The export concentrations of acetone desorption from activated carbon at different temperatures, vacuum degrees, and saturated adsorption capacities were measured. The results showed that the greater the desorption vacuum degree and the initial adsorption capacity, the smaller the desorption rate. Given the adsorbent microporous capillary effect and the mass transfer in the process of desorption, the concentration curve reflects three phases, which are the vacuum-concentrated phase, fast attenuation phase, and slow attenuation phase. Through theoretical analysis and a coupled model of the desorption process, numerical simulation of the acetone desorption from activated carbon was carried out. Experimental and theoretical analysis showed that small temperature changes were caused by desorption; therefore, the change of the mass transfer coefficient and concentration caused by the temperature change is also small. In different desorption phases, a coupled effect on the mass transfer coefficients have different influences on the concentration curve. For the same initial adsorption capacity, the greater the partial pressure of the acetone, the larger the mass transfer coefficient. Obtaining the mass transfer coefficient and axial dispersion coefficient by sections can make the numerical results coincide well with the experimental data, and the axial diffusion coefficient should not be ignored in vacuum desorption.

Abstract. The androgen signaling pathway serves an important role in the development of prostate cancer. β-Catenin is an androgen receptor (AR) cofactor and augments AR signaling. Glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β), a target of phosphorylated serine/threonine protein kinase B (p-Akt), regulates β-catenin stability. In addition, β-catenin, a coregulator of AR, physically interacts with AR and enhances AR-mediated target gene transcription. The multifunctional glycoprotein cluster of differentiation (CD) 147 is highly expressed on the cell surface of the majority of cancer cells, and it promotes tumor invasion, metastasis and growth. In the present study, the molecular effects of CD147 on the Akt/GSK-3β/β-catenin/AR signaling network were investigated in LNCaP cells. Using short hairpin-mediated RNA knockdown of CD147 in LNCaP cells, it was demonstrated that downregulation of CD147 resulted in inhibitory phosphorylation of GSK-3β, and then promoted degeneration of β-catenin and reduced nuclear accumulation of β-catenin. In addition, immunoprecipitation studies demonstrated that CD147 downregulation decreased the formation of a complex between β-catenin and AR. It was shown that CD147 knockdown suppressed the expression of the AR target gene prostate-specific antigen and the growth of AR-positive LNCaP cells. Furthermore, inhibition of PI3K/Akt with LY294002 augmented CD147-mediated function. The present study indicates that the PI3K/Akt pathway may facilitate CD147-mediated activation of the AR pathway.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of soy isoflavones on the injury of human umbilical vein endothelial cells induced by H2O2. EVC‑304 cells were preincubated with soy isoflavones for 12 h, and then exposed to 100 µM H2O2 for 1 h. Cell viability was evaluated by a 3‑(4,5‑di‑methylthiazol‑2‑yl) 2,5‑diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay. The apoptosis of EVC‑304 cells was detected by Hoechst 33258 and Annexin‑V/propidium iodide staining. The oxidative stress‑related biochemical parameters were detected and the expression of apoptosis‑related proteins was examined by western blot analysis. The results showed that incubation with soy isoflavones caused a significant increase in the viability of EVC‑304 cells and a decrease in cell apoptosis induced by H2O2. Soy isoflavones also markedly enhanced the activities of superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase, and reduced the level of malondialdehyde. Western blot analysis results show that soy isoflavones can modulate the activation of nuclear factor‑κB and the mitochondria‑mediated apoptosis signaling pathway. The results of this study indicated the potential biological relevance of soy isoflavones in the therapy of cardiovascular diseases.