Effect of thymosin alpha-1 on subpopulations of Th1, Th2, Th17, and regulatory T cells (Tregs) in vitro

Thymosin alpha 1 (Tα1) has been shown to have beneficial effects on numerous immune system parameters, but little is known about the effects of Tα1 on patients with gastric carcinoma. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of Tα1 on subpopulations of Th1, Th2, Th17, and regulatory T cells (Tregs) in vitro, and to evaluate its efficacy as an immunoregulatory factor in patients with gastric carcinoma. We compared the effect of Tα1 on the frequency of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, especially the CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ Tregs in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from gastric carcinoma patients (N = 35) and healthy donors (N = 22). We also analyzed the changes in the proliferation of PBMCs in response to treatment with Tα1, and examined the production of Th1, Th2, and Th17 cytokines by PBMCs and tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes. The treatment of PBMCs from gastric cancer patients, with Tα1 (50 µg/mL) alone increased the percentage of CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ (suppressive antitumor-specific Tregs) from 1.68 ± 0.697 to 2.19 ± 0.795% (P < 0.05). Our results indicate that Tα1 increases the percentage of Tregs and IL-1β, TNF-α, and IL-6 in vitro.

Comparative proteomics analysis of chronic atrophic gastritis: changes of protein expression in chronic atrophic gastritis without Helicobacter pylori infection

Chronic atrophic gastritis (CAG) is a very common gastritis and one of the major precursor lesions of gastric cancer, one of the most common cancers worldwide. The molecular mechanism underlying CAG is unclear, but its elucidation is essential for the prevention and early detection of gastric cancer and appropriate intervention. A combination of two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and mass spectrometry was used in the present study to analyze the differentially expressed proteins. Samples from 21 patients (9 females and 12 males; mean age: 61.8 years) were used. We identified 18 differentially expressed proteins in CAG compared with matched normal mucosa. Eight proteins were up-regulated and 10 down-regulated in CAG when compared with the same amounts of proteins in individually matched normal gastric mucosa. Two novel proteins, proteasome activator subunit 1 (PSME1), which was down-regulated in CAG, and ribosomal protein S12 (RPS12), which was up-regulated in CAG, were further investigated. Their expression was validated by Western blot and RT-PCR in 15 CAG samples matched with normal mucosa. The expression level of RPS12 was significantly higher in CAG than in matched normal gastric mucosa (P < 0.05). In contrast, the expression level of PSME1 in CAG was significantly lower than in matched normal gastric mucosa (P < 0.05). This study clearly demonstrated that there are some changes in protein expression between CAG and normal mucosa. In these changes, down-regulation of PSME1 and up-regulation of RPS12 could be involved in the development of CAG. Thus, the differentially expressed proteins might play important roles in CAG as functional molecules.

De termino vitae humanae

Invokaatio: Sun to Theo trisbeltiso kai trismegiso.

Prostate-specific membrane antigen can promote in vivo osseous metastasis of prostate cancer cells in mice

Reports remain insufficient on whether and how prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) can influence in vivo osseous metastasis of prostate cancer (PCa). In the present study, the authors induced stable expression of PSMA in mouse PCa cell line RM-1. In vivo osseous metastasis was induced in 37 6-week-old female C57BL/6 mice weighing 22.45 ± 0.456 g. RM-1 cells were actively injected into the femoral bone cavity, leading to bilateral dissymmetry of bone density in the femoral bone. Tumor cells were also detected in bone tissue by pathological examination. The impact on bone density was demonstrated by the significant difference between animals injected with RM-PSMA cells (0.0738 ± 0.0185 g/cm²) and animals injected with RM-empty plasmid cells (0.0895 ± 0.0241 g/cm²). The lytic bone lesion of the RM-PSMA group (68.4%) was higher than that of the control group (27.8%). Immunohistochemistry showed that the expression of both vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) was distinctly higher in the RM-PSMA group than in the control group, while ELISA and Western blot assay indicated that VEGF and MMP-9 were higher in the RM-PSMA group compared to the control group (in vitro). Thus, the present study proposed and then confirmed for the first time that PSMA can promote in vivo osseous metastasis of PCa by increasing sclerotic destruction of PCa cells. Further analyses also suggested that PSMA functions positively on the invasive ability of RM-1 by increasing the expression of MMP-9 and VEGF by osseous metastases in vivo

De radicibus plantarum

Invokaatio: A kai O.

De gloria Dei ex justa consideratione fertilitatis terrae

Invokaatio: A kai O.

De sacris ignium apud gentiles

Invokaatio: Tou Theou Theou eulogounto kai sunergounto.

