SIRT1 inhibits apoptosis of human lens epithelial cells through suppressing endoplasmic reticulum stress in vitro and in vivo

AIM:To explore the effect of silent information regulator factor 2-related enzyme 1(SIRT1)on modulating apoptosis of human lens epithelial cells(HLECs)and alleviating lens opacification of rats through suppressing endoplasmic reticulum(ER)stress.METHODS:HLECs(SRA01/04)were treated with varying concentrations of tunicamycin(TM)for 24h,and the expression of SIRT1 and C/EBP homologous protein(CHOP)was assessed using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR),Western blotting,and immunofluorescence.Cell morphology and proliferation was evaluated using an inverted microscope and cell counting kit-8(CCK-8)assay,respectively.In the SRA01/04 cell apoptosis model,which underwent siRNA transfection for SIRT1 knockdown and SRT1720 treatment for its activation,the expression levels of SIRT1,CHOP,glucose regulated protein 78(GRP78),and activating transcription factor 4(ATF4)were examined.The potential reversal of SIRT1 knockdown effects by 4-phenyl butyric acid(4-PBA;an ER stress inhibitor)was investigated.In vivo,age-related cataract(ARC)rat models were induced by sodium selenite injection,and the protective role of SIRT1,activated by SRT1720 intraperitoneal injections,was evaluated through morphology observation,hematoxylin and eosin(H&E)staining,Western blotting,and RT-PCR.RESULTS:SIRT1 expression was downregulated in TMinduced SRA01/04 cells.Besides,in SRA01/04 cells,both cell apoptosis and CHOP expression increased with the rising doses of TM.ER stress was stimulated by TM,as evidenced by the increased GRP78 and ATF4 in the SRA01/04 cell apoptosis model.Inhibition of SIRT1 by siRNA knockdown increased ER stress activation,whereas SRT1720 treatment had opposite results.4-PBA partly reverse the adverse effect of SIRT1 knockdown on apoptosis.In vivo,SRT1720 attenuated the lens opacification and weakened the ER stress activation in ARC rat models.CONCLUSION:SIRT1 plays a protective role against TM-induced apoptosis in HLECs and slows the progression of cataract in rats by inhibiting ER stress.These findings suggest a novel strategy for cataract treatment focused on targeting ER stress,highlighting the therapeutic potential of SIRT1 modulation in ARC development.

Self-assembly of differentiated dental pulp stem cells facilitates spheroid human dental organoid formation and prevascularization

BACKGROUND The self-assembly of solid organs from stem cells has the potential to greatly expand the applicability of regenerative medicine.Stem cells can self-organise into microsized organ units,partially modelling tissue function and regeneration.Dental pulp organoids have been used to recapitulate the processes of tooth development and related diseases.However,the lack of vasculature limits the utility of dental pulp organoids.AIM To improve survival and aid in recovery after stem cell transplantation,we demonstrated the three-dimensional(3D)self-assembly of adult stem cell-human dental pulp stem cells(hDPSCs)and endothelial cells(ECs)into a novel type of spheroid-shaped dental pulp organoid in vitro under hypoxia and conditioned medium(CM).METHODS During culture,primary hDPSCs were induced to differentiate into ECs by exposing them to a hypoxic environment and CM.The hypoxic pretreated hDPSCs were then mixed with ECs at specific ratios and conditioned in a 3D environment to produce prevascularized dental pulp organoids.The biological characteristics of the organoids were analysed,and the regulatory pathways associated with angiogenesis were studied.RESULTS The combination of these two agents resulted in prevascularized human dental pulp organoids(Vorganoids)that more closely resembled dental pulp tissue in terms of morphology and function.Single-cell RNA sequencing of dental pulp tissue and RNA sequencing of Vorganoids were integrated to analyse key regulatory pathways associated with angiogenesis.The biomarkers forkhead box protein O1 and fibroblast growth factor 2 were identified to be involved in the regulation of Vorganoids.CONCLUSION In this innovative study,we effectively established an in vitro model of Vorganoids and used it to elucidate new mechanisms of angiogenesis during regeneration,facilitating the development of clinical treatment strategies.

