Objective： Transforming growth factor-1 （TGF-βI）, vascular endothelial growth factor （VEGF）, and interleukin-lO （IL-10） may be critical cytokines in the microenvironment of a tumor, playing roles in immune sup...Objective： Transforming growth factor-1 （TGF-βI）, vascular endothelial growth factor （VEGF）, and interleukin-lO （IL-10） may be critical cytokines in the microenvironment of a tumor, playing roles in immune suppression. This study was conducted to elucidate the roles and immunosuppressive functions of these cytokines in epithelial ovarian cancer （EOC）. Methods： The expression levels of TGF-β1, VEGF and IL-10 in malignant tissue were evaluated by immune- histochemistry and compared with corresponding borderline, benign, and tumor-free tissues. Moreover, relationships among the levels of these cytokines and correlations between expression and the prognosis of EOC were analyzed by Pearson rank correlations and multi-factor Logistic regression. The roles of TGF-βI, VEGF, and IL-lO in the immunosuppressive microenvironment of ovarian cancer were studied through dendritic cell （DC） maturation and CD4＋CD25＋FoxP3＋ Treg generation in vitro experiments. Results： TGF-β1, VEGF, and IL-IO were expressed TGF-β1 was an independent prognostic factor for EOC n 100%, 74.69%, and 54.96% of EOC patients, respectively. L-IO was significantly co-expressed with VEGF. In vitro, VEGF and TGF-β31 strongly interfered with DC maturation and consequently led to immature DCs, which secreted high levels of IL-IO that accumulated around the tumor site. TGF-β1 and IL-10 induced Treg generation without antigen presentation in DCs. Conclusions： TGF-βI, VEGF and IL-IO play important roles in EOC and can lead to frequent immune evasion events.展开更多
Objective: To validate multi-slice three-dimensional spiral CT cholangiography (3-D CTC) in clinical di- agnosis of biliary diseases. Methods: This study included 146 patients with bili- ary diseases, involving 73 cas...Objective: To validate multi-slice three-dimensional spiral CT cholangiography (3-D CTC) in clinical di- agnosis of biliary diseases. Methods: This study included 146 patients with bili- ary diseases, involving 73 cases of biliary tumor, 87 cases of radioparent calculus, 12 cases of post cholan- gio-jejunostomy and one case of congenital choledo- chocyst. The data of thin-slice volumetric CT scan were sent to the workstation (GE Advantage Win- dows 3. 1). Rational 3-D CTC including maximum intensity projection, minimum intensity projection, surface shaded display, CT virtual endoscopy and ray sumption was performed. The diagnostic accura- cy of 3-D CTC was compared with that of conven- tional CT, ultrasonography and endoscopic retro- grade cholangiopancreaticography (ERCP). Results: Different biliary diseases showed distinct ima- ging manifestations on 3-D CTC, As a new technique for assessing the status of post cholangio-jejunosto- my, 3-D CTC was superior to conventional CT, ul- trasonography and ERCP in diagnosis of negative bil- iary calculus, extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, cancer embolus of the biliary duct, carcinoma of the pancreas head and periampullar carcinoma. It was also superior to conventional CT, ultrasonography or equal to ERCP in diagnosis of hilar cholangiocarcino- ma, but inferior to conventional CT and ultrasonog- raphy in diagnosis of gallbladder cancer. Conclusion: 3-D CTC as a non-invasive and sensitive technique for the diagnosis of biliary diseases with high diagnostic accuracy will greatly increase the de- tection rate of biliary diseases.展开更多
Objective To assess the ability of tetrandrine （Tet） to enhance the sensitivity to irradiation and its mechanism in cell lines of human breast cancer p53-mutant MCF-7/ADR, p53-wild-type MCF-7 and human colon carcino...Objective To assess the ability of tetrandrine （Tet） to enhance the sensitivity to irradiation and its mechanism in cell lines of human breast cancer p53-mutant MCF-7/ADR, p53-wild-type MCF-7 and human colon carcinoma p53-mutant HT-29 as well as in C26 colorectal carcinoma-bearing BALB/c mice. Methods MCF-7/ADR, HT-29 and MCF-7 cells were exposed to irradiation in the absence or presence of tetrandrine. The effect of Tet on the cytotoxicity of X-irradiation in these three cells was determined and the effect of tetrandrine on cell cycle arrest induced by irradiation in its absence or presence was studied by flow cytometry. Moreover, mitotic index measurement determined mitosis of cells to enter mitosis. Western blotting was employed to detect cyclin B1 and Cdc2 proteins in extracts from irradiated or non-irradiated cells of MCF-7/ADR, HT-29 and MCF-7 treated with tetrandrine at various concentrations. Tumor growth delay assay was conducted to determine the radio-sensitization of tetrandrine in vivo. Results Clonogenic assay showed that tetrandrine markedly enhanced the lethal effect of X-rays on p53-mutant MCF-7/ADR and HT-29 cells and the sensitization enhancement ratio （SER） of tetrandrine was 1.51 and 1.63, but its SER was only 1.1 in p53-wt MCF-7 cells. Irradiated p53-mutant MCF-7/ADR and HT-29 cells were only arrested in G2/M phase while MCF-7 cells were arrested in G1 and G2/M phases. Radiation-induced G2 phase arrests were abrogated by tetrandrine in a concentration-dependent manner in MCF-7/ADR and HT-29 cells, whereas redistribution within MCF-7 cell cycle changed slightly. The proportion of cells in M phase increased from 1.3% to 14.7% in MCF-7/ADR cells, and from 1.5% to 13.2% in HT-29 cells, but 2.4% to 7.1% in MCF-7 cells. Furthermore, the levels of cyclin B 1 and Cdc2 expression decreased after X-irradiation in MCF-7/ADR and HT-29 cells, and the mitotic index was also lower. Tet could reverse the decrease and induce the irradiated cells to enter mitosis （M phase）. Endosomatic experiment showed that tetrandrine caused tumor growth delay in irradiated mice. Conclusion Tetrandrine boosts the cell killing activity of irradiation both in vitro and in vivo. Tetrandrine is a potent abrogator for G2 checkpoint control and can sensitize the cells to radiation.展开更多
