Progress on the research and development of inactivated EV71 whole-virus vaccines.

The prevalence of diseases caused by EV71 infection has become a serious public health problem in the Western Pacific region. Due to a lack of effective treatment options, controlling EV71 epidemics has mainly focused on the research and development (R&D) of EV71 vaccines. Thus far, five organizations have completed pre-clinical studies focused on the development of inactivated EV71 whole-virus vaccines, including vaccine strain screening, process optimization, safety and immunogenicity evaluation, and are in different stages of clinical trials.

Modulation of serum smooth muscle antibody levels by levamisole treatment in patients with oral lichen planus.

Background/purpose: Serum autoantibodies have been found in patients with oral lichen planus (OLP). This study evaluated whether OLP patients had significantly higher frequencies of serum smooth muscle antibody (SMA) than healthy control individuals, and assessed whether levamisole treatment could modulate the serum SMA levels in OLP patients.

Methods: This study used an indirect immunofluorescence technique to measure the baseline serum SMA levels in a group of 647 OLP patients and 53 controls.

Prompt healing of erosive oral lichen planus lesion after combined corticosteroid treatment with locally injected triamcinolone acetonide plus oral prednisolone.

Background/purpose: Erosive oral lichen planus (EOLP) is a T-cell-mediated inflammatory disease that is refractory to treat. This study tested whether local injection of triamcinolone acetonide plus oral administration of low- or medium-dose prednisolone could hasten the healing of EOLP lesions.

Methods: In this study, 50 EOLP patients were treated with local injection of Kenacort A (40 mg triamcinolone acetonide once weekly for 3 and 2 weeks for 30 major and 20 minor EOLP patients, respectively) plus oral administration of prednisolone (25-30 mg and 15-20mg of prednisolone once daily for 2 weeks for 30 major and 20 minor EOLP patients, respectively).

Sodium tanshinone IIA silate inhibits oxygen-glucose deprivation/recovery-induced cardiomyocyte apoptosis via suppression of the NF-κB/TNF-α pathway.

Background And Purpose: Inhibition of apoptosis may attenuate the irreversible injury associated with reperfusion. In the current study, we focused on the cytoprotective effects and the underlying mechanism of sodium tanshinone IIA silate (STS) against damage induced by oxygen-glucose deprivation/recovery (OGD/R). in H9c2 cardiomyocytes and the underlying mechanisms.

Surface oxide effect on optical sensing and photoelectric conversion of α-In2Se3 hexagonal microplates.

The surface formation oxide assists of visible to ultraviolet photoelectric conversion in α-In2Se3 hexagonal microplates has been explored. Hexagonal α-In2Se3 microplates with the sizes of 10s to 100s of micrometers were synthesized and prepared by the chemical vapor transport method using ICl3 as a transport agent. Many vacancies and surface imperfection states have been found in the bulk and on the surface of the microplate because of the intrinsic defect nature of α-In2Se3.

Significant reduction of serum homocysteine level and oral symptoms after different vitamin-supplement treatments in patients with burning mouth syndrome.

Background: Serum homocysteine level is a biomarker of cardiovascular disease.

Methods: In this study, 399 primary and secondary burning mouth syndrome (BMS) patients without or with hematinic deficiencies were treated with vitamin BC capsules plus none, one, or two deficient hematinics depending on the corresponding deficiency statuses of the patients. One hundred and seventy-seven patients showed complete remission of all oral symptoms after treatment.

A clinicopathological study of 338 dentigerous cysts.

Background: Dentigerous cyst (DC) is one of the most common developmental odontogenic cysts. This hospital-based retrospective study evaluated the clinical and histopathological features of 338 DCs in Taiwanese patients.

Methods: In this study, 338 consecutive cases of DCs were collected from January 1995 to December 2009.

Enhanced protective immune response to PCV2 subunit vaccine by co-administration of recombinant porcine IFN-γ in mice.

The capsid (Cap) protein of PCV2 is the major immunogenic protein that is crucial to induce PCV2-specific neutralizing antibodies and protective immunity; thus, it is a suitable target antigen for the research and development of genetically engineered vaccines against PCV2 infection. IFN-γ has exhibited potential efficacy as an immune adjuvant that enhances the immunogenicity of certain vaccines in experimental animal models. In this study, three recombinant proteins: PCV2-Cap protein, porcine IFN-γ (PoIFN-γ), and the fusion protein (Cap-PoIFN-γ) of PCV2-Cap protein and PoIFN-γ were respectively expressed in the baculovirus system, and analyzed by Western blot and indirect ELISA.

