Promotion of Sema4D expression by tumor-associated macrophages: Significance in gastric carcinoma

AIM To study the role of semaphorin 4 D(Sema4 D) expression promoted by tumor-associated macrophages(TAMs) in gastric carcinoma cells and its clinical significance in the invasion and metastasis of gastric carcinoma.METHODS CD68 and Sema4 D expression was analyzed in gastric carcinoma and adjacent normal tissues from 290 patients using the immunohistochemical streptavidinperoxidase method, and their relationships with clinicopathological features were evaluated. Human M2 macrophages were induced in vitro and co-cultured in non-contact with gastric carcinoma SGC-7901 cells. Changes in the secretory Sema4 D level in the SGC-7901 cell supernatant were measured using an enzymelinked immunosorbent assay. The effects of TAMs on SGC-7901 cell invasion and migration were assessed with invasion and migration assays, respectively.RESULTS CD68 and Sema4 D protein expression was significantly higher in gastric carcinoma tissues than in adjacent normal tissues(71.7% vs 33.8% and 74.5% vs 42.8%, respectively; P 0.01). CD68 and Sema4 D protein expression was significantly associated with histological differentiation, TNM stage, and lymph node metastasis(P 0.05), and their expression levels were positively correlated with one another(r = 0.467, P 0.01). In the in vitro experiment, secretory Sema4 D protein expression was significantly increased in the supernatant of SGC-7901 cells co-cultured with TAMs compared with the blank control(1224.13 ± 29.43 vs 637.15 ± 33.84, P 0.01). Cell invasion and metastasis were enhanced in the Transwell invasion and migration assays(P 0.01).CONCLUSION TAMs promote the invasion and metastasis of gastric carcinoma cells possibly through upregulated secretory Sema4 D protein expression. Combined detection of TAM markers, CD68 and Sema4 D, in gastric carcinoma tissue shows potential to predict the trend of gastric carcinoma progression.     

Relation of overexpression of S phase kinase-associated protein 2 with reduced expression of p27 and PTEN in human gastric carcinoma

AIM: To investigate the significance of S phase kinase associated protein 2 (Skp2) expression in human gastric carcinoma and the relation between expressions of Skp2, p27 and PTEN. METHODS: Immunohistochemical analysis was performed on 138 gastric carcinoma specimens, their paired adjacent mucosa specimens, 102 paired lymphatic metastatic carcinoma tissue specimens, 30 dysplasia specimens, 30 intestinal metaplasia specimens, 10 chronic superficial gastritis specimens and 5 normal gastric mucosa specimens for Skp2 expression and on 138 gastric carcinoma specimens for p27 and PTEN expression. RESULTS: Skp2 labeling frequency was significantly higher in intestinal metaplasia (12.68±0.86) and adjacent mucosa (19.32±1.22) than in normal gastric mucosa (0.53±0.13) and chronic superficial gastritis (0.47±0.19) (P = 0.000); in dysplasia (16.74±0.82) than in intestinal metaplasia (P = 0.000); in gastric primary carcinoma (31.34±2.17) than in dysplasia and adjacent mucosa (P = 0.000); in metastasis gastric carcinoma in lymph nodes (39.76±2.00) than in primary gastric carcinoma (P = 0.037), respectively. Skp2 labeling frequency was positively associated with differentiation degree (rho = 0.315, P = 0.000), vessel invasion (rho = 0.303, P = 0.000) and lymph node metastasis (rho = 0.254, P = 0.000) of gastric cancer. Expression of Skp2 was negatively associated with p27 (rho = -0.451, P = 0.000) and PTEN (rho = -0.480, P = 0.000) expression in gastric carcinoma. p27 expression was positively associated with PTEN expression in gastric carcinoma (rho = 0.642, P = 0.000). CONCLUSION: Skp2 overexpression may be involved in carcinogenesis and progression of human gastric carcinoma in vivo, possibly via p27 proteolysis. PTEN may regulate the expression of p27 by negatively regulating Skp2 expression.     