Objective: To analyze the pre- and post-contrast CT findings of liver focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH) so as to improve their diagnostic accuracy. Methods: Pre- and post-contrast tri-phase (arterial, portal venous and ...Objective: To analyze the pre- and post-contrast CT findings of liver focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH) so as to improve their diagnostic accuracy. Methods: Pre- and post-contrast tri-phase (arterial, portal venous and delayed) scans were performed in 21 patients with FNH proved surgically and patholo- gically. Transcatheter arterial angiography was per- formed in 2 patients. Results: Pre-contrast scans showed hypodensity in 16 patients, isodensity in 5, and punctate, streak and radial scars in 12. Except central scar, all lesions were markedly and homogeneously enhanced in the arterial phase. Nine of the 21 patients showed dilated and tortuous arteries in the central and peripheral areas of the focus. In the portal venous phase, focal density was decreased, though still higher or slightly higher in FNH than in parenchyma. In the delayed phase, the lesions showed isodensity or slight hypo- density. Enhanced capsules were seen in 3 patients. Dilated arteries and drainage veins were seen on an- giographic images. Conclusion: The characteristic manifestations of FNH on multiphasic helical CT scan are of great sig- nificance in diagnosing FNH and choosing viable therapy.展开更多
Background： Circulating endometrial cells （CECs） have been reported to be present in the peripheral blood of women with endometriosis （EM）, providing clear and specific evidence of the presence of ectopic lesions...Background： Circulating endometrial cells （CECs） have been reported to be present in the peripheral blood of women with endometriosis （EM）, providing clear and specific evidence of the presence of ectopic lesions. In this study, we established a method with a high detection rate of CECs, assessed the diagnostic value of CECs for EM and compared with serum CA125, and proposed a hypothesis for the pathogenesis of EM from the new perspective of CECs. Methods： The participants were enrolled prospectively from October 2015 to July 2016. The peripheral blood samples were collected from 59 participants, and the blood cells were isolated for immunofluorescence staining via microfluidic chips. The cells that were positive for vimentin/cytokeratin and estrogen/progesterone receptor and negative for CD45 were identified as CECs. The serum CA125 level was tested with electrochemiluminescence immunoassay. Results： The detection rate of CECs reached 89.5% （17/19） in the EM group, which was significantly higher than that of the control group （15.0% [6/40], P 〈 0.001） and was independent of menstrual cycle phases. Furthermore, a positive CEC assay detected 4/5 cases of Stage Ⅰ–Ⅱ EM. In contrast, a positive CA125 test had limited value in detecting EM （13/19, 68.4%） and detected only one case of Stage Ⅰ–Ⅱ EM. Conclusion： CECs are promising biomarkers for EM with great potential for a noninvasive diagnostic assay.展开更多
Background::Human epididymis secretory protein 4(HE4)is a new ovarian cancer biomarker.The factors influencing HE4 levels are not clear,and the reference data in China are limited.Here,we aim to evaluate the effects o...Background::Human epididymis secretory protein 4(HE4)is a new ovarian cancer biomarker.The factors influencing HE4 levels are not clear,and the reference data in China are limited.Here,we aim to evaluate the effects of menopause and age on HE4 levels and to provide a possible reference value for HE4 in healthy Chinese people.Methods::A total of 2493 healthy females aged 40 years or older were recruited from March 2013 to March 2017 with the cooperation of four medical institutions across Beijing,China.The serum levels of HE4 and cancer antigen 125(CA125)were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.The Wilcoxon rank-sum test of variance and a stratified analysis were used to analyze the relationships among age,menopausal status,and levels of HE4 or CA125.Confidence intervals(5%-95%)were determined for reference ranges in different populations.Results::There was a statistically significant difference in median HE4 levels between the post-menopausal(n=2168)and premenopausal groups(n=325)(36.46 vs.24.04 pmol/L,Z=-14.41,P<0.001).HE4 increased significantly with age in the post-menopausal groups(H=408.18,P<0.001)but not in the pre-menopausal subjects(Z=-0.43,P=0.67).The upper 95th percentile of HE4 levels were 44.63 pmol/L for pre-menopausal women,78.17 pmol/L for post-menopausal women,and 73.3 pmol/L for all women.In the post-menopausal population,the HE4 reference ranges were 13.15 to 47.31,14.31 to 58.04,17.06 to 73.51,24.50 to 115.25,and 35.71 to 212.37 pmol/L for different age groups from forty divided by decade.The CA125 level was affected mainly by menopausal status and not age.Conclusions::Menopausal status and age were both important factors influencing the level of HE4,and age affected HE4 levels mainly in post-menopausal women.The HE4 level was higher in the post-menopausal population than in the pre-menopausal population and increased with age.展开更多
