Krit1 inhibited proliferation and metastasis of human colon cancer via DPPIV signaling pathway

Oral presentationpublished_or_final_versionThe 15th Annual Research Conference of the Department of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 16 January 2010. In Hong Kong Medical Journal, 2010, v. 16, suppl. 1, p. 67, abstract no. 11

Examination of Parental Effect on the Progeny Diapause by Reciprocal Cross Test in the Cabbage Beetle, Colaphellus bowringi

The cabbage beetle, Colaphellus bowringi Baly (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), a serious pest of crucifers in China, undergoes summer or winter diapause in the soil as an adult. In the present study, the incidence of diapause were measured in reciprocal crosses between a high—diapause strain (HD strain) and a laboratory—selected nondiapausing strain (ND strain) under different photoperiods and temperatures, to explore parental influences on the progeny diapause. Sensitivity to photoperiod in the selected nondiapausing strain was nearly eliminated at 25 °C, whereas sensitivity to temperature of the selected nondiapausing strain was retained under continuous darkness at 20 and 22 °C. Reciprocal crosses between the HD strain and the ND strain showed that the incidence of diapause in the progeny was always intermediate to that of the parents under different photoperiods and temperatures, suggesting that diapause induction was determined by both female and male parents. There was a significant effect of temperature; temperature interacted with reciprocal cross on diapause induction, whereas no significant effect of reciprocal cross was demonstrated. The incidence of diapause in ♀ND × ♂HD was the same as in ♀HD × ♂ND under continuous darkness at 18 °C (100%) and 26 °C (0%), but the former was higher than that in ♀HD × ♂ND under continuous darkness at 22 °C, suggesting that female parent does not exhibit strong influence on the diapause response to temperature. There was a significant effect of photoperiod and reciprocal cross on diapause induction, whereas no significant interactive effect on diapause induction was demonstrated. Incidence of diapause in ♀HD × ♂ND was always higher than in ♀ND × ♂HD at 25 °C and 12:12 L:D, 14:10 L:D, and 16:8 L:D, suggesting a strong maternal influence on the diapause response to photoperiod, though a significant difference was observed only at 14:10 L:D. Our results support the idea that diapause induction is determined by both female and male parents. However, results also indicated that a strong maternal influence on diapause was exhibited only in response to photoperiod

Oxymatrine Alleviates Central Post-Stroke Pain in Rats by Reducing the Inflammatory Response

Hai-Li Li,1– 3 Xing-Ping Tan,1,3 Xiao-Die Wang,1,3 Ren-Tian Guo,1,3 Jiang-Lin Wang1,3,4 1Department of Pain Management, The Affiliated Hospital, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Anesthesiology, The Affiliated Tianfu Hospital, Southwest Medical University, Meishan, People’s Republic of China; 3Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine Key Laboratory of Luzhou, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan, People’s Republic of China; 4Department of Pain Management, The Affiliated Tianfu Hospital, Southwest Medical University, Meishan, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Jiang-Lin Wang, Pain Department, The Affiliated Hospital, Southwest Medical University, No. 25 Pacific Street, Luzhou, 646000, People’s Republic of China, Tel +8618090880626, Fax +0830-3165469, Email [email protected] and Purpose: Central post-stroke pain (CPSP) is directly caused by cerebrovascular diseases that affect the central somatosensory system. It is a serious, chronic central neuropathic pain that responds poorly to first-line drugs. Oxymatrine (OMT), a monomer derived from the traditional Chinese medicine Sophora flavescens Ait. exhibits anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and organ- and tissue-protective properties. This study aimed to investigate the therapeutic effects of OMT in a rat model of CPSP.Methods: Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis was initially employed to elucidate the role of OMT on CPSP target proteins in terms of gene function. Then the CPSP model was induced through focal hemorrhage in the ventral posterolateral nucleus (VPL). Rats were randomly assigned to five groups (n = 10): sham + NaCl, CPSP + NaCl, and CPSP + OMT (100 mg/kg, 200 mg/kg, 400 mg/kg). Daily intraperitoneal injections of NaCl or varying doses of OMT were administered from days 7 to 14 after model establishment, and paw withdrawal mechanical thresholds (PWMT) were assessed. The optimal OMT dose (200 mg/kg) was determined based on PWMT measurements. On day 14, inflammatory markers (IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α) and alterations in microglia and astrocyte activity at the thalamic lesion site were analyzed.Results: Elevated levels of IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α (P < 0.05) and activation of microglia and astrocytes were observed around the peri-thalamic lesion in CPSP rats. OMT administration significantly reduced mechanical allodynia (P < 0.05), decreased inflammatory cytokine expression (P < 0.05), and inhibited microglial and astrocytic activation.Conclusion: OMT mitigates central post-stroke pain in rats by attenuating the inflammatory response at the thalamic lesion site.Keywords: central post-stroke pain, oxymatrine, inflammation, thalamic lesions, mechanical allodyni

