Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) may cause cell cycle arrest, terminal differentiation, or apoptosis in most normal epithelial cells, whereas most malignant cell lines are resistant to TGF-β. Mechanisms of resistance to TGF-β caused by modulation of cell cycle regulators and/or inactivation of components of the TGF-β signaling transduction pathway such as C-myc and Smad4 are not well understood. To investigate the potential association between loss of sensitivity to TGF-β and expression status of transforming growth factor receptor II (TβRII), Smad4, CDC25A and C-myc in 14 cell lines derived from ovarian cancer, the expression levels of these genes were detected by semi-quantitative RT-PCR. Normal ovarian surface tissues were used as controls. The expression of TβR II was detectable in all of 14 cell lines. The expression of Smad4 was decreased in 10 cell lines and 9 cell lines overexpressed CDC25A, as compared to normal controls. CDC25A gene was overexpressed with 88% (8/9) in tumorigenic cell lines as determined by xenografts in nude mice, and only in 20% (1/5) of non-tumorigenic cell lines (P<0.05). C-myc was not overexpressed in any of these cell lines. The loss of sensitivity to TGF-β of cell lines derived from ovarian cancers may be related to a decreased expression of Smad4, which mediates TGF-β induced growth inhibition, and/or an overexpression of CDC25A. This overexpression of CDC25A correlates with increased tumorigenicity of ovarian cancer cell lines. The loss of sensitivity to TGF-β is not associated with a lack of TβRII.
To evaluate the implication of methymalonic acid (MMA) in the early diagnosis of neural tube defects (NTD), a quantitative assay for MMA was established by using gas chromatographymass spectrometry with stable isotope of MMA as an internal standard. Amniotic fluid and maternal urine MMA concentration, maternal serum folate, red blood cell folate and vitamin B12 levels were measured in the middle term of NTD-affected and normal pregnancies. Amniotic fluid and maternal urine MMA concentrations in the middle term of NTD affected pregnancies (1.4±0.9 μmol/L, and 22.1±12.6 nmol/μmol creatinine) were significantly higher than that of normal pregnancies (1.0±0.4μmol/L, and 2.5±1.1 nmol/μmol creatinine). There was no significant differences between normal and NTD pregnancies for serum folate, red blood cell folate and vitamin B12 levels. The results suggested that MMAs in amniotic fluid and maternal urine are sensitive markers for early diagnosis of NTD. Vitamin B12 is an active cofactor involved in the remethylation of homocycteine and its deficiency is an independent risk factor for NTD. MMA is a specific and sensitive marker for intracellular vitamin B12 deficiency. This study suggests that it is necessary to monitor the vitamin B12 deficiency and advocates vitamin B12 supplementation with folate prevention program.
The effects of the combined use of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI) benazepril and angiotensin II type 1 receptor antagonist (AT1RA) valsartan on apoptosis and the expression of apoptosis-related proteins Fas and FasL in the kidney of rats with adriamycin-induced nephritic glomerulosclerosis was investigated. Uninephrectomy and the injection of adriamycin induced the rat model of glomerulosclerosis. Benazepril (6 mg/kg), valsantan (20 mg/kg), or benazepril (3 mg/kg) plus valsantan (20 mg/kg) was respectively delivered daily by gavage to the rats in three treatment groups for 12 weeks. Apoptosis was examined by means of terminal-deoxynucleotidyl transferase mediated d-UTP nick end labeling (TUNEL). Immunohistochemistry was adopted to detect the expression of Fas and FasL. Software of pathological analysis quantitated the levels of Fas and FasL. The results showed that as compared with those in the control group, the kidneys in the model group had more severe glomerulosclerosis, much more apoptotic cells and higher levels of expression of Fas and FasL. The degree of glomerulosclerosis, the number of apoptotic cells and the levels of expression of Fas and FasL were reduced by benazepril and valsartan. The combined use of benazepril and valsartan had the best therapeutic effect. It was concluded that benazepril and valsartan could suppress the excessive apoptosis of kidney cells by lowering the expression of the apoptosis-related proteins Fas and FasL, so as to postpone the process of glomerulosclerosis. The combined use of benazepril and valsartan has better therapeutic effect.
The expression of hypoxia inducible factor-1 alpha (HIF-1α) and its relationship to apoptosis in tissues around cerebral bleeding loci was studied. The expression of HIF-1α and apoptosis in 37 samples of tissues around cerebral bleeding loci and 9 samples of normal cerebral tissues was assessed by immunohistochemical straining and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling methods. In 37 tissue samples around cerebral bleeding loci, the positive rate of the HIF 1α expression was 40.6%. Especially in the patients with amount of bleeding >60 ml, the positive rate (88.9%) of the HIF-1α expression was significantly higher than those with the amount of blceding ranging from 30, 45 ml or 45, 60 ml (P<0.05). The expression of HIF-1α was increased as the amount of bleeding and operative time increased (P<0.05). There existed a positive correlation between HIF-1α labeling index and apoptosis index (n=12,r=0.56,P<0.01). These results suggested that the expression of HIF-1α was closely related with the time of hemorrhage and the amount of bleeding, and could induce the apoptosis of neurons.
In order to investigate the mechanism of elevated vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in peritoneal fluids from patients with endometriosis, macrophages were recovered from peritoneal fluids obtained at the time of diagnostic laparoscopy from infertile women with endometriosis (EMT group,n=20) and without endometriosis (control group,n=20). Macrophages were culturedin vitro. The VEGF levels of peritoneal fluid and the supernatant of macrophages culture were determined by enzyme linked immunoassay (ELISA). Meanwhile, the eutopic (n=20) and ectopic endometrium (n=20) from endometriosis patients, and normal edometrium (n=20) from non-endometriosis patients were obtained for the analysis of VEGF expression by labeled Streptavidin Biotin (LSAB). It was found that VEGF levels in peritoneal fluid and macrophages culture supernatant were significantly higher in EMT group than in control group (P<0.01). In normal endometrium, VEGF showed a cyclic changes and similar in eutopic and ectopic endometrium from patients with endometriosis. There was no difference in the intensity of VEGF in endometrium between two groups within each menstrual phase. It is suggested that altered VEGF production by peritoneal macrophages and ectopic endometrium secretion may contribute to the elevated VEGF levels in the peritoneal fluid of patients with endometriosis.