Optimal dosing regimen of caspofungin in adolescents with allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Objectives: The optimal dosing regimen of caspofungin in adolescents undergoing allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation against Candida spp. is unknown. The study aimed to compare body surface area (BSA)-based and fixed dosing regimens through population pharmacokinetic (PPK) analysis and to optimize dosing regimens likely to achieve therapeutic exposures.

Wnt-3a improves functional recovery after spinal cord injury by regulating the inflammatory and apoptotic response in rats via wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway.

The specific molecular mechanism of neuroprotective effects of wnt-3a on spinal cord injury (SCI) has not been elucidated. In our study, we evaluated the recovery of motor function after SCI by BBB, observed neuronal apoptosis by western blot and TUNEL, observed the changes of neuronal inflammation by western blot and immunofluorescence staining, and observed the changes of motoneurons and spinal cord area in the anterior horn of the spinal cord via Nissl and HE staining. We found that wnt-3a could significantly promote the recovery of motor function, reduce the loss of motor neurons in the anterior horn of the spinal cord, promote the recovery of injured spinal cord tissue, inhibit neuronal apoptosis and inflammatory response, and ultimately promote neuronal function after SCI.

A novel microfluidic device integrating focus-separation speed reduction design and trap arrays for high-throughput capture of circulating tumor cells.

Isolation and analysis of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) from peripheral blood provides a potential way to detect and characterize cancer. Existing technologies to separate or capture CTCs from whole blood still have issues with sample throughput, separation efficiency or stable efficiency at different flow rates. Here, we proposed a new concept to capture rare CTCs from blood by integrating a triangular prism array-based capture apparatus with streamline-based focus-separation speed reduction design.

IL-10 enhances T cell survival and is associated with faster relapse in patients with inactive ulcerative colitis.

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is characterized by a relapsing and remitting pattern. The remission phase may last weeks to years. It remains unclear what specific factors can cause the disease to exist the remission phase and enter an activated state.

Gene expression changes in arterial and venous endothelial cells exposed to gestational diabetes mellitus.

We investigated the molecular changes in fetoplacental blood vessel endothelial cells in gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Raw gene expression profile data of arterial and venous endothelial cells from GDM complicated pregnancies and healthy controls were downloaded and used for bioinformatic analysis. There were two differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in venous endothelial cells and 178 DEGs in arterial endothelial cells induced by GDM.

Effect of NMDAR-NMNAT1/2 pathway on neuronal cell damage and cognitive impairment of sevoflurane-induced aged rats.

: The possible effect of NMDAR (N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor)-NMNAT1/2 (nicotinamide/nicotinic acid mono-nucleotide adenylyltransferase) signaling pathway on the neuronal cell damage and cognitive impairment of aged rats anesthetized by sevoflurane was explored.: Adult male Wistar rats were selected and divided into Control, Sevo (Sevoflurane), Sevo+DCS (NMDAR agonist D-cycloserine) 30 mg/kg, Sevo+DCS 100 mg/kg, and Sevo+DCS 200 mg/kg groups. Morris water maze and fear conditioning text were used to observe cognitive function changes of rats.

Characteristics of circulating monocytes at baseline and after activation in patients with intracranial aneurysm.

Intracranial aneurysm (IA) is a bulging of blood vessels around the brain that is often asymptomatic but may cause severe complications and death if ruptured. Macrophage-mediated immune responses can contribute to the development of IA. During homeostasis and inflammation, circulating monocytes can infiltrate the vasculature, where they develop into macrophages, and modulate immune responses.

miR‑760 regulates skeletal muscle proliferation in rheumatoid arthritis by targeting Myo18b.

MicroRNAs serve an important role in the development of several diseases. Numerous genes regulate the skeletal muscle differentiation of C2C12 myoblasts. The role of miR‑760 in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has not been reported, to the best of our knowledge.

Resibufogenin suppresses tumor growth and inhibits glycolysis in ovarian cancer by modulating PIM1.

Ovarian cancer is a common human malignancy of the female reproductive system. However, chemotherapy has been proven to have limited effectiveness in a majority of patients. Resibufogenin (RB) is a major active ingredient in cinobufacini, which has been used in the treatment of human malignancies as adjunct agents.

