神经元的细胞周围调制与脑功能

神经元间的信号传输，历来是神经科学一个基础而重要的研究领域。科学家在已经对神经传导和突触传递进行了长期研究，取得了丰富成果的历史基础上，又开始关注神经元的细胞周围调制问题。

神经肽Y影响人血管平滑肌细胞低密度脂蛋白受体表达

通过观察神经肽Y对人血管平滑肌细胞低密度脂蛋白受体表达的影响 ,以探讨神经体液因素在动脉粥样硬化发生中的重要作用。将体外培养的人血管平滑肌细胞分成对照组和不同浓度神经肽Y组 (浓度分别为 1 0 8mol L、1 0 7mol L、1 0 6 mol L和 1 0 5mol L) ,各组分别培养 6h、1 2h、2 4h和 4 8h ,然后经免疫荧光组织化学染色 ,在激光扫描共聚焦显微镜下定量检测神经肽Y对人血管平滑肌细胞的低密度脂蛋白受体表达的影响。结果发现 ,对照组低密度脂蛋白受体表达的平均荧光值在 2 4 2 8～ 2 5 2 7之间 ,且不同培养时间无显著性差异 (P >0 .0 5 )。而各神经肽Y组低密度脂蛋白受体表达的平均荧光值与对照组之间有显著性差异 (P <0 .0 5或P <0 .0 1 ) ,在不同的培养时间中 ,1 0 8mol L神经肽Y组平均荧光值在 1 798～ 2 4 0 8之间 ;1 0 7mol L神经肽Y组在 1 783～ 2 332之间 ;1 0 6 mol L神经肽Y组在 1 72 2～ 2 2 81之间 ;1 0 5mol L神经肽Y组在 1 5 90～ 2 0 1 0之间。与对照组相比 ,分别平均下降 1 5 .5 9%、1 9.78%、2 1 .91 %和 2 6 .83% ,且不同浓度神经肽Y组之间多有显著性差异 (P <0 .0 5 ) ,神经肽Y对成人血管平滑肌细胞的低密度脂蛋白受体表达的下调作用呈现一定的剂量和时间依赖效应。结果提示 ,

神经元兴奋性的细胞周围调制

突触传递的调制对脑功能有十分重要的作用,以往也有不少讨论,但对神经元兴奋性的调制,尤其细胞周围兴奋性的调制则讨论较少。所谓神经元兴奋性的细胞周围调制,意指对非突触部位神经元膜电位的调制。近来,由于许多新现象的发现,使得神经元兴奋性的细胞周围调制的重要性更加显露。神经元的细胞周围调制可以在以下几种情况下发生:通过突触外区受体的张力性抑制或兴奋,邻近细胞分泌的旁分泌性作用,来自血液循环的激素的作用。神经元兴奋性细胞周围调制的意义不可小觑,它可能与许多重要脑功能有直接关系,例如,脑功能状态(如觉醒和睡眠)的维持和转变,模糊、混沌的内态感(feeling)的产生;而这些又往往是许多神经及神智(mental)疾病的特征性表现和症状。

Dendritic cells pulsed with hsp70-peptide complexes derived from human hepatocellular carcinoma induce specific anti-tumor immune responses

AIM： To investigate the anti-tumor effect of dendritic cells （DCs） pulsed with hsp70-peptide complexes derived from human hepatocellular carcinoma （HCC） cells on human T cells. METHODS： Hsp70-peptide complexes were purified from human HCC cells with column chromatography using ADP-agarose and DEAE-Sepharose. DCs were derived from peripheral blood mononuclear cells of healthy donors in the presence of human GM-CSF and IL-4. The anti-tumor effect of DCs pulsed with hsp70-peptide complexes on human T-cell was assayed by CTL and enzyme-linked immunospot （ELISPOT） tests. RESULTS： Hsp70-peptide complexes derived from human HCC cells activated phenotypic and functional maturation of DCs. The matured DCs stimulated a high level of autologous T-cell proliferation and type Ⅰ cytokine secretion, and induced HCC-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes （CTLs）, which specifically killed HCC cells by a MHC class Ⅰ restricted mechanism. CONCLUSION： Hsp70-peptide complexes derived from human HCC cells can serve as a potent tumor antigen source for pulsing DCs, the pulsed DCs are very effective in activating specific T-cell responses against HCC cells. 2005 The WJG Press and Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved

