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With increasing recognition of and concern about mental health problems in Chinese young adults, the factors that contribute to mental health in Chinese young adults are receiving growing attention. Prior research has documented that adult attachment styles may be a risk factor for depression and anxiety in Western societies. However, little is known about the relation between adult attachment and mental health problems in China. In addition, research on the underlying mechanism between adult attachment and mental health problems is limited. The present study aimed to examine (1) the relation between adult attachment and young adults’ mental health problems in China and (2) the mediating effect of self-esteem in the relation between adult attachment and young adults’ mental health problems in China. The study was based on a sample of 305 urban Chinese students who completed a questionnaire about their attachment styles, self-esteem, and general mental health. Structural equation modeling was used to test our hypotheses. The results showed that (1) Both anxious and avoidant attachment linked to mental health problems in China through the partial mediating effect of self-esteem; (2) Anxious adult attachment also directly and positively associated with mental health problems, and (3) Avoidant adult attachment directly and negatively associated with mental health problems. The findings are interpreted on the basis of Chinese cultural features.

Introduction: Directly Observed Treatment Short course (DOTS) is one of the most cost-effective approaches for TB treatment. However, TB incidence rates remain high in the mountain areas of Taiwan. A lay health advisor (LHA) strategy is integrated into DOTS as an Enhanced-DOTS (E-DOTS) to provide trustworthy, culturally-specific services in mountain areas that consider the characteristics of local ethnic groups. Methodology: We recruited two Taiwanese indigenes as LHAs (one for each county) to screen close contacts in five townships of Hualien and Nantou counties from January 1, 2011 to December 31, 2013. Incidence and active finding rates of TB during the E-DOTS periods (2011-2013 for Hualien and 2012-2013 for Nantou) were compared with data when traditional DOTS was implemented (2006-2010 for Hualien and 2006-2011 for Nantou) to evaluate the effectiveness of E-DOTS using the before-and-after study design. Results: Incidence rate in Hualien decreased from 393.3 in 2011 to 235.7 in 2013 per 100,000 population and from 338 in 2012 to 235.5 in 2013 in Nantou mountain area. Furthermore, the active case finding rate increased from 15.42% in 2012 to 27.38% in 2013 as compared to an average of 6.5% for CDC, Taiwan, for the specified years. TB treatment success rates were significantly improved from an average of less than 80% to an average of higher than 90% after E-DOTS was implemented. Conclusions: Our findings highlighted that the use of LHAs in E-DOTS is an effective and applicable strategy for controlling tuberculosis in the mountain areas of Taiwan.

Aims This study compared the incidence rates of patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) and patients without DM with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in a national population-based cohort to determine if the patients with DM have an increased risk of adverse outcomes. Methods We performed a retrospective cohort study among 92,624 patients with and without DM, who underwent PCI for the first time in 2000–2008. The patients were identified from National Health Insurance Program Database through propensity score matching. Endpoints were the occurrence of PCI adverse outcomes, including myocardial infarction (MI), need for target vessel revascularization by either bypass surgery or repeat PCI, all-cause mortality or 2011/12/31. Incidence rate was calculated and hazard ratios of PCI adverse events were estimated using Cox’s proportional hazard regression model. Results During the mean six-year follow up, the rates of MI (incidence rate 20.96 vs. 15.59 per 1,000 person-years), bypass surgery (incidence rate 8.15 vs. 5.15 per 1,000 person-years), all-cause mortality (incidence rate 6.20 vs. 4.72 per 1,000 person-years), and the composite measure of MI, repeat PCI, bypass surgery, all-cause mortality (incidence rate 37.31 vs. 28.14 per 1,000 person-years) were higher in patients with DM. The corresponding hazard ratios (HRs) and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were 1.34 (95% CI: 1.29, 1.39), 1.46 (1.38, 1.56), 1.34 (1.25, 1.44), and 1.31 (1.27, 1.35). However, the repeat PCI rate (incidence rate 2.65 vs. 2.70 per 1,000 person-years; with an adjusted HR of 0.97 (0.88, 1.07) was not statistically different. Conclusions This nationwide retrospective cohort study determined a positive correlation between PCI adverse events and DM. As the prevalence of DM and PCI continues to increase, novel treatments and intensified surveillance coronary angiography for high risk patients are needed.

