Metformin:A promising clinical therapeutical approach for BPH treatment via inhibiting dysregulated steroid hormones-induced prostatic epithelial cells proliferation

The occurrence of benign prostate hyperplasia(BPH)was related to disrupted sex steroid hormones,and metformin(Met)had a clinical response to sex steroid hormone-related gynaecological disease.However,whether Met exerts an antiproliferative effect on BPH via sex steroid hormones remains unclear.Here,our clinical study showed that along with prostatic epithelial cell(PEC)proliferation,sex steroid hormones were dysregulated in the serum and prostate of BPH patients.As the major contributor to dysregulated sex steroid hormones,elevated dihydrotestosterone(DHT)had a significant positive relationship with the clinical characteristics of BPH patients.Activation of adenosine 5'-monophosphate(AMP)-activated protein kinase(AMPK)by Met restored dysregulated sex steroid hormone homeostasis and exerted antiproliferative effects against DHT-induced proliferation by inhibiting the formation of androgen receptor(AR)-mediated Yes-associated protein(YAP1)-TEA domain transcription factor(TEAD4)heterodimers.Met’s anti-proliferative effects were blocked by AMPK inhibitor or YAP1 overexpression in DHT-cultured BPH-1 cells.Our findings indicated that Met would be a promising clinical therapeutic approach for BPH by inhibiting dysregulated steroid hormone-induced PEC proliferation.

Protective effects of Ginkgo biloba extract on 6-hydroxydopamine-induced apoptosis in PC12 cells

The present study analyzed the protective effects of Ginkgo biloba extract against 6-hydroxydopamine-induced PC12 cell apoptosis in a model of Parkinson＇s disease. The results showed that Ginkgo biloba extract had a potent cytoprotective action and inhibited apoptosis of PC12 cells induced by 6-hydroxydopamine. Ginkgo biloba extract decreased the ratio of Bax to Bcl-2 and markedly inhibited the activation of p53 and caspase-3. These experimental findings indicate that Ginkgo biloba extract may significantly reduce the effects of oxidative stress induced by 6-hydroxydopamine in PC12 cells and suppress cell apoptosis. The potential effects of Ginkgo biloba extract might be greater than those of levodopa in the treatment of Parkinson＇s disease.

CBX4 deletion promotes tumorigenesis under Kras^(G12D) background by inducing genomic instability

Chromobox protein homolog 4(CBX4)is a component of the Polycomb group(PcG)multiprotein Polycomb repressive complexes 1(PRC1),which is participated in several processes including growth,senescence,immunity,and tissue repair.CBX4 has been shown to have diverse,even opposite functions in different types of tissue and malignancy in previous studies.

Preparation of D-lysine by chemical reaction and microbial asymmetric transformation

The DL-lysine crystals from the racemization of L-lysine was treated as substrate with Hafnia alvei AS1.1009 intact cells as biocatalysts to produce crystal-line D-lysine with a yield of 56.6%from the reaction mixture after simple purification.In the presence of 0.10 molar equivalent of salicylaldehyde,L-lysine race-mization can be completed within 4 h in 1.0 mol/L of NaOH at 100℃.The activation energy of the processes was 62187.86 J/mol.The characteristics of Hafnia alvei AS1.1009 decarboxylase were studied.Under the condi-tions of pH 8.0,temperature 37uC,cell concentration 10 g/L,tween-800.5 g/L,substrate concentration 30 g/L,and the specific activity of up to 3840 U,L-lysine can be completely degraded by the decarboxylase for 12 h under the optimal conditions.

Correlation between KCNQ1 gene polymorphism and type 2 diabetes mellitus in Huaihai region of China

Objective:This article aims to discuss the distribution of KCNQ1 gene polymorphism in the Chinese Han population in the Huaihai region of China and the correlation between KCNQ1 gene polymorphism and incidence of type 2 diabetes(T2DM).Methods:From December 2010 to July 2011,200 T2DM inpatients and outpatients in the Endocrinology Department of the Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical College were selected as the case group and,200 healthy people identified by the health examination center in the same re-gion were selected as the control group.The polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism(PCR-RFLP)test was used to examine the gene polymorphism of the two groups.Results:(1)Analysis on the control group showed that at the KCNQ1 rC237892 locus,the genotype frequencies of CC,CT and TT were 36.0%(72/200),51.0%(102/200)and 13.0%(26/200)respectively,and the allelic frequencies of C and T were 61.5%(246/400)and 38.5%(154/400)respectively.Analysis on the case group showed the genotype frequencies of CC,CT and TT were 47.5%(95/200),44.0%(88/200)and 8.5%(17/200)respectively,and the allelic frequencies of C and T were 69.5%(278/400)and 30.5%(122/400)respectively.Comparison between the genotype distributions and allelic frequencies of the two tested groups at KCNQ1 rC237892 locus showed differences with statistical significance(P<0.05).(2)Comparison be-tween the genotype distributions and allelic C and A frequencies of the control group and the case group showed differences with no statistical significance(P>0.05).Conclusion:Polymorphism at KCNQ1 rs2237892 locus may be correlated to the incidence of T2DM in the Chinese Han population in Huaihai region of China;polymorphism at rsl51290 locus may be irrelevant to the incidence of T2DM in the Chinese Han population in Huaihai region of China.