Biomedical subjects

Yang Li

Publications and source records attributed to Yang Li.

At least 145 records · Page 8Linked to original sources

PubMed2005

[The protective effect of recombinant Chinese interferon-gamma in pulmonary injury in mice].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the protective role of recombinant Chinese interferon-gamma (INF-gamma) in pulmonary injury (PI) induced by bleomycin (BLM) in C57 mice. METHODS: Seventy-five C57 mice were randomly divided into a control group and groups treated with BLM, BLM + INF-gamma minimum dose (0.25 microg/d), BLM + INF-gamma medium dose (0.5 microg/d), and BLM + INF-gamma maximum dose (1.0 microg/d, with 15 mice each). PI was induced by BLM, and intervention with different doses of INF-gamma was carried out in the experiment groups, but no treatment was administered in the control mice. Measurement of pulmonary hydroxyproline (Hyp), image analysis of collagen I and III, and measurement of the ratio between lung alveoli and interstitial areas were performed. RESULTS: Lung Hyp content and collagen I and III deposition were increased as compared with the control after administration of BLM (0.78 +/- 0.08 vs 0.65 +/- 0.06, P < 0.01; 0.048 +/- 0.006 vs 0.004 +/- 0.001, P < 0.01). Hyp content and collagen I and III deposition were reduced in group INF-gamma maximum dose (0.67 +/- 0.08 vs 0.78 +/- 0.08, P < 0.05; 0.008 +/- 0.001 vs 0.048 +/- 0.006, P < 0.01). The ratio of lung collagen to lung tissue areas was increased with the increase of INF-gamma doses (1.78, 0.12, 0.67, 0.73, 1.65 respectively). CONCLUSION: INF-gamma is effective in alleviating BLM induced pulmonary injury in mice, possibly by inhibition of transformation of fibroblasts to myofibroblasts and collagen synthesis.

Animals↗

PubMed2005

[AKAP82 expression in sperm in asthenospermia].

OBJECTIVE: To study the expression of AKAP82 which was one of A-kinase anchor proteins in sperm in asthenospermia. METHODS: Sperm from 41 patients with asthenospermia (experimental group) and 27 healthy fertile men (control group). Motility parameters were estimated with a computer-assisted semen analysis (CASA) technique. Electrophoretic and immunoblot analysis and indirect immunofluorescence of sperm were assayed in experimental group and control group respectively. RESULTS: Eleven cases in experimental group showed abnormal bands or deletion of normal band in immunoblot analysis, 2 of which were also abnormal in immunofluorescence results, and while only 2 abnormal in the control. A significant difference between experimental and control group was observed (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Abnormality of AKAP82 expression in sperm may be one of the etiological factors in asthenospermia.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

[Use of relative energy in low frequency area to describe the severity of hypernasality in cleft palate patients].

OBJECTIVE: To find an objective index to describe the severity of hypernasality in cleft palate patients through speech spectroanalysis. METHODS: 60 audio records of cleft palate patients were analyzed by spectroanalysis, the relative energy in low frequency area (REL) was calculated in the LPC spectrogram. One experienced speech therapist and two nonprofessionals made perceptual judgments of the same records. Spearman correlation analysis was conducted to test if the 3 groups of data have significant correlations. RESULTS: REL had significant correlation with professional judgments (correlation coefficient was 0.272, P < 0.05) and nonprofessional judgments (correlation coefficient was 0.274, P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: REL can be used as one objective reference in the judgment of the severity of hypernasality.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

[Targeted inhibition of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression in human osteosarcoma cell line by antisense VEGF165 cDNA promoted by hypoxia reaction element].

