PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

W Peng

Publications and source records attributed to W Peng.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed2001

Molecular biology of nickel carcinogenesis.

A review of the molecular mechanisms of nickel carcinogenesis has been compiled. This work is based upon approximately 20 years of research conducted in my laboratory. Molecular mechanisms of nickel carcinogenesis are considered from the point-of-view of the uptake of nickel, both soluble and insoluble particles in cells, its dissolution and its effects on heterochromatin. Molecular mechanisms by which nickel induces gene silencing in cells by DNA hypermethylation in mammalian cells and by inhibiting histone acetylation in yeast cells are also discussed.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

[Epidemiological study on the influence of pig-derived Ascaris to the transmission of human ascariasis].

OBJECTIVE: An experimental epidemiological study was designed to investigate possible relations of pig-derived Ascaris to the transmission of human ascariasis which might be caused by cross-infection between the pig and humans. METHODS: In Xinjian County, Jiangxi province, two adjacent villages, Laozhi and Panzhi, with similar baseline of ascariasis in pig and human populations were selected as the study sites with a one-year longitudinal epidemiological follow-up study. People in the two villages received mass chemotherapy. Pigs received mass chemotherapy only in Panzhi village and was twice repeated with two months interval, while pigs in Laozhi village were not treated at all. In the following year after treatment on humans, ascariasis among villagers was studied cross-sectionally five times with Kato-katz technique. RESULTS: No significant difference of the re-infection patterns of human ascariasis was found between the two villages in terms of prevalence and intensity during the following year in all the five surveys (chi(2) < 0.658, F < 1.658 and P > 0.1). CONCLUSION: The results suggested that pig-derived Ascaris were mainly transmitted among pigs but had no important role on the transmission of human ascariasis. The results were in good accordance with the findings through a recent molecular genetic research on the local human-and pig-derived Ascaris worms. Possible confounding factors were discussed.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

[Effect on proliferation and apoptosis of human lingual carcinoma cells cotransfected by bax and p53 genes].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects on proliferation and apoptosis of human cancerous cells cotransfected by bax apoptosis-inducing gene and p53 tumor suppressor gene. METHODS: The chimeric gene pSV-CIP-bax-CAT was constructed in which bax gene was flanked upstream by a 217 bp fragment(+822(-)+1093) of the first intron and a 317 bp promoter fragment of human a 1(I) collagen gene. Human lingual carcinoma cell line Tca 8113 (LCC) in culture was respectively transfected with pSV-CIP-bax-CAT, and cotransfected with pSV-p53-CAT and pSV-CIP-bax-CAT by using the transfection reagent DOSPER. RESULTS: Immuno-slot blot and ELISA demonstrated that the expression of bax and p53 genes increased remarkably in the transfected and cotransfected LCC, compared with the controls (LCC transfected with pSV-CIP-CAT and LCC). MTT colorimetric assay, TUNEL fluorenscence microscopy and flow cytometry showed that foreign bax or p53 gene inhibited the LCC growth and induced apoptosis (23.9% and 26.1% of inhibitory rate by bax gene and p53 plus bax genes respectively). CONCLUSION: The ectopic expression of the bax gene in the LCC promoted by the cis-acting elements of human a1 (I)collagen gene has obviously synergistic effect on the proliferation and apoptosis of the LCC contransfected with p53 gene plus bax gene for 48 hours.

Apoptosis↗
PubMed2000

Alternatively spliced hBRF variants function at different RNA polymerase III promoters.

In yeast, a single form of TFIIIB is required for transcription of all RNA polymerase III (pol III) genes. It consists of three subunits: the TATA box-binding protein (TBP), a TFIIB-related factor, BRF, and B". Human TFIIIB is not as well defined and human pol III promoters differ in their requirements for this activity. A human homolog of yeast BRF was shown to be required for transcription at the gene-internal 5S and VA1 promoters. Whether or not it was also involved in transcription from the gene-external human U6 promoter was unclear. We have isolated cDNAs encoding alternatively spliced forms of human BRF that can complex with TBP. Using immunopurified complexes containing the cloned hBRFs, we show that while hBRF1 functions at the 5S, VA1, 7SL and EBER2 promoters, a different variant, hBRF2, is required at the human U6 promoter. Thus, pol III utilizes different TFIIIB complexes at structurally distinct promoters.

Alternative Splicing↗
PubMed2000

Nickel compounds are novel inhibitors of histone H4 acetylation.