Probiotic modulation of dendritic cells co-cultured with intestinal epithelial cells

AIM： To investigate cytokine production and cell surface phenotypes of dendritic cells （DC） in the presence of epithelial cells stimulated by probiotics.METHODS： Mouse DC were cultured alone or together with mouse epithelial cell monolayers in normal or in- verted systems and were stimulated with heat-killed probiotic bacteria, Bifidobacterium lactis ADO 11 （BL）, Bifidobacterium bilfidum BGN4 （BB）, Lactobacillus casei IBS041 （LC）, and Lactobacillus acidophilus AD031 （LA）, for 12 h. Cytokine levels in the culture supernatants were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent as say and phenotypic analysis of DC was investigated by flow cytometry.RESULTS： BB and LC in singlecultured DC increased the expression of I-Ad, CD86 and CD40 （I-Ad, 18.51 vs 30.88, 46.11, CD86, 62.74 vs 92.7, 104.12; CD40, 0.67 vs 6.39, 3.37, P 〈 0.05）. All of the experimental probiot-ics increased the production of inflammatory cytokines, interleukin （IL）-6 and tumor necrosis factor （TNF）-α. However, in the normal coculture systems, LC and LA decreased the expression of I-A^α （39.46 vs 30.32, 33.26, P 〈 0.05）, and none of the experimental probiotics increased the levels of IL-6 or TNF-α. In the inverted coculture systems, LC decreased the expression of CD40 （1.36 vs -2.27, P 〈 0.05）, and all of the experimental probiotics decreased the levels of IL-6. In addition, BL increased the production of IL-10 （103.8 vs 166.0, P 〈 0.05） and LC and LA increased transforming growth factor-13 secretion （235.9 vs 618.9, 607.6, P 〈 0.05）.CONCLUSION： These results suggest that specific pro- biotic strains exert differential immune modulation mediated by the interaction of dendritic cells and epithelial cells in the homeostasis of gastrointestinal tract.

Immunotherapy for nonalcoholic steatohepatitis using the multiple cytokine production modulator Y-40138

AIM:To investigate the possible use of the multiple cytokine production modulator,Y-40138,as a novel immunotherapy in the rat nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) model. METHODS:We allocated 6-wk-old male F344 rats to choline-supplemented,L-amino acid-defined (CSAA) diet (control group),CSAA diet + Y-40138 (control + Y-40138 group),choline-def icient,L-amino acid-def ined (CDAA) diet (NASH group),or CDAA diet + Y-40138 (NASH + Y-40138 group). In each group,we measured the plasma alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels,and the plasma and liver levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α),interferon-γ (IFN-γ),and interleukin-10 (IL-10). Tissue specimens of phosphate buffered saline-perfused liver were subjected to hematoxylin and eosin staining,Azan staining,Sirius red staining,and immunohistochemical staining (for Kupffer cells and TNF-α). We then extracted Kupffer cells from the collagenase-perfused livers using the Percoll gradient centrifugation method,and measured the TNF-α levels in the supernatant (in vitro TNF-α production by Kupffer cells) using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit.RESULTS:In comparison to the NASH group,serumALT elevation was mild,production of serum and liver TNF-α and IFN-γ was inhibited,and IL-10 production was increased in the NASH + Y-40138 group. Amelioration of liver histology was also noted in the NASH + Y-40138 group. Kupffer cell immunohistochemical staining revealed no differences between groups,whereas TNF-α immunohistochemical staining showed fewer stained cells in the NASH + Y-40138 group than in the NASH group. The TNF-α levels in the in-vitro Kupffer cell culture supernatant were lower in the NASH + Y-40138 group than in the NASH group.CONCLUSION:Administration of Y-40138 to NASH model rats reduced hepatic inflammation and suppressed fibrosis. These results indicate that the multiple cytokine production modulator,Y-40138,is promising as a novel treatment for NASH.

