Search

C-reactive protein (CRP) is a major acute phase protein and inflammatory marker, the expression of which is largely liver specific and highly inducible. Enhancers are regulatory elements critical for the precise activation of gene expression, yet the contributions of enhancers to the expression pattern of CRP have not been well defined. Here, we identify a constitutively active enhancer (E1) located 37.7 kb upstream of the promoter of human CRP in hepatocytes. By using chromatin immunoprecipitation, luciferase reporter assay, in situ genetic manipulation, CRISPRi, and CRISPRa, we show that E1 is enriched in binding sites for transcription factors STAT3 and C/EBP-β and is essential for the full induction of human CRP during the acute phase. Moreover, we demonstrate that E1 orchestrates with the promoter of CRP to determine its varied expression across tissues and species through surveying activities of E1-promoter hybrids and the associated epigenetic modifications. These results thus suggest an intriguing mode of molecular evolution wherein expression-changing mutations in distal regulatory elements initiate subsequent functional selection involving coupling among distal/proximal regulatory mutations and activity-changing coding mutations.

ObjectiveThere is recent evidence that demonstrates worse oncologic outcomes associated with minimally invasive radical hysterectomy when compared with open radical hysterectomy, particularly in patients with tumors >2 cm. The aim of our study was to retrospectively evaluate the oncological outcomes between laparoscopic and open radical hysterectomy in International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics(FIGO) 2009 stage IB1 (FIGO 2009) cervical cancer patients with tumor size ≤2 cm.MethodsA retrospective review of medical records was performed to identify patients who underwent either laparoscopic or open radical hysterectomy during January 2010 and December 2018. Inclusion criteria were: (1) histologically confirmed cervical cancer including all histological types; (2) FIGO 2009 stage IB1; (3) tumor size ≤2 cm (determined by pelvic examination, magnetic resonance imaging or transvaginal ultrasound); (4) had undergone radical hysterectomy (type II or III) with pelvic and/or para-aortic lymphadenectomy as primary surgical treatment; (5) had follow-up information. Patients with FIGO 2009 stage IA1 or IA2, tumor size >2 cm, or who received neo-adjuvant chemotherapy before surgery, those with cervical cancer incidentally found after simple hysterectomy, or with insufficient data were excluded. Concurrent comparison between the laparoscopic and open cohorts was made for disease-free survival and overall survival.ResultsA total of 325 cervical cancer patients were included; of these, 129 patients underwent laparoscopic surgery and 196 patients had open surgery. The median follow-up times were 51.8 months (range 2–115) for laparoscopic surgery and 49.5 months (range 3–108) for open surgery. Patients in the laparoscopic group had significantly worse 5 year disease-free survival than those in the open group (90.4% vs 97.7%; p=0.02). There was no significant difference in 5 year overall survival between groups (96.9% vs 99.4%, p=0.33). The Cox proportional hazards regression analysis indicated that laparoscopic surgery was associated with lower disease-free survival compared with open surgery (adjusted hazard ratio 4.64, 95% CI 1.26 to 17.06; p=0.02). In patients with non-squamous cell carcinoma or with grade II–III, laparoscopic surgery had a significantly worse 5 year disease-free survival compared with the open surgery group (74% vs 100%, p=0.01, and 88.8% vs 98.0%, p=0.02, respectively).ConclusionLaparoscopic radical hysterectomy was associated with worse disease-free survival for stage IB1 (FIGO 2009) cervical cancer patients with tumor size ≤2 cm compared with open radical hysterectomy. Further studies may shed additional light on the impact of minimally invasive surgery in this low-risk patient population.