Interferon-gamma and tumor necrosis factor-alpha synergistically enhance the immunosuppressive capacity of human umbilical-cordderived mesenchymal stem cells by increasing PD-L1 expression

BACKGROUND The immunosuppressive capacity of mesenchymal stem cells(MSCs)is dependent on the“license”of several proinflammatory factors to express immunosuppressive factors such as programmed cell death 1 ligand 1(PD-L1),which determines the clinical therapeutic efficacy of MSCs for inflammatory or immune diseases.In MSCs,interferon-gamma(IFN-γ)is a key inducer of PD-L1 expression,which is synergistically enhanced by tumor necrosis factor-alpha(TNF-α);however,the underlying mechanism is unclear.AIM To reveal the mechanism of pretreated MSCs express high PD-L1 and explore the application of pretreated MSCs in ulcerative colitis.METHODS We assessed PD-L1 expression in human umbilical-cord-derived MSCs(hUC-MSCs)induced by IFN-γand TNF-α,alone or in combination.Additionally,we performed signal pathway inhibitor experiments as well as RNA interference experiments to elucidate the molecular mechanism by which IFN-γalone or in combination with TNF-αinduces PD-L1 expression.Moreover,we used luciferase reporter gene experiments to verify the binding sites of the transcription factors of each signal transduction pathway to the targeted gene promoters.Finally,we evaluated the immunosuppressive capacity of hUC-MSCs treated with IFN-γand TNF-αin both an in vitro mixed lymphocyte culture assay,and in vivo in mice with dextran sulfate sodium-induced acute colitis.RESULTS Our results suggest that IFN-γinduction alone upregulates PD-L1 expression in hUC-MSCs while TNF-αalone does not,and that the co-induction of IFN-γand TNF-αpromotes higher expression of PD-L1.IFN-γinduces hUCMSCs to express PD-L1,in which IFN-γactivates the JAK/STAT1 signaling pathway,up-regulates the expression of the interferon regulatory factor 1(IRF1)transcription factor,promotes the binding of IRF1 and the PD-L1 gene promoter,and finally promotes PD-L1 mRNA.Although TNF-αalone did not induce PD-L1 expression in hUCMSCs,the addition of TNF-αsignificantly enhanced IFN-γ-induced JAK/STAT1/IRF1 activation.TNF-αupregulated IFN-γreceptor expression through activation of the nuclear factor kappa-B signaling pathway,which significantly enhanced IFN-γsignaling.Finally,co-induced hUC-MSCs have a stronger inhibitory effect on lymphocyte proliferation,and significantly ameliorate weight loss,mucosal damage,inflammatory cell infiltration,and up-regulation of inflammatory factors in colitis mice.CONCLUSION Overall,our results suggest that IFN-γand TNF-αenhance both the immunosuppressive ability of hUC-MSCs and their efficacy in ulcerative colitis by synergistically inducing high expression of PD-L1.

Human pluripotent stem cell-derivedβcells:Truly immature isletβcells for type 1 diabetes therapy?

A century has passed since the Nobel Prize winning discovery of insulin,which still remains the mainstay treatment for type 1 diabetes mellitus(T1DM)to this day.True to the words of its discoverer Sir Frederick Banting,“insulin is not a cure for diabetes,it is a treatment”,millions of people with T1DM are dependent on daily insulin medications for life.Clinical donor islet transplantation has proven that T1DM is curable,however due to profound shortages of donor islets,it is not a mainstream treatment option for T1DM.Human pluripotent stem cell derived insulin-secreting cells,pervasively known as stem cell-derivedβcells(SC-βcells),are a promising alternative source and have the potential to become a T1DM treatment through cell replacement therapy.Here we briefly review how isletβcells develop and mature in vivo and several types of reported SC-βcells produced using different ex vivo protocols in the last decade.Although some markers of maturation were expressed and glucose stimulated insulin secretion was shown,the SC-βcells have not been directly compared to their in vivo counterparts,generally have limited glucose response,and are not yet fully matured.Due to the presence of extra-pancreatic insulin-expressing cells,and ethical and technological issues,further clarification of the true nature of these SC-βcells is required.