Association of ezrin expression in intestinal and diffuse gastric carcinoma with clinicopathological parameters and tumor type

AIM： To investigate the correlation between ezrin expression and types of gastric carcinoma and clinicopathological variables.
METHODS： We examined ezrin protein expression in 75 gastric carcinoma （53 intestinal types of adenocarcinoma, 22 diffuse types of carcinoma） tissues by immunohistochemistry. The results were compared with clinicopathological parameters such as tumor type, grade of tumor, clinical stage, presence of metastatic lymph node, and depth of invasion.
RESULTS： Ezrin immunostaining was positive in 43 cases （81.1%） of intestinal type and in 9 （40.9%） cases of diffuse type adenocarcinomas （P 〈 0.001）. In gastric carcinomas, the expression of ezrin protein correlated with the status of H py/ori and survival. There was no correlation between expression of ezrin with TNM stage and histological grade of gastric carcinomas （P 〉 0.05）.
CONCLUSION： The low expression of ezrin implicates the loss of adhesion in diffuse carcinomas. Furthermore, overexpression of ezrin in carcinomas with H pylori infection may be a genuine specific pathway in which Hpylori may cause/initiate gastric carcinoma.     

Clinicopathological significance of LRP16 protein in 336 gastric carcinoma patients

AIM： To investigate the expression of leukemia related protein 16 （LRP16）, and the possible relationship between LRP16 expression and clinicopathological indices in 336 gastric carcinoma patients. METHODS： Immunohistochemistry was used to detect LRP16 expression in 336 cases of paraffin-embedded gastric carcinoma tissues and 60 cases of distal normal mucosa. The relationships between LRP16 expression and patients＇ age, tumor size, histological grade, clinical stage, metastatic status and prognosis were analysed. RESULTS： The expression of LRP16 was 58.6% （197/336） in gastric carcinoma and 31.7% （19/60） in distal normal gastric mucosa. The expression of LRP16 in carcinoma was significantly higher than that in normal mucosa tissues （x^2 = 14.929, P = 0.001）. LRP16 protein expression was found in 44.1% （63/143） carcinomas at stage Ⅰ and Ⅱ, and 69.4% （134/193） carcinomas at stage Ⅲ and Ⅳ （Z2 = 21.804, P = 0.001）, and in 56.9% （182/320） of cancers without metastasis but 93.8% （15/16） of those with metastasis （2 = 8.543, P = 0.003）. The expression of LRP16 was correlated with tumor size, infiltrative depth, clinical stage, lymphatic invasion and distant metastasis （all P 〈 0.05）. Follow-up data showed that there was a significant difference in median survival time between cancer patients with expression of LRP16 （27.0 mo） and those without （48.0 mo, Log rank =31.644, P = 0.001）. CONCLUSION： The expression of LRP16 may be associated with invasion, metastasis and prognosis of gastric cancer.     

Pathobiological significance of vascular endothelial growth factor and Maspin expressions in human gastric carcinoma

AIM: To investigate the correlation between expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and cell differentiation, invasion, metastasis and Maspin expression in gastric carcinoma.METHODS: Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue specimens from 73 cases of gastric carcinoma were studied with SP immunohistochemistry, using anti-VEGF monoclonal antibody, and thirty-nine of them were studied using antiMaspin monoclonal antibody. VEGF expression was compared with the clinical stage, lymph node metastasis, and Borrmann‘s and WHO‘s classification of gastric carcinoma.RESULTS: The positive rate of VEGF expression was significantly higher in adjacent non-carcinoma epithelia (ANCE) than in non-metaplastic, non-carcinoma gastric epithelia (NMNCE), which were at least 4 cm distant from the primary tumor (P = 0.000, x^2= 73.03). The positive rate of VEGF expression was significantly higher in advanced gastric carcinoma (AGC) than in early gastric carcinoma (EGC) (P = 0.032, x^2 = 4.62). The positive rate of VEGF expression in gastric carcinomas with lymph node metastases was significantly higher than that in those without metastasis (P = 0.006, x^2 = 7.47). Maspin was weakly expressed in 16 out of 39 cases of NMNCE, and the positive immunoreaction was limited to gland cells of the stomach body. There was no significant correlation between the expression of VEGF and histological or gross classifications, and correlation between the expressions of VEGF and Maspin in gastric carcinoma (P = 0.648, x^2 = 0.21).CONCLUSION: Expression of VEGF is significantly correlated to the malignant biological behaviors of gastric carcinoma,but there is no significant correlation between the expression of VEGF and Maspin.     

