Overexpression of annexin 1 in pancreatic cancer and its clinical significance

AIM: To investigate the expression of annexin I in pancreatic cancer and its relationship with the clinicopathologic factors,and to evaluate its potential clinical significance.METHODS: Annexin I expression was analyzed by Western blot and immunohistochemical staining in pancreatic adenocarcinoma and multi-tissue microarrays (MTAs).RESULTS: Western blot analysis showed that annexin I was overexpressed in 84.6% (11/13) pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas. Immunohistochemistry analysis of pancreatic cancer in MTAs showed that annexin I protein was 71.4%(30/42) positive which was markedly increased compared with that in the tumor matched normal pancreas tissues 18.4%(7/38) (P<0.01). In the meantime, the high expression of annexin 1 was correlated with the poor differentiation of pancreatic adenocarcinoma.CONCLUSION: Annexin 1 overexpression is a frequent biological marker and correlates with the differentiation of pancreatic cancer during tumorigenesis.

Loss of clusterin both in serum and tissue correlates with the tumorigenesis of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma via proteomics approaches

AIM: To identify the differentially secreted proteins or polypeptides associated with tumorigenesis of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) from serum and to find potential tumor secreted biomarkers.METHODS: Proteins from human ESCC tissue and its matched adjacent normal tissue; pre-surgery and postsurgery serum; and pre-surgery and normal control serum were separated by two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE)to identify differentially expressed proteins. The silverstained 2-DE were scanned with digital ImageScanner and analyzed with ImageMaster 2D Elite 3.10 software. A cluster of protein spots differentially expressed were selected and identified with matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS). One of the differentially expressed proteins, clusterin, was downregulated in cancer tissue and pre-surgery serum, but it was reversed in post-surgery serum. The results were confirmed by semi-quantitative reverse-transcription (RT)-PCR and western blot.RESULTS: Comparisons of the protein spots identified on the 2-DE maps from human matched sera showed that some proteins were differentially expressed, with most of them showing no differences in composition, shape or density.Being analyzed by MALDI-TOF-MS and database searching,clusterin was differentially expressed and down-regulated in both cancer tissue and pre-surgery serum compared with their counterparts. The results were also validated by RTPCR and western blot.CONCLUSION: The differentially expressed clusterin may play a key role during tumorigenesis of ESCC. The 2DE-MS based proteomic approach is one of the powerful tools for discovery of secreted markers from peripheral.

Translocation of annexin I from cellular membrane to the nuclear membrane in human esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

AIM: To investigate the alteration of the annexin I subcellular localization in esophageal squarnous cell carcinoma (ESCC)and the correlation between the translocation and the tumorigenesis of ESCC.METHODS: The protein localization of annexin I was detected in both human ESCC tissues and cell line via the indirect immunofluorescence strategy.RESULTS: In the normal esophageal epithelia the annex in I was mainly located on the plasma membrane and formed a consecutive typical trammels net. Annexin I protein also expressed dispersively in cytoplasm and the nuclei without specific localization on the nuclear membrane. In esophageal cancer annexin I decreased very sharply with scattered disappearance on the cellular membrane, however it translocated and highly expressed on the nuclear membrane,which was never found in normal esophageal epithelia. In cultured esophageal cancer cell line annexin I protein was also focused on the nuclear membrane, which was consistent with the result from esophageal cancer tissues.CONCLUSION: This observation suggests that the translocation of annexin I protein in ESCC may correlate with the tumorigenesis of the esophageal cancer.

