Inhibition behavior of fructus psoraleae's ingredients towards human carboxylesterase 1 (hCES1).

1. Fructus psoraleae (FP) is the dried ripe seeds of Psoralea corylifolia L. (Fabaceae) widely used in Asia, and has been reported to exert important biochemical and pharmacological activities.

New insights into the risk of phthalates: Inhibition of UDP-glucuronosyltransferases.

Wide utilization of phthalates-containing products results in the significant exposure of humans to these compounds. Many adverse effects of phthalates have been documented in rodent models, but their effects in humans exposed to these chemicals remain unclear until more mechanistic studies on phthalate toxicities can be carried out. To provide new insights to predict the potential adverse effects of phthalates in humans, the recent study investigated the inhibition of representative phthalates di-n-octyl ortho-phthalate (DNOP) and diphenyl phthalate (DPhP) towards the important xenobiotic and endobiotic-metabolizing UDP-glucuronosyltransferases (UGTs).

Strong Specific Inhibition of UDP-glucuronosyltransferase 2B7 by Atractylenolide I and III.

Drug-metabolizing enzymes inhibition-based drug-drug interaction remains to be the key limiting factor for the research and development of efficient herbal components to become clinical drugs. The present study aims to determine the inhibition of uridine 5'-diphospho-glucuronosyltransferases (UGTs) isoforms by two important efficient herbal ingredients isolated from Atractylodes macrocephala Koidz, atractylenolide I and III. In vitro recombinant UGTs-catalysed glucuronidation of 4-methylumbelliferone was used to determine the inhibition capability and kinetics of atractylenolide I and III towards UGT2B7, and in silico docking method was employed to explain the possible mechanism.

Biodegradable magnesium screws and vascularized iliac grafting for displaced femoral neck fracture in young adults.

Objective: Avascular necrosis of femoral head and nonunion is a major complication after the treatment of displaced femoral neck fracture in young adults. The purpose of this study was to introduce a new technique using biodegradable magnesium screws and vascularised iliac grafting for displaced femoral neck fracture in young adults.

Methods: Totally 19 patients with displaced femoral neck fracture treated with this technique were retrospectively reviewed.

Impacts of parathyroidectomy on renal anemia and nutritional status of hemodialysis patients with secondary hyperparathyroidism.

The aim of this study was to investigate the impacts of parathyroidectomy (PTX) towards the renal anemia and nutritional status of hemodialysis patients with secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT). 32 patients, enrolled into the blood purification center of our hospital for the hemodialysis treatment, were collected and divided into the PTX group and the non-PTX group, with 16 patients in each group. The changes of relevant indicators such as immunoreactive parathyroid hormone (iPTH), anemia and nutrition were observed before, 1-, 3-, 6-month after the treatment.

Wnt agonist stimulates liver regeneration after small-for-size liver transplantation in rats.

Aim: Liver regeneration is inhibited in small-for-size grafts, which plays a role in the failure of partial liver grafts after transplantation. The Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway plays a critical role in liver development, regeneration and homeostasis. In this study, we investigated whether pharmacological activation of Wnt signaling improves liver regeneration after small-for-size liver transplantation.

A meta-analysis on relationship of MAOB intron 13 polymorphisms, interactions with smoking/COMT H158L polymorphisms with the risk of PD.

Background: To date, many studies have examined the correlation between Monoamine oxidase B (MAOB) intron 13 A/G polymorphisms and the susceptibility to Parkinson's disease (PD). However, the results of these studies are inconclusive.

Methods: In order to confirm this correlation, a meta-analysis of 15 studies was performed and the dichotomous data are presented as odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

Induction of tumor inhibitory anti-angiogenic response through immunization with interferon Gamma primed placental endothelial cells: ValloVax™.

Background: While the concept of angiogenesis blockade as a therapeutic intervention for cancer has been repeatedly demonstrated, the full promise of this approach has yet to be realized. Specifically, drugs such as VEGF-blocking antibodies or kinase inhibitors suffer from the drawbacks of resistance development, as well as off-target toxicities. Previous studies have demonstrated feasibility of specifically inducing immunity towards tumor endothelium without consequences of systemic autoimmunity in both animal models and clinical settings.

Wilson's disease: a comprehensive review of the molecular mechanisms.

Wilson's disease (WD), also known as hepatolenticular degeneration, is an autosomal recessive inherited disorder resulting from abnormal copper metabolism. Reduced copper excretion causes an excessive deposition of the copper in many organs such as the liver, central nervous system (CNS), cornea, kidney, joints, and cardiac muscle where the physiological functions of the affected organs are impaired. The underlying molecular mechanisms for WD have been extensively studied.

Analysis of single nucleotide polymorphisms within ADAM12 and risk of knee osteoarthritis in a Chinese Han population.

Objective: Osteoarthritis (OA) is a complex arthritic condition in which the genetic factor plays a major role. One of the candidate genes of is the ADAM12 gene, but no consistency has been reached till now. This study aims to investigate the potential role of four single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the ADAM12 gene in susceptibility to knee OA and its progression in Chinese Han population.

Nucleic acid aptamer-guided cancer therapeutics and diagnostics: the next generation of cancer medicine.

Conventional anticancer therapies, such as chemo- and/or radio-therapy are often unable to completely eradicate cancers due to abnormal tumor microenvironment, as well as increased drug/radiation resistance. More effective therapeutic strategies for overcoming these obstacles are urgently in demand. Aptamers, as chemical antibodies that bind to targets with high affinity and specificity, are a promising new and novel agent for both cancer diagnostic and therapeutic applications.