Expression and clinical significance of CD73 and hypoxia-inducible factor-1α in gastric carcinoma

AIM: To investigate the expression of CD73 and hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) in human gastric carcinoma, and explore their clinical significance and prognostic value. METHODS: CD73 and HIF-1α expressions were detected by immunohistochemistry in consecutive sections of tissue samples from 68 gastric carcinoma patients. The peritumor tissues 2 cm away from the tumor were obtained and served as controls. The presence of CD73 and HIF-1α was analyzed by immunohis-tochemistry using the Envision technique. RESULTS: CD73 and HIF-1α expressions in gastric carcinoma were significantly higher than those in gastric mucosal tissues as control (P < 0.001) and showed a close correlation (Spearman r = 0.390, P = 0.001). Overexpression of CD73 was positively correlated with differentiation of tumor (P = 0.000), histopathology (P = 0.041), depth of invasion (P < 0.001), nodal status (P = 0.003), metastasis (P = 0.013), and the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) stage (P < 0.001). High expression of HIF-1α was positively correlated with tumor diameter (P = 0.031), depth of invasion (P = 0.022), and AJCC stage (P = 0.035). The overall survival rate was low in the patients with high expression of CD73 (P < 0.001). Moreover, CD73+/HIF-1α+ patients had the worst prognosis (P < 0.001). CD73 expression was proven to be an independent predictor for patients with gastric carcinoma by both multivariate Cox regression analysis (P = 0.021) and receiver operating characteristic curves (P = 0.001).CONCLUSION: CD73 expression correlates closely with HIF-1α expression in gastric carcinoma. CD73 could be an independent prognostic indicator for gastric carcinoma.     

Relationship between the expression of iNOS,VEGF,tumor angiogenesis and gastric cancer

AIM：To in vestigate the relationship between the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase(iNOS),vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF),the microvascular density(MVD)and the pathological features and clinical staging of gastric cancer.METHODS:Immunohistochemical staining was used for detecting the expression of iNOS and VEGFin46resected specimens of gastric carcinoma;the monoclonal antibody against CD34 was used for displaying vascular endothelial cells,and MVD was detected by counting of CD34-positive vascular endothelial cells.RESULTS:Of 46resected specimens of gastric carcinoma,the rates of expressions of iNOS and VEGF were 58.70%and76.09%,respectively,and MVDaveraged55.59&#177;19.39,Judged by the standard TNM criteria,the rate of expression of iNOS in stageⅣ（84.46%)was higher than those in stageⅠ,Ⅱ,Ⅲ（Fish exact probabilities test,P=0.019,0.023and 0.033,respectively);the rates of expression of VEGFin stage Ⅲ,Ⅳ（76.0%,92.31%,respectively)were higher than those in stageⅠ,Ⅱ（Fis exact probabilities test,P=0.031,0.017,0.022and0.019).MVDs in stageⅢ,Ⅳ（64.72&#177;14.96,67.09&#177;18.29,respectively)were higher than those in stageⅠ,Ⅱ(t\2.378,4.015,2.503and2.450,P&lt;0.05,P&lt;0.001,P&lt;0.001,P&lt;0.05,respectively),In37gastric carcinoma specimens with lymph node metastasis,MVD(68.69&#177;18.07)and the rates of expression of iNOS and VEGF(70.27%,83.78%,respectively)were higher than those in the specimens with absence of metastasis(t=2.205,X^2=6.3587,X^2=6.2584,P&lt;0.01,P&lt;0.05,P&lt;0.05,respectively),MVD and the expressions of iNOS and EGF were not correlated to the location,size or grade of tumor,nor with the depth of invasion of tumor;MVDs in the positive iNOS and VEGF specimens(59.88&#177;18.02,58.39&#177;17.73,repectively)were higher than those in the negative iNOS and VEGF specimens(X^2=6.3587and 6.1574,P&lt;0.05,P&lt;0.05,respectively);thus the expressions of iNOS and VEGF was correlated to MVD,but the expression of iNOS was not correlated to that of VEGF,In addition.of the 46 surviving patients,the 5-year survival rate of patients with positive iNOS or VEGF tumors was significantly less than that of patients with negative iNOS-or VEGF tumors(X^2=4.3842and 5.4073,P&lt;0.05,P&lt;0.05.respectively).CONCLUSION:The expressions of iNOS and VEGF are colosely related to tumor angiogenesis,and are involved in the advancement and the lymph node metastasis;thusMVD and the expressions of iNOS and EGF may serve indexes for evaluating staging of gastric carcinoma and forecasting its risk of metastasis,which will help establish a comprehensive therapeutical measure of post-operative patients and provide a new approach to tumor therapy.     

