Effect of transformer noise on the neurophysiology of SD rats.

Transformer noise is a type of environmental sound that causes discomfort to individuals. The aim of the present study was to determine the effect of relatively long-term periods of transformer noise on the behavior and neurophysiology of SD rats. A total of 90 healthy SD rats with normal hearing were randomly divided into two experimental groups (65 and 60 dB group) and a control group.

Estimation of the status of spiral ganglion neurons and Schwann cells in the auditory neural degeneration mouse using the auditory brainstem response.

Conclusion: The auditory brainstem response (ABR) wave I threshold, latency and amplitude are insensitive to spiral ganglion neurons (SGNs) degeneration, but are sensitive to the degeneration of Schwann cells and can estimate the status of Schwann cells in a neural degeneration mouse model. The thorough pre-operative ABR assessment would be helpful in predicting cochlear implant performance.

Objectives: This study aimed in finding a non-invasive electrophysiological method to evaluate the status of the auditory nerve and the Schwann cells in sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) and auditory neuropathy (AN) ears, and providing useful information for candidates screening and outcome prediction in cochlear implantation.

Dose-dependent effects of ouabain on spiral ganglion neurons and Schwann cells in mouse cochlea.

Objective: This study aimed in fully investigating the toxicities of ouabain to mouse cochlea and the related cellular environment, and providing an optimal animal model system for cell transplantation in the treatment of auditory neuropathy (AN) and sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL).

Methods: Different dosages of ouabain were applied to mouse round window. The auditory brainstem responses and distortion product otoacoustic emissions were used to evaluate the cochlear function.

Effect of silencing key proteins in telomerase mechanism and alternative lengthening of telomeres mechanism in laryngeal cancer cells.

Purpose: To explore the influences of telomerase and alternative lengthening of telomeres mechanism on telomere length and laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma in vitro and in vivo.

Materials And Methods: Short hairpin RNA expression vectors targeting the messenger TERT, TRF2, RAD51 and NBS1 were constructed. The mRNA and protein expression of targeted genes in human laryngeal squamous carcinoma cell line HEp-2 was evaluated by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting separately.

Phenethyl isothiocyanate induces apoptosis and inhibits cell proliferation and invasion in Hep-2 laryngeal cancer cells.

The dietary compound phenethyl isothiocyanate (PEITC), an important tumoricidal component found in cruciferous vegetables, exhibits strong anticancer and chemopreventive effects in a variety of tumors. However, its role in human laryngeal cancer is unclear. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether PEITC exhibits anticancer properties in human laryngeal carcinoma Hep-2 cells in vitro and to identify the potential molecular mechanisms.

ERK signaling mediates long-term low concentration 3,3'-diindolylmethane inhibited nasopharyngeal carcinoma growth and metastasis: An in vitro and in vivo study.

It is well known that crucifers have antitumor effects and 3,3'-diindolylmethane (DIM) is one of the major bioactive components, and the associated molecular mechanisms in a short-term high-dose manner are widely discussed. However, the antitumor effects of DIM in a long-term low-dose manner in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) has not been reported yet, as to the potential mechanisms in the human body. In the present study, NPC cells were induced by 20 µmol/l DIM for over a month, and the proliferation, apoptosis, migration and in vivo metastasis were investigated.

Pro-apoptotic and anti-proliferative effects of 3,3'-diindolylmethane in nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells via downregulation of telomerase activity.

The pro-apoptotic and anti-proliferative effects of 3,3'-diindolylmethane (DIM) in various tumor cell types have been widely investigated. The underlying mechanisms were suggested to include cell cycle arrest, cell signaling inhibition and downregulation of the androgen receptor. The present study demonstrated that DIM induced apoptosis and inhibited proliferation in nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells by downregulating the activity of telomerase.

Nuclear translocation of telomerase reverse transcriptase is a critical process in lymphatic metastasis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) is the predominant functional unit of telomerase and maintains the telomere length and the stability of chromosomes. Recently, TERT has been shown to be a critical factor in a number of other biological processes, including cell proliferation and cancer metastasis. In addition, although numerous studies have been conducted, the subcellular localization of the TERT protein and the association of such with cancer metastasis remains unclear.

