The impacts of a GO-game (Chinese chess) intervention on Alzheimer disease in a Northeast Chinese population.

A GO game can enhance mental health, but its effects on Alzheimer Disease (AD) remains unknown. To address the issue, 147 AD patients were randomly assigned into control (without GO-game intervention), Short-time GO-Game Intervention (SGGI, 1 h daily) and Long-time GO-game Intervention (LGGI, 2 h daily) groups. After 6-month follow-up, the game reduced the mean score of Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scales (MADRS) of 4.

Biomechanical evaluation of four different posterior screw and rod fixation techniques for the treatment of the odontoid fractures.

Problems that screw cannot be inserted may occur in screw-rod fixation techniques such as Harms technique. We compared the biomechanical stability imparted to the C-2 vertebrae by four designed posterior screw and rod fixation techniques for the management of odontoid fractures. A three-dimensional finite element model of the odontoid fracture was established by subtracting several unit structures from the normal model from a healthy male volunteer.

Chinese expert consensus workshop report: Guidelines for thermal ablation of primary and metastatic lung tumors.

Although surgical resection is the primary means of curing both primary and metastatic lung cancers, about 80% of lung cancers cannot be removed by surgery. As most patients with unresectable lung cancer receive only limited benefits from traditional radiotherapy and chemotherapy, many new local treatment methods have emerged, including local ablation therapy. The Minimally Invasive and Comprehensive Treatment of Lung Cancer Branch, Professional Committee of Minimally Invasive Treatment of Cancer of the Chinese Anti-Cancer Association has organized multidisciplinary experts to develop guidelines for this treatment modality.

Altered expression of estrogen receptor β2 is associated with different biological markers and clinicopathological factors in papillary thyroid cancer.

Estrogen and estrogen receptor (ER)-α and -β play a role in the development and progression of thyroid cancer. ERβ2 is one major splicing variant of ERβ. In this study, we investigated the clinical significance of ERβ2 protein expression in the papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) lesion.

High miR-196a and low miR-367 cooperatively correlate with unfavorable prognosis of high-grade glioma.

Identification of microRNAs (miRNAs) could be beneficial for the diagnosis and prognosis of glioma. Therefore, we attempted to identify and develop specific miRNAs as prognostic and predictive markers for glioma patients. We compared the expression profiles of 365 miRNAs between 4 glioblastomas (GBMs, WHO grade IV) and 4 anaplastic astrocytomas (AAs, WHO grade III) using miRNA qPCR Array.

Synergistic effects of snail and quercetin on renal cell carcinoma Caki-2 by altering AKT/mTOR/ERK1/2 signaling pathways.

Renal cell carcinoma has become the most common subtype of kidney cancer, and has the highest propensity to manifest as metastatic disease. Because of lack of knowledge in events that correlated with tumor cell migration and invasion, few therapeutic options are available. Therefore, in current study, we explore the anti-tumoral effect of a potential chemopreventive natural product, quercetin, combined with anti-sense oligo gene therapy (inhibiting Snail gene).

Osteoblastic NF-κB pathway is involved in 1α, 25(OH)2D3-induced osteoclast-like cells formation in vitro.

1α, 25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1α, 25(OH)2D3) acts on the osteoblasts to enhance the expressions of receptor activator of nuclear factor κB ligand (RANKL) and macrophage-colony stimulating factor (M-CSF) and induce the formation of osteoclasts. However, the mechanism in osteoblasts by which 1α, 25(OH)2D3 promotes osteoclastogenesis has not yet been completely understood. This study aimed to select the first generation of murine osteoblasts to explore the underlying mechanism of 1α, 25(OH)2D3-induced osteoclastic formation from bone marrow mononuclear cells (BMMNCs).

Celecoxib attenuates retinal angiogenesis in a mouse model of oxygen-induced retinopathy.

This study aimed to investigate the anti-angiogenic effects of Celecoxib on the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and hypoxia-inducible transcription factor 1α (HIF-1α) in a mouse model for oxygen-induced retinopathy (OIR). The OIR mice were exposed to 75% oxygen from postnatal day 7 (P7) to P12, after which the mice were randomly assigned to two groups (Celecoxib and vehicle) and were brought to room air for additional five days. Celecoxib or vehicle was administered from P12 to P17.

