急性髓系白血病骨髓细胞体外长期培养中的纤维组织的动态变化

目的和方法：为探讨急性髓系白血病细胞外基质纤维组织的动态变化对白血病细胞生长可能产生的影响。应用倒置显微镜及病理特殊染色观察１５例ＡＭＬ骨髓细胞长期２（ＬＴＢＭＣ）贴壁层融合及网状纤维、胶原纤维含量（半定量法）的变化。结果：（１）８／１５例获独立生长的ＡＭＬ在培养的１、８周网状纤维呈显著低于正常对照和未获新生事物匠ＡＭＬ。而ＡＭＬｓｍ的胶原纤维含量在培养的１￣６周显著高于正常对照组和ＡＭＬｎｓｍ;     

Association of Air Pollution with Hospital Outpatient Visits in Beijing

Data collected at a community-based hospital in Beijing, China, were analyzed in an assessment of the association of air pollution with daily outpatient visits. Total suspended particle (TSP) measurements were available for 210 d (mean, 388 μg/m³; maximum, 1 255 μg/m³), and sulfur dioxide (SO₂) measurements were available for 2 d (mean, 119 μg/m³; maximum, 478 μg/m³). The average number of daily hospital outpatient visits was 1 386; approximately 8.5% of these visits were to the surgery department, 7.9% were to the pediatrics department, and 20.6% were to the internal medicine department. A large increase in nonsurgery outpatient visits was observed in association with increases in both SO₂, and TSP in linear regression models, after adjusting for temperature, humidity, season, and day of the week. The estimated effects (in which the most polluted days were compared with the least polluted days) on nonsurgery outpatient visits were increases of 20% (SE = 5%) and 17% (SE = 4%) in association with increases in SO₂ and TSP, respectively. In a department-specific analysis, the association was found to be 1.5- to 2.0-fold stronger for pediatrics and internal medicine visits than for other types of visits. The separate associations of SO₂ and TSP with internal medicine visits remained statistically significant when both SO₂, and TSP were considered simultaneously and when adjustment was made for surgery visits. SO₂ and TSP were found to be significant, independent predictors of internal medicine visits in both winter and summer. The association between outpatient visits and air pollution appeared to be stronger in summer than in winter, although the summer daily mean SO₂ concentration was only 17 μg/m3 (maximum, 51 μg/m³). These data, together with data obtained in previous studies, provide coherent evidence that current air-pollution levels in Beijing are associated with adverse health outcomes, and they also suggest that air pollution in Beijing needs to be controlled more effectively.     

In vitro antioxidant and antiproliferative effects of ellagic acid and its colonic metabolite,urolithins, on human bladder cancer T24 cells

Urolithins were the metabolites of ellagic acid by intestinal flora in gastrointestinal tract. In previous research, it was found that urolithins could mainly inhibit prostate cancer and colon cancer cell growth. However, there is no report about bladder cancer therapy of urolithins. In this paper, three urolithin-type compounds (urolithin A, urolithin B, 8-OMe-urolithin A) and ellagic acid were evaluated for antiproliferative activity in vitro against human bladder cancer cell lines T24. The IC₅₀ values for T24 cell inhibition were 43.9, 35.2, 46.3 and 33.7 μM for urolithin A, urolithin B, 8-OMe-urolithin A and ellagic acid, respectively. After the administration of urolithins and ellagic acid, we found these compounds could increase mRNA and protein expression of Phospho-p38 MAPK, and decrease mRNA and protein expression of MEKK1 and Phospho-c-Jun in T24 cells. Caspase-3 was also activated and PPAR-γ protein expression increased in drug-induced apoptosis. And what’s more, the antioxidant assay afforded by three urolithins and EA treatments were associated with decreases in the intracellular ROS and MDA levels, and increased SOD activity in H₂O₂-treated T24 cells. The results suggested that these compounds could inhibit cell proliferation by p38-MAPK and/or c-Jun medicated caspase-3 activation and reduce the oxidative stress status in bladder cancer.     

Graptopetalum paraguayense and resveratrol ameliorates carboxymethyllysine (CML)-induced pancreas dysfunction and hyperglycemia

Hyperglycemia is associated with advanced glycation end products (AGEs). Recently, AGEs were found to cause pancreatic damage, oxidative stress, and hyperglycemia through the AGE receptor. Carboxymethyllysine (CML) is an AGE but whether it induces pancreatic dysfunction remains unclear. Graptopetalum paraguayense, a vegetable consumed in Taiwan, has been used in folk medicine and is an antioxidant that protects against liver damage. We investigated the protective properties of G. paraguayense 95% ethanol extracts (GPEs) against CML-induced pancreatic damage. The results indicated that resveratrol, GPE, and gallic acid (the active compound of GPE) increased insulin synthesis via upregulation of pancreatic peroxisome proliferator activated-receptor-γ (PPARγ) and pancreatic-duodenal homeobox-1 (PDX-1) but inhibited the expression of CML-mediated CCAAT/enhancer binding protein-β (C/EBPβ), a negative regulator of insulin production. Moreover, resveratrol and GPE also strongly activated nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) to attenuate oxidative stress and improve insulin sensitivity in the liver and muscle of CML-injected C57BL/6 mice and resulted in reduced blood glucose levels. Taken together, these findings suggested that GPE and gallic acid could potentially be used as a food supplement to protect against pancreatic damage and the development of diabetes.