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Ye Wang,1,* Qi-Wei Yang,1,2,* Qing Yang,2,* Tie Zhou,1 Min-Feng Shi,1,3 Chen-Xia Sun,4 Xiu-Xia Gao,4 Yan-Qiong Cheng,1 Xin-Gang Cui,2 Ying-Hao Sun1 1Department of Urology, Changhai Hospital, 2Department of Urology, The Third Affiliated Hospital, 3Reproductive Center, Changhai Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, 4The Reproductive Center, Institute for Nutritional Sciences, Shanghai Institute for Biological Science, Chinese Academy of Science, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China *These authors contributed equally to this work Abstract: Disordered copper metabolism plays a critical role in the development of various cancers. As a nanomedicine containing copper, cuprous oxide nanoparticles (CONPs) exert ideal antitumor pharmacological effects in vitro and in vivo. Prostate cancer is a frequently diagnosed male malignancy prone to relapse, and castration resistance is the main reason for endocrine therapy failure. However, whether CONPs have the potential to treat castration-resistant prostate cancer is still unknown. Here, using the castration-resistant PC-3 human prostate cancer cell line as a model, we report that CONPs can selectively induce apoptosis and inhibit the proliferation of cancer cells in vitro and in vivo without affecting normal prostate epithelial cells. CONPs can also attenuate the stemness of cancer cells and inhibit the Wnt signaling pathway, both of which highlight the great potential of CONPs as a new clinical castration-resistant prostate cancer therapy. Keywords: cuprous oxide nanoparticle, prostate cancer, CRPC, nanomedicine, Wnt signaling pathway

Background: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune condition characterized by inflammation and the deterioration of joints. Current treatments often have side effects, highlighting the need for safer options. This study investigates the therapeutic effects of Kunduan Yimu Decoction (KDYMD) on RA, focusing on the role of miR-124 in regulating Th17/Treg differentiation., Methods: PBMCs from RA patients were analyzed before and after KDYMD treatment. RT-qPCR was used to measure the miR-124 expressions. Flow cytometry was used to assess the ratios of Th17 to Treg cells. ELISA was used to quantify the cytokine concentrations. The effects of KDYMD on JAK2/STAT3 signaling were evaluated by western blot analysis. A CIA mouse model was used to validate the in vivo effects of KDYMD., Results: MiR-124 expression was significantly upregulated in PBMCs of RA patients after KDYMD treatment. This upregulation was associated with increased Tip60 and Foxp3 expression and decreased RORγt expression. In the cytokine analysis, IL-1, IL-6, and IL-17A were decreased, and IL-10 and TGF- were increased after treatment. Flow cytometry showed a restoration of the Th17/Treg balance, with a decrease in Th17 and an increase in Treg cells. In vivo, KDYMD treatment ameliorated ankle swelling and arthritis index in CIA mice, comparable to methotrexate (MTX). In addition, KDYMD modulated JAK2/STAT3 signaling and enhanced anti-inflammatory responses., Conclusions: KDYMD exerts significant anti-inflammatory effects in RA by upregulating miR-124, which in turn regulates Th17/Treg differentiation and modulates JAK2/STAT3 signaling. A novel mechanism involving miR-124 and immune cell balance suggests KDYMD could be a promising therapeutic agent for RA., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Qiang Xu reports financial support was provided by Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine. Qiang Xu reports financial support was provided by the Natural Science Foundation of the Department of Education of Guangdong Province. If there are other authors, they 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 © 2024 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Previous studies have reported that the inappropriate use of allopurinol may increase the risk of cerebrovascular accidents, but some studies have also confirmed that allopurinol is a protective factor against stroke. To clarify whether there is a relevant causal relationship between allopurinol and cerebral infarction, we conducted a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) study., Methods: Data on single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with allopurinol and genome-wide association studies of cerebral infarction were obtained from the genome-wide association study (GWAS) web site. Five basic MR analyses were performed using MR-Egger regression, weighted median (WM1), inverse variance weighting (IVW), weighted mode (WM2), and simple mode. Sensitivity analysis was subsequently performed to detect horizontal pleiotropy, heterogeneity, and potential outliers. The final analysis results were mainly based on the IVW estimates., Results: A total of 10 SNPs were used as instrumental variables (IVs). MR analysis [(IVW: odds ratio (OR) = 1.053, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.019-1.088, P = 0.002), (WM1: OR = 1.053, 95% CI: 1.009-1.098, P = 0.017), (WM2: OR = 1.050, 95% CI: 1.008-1.095, P = 0.044), (MR Egger: Q = 4.285, P = 0.830)] showed a positive causal association between allopurinol and the risk of cerebral infarction. Sensitivity analysis such as horizontal pleiotropy and heterogeneity increased the reliability of this result., Conclusion: The results of this study provide direct evidence that there is a causal relationship between allopurinol and cerebral infarction and that allopurinol may increase the risk of cerebral infarction., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interest., (© 2024 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society.)

