Survival Impact of Delaying Postoperative Radiotherapy in Patients with Esophageal Cancer

The purpose of the current study was to retrospectively assess the effect of postoperative radiotherapy (RT) delay on survival for patients with esophageal cancer. From 2008 to 2011, patients with esophageal cancer who had undergone postoperative RT in five different hospitals in China were reviewed. Clinical data, including time interval between surgery to RT, were prospectively collected. Kaplan-Meier method was conducted to estimate the effect of each variable on progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS), with differences assessed by log-rank test. Univariate Cox proportional-hazards models were performed for both PFS and OS for all assumed predictor variables. Statistically significant predictor variables (P < .05) on univariate analysis were then included in multivariate Cox proportional-hazards models, which were performed to compare the effects of RT delay on PFS and OS. A total of 316 patients were finally enrolled in this prospectively multicentric study. Time to RT after surgery varied from 12 days to over 60 days (median, 26 days). Multivariate analysis showed that delay to RT longer than the median does not appear to be a survival cost. There was also no statistically difference in PFS (P = .513) or OS (P = .236) between patients stratified by quartiles (≤21 days vs ≧35 days). However, patients with particularly long delays (≧42 days) demonstrated a detrimental impact on OS (P = .021) but not PFS (P = .580). Delaying postoperative RT of esophageal cancer does not impact PFS, but results in a significant reduction on OS if delaying longer than 6 weeks.     

硝尔库勒湖可培养放线菌多样性及其功能酶和抗细菌活性

【目的】认识和了解硝尔库勒湖可培养放线菌的多样性、功能酶和抗细菌活性特点,为今后的开发和利用奠定基础。【方法】应用可培养技术和基于16S r RNA基因序列的系统发育分析硝尔库勒盐湖沉积物中放线菌的多样性。常规方法检测样品成分因子,并筛选了嗜盐放线菌的蛋白酶、淀粉酶和酯酶活性;抑菌圈法检测放线菌新种的抗细菌活性。【结果】分离获得了51个OTUs,分属于24个不同的属,其中15个OTUs代表了放线菌新种;链霉菌属是优势菌属,占全部分离菌株数量的16.25%。硝尔库勒湖放线菌类群数量一定程度上受样品成分因子的协同影响。代表新种的菌株展示了良好的功能酶活性和抗细菌活性,其中代表链霉菌新种的菌株XHU5011不仅具有多种酶活性,而且具有强大的抗金黄葡萄球菌、耻垢分枝杆菌和荧光假单胞菌的能力,具有很好的开发潜能。【结论】硝尔库勒盐湖中存在丰富的可培养放线菌多样性,潜藏着大量的放线菌新资源,并且具有很好的功能酶和天然产物挖掘潜力。     

Effects of small interfering RNA-mediated hepatic glucagon receptor inhibition on lipid metabolism in db/db mice

Hepatic glucose overproduction is a major characteristic of type 2 diabetes. Because glucagon is a key regulator for glucose homeostasis, antagonizing the glucagon receptor (GCGR) is a possible therapeutic strategy for the treatment of diabetes mellitus. To study the effect of hepatic GCGR inhibition on the regulation of lipid metabolism, we generated siRNA-mediated GCGR knockdown (si-GCGR) in the db/db mouse. The hepatic knockdown of GCGR markedly reduced plasma glucose levels; however, total plasma cholesterol was increased. The detailed lipid analysis showed an increase in the LDL fraction, and no change in VLDL HDL fractions. Further studies showed that the increase in LDL was the result of over-expression of hepatic lipogenic genes and elevated de novo lipid synthesis. Inhibition of hepatic glucagon signaling via siRNA-mediated GCGR knockdown had an effect on both glucose and lipid metabolism in db/db mice.     

Reduction of In-Stent Restenosis Risk on Nickel-Free Stainless Steel by Regulating Cell Apoptosis and Cell Cycle