Mechanism of T cell regulation by microRNAs

MicroRNAs （miRNAs） are small, non-coding single-stranded RNAs that can modulate target gene expression at post- transcriptional level and participate in cell proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis. T cells have important functions in acquired immune response; miRNAs regulate this immune response by targeting the mRNAs of genes involved in T cell developmentp proliferationj differentiationp and function. For instancep miR-181 family members function in progression by targeting Bcl2 and CD69, among others. MiR-17 to miR-92 clusters function by binding to CREB 1, PTEN, and Bim. Considering that the suppression ofT cell-mediated immune responses against tumor cells is involved in cancer progression, we should investigate the mechanism by which miRNA regulates T cells to develop new approaches for cancer treatment.

Sulindac induces apoptosis and protects against colon carcinoma in mice

AIM: To study the effect of sulindac on colon cancer induction in mice. METHODS: The chemo-preventive action of 80 ppm sulindac fed during initiation and post-initiation and 100 ppm sulindac fed during progressive stages of induction of colon carcinogenesis in mice was investigated using 1,2-dimethylhydrazine (DMH). Using the terminal deoxynudeobdyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) technique and PCNA immunohistochemical staining, we observed the apoptotic and proliferative cell density changes at different carcinogenic stages and the effect of sulindac on these two phenomena. RESULTS: Dietary sulindac significantly inhibited the incidence of colonic neoplasmas in mice. Compared with the control group, feeding sulindac during initiation and post-initiation stages inhibited the incidence by 46.7-50.4%, and feeding sulindac during progressive stages inhibited the incidence by 41.1%. Animals that were fed sulindac showed less serious pathological changes than those that were fed the control diet (P<0.01, H=33.35). There was no difference in the density of proliferating cells among those groups which were or were not fed sulindac. In the same period, feeding sulindac resulted in a higher density of apoptotic cells than feeding control diet. CONCLUSION: Sulindac has an anti-carcinogenic function in mice. Its effect on preventing colon carcinogenesis is better than its effect on treating established tumors. By inducing apoptosis, sulindac inhibited the development of colon cancer and delayed canceration. Sulindac has no effect on proliferation. The anti-carcinogenic properties of sulindac are most effective in the moderate and severe stages of dysplasia and canceration.

The role and modulation of autophagy in experimental models of myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury

A physiological sequence called autophagy qualitatively determines cellular viability by removing protein aggregates and damaged cyto-plasmic constituents, and contributes significantly to the degree of myocardial ischemia-reperfusion （I/R） injury. This tightly orchestrated cata-bolic cellular‘housekeeping’ process provides cells with a new source of energy to adapt to stressful conditions. This process was first described as a pro-survival mechanism, but increasing evidence suggests that it can also lead to the demise of the cell. Autophagy has been implicated in the pathogenesis of multiple cardiac conditions including myocardial I/R injury. However, a debate persists as to whether autophagy acts as a protec-tive mechanism or contributes to the injurious effects of I/R injury in the heart. This controversy may stem from several factors including the va-riability in the experimental models and species, and the methodology used to assess autophagy. This review provides updated knowledge on the modulation and role of autophagy in isolated cardiac cells subjected to I/R, and the growing interest towards manipulating autophagy to increase the survival of cardiac myocytes under conditions of stress-most notably being I/R injury. Perturbation of this evolutionarily conserved intracellular cleansing autophagy mechanism, by targeted modulation through, among others, mammalian target of rapamycin （mTOR） inhibitors, adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase （AMPK） modulators, calcium lowering agents, resveratrol, longevinex, sirtuin activators, the proapoptotic gene Bnip3, IP3 and lysosome inhibitors, may confer resistance to heart cells against I/R induced cell death. Thus, therapeutic ma-nipulation of autophagy in the challenged myocardium may benefit post-infarction cardiac healing and remodeling.