Microarray expression profiles of lncRNAs and mRNAs were investigated in HepG2 cells treated with 20 μg/ml ginsenoside Rh2 as well as in ginsenoside Rh2-untreated cells. Microarray analysis showed 618 upregulated lncRNAs and 161 downregulated lncRNAs in HepG2 cells treated with ginsenoside Rh2 compared with the control group. Moreover, three differentially expressed lncRNAs were validated by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). This may be beneficial to patients as an anti-cancer treatment and potentially provide novel targets for HCC (hepatocellular carcinoma) therapy.

Weekly rifapentine and isoniazid therapy (3HP) is the most frequent treatment for latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI). However, the association between major adverse drug reactions (ADRs) and drug metabolic enzyme single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) remains unclear. In this study, 377 participants who received the 3HP regimen were recruited and examined for genotyping of CYP5A6, CYP2B6, CYP2C19, CYP2E1, and NAT2 SNPs. In our study, 184 participants (48.4%) developed ADRs. Moreover, CYP2C19 rs4986893 (TT vs. CC+CT, odds ratio [OR] [95% CI]: 2.231 [1.015&ndash, 4.906]), CYP2E1 rs2070676 (CC vs. CG+GG, OR [95% CI]: 1.563 [1.022&ndash, 2.389]), and CYP2E1 rs2515641 (CC vs. CT+TT, OR [95% CI]: 1.903 [1.250&ndash, 2.898]) were associated with ADR development. In conclusion, CYP2C19 and CYP2E1 SNPs may provide useful information regarding ADRs in LTBI patients receiving the 3HP regimen.

Spectroscopic coherent Raman imaging (CRI) methods allow label-free, chemically specific imaging of materials and biological systems, and are opening up many exciting possibilities for understanding phenomena in these systems. I will briefly introduce broadband spectroscopic coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (BCARS) microscopy, discussing some of the key concepts that make this method practical. I will also present selected application examples from studies on C. elegans metabolism and human cytomegalovirus infection that highlight the utility of BCARS for discovering new biology through in-depth characterization of highly complex biological systems.

Astragalus membranaceus (Radix Astragali, RA) and Atractylodes macrocephala (Rhizoma Atractylodis Macrocephalae, RAM) are often used to treat gastrointestinal diseases. In the present study, we determined the effects of polysaccharides extracts from these two herbs on IEC-6 cell migration and explored the potential underlying mechanisms. A migration model with IEC-6 cells was induced using a single-edged razor blade along the diameter of cell layers in six-well polystyrene plates. The cells were grown in control media or media containing spermidine (5 μmol·L-1, SPD), alpha-difluoromethylornithine (2.5 mmol·L-1, DFMO), 4-Aminopyridine (40 μmol·L-1, 4-AP), the polysaccharide extracts of RA or RAM (50, 100, or 200 mg·L-1), DFMO plus SPD, or DFMO plus polysaccharide extracts of RA or RAM for 12 or 24 h. Next, cytosolic free Ca2+ ([Ca2+]cyt) was measured using laser confocal microscopy, and cellular polyamine content was quantified with HPLC. Kv1.1 mRNA expression was assessed using RT-qPCR and Kv1.1 and RhoA protein expressions were measured with Western blotting analysis. A cell migration assay was carried out using Image-Pro Plus software. In addition, GC-MS was introduced to analyze the monosaccharide composition of both polysaccharide extracts. The resutls showed that treatment with polysaccharide extracts of RA or RAM significantly increased cellular polyamine content, elevated [Ca2+]cyt and accelerated migration of IEC-6 cells, compared with the controls (P < 0.01). Polysaccharide extracts not only reversed the inhibitory effects of DFMO on cellular polyamine content and [Ca2+]cyt, but also restored IEC-6 cell migration to control level (P < 0.01 or < 0.05). Kv1.1 mRNA and protein expressions were increased (P < 0.05) after polysaccharide extract treatment in polyamine-deficient IEC-6 cells and RhoA protein expression was increased. Molar ratios of D-ribose, D-arabinose, L-rhamnose, D-mannose, D-glucose, and D-galactose was 1.0 : 14.1 : 0.3 : 19.9 : 181.3 : 6.3 in RA and 1.0 : 4.3 : 0.1 : 5.7 : 2.8 : 2.2 in RAM. In conclusion, treatment with RA and RAM polysaccharide extracts stimulated migration of intestinal epithelial cells via a polyamine-Kv1.1 channel activated signaling pathway, which facilitated intestinal injury healing.

