Umbilical Cord Blood Mesenchymal Stem Cells Enhance Lipopolysaccharide-Induced IL-10 and IL-37 Production in THP-1 Cells.

Umbilical cord blood mesenchymal stem cells (UCB-MSCs) have been shown to be a source of stem cells for use in cellular therapies and have immunomodulatory effects on several immune cells in an inflammatory environment. However, whether UCB-MSCs have immunomodulatory effects against lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammatory cytokine secretion in macrophages and whether it is involved in phosphoinositide 3-kinase/protein kinase B (PI3K/Akt) signaling pathway remain unclear. After co-culture of UCB-MSCs and phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA)-activated human THP-1 cells using a transwell system, it showed that LPS significantly induced increases in the expression levels of interleukin 10 (IL-10), interleukin 37 (IL-37), phospho-PI3K (p-PI3K), and phospho-Akt (p-Akt) in macrophages.

Effects of dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors on transforming growth factor-β1 signal transduction pathways in the ovarian fibrosis of polycystic ovary syndrome rats.

Aim: Examine the effects of dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP4) inhibitor Sitagliptin on the transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) signal transduction pathway in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) rats with ovarian fibrosis.

Methods: Thirty rats were divided randomly into the PCOS model group, Sitagliptin treatment group and blank control group. Dehydroepiandrosterone was administered to the model group and treatment group to establish the models.

Risk Factors Associated with the Outcome of Post-Traumatic Hydrocephalus.

Background And Aim: Post-traumatic hydrocephalus is a common complication that arises after head injury. However, risk factors associated with the outcome of post-traumatic hydrocephalus have seldom been addressed. Therefore, we performed this clinical study to analyze the risk factors affecting the outcome of post-traumatic hydrocephalus in patients with head injuries.

Cerebellar pilocytic astrocytomas with spontaneous intratumoral hemorrhage in the elderly: A case report and review of the literature.

Rationale: Pilocytic astrocytoma (PA) is the most common pediatric central nervous system glial tumor. Adult occurrence is rare, especially in elderly adults. How to manage the pilocytic astrocytoma with spontaneous intratumoral hemorrhage in the elderly is still unfamiliar with clinician.

Serum miR-17, IL-4, and IL-6 levels for diagnosis of endometriosis.

Clinical studies have exhibited microRNAs or cytokines could be used as new biomarkers in the diagnosis of endometriosis, respectively. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of serum miR-17, IL-4, and IL-6 as early diagnostic markers of endometriosis. One hundred forty patients aged 22 to 45 years were recruited, 80 patients with pathologically confirmed endometriosis were assigned to endometriosis group whereas the remaining 60 patients were in the control group.

Isovitexin (IV) induces apoptosis and autophagy in liver cancer cells through endoplasmic reticulum stress.

Liver cancer is a leading cause of cancer death worldwide, and novel chemotherapeutic drugs to suppress liver cancer are urgently required. Isovitexin (IV), a glycosylflavonoid, is extracted from rice hulls of Oryza sativa, and has various biological activities. However, the anti-tumor effect of IV against liver cancer has not yet been demonstrated in vitro or in vivo.

Association of Maternal Serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Concentrations with Risk of Gestational Anemia.

Background/aims: Vitamin D deficiency has been shown to be associated with a greater prevalence of anemia in various healthy and diseased populations by a great deal of observational studies. However, less work has been done to explore this association in pregnant women. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between maternal serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentrations and risk of gestational anemia in a large, nested case-control study.

Association of Maternal Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D Concentrations in Second Trimester with Delivery Mode in A Chinese Population.

To determine the maternal serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentrations in a Chinese population and investigate its associations with subsequent delivery mode by studying 1924 unrelated pregnant women. The serum 25(OH)D concentrations was measured by euzymelinked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Simultaneously, maternal information and subsequent delivery mode were collected.