Genetically predicted gut microbiome and risk of oral cancer.

Purpose: Mounting evidence suggests a possible link between gut microbiome and oral cancer, pointing to some potential modifiable targets for disease prevention. In the present study, Mendelian randomization (MR) was used to explore whether there was a causal link between gut microbiome and oral cancer.

Methods: The single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) significantly associated with gut microbiome were served as instrumental variables.

Volume Incentive Spirometry Reduces Pulmonary Complications in Patients After Open Abdominal Surgery: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Objective: To compare the effect of diaphragmatic breathing and volume incentive spirometry (VIS) on hemodynamics, pulmonary function, and blood gas in patients following open abdominal surgery under general anesthesia.

Methods: A total of 58 patients who received open abdominal surgery were randomly assigned to the control group (n=29) undergoing diaphragmatic breathing exercises and the VIS group (n=29) undergoing VIS exercises. All the participants performed the six-minute walk test (6MWT) preoperatively to evaluate their functional capacity.

Therapeutic effects of total saikosaponins from against Alzheimer's disease.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by memory loss and cognitive dysfunction in the elderly, with amyloid-beta (Aβ) deposition and hyperphosphorylation of tau protein as the main pathological feature. Nuclear factor 2 (Nrf2) is a transcription factor that primarily exists in the cytosol of hippocampal neurons, and it is considered as an important regulator of autophagy, oxidative stress, and inflammation. Total saikosaponins (TS) is the main bioactive component of (Chaihu).

Design, synthesis, and biofunctional evaluation of novel pentacyclic triterpenes bearing O-[4-(1-piperazinyl)-4-oxo-butyryl moiety as antiproliferative agents.

A series of pentacyclic triterpenoids derivatives bearing O-[4-(1-piperazinyl)-4-oxo-butyryl moiety has been synthesized and investigated for their potential antiproliferative activities. Pentacyclic triterpenoids derivative compounds were synthesized by a four or six step synthetic procedure. The activity studies were evaluated using Cell Counting Kit-8 method, and Western blotting analysis on A549 cells, MCF-7 cells and Hela cells.

[The identification and verification of species-specific microRNAs and their precursors in Lampetra japonica].

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) negatively regulate genes which are involved in various biological processes of metabolism at both transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels. In recent years, the existence and function of miRNAs have been extensively studied in plants and animals with the application of deep sequencing and microarray technology. In this study, small RNAs from leucocytes of Lampetra japonica (L.

Inhibition of human enterovirus 71 replication by pentacyclic triterpenes and their novel synthetic derivatives.

A large number of bioactive pentacyclic triterpenoids have been shown to have multiple biological activities. This study was conducted to evaluate the inhibitory activities of 6 newly synthesized and novel pentacyclic triterpenoids against enterovirus 71 (EV71). The parent compound, ursolic acid (UA), showed the greatest inhibitory activity against EV71, while oleanolic acid (OA), asiatic acid (AA), and synthetic derivatives of 18-β-glycyrrhetinic acid (GA) and OA also exhibited inhibitory effects, although to lesser extents.

[Recent advance in pharmacological therapies for proliferative vitreoretinopathy].

Proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR) is a leading blinding disease, which is often associated with ocular trauma, rhegmatogenous retinal detachment and diabetic retinopathy. PVR involves the vitreous and retina and its occurrence is characterized by vitreoretinal cells migration, transformation and excessive proliferation which lead to the formation of pre- or sub-retinal membrane or membrane formation in the vitreous. The subsequent contraction of the membrane can lead to retinal detachment and loss of vision.

[Methyl 3, 4-dihydroxyphenylacetate prevents enterovirus 71 proliferation in rhabdomyosarcoma cells].

This article presented the inhibitory activity of methyl 3, 4-dihydroxyphenylacetate on the enterovirus 71 (EV71) infection. The EV71 VP1 capsid protein expression levels were analyzed with Western blotting. Results revealed that the compound is able to inhibit EV71 replication in rhabdomyosarcoma (RD) cells.

