No Association Between MTHFR A1298C Gene Polymorphism and Head and Neck Cancer Risk: A Meta-analysis Based on 9,952 Subjects

Niu, Yu-Ming,Shen, Ming,Li, Hui,Ni, Xiao-Bing,Zhou, Juan,Zeng, Xian-Tao,Leng, Wei-Dong,Wu, Ming-Yue Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2012 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.13 No.8

Objective: Findings for associations between the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) A1298C gene polymorphism and head and neck cancer risk have been conflicting. We therefore performed a meta-analysis to derive a more precise relationship. Methods: Ten published case-control studies were collected and odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to assess the association between MTHFR A1298C polymorphism and head and neck cancer risk. Sensitivity analysis and publication bias assessment also were performed to guarantee the statistical power. Results: Overall, no significant association between MTHFR A1298C polymorphism and head and neck cancer risk was found in this meta-analysis (C vs. A: OR=1.04, 95%CI=0.87-1.25, P=0.668, Pheterogeneity<0.001; CC vs. AA: OR=1.07, 95%CI=0.70-1.65, P=0.748, $P_{heterogeneity}<0.001$; AC vs. AA: OR=1.06, 95%CI=0.88-1.27, P=0.565, $P_{heterogeneity}<0.001$; CC+AC vs. AA: OR=1.06, 95%CI=0.86-1.30, P=0.571, $P_{heterogeneity}<0.001$; CC vs. AA+AC: OR=1.02, 95%CI=0.69-1.52, P=0.910, $P_{heterogeneity}<0.001$). Similar results were also been found in succeeding analysis of HWE and stratified analysis of ethnicity. Conclusion: In conclusion, our meta-analysis demonstrates that MTHFR A1298C polymorphism may not be a risk factor for developing head and neck cancer.

Hydrogen peroxide is involved in abscisic acid-induced adventitious rooting in cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) under drought stress

Xue-Ping Li,Qing-Qing Xu,Wei-Biao Liao,Zhan-Jun Ma,Xiao-Ting Xu,Meng Wang,Peng-Ju Ren,Li-Juan Niu,Xin Jin,Yong-Chao Zhu 한국식물학회 2016 Journal of Plant Biology Vol.59 No.5

Abscisic acid (ABA) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) are important regulatory factors involved in plant development under adversity stress. Here, the involvement of H2O2 in ABA-induced adventitious root formation in cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) under drought stress was determined. The results indicated that exogenous ABA or H2O2 promoted adventitious rooting under drought stress, with a maximal biological response at 0.5 μM ABA or 800 μM H2O2. The promotive effects of ABA-induced adventitious rooting under drought stress were suppressed by CAT or DPI, suggesting that endogenous H2O2 might be involved in ABA-induced adventitious rooting. ABA increased relative water content (RWC), leaf chlorophyll content, chlorophyll fluorescence parameters (Fv/Fm, ΦPS II and qP), water soluble carbohydrate (WSC) and soluble protein content, and peroxidase (POD), polyphenol oxidase (PPO) and indoleacetate oxidase (IAAO) activities, while decreasing transpiration rate. However, the effects of ABA were inhibited by H2O2 scavenger CAT. Therefore, H2O2 may be involved in ABA-induced adventitious root development under drought stress by stimulating water and chlorophyll content, chlorophyll fluorescence, carbohydrate and nitrogen content, as well as some enzyme activities.

Effect of Exogenous Nitric Oxide on Vegetative and Reproductive Growth of Oriental Lily ‘Siberia’

Meng Wang,Bin Li,Yong-Chao Zhu,Li-Juan Niu,Xin Jin,Qing-Qing Xu,Wei-Biao Liao 한국원예학회 2015 Horticulture, Environment, and Biotechnology Vol.56 No.5

Recent studies have shown that nitric oxide (NO) may be involved in diverse plant developmental processes as an important signal molecule. However, the effects of NO on vegetative and reproductive growth of intact plants are not fully understood. In our study, the NO donor sodium nitroprusside (SNP) at 3,000, 6,000 and 9,000 μM was used to characterize the roles of NO in vegetative and reproductive growth of “Siberia” lily. The results showed that the effects of NO on growth in “Siberia” lily were dose-dependent. Compared with the control (distilled water treatment), 3,000 μM SNP caused a significant increase in plant height and internode length. Significant differences were recorded in flowering period, lifetime of individual flowers, number of flowers per plant, flower diameter, and bud length with 6,000 μM SNP. However, 9,000 μM SNP resulted in negative effects on these parameters as compared to the control. Moreover, 3,000 μM SNP caused a significant increase in the contents of leaf chlorophyll, water soluble carbohydrate (WSC), starch, total carbohydrate, total soluble protein, and total nitrogen, all of which were decreased by high levels of SNP (9,000 μM). Together, these results indicated that NO treatments at the proper dosage can promote vegetative and reproductive growth, possibly by improving the levels of leaf chlorophyll, WSC, starch, total carbohydrate, total soluble protein and total nitrogen.

