Search

Objective To compare the sensitivity of deleted in breast cancer 1 (DBC1) in triple-negative breast cancer cell lines HCC-70 and MDA-MB-231 to DNA damage agents. Methods The HCC-70 cell strain with DBC1 knockdown was generated by lentivirus infection. Etoposide was used to induce DNA damage. The DNA damage repair proteins and cell cycle regulation proteins were detected by Western blot; the cell survival rates were detected by CCK8 test; the apoptosis was measured by flow cytometry. Results Etoposide changed cell survival rate and apoptosis of HCC-70 cells but not statistically significant, while the decrease of the survival rate and apoptosis level of MDA-MB-231 cells was significant (P＜ 0.001). There was a negative correlation between the expression of DBC1 protein in HCC-70 and MDA-MB-231 cells; after knocking down DBC1 in HCC-70 cells to close to the level of MDA-MB-231 cells, the level of Bloom's syndrom helicase(BLM), p21, cell survival rate (P＜0.001) and apoptosis rate (P＜0.01) were similar to those of MDA-MB-231 cells; the combination of ML216, an inhibitor of BLM, and etoposide significantly decreased the survival rate of MDA-MB-231 cells increased apoptosis (P＜0.01). Conclusions DBC1 is able to affect the sensitivity of breast cancer cells to DNA damage reagent etoposide and ML216 can increase the sensitivity of etoposide to breast cancer cells with low expression of DBC1.

Although scholars have conducted many studies on barchan dunes in deserts and sandy areas around the world, few studies have been conducted on the morphological characteristics and changes in movement patterns of barchan dunes in the Yamarak Desert, China. To assess the changes in and movement patterns of these dunes, As well as the impact on the wind-sand hazards and geohazards around the study area, we selected several typical barchan dunes of different sizes in the Yamarak Desert and measured and calculated their morphologies using a combination of a 3-D laser scanner (RIEGL VZ-2000) and remote sensing image interpretation. The results show that the average coverage of the barchan dunes in the Yamarak Desert was 37.19%. Moreover, 62.81% of this area was covered by interdune sites. The movement velocity of the barchan dunes in this study area was 0–20 m/a, with an average movement velocity of 8.45 m/a. Of these dunes, 44.18% were fast-dominated dunes, 37.20% were particularly fast-dominated dunes, and 18.62% were moderately fast-dominated dunes. The barchan dunes moved in the 95–130° direction, which was basically consistent with the main wind direction of the area. The determination and function fitting of the barchan dune morphology shows that the correlation coefficients between all of the morphological parameters are greater than 0.8, except for the degree of spread and the symmetry of the two wings. We suggest adding the influences of other factors affecting barchan dunes and dune chains in the Yamarak Desert in future studies and paying attention to new wind-sand hazards and geohazards in the downwind corridor.

The muon collider provides a unique opportunity to study the vector boson scattering processes and dimension-8 operators contributing to anomalous quartic gauge couplings (aQGCs). Because of the cleaner final state, it is easier to decode subprocess and certain operator couplings at a muon collider. We attempt to identify the anomalous WWWW coupling in the exclusive WW → WW scattering in this paper. Since one aQGC can be induced by multiple dimension-8 operators, the study of one coupling can help to confine different operators. Meanwhile, singling out the WW → WW process can help to study the unitarity bounds. The vector boson scattering process corresponding to the anomalous WWWW coupling is μ+μ− → νν ν ¯ ν ¯ ℓ+ℓ−, with four (anti-)neutrinos in the final state, which brings troubles in phenomenological studies. In this paper, the machine learning method is used to tackle this problem. We find that, the artificial neural network is helpful to extract the W+W− → W+W− contribution, and reconstruct the center of mass energy of the subprocess which is important in the study of the Standard Model effective field theory. The sensitivities and the expected constraints on the dimension-8 operators at the muon collider with s = 30 TeV are presented. We demonstrate that the artificial neural networks exhibit great potential in the phenomenological study of processes with multiple neutrinos in the final state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study of tissue distribution of classical swine fever virus in acute infection stage using SYBR real time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay, which showed high sensitivity and specificity compared with common PCR and nested PCR method.

