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Macrophages play a crucial role in malignant pleural effusion (MPE), a frequent complication of advanced cancer. While C1q + macrophages have been identified as a pro-tumoral cluster, direct evidence supporting the role of C1q-mediated macrophages remains to be elucidated. This study employed global and macrophage-specific knockout mice to investigate the role of C1q in MPE. The data demonstrated that C1q deficiency in macrophages suppressed MPE and prolonged mouse survival. scRNA-seq analysis of the C1qa -/- mouse MPE model revealed that C1q deficiency significantly decreased the proportion of M2 macrophages in MPE. In vitro experiments suggested that C1q expression was gradually upregulated during M2 polarization, which was C1q-dependent, as was antigen presentation. Deficiency of C1q in macrophages rescued the exhausted status of CD8 + T cells and enhanced the immune activity of CD8 + T cells and NK cells in both MPE and pleural tumors. Cell-to-cell interaction analysis demonstrated that C1q deficiency attenuated the immunoinhibitory effects of macrophages on NK cells by downregulating the CCR2-CCL2 signaling axis. Metabolomic analysis revealed significantly elevated hippuric acid levels in C1q-deficient mouse MPE. Treatment with either hippuric acid or a CCR2 antagonist inhibited MPE and tumor growth, with an even more pronounced effect observed when both treatments were combined., Competing Interests: Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interest exists., (© The author(s).)

The booming development of rare earth industry and the extensive utilization of its products accompanied by urban development have led to the accelerated accumulation of rare earth elements (REEs) as emerging pollutants in atmospheric environment. In this study, the variation of REEs in PM 2.5 with urban (a non-mining city) transformation was investigated through five consecutive years of sample collection. The compositional variability and provenance contribution of REEs in PM 2.5 were characterized, and the REEs exposure risks of children and adults via inhalation, ingestion and dermal absorption were also evaluated. The results showed an increase in the total REEs concentration from 46.46 ± 35.16 mg/kg (2017) to 81.22 ± 38.98 mg/kg (2021) over the five-year period, with Ce and La making the largest contribution. The actual increment of industrial and traffic emission source among the three pollution sources was 1.34 ng/m 3 . Coal combustion source displayed a downward trend. Ingestion was the main exposure pathway for REEs in PM 2.5 for both children and adults. Ce contributed the most to the total intake of REEs in PM 2.5 among the population, followed by La and Nd. The exposure risks of REEs in PM 2.5 in the region were relatively low, but the trend of change was of great concern. It was strongly recommended to strengthen the concern about traffic-related non-exhaust emissions of particulate matter., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Interleukin-10 (IL-10) promotes the formation and development of malignant pleural effusion (MPE). Previous studies have elucidated the pathogenesis from the view of the immune-regulation function of CD4 + T-cells. However, the underlying mechanism is still not fully understood. In this study, our results showed that IL-10 deficiency reduced the percentage of macrophages in mouse MPE and regulated M1/M2 polarization in vivo and in vitro . The migration capacity of tumor cells was suppressed, and apoptosis was promoted when tumor cells were cocultured with MPE macrophages in the absence of IL-10. Messenger RNA sequencing of MPE macrophages showed that S100A9 was downregulated in IL-10 -/- mice. Bone marrow-derived macrophages obtained from wild-type mice transfected with S100A9-specific small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) also showed less M2 and more M1 polarization than those from the siRNA control group. Furthermore, downregulation of S100A9 using S100A9-specific siRNA suppressed MPE development, decreased macrophages, and modulated macrophage polarization in MPE in vivo . In conclusion, S100A9 plays a vital role in the process of IL-10 deficiency-mediated MPE suppression by regulating M1/M2 polarization, thus influencing the tumor-migration capacity and apoptosis. This could result in clinically applicable strategies to inhibit the formation of MPE by regulating the polarization of MPE macrophages., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Xue-Bin Pei et al.)

Antimony (Sb) in PM 2.5 has attracted close attention as a new air pollutant due to its extensive use in daily life. The identification of antimony sources in PM 2.5 by scientific methods is important to control its pollution. In this study, the Sb and other elements concentrations and Pb isotopic compositions in PM 2.5 and possible pollution sources (soil, road dust, traffic emission, coal-fired fly ash, local factory emission dust and cement dust) were analyzed. The results showed that the Sb in the PM 2.5 samples had seasonal change. The enrichment factors of Sb in PM 2.5 samples were all above 100 in four seasons, which indicated anthropogenic pollution. The average value of potential ecological risk index was at extremely high-risk level greater than 320. Based on Pearson correlation coefficient and hierarchical cluster analysis results, the pollution sources of antimony and lead in PM 2.5 samples were highly consistent which means that Pb isotopes might be a new and feasible tracer for Sb pollution in air. The sources analysis results based on Pb isotopes indicated that the proportion of Pb and Sb from coal-fired fly ash was the highest in winter (47.7%) and inclined to road dust in spring (34.5%), but it was mainly from traffic emissions in summer and autumn (34.2% and 32.8%). This study showed that Pb isotope tracing can be applied to predict the potential pollution sources, and it was also a feasible substitute for tracing Sb pollution in PM 2.5 ., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

A metal-free, water-tolerant, and one-pot process for ortho -acylation of phenols promoted by the iodine source/hydrogen peroxide system has been developed. This transformation undergoes ether formation, iodocyclization, C-C bond cleavage, and oxidative hydrolysis in a one-step manner, which is supported by control experiments.

