Antitumor effects of dioscin in A431 cells via adjusting ATM/p53-mediated cell apoptosis,DNA damage and migration

Skin cancer is the deadliest type of malignant disease and causes primary mortality worldwide. Dioscin, which exists in medicinal plants, has potent anticancer effects. However, its effects on skin cancer remain unknown. In the present study, the activity and mechanism of dioscin on the human skin cancer A431 cell line were investigated, MTT, colony formation, Transwell, wound-healing, TUNEL, Comet, immunofluorescence and western blot assays were used to assess the effects of dioscin on A431 cells. The results of MTT, colony formation, Transwell and wound-healing assays revealed that dioscin suppressed proliferation, colony formation and invasion of the cancer cells. TUNEL and comet assays demonstrated that dioscin exhibited significant effