Application of noninvasive test (acoustic attenuation imaging and ultrasonic shear wave elastography) to grade nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: An observational study.

The aim of this study was to validate the diagnostic efficacy of acoustic attenuation imaging (ATI) and ultrasonic shear wave elastography (SWE) in classifying nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). A total of 100 patients with NAFLD were recruited from our hospital between January 2021 and December 2022. Patient demographics and clinical data were collected, and 2-dimensional ultrasound was used to screen patients based on liver echo characteristics.

Viral contamination on the surfaces of the personal protective equipment among health care professionals working in COVID-19 wards: A single-center prospective, observational study.

Objective: To evaluate potential viral contamination on the surfaces of personal protective equipment (PPE) in COVID-19 wards.

Methods: Face shields, gloves, the chest area of PPE and shoe soles were sampled at different time points. The samples were tested for the presence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) by PCR, and the cycle threshold (CT) values were recorded.

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Patients With High Peripheral Blood Eosinophil Counts Have Better Predicted Improvement in 6MWD After Rehabilitation: A PRELIMINARY STUDY.

Purpose: The objective of this investigation was to determine whether chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients with high blood eosinophil (EOS) counts had better improvement in 6-min walk test (6MWT) after pulmonary rehabilitation (PR).

Methods: Fifty COPD patients were randomly assigned to either the rehabilitation group (RG) or the control group (CG). Patients in the RG (8 wk PR + routine medication) and the CG (routine medication) were followed for 32 wk.

Scutellarin Reduces Cerebral Ischemia Reperfusion Injury Involving in Vascular Endothelium Protection and PKG Signal.

Flavonoid glycoside scutellarin (SCU) has been widely applied in the treatment of cerebral ischemic diseases in China. In this article, we conducted research on the working mechanisms of SCU in hypoxia reoxygenation (HR) injury of isolated cerebral basilar artery (BA) and erebral ischemia reperfusion (CIR) injury in rat models. In isolated rat BA rings, HR causes endothelial dysfunction (ED) and acetylcholine (ACh) induces endothelium-dependent vasodilation.

Ultrasound to Localize the Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter Tip Position in Newborn Infants.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the application of ultrasound for the localization of the tip position of peripherally inserted central catheters (PICCs) in newborn infants.

Study Design: This study was a retrospective analysis on ultrasonic localization for PICC placement conducted in our department over the past 2 years. Ultrasonic localization was performed immediately after PICC placement in all neonatal patients.

Virtual Screening for Type II B Inhibitors of B-Raf Kinase.

Background: B-RafV600E kinase was identified as an important target in current cancer treatment, and the type II B inhibitors show good qualities in preclinical studies. Therefore, it is very important to discover novel II B inhibitors of B-RafV600E kinase.

Methods: In order to discover novel II B inhibitors of B-RafV600E kinase, virtual screening against ZINC database was performed by using a combination of pharmacophore modelling, molecular docking, 3DQSAR model and binding free energy (ΔGbind) calculation studies.

Reverse effect of curcumin on CDDP-induced drug-resistance via Keap1/p62-Nrf2 signaling in A549/CDDP cell.

Objective: To assess the effect of curcumin on CDDP-induced drug resistance and explore the underlying molecular mechanism through Nrf2 system and autophagy pathway.

Methods: A drug-resistant cell model was established by exposing A549/CDDP cell to 2 μg/mL CDDP. A549/CDDP cell was treated with 20 μg/mL CDDP and 10 μM curcumin.

High dose of nimustine as an add-on treatment for small cell lung cancer with intracranial metastasis: A case report and literature review.

Rationale: Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) characterized by high degree of malignancy and rapid tumor progression. Intracranial metastases often appear at the time of the initial diagnosis or treatment. Besides of radiotherapy, chemotherapy is supposed to have limited effect.

Virtual screening of B-Raf kinase inhibitors: A combination of pharmacophore modelling, molecular docking, 3D-QSAR model and binding free energy calculation studies.