Objective: To compare the effects of tofacitinib and adalimumab on the risk of adverse lipidaemia outcomes in patients with newly diagnosed rheumatoid arthritis (RA)., Methods: Data of adult patients newly diagnosed with RA who were treated with tofacitinib or adalimumab at least twice during a 3-year period from 1 January 2018 to 31 December 2020, were enrolled in the TriNetX US Collaborative Network. Patient demographics, comorbidities, medications, and laboratory data were matched by propensity score at baseline. Outcome measurements include incidental risk of dyslipidemia, major adverse cardiac events (MACE) and all-cause mortality., Results: A total of 7,580 newly diagnosed patients with RA (1998 receiving tofacitinib, 5,582 receiving adalimumab) were screened. After propensity score matching, the risk of dyslipidaemia outcomes were higher in the tofacitinib cohort, compared with adalimumab cohort (hazard ratio [HR] with 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.250 [1.076-1.453]). However, there is no statistically significant differences between two cohorts on MACE (HR, 0.995 [0.760-1.303]) and all-cause mortality (HR, 1.402 [0.887-2.215])., Conclusion: Tofacitinib use in patients with RA may increase the risk of dyslipidaemia to some extent compared to adalimumab. However, there is no differences on MACE and all-cause mortality., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Ma, Shi, Wang, Feng, Chen, Zhong, Liu, Cheng-Chung Wei, Lin and Xu.)

Objective: To investigate the value of systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS), pediatric sequential organ failure assessment (pSOFA) and pediatric critical illness score (PCIS) in predicting mortality of pediatric sepsis in pediatric intensive care units (PICU) from Southwest China. Methods: This was a prospective multicenter observational study. A total of 447 children with sepsis admitted to 12 PICU in Southwest China from April 2022 to March 2023 were enrolled. Based on the prognosis, the patients were divided into survival group and non-survival group. The physiological parameters of SIRS, pSOFA and PCIS were recorded and scored within 24 h after PICU admission. The general clinical data and some laboratory results were recorded. The area under the curve (AUC) of the receiver operating characteristic curve was used to compare the predictive value of SIRS, pSOFA and PCIS in mortality of pediatric sepsis. Results: Amongst 447 children with sepsis, 260 patients were male and 187 patients were female, aged 2.5 (0.8, 7.0) years, 405 patients were in the survival group and 42 patients were in the non-survival group. 418 patients (93.5%) met the criteria of SIRS, and 440 patients (98.4%) met the criteria of pSOFA≥2. There was no significant difference in the number of items meeting the SIRS criteria between the survival group and the non-survival group (3(2, 4) vs. 3(3, 4) points, Z= 1.30, P= 0.192). The pSOFA score of the non-survival group was significantly higher than that of the survival group (9(6, 12) vs . 4(3, 7) points, Z= 6.56, P< 0.001), and the PCIS score was significantly lower than that of the survival group (72(68, 81) vs . 82(76, 88) points, Z= 5.90, P< 0.001). The predictive value of pSOFA (AUC=0.82) and PCIS (AUC=0.78) for sepsis mortality was significantly higher than that of SIRS (AUC=0.56) ( Z= 6.59, 4.23, both P< 0.001). There was no significant difference between pSOFA and PCIS ( Z= 1.35, P= 0.176). Platelet count, procalcitonin, lactic acid, albumin, creatinine, total bilirubin, activated partial thromboplastin time, prothrombin time and international normalized ratio were all able to predict mortality of sepsis to a certain degree (AUC=0.64, 0.68, 0.80, 0.64, 0.68, 0.60, 0.77, 0.75, 0.76, all P< 0.05). Conclusion: Compared with SIRS, both pSOFA and PCIS had better predictive value in the mortality of pediatric sepsis in PICU.