Apatinib enhances chemosensitivity of acute myeloid leukemia hl60 cells to cytarabine by inducing apoptosis.

Purpose: To investigate the effect of apatinib combined with cytarabine on acute myeloid leukemia (AML) HL60 cells and its relevant mechanisms.

Methods: HL60 cells were treated with control, apatinib alone, cytarabine alone and apatinib combined with cytarabine. Cell proliferation in each group was detected via methy thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) assay, changes in the cell cycle and mitochondrial transmembrane potential in each group after treatment were detected via flow cytometry, and apoptosis was detected via Annexin V-PI double labeling.

A clinical study on the combined therapy of methotrexate and immuno adsorption in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis disease.

Objective of the present work was to study the effect and significance of the combined therapy of methotrexate and immune adsorption in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis disease. 56 patients with rheumatoid arthritis disease who have received treatment in "The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong, China" during the period from May, 2016 to May, 2017 were selected as study objects and were randomized into control group and experimental group according to different therapies. Control group was given conventional therapy while experimental group was treated with the combined therapy of methotrexate and immune adsorption with 28 patients in each group.

Mental practice for upper limb motor restoration after stroke: an updated meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Objectives: Stroke is a common refractory disease that may cause dysfunctions in the motor system. The study aimed to evaluate the effects of mental practice (MP) compared with other methods on upper limb motor restoration after stroke.

Methods: Eligible studies were identified from Pubmed, Embase, and The Cochrane Library.

IGF-1 and BMP-7 synergistically stimulate articular cartilage repairing in the rabbit knees by improving chondrogenic differentiation of bone-marrow mesenchymal stem cells.

Knee injury is known as a frequently occurred damage related to sports, which may affect the function of cartilage. This study aims to explore whether Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) and bone morphogenetic protein-7 (BMP-7)-modified bone-marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) affect the repair of cartilage damage found in the knee. Primarily, BMSCs were treated with a series of pEGFP-C1, IGF-1, and BMP-7, followed by determination of IGF-1 and BMP-7 expression.

Osteogenic protein-1 attenuates apoptosis and enhances matrix synthesis of nucleus pulposus cells under high-magnitude compression though inhibiting the p38 MAPK pathway.

Background: Disc degeneration is correlated with mechanical load. Osteogenic protein-1 (OP-1) is potential to regenerate degenerative disc.

Objective: To investigate whether OP-1 can protect against high magitude compression-induced nucleus pulposus (NP) cell apoptosis and NP matrix catabolism, and its potential mechanism.

Effects of chlorpromazine on sleep quality, clinical and emotional measures among patients with schizophrenia.

Objectives: The present study was aimed to examine the effects of chlorpromazine on sleep quality, clinical and emotional measures in people suffering from schizophrenia.

Patients And Methods: Twenty-five patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder were enrolled in this study. Our study included a one-week running-in no-treatment period and two-month experimental period.

Function of miR-25 in the invasion and metastasis of esophageal squamous carcinoma cells and bioinformatical analysis of the miR-106b-25 cluster.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs/miRs) are a class of small, non-coding RNA molecules that serve a key function in carcinogenesis and tumor progression. Recent evidence indicates that miRNAs may act as powerful regulators of migration and invasion. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of miR-25 on the invasion and metastasis of KYSE-150 and EC109 esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) cells, and predict the mechanism of this effect by bioinformatically analyzing the miR-106b-25 cluster.

Screening for Key Pathways Associated with the Development of Osteoporosis by Bioinformatics Analysis.

We aimed to find the key pathways associated with the development of osteoporosis. We downloaded expression profile data of GSE35959 and analyzed the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in 3 comparison groups (old_op versus middle, old_op versus old, and old_op versus senescent). KEGG (Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes) pathway enrichment analyses were carried out.

In silico analysis of the molecular mechanism of postmenopausal osteoporosis.

Postmenopausal osteoporosis (PO) is a common disease in females >50 years of age worldwide and is becoming an increasing burden to society. The present study aimed to assess the molecular mechanism of PO using bioinformatic methods. The gene expression data from patients with PO and normal controls were downloaded from the ArrayExpress database provided by European Bioinformatics Institute.