Hävittäjälentäjien toimintakyky pelastautumistilanteissa

Tutkimuksessa tarkastellaan neljää hävittäjälento-onnettomuutta, joissa lentäjä on pelastautunut heittoistuimella onnistuneesti. Lentäjän toimintakyvyn teorian avulla selvitetään, mitkä toimintakyvyn kokonaisuudet korostuvat pelastautumistilanteissa. Tutkimus antaa lentäjien pelastautumiskoulutukselle kehitysideoita ja samalla syventää lentäjän toimintakyvyn osa-alueiden ymmärrystä vaaratilanteissa. Tutkimuksessa vastataan seuraaviin pää- ja alaongelmiin: Millaista toimintakykyä heittoistuinhypyn suorittaneelta lentäjältä vaaditaan pelastautumistilanteessa, ja miten pelastautumiskoulutusta tulisi tämän perusteella painottaa? Miten lentäjiltä vaadittavat sotilaan toimintakyvyn osa-alueet näkyvät tutkittavissa tapauksissa onnettomuustutkijalautakunnan kerto-musten perusteella? Mitä kehittämisideoita lentäjien pelastautumiskoulutukseen näiden lentäjien kokemuksista voidaan saada? Tutkimuksen tulokset ovat hyödynnettävissä lentäjien pelastautumiskoulutuksen kehittämisessä ja yleisen keskustelun herättämisessä lentäjien pelastautumisesta. Tutkimus on laadullinen tapaustutkimus, ja tutkimusmetodina hyödynnettiin laadullista sisäl-lönanalyysiä teorialähtöisesti. Tiedon etsintä, aiempi tietämys aiheesta ja sotilaan toimintakyvyn teoria sekä toimintakyvyn nelikenttä kulkivat tutkimustyössä rinnakkain. Tutkimuksen aineistona on käytetty neljää Ilmavoimien onnettomuustutkijalautakunnan laatimaa tutkintakertomusta, joissa lentäjä on tehnyt onnistuneen heittoistuinhypyn. Aineiston tueksi haastateltiin kahta tapauksissa mukana ollutta hävittäjälentäjää lomakehaastattelulla. Tutkimus osoitti, että pelastautumistilanteissa toimintakyvyn osa-alueista eniten korostuivat fyysiseen kokonaisuuteen kuuluva keskeisten tietojen ja taitojen hallinta sekä sosiaalisuuteen liittyvä asia- ja tilannekokonaisuuksien tajuaminen. Tutkimus antoi kehitysideoita pelastautumiskoulutukseen. Yksinkertaistenkin välineiden ja varusteiden käyttöä on kerrattava säännöllisesti. Pelastautumista tulee harjoitella toiminnallisesti mahdollisimman aidossa ja riittävän vaativassa ympäristössä, jotta opitun soveltaminen todellisessa pelastautumistilanteessa onnistuu. Tutkimuksella voitiin osoittaa, että kertauskoulutuksen merkitys ja lentäjien aktiivinen osallistuminen pelastautumis- ja selviytymisharjoituksiin ovat tärkeimmät keinot pitää yllä pelastautumistaitoja. Myös pelastautumisharjoitusten kertauskoulutusten seurantajärjestelmää tulee kehittää lentäjien säännöllisen harjoittelun varmistamiseksi.

Solubility and Seeded Metastable Zone width of functional sugar L-arabinose

L-arabinose is widely used in food, medicine, chemistry, and biology fields; however, solubility and seeded metastable zone width (MSZW) of L-arabinose have not been reported in the literature. In this paper, solubility and MSZW of L-arabinose in aqueous solution were determined. Solubility of L-arabinose was measured in the range of 20-68 °C by a conventional equilibrium solubility method and quantitation was determined using the ion chromatography technique. Seeded MSZW was determined in the range of 51-73% by the calorimetric method. The effect of two salts (potassium chloride and calcium chloride) on the solubility and MSZW of L-arabinose were also evaluated. Results showed that both potassium chloride and calcium chloride increased the solubility of L-arabinose, and this increase was intensified with temperature rise. The MSZW of L-arabinose was not constant but a spread. Potassium chloride increased the MSZW of L-arabinose. However, the effect of calcium chloride on MSZW of L-arabinose was concentration dependent. Conclusion: the L-arabinose solubility increased with the increase in temperature, and both potassium chloride and calcium chloride increased the solubility of L-arabinose in aqueous solution. The seeded MSZW of L-arabinose is not a constant; it increases in the presence of potassium chloride and varies with the change in calcium chloride concentration.

Suomalaisuuden myytinmurtaja hukkuu yksityiskohtiin

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