Background: As a new-generation androgen-receptor antagonist, enzalutamide is a first-choice drug for advanced prostate cancer (PCa) patients. However, secondary resistance to enzalutamide poses a new challenge in the treatment of cancer. Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) regulates cell function through many levels and mechanisms, and also plays an important role in the biological behaviors of tumors., Methods: LncRNA microarrays were used to detect enzalutamide-resistant related lncRNA in Enzalutamide-resistant C4-2 (C4-2 ENZ-R) cells and corresponding parent cells. Cell Counting Kit 8, flow cytometry, and transwell assays were used to test the effect of lncRNA NONHSAT210528 on the function of PCa cells. RNA pulls down and the luciferase report gene was used to detect the competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) mechanism. The culture supernatant of C4-2 and C4-2b cells was transferred to the lower chamber for transwell assay of human umbilical endothelial cells (HUVECs)., Results: The lncRNA microarray analysis showed that there were significant differences in the expression of many lncRNAs between the C4-2 ENZ-R and C4-2 cells. The real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) detection showed that the expression of lncRNA NONHSAT210528 was significantly higher in the C4-2 ENZ-R cells than the C4-2 cells. The Transwell assays showed that lncRNA NONHSAT210528 overexpression increased the invasion of the C4-2 and C4-2b cells. The cell-wound scratch and the transwell assays showed that the culture supernatant of C4-2 and C4-2b cells with overexpressed lncRNA NONHSAT210528 promoted the migration and invasion of HUVECs. Furthermore, lncRNA NONHSAT210528 regulated the expression of YOD1 dependent on miR-21., Conclusions: Enzalutamide-resistant related lncRNA NONHSAT210528 appears to promote the proliferation and invasion of PCa cells by functioning as a ceRNA and regulating the miR-21-5p/YOD1 signal pathway., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: The author has completed the ICMJE uniform disclosure form (available at https://tau.amegroups.com/article/view/10.21037/tau-22-99/coif). The author has no conflicts of interest to declare., (2022 Translational Andrology and Urology. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: To study the effects of alfacalcidol on serum 25-(OH)D 3 level, cellular immune function, and inflammatory factors in children with Henoch-Schönlein purpura (HSP)., Methods: A total of 200 children with HSP were prospectively enrolled from June 2018 to June 2020. According to the random number table method, they were divided into an observation group and a control group ( n =100 each). The control group was treated with vitamin C, rutin tablets, dipyridamole, cimetidine, calcium supplements, and glucocorticoids. In addition to the treatment for the control group, the observation group received alfacalcidol capsules (0.25 μg/d) orally before bed for 4 weeks. The two groups were compared in terms of the level of 25-(OH)D 3 , the percentages of T lymphocyte subsets (CD3 + , CD4 + , and CD8 + ) and NK cells, and the levels of inflammatory factors, interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-17 (IL-17), interleukin-21 (IL-21), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), before treatment and after 4 weeks of treatment. The children were followed up for 6 months to determine the recurrence rate and the incidence of renal damage., Results: After treatment, the observation group showed a significantly higher serum 25-(OH)D 3 level, significantly higher percentages of CD3 + T cells, CD4 + T cells, and NK cells, and significantly lower levels of IL-6, IL-17, IL-21, and TNF-α compared with the control group ( P <0.05). After 6 months of follow-up, the recurrence rate and the incidence of renal damage in the observation group were significantly lower than those in the control group ( P <0.05)., Conclusions: Alfacalcidol can increase the serum 25-(OH)D 3 level, improve cellular immune function, decrease inflammatory factor levels, and reduce recurrence and renal damage in children with HSP.

