Identification of novel carbonic anhydrase II receptor-targeting drugs for treating myocardial infarction through the mechanism of Xue-Fu-Zhu-Yu decoction.

Myocardial infarction (MI) is a significant threat to human health and life. Xue-Fu-Zhu-Yu Decoction (XFZYD), a renowned traditional Chinese medicine prescription for treating myocardial infarction, is known to play a significant role in the management of MI. However, its mechanism of action remains unclear.

Overexpression of long noncoding RNA MCM3AP-AS1 promotes osteogenic differentiation of dental pulp stem cells via miR-143-3p/IGFBP5 axis.

MCM3AP-AS1 regulates the cartilage repair in osteoarthritis, but how it regulates osteogenic differentiation of dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) remains to be determined. DPSCs were isolated and induced for osteogenic differentiation. MCM3AP-AS1 expression was increased along with the osteogenic differentiation of DPSCs, whose expression was positive correlated with those of OCN, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and RUNX2.

Characterization of the Regulation of CD46 RNA Alternative Splicing.

Here we present a detailed analysis of the alternative splicing regulation of human CD46, which generates different isoforms with distinct functions. CD46 is a ubiquitous membrane protein that protects host cells from complement and plays other roles in immunity, autophagy, and cell adhesion. CD46 deficiency causes an autoimmune disorder, and this protein is also involved in pathogen infection and cancer.

Noncanonical registers and base pairs in human 5' splice-site selection.

Accurate recognition of splice sites is essential for pre-messenger RNA splicing. Mammalian 5' splice sites are mainly recognized by canonical base-pairing to the 5' end of U1 small nuclear RNA, yet we described multiple noncanonical base-pairing registers by shifting base-pair positions or allowing one-nucleotide bulges. By systematic mutational and suppressor U1 analyses, we prove three registers involving asymmetric loops and show that two-nucleotide bulges but not longer can form in this context.

Association between polymorphism of MMP-1 promoter and the susceptibility to anterior disc displacement and temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis.

Objective: To investigate the correlation of the polymorphism of MMP-1 promoter (-1607 1G/2G) with the susceptibility to anterior disc displacement (ADD) and temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis (TMJ OA).

Methods: A total of 185 healthy individuals (group A), 141 unilateral ADDWR patients (group B), and 321 unilateral ADDWOR patients (group C) were included in the investigation. Group C included 115 patients without TMJ OA (named group C-1) and 206 with TMJ OA (named group C-2).

Alteration of the tongue manifestation reflects clinical outcomes of peptic ulcer disease.

Objectives: This study investigated whether the tongue inspection technique in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) can be used as a noninvasive auxiliary diagnostic tool to differentiate the subtypes of peptic ulcer disease (PUD) and as an indicator of therapeutic efficacy.

Subjects And Methods: A total of 198 outpatients from the China Medical University Hospital were recruited. The control group comprised 50 healthy adults.

[Clinical manifestations and gene mutations of a Chinese family with MYH9-related syndrome].

Objective: To explore the method for early diagnosis and pathogenesis of MYH9-related syndrome through analysis of the clinical manifestation and gene mutation of a Chinese family with MYH9-related syndrome.

Methods: Peripheral blood samples were collected from a three-generation Chinese family with MYH9-related syndrome (11 individuals, including 3 patients) and 100 healthy individuals. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification and direct sequencing of DNA were performed to analyze mutations of MYH9 gene.

Surface-modified gold nanoshells for enhanced cellular uptake.

Gold nanoshells have shown a great potential for use as agents in a wide variety of biomedical applications, and some of which require the delivery of large numbers of gold nanoshells onto or into the cells. Here, we develop a ready method to enhance the cellular uptake of gold nanoshells by modifying with meso-2,3-dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA). The quantifiable technique of inductively coupled plasma atomic emissions spectroscopy (ICP-AES) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were used to investigate the cellular uptake of unmodified and DMSA-modified gold nanoshells.

Surgical treatment of sagittal fracture of mandibular condyle using long-screw osteosynthesis.

Purpose: The retrospective study evaluated long-screw (bicortical screw) osteosynthesis used in the surgical treatment of sagittal fracture of the mandibular condyle and compared it with titanium plates and removal of the condylar fragment.

Patients And Methods: Ninety-five patients with sagittal fracture of the mandibular condyle received open surgical treatment from 1997 to 2008. Among these patients, the condylar fragments were fixed with long screws in 56 cases (group A), were fixed with titanium plates in 12 cases (group B), and were completely removed in 24 cases (group C).

Fabrication of nanomicelle with enhanced solubility and stability of camptothecin based on alpha,beta-poly[(N-carboxybutyl)-L-aspartamide]-camptothecin conjugate.

This research is aimed to develop a nanomicelle delivery system in order to enhance the solubility and stability of camptothecin (CPT) in aqueous media. In this case, alpha,beta-poly[(N-carboxybutyl)-L-aspartamide] (PBAsp)-CPT was conjugated by the esterification between PBAsp and 20-OH of CPT, and hence used to fabricate nanomicelles with a particle size between the pore size of blood capillary in normal tissue and that in tumor tissue. It was worthy of note that the drug-loaded system of PBAsp-CPT nanomicelle improved the solubility and stability of CPT in aqueous media.

In vitro photothermal study of gold nanoshells functionalized with small targeting peptides to liver cancer cells.

Gold nanoshells functionalized with a small peptide as a targeting agent were designed and synthesized for photothermal therapy of hepatocarcinoma. The nanoshells exhibited high absorption in the near-infrared (NIR) range, 800-1,100 nm, and were functionalized with 12-amino acid sequence peptides for targeting liver cancer cells. The nanoshells were characterized by Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS), Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) and IR spectra.

Preparation and characterization of amino-functionalized magnetic nanogels via photopolymerization for MRI applications.

To design peptide-targeted iron oxide as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agents, amino-functionalized magnetic nanogels were prepared by using N-(2-aminoethyl) methacrylamide hydrochloride (AEM x HCl) as monomer via new photochemical approach. Their chemical structure and composition were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectra (FTIR) and thermogravimetric analyses (TGA). The core-shell structure of magnetic nanogels was confirmed by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM).

Fabrication of polymer-platinum(II) complex nanomicelle from mPEG-g-alpha,beta-poly [(N-amino acidyl)-DL-aspartamide] and cis-dichlorodiammine platinum(II) and its cytotoxicity.

The aim of research is to develop and optimize delivery system for cis-dichlorodiammine platinum(II) (CDDP) based on polymer-metal complex nanomicelles with controllable particle size in order to achieve the passive tumor targeting. In particular, graft copolymers, mPEG-g-alpha,beta-poly [(N-amino acidyl)-DL-aspartamide] (mPEG-g-PAAsp) were synthesized by the ring-opening reaction of polysuccinimide with mPEG-NH(2) (M(w): 2000 and 5000 Da), and then with l-aspartic acid and l-glutamic acid, respectively. mPEG-g-PAAsp-CDDP complex nanomicelles were fabricated from mPEG-g-PAAsp and CDDP.