Background Neuraminidase (NA) is one of the key surface protein of the influenza virus, and has been established as a primary drug target for anti-influenza therapies. This study aimed to screen bioactive herbal extracts from some medicinal plants traditionally used in Lingnan Chinese Medicines by NA activity high-throughput screening assay. Methods One hundred ninety herbal extracts from 95 medicinal plants collected in Guangzhou were screened for their potential inhibitory activities against A (H1N1) influenza neuraminidase, and the most active extracts were further evaluated for their anti-influenza virus activities using virus-induced cytopathic effect (CPE). Results Among the tested 190 herbal extracts, 14 extracts inhibited significantly NA activity (IC50

Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) exhibit critical functions in biological systems and their importance during animal oocyte maturation has been increasingly recognized. However, the detailed mechanism of lipid transportation for oocyte development remains largely unknown. In this study, the transportation of yolk lipoprotein (lipid carrier) and the rate of lipid delivery into oocytes in live C. elegans were examined for the first time by using coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) microscopy. The accumulation of secreted yolk lipoprotein in the pseudocoelom of live C. elegans can be detected by CARS microscopy at both protein (~1665 cm−1) and lipid (~2845 cm−1) Raman bands. In addition, an image analysis protocol was established to quantitatively measure the levels of secreted yolk lipoprotein aberrantly accumulated in PUFA-deficient fat mutants (fat-1, fat-2, fat-3, fat-4) and PUFA-supplemented fat-2 worms (the PUFA add-back experiments). Our results revealed that the omega-6 PUFAs, not omega-3 PUFAs, play a critical role in modulating lipid/yolk level in the oocytes and regulating reproductive efficiency of C. elegans. This work demonstrates the value of using CARS microscopy as a molecular-selective label-free imaging technique for the study of PUFA regulation and oocyte development in C. elegans.

All amino acid full-length sequences of VacA and CagA proteins from Helicobacter pylori strains including vacA and cagA genes were downloaded from GenBank. Molecular phylogenic trees of VacA and CagA were constructed by ClastalX 2.0 and MEGA 5.05 software to understand phylogenetic relationships of vacA and cagA genes, clinical infection effects, and genotype characteristics of different clustering groups. The results showed that the phylogenetic trees of VacA and CagA recapitulated the same three-clustering groups, i.e., East Asia group 1 and 2 and Western group, and all H. pylori strains had similar distribution. The strains of East Asia group 1 were significantly higher in patients with atrophic gastritis. Genotype vacA contained mainly s1c/m1b and s1a/m1b, while genotype cagA was mostly EPIYA-ABD. The strains of East Asia group 2 were higher in patients with duodenal ulcer. Genotype vacA was mainly s1c/m2 and s1a/m2, while genotype cagA was mostly EPIYA-AB'C. The strains of Western group were higher in patients with duodenal ulcer and chronic gastritis than with atrophic gastritis. Genotype vacA was mainly s1a/m1a and s1b/m1a, while genotype cagA was mostly EPIYA-AB/B'CC. All of these results illustrated that there might be inheritant relationship of coevolution between vacA and cagA genes; East Asia group 1 and 2 and Western group had different vacA and cagA sub-genotypes, which had close rela-tionship to its clinical infection effects. It might be necessary to deeply analyze vacA and cagA sub-genotypes in the re-search of H. pylori-related diseases.