Background Circulating levels of the systemic inflammation marker C-reactive protein (CRP) have been associated with increased risk and poor outcomes of many diseases, such as cardiovascular events and cancer. Accumulating evidence has indicated that the conformational rearrangement of human pentameric CRP (pCRP) to monomeric CRP (mCRP) is a prerequisite for participation in the pathogenesis. Therefore, determining the mechanism of the dissociation of pCRP into pro-inflammatory mCRP under physiological/pathological circumstances has been intriguing. Methods The effects of oxidative and acidic stress occurring in inflammation on pCRP were examined by electrophoresis, electron microscopy, protein fluorescence, neoepitope expression and endothelial cell responses. Results Reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated by the copper-hydrogen peroxide system could rapidly induce the dissociation of CRP at mild acidic pH within four hours, but not at physiological pH of 7.4. Meanwhile, mannitol, a ROS scavenger, could not protect against dissociation, which implied that local ROS from accessible histidine residues may be crucially beneficial to the formation of mCRP in a redox-balanced microenvironment. Furthermore, mCRP generated by ROS could be reduced by DTT, which indicated the exposure of functional motif aa35-47, and showed potent proinflammatory actions on endothelial cells, comparable to mCRP generated by urea. Conclusion dissociation of pCRP to mCRP could be rapidly induced by ROS from copper- hydrogen peroxide system in dependence on mildly acidic stress regardless of a redox-balanced microenvironment.

Overexpression of drug efflux transport ABCB1 is correlated with multidrug resistance (MDR) among cancer cells. Upregulation of ABCB1 accounts for the recurrence of resistance to docetaxel therapy in ovarian cancer with poor survival. Erastin is a novel and specific small molecule that targets SLC7A11 to induce ferroptosis. In the present research, we explored the synergistic effect of erastin and docetaxel in ovarian cancer. We confirmed that the co-delivery of erastin with docetaxel significantly decreased cell viability, promoted cell apoptosis, and induced cell cycle arrest at G2/M in ovarian cancer cells with ABCB1 overexpression. Mechanistically, erastin dominantly elevated the intracellular ABCB1 substrate levels by restricting the drug-efflux activity of ABCB1 without alteration of the expression of ABCB1. Consequently, erastin can reverse ABCB1-mediated docetaxel resistance in ovarian cancer, revealing that the combination of erastin and docetaxel may potentially offer an effective administration for chemo-resistant patients suffering from ovarian cancers.

C-reactive protein (CRP) is a major human acute-phase reactant that is composed of five identical subunits. CRP dissociates into subunits at inflammatory loci forming monomeric CRP (mCRP) with substantially enhanced activities, which can be further activated by reducing the intra-subunit disulfide bond. However, conformational changes underlying the activation process of CRP are less well understood. Conformational changes accompanying the conversion of CRP to mCRP with or without reduction were examined with circular dichroism spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, electron microscopy, size-exclusion chromatography, and neoepitope expression. The conversion of CRP to mCRP follows a two-stage process. In the first stage, CRP dissociates into molten globular subunits characterized by intact secondary structure elements with greatly impaired tertiary packing. In the second stage, these intermediates completely lose their native subunit conformation and assemble into high-order aggregates. The inclusion of reductant accelerates the formation of molten globular subunits in the first step and promotes the formation of more compact aggregates in the second stage. We further show a significant contribution of electrostatic interactions to the stabilization of native CRP. The conformational features of dissociated subunits and the aggregation of mCRP may have a key impact on their activities.

Ovarian cancer is one of the most fatal female malignancies while targeting apoptosis is critical for improving ovarian cancer patients' lives. Survivin is regarded as the most robust anti-apoptosis protein, and its overexpression in ovarian cancer is related to poor survival and apoptosis resistance. Piperlongumine (PL) extracted from peppers is defined as an active alkaloid/amide and exhibits a broad spectrum of antitumor effects. Here, we demonstrate that PL induces the rapid depletion of survivin protein levels via reactive oxygen species (ROS)-mediated proteasome-dependent pathway in vitro, while exerting a remarkable inhibitory influence on the proliferation of ovarian cancer cells. Overexpression of survivin raises the survival rate of ovarian cancer cells to PL. Moreover, PL inhibits ovarian cancer cells xenograft tumor growth and downregulates survivin in vivo. Our findings reveal a previously unrecognized mechanism of PL in suppressing survivin expression as well as survivin promotes piperlongumine resistance in ovarian cancer and suggest that ROS-mediated proteasome-dependent pathway can be exploited to overcome apoptosis resistance triggered by aberrant expression of survivin.

