Clinicopathologic Characteristics and Prognoses for Multicentric Occurrence and Intrahepatic Metastasis in Synchronous Multinodular Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patients

Li, Shi-Lai,Su, Ming,Peng, Tao,Xiao, Kai-Yin,Shang, Li-Ming,Xu, Bang-Hao,Su, Zhi-Xiong,Ye, Xin-Ping,Peng, Ning,Qin, Quan-Lin,Chen, De-Feng,Chen, Jie,Li, Le-Qun Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2013 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.14 No.1

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common cancers worldwide, and the outcomes for patients are still poor. It is important to determine the original type of synchronous multinodular HCC for preoperative assessment and the choice of treatment therapy as well as for the prediction of prognosis after treatment. Aims: To analyze clinicopathologic characteristics and prognoses in patients with multicentric occurrence (MO) and intrahepatic metastasis (IM) of synchronous multinodular hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods: The study group comprised 42 multinodular HCC patients with a total of 112 nodules. The control group comprised 20 HCC patients with 16 single nodular HCC cases and 4 HCC cases with a portal vein tumor emboli. The mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) D-loop region was sequenced, and the patients of the study group were categorized as MO or IM based on the sequence variations. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to determine the important clinicopathologic characteristics in the two groups. Results: In the study group, 20 cases were categorized as MO, and 22 as IM, whereas all 20 cases in the control group were characterized as IM. Several factors significantly differed between the IM and MO patients, including hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg), cumulative tumor size, tumor nodule location, cirrhosis, portal vein and/or microvascular tumor embolus and the histological grade of the primary nodule. Multivariate analysis further demonstrated that cirrhosis and portal vein and/or microvascular tumor thrombus were independent factors differentiating between IM and MO patients. The tumor-free survival time of the MO subjects was significantly longer than that of the IM subjects ($25.7{\pm}4.8$ months vs. $8.9{\pm}3.1$ months, p=0.017). Similarly, the overall survival time of the MO subjects was longer ($31.6{\pm}5.3$ months vs. $15.4{\pm}3.4$ months, p=0.024). The multivariate analysis further demonstrated that the original type (p=0.035) and Child-Pugh grade (p<0.001) were independent predictors of tumor-free survival time. Cirrhosis (p=0.011), original type (p=0.034) and Child-Pugh grade (p<0.001) were independent predictors of overall survival time. Conclusions: HBeAg, cumulative tumor size, tumor nodule location, cirrhosis, portal vein and/or microvascular tumor embolus and histological grade of the primary nodule are important factors for differentiating IM and MO. MO HCC patients might have a favorable outcome compared with IM patients.

The Effect of Electron-withdrawing Group Functionalization on Antibacterial and Catalytic Activity of Palladium(II) Complexes

Feng, Zhi-Qiang,Yang, Xiao-Li,Ye, Yuan-Feng,Hao, Lin-Yun Korean Chemical Society 2014 Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society Vol.35 No.4

The design, synthesis, and structural characterization of two new palladium complexes based on Schiff base ligands is reported; $[Pd(L1)_2]$ (1) and $[Pd(L2)_2]$ (2), [HL1 = 2-((E)-(2,6-diethylphenylimino)methyl)-4,6-dibromophenol, L2 = (E)-N-benzylidene-2,6-diethylbenzenamine], which are obtained by functionalizing Schiff base ligands with or without electron-withdrawing groups. Both compounds are mononuclear structures. Comparisons are made to the compounds 1 and 2 to analyze and understand the effect of electron-withdrawing groups. Antibacterial activity studies indicate the electron-withdrawing groups on Schiff base ligands enhance antibacterial activity. Catalytic activity, however, is reduced due to the enhanced steric-hindrance of the electron-withdrawing groups. Electronic absorption and emission properties of HL1, L2, 1 and 2 are also reported.