OBJECTIVE: Utilizing the hypoxia inducible factor 1/hypoxia reaction element (HIF-1/ HRE) gene regulation system to construct antisense vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF165) cDNA eukaryotic expression vector promoted by HRE, and investigate its targeted inhibiting VEGF expression of osteosarcoma cells in hypoxia environment. METHODS: Eukaryotic expression plasmid with HRE promoter was constructed containing luciferase reporter gene and antisense VEGF165 cDNA by using PCR and recombinant DNA techniques. The recombinant vectors were transfected into osteosarcoma cells with lipofectin method. Hypoxia-inducible reporter gene expression was determined by liquid scintillation analyzer and the expression of VEGF protein was detected by ELISA method. RESULTS: The eukaryotic expression plasmid containing antisense VEGF165 and luciferase promoted by HRE was constructed successfully. After being transferred into MG63 cells, luciferase expression was increased 3.5 x 10(2) times and VEGF protein expression decreased 45% under hypoxia condition. CONCLUSION: Antisense VEGF165 cDNA expression, efficiently realized by HRE promoter under hypoxia condition, provides an experimental basis for targeted antiangiogenesis of tumors.

Bone Neoplasms↗

PubMed2005

[Mesenchymal stem cells from human cord blood promote engraftment of human umbilical cord blood-derived CD34+ cells in NOD/SCID mice].

OBJECTIVE: To explore whether the co-transplantation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) from human umbilical cord blood (UCB) with UCB-derived CD34(+) cells in NOD/SCID mice could promote engraftment and accelerate hematopoiesis recovery. METHODS: After sublethal irradiated ((60)Co 2.5 Gy), NOD/SCID mice received within 24 hours UCB CD34(+) cells (1 x 10(5) per mouse for low dosage group or 1 x 10(6) per mouse for high dosage group) with or without human UCB-derived MSC (1 x 10(6) per mouse) transplantation by lateral tail vein injection. Peripheral blood cells of transplanted mice were measured for white blood cell count, hemoglobin and platelet count at 10th, 20th, 30th, 40th and 56th day. At the end of 8th week after transplantation, all the alive mice were sacrificed and human derived CD45(+), CD45(+)CD3(+), CD45(+)CD19(+), CD45(+)CD33(+) cells in the bone marrow (BM) were assayed by flow cytometry. RESULTS: (1) In the low dosage group, co-transplantation of MSC significantly raised the engraftment rate (26.02% vs 16.52%) (P < 0.05). (2) The survival rate in high dosage group was 80% for co-transplantation mice and 70% for CD34(+) cells alone transplantation mice. The survival rate in low dosage group was 70% for co-transplantation mice and 50% in CD34(+) cells transplantation mice. (3) In both dosages groups co-transplantation accelerated the hematopoiesis recovery. (4) At the end of 8 weeks after transplantation, in low dosage group, CD45(+)CD33(+) and CD45(+)CD19(+) cells were more in co-transplantation mice than in CD34(+) cells alone transplantation mice, but in high dosage group, the percentage of these two kinds of cells had no difference. In both dosage groups the percentage of CD45(+)CD41a(+) cells were higher in co-transplantation than in transplantation alone mice. CD45(+)CD3(+) cells were low in all groups. CONCLUSIONS: (1) In low dosage transplantation, human UCB MSC could promote human CD34(+) cells engraftment in transplanted mice. (2) Co-transplantation of human UCB MSC and human UCB CD34(+) cells could significantly promote the hematopoiesis reconstitution and improve the survival rate of NOD/SCID mice. (3) MSC could promote human UCB CD34(+) cells to differentiated into B-lymphocytes, granulocyte and megakaryocyte in vivo.

Animals↗

PubMed2004

Dual function for a unique site within the beta2I domain of integrin alphaMbeta2.

