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Aims: To investigate the impacts of cytomegalovirus (CMV) viral load, TORCH (toxoplasmosis, others, rubella, CMV and herpes) coinfections, CMV glycoprotein B (gB) genotypes and maternal genetic polymorphisms on pregnancy outcomes among CMV-infected women. Methods: A total of 731 CMV-infected pregnant women (634 and 97 with normal and adverse pregnancy outcomes, respectively) were recruited. CMV load quantification and screening of TORCH coinfections were performed by using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and immunodetection techniques, respectively. Genotyping of CMV gB and maternal NFKB1 -94 ins/del, NFKBIA -826C/T and -881A/G polymorphisms was performed by using PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism. Results: We found that the mean CMV viral load in women with adverse pregnancy outcomes was significantly higher than that in women with normal outcomes at all pregnancy stages (p < 0.01). We also found that TORCH coinfections resulted in a 1.65-fold (95% CI = 1.00-2.73) increase in the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes (p = 0.05). Additionally, we noticed no significant difference in the distribution of CMV gB genotypes between women with normal and adverse pregnancy outcomes (p = 0.42). We also observed that the ins/ins variant genotype of the NFKB1 polymorphism could reduce the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes (OR = 0.38, 95% CI = 0.15-0.98; p = 0.04). Conclusion: CMV viral load, TORCH coinfections and maternal NFKB1 polymorphism could influence pregnancy outcomes among CMV-infected women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hypoxia is commonly existed in tumors and lead to cancer cell chemo/radio-resistance. It is well-recognized that tumor hypoxia is a major challenge for the treatment of various solid tumors. Hyperoside (quercetin-3-O-galactoside, Hy) possesses antioxidant effects and has been reported to protect against hypoxia/reoxygenation induced injury in cardiomyocytes. Therefore, Hy may be attractive compound applicable to hypoxia-related diseases.Purpose: This study was designed to determine the role of Hy in hypoxia-induced proliferation of non-small cell lung cancer cells and the underlying mechanism.Study Design and Methods: A549, a human non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cell line, was used in the present study. 1% O2 was used to mimic the in vivo hypoxic condition of NSCLC. The potential mechanisms of Hy on hypoxia-induced A549 survival and proliferation, as well as the involvement of AMPK/HO-1 pathway were studied via CCK-8 assay, EdU staining, flow cytometry, qRT-PCR and western blot.Results: We showed that pretreatment with Hy suppressed hypoxia-induced A549 survival and proliferation in dose-dependent manner. In terms of mechanism, hypoxia-treated A549 showed the lower AMPK phosphorylation and the reduced HO-1 expression, which were reversed by Hy pretreatment. Both AMPK inhibitor (Compound C) and HO-1 activity inhibitor (Zinc protoporphyrin IX) abolished Hy-evoked A549 cell death under hypoxia stimuli. Of note, Ferrous iron contributed to Hy-induced A549 cell death under hypoxia, while Hy had no effect on lipid peroxidation under hypoxia.Conclusion: Taken together, our results highlighted the beneficial role of Hy against hypoxia-induced A549 survival and proliferation through ferrous accumulation via AMPK/HO-1 axis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Curcumin treatment reduced BDL-induced hepatic chronic inflammation in mice. • Curcumin enhanced the expression and activity of HO-1, and induced HO-1 nuclear translocation. • Curcumin ameliorated the BDL-induced lipid metabolic disturbance. • HO-1 inhibitor, Zinc protoporphyrin, abolished the curative effects of curcumin on BDL mice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Noninvasive prenatal detection of trisomy 21 (T21) has been achieved by measuring the ratio of two alleles of a single nucleotide polymorphism in circulating placenta specific 4 (PLAC4) mRNA in maternal plasma with a few assays in recent years. Our research is to explore the variations of PLAC4 mRNA expression level in maternal plasma with normal pregnancies in second trimester, which can provide pregnant women deeper insights with suitable detection period for the non-invasive prenatal detection of T21., Methods: We measured a serial plasma PLAC4 mRNA concentrations weekly from the same 25 singleton normal pregnant women. We recruited maternal plasma samples from 45 singleton pregnant women, comprising of 25 euploid pregnancies (control group; range, 17 to 21 weeks) and 20 T21 pregnancies (T21 group; range, 19 to 24 weeks). With the application of reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, we achieved an insight of PLAC4 mRNA expression levels in maternal plasma during second trimester with euploid pregnancies., Results: Among the control group, the levels of PLAC4 mRNA expression in the gestation of 17 to 18 weeks were significantly less than those in the gestation of 18 to 21 weeks (P<0.05). The average PLAC4 mRNA concentration of the normal pregnant women was not higher than that of the T21 group (P>0.05)., Conclusion: The PLAC4 mRNA showed a higher level of expression in the gestation of 18 to 21 weeks with an euploid pregnancy of pregnant women. We also found that there was no significant difference in plasma PLAC4 mRNA concentration between the normal and the T21 pregnancies in second trimester.

