No abstract

Electrolyzed oxidizing water (EOW) has been regarded as a potential environmentally friendly broad spectrum microbial decontaminant. EOW with a pH of 3.0 and oxidation reduction potential of 1,079.0 mV were generated by the electrolysis of a dilute NaCl solution (20 mM) in an electrochemical cell. The effects of EOW, 1% NaClO solution, and alkaline electrolyzed water on controlling microbial growth, germination ratio, and enrichment of gamma-aminobutyric acid in germinated brown rice (GBR) were evaluated in this study. Results show that EOW was the most effective at inhibiting microbial growth during germination. Rinsing the rice grains with EOW at 12-h intervals resulted in aerobic plate count reductions of 4.82 log CFU/g, while soaking resulted in bacterial count reductions of 5.38 log CFU/g after 72 h of germination. Moreover, EOW significantly enriched gamma-aminobutyric acid content in GBR (P < 0.05); content was increased 1.6 times in grain rinsed with EOW and 1.8 times in grain soaked in EOW. The findings indicate that EOW is a feasible disinfectant for industrial GBR production.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of rapamycin and its underlying mechanisms on acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) cells. We found that the p14, p15, and p57 genes were not expressed in ALL cell lines (Molt-4 and Nalm-6) and adult ALL patients, whereas mTOR, 4E-BP1, and p70S6K were highly expressed. In Molt-4 and Nalm-6 cells exposed to rapamycin, cell viability decreased and the cell cycle was arrested at the G1/S phase. Rapamycin restored p14, p15, and p57 gene expression through demethylation of the promoters of these genes. As expected, rapamycin also increased p14 and p15 protein expression in both Molt-4 and Nalm-6 cells, as well as p57 protein expression in Nalm-6 cells. Rapamycin additionally decreased mTOR and p70S6K mRNA levels, as well as p70S6K and p-p70S6K protein levels. However, depletion of mTOR by siRNA did not alter the expression and promoter methylation states of p14, p15, and p57. These results indicate that the inhibitory effect of rapamycin may be due mainly to increased p14, p15, and p57 expression via promoter demethylation and decreased mTOR and p70S6K expression in ALL cell lines. These results suggest a potential role for rapamycin in the treatment of adult ALL.

Background: The aim of this study was to investigate differences of miRNA-34a expression in benign and malignant colorectal lesions. Materials and Methods: Samples of cancer, paraneoplastic tissues and polyps were selected and total RNA was extracted by conventional methods for real-time PCR to detect the miRNA34a expression. In addition, the LOVO colorectal cancer cell line was cultured, treated with the demethylating agent 5-azacytidine and screened for differentially expressed miRNA-34a. Results: After the drug treatment, the miRNA-34a expression of colorectal cancer cell line LOVO was increased and real-time PCR showed that levels of expression in both cell line and colorectal cancer tissues were low, as compared to paraneoplastic tissue (p<0.05). Polyps tissues had significantly higher expression than paraneoplastic and colorectal cancer samples (p<0.05). Conclusions: miRNA-34a-5p may play a role as a tumor suppressor gene in colorectal cancer, with involvement of DNA methylation.

Objective To explore the characters of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndromes after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and to provide syndrome study theoretical evidence for TCM differentiation treatment after PCI through retrospective study. Methods Patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) who underwent PCI in Cardiovascular Intervention Center of Wangjing Hospital during Dec. 2012 to Dec. 2014 and met the inclusion criteria were enrolled. Retrospective study was then conducted based on patients' clinical document and angiography data to explore the distribution pattern of TCM syndromes. Results 801 patients were recruited in the study. TCM syndromes in descending order of their incidence were Qi deficiency and blood stasis syndrome, heart blood stasis syndrome, Qi and Yin deficiency syndrome, phlegm and blood stasis syndrome, Qi stagnation and blood stasis syndrome, Yang asthenia syndrome, heart and kidney yin deficiency syndrome to cold congeal, and blood stasis syndrome in a more to less order. Qi deficiency and blood stasis syndrome was in the most (occurring in 298 patients, 37.20%); Qi and Yin deficiency syndrome occurred in 163 patients (20.35%); heart blood stasis syndrome was shown in 126 patients (15.73%); phlegm and blood stasis syndrome was shown in 95 patients (11.86%). Conclusion Qi deficiency and blood stasis syndrome was closely associated with post-PCI bleeding, implying that this syndrome might serve as a powerful predictor of GI bleeding as well as a potential supplement to the current predicting and scoring system of bleeding such as CRUSADE.