Integrin activation has been postulated to occur in part via conformational changes in the I domain of the beta subunit (the betaI domain), especially near the F-alpha(7) loop, in response to "inside-out" signaling. However, direct evidence for a role of the F-alpha(7) loop in ligand binding and activity modulation is still lacking. Here, we report our finding that the F-alpha(7) loop (residues 344-358) within the beta(2)I domain has dual functions in ligand binding by alpha(M)beta(2). On the one hand, it supports intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1) binding to alpha(M)beta(2) directly as part of a recognition interface formed by five noncontiguous segments (Pro(192)-Glu(197), Asn(213)-Glu(220), Leu(225)-Leu(230), Ser(324)-Thr(329), and Glu(344)-Asp(348)) on the apex of the beta(2)I domain. On the other hand, it controls the open and closed conformation of the alpha(M)beta(2) receptor, thereby indirectly affecting alpha(M)beta(2) binding to other ligands. Switching the five constituent sequences of the ICAM-1-binding site within the beta(2)I domain to their beta(1) counterparts destroyed ICAM-1 binding but had no effect on the gross conformations of the receptor. Of the five ICAM-1 binding-defective mutants, four had normal or even stronger interaction with Fg and C3bi, as reported in our previous study. Synthetic peptides derived from the identified site inhibited alpha(M)beta(2)-ICAM-1 interaction and supported direct binding to ICAM-1. Most importantly, perturbation of the F-alpha(7) loop caused conformational changes within the beta(2)I domain, which was further propagated to other regions of alpha(M)beta(2). Altogether, our data demonstrate that inside-out signaling could modulate ligand binding directly by changing the ligand-binding pocket per se and/or indirectly by inducing multiple conformational changes within the receptor.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗

PubMed2004

Identification and characterization of hepsin/-TM, a non-transmembrane hepsin isoform.

Type II transmembrane serine proteases (TTSPs), including hepsin, are a new class of cell surface catalytic enzymes. In the present study, a non-transmembrane isoform of hepsin, named hepsin/-TM that originates from alternative splicing, was identified. Unlike the transmembrane hepsin isoform, this non-transmembrane isoform was distributed within the cytoplasm. Real-time PCR experiments revealed that while hepsin was expressed in all tested human tissues, hepsin/-TM was restricted in kidney, brain and lung tissues. Significantly, hepsin/-TM was not expressed in liver where hepsin was originally identified. However, hepsin/-TM was highly expressed in brain where hepsin was expressed at a relatively lower level. Moreover, these two isoforms showed different expression patterns in a number of colon adenocarcinoma cell lines. In addition, in contrast to hepsin, expression of hepsin/-TM in vivo does not exert any apparent inhibitory effect on mammalian cell growth.

Colonic Neoplasms↗

PubMed2004

Salivary transcriptome diagnostics for oral cancer detection.

PURPOSE: Oral fluid (saliva) meets the demand for noninvasive, accessible, and highly efficient diagnostic medium. Recent discovery that a large panel of human RNA can be reliably detected in saliva gives rise to a novel clinical approach, salivary transcriptome diagnostics. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the diagnostic value of this new approach by using oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) as the proof-of-principle disease. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: Unstimulated saliva was collected from patients (n = 32) with primary T1/T2 OSCC and normal subjects (n = 32) with matched age, gender, and smoking history. RNA isolation was done from the saliva supernatant, followed by two-round linear amplification with T7 RNA polymerase. Human Genome U133A microarrays were applied for profiling human salivary transcriptome. The different gene expression patterns were analyzed by combining a t test comparison and a fold-change analysis on 10 matched cancer patients and controls. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) was used to validate the selected genes that showed significant difference (P < 0.01) by microarray. The predictive power of these salivary mRNA biomarkers was analyzed by receiver operating characteristic curve and classification models. RESULTS: Microarray analysis showed there are 1,679 genes exhibited significantly different expression level in saliva between cancer patients and controls (P < 0.05). Seven cancer-related mRNA biomarkers that exhibited at least a 3.5-fold elevation in OSCC saliva (P < 0.01) were consistently validated by qPCR on saliva samples from OSCC patients (n = 32) and controls (n = 32). These potential salivary RNA biomarkers are transcripts of IL8, IL1B, DUSP1, HA3, OAZ1, S100P, and SAT. The combinations of these biomarkers yielded sensitivity (91%) and specificity (91%) in distinguishing OSCC from the controls. CONCLUSIONS: The utility of salivary transcriptome diagnostics is successfully demonstrated in this study for oral cancer detection. This novel clinical approach could be exploited to a robust, high-throughput, and reproducible tool for early cancer detection. Salivary transcriptome profiling can be applied to evaluate its usefulness for other major disease applications as well as for normal health surveillance.