Celastrol is a natural triterpene isolated from the Chinese plant Thunder God Vine with potent antitumor activity. However, the effect of celastrol on the growth of ovarian cancer cells in vitro and in vivo is still unclear. In this study, we found that celastrol induced cell growth inhibition, cell cycle arrest in G2/M phase and apoptosis with the increased intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation in ovarian cancer cells. Pretreatment with ROS scavenger N-acetyl-cysteine totally blocked the apoptosis induced by celastrol. Additionally, celastrol inhibited the growth of ovarian cancer xenografts in nude mice. Altogether, these findings suggest celastrol is a potential therapeutic agent for treating ovarian cancer.

To investigate how Chaiyuwendan decoction (CWD) affects endocannabinoid levels in the adipose tissue of depressed rats.Twenty-four male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into four groups with six rats in each. One group was randomly selected as the control group. The remaining three groups were subjected to chronic stress to induce depression. Groups were randomly assigned as a model group, CWD group, and amitriptyline group. CWD was given to the CWD group once a day from the second day of modeling. The amitriptyline group was administered amitriptyline intragastrically (10 mg/kg) once a day. After treatment for 21 days, body weight and fat weight were measured and the levels of N-arachidonoylethanolamine (AEA), 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG), and N-palmitoylethanolamine (PEA) in adipose tissue were determined with liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry.Compared with the control group, body weight, fat weight, AEA, and PEA were significantly lower, and 2-AG was higher, in the model group (P0.05, P0.01). Compared with the model group, body weight, fat weight, the AEA, and PEA levels were significantly higher, and 2-AG level was significantly lower in the CWD group (P0.05). However, the levels did not differ significantly between the CWD group and the amitriptyline group.CWD could regulate the levels of AEA, 2-AG, and PEA in rats with depression induced by chronic stress.

This work evaluates the feasibility of the biodegradable polymers (BDPs) bioreactor concept for removal of perchlorate from groundwater; and the likely impacts of nitrate and pH were also examined. Batch experiments demonstrated clearly that ClO4- was eliminated from the aqueous phase readily under appropriate surface biofilm of enriched mixed consortium on PBS, a new kind of BDPs, with the PBS granules as the sole chemical and physical substrate for the microorganism. Simultaneous perchlorate and nitrate degradation were occurring with the PBS granules degradation to supply conbon source. The optimal pH of perchlorate reduction was at 6.7. Morphological observation indicated the microbes in biofilm decomposed PBS through metabolism and provided carbon source for themselve by releasing small organic molecules.

A kind of controlled-release carbon source, starch / polyvinyl alcohol blends (SPVA), was used as both carbon source and biofilm supporter in laboratory-scale fluidized-bed biofilm reactors (FBBRs) to remove nitrate from groundwater. Results show: when the influent nitrate concentration was 100 mg-N /L, FBBRs packed with SPVA can effectively remove nitrate from groundwater at the condition of temperature 20 °C, hydraulic resident time (HRT) 4 h. The effluent nitrate can meet with the Chinese drinking water standards at low temperature (15-2 °C) by adjusted the HRT of FBBRs. The denitrification rate declined nonlinearly with the decrease of temperature and changed sharply in the range of 20-15 °Cand 10-5 °C.

To observe the effect of geniposide on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), and discuss the mechanism of geniposide for NAFLD from the aspect of free fatty acid, forty healthy Wistar male rats were randomly divided into normal group, model group, geniposide and Xuezhikang group. The rats in normal group were fed with normal diets, and the rats in other 3 groups were given with high-fat diet for 8 weeks to induce the NAFLD models. From the week 5 to end of week 8, the rats in geniposide and Xuezhikang group were intervened with corresponding medicines. The body weight, liver wet weight, and fat weight of the rats were recorded. Visual and pathological changes in hepatic tissues were observed with HE staining. The contents of TG, FFA, FAS, AMPK, ACCase and Malonyl-CoA in hepatic tissue, contents of CHO and LDL-C in serum and activities of AST and ALT in serum were detected by using corresponding methods. The results showed that the body weight, liver wet weight, and fat weight of the rats, CHO, LDL-C, ALT and AST levels in serum, TG, FFA, FAS, ACCase and Malonyl-CoA levels in hepatic tissues of the rats in model group were significantly higher than those in normal group (P

Objective To investigate the influence of Yiqi Huatan Decoction (益气化痰方, YHD) on a model of depression in rats under different pathological conditions.

