Objective To investigate the feasibility of detection of epidermal growth factor receptor ( EGFR) exon 19 deletions and exon 21 L858R mutations in pleural effusion fromnon-small-cell lung cancer ( NSCLC) patients by mutant enriched PCR assay. Methods The mutations of exon 19 and 21 of EGFR gene in pleural samples fromthirty NSCLC patients were analyzed using both the mutant-enriched PCR assay and the non-enriched PCR assay. Results Ten ( 33. 3% , 10/ 30) exon 19 deletions and five ( 16. 7% , 5/30) exon 21 L858R mutation were detected by the mutant-enriched PCR assay, while only 6 cases ( 20. 0% ) and 1 case ( 3. 3% ) were detected by the non-enriched PCR assay respectively. The difference of mutation detection rate of EGFR gene between the two methods was statistically significant ( P = 0. 032) . Mutations were detected in all of partial responders ( 2 /4) among the four patients who received gefitinib therapy. Conclusions Mutant-enriched PCR assay can detect EGFR exon 19 deletions and exon 21 L858R mutation in pleural effusion from NSCLC patients effectively, economically and accurately. It may be a valuable biomarker for gefitinib therapy in advanced NSCLC.
Objective To evaluate the effects of two different epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors ( EGFR-TKIs) , Gefitinib and Erlotinib, on lung fibrosis induced by bleomycin.Methods Forty BALB/c female mice were randomly divided into four groups, ie. a control group( saline given orally and intratracheally) , a fibrosis group( saline given orally with bleomycin instillation) , a Gefitnib group( Gefitnib 20 mg/kg given orally with bleomycin instillation) , and an Erlotinib group ( Erlotinib25 mg/kg given orally with bleomycin instillation) . Bleomycin ( 3 mg/kg) was intratracheally instilled on the first day. Gefitinib or Erlotinib was given orally daily and normal saline as control. Then they were sacrificed by abdominal aortic bleeding 14 days after the bleomycin instillation. The left lung was stained with HE and Masson’s trichrome staining respectively for pathological examination. Total EGFR and phosphorylated EGFR were detected by immunohistochemistry. Hydroxyproline ( HYP) assay was performed in the right lung.Results Both Gefitinib and Erlotinib significantly reduced lung collagen accumulation and the content of HYP. Immunohistochemistry revealed that phosphorylation of EGFR in lung mesenchymal cells induced by bleomycin was inhibited. Furthermore, there was no difference between Gefitinib and Erlotinib in inhibiting lung fibrosis. Conclusion Our findings suggest that, in the preclinical setting, EGFR-TKIs may have aprotective effect on lung fibrosis induced by bleomycin.
Objective To construct gene silence adenovirus vector targeting both transglutaminase 2 （TG2） and Mer receptor tyrosine kinase （Mertk） synchronously and detect the gene silence function of it. Methods The interfering plasmids targeting TG2 protein and Mertk protein were constructed firstly， then the H1 promoter and RNA interfering （RNAi） sequence were cut and ligated to pAdTrack for constructing pAdTrack/TG2/Mertk. The pAdTrack/TG2/Mertk was transfected into BJ5183 bacterial cells which contained pAdEasy-1， then the plasmid was detected by enzyme digestion after recovery. Adenovirus were harvested after that pAdTrack/TG2/Mertk was infected into HEK293 cells. The virus titer was measured after repeated amplification. The RAW264.7 cells were infected by pAdTrack/TG2/Mertk， pAdTrack/TG2， pAdTrack/Mertk， and pAdTrack/green fluorescent protein （GFP）， respectively. Then the expression levels of TG2 protein and Mertk protein of mouse macrophages were detected by Western blot after infection. Results The virus titer of pAdTrack/TG2/Mertk plasmid was 6.13×1010GFU/mL. The pAdTrack/TG2/Mertk plasmid which contained 2 promoters and 2 RNAi sequences was identified successfully by enzyme digestion. Compared with pAdTrack/GFP group and pAdTrack/Mertk group （there was no significant differece between the 2 groups）， the expression levels of TG2 protein of mouse macrophages which infected with pAdTrack/TG2/Mertk or pAdTrack/TG2 decreased obviously （P＜0.01）， but there was no significant difference between the later 2 groups. Compared with pAdTrack/GFP group and pAdTrack/TG2 group （there was no significant difference between the 2 groups）， the expression levels of Mertk protein of mouse macrophages which infected with pAdTrack/TG2/Mertk or pAdTrack/Mertk decreased obviously too （P＜0.01）， but there was no significant difference between the later 2 groups. Conclusion Gene silence adenovirus vector plasmid targeting both TG2 and Mertk synchronously is constructed successfully， and the pAdTrack/TG2/Mertk can reduce the expressions of TG2 protein and Mertk protein of mouse macrophages obviously.
Objective To understand the research progress and future prospects of the growth arrest specific protein 6/Axl receptor tyrosine kinase (Gas6/Axl) signaling pathway in gastrointestinal malignant tumors. Method Retrieve relevant literature on the Gas6/Axl signaling pathway in gastrointestinal malignant tumors and analyze and summarize. Results The Gas6/Axl signaling pathway was abnormally upregulated and activated in gastrointestinal malignancies, leading to malignant cell proliferation, invasion, and metastasis, thereby promoting the occurrence and development of gastrointestinal malignancies. At present, in the field of gastrointestinal cancer, the research of Gas6/Axl signaling pathway mainly involved tumor angiogenesis, tumor drug resistance, mesenchymal epithelial transformation, and tumor microenvironment. Conclusions The Gas6/Axl signaling pathway plays a critical role in governing various cellular processes and downstream effects. Its aberrant expression contributes to the development and advancement of gastrointestinal malignancies through diverse mechanisms. Thoroughly exploring the involvement of the Gas6/Axl signaling pathway in gastrointestinal tumors is of utmost significance, as it holds the potential to unveil novel therapeutic targets for effective management of gastrointestinal malignancies.