Biomarkers, Tumor↗

PubMed2004

Nonzero ionic size and charge-correlation forces between fluid membranes.

We present a theoretical approach to charge-correlation attractions between like-charged membranes with neutralizing counterions assumed to be localized to the membrane surface. In particular, we study the effect of nonzero ionic sizes on the attraction by treating the membrane charges (both backbone charges and localized counterions) as forming a two-dimensional ionic fluid of hard spheres of the same diameter D . Using a two-dimensional Debye-Huckel approach to this system, we examine how ion sizes influence the attraction. We find that the attraction gets stronger as surface charge densities or counterion valency increase, consistent with long-standing observations. Our results also indicate a nontrivial dependence of the attraction on separations h: The attraction is enhanced by ion sizes for intermediate h ranges, while it crosses over to the known D -independent universal behavior as h-->infinity; it remains finite as h-->0, as expected for a system of finite-sized ions.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2004

Supramolecular copper hydroxide tennis balls: self-assembly, structures, and magnetic properties of octanuclear [Cu(8)L(8)(OH)(4)](4+) clusters (HL = N-(2-pyridylmethyl)acetamide).

The self-assembly of supramolecular copper "tennis balls" that possess unusual magnetic properties using a small pyridyl amide ligand is described. Copper(II) complexes of N-(2-pyridylmethyl)acetamide (HL) were synthesized in methanol. In the absence of base, the mononuclear complex [Cu(HL)(2)](ClO(4))(2) (1) was prepared. The structure of 1, determined by X-ray crystallography, contains a copper(II) ion surrounded by bidentate HL ligands coordinated via the pyridyl N atom and the carbonyl O atom in a trans, square planar arrangement. Reactions carried out in the presence of triethylamine resulted in cluster complexes [Cu(8)L(8)(OH)(4)](ClO(4))(4) and [Cu(8)L(8)(OH)(4)](CF(3)SO(3))(4) [2(ClO(4))(4) and 2(OTf)(4), respectively]. The cationic portions of 2(ClO(4))(4) and 2(OTf)(4) are isostructural, containing eight copper(II) ions, eight deprotonated ligands (L(-)), and four mu(3)-hydroxide ligands. The top and bottom halves of the cluster are related by a pseudo-S(4) symmetry operation and are held together by bridging L(-) ligands. Solutions of 2(ClO(4))(4) and 2(OTf)(4), which were shown to contain the full [Cu(8)L(8)(OH)(4)](4+) fragment by electrospray mass spectrometry and conductance experiments, are EPR silent. Magnetic susceptibility measurements for 2(ClO(4))(4) as a function of temperature and magnetic field showed the Cu ions all to exhibit magnetic moments in the range expected for the d(9) configuration. At low temperatures, the magnetization was reduced due to predominantly antiferromagnetic interactions between ions. Analysis showed that partially frustrated interactions among the four Cu ions making up each half of the cluster gave good agreement with the data once a large molecular anisotropy was taken into account, with J(c) = 106 cm(-1), D = 27 cm(-1), and g = 2.17.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2004

A novel connexin46 (GJA3) mutation in autosomal dominant congenital nuclear pulverulent cataract.

PURPOSE: To report the identification of a novel mutation of connexin46 in a large Chinese family with autosomal dominant congenital nuclear pulverulent cataract. METHODS: Genetic linkage analysis was performed on the known genetic loci for autosomal dominant congenital nuclear pulverulent cataract with a panel of polymorphic markers and mutations were screened by direct sequencing. RESULTS: Significant two point lod score was generated at marker D13S175 (Zmax=3.61, theta=0), further linkage and haplotype studies confined the disease locus to 13q11-13. Mutation screening of connexin46 in this family revealed an A->C transition at position 563 (N188T) of the cDNA sequence, creating a novel AleI restriction site that co-segregated with affected members of the pedigree, but was not present in unaffected relatives or 100 normal individuals. CONCLUSIONS: Our finding expands the spectrum of connexin46 mutations causing autosomal dominant congenital nuclear pulverulent cataract, and confirms the role of connexin46 in the pathogenesis of autosomal dominant congenital nuclear pulverulent cataract.