Objective To investigate the effects of Zhi Zi (Fructus Gardeniae) on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) induced by a high-fat diet in the rat. Methods A rat model of NAFLD was established using a high-fat diet. Twenty one rats were randomly divided into a normal group, a model group and a Zhi Zi treatment group, 7 rats per group. Drinking water and the drug were intragastrically administrated for 5 weeks. Samples were then taken to observe pathological changes of the liver tissue (HE staining); changes in the fat metabolism pathway e. g. triglyceride (TG) and free fatty acid (FFA) content; alterations in liver function, i.e. serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) activity; and differences in tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) and P-lkB protein expression in the liver tissue. Results Fatty degeneration and vacuole-like changes of different degrees occurred in hepatic cells of the model group. Markers for fat metabolism, serum ALT and AST activities, and expression of TNF-α and P-lkB proteins in liver tissue significantly increased. Fat metabolism in the Zhi Zi group significantly reduced, as shown by a drop in marker levels. Serum ALT and AST activities, and expression of TNF-α, P-lkB proteins in liver tissue were also significantly decreased in this group. Conclusion Zhi Zi has a very strong inhibitory action on lipidosis and inflammatory injury in the rat model of NAFLD. This mechanism may possibly be related to the inhibition of the free fatty acid metabolism pathway.

This study aimed to investigate the role of insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) in erectile dysfunction (ED) in two-kidney one-clip (2K–1C) hypertensive rats treated with the β-blocking agent propranolol. Adult male Wistar rats were randomly divided into three groups: a normal control group, a hypertensive control group and a propranolol treatment group (n=9). After 4 weeks of propranolol treatment, intracavernous pressure (ICP) responses to electrical stimulation of the cavernous nerves were evaluated. The expression of IGFBP-3 and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) mRNA and protein in the rat cavernous tissue were detected by quantitative real-time PCR and Western blot, respectively. The concentration of cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) in the cavernous tissue was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Cavernosal pressure in response to cavernous nerve stimulation was decreased 4 weeks after propranolol treatment (P

Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text, Urinary incontinence (UI) is a common complaint for adult female. Cross-sectional studies suggested parity may link with UI, but the association between them was not well-established. We conducted a meta-analysis to investigate the association between parity and UI. Medline and Embase were searched for eligible case–control and cohort studies about parity and UI. Two authors screened the literature and extracted the data independently. Odds ratio (OR) was used as the measure of the effect of parity on UI. We pooled the ORs of different number of parity by a random-effect model. Subgroup analysis was conducted by a subtype of UI. Sensitivity analysis was conducted to see whether the results were stable. Thirteen studies (8 cohorts and 5 case–controls) were included in our meta-analysis, with a total of 74,883 adult females. Our meta-analysis showed that compared with nulliparity, ORs of women with 1, 2, and ≥3 parity were 1.43 [95% confidence interval (95% CI): 0.90–2.28; I2 = 81.4%; n = 4], 1.50 (95% CI: 1.02–2.20; I2 = 82.5%; n = 4), and 1.58 (95% CI: 1.22–2.03; I2 = 70.1%; n = 7) compared with nulliparity. The OR for any multiparity to nulliparity was 1.68 (95% CI: 1.39–2.03; I2 = 0%; n = 4). Subgroup analysis showed that parity was associated with an increased risk of stress UI (OR = 2.32, 95% CI: 1.41–3.81; I2 = 0%; n = 2; 1 compared with null parity) but not urgent UI; However, the definition of parity varies across studies and studies defined parity as delivery times showed higher pooled OR than those not. Sensitivity analysis showed our results were stable. Current evidence suggested that parity was associated with an increased risk of overall and stress UI but not urgency UI, though the definition of parity may differ. Higher parity may have a more significant effect on overall UI. Standardized definition of parity is needed.