The Inhibition of the Components from Shengmai Injection towards UDP-Glucuronosyltransferase.

The mechanism of shengmai injection- (SMI-) related drug-drug interaction remains unclear. Evaluation of the inhibition potential of SMI's ingredients towards UDP-glucuronosyltransferases (UGTs) activity will provide a new insight to understand SMI-related drug-drug interaction. In vitro incubation system to model UGT reaction was used.

MTA1 downregulation inhibits malignant potential in a small cell lung cancer cell line.

As a component of the nuclear remodeling and deacetylation complex (NuRD complex), metastasis-associated gene 1 (MTA1) has been reported to play a key role in cancer malignancy. However, whether MTA1 functions in small cell lung cancer (SCLC) malignant behavior and whether it is feasible to be used as a therapeutic target have not been evaluated. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of MTA1 downregulation on SCLC malignancy.

TSC1 controls macrophage polarization to prevent inflammatory disease.

Macrophages acquire distinct phenotypes during tissue stress and inflammatory responses, but the mechanisms that regulate the macrophage polarization are poorly defined. Here we show that tuberous sclerosis complex 1 (TSC1) is a critical regulator of M1 and M2 phenotypes of macrophages. Mice with myeloid-specific deletion of TSC1 exhibit enhanced M1 response and spontaneously develop M1-related inflammatory disorders.

Continual exposure to cigarette smoke extracts induces tumor-like transformation of human nontumor bronchial epithelial cells in a microfluidic chip.

Introduction: Heavy cigarette smoking-related chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is an independent risk factor for lung squamous carcinoma. However, the mechanisms underlying the malignant transformation of bronchial epithelial cells are unclear.

Methods: In our study, human tumor-adjacent bronchial epithelial cells were obtained from 10 cases with smoking-related chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and lung squamous carcinoma and cultured in an established microfluidic chip for continual exposure to cigarette smoke extracts (CSE) to investigate the potential tumor-like transformation and mechanisms.

Association of the g.27563G>A osteoprotegerin genetic polymorphism with bone mineral density in Chinese women.

Osteoporosis is a common multifactorial disease in postmenopausal women. This study aimed to investigate the association of the g.27563G>A osteoprotegerin (OPG) genetic polymorphism with bone mineral density (BMD) and osteoporosis.

Upregulation of the Kank1 gene-induced brain glioma apoptosis and blockade of the cell cycle in G0/G1 phase.

The Kank1 gene is one of the important members of the Kank gene family. As an important adaptor protein, Kank1 plays a significant role in the genesis and development of many malignant tumors. It was recently discovered that the Kank1 gene is a new cancer suppressor, and its expression is significantly downregulated or it is not expressed in kidney cancer, bladder cancer, prostate cancer, lung cancer and breast cancer.

Innovative provisional stenting approach to treat coronary bifurcation lesions: balloon-stent kissing technique.

Background: Adverse cardiac event rates are higher for percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) of bifurcation lesions. Currently, provisional stenting or a simple stenting strategy is the standard treatment for bifurcated lesions, but its performance remains limited because of a risk of side-branch (SB) closure and a higher rate of target lesion revascularization (TLR). We report a new provisional side-branch stenting strategy to treat coronary bifurcation lesions using a "balloon-stent kissing" technique (BSKT).

Necrotic cells induce nonadherent peritoneal exudate cells to proliferate and differentiate into macrophage-like cells.

In a previous study, we noticed that some ascitic cells isolated from melanoma patients survive, proliferate, and differentiate into giant phagocytes after the other cells died. Similar phenomena were observed in the primary cultures of mouse lung and liver cells. In the present study, the effects of dying cells on abdominal exudate cells, and the biological characteristics of the differentiated cells were studied.

Beneficial effects of tadalafil on left ventricular dysfunction in doxorubicin-induced cardiomyopathy.

Background: It is not clear yet how tadalafil affects nonischemic cardiomyopathy, although its beneficial effects on acute myocardial infarction are well-known. We investigated tadalafil's beneficial effects on nonischemic cardiomyopathy and the specific mechanisms of its effects.

Methods: Cardiomyopathy was induced in mice by a single intraperitoneal injection of doxorubicin (15 mg/kg).

Urinary bladder malignant paraganglioma with vertebral metastasis: a case report with literature review.

Paraganglioma is a rare neuroendocrine neoplasm observed in patients of all ages, with an estimated incidence of 3/1,000,000 population. It has long been recognized that some cases are familial. The majority of these tumors are benign, and the only absolute criterion for malignancy is the presence of metastases at sites where chromaffin tissue is not usually found.

[The correlation between the up-regulation of Hsp90 and drug resistance to cisplatin in lung cancer cell line].

Background And Objective: Hsp90 is a major molecular chaperone, which overexpression is involved in oncogenesis, development and drug resistance in many human cancers. The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between the GGA-induced overexpression of Hsp90 and chemoresistance to Cisplatin in SPCA-1 and H446 cell line.

Methods: The protein expressions of Hsp90 induced by GGA at different concentrations were analyzed by Immunofluorescence and Western blotting.

[ATP-Sensitive potassium channel function during the progression of pressure overload heart failure in rats].

Objective: To investigate K(ATP) channel function of cardiomyocytes isolated from the left ventricular wall of rats with or without abdominal aortic constriction at different time points under normal or simulated ischemic conditions.

Methods: Male Wistar rats were randomized into 4 groups (n = 10 - 13): 4-week sham-operated group (F4), 4-week aortic-banded group (T4), 12-week sham-operated group (F12), 12-week aortic-banded group (T12). Chronic pressure overload model was established by abdominal aortic constriction.