Background: The detection of interleukin 33 (IL-33) in pleural effusion may be more sensitive in diagnosing tuberculous pleural effusion (TPE). The present study aimed to assess the accuracy of pleural IL-33 for the diagnosis of TPE by means of meta-analysis and systematic review of relevant studies., Method: After retrieving the published studies, the sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio, negative likelihood ratio, diagnostic odds ratio, and a summary receiver operating characteristic curve were assessed to estimate the usefulness of pleural IL-33 in diagnosing TPE using meta-analysis with a random-effects model. We also performed meta-regression and subgroup analysis., Results: A total of 639 patients from 6 studies were analyzed. The pooled sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio, negative likelihood ratio, and diagnostic odds ratio were 0.87 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.82-0.91), 0.76 (95% CI, 0.72-0.80), 6.54 (95% CI, 2.65-16.15), 0.17 (95% CI, 0.10-1.27), and 45.40 (95% CI, 12.83-160.70) respectively. The area under the curve was 0.94. The composition of the included population was the main cause of heterogeneity and subgroup analysis showed that pleural IL-33 had a higher specificity (0.93, 95% CI 0.87-0.96) when used for differential diagnosis between TPE and malignant pleural effusion., Conclusion: The detection of IL-33 alone in pleural effusion seems to not be an efficient diagnostic marker for TPE but may serve as a novel biomarker to differentiate between TPE and malignant pleural effusion., Competing Interests: No potential conflicts of interest relevant to this article were reported. The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2021 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

Emerging evidence indicates that Myo9b is a cancer metastasis-related protein and functions in a variety of immune-related diseases. However, it is not clear whether and how Myo9b functions in malignant pleural effusion (MPE). In this study, our data showed that Myo9b expression levels correlated with lung cancer pleural metastasis, and nucleated cells in MPE from either patients or mice expressed a lower level of Myo9b than those in the corresponding blood. Myo9b deficiency in cancer cells suppressed MPE development via inhibition of migration. Myo9b deficiency in mice suppressed MPE development by decreasing T H 1 cells and increasing T H 17 cells. CD4 + naive T cells isolated from Myo9b -/- mouse spleens exhibited less T H 1 cell differentiation and more T H 17 cell differentiation in vitro. mRNA sequencing of nucleated cells showed that T cell-specific adaptor protein (TSAd) was downregulated in Myo9b -/- mouse MPE, and enrichment of the H3K27me3 mark in the TSAd promoter region was found in the Myo9b -/- group. Naive T cells purified from wild type mouse spleens transfected with TSAd-specific small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) also showed less T H 1 cell differentiation and more T H 17 cell differentiation than those from the siRNA control group. Furthermore, downregulation of TSAd in mice using cholesterol-conjugated TSAd-specific siRNA suppressed MPE development, decreased T H 1 cells, and increased T H 17 cells in MPE in vivo. Taken together, Myo9b deficiency suppresses MPE development not only by suppressing pleural cancer metastasis but also by regulating T H 1/T H 17 cell response via a TSAd-dependent pathway. This work suggests Myo9b and TSAd as novel candidates for future basic and clinical investigations of cancer., (Copyright © 2020 by The American Association of Immunologists, Inc.)

IL-10, produced by a wide variety of cells, is a highly pleiotropic cytokine that plays a critical role in the control of immune responses. However, its regulatory activity in tumor immunity remains poorly understood. In this study, we report that IL-10 deficiency robustly suppressed the formation of malignant pleural effusion (MPE) and significantly enhanced miR-7116-5p expression in pleural CD4 + T cells. We demonstrated that miR-7116-5p suppressed IL-10-mediated MPE formation by inhibiting pleural vascular permeability as well as tumor angiogenesis and tumor growth. IL-10 promoted MPE formation by suppressing miR-7116-5p that enhances T H 1 response. We identified G protein-coupled receptor 55 (GPR55) as a potential target of miR-7116-5p, and miR-7116-5p promoted T H 1 cell function by downregulating GPR55. Moreover, GPR55 promoted MPE formation by inhibiting T H 1 cell expansion through the ERK phosphorylation pathway. These results uncover an IL-10-mediated pathway controlling T H 1 cells and demonstrate a central role for miR-7116-5p/GPR55/ERK signaling in the physiological regulation of IL-10-driven pro-malignant responses., (© 2020 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

Background: Malignant pleural effusion (MPE) is a common medical problem caused by multiple malignancies, especially lung cancers, and always comes along with a poor outcome. Early detection and diagnosis are important for improving the prognosis in patients with MPE. Salivary microRNAs (miRNAs) may represent a relatively convenient way for diagnosing MPE. We investigated the characteristics of salivary miRNAs of MPE patients, benign pleural effusion (BPE) patients, patients with a malignant tumor but without pleural effusion (MT), and healthy controls (HCs). We believe that they may show potential as a non-invasive and convenient biomarker for diagnosing MPE., Methods: From January 1, 2019, to July 1, 2019, 57 MPE patients, 33 BPE patients, 50 MT patients, and 49 HCs were enrolled. To select candidate biomarkers, in the discovery phase, the salivary miRNA profiles were detected in three MPE patients and three HCs. Then, qPCR was used in the validation phase with 54 MPE patients, 33 BPE patients, 50 MT patients, and 46 HCs to assay the selected miRNAs., Results: hsa- miR-4484 and hsa- miR-3663-3p were identified as potential biomarkers to diagnose MPE patients, with areas under the curve (AUC) of 0.768 and 0.666, respectively. The diagnostic efficacy was higher when the combination of both miRNAs was used, with an AUC of 0.802. No correlation was found between the volume of MPE and the expression of salivary miRNAs., Conclusions: This study reports the characterization of salivary miRNAs collected from MPE patients. A combination of hsa- miR-4484 and hsa- miR-3663-3p showed potential discriminatory power for MPE detection, and it may be helpful for the early diagnosis of MPE, i.e., before the pleural effusion volume is too large., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: All authors have completed the ICMJE uniform disclosure form (available at http://dx.doi.org/10.21037/tlcr-19-530). The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare., (2020 Translational Lung Cancer Research. All rights reserved.)

