The use of a modified, oscillating positive expiratory pressure device reduced fever and length of hospital stay in patients after thoracic and upper abdominal surgery: a randomised trial.

Question: Does the use of an oscillating positive expiratory pressure (PEP) device reduce postoperative pulmonary complications in thoracic and upper abdominal surgical patients?

Design: A multi-centre, parallel-group, randomised controlled trial with intention-to-treat analysis, blinding of some outcomes, and concealed allocation.

Participants: A total of 203 adults after thoracic or upper abdominal surgery with general anaesthesia.

Intervention: Participants in the experimental group used an oscillating PEP device, thrice daily for 5 postoperative days.

Therapeutic effect of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells modified by angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 gene on bleomycin-induced lung fibrosis injury.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the therapeutic effects of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (uMSCs) in the presence of angiotensin‑converting enzyme 2 gene (ACE2; ACE2‑uMSCs) on bleomycin (BLM)‑induced lung injury and pulmonary fibrosis in mice. A total of 100 male C57BL/6 mice were divided at random into five groups (n=20) as follows: Control group, BLM group, ACE2 group, uMSC group and ACE2‑uMSC group. At 7, 14 and 28 days post‑treatment, the following parameters were evaluated in lung tissue: Oxidation indexes [malondialedehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione (GSH) and oxidized glutathione (GSSG)]; fibrosis factors [tumor necrosis factor (TNF)‑α, interferon (IFN)‑γ and transforming growth factor (TGF)‑β]; inflammatory cytokines [Interleukin (IL)‑1, IL‑2, IL‑6 and IL‑10]; ACE2 gene expression; hydroxyproline and collagen type 1 messenger RNA (mRNA) concentration; as well as matrix metalloproteinase (MMPs; 2 and 9) and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase (TIMP)1‑4 expression.

Potential role of the OPG/RANK/RANKL axis in prostate cancer invasion and bone metastasis.

Receptor activator of NF-κB (RANK), RANK ligand (RANKL) and osteoprotegerin (OPG) are key regulators of bone metabolism under both normal and pathological conditions, including prostate cancer (PCa) bone metastases. However, little is known concerning the expression and function of these regulators in prostate tumor samples and PCa cells and their correlation with invasion and bone metastasis. In the present study, we determined the expression of RANK, RANKL and OPG in 3 human PCa cell lines and 40 PCa patient samples by immunohistochemistry and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).

Mesenchymal stem cell-based angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 in treatment of acute lung injury rat induced by bleomycin.

Background: Acute lung injury (ALI) is a high incidence disease with no effective therapeutic method (mortality rate > 40%). The aim of this study was to find a new and effective therapeutic method for ALI.

Methods: After the isolation of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (HUMSCs) from cesarean fetus, we transfected the HUMSCs with Lenti-ACE2 (angiotensin-converting enzyme 2) viral particles.