Cataract↗

PubMed2004

Dual phosphorylations underlie modulation of unitary KCNQ K(+) channels by Src tyrosine kinase.

Src tyrosine kinase suppresses KCNQ (M-type) K(+) channels in a subunit-specific manner representing a mode of modulation distinct from that involving G protein-coupled receptors. We probed the molecular and biophysical mechanisms of this modulation using mutagenesis, biochemistry, and both whole-cell and single channel modes of patch clamp recording. Immunoprecipitation assays showed that Src associates with KCNQ2-5 subunits but phosphorylates only KCNQ3-5. Using KCNQ3 as a background, we found that mutation of a tyrosine in the amino terminus (Tyr-67) or one in the carboxyl terminus (Tyr-349) abolished Src-dependent modulation of heterologously expressed KCNQ2/3 heteromultimers. The tyrosine phosphorylation was much weaker for either the KCNQ3-Y67F or KCNQ3-Y349F mutants and wholly absent in the KCNQ3-Y67F/Y349F double mutant. Biotinylation assays showed that Src activity does not alter the membrane abundance of channels in the plasma membrane. In recordings from cell-attached patches containing a single KCNQ2/3 channel, we found that Src inhibits the open probability of the channels. Kinetic analysis was consistent with the channels having two discrete open times and three closed times. Src activity reduced the durations of the longest open time and lengthened the longest closed time of the channels. The implications for the mechanisms of channel regulation by the dual phosphorylations on both channel termini are discussed.

Animals↗

PubMed2004

Synthesis, crystal structure, and luminescent properties of a binuclear gallium complex with mixed ligands.

By introducing tridentate Schiff base ligands, a binuclear gallium complex with mixed ligands, bis(salicylidene-o-aminophenolato)-bis(8-quinolinolato)-bis-gallium(III) [Ga(2)(saph)(2)q(2)], has been synthesized and structurally characterized by single-crystal X-ray crystallography. Crystal data for C(44)H(30)Ga(2)N(4)O(6) are as follows: space group, triclinic, P; a = 11.357(3) A, b = 12.945(3) A, c = 12.947(3) A, alpha = 103.461(15) degrees, beta = 100.070(7) degrees, gamma = 96.107(18) degrees, Z = 2. This complex was identified as a dimeric complex of hexacoordinated gallium with strong intermolecular and intramolecular pi-pi stacking interactions between the pyridyl/pyridyl rings. The thermal analysis showed that Ga(2)(saph)(2)q(2) can readily form a stable amorphous glass with a high glass transition temperature (T(g) = 204 degrees C), which is 27 degrees C higher than that of tris(8-hydroxyquinolinolate)aluminum (Alq(3)). In addition, a high photoluminescence efficiency (phi(PL)) of 0.318 in DMF has been demonstrated, although the central gallium atom can result in heavy-atom quenching. Organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) based on this complex displayed a turn-on voltage as low as 2.5 V and a high efficiency. Even at a low doping concentration of 1%, the doped Ga(2)(saph)(2)q(2) devices with 4-(dicyanomethylene)-2-tert-butyl-6-(1,1,7,7-tetramethyljulolidyl-9-enyl)-4H-pyran (DCJTB) as the dopant exhibited excellent red emission centered at 628 nm with improved durability, compared with the case of Alq(3) as the host. These distinguishing properties of Ga(2)(saph)(2)q(2) make it a good candidate as a novel electron-transporting and emitting material for OLEDs.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2004

[Study on the optic neuropathy induced response protein gene mutation in Chinese patients with primary open-angle glaucoma].