LINE-1 family member GCRG123 gene is up-regulated in human gastric signet-ring cell carcinoma

AIM： To analyze the expression profiles of a human gastriccancer-related gene, GCRG123, in human gastric signetring cell carcinoma tissues, and to perform bioinformatics analysis on GCRG123.METHODS： In situ hybridization was used to explore the GCRG123 expression pattern in paraffin-embedded gastric tissues, including 15 cases of signet-ring cell carcinoma, 15 of intestinal-type adenocarcinoma, and 15 of normal gastric mucosa. Northern blotting was used to analyze the differences in GCRG123 expression between stomach signet-ring cell carcinoma and intestinal-type adenocarcinoma tissues. Online software, including BLAST, Multalin and BLAT, were applied for bioinformatics analysis. National Center for Biotechnology Information （NCBI） and the University of California Santa Cruz （UCSC） databases were used for the analyses.RESULTS： The in situ hybridization signal appeared as blue precipitates restricted to the cytoplasm. Ten out of 15 cases of gastric signet ring cell carcinoma, normal gastric mucosal epithelium and pyloric glands showed high GCRG123 expression. Low GCRG123 expression was observed in gastric intestinal-type adenocarcinoma and normal gastric glands. Northern blotting revealed that GCRG123 was up-regulated in signet-ring cell carcinoma tissue but down-regulated in intestinal-type adenocarcinoma tissue. BLAST and Multalin analyses revealed that the GCRG123 sequence had 92% similarity with the ORF2 sequence of human long interspersed nuclear element retrotransposons （LINE-1, L1）. BLAT analysis indicated that GCRG123 mapped to all chromosomes. GCRG123 was found to integrate in the intron-17 and -23 of Rb, 5＇ flanking region of IL-2 and clotting factor Ⅸ genes.CONCLUSION： GCRG123, an active member of the Lt family, was up-regulated in human gastric signet-ring cell carcinoma.

Neuroprotective effects of neural stem cells pretreated with neuregulin1β on PC12 cells exposed to oxygen-glucose deprivation/reoxygenation

Studies on ischemia/reperfusion(I/R)injury suggest that exogenous neural stem cells(NSCs)are ideal candidates for stem cell therapy reperfusion injury.However,NSCs are difficult to obtain owing to ethical limitations.In addition,the survival,differentiation,and proliferation rates of transplanted exogenous NSCs are low,which limit their clinical application.Our previous study showed that neuregulin1β(NRG1β)alleviated cerebral I/R injury in rats.In this study,we aimed to induce human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells into NSCs and investigate the improvement effect and mechanism of NSCs pretreated with 10 nM NRG1βon PC12 cells injured by oxygen-glucose deprivation/reoxygenation(OGD/R).Our results found that 5 and 10 nM NRG1βpromoted the generation and proliferation of NSCs.Co-culture of NSCs and PC12 cells under condition of OGD/R showed that pretreatment of NSCs with NRG1βimproved the level of reactive oxygen species,malondialdehyde,glutathione,superoxide dismutase,nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate,and nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2(Nrf2)and mitochondrial damage in injured PC12 cells;these indexes are related to ferroptosis.Research has reported that p53 and solute carrier family 7 member 11(SLC7A11)play vital roles in ferroptosis caused by cerebral I/R injury.Our data show that the expression of p53 was increased and the level of glutathione peroxidase 4(GPX4)was decreased after RNA interference-mediated knockdown of SLC7A11 in PC12 cells,but this change was alleviated after co-culturing NSCs with damaged PC12 cells.These findings suggest that NSCs pretreated with NRG1βexhibited neuroprotective effects on PC12 cells subjected to OGD/R through influencing the level of ferroptosis regulated by p53/SLC7A11/GPX4 pathway.

