenic line in the susceptible common wheat variety Taichung 29, which was inoculated with an incompatible race CYR32 of Puccinia striiformis. We isolated a novel full-length cDNA encoding calreticulin protein, which we named TaCRT1. Sequence analyses indicated that TaCRT1 contains an open reading frame of 1287 bp in length; it was deduced to encode 428 amino acids. Clustering analysis showed that TaCRT1 belongs to group III of the calreticulin protein family. Semi-quantitative RT-PCR was used to analyze expression profiles of the isolated gene under biotic and abiotic stresses. Expression of TaCRT1 was suppressed by exogenous application of phytohormones, such as abscisic acid and methyl jasmonate, and by dehydration; but it was induced by CYR32 infection and cold treatment. Based on the expression patterns, we propose that TaCRT1 participates in regulatory processes involved in defense responses and stress resistance in wheat.

Inhibition of the rapid component of the delayed rectifier potassium current in ventricular myocytes by angiotensin II via the AT1 receptor

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

There is increasing evidence that angiotensin II (Ang II) is associated with the occurrence of ventricular arrhythmias. However, little is known about the electrophysiological effects of Ang II on ventricular repolarization. The rapid component of the delayed rectifier K(+) current (I(Kr)) plays a critical role in cardiac repolarization. Hence, the aim of this study was to assess the effect of Ang II on I(Kr) in guinea-pig ventricular myocytes.

EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH

The whole-cell patch-clamp technique was used to record I(Kr) in native cardiocytes and in human embryonic kidney (HEK) 293 cells, co-transfected with human ether-a-go-go-related gene (hERG) encoding the alpha-subunit of I(Kr) and the human Ang II type 1 (AT(1)) receptor gene.

KEY RESULTS

Ang II decreased the amplitude of I(Kr) in a concentration-dependent manner with an IC(50) of 8.9 nM. Action potential durations at 50% (APD(50)) and 90% (APD(90)) repolarization were prolonged 20% and 16%, respectively by Ang II (100 nM). Ang II-induced inhibition of the I(Kr) was abolished by the AT(1) receptor blocker, losartan (1 muM). Ang II decreased hERG current in HEK293 cells and significantly delayed channel activation, deactivation and recovery from inactivation. Moreover, PKC inhibitors, stausporine and Bis-1, significantly attenuated Ang II-induced inhibition of I(Kr).

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS

Ang II produces an inhibitory effect on I(Kr)/hERG currents via AT(1) receptors linked to the PKC pathway in ventricular myocytes. This is a potential mechanism by which elevated levels of Ang II are involved in the occurrence of arrhythmias in cardiac hypertrophy and failure.

Properties of MSW fly ash-calcium sulfoaluminate cement matrix and stabilization/solidification on heavy metals

In this paper, investigations were undertaken to formulate the properties of fly ash-calcium sulfoaluminate (CSA) cement matrix by blending MSW fly ash with CSA cement. The compressive strength, pore structure, hydration phases, and leaching behavior of Zn and Pb doped MSW fly ash-CSA cement matrices were determined by XRD, MIP, DSC, FTIR, EDX, TCLP leaching test and other experiments. The results showed that the addition of MSW fly ash to form fly ash-CSA cement matrix reduced the compressive strengths of matrices and made the pore distribution of matrices coarser, compared to that of pure CSA cement matrix. However, fly ash-CSA cement matrix could effectively immobilize high concentration of heavy metal such as lead and zinc with much lesser leaching of TCLP. Besides ettringite AFt, Friedel phase was a new hydration phase formed in the matrix. The formation of these hydration phases was responsible for huge reservoir of heavy metal stabilization by chemical fixing. Therefore, it could be postulated that MSW fly ash-CSA cement matrix was a potential new constituent of S/S matrix for high concentration of heavy metals such as Zn and Pb ions.

FePt nanocluster films for high-density magnetic recording

High anisotropy L1(0) ordered FePt thin films are considered to have high potential for use as high areal density recording media, beyond 1 Tera bit/in2. In this paper, we review recent results on the synthesis and magnetic properties of L1(0) FePt nanocomposite films. Several fabrication methods have been developed to produce high-anisotropy FePt films: epitaxial and non-epitaxial growth of (001)-oriented FePt:X (X = Au, Ag, Cu, C, etc.) composite films that might be used for perpendicular media; monodispersed FePt nanocluster-assembled films grown with a gas-aggregation technique and having uniform cluster size and narrow size distribution; self-assembled FePt particles prepared with chemical synthesis by reduction/decomposition techniques, etc. The magnetic properties are controllable through variations in the nanocluster properties and nanostructure. FePt and related films show promise for development as heat-assisted magnetic recording media at extremely high areal densities. The self-assembled FePt arrays show potential for approaching the ultimate goal of single-grain-per-bit patterned media.

