Tsang, Chi Keung. / "November 2011." / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2012. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 103-116). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / Abstract --- p.I / 摘要 --- p.III / Acknowledgement --- p.IV / Table of content --- p.V / List of Figures --- p.VIII / List of Tables --- p.XI / Abbreviations --- p.XII / Chapter Chapter 1: --- INTRODUCTION --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1. --- Hepatocellular carcinoma --- p.2 / Chapter 1.1.1. --- Etiological factors --- p.11 / Chapter 1.1.1.1. --- Chronic Hepatitis and Liver Cirrhosis --- p.13 / Chapter 1.1.1.2. --- HBV --- p.13 / Chapter 1.1.1.3. --- HCV --- p.17 / Chapter 1.1.1.4. --- Male gender --- p.20 / Chapter 1.1.1.5. --- Aflatoxin B1 exposure --- p.21 / Chapter 1.2. --- Genomic abnormalities in HCC --- p.23 / Chapter 1.3. --- GEF-H1 --- p.24 / Chapter 1.4. --- RhoA --- p.26 / Chapter 1.5. --- Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition (EMT) --- p.29 / Chapter 1.6. --- Aims of Thesis --- p.31 / Chapter Chapter 2: --- MATERIALS AND METHODS --- p.32 / Chapter 2.1. --- Materials --- p.33 / Chapter 2.1.1. --- Chemicals and Reagents --- p.33 / Chapter 2.1.2. --- Buffers --- p.35 / Chapter 2.1.3. --- Cell Culture --- p.37 / Chapter 2.1.4. --- Nucleic Acids --- p.38 / Chapter 2.1.5. --- Enzymes --- p.39 / Chapter 2.1.6. --- Equipments --- p.40 / Chapter 2.1.7. --- Kits --- p.41 / Chapter 2.1.8. --- Antibodies --- p.42 / Chapter 2.1.9. --- Software and Web Resources --- p.43 / Chapter 2.2. --- Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization (FISH) --- p.44 / Chapter 2.2.1. --- Probe Preparation --- p.44 / Chapter 2.2.1.1. --- Human Bacterial Artificial Chromosome (BAC) probe preparation --- p.44 / Chapter 2.2.1.2. --- Nick translation --- p.44 / Chapter 2.2.2. --- Hybridization --- p.45 / Chapter 2.3. --- Genomic DNA extraction --- p.47 / Chapter 2.4. --- Copy number analysis --- p.48 / Chapter 2.5. --- Exon Sequencing analysis --- p.49 / Chapter 2.5.1. --- PCR amplification of GEF-H1 exons --- p.49 / Chapter 2.5.2. --- Cycle sequencing --- p.49 / Chapter 2.6. --- Ectopic expression of GEF-H1 in immortalized hepatocyte cell line --- p.52 / Chapter 2.6.1. --- Construction of GEF-H1 expressing vector --- p.52 / Chapter 2.6.2. --- Sub-cloning --- p.52 / Chapter 2.6.3. --- Transfection and clonal selection --- p.53 / Chapter 2.7. --- Gene Expression Analysis by Quantitative RT-PCR --- p.55 / Chapter 2.7.1. --- Total RNA extraction --- p.55 / Chapter 2.7.2. --- qRT-PCR analysis for gene expression --- p.55 / Chapter 2.8. --- Western blot --- p.58 / Chapter 2.9. --- Functional Analysis --- p.60 / Chapter 2.9.1. --- Cell viability (MTT) assay --- p.60 / Chapter 2.9.2. --- Cell proliferation assays (BrdU-incorporation) --- p.60 / Chapter 2.9.3. --- Mitomycin C treatment --- p.61 / Chapter 2.9.4. --- Migration and Invasion assays --- p.63 / Chapter 2.9.5. --- Wound healing assay --- p.65 / Chapter 2.9.6. --- Transient knock-down of RhoA --- p.65 / Chapter 2. --- 10. Immuno-fluorescent imaging --- p.66 / Chapter 2. --- 11. In vivo tumorigenic study of GEF-H1 by subcutaneous injection --- p.68 / Chapter 2. --- 12. Statistical analysis --- p.69 / Chapter Chapter 3: --- RESULTS --- p.70 / Chapter 3.1. --- Verifying copy number gain of GEF-H1 in high GEF-H1 expressing HCC --- p.71 / Chapter 3.2. --- Verifying if there is any GEF-H1 exon point mutation in HCC --- p.75 / Chapter 3.3. --- Functional roles of GEF-H1 in HCC --- p.77 / Chapter 3.4. --- GEF-Hl-induced functions were RhoA independent --- p.83 / Chapter 3.5. --- GEF-H1 Induction of Epithelial-mesenchymal transition in HCC --- p.88 / Chapter 3.6. --- GEF-H1 induced tumorigenicity of MIHA cells --- p.95 / Chapter Chapter 4: --- DISCUSSIONS --- p.96 / Chapter 4.1. --- GEF-H1 in HCC and other cancers --- p.97 / Chapter 4.2. --- GEF-H1 promotes cell motility --- p.98 / Chapter 4.3. --- GEF-H1 induced tumorigenicity --- p.100 / Chapter Chapter 5: --- CONCLUSIONS AND PROPOSED FUTURE INVESTIGATIONS --- p.101 / Chapter Chapter 6: --- REFERENCES --- p.103