Search for R-parity-violating supersymmetry in events with four or more leptons in sqrt(s) =7 TeV pp collisions with the ATLAS detector

A search for new phenomena in final states with four or more leptons (electrons or muons) is presented. The analysis is based on 4.7 fb−1 of $\sqrt{s}=7\;\mathrm{TeV}$ proton-proton collisions delivered by the Large Hadron Collider and recorded with the ATLAS detector. Observations are consistent with Standard Model expectations in two signal regions: one that requires moderate values of missing transverse momentum and another that requires large effective mass. The results are interpreted in a simplified model of R-parity-violating supersymmetry in which a 95% CL exclusion region is set for charged wino masses up to 540 GeV. In an R-parity-violating MSUGRA/CMSSM model, values of m 1/2 up to 820 GeV are excluded for 10 < tan β < 40

Modes of Gene Duplication Contribute Differently to Genetic Novelty and Redundancy, but Show Parallels across Divergent Angiosperms

BACKGROUND: Both single gene and whole genome duplications (WGD) have recurred in angiosperm evolution. However, the evolutionary effects of different modes of gene duplication, especially regarding their contributions to genetic novelty or redundancy, have been inadequately explored. RESULTS: In Arabidopsis thaliana and Oryza sativa (rice), species that deeply sample botanical diversity and for which expression data are available from a wide range of tissues and physiological conditions, we have compared expression divergence between genes duplicated by six different mechanisms (WGD, tandem, proximal, DNA based transposed, retrotransposed and dispersed), and between positional orthologs. Both neo-functionalization and genetic redundancy appear to contribute to retention of duplicate genes. Genes resulting from WGD and tandem duplications diverge slowest in both coding sequences and gene expression, and contribute most to genetic redundancy, while other duplication modes contribute more to evolutionary novelty. WGD duplicates may more frequently be retained due to dosage amplification, while inferred transposon mediated gene duplications tend to reduce gene expression levels. The extent of expression divergence between duplicates is discernibly related to duplication modes, different WGD events, amino acid divergence, and putatively neutral divergence (time), but the contribution of each factor is heterogeneous among duplication modes. Gene loss may retard inter-species expression divergence. Members of different gene families may have non-random patterns of origin that are similar in Arabidopsis and rice, suggesting the action of pan-taxon principles of molecular evolution. CONCLUSION: Gene duplication modes differ in contribution to genetic novelty and redundancy, but show some parallels in taxa separated by hundreds of millions of years of evolution

Drugs and herbs given to prevent hepatotoxicity of tuberculosis therapy: systematic review of ingredients and evaluation studies

Background: Drugs to protect the liver are frequently prescribed in some countries as part of treatment for tuberculosis. The biological rationale is not clear, they are expensive and may do harm. We conducted a systematic review to a) describe the ingredients of "liver protection drugs"; and b) compare the evidence base for the policy against international standards. Methods: We searched international medical databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, LILACS, CINAHL, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and the specialised register of the Cochrane Infectious Diseases Group) and Chinese language databases (CNKI, VIP and WanFang) to April 2007. Our inclusion criteria were research papers that reported evaluating any liver protection drug or drugs for preventing liver damage in people taking anti-tuberculosis treatment. Two authors independently categorised and extracted data, and appraised the stated methods of evaluating their effectiveness. Results: Eighty five research articles met our inclusion criteria, carried out in China (77), India (2), Russia (4), Ukraine (2). These articles evaluated 30 distinct types of liver protection compounds categorised as herbal preparations, manufactured herbal products, combinations of vitamins and other non-herbal substances and manufactured pharmaceutical preparations. Critical appraisal of these articles showed that all were small, poorly conducted studies, measuring intermediate outcomes. Four trials that were described as randomised controlled trials were small, had short follow up, and did not meet international standards. Conclusion: There is no reliable evidence to support prescription of drugs or herbs to prevent liver damage in people on tuberculosis treatment