No Association Between the USP7 Gene Polymorphisms and Colorectal Cancer in the Chinese Han Population

Li, Xin,Wang, Yang,Li, Xing-Wang,Liu, Bao-Cheng,Zhao, Qing-Zhu,Li, Wei-Dong,Chen, Shi-Qing,Huang, Xiao-Ye,Yang, Feng-Ping,Wang, Quan,Wang, Jin-Fen,Xiao, Yan-Zeng,Xu, Yi-Feng,Feng, Guo-Yin,Peng, Zhi-Ha Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2012 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.13 No.5

Colorectal cancer (CRC), now the third most common cancer across the world, is known to aggregate in families. USP7 is a very important protein with an important role in regulating the p53 pathway, which is critical for genomic stability and tumor suppression. We here genotyped eight SNPs within the USP7 gene and conducted a case-control study in 312 CRC patients and 270 healthy subjects in the Chinese Han population. No significant associations were found for any single SNP and CRC risk. Our data eliminate USP7 as a potential candidate gene towards for CRC in the Han Chinese population.

Diversity of Endophytic Fungi from Different Verticillium-Wilt-Resistant Gossypium hirsutum and Evaluation of Antifungal Activity Against Verticillium dahliae In Vitro

( Zhi Fang Li ),( Ling Fei Wang ),( Zi Li Feng ),( Li Hong Zhao ),( Yong Qiang Shi ),( He Qin Zhu ) 한국미생물 · 생명공학회 2014 Journal of microbiology and biotechnology Vol.24 No.9

Cotton plants were sampled and ranked according to their resistance to Verticillium wilt. In total, 642 endophytic fungi isolates representing 27 genera were recovered from Gossypium hirsutum root, stem, and leaf tissues, but were not uniformly distributed. More endophytic fungi appeared in the leaf (391) compared with the root (140) and stem (111) sections. However, no significant difference in the abundance of isolated endophytes was found among resistant cotton varieties. Alternaria exhibited the highest colonization frequency (7.9%), followed by Acremonium (6.6%) and Penicillium (4.8%). Unlike tolerant varieties, resistant and susceptible ones had similar endophytic fungal population compositions. In three Verticillium-wilt-resistant cotton varieties, fungal endophytes from the genus Alternaria were most frequently isolated, followed by Gibberella and Penicillium. The maximum concentration of dominant endophytic fungi was observed in leaf tissues (0.1797). The evenness of stem tissue endophytic communities (0.702) was comparatively more uniform than the other two tissues. Eighty endophytic fungi selected from 27 genera were evaluated for their inhibition activity against highly virulent Verticillium dahliae isolate Vd080 in vitro. Thirty-nine isolates exhibited fungistasis against the pathogen at varying degrees. Seven species, having high growth inhibition rates (≥75%), exhibited strong antifungal activity against V. dahliae. The antifungal activity of both volatile and nonvolatile metabolites was also investigated. The nonvolatile substances produced by CEF-818 (Penicillium simplicissimum), CEF-325 (Fusarium solani), CEF-714 (Leptosphaeria sp.), and CEF-642 (Talaromyces flavus) completely inhibited V. dahliae growth. These findings deepen our understanding of cotton-endophyte interactions and provide a platform for screening G. hirsutum endophytes with biocontrol potential.

The Effect of Electron-withdrawing Group Functionalization on Antibacterial and Catalytic Activity of Palladium(II) Complexes

Zhi-Qiang Feng,Xiao-Li Yang,Yuan-Feng Ye,Lin-Yun Hao 대한화학회 2014 Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society Vol.35 No.4

The design, synthesis, and structural characterization of two new palladium complexes based on Schiff base ligands is reported; [Pd(L1)2] (1) and [Pd(L2)2] (2), [HL1 = 2-((E)-(2,6-diethylphenylimino)methyl)-4,6- dibromophenol, L2 = (E)-N-benzylidene-2,6-diethylbenzenamine], which are obtained by functionalizing Schiff base ligands with or without electron-withdrawing groups. Both compounds are mononuclear structures. Comparisons are made to the compounds 1 and 2 to analyze and understand the effect of electron-withdrawing groups. Antibacterial activity studies indicate the electron-withdrawing groups on Schiff base ligands enhance antibacterial activity. Catalytic activity, however, is reduced due to the enhanced steric-hindrance of the electron-withdrawing groups. Electronic absorption and emission properties of HL1, L2, 1 and 2 are also reported.