The serine/threonine kinase LKB1 controls thymocyte survival through regulation of AMPK activation and Bcl-XL expression

LKB1 is a serine/threonine kinase that directly activates the energy sensor AMP-activated protein kinase （AMPK） in response to bioenergetic stress, and mainly acts as a tumor suppressor that controls cell polarity and proliferation. Although LKB1 is expressed in multiple tissues including the thymus and the spleen, its roles in T-cell development and function remain unknown. Here, we show that T-cell-specific deletion of LKB1 resulted in reduced survival of double-positive （DP） thymocytes and impaired generation of both CD4 and CD8 single-positive thymocytes. Disruption of LKB1 not only prevented the activation of AMPK but also impaired the expression of anti-apoptotic protein BcI-XL. Importantly, ectopic expression of either BcI-XL or the constitutively active AMPK mutant significantly rescued DP thymocytes from LKB1 deficiency-induced cell death. Moreover, ectopic expression of the constitutively active AMPK mutant was found to restore the expression of BcI-XL in LKB1-deficient DP thymocytes. These findings identify LKB1 as a critical factor for the survival of DP thymocytes through regulation of AMPK activation and Bcl-XL expression.

Specific COX-2 inhibitor NS398 induces apoptosis in human liver cancer cell line HepG2 through BCL-2

AIM: To evaluate the effects of NS-398, a cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitor, on the proliferation and apoptosis of HepG2 cells. METHODS: The effects of NS-398 on the proliferation of HepG2 cells were evaluated by MTT. DNA fragmentation gel analysis was used to analyze the apoptotic cells. DNA ploidy and apoptotic cell percentage were calculated by flow cytornetry. The expression of COX-2 and Bcl-2 mRNA was identified by competitive RT-PCR. Furthermore, expression level of Bcl-2 was detected using Western blot in HepG2 after treated with NS-398. RESULTS: NS-398 inhibited cell proliferation and induced apoptosis of HepG2 cells in a concentration-dependent manner. DNA ploidy analysis showed that S phase cells were significantly decreased with increase of NS-398 concentration. The quiescent GO/G1 phase was accumulated with decrease of Bcl-2 mRNA. Whereas NS-398 had no effect on the expression of COX-2 mRNA, and no correlations were found between COX-2 mRNA and HepG2 cell proliferation and apoptosis induced by NS-398 (r=0.056 and r=0.119, respectively). Bcl-2 protein level was inhibited after treated with NS-398. CONCLUSION: NS-398 significantly inhibits the proliferation and induces apoptosis of HepG2 cells. Mechanisms involved may be accumulation of quiescent GO/G1 phase and decrease of Bcl-2 expression.

Growth Inhibition and Apoptosis Induced by Retinoic Acid Combined with Interferon Alpha-2a on Transitional Cell Carcinoma of Bladder

Objective:To identify new favorable agents and develop novel approaches for the chemoprevention and treatment of superficial bladder cancer and investigate the effects of combination of retinoids and interferon α-2a on growth inhibition and apoptosis induction in bladder cancer cell lines. Methods:Four bladder cancer cell lines,grade 1 to 3,and two retinoids,all-trans-retinoic acid(ATRA),9-cis retinoic acid(9cRA),combined with interferon α-2a(INF),were used in the study.We compared the competence of these agents to inhibit growth,induce apoptosis,affect the expression of nuclear retinoid receptors,and modulate STAT1 protein. Results: Most of the bladder cancer cell lines were resistant to the effect of ATRA and 9cRA on growth inhibition and apoptosis induction,even at higher concentration(10 -5M).The effects of ATRA and 9c RA on cell growth and apoptosis were enhanced by INF α- 2a. Combination of ATRA and IFNα-2a induced RARβ and Stat 1 expression in three bladder cancer cell lines. Conclusion:The results demonstrated that INFα-2a synergize with the inhibitory effect of ATRA and 9c RA on the growth inhibition and apoptosis of bladder cancer cells in vitro,which suggested that it has a potential interest for the treatment of transitional cell carcinoma of bladder.

