Trajectories of Lipids Profile and Incident Cardiovascular Disease Risk: A Longitudinal Cohort Study.

Background The association between low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and triglycerides with cardiovascular disease (CVD) has been well studied. No previous studies considered trajectory of these lipids jointly. This study aims to characterize longitudinal trajectories of lipid profile jointly and examine its impact on incident CVD.

Hepatoprotective effect of capsaicin against concanavalin A-induced hepatic injury via inhibiting oxidative stress and inflammation.

Immune-mediated liver injury plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of liver diseases, which can result from viral infections, autoimmunity, alcohol intake, and drug use. Concanavalin A (Con A)-induced hepatitis is a well-characterized murine model with similar pathophysiology to that of human viral and autoimmune hepatitis. Capsaicin, a selective agonist of the transient potential vanilloid subfamily member 1 (TRPV1) receptor, exhibits anti-inflammatory effects on various causes of inflammation.

Sitagliptin ameliorates advanced glycation end-product (AGE)-induced degradation of extracellular matrix in human primary chondrocytes.

Accumulation of advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) increases inflammation and triggers processes involved in the pathogenesis of osteoarthritis (OA). As a major debilitating age-related disease, it is imperative that novel therapies for OA be sought. In the present study, we investigated the effects of the selective dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPP-4) inhibitor sitagliptin in human primary chondrocytes exposed to insult by AGEs to elucidate the potential role of sitagliptin in the treatment of OA.

Transplanted adult human hepatic stem/progenitor cells prevent histogenesis of advanced hepatic fibrosis in mice induced by carbon tetrachloride.

Transplantation of adult human hepatic stem/progenitor cells (hHSPCs) has been considered as an alternative therapy, replacing donor liver transplantation to treat liver cirrhosis. This study assessed the antifibrotic effects of hHSPCs in mice with fibrosis induced by carbon tetrachloride (CCl) and examined the actions of hHSPCs on the fibrogenic activity of human hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) in a coculture system. Isolated hHSPCs expressed stem/progenitor cell phenotypic markers.

Tepoxalin a dual 5-LOX-COX inhibitor and erlotinib an EGFR inhibitor halts progression of gastric cancer in tumor xenograft mice.

GC is associated with over expression of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGRF), Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and 5-Lipoxygenase (5-LOX). We postulated that targeting these pathways will result in better treatment efficacy than using a single agent with higher dose which may cause toxicity and resistance. We evaluated Tepoxalin (TPX) a dual 5-LOX-COX inhibitor and Erlotinib (ERB) an EGFR inhibitor alone and combination in MGC-803 injected tumor xenografts mice.

Rapid Synthesis of -Tosylhydrazones under Solvent-Free Conditions and Their Potential Application Against Human Triple-Negative Breast Cancer.

Some -tosylhydrazone derivatives were effectively synthesized under solvent-free conditions by using a grinding method at room temperature. The short reaction time, clean and mild process with simple workup and easy purification of the target compounds were salient features of the present protocol, which enables straightforward access to -tosylhydrazones. Among the tosylhydrazone derivatives evaluated, compound exhibits excellent apoptosis-promoting and anticancer potential against triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cell lines.

Engineering exosomes: a new direction for anticancer treatment.

Currently, lacks of specificity and effectiveness remain the main drawbacks of clinical cancer treatment. Despite therapeutic advances in recent decades, clinical outcomes remain poor. Exosomes are nanosized particles with great potential for enhancing anticancer responses and targeted drug delivery.

Pregnancy-associated plasma protein a in cancer: expression, oncogenic functions and regulation.

Pregnancy-associated plasma protein A (PAPPA) is a protease that plays important roles in pregnancy, but interestingly acts as an oncogene outside of pregnancy. This review summarizes the oncogenic roles of PAPPA, including its expression levels in multiple malignancies, regulatory and signaling interactions, and pro-tumor functions, which include promoting tumor cell proliferation, invasion, migration and metastasis. These PAPPA activities are linked to IGFBP-4 proteolysis, increased IFG bioavailability, and activation of the NF-κB, PI3K/AKT and ERK signaling pathways.

Clinicopathological characteristics of angiofibroma of soft tissue: report of three cases.