Research on inhibitive behaviors of electrolysis on the growth of Microcystis aeruginosa

Electrochemical method using a novel Ti/RuO2 anode was employed to inhibit a typical cyanobacteria, Microcystis aeruginosa (M. aeruginosa) under different electrolytic conditions. It is demonstrated that Ti/RuO2 anode was more efficient than traditional graphite anode in M. aeruginosa inhibition. The experimental results showed that the higher current density or longer electrolytic time could effectively improve the inhibition of M. aeruginosa. In addition, sodium chloride was a more effective electrolyte than sodium sulfate to enhance inhibition. The maximum inhibiting rate dose to 100% could be obtained at a current density of 12 mA cm(-2) when sodium chloride was used as a supporting electrolyte. Furthermore, UV-Visible spectra demonstrated that the structures of phycocyanins and chlorophyll a (Chl a) in M. aeruginosa could be changed or destroyed during electrolysis. Moreover, EPR spectra showed the generation of the free radicals through electrolysis, which might be one of the reasons responsible for the inhibition of algal growth.

The tumor suppressor adenomatous polyposis coli gene is associated with susceptibility to schizophrenia

The etiology of schizophrenia is unclear, although family, twin, and linkage studies implicate genetic factors. Here, we identified adenomatous polyposis coli (APC), a tumor suppressor gene, as a risk factor for schizophrenia. We compared leukocytic gene expression patterns of six pairs of patients with schizophrenia and healthy controls by microarray. APC expression levels were significantly increased in all patients compared to healthy controls. To confirm the findings of microarray analysis, we measured expression levels of APC in the leukocytes from 30 relapse patients taking antipsychotic medication, 29 first-episode drug-naïve patients, and 30 healthy controls using real-time quantitative reverse transcription (RT)-polymerase chain reaction (PCR). APC expression levels were significantly increased in leukocytes of schizophrenics both taking and not taking antipsychotic medication and hence the increase of APC expression was not due to antipsychotic medication. APC is located at 5q21-22, which has been previously reported to be linked with schizophrenia. Further, we performed the transmission disequilibrium test (TDT) and TDT based on haplotypes to search for the association between schizophrenia and APC by examining 163 parent-offspring trios of Chinese descent. We analyzed three single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (rs2229992, rs42427, rs465899) at the exon region of APC. TDT showed that the three SNPs are significantly associated with schizophrenia (TDT chi(2)=4.23, P<0.05; 4.15, P<0.05; 8.49 P<0.01, respectively; HHRRchi(2)=5.54, P<0.05; 4.40, P<0.05; 9.79, P<0.01, respectively). We found a significant association between the APC haplotypes from rs2229992-rs42427-rs465899 and schizophrenia (Global chi(2)=44.376,df=7, P<0.001). The C-A-T haplotype has a frequency of more than 57% and has a strong association with schizophrenia (chi(2)=15.04, P<0.001). These results indicate that the APC may be a candidate gene conferring susceptibility to schizophrenia and also may be associated with reduced vulnerability to cancer in schizophrenia.

Possible association of the MAG locus with schizophrenia in a Chinese Han cohort of family trios

Neurotransmitter-based hypotheses have so far led to only moderate success in predicting new pathogenetic findings in etiology of schizophrenia. On the other hand, the more recent oligodendroglia hypotheses of this disorder have been supported by an increasing body of evidence. For example, the expression level of the myelin associated glycoprotein (MAG) gene has been shown to be significantly lower in schizophrenia patient groups compared to control groups. Such an effect might be a result of genetic variations of the MAG gene. In order to test this hypothesis, we genotyped four markers within the MAG locus in 413 trios sample of the Han Chinese using allele-specific PCR. None of the four markers revealed noticeable allelic significance. However, the four-marker and two-marker haplotypes covering components rs720309 and rs720308 were observed to be significantly associated with schizophrenia (P < 0.0001) in this study. In addition, we identified one common risk haplotype TA (rs720309-rs720308, present in 78.5% of the general population) that showed increased evidence of overtransmission from parents to affected offspring (P = 0.0001). The results demonstrated MAG might play a role in genetic susceptibility to schizophrenia. Furthermore, our finding of a possible association between the MAG locus and schizophrenia is in agreement with the hypotheses of oligodendrltic and myelination dysfunction.