Interleukin-10 modified dendritic cells induce allo-hyporesponsiveness and prolong small intestine allograft survival

AIM: To investigate whether TL-10-transduced dendritic cells (DCs) could induce tolerogenicity and prolong allograft survival in rat intestinal transplantation.METHODS: Spleen-derived DCs were prepared and genetically modified by hTL-10 gene. The level of IL-10 expression was quantitated by ELTSA. DC function was assessed by MTT in mixed leukocyte reaction. Allogeneic T-cell apoptosis was examined by flow cytometric analysis. Seven days before heterotopic intestinal transplantation, 2x106 donor-derived IL-10-DC were injected intravenously, then transplantation was performed between SD donor and Wistar recipient.RESULTS: Compared with untransduced DC, IL-10-DC could suppress allogeneic mixed leukocyte reaction (MLR). The inhibitory effect was the most striking with the stimulator/effector (S/F) ratio of 1:10. The inhibition rate was 33.25 %,41.19 % (P<0.01) and 22.92 % with the S/E ratio of 1:1,1:10 and 1:50 respectively. At 48 hours and 72 hours by flow cytometry counting, apoptotic T cells responded to IL-10-DC in MLR were 13.8 % and 30.1%, while untransduced group did not undergo significant apoptosis (P<0.05). IL-10-DC pretreated recipients had a moderate survival prolongation with a mean allograft survival of 19.8 days (P<0.01),compared with 7.3±2.4 days in control group and 8.3±2.9days in untransduced DC group. Rejection occurred in the control group within three days. The difference between untreated DC group and control group was not significant.CONCLUSION: IL-10-DC can induce allogenic T-cell hyporesponsiveness in vitro and apoptosis may be involved in it. IL-10-DC pretreatment can prolong intestinal allograft survival in the recipient.

Alterations in expression,proteolysis and intracellular localizations of clusterin in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

AIM: To investigate biogenesis and intracellular Iocalizations of clusterin to elucidate the potential molecular mechanisms implicated in tumorigenesis of esophageal mucosa.METHODS: Semi-quantitative RT-PCR for multi-region alteration analysis, Western blot for different transcriptional forms and immunohistochemical staining for intracellular Iocalizations of clusterin were carried out in both tissues and cell lines of ESCC.RESULTS: The N-terminal deletions of the clusterin gene and the appearance of a 50-53 ku nuclear clusterin, an uncleaved, nonglycosylated, and disulfide-linked isoform,were the major alterations in cancer cells of esophagus.Naturally the 40 ku clusterin was located in the connective tissue of the lamina propria of epithelial mucosa and right under the basal membrane of epithelia, but it was disappeared in stromal mucosa of esophagus and the pre-matured clusterin was found positive in cancerous epithelia.CONCLUSION: The N-terminal deletion of clusterin may be essential for its alterations of biogenesis in ESCC.

Gender differences in hepatic ischemic reperfusion injury in rats are associated with endothelial cell nitric oxide synthase-derived nitric oxide

AIM: This study was designed to examine the hypothesis that gender differences in I/R injury are associated withendothelial cell nitric oxide synthase (eNOS)-derived nitric oxide (NO).METHODS: Wistar rats were randomized into seven experimental groups (12 animals per group). Except for the sham operated groups, all rats were subjected to total liver ischemia for 40 min followed by reperfusion. All experimental groups received different treatments 45 min before the laparotomy. For each group, half of the animals (six) were used to investigate the survival; blood samples and liver tissues were obtained in the remaining six animals after 3 h of reperfusion to assess serum NO, alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and TNF-α levels, liver tissuemalondialdehyde (MDA) content, and severity of hepatic I/R injury.RESULTS: Basal serum NO levels in female sham operated (FS) group were nearly 1.5-fold of male sham operated (MS) group (66.7±11.0 μmol/L vs 45.3±10.1μmol/L, P＜0.01). Although serum NO levels decreased significantly after hepatic I/R (P＜0.01, vs sham operated groups), they were still significantly higher in female rat (F) group than in male rat (M) group (47.8±8.6 μmol/L vs 23.8±4.7 μmol/L, P＜0.01). Serum ALT and TNF-α levels, and liver tissue MDA content were significantly lower in F group than in M group (370.5±46.4 U/L, 0.99±0.11 μg/L and 0.57±0.10 μmol/g vs668.7±78.7 U/L, 1.71±0.18 μg/Land 0.86±0.11 μmol/g, respectively, P＜0.01). I/R induced significant injury to the liver both in M and F groups (P＜0.01 vs sham operated groups). But the degree of hepatocyte injury was significantly milder in F group than in M group (P＜0.05 and P＜0.01). The median survival time was six days in F group and one day in M group. The overall survival rate was significantly higher in F group than in M group (P＜0.05). When compared with male rats pretreated with saline (M group), pretreatment of male rats with 17-β- estradiol (E2) (M+E2 group) significantly increased serum NO levels and significantly decreased serum ALT and TNF-α levels, and liver tissue MDA content after I/R (P＜0.01).The degree of hepatocyte injury was significantly decreased and the overall survival rate was significantly improved in M+E2 group than in M group (P＜0.01 and P＜0.05). TheNOS inhibitor Nw-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) treatment could completely abolish the protective effects of estrogen in both male and female rats. CONCLUSION: The protective effects afforded to female rats subjected to hepatic I/R are associated with eNOSderived NO.