Mineral Chinese medicine is the distinctive part of the Chinese traditional medicine. The mineral Chinese medicines containing mercury elements such as cinnabaris, calomelas and hydrargyri oxydum rubrum are widely applied in the clinical conditions because of their efficacy of sedative, sterilization, removing necrotic tissue and promoting granulation. However, the rationality and security of clinical application are questioned because of the toxic effect caused by mercury compounds. This paper would summarize the efficacy of the mineral Chinese medicines containing mercury element, as well as their hepatotoxicity, nephrotoxicity, embryotoxicity, and neurotoxicity effect and mechanisms. Improper usage or high dose of the mineral Chinese medicines containing mercury element would cause acute hepatotoxicity. Cinnabaris, calomelas and hydrargyri oxydum rubrum may lead to chronic hepatotoxicity, nephrotoxicity, embryotoxicity and neurotoxicity when they were applied externally to the skin for long-term use. In addition to the accumulation of mercury elements in the tissues and organs, the species and forms of mercury compounds absorbed into the body in different ways, should be also studied in order to understand the toxicity of the mineral Chinese medicines containing mercury element. Meanwhile the dose and period of treatment shall be also considered in order to provide the references for rational and safe clinical application of the mineral Chinese medicines containing mercury element., Competing Interests: The authors of this article and the planning committee members and staff have no relevant financial relationships with commercial interests to disclose., (Copyright© by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.)

The Chinese herbal compound formula preparation was made based on theory of Chinese medicine, which was confirmed by long period clinical application, and with multi-compound and multi-target characteristics. During the exploitation process of innovation medicine of Chinese herbal compound formula, selecting and speeding up the research development of drugs with clinical value shall be paid more attention, and as request of rules involved in new drug research and development, the whole process management should be carried out, including project evaluation, manufacturing process determination, establishment of quality control standards, evaluation for pharmacological and toxic effect, as well as new drug application process. This reviews was aimed to give some proposals for pharmacodynamics research methods involved in exploration of Chinese herbal compound formula preparation, including： ①the endpoint criteria should meet the clinical attribution of new drugs; ②the pre-clinical pharmacodynamics evaluation should be carried on appropriate animal models according to the characteristics of diagnosis and therapy of Chinese medicine and observation indexes; ③during the innovation of drug for infants and children, information on drug action conforming to physiological characteristics of infants and children should be supplied, and the pharmacodynamics and toxicology research shall be conducted in immature rats according to the body weight of children. In a summary, the clinical application characteristics are the important criteria for evaluation of pharmacological effect of innovation medicine of Chinese herbal compound formula., Competing Interests: The authors of this article and the planning committee members and staff have no relevant financial relationships with commercial interests to disclose., (Copyright© by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.)

LIGHT recruits and activates naive T cells in the islets at the onset of diabetes. IFN-γ secreted by activated T lymphocytes is involved in beta cell apoptosis. However, whether LIGHT sensitizes IFNγ-induced beta cells destruction remains unclear. In this study, we used the murine beta cell line MIN6 and primary islet cells as models for investigating the underlying cellular mechanisms involved in LIGHT/IFNγ - induced pancreatic beta cell destruction. LIGHT and IFN-γ synergistically reduced MIN6 and primary islet cells viability; decreased cell viability was due to apoptosis, as demonstrated by a significant increase in Annexin V(+) cell percentage, detected by flow cytometry. In addition to marked increases in cytochrome c release and NF-κB activation, the combination of LIGHT and IFN-γ caused an obvious decrease in expression of the anti-apoptotic proteins Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL, but an increase in expression of the pro-apoptotic proteins Bak and Bax in MIN6 cells. Accordingly, LIGHT deficiency led to a decrease in NF-κB activation and Bak expression, and peri-insulitis in non-obese diabetes mice. Inhibition of NF-κB activation with the specific NF-κB inhibitor, PDTC (pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate), reversed Bcl-xL down-regulation and Bax up-regulation, and led to a significant increase in LIGHT- and IFN-γ-treated cell viability. Moreover, cleaved caspase-9, -3, and PARP (poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase) were observed after LIGHT and IFN-γ treatment. Pretreatment with caspase inhibitors remarkably attenuated LIGHT- and IFNγ-induced cell apoptosis. Taken together, our results indicate that LIGHT signalling pathway combined with IFN-γ induces beta cells apoptosis via an NF-κB/Bcl2-dependent mitochondrial pathway., (© 2016 The Authors. Journal of Cellular and Molecular Medicine published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd and Foundation for Cellular and Molecular Medicine.)