Correlation between expression of gastrin, somatostatin and cell apoptosis regulation gene bcl-2/bax in large intestine carcinoma

AIM: To explore the correlation between expression of somatostatin (SS), gastrin (GAS) and cell apoptosis regulation gene bcl-2/bax in large intestine carcinoma.METHODS: Sixty-two large intestine cancer tissue samples were randomly and retrospectively selected from patients with large intestine carcinoma. Immunohistochemical staining for bcl-2, bax, GAS, SS was performed according to the standard streptavidin-biotin-peroxidase (S-P) method.According to the semi-quantitative integral evaluation, SS and GAS were divided into three groups as follows. Scores1-3 were defined as the low expression group, 4-8 as the intermediate expression group, 9-16 as the high expression group. Bax and bcl-2 protein expressions in different GAS and SS expression groups of large intestine carcinoma were assessed.RESULTS: The positive expression rate of bax had a prominent difference between SS and GAS high, intermediate and low expression groups (P＜0.05, x2ss = 9.246; P＜0.05,x2GAS = 6.981). The positive expression rate of bax in SS high (80.0%, 8/10) and intermediate (76.5%, 13/17)expression groups was higher than that in low expression group (40.0%, 14/35) (P＜0.05, x2high vs low = 5.242; P＜0.05,x2middle vs low = 6.097). The positive expression rate of bax in GAS high expression group (27.3%, 3/8) was lower than that in low expression group (69.4%, 25/36) (P＜0.05,x2 = 4.594). However, bax expression in GAS intermediate expression group (46.7%, 7/15) was lower than that in low expression group, but not statistically significant. The positive expression rate of bcl-2 had a prominent difference between SS and GAS high, intermediate and low expression groups (P＜0.05, x2ss = 7.178; P＜0.05, x2GAS = 13.831). The positive expression rate of bcl-2 in GAS high (90.9%, 10/11)and intermediate (86.7%, 13/15) expression groups was higher than that in low expression group (44.4%, 16/36)(P＜0.05,x2high vs low = 5.600; P＜0.05, x2 middle vs low = 7.695).However, the positive expression rate of bcl-2 in SS high (40.0%, 4/10) and intermediate (47.1%, 8/9) expression groups was lower than that in low expression group (77.1%, 27/35)(P＜0.05, x2 high vs low = 4.710; P＜0.05, x2 middle vs low = 4.706).There was a significant positive correlation between the integral ratio of GAS to SS and the integral of bcl-2 (P＜0.01,r=0.340). However, there was a negative correlation between the integral ratio of GAS to the SS and bax the integral of (P＜0.05, r = -0.299).CONCLUSION: The regulation and control of gastrin,somatostatin in cell apoptosis of large intestine carcinoma may be directly related to the abnormal expression of bcl-2, bax.

Modulation of cellular and humoral immune responses to anHIV-1 DNA vaccine by interleukin-12 and interleukin-18 DNA immunization

