Probiotics synergized with conventional regimen in managing Parkinson's disease.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is mainly managed by pharmacological therapy (e.g., Benserazide and dopamine agonists).

Altered amyloid-β and tau proteins in neural-derived plasma exosomes in obstructive sleep apnea.

Objective: The purpose of our study was to investigate the correlation between neural-derived plasma exosomal amyloid-β (Aβ)42, total tau (T-tau) and tau phosphorylated at threonine 181 (P-T181-tau) protein levels and cognitive impairment in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

Methods: There were 122 subjects without dementia included in the study: 27 patients with OSA and mild cognitive impairment (MCI), 52 OSA patients without MCI, and 43 subjects diagnosed with simple snoring but not MCI as the control group. Neuronal-derived exosomal proteins were measured by ELISA kits for Aβ42, T-tau and P-T181-tau.

Diagnostic value of next-generation sequencing to detect periprosthetic joint infection.

Background: We herein compared the diagnostic value of next-generation sequencing (NGS), bacterial culture, and serological biomarkers to detect periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) after joint replacement.

Methods: According to the diagnostic criteria of the Musculoskeletal Infection Society, 35 patients who underwent joint revision surgery were divided into infection (15 cases) and non-infection (20 cases) groups, and were routinely examined preoperatively for erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), procalcitonin (PCT), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and D-dimer levels. All patients underwent arthrocentesis preoperatively.

MicroRNA-527 Induces Proliferation and Cell Cycle in Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma Cells by Repressing PH Domain Leucine-Rich-Repeats Protein Phosphatase 2.

Increasing evidence indicated that microRNAs served dominant roles in carcinogenesis and cancer progression by targeting potential downstream genes. In our study, we found that miR-527 was an upregulated expression in human esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) cells and tissues. Furthermore, overexpression of miR-527 promoted cell proliferation and colony formation, enhanced anchorage-independent growth ability, and contributed to cell cycle.

Upregulated LEPRE1 correlates with poor outcome and its knockdown attenuates cells proliferation, migration and invasion in osteosarcoma.

Leucine proline-enriched proteoglycan 1 has been extensively explored because of its protective function in cell homeostasis and correlation with osteogenesis imperfect. Human osteosarcoma is the most common primary malignant tumor of bone with multiple and complex genomic aberrations. However, the functional role of leucine proline-enriched proteoglycan 1 is still unknown in osteosarcoma.

ZHX2 inhibits proliferation and promotes apoptosis of human lung cancer cells through targeting p38MAPK pathway.

Objective: To investigate the effect of ZHX2 on lung cancer cells proliferation and apoptosis.

Materials And Methods: The mRNA and protein expression of ZHX2 were detected by qRT-PCR and western blot, respectively. The human lung cancer cells were divided into Control, NC, ZHX2, SB, and ZHX2 + Ani groups.

Effects of orthostatic hypotension on cognition in type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of a decrease in blood pressure (BP) fulfilling the diagnostic criteria for orthostatic hypotension (OH) on performance in each domain of cognitive function in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus using a cross-sectional and within-group design.

Methods: Subjects were individuals without dementia and with type 2 diabetes mellitus, including 107 individuals without OH and 94 with OH (DMOH); 95 control participants were also included. BP was assessed in both the supine and standing positions.

Vascular Morphology has No Direct Relationship with Atherosclerotic Plaque Burden in Patients with Symptomatic Middle Cerebral Artery Stenosis.

Background: The vascular morphology and the characteristics of atherosclerotic plaques in the middle cerebral artery (MCA) have not been fully studied with high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (HR-MRI).

Objective: HR-MRI was applied to investigate vascular morphology and atherosclerotic plaque in patients with symptomatic MCA stenosis.

Materials And Methods: A total of 343 patients with symptomatic MCA stenosis were enrolled in this study.

microRNA-1297 promotes the progression of osteoporosis through regulation of osteogenesis of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells by targeting WNT5A.

Objective: This study was designed to investigate whether microRNA-1297 can regulate the osteogenesis of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) through WNT5A, thus influencing the progression of osteoporosis.

Patients And Methods: Quantitative Real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) assay was performed to analyze microRNA-1297 level and osteogenesis-related markers in osteoporosis patients and controls. The protein levels of the above markers and WNT5A were detected by Western blot.

microRNA-206 is required for osteoarthritis development through its effect on apoptosis and autophagy of articular chondrocytes via modulating the phosphoinositide 3-kinase/protein kinase B-mTOR pathway by targeting insulin-like growth factor-1.

microRNA (miR) has been shown to be involved in the treatment of diseases such as osteoarthritis (OA). This study aims to investigate the role of miR-206 in regulating insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) in chondrocyte autophagy and apoptosis in an OA rat model via the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (P13K)/protein kinase B (AKT)-mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway. Wistar rats were used to establish the OA rat model, followed by the observation of histopathological changes, Mankin score, and the detection of IGF-1-positive expression and tissue apoptosis.

The Promising Effects of Transplanted Umbilical Cord Mesenchymal Stem Cells on the Treatment in Traumatic Brain Injury.

Many studies have reported the recovery ability of umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells (UC-MSCs) for neural diseases. In this study, the authors explored the roles of UC-MSCs to treat the traumatic brain injury. Umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells were isolated from healthy neonatal rat umbilical cord immediately after delivery.

