No common Cosmc gene mutation was detected. Significantly increased Cosmc expression was observed in plasma-free culture, while LPS could significantly inhibit it, which suggested that it might not be genetic disorders but external suppression that causes the low Cosmc mRNA expression in IgAN.

Dihydromyricetin (DMY) has recently attracted increased interest due to its considerable health-promoting activities but there are few reports on its antibacterial activity and mechanism. In this paper, the activity and mechanisms of DMY from Ampelopsis grossedentata leaves against food-borne bacteria are investigated. Moreover, the effects of pH, thermal-processing, and metal ions on the antibacterial activity of DMY are also evaluated. The results show that DMY exhibits ideal antibacterial activity on five types of food-borne bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, Salmonella paratyphi, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa). The activities of DMY against bacteria are extremely sensitive to pH, thermal-processing, and metal ions. The morphology of the tested bacteria is changed and damaged more seriously with the exposure time of DMY. Furthermore, the results of the oxidative respiratory metabolism assay and the integrity of the cell membrane and wall tests revealed that the death of bacteria caused by DMY might be due to lysis of the cell wall, leakage of intracellular ingredients, and inhibition of the tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA) pathway.

Notch signaling plays a key role in a wide variety of human tumors; it can be an oncogene or a tumor-suppressor gene depending on the tissue context. The functions of Notch1 in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) are largely unknown. We investigated the role of Notch1 in LSCC cell growth, apoptosis and metastasis. We analyzed Notch1 expression in clinical LSCC samples using quantum dot immunohistochemistry (QD-IHC) and conventional IHC. Human laryngeal carcinoma HEp-2 cells were transfected with Notch1-specific short hairpin RNA (shRNA), and cell proliferation, apoptosis, and migration and invasion were evaluated using the cell counting assay, flow cytometry and wound healing and Transwell assays, respectively; western blotting was used to validate the expression of Notch1 target genes. Compared with normal tissues, Notch1 was upregulated in LSCC tissues; compared with LSCC tissues without metastasis, Notch1 upregulation was enhanced in LSCC tissues with metastasis (P<0.05). Transfection downregulated Notch1 mRNA and protein expression levels in the Notch1 shRNA group. There was a significantly greater decrease in cell proliferation in the Notch1 shRNA group than cell proliferation in the non-transfected (P<0.05) and negative shRNA groups (P<0.05). Furthermore, Notch1 knockdown induced apoptosis in the HEp-2 cells. Additionally, the number of migrated and invasive cells in the Notch1 shRNA group was decreased (P<0.05). Notch1 knockdown in the HEp-2 cells greatly inhibited phosphorylated extracellular signal-related kinase (p-ERK), phosphorylated protein kinase B (p-AKT), c-Myc, Bcl-2, p21, cyclin D1, cyclin-dependent kinase 4 (CDK4) and cyclin E expression levels and increased Bax expression. Altogether, our findings indicate that Notch1 expression is increased in human LSCC and correlates with tumorigenesis and metastasis, while in HEp-2 cells, Notch1 knockdown inhibited cell growth, induced apoptosis and inhibited migration and invasion by regulating Notch1 target genes, suggesting it may be a potential therapeutic target for treating LSCC.

Notch signaling is important during the development of a variety of human tumors. Depending on the context, Notch signaling can be either oncogenic or anti-proliferative, and therefore, its effects in cancer are unpredictable. The aim of the present study was to identify the importance of Notch 2 in the cell growth and metastasis of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC). The current study performed quantum dots-based immunofluorescence histochemistry to determine expression of Notch 2 in 72 LSCC samples without lymph node metastasis, 23 LSCC samples with lymph node metastasis and 31 samples from vocal cord polyps. It was observed that Notch 2 was upregulated in LSCC tissue compared with normal vocal cord polyps. This upregulation was further enhanced in LSCC tissues with lymph node metastasis compared with LSCC tissues without lymph node metastasis. Following knockdown of NOTCH2 expression in LSCC cells, the in vitro tumorigenicity of Hep-2 cells was inhibited, with growth, migration, invasion and proliferation reduced, and apoptosis induced. Additionally, following downregulation of Notch 2 protein expression, the protein expression levels of phosphor-mitogen-activated protein kinase 1 (p-ERK), v-myc avian myelocytomatosis viral oncogene homolog and B-cell CLL/lymphoma 2 (Bcl2) were also downregulated, whereas, Bcl2-associated X protein expression was upregulated. There were no changes detected in the protein expression levels of total-ERK, phospho-v-akt murine thymoma viral oncogene homolog 1 (p-Akt) and total-Akt. The results of the present study suggest that Notch 2 is important for the cell growth, anti-apoptosis and metastasis of LSCC. Therefore, Notch 2 inhibitors may have therapeutic potential for the treatment of patients with LSCC via the inhibition of cancer cell growth and metastasis.

ObjectiveTo study the main molecular mechanisms responsible for itraconazole resistance in clinical isolates of Candida krusei.MethodsThe 14α-demethylases encoded by ERG11 gene in the 16 C.krusei clinical isolates were amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and their nucleotide sequences were determined to detect point mutations. Meanwhile, ERG11 and efflux transporters (ABC1 and ABC2) genes were determined by quantitative real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) for their expression in itraconazole-resistant (R), itraconazole-susceptible dose dependent (SDD) and itraconazole-susceptible (S) C.krusei at the mRNA level.ResultsWe found 7-point mutations in ERG11 gene of all the C.krusei clinical isolates, including 6 synonymous mutations and 1 missense mutation (C44T). However, the missense mutation was found in the three groups. The mRNA levels of ERG11 gene in itraconazole-resistant isolates showed higher expression compared with itraconazole-susceptible dose dependent and itraconazole-susceptible ones (P = 0.015 and P = 0.002 respectively). ABC2 gene mRNA levels in itraconazole-resistant group was significantly higher than the other two groups, and the levels of their expression in the isolates appeared to increase with the decrease of susceptibility to itraconazole (P = 0.007 in SDD compared with S, P = 0.016 in SDD with R, and P<0.001 in S with R respectively). While ABC1 gene presented lower expression in itraconazole resistant strains. However, the mRNA levels of ERG11, ABC1 and ABC2 in a C.krusei (CK10) resistant to both itraconazole and voriconazole were expressed highest in all the itraconazole-resistant isolates.ConclusionsThere are ERG11 gene polymorphisms in clinical isolates of C.krusei. ERG11 gene mutations may not be involved in the development of itraconazole resistance in C.krusei. ERG11 and ABC2 overexpression might be responsible for the acquired itraconazole resistance of these clinical isolates.