Angiofibroma of soft tissue (AFST) is a recently-reported, rare, fibrovascular soft tissue neoplasm that commonly develops in the lower extremities of middle-aged women. Here, we report three cases located in the right temporal lobe of a woman, the left popliteal fossa of a female, and the right lower limb of a male patient, respectively, the former of which is first reported in the light of a literature review owing to its anatomical location. Histological and immunohistochemical features were consistent with the diagnosis of AFST.

Enrichment and characterization of cancer stem-like cells in ultra-low concentration of serum and non-adhesive culture system.

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) play important roles in tumor initiation, metastasis, and progression. They are also mainly responsible for high treatment failure rates. Identification and characterization of CSCs are crucial for facilitating the detection, prevention, or therapy of cancer.

Correlation between overexpression of connective tissue growth factor, tumor progression, and clinical prognosis in endometrial cancer patients.

Objective: To investigate the correlation between overexpression of connective tissue growth factor (CTGF), tumor progression, and clinical prognosis in patients with endometrial cancer.

Methods: Tumor samples were obtained from 198 patients with endometrial cancer who underwent hysterectomy, and 50 samples were collected from normal endometrial tissue. Immunohistochemical staining was performed on all samples.

The putative tumour suppressor microRNA-145, repressed by c-jun, modulates clear cell renal cell carcinoma aggressiveness by repressing ROCK1.

Aberrant expression of miR-145 has frequently been reported in cancer studies; however, its role in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) has not been examined in detail. Here, we showed that miR-145 was downregulated in RCC cells and tissues and associated with a poor prognostic phenotype in RCC patients. Restoration of miR-145 suppressed proliferation and invasion and induced apoptosis in clear cell RCC (ccRCC) cells.

Mir-23a inhibition attenuates ischemic/reperfusion-induced myocardial apoptosis by targeting XIAP.

MicroRNAs are a group of single-strand, non-coding RNAs that inhibit the translation of protein-coding genes. Recent studies indicated that miRNAs are broadly involved in the development of cardiovascular diseases, including arrhythmia, hypertrophy, heart failure and cardiac injury. In this study, we report that miR-23a, a tumor suppressor, acts as an apoptotic promoter in rats undergoing ischemic/reperfusion.

Spectrum construction of differentially expressed circular RNAs in patients with leukoaraiosis and function analysis of differentially expressed genes.

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are class of endogenous RNAs that have a role in the regulation of gene expression. The present study aimed to investigate the diagnostic value and role of circRNA in the pathogenesis of leukoaraiosis (LA). The present study performed Arraystar Human circRNA Array analysis of 6 samples from LA cases and 6 samples from control cases.

Temporal Expression of Apelin/Apelin Receptor in Ischemic Stroke and its Therapeutic Potential.

Stroke is one of the leading causes of death and disability worldwide, and ischemic stroke accounts for approximately 87% of cases. Improving post-stroke recovery is a major challenge in stroke treatment. Accumulated evidence indicates that the apelinergic system, consisting of apelin and apelin receptor (APLNR), is temporally dysregulated in ischemic stroke.

Aberrant Expression of Histone Deacetylases 4 in Cognitive Disorders: Molecular Mechanisms and a Potential Target.

Histone acetylation is a major mechanism of chromatin remodeling, contributing to epigenetic regulation of gene transcription. Histone deacetylases (HDACs) are involved in both physiological and pathological conditions by regulating the status of histone acetylation. Although histone deacetylase 4 (HDAC4), a member of the HDAC family, may lack HDAC activity, it is actively involved in regulating the transcription of genes involved in synaptic plasticity, neuronal survival, and neurodevelopment by interacting with transcription factors, signal transduction molecules and HDAC3, another member of the HDAC family.

Increased level of Hsp90-beta in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid correlates with lymphatic invasion and advanced stage of lung cancer patients.

Background: The purpose of this work is to explore the correlation between Hsp90-beta level in broncheoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and lung cancer.

Methods: Hsp90-beta level was measured by immunohistochemistry and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Sensitivity and specificity of Hsp90-beta were calculated by receiver operator characteristic curve.

Differentiate into urothelium and smooth muscle cells from adipose tissue-derived stem cells for ureter reconstruction in a rabbit model.