DNA ploidy analysis and expression of MMP-9, TIMP-2, and E-cadherin in gastric carcinoma

AIM: To investigate DNA ploidy and expression of MMP-9, TIMP-2, and E-cadherin in gastric carcinoma and to explore the mechanism of invasion and metastasis of gastric carcinoma. METHODS: Immunohistochemical methods were used to detect the expressions of MMP-9, TIMP-2, and E-cadherin in 156 cases, including 99 cases of gastric carcinoma, 16 cases of adjacent noncancerous mucosa, 16 cases of distant metastases and 25 cases of metastatic lymph node (LN) from gastric carcinoma. Flow cytometry DNA ploidy and S-phase fraction (SPF) analysis were performed on 57 cases, including 47 cases of gastric cancer, 6 cases of adjacent noncancerous mucosa, and 4 cases of distant metastatic cancer. RESULTS: The expression of MMP-9 was significantly correlated with Lauren's classification, Borrmann's classification, LN metastasis, tumor metastasis, and TNM stage, as well as depth of invasion (all P<0.05). The positive rate was lower in noncarcinoma than in carcinoma (31.3% vs66.7%, P<0.01). The expression of TIMP-2 was significantly correlated with Borrmann's classification, LN metastasis, and the depth of invasion (all P<0.05), The expression of E-cadherin was significantly correlated with differentiation, Lauren's classification, Borrmann's classification, and LN metastasis, as well as the depth of invasion (P<0,01 or P<0.05). E-cadherin was less expressed in carcinoma than in noncarcinoma (42.4% vs87.5%, P<0.01). There was a positive correlation between MMP-9 and TIMP-2 and a negative correlation between MMP-9 and E-cadherin, but no correlation between TIMP-2 and E-cadherin. Also there was a positive correlation between DNA aneuploid rate and differentiation and LN metastasis. SPF that was higher than 15% was positively correlated with tumor size, differentiation and LN metastasis. And there was a significant difference between carcinoma and noncarcinoma in DNA aneuploid rate and SPF. CONCLUSION: With tumor progression and development of heterogeneity, the abnormal expressions of MMP-9, TIMP-2, and E-cadherin or DNA aneuploid rate or high SPF gradually increases, suggesting that they play a crucial role in gastric carcinoma progression.     

Nuclear factor kappa B： A marker of chemotherapy for human stage Ⅳ gastric carcinoma

AIM： To detect the nuclear factor kappa B （NF-κB） condition in human stage IV gastric carcinoma patients and to explore the correlation between NF-κB activation and survival of these patients after chemotherapy. METHODS： Expression of NF-κB-p65 was determined by immunohistochemical analysis. Activity of NF-κB DNA-binding in carcinoma tissue was detected by electrophoretic mobility shift assay. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was performed to show the relation between NF-κB and progression-free survival （PFS） or overall survival （OS） of the patients. RESULTS： The positive expression rate of NF-κB-p65 in 60 gastric cancer tissue samples was 76.7% （46160）. The expression of NF-κB-p65 was reduced in adjacent carcinoma and normal tissue samples. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay （EMSA） analysis showed a strong activation of NF-κB in cancer tissue samples. A survival difference was found in NF-κB-p65 positive and negative patients. NF-κB-p65 expression was negative in cancer tissue samples （n = 14）. PFS was 191.40 ± 59.88 d and 152.93 ±16.99 d, respectively, in patients with positive NF-κB-p65 expression （n = 46） （P = 0.4028）. The survival time of patients with negative and positive NF-κB-p65 expression was 425.16 ±61.61 d and 418.85 ±42.98 d, respectively （P = 0.7303）. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed no significant difference in PFS or OS. The 46 patient tissue which positive NF-κB-p65 expression was found in the tissue samples from the 46 patients whose PFS and OS were 564.89 ± 75.94 d and s 352.37 ±41.32 d, respectively （P = 0.0165）. CONCLUSION： NF-κB is activated in gastric carcinoma tissue, which is related to the OS after chemotherapy.     