Genetic alteration and inflammation underlie the development of cancer [1]. C-reactive protein (CRP) is the most widely used nonspecific marker of inflammation [2], whose serum level has been shown to be associated with the risk and prognosis of several types of cancer [3]. Accumulating evidence supports a role of CRP as a pattern recognition receptor in the innate immunity and inflammation [4]; however, its exact function remains to be defined because mouse is not an appropriate animal model for CRP [5]. Moreover, as a prototypical acute phase reactant, the 2-3-order fluctuation in the serum level of CRP has raised the concern that this molecule is not likely a fine modulator of inflammation [2]. These make it difficult to dissect the contribution of CRP in diseases featured by chronic inflammation, including atherosclerosis [2] and cancer [3]. What makes things even more complicated is the fact that large-scale genetic epidemiologic studies do not support a causal association of CRP with these diseases [6, 7]. Therefore, it remains elusive whether CRP is a passive marker or plays a direct role in tumorigenesis.

To investigate the influence of Yiqi Huatan Decoction (, YHD) on a model of depression in rats under different pathological conditions.Thirty-two male SD rats were randomly divided into 4 groups of 8: normal, model, YHD, and maprotiline. The model group, YHD group and maprotiline group used separate feeding and rats were exposed to chronic and unpredictable stress to build the depression model. From day 2, the YHD group and maprotiline group were respectively given YHD (7 g/kg) and maprotiline (10 mg/kg) by gastrogavage once daily. The normal and model groups were given the same volume of drinking water. The medication duration were 21 days. At the end of the experiment, the serum levels of copper and zinc were determined by atomic absorption spectroscopy, plasma concentrations of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and cortisol (COR) were detected by radioimmunoassay, and levels of norepinephrine (NE), dopamine (DA), and 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) in the hypothalamus were analysed by high performance liquid chromatography-eletricochemistry.Compared with the content of copper and zinc in the serum of rats in the normal group, serum copper levels in model rats were significantly increased and zinc content was significantly reduced (both P0.05). Plasma concentrations of ACTH and COR in the model group were significantly increased compared with those in the normal group (P0.05, P0.01). The contents of NE, DA, and 5-HT in the hypothalamus of rats in the model group were significantly reduced compared with those of the normal group (P0.05 or P0.01). Compared with those in the model group, the serum copper content and plasma concentrations of ACTH and COR were significantly decreased (all P0.05); meanwhile, serum zinc content and hypothalamic contents of NE, DA, and 5-HT were significantly increased in rats of the YHD group (all P0.05). The same effects were also shown in the maprotiline group except for 5-HT (all P0.05)The pharmacological actions of YHD for depression might be related to improving trace-element anomalies, reversing endocrine dysfunction, and modulating the disorders of monoaminergic neurotransmitters.

C-reactive protein (CRP) has been implicated in the regulation of inflammation underlying coronary artery disease; however, little is known about the molecular mechanisms responsible for the expression of its pro- or anti-inflammatory activities. Here, we have identified the intrasubunit disulfide bond as a conserved switch that controls the structure and functions of CRP. Conformational rearrangement in human pentameric CRP to monomeric CRP (mCRP) is the prerequisite for this switch to be activated by reducing agents, including thioredoxin. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed 36-79% colocalization of thioredoxin and mCRP in human advanced coronary atherosclerotic lesions. Nonreduced mCRP was largely inert in activating human coronary artery endothelial cells (HCAECs), whereas reduced or cysteine-mutated mCRP evoked marked release of IL-8 and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 from HCAECs, with ~50% increase at a concentration of 1 μg/ml. Reduced mCRP was ~4 to 40-fold more potent than mCRP in up-regulating adhesion molecule expression, promoting U937 monocyte adhesion to HCAECs, and inducing cytokine release from rabbit arteries ex vivo and in mice. These actions were primarily due to unlocking the lipid raft interaction motif. Therefore, expression of proinflammatory properties of CRP on endothelial cells requires sequential conformational changes, i.e., loss of pentameric symmetry followed by reduction of the intrasubunit disulfide bond.