Subtelomeric demethylation deregulated hTERT expression, telomerase activity, and telomere length in four nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell lines.

Global DNA hypomethylation, in particular that of the gene promoter sequence in gene hypermethylation, is a well-known characteristic of human cancer. Subtelomeres are enriched CpG islands; methylation is believed to be a potential epigenetic regulator. However, regulation on the telomere length remains largely unknown.

The efficacy of traditional Chinese Medicine as an adjunctive therapy in nasopharyngeal carcinoma: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Purpose: The purpose of this systematic review was to assess the efficacy of traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) as an adjunctive therapy to radiotherapy (RT) and/or chemotherapy (CT) for patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).

Methods: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with TCM to treat NPC were extensively searched in eight databases. Two researchers independently assessed the quality and validity of the included trials and extracted outcome data.

Exogenous interleukin-10 alleviates allergic inflammation but inhibits local interleukin-10 expression in a mouse allergic rhinitis model.

Background: Interleukin-10 (IL-10) has an important anti-inflammatory and immunoregulatory function, and its expression is negatively correlated with the development and severity of allergic rhinitis (AR). However, the in vivo effects of exogenous IL-10 on AR have not been studied and the mechanisms underlying the effects of IL-10 have not been fully understood. Here, we investigated the effects of intranasal administration of recombinant mouse (rm) IL-10 on the expression of Th responses and local IL-10 in a mouse model of AR induced by ovalbumin.

Indole-3-carbinol inhibits nasopharyngeal carcinoma growth through cell cycle arrest in vivo and in vitro.

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma is a common malignant tumor in the head and neck. Because of frequent recurrence and distant metastasis which are the main causes of death, better treatment is needed. Indole-3-carbinol (I3C), a natural phytochemical found in the vegetables of the cruciferous family, shows anticancer effect through various signal pathways.

Telomerase reverse transcriptase promotes the proliferation of human laryngeal carcinoma cells through activation of the activator protein 1.

TERT is the main functional unit of telomerase, which maintains telomere length and chromosome structure stability. TERT has been shown to act as a key factor in various biological processes, such as cell proliferation, via uncharacterized mechanisms. We transfected HEp-2 laryngeal carcinoma cells with a TERT overexpressing adenovirus (Ad-TERT) and TERT shRNA silencing adenovirus (Ad-sh-TERT), and examined the effect on TERT and the AP-1 transcription factor subunits c-Fos and c-Jun using RT-PCR and western blot analysis.

Indole-3-carbinol inhibits cell proliferation and induces apoptosis in Hep-2 laryngeal cancer cells.

Indole-3-carbinol (I3C) is an active component of cruciferous vegetables and markedly inhibits the growth of a variety of tumors. However, its role in laryngeal cancer remains obscure. The aim of the present study was to elucidate the possible mechanisms whereby I3C influences Hep-2 laryngeal cancer cell proliferation and apoptosis.

In vivo and in vitro study on the role of 3,3'-diindolylmethane in treatment and prevention of nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is characterized by insidious progression and atypical early symptoms and mostly diagnosed in middle or late stages. The long-term prognosis is poor after conventional radiotherapy or chemotherapy, and the therapy often has strong toxic effects on normal tissue and organs. There were in vitro and in vivo preclinical evidences to support chemotherapeutic and chemopreventive effects of 3,3'-diindolylmethane (DIM), which was a natural compound extracted from cruciferous plants.

[Investigation of skin prick test on 2707 patients with allergic rhinitis in Wuhan area].

Objective: To investigate the distribution of common allergens in patients with allergic rhinitis (AR) from 2006 to 2010 in Wuhan area, and provide the objective evidence for the prevention and treatment of AR.

Methods: The medical records of skin prick test (SPT) performed on 2707 AR patients from 2006 to 2010 were retrospectively analysed, and the positive rate of different allergens and changing trends in this time were compared. SPSS 17.

γ-secretase inhibition combined with cisplatin enhances apoptosis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells.

