Overexpression of S100A4 is closely related to the aggressiveness of gastric cancer

Elevated levels of the calcium-binding protein S100A4 cause metastasis of benign rat mammary tumor cells. To investigate whether S100A4 plays an important role in the invasion and metastasis of gastric cancers, we examined the gene mutations in the coding regions and expression patterns of the S100A4 in gastric adenocarcinoma in Korea. Moderate to strong expression of S100A4 was found in 53 (68.8%) of the 77 gastric adenocarcinomas, whilst normal gastric epithelium either failed to stain or showed weak staining. Interestingly, S100A4 expression was more frequently observed in gastric cancer patients with advanced gastric cancer (p=0.039), positive lymph node metastasis (p=0.001), and peritoneal dissemination (p=0.022). No gene mutations were found in the analyzed genomic area in 77 gastric adenocarcinomas and 15 gastric cancer cell lines. We found one single nucleotide polymorphism without an amino acid change, A99G, in two cases. These data suggest that the overexpression of S100A4 may be closely related to the aggressiveness of gastric cancer in Korea.     

幽门螺杆菌cagA菌株感染对IL-8蛋白在胃癌组织中表达的影响

目的 探讨胃癌组织中HpcagA菌株感染对IL-8蛋白表达的影响。方法 采用流式细胞技术，对27例胃癌及相应的癌旁正常组织中IL-8蛋白的表达进行定量检测，用PCR法，对27例胃癌组织中HpcagA基因进行扩增。结果 27例胃癌组织中中，有25例（92%）可明显表达IL-8蛋白；而相应的癌旁正常组织中，基本没有IL-8蛋白的表达或仅有弱相应的癌旁正常组织中，基本没有IL-8蛋白的表达或仅有弱表达，HpcagA感染的胃癌组织中，IL-8的表达水平为64.27%，高于未感染HpcagA的胃癌组织（39.86%)。结论 IL-8在胃癌组织中的高表达与HpcagA感染有关。即HpcagA菌株感染可上调IL-8在胃癌组织中的表达水平。     

白藜芦醇苷对低氧大鼠肺血管构型重建的影响

目的:观察白藜芦醇苷对慢性常压低氧性肺动脉高压(HPH)大鼠肺血管构型重建的影响并探讨可能的机理。方法:29只健康SD大鼠随机分为正常对照组、单纯低氧组和低氧加白藜芦醇苷(PD)组。各组内按照肺小血管外径分为I组(30μm-100μm)和II组(101μm-200μm)。右心导管法检测大鼠肺动脉压力(mPAP)、微量滴定法检测血浆和肺匀浆中磷脂酶A₂(PLA₂)活性、光镜下观察肺小血管中膜厚度(MT%)和中膜面积(MA%)的变化。结果:低氧3周后大鼠mPAP、血浆及肺匀浆中PLA₂活性、肺小血管MA%、I组MT%显著高于对照组,II组MT%无显著性改变。低氧加PD预处理后上述改变明显轻于单纯低氧组。结论:PD可有效防治慢性常压低氧性大鼠肺动脉压力的升高,其机理与抑制大鼠肺血管构型重建有关。     

Multiple cancers in a Turner's syndrome with 45,X/46,XXp-/46,XX/47,XXX karyotype

A female patient with a clinical picture of Turner's syndrome had five separate malignant tumors (three squamous cell carcinomas of the tongue, a colon cancer, and a glioblastoma multiforme). Her peripheral blood cells showed a 45,X/46,XXp-/46,XX/47,XXX mosaicism. The findings are discussed in relation to other extragonadal tumors in Turner's syndrome reported to-date.     

Propagation of hepatitis A virus in human embryo fibroblasts

human diploid fibroblasts and human primary liver cell carcinoma cells (PLC/PRF/5) were infected with hepatitis A virus (HAV) adapted to growth in cell culture or derived directly from human stool. Viral antigen was expressed in PLC/PRF/5 cells 28 days after infection with cell culture-adapted HAV, and 50 days after infection with virus from human stool. In human fibroblasts the periods until first expression of viral antigen were 90 and 210 days, respectively. During further passages of HAV in fibroblasts the time of first appearance of antigen decreased to about 28 days. Biophysical properties of HAV extracted from infected fibroblasts were comparable to those of HAV derived directly from human stool. Immunofluorescence studies showed that the antigen was located exclusively within the cytoplasm of the infected fibroblasts. Kinetics of antigen production indicated that an equilibrium between virus multiplication and cell metabolism was reached in persistently infected fibroblasts.     