Background： Ovarian cancer is a leading gynecological malignancy. We investigated the prognostic value of programmed cell death 5 （PDCD5） in patients with ovarian cancer. Methods： Expression levels of PDCD5 mRNA a...Background： Ovarian cancer is a leading gynecological malignancy. We investigated the prognostic value of programmed cell death 5 （PDCD5） in patients with ovarian cancer. Methods： Expression levels of PDCD5 mRNA and protein were examined in six ovarian cancer cell lines （SKOV3, CAOV3, ES2, OV1, 3AO, and HOC 1 A） and one normal ovarian epithelial cell line （T29） using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, Western blotting, and flow cytolnetry. Alter inducing PDCD5 induction in SKOV3 cells or treating this cell line with taxol or doxorubicin （either alone or combined）, apoptosis was measured by Annexin V-FITC/propidium iodide staining. Correlations between PDCD5 protein expression and pathological features, histological grade, FIGO stage, effective cytoreductive surgery, and serum cancer antigen-125 values were evaluated in patients with ovarian cancer. Results： PDCD5 mRNA and protein expression were downregulated in ovarian cancer cells. Recombinant human PDCD5 increased doxorubicin-induced apoptosis in SKOV3 cells （15.96 ± 2.07%, vs. 3.17 ± 1.45% in controls）. In patients with ovarian cancer, PDCD5 expression was inversely correlated with FIGO stage, pathological grade, and patient survival （P 〈 0.05, R = 0.7139 for survival）. Conclusions： PDCD5 expression is negatively correlated with disease progression and stage in ovarian cancer. Therefore, measuring PDCD5 expression may be a good method of determining the prognosis of ovarian cancer patients.展开更多
Superoxlde dlsmutase （SOD） is ubiquitous in aerobic organisms and constitutes the first link In the enzyme scavenging system of reactive oxygen species. In the present study, species and organ diversity of SOD activ...Superoxlde dlsmutase （SOD） is ubiquitous in aerobic organisms and constitutes the first link In the enzyme scavenging system of reactive oxygen species. In the present study, species and organ diversity of SOD activity In a solution and In an in-gel assay system, as well as the effects of hydrogen peroxide （H202） on SOD activity, were Investigated. In a solution assay system, SOD activity of jackfruIt root, shoot, leaves, axes, and cotyledons, of maize embryos and endosperms, of mung bean leaves and seeds, of sacred lotus axes and cotyledons, and of rice and wheat leaves was Increased by 1-15 mmol/L H2O2. However, SOD activity In rice root and seeds, maize roots and leaves, mung bean roots and shoots, and wheat seeds was decreased by 1-15 mmol/L H2O2. The SOD activity of wheat root and soybean roots, leaves, axes, and cotyledons was Increased by 1-4 mmol/L H2O2, but was decreased by concentrations of H2O2 〉4 mmol/L. The SOD activity of soybean shoots was not affected by 1-15 mmol/L H2O2. The SOD activity In crude mltochondrla of jackfruIt, maize, and upas seeds, as well as In purified mitochondria of jackfruIt, was also Increased by 1-15 mmol/L H2O2. In the In-gel assay system, the SOD In jackfruIt cotyledons was comprised of Mn-SOD, Cu/Zn-SOD, and Fe-SOD, the crude mltochondria of jackfruit seeds and maizes embryo was comprised of Mn-SOD and Cu/ Zn-SOD, and the crude mltochondria of maize seeds was comprised of Mn-SOD only. In the present study, H2O2 markedly Inhibited Cu/Zn-SOD and Fe-SOD activity.展开更多
It is a well-known fact that a mature seed can survive losing most of its water, yet how seeds acquire desiccation- tolerance is not well understood. Through sampling maize embryos of different developmental stages an...It is a well-known fact that a mature seed can survive losing most of its water, yet how seeds acquire desiccation- tolerance is not well understood. Through sampling maize embryos of different developmental stages and comparatively studying the integrity, oxygen consumption rate and activities of antioxidant enzymes in the mitochondria, the main origin site of reactive oxygen species （ROS） production in seed cells, we found that before an embryo achieves desiccation-tolerance, its mitochondria shows a more active metabolism, and might produce more ROS and therefore need a more effective ROS scavenging system. However, embryo dehydration in this developmental stage declined the activities of most main antioxidant enzymes and accumulated thiobarbituric acid-reactive products in mitochondria, and then destroyed the structure and functional integrity of mitochondria. In physiologically-matured embryos （dehydration- tolerant）, mitochondria showed lower metabolism levels, and no decline in ROS scavenging enzyme activities and less accumulation of thiobarbituric acid-reactive products after embryo dehydration. These data indicate that seed desiccation- tolerance acquisition might be associated with down-adjustment of the metabolism level in the late development stage, resulting in less ROS production, and ROS scavenging enzymes becoming desiccation-tolerant and then ensuring the structure and functional integrity of mitochondria.展开更多