The Notch signaling pathway plays an important role in the proliferation and differentiation of cells. Although recent studies have shown that Notch plays a role in the mechanisms of cisplatin resistance, the mechanism by which Notch plays roles in intrinsic or acquired cisplatin resistance remains unclear. In the present study, poorly differentiated nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells were treated with a γ-secretase inhibitor (DAPT), which led to a decrease in the Notch intracellular domain and inhibition of Notch signaling.

Deletion of Forkhead Box M1 transcription factor reduces malignancy in laryngeal squamous carcinoma cells.

The transcription factor, Forkhead Box M1 (FoxM1), has a specific expression pattern during the cell cycle. It also plays an important role in cellular developmental pathways and in the maintenance of homeostasis between cell proliferation and apoptosis. However, the precise role and molecular mechanisms associated with FoxM1 in laryngeal squamous carcinoma remain unclear.

Adenovirus-mediated transfer of tris-shRNAs induced apoptosis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell in vitro and in vivo.

RNA interference (RNAi) is an evolutionary conserved mechanism for specific gene silencing. There are currently numerous cancer therapy clinical trials based on RNAi technology. Using an adenoviral system as a delivery mediator of RNAi, we investigated the therapeutic effects of targeting three genes simultaneously in vitro and in vivo.

Alternative lengthening of telomeres in hTERT-inhibited laryngeal cancer cells.

In most human malignancies, telomere homeostasis is maintained by the reactivation of telomerase. While inhibiting telomerase provides a novel approach to the treatment of many cancers, telomere maintenance can occur in the absence of telomerase activity by the alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALT) mechanism. Therefore, it must be determined if inhibiting telomerase selects for cancer cells that activate ALT.

[Activation of nuclear factor-kappaB and aberrant gene expression of interleukin 6 in middle ear cholesteatoma].

Objective: To establish the activation of NF-kappaB in middle ear cholesteatoma, discuss the relationship of NF-kappaB and the gene expression of IL-6 and explore the pathogenesis of middle ear cholesteatoma.

Methods: Ten cases of cholesteatoma and 6 cases of normal external meatal skin were obtained from middle ear surgery. The NF-kappaB DNA binding activity and the mRNA level of IL-6 in these two kinds of tissues were detected by electrophoretic motility shift assay (EMSA) and Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) respectively.

Long-term administration of salicylate enhances prestin expression in rat cochlea.

Salicylate, a common drug frequently used long term in the clinic, is well known for causing reversible hearing loss and tinnitus. Our previous study, however, demonstrated that chronic administration of salicylate progressively raised the amplitude of distortion product of otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs), which are mainly caused by (outer hair cell) OHC electromotility. How salicylate affects OHC electromotility to cause this paradoxical increase remains unclear.

[Short hairpin RNA silencing of vascular endothelial growth factor, telomerase reverse transcriptase, and Bcl-xl expression in human laryngeal squamous carcinoma xenografted in nude mice].

Objective: To investigate the biological impact of pEGFP-shVEGF-shTERT-shBcl-xl expression in human laryngeal squamous carcinomas xenografted in nude mice and the related antitumor mechanism.

Methods: A recombinant plasmid vector containing 3 different short hairpin RNA (shRNA) segments including pEGFP-shVEGF-shTERT-shBcl-xl was constructed and directly injected into the grafted tumors of human laryngeal squamous carcinoma in nude mice. The mRNA and protein expressions were determined by real-time RT-PCR and Western blot respectively.

Application of combination of short hairpin RNA segments for silencing VEGF, TERT and Bcl-xl expression in laryngeal squamous carcinoma.

Objective: To develop an RNA-interference (RNAi) approach involving the hitting of multiple targets by a recombinant plasmid and evaluate its antitumor effect on laryngeal squamous carcinoma in vitro and in vivo.

Materials And Methods: A plasmid containing 3 different short hairpin RNA (shRNA) segments termed pEGFPshVEGF-shTERT-shBcl-xl was constructed. Plasmids containing single shRNA against each target (VEGF, TERT, BCL-xl alone) individually were also constructed as control.