We aimed to investigate the effect of berberine on adipose tissues, as well as its effect on renal injury in 3T3-L1 cells and spontaneously hypertensive rats. 3T3-L1 cells were cultured and treated with berberine (5-20 pM) from days 3 to 8. Berberine added to the cultured medium could significantly down-regulate transcription factors, including CCAAT/enhancer binding protein β, CCAAT/enhancer binding protein a, and peroxisome pro liferator-activated receptor y, and suppress peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor target genes, such as adipocyte fatty acid binding protein and fatty acid synthase, and inhibit 3T3-Ll fibroblast differentiation to adipocytes. Male spontaneously hypertensive rats received either 150 mg/day of berberine or saline orally for 8 weeks. Compared with the control, berberine-treated rats exhibited significant reductions in body weight gain (p < 0.05), as well as retroperitoneal and mesenteric adipose tissues (p < 0.05). Berberine-treated rats significantly decreased urinary albumin excretion, a marker of renal injury (p < 0.05). Long-term treatment with berberine decreased the adipose tissues weight and attenuated renal injury in spontaneously hypertensive rats. Based on these results, berberine has an important role in regulating adipose tissues. These results suggest the protective effect of berberine on metabolic syndrome related diseases, such as renal injury.

Background: The objective of this study is to detect HMGA2 expression in renal carcinoma to explore its relationship with clinicopathology and its significance in prognosis., Methods: Expressions of HMGA2 mRNA and protein were detected in 50 renal carcinoma specimens, 50 corresponding adjacent normal kidney tissue samples and 40 renal benign tumour specimens via reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemical assay. Expression analysis was performed along with clinical data analysis., Results: The relative expression levels of HMGA2 mRNA in renal carcinoma, renal benign tumour tissues and adjacent normal renal tissues were 0.84±0.23, 0.19±0.06 and 0.08±0.04, respectively. HMGA2 protein positive rates were 68.0%, 7.5% and 2.0%, with a significant difference ( P <0.05). HMGA2 expression was not significantly correlated with gender, age, tumour size and histological type ( P >0.05), but was significantly correlated with TNM stages and lymph node metastasis ( P <0.05)., Conclusions: The expressions of HMGA2 gene and protein in renal carcinoma were closely correlated with tumour formation, progression and metastasis. HMGA2 may become a powerful new pathological marker and prognostic factor for renal carcinoma.

The 3T3-L1 cell line is one of the most well-characterized and reliable models for studying adipocytes. Increased oxidative stress in accumulated fat was found in 3T3-L1 cells. Berberine, an isoquinoline alkaloid, could suppress fat deposition in 3T3-L1 cells; however, whether berberine suppresses increased oxidative stress is not well known. In this study, we observed the effect of berberine on increased oxidative stress in 3T3-L1 cells. 3T3-L1 cells were cultured and treated with berberine (5-20 μM) from day 3 to day 8. We confirmed that berberine markedly inhibited fat accumulation and lipid droplets in 3T3-L1 adipocytes and decreased triglyceride content. Berberine inhibited increased oxidative stress in 3T3-L1 cells by suppressing reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, and increased glutathione peroxidase (GPx) gene expression and GPx activity. Berberine also markedly reduced adipokines secreted by adipocytes, including leptin and resistin.

Background: Altered expression of astrocyte elevated gene-1 (AEG-1) is associated with tumorigenesis and progression. The present study aimed to investigate the clinical and prognostic significance of AEG-1 expression in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC)., Methods: Quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and Western blot analyses were employed to assess AEG-1 expression in three pancreatic cancer cell lines and normal pancreatic duct epithelial cells. qRT-PCR and immunohistochemical analyses were performed to detect AEG-1 expression in ten pairs of PDAC and normal pancreas tissues. Immunohistochemistry was then used to examine AEG-1 expression in paraffin-embedded tissues obtained from 105 patients, and its association with clinicopathological parameters including cancer classification was examined. Kaplan-Meier analysis was performed to study the survival rates of patients., Results: Expression of AEG-1 mRNA and protein was markedly higher in pancreatic cancer cell lines than that in the normal pancreatic duct epithelial cells. AEG-1 expression was evidently upregulated in PDAC tissues compared to that of the matched distant normal pancreas tissues. qRT-PCR data revealed that the tumor/non-tumor ratio of AEG-1 expression was >1.5-fold (up to 6.5-fold). Immunohistochemical data showed that AEG-1 protein was detected in 98.09% (103/105) of PDAC tissues; and they were found to be associated with tumor size (P = 0.025), advanced clinical stage (P = 0.004), T classification (P = 0.006), N classification (P = 0.003), and M classification (P = 0.007). Furthermore, Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that patients with high AEG-1-expressed PDAC had shorter overall survival. A multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed that clinical stage, T classification, and AEG-1 expression were the independent prognostic predictors for PDAC., Conclusions: This study suggests that AEG-1 protein was highly expressed in PDAC and associated with poor prognosis of the patients.