Aberrant expression of COL4A1 in age-related cataract and its effect on cell proliferation,apoptosis and gene expression changes

AIM:To evaluate the regulation of the aberrant expression of collagen typeⅣalpha 1 chain(COL4A1)in the development of age-related cataract(ARC).METHODS:Quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction(qRT-PCR)and Western blot analysis were employed to evaluate the expression of COL4A1 in ARC patients and healthy controls.The proliferation,apoptosis,cell cycle and epithelial-mesenchymal transition(EMT)of human lens epithelial cell(HLE-B3)were further analyzed under the condition of COL4A1 gene silence.Alteration of gene expression at mRNA level after knockdown COL4A1 were also evaluated by qRT-PCR on HLE-B3 cells.RESULTS:The aberrant expression of COL4A1 was identified a clinically associated with the ARC.Silencing of COL4A1 promoted the apoptosis and inhibited the proliferation of HLE-B3 by blocking the cell cycle.Moreover,COL4A1 gene silence didn’t affect the cytoskeleton of HLE-B3 but down-regulated the Collagen typeⅣAlpha 2 Chain(COL4A2),paired box 6(PAX6),procollagen-lysine 2-oxoglutarate 5-dioxygenases 1(PLOD1)and procollagenlysine 2-oxoglutarate 5-dioxygenases 2(PLOD2)expression levels in HLE-B3 cells.Silencing the COL4A1 gene induced EMT of the HLE-B3 cells by promoting the transforming growth factor beta(TGF-β)expression.CONCLUSION:Silencing of COL4A1 induces S-phase arrest,also inhibits the proliferation and enhance HLE-B3 apoptosis and EMT,and down-regulates the expression of COL4A2,PAX6,PLOD1 and PLOD2.Thus,the expression alteration of COL4A1 may play a critical role in the pathogenesis of ARC.

Genetic modification of miR-34a enhances efficacy of transplanted human dental pulp stem cells after ischemic stroke

Human dental pulp stem cells(hDPSCs) promote recovery after ischemic stro ke;however,the therapeutic efficacy is limited by the poor survival of transplanted cells.For in vitro expe riments in the present study,we used oxygen-glucose deprivation/reoxygenation in hDPSCs to mimic cell damage induced by ischemia/reperfusion.We found that miRNA-34a-5p(miR-34a) was elevated under oxygen-glucose deprivation/reoxygenation conditions in hDPSCs.Inhibition of miR-34a facilitated the prolife ration and antioxidant capacity and reduced the apoptosis of hDPSCs.Moreove r,dual-luciferase reporter gene assay showed WNT1and SIRT1 as the targets of miR-34a.In miR-34a knockdown cell lines,WNT1 suppression reduced cell prolife ration,and SIRT1 suppression decreased the antioxidant capacity.Togethe r,these results indicated that miR-34a regulates cell prolife ration and antioxidant stress via targeting WNT1 and SIRT1,respectively.For in vivo expe riments,we injected genetically modified hDPSCs(anti34a-hDPSCs) into the brains of mice.We found that anti34a-hDPSCs significantly inhibited apoptosis,reduced cerebral edema and cerebral infarct volume,and improved motor function in mice.This study provides new insights into the molecular mechanism of the cell prolife ration and antioxidant capacity of hDPSCs,and suggests a potential gene that can be targeted to improve the survival rate and efficacy of transplanted hDPSCs in brain after ischemic stroke.

Artificial nerve graft constructed by coculture of activated Schwann cells and human hair keratin for repair of peripheral nerve defects

Studies have shown that human hair keratin(HHK) has no antigenicity and excellent mechanical properties. Schwann cells, as unique glial cells in the peripheral nervous system, can be induced by interleukin-1β to secrete nerve growth factor, which promotes neural regeneration. Therefore, HHK with Schwann cells may be a more effective approach to repair nerve defects than HHK without Schwann cells. In this study, we established an artificial nerve graft by loading an HHK skeleton with activated Schwann cells. We found that the longitudinal HHK microfilament structure provided adhesion medium, space and direction for Schwann cells, and promoted Schwann cell growth and nerve fiber regeneration. In addition, interleukin-1β not only activates Schwann cells, but also strengthens their activity and increases the expression of nerve growth factors. Activated Schwann cells activate macrophages, and activated macrophages secrete interleukin-1β, which maintains the activity of Schwann cells. Thus, a beneficial cycle forms and promotes nerve repair. Furthermore, our studies have found that the newly constructed artificial nerve graft promotes the improvements in nerve conduction function and motor function in rats with sciatic nerve injury, and increases the expression of nerve injury repair factors fibroblast growth factor 2 and human transforming growth factor B receptor 2. These findings suggest that this artificial nerve graft effectively repairs peripheral nerve injury.