[Effect of the compound of poly lactic-co-glycolic acid and bone marrow stromal cells modified by osteoprotegerin gene on the periodontal regeneration in Beagle dog periodontal defects].

Objective: To evaluate the effect of the osteoprotegerin (OPG) gene-modified autologous bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) on regeneration of periodontal defects, and to provide new experimental evidence to explore the gene therapy for periodontal disease.

Methods: pSecTag2/B-opg was transduced into BMSCs by lipofectamine 2000. The expression of OPG protein in the BMSCs was detected by immunocytochemistry and Western blot.

[Establishment and identification of transiently expression system of bone marrow stromal cells modified by osteoprotegerin gene].

Objective: In oder to treat periodontitis by using tissue engineering and gene engineering technology, the article established an transient expression system of bone marrow stromal cells (BMSC) modified by osteoprotegerin (OPG) gene and detected its expression using eukaryotic secreted expression pSecTag2/B-OPG plasmid.

Methods: By solation and culture of BMSC in vitro, the identified recombined plasmid was transiently transfected into BMSC by Lipofectamine 2000 and OPG expression in BMSC was determined by RT-PCR and Western blot in 6 weeks.

Results: The fragments of the recombinant plasmid digested with Hind III, EcoR I and BamH I and examined by 10 g/L agarose electrophoresis, were consistent with predicted size.

[Role of caveolin-1 down-regulation by iRNA in human hepatocyte proliferation].

Objective: To investigate the role of caveolin-1 down-regulation in human hepatocyte proliferation in vitro.

Methods: The expression vector psiRNA-CAV1 was constructed and transfected into Chang liver cells (CHL). The caveolin-1 down-regulated cell clones were selected by the antibiotic zeocin.

Using the concept of Chou's pseudo amino acid composition to predict protein subcellular localization: an approach by incorporating evolutionary information and von Neumann entropies.

The rapidly increasing number of sequence entering into the genome databank has called for the need for developing automated methods to analyze them. Information on the subcellular localization of new found protein sequences is important for helping to reveal their functions in time and conducting the study of system biology at the cellular level. Based on the concept of Chou's pseudo-amino acid composition, a series of useful information and techniques, such as residue conservation scores, von Neumann entropies, multi-scale energy, and weighted auto-correlation function were utilized to generate the pseudo-amino acid components for representing the protein samples.

TPR domain of Ser/Thr phosphatase of Aspergillus oryzae shows no auto-inhibitory effect on the dephosphorylation activity.

A Ser/Thr phosphatase gene cloned from Aspergillus oryzae, aoppt, revealed that the tetratricopeptide repeat (TPR) and catalytic domains of the full-length AoPPT are located at the N- and C-terminal regions, respectively, similar to those of human Ser/Thr phosphatase 5 (PP5) and yeast Ppt1. Four different regions of AoPPT, namely, a full-length polypeptide, the catalytic domain, the catalytic domain plus C-terminal 15 amino-acid residues and the TPR domain were expressed in Escherichia coli and their roles in dephosphorylation activity were examined, using p-nitrophenyl phosphate as the substrate. The full-length AoPPT showed the highest dephosphorylation activity while the catalytic domain had the lowest activity.

[A follow up study of total IgM, IgG, nucleoprotein and spike protein antibodies against severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) coronavirus in patients with SARS].

Objective: To survey the dynamic changing and persistence of the special antibodies, including total IgM, IgG, nucleocapsid protein and spike protein antibodies, against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) in patients with SARS.

Methods: 146 cases, all clinically diagnosed as SARS with positive SARS-CoV IgG, were followed up. 362 serum samples were collected from the onset of the disease to 660 days afterward.

[The construction of pSecTag2/B vector modified by osteoprotegerin].

Purpose: In order to treat periodontitis by using tissue engineering and gene engineering technology, we constructed mammalian secreted expression pSecTag2/B-OPG vector, the cDNA sequence encoding osteoprotegerin(OPG) obtaining from 293 cell.

Methods: The primers were designed based on the human OPG cDNA sequence. Total mRNA was isolated from 293 cells and RT-PCR was performed .

