Multidrug transport in human glioblastoma cells is inhibited by transforming growth factors type beta 1, beta 2, and beta 1.2

The transforming growth factors type beta 1, beta 2, and beta 1.2 suppress multidrug transport in human pat-1 glioblastoma cells and even in cells that strongly over-express mdr genes and are resistant to inhibition of multidrug transport by chemosensitizers. Thus, inhibition of multidrug transport by cytokines might be a new approach to increase cellular accumulation of chemotherapeutic agents in multidrug resistant glial tumor cells. Interestingly, a member of the more distantly related decapentaplegic subgroup of transforming growth factors, the bone morphogenetic protein BMP 2, did not inhibit multidrug transport.     

Muscle mass index in haemodialysis patients: a comparison of indices obtained by routine clinical examinations.

BACKGROUND: Measurement of muscle mass is useful for evaluating protein nutritional status. Various methods for estimating muscle mass in haemodialysis patients have recently been developed. METHODS: The validity of the estimate of creatinine production calculated with the creatinine kinetic model (CKM) was examined in 46 haemodialysis patients by comparing it with the actual creatinine production, this being determined from the sum of creatinine appearing in the dialysate and the estimated metabolic degradation. The correlation of various other muscle mass indices with creatinine production was also investigated in these patients. RESULTS: The estimate of creatinine production using CKM was significantly correlated with creatinine production calculated from the spent dialysate plus an estimate for the extra-renal creatinine degradation (r=0.90, P<0.001). A Bland-Altman analysis revealed that the mean prediction error for the estimate of creatinine production by CKM was +0.10 g/day and the limits of agreement were +0.34 to -0.14 g/day. The cross-sectional area of the thigh muscle measured by computed tomography (CT) was also significantly correlated with creatinine production (r=-0.86, P<0.01). In contrast, the correlations of 3-methylhistidine production measured in the spent dialysate, the mid-upper arm muscle circumference and the skeletal muscle mass estimated by an anthropometric prediction model with creatinine production were lower (r<0.82). CONCLUSION: Creatinine production calculated using CKM and CT measurement of thigh muscle area are valid methods for estimating muscle mass during routine clinical examinations of haemodialysis patients.     

Synthesis of deramciclane* labeled with tritium in various positions

[(1R)‐endo]‐(+)‐3‐bromocamphor was dehalogenated with tritium gas to [3‐³H]camphor and via [3‐³H]phenylborneol converted to [3‐³H]deramciclane isolated as the fumarate salt (specific activity 51.8 GBq/mmol). This three step synthesis from [3‐³H]camphor gave an overall yield of 22%. Benzyloxy‐acetic acid methyl ester was reduced with sodium‐borotritide to 2‐benzyloxy‐ethanol‐[1‐³H], and through a four step procedure was converted to 2‐dimethylaminoethyl‐[2‐³H] chloride. The latter was condensed with the sodium derivative of 2‐phenylborneol giving rise to [2‐dimethylamino‐[2‐³H]ethoxy]deramciclane isolated as the fumarate (specific activity 8.177 GBq/mmol). This six step synthesis from [³H]NaBH₄ gave an overall yield of 6%. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

人肿瘤特异抗原MAGE-3基因疫苗的构建和表达

目的：克隆肿瘤特异性共享抗原mage-3基因，制备基于α－病毒复制酶的高效黑色素瘤特异性基因疫苗。方法：用RT-PCR方法从黑色素瘤细胞系LB373中制备mage-3基因，以含α－病毒复制酶的哺乳细胞高效表达质粒pSMART2a为载体，构建重组DNA疫苗。重组子用载体中的T7和T3启动子序列为测序引物进行自动测序。再将鉴定过的重组质粒用脂质体法转化293细胞，用免疫印迹法和免疫组化法鉴定转化细胞中mage-3蛋白的表达。结果：正确构建了mage-3/pSMART2a重组质粒，并且在转化此质粒的293细胞中检测出了mage-3蛋白的表达。结论：此重组mage-3/pSMART2a质粒可以作为肿瘤特异的DNA疫苗，可进行下一步的肿瘤动物模型的疫苗接种及相关免疫学效应研究。     