The positive effects of berberine (30 mg/kg/day, i.g. for 6 weeks) on cardiac dysfunction were evaluated in the rat model of hyperglycemia and hypercholesterolemia. Hyperglycemia and hypercholesterolemia were induced by feeding high-sucrose/fat diet (HSFD) consisting of 20% sucrose, 10% lard, 2.5% cholesterol, 1% bile salt for 12 weeks and streptozotocin (30 mg/kg, i.p.). The plasma sugar, total cholesterol, and triglyceride levels were significantly increased (422, 194 and 82%, respectively) in the HSFD/streptozotocin-treated rats, when compared with control animals receiving normal diet and vehicle. Berberine treatment reduced the plasma sugar and lipid levels by 24-69% in the rat model of hyperglycemia and hypercholesterolemia. Cardiac functions signed as values of cardiac output, left ventricular systolic pressure, the maximum rate of myocardial contraction (+dp/dtmax), left ventricular end diastolic pressure and the maximum rate of myocardial diastole (-dp/dtmax) were injured by 16-55% in the hyperglycemic/hypercholesterolemic rats. Berberine increased cardiac output, left ventricular systolic pressure and +dp/dtmax by 64, 16 and 79%, but decreased left ventricular end diastolic pressure and -dp/dtmax by 121 and 61% in the rats receiving HSFD/streptozotocin, respectively, when compared with the drug-untreated rats of hyperglycemia and hypercholesterolemia. Berberine caused significant increase in cardiac fatty acid transport protein-1 (159%), fatty acid transport proteins (56%), fatty acid beta-oxidase (52%), as well as glucose transporter-4 and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPARγ), but decrease in PPARα mRNA and protein expression in hyperglycemic/hypercholesterolemic rats. These results indicated that berberine exerted protective effects on cardiac dysfunction induced by hyperglycemia/hypercholesterolemia through alleviating cardiac lipid accumulation and promoting glucose transport., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To investigate the effect of transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) in the treatment of advanced prostate cancer with bladder outlet obstruction (BOO)., Methods: We included in this study 43 cases of advanced prostate cancer with BOO treated by TURP, and analyzed their IPSS, maximum urinary flow rate and relevant risk factors pre-operatively and at 3 and 12 months after TURP., Results: Compared with the baseline, IPSS and the maximum urinary flow rate of the patients showed significant differences 3 months after surgery ([19.60 +/- 0.41] score vs. [9.58 +/- 0.33] score, [4.93 +/- 0.68] ml/s vs. [8.96 +/- 0.47] ml/s, P < 0.05), but not at 12 months ([15.73 +/- 0.66] score, [5.67 +/- 0.44] ml/s). In multiple regression analysis, a good outcome was associated with pre-operative acute urinary retention, while poor prognosis with hormone-refractory prostate cancer., Conclusion: In the treatment of advanced hormone-refractory prostate cancer with BOO, TURP can reduce IPSS and increase the maximum urinary flow rate in the early period after surgery, but its long-term effect is not so desirable. Meanwhile the operation itself may bring about relevant complications and reduce the patient's quality of life.

Objective: To analyze the trend of the incidence of prostate cancer in urban Tianjin area between 1981 and 2004 so as to provide scientific rationales for the prevention and control of prostate cancer., Methods: The data of prostate cancer cases were provided by the Tianjin Cancer Registry. The SAS system V9 was used to calculate the crude incidence, age-adjusted incidence and age specific incidence of prostate cancer in Tianjin between 1981 and 2004. And the Join point 3.0 software was used to analyze secular trends., Results: Between 1981 and 2004, a total of 1060 prostate cancer cases were diagnosed in Tianjin. And the age-adjusted incidence rate was 2.84/100 000 in 2004. The incidence of prostate cancer showed 3 incremental stages during the 24-year period at an annual average of 4.02%. An aging trend was observed for prostate cancer patients. The elder patients had a faster increment in incidence. Specifically, it increased annually at 4.63% for age group 65 - 74 year versus 5.18% for age group 75 years or more., Conclusion: Despite a low incidence of prostate cancer in Tianjin, it is increasing at a fast rate. The prevention and control of prostate cancer should be strengthened.

Objective: Endotoxin tolerance refers to a low response to lipopolysaccharide (LPS). We hypothesized that growth factor independence 1 (Gfi1) involves in the endotoxin tolerance in macrophages., Methods: Endotoxin tolerance was induced in the RAW264.7 cell line and thioglycolate-elicited murine peritoneal macrophages by incubation with 100 ng/ml LPS for 20 h. Macrophages without the pretreatment were set as control. Both endotoxin tolerant and control cells were then stimulated with 1,000 ng/ml LPS for indicated period of incubation. Gfi1 mRNA expression and protein production were investigated by real-time PCR and Western blotting, respectively. ELISA was performed to quantify the secretion of TNF-alpha and IL-6., Result: Compared with non-endotoxin tolerant macrophages, endotoxin tolerant cells secreted a lower amount of TNF-alpha and IL-6. The mRNA expression of Gfi1 in endotoxin tolerant macrophages was higher than that of control in both RAW264.7 cells and thioglycolate-elicited murine peritoneal macrophages. The protein production was accordingly up-regulated in endotoxin tolerant RAW264.7 cells., Conclusion: In in vitro endotoxin tolerant macrophages, the expression of Gfi1 mRNA and protein were up-regulated after high dose LPS stimulation, accompanied with a blunted TNF-alpha and IL-6 secretion. Gfi1 might participate in the mechanism of endotoxin tolerance.