Environmental factors influence carcinogenesis by interfering with a variety of cellular targets. Carcinogenic nickel compounds, although generally inactive in most gene mutation assays, induce chromosomal damage in heterochromatic regions and cause silencing of reporter genes when they are located near telomere or heterochromatin in either yeast or mammalian cells. We studied the effects of nickel on the lysine acetylation status of the NH2-terminal region of histone H4. At nontoxic levels, nickel decreased the levels of histone H4 acetylation in vivo in both yeast and mammalian cells, affecting only lysine 12 in mammalian cells and all of the four lysine residues in yeast. In yeast, lysine 12 and 16 were more greatly affected than lysine 5 and 8. Interestingly, a histidine Ni2+ anchoring site is found at position 18 from the NH2-terminal tail of H4. Nickel was also found to inhibit the acetylation of H4 in vitro using purified recombinant histone acetyltransferase. To our knowledge, this is the first agent shown to decrease histone H4 acetylation at nontoxic levels.

Acetylation↗
PubMed2000

Renormalization-group approach to the vulcanization transition

The vulcanization transition-the cross-link-density-controlled equilibrium phase transition from the liquid to the amorphous solid state-is explored analytically from a renormalization-group perspective. The analysis centers on a minimal model which has previously been shown to yield a rich and informative picture of vulcanized matter at the mean-field level, including a connection with mean-field percolation theory (i.e., random graph theory). This minimal model accounts for both the thermal motion of the constituents and the quenched random constraints imposed on their motion by the cross-links, as well as particle-particle repulsion which suppresses density fluctuations and plays a pivotal role in determining the symmetry structure (and hence properties) of the model. A correlation function involving fluctuations of the amorphous solid order parameter, the behavior of which signals the vulcanization transition, is examined, its physical meaning is elucidated, and the associated susceptibility is constructed and analyzed. A Ginzburg criterion for the width (in cross-link density) of the critical region is derived and is found to be consistent with a prediction due to de Gennes. Inter alia, this criterion indicates that the upper critical dimension for the vulcanization transition is 6. Certain universal critical exponents characterizing the vulcanization transition are computed, to lowest nontrivial order, within the framework of an expansion around the upper critical dimension. This expansion shows that the connection between vulcanization and percolation extends beyond mean-field theory, surviving the incorporation of fluctuations in the sense that pairs of physically analogous quantities (one percolation related and one vulcanization related) are found to be governed by identical critical exponents, at least to first order in the departure from the upper critical dimension (and presumably beyond). The relationship between the present approach to vulcanized matter and other approaches, such as those based on gelation-percolation ideas, is explored in the light of this connection. To conclude, some expectations for how the vulcanization transition is realized in two dimensions, developed with H. E. Castillo, are discussed.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2000

[Apoptosis of human gastric cancer cell line MGC-803 induced by glycyrrhiza uralensis extract].

OBJECTIVE: To study the apoptosis in human gastric cancer cell MGC-803 induced by the extract of glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch. METHODS: Apoptosis was detected by laser scanning confocal microscope, agarose gel electrophoresis and flow cytometry. The p53 gene expression was analyzed by double immunolabelling and immunohistochemistry technique. RESULTS: Chromatin condensation of different phases of apoptotic cells were observed by laser scanning confocal microscope, the percentage of apoptosis determined by flow cytometry was time- and dose-dependent, agarose gel electrophoresis of DNA exhibited obvious "ladder" in the cells treated with higher concentration of the extract of glycyrrhiza uralensis. The p53 gene expression was unchanged after treatment. CONCLUSION: Glycyrrhiza can induce human gastric cancer cell line MGC-803 to apoptosis by p53-independent pathway and can be used as a potential, natural apoptosis-inducing agent for gastric cancer therapy.

Apoptosis↗
PubMed1999

Role of a novel KCa opener in regulating K+ channels of hypoxic human pulmonary vascular cells.

Hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction (HPVC) is mediated, in part, via membrane depolarization and inhibition of K+ channels. We recently observed that the naturally occurring steroid dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) reversed and prevented HPVC in isolated perfused and ventilated ferret lungs. In the current study, we investigated the effects of DHEA on the major K+ channels of chronically hypoxic human pulmonary smooth-muscle cells (HPSMC). K+ channels were recorded by using the patch-clamp technique in whole-cell and single-channel configurations. Single-channel recordings were performed in inside-out and outside-out excised patches, and in intact HPSMC in cell-attached configuration. Using whole-cell current recording, chronic hypoxia decreased the high-amplitude, high-noise, and charybdotoxin-sensitive Ca2+-dependent K+ channels (KCa). DHEA reversed the effect of chronic hypoxia on KCa, but had no effect on the low-amplitude, low-noise, and 4-aminopyridine-sensitive delayed rectifying K+ channels. In the cell-attached configuration, chronic hypoxia caused a decrease in KCa sensitivity to membrane potential (Em). DHEA reversed the effect of hypoxia on KCa sensitivity to Em and caused a mean of 40-mV left shift in voltage-dependent activation of KCa. DHEA increased KCa activation from both sides of membrane patches of hypoxic HPSMC via a cyclic adenosine monophosphate- and cyclic guanosine monophosphate-independent pathway. We concluded that DHEA is a novel KCa opener of the human pulmonary vasculature.

4-Aminopyridine↗
PubMed1999

Studies on biosensor to determine diacetyl.

We studied the purification of diacetyl reductase, the preparation of a biosensor, and its performance. With diacetyl reductase and reduced coenzyme I (NADH) co-immobilized as working membrane, NAD+/NADH produced in the course of diacetyl reduction was connected with Fe2+/Fe to build a biosensor. The biosensor could be used to determine diacetyl concentration within the range from 0.1 microgram/mL to 0.5 microgram/mL and the response time was less than two minutes, and its performance was stable within 9 days. The experiments showed that typical metal ions and organics in nominal concentration did not affect the performance of the biosensor, meanwhile, the interference of dissolved oxygen on the performance of biosensor and regeneration of coenzyme I (NADH) were solved to some extent.

Acetoin Dehydrogenase↗
PubMed1999

[Study on the bathing habit in Qin - Han Period].

By investigating the bathing utensils and bathing style, the bathing habit in Qin - Han dynasties were discussed. It is claimed that bathing had been a daily habit in that period, being a sign of advanced civilization. Its implication on the significance is also analyzed.

Balneology↗
PubMed1999

[The effects of moderate acute normovolemic hemodilution on intestinal oxygen supply and consumption in anesthetized cats].

OBJECTIVE: To study the effects of moderate acute normovolemic hemodilution on the intestinal blood perfusion and oxygen supply in cats. METHODS: 15 domestic male cats were hemodiluted with Haemaccel. HR, MAP, lactate concentration in superior mesenteric vein (LAC), superior mesenteric artery blood flow (SMABF), superior mesenteric artery and venous blood gas analysis were recorded and the intestinal oxygen delivery (DO(2)), oxygen consumption (VO(2)) and oxygen extraction (EO(2)) were calculated before and after hemodilution. RESULTS: SMABF increased obviously (P < 0.05), intestinal DO(2) and EO(2) did not change (P > 0.05) but VO(2) increased (P < 0.05), and LAC in superior mesenteric vein did not increase. CONCLUSIONS: Moderate acute normovolemic hemodilution with Haemaccel do not alter intestinal oxygen delivery by increasing the superior mesenteric blood flow. It means that intestinal mucosa ischemia does not happen during moderate acute normovolemic hemodilution.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

[Studies on chemical constituents in the fruit of Canarium album Raeusch].

OBJECTIVE: To study the chemical constituents in the fruit of Canarium album. METHOD: Compounds were isolated by chromatography and elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic analysis. RESULT: The compounds obtained were determined as scoparone, scopoletin, (E)-3,3'-dihydroxy-4,4'-dimethoxystilbene and gallic acid. CONCLUSION: All the compounds, except gallic acid, were obtained from this plant for the first time.

Burseraceae↗
PubMed1998

Synthetic Analysis for Extracting Information on Soil Salinity Using Remote Sensing and GIS: A Case Study of Yanggao Basin in China

/ This paper reports the experience of extracting information on the salinity of soil and offers a method of synthetic analysis. The experimental areas for analysis are located in Yanggao Basin, Shanxi Province, China. The types of soil are mainly meadow soil and salinized meadow soil. The method of synthetic analysis of salinity uses a geographic information system (GIS) as a tool, building a basic saltwater analysis model of saline soil and adjusting the result with expert experience after computer processing. The method of feature extraction has been used for remotely sensed data. An optimum combination of features has been determined and, after comparing several combinations in the Yanggao region, an improved result has been obtained after Kauth-Thomas (K-T) transformation. For precise quantitative analysis of the salinization, not only Thematic Mapper (TM) remote sensing data, but also two forms of non-remote-sensing data are needed: depth of groundwater and mineralization rate of groundwater according to the theory of genesis of soil. For the analysis of synthetic compounded multisources, a generalized Bayes classification is used after overlay, matching, and related coefficients have been determined. On the premise that various information sources are independent, global membership functions with probability are used to combine various pieces of information in order to apply them directly to the pixels and classifications of soil salinity. The experiment indicates that this analytical method is sound because of the increased speed of processing and its simplicity and improved precision of classification of salinity. Finally, it is necessary to examine and adjust the factors using expert intelligence. The experiment shows that synthetic analysis using the geographic information system can raise the precision of quantitative analysis of salinity, which has advantages for environmental monitoring and management.KEY WORDS: Salinity; Remote sensing; Thematic Mapper; Geographic information system; Classification

