Effect of Helicobacter pylori VacA on gene expression of gastric cancer cells

AIM: To determine the effect of Helicobacter pylori VacA on gene expression of gastric cancer cells.METHODS: Gene expression profile of a gastric cancer cell line, SGC7901, after challenged by VacA+ and VacA- Hpylori broth culture supernatants (BCS), was detected by the cDNA microarray technique. Cytoskeleton changes of SGC7901 and HeLa cells were observed through high-resolution laser scanning confocal microscopy.RESULTS: A total of 16 000 cDNA clones were detected.The percentage of genes with heterogeneous expression in SGC7901 cells challenged by VacA+ BCS reached 5%,compared with that challenged by Vac A- BCS. There were 865 genes/EST with 2-fold differential expression levels and 198 genes/EST with 3-fold differential expression levels.Host of these genes were involved in vital cell events including signal transduction, regulation of gene expression, cytoskeleton,apoptosis, stress response and inflammation, cell cycle and tumor development. Cells co-cultured with VacA+ BCS showed collapsed and disrupted microtubular cytoarchitecture.CONCLUSION: VacA+ BCS can disrupt cytoskeletal architecture,likely through affecting the expression of cytoskeleton-associated genes, directly induce the expression of tumor promoter-related genes and inhibit the expression of tumor suppressor genes, thus favoring the development of tumors.VacA+ BCS can also alter the expression of inflammation and stress response genes. This suggests that VacA may play an important role in the pathogenicity of H pylori.

Characterization of a novel toxin-antitoxin module,VapBC,encoded by Leptospira interrogans chromosome

Comparative genomic analysis of the coding sequences (CDSs) of Leptospira interrogans revealed a pair of closely linked genes homologous to the vapBC loci of many other bacteria with respect to both deduced amino acid sequences and operon organizations. Expression of single vapC gene in Escherichia coli resulted in inhibition of bacterial growth,whereas co-expression of vapBC restored the growth effectively. This phenotype is typical for three other characterized toxin-antitoxin systems of bacteria, i.e., mazEF[1], relBE[2] and chpIK[3]. The VapC proteins of bacteria and a thermophilic archeae, Solfolobus tokodaii, form a structurally distinguished group of toxin different from the other known toxins of bacteria. Phylogenetic analysis of both toxins and antitoxins of all categories indicated that although toxins were evolved from divergent sources and may or may not follow their speciation paths (as indicated by their 16s RNA sequences), co-evolution with their antitoxins was obvious.

In vitro anti-coxsackievirus B_3 effect of ethyl acetate extract of Tian-hua-fen

AIM: To investigation the anti-coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3m)effect of the ethyl acetate extract of Tian-hua-fen on HeLacells infected with CVB3m.METHODS: HeLa cells were infected with CVB3m and thecytopathic effects (CPE) were observed through light microscope and crystal violet staining on 96-well plate and A600 was detected using spectrophotometer. The protective effect of the extract to HeLa cells and the mechanism of the effect were also evaluated through the change of CPE and value of A600.RESULTS: The extract had some toxicity to HeLa cells at a higher concentration while had a marked inhibitory effect on cell pathological changes at a lower concentration.Consistent results were got through these two methods.We also investigated the mechanism of its anti-CVB3m effectand the results indicated that the extract represented an inhibitory effect through all the processes of CVB3m attachment, entry, biosynthesis and assemble in cells.CONCLUSION: The results demonstrate that the ethyl acetate extract of Tian-hua-fen has a significantprotectiveeffect on HeLa cells infected with CVB3m in a dose-dependent manner and this effect exists through the process of CVB3mattachment, entry, biosynthesis and assemble in cells,suggesting that the ethyl acetate extract of Tian-hua-fen can be developed as an anti-virus agent.

Enhancing DNA vaccine potency against hantavirus by co-administration of interleukin-12 expression vector as a genetic adjuvant

Background The heavy incidence and mortality of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome, as well as no specific drugs in curing the disease, clearly indicate the need for development Of the more effective hantavirus vaccine. Refining the DNA vaccination strategy to elicit more clinically efficacious immune responses is now under intensive investigation. In the present study, we examined the effects of using an interleukin-12 expression plasmid as a genetic adjuvant to enhance the immune responses induced by a DNA vaccine based on the S gene encoding nucleocapsid protein against hantavirus. Methods BALB/c mice were immunized three times by intramuscular inoculations of DNA vaccine encoding of hantanvirus nucleoeapsid protein alone or in combination with a plasmid expressing murine interleukin-12 (pcIL-12). Booster immunizations were employed 2 times at 2-week interval. To evaluate the Immoral and cellular immune responses, antigen-specific lymphocyte proliferation and antibody production were assayed by MTT method and ELISA respectively. The level of interleukin-4 and interferon-gamma in the splenic lymphocytic cultured supernatant were detected with ELISA kit at day 5, 10, 17, 35 and 42 after primary immunization. Results Antigen-specific IgG antibodies was increased markedly at day 17 in the experiment groups and reached a plateau after day 35. As pcIL-12 co-injected, a significant inhibition of antigen-specific IgG levels was displayed over the period and the antibody mean titre was decreased to only about 1: 50 at day 42 after primary immunization, significantly lower than the group immunized with pcDNA3.1 + S alone, in which the mean titre was about 1:70. Interferon-gamma was increased remarkably by the co-injection of pcIL-12 compared with the injection of pcDNA3.1 + S alone. However, the production of interleukin-4 was inhibited by pcIL-12 coinjection. Furthermore, pcIL-12 co-injection efficiently enhanced antigen-specific lymphocyte proliferation. Conclusion Humoral and cytokine responses elicited by pcDNA3.1 + S inoculation can be modulated by coinoculation with pcIL-12 and efficiently induced Th1-dominant immune responses.