Aim: To investigate the immunomodulatory effects of andrographolide on both innate and adaptive immune responses., Methods: Andrographolide (10 microg/mL in vitro or 1 mg/kg in vivo) was used to modulate LPS-induced classical activated (M1) or IL-4-induced alternative activated (M2) macrophages in vitro and humor immune response to HBsAg in vivo. Cytokine gene expression profile (M1 vs M2) was measured by real-time PCR, IL-12/IL-10 level was detected by ELISA, and surface antigen expression was evaluated by flow cytometry, whereas phosphorylation level of ERK 1/2 and AKT was determined by Western blot. The level of anti-HBs antibodies in HBsAg immunized mice was detected by ELISA, and the number of HBsAg specific IL-4-producing splenocyte was enumerated by ELISPOT., Results: Andrographolide treatment in vitro attenuated either LPS or IL-4 induced macrophage activation, inhibited both M1 and M2 cytokines expression and decreased IL-12/IL-10 ratio (the ratio of M1/M2 polarization). Andrographolide down-regulated the expression of mannose receptor (CD206) in IL-4 induced macrophages and major histocompability complex/costimulatory molecules (MHC I, CD40, CD80, CD86) in LPS-induced macrophages. Correspondingly, anti-HBs antibody production and the number of IL-4-producing splenocytes were reduced by in vivo administration of andrographolide. Reduced phosphorylation levels of ERK1/2 and AKT were observed in macrophages treated with andrographolide., Conclusion: Andrographolide can modulate the innate and adaptive immune responses by regulating macrophage phenotypic polarization and Ag-specific antibody production. MAPK and PI3K signaling pathways may participate in the mechanisms of andrographolide regulating macrophage activation and polarization.

The title Cd(II) coordination polymer, catena-poly[[{1,4-bis-[1-(2-pyridylmeth-yl)benzimidazol-2-yl]butane}cadmium(II)]-μ-benzene-1,3-dicarboxyl-ato], [Cd(C(8)H(4)O(4))(C(30)H(28)N(6))](n), was obtained by reaction of CdCO(3), benzene-1,3-dicarboxylic acid (H(2)btc) and 1,4-bis-[1-(2-pyridylmeth-yl)benzimidazol-2-yl]butane (L). The Cd(II) cation is six-coordinated by an N(2)O(4)-donor set. L acts as a bidentate ligand and btc anions link Cd(II) centers into a chain propagating parallel to [010].

Objective: To explore the secular trend in incidence and mortality rate of gastric cancer in Tianjin and to provide evidence and reference for making prevention and control strategy for gastric cancer., Methods: Data derived from Tianjin cancer registry system were analyzed by descriptive epidemiological method and Joinpoint model. A total of 17990 gastric cancer cases reported in Tianjin from 1981 to 2002, including 12755 males and 5235 females were studied., Results: The annual percent change (APC) of crude incidence rate for males and females was -0.92% (Z = -3.85, P = 0.001) and -0.79% (Z = -2.67, P = 0.015), while the APC of standard incidence rate was -3.55% (Z = -13.52, P = 0.000) and -3.47% (Z = -12.85, P = 0.000). There was a descending trend of incidence rate in males and females above 45-years-old, however, in male under 45 years it showed an increased trend and in females it kept stable. The APC of crude mortality rate was -1.66% ( Z = -5.79, P = 0.000) for males and -1.84% (Z = -6.02,P = 0.000) for females, while the APC of standard mortality rate was -4.60% ( Z = -15.79, P = 0.000) for females and -5.36% ( Z = -8.28, P = 0.000) for males during 1989-2002. Mortality and incidence ratio also indicated a downward trend., Conclusion: Despite its declining trend in Tianjin, gastric cancer still remains an important public health problem in facing of the aging society and many risk factors.

There is an intimate connection between trace elements and body healthiness, trace elements and organism depend on each other, and each trace element exists with certain proportion, which preserve physio-function. If the balance is of maladjustment, diseases may occur or develop. The trace elements were determined in 16 kinds of Chinese herbal medicines by atomic absorption spectrometry. The medicines include lilium brownii, herba houttuyniae, licorice root, radices isatidis seu baphicacanthi, Sehizandra sinensis Bail, Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi, Beimu, Polygonum multiflorum Thunb, Lithospermum officinalel, Rhizoma acori gramjnoi, Pinellia ternate Breit, Salisburia adiantifolia, Lonicera japonica, Radices puerarire, Bupleurum falcatum and Ligusticum wallichii, all of which could be bought on the market. Sixteen kinds of Chinese herbal medicines commonly used to treat respiratroy system diseases in clinic were selected, dried and powdered, completely mixed, 1.000 0 g was weighed accurately with analytical balance, and 3 portions were used for each kind of sample. The atomic absorption spectrometry was used to determine the contents of trace elements (Cu, Zn, Fe, Cr, Ni and Mn), and the content discrepancy of the trace elements in different medicines was observed the results shows that the contents of the trace elements were rich in the 16 kinds of Chinese herbal medicines, there were more contents of Fe, Zn and Mn, but they were different in different medicines. And there were more trace elements in Salisburia adiantifolia, Polygonum multiflorum Thunb, Bupleurum falcatum, Sehizandra sinensis Bail, Pinellia ternate Breit and Lithospermum officinalel, and lower trace elements in Radices puerarire, Rhizoma acori gramjnoi and Radices isatidis seu baphicacanthi. The analytic results provided useful data for using Chinese herbal medicines and provided theoretical basis for studying Chinese herbal medicines theory.