Quantitative analysis of the response of an electrochemical biosensor for progesterone in milk

An electrochemical biosensor for progesterone in cow's milk was developed and used in a competitive immunoassay by Hart et al. (1977, Studies towards a disposable screenprinted amperometric biosensor for progesterone, Biosens. Bioelectron. 12, 1113-1121). The sensor was fabricated by depositing anti-progesterone monoclonal antibody (mAb) onto screen-printed carbon electrodes (SPCEs) which were coated with rabbit anti-sheep IgG (rIgG). This sensor was operated following the steps of competitive binding between sample and conjugate (alkaline-phosphatase-labelled progesterone) for the immobilised mAb sites and measurements of an amperometric signal in the presence of p-nitrophenylphosphate using either colorimetric assays or cyclic voltammetry. The hook effect of the progesterone biosensor was found in the concentration range of milk progesterone between 0 and 5 ng/ml when the sensor was fabricated using a loading of 25 ng rIgG per electrode of a diameter of 3 mm and a 1/50 dilution of mAb. A computer model has been developed in this study to simulate the operation of this progesterone biosensor with consideration of the fabrication processes. This paper presents the results of validating the computer model and the model has predicted the hook effect as observed in tests. The model thus reveals that the hook effect is determined by the total number of binding sites available and the rates of labelled and unlabelled progesterone diffusing towards the sensor surface and the binding rates.

[Role of calcineurin in cardiac fibroblast proliferation stimulated by angiotensin II]

The present study was undertaken to observe the role of calcineurin (CaN) in the angiotensin II (Ang II) stimulated cardiac fibroblast proliferation. In cultured cardiac fibroblasts of neonatal rats, Ang II was used to stimulate proliferation while CaN was inhibited by CaN CsA inhibitor cyclosporin A (CsA). (3)H-TdR incorporation, activity of CaN and intracellular calcium concentration were measured. (3)H-TdR incorporation of Ang II stimulated fibroblasts was 72% higher than control (P<0.01), which was inhibited by CsA (0.1 10 micromol/L) in a dose dependent manner. Intracellular Ca(2+) level and CaN activity of Ang II stimulated fibroblasts were respectively 112% (P<0.01) and 17%(P<0.05) higher than control. It is concluded that CaN may play an important role in signal transduction of the Ang II induced cardiac fibroblast proliferation.

Effect of moxonidine on carotid sinus baroreflex in anesthetized rats

AIM

To study the effect of moxonidine (Mox) on carotid sinus baroreflex.

METHODS

By perfusing the carotid sinus in anesthetized rats, the functional parameters of baroreflex were measured. The femoral artery was perfused with constant flow and the change of perfusing pressure was recorded to determine the effect of Mox on vascular tone.

RESULTS

Mox 32 and 100 mumol.L-1 shifted the functional curve of carotid sinus baroreflex to the right and upward, with the reduction in peak slope and in reflex decrease of mean arterial pressure, suggesting that Mox produced an inhibitory effect on baroreflex. The effect of Mox 100 mumol.L-1 on baroreflex was completely blocked by efaroxan 100 mumol.L-1. Mox increased vascular resistance.

CONCLUSION

Mox inhibits carotid baroreflex via its constrictive action on sinus wall.

[Isolation of novel expression sequences of C2H2 type zinc finger protein gene from human brain tissue according to the conservation of zinc finger motif]

By low stringency PCR amplification of genomic DNA using the primers designed based on the conservation of zinc finger motif, we got 8 gradient eletrophoretic bands. After recovery of the second and third bands, the DNA fragments in them were cloned and sequenced. Compared to the GenBank database, among these 60 segments containing zinc finger motif, 23 segments were novel zinc finger genes' genomic segments. Then the human brain tissue cDNA library was screened, using these segments as probes, and 44 positive clones were obtained. Rescreening 28 of them, we got 20 rescreened clones. All of them were sequenced and sent to the GenBank DNA database for sequence analysis, the results showed that 16 were novel C2H2 type zinc finger protein cDNA segments. The cDNA segments encoding the novel C2H2 type zinc finger proteins provide the basic materials for cloning of full length cDNA of valuable novel zinc finger protein genes.