Effect of miR-27b-3p and Nrf2 in human retinal pigment epithelial cell induced by high-glucose

AIM:To determine whether the microRNA-27b-3p(miR-27b-3p)/NF-E2-related factor 2(Nrf2)pathway plays a role in human retinal pigment epithelial(hRPE)cell response to high glucose,how miR-27b-3p and Nrf2 expression are regulated,and whether this pathway could be specifically targeted.METHODS:hRPE cells were cultured in normal glucose or high glucose for 1,3,or 6d before measuring cellular proliferation rates using cell counting kit-8 and reactive oxygen species(ROS)levels using a dihydroethidium kit.miR-27b-3p,Nrf2,NAD(P)H quinone oxidoreductase 1(NQO1)and heme oxygenase-1(HO-1)mRNA and protein levels were analyzed using reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction(RT-qPCR)and immunocytofluorescence(ICF),respectively.Western blot analyses were performed to determine nuclear and total Nrf2 protein levels.Nrf2,NQO1,and HO-1 expression levels by RT-qPCR,ICF,or Western blot were further tested after miR-27b-3p overexpression or inhibitor lentiviral transfection.Finally,the expression level of those target genes was analyzed after treating hRPE cells with pyridoxamine.RESULTS:Persistent exposure to high glucose gradually suppressed hRPE Nrf2,NQO1,and HO-1 mRNA and protein levels and increased miR-27b-3p mRNA levels.High glucose also promoted ROS release and inhibited cellular proliferation.Nrf2,NQO1,and HO-1 mRNA levels decreased after miR-27b-3p overexpression and,conversely,both mRNA and protein levels increased after expressing a miR-27b-3p inhibitor.After treating hRPE cells exposed to high glucose with pyridoxamine,ROS levels tended to decreased,proliferation rate increased,Nrf2,NQO1,and HO-1 mRNA and protein levels were upregulated,and miR-27b-3p mRNA levels were suppressed.CONCLUSION:Nrf2 is a downstream target of miR-27b-3p.Furthermore,the miR-27b-3p inhibitor pyridoxamine can alleviate high glucose injury by regulating the miR-27b-3p/Nrf2 axis.

Effect of Human Umbilical Cord Mesenchymal Stem Cells on GRP78/ATF4 Pathway in Alzheimer s Disease Model Mice

[Objectives]To study the effect of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells(hUC-MSCs)on GRP78/ATF4 pathway in APP/PS1 mice.[Methods]Twelve 6-month-old female APP/PS1 mice were randomly divided into model group(MOD,n=6)and human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell treatment group(MSC,n=6);six 6-month-old C57BL/6N mice were used as control group(CON,n=6).The mice in each group were treated with the fourth generation of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells through tail vein.Four weeks later,the mice in each group were killed.The expression of GFP78 and ATF4 in the cortex of mice in each group was detected by Western blotting and real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR.[Results]The results of immunoblotting and real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR showed that the expression of GRP78 in MOD group was lower than that in CON group and the expression of ATF4 increased.The expression of GRP78 protein in MSC group was higher than that in MOD group,but the expression of ATF4 protein was lower.The results of real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR showed that the mRNA level of GRP78 decreased and the mRNA level of ATF4 increased in MOD group compared with CON group.The mRNA level of GRP78 in MSC group was higher than that in MOD group,while the mRNA level of ATF4 in MSC group was lower than that in MOD group.[Conclusions]Human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells can regulate the expression of GRP78/ATF4 pathway in APP/PSI mice,which may be related to the stress level of endoplasmic reticulum in the brain of APP/PS1 mice mediated by human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells.