The content of total flavone in carthmus tinctorius L in Xinjiang was determined by ultraviolet spectrophotometry with scan from 200 to 400 nm where the maximum absorption wavelength was 267.00 nm. The contents of ten trace elements and constant elements in carthmus tinctorius L including potassium, sodium, calcium, magnesium, iron, chromium, nickel, manganese, copper and zinc were determined by flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The results showed that there were comparatively rich trace elements and high total flavone, among which are comparatively high calcium, magnesium, chromium, copper and zinc in carthmus tinctorius L. It provided useful data for discussing the relationship between the content of total flavone and the trace elements in carthmus tinctorius L, and for studing the relationship between the trace elements in carthmus tinctorius L and the cure for cardio-cerebral vascular disease.

Objective: To explore the application value of correspondence analysis in ecological study., Methods: We adopted correspondence analysis method to analyze the relationship between the amount of food intake in some cities in China and the male gastric carcinoma mortality., Results: According to scatter plots of row and column points, there were regional differences among the male gastric carcinoma mortality in different cities of China., Conclusion: The scatter plot of row and column points indicated directly that there were regional differences among the male gastric carcinoma mortality in different cities of China. Males from the Southern part of the country ate more rice and salt, less wheaten food and fewer light vegetables than those from the northern parts, suggesting that there might be some carcinogenic factors in some food stuff involved.

Vaccination with Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) is being used to prevent HBV infection. The fact that 10% of vaccinees fail to develop protective antibodies has fostered a large body of research for more effective vaccination strategies. Search for new adjuvant, able to selectively trigger protective antibody production, is one of the most promising approaches. The oligosaccharide beta-(1-->6)-branched beta-(1-->3) glucohexaose is the basic unit of lentinan and several other fungal beta-glucans with immunostimulatory activity. beta-glucans stimulate innate immune response mainly through interaction with myeloid cells (macrophages) and dendritic cells. In this study, the ability of synthetic beta-(1-->6)-branched beta-(1-->3) glucohexaose analogue (beta-glu6) to enhance the immune response to HBsAg has been evaluated. Administration of synthetic beta-glu6 i.p. in BALB/c mice greatly enhanced the mobilisation and maturation of macrophages and dendritic cells to co-administered HBsAg, as compared to the antigen alone. The adjuvant effect of beta-glu6 was evident in the increase of T and B cell activation in response to HBsAg, as judged by the percentage of CD69-positive CD4(+) and CD19(+) lymphocytes in the spleen. beta-glu6 could significantly enhance the number of IL-4-producing cells in response to HBsAg, while it had no effect on the number of IFN-gamma-producing lymphocytes, suggesting a Th2 bias of the immune response. The correlate of protection for HBV vaccination, i.e. the titer of HBsAg-specific antibodies, was greatly enhanced by the use of beta-glu6 as a vaccine adjuvant. The IgG1/IgG2a ratio within the anti-HBsAg antibodies was higher in the mice immunised with HBsAg plus beta-glu6 than receiving HBsAg alone or mice administered HBsAg with Freund's adjuvant, indicating a shift towards a Th2-biased anti-inflammatory protective antibody response.

The contents of potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron, manganese, copper, zinc and chromium in 11 kinds of Chinese traditional medicines such as Danshen, Gouqizi, Dangshen, Jiaogulan, Dongchongxiacao, Huangqi, Rougui, Xixin, Longdancao, Shanzhuyu and Duzhong were determind by flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry, in order to study the interrelation between metal elements and the therapeutic effect through the method of blurred classification. The results showed that the cluster in 7 kinds of medicines was similar when the relative coefficent was 0.50; cluster in 3 kinds of medicines was similar when the relative coefficent was 0.65; the cluster in 2 kinds of medicines was similar when the relative coefficent was 0.75. When the contents of metal elements are rich and the relative coefficient is considerably great, their therapeutic effect is similar. This suggests that trace elements have much to do with the therapeutic effect. The study provides new useful data for research on new types of medicines, and developing a new method for evaluating quality of Chinese traditional medicines.

Aim: To test the feasibility of delivering a plasmid encoding IL-15 as a DNA vaccine adjuvant for improving the immune responses induced by hepatitis B virus core gene DNA vaccine., Methods: We used RT-PCR based strategies to develop IL-15 expression constructs. We first confirmed that the gene could be expressed in Escherichia coli due to the poor expression of IL-15. Then the bioactivity of IL-15 plasmid expression product was identified by CTLL-2 proliferation assay. One hundred micrograms of DNA from each of the IL-15 eukaryotic expressed plasmid and the recombinant plasmid harboring DNA encoding the 144 amino acids of the N-terminus of HBV core gene (abbreviated pHBc144) was used to co-immunize C57 BL/6 mice. The titer of anti-HBcIgG was detected by ELISA and the antigen-specific CD8(+) T cells (CD8(+)IFN-gamma(+) T cells) were detected by intracellular cytokine staining at different time points., Results: After co-immunization by pIL-15 and pHBc144 DNA vaccine the antigen-specific CD8(+) cells of mice increased gradually, the first peak of immune response appeared 14 d later, then the number of antigen-specific CD8(+) Ts cells decreased gradually and maintained at a steady level in 3 mo. After boosting, the number of antigen-specific CD8(+) T cells reached the second peak 10 d later with a double of the 1st peak, then the number of antigen-specific CD8(+) T cells decreased slowly. IL-15 as a gene adjuvant had no significant effect on humoral immune responses induced by hepatitis B virus core gene DNA vaccine, but increased the memory antigen-specific CD8(+) T cells induced by hepatitis B virus core gene DNA vaccine., Conclusion: DNA vaccine constructed by HBc Ag 1-144 amino acid induces effective cell immunity, and cytokine plasmid-delivered IL-15 enhances the longevity of CD8(+) T cells.