We prepared Y 2 Mg 2 Al 2 Si 2 O 12 :xTb 3+ (x = 0.02, 0.04, 0.06, 0.08, 0.10, 0.12, 0.14 and 0.16) luminescent materials using a nodulizing procedure. The phase and luminescence properties of these materials were investigated. X-ray diffraction results demonstrated that Tb 3+ ions doped into Y 2 Mg 2 Al 2 Si 2 O 12 hosts successfully and the Y 2 Mg 2 Al 2 Si 2 O 12 :xTb 3+ materials showed a pure cubic phase. Y 2 Mg 2 Al 2 Si 2 O 12 :xTb 3+ materials had the characteristic Tb 3+ emission bands derived from 5 D 4 → 7 F 6 , 7 F 5 , 7 F 4 , and 7 F 3 transitions when excited at 365 nm. The green emission band that derived from the 5 D 4 → 7 F 5 transition was highest due to the high possibility of both electric-dipole and magnetic-dipole transitions. Emission spectra indicated that the critical concentration of Tb 3+ in the Y 2 Mg 2 Al 2 Si 2 O 12 host was 0.14. The concentration quenching of Y 2 Mg 2 Al 2 Si 2 O 12 :Tb 3+ was derived from a dipole-dipole interaction., (© 2021 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)

Hypoxia-induced erythropoietin signaling plays an important role in tumor growth and invasion. In the present study, we investigated the contribution of erythropoietin signaling pathway to castration-resistant prostate cancer and the development of a neuroendocrine phenotype. Immunohistochemical staining showed that the erythropoietin and erythropoietin receptor scores in castration-resistant prostate cancer and androgen-dependent prostate cancer were 7.55 versus 4.5 and 7.45 versus 5.9,respectively (P < 0.001). Furthermore, a cell proliferation assay was conducted, and the differential expression of erythropoietin and erythropoietin receptor in LNCaP cells and hypoxia-induced LNCaP cells was evaluated using western blot and quantitative real-time PCR. The proliferation capacity of hypoxia-induced LNCaP cells was similar in cultures of both fetal bovine serum and charcoal-stripped fetal bovine serum, suggesting that LNCaP cells acquired hypoxia-induced androgen-independent growth. After 2 weeks of hypoxic culture, LNCaP cells showed a neuroendocrine cell change and increased expression of neuron-specific enolase, erythropoietin, and erythropoietin receptor; knockdown of erythropoietin receptor reversed the hypoxia-induced upregulation of neuron-specific enolase in the LNCaP cells. In conclusion, the concurrent upregulation of erythropoietin and erythropoietin receptor in castration-resistant prostate cancer suggests that the erythropoietin/erythropoietin receptor autocrine loop plays an important role in the progression of castration resistance and is responsible for the development of a neuroendocrine phenotype., Competing Interests: None