胃癌组织中MTA1,PTEN,E-cadherin的表达及其相互关系

目的:观察MTA1,PTEN,E-cadherin蛋白在胃癌和正常胃黏膜组织中的表达,探讨其与胃癌浸润、转移和生物学行为的关系.方法:应用免疫组织化学方法检测54例胃癌手术切除标本和15例正常胃黏膜组织中MTA1,PTEN,E-cadherin的表达.各指标之间相关因素的差异性比较采用χ2检验,相关性研究采用Spearman相关分析:结果:与正常胃组织相比,MTA1蛋白在胃癌组织中高表达(46.3% vs 6.7%,P＜0.01),PTEN和E-cadherin蛋白在胃癌组织中表达下调或缺失(51.9% vs 100%,42.6% vs 100%,均P＜0.01).MTA1和PTEN的阳性表达率与肿瘤浸润深度(P=0.003,P=0.001)、病理分期(P=0.004,P=0.008)、淋巴转移(P=0.000,P=0.001)、远隔转移(P=0.004,P=0.006)、临床分期有关(P=0.001,P=0.000);E-cadherin的正常表达率与肿瘤浸润深度(P=0.027)、病理分化程度(P=0.006)、淋巴转移(P=0.044)、临床分期有关(P=0.000).Spearman相关分析显MTA1与PTEN蛋白、MTA1与E-cadherin蛋白的表达呈负相关(r=-0.518,r=-0.424,均p＜0.05).PTEN蛋白与E-cadherin蛋白的表达呈正相关(r=0.53,P＜0.05).结论:MTA1蛋白水平高表达和PTEN,E-cadherin蛋白水平低表达可能与胃癌浸润和转移有关,且联合检测可以用于判断胃癌的生物学行为.     

Growth,invasion, metastasis,differentiation, angiogenesis and apoptosis of gastric cancer regulated by expression of PTEN encoding products

AIM: To investigate expression of PTEN in gastric cancer and to explore its roles in tumorigenesis and progression of gastric cancer.METHODS: Formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded tissues of adjacent non-tumor mucosa and primary foci from 113cases of gastric cancers were studied for the expression of PTEN and Caspase-3 andmicrovessel density (MVD)by streptavidin-peroxidase (S-P) immunohistochemistry with antibodies against PTEN, Caspase-3, and CD34. The relationship between PTEN and Caspase 3 expression and clinicopathological parameters of tumors was compared.RESULTS: Primary gastric cancer cells expressed PTEN less frequently than adjacent epithelial cells of primary foci (54.9％ vs89.4％; P=0.000, χ2=33.474). PTEN expression was significantly associated with invasive depth (P=0.003,rs=0.274), metastasis (P=0.036, rs=0.197), growth pattern (P=0.008, rs=0.282), Lauren′s classification (P=0.000,rs=0.345), and histological classification (P=0.005, rs=0.262)of tumors, but not with tumor size (P=0.639, rs=0.045),Borrmann′s classification (P=0.544, rs=0.070) or TNM staging (P=0.172, rs=0.129). PTEN expression was negatively correlated with MDV in primary gastric cancer (P=0.020,F=5.558). Primary gastric cancer cells showed less frequent immunoreactivity to Caspase-3 than adjacent epithelial cells of primary foci (32.7 ％ vs 50.4 ％; P=0.007,χ2=7.286).Caspase-3 expression was dependent of PTEN expression in primary gastric cancer cells (P=0.000, χ2=15.266).CONCLUSION: Down-regulated expression of PTEN plays an important role in tumorigenesis, progression, growth,differentiation and angiogenesis of gastric cancer. Low expression of PTEN can decrease expression of Caspase-3to disorder apoptosis of tumor cells, which might explain the molecular mechanisms of PTEN contributions to tumorigenesis and progression of gastric cancer.     