To investigate blood pressure (BP) and pulse rate (PR) changes during urodynamic (UD) examinations in patients with suprasacral spinal cord injury (SCI).A case control study.Tertiary hospital affiliated with a medical university.Control subjects (n=22) and patients with suprasacral SCI (n=120).Not applicable.Systolic (SBP) and diastolic BP (DBP) and PR before and during UD studies.Healthy subjects had an average SBP change of 9.7 ± 10.6 mm Hg and a maximal SBP increase of 21 mm Hg. Autonomic dysreflexia (AD) was defined as an SBP increase of 20mm Hg or more, and incidence rates were 36.7% overall, 42.6% in patients with injury level at or above T6, and 15.4% in patients with lesions below T6. Both SBP and DBP changes in patients with SCI showed significant negative correlations with injury levels (r=-.383 and -.315; P.05). The BP increase was more significant in patients with SCI who had detrusor sphincter dyssynergia (DSD), especially the continuous type, or severely impaired bladder compliance than in those who did not. Most patients (75%) had no significant PR changes (within 10 beats/min) during AD responses and only 22.7% had a decrease of 10 beats/min or more. Patients younger than 50 years had a greater PR decrease than those 50 years or older (-7.1 ± 9.0 vs 0.7 ± 11.4 beats/min; P.05).AD occurred not only in patients with lesions above T6, but also in those with lower lesion levels. Patients with higher injury level, continuous DSD, or a poorly compliant bladder had greater SBP changes during UD studies. During AD reactions, younger patients tended to have a greater PR decrease than older patients.

BACKGROUND To explore the correlations between SAA, CRP, and clinical indices of patients with acutely exacerbated chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD). METHODS A total of 120 patients with AECOPD and another 120 with remitted COPD were enrolled in an AECOPD group and a COPD remission group, respectively. Meanwhile, 120 healthy subjects were included as a control group. SAA, CRP, PCT, Fbg, IL-8, IL-6, TNF-α, and IP-10 levels were detected. FEV1 and FEV1 /FVC were measured. RESULTS Compared with control group, the serum levels of SAA, CRP, PCT, Fbg, IL-8, IL-6, TNF-α, and IP-10 significantly increased in COPD remission group (P

Whilst surgery is the only potentially curative treatment for cholangiocarcinoma, many patients are either unfit for major surgery or have unresectable disease. Patients who undergo attempted curative resective surgery often have involved resection margins. The role of radiotherapy in these settings has not been clarified and is often not considered because of fears of late complications, especially liver and gastrointestinal toxicity. We present our experience of treating cholangiocarcinoma, either unresectable or locally advanced, with conformal radiotherapy and concurrent chemotherapy, examining survival, toxicity, patterns of failure and details of radiotherapy and chemotherapy administered. Between 1995 and 2005, 20 patients, median age 60.5 years (range 45–78 years) with cholangiocarcinoma received radical conformal radiotherapy (median dose 46 Gy in 1.8–2.0 Gy fractions) with concurrent cisplatin/5-FU and sequential gemcitabine chemotherapy. Overall median survival was 20.4 months, 2 year survival, 43% and relapse-free survival, 9.6 months. 19/20 patients (95%) have died. One patient remains alive with liver and bone metastases. First site of failure was local and within radiotherapy field in 9/20 (45%) patients. No patient required interruption of radiotherapy for radiation toxicity, and none experienced subsequent late liver toxicity. The survival of this group of historically poor prognosis patients is encouraging. Durable local control was achieved in a majority of patients having chemoradiotherapy and toxicity was not severe. Although most patients still succumbed to disease, treatment delayed onset of progression. Conformal radiotherapy should be considered as an integral component in new investigative approaches to treatment in this rare cancer.