Objective: To investigate the effects of mirror neuron theory-based visual feedback therapy (VFT) on restoration of upper limb function of stroke patients and motor-related cortical function using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)., Methods: Hemiplegic stroke patients were randomly divided into two groups: a VFT group and a control (CTL) group. Sixteen patients in the VFT group received conventional rehabilitation (CR) and VFT for 8 weeks, while 15 patients in the CTL group received only CR. The Barthel Index (BI) was used to assess the activities of daily living at baseline and the 8 th week of the recovery training period. The Fugl-Meyer assessment (FMA) scale, somatosensory evoked potential (SEP), and fMRI were used to evaluate the recovery effect of the training therapies. The latencies and amplitudes of N9 and N20 were measured. Before recovery training, fMRI was performed for all patients in the VFT and CTL groups. In addition, 17 patients (9 in the VFT group and 8 in the CTL group) underwent fMRI for follow-up 2 months after treatment. Qualitative data were analyzed using the χ 2 test. The independent sample t -test was used to compare normally distributed data among different groups, the paired sample t -test was used to compare data between groups, and the non-parametric test was used to comparing data without normal distribution among groups., Results: There were no significant differences between the VFT and CTL group in all indexes. However, after 8 weeks of recovery training, these indexes were all significantly improved ( P  < 0.05). As compared with the CTL group, the FMA scores, BI, and N9/N20 latencies and amplitudes of SEP in the VFT group were significantly improved ( P  < 0.05). Two months after recovery training, fMRI showed that the degree of activation of the bilateral central anterior gyrus, parietal lobe, and auxiliary motor areas was significantly higher in the VFT group than the CTL group ( P  < 0.05)., Conclusions: VFT based on mirror neuron theory is an effective approach to improve upper extremity motor function and daily activity performance of stroke patients. The therapeutic mechanism promotes motor relearning by activating the mirror neuron system and motor cortex. SEP amplitudes increased only for patients who participated in visual feedback. VFT promotes sensory-motor plasticity and behavioral changes in both the motor and sensory domains., Competing Interests: The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest., (© 2020 Chinese Nursing Association. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V.)

Objective: miRNA has gained attention as a therapeutic target in various malignancies. The proposal of this study was to investigate the biological functions of key miRNAs and target genes in cancers of the digestive tract which include esophageal carcinoma (ESCA), gastric adenocarcinoma (GAC), colon adenocarcinoma (COAD), and rectal adenocarcinoma (READ)., Materials and Methods: After screening differentially expressed miRNAs (DEMIs) and differentially expressed mRNAs (DEMs) in four digestive cancers from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database, the diagnostic value of above DEMIs was evaluated by receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Then, corresponding DEMIs' target genes were predicted by miRWalk 2.0. Intersection of predicted target genes and DEMs was taken as the target genes of DEMIs, and miRNA-mRNA regulatory networks between DEMIs and target genes were constructed. Meanwhile, the univariate Cox risk regression model was used to screen miRNAs with distinct prognostic value, and Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to determine their significance of prognosis. Furthermore, we performed bioinformatics methods including protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks, gene ontology (GO) annotation, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis, and gene group RIDA analysis by Gene-Cloud of Biotechnology Information (GCBI) to explore the function and molecular mechanisms of DEMIs and predicted target genes in tumor development., Results: Eventually, 3 DEMIs (miR-7-3, miR-328, and miR-323a) with significant prognostic value were obtained. In addition, 3 DEMIs (miR-490-3p, miR-133a-3p, and miR-552-3p) and 281 target genes were identified, and the 3 DEMIs showed high diagnostic value in READ and moderate diagnostic value in ESCA, GAC, and COAD. Also, the miRNA-mRNA regulatory network with 3 DEMIs and 281 overlapping genes was successfully established. Functional enrichment analysis showed that 281 overlapping genes were mainly related to regulation of cell proliferation, cell migration, and PI3K-Akt signaling pathway., Conclusion: The diagnostic value and prognostic value of significant DEMIs in cancers of the digestive tract were identified, which may provide a novel direction for treatment and prognosis improvement of cancers of the digestive tract., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2019 Chun-hui Lai et al.)

