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To study the effect of ulinastatin (UTI) on myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury (MIRI) through the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signaling pathway.A total of 24 Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into sham group (n=8), I/R group (n=8), and UTI group (n=8), and the rat model of MIRI was established. The changes in the content of serum biochemical indexes, including superoxide dismutase (SOD) and malondialdehyde (MDA), were detected using the kits, and the changes in the expressions of serum inflammatory factors, including interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), were detected using the quantitative Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits. Moreover, the ERK phosphorylation level in myocardial tissues was detected using the immunofluorescence method, and the ERK phosphorylation level and cleaved caspase-3 expression were detected via qRT-PCR and Western blotting.Compared with those in sham group, the serum SOD content significantly declined, while the MDA content was significantly increased in I/R group, and they were significantly improved in UTI group (p0.01). The results of detection using qRT-PCR and ELISA kits revealed that the inflammatory factors (IL-6 and TNF-α) in UTI group were significantly improved (p0.01). The immunofluorescence results showed that the ERK phosphorylation level in myocardial tissues was significantly increased in UTI group. The results of qRT-PCR and Western blotting manifested that both ERK phosphorylation level and cleaved caspase-3 expression were significantly improved in UTI group (p0.01).UTI can play a protective role in MIRI through up-regulating the ERK signaling pathway.

To investigate the role of microRNA-155 (miR-155) in the potential invasion of colon cancer cell and the underlying mechanism.The expression level of miR-155 in colon cancer and adjacent normal tissues was detected by Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). miR-155 mimics (miR-155), or siRNA against β-catenin (β-catenin siRNA), was transfected into human colon cancer cell line SW-480 using Lipofectamine 2000, respectively. RT-PCR was used to measure the expression levels of miR-155 and β-catenin mRNA, and β-catenin protein expression level was detected by Western blot. The in-vitro cell invasion abilities were determined by transwell invasion assays after up-regulating miR-155 or knocking down of β-catenin.MiR-155 directly regulates β-catenin at the transcriptional level, and promotes the invasion potential of colon cancer cell, at least partly through the upregulation of β-catenin.The findings of this study suggest that miR-155 and β-catenin may have a unique potential as a novel biomarker candidate for diagnosis and treatment of tumor metastasis.

In the clinical management of cirrhotic portal hypertension, surgery is often necessary; however, the operative mortality rate is high.Data from 161 patients, who underwent surgery for cirrhotic portal hypertension, were analyzed, and 24 potential predictors of surgical outcome were assessed. A Kruskal-Wallis rank sum test was used for single-factor comparisons, and multivariate logistic regression for multifactor comparisons to identify key factors for poor surgical outcomes and calculate their scores.Six predictors of poor surgical outcomes were identified: postoperative bleeding within 30 h of2 L, with a score of 3; severe liver atrophy (an anteroposterior diameter of the left lobe of ≤ 55 mm and an oblique diameter of the right lobe ≤ 110 mm), with a score of 3; a base excess of-3 mmol/L, with a score of 3; a platelet count of3 T/L, with a score of 2; an amount of intraoperative bleeding of2 L, with a score of 2; and a red blood cell count of3 G/L, with a score of 1. For patients with good outcome (n = 147), all patients had a score of ≤ 3, except one patient who had a score of 4. With respect to patients who died (n = 14), all had a score of ≥ 5, except one patient who had a score of 4. A significant difference was observed between the two groups (p0.05). The mortality was 100% in patients with a score of ≥ 7.Six key factors for poor surgical outcomes were identified in this study. Operative mortality appears to be significantly increased in patients with a score of 5-6. Surgery should be contraindicated in patients with a score of ≥ 7. To reduce mortality, close attention should be paid to preoperative and intraoperative treatment and prevention to achieve a score of4.