NAG11和NAG12基因转染对鼻咽癌细胞生长的影响

为了考察鼻咽癌表达下调／缺失基因NAG11和NAG12对鼻咽癌细胞系HNE1生长的影响,构建了NAG11和NAG12基因真核表达载体pcDNA3.1（＋）／NAG11和pcDNA3.1（＋）／NAG12,采用脂质体转染技术将真核重组质粒和空载体质粒分别导入HNE1细胞,观察转染后HNE1细胞生物学特性的变化,结果显示,NAG11重表达对HNE1细胞生长和细胞周期没有明显的影响,而NAG12重表达对HNE1细胞有生长抑制作用,与空载体转染组相比,倍增时间由24.1h延长至31.1h,停滞于G0－G1期细胞数由51.42%增加至68.14%。以上实验进一步说明鼻咽癌是多基因改变的疾病,NAG12的重表达有助于处国咽癌恶性表型的逆转。     

Gap Junctional Channels Regulate Acid Secretion in the Mammalian Gastric Gland

Gap junction channels are regarded as a primary pathway for intercellular message transfer, including calcium wave propagation. Our study identified two gap junctional proteins, connexin26 and connexin32, in rat gastric glands by RT-PCR, Western blot analysis, and immunofluorescence. We demonstrated a potential physiological role of the gap junctional channels in the acid secretory process using the calcium indicator fluo-3, and microinjection of Lucifer Yellow. Application of gastrin (10⁻⁷ m) to the basolateral membrane resulted in the induction of uniphasic calcium signals in adjacent parietal cells. In addition, single parietal cell microinjections in intact glands with the cell-impermeant dye Lucifer Yellow resulted in a transfer of dye from the injected cell to the adjacent parietal cell following gastrin stimulation, demonstrating gastrin-induced cell-to-cell communication. Both calcium wave propagation and Lucifer Yellow transfer were blocked by the gap junction inhibitor 18α-glycyrrhetinic acid. Our studies demonstrate that functional gap junction channels in gastric glands provide an effective means for rapid cell-to-cell communication and allow for the rapid onset of acid secretion. Received: 4 December 2000/Revised: 5 June 2001     

食管鳞癌人乳头状瘤病毒感染的原位杂交检测和观察

目的 :检测食管鳞癌中人乳头状瘤病毒 (HPV)的感染情况 ,探讨 HPV与食管癌发病的关系。方法 :用原位杂交技术及免疫组化方法对 33例食管鳞癌手术切除标本进行 HPV检测。结果 :用原位杂交方法检测食管鳞癌中 HPV DNA检出率为 4 5 .5 % (15 / 33)。HPV DNA阳性与食管鳞癌肿瘤细胞的分化程度无关 (P>0 .0 5 )。HPV衣壳蛋白的免疫组化检测均为阴性。结论 :HPV感染可能是引起食管上皮癌变的原因之一 ,与食管鳞癌的发生有关。即使在存在 HPV DNA的病例中 ,HPV衣壳蛋白亦可以不表达     

盐酸洛拉曲克在体内、外对S-180细胞株的抗增殖作用

研究合合成新型胸苷合成酶抑制剂盐酸洛拉曲克在体内、外对S－180细胞株及正常人胚肾HEK293细胞的抗增殖作用;使用MTT法测定抑制率,以提高荷腹水瘤小鼠存活时间及荷实体瘤瘤重减轻情况为指标考察盐酸洛拉曲克对S－180所致肿瘤的治疗作用。结果表明：在体外盐酸洛拉曲克对S－180肿瘤细胞株有较强的细胞毒作用,对正常细胞HEK293抑制作用较弱（P＜0.05）;体内实验显示盐酸洛拉曲克可明显提高荷腹水瘤小鼠的存活时间,减轻荷实体瘤小鼠的瘤重,疗效与氟尿嘧啶（10mg/kg）相当（P＞0.05）或更好（P＜0.05）。可见,盐酸洛拉曲克在体内、外对S－180肿瘤细胞有显著的抗增殖作用,在体外对肿瘤细胞 具有选择性的抗增殖作用。     

Short-term foraging patterns of individual cornetfish, Fistularia commersonii, based on stomach content analysis

Stomach contents of 75 specimens of the cornetfish Fistularia commersonii, collected in shallow water off Kuchinoerabu-jima Island, southern Japan were analyzed. Many fish contained multiple prey. The prey were mostly fish, grouped into two types, pelagic and reef fishes. The size of prey increased as the size of F. commersonii increased. All the small individuals (<50 cm SL) had fed on only small reef fish. However, most of the large individuals (>50 cm SL) had fed on either prey type. Both pelagic and reef fishes usually occurred simultaneously in shallow water, suggesting that most of the large cornetfish may selectively hunt either type of prey. Received: February 27, 2001 / Revised: September 11, 2001 / Accepted: October 10, 2001     

BRD7单核苷酸多态性及鼻咽癌易感性分析

为了探讨BRD7基因的遗传变异在鼻咽癌发生的作用,采用PCR-SSCP和直接测序方法对BRD7 基因的编码区进行单核苷酸多态性（coding-region single nucleotide polymorphism, cSNP）分析,并对两个鼻咽癌家系的高危成员、57个散发性鼻咽癌病人和50个正常人进行了BRD7等位基因分型.在BRD7基因的编码区发现了3个cSNP（C450T、A538C和A737G）,其中A538C颠换导致其编码蛋白的第162个氨基酸由Asp变为Ala;C450T改变与同义的A737C多态性偶联发生在87.7%的鼻咽癌活检组织和配对的外周血、所有的鼻咽癌家系的患者及8个易感成员,但是仅存在于22%的正常人血标本中.C450T多态性变化可以导致其编码蛋白在第133位氨基酸的翻译终止（G133Ter）.以上结果说明,C450T和A737C偶联的多态性改变是鼻咽癌发生和发展的重要遗传易感风险因子之一（P＜0.01）;BRD7基因有两种翻译方式,G133Ter可以导致另一种截断的翻译本（truncated isoform）.     

