Oxidative stress plays an important role in the pathogenesis of liver diseases. N-Acetyl-serotonin (NAS) has been reported to protect against oxidative damage, though the mechanisms by which NAS protects hepatocytes from oxidative stress remain unknown. To determine whether pretreatment with NAS could reduce hydrogen peroxide- (H2O2-) induced oxidative stress in HepG2 cells by inhibiting the mitochondrial apoptosis pathway, we investigated the H2O2-induced oxidative damage to HepG2 cells with or without NAS using MTT, Hoechst 33342, rhodamine 123, Terminal dUTP Nick End Labeling Assay (TUNEL), dihydrodichlorofluorescein (H2DCF), Annexin V and propidium iodide (PI) double staining, immunocytochemistry, and western blot. H2O2 produced dramatic injuries in HepG2 cells, represented by classical morphological changes of apoptosis, increased levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), decreased activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD), and increased activities of caspase-9 and caspase-3, release of cytochrome c (Cyt-C) and apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF) from mitochondria, and loss of membrane potential (ΔΨm). NAS significantly inhibited H2O2-induced changes, indicating that it protected against H2O2-induced oxidative damage by reducing MDA levels and increasing SOD activity and that it protected the HepG2 cells from apoptosis through regulating the mitochondrial apoptosis pathway, involving inhibition of mitochondrial hyperpolarization, release of mitochondrial apoptogenic factors, and caspase activity.
Suppressor of variegation, Enhancer of Zeste, Trithorax and Myeloid-Nervy-DEAF1 domain-containing (SMYD) proteins are a set of lysine methyltransferases involved in a range of diverse biological functions, including gene expression, and regulation of skeletal and cardiac-muscle development. These proteins may additionally serve roles in a number of different types of cancer. However, the roles of the five SMYD proteins, SMYD 1/2/3/4/5, their expression patterns and prognostic value remain unclear. In the present study, the transcriptional expression levels of the five SMYD proteins were compared with the survival data of patients with breast carcinoma (BC) from the ONCOMINE dataset, Breast Cancer Gene-Expression Miner v4.0, Kaplan-Meier Plotter, The Cancer Genome Atlas and cBioPortal. An increase in the SMYD2/3/5 mRNA expression levels and a decrease in SMYD1/4 mRNA expression levels in BC tissues compared with normal tissues were identified. Increased SMYD3 mRNA and decreased SMYD5 mRNA expression levels were associated with decreased levels of histological differentiation, according to the Scarff-Bloom-Richardson grading system. Kaplan-Meier curves demonstrated that the increased SMYD1/4 and decreased SMYD2/3 mRNA expression levels were associated with good relapse-free survival (RFS) in patients with BC. Furthermore, SMYD2 mRNA expression levels were associated with the RFS of patients with BC with metastatic relapse, and SMYD4 may serve as a tumor suppressor in patients with BC, as patients with increased SMYD4 mRNA expression levels had significantly better RFS compared with decreased SMYD4 mRNA expression levels. The present data suggested that SMYD2 and SMYD3 may be potential biomarkers for diagnosis of BC. Additionally, SMYD2 and SMYD4 may be potential prognostic indicators of patients with BC.
To explore a simple and easy-to-learn procedure for the isolation of human quiescent hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) that requires no advanced training. Thus reducing costs and increasing efficiency. This protocol will provide sufficient primary cells with minimal contaminants for future basic research on diseases associated with human HSCs. Normal liver tissues were isolated from patients undergoing hepatic hemangioma resection, and a single cell suspension of these tissues was prepared using the Gentle MACS tissue processor. By using this method, the difficulty of the procedure was reduced, fewer cells were lost during the preparation treatments, and the maximal activity of single cells was maintained. Following preparation of the cell suspension, the HSCs were further isolated using a Nycodenz density gradient. Cell viability was examined by trypan blue staining, and the purity of the quiescent human HSCs was determined by autofluorescence and oil red O staining. Activated and quiescent human HSCs were identified using immunofluorescence and Western blotting. The cell cycle distribution in activated and quiescent human HSCs was analyzed by flow cytometry.The recovery rate of the HSCs was approximately (2.1 ± 0.23) × 10 6 of tissue, with 94.43 ± 1.89% cell viability and 93.8 ± 1.52% purity. The technique used in this study is a simple, high-yield, and repeatable method for HSC isolation that is worthy of recommendation.
Objective To describe the surgical procedures of laparoscopic caudate lobectomy and analyze its clinical efficiency for treating cancer. Methods Twelve consecutive patients of hepatocellular carcinoma, hepatic hemangioma, and focal nodular hyperplasia who received laparoscopic caudate lobectomy in Qilu Hospital of Shandong University from January 2013 to January 2017 were included in this study. The clinical data, intraoperative parameters, and postoperative outcomes were assessed. Results All 12 patients received totally laparoscopic technique. The operative time was 140.8 ± 95.34 minutes. The average estimated blood loss was 97.92 ± 90.54 ml, and no blood transfusions were required. The mean duration of hospital stay was 9.17 ± 2.88 days. There was no perioperative complication or patient mortality in this series. Conclusions Laparoscopic caudate lobectomy is safe and feasible in the selected patients.
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