Chimera states consisting of spatially coherent and incoherent domains have been observed in differ- ent topologies such as rings, spheres, and complex networks. In this paper, we investigate bipartite networks of non...Chimera states consisting of spatially coherent and incoherent domains have been observed in differ- ent topologies such as rings, spheres, and complex networks. In this paper, we investigate bipartite networks of nonlocally coupled FitzHugh-Nagumo （FHN） oscillators in which the units are allocated evenly to two layers, and FHN units interact with each other only when they are in different lay- ers. We report the existence of chimera states in bipartite networks. Owing to the interplay between chimera states in the two layers, many types of chimera states such as in-phase chimera states, an- tiphase chimera states, and out-of-phase chimera states are classified. Stability diagrams of several typical chimera states in the coupling strength-coupling radius plane, which show strong multistability of chimera states, are explored.展开更多
Long-term preservation of recalcitrant seeds is very difficult because the physiological basis on their desiccation sensitivity is poorly understood. Survival of Antiaris toxicaria axes rapidly decreased and that of i...Long-term preservation of recalcitrant seeds is very difficult because the physiological basis on their desiccation sensitivity is poorly understood. Survival of Antiaris toxicaria axes rapidly decreased and that of immature maize embryos very slowly decreased with dehydration. To understand their different responses to dehydration, we examined the changes in mitochondria activity during dehydration. Although activities of cytochrome （Cyt） c oxidase and malate dehydrogenase of the A. toxicaria axis and maize embryo mitochondria decreased with dehydration, the parameters of maize embryo mitochondria were much higher than those of A. toxicaria, showing that the damage was more severe for the A. toxicaria axis mitochondria than for those of maize embryo. The state I and III respiration of the A. toxicaria axis mitochondria were higher than those of maize embryo, the former rapidly decreased, and the latter slowly decreased with dehydration. The proportion of Cyt c pathway to state III respiration for the A. toxicaria axis mitochondria was low and rapidly decreased with dehydration, and the proportion of alternative oxidase pathway was high and slightly increased with dehydration. In contrast, the proportion of Cyt c pathway for maize embryo mitochondria was high, and that of alternative oxidase pathway was low. Both pathways decreased slowly with dehydration.展开更多
Chimera states,a symmetry-breaking spatiotemporal pattern in nonlocally coupled dynamical units,prevail in a variety of systems.However,the interaction structures among oscillators are static in most of studies on chi...Chimera states,a symmetry-breaking spatiotemporal pattern in nonlocally coupled dynamical units,prevail in a variety of systems.However,the interaction structures among oscillators are static in most of studies on chimera state.In this work,we consider a population of agents.Each agent carries a phase oscillator.We assume that agents perform Brownian motions on a ring and interact with each other with a kernel function dependent on the distance between them.When agents are motionless,the model allows for several dynamical states including two different chimera states (the type-Ⅰ and the type-Ⅱ chimeras).The movement of agents changes the relative positions among them and produces perpetual noise to impact on the model dynamics.We find that the response of the coupled phase oscillators to the movement of agents depends on both the phase lag α,determining the stabilities of chimera states,and the agent mobility D.For low mobility,the synchronous state transits to the type-Ⅰ chimera state for α close to π/2 and attracts other initial states otherwise.For intermediate mobility,the coupled oscillators randomly jump among different dynamical states and the jump dynamics depends on α.We investigate the statistical properties in these different dynamical regimes and present the scaling laws between the transient time and the mobility for low mobility and relations between the mean lifetimes of different dynamical states and the mobility for intermediate mobility.展开更多
More substances leaked from a higher-vigor seed sample than from a lower-vigor sample. This indicates that, in some cases, electric conductivity does not represent seed vigor level very well, especially for high-vigor...More substances leaked from a higher-vigor seed sample than from a lower-vigor sample. This indicates that, in some cases, electric conductivity does not represent seed vigor level very well, especially for high-vigor seeds. Results from germination, germination index, leachate conductivity, and the ratio of K^＋/Na^＋ from three-seed lots of Chinese cabbage （Brassica pekinensis （Louv.） Rupr） showed that K^＋/Na^＋ correlated well with germination and germination index. The ability of K^＋/Na^＋ to indicate well changes in vigor was further supported by investigation in soybean （Glycine max （L.） Merr.） seeds and another cultivar of Chinese cabbage seeds. Thus, seed leakage of K^＋/Na^＋ can accurately indicate seed vigor, whereas the conductivity test failed to do so. Furthermore, K^＋/Na^＋ showed up bigger quantitative differences in vigor level than did the conductivity test. This findings provide a more sensitive and accurate index for the assessment of seed vigor. The mechanisms of Na^＋ and K^＋ ion transport are also discussed.展开更多