High nitrogen nickel-free austenitic stainless steel (HNNF SS) is one of the biomaterials developed recently for circumventing the in-stent restenosis (ISR) in coronary stent applications. To understand the ISR-resistance mechanism, we have conducted a comparative study of cellular and molecular responses of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) to HNNF SS and 316L SS (nickel-containing austenitic 316L stainless steel) which is the stent material used currently. CCK-8 analysis and flow cytometric analysis were used to assess the cellular responses (proliferation, apoptosis, and cell cycle), and quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) was used to analyze the gene expression profile of HUVECs exposed to HNNF SS and 316L SS, respectively. Flow cytometry analysis revealed that 316L SS could activate the cellular apoptosis more efficiently and initiate an earlier entry into the S-phase of cell cycle than HNNF SS. At the molecular level, qRT-PCR results showed that the genes regulating cell apoptosis and autophagy were overexpressed on 316L SS. Further examination indicated that nickel released from 316L SS triggered the cell apoptosis via Fas-Caspase8-Caspase3 exogenous pathway. These molecular mechanisms of HUVECs present a good model for elucidating the observed cellular responses. The findings in this study furnish valuable information for understanding the mechanism of ISR-resistance on the cellular and molecular basis as well as for developing new biomedical materials for stent applications.     

Additional data for a new Theileria sp. from China based on the sequences of ribosomal RNA internal transcribed spacers

Theileria sinensis was recently isolated and named as an independent Theileria species that infects cattle in China. To date, this parasite has been described based on its morphology, transmission and molecular studies, indicating that it should be classified as a distinct species. To test the validity of this taxon, the two internal transcribed spacers (ITS1 and ITS2) and the 5.8S rRNA gene were cloned and sequenced from three T. sinensis isolates. The complete ITS sequences were compared with those of other Theileria sp. available in GenBank. Phylogenetic analyses based on sequence data for the complete ITS sequences indicate that T. sinensis lies in a distinct clade that is separate from that of T. buffeli/orientalis and T. annulata. Sequence comparisons indicate that different T. sinensis isolates possess unique sizes of ITS1 and ITS2 as well as species-specific nucleotide sequences. This analysis provides new molecular data to support the classification of T. sinensis as a distinct species from other known Theileria spp. based on ITS sequences.     

The Frequency and Clinical Significance of IDH1 Mutations in Chinese Acute Myeloid Leukemia Patients

Objective

Mutations in the gene encoding isocitrate dehydrogenease 1 (IDH1) occur in various hematopoietic tumors including acute myeloid leukemia (AML), myeloproliferative neoplasms and myelodysplastic syndromes. IDH1 mutations are significant in both diagnosis and prognosis of these conditions. In the present study we determined the prevalence and clinical significance of IDH1 mutations in 349 samples from newly diagnosed AML patients.

Results

Of the 349 AML patient specimens analyzed, 35 (10.03%) were found to have IDH1 mutations including 4 IDH1 R132 mutations and 31 non-R132 mutations. IDH1 non-R132 mutations were largely concentrated within AML-M₁ (35.72%, p<0.01). We identified five IDH1 mutations that were novel to AML: (1) c.299 G>A, p.R100Q; (2) c.311G>T, p.G104V; (3) c.322T>C, p.F108L; (4) c.356G>A, p.R119Q; and (5) c.388A>G, p.I130V. In addition, we identified three IDH1 mutations that were previously described in AML. The frequency of IDH1 mutations in AML patients with normal karyotype was 9.9%. IDH1 non-R132 mutations were concurrent with mutations in FLT3-ITD (p<0.01), CEBPA (p<0.01), and NRAS (p<0.01), as well as the overexpression of MN1 (p<0.01) and WT1(p<0.01). The overall survival (OS) in the patients with IDH1 non-R132 mutations compared to patients without IDH1 mutations don''t reach statistically significance (median 521 days vs median: not reached; n.s.).

Conclusion

IDH1 non-R132 mutations occurred frequently in newly diagnosed adult Chinese AML patients, and these mutations were associated with genetic alterations. The OS was not influenced by IDH1 non-R132 mutations in the present study.     

Expression and signal regulation of the alternative oxidase genes under abiotic stresses

Plants in their natural environment frequently face various abiotic stresses, such as drought, high salinity, and chilling. Plant mitochondria contain an alternative oxidase （AOX）, which is encoded by a small family of nuclear genes. AOX genes have been shown to be highly responsive to abiotic stresses. Using transgenic plants with varying levels of AOX expression, it has been confirmed that AOX genes are im- portant for abiotic stress tolerance. Although the roles of AOX under abiotic stresses have been extensively studied and there are several excellent reviews on this topic, the differential expression patterns of the AOX gene family members and the signal regulation of AOX gene（s） under abiotic stresses have not been extensively summarized. Here, we review and discuss the current progress of these two important issues.     

Nuclear Receptor Nur77 Facilitates Melanoma Cell Survival under Metabolic Stress by Protecting Fatty Acid Oxidation

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