Ureter reconstruction is still a tough task for urologist. Cell-based tissue engineering serves a better technique for patients with long segments of ureter defect who need ureter reconstruction. In this study, we sought to evaluate the differentiation potential of adipose derived stem cells (ADSCs) into urothelial lineage and smooth muscle lineage and to assess the possibility of ureter reconstruction using differentiated cells seeded vessel extracellular matrix (VECM) in a rabbit model.

MiR-98 inhibits cell proliferation and invasion of non-small cell carcinoma lung cancer by targeting PAK1.

A family of small non-coding RNAs, ~22 nt in length, known as microRNAs (miRNAs), regulating ~30% of all human gene expression, have been reported to be involved in the pathogenesis of a number of types of cancers, including non-small cell carcinoma lung cancer (NSCLC). P21-activated protein kinase 1 (PAK1) is a clinical biomarker of Non-small carcinoma lung cancer. Here, we found that miR-98 is down-regulated, whereas PAK1 is highly expressed in NSCLC tissues and cells.

MiR-30a regulates the atrial fibrillation-induced myocardial fibrosis by targeting snail 1.

Objective: Our study aims at assessing the association between miR-30a along with its target gene snail 1 and atrial fibrillation (AF)-induced myocardial fibrosis.

Methods: Ang II was used to up-regulate cardiac fibroblasts fibrosis in vitro, and then the cardiac fibroblasts were divided into the mimics group (mimics miR-30a), inhibitors group (inhibitors miR-30a), NC group (transfected miR-30a, negative control) and blank control group (non-transfected cells). Two-group (sham operated group and rapid pacing group) AF rabbit models were constructed according to whether rapid pacing was presented in the subject.

Operative strategy and clinical outcomes of ROI-C(TM) fusion device in the treatment of Hangman's fracture.

Objective: to compare the clinical outcomes of anterior fusion with ROI-C(TM) and titanium plate in the treatment of Hangman's fractures.

Methods: From Dec 2005 to Jan 2015, a total of 21 patients with Hangman's fracture, who underwent anterior internal fixation with titanium plate or ROI-C(TM), were retrospectively reviewed. All patients underwent anteroposterior, lateral, and flexion-extension radiography and computed tomography of cervical spine preoperatively and postoperatively at 3 days and 3 months.

MicroRNA-411 inhibited matrix metalloproteinase 13 expression in human chondrocytes.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common joint degenerative disease affecting the joint structure, leading to loss of joint function and tissue destruction. Recent studies have demonstrated that miRNAs are involved in many pathological conditions, including OA. The study was to investigate the role of miR-411 in the pathogenesis of OA.

Clinical utility of a near patient care microarray based diagnostic test for influenza and respiratory syncytial virus infections.

Unlabelled: In primary care medicine, establishing a diagnosis of influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infections is usually based on clinical history and physical examination as well as a consideration of time of the year and circulating respiratory viruses in the community.

Methods: We tested the potential clinical samples using the automated molecular assay which included rapid influenza diagnostic test, Rapid Immunochromatographic Antigen Test, Verigene Respiratory Virus Plus Nucleic Acid Test, BD Veritor(TM) System for Rapid Detection of RSV in the paediatric setting for diagnosis of influenza and respiratory syntactical virus infections when testing was done by the paediatrician seeing the patient.

Results: Principally, with respect influenza virus specificity and sensitivity for RIAT were 100% and 68.

Renal angiomyolipoma with epithelial cysts: a rare entity and review of literature.

Renal angiomyolipoma (AML) with epithelial cysts (AMLEC) is a comparatively rare benign renal tumor that is recently recognized as a distinct entity and there are relatively few reported cases in the English-language literature. To date 19 cases of AMLEC have been reported in 2 case series and a few case reports. AMLEC has been described as a cystic variant of AML.

Potential role of CXCR3 in proliferation and invasion of prostate cancer cells.

Aim: To investigate the potential role of CXCR3 expression on prostate cancer cell proliferation and invasion and to illustrate its mechanism.

Methods: Human PC-3 cells were transfected with siRNA-CXCR3A and siRNA-CXCR3B plasmids respectively. The mRNA expressions of CXCR3A and CXCR3B in PC-3 cells from each group were analyzed using RT-PCR.