Chimera states,a symmetry-breaking spatiotemporal pattern in nonlocally coupled identical dynamical units,have been identified in various systems and generalized to coupled nonidentical oscillators.It has been shown t...Chimera states,a symmetry-breaking spatiotemporal pattern in nonlocally coupled identical dynamical units,have been identified in various systems and generalized to coupled nonidentical oscillators.It has been shown that strong heterogeneity in the frequencies of nonidentical oscillators might be harmful to chimera states.In this work,we consider a ring of nonlocally coupled bicomponent phase oscillators in which two types of oscillators are randomly distributed along the ring:some oscillators with natural.frequency w1 and others with w2.In this model,the heterogeneity in frequency is measured by frequency mismatch|w1-w2|between the oscillators in these two subpopulations.We report that the nonlocally coupled bicomponent phase oscillators allow for chimera states no matter how large the frequency mismatch is.The bicomponent oscillators are composed of two chimera states,one supported by oscillators with natural frequency wI and the other by oscillators with natural frequency w2.The two chimera states in two subpopulations are synchronized at weak frequency mismatch,in which the coberent oscillators in thern share similar mean phase velocity,and are desynchronized at large frequency mismatch,in which the coherent oscillators in different subpopulations have distinct mean phase velocities.The synchronization-desynchronization transition between chimera states in these two subpopulations is observed with the increase in the frequency mismatch.The observed phenomena are theoretically analyzed by passing to the continuum limit and using the Ott-Antonsen approach.展开更多
基金supported by the Natural Science Foundation of China(No.30872750)the Natural Science Foundation of Beijing(No.7092108)
文摘Objective： Transforming growth factor-1 （TGF-βI）, vascular endothelial growth factor （VEGF）, and interleukin-lO （IL-10） may be critical cytokines in the microenvironment of a tumor, playing roles in immune suppression. This study was conducted to elucidate the roles and immunosuppressive functions of these cytokines in epithelial ovarian cancer （EOC）. Methods： The expression levels of TGF-β1, VEGF and IL-10 in malignant tissue were evaluated by immune- histochemistry and compared with corresponding borderline, benign, and tumor-free tissues. Moreover, relationships among the levels of these cytokines and correlations between expression and the prognosis of EOC were analyzed by Pearson rank correlations and multi-factor Logistic regression. The roles of TGF-βI, VEGF, and IL-lO in the immunosuppressive microenvironment of ovarian cancer were studied through dendritic cell （DC） maturation and CD4＋CD25＋FoxP3＋ Treg generation in vitro experiments. Results： TGF-β1, VEGF, and IL-IO were expressed TGF-β1 was an independent prognostic factor for EOC n 100%, 74.69%, and 54.96% of EOC patients, respectively. L-IO was significantly co-expressed with VEGF. In vitro, VEGF and TGF-β31 strongly interfered with DC maturation and consequently led to immature DCs, which secreted high levels of IL-IO that accumulated around the tumor site. TGF-β1 and IL-10 induced Treg generation without antigen presentation in DCs. Conclusions： TGF-βI, VEGF and IL-IO play important roles in EOC and can lead to frequent immune evasion events.
文摘Objective: To validate multi-slice three-dimensional spiral CT cholangiography (3-D CTC) in clinical di- agnosis of biliary diseases. Methods: This study included 146 patients with bili- ary diseases, involving 73 cases of biliary tumor, 87 cases of radioparent calculus, 12 cases of post cholan- gio-jejunostomy and one case of congenital choledo- chocyst. The data of thin-slice volumetric CT scan were sent to the workstation (GE Advantage Win- dows 3. 1). Rational 3-D CTC including maximum intensity projection, minimum intensity projection, surface shaded display, CT virtual endoscopy and ray sumption was performed. The diagnostic accura- cy of 3-D CTC was compared with that of conven- tional CT, ultrasonography and endoscopic retro- grade cholangiopancreaticography (ERCP). Results: Different biliary diseases showed distinct ima- ging manifestations on 3-D CTC, As a new technique for assessing the status of post cholangio-jejunosto- my, 3-D CTC was superior to conventional CT, ul- trasonography and ERCP in diagnosis of negative bil- iary calculus, extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, cancer embolus of the biliary duct, carcinoma of the pancreas head and periampullar carcinoma. It was also superior to conventional CT, ultrasonography or equal to ERCP in diagnosis of hilar cholangiocarcino- ma, but inferior to conventional CT and ultrasonog- raphy in diagnosis of gallbladder cancer. Conclusion: 3-D CTC as a non-invasive and sensitive technique for the diagnosis of biliary diseases with high diagnostic accuracy will greatly increase the de- tection rate of biliary diseases.
基金supported by a grant from the Jiangsu Natural Science Foundation (No. BK2005203).