非小细胞肺癌组织中核因子κB的活性及其与肿瘤细胞增殖的关系

目的研究非小细胞肺癌组织中核因子κB（nuclear Factor-κB，NF—κB）的活性及其与细胞增殖、自发性细胞凋亡的关系。方法2006年5至10月收集30例非小细胞肺癌组织标本及15例肺癌患者癌旁5cm肺组织标本。NF—κB活性通过凝胶电泳迁移率改变试验（EMSA）检测，用RT—PCR和Western blot方法检测CyclinD1含量，免疫组织化学染色法检测增殖细胞核抗原（PCNA）蛋白含量，TUNEL法检测细胞凋亡。结果癌旁肺组织、鳞癌组织、腺癌组织中NF—κB活性（吸光度，A值）分别为24826±3724、28028±4204、35425±5317，三组比较差异有统计学意义（F=78．96，P〈0．01）。鳞癌组织、腺癌组织中NF—κB活性高于癌旁肺组织中NF—κB活性，腺癌组织中NF—κB活性高于鳞癌组织中NF—κB活性。健康肺组织、鳞癌组织、腺癌组织中CyclinD1 mRNA表达量分别为2．04±0．24、2．91±0．37、4．13±0．36，三组比较差异有统计学意义（F=62．43，P〈0．01）。癌旁肺组织、鳞癌组织、腺癌组织中Cyclin D1蛋白表达量分别为0．31±0．06、0．43±0．07、0．58±0．08，三组比较差异有统计学意义（F=89．24，P〈0．01）。癌旁肺组织、鳞癌组织、腺癌组织中PCNA蛋白表达量分别为0．32±0．09、0．42±0．10、0．54±0．16，三组比较差异明显。癌旁肺组织、鳞癌组织、腺癌组织中凋亡指数分别为（2．58±0．39）％、（2．27±0．34）％、（2．92±0．59）％，三组比较无明显差异。鳞癌组织中NF—κB活性与CyclinD1 mRNA、CyclinD1蛋白、PCNA蛋白均呈正相关（r值分别为0．51、0．54和0．60，P均〈0．05）；腺癌组织中NF—κB活性与CyclinD1mRNA、CyclinD1蛋白、PCNA蛋白均呈正相关（r值分别为0．60、0．64和0．68，P均〈0．05）；鳞癌、腺癌组织中NF—κB活性与细胞凋亡指数无相关关系。结论在非小细胞肺癌组织中NF—κB活性增高。非小细胞肺癌组织中NF—κB的异常活化可能与细胞增殖有关，但不影响自发性细胞凋亡。     

Expression of Fas ligand and caspase-3 contributes to formation of immune escape in gastric cancer

AIM: To study the role of Fas ligand (FasL) and Caspase-3 expression in carcinogenesis and progression of gastric cancer and molecular mechanisms of relevant immune escape. METHODS: FasL and Caspase-3 expression was studied in adjacent epithelial cells, cancer cells and lymphocytes of primary foci, and cancer cells of metastatic foci from 113 cases of gastric cancer by streptavidin-biotin-peroxidase(S-P) immunohistochemistry. Expression of both proteins in cancer cells of primary foci was compared with clinicopathological features of gastric cancer. The relationship between Fas L expression in cancer cells and Caspase-3 expression in cancer cells or infiltrating lymphocytes of primary foci was investigated. RESULTS: Cancer cells of primary foci expressed FasL in 53.98 % (61/113) of gastric cancers, more than their adjacent epithelial cells (34.51%, 39/113) (P=0.O03,χ2=8.681), while the expression of Caspase-3 in cancer cells of primary foci was detected in 32.74 % (37/113) of gastric cancers, less than in the adjacent epithelial cells (50.44 %, 57/113)(P=0.O07, χ2=7.286). Infiltrating lymphocytes of the primary foci showed positive immunoreactivity to Caspase-3 in70.80 % (80/113) of gastric cancers, more than their corresponding adjacent epithelial cells (P=0.O01, χ2=10.635) or cancer cells of primary loci (P=-O.O00, χ2=32.767). FasL was less expressed in cancer cells of metastases (51.16 %,22/43) than in those of the corresponding primary foci( 81.58 %, 31/38) (P=0.O03, χ2=9.907). Conversely, Caspase-3 was more expressed in cancer cells of metastases(58.14 %, 25/43) than in those of the corresponding primary foci (34.21%, 13/38) (P=0.031, χ2=4.638). FasL expression was significantly correlated with tumor size (P=0.035,rs=0.276), invasive depth (P=0.039, rs=0.195), metastasis(P=0.039, rs=0.195), differentiation (P=0.015, rs=0.228)and Lauren‘‘s classification (P=0.038, rs=0. 196), but not with age or gender of patients, growth pattern or TNM staging of gastric cancer (P&gt;0.05). In contrast, Caspase-3 expression showed no correlation with any dinicopathological parametersdescribed above in cancer cells of the primary foci (p&gt;0.05).Interestingly, FasL expression in primary gastric cancer cells paralleled to Caspase-3 expression in infiltrating lymphocytes of the primary foci (P=0.016, χ2=5.825).CONCLUSION: Up-regulated expression of FasL and downregulated expression of Caspase-3 in cancer cells of primary foci play an important role in gastric carcinogenesis. As an effective marker to reveal the biological behaviors, FasL is implicated in differentiation, growth, invasion and metastasis of gastric cancer by inducing apoptosis of infiltrating lymphocytes. Chemical substances derived from bhe primary foci and metastatic microenvironment can inhibit t~e growth of metastatic cells by enhancing Caspase-3 expression and diminishing FasL expression.     