The crystal and electronic structures of four polymorphs of octahydro-1,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetrazocine (HMX) from 0 to 30 GPa were investigated by using density functional theory. The obtained structural parameters based on the GGA-PBE+TS calculations are in agreement with experimental results at ambient pressure. As the pressure increases, the volumes of the four types of HMX decrease monotonically and the band gaps gradually decrease without any significant discontinuity. Moreover, the peaks of the density of states become lower and the bandwidths become broader, which indicate that the hybridizations become strong under pressure. From the results, we suggest that the impact sensitivity for HMX becomes more and more sensitive with increasing pressure.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Monochasma savatieri Franch. ex Maxim is used for treating many diseases in Traditional Chinese Medicine., Aim of the Study: The present study was designed to evaluate antibacterial, anti-inflammatory activities and toxicity of the total phenylethanoid glycosides from Monochasma savatieri Franch. ex Maxim (TPG)., Materials and Methods: The antibacterial activity of TPG was checked by MIC and MBC in vitro; survival of mice with Pseudomonas aeruginosa or Staphylococcus aureus infection-induced sepsis was investigated to evaluate antibacterial activity of TPG in vivo. Additionally, antibacterial activities of TPG were also investigated in a Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection-induced pneumonia in the mice model. Cotton pellet induced granuloma and xylene induced ear swelling in mice models were used to quantify the anti-inflammatory activity., Results: TPG showed a significant possess bacteriostatic properties against five bacteria strains at a concentration between 0.0625 and 16 mg/ml. Moreover, TPG has bactericidal activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Streptococcus pneumoniae or Escherichia coli. TPG (60, 120, and 180 mg/kg) prolonged survival rate of mice with Pseudomonas aeruginosa or Staphylococcus aureus infection-induced sepsis. In addition, TPG (180 mg/kg) could reduce the bacterial colony-forming units in lung tissue. Furthermore, TPG (60-180 mg/kg) had significantly reduced xylene-induced ear edema and granulomat formation induced by cotton pellet at a dose-dependent manner. In addition, administration of TPG (1.5 g/kg) for 15 days did not result in toxicities in liver, kidney, spleen and thymus tissue in rats., Conclusion: These results indicated that TPG might be useful for the development of a novel treatment for respiratory infections or pneumonia caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa or Staphylococcus aureus., (© 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Due to the rolling manufacturing process, most advanced high-strength steels (AHSS) demonstrate in-plane anisotropic material behavior. This study investigates the effects of material orientation on the axial crush behavior and fracture of AHSS with axial crush tests and computer simulations., Methods: Crush simulation models considering material anisotropy and damage evolution were developed in LS-DYNA based on the drop-tower crush test results and coupon characterization test data for DP780 steel. The modified Mohr-Coulomb (MMC) isotropic fracture model was employed in the crush simulation models for fracture prediction., Results: The 12-sided components fabricated in the transverse (T) direction of the sheet exhibited slightly higher crush loads and reduced crush distances compared to those in the longitudinal (L) direction. The crush behavior in each direction was generally proportional to ultimate tensile strength. All of the materials investigated in this study showed some cracking in the crush tests for both component orientations, but only DP780 showed significant anisotropy in fracture behavior with more cracking for the T direction compared to the L direction. Overall, the amount of cracking observed in the tests had little or no significant effect on the axial crush performance. The MMC fracture loci in both the L and T directions were determined using a reverse engineering approach, and the stress-strain curves beyond the uniform elongation point were extended using an optimization method. Both material models MAT103 and MAT224 predicted the crush and fracture behavior with reasonably good accuracy., Conclusions: The predicted fracture mode and force-displacement curves agreed well with the test data for both the L and T directions in axial crush tests of the 12-sided components. The simple isotropic material model MAT224 is adequate for crush simulations to predict material orientation effects on AHSS component crush performance and fracture behavior.

Five new phenylethanoid glycosides, savasides A-E (1-5), along with 6 known ones were isolated from the whole plant of Monochasma savatieri Franch. The structures of 1-5 were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic data analysis. Moreover, all isolated compounds were evaluated for anticomplement activity through the classical pathway., (Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.)

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) play an important role in the development, invasion, and drug resistance of carcinoma, but the exact phenotype and characteristics of ovarian CSCs are still disputable. In this study, we identified cancer stem cell-like cells (CSC-LCs) and investigated their characteristics from the ovarian adenocarcinoma cell line 3AO. Our results showed that CSC-LCs were enriched in sphere-forming test and highly expressed CD44(+)CD24⁻. The spheres and CD24⁻ cells possessed strong tumorigenic ability by transplantation into nonobese diabetic/severe combined immunodeficient mice. CD44(+)CD24⁻ cells expressed stem cell markers and differentiated to CD44(+)CD24(+) cells by immunofluorescence assay and fluorescence-activated cell-sorting analysis. In vitro experiments verified that CD44(+)CD24⁻ cells were markedly resistant to carboplatin and paclitaxol. In conclusion, our study identifies the CD44(+)CD24⁻ phenotype, self-renewal, high tumorigenicity, differentiation potential, and drug resistance of ovarian CSC-LCs. Our findings may provide the evidence needed to explore a new strategy in the treatment of ovarian cancer.

