Transforming Growth Factor-β1 Induces Apoptosis through Down-Regulation of c-mycGene and Overexpression of p27Protein in Cervical Carcinoma

Transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) is known to be a potent growth inhibitor for many cell types, including most epithelial cells. In skin keratinocytes, TGF-β1 has been shown to inhibit growth and to rapidly reduce c-mycexpression. However, the molecular mechanism of TGF-β1 action on cell growth of cervical carcinoma has not yet been elucidated. We thus assessed the effect of TGF-β1 on the growth of cervical carcinoma cell lines. Two cervical squamous carcinoma cell lines, CUMC-3 and CUMC-6, were incubated with varying concentrations of TGF-β1, and growth inhibition was evaluated with tetrazolium-based colorimetric assay. After culture in TGF-β1 for 24 h, inhibition of growth was detected in a dose-dependent manner at concentrations of 0.1–10 ng/ml in both cell lines. This effect of TGF-β1 on cultured carcinoma cells was associated with apoptotic process including oligonucleosomal ladder DNA and apoptotic body formations. Northern blot analysis revealed c-mycmRNA expression was suppressed by 10 ng/ml of TGF-β1 following 3 h of treatment in both cell lines. Western blot analysis showed that the level of p27^Kip1protein was increased after TGF-β1 treatment in both cell lines. These results suggest that the mechanisms by which TGF-β1 inhibits the growth of cervical carcinoma are complex and may include effects on down-regulation of c-mycgene, and overexpression of p27^Kip1protein.     

Apolipoprotein E—associated risk for Alzheimer's disease in the African-American population is genotype dependent

As a part of our ongoing study on Alzheimer's disease (AD) in elderly African Americans, we obtained clinical assessment and apolipoprotein E (ApoE) genotype data on 288 individuals (including 60 with AD). The ApoE σ4 allele frequency was significantly increased in AD patients compared with controls. The age-adjusted odds ratio (OR) for AD in σ4 homozygotes was 4.83 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.71–13.64) compared with the σ3/σ3 genotype, but the OR for AD with the σ3/σ4 genotype did not reach significance (1.20; 95% CI, 0.58–2.45). These findings suggest that the association between ApoE σ4 and AD is weaker in African Americans than in whites.     

红霉素对犬幽门括约肌压力影响及其与胃动素,生长抑素的关系

为探讨红霉素对犬幽门括约肌的作用及其机理，及其与血浆胃动素，生长抑素的关系。方法采用胃压力测量仪及放射免疫法，同步监测观察了１０条犬静脉滴ＥＭ前后和使用拮抗剂后的幽门压力、血浆ＭＴＬ，ＳＳ的变化，结论：ＥＭ具有增高犬胃幽门压力的作用，其作用机理除与血浆ＭＴＬ有着密切的关系外，血浆ＳＳ也可能共同参与了其调节机制。     

小叶锦鸡儿的抗炎作用

小叶锦鸡儿可明显对抗角叉菜胶、热烫及巴豆油所致的炎症,抑制小鼠毛细血管通透性、单核巨噬细胞系统的吞噬功能、肉芽组织增生及大鼠炎症部位PGE₂的合成和释放。     

抗—HCV阳性单采浆供血员HGV感染随访研究

为了解单采浆供血员庚型肝炎病毒（ＨＧＶ）感染及其转归，对１０２名抗－ＨＣＶ阳性单采浆供血员冻存血清进行抗－ＨＧＶ和ＨＧＶＲＮＡ检测，对抗－ＨＧＶ和（或）ＨＧＶＲＮＡ阳性者作３年随访研究。采用ＥＩＡ法检测抗－ＨＧＶ，包被抗原来自ＨＧＶ不同功能区的合成肽。应用ＲＴ－ＰＣＲ法检测ＨＧＶＲＮＡ，引物选自ＨＧＶＮＳ３区。结果表明，抗－ＨＣＶ阳性单采浆供血员ＨＧＶＲＮＡ阳性率为１９．６１％（２０／１０２），抗－ＨＧＶ阳性率为１７．６５％（１８／１０２），ＨＧＶ感染率（抗ＨＧＶ和／或ＨＧＶＲＮＡ阳性）为２４．５１％（２５／１０２），而对照组仅为０．９４％（１／１０６）。提示单采血浆是ＨＧＶ感染的重要危险因素。ＨＧＶＲＮＡ和抗－ＨＧＶ的３年阴转率分别为３５．００％（７／２０）和１１．１１％（２／１８），说明ＨＧＶ感染有慢性携带趋势     