Patterns and trends in the incidence of paediatric and adult germ cell tumours in Australia, 1982–2011

PurposeGerm cell tumour (GCT) aetiology is uncertain and comprehensive epidemiological studies of GCT incidence are few.MethodsNationwide data on all malignant GCTs notified to Australian population-based cancer registries during 1982–2011 were obtained. Age- and sex-specific, and World age-standardised incidence rates were calculated for paediatric (0–14) and adult (15+) cases using the latest WHO subtype classification scheme. Temporal trends were examined using Joinpoint regression.ResultsThere were 17,279 GCTs (552 paediatric, 16,727 adult). Age-specific incidence in males (all histologies combined) was bimodal, with peaks during infancy for most sites, and second, larger, peaks during young adulthood. Incidence of ovarian tumours peaked at age 15–19. Around half of paediatric tumours were extragonadal, whereas adult tumours were mostly gonadal. Yolk sac tumours and teratomas predominated in infants, whereas germinomas became more frequent towards adulthood. Increasing incidence trends for some adult gonadal tumours have stabilised; the trend for male extragonadal tumours is also declining.ConclusionBroad similarities in the shape of age-specific incidence curves, particularly for gonadal, central nervous system, and mediastinal tumours provide epidemiological support for commonalities in aetiology among clinically disparate GCT subtypes. Differences in peak ages reflect underlying subtype-specific biological differences. Declining incidence trends for some adult gonadal tumours accords with the global transition in GCT incidence, and supports the possibility of a reduction in prevalence of shared aetiological exposures.     

A biomechanical approach to the analysis of methods and procedures of bariatric surgery

Bariatric surgery includes a variety of procedures that are performed on obese people and aim at decreasing the intake of food and calories. This goal is usually pursued by reducing stomach capacity and/or absorbing capability. Adjustable gastric banding is the most common and successful operation. In general, bariatric surgical procedures are effective, but are often associated with major complications.Surgical procedure and post-surgical conformation of the stomach are usually defined on clinical and surgical basis only. Instead, the optimal configuration should be identified by analyzing the mechanical functionality of the stomach and the surrounding structures, and the relationship between food intake, nutrient adsorption, mechanical stimulation of stomach wall and feeling of satiety.A novel approach to bariatric surgery is required, integrating competences in the areas of biomechanics, physiology and surgery, based on a strong interaction between engineers and clinicians. Preliminary results from coupled experimental and computational investigations are here reported. The analyses aim to develop computational tools for the investigation of stomach mechanical functionality in pre- and post-surgical conformations.     

Nesfatin-1 – More than a food intake regulatory peptide

Nesfatin-1 was discovered a decade ago and despite the fact that it represents just one of a multitude of food intake-inhibiting factors it received increasing attention. This led to a detailed characterization of NUCB2/nesfatin-1's physiological property to reduce food intake and also gave rise to an involvement in the long term regulation of body weight, especially under conditions of obesity. In addition, studies indicated the involvement of NUCB2/nesfatin-1 in other homeostatic functions as well: glucose homeostasis, water intake, gastrointestinal functions, temperature regulation, cardiovascular functions, puberty onset and sleep. These pleiotropic actions underline the physiological relevance of this peptide. Recently, the involvement of NUCB2/nesfatin-1 in psychiatric disorders such as anxiety has been investigated giving rise to the speculation that NUCB2/nesfatin-1 represents a peptidergic link between eating and anxiety/depression disorders.     

Population-level cure of colorectal cancer in Malta: An analysis of patients diagnosed between 1995 and 2004

AimThe aim of this study was to estimate the population-level ‘cure’ of Maltese colorectal cancer patients diagnosed between 1995 and 2004, and to estimate the median survival time for the ‘uncured’ patients.Methods and study populationAnalysis was conducted on 1470 cases registered by the Malta National Cancer Register between 1995 and 2004 and followed up to end of 2010. The mean age of the patients was 66.4 (95%CI 65.8–67.1), and the number of men and women were equal. Background mortality for 1995–2010 was extracted from publicly available life tables. A mixture model with Weibull survival distribution and identity link was used to model ‘cure’.ResultsThe overall ‘cured’ proportion for the patients diagnosed in 1995–1999 was 45.3% (95%CI 40.2–50.5) while the ‘cured’ proportion for the patients diagnosed in 2000–2004 was 52.3% (95%CI 47.2–57.5). Median survival time for the ‘uncured’ patients increased in the second calendar period from 1.25 years (95%CI 1.04–1.45) to 1.42 years (95%CI 1.15–1.76).ConclusionIn Malta, as in the rest of Europe, improvements have been made in short- and long-term survival over the 15-year period under study. To continue this improvement, differences by age that still persist must be investigated and efforts focused to reduce any gaps between Malta and other European countries.