Molecular cloning of two novel stearoyl-acyl desaturase genes from winterness wheat

Zhi-Fu Guo,Feng-Zhen Li,Xiao-Gang Ma,Feng Lin,Hui Ma,Li-Jing Chen,Ming Zhong,Li-Ping Bai,Ying Yi 한국유전학회 2011 Genes & Genomics Vol.33 No.5

Using RT-PCR and rapid amplification of cDNA ends, two new full-length cDNAs of SAD (TaSAD1 and TaSAD2) were obtained from a hardiest winter wheat cultivar (Mironovskaya808). Sequence comparison analysis showed that the deduced amino acid sequences of TaSAD1 and TaSAD2 had high similarity to those of other reported SAD proteins. They were also different each other by some substitutions, insertions and/or deletions involving single amino acid residues or motifs. Based on evolution analysis, it was clear that all SAD genes from Poaceae were closer than those from other genus such as Arabidopsis,Glycine, Triadica, Brassica, Sesamum and Bassia. All SAD genes clustered into two major groups in Poaceae. Meanwhile,TaSAD1 and TaSAD2 were clustered into different groups. The tertiary structure prediction indicated that both TaSAD1 and TaSAD2 proteins were a compact globular protein and their model structures almost were the same.

FSCB phosphorylation in mouse spermatozoa capacitation

( Shun Li Liu ),( Bing Ni ),( Xiang Wei Wang ),( Wen Qian Huo ),( Jun Zhang ),( Zhi Qiang Tian ),( Ze Min Huang ),( Yi Tian ),( Jun Tang ),( Yan Hua Zheng ),( Feng Shuo Jin ),( Yan Feng Li ) 생화학분자생물학회(구 한국생화학분자생물학회) 2011 BMB Reports Vol.44 No.8

It is generally accepted that spermatozoa capacitation is associated with protein kinase A-mediated tyrosine phosphorylation. In our previous study, we identified the fibrous sheath CABYR binding protein (FSCB), which was phosphorylated by PKA. However, the phosphorylation status of FSCB protein during spermatozoa capacitation should be further investigated. To this aim, in this study, we found that phosphorylation of this 270-kDa protein occurred as early as 1 min after mouse spermatozoa capacitation, which increased over time and remained stable after 60 min. Immunoprecipitation assays demonstrated that the tyrosine and Ser/Thr phosphorylation of FSCB occurred during spermatozoa capacitation. The extent of phosphorylation and was closely associated with the PKA activity and spermatozoa motility characteristics. FSCB phosphorylation could be induced by PKA agonist DB-cAMP, but was blocked by PKA antagonist H-89.Therefore, FSCB contributes to spermatozoa capacitation in a tyrosine-phosphorylated format, which may help in further elucidating the molecular mechanism of spermatozoa capacitation. [BMB reports 2011; 44(8): 541-546]

Puerarin pretreatment attenuates cardiomyocyte apoptosis induced by coronary microembolization in rats by activating the PI3K/Akt/GSK-3β signaling pathway

Chen, Zhi-Qing,Zhou, You,Huang, Jun-Wen,Chen, Feng,Zheng, Jing,Li, Hao-Liang,Li, Tao,Li, Lang The Korean Society of Pharmacology 2021 The Korean Journal of Physiology & Pharmacology Vol.25 No.2

Coronary microembolization (CME) is associated with cardiomyocyte apoptosis and cardiac dysfunction. Puerarin confers protection against multiple cardiovascular diseases, but its effects and specific mechanisms on CME are not fully known. Hence, our study investigated whether puerarin pretreatment could alleviate cardiomyocyte apoptosis and improve cardiac function following CME. The molecular mechanism associated was also explored. A total of 48 Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into CME, CME + Puerarin (CME + Pue), sham, and sham + Puerarin (sham + Pue) groups (with 12 rats per group). A CME model was established in CME and CME + Pue groups by injecting 42 ㎛ microspheres into the left ventricle of rats. Rats in the CME + Pue and sham + Pue groups were intraperitoneally injected with puerarin at 120 mg/kg daily for 7 days before operation. Cardiac function, myocardial histopathology, and cardiomyocyte apoptosis index were determined via cardiac ultrasound, hematoxylin-eosin (H&E) and hematoxylin-basic fuchsin-picric acid (HBFP) stainings, and TdT-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) staining, respectively. Western blotting was used to measure protein expression related to the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (Akt)/glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β) pathway. We found that, puerarin significantly ameliorated cardiac dysfunction after CME, attenuated myocardial infarct size, and reduced myocardial apoptotic index. Besides, puerarin inhibited cardiomyocyte apoptosis, as revealed by decreased Bax and cleaved caspase-3, and up-regulated Bcl-2 and PI3K/Akt/GSK-3β pathway related proteins. Collectively, puerarin can inhibit cardiomyocyte apoptosis and thus attenuate myocardial injury caused by CME. Mechanistically, these effects may be achieved through activation of the PI3K/Akt/GSK-3β pathway.