Objective: To investigate the effect of interleukin-12 (IL-12) and interleukin-18 (IL-18)DNA immunization on immune response induced by HIV-1 DNA vaccine and to explore new strategies for therapeutic HIV DNA vaccine. Methods: The recombinant expression vector pCI-neoGAG was constructed by inserting HIV Gag gene into the eukaryotic expression vector pCI-neo. Balb/c mice were immunized with pCI-neoGAG alone or co-immunized with the DNA encoding for IL-12 or IL-18.Anti-HIV antibody and IFN-γ were tested by ELISA,and splenocytes were isolated for detecting antigen-specific lymphoproliferative responses and specific CTL response by MTT assay and LDH assay respectively. Results: The anti-HIV antibody titers of mice co-immunized with pCI-neoGAG and the DNA encoding for IL-12 or IL-18 were lower than that of mice immunized with pCI-neoGAG alone(P<0.01). In contrast, the IFN-γ level of mice co-immunized with pCI-neoGAG and the DNA encoding for IL-12 or IL-18 was higher than that of mice immunized with pCI-neoGAG alone (P<0.01).Furthermore, compared with mice injected with pCI-neoGAG alone, the specific CTL cytotoxity activity and antigen-specific lymphoproliferative responses of mice immunized with pCI-neoGAG and the DNA encoding for IL-12 or IL-18 were significantly enhanced respectively (P<0.01). Conclusion: The DNA encoding for IL-12 or IL-18 together with HIV DNA vaccine may enhance specific Th-1 responses and cellular immune response elicited in mice. Hence, the DNA encoding for IL-12 or IL-18 are promising immune adjuvants for HIV-1 DNA vaccine.

Mitochondria and the aging heart

The average human life span has markedly increased in modem society largely attributed to advances in medical and therapeutic sciences that have successfully reduced important health risks. However, advanced age results in numerous alterations to cellular and subcellular components that can impact the overall health and function of an individual. Not surprisingly, advanced age is a major risk factor for the development of heart disease in which elderly populations observe increased morbidity and mortality. Even healthy individuals that appear to have normal heart function under resting conditions, actually have an increased susceptibility and vulnerability to stress. This is confounded by the impact that stress and disease can have over time to both the heart and vessels. Although, there is a rapidly growing body of literature investigating the effects of aging on the heart and how age-related alterations affect cardiac function, the biology of aging and underlying mechanisms remain unclear. In this review, we summarize effects of aging on the heart and discuss potential theories of cellular aging with special emphasis on mitoehondrial dysfunction.

Regulation of eukaryotic DNA replication and nuclear structure

In eukaryote, nuclear structure is a key component forthe functions of eukaryotic cells. More and more evidencesshow that the nuclear structure plays important role in re-gulating DNA replication. The nuclear structure providesa physical barrier for the replication licensing, participatesin the decision where DNA replication initiates, and orga-nizes replication proteins as replication factory for DNAreplication. Through these works, new concepts on theregulation of DNA replication have emerged, which willbe discussed in this minireview.

ANTI-PROLIFERATION EFFECT OF ORIDONIN ONHL-60 CELLS AND ITS MECHANISM

ObjectiveTo investigate the anti-proliferation effect of oridonin on leukemic HL-60 cells and its mechanism. Methods HL-60 cells invitroin culture medium were given different concentrations of oridonin. The inhibitory rate of cells were measured by microculture tetrazolium (MTT) assay, cell apoptotic rate was detected by flow cytometry (FCM),morphology of cell apoptosis was observed by hoechst 33258 fluorescence staining, and the activity of telomerase was det-ected using telomere repeat amplification protocol (TRAP) PCR-ELISA before and after apoptosis occurred. Results Oridonin could decrease telomerase activity, inhibit growth of HL-60 cells, and cause apoptosis significantly. The suppression was both in time- and dose-dependent manner. Marked morphological changes of cell apoptosis including condensation of chromatin and nuclear fragmentation were observed clearly by hoechst 33258 fluorescence staining especi-ally after cells were treated 48-60 hours by oridonin. Conclusions Oridonin has apparent anti-proliferation and apoptotic effects on HL-60 cells invitro, decreasing telomerase activity of HL-60 cells may be one of its most important mechanisms. These results will provide strong laboratory evidence of oridonin for clinical treatment of acute leukemia.