RANTES gene single nucleotide polymorphisms and expression in patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection.

Background: Regulated on activation, normal T-cell expressed and secreted (RANTES) plays a critical role in T-lymphocyte activation and proliferation. The process is involved in both acute and chronic phases of inflammation. The present study was to ascertain the possible correlations between chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and the RANTES gene polymorphisms and their expression.

[Immunological characteristics of primary biliary cirrhosis patients].

Objective: To study the clinical significance of the immunological characteristics in patients with primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC).

Methods: 3000 patients with abnormal liver functions were examined for anti-nuclear antibodies (ANA), anti-mitochondrial antibodies (AMA), anti-smooth muscle antibodies (SMA) and anti-liver kidney microsomal antibody (LKM) using immunofluorescent assays (IFA). LKM-1, liver cytosolic-1 (LC-1), soluble liver antigen (SLA)/liver- pancreas antigen (LP) and subtype of AMA (M2, M4, M9) as well as ANA profile were detected by an immune blotting assay and an enzyme-linked immune absorbent assay (ELISA), respectively.

Effects of octreotide on expression of L-type voltage-operated calcium channels and on intracellular Ca2+ in activated hepatic stellate cells.

Background: The contractility of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) may play an important role in the pathogenesis of cirrhosis with portal hypertension. The aim of this study was to research the effects of octreotide, an analogue of somatostatin, on intracellular Ca2+ and on the expression of L-type voltage-operated calcium channels (L-VOCCs) in activated HSCs, and to try to survey the use of octreotide in treatment and prevention of cirrhosis with portal hypertension complications.

Methods: HSC-T6, an activated HSCs line, was plated on small glass coverslips in 35-mm culture dishes at a density of 1 x 10(5)/ml, and incubated in DMEM media for 24 hours.

Evaluation of effect of hybrid bioartificial liver using end-stage liver disease model.

Aim: To study the role of hybrid bioartificial liver (HBL) in clearing proinflammatory cytokines and endotoxin in patients with acute and sub-acute liver failure and the effects of HBL on systemic inflammatory syndrome (SIRS) and multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS).

Methods: Five cases with severe liver failure (3 acute and 2 subacute) were treated with HBL. The clinical signs and symptoms, total bilirubin (TBIL), serum ammonia, endotoxin TNF-alpha, IL-6 and prothrombin activity (PTA),cholinesterase (CHE) were recorded before, during and after treatment.

[Relationships between periapical lesion and IL-1, TNF-alpha gene expression in rat].

Objective: To understand the effects of the IL-1, TNF-alpha cytokines on the pathogenesis of periapical lesions by investigating its gene expression in rat.

Methods: The model was established by surgically exposing mandibular molar teeth and left open to permit infection from the oral environment. The SD rats were killed at 1, 2, 3, 4 weeks and mandibular molar teeth X-ray were taken.

[Clinical features of severe acute respiratory syndrome in forty-one confirmed health care workers].

Objective: To investigate the clinical features of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS).

Methods: Forty-one medical care workers (aged 23 - 55 years, with a average of 32 years; men/women = 8/32) who were admitted to our hospital and diagnosed with SARS during March and April, 2003 were retrospectively analyzed.

Results: Thirteen of all the patients were physicians and the rest were nurses.

[Detection of SARS-CoV RNA in stool samples of SARS patients by nest RT-PCR and its clinical value].

Objective: To investigate of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) convalescent stool shedding by RT-PCR.

Methods: One hundred and three stool samples from 46 SARS patients were collected on May 16th, 20th, and 23rd, 2003. For each sample, RNA was extracted using commercial kit and 7 Nest RT-PCR using a 14-pair different SARS-associated coronavirus (SARS-CoV) special primers were carried out simultaneously.

[Clinical manifestation, treatment, and outcome of severe acute respiratory syndrome: analysis of 108 cases in Beijing].

Objective: To investigate the clinical manifestations, treatment, and outcome of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS).

Methods: The clinical data of 108 SARS in-patients were analyzed.

Results: Among the 108 cases, 35 males (32.