Relationship between polymorphism of class Ⅱ transactivator gene promoters and chronic hepatitis B

AIM: To investigate the relationship between the polymorphism of class Ⅱ transactivator (CⅡTA) gene promoters and chronic hepatitis B (CHB).METHODS: Genomic DNA was prepared from peripheral blood leukocytes. Promoters Ⅰ, Ⅲ and Ⅳ of gene were analyzed respectively with polymerase chain reaction single strand conformation polymorphism (PCR-SSCP) in 65 patients with CHB, 26 patients with acute hepatitis B (AHB) and 85 normal controls.RESULTS: No abnormal migration was found in PCR-SSCP analysis of the three promoters in the three groups. Also,no sequential difference was observed at the three promoters among the CHB patients, AHB patients and normal controls.CONCLUSION: No polymorphism in promoters Ⅰ, Ⅲ and Ⅳ of CⅡTA gene exists in CHB patients, ABH patients and normal controls, suggesting that the promoter of CⅡTA gene might be a conserved domain.

CONSTRUCTION AND IMMUNOGENICITY OF HUMAN PAPILLOMAVIRUS TYPE 6B L1 RECOMBINANT PLASMID

To construct a DNA vaccine as a prophylactic model to prevent condyloma acuminatum and detect its immu-nogenicity in mice. Methods The major capsid protein (L1) gene of human papillomavirus (HPV) 6b was inserted into an eukaryotic ex-pression plasmid (pcDNA3.1). The recombinant plasmid was transfected into COS-7 cells. Western blot were performed to detect whether L1 protein can be expressed in eukaryotic cells. Eighteen female BALB/c mice were tested for immunoge-nicity study. Results The recombinant plasmid (pcDNA3.1-HPV6bL1) was verified as HPV6b L1 gene by sequencing. Western blot showed specific strip. Anti-L1 protein antibodies could be detected in the mice’s sera inoculated with pcDNA3.1-HPV6bL1. Similarly, IL-4, IL-2, and IFN-γ were increased in the same mice. Conclusion HPV6b L1 recombinant plasmid was constructed successfully which had immunogenicity for BALB/c mice. It provided experimental evidence for the research of DNA vaccine of condyloma acuminata..-

High temperature oxidation behavior of high speed steel for hot rolls material

The oxidation characteristics of high speed steel (HSS) were studied at 500 to 800°C. The non-isothermal oxidation and isothermal oxidation (500, 575, 650, 725, 800°C) of HSS were investigated by thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA). The microstruc- ture, morphology and oxide scale thickness of the isothermal oxidation samples were analyzed by optical microscope (OM), electron probe micro analyzer (EPMA), X-ray diffraction spectrum (XRD) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The results indicate that the oxidation rate of HSS is very slow at 500 to 650°C, increasing gradually at 650 to 750°C, and drastically at 750 to 800°C, be- cause the phase transformation happens at about 750°C.