Accumulating evidence suggests that the androgen receptor (AR) may play an important role in the development and progression of prostate cancer. To find new, useful compounds that effectively may attenuate the function of AR in prostate cancer cells, the authors investigated the effect of gum mastic, a natural resin, on AR activity. An androgen-responsive prostate cancer cell line LNCaP was used as a model for this study. Gene transfer, reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction analysis, electrophoretic mobility shift assay, and Western blot analysis were used to test the effect of gum mastic on the expression and function of the AR. To demonstrate the inhibitory effect of gum mastic on the function of the AR, the expression of androgen-regulated genes, including prostate-specific antigen (PSA), human kallikrein 2 (hK2), and NKX3.1 were measured. In addition, transient transfection assays with the PSA promoter and the AR promoter also were used to test the effects of mastic. The results showed that gum mastic inhibited the expression of the AR at the transcriptional level, resulting in the down-regulation of both AR messenger RNA and protein levels. Therefore, the function of the AR was inhibited, as reflected by the reduced expression of NKX3.1 and PSA and by androgen-stimulated growth. Because gum mastic exhibited a strong in vitro potency to attenuate the expression and function of the AR, further investigation will be required to determine whether this naturally occurring substance has in vivo potency to inhibit prostate cancer development.

Ethnopharmacological relevance Atractylodes macrocephala Koidz (AMK) has been used widely as a digestive and tonic in traditional Chinese medicine. AMK has shown noteworthy promoting effect on intestinal epithelial cell migration, which might represent a promising candidate for the treatment of intestinal mucosa injury. The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of AMK on intestinal mucosal restitution and the underlying mechanisms via IEC-6 cell migration model. Materials and methods A wounding model of IEC-6 cells was induced by a single-edge razor blade along the diameter of six-well polystyrene plates. The cells were grown in control cultures and in cultures containing spermidine (5 μmol/L, SPD, reference drug), alpha-difluoromethylornithine (2.5 mmol/L, DFMO, polyamine inhibitor), AMK (50, 100, and 200 μg/mL), DFMO plus SPD and DFMO plus AMK for 24 h. The membrane potential (MP) and cytosolic free Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]cyt) were detected by flow cytometry, and polyamines content was determined via high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The expression of Kv1.1 mRNA and protein levels were assessed by RT-qPCR and Western blot analysis, respectively. Cell migration assay was carried out using the Image-Pro Plus software. All of these indexes were used to evaluate the effectiveness of AMK. Results (1) Treatment with AMK caused significant increases in cellular polyamines content, membrane hyperpolarization, an elevation of [Ca2+]cyt and an acceleration of cell migration in IEC-6 cells, as compared to control group. (2) AMK not only reversed the inhibitory effects of DFMO on the polyamines content, MP, and [Ca2+]cyt but also restored IEC-6 cell migration to control levels. (3) The Kv1.1 mRNA and protein expression were significantly increased by AMK treatment in control and polyamine-deficient IEC-6 cells. Conclusions The results of our current studies revealed that treatment with AMK significantly stimulates the migration of intestinal epithelial cells through polyamine-Kv1.1 channel signaling pathway, which could promote the healing of intestinal injury. These results suggest the potential usefulness of AMK to cure intestinal disorders characterized by injury and ineffective repair of the intestinal mucosa.

Objective To isolate and identify active neuraminidase constituents of Polygonum cuspidatum against influenza A (H1N1) influenza virus. Method On the basis of the bioassay-guided fractionation,such chromatographic methods as silica gel, sephadex LH-20 and HPLC were adopted to isolate active constituents of extracts from Polygonum cuspidatum, and their molecular structures were identifiied on the basis of their spectral data such as NMR and MS and physico-chemical properties. Result Seven compounds were isolated from the ethyl acetate extract of P. cuspidatum and identified as 2-methoxystypandrone (1), emodin (2), resveratrol (3), polydatin (4), emodin-8-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (5), (E)-3, 5, 12-trihydroxystilbene-3-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside-2'-(3", 4", 5"-trihydroxybenzoate) (6) and catechin-3-O-gallate (7), respectively. Among them, the NA test showed that compounds 3, 6 and 7 had inhibitory effect against NAs activity, with IC50 values of 129.8, 44.8 and 21.3 micromol x L(-1), respectively. Moreover, the further CPE test showed compounds 6 and 7 had significant inhibitory effect against H1N influenza virus (EC50 = 5.9, 0.9 micromol x L(-1), respectively), with very low cytotoxicity to the host cells, their therapeutic selective index(SI) in MDCK cells ranged from 56 to 269. Conclusion The neuraminidase inhibitors against H1N1 anti-influenza virus isolated from extracts of P. cuspidatum on the basis of the bioassay-guided fractionation are significant in specifying their therapeutic material basis and drug R&D against influenza.