Compartmentation of cardiac adenine nucleotides and formation of adenosine

Summary After prelabeling the adenine nucleotides (ATP, ADP, AMP) of isolated perfused guinea pig hearts with either¹⁴C-adenine or¹⁴C-adenosine for 35 min, labeled adenosine, inosine, hypoxanthine and cyclic 35-AMP (cAMP) were continuously released into the cardiac perfusate. Determination of the specific activities (SA) of the adenine nucleotides, cAMP, and their breakdown products (adenosine, inosine, hypoxanthine) in tissue and perfusate revealed: Under steady state conditions the SA of adenosine and cAMP in the perfusate were of the same order of magnitude and proved to be many times higher than the SA of the respective precursor adenine nucleotides. This difference was observed regardless whether adenine or adenosine was used as prelabeling substance. The SA of inosine and hypoxanthine in the perfusate were constantly lower than the SA of adenosine. Cardiac ischemia of 6 min, which resulted in a markedly increased formation of adenosine, led to a pronounced decrease in the SA of adenosine released from the heart.Our findings provide evidence that at least two different adenine nucleotide compartments of the heart serve as precursors for the formation of adenosine and cAMP, one characterized by a high, the other by a lower SA. Under normoxic conditions adenosine and cAMP released into the cardiac perfusate are derived mainly from a nucleotide fraction of high SA, which appears to be rather small. During ischemia a second compartment of much lower SA in addition contributes to the formation of adenosine.A preliminary report of part of this work appeared in Biochemistry and Pharmacology of Myocardial Hypertrophy, Hypoxia and Infarction Vol. 7 of Recent advances in studies on cardiac structure and metabolism. (P. Harris, R. J. Bing, A. Fleckenstein, eds.), pp. 171–175. München: Urban & Schwarzenberg 1976A preliminary report of part of this work appeared in Biochemistry and Pharmacology of Myocardial Hypertrophy, Hypoxia and Infarction Vol. 7 of Recent advances in studies on cardiac structure and metabolism. (P. Harris, R. J. Bing, A. Fleckenstein, eds.), pp. 171–175. München: Urban & Schwarzenberg 1976     

The dependence of human T-lymphocyte migration on the 5-lipoxygenation of endogenous arachidonic acid

Human T lymphocytes in modified Boyden migration chambers exhibited a chemokinetic response, but no detectable chemotaxis, to 5(S),12(R)-dihydroxyeicosa-6, 14-cis-8,10-trans-tetraenoic acid (leukotriene B₄) and to 5(S)-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (5-HETE), which are 5-lipoxygenase products of arachidonic acid, and failed to respond to either leukotriene C₄ or 11-HETE. Concentrations of lymphocyte-derived 15-HETE and of 15-hydroperoxyeicosatetraenoic acid that inhibited the 5-lipoxygenation of endogenous arachidonic acid suppressed significantly both random migration and the chemokinetic responses of T lymphocytes to concanavalin A and -thioglycerol. That the suppressive effect of 15-HETE on T lymphocyte chemokinesis was attributable in part to the inhibition of 5-lipoxygenase was further suggested by the ability of exogenous 5-hydroperoxyeicosatetraenoic acid to restore chemokinetic responsiveness to lymphocytes that had been preincubated with 15-HETE.     

Origins of the projections of the superior colliculus to the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus and the pulvinar in the rabbit

The origins of the projections of the superior colliculus to the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus and to the pulvinar in Dutch-belted rabbits were investigated using horseradish peroxidase (HRP) methods. Following injections of HRP in the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus, retrogradely labeled neurons were found in the upper two-thirds of the stratum griseum superficiale of the ipsilateral superior colliculus. Most of the labeled somata were spindle-shaped, and their major axes tended to be perpendicular to the surface of the superior colliculus. In contrast, following injections of the pulvinar, labeled neurons were found in the lower third of the ipsilateral stratum griseum superficiale. In these cases, the labeled somata were larger than those labeled following dorsal lateral geniculate injections and were multipolar in shape.