Integrated DNA methylation and gene expression analysis identifies SLAMF7 as a key regulator of atherosclerosis.

Atherosclerosis (AS) is a multifactorial disease. Exploration of DNA methylation in regulating gene transcription in a cell type- and stage-specific manner will shed light on understanding the biological processes associated with plaque stability. We identified 174 up-regulated genes with hypo-methylation in the promoter, and 86 down-regulated genes with hyper-methylation in the promoter, in AS vs.

Postural sway in patients with early Parkinson's disease performing cognitive tasks while standing.

Objectives: We investigated postural sway in patients with early Parkinson's disease (PD) to test the hypothesis that the postural control system was affected already at an early stage of PD. Moreover, we identified cases of dysfunction of stereopsis in PD patients.

Methods: We examined 23 patients with early PD and 23 healthy, sex- and age-matched control subjects.

Cerebral Microbleeds Are Associated With Mild Cognitive Impairment in Patients With Hypertension.

Background: Cerebral microbleeds (CMBs) are hypothesized downstream markers of brain damage caused by vascular and amyloid pathologic mechanisms. The aim of this study was to determine whether CMB count and location are associated with an increased risk for mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in patients with essential hypertension without a history of transient ischemic attack or stroke.

Methods And Results: In this cross-sectional study, patients were prospectively enrolled from consecutive outpatients with essential hypertension 50 years and older at 3 centers in northern China.

Micro RNA-518 inhibits gastric cancer cell growth by inducing apoptosis via targeting MDM2.

Gastric cancer is a most common malignancy and the third leading cause of cancer mortality worldwide. So it is important to identify the prognostic markers and effective therapeutic targets against gastric cancer. miRNA plays an important role in tumor cell cycle, differentiation, apoptosis, invasion and metastasis.

Maslinic acid protects against lipopolysaccharide/d-galactosamine-induced acute liver injury in mice.

Acute liver injury is a life-threatening syndrome that often caused by hepatocyte damage. In this study, we investigated the protective effects of maslinic acid (MA) on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)/d-galactosamine (D-gal)-induced acute liver injury and clarified its mechanism. Mice acute liver injury model was induced by given LPS and D-gal and MA was given intraperitoneally 1 h before LPS and D-gal.

Long noncoding RNA DANCR mediates cisplatin resistance in glioma cells via activating AXL/PI3K/Akt/NF-κB signaling pathway.

Malignant glioma is an aggressive type of brain tumor with poor prognosis and mostly incurable. Although cisplatin is used for adjuvant chemotherapy against glioma, intrinsic and acquired resistance restricts the application of cisplatin. Long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) DANCR is reported to regulate the differentiation and progression of several cancers.

MiR-422a targets MAPKK6 and regulates cell growth and apoptosis in colorectal cancer cells.

The important role of miR-422a in tumor has been reported in several studies. Recent research discovered that the expression of miR-422a was significantly decreased in colorectal cancer tissues, providing miR-422a as a tumor suppressor in CRC. However, the concrete mechanism of miR-422a regulating CRC cell is still unclear.

A Study of Coagulation Changes at Early Stage after Total Knee Arthroplasty.

Coagulation changes after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) can provide evidence for optimization of timing of perioperative anticoagulation medicine. To evaluate the changes, 50 patients with knee osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis were recruited for the study and underwent thrombelastography tests pre-, 6 hours, 12 hours, and 24 hours after TKA surgery and Doppler ultrasound examination 20 to 24 hours after surgery. The results have shown prolonged clotting time ( value) at 6 and 12 hours, while shortened at 24 hours.

The response of nucleus pulposus cell senescence to static and dynamic compressions in a disc organ culture.

Mechanical stimuli obviously affect disc nucleus pulposus (NP) biology. Previous studies have indicated that static compression exhibits detrimental effects on disc biology compared with dynamic compression. To study disc NP cell senescence under static compression and dynamic compression in a disc organ culture, porcine discs were cultured and subjected to compression (static compression: 0.

Pipkin type III femoral head fracture-dislocation combined with complicated acetabular fracture: A rare case report and literature review.

Rationale: Pipkin III fracture, which is characterized by high risk of avascular necrosis of the femoral head, is extremely rare. It is more difficult to treat and has a worse prognosis when accompanied with severe acetabular fractures. Few studies show that both Pipkin type III femoral head fracture-dislocation and complicated acetabular fracture presented in one patient.

Static compression down-regulates N-cadherin expression and facilitates loss of cell phenotype of nucleus pulposus cells in a disc perfusion culture.

Mechanical compression often induces degenerative changes of disc nucleus pulposus (NP) tissue. It has been indicated that N-cadherin (N-CDH)-mediated signaling helps to preserve the NP cell phenotype. However, N-CDH expression and the resulting NP-specific phenotype alteration under the static compression and dynamic compression remain unclear.

Disrupted pursuit compensation during self-motion perception in early Alzheimer's disease.

Our perception of the world is remarkably stable despite of distorted retinal input due to frequent eye movements. It is considered that the brain uses corollary discharge, efference copies of signals sent from motor to visual regions, to compensate for distortions and stabilize visual perception. In this study, we tested whether patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) have impaired corollary discharge functions as evidenced by reduced compensation during the perception of optic flow that mimics self-motion in the environment.