The content of trace element manganese in aloe tea was determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The contents of 17 kinds of amino acids in aloe tea were determined with amino acids instrumentation. The results showed that there are comparatively rich manganese and amino acids in aloe tea. The content of manganese in red tea is more than in green tea, and the dissolving ratio is more than 50% in boiled water, and first dissolving ratio is more than second dissolving ratio, which is more than third dissolving ratio. There are 7 kinds of amino acids essential to human body, among which are comparatively high aspartic acid, glutamic acid and leucine in aloe tea. It's outstanding characteristic is comparatively high content of manganese in aloe health tea. It has provided useful data for probing into the relationship between trace elements and amino acids in aloe health tea and health care function.

Objective: Leukemia is a major cause of death of children in China, which accounts for 50 % of all cancers of children. Data from Tianjin Cancer Hospital was analyzed for mortality of leukemia in children under 20 years from 1981 to 2000 in the city of Tianjin., Methods: All physicians and medical staff of the hospitals and clinics in the registry area were responsible for filling out the report forms for every new case diagnosed as malignant tumors. Death certificates for malignant tumors have been registered at the local police station and the residential files were checked. All cancer cases with insufficient information were traced to his/her family and relevant persons worked in the clinic. Tianjin Cancer Registry Center periodically conducted an active re-checking program to review all patient records on cancers that was not registered in this period. Tumors diagnosed in this study were coded according to the International Classification of Diseases for Oncology (ICD-O). Mortality rates were calculated by age, sex and date of death., Results: The types of acute lymphoid leukemia, acute myeloid leukemia and chronic myeloid leukemia were the most common types of childhood leukemia in Tianjin, comprised 69.3%, 20.9 % and 8.0%, respectively. The mortality for childhood leukemia decreased slowly during the period of 1981 to 2000 in Tianjin. Mortality and morbidity ratios were 0.51., Conclusion: Combined with characteristics of individual forms of childhood leukemia mortality, further epidemiological research is needed to prevent childhood leukemia.

Objective: To study the epidemiological characters and risk factors of renal calculi in Shenzhen for future intervention., Methods: Risk factors of renal calculi were analyzed by factor analysis and linear structural relation model, followed by fitting and evaluating the model., Results: The prevalence rates of renal calculi were 8.00% and 5.12% in males and females. The results of LISEREL showed that the total effect of age and sex affecting the development of renal calculi was 0.4614, with directly effect 0.3600 and indirect 0.1014. The direct effects of blood uric acid, blood calcium and body mass index, blood cholesterol, blood sugar were 0.3400 and 0.3200 respectively. The indirect effect of education, exercise and dietary habit affected the development of renal calculi through index of biochemistry and obesity, were -0.0416 and 0.1882., Conclusion: Sex, age, obesity and high blood cholesterol, high blood sugar, high blood uric acid, high blood calcium were the direct influencing factors to renal calculi. At the same time, education, exercise and dietary habit were also associated with the disease.

Objective: To investigate the risk factors of lung cancer in Tianjin and to provide evidence for further monitor there of., Methods: A case-control study involving interviews with 193 new cases and 259 controls aged 30 - 76 years was carried out. Structured questionnaires were used to collect information on general condition, living environment, living style, disease and family history, etc. Logistic regression model univariate and multivariate analysis were used to pick out the significant lung cancer risk factors., Results: By monovariate analysis, risk factors such as smoking, passive smoking, drinking, history of malignancy in family and occupation were found. By multivariate analysis, smoking, passive smoking, higher body mass index (BMI) and average income and living space per capita ten years earlier were ascertained, their operations research (OR) values were 3.302, 1.193, 1.003, 1.067 and 0.913., Conclusion: Smoking and passive smoking are independent risk factors of lung cancer. Monthly income per person and living space per person 10 years earlier are associated with elevated risk of lung cancer. Higher body mass index has protective effects on lung cancer risk.

The content of seven inorganic elements in Taponin tablet recipe, including calcium, magnesium, iron, manganese, copper, zinc and cadmium were determined by flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The results showed that there were comparatively rich inorganic metal elements. Content of the seven metal elements is that iron > calcium > magnesium > zincr > copper > manganese > cadmium, the content of iron was higher significantly than other inorganic elements in Taponin tablet recipe. It provided useful data for discussing the relationship between the content of inorganic elements in Chinese traditional medicines recipe and the quality control of the recipe, for studying the relationship between the trace element in Chinese traditional medicines recipe and cure for the heart and brain blood vessel disease.

The content of five metal elements in Suxiao Jiuxin pill, such as calcium, magnesium, iron, copper and zinc were determined by flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The ratio of Ca/Mg and Cu/Zn in Suxiao Jiuxin pill had been studied. The results showed that calcium, magnesium, iron, copper and zinc elements in Suxiao Jiuxin pill have comparatively rich. Contents of elements are that calcium is more than iron, iron is more than magnesium, magnesium is more than zinc, zinc is more than copper. It has provided useful data for probing into the relationship between calcium, magnesium, iron, copper and zinc in Suxiao Jiuxin pill and treating coronary heart disease.