B-Raf kinase has been identified as an important target in recent cancer treatment. In order to discover structurally diverse and novel B-Raf inhibitors (BRIs), a virtual screening of BRIs against ZINC database was performed by using a combination of pharmacophore modelling, molecular docking, 3D-QSAR model and binding free energy (ΔG) calculation studies in this work. After the virtual screening, six promising hit compounds were obtained, which were then tested for inhibitory activities of A375 cell lines.

Lung ultrasonography to diagnose pneumothorax of the newborn.

Objective: To explore the reliability and accuracy of lung ultrasound for diagnosing neonatal pneumothorax.

Methods: This study was divided into two phases. (1) In the first phase, from January 2013 to June 2015, 40 patients with confirmed pneumothorax had lung ultrasound examinations performed to identify the sonographic characteristics of neonatal pneumothorax.

[Effects of intrathecal administration of AM on mechanical allodynia and CCL2 expression in DRG in bone cancer rats].

The pain peptide adrenomedullin (AM) plays a pivotal role in pathological pain. The present study was designed to investigate the effect of blockade of AM receptor on bone cancer pain (BCP) and its mechanism. BCP was developed by inoculation of Walker 256 mammary gland carcinoma cells in the tibia medullary cavity of Sprague Dawley rats.

Cigarette smoke extract induces the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition the PLTP/TGF-β1/Smad2 pathway in RLE-6TN cells.

: The role of phospholipid transfer protein (PLTP) in the pathogenesis of the cigarette smoke extract (CSE)-induced epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) has not been well described. In this study we investigated the effect of PLTP on the CSE-induced EMT of rat alveolar epithelial cells (RLE-6TN). : The rats were exposed to air and cigarette smoke (CS) for 3 d and then the lungs were sectioned and examined using immunohistochemistry techniques.

Cigarette smoke extract alters the cell cycle via the phospholipid transfer protein/transforming growth factor-β1/CyclinD1/CDK4 pathway.

This study was aimed to investigate the effect of phospholipid transfer protein (PLTP) on cigarette smoke extract (CSE)-induced alteration of the cell cycle and the possible mechanism. Male Wistar rats and the rat alveolar epithelial cell line (RLE-6TN) were exposed to normal air or different concentrations of CSE. Then PLTP siRNA was transfected into cells and an inhibitor of transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) was administered prior to CSE exposure.

Cigarette smoke extract induces apoptosis of rat alveolar Type II cells via the PLTP/TGF-β1/Smad2 pathway.

Apoptosis of alveolar epithelial cells has been implicated in the pathogenesis of acute lung injury. Phospholipid transfer protein (PLTP) may play a role in apoptosis. In the present study, the effect of the novel function of PLTP in cigarette smoke extract (CSE)-induced apoptosis of alveolar epithelial cells and the possible mechanism were examined.

Scutellarin attenuates endothelium-dependent aasodilation impairment induced by hypoxia reoxygenation, through regulating the PKG signaling pathway in rat coronary artery.

Scutellarin (SCU), a flavonoid from a traditional Chinese medicinal plant. Our previous study has demonstrated that SCU relaxes mouse aortic arteries mainly in an endothelium-depend-ent manner. In the present study, we investigated the vasoprotective effects of SCU against HR-induced endothelial dysfunction (ED) in isolated rat CA and the possible mechanisms involving cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) dependent protein kinase (PKG).

[Blocking effect of arsenic trioxide on the proliferation and cell cycle of human Burkitt lymphoma cells and its related mechanism].

This study was aimed to investigate the effect of arsenic trioxide (As2O3) on proliferation and cell cycle of human Burkitt lymphoma cells and its related molecular mechanism, so as to provide experimental evidence for treatment of Burkitt lymphoma with As2O3. Human Burkitt lymphoma cell line Namalwa was used as the model, the effect of As2O3 on cell proliferation, cell cycle and apoptosis, as well as the expression of cell cycle modulation related genes, including mRNA and protein level, were detected by MTT method, flow cytometry, real-time quantitative PCR (RQ-PCR) and Western blot, respectively. The results showed that the As2O3 inhibited significantly the growth and proliferation of Namalwa cells in concentration-and time-dependent manner.

Study on female sexual dysfunction in type 2 diabetic Chinese women.