A group of specialized cells in Drosophila called oenocyte, sharing certain similar properties of hepatocytes in mammals, is known to play an important role in lipid metabolism. During starvation, the lipids are released from the fat body, and oenocytes then would accumulate lipid droplets and probably further oxidize them into shorter fatty acids chain as an energy source. Any genetic defect in lipid metabolism may result in different responses of oenocytes to starvation. To investigate this process in vivo, we used coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) and two-photon excitation fluorescence (TPE-F) microscopy to monitor oenocytes in living Drosophila larvae during starvation. We identified oenocytes by their intrinsic fluorescence and visualized lipid droplets by CARS signals at ~2845 cm -1 without any labeling. Compared with the wild-type, mutants with defects in lipid metabolism show different accumulation of lipid droplets in oenocytes. While some mutant accumulates much less lipid droplets in oenocytes during starvation, some has many lipid droplets in oenocytes even though they were fed with plenty of foods. Unlike traditional tissue staining, in vivo imaging allows us to specifically monitor the changes in individual, and provides us more information on the dynamic process of lipid metabolism in Drosophila .

Darier’s disease (DD, MIM 124200) is an autosomal dominant inherited skin disease. Mutations in the ATP2A2 gene, which encoded the sarcoplasmic/endoplasmic reticulum Ca 2+ -ATPase isoform 2 (SERCA2), are responsible for this skin disorder. Here we report the clinical, genetic, and molecular characterization of a large Chinese family with DD. We identified mutation c.632G>A (p.G211D) in the ATP2A2 gene in this family. Genotype– phenotype correlation in available family members provided helpful genetic counseling information for mutation carriers.

To determine the bioinformatical characteristics of differential gene expression in patients with chronic superficial gastritis (CSG) with the Pi-deficiency syndrome (PDS) and those of the non-Pi-deficiency syndrome (non-PDS), i.e. patients of CSG with Pi-Wei dampnese-heat syndrome and healthy persons.With the BRB-Array Tools software package, original data collection and bioinformatic: analysis of gene arrays were conducted in 6 CSG patients of PDS (CSG-PDS), 6 CSG patients of non-PDS (CSG-nPDS), and 6 healthy volunteers (Normal).Compared with non-PDS, the gene expressions: in PDS with regards to protein synthesis, energy metabolism, immune reaction and ionic transport tended to be down-regulated, while those concerning secretion, cytoskeleton and ubiquitinization were up-regulated dominantly.The two kinds of samples, CSG-PDS/Normal and CSG-PDS/CSG-nPDS, have their respective gene expression profiles with different characteristics. Gene expression profile has certain referential significance in syndrome classification.

Sesamin has been proved to be antihypertensive. Nitric oxide (NO) is the most important vascular relaxing factor that is regulated in endothelium. Endothelin-1 (ET-1) is characterized as a potent vasoconstrictor and is also regulated in endothelium. Alterations in the endothelial production of NO and ET-1 are known to correlate with hypertension. This study investigated the effect of sesamin on NO and ET-1 in the human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs).The concentrations of NO and ET-1 in the medium of HUVECs treated by sesamin were measured. The mRNA and protein expressions of nitric oxide synthase (NOS), endothelin converting enzyme-1 (ECE-1), and endothelin-1 (ET-1) were also investigated. Other than the mRNA and protein expression, NOS activity and cyclic GMP (cGMP) were detected.The NO concentration was detected by colorimetric assay. The cGMP and ET-1 were analyzed by EIA. The eNOS, ECE-1, and ET-1 mRNA expressions were assayed by Northern blot. The eNOS and ECE-1 protein expressions were analyzed by Western blot. The NOS activity was assayed by detecting the level of [H]-1-citrullin transformed from [H]-1-arginine.Sesamin not only increased the NO concentration in the medium of HUVECs in a dose-dependent manner after 24 h, but also induced eNOS mRNA and protein expressions. NOS activity in the HUVECs was also induced by sesamin. The content of cGMP was induced by sesamin through NO signaling. On the other hand, the ET-1 concentration in the medium of HUVECs treated by sesamin was suppressed in a dose-dependent manner after 24 h. The ECE-1 protein and mRNA expressions were also inhibited by sesamin. However, the mRNA expression of prepro ET-1 was not influenced by sesamin.From the above results, it is suggested that sesamin may improve hypertension by its ability to induce NO and inhibit ET-1 production from endothelial cells. The increase of NO by sesamin is through the induction of eNOS gene expression. The decrease of ET-1 by sesamin is through the inhibition of ECE gene expression, but is not through the inhibition of prepro ET-1 gene expression.