Yeung, Barry Ho Sing. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2011. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 137-154). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / Abstract --- p.i / 論文摘要 --- p.iv / Acknowledgements --- p.vii / Publications based on work in this thesis. --- p.ix / List of abbreviations --- p.x / Chapter Chapter 1 --- Introduction --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1 --- Dorsal root ganglion cells --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1.1 --- Primary sensory neurons --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1.2 --- Non-neuronal cells --- p.3 / Chapter 1.1.2.1 --- Satellite glial cells --- p.3 / Chapter 1.1.2.2 --- Schwann cells --- p.6 / Chapter 1.2 --- Peripheral sensitization --- p.8 / Chapter 1.3 --- Neuron-glia interactions --- p.9 / Chapter 1.4 --- Aim of Thesis --- p.11 / Chapter Chapter 2 --- "Materials, media, buffers and solutions" --- p.13 / Chapter 2.1 --- Materials --- p.13 / Chapter 2.2 --- "Culture media, buffer and solutions" --- p.19 / Chapter 2.2.1 --- Culture media --- p.19 / Chapter 2.2.2 --- General culture buffers and culture plate coating reagents --- p.19 / Chapter 2.3 --- Antibodies used for identifying DRG cells --- p.23 / Chapter 2.3.1 --- Primary antibodies --- p.23 / Chapter 2.3.2 --- Secondary antibodies --- p.23 / Chapter Chapter 3 --- Methods --- p.24 / Chapter 3.1 --- Preparation of DRG cell cultures --- p.24 / Chapter 3.2 --- Preparation of neuron-enriched and glial cell cultures --- p.25 / Chapter 3.3 --- Immunocytochemistry --- p.26 / Chapter 3.4 --- Immunohistochemistry --- p.27 / Chapter 3.4 --- Determination of [3H]cAMP production in DRG cells --- p.28 / Chapter 3.4.1 --- Principle of assay --- p.28 / Chapter 3.4.2 --- Loading DRG cells with [3H]adenine --- p.28 / Chapter 3.4.3 --- Column preparation --- p.28 / Chapter 3.4.4 --- Measurement of [3H]cAMP production in DRG cells --- p.29 / Chapter 3.4.5 --- Data analysis --- p.30 / Chapter Chapter 4 --- Identification of DRG cells in dissociated cultures --- p.31 / Chapter 4.1 --- Introduction --- p.31 / Chapter 4.2 --- Aim of study --- p.34 / Chapter 4.3 --- Results --- p.35 / Chapter 4.3.1 --- Identification of DRG cells in isolated cultures --- p.35 / Chapter 4.3.2 --- Activation and proliferation of glial cells in isolated cell cultures --- p.36 / Chapter 4.3.3 --- Identification of glial cells in cultures --- p.38 / Chapter 4.3.4 --- Modification of staining methods --- p.40 / Chapter 4.3.5 --- Immunohistochemistry to identify DRG cells in DRG slices --- p.42 / Chapter 4.3.6 --- Comparison of antibody staining in whole DRG and isolated DRG cells --- p.44 / Chapter 4.4 --- Discussion --- p.44 / Chapter 4.5 --- Summary --- p.53 / Chapter Chapter 5 --- Characterization of GPCRs in isolated DRG cultures --- p.69 / Chapter 5.1 --- Introduction --- p.69 / Chapter 5.1.1 --- G-protein coupled receptors --- p.69 / Chapter 5.1.2 --- Pharmacological characterization of prostanoid receptors on DRG cells --- p.73 / Chapter 5.1.3 --- Gs- and Gi/o-coupled GPCRs in DRG cells --- p.75 / Chapter 5.1.3.1 --- Gs-coupled GPCR: β-adrenoceptors --- p.76 / Chapter 5.1.3.2 --- Gs-coupled GPCR: CGRP receptors --- p.79 / Chapter 5.1.3.3 --- Gi/o-coupled GPCR: α2-adrenoceptors --- p.82 / Chapter 5.1.3.4 --- Gi/o-coupled GPCR: Cannabinoid receptors --- p.85 / Chapter 5.1.3.5 --- Gi/o-coupled GPCR: 5-HT1Areceptors --- p.88 / Chapter 5.1.3.6 --- Gi/o-coupled GPCR: opioid and opioid-receptor-like 1 receptors --- p.90 / Chapter 5.2 --- Aims of study --- p.93 / Chapter 5.3 --- Results --- p.94 / Chapter 5.3.1 --- Characterization of prostanoid receptors in isolated DRG cells --- p.94 / Chapter 5.3.2 --- Characterization of CGRP receptors in isolated DRG cells --- p.96 / Chapter 5.3.3 --- Investigation of the effect of CGRP8.37 on CGRP responses --- p.97 / Chapter 5.3.4 --- Characterization of β1-adrenoceptors in isolated DRG cells --- p.97 / Chapter 5.3.5 --- Characterization of β2-adrenoceptors in isolated DRG cells --- p.98 / Chapter 5.3.6 --- Identification of β-adrenoceptor subtype mediating isoprenaline-stimulated responses.. --- p.99 / Chapter 5.3.7 --- Characterization of α2-adrenceptors in isolated DRG cells --- p.100 / Chapter 5.3.8 --- Characterization of cannabinoid 1 receptors in isolated DRG cells ... --- p.100 / Chapter 5.3.9 --- Characterization of cannabinoid 2 receptors in isolated DRG cells --- p.101 / Chapter 5.3.10 --- Characterization of 5-HT1A receptors in isolated DRG cells --- p.101 / Chapter 5.3.11 --- Characterization of μ-opioid receptors in isolated DRG cells --- p.102 / Chapter 5.3.12 --- Characterization of opioid-receptor-like 1 receptors in isolated DRG cells --- p.102 / Chapter 5.3.13 --- Effect of nerve growth factor on DRG cells --- p.103 / Chapter 5.4 --- Discussion --- p.106 / Chapter 5.5 --- Summary --- p.114 / Chapter Chapter 6 --- Conclusion and further studies --- p.134 / References --- p.137