Gastric mucosal injury due to hemorrhagic reperfusion and efficacy of Salvia miltiorrhizae extract F and cimetidine

AIM: To observe the gastric mucosal injury caused by hemorrhagic shock and reperfusion and to compare the effect between Salvia miltiorrhizae extract F (SEF) and cimetidine (CI) on it. METHODS: A model of hemorrhage/reperfusion injury was produced by Itoh method. Wistar rats were randomly divided into three groups: 0.9% sodium chloride treatment group (NS group), SEF treatment group (SEF group), and CI treatment group (CI group). Saline, SEF and CI were injected respectively. The index of gastric mucosal lesions (IGML) was expressed as the percentage of lesion area in the gastric mucosa. The degree of gastric mucosal lesions was categorized into grades 0, 1, 2, 3. Atom absorption method was used to measure the intracellular calcium content. Radioimmunoassay was used to measure the concentrations of prostaglandins. RESULTS: IGML (%) and grade 3 (%) were 23.18±6.82, 58.44±9.07 in NS group, 4.42±1.39, 20.32±6.95 in SEF group and 3.74±1.56, 23.12±5.09 in CI group, and the above parameters in SEF group and CI group decreased significantly (IGML: SEF vs NS, t=6.712, P=0.000<0.01; CI vs NS, t=6.943, P=0.000<0.01; grade 3: SEF vs HS, t=8.386, P=0.000; CI vs HS, t=8.411, P= 0.000), but the grade 0 and grade 1 damage in SEF group (22.05±5.96, 34.12±8.12) and CI group (18.54±4.82, 30.15±7.12) were markedly higher than those in NS group (3.01±1.01, 8.35±1.95; grade 0: SEF vs HS, t=8.434, P=0.000<0.01; CI vs NS, t=7.950, P=0.000<0.01; grade 1: SEF vs NS, t =8.422, P=0.000<0.01; CI vs NS, t=8.448, P=0.000<0.01). The intracellular calcium content (μg/mg) in SEF group (0.104±0.015) and CI group (0.102±0.010) was markedly lower than that in NS group (0.131±0.019, SEF vs NS, t=2.463, P=0.038<0.05; CI vs HS, t=3.056, P=0.017<0.05). The levels (pg/mg) of PGE_2, 6-keto-PGF_(1α) and 6-keto-PGF_(1α)/TXB_2 were 540±183, 714±124,17.38±5.93 in NS group and 581±168, 737±102, 19.04±8.03 in CI group, 760±192,1 248±158, 33.42±9.24 in SEF group, and the above parameters in SEF group markedly raised (PGE_2: SEF vs NS, t=2.282, P=0.046<0.05; SEF vs CI, t=2.265, P=0.047<0.05; 6-keto-PGF_(1α): SEF vs NS, t=6.583, P=0.000<0.000; SEF vs CI, t=6.708, P=0.000<0.01; 6-keto-PGF_(1α)/TXB_2: SEF vs NS, t=3.963, P=0.003<0.001; SEF vs Cl, t=3.243, P=0.009<0.01), whereas TXB_2 level in SEF group (45.37±7.54) was obviously lower than that in NS group (58.28±6.74, t=3.086, P=0.014<0.05) and CI group (54.32±6.89, t=2.265, P=0.047<0.05). No significant difference was shown between NS group and CI group (PGE_2: t=0.414, P=0.688>0.05; 6-keto-PGF_(1α): t=0.310, P=0.763>0.05; TXB_2: t=1.099, P=0.298>0.05; 6-keto-PGF_(1α)/TXB_2: t=0.372, P=0.718>0.05). CONCLUSION: Both SEF and CI could inhibit reperfusioninduced injury in gastric mucosa, but with different mechanisms. SEF could not only enhance the protective effect of gastric mucosa, but also abate the injury factors, while CI can only abate the injury factors.