Mast cell density and the context of clinicopathological parameters and expression of p185,estrogen receptor,and proliferating cell nuclear antigen in gastric carcinoma

AIM:To investigate the relationship between the mast cell density(MCD)and the context of clinicopathological parameters and expression of p185,estrogen receptor(ER), and proliferating cell nuclear antigen(PCNA)in gastric carcinoma. METHODS:Mast cell,p185,ER,and PCNA were detected using immunohistochemical S-P labeling method.Mast cell was counted in tissue of gastric carcinoma and regional lymph nodes respectively,and involved lymph nodes(ILN)were examined as usual. RESULTS:MCD was significantly related to both age and depth of penetration(x^2=4.688,P<0.05 for age and x^2=9.350, P<0.01 for depth of penetration)between MCD>21/0.03 mm^2 and MCD≤21/0.03 mm^2 in 100 patients;MCD in 1-6 ILN group patients was significantly higher than that in 7-15 ILN or>15 ILN group patients(u=6.881,8.055,P<0.01); There were significant differences intergroup in positive expression rate of p185,ER and PCNA between MCD>21/ 0.03 mm^2 and MCD≤21/0.03 mm^2 in 100 patients. CONCLUSION:Mast cell may have effect on inhibiting invasive growth of tumor,especially in the aged patients; The number of mast cells,in certain degree,may predicate the number of involved lymph nodes,which is valuable for assessment of prognosis;MCD was related to the expression of p185,ER,and PCNA in gastric carcinoma.It suggests that mast cell accumulation may inhibit the proliferation and the dissemination of the gastric carcinoma. INTRODUCTION Recently,many studies have reported on the association of mast cell with various tumorst.In several malignancies,mast cell has been found to correlate with growth,penetration and prognosis of tumor.Therefore,our study was undertaken to investigate the relationship between the mast cell density (MCD)and the context of clinicopathological parameters and expression of p 185,estrogen receptor(ER),and proliferating cell nuclear antigen(PCNA)in gastric carcinoma.

Alterations of mast cells and TGF-β1 on the silymarin treatment for CCl_4-induced hepatic fibrosis

AIM: Silymarin is a potent antioxidant, antiinflammatory and anti-fibrogenic agent in the liver, which is mediated by alteration of hepatic Kupffer cell function, lipid peroxidation, and collagen production. Especially, in hepatic fibrogenesis, mast cells are expressed in chronic inflammatory conditions, and promote fibroblast growth and stimulate production of the extracellular matrix by hepatic stellate cells. METHODS: We examined the inhibitory mechanism of silymarin on CCI4-induced hepatic cirrhosis in rats. At 4, 8, and 12 wk, liver tissues were examined histopathologically for fibrotic changes produced by silymarin treatment. RESULTS: In the silymarin with CCU-treated group, increase of hepatic stellate cells and TGF-β1 production were lower than in the CCI4-treated group at early stages. Additionally, at the late fibrogenic stage, expressions of TGF-β1 were weaker and especially not expressed in hepatocytes located in peripheral areas. Moreover, the number of mast cell in portal areas gradually increased and was dependent on the fibrogenic stage, but those of CCI4+silymarin-treated group decreased significantly. CONCLUSION: Anti-fibrotic and antiinflammatory effects of silymarin were associated with activation of hepatic stellate cells through the expression of TGF-β1 and stabilization of mast cells. These results suggest that silymarin prevent hepatic fibrosis through suppression of inflammation and hypoxia in the hepatic fibrogenesis.