Up-regulation of microRNA-15b correlates with unfavorable prognosis and malignant progression of human glioma.

Recent studies have demonstrated that microRNA-15b (miR-15b) regulates cell cycle progression, proliferationnd apoptosis in glioma cells by targeting Cyclins. However, the clinical significance of miR-15b in human glioma remains unclear. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the significance of miR-15b expression in diagnosis, prognosis and malignant progression of glioma.

Unfractionated heparin attenuates intestinal injury in mouse model of sepsis by inhibiting heparanase.

Intestinal injury is a key feature in sepsis. Heparanase, a heparin sulfate-specific glucuronidase, mediates the onset of organ injury during early sepsis. Heparin has the function to attenuate inflammation and injury induced by multiple factors; however, whether unfractionated heparin (UFH) can attenuate the intestinal injury induced by sepsis as well as the underlying mechanism is still unknown.

Rapamycin reverses paraquat-induced acute lung injury in a rat model through inhibition of NFκB activation.

Objective: To evaluate the role of rapamycin (RAPA) in paraquat (PQ)-induced acute lung injury.

Methods: Lung tissues were stained with HE and lung histology was observed. Mortality rate, and neutrophil and leukocyte count in blood and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were recorded.

Lithium enhanced cell proliferation and differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells to neural cells in rat spinal cord.

Lithium has been shown to inhibit apoptosis of neural progenitor cells (NPCs) and promote differentiation of NPCs. However, there was rare data to discuss the effects of lithium on neural differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). Here, we investigated the potential promotion of lithium to MSC proliferation and neural differentiation in vitro and after transplanted into the ventral horn of rat spinal cord in vivo.

USF-1 genetic polymorphisms confer a high risk of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in Chinese population.

Genetic polymorphisms in upstream transcription factor 1 (USF1) were investigated for their links to increased risk of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in Chinese population. Between January 2013 and April 2014, 174 patients with NAFLD in the First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University were selected for this study. A group of 100 healthy subjects were identified as the control group.

Prognostic factors for surgically managed patients with stage II non-small cell lung cancer.

Background: To investigate the prognostic factors in surgically managed patients with stage II non-small cell lung cancer.

Material And Methods: A retrospective analysis of clinical data of surgically managed 93 patients with stage II non-small cell lung cancer in our hospital between May 2005 and November 2009 was conducted, and prognostic factors that may impact the postoperative 5-year survival rate were statistically analyzed.

Results: Univariable survival analysis showed that new TNM staging, total number of dissected lymph nodes, number of dissected N1 and N2 lymph nodes and N1 lymph groups, metastasis rate of N1 lymph nodes, and 10th group of lymph nodes metastatic or not, were related to the postoperative 5-year survival rate in the patients.

Alpha-lipoic acid attenuates trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid-induced ulcerative colitis in mice.

Ulcerative colitis (UC), characterized by inflammation, oxidative stress, and increased intestinal epithelial cell apoptosis, is an immunologically mediated chronic intestinal disorder. The present study was aimed at investigating the protective effects of alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) against trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS)-induced UC and the underlying mechanism. ALA of 80 mg/kg bw/day was administered by gastric gavage to mice for 7 days after TNBS-induced UC.

Liposarcoma of the larynx: report of a case and review of literature.

Liposarcomas of the larynx are extremely rare tumors, with only 37 cases reported in the English or French literature to date. The first two cases of laryngeal liposarcomas were reported respectively by Kapur and Dockerty in 1968 [1, 2]. Liposarcoma of the larynx is at high risk of local recurrence and seldom has metastatic potential.

Downregulation of microRNA-504 is associated with poor prognosis in high-grade glioma.

Several previous reports indicated that microRNA-504 (miR-504) has an oncogenic function through negatively regulating p53. On the other hand, a recent study revealed that miR-504 inhibits cancer cell proliferation through targeting CDK6 in hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (HSCC), suggesting the tumor suppressive role of this miRNA. However, the role of miR-504 in human malignant glioma remains unclear.

Panax notoginseng saponins promote wound repair of anterior cruciate ligament through phosphorylation of PI3K, AKT and ERK.

Panax notoginseng saponins (PNS) are components derived from Chinese herb panax notoginseng and play important roles in the cure of wounds. However, how PNS plays this function is still unclear. In this study, we used MTT assay, wound healing assay, western blot, quantitative real time PCR and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to detect the effects of PNS on the proliferation, migration and expression of collagen and fibronectin of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) fibroblasts as well as the underlying mechanism.

Expression profiling and clinicopathological significance of DNA methyltransferase 1, 3A and 3B in sporadic human renal cell carcinoma.

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the expression of DNA methyltransferase (DNMT) family proteins in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and to assess the clinical significance and prognostic value of their expression patterns.

Methods: A total of 97 renal cell carcinoma and 52 no-tumor tissues were recruited for immunohistochemical analysis of their expression.

Results: DNMT1, DNMT3A and DNMT3B proteins were highly expressed in clear cell RCC, papillary RCC and chromophobe RCC tissues than that of no-tumor tissues (all P < 0.

Toll-like receptor 4 implicated in acute lung injury induced by paraquat poisoning in mice.

Objective: To investigate the possible relationship and mechanism of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and acute lung injury induced by paraquat (PQ) poisoning.

Methods: Male wild type mice and male TLR4-knockout mice were used in this study. After paraquat treatment for 24 hours, mice were euthanized and pathology, TLR4 expression and pro-inflammatory cytokines were evaluated.

Mig-6 overcomes gefitinib resistance by inhibiting EGFR/ERK pathway in non-small cell lung cancer cell lines.

Non small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accounts for 85% of all lung cancers and is the most common cause of lung cancer death. Currently, the epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitor gefitinib is widely used for patients with advanced NSCLC. However, drug resistance is a major obstacle.

Role of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α and survivin in oxygen-induced retinopathy in mice.

Survivin, an inhibitor of apoptosis protein family, appears to be involved in tumor progression and angiogenesis. The current study contains rare reports on the transcriptional regulation of survivin expression in retinal neovascularization (NV). The aim of this study was to investigate hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) and survivin expression in pathologic ocular angiogenesis and to determine their correlation and cellular location.

Aberrant sonic hedgehog signaling pathway and STAT3 activation in papillary thyroid cancer.

The sonic hedgehog (SHH) and STAT3 signaling pathways play important roles during carcinogenesis with possible interaction. To determine the association of the activation of SHH signaling pathway and STAT3 pathway in carcinogenesis of human papillary thyroid cancer (PTC), we examined the expression of SHH signaling pathway molecules including SHH, Patched (PTCH), Smoothened (SMO) and GLI1 (glioma-associated oncogene homolog 1), as well as p-STAT3 (phosphorylation at Tyr705) by immunohistochemistry in 164 cases of PTC. In PTC, 70.

A novel fluid resuscitation protocol: provide more protection on acute kidney injury during septic shock in rats.

Objective: To investigate the therapeutic effects of a novel fluid resuscitation protocol (early fluid resuscitation plus 2% hydrogen inhalation) on acute kidney injury during septic shock induced by lipopolysaccharide in rats.

Methods: Sixty male Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups (n = 15 per group): control group (C), septic shock group (S), septic shock with early fluid resuscitation group (R), and septic shock with early fluid resuscitation plus 2% hydrogen inhalation group (R+R+H2). The rats were ventilated, and a 2% hydrogen mixture was used in Group R+H2.

Increased Tbx1 expression may play a role via TGFβ-Smad2/3 signaling pathway in acute kidney injury induced by gentamicin.

T-box 1 (Tbx1) gene is closely involved in embryonic kidney development. To explore the role of Tbx1 in acute kidney injury (AKI) and the underlying mechanism, we detected the expression of Tbx1 and components of transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) signaling pathways including TGF-β, phosphorylated Smad2/3 (p-Smad2/3) and phosphorylated Smad1/5/8 (p-Smad1/5/8) in kidney tissues derived from a rat model for AKI induced by gentamicin (GM). Apoptosis of renal cells was assessed by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end-labeling (TUNEL), along with the expression of two essential genes involved in apoptosis, caspase-3 and Bcl-2.