Journal Article↗
PubMed1998

Genetic variation in sympatric Ascaris populations from humans and pigs in China.

It has recently been shown using genetic markers that Ascaris in humans and pigs in Central America comprise reproductively isolated populations. We present a similar analysis for a region of China in which close association between pigs and humans has been the norm for thousands of years, and agricultural practices will result in frequent exposure to eggs from both sources. DNA fragments from selected regions of mitochondrial and ribosomal DNA were amplified by PCR and allelic forms identified following digestion with a panel of restriction enzymes, using DNA from a total of 115 individual worms from both people and pigs from 2 neighbouring villages. Significant frequency differences in both mtDNA haplotypes and the rDNA spacer were found between the 2 host-associated populations, indicating that they represented reproductively isolated populations. Mitochondrial haplotype frequencies were different from those observed in Guatemala and also from other Asian Ascaris populations, suggesting low levels of gene flow between populations. However, we found no evidence for significant heterogeneity in the genetic composition of Ascaris infrapopulations in either humans or pigs, possibly indicative of agricultural practices in China which have resulted in a random distribution of alleles within the parasite populations.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

Effect of dehydroepiandrosterone on hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction: a Ca(2+)-activated K(+)-channel opener.

In the present study, we investigated the effects of the naturally occurring hormone dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) on hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction (HPVC) in isolated ferret lungs and on K+ currents in isolated and cultured ferret pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells (FPSMCs). Severe alveolar hypoxia (3% O2-5% CO2-92% N2) caused an initial increase in pulmonary arterial pressure (Ppa) that was followed by a reversal in pulmonary hypertension. Maintaining alveolar hypoxia caused a sustained secondary increase in Ppa. Pretreating the lungs with the K(+)-channel inhibitor tetraethylammonium (TEA) caused a small increase in baseline Ppa, potentiated HPVC, and prevented the reversal of HPVC during the sustained alveolar hypoxia. Treating the lungs with DHEA caused a near-complete reversal of HPVC in control lungs and in lungs that were pretreated with TEA. DHEA also reversed the KCl-induced increase in Ppa. In FPSMCs, DHEA caused an adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate- and guanosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate-independent increase in activity of the Ca(2+)-activated K+ (KCa) current. In a cell-attached configuration, DHEA caused a mean shift of -22 mV in the voltage-dependent activation of the KCa channel. We conclude that DHEA is a novel KCa-channel opener of the pulmonary vasculature.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

ET-1 modulates KCa-channel activity and arterial tension in normoxic and hypoxic human pulmonary vasculature.

The molecular mechanisms by which endothelin (ET)-1 induces pulmonary hypertension are poorly understood. We investigated the effects of ET-1 on outward K+ currents of normoxic and chronically hypoxic human pulmonary arterial (PA) smooth muscle cells (HPSMCs). In normoxic HPSMCs, ET-1 has dual effects. In intact cells, 5 nM ET-1 activates the large-conductance and Ca2+-activated K+ (KCa)-channel current [IK(Ca)] by increasing intracellular Ca2+ concentration, whereas it directly inhibits IK(Ca) in isolated membrane patches. At a higher concentration (10 nM), ET-1-induced IK(Ca) inhibition predominates. In hypoxic HPSMCs, ET-1 at 5 nM significantly reduces IK(Ca). The ETA-receptor antagonist BQ-123 reverses the ET-1-induced decrease in IK(Ca). Chronic BQ-123 treatment also prevents the hypoxia-induced decrease in IK(Ca). In PA rings obtained from human organ donors, ET-1 causes a concentration-dependent increase in tension. The ET-1-mediated increase in tension is reversed by a KCa-channel agonist. The increase in tension at the highest concentration studied (9 nM) was more pronounced in PA rings obtained from patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. These results imply that an ET-1-induced decrease in IK(Ca) contributes to chronic hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension.

4-Aminopyridine↗