Overexpression of MiR-335-5p Promotes Bone Formation and Regeneration in Mice.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) and the Wnt signaling pathway play critical roles in regulating bone development and homeostasis. Our previous study revealed high expression of miR-335-5p in osteoblasts and hypertrophic chondrocytes in mouse embryos and the ability of miR-335-5p to promote osteogenic differentiation by downregulating Wnt antagonist Dickkopf-1 (DKK1). The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of miR-335-5p constitutive overexpression on bone formation and regeneration in vivo.

Highly hard yet toughened bcc-W coating by doping unexpectedly low B content.

Either hardness or toughness has been the core interest in scientific exploration and technological pursuit for a long time. However, it is still a big challenge to enhance the hardness and toughness at the same time, since the improvement of one side is always at the expense of the other one. Here, we have succeeded in dealing with this pair of conflict based on tungsten (W) coating by doping boron (B) via magnetron co-sputtering.

CD106 is a novel mediator of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells via NF-κB in the bone marrow failure of acquired aplastic anemia.

Background: Acquired aplastic anemia (AA) is characterized by deficiency or dysfunction of the bone marrow (BM) microenvironment. However, little is known about the impairment of BM-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in AA patients.

Methods: We used Illumina HiSeqTM 2000 sequencing, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), flow cytometry (FCM), and Western blotting to test the expression of CD106 gene (vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM1)) and CD106 protein of BM-MSCs.

Self-Poling-Induced Magnetoelectric Effect in Highly Strained Epitaxial BiFeO/LaSrMnO Multiferroic Heterostructures.

Highly strained epitaxial BiFeO/LaSrMnO (BFO/LSMO) heterostructures were fabricated on LaAlO substrates by magnetron sputtering. The as-grown downward self-polarization of BFO capping layers was confirmed by piezoelectric force microscopy. Using the electrostatic field-induced charge screening, a hole depletion state was induced in ultrathin (8 nm) LSMO films.

Pulvis Fellis Suis extract attenuates ovalbumin-induced airway inflammation in murine model of asthma.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Pulvis Fellis Suis (PFS), named with "Zhu Danfen" in China, has been extensively used for the therapy of enteritis, acute pharyngitis, whooping cough and asthma in folk medicine. Although PFS shows anti-inflammatory activities, its effect on airway inflammation in asthma has not been studied.

Aim Of The Study: To explore the protective effect of PFS ethanol extract against airway inflammation in asthmatic mice.

Generation of tooth-periodontium complex structures using high-odontogenic potential dental epithelium derived from mouse embryonic stem cells.

Background: A number of studies have shown that tooth-like structures can be regenerated using induced pluripotent stem cells and mouse embryonic stem (mES) cells. However, few studies have reported the regeneration of tooth-periodontium complex structures, which are more suitable for clinical tooth transplantation. We established an optimized approach to induce high-odontogenic potential dental epithelium derived from mES cells by temporally controlling bone morphogenic protein 4 (BMP4) function and regenerated tooth-periodontium complex structures in vivo.

Plumbagin suppresses chronic periodontitis in rats via down-regulation of TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6 expression.

Chronic periodontitis (CP) is one of the most common oral diseases, which causes alveolar bone absorption and tooth loss in adults. In this study we aimed to investigate the potential of plumbagin (PL), a widely-investigated active compound extracted from the traditional Chinese herb Plumbago zeylanica L in treating CP. Human periodontal ligament stem cells (PDLSCs) were used for in vitro studies, whereas an animal model of CP was established in SD rats by ligation+Porphyromonas gingivalis (Pg) stimulation.

JNK Inhibitor SP600125 Attenuates Paraquat-Induced Acute Lung Injury: an In Vivo and In Vitro Study.

Acute lung injury (ALI) is a major complication soon after paraquat poisoning and rapidly progresses with high mortality. However, the specific mechanism underlying paraquat-induced ALI is still unclear. In this study, the mechanism underlying the protective effects of SP600125 on paraquat-induced ALI was investigated according to oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis.

Andrographolide ameliorates d-galactosamine/lipopolysaccharide-induced acute liver injury by activating Nrf2 signaling pathway.

Andrographolide (ADH), a diterpenoid lactone extracted from Andrographis paniculata, has been found to have anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative effects. However, its protective effects and mechanisms on liver injury have not been investigated clearly. This study takes an attempt to reveal the protective effects and mechanism of ADH on lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and D-galactosamine (D-GalN)-induced acute liver injury in mice.

The immune-regulating effect of Xiao'er Qixingcha in constipated mice induced by high-heat and high-protein diet.

Background: Xiao'er Qixingcha (EXQ) has been extensively applied to relieve dyspepsia and constipation in children for hundreds of years in China. However, the therapeutic mechanism underlying its efficacy remained to be defined. The present study aimed to clarify the possible laxative and immune-regulating effects of EXQ on two models of experimental constipation in mice, which mimicked the pediatric constipation caused by high-heat and high-protein diet (HHPD).

A Clinical Trial Using Attrition Combined with 5-Aminolevulinic Acids Based Photodynamic Therapy in Treating Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

BACKGROUND Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is the second most common type of skin cancer, for which non- or mini-invasive treatment is of critical importance. 5-aminolevulinic acids based photodynamic therapy (ALA-PDT) is a mini-invasive approach that causes focal tumor cell injury, apoptosis, and necrosis through light sensitivity. The efficacy of combining ALA-PDT and surgery in treating SCC, however, has not been demonstrated.

Prognosis and Progression of ESCC Patients with Perineural Invasion.

Perineural invasion (PNI) has been recognized as a poor prognostic factor in several malignancies, but the definition and pathogenesis of PNI in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) remains to be defined. PNI was evaluated by H&E staining and S100 immunohistochemistry. The predictive value of PNI in the prognosis of ESCC patients was analyzed.