OBJECTIVE: To screen the mutation loci of optic neuropathy induced response protein (OPTN) gene in Chinese with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) and to investigate the association between OPTN genotype and phenotype of POAG. METHODS: Specimens of peripheral blood were collected from Chinese 118 patients with POAG and 150 sex- and aged-matched subjects without POAG. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to analyze the coding sequence of OPTN gene consisting of thirteen exons. The abnormal strands by SSCP were evaluated by bi-directional sequencing. RESULTS: Eleven sequence changes were identified, 6 of which had been reported before (T34T, T49T, M98K, IVS6-SC-->T, IVS6-10G-->A, and R545Q), and 5 of which were novel (IVS6-9C-->T, IVS6-14G-->A, IVS7 + 36G-->A, IVS8-51T-->C, and K435R) Only K435R was found in patient with POAG, whereas IVS6-9C-->T and IVS6-14G-->A were present in control subjects. IVS6-5C-->T and IVS6-10G-->A showed significant association with POAG. The patients with IVS6-5C-->T sequence abnormality were aged 23 to 73 with an average intraocular pressure of 23.14 mm Hg (1 mm Hg =0. 133 kPa) and a mean defect of visual field 0.2 to 28. 2dB. The patients with IVS6-10C-->T sequence abnormality were aged 20 to 74 with an average intraocular pressure of 20.19 mm Hg and a mean defect of visual field from 0.9 to 26. 5dB. CONCLUSION: The single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of OPTN gene may contribute to the pathogenesis of glaucoma in Chinese.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2004

Single-channel analysis of KCNQ K+ channels reveals the mechanism of augmentation by a cysteine-modifying reagent.

The cysteine-modifying reagent N-ethylmaleimide (NEM) is known to augment currents from native M-channels in sympathetic neurons and cloned KCNQ2 channels. As a probe for channel function, we investigated the mechanism of NEM action and subunit specificity of cloned KCNQ2-5 channels expressed in Chinese hamster ovary cells at the whole-cell and single-channel levels. Biotinylation assays and total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy indicated that NEM action is not caused by increased trafficking of channels to the membrane. At saturating voltages, whole-cell currents of KCNQ2, KCNQ4, and KCNQ5 but not KCNQ3 were augmented threefold to fourfold by 50 microm NEM, and their voltage dependencies were negatively shifted by 10-20 mV. Unitary conductances of KCNQ2 and KCNQ3 (6.2 and 8.5 pS, respectively) were much higher that those of KCNQ4 and KCNQ5 (2.1 and 2.2 pS, respectively). Surprisingly, the maximal open probability (P(o)) of KCNQ3 was near unity, much higher than that of KCNQ2, KCNQ4, and KCNQ5. NEM increased the P(o) of KCNQ2, KCNQ4, and KCNQ5 by threefold to fourfold but had no effect on their unitary conductances, suggesting that the increase in macroscopic currents can be accounted for by increases in P(o). Analysis of KCNQ3/4 chimeras determined the C terminus to be responsible for the differential maximal P(o), channel expression, and NEM action between the two channels. To further localize the site of NEM action, we mutated three cysteine residues in the C terminus of KCNQ4. The C519A mutation alone ablated most of the augmentation by NEM, suggesting that NEM acts via alkylation of this residue.

Animals↗

PubMed2004

Induction of cell cycle arrest and apoptosis by the proteasome inhibitor PS-341 in Hodgkin disease cell lines is independent of inhibitor of nuclear factor-kappaB mutations or activation of the CD30, CD40, and RANK receptors.