文摘Objective To assess the ability of tetrandrine （Tet） to enhance the sensitivity to irradiation and its mechanism in cell lines of human breast cancer p53-mutant MCF-7/ADR, p53-wild-type MCF-7 and human colon carcinoma p53-mutant HT-29 as well as in C26 colorectal carcinoma-bearing BALB/c mice. Methods MCF-7/ADR, HT-29 and MCF-7 cells were exposed to irradiation in the absence or presence of tetrandrine. The effect of Tet on the cytotoxicity of X-irradiation in these three cells was determined and the effect of tetrandrine on cell cycle arrest induced by irradiation in its absence or presence was studied by flow cytometry. Moreover, mitotic index measurement determined mitosis of cells to enter mitosis. Western blotting was employed to detect cyclin B1 and Cdc2 proteins in extracts from irradiated or non-irradiated cells of MCF-7/ADR, HT-29 and MCF-7 treated with tetrandrine at various concentrations. Tumor growth delay assay was conducted to determine the radio-sensitization of tetrandrine in vivo. Results Clonogenic assay showed that tetrandrine markedly enhanced the lethal effect of X-rays on p53-mutant MCF-7/ADR and HT-29 cells and the sensitization enhancement ratio （SER） of tetrandrine was 1.51 and 1.63, but its SER was only 1.1 in p53-wt MCF-7 cells. Irradiated p53-mutant MCF-7/ADR and HT-29 cells were only arrested in G2/M phase while MCF-7 cells were arrested in G1 and G2/M phases. Radiation-induced G2 phase arrests were abrogated by tetrandrine in a concentration-dependent manner in MCF-7/ADR and HT-29 cells, whereas redistribution within MCF-7 cell cycle changed slightly. The proportion of cells in M phase increased from 1.3% to 14.7% in MCF-7/ADR cells, and from 1.5% to 13.2% in HT-29 cells, but 2.4% to 7.1% in MCF-7 cells. Furthermore, the levels of cyclin B 1 and Cdc2 expression decreased after X-irradiation in MCF-7/ADR and HT-29 cells, and the mitotic index was also lower. Tet could reverse the decrease and induce the irradiated cells to enter mitosis （M phase）. Endosomatic experiment showed that tetrandrine caused tumor growth delay in irradiated mice. Conclusion Tetrandrine boosts the cell killing activity of irradiation both in vitro and in vivo. Tetrandrine is a potent abrogator for G2 checkpoint control and can sensitize the cells to radiation.
文摘Objective: To analyze the pre- and post-contrast CT findings of liver focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH) so as to improve their diagnostic accuracy. Methods: Pre- and post-contrast tri-phase (arterial, portal venous and delayed) scans were performed in 21 patients with FNH proved surgically and patholo- gically. Transcatheter arterial angiography was per- formed in 2 patients. Results: Pre-contrast scans showed hypodensity in 16 patients, isodensity in 5, and punctate, streak and radial scars in 12. Except central scar, all lesions were markedly and homogeneously enhanced in the arterial phase. Nine of the 21 patients showed dilated and tortuous arteries in the central and peripheral areas of the focus. In the portal venous phase, focal density was decreased, though still higher or slightly higher in FNH than in parenchyma. In the delayed phase, the lesions showed isodensity or slight hypo- density. Enhanced capsules were seen in 3 patients. Dilated arteries and drainage veins were seen on an- giographic images. Conclusion: The characteristic manifestations of FNH on multiphasic helical CT scan are of great sig- nificance in diagnosing FNH and choosing viable therapy.
文摘Background： Circulating endometrial cells （CECs） have been reported to be present in the peripheral blood of women with endometriosis （EM）, providing clear and specific evidence of the presence of ectopic lesions. In this study, we established a method with a high detection rate of CECs, assessed the diagnostic value of CECs for EM and compared with serum CA125, and proposed a hypothesis for the pathogenesis of EM from the new perspective of CECs. Methods： The participants were enrolled prospectively from October 2015 to July 2016. The peripheral blood samples were collected from 59 participants, and the blood cells were isolated for immunofluorescence staining via microfluidic chips. The cells that were positive for vimentin/cytokeratin and estrogen/progesterone receptor and negative for CD45 were identified as CECs. The serum CA125 level was tested with electrochemiluminescence immunoassay. Results： The detection rate of CECs reached 89.5% （17/19） in the EM group, which was significantly higher than that of the control group （15.0% [6/40], P 〈 0.001） and was independent of menstrual cycle phases. Furthermore, a positive CEC assay detected 4/5 cases of Stage Ⅰ–Ⅱ EM. In contrast, a positive CA125 test had limited value in detecting EM （13/19, 68.4%） and detected only one case of Stage Ⅰ–Ⅱ EM. Conclusion： CECs are promising biomarkers for EM with great potential for a noninvasive diagnostic assay.
基金This research was supported by grants from the Capital Foundation of Medical Developments of China(CFMD2011402202)National Key Technology R&D Program(2015BAI13B06)research funding from Fujirebio Diagnostics,Inc.
文摘Background::Human epididymis secretory protein 4(HE4)is a new ovarian cancer biomarker.The factors influencing HE4 levels are not clear,and the reference data in China are limited.Here,we aim to evaluate the effects of menopause and age on HE4 levels and to provide a possible reference value for HE4 in healthy Chinese people.Methods::A total of 2493 healthy females aged 40 years or older were recruited from March 2013 to March 2017 with the cooperation of four medical institutions across Beijing,China.The serum levels of HE4 and cancer antigen 125(CA125)were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.The Wilcoxon rank-sum test of variance and a stratified analysis were used to analyze the relationships among age,menopausal status,and levels of HE4 or CA125.Confidence intervals(5%-95%)were determined for reference ranges in different populations.Results::There was a statistically significant difference in median HE4 levels between the post-menopausal(n=2168)and premenopausal groups(n=325)(36.46 vs.24.04 pmol/L,Z=-14.41,P<0.001).HE4 increased significantly with age in the post-menopausal groups(H=408.18,P<0.001)but not in the pre-menopausal subjects(Z=-0.43,P=0.67).The upper 95th percentile of HE4 levels were 44.63 pmol/L for pre-menopausal women,78.17 pmol/L for post-menopausal women,and 73.3 pmol/L for all women.In the post-menopausal population,the HE4 reference ranges were 13.15 to 47.31,14.31 to 58.04,17.06 to 73.51,24.50 to 115.25,and 35.71 to 212.37 pmol/L for different age groups from forty divided by decade.The CA125 level was affected mainly by menopausal status and not age.Conclusions::Menopausal status and age were both important factors influencing the level of HE4,and age affected HE4 levels mainly in post-menopausal women.The HE4 level was higher in the post-menopausal population than in the pre-menopausal population and increased with age.