Withaferin A protects against spinal cord injury by inhibiting apoptosis and inflammation in mice.

Context: Withaferin A (WFA) exhibits diverse pharmaceutical applications on human diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, cancers and microbial infection.

Objective: We evaluated the neuroprotective role of WFA using a mouse model of spinal cord injury (SCI).

Materials And Methods: BALB/c mice were administrated 10 mg/kg of WFA.

In vivo response of AZ31 alloy as biliary stents: a 6 months evaluation in rabbits.

Mg-based metallic materials have been making continuing progress as vascular stents. However, the research of Mg-based materials as non-vascular stents is still at its primary stage. AZ31 stents hereby were implanted into the common bile duct of rabbits for 6 months.

The iron chelator Dp44mT suppresses osteosarcoma's proliferation, invasion and migration: in vitro and in vivo.

Di-2-pyridylketone-4,4-dimethyl-3-thiosemicarbazone (Dp44mT), the novel iron chelator, has been reported to inhibit the tumorigenesis and progression of various cancer cells, including neuroblastoma, neuroepithelioma and prostate cancer. However, whether Dp44mT has anticancer effects in osteosarcoma is still unknown. Here, we investigated the antitumor action of Dp44mT in osteosarcoma and its underlying mechanisms.

A polysaccharide from Lentinus edodes inhibits human colon cancer cell proliferation and suppresses tumor growth in athymic nude mice.

The antitumor effect of Lentinan is thought rely on the activation of immune responses; however, little is known about whether Lentinan also directly attacks cancer cells. We therefore investigated the direct antitumor activity of SLNT (a water-extracted polysaccharide from Lentinus edodes) and its probable mechanism. We showed that SLNT significantly inhibited proliferation of HT-29 colon cancer cells and suppressed tumor growth in nude mice.

The Effect of Wenxin Keli on the mRNA Expression Profile of Rabbits with Myocardial Infarction.

. The molecular mechanisms of Chinese traditional medicine Wenxin Keli (WXKL) were unknown. This study was aimed at exploring the effects of WXKL on the gene expression profile and pathological alteration of rabbits with myocardial infarction.

High genetic diversity in the offshore island populations of the tephritid fruit fly Bactrocera dorsalis.

Background: Geographic isolation is an important factor that limit species dispersal and thereby affects genetic diversity. Because islands are often small and surrounded by a natural water barrier to dispersal, they generally form discrete isolated habitats. Therefore, islands may play a key role in the distribution of the genetic diversity of insects, including flies.

Protective effect of bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells in lipopolysaccharide-induced acute lung injury mediated by claudin-4 in a rat model.

Our study aims to investigate the effects of bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced acute lung injury (ALI) as well as the underlying mechanism. In our study, Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups: control group; ALI group; ALI+MSCs group and ALI+MSCs claudin-4 siRNA group. MRC-5 and BEAS-2B cell lines were used for assay.

Multi-Modal Imaging in a Mouse Model of Orthotopic Lung Cancer.

Background: Investigation of CF800, a novel PEGylated nano-liposomal imaging agent containing indocyanine green (ICG) and iohexol, for real-time near infrared (NIR) fluorescence and computed tomography (CT) image-guided surgery in an orthotopic lung cancer model in nude mice.

Methods: CF800 was intravenously administered into 13 mice bearing the H460 orthotopic human lung cancer. At 48 h post-injection (peak imaging agent accumulation time point), ex vivo NIR and CT imaging was performed.

Adipose tissue-derived stem cells suppress hypertrophic scar fibrosis via the p38/MAPK signaling pathway.

Background: Hypertrophic scars (HS) generally occur after injury to the deep layers of the dermis, resulting in functional deficiency for patients. Growing evidence has been identified that the supernatant of adipose tissue-derived stem cells (ADSCs) significantly ameliorates fibrosis of different tissues, but limited attention has been paid to its efficacy on attenuating skin fibrosis. In this study, we explored the effect and possible mechanism of ADSC-conditioned medium (ADSC-CM) on HS.

Minocycline Attenuates Kidney Injury in a Rat Model of Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Nephropathy.

The effects of minocycline on the development of diabetic nephropathy (DN) in streptozotocin (STZ) induced diabetic rats were evaluated in this study. The diabetes rats with DN were induced by STZ (55 mg/kg) injection. The experiment included 5 groups 1) normal, 2) normal plus minocycline for 16 weeks, 3) DN plus vehicle, 4) DN plus minocycline 16 weeks and 5) DN plus minocycline for 8 weeks.

Alleviation of spinal cord injury by Ginkgolide B via the inhibition of STAT1 expression.

Ginkgolide B has been known to inhibit cell apoptosis by modulating multiple cytokines and plays an important role in neuroprotection. Signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1) has been studied in a spinal cord injury (SCI) model. However, the role of Ginkgolide B in SCI treatment remains unclear.

Grading and quantification of dental fluorosis in zebrafish larva.

Objective: The prevalence and severity of dental fluorosis in primary teeth are different from permanent teeth. Previous animal models of dental fluorosis mainly focus on juvenile rats, mice and zebrafish. Our experiment aims to set a dental fluorosis model using zebrafish larva and explore the characteristics of the first generation teeth by fluoride treatment.

Adipose tissue-derived stem cells promote the reversion of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: An in vivo study.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common cause of liver injury and seriously affects human health. In the present study, we aimed to investigate whether adipose tissue-derived stem cell (ADSC) transplantation in combination with dietary modification was capable of reversing the progression of NAFLD. After establishing a rat model of NAFLD by feeding them a high-fat diet (HFD), ADSCs were transplanted via the portal vein into rats with HFD-induced NAFLD, and simultaneously fed a modified diet.