Objective: To investigate the female sexual dysfunction (FSD) in type 2 diabetes patients, by comparing the sexual function between type 2 diabetic women and non-diabetic women with Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI).

Methods: 115 type 2 diabetic women and 107 age-matched non-diabetes women were enrolled with similar backgrounds. Their sexual functions were evaluated with FSFI.

Ox-LDL-induced TGF-β1 production in human alveolar epithelial cells: involvement of the Ras/ERK/PLTP pathway.

Oxidized-low density lipoprotein (Ox-LDL) has been shown to play an important role in impaired surfactant metabolism and transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) is a critical mediator in the pathogenesis of acute lung injury (ALI)/acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). In this study, we investigated whether Ox-LDL can induce TGF-β1 protein production, and if so, how it achieves this induction in human alveolar epithelial cells (A549). We show here that Ox-LDL not only caused a dose- and time-dependent up-regulation of TGF-β1 production, but also increased Smad3 phosphorylation, Ras/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) activity and phospholipid transfer protein (PLTP) expression in A549 cells.

Arsenic trioxide induces apoptosis of Burkitt lymphoma cell lines through multiple apoptotic pathways and triggers antiangiogenesis.

Burkitt lymphoma (BL) is an aggressive B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) and it appears to be one of the most common childhood cancers in equatorial areas. Unprecedented gains have been made in the cure rates for BL during the past two decades and these reflect steady improvements in treatment protocols and a multidisciplinary approach to patient care. However, the life-threatening side effects associated with conventional treatment urge us to explore new strategies.

Doxycycline attenuates acrolein-induced mucin production, in part by inhibiting MMP-9.

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), especially MMP-9, have been found to increase the expression of epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor, a possible regulator of acrolein-induced mucin expression in the airway epithelium. The aim of this study was to investigate whether doxycycline, a tetracycline antibiotic that inhibits MMPs, attenuates mucus production and synthesis of mucin MUC5AC in acrolein-exposed rats. Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to acrolein aerosol [3.

Simvastatin attenuates acrolein-induced mucin production in rats: involvement of the Ras/extracellular signal-regulated kinase pathway.

Airway mucus overproduction is a cardinal feature of airway inflammatory diseases, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and cystic fibrosis. Since the small G-protein Ras is known to modulate cellular functions in the lung, we sought to investigate whether the Ras inhibitor simvastatin could attenuate acrolein-induced mucin production in rat airways. Rats were exposed to acrolein for 12 days, after first being pretreated intragastrically for 24 h with either simvastatin alone or simvastatin in combination with mevalonate, which prevents the isoprenylation needed for Ras activation.

Effect of budesonide on TGF-beta1-enhanced VEGF production by lung fibroblasts.

VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor) is a potent proangiogenic cytokine, and vascular change is one of the characteristic features of airway remodelling. Since the glucocorticoids have shown antifibrosis properties, we sought to investigate whether budesonide, a widely used glucocorticoid in clinical practice, could attenuate TGF-beta1 (transforming growth factor-beta1)-induced VEGF production by HFL-1 (human lung fibroblasts). HFL-1 fibroblasts were treated with various concentrations of budesonide (10(-11) M, 10(-9) M and 10(-7) M) in the absence or presence of TGF-beta1.

Role of chymase in cigarette smoke-induced pulmonary artery remodeling and pulmonary hypertension in hamsters.

Background: Cigarette smoking is an important risk factor for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Chymase has been shown to function in the enzymatic production of angiotensin II (AngII) and the activation of transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta1 in the cardiovascular system. The aim of this study was to determine the potential role of chymase in cigarette smoke-induced pulmonary artery remodeling and PAH.

p38 MAPK and MMP-9 cooperatively regulate mucus overproduction in mice exposed to acrolein fog.

Objective: To evaluate the role of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) on mice airway inflammation, mucus production and the possible cross-talk between p38 MAPK and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) in mucin protein synthesis.

Methods: Mice were exposed to 4.0 ppm of acrolein for 21 days with daily intraperitoneal injection of SB203580, a specific inhibitor of p38 MAPK.