Food Microbiology and Biotechnology : Potential Probiotic Characterization of Lactobacillus plantarum Strains Isolated from Inner Mongolia “Hurood” Cheese

( Jian Zhang ),( Xue Zhang ),( Li Zhang ),( Yu Juan Zhao ),( Chun Hua Niu ),( Zhen Nai Yang ),( Sheng Yu Li ) 한국미생물 · 생명공학회 2014 Journal of microbiology and biotechnology Vol.24 No.2

Total 121 lactic acid bacteria were isolated from homemade Inner Mongolia extra hard Hurood cheese. Seven of these strains, identified as Lactobacillus plantarum, were studied for probiotic characteristics. All seven strains survived at pH 3.0 for 3 h, or in the presence of oxgall at 0.3% or 0.6% for 4 h, but their viabilities were affected to different extents at pH 2.0 for 3 h. Strains C37 and C51 showed better adherence to Caco-2 cells, and higher hydrophobicity. The seven L. plantarum strains were different in in vitro free radical scavenging activities and cholesterolreducing ability. In vivo evaluation of the influence of L. plantarum C37 on the intestinal flora in a mouse model showed strain C37 could increase the viable counts of lactobacilli in feces of mice and decrease the viable counts of enterococci. When L. plantarum C37 was used to prepare probiotic Hurood cheese, it was able to maintain high viable counts (>7.8 log CFU/g) during the whole storage period, but the composition of the cheese was not changed. These results indicate that L. plantarum C37 could be considered as a promising probiotic strain.

Alloying Behavior and Properties of FeSiBAlNiCox High Entropy Alloys Fabricated by Mechanical Alloying and Spark Plasma Sintering

Wen Wang,Boyu Li,Sicheng Zhai,Juan Xu,Zuozhe Niu,Jing Xu,Yan Wang 대한금속·재료학회 2018 METALS AND MATERIALS International Vol.24 No.5

In this paper, FeSiBAlNiCo x ( x = 0.2, 0.8) high-entropy alloy (HEA) powders were fabricated by mechanical alloying process,and the powders milled for 140 h were sintered by spark plasma sintering (SPS) technique. The microstructures andproperties of as-milled powders and as-sintered samples were investigated. The results reveal that the fi nal milling products(140 h) of both sample powders present the fully amorphous structure. The increased Co contents obviously enhance theglass forming ability and thermal stability of amorphous HEA powders, which are refl ected by the shorter formation time offully amorphous phase and the higher onset crystallization temperature, respectively. According to coercivity, the as-milledFeSiBAlNiCo x ( x = 0.2, 0.8) powders (140 h) are the semi-hard magnetic materials. FeSiBAlNiCo 0.8 HEA powders possessthe highest saturation magnetization and largest remanence ratio. The SPS-ed products of both bulk HEAs are composedof body-centered cubic solid solution, and FeSi and FeB intermetallic phases. They possess the high relative density above97% and excellent microhardness exceeding 1150 HV. The as-sintered bulks undergo the remarkable increase in saturationmagnetization compared with the as-milled state. The SPS-ed FeSiBAlNiCo 0.8 HEA exhibits the soft magnetic properties. The electrochemical corrosion test is carried out in 3.5% NaCl solution. The SPS-ed FeSiBAlNiCo 0.2 HEA reveals the betterpassivity with low passive current density, and the higher pitting resistance with wide passive region.

Meta-Analysis of Circulating Endothelial Cells and Circulating Endothelial Progenitor Cells as Prognostic Factors in Lung Cancer

Yu, Min,Men, Hai-Tao,Niu, Zhi-Min,Zhu, Yu-Xi,Tan, Ben-Xu,Li, Long-Hao,Jiang, Juan Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2015 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.16 No.14

Background: The aim of this study was to analyze the prognostic implications of pretreatment circulating endothelial cells (CECs) and circulating endothelial progenitor cells (CEPCs) for the survival of patients with lung cancer. Materials and Methods: Relevant literature was identified using Medline and EMBASE. Patient clinical characteristics, overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) together with CEC and CEPC positive rates before treatment were extracted. STATA 12.0 was used for our analysis and assessment of publication bias. Results: A total of 13 articles (8 for CEC and 5 for CEPC, n=595 and n=244) were pooled for the global meta-analysis. The odds ratio (OR) for OS predicted by pretreatment CECs was 1.641 [0.967, 2.786], while the OR for PFS was 1.168 [0.649, 2.100]. The OR for OS predicted by pretreatment CEPCs was 12.673 [5.274, 30.450], while the OR for PFS was 4.930 [0.931, 26.096]. Subgroup analyses were conducted according to clinical staging. Odds ratio (OR) showed the high level of pretreatment CECs only correlated with the OS of patients with advanced lung cancer (stage III-IV). Conclusions: High counts of CECs seem to be associated only with worse 1-year OS in patients with lung cancer, while high level of pretreatment CEPCs correlate with both worse PFS and OS.

