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Polymer blending is one of the most effective methods for providing new, desirable biocomposites for tissue-engineering applications. In this study, electrospun poly(-lactide)/poly(ε-caprolactone) (PLLA/PCL) blend fibrous membranes with defect-free morphology and uniform diameter were optimally prepared by a 1 : 1 ratio of PLLA/PCL blend under a solution concentration of 10 wt %, an applied voltage of 20 kV, and a tip-to-collector distance of 15 cm. The fibrous membranes also showed a porous structure and high ductility. Because of the rapid solidification of polymer solution during electrospinning, the crystallinity of electrospun PLLA/PCL blend fibers was much lower than that of the PLLA/PCL blend cast film. To obtain an initial understanding of biocompatibility, adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) were used as seed cells to assess the cellular response, including morphology, proliferation, viability, attachment, and multilineage differentiation on the PLLA/PCL blend fibrous scaffold. Because of the good biocompatibility and nontoxic effect on ADSCs, the PLLA/PCL blend electrospun fibrous membrane provided a high-performance scaffold for feasible application in tissue engineering using ADSCs. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVES To determine the effects of LRIG1 on the growth, migration and invasion of bladder cancer cells and the mechanisms underlying such effects. MATERIALS AND METHODS The plasmid pLRIG1-green fluorescence protein (GFP) was transfected into BIU87 bladder cancer cells by Lipofectamine2000 (Invitrogen, Groningen, the Netherlands), and the cells that expressed LRIG1 stably were screened out by G418. The changes in LRIG1 and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) protein levels were measured by Western blot; growth curves were estimated by the tetrazolium (MTT) assay; then cell-cell adhesion, cell-matrix adhesion and cell invasion assays were used to measure proliferation, adhesion and invasion in LGIR1-transfected and control cells. RESULTS The LRIG1 protein level in pLRIG1-GFP transfected cells was significantly higher than that in control cells, while the EGFR protein level was significantly lower. pLRIG1-GFP transfected cells had less proliferation than control cells. Contrasting with non-LRIG1-transfected cells, the invasion and cell-matrix adhesion ability of pLRIG1-GFP transfected cells decreased markedly, and conversely the homotypic cell-cell adhesion ability was significantly higher. CONCLUSIONS LRIG1 might act as a tumour-suppressor gene, participating in negative feedback control of EGFR expression, which inhibits bladder cancer cells from growth, migration and invasion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To investigate whether Trichostatin A (TSA) possesses antitumor activity against human bladder cancer cells, and if any, its mechanism. Materials and methods: A human bladder cancer cell line, BIU-87, was treated with different concentrations of TSA. After treatment, cell growth was measured by MTT assay. Cell apoptosis and cell cycle changes were examined by means of flow cytometry (FCM). Apoptosis was confirmed by apoptotic ladder formation assay. mRNA expression of p21WAF1 and p53 was assessed by differential reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction. Results: Trichostatin A significantly inhibited the proliferation of bladder cancer cell at nanomolar concentrations in a time- and dose-dependent fashion. TSA treatment caused cell cycle arrest at the G1 phase and increased apoptotic cell death as shown by FCM and DNA fragmentation analysis, accompanied by increased p21WAF1 mRNA expression. In addition, TSA treatment did not alter p53 mRNA expression. Conclusion: Our results indicate that TSA is able to inhibit bladder cancer cell growth in vitro, possibly through p21WAF1 mediated cell cycle arrest and apoptotic cell death. This study suggests that TSA may be a potential therapeutic agent for the treatment of bladder cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]