To probe into the mechanism of acupuncture for treatment of depression.Thirty-two healthy SD male rats were randomly divided into a normal group, a model group, an electroacupuncture (EA) group and a Maprotiline group. The depression rat model was made in the latter three groups, and from the second day of the experiment EA was given at Baihui (GV 20), "Yintang" (EX-HN 1), "Zusanli" (ST 36) and "Fenglong" (ST 40) in the EA group, once every other day; the rats in the Maprotiline group were treated with oral administration of Maprotiline hydrochroride, once each day. After treatment of 3 weeks, changes of behaviors, plasma cortisol (COR) level and expressions of protein kinase A (PKA) and protein kinase C (PKC) in hippocampus were observed in the rats.In the depression model rats, the body weight increased slowly, and horizontal and vertical activities and consumption of sugar liquid significantly decreased; plasma cortisol content significantly increased; expressions of PKA and PKC in the hippocampus significantly reduced. In the rats of EA group, the score of behaviors, the consumption of sugar liquid and the increase of body weight were not significantly different to those in the model group, but the plasma cortisol level significantly decreased and closed to the normal level, and positive expressions of PKA and PKC in the hippocampus could be effectively reversed. In the Maprotiline group, the consumption of sugar liquid significantly increased and plasma cortisol level significantly decreased, and expressions of PKA and PKC in the hippocampus increased as compared with those in the model group.The depression model rat has dysfunction of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPAA) and EA can regulate functions of HPAA. The mechanism is possibly carried out by regulating functions of relative enzymes in the signal transduction pathway in hippocampal cells.

PBS, a new kind of biodegradable polymers (BDPs), can be used as carbon source and biofilm carrier to remove nitrate from drinking water source. The effect of denitrification on the surface configuration and chemical composition of PBS was analyzed by using IR spectrum and SEM observation. The results showed that PBS could be only decomposed under attack of microbial enzymes and provided the carbon source for biomass. Influent nitrate concentration (53 mg x L- 1) can be reduced to less than 10 mg x L(-1) within 12 h. The IR spectrum showed that under development of denitrifying biofilm, absorption band at 2 925 cm(-1),2 850 cm(-1), 3200 cm(-1) -3410 cm-1 became weak, which suggested that the content of methyl or hydroxyl group in PBS decreased slightly, and the other functional groups were not influenced apparently. The main monomer gradients of PBS, such as starch and ethylene, could all be utilized as carbon source by denitrifiers. The SEM observation indicated that the cavity could be formed on the PBS granular surface, which increased the area for denitrifiers to attach. The formation of the cavity structure on the PBS surface was beneficial to further development of compact biofilm, which can protect denitrifiers.

PBS, a new kind of biodegradable polymers (BDPs), was used as carbon source and biofilm carrier to remove nitrate from drinking water. The effect of pH was investigated in detail and the results show that fine biofilm can form on the surface of PBS granules and protect denitrifiers. PBS denitrification system can endure higher pH shocking than that of traditional carrier. When influent pH was between 5.0 to approximately 9.0, effluent pH tended to be neutral and denitrification rate was 0.60 to approximately 0.63 mg/(g x d) while the maximum value was 0.70 mg/(g x d) (pH 7.5 to approximately 8.0). Effluent nitrite level was unstable when pH of solution was 6 to approximately 8. It was as high as 0.7 mg/L when pH was below 6 and no more than 0.1 mg/L when pH was higher than 8.

C-reactive protein (CRP) is an established marker of inflammation with pattern-recognition receptor-like activities. Despite the close association of the serum level of CRP with the risk and prognosis of several types of cancer, it remains elusive whether CRP contributes directly to tumorigenesis or just represents a bystander marker. We have recently identified recurrent mutations at the SNP position -286 (rs3091244) in the promoter of CRP gene in several tumor types, instead suggesting that locally produced CRP is a potential driver of tumorigenesis. However, it is unknown whether the -286 site is the sole SNP position of CRP gene targeted for mutation and whether there is any association between CRP SNP mutations and other frequently mutated genes in tumors. Herein, we have examined the genotypes of three common CRP non-coding SNPs (rs7553007, rs1205, rs3093077) in tumor/normal sample pairs of 5 cancer types (n = 141). No recurrent somatic mutations are found at these SNP positions, indicating that the -286 SNP mutations are preferentially selected during the development of cancer. Further analysis reveals that the -286 SNP mutations of CRP tend to co-occur with mutated APC particularly in rectal cancer (p = 0.04; n = 67). By contrast, mutations of CRP and p53 or K-ras appear to be unrelated. There results thus underscore the functional importance of the -286 mutation of CRP in tumorigenesis and imply an interaction between CRP and Wnt signaling pathway.