文摘Background： Ovarian cancer is a leading gynecological malignancy. We investigated the prognostic value of programmed cell death 5 （PDCD5） in patients with ovarian cancer. Methods： Expression levels of PDCD5 mRNA and protein were examined in six ovarian cancer cell lines （SKOV3, CAOV3, ES2, OV1, 3AO, and HOC 1 A） and one normal ovarian epithelial cell line （T29） using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, Western blotting, and flow cytolnetry. Alter inducing PDCD5 induction in SKOV3 cells or treating this cell line with taxol or doxorubicin （either alone or combined）, apoptosis was measured by Annexin V-FITC/propidium iodide staining. Correlations between PDCD5 protein expression and pathological features, histological grade, FIGO stage, effective cytoreductive surgery, and serum cancer antigen-125 values were evaluated in patients with ovarian cancer. Results： PDCD5 mRNA and protein expression were downregulated in ovarian cancer cells. Recombinant human PDCD5 increased doxorubicin-induced apoptosis in SKOV3 cells （15.96 ± 2.07%, vs. 3.17 ± 1.45% in controls）. In patients with ovarian cancer, PDCD5 expression was inversely correlated with FIGO stage, pathological grade, and patient survival （P 〈 0.05, R = 0.7139 for survival）. Conclusions： PDCD5 expression is negatively correlated with disease progression and stage in ovarian cancer. Therefore, measuring PDCD5 expression may be a good method of determining the prognosis of ovarian cancer patients.
基金Supported by the Knowledge Innovation Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences(KSCX2-SW-117)Hundreds Talent Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences,Natural Science Foundation of Yunnan,China (2003C0068M)the Ministry of Sciences and Technology of China (2004DKA30430)
文摘Superoxlde dlsmutase （SOD） is ubiquitous in aerobic organisms and constitutes the first link In the enzyme scavenging system of reactive oxygen species. In the present study, species and organ diversity of SOD activity In a solution and In an in-gel assay system, as well as the effects of hydrogen peroxide （H202） on SOD activity, were Investigated. In a solution assay system, SOD activity of jackfruIt root, shoot, leaves, axes, and cotyledons, of maize embryos and endosperms, of mung bean leaves and seeds, of sacred lotus axes and cotyledons, and of rice and wheat leaves was Increased by 1-15 mmol/L H2O2. However, SOD activity In rice root and seeds, maize roots and leaves, mung bean roots and shoots, and wheat seeds was decreased by 1-15 mmol/L H2O2. The SOD activity of wheat root and soybean roots, leaves, axes, and cotyledons was Increased by 1-4 mmol/L H2O2, but was decreased by concentrations of H2O2 〉4 mmol/L. The SOD activity of soybean shoots was not affected by 1-15 mmol/L H2O2. The SOD activity In crude mltochondrla of jackfruIt, maize, and upas seeds, as well as In purified mitochondria of jackfruIt, was also Increased by 1-15 mmol/L H2O2. In the In-gel assay system, the SOD In jackfruIt cotyledons was comprised of Mn-SOD, Cu/Zn-SOD, and Fe-SOD, the crude mltochondria of jackfruit seeds and maizes embryo was comprised of Mn-SOD and Cu/ Zn-SOD, and the crude mltochondria of maize seeds was comprised of Mn-SOD only. In the present study, H2O2 markedly Inhibited Cu/Zn-SOD and Fe-SOD activity.
基金Supported by the Knowledge Innovation Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (KSCX2-YW-Z-058)the National Natural Science Foundation of China (3047018330870223)
文摘It is a well-known fact that a mature seed can survive losing most of its water, yet how seeds acquire desiccation- tolerance is not well understood. Through sampling maize embryos of different developmental stages and comparatively studying the integrity, oxygen consumption rate and activities of antioxidant enzymes in the mitochondria, the main origin site of reactive oxygen species （ROS） production in seed cells, we found that before an embryo achieves desiccation-tolerance, its mitochondria shows a more active metabolism, and might produce more ROS and therefore need a more effective ROS scavenging system. However, embryo dehydration in this developmental stage declined the activities of most main antioxidant enzymes and accumulated thiobarbituric acid-reactive products in mitochondria, and then destroyed the structure and functional integrity of mitochondria. In physiologically-matured embryos （dehydration- tolerant）, mitochondria showed lower metabolism levels, and no decline in ROS scavenging enzyme activities and less accumulation of thiobarbituric acid-reactive products after embryo dehydration. These data indicate that seed desiccation- tolerance acquisition might be associated with down-adjustment of the metabolism level in the late development stage, resulting in less ROS production, and ROS scavenging enzymes becoming desiccation-tolerant and then ensuring the structure and functional integrity of mitochondria.
基金This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant Nos. 11575036 and 11505016.
