No abstract

Acute renal failure is an abrupt decrease in renal function. Interleukin (IL)-10 inhibits ischemic and cisplatin-induced acute renal failure. We aimed to determine whether IL-20 affects renal tubular epithelial cells and is associated with acute renal failure. We analyzed the expression of IL-20 and its receptor (R) in the kidneys of rats with HgCl(2)-induced acute renal failure. Reverse transcription-PCR showed upregulated IL-20, and its receptors and immunohistochemical staining showed strongly expressed IL-20 protein in proximal tubular epithelial cells. We analyzed human proximal tubular epithelial (HK-2) cells, which expressed both IL-20 and its receptors. IL-20 specifically induced mitochondria-dependent apoptosis by activating caspase 9 in HK-2 cells. IL-20 also activated c-Jun N-terminal kinase and extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2, the downstream signals implicated in the apoptosis of HK-2 cells. Furthermore, IL-20 upregulated the transcripts of transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta1, a critical mediator of renal injury. In hypoxic HK-2 cells, IL-20 and IL-22R1 transcripts increased, and IL-20 upregulated IL-1 beta transcripts. In vivo study further demonstrated that anti-IL-20 antibody reduced the expression of TGF-beta1 and IL-1 beta and the number of damaged tubular cells in the kidneys of rats with acute renal failure. We concluded that IL-20 may be involved in the injury of renal epithelial cells in acute renal failure.

The current data provide evidence that decreased expression of GCIP in vivo is present in human breast carcinoma and indicate that GCIP is a potential indicator of good prognosis. In patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy, it may also have predictive value for the chemotherapeutic response.

In the last few years, Taiwan has set a bold agenda in solid waste recycling and incineration programs. Not only were the recycling activities and incineration projects promoted by government agencies, but the related laws and regulations were continuously promulgated by the Legislative Yen. The solid waste presorting process that is to be considered prior to the existing incineration facilities has received wide attention. This paper illustrates a thorough evaluation for the first refuse-derived fuel pilot process from both quantitative and qualitative aspects. The process is to be installed and integrated with a large-scale municipal incinerator. This pilot process, developed by an engineering firm in Tainan County, consists of standard unit operations of shredding, magnetic separation, trommel screening, and air classification. A series of sampling and analyses were initialized in order to characterize its potentials in the solid waste management system. The probabilistic modeling for various types of waste properties derived in this analysis may provide a basic understanding of system reliability. IMPLICATIONSThis analysis presents a thorough performance testing and reliability analysis for the refuse-derived fuel (RDF) process that was built as the first pilot plant in Taiwan. The mass balance analysis indicates that such a presorting process for subsequent waste-to-energy facilities may achieve a 50% production rate based on the waste inflow of 30 tons/hr in several test runs. With the resultant higher heat value (30 tons/hr up to 3716 kcal/kg on average) and lower amount of non-combustibles existing in the final RDF products, the systematic implications to energy recovery, combustion efficiency, pollution control, and ash reuse potential in an integrated waste-to-energy facility are phenomenal. Reliability analysis by the identification of probability distribution to each related factor extends the insight in the feasibility study.

Mutant Kras (V-Ki-ras2 Kirsten rat sarcoma viral oncogene homolog) is observed in more than 20% of non-small-cell lung cancers; however, no effective Kras target therapy is available at present. The Kras DNA vaccine may represent as a novel immunotherapeutic agent in lung cancer. In this study, we investigated the antitumor efficacy of the Kras DNA vaccine in a genetically engineered inducible mouse lung tumor model driven by Kras(G12D). Lung tumors were induced by doxycycline, and the therapeutic effects of Kras DNA vaccine were evaluated with delivery of Kras(G12D) plasmids. Mutant Kras(G12D) DNA vaccine significantly decreased the tumor nodules. A dominant-negative mutant Kras(G12D)N17, devoid of oncogenic activity, achieved similar therapeutic effects. The T-helper 1 immune response was enhanced in mice treated with Kras DNA vaccine. Splenocytes from mice receiving Kras DNA vaccine presented an antigen-specific response by treatment with peptides of Kras but not Hras or OVA. The number of tumor-infiltrating CD8(+) T cells increased after Kras vaccination. In contrast, Kras DNA vaccine was not effective in the lung tumor in transgenic mice, which was induced by mutant L858R epidermal growth factor receptor. Overall, these results indicate that Kras DNA vaccine produces an effective antitumor response in transgenic mice, and may be useful in treating lung cancer-carrying Ras mutation.