PURPOSE: The malignant Hodgkin and Reed-Sternberg cells of Hodgkin disease (HD) are known to constitutively express high levels of activated nuclear factor kappaB (NF-kappaB), which plays an important role in their survival. The proteasome inhibitor PS-341 has been recently shown to modulate tumor cell proliferation and survival by inhibiting NF-kappaB and modulating critical cellular regulatory proteins, but its activity in cells carrying IkappaBalpha gene mutations has not been reported previously. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: The activity of PS-341 in four well-characterized, HD-derived cell lines. Cell proliferation and apoptosis were determined by the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-5-(3-carboxymethoxy-phenyl)-2-(4-sulfonyl)-2H-tetrazolium (MTS) and Annexin-V binding methods, respectively. Cell cycle analysis was determined by flow cytometry. Intracellular protein levels were determined by Western blot. RESULTS: PS-341 demonstrated a strong antiproliferative activity, which was irrespective of the status of mutations in IkappaBalpha and even the presence of CD30, CD40, or RANK receptor activation. This effect was attributable to the induction of apoptosis and cell cycle arrest at the G(2)-M phase. PS-341 not only inhibited nuclear localization of NF-kappaB but also activated the caspase cascade, increased p21 and Bax levels, and decreased Bcl-2 levels. Furthermore, PS-341 enhanced the effect of gemcitabine chemotherapy and potentiated the effect of tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand/APO2L and two agonistic antibodies to tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand death receptors R1 and R2. CONCLUSIONS: The in vitro activity of PS-341 against HD-derived cell lines suggests that PS-341 may have a therapeutic value for the treatment of HD.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗

PubMed2004

A study of dilational rheological properties of polymers at interfaces.

Viscoelastic properties of two polymers, partially hydrolyzed polyacrylamide and partially hydrolyzed modified polyacrylamide, widely used in chemical flooding in the petroleum industry, were investigated at three interfaces, water-air, water-dodecane, and water-crude oil, by means of a dilational method provided by I.T. Concept, France, at 85 degrees C. Polymer solutions were prepared in brine with 10,000 mg/l sodium chloride and 2000 mg/l calcium chloride. It has been shown that the viscoelastic modulus increases with the increment of polymer concentration in the range of 0-1500 mg/l at the water-air interface. Each polymer shows different viscoelatic behavior at different interfaces. Generally speaking, values of the viscoelastic modulus (E), the real part (E'), and the imaginary part (E") at the crude oil-water interface for each polymer are lower than at the air-water or water-dodecane interface. The two polymers display different interfacial properties at the same interface. Polymer No. 2 gives more viscous interfaces than polymer No. 1. All the information obtained from this paper will be helpful in understanding the interfacial rheology of ultra-high-molecular-weight polymer solutions.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2004

Interleukin 6 and interleukin 8 as potential biomarkers for oral cavity and oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Since morbidity and mortality rates due to oral cavity and oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) have improved little in the past 30 years, early detection or prevention of this disease is likely to be most effective. Using laser-capture microdissection, we have identified the expression of 2 cellular genes that are uniquely associated with OSCC: interleukin (IL) 6 and IL-8. These cytokines may contribute to the pathogenesis of this disease, and have been linked with increased tumor growth and metastasis. OBJECTIVES: To investigate whether IL-6 and/or IL-8 could serve as informative biomarkers for OSCC in saliva and/or serum and to determine if there is a role for saliva as a diagnostic medium for OSCC. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients with newly diagnosed T1 or T2 oral cavity or oropharyngeal histologically confirmed squamous cell carcinoma were recruited for the study. Age and sex-matched disease-free subjects were used as controls. Using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, we respectively assessed the expression of IL-6 and IL-8 in serum (controls, n = 32; patients with OSCC, n = 19) and saliva (controls, n = 32; patients with OSCC, n = 32) at the messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein levels. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Specificity and sensitivity of these biomarkers for OSCC and their predictive value. RESULTS: Interleukin 8 was detected at higher concentrations in saliva (P<.01) and IL-6 was detected at higher concentrations in serum of patients with OSCC (P<.01). We confirmed these results at both the mRNA and the protein levels, and the results were concordant. The concentration of IL-8 in saliva and IL-6 in serum did not appear to be associated with sex, age, or alcohol or tobacco use (P>.75). Using statistical analysis, we were able to determine the threshold value, sensitivity, and specificity of each biomarker, as well as a combination of biomarkers, for detecting OSCC. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicate that IL-8 in saliva and IL-6 in serum hold promise as biomarkers for OSCC. A saliva-based test could be a cost-effective adjunctive tool in the diagnosis and follow-up of patients with OSCC.

Adult↗