TET1 knockdown inhibits the odontogenic differentiation potential of human dental pulp cells

Human dental pulp cells （hDPCs） possess the capacity to differentiate into odontoblast-like cells and generate reparative dentin in response to exogenous stimuli or injury. Ten-eleven translocation 1 （TET1） is a novel DNA methyldioxygenase that plays an important role in the promotion of DNA demethylation and transcriptional regulation in several cell lines. However, the role of TET1 in the biological functions of hDPCs is unknown. To investigate the effect of TET1 on the proliferation and odontogenic differentiation potential of hDPCs, a recombinant shRNA lentiviral vector was used to knock down TET1 expression in hDPCs. Following TET1 knockdown, TET1 was significantly downregulated at both the mRNA and protein levels. Proliferation of the hDPCs was suppressed in the TET1 knockdown groups. Alkaline phosphatase activity, the formation of mineralized nodules, and the expression levels of DSPP and DMP1 were all reduced in the TETl-knockdown hDPCs undergoing odontogenic differentiation. Based on these results, we concluded that TET1 knockdown can prevent the proliferation and odontogenic differentiation of hDPCs, which suggests that TET1 may play an important role in dental pulp repair and regeneration.

Expression of E-selectin, integrinβ_1 and immunoglobulin superfamily member in human gastric carcinoma cells and its clinicopathologic significance

AIM： To study the expression levels of E-selectin, integrin β1 and immunoglobulin supperfamily memberintercellular adhesion molecule-1 （ICAM-1） in human gastric carcinoma cells, and to explore the relationship between these three kinds of cell adhesion molecules and gastric carcinoma. METHODS： The serum contents of E-selectin, integrin β1 and ICAM-1 were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）, in 47 healthy individuals （control group） and in 57 patients with gastric carcinoma （gastric carcinoma group） respectively prior to operation and 7 d after operation. RESULTS： The serum E-selectin, ECAM-1 and integrin β1 were found to be expressed in both control and gastric carcinoma groups. However, they were highly expressed in patients with gastric carcinoma patients before operation or with unresectable tumours. The expression levels of ICAM-1 and integrin β1 were significantly higher in gastric carcinoma patients than in controls （P 〈 0.01）. A comparison of the E-selectin levels between the two groups showed statistically insignificant differnce （P = 0.64）. In addition, the expression levels were all decreased substantially in the postoperative patients subjected to radical resection of the tumours, indicating that the high level expressions of these compounds might be the important factor for predicting the prognosis of these patients. CONCLUSION： Serum E-selectin, ICAM-1 and integrin β1 expression levels are probably related to the metastasis and relapse of gastric cancer.

Expression of dectin-1 during fungus infection in human corneal epithelial cells

AIM: To evaluate the expression of dendritic cell-associated C-type lectin-1(dectin-1) in human corneal epithelial(HCE) cells infected by fungus. · METHODS: A total of 20 cases of healthy donor corneas were group A,and 20 patients(20 eyes) suffered from fungal keratitis(FK) composed group B. Real-time qPCR and immunohistochemistry were applied to detect dectin-1 expression in corneal epithelium of both groups. HCE cells were cultured with aspergillus fumigatus(AF) antigens in vitro. The expression of dectin-1 mRNA was measured by real-time qPCR at the stimulation of 0,4,8 and 24h separately. Dectin-1 protein was detected by immunocytochemistry at 0 and 24h separately. ·RESULTS: Dectin-1 expressed in corneal epithelium of normal persons and FK patients. Vitro cellular experiment showed that the expression of dectin-1 mRNA in HCE cells began to increase after stimulation of AF antigens at 4h,and dectin-1 protein expression increased after stimulation at 24h. · CONCLUSION: Dectin-1 expressed in corneal epithelium of normal persons. AF antigens stimulation can elevate the expression of dectin-1 in HCE cells in vitro.

The effects of microRNA-34a regulating Notch-1/NF-κB signaling pathway on lipopolysaccharide-induced human umbilical vein endothelial cells