Arabidopsis thaliana homeodomain-leucine zipper protein 1 (HAT1) belongs to the homeodomain-leucine zipper (HD-Zip) family class II that plays important roles in plant growth and development as a transcription factor. To elucidate further the role of HD-Zip II transcription factors in plant defense, the A. thaliana hat1, hat1hat3 and hat1hat2hat3 mutants and HAT1 overexpression plants (HAT1OX) were challenged with Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV). HAT1OX displayed more susceptibility, while loss-of-function mutants of HAT1 exhibited less susceptibility to CMV infection. HAT1 and its close homologs HAT2 and HAT3 function redundantly, as the triple mutant hat1hat2hat3 displayed increased virus resistance compared with the hat1 and hat1hat3 mutants. Furthermore, the induction of the antioxidant system (the activities and expression of enzymatic antioxidants) and the expression of defense-associated genes were down-regulated in HAT1OX but up-regulated in hat1hat2hat3 when compared with Col-0 after CMV infection. Further evidence showed that the involvement of HAT1 in the anti-CMV defense response might be dependent on salicylic acid (SA) but not jasmonic acid (JA). The SA level or expression of SA synthesis-related genes was decreased in HAT1OX but increased in hat1hat2hat3 compared with Col-0 after CMV infection, but there were little difference in JA level or JA synthesis-related gene expression among HAT1OX or defective plants. In addition, HAT1 expression is dependent on SA accumulation. Taken together, our study indicated that HAT1 negatively regulates plant defense responses to CMV., (© The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Japanese Society of Plant Physiologists. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Recent studies reported that brassinosteroids (BRs) can induce plant tolerance to different environmental stresses via the nitric oxide (NO) signaling pathway. Previous reports have indicated that alternative oxidase (AOX) plays an important role in plants under various stresses. The mechanisms governing how NO is involved as a signal molecule which connects BR with AOX in regulating stress tolerance are still unknown. Recently, we found that Nicotiana benthamiana seedlings which were pretreated with BR have more tolerance to salt stress, accompanied with an increase of CN-resistant respiration. Our results suggested that pretreatment with 0.1 μM brassinolide (BL, the most active brassinosteroid) alleviated salt-induced oxidative damage and increased the NbAOX1 transcript level. Application of 2-(4-carboxyphenyl)-4,4,5,5-tetramethyl-imidazoline-1-1-oxyl-3-oxide (cPTIO, an NO scavenger) or virus-induced gene silencing of nitrate reductase (NR) and nitric oxide synthase (NOS)-like enzyme compromised the BRs-induced alternative respiratory pathway. Furthermore, pretreatment with specific chemical inhibitors of NR and NOS or gene silencing experiments decreased plant resistance to salt stress which also compromised BRs-induced salt stress tolerance. In conclusion, NO is involved in BRs-induced AOX capability which plays essential roles in salt tolerance in N. benthamiana seedlings., (© 2015 Scandinavian Plant Physiology Society.)

Objective: To determine the plasma protein binding rate of arctiin and arctigenin., Method: The ultrafiltration combined with HPLC was employed to determine the plasma protein binding rate of arctiin and arctigenin as well as rat plasma and healthy human plasma proteins., Result: The plasma protein binding rate of arctiin with rat plasma at the concentrations of 64. 29, 32.14, 16.07 mg x L(-1) were (71.2 +/- 2.0)%, (73.4 +/- 0.61)%, (78.2 +/- 1.9)%, respectively; while the plasma protein binding rate of arctiin with healthy human plasma at the above concentrations were (64.8 +/- 3.1)%, (64.5 +/- 2.5)%, (77.5 +/- 1.7)%, respectively. The plasma protein binding rate of arctigenin with rat plasma at the concentrations of 77.42, 38.71, 19.36 mg x L(-1) were (96.7 +/- 0.41)%, (96.8 +/- 1.6)%, (97.3 +/- 0.46)%, respectively; while the plasma protein binding rate of arctigenin with normal human plasma at the above concentrations were (94.7 +/- 3.1)%, (96.8 +/- 1.6)%, (97.9 +/- 1.3)%, respectively., Conclusion: The binding rate of arctiin with rat plasma protein was moderate, which is slightly higher than the binding rate of arctiin with healthy human plasma protein. The plasma protein binding rates of arctigenin with both rat plasma and healthy human plasma are very high.

Objective: To assess the recovery of the reproductive endocrine function in rats following orthotopic transplantation of fetal ovarian allograft., Methods: Ninety female SD rats (50-60 days old) were randomized into graft recipient group (n=50), positive control group (n=20), and negative control group (n=20) to receive orthotopic transplantation of fetal (17-19 gestational days) ovaries following bilateral oophorectomy, sham abdominal surgery, and bilateral oophorectomy, respectively. At 45 days after the surgeries, serum estradiol and progesterone levels were measured and the ovaries were removed for evaluation of the ovarian volume and follicle development., Results: On day 45 after the operations, the estradiol or progesterone levels showed no significant difference between the recipient group and positive control group (P>0.05), but both were significantly lowered in the negative control group (P<0.05). The ovarian volume was comparable between the recipient group and positive control group (P>0.05), and optical microscopy showed follicles in different stages of development and formation of corpus luteum in the ovaries in both groups., Conclusion: Fetal rat ovary allografts can develop into functional ovaries capable of ovulation to restore the reproductive endocrine function of recipient female rats.