rhGM—CSF对小鼠口腔粘膜损伤的防治作用

目的：观察rhGM-CSF对TMX致实验性小鼠口腔粘膜损伤的疗效。方法：按随机分组原则将501只昆明种小白鼠分成8组，分别在相应时间给予不同药物（MTX，CF或rhGM-CSF）的处理因素，于第1－10天光镜下观察小鼠口腔粘膜的病理改变和积分情况。结果：IDMTX致口腔粘膜损伤病变率（45％－63％）和积分率（19．4％－56％）较其它组高，且死亡率很低（小于5％）；IDMTX＋GM0（或GM2）组的口腔粘膜损伤病变率（30．53％和30．99％）和积分率（19．47％和17．25％）比IDMTX组（55．56％和36．31％）明显减少，且溃疡严重程度较轻，二者相差显著（P＜0．01）。结论：IDMTX致小鼠口腔粘膜损伤模型可以用于粘膜损伤的研究；rhGM-CSF可以减少MTX致小鼠口腔粘膜损伤，并促进粘膜损伤恢复。     

Role of the vitamin D3 pathway in healthy and diseased skin – facts, contradictions and hypotheses

Abstract: Irradiation of human keratinocytes with UVB (280–320 nm) in vitro and in vivo activates the metabolism of 7‐dehydrocholesterol to hormonally active calcitriol. The production of calcitriol in the skin strongly depends on the photosynthesis of vitamin D₃ which is biologically inactive in the first instance. Vitamin D₃ serves as the starting substrate for two subsequent enzymatic hydroxylation steps in epidermal keratinocytes. Both the amount of vitamin D₃ and the activity of anabolic and catabolic vitamin D hydroxylases determine the cutaneous level of calcitriol. The hormonally active metabolite of vitamin D₃ regulates a huge number of genes in keratinocytes, and thus acts in an autocrine and/or paracrine manner. This local pathway of vitamin D₃ is unique, but its relevance for healthy and diseased skin is widely unknown, yet. Experimental findings implicate several questions: ( 1 ) Is UVB‐induced formation of calcitriol involved in regulation of growth and differentaition of epidermal cells as well as immunological and skin protective processes? ( 2 ) What endogenous and exogenous factors including drugs affect the cutaneous vitamin D₃ pathway? From a therapeutical point of view, it has been known for a long time that topical application of calcitriol and its analogs can improve hyperproliferative skin diseases like psoriasis. In spite of many encouraging studies in recent years, the fields of the routinely therapeutical application of calcitriol or vitamin D analogs in dermatology (e.g. treatment of immunological, inflammatory, malignancies and infectious skin diseases) have not been intensified. Why is that?     

Effect of divalent cations on structure-function relationships of the antitumor protein α-sarcin

α-Sarcin binds one Zn(II) cation per protein molecule, with a K_d value of 0.9 mM, determined by equilibrium dialysis experiments. Ca(II), Mg(II), and Mn(II) do not bind to α-sarcin. Cd(II) and Co(II) also behave as Zn(II). The binding produces local modifications on the protein conformation affecting the microenvironment of tryptophan residues. The three cations modify the fluorescence emission of the protein. The near-u. v. circular dichroism spectrum of the protein is also altered. The binding of Zn(II) and related cations does not modify the secondary structure of the protein. The ribonucleolytic activity of a-sarcin is inhibited upon Zn(II) binding, but no alteration of the ability of the protein to aggregate phospholipid vesicles has been observed.     

PRO 1000 V3型心电监护仪LCD逆变器的升级及注意事项

介绍了该型心电监护仪黑屏故障的常见原因，对升级前后的LCD逆变器电路作了对比分析，并详细介绍了升级更换的方法和注意事项。     

TGF-β and IL-17 serum levels and specific immunotherapy

Two new T cell subsets may be involved in allergic rhinitis (AR) pathogenesis: Th17 and T regulatory cells, mainly producing IL-17 and TGF-β respectively. Successful Sublingual Immunotherapy (SLIT) induces relevant immunological changes, thus the aim of this study was to evaluate serum IL-17 and TGF-β levels in AR patients treated with SLIT for 2 years. Patients' blood samples were collected before initiating SLIT (baseline), three months after the end of the first pre-seasonal SLIT course, and at the end of the second pre-seasonal course. IL-17 was detectable only in the most severe allergic patients. SLIT significantly induced an increase in serum TGF-β levels. There was moreover a significant relationship between TGF-β and symptom severity and drug use at the end of the study. Therefore, this study provides clinically relevant evidence that two pre-seasonal SLIT courses may significantly affect serum TGF-β levels.