Passive transfer of Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome induces dihydropyridine sensitivity of ICa in mouse motor nerve terminals

Mice were injected for 30 days with plasma from three patients with Lambert-Eaton Myasthenic Syndrome (LEMS). Recordings were made from the perineurial sheath of motor axon terminals of triangularis sterni muscle preparations. The objective was to characterize pharmacologically the identity of kinetically distinct, defined potential changes associated with motor nerve terminal Ca2+ currents (ICa) that were affected by LEMS autoantibodies. ICa elicited at 0.01 Hz were significantly reduced in amplitude by approximately 35% of control in LEMS-treated nerve terminals. During 10-Hz stimulation, ICa amplitude was unchanged in LEMS-treated motor nerve terminals, but was depressed in control. During 20- or 100-Hz trains, facilitation of ICa occurred in LEMS-treated nerve terminals whereas in control, no facilitation occurred during the trains at 20 Hz and marked depression occurred at 100 Hz. Saturation for amplitude and duration of ICa in control terminals occurred at 2 and 4-6 mM extracellular Ca2+, respectively; in LEMS-treated terminals, the extracellular Ca2+ concentration had to increase by two to three times of control to cause saturation. Amplitude of the two components of ICa observed when the preparation was exposed to 50 microM 3,4-diaminopyridine and 1 mM tetraethylammonium were both reduced by LEMS plasma treatment. The fast component (ICa,s) was reduced by 35%, whereas the slow component (ICa, s) was reduced by 37%. omega-Agatoxin IVA (omega-Aga-IVA; 0.15 microM) and omega-conotoxin-MVIIC (omega-CTx-MVIIC; 5 microM) completely blocked ICa in control motor nerve terminals. The same concentrations of toxins were 20-30% less effective in blocking ICa in LEMS-treated terminals. The residual ICa remaining after treatment with omega-Aga-IVA or omega-CTx-MVIIC was blocked by 10 microM nifedipine and 10 microM Cd2+. Thus LEMS plasma appears to downregulate omega-Aga-IVA-sensitive (P-type) and/or omega-CTx-MVIIC-sensitive (Q-type) Ca2+ channels in murine motor nerve terminals, whereas dihydropyridine (DHP)-sensitive (L-type) Ca2+ channels are unmasked in these terminals. Acute exposure (90 min) of rat forebrain synaptosomes to LEMS immunoglobulins (Igs; 4 mg/ml) did not alter the binding of [3H]-nitrendipine or [125I]-omega-conotoxin-GVIA (-omega-CgTx GVIA) when compared with synaptosomes incubated with an equivalent concentration of control Igs. Conversely, LEMS Igs significantly decreased the Bmax for [3H]-verapamil to approximately 45% of control. The apparent affinity of verapamil (KD) for the remaining receptors was not significantly altered. Thus acute exposure of isolated central nerve terminals to LEMS Igs does not increase DHP sensitivity, whereas it reduces the number of binding sites for verapamil but not for nitrendipine or omega-CgTx-GVIA. These results suggest that chronic but not acute exposure to LEMS Igs either upregulates or unmasks DHP-sensitive Ca2+ channels in motor nerve endings.

Effects of moxonidine injected into rostral ventrolateral medulla on blood pressure, heart rate, and renal sympathetic nerve activity in rats

AIM

To examine the effects of moxonidine (Mox) injected into the rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM) on blood pressure (BP), heart rate (HR), and the renal sympathetic nerve activity (RSNA) in anesthetized normotensive rats.

METHODS

BP, HR, and RSNA were simultaneously recorded after 1 microL Mox 1, 10, and 100 mumol.L-1 was injected into RVLM.

RESULTS

Mox 1, 10, and 100 mumol.L-1 reduced BP from 13.9 +/- 1.0 kPa to 13.0 +/- 1.7 kPa (P < 0.05), 13.8 +/- 1.8 kPa to 11.4 +/- 1.5 kPa (P < 0.01), and 13.9 +/- 1.9 kPa to 9.4 +/- 1.7 kPa (P < 0.01), respectively. Mox did not influence HR. RSNA varied with the doses: Mox 1 mumol.L-1 increased RSNA by 50% (P < 0.05), 10 mumol.L-1 insignificantly influenced RSNA (P > 0.05), and 100 mumol.L-1 reduced RSNA by 23% (P < 0.05). In sinoaortic barodenervated rats, Mox 10 mumol.L-1 inhibited RSNA by 50% (P < 0.05), which substantially differed from that in buffer nerve intact rats (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSION

Mox injected into RVLM decreased BP, but did not influence HR. The changes of RSNA did not parallel with the depressor effect of Mox.