Epithelial cell adhesion molecule regulates tumor initiation and tumorigenesis via activating reprogramming factors and epithelial-mesenchymal transition gene expression in colon cancer.

Epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) is highly expressed in epithelial-transformed neoplasia and tumor-initiated cells (TICs), but the role that EpCAM plays in the stemness properties of TICs is still unclear. Here we show that EpCAM and reprogramming factors (c-Myc, Oct4, Nanog, and Sox2) were concomitantly elevated in TICs, which were shown to have superior self-renewal, invasiveness, and tumor-initiating abilities. Elevation of EpCAM enhanced tumorsphere formation and tumor initiation.

Pharmacological actions and therapeutic applications of Salvia miltiorrhiza depside salt and its active components.

Salvia miltiorrhiza, a traditional medical herb known as danshen, has been widely used in China to improve blood circulation, relieve blood stasis, and treat coronary heart disease. S miltiorrhiza depside salt is a novel drug recently developed at the Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica; it contains magnesium lithospermate B (MLB) and its analogs, rosmarinic acid (RA) and lithospermic acid (LA), as active components. The drug has been used in the clinic to improve blood circulation and treat coronary heart disease.

Discovery of N-(3,5-bis(1-pyrrolidylmethyl)-4-hydroxybenzyl)-4-methoxybenzenesulfamide (sulcardine) as a novel anti-arrhythmic agent.

Aim: To investigate the anti-arrhythmic effects of sulfamide analogues of changrolin and to characterize the sulfate of compound 6f (sulcardine sulfate, Sul) as a novel anti-arrhythmic agent.

Methods: The anti-arrhythmic effects of compounds were studied against aconitine-induced arrhythmias in rats and ouabain-induced arrhythmias in guinea pigs. The effects of Sul on transmembrane action potentials were investigated in isolated rabbit sinoatrial nodes and guinea-pig papillary muscles using intracellular recording.

Oleanolic acid reduces hyperglycemia beyond treatment period with Akt/FoxO1-induced suppression of hepatic gluconeogenesis in type-2 diabetic mice.

The present study investigated the chronic efficacy of oleanolic acid (OA), a triterpenoid selected from our recent screening, on hyperglycemia in type-2 diabetic mice. C57BL/6J mice were fed a high-fat diet followed by low doses of streptozotocin to generate a type-2 diabetic model. OA (100 mg/kg/day) was administered orally for 2 weeks with its effects monitored for 6 weeks.

Progression of periodontal destruction and the roles of advanced glycation end products in experimental diabetes.

Background: Progression of diabetes-associated periodontal destruction and the roles of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) are investigated.

Methods: Diabetes was induced by streptozocotin injection, and periodontitis was induced via silk ligature placement with Porphyromonas gingivalis lipopolysaccharide injection in 64 Sprague-Dawley rats for 7 to 21 days. The quality of alveolar bone and attachment loss (AL) were measured by microcomputed tomography and histology.

Enterovirus 71 viral capsid protein linear epitopes: identification and characterization.

Background: To characterize the human humoral immune response against enterovirus 71 (EV71) infection and map human epitopes on the viral capsid proteins.

Methods: A series of 256 peptides spanning the capsid proteins (VP1, VP2, VP3) of BJ08 strain (genomic C4) were synthesized. An indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was carried out to detect anti-EV71 IgM and IgG in sera of infected children in acute or recovery phase.

Increased serum placenta growth factor level is significantly associated with progression, recurrence and poor prognosis of oral squamous cell carcinoma.

We recently found that the expression of placenta growth factor (PlGF) in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) specimens is correlated with the progression and prognosis of OSCC. In this study, serum samples were obtained from 72 OSCC patients before and 3 months after surgical cancer excision and from 30 normal controls. Serum PlGF levels were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).

Significant association of deficiency of hemoglobin, iron and vitamin B12, high homocysteine level, and gastric parietal cell antibody positivity with atrophic glossitis.