Objective: to investigate the expression of c-jun-activation-domain binding protein (JAB1) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and the clinicopathologic significance thereof., Methods: Immunohistochemistry was used on 76 specimens of HCC tissues and native liver tissues adjacent to the HCC tissues, and 10 specimens of normal liver tissues near the liver angioma to detect the expression of JAB1 and the cell proliferative factor Ki67., Results: The expression rate of JAB1 in the HHC tissues was 68.85%, significantly higher than that in the adjacent liver tissues and normal liver tissues near liver angioma (38.72% and 34.36% respectively, both P < 0.001). The expression of JAB1 was correlated with the histological differentiation, serum alpha-fetoprotein level, and metastasis (P = 0.000, 0.015, and 0.000), but not with gender, age, tumor size, serum HBsAg, and existence of necrosis and cirrhosis. The expression rate of Ki67 protein in the HCC tissues was 41.45%, significantly higher than that in the adjacent liver tissues and normal liver tissues near liver angioma (2.11% and 2.01% respectively, both P < 0.001). There was a positive correlation between JAB1 and Ki67 (P < 0.001)., Conclusion: JAB1 is highly expressed in HCC and may play an important role in the oncogenesis and development of HCC. JAB1 may be used as a marker for neoplastic change in liver cells and thus has potential clinicopathologic value.

Objective: To study the effect of all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) on U937 cell growth and its mechanism., Methods: Cell cycle was detected by flow cytometry (FCM), expressions of cell cycle associated protein and the p27 related protein were detected by Western blot. The binding of P27 and Skp2 was detected by immunoprecipitation., Results: FCM displayed that ATRA could inhibit the proliferation of U937 cells. At 72 h on 1 micromol/L ATRA treatment, 72% of the cells were arrested at G0/G1 phase. Western blot displayed that ATRA could decrease the expression of cyclin A, up-regulate the expression of p21 and p27, and down-regulate the expression of p27 related proteins Skp2. p27 could bind with Skp2 in U937 cells as detected by immunoprecipitation., Conclusion: ATRA may arrest the proliferation of U937 cells through the reduction of Skp2 expression, and finally the induction of the accumulation of p27.

Background & Objective: Arsenic trioxide (As(2)O(3)) is a new drug used to treat solid tumors. However, the mechanism is still unclear. This study was to investigate the effects of As(2)O(3) on the proliferation of human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell line SMMC-7721, and to explore the mechanisms., Methods: When treated with 0-8 micromol/L As(2)O(3) for 96 h, the survival rate of SMMC-7721 cells was determined by WST-8 assay. When treated with 2 micromol/L As(2)O(3) for 72 h, the expression of P27(kip1) and c-Jun activation domain-binding protein 1 (JAB1) in SMMC-7721 cells were detected at different time points by Western blot, the subcellular localization of P27(kip1) and JAB1 was detected by subcellular fractionation and immunofluorescent staining., Results: As(2)O(3) significantly inhibited the proliferation of SMMC-7721 cells. The 50% inhibition concentration (IC50) of As(2)O(3) to SMMC-7721 cells was (1.81+/-0.41) micromol/L at 96 h. When SMMC-7721 cells were treated with 2 mumol/L As(2)O(3) for 12 h, the expression of JAB1 was down-regulated and that of P27kip1 was up-regulated. Furthermore, P27(kip1) and JAB1 proteins were translocated from the cytoplasm into nuclei when cells were exposed to 2 micromol/L As(2)O(3) for 12 h and 24 h, respectively. The nuclear accumulation of both proteins was also observed under fluorescence microscope after treatment of 2 micromol/L As(2)O(3)., Conclusion: As(2)O(3) attenuates JAB1 expression, thereby disturbs the location and expression of P27(kip1), and may participate in regulating the proliferation of SMMC-7721 cells through interfering with the function of P27(kip1).