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Aim: To evaluate the efficacy of hepatitis B immunoglobulin (HBIG) in interrupting hepatitis B virus (HBV) intrauterine infection during late pregnancy., Methods: We allocated 112 HBsAg positive pregnant women into 2 groups randomly. Fifty seven cases in the HBIG group received 200 IU (unit) HBIG intramuscularly every 4 wk from the 28 wk of gestation to the time of delivery, while 55 cases in the control group received no special treatment. HBsAg, HBeAg, HBcAb, HBeAb, HBsAb and HBV DNA levels were tested in the peripheral blood specimens from all of the mothers at 28 wk of gestation, just before delivery, and in blood from their newborns within 24 h before administration of immune prophylaxis., Results: The intrauterine infection rate in HBIG group and control group were 10.5% and 27.3%, respectively, with significant difference (P<0.05). It showed ascendant trend as HBV DNA levels in the peripheral blood increased before delivery., Conclusion: HBIG is potent to cut down HBV intrauterine infection rate significantly when administered to pregnant women regularly during late pregnancy. The possibility of HBV intrauterine infection increases if maternal blood HBV DNA> or =10(8) copies/mL.

Aim: To investigate the effect of hepatitis B virus (HBV) specific immunoglobin (HBIG) and lamivudine on HBV intrauterine transmission in HBsAg positive pregnant women., Methods: Each subject in the HBIG group (56 cases) was given 200 IU HBIG intramuscularly (im.) every 4 weeks from 28-week (wk) of gestation, while each subject in the lamivudine group (43 cases) received 100 mg lamivudine orally (po.) every day from 28-wk of gestation until the 30(th) day after labor. Subjects in the control group (52 cases) received no specific treatment. Blood specimens were tested for HBsAg, HBeAg, and HBV-DNA in all maternities at 28-wk of gestation, before delivery, and in their newborns 24 hours before the administration of immune prophylaxis., Results: Reductions of HBV DNA in both treatments were significant (P<0.05). The rate of neonatal intrauterine HBV infection was significantly lower in HBIG group (16.1 %) and lamivudine group (16.3 %) compared with control group (32.7 %) (P<0.05), but there was no significant difference between HBIG group and lamivudine group (P>0.05). No side effects were found in all the pregnant women or their newborns., Conclusion: The risk of HBV intrauterine infection can be effectively reduced by administration of HBIG or Lamivudine in the 3(rd) trimester of HBsAg positive pregnant women.

The ATP content of viable cells in a single lot of freeze-dried Tice-substrain Mycobacterium bovis-BCG vaccine was determined after washing of organisms with isotonic buffer, using four extraction methods: boiling in 0.2 M potassium phosphate buffer at pH 7.4 for 12 min; boiling in 0.1 M Tris-EDTA buffer at pH 7.75 for 2 min; n-butanol/1.9% sodium glutamate-0.01 M sodium arsenate buffer, pH 7.0; and n-butanol/0.01 M Tris-EDTA buffer, pH 7.0. Liberated ATP was assayed with a Lumac biocounter by integrated measurement of light produced by firefly luciferin/luciferase. The dose response of internal standards paralleled that of ATP standards in water, and the response of endogenous ATP in BCG was not significantly different from a composite linear internal standard curve above 10 pg ATP (corresponding to about 10(5) viable organisms per ml), the sensitivity of the assay. When the ATP content of BCG was calculated from the composite curve, the n-butanol/Tris-EDTA method was found to be the most precise (CV less than 10%). Butanol extraction procedures were about twice as efficient as boiling methods and yielded an ATP value of about 3.4 fg/CFU, similar to ATP/CFU factors previously reported for other BCG substrains. However, when results were corrected for quench and ATP recovery, which varied with extraction method, the conversion factor increased nearly threefold.