Cordblood-Based High-Throughput Screening for Deafness Gene of 646 Newborns in Jinan Area of China

Shou-Xia Li,Ding-Li Chen,Su-Bin Zhao,Li-Li Guo,Hai-Qin Feng,Xiao-Fang Zhang,Li-Li Ping,Zhi-Ming Yang,Cai-Xia Sun,Gen-Dong Yao 대한이비인후과학회 2015 Clinical and Experimental Otorhinolaryngology Vol.8 No.3

Objectives. Infants with slight/mild or late-onset hearing impairment might be missed in universal newborn hearing screening (UNHS). We identified the mutation hot spot of common deaf gene in the newborns in Jinan area population by screening the mutation spot with neonate cord blood, in order to make clear whether the neonate cord blood for screening is feasible. Methods. Six hundred and forty-six newborns were subjected to both UNHS and genetic screening for deafness by using neonate cord blood. The newborn genetic screening targeted four deafness-associated genes, which were commonly found in the Chinese population including gap junction beta-2 protein (GJB2), gap junction beta-3 protein (GJB3), solute carrier family 26 member 4 (SLC26A4), and mtDNA 12S rRNA. The most common 20 spot mutations in 4 deaf genes were detected by MassARRAY iPLEX platform and mitochondrial 12S rRNA A1555G and C1494T mutations were sequenced using Sanger sequencing. Results. Among the 646 newborns, 635 cases passed the UNHS and the other 11 cases (1.7%) did not. Of the 11 failures, two cases were found to carry homozygous GJB2 p.R143W pathogenic mutation, one case was found to have heterozygous GJB2 235delC mutation, and another one case carried heterozygous GJB3 p.R180X pathogenic mutation. Six hundred and thirty-five babies passed the newborn hearing screening, in which 25 babies were identified to carry pathogenic mutations, including 12 heterozygotes (1.9%) for GJB2 235delC, eight heterozygotes (1.3%) for SLC26A4 IVS7-2A>G, one heterozygote (0.2%) for p.R409H, two homozygotes (0.3%) for m.1494C>T, and two homozygotes (0.3%) for m.1555A>G. Conclusion. Newborn genetic screening through the umbilical cord blood for common deafness-associated mutations may identify carriers sensitive to aminoglycoside antibiotic, and can effectively prevent or delay hearing loss occurs.

Effect of Nd Substitution for Mischmetal on Magnetic Properties in (MM,Nd)-Fe-B Ribbons

Zhu-bai Li,Jing-zhao Li,Zhi-yi Xu,Yong-feng Li,Xue-feng Zhang 한국자기학회 2020 Journal of Magnetics Vol.25 No.1

Mischmetal-based permanent magnets of (MM,Nd)12Fe82B6 were prepared by melt-spinning method via varying the relative content of mischmetal and Nd. The coercivity is low, and the squareness of hysteresis loop is poor in MM12Fe82B6 ribbons. The x-ray diffraction pattern, maximum of δm value as well as the temperature dependence of magnetization indicates that the partial substitution of Nd for MM could improve the crystallinity in the mischmetal-based magnets, and both the coercivity and squareness of hysteresis loop increase with Nd substitution for mischmetal. The increase of squareness should be partially attributed to the improvement in the crystallinity of R₂Fe14B crystal phase. For more than 4 at.% Nd substitution the coercivity is not less than that in corresponding (Ce,Nd)-based magnets, and the coercivity of 7.81 kOe and the maximum energy product of 15.41 MGOe were obtained in MM8Nd₄Fe82B6 ribbons. These investigations show that it is reasonable to use the low cost mischmetal to prepare the resource-saving rare-earth magnets, and that optimizing the addition amount of Nd is necessary to improve the crystallinity and enhance the magnetic properties.