文摘Chimera states consisting of spatially coherent and incoherent domains have been observed in differ- ent topologies such as rings, spheres, and complex networks. In this paper, we investigate bipartite networks of nonlocally coupled FitzHugh-Nagumo （FHN） oscillators in which the units are allocated evenly to two layers, and FHN units interact with each other only when they are in different lay- ers. We report the existence of chimera states in bipartite networks. Owing to the interplay between chimera states in the two layers, many types of chimera states such as in-phase chimera states, an- tiphase chimera states, and out-of-phase chimera states are classified. Stability diagrams of several typical chimera states in the coupling strength-coupling radius plane, which show strong multistability of chimera states, are explored.
基金Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (30870223)
文摘Long-term preservation of recalcitrant seeds is very difficult because the physiological basis on their desiccation sensitivity is poorly understood. Survival of Antiaris toxicaria axes rapidly decreased and that of immature maize embryos very slowly decreased with dehydration. To understand their different responses to dehydration, we examined the changes in mitochondria activity during dehydration. Although activities of cytochrome （Cyt） c oxidase and malate dehydrogenase of the A. toxicaria axis and maize embryo mitochondria decreased with dehydration, the parameters of maize embryo mitochondria were much higher than those of A. toxicaria, showing that the damage was more severe for the A. toxicaria axis mitochondria than for those of maize embryo. The state I and III respiration of the A. toxicaria axis mitochondria were higher than those of maize embryo, the former rapidly decreased, and the latter slowly decreased with dehydration. The proportion of Cyt c pathway to state III respiration for the A. toxicaria axis mitochondria was low and rapidly decreased with dehydration, and the proportion of alternative oxidase pathway was high and slightly increased with dehydration. In contrast, the proportion of Cyt c pathway for maize embryo mitochondria was high, and that of alternative oxidase pathway was low. Both pathways decreased slowly with dehydration.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos.11575036,11805021, and 11505016).Compliance with ethical standards. The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest concerning the publication of this manuscript.
文摘Chimera states,a symmetry-breaking spatiotemporal pattern in nonlocally coupled dynamical units,prevail in a variety of systems.However,the interaction structures among oscillators are static in most of studies on chimera state.In this work,we consider a population of agents.Each agent carries a phase oscillator.We assume that agents perform Brownian motions on a ring and interact with each other with a kernel function dependent on the distance between them.When agents are motionless,the model allows for several dynamical states including two different chimera states (the type-Ⅰ and the type-Ⅱ chimeras).The movement of agents changes the relative positions among them and produces perpetual noise to impact on the model dynamics.We find that the response of the coupled phase oscillators to the movement of agents depends on both the phase lag α,determining the stabilities of chimera states,and the agent mobility D.For low mobility,the synchronous state transits to the type-Ⅰ chimera state for α close to π/2 and attracts other initial states otherwise.For intermediate mobility,the coupled oscillators randomly jump among different dynamical states and the jump dynamics depends on α.We investigate the statistical properties in these different dynamical regimes and present the scaling laws between the transient time and the mobility for low mobility and relations between the mean lifetimes of different dynamical states and the mobility for intermediate mobility.
基金中国科学院资助项目，the Ministry of Science and Technology of China，中国科学院知识创新工程项目
文摘More substances leaked from a higher-vigor seed sample than from a lower-vigor sample. This indicates that, in some cases, electric conductivity does not represent seed vigor level very well, especially for high-vigor seeds. Results from germination, germination index, leachate conductivity, and the ratio of K^＋/Na^＋ from three-seed lots of Chinese cabbage （Brassica pekinensis （Louv.） Rupr） showed that K^＋/Na^＋ correlated well with germination and germination index. The ability of K^＋/Na^＋ to indicate well changes in vigor was further supported by investigation in soybean （Glycine max （L.） Merr.） seeds and another cultivar of Chinese cabbage seeds. Thus, seed leakage of K^＋/Na^＋ can accurately indicate seed vigor, whereas the conductivity test failed to do so. Furthermore, K^＋/Na^＋ showed up bigger quantitative differences in vigor level than did the conductivity test. This findings provide a more sensitive and accurate index for the assessment of seed vigor. The mechanisms of Na^＋ and K^＋ ion transport are also discussed.
基金This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grants Nos.11575036 and 11805021).
文摘Chimera states,a symmetry-breaking spatiotemporal pattern in nonlocally coupled identical dynamical units,have been identified in various systems and generalized to coupled nonidentical oscillators.It has been shown that strong heterogeneity in the frequencies of nonidentical oscillators might be harmful to chimera states.In this work,we consider a ring of nonlocally coupled bicomponent phase oscillators in which two types of oscillators are randomly distributed along the ring:some oscillators with natural.frequency w1 and others with w2.In this model,the heterogeneity in frequency is measured by frequency mismatch|w1-w2|between the oscillators in these two subpopulations.We report that the nonlocally coupled bicomponent phase oscillators allow for chimera states no matter how large the frequency mismatch is.The bicomponent oscillators are composed of two chimera states,one supported by oscillators with natural frequency wI and the other by oscillators with natural frequency w2.The two chimera states in two subpopulations are synchronized at weak frequency mismatch,in which the coberent oscillators in thern share similar mean phase velocity,and are desynchronized at large frequency mismatch,in which the coherent oscillators in different subpopulations have distinct mean phase velocities.The synchronization-desynchronization transition between chimera states in these two subpopulations is observed with the increase in the frequency mismatch.The observed phenomena are theoretically analyzed by passing to the continuum limit and using the Ott-Antonsen approach.