Objective: To explore the molecular mechanism and prevention of retinoic acid syndrome (RAS)., Methods: SDF-1 alpha mRNA from healthy adult lung tissue was measured by RT-PCR, CXCR4 protein expression on the cell membrane of APL cells induced by ATRA (APL-ATRA) was tested by FCM, and the rotary cell culture system (RCCS) was used to build a modal for in vitro stimulation of APL-ATRA infiltrating human lung tissue. The ability of APL-ATRA in adhesion, migration and infiltration was observed by interference from DEX, Ara-C and DNR., Results: The APL-ATRA cells could evidently infiltrate into normal lung tissue. Mean fluorescence intensity (MFI) of CXCR4 on the cell membrane of APL-ATRA cells was 30.6 +/- 1.8, which was much higher than that on unspecialized APL cells (9.8 +/- 4.2). SDF-1 alpha mRNA expression was detected positive in all 6 lung tissue. Contrary to the control groups, DEX could dramatically restrain the ability of APL-ATRA cells in adhesion and migration [(27.2 +/- 2.6)% vs. (46.0 +/- 3.0)%, (28.1 +/- 4.0)% vs. (48.2 +/- 3.0)%], while Ara-C and DNR could distinctly depress the ability in adhesion, migration and infiltration [(28.1 +/- 3.0)%, (30.2 +/- 3.2)% vs. (46.0 +/- 3.0)%; (29.0 +/- 4.0)%, (23.0 +/- 5.2)% vs. (48.2 +/- 3.0)%; (16.8 +/- 7.6)%, (17.1 +/- 6.0)% vs. (43.6 +/- 5.0)%]., Conclusion: In vitro APL-ATRA cells can infiltrate into the human lung tissue. High expression of CXCR4 on APL-ATRA and SDF-1 alpha in the lung tissue may be one of the molecular mechanisms of the lung infiltration and RAS. DEX, Ara-C and DNR can dramatically restrain the ability of APL-ATRA cells in adhesion, migration and infiltration.

Objective: To study the main side effects of As(2)O(3) and the way of prevention., Methods: The changes of body weight and various systems of body were observed after treatment with As(2)O(3) injection. The arsenic content in blood, urine and hair was detected with atom absorbed-spectrum analysis., Results: Mild reactions were observed in 57.43% (147/256) of the patients and they could subside after cessation of arsenic treatment or allotherapy. Chronic mild poisoning manifestations including arsenic furuncle, liver dysfunction and peripheral nerve injury were found in 2.73% (7/256) of the patients and they subsided gradually after treatment. Chronic severe poisoning was found in 1.17% of the patients and all of them died of liver failure. As(2)O(3) might cause decrease of peripheral blood WBC in catabatic patients. There was no infection after allopathy without ceasing arsenic medication. The results showed that As(2)O(3) could distribute over and discharge from the plasma without accumulation in blood. The results also demonstrated the main route of excretion for As(2)O(3) is through urine and there is definite accumulation in the hair 50 days after treatment., Conclusion: Most of the side effects of As(2)O(3) are mild and recoverable. Allotherapy could be effective to relieve the complications without stopping arsenic medication. A few patients with complicating hepatitis may suffer from chronic poisoning. As(2)O(3) may cause increase of peripheral blood WBC in induced catabatic APL patients. The side effects must be prevented early.

This study was aimed to investigate the correlation of thrombosis with increased platelet turnover in essential thrombocythemia. According to presence or absence of thrombosis, 26 patients with ET were divided into two groups. Reticulated platelets (RP) were measured by flow cytometry and 26 healthy volunteers were selected as healthy controls. The ET patients with thrombosis were treated with hydroxyurea and interferon-alpha. The results demonstrated that the ET patients with thrombotic events had a significantly higher RP percentage (14.8% +/- 7.2%) than that in both asymptomatic ET patients (4.5% +/- 2.3%) and normal control (3.3% +/- 1.5%), (P < 0.05); the RP percentage in asymptomatic ET patients did not differ significantly from controls. ET patients with thrombosis also had a significantly higher absolute RP (ARP) count than those in ET patients without thrombosis [(176 +/- 37) x 10(9)/L vs (46 +/- 12) x 10(9)/L]. The ET patients with thrombosis were successfully treated with hydroxyurea plus INF-alpha, the RP percentage and ARP counts obviously reduced. In conclusion, when the ET patients had thrombotic events, those patients had a significantly higher RP percentage and ARP compared with patients without thrombosis and healthy controls. The ET patients with thrombosis were successfully treated with hydroxyurea plus INF-alpha.