Critical protein GAPDH and its regulatory mechanisms in cancer cells

Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase （GAPDH）, initially identified as a glycolytic enzyme and considered as a housekeeping gene, is widely used as an internal control in experiments on proteins, mRNA, and DNA. However, emerging evidence indicates that GAPDH is implicated in diverse functions independent of its role in energy metabolism; the expression status of GAPDH is also deregulated in various cancer cells. One of the most common effects of GAPDH is its inconsistent role in the determination of cancer cell fate. Furthermore, studies have described GAPDH as a regulator of cell death; other studies have suggested that GAPDH participates in tumor progression and serves as a new therapeutic target. However, related regulatory mechanisms of its numerous cellular functions and deregulated expression levels remain unclear. GAPDH is tightly regulated at transcriptional and pnsttranscriptional levels, which are involved in the regulation of diverse GAPDH functions. Several cancer-related factors, such as insulin, hypoxia inducible factor-1 （HIF-1）, p53, nitric oxide （NO）, and acetylated histone, not only modulate GAPDH gene expression but also affect protein functions via common pathways. Moreover, posttranslational modifications （PTMs） occurring in GAPDH in cancer cells result in new activities unrelated to the original glycnlytic function of GAPDH. In this review, recent findings related to GAPDH transcriptional regulation and PTMs are summarized. Mechanisms and pathways involved in GAPDH regulation and its different roles in cancer cells are also described.

Expression of cytokine mRNA during immuno-modulation of murine suppressor macrophages

In order to analyze the mechanism of immunomodulation by LPS on murine peritoneal suppressor macrophages, we have, using RNase protection assay,checked the changes of mRNA expression pattern of several cytokine genes during the immuno-modulation.It has been found that, after treating peritoneal suppressor macrophages with LPS, mRNAs of IL-12 p35, IL-12 p40,IL-6 and IFN-γ are newly appeared, while those of IL-1α, IL-1β and IL-1Ra are increased and those of other cytokines, like TGF-β1 and MIF are not changed at all.It seems certain that those cytokines, whose expression is increased by LPS stimulation, may be responsible for the functional changes of suppressor macrophages during immuno-modulation. Among these changes, the appearance of IL-12 mRNA may play a critical role, and, in this regard, the synergetic effect between IFN-γ and LPS on the increase of IL-12 p35 and IL-12 p40 mRNA expression is an interesting finding.

Observation of Intensity-Modulated Radiotherapy with Different Fractionated Doses Used in 58 Cases with Astrocytoma

OBJECTIVE To analyze the therapeutic effects and side effects of intensity-modulated radiotherapy （IMRT） with different fractionated doses in treating astrocytoma.METHODS During a period from October 2001 to December 2006, 58 patients with astrocytoma were treated using IMRT. Based on the World Health Organization （WHO） classification, 32 of the 58 cases were grade-Ⅱ, 20 grade-Ⅲ and 6 grade-IV （glioblastoma multiforme, GBM）. Thirty-two of the 58 patients （3 with grade IV, 11 with grade Ⅲ, and the other 18 with grade II who were over 40 years） were treated with hyperfractionated IMRT （Hyper Fr IMRT）, and the other 26 patients were treated with standard fractionated IMRT （St Fr IMRT）.RESULTS The 1-, 3- and 5-year overall survival （OS） rates were respectively 86%, 52%, and 45%, and the 1-, 3- and 5-year progression-free survival （PFS） rates were respectively 77%, 38%, and 25%. Using an analytical hierarchy process it was shown that concerning the patients with grade II astrocytoma classified based on WHO grading, the therapeutic effect was much better in the group of Hyper Fr IMRT than in the St Fr IMRT group. There was no statistical significance of the differences in the OS and PFS rates between the 2 groups （P = 0.049 and P = 0.006）. The OS and PFS rates of the patients with grade-III astrocytoma were both higher in the group with Hyper Fr IMRT than in the St Fr IMRT group. However, there was no statistical significance of the differences between the 2 groups. Advanced RTOG grade-Ⅲ（radiation therapy oncology group, RTOG） neurotoxicity occurred only in 1 of the cases.CONCLUSION Compared with the St Fr IMRT, the Hyper Fr IMRT may help to prolong the survival of patients with astrocytoma.