[Genetic susceptibility in children with incomplete Kawasaki disease].

Objective: To study the frequency distribution of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in two genes associated with incomplete Kawasaki disease (KD) (rs1569723 in CD40 gene and rs2736340 in BLK gene), and to investigate its association with the genetic susceptibility and clinical phenotypes of incomplete KD.

Methods: A total of 184 children with incomplete KD and 203 normal children were recruited to carry out a case-control study. The genotypes of SNPs in CD40 gene and BLK gene were determined using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism.

Daidzein suppresses pro-inflammatory chemokine Cxcl2 transcription in TNF-α-stimulated murine lung epithelial cells via depressing PARP-1 activity.

Aim: Daidzein (4',7-dihydroxyisoflavone) is an isoflavone exiting in many herbs that has shown anti-inflammation activity. The aim of this study was to investigate the mechanism underlying its anti-inflammatory action in murine lung epithelial cells.

Methods: C57BL/6 mice were intranasally exposed to TNF-α to induce lung inflammation.

Fluoride-induced oxidative stress of osteoblasts and protective effects of baicalein against fluoride toxicity.

The key role of osteoblasts in skeletal fluorosis makes the exploration of the possible mechanisms of the fluoride-induced oxidative stress of osteoblasts of great importance. In this article, the in vitro effects of fluoride on the oxidative stress of osteoblasts are presented. To study the inhibitory effect of baicalein on the oxidative stress of osteoblasts, the antioxidant activity of baicalein was evaluated for osteoblasts exposed to fluoride.

Effect of sodium fluoride on the expression of bcl-2 family and osteopontin in rat renal tubular cells.

Our earlier studies showed that the apoptosis of renal tubules can be induced by sodium fluoride (NaF). The present study was designed to estimated the effects of B-cell lymphoma/leukemia 2 (Bcl-2), Bcl-2-associated protein X (Bax), and osteopontin (OPN) on the apoptosis of renal tubular cells induced by NaF at different levels. The technique of reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and densitometer scanning volume density were used to evaluate the changes of Bcl-2, Bax, and OPN mRNA in tubular cells treated with different doses of NaF (0, 1, 5, 7.