Background: Atrophic glossitis (AG) is considered to be a marker of nutritional deficiency. In this study, we evaluated whether there was an intimate association of the deficiency of hemoglobin, iron, vitamin B12 or folic acid, high blood homocysteine level, and serum gastric parietal cell antibody (GPCA) positivity with AG.

Methods: The blood hemoglobin, iron, vitamin B12, folic acid, and homocysteine concentrations and the serum GPCA level in 176 AG patients were measured and compared with the corresponding levels in 176 age- and sex-matched healthy control subjects.

Applying plant DNA barcodes to identify species of Parnassia (Parnassiaceae).

DNA barcoding is a technique to identify species by using standardized DNA sequences. In this study, a total of 105 samples, representing 30 Parnassia species, were collected to test the effectiveness of four proposed DNA barcodes (rbcL, matK, trnH-psbA and ITS) for species identification. Our results demonstrated that all four candidate DNA markers have a maximum level of primer universality and sequencing success.

The inhibition of lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 exerts beneficial effects against atherosclerosis in LDLR-deficient mice.

Aim: To investigate the effects of darapladib, a specific inhibitor of lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (lp-PLA2), on inflammation and atherosclerotic formation in the low density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR)-deficient mice.

Methods: Six-week-old LDLR-deficient mice were fed an atherogenic high-fat diet for 17 weeks and then randomly divided into two groups. One group was administered darapladib (50 mg·kg(-1)·d(-1); po) for 6 weeks.

Patterns of diabetic periodontal wound repair: a study using micro-computed tomography and immunohistochemistry.

Background: Diabetes is known to impair wound healing and deteriorate the periodontal condition. There is limited information about the patterns and events associated with periodontal wound repair. In this study, we evaluate the dynamics of periodontal wound repair using micro-computed tomography (microCT) and immunohistochemistry.

Inhibition of lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 ameliorates inflammation and decreases atherosclerotic plaque formation in ApoE-deficient mice.

Background: Lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2) is thought to play modulatory roles in the development of atherosclerosis. Here we evaluated the effects of a specific lp-PLA2 inhibitor on atherosclerosis in ApoE-deficient mice and its associated mechanisms.

Methodology/principal Findings: ApoE-deficient mice fed an atherogenic high-fat diet for 17 weeks were divided into two groups.

Phylogenetic relationships of Chinese Adiantum based on five plastid markers.

Adiantum consists of about 150-200 species mostly with a pantropical distribution, yet the classifications of Adiantum have been based primarily on regional studies. Confounding the clarity of reconstructing the evolutionary history of Adiantum is that previous molecular phylogenetic studies suggest that a separate and distinctive clade, the vittarioids, may be derived from within Adiantum. Five plastid markers (atpA, atpB, rbcL, trnL-F and rps4-trnS) are employed to assess the monophyly of Adiantum, and construct the molecular phylogeny of Chinese Adiantum.

Modulation of serum antinuclear antibody levels by levamisole treatment in patients with oral lichen planus.

Background/purpose: Serum autoantibodies, including antinuclear antibodies (ANAs), have been found in patients with oral lichen planus (OLP). This study evaluated whether Taiwanese OLP patients had significantly higher frequencies of serum ANAs than healthy control subjects, and whether levamisole treatment could modulate the antibody levels.

Methods: This study used an indirect immunofluorescence technique to measure the baseline serum levels of ANA in a group of 583 Taiwanese OLP patients and 53 healthy control subjects.

Novel AroA from Pseudomonas putida confers tobacco plant with high tolerance to glyphosate.

Glyphosate is a non-selective broad-spectrum herbicide that inhibits 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase (EPSPS, also designated as AroA), a key enzyme in the aromatic amino acid biosynthesis pathway in microorganisms and plants. Previously, we reported that a novel AroA (PpAroA1) from Pseudomonas putida had high tolerance to glyphosate, with little homology to class I or class II glyphosate-tolerant AroA. In this study, the coding sequence of PpAroA1 was optimized for tobacco.

Osteonecrosis of the jaws associated with the use of yearly zoledronic acid: report of 2 cases.

Background: Once-yearly zoledronic acid has been proven effective in the management of osteoporosis. Osteonecrosis of the jaws (ONJ) related to its use has not been reported since its approval in 2007.

Methods: Two women with osteoporosis/osteopenia developed ONJ after the second infusion of yearly zoledronic acid.