BACKGROUND: Notch-1/NF-κB signaling plays a key role in the cecal ligation and puncture(CLP)-induced sepsis. This study aims to investigate the intervention effects of microRNA-34a(miR-34a) lentivirus regulating Notch-1/NF-κB signaling pathway on lipopolysaccharide(LPS)-induced human umbilical vein endothelial cells(HUVEC).METHODS: HUVEC were divided into four groups as the following: they were infected with negative control lentivirus(NC group) or miR-34a lentivirus(OE group); LPS(1 g/mL) was added on the third day on the basis of NC group and OE group for 24 hours(NC+LPS group or OE+LPS group). The levels of TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, and IL-10 in the cell supernatants, and the mRNA and protein expression of Notch-1 and NF-κB in the HUVEC were evaluated.RESULTS: After 24 hours, the levels of TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6 in the cell supernatants and the protein expression of NF-κB from NC+LPS group were significantly higher than those of NC group, but IL-10 level and the protein expression of Notch-1 in NC+LPS group were the opposite. After intervention of miR-34a lentivirus, the cell supernatants TNF-α and the protein expression of NF-κB in OE+LPS group after 24 hours markedly decreased compared to NC+LPS group. While the cell supernatants IL-1β and IL-6 and the mRNA expression of NF-κB slightly decreased in OE+LPS group, IL-10 and the mRNA and protein expression of Notch-1 were the opposite.CONCLUSION: miR-34a regulating Notch-1/NF-κB signaling pathway can reduce the HUVEC damage caused by LPS stimulation.

Human insulin-like growth factor 1-transfected umbilical cord blood neural stem cell transplantation improves hypoxic-ischemic brain injury

Human insulin-like growth factor 1-transfected umbilical cord blood neural stem cells were transplanted into a hypoxic-ischemic neonatal rat model via the tail vein. BrdU-positive cells at day 7 post-transplantation, as well as nestin- and neuron specific enolase-positive cells at day 14 were increased compared with those of the single neural stem cell transplantation group. In addition, the proportion of neuronal differentiation was enhanced. The genetically modified cell-transplanted rats exhibited enhanced performance in correctly crossing a Y-maze and climbing an angled slope compared with those of the single neural stem cell transplantation group. These results showed that human insulin-like growth factor 1-transfected neural stem cell transplantation promotes the recovery of the leaming, memory and motor functions in hypoxic-ischemic rats.

High Glucose Promotes the CTGF Expression in Human Mesangial Cells via Serum and Glucocorticoid-induced Kinase 1 Pathway

The role of serum and glucocorticoid-induced kinase 1 （SGK1） pathway in the connective tissue growth factor （CTGF） expression was investigated in cultured human mesangial cells （HMCs） under high glucose. By using RT-PCR and Western blot, the effect of SGK1 on the CTGF expression in HMCs under high glucose was examined. Overexpression of active SGK1 in HMCs transfected with PIRES2-EGFP- S422D hSGK1 （SD） could increase the expression of phosphorylated SGK1 and CTGF as compared with HMCs groups transfected with PIRES2-EGFP （FP） under high glucose or normal glucose. Overexpression of inactive SGK1 in HMCs transfected with PIRES2-EGFP- K127N hSGK1 （KN） could decrease phosphorylated SGK1 and CTGF expression as compared with HMCs groups transfected with FP under high glucose. In conclusion, these results suggest that high glucose-induced CTGF expression is mediated through the active SGK1 in HMCs.

Inhibitory Effects of Ginsenoside Rb1 on Apoptosis Caused by HSV-1 in Human Glioma Cells

To investigate the inhibitory effects of Ginsenoside Rbl （GRbl） on apoptosis caused by Herpes Simplex Virus-1 （HSV-1） in Human Glioma Cells （U251）, U251 cells were infected by HSV-1 at a multiplicity of infection of 5 and GRbl, GRbl＋HSV-1, HSV-1 and control groups. MTT and cell apoptosis assays were used to detect the inhibitory effects of GRbl on the apoptosis of U251 cells that caused by HSV-1 infection for various concentrations of drug and virus treatments by MTT assay. We found that in the 400 μg/mL GRb 1 and 400 μg/mL GRbl＋HSV-1 groups, MTT values were higher than control group at all times （P〈0.05）. Moreover, the apoptosis rate in the 400 μg/mL GRbl＋HSV-1 group was lower than the HSV-1 group （P〈0. 05）. These results confirmed that, at appropriate concentrations, GRbl could inhibit nerve cell apoptosis in HSV-1 infections.