补肾中药对雄激素致不孕大鼠卵巢核仁组成区蛋白的影响

观察补肾中药对雄激素致不孕大鼠卵巢核仁组成区蛋白的影响。用ＳＤ雌性大鼠幼仔，出生９ｄ龄注射丙酸睾丸酮，制成雄激素致不孕大鼠（ＡＳＲ）模型。８０ｄ龄灌服补肾中药水溶液两周。１００ｄ龄心脏灌注处死。以核仁组成区蛋白嗜银染色（ＡｇＮＯＲ）和增殖细胞核杭原（ＰｃＮＡ）为指标，观察卵巢颗粒细胞、间质腺细胞的形态学变化。结果：补肾中药能够使ＡＳＲ卵巢颗粒细胞增殖、卵泡发育。治疗组的ＡｇＮＯＲ和ＰｃＮＡ计数明显高于模型组，而与对照组之间无显著差异。结论：补肾中药的这种作用可能是通过调节了下丘脑－垂体－卵巢性腺功能的结果，从而促使卵巢颗粒细胞发育、卵泡成熟。     

Disposition of Tablet and Capsule Formulations of Digoxin in the Elderly

Study Objective . To compare digoxin tablets and liquid-filled capsules with respect to excretion of the drug and its metabolites in urine and feces at steady state. Design . A randomized, crossover trial, each period lasting 3 weeks, with no washout period. Setting . A university hospital. Patients . Six patients, five of whom were elderly, with histories of gastrointestinal disorders, such as hypochlorhydria, intestinal bacterial overgrowth, and inflammatory bowel disease. Interventions . The patients received digoxin once/day in either tablet or capsule form for 3 weeks, and then were switched to the other formulation. Total urinary and fecal excretion from the last 3 days of each regimen were analyzed for the drug and metabolites. Measurements and Main Results . No statistically significant differences were found between tablets and capsules in recovery of digoxin or its metabolites in urine or feces (p=0.05). One subject had a 4-fold increase in urinary drug excretion and 50% decrease in fecal excretion after taking the capsules compared with tablets. Intersubject variability in extent and type of metabolite excretion was greater than intrasubject variability. Conclusions . Fecal analyses may be an accurate way to classify patients as formers of digoxin reduction products.     

Effects of smoking and drinking on excretion of hippuric acid among toluene-exposed workers

Summary In order to investigate possible effects of smoking and drinking on the metabolism of toluence in occupational settings, 206 toluene-exposed men (mean age: 31.4 years) in shoemaking, painting, or surface-coating workshops together with 246 nonexposed control men (36.8 years) were studied for the time-weighted average intensities of exposure to toluene, hippuric acid concentration in shift-end urine samples, and the two social habits of smoking and drinking. The mean daily consumptions of cigarettes and ethanol were about 20 pieces and 10 g among smokers and drinkers, respectively. The geometric mean toluene concentration among the exposed subjects was about 20 ppm, with a maximum of 521 ppm. Regression analysis after classification of the subjects by smoking and drinking clearly demonstrated that the two social habits, when combined, markedly reduce the hippuric acid level in the urine of workers exposed to was a significant association between smoking and drinking habits, which hindered separate evaluation of the effects of the two habits on toluene metabolism. Comparison of the present results with the findings reported in the literature, however, suggested that the observed effects may be attributable to smoking rather than to drinking habits.     

REGULATING FUNCTION OF COENZYMIZATION AND DECOENZYMIZATION OF THE LACTATE DEHYDROGENASE ISOZYMES IN THE MOUSE TISSUES DURING HYPOXIA

Objective. To study the characteristics of changes of LDH enzyme patterns of mice under slight hypoxia.Methods. Mice treated with artificial hypoxia, various tissues were made for the test of LDH enzymatic activity by the specific staining technique. LDH (1 -5) relative percentage enzymatic activity (RPEA) were measured with CS-910 dual-wavelength thin layer chromatography scanner.Results. The RPEA of LDH isozymes of various tissues after slight hypoxia shifted to the isozymes LDH1 and LDH2, whose principal subunits are H subunits, and the RPEA of LDH,(H4), LDH2(H3M) increased, while RPEA of LDH5(M4) in various tissues decreased prominently except the cardiac muscle, and that of LDH4(HM3) decreased as well. After polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) of the hypoxia treated cardiac muscle specimen was made, activity subbands originated regularly in the isozyme patterns of LDH, with the regularity of LDH1 (0 subband), LDH2 (0-1 subbands), LDH3 (0-2 subbands), LDH4 (1-3 subbands), LDH5 (2-4 subbands).     

云南金铁锁的生物学特性及其保护的初步研究

对金铁锁的生物学特征、适应性及其机理进行探讨。结果表明：金铁锁具有旱生植物的结构和特征，耐旱、耐贫瘠能力较细。同时提出了相应的保护措施。为合理的开发、利用和保护金铁锁提供了依据。