AIM: To determine whether the gastrin stimulated intestinal crypt cell (IEC-6) proliferation by induction of ornithine decarboxylase (ODC). METHODS: IEC-6 cells were grown in DMEM containing 50mL·L -1 dialyzed fetal bovine serum for 24h and then were treated with gastrin. The proliferative capability of the cells was monitored subsequently on d 1, 2, 3, and 4 after treatment with MTT assay at aborbance 570nm. The cellular ODC mRNA expression, ODC activity, and putrescine content were examined by RT-PCR method, radiometric technique and high-performance liquid chromatography(HPLC) analysis respectively after 12h of treatment. RESULTS: On d1 after exposure of IEC-6 cells to pentagastrin, the proliferation increased initially and reached a peak on d3 at 250µ µ µ µ µg·L -1 concentration. Pentagastrin 500µg·L -1 increased cell proliferation on day 1 and day 2, and then decreased. Compared with control group, pentagastrin 250µ µ µ µg·L -1 increased ODC mRNA level by 1.09-fold (P

Background Methotrexate (MTX) is the most commonly prescribed disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD) in rheumatoid arthritis. ATP-binding cassette transporter-A1 (ABCA1) and 27-Hydroxylase (HY27) are known antiatherogenic proteins that promote cellular cholesterol efflux. In THP-1 macrophages, MTX can promote the reversal of cholesterol transport, limit foam cell formation and also reverse COX-2 inhibitor-mediated downregulation of ABCA1. Despite its antiatherogenic potential in vitro, the impact of clinical use of low-dose MTX on cholesterol metabolism in humans is unknown. Objective of the study was to examine whether clinical MTX use is associated with altered blood lipids and/or ABCA1/HY27 expressions. Methods In all, 100 rheumatoid arthritis subjects were recruited from a medical center in central Taiwan. Plasma lipid profiles and peripheral blood mononuclear cell HY27 and ABCA1 expressions were compared between subjects taking MTX (MTX+) and other disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) (MTX-). Dietary intake was assessed by a registered dietician. Results Though no difference observed in the blood lipids between MTX+ and MTX- subjects, the expressions of ABCA1 and HY27 were significantly elevated in MTX+ subjects (n = 67) compared to MTX- subjects (n = 32, p < 0.05). ABCA expression correlated with MTX doses (r = 0.205, p = 0.042), and MTX+ subjects are more likely to have increased HY27 compared to MTX- subjects (OR = 2.5, p = 0.038). Prevalence of dyslipidemia and overweight, and dietary fat/cholesterol intake were lower than that of the age-matched population. Although no differences were observed in the blood lipids, the potential impacts of MTX on cholesterol metabolism should not be overlooked and the atheroprotective effects from MTX induced HY27 and ABCA1 expressions may still be present in those persons with pre-existing dyslipidemia. Conclusions We demonstrated novel findings on the increased gene expressions of atheroprotective protein HY27 and ABCA1 in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) with clinical use of low-dose MTX. Whether MTX induced HY27 and ABCA1 expressions can protect against cardiovascular disease in patients with chronic inflammation through the facilitation of cholesterol export remains to be established. Further studies on the impacts of low-dose MTX on hypercholesterolemic patients are underway.