A Novel Negative Regulatory Factor for Nematicidal Cry Protein Gene Expression in Bacillus thuringiensis

( Zi Quan Yu ),( Pei Sheng Bai ),( Wei Xing Ye ),( Feng Juan Zhang ),( Li Fang Ruan ),( Zi Niu Yu ),( Ming Sun ) 한국미생물 · 생명공학회 2008 Journal of microbiology and biotechnology Vol.18 No.6

Toxoplasma gondii induces autophagy and apoptosis in human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells via downregulation of Mcl−1

Chu, Jia-Qi,Jing, Kai-Peng,Gao, Xiang,Li, Peng,Huang, Rui,Niu, Yan-Ru,Yan, Shou-Quan,Kong, Jun-Chao,Yu, Cai-Yuan,Shi, Ge,Fan, Yi-Ming,Lee, Young-Ha,Zhou, Yu,Quan, Juan-Hua Landes Bioscience 2017 Cell Cycle Vol.16 No.5

<P>Autophagy and apoptosis are critical for controlling Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) infection. T. gondii infection during pregnancy can damage the fetus and cause birth defects; however, the molecular mechanisms of this process are poorly understood. This study aims to determine the activities of autophagy and apoptosis as well as their regulatory mechanisms during T. gondii infection by using human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (hUC-MSCs) as a model of congenital diseases. LC3B, a hallmark protein of autophagy was incrementally upregulated with the infection duration, whereas p62 was downregulated in T. gondii-infected hUC-MSCs. Concurrent to this result, the invasion of T. gondii into hUC-MSCs increased in a time-dependent manner. The expression levels of Bcl-2 family proteins including Bcl-2, Bcl-xL, Bim, Bax, Bid and Bak were not altered; however, Mcl-1 levels in hUC-MSCs were dramatically decreased upon T. gondii infection. In addition, at 24h post-infection, cleaved PARP and cleaved caspase-3 protein levels were elevated in hUC-MSCs. Importantly, Mcl-1 overexpression reduced the levels of autophagy- and apoptosis-related proteins in T. gondii-infected hUC-MSCs. Mcl-1 proteins were primarily expressed in the fraction containing mitochondria and strongly interacted with Beclin-1 under normal conditions; however, these interactions were remarkably attenuated by T. gondii infection. These results suggest that mitochondrial Mcl-1 is an essential signaling mediator regulating the activation of autophagy and apoptosis during T. gondii infection.</P>

Effect of Hydrogen-rich Water on Vase Life and Quality in Cut Lily and Rose Flowers

Peng-Ju Ren,Xin Jin,Wei-Biao Liao,Meng Wang,Li-Juan Niu,Xue-Ping Li,Xiao-Ting Xu,Yong-Chao Zhu 한국원예학회 2017 Horticulture, Environment, and Biotechnology Vol.58 No.6

Hydrogen gas (H2) functions as an important signaling molecule in diverse plant developmental processes. H2 is thought to delay postharvest ripening and senescence in fruit. However, little is known about the influence ofH2 on flower senescence. This study was conducted to determine whether H2 treatment could improve vase life andquality in cut lily (Lilium spp.) and rose (Rosa hybrid L.) flowers. Treatment with 0.5% and 1% hydrogen-rich water(HRW) increased vase life and maximum flower diameter in lily. In addition, 50% HRW treatment significantlyincreased vase life and maximum flower diameter in cut rose flowers. The fresh weight and leaf relative watercontent in cut lilies and roses were enhanced by proper doses of HRW. Compared with the control, HRW treatmentdecreased leaf stomata size in cut lily and rose flowers. HRW treatment significantly reduced leaf malondialdehydecontents and electrolyte leakage in cut lilies. Antioxidant enzyme activities were also improved by HRW treatment incut lily and rose flowers. These results suggest that exogenously applied H2 might improve vase life and postharvestquality in cut flowers by maintaining proper water balance and membrane stability and by reducing stomata size andoxidative damage.