Objective To investigate the expression of insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) in penile cavernous of streptozotocin (STZ)-induced DM rats and whether downregulation of IGFBP-3 by intracavernosal injection of short hairpin ribonucleic acid (shRNA) targeting IGFBP-3 could improve the erectile function in DM rats. Materials and Methods Diabetes was induced in rats by intraperitoneal injection of STZ, and the expression of IGFBP-3 in the penile tissue of adult normal and DM male rats was assayed using reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction and Western blot. Next, shRNA-targeting IGFBP-3 and a scramble sequence were injected into the penile corpora cavernosa of DM rats. At 12 weeks after shRNA-IGFBP-3 administration, the intracavernous pressure in response to electrical stimulation of the cavernous nerves was evaluated. The expression of IGFBP-3 was assayed by Western blot. The concentration of cyclic guanosine monophosphate in the corpus cavernosum was assayed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results At 12 week after intraperitoneal administration of STZ, IGFBP-3 expression had increased in the penis of the DM rat (P

A new kind of biodegradable polymer, PBS, was used as both carbon source and biofilm support in a fixed-bed reactor to remove nitrate from groundwater. The experimental results showed that the denitrifying bacteria can easily attach to the surface of PBS granules and adapt to use PBS as carbon source. The SEM observation indicated that the fine biofilm can develop on the surface of PBS granules within 15 days. The denitrification rate increased with temperature increase in the range of 10-35°C, the maximum denitrification rate reached 1.00 mg/g.d at 35°C. Continuous experiment results showed that nitrate (50 mg/l) can be removed effectively and nitrite did not accumulate in the effluent.

Objective To investigate the effects on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in rats of the decoction of Yiqihuoxue formula and the solution prepared with the extracts from the individual herbal medicines of the formula. Methods The rat models of NAFLD were established with high-fat diet (HFD) for 10 weeks. Thirty-two rats were randomly divided into 4 groups: the control group, the model group, the decoction group and the solution group, 8 for each group. From the 6th week, drinking water, the decoction and the solution were intragastrically administrated accordingly to the rats for 5 weeks. The pathological changes of the liver tissues were observed with Hematoxylin and eosin staining, triglyceride levels in liver tissues measured, serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activity measured, and serum gastrin and motilin tested. Results Fatty degeneration and vacuole-like changes to various degrees occurred in hepatic cells of the model group. Indicators for fat metabolism, serum ALT activity and hepatic triglyceride level significantly increased, while serum gastrin and motilin levels significantly decreased. Serum ALT activity and the fatty deposition in hepatocytes were significantly reduced. In the meantime, the expressions of gastrin and motilin in the serum rose significantly in the treatment groups. Conclusion Both the decoction and the extracts-mixed solution had effect on NAFLD of protecting the liver function and reducing the fatty deposition in liver, which might be achieved by regulating the expression of gastrin and motilin.

ObjectiveTo investigate effect of electroacupuncture (EA) on serum copper, zinc, calcium and magnesium levels in the rat models of depression.MethodsForty healthy SD male rats were divided into a normal group, a model group, an EA group, and a maprotiline group, 10 in each with completely random. The depression models were prepared with isolated chronic unpredictable stress method in the latter three groups. EA was given at Baihui (GV 20), Yintang (EX-HN3), Fenglong (ST 40), and Taichong (LR 3) in the EA group from the second day of modeling, once every other day, 15 min each time. The maprotiline group was administered intragastrically suspension of maprotiline (10 mg/kg), once each day. After treatment for 3 weeks, serum copper and zinc levels were detected with atomic absorption method, and the serum calcium with Arsenazo III method and magnesium with MTB method.ResultsCompared with the normal group, the serum copper level (3.90±1.20mmol/L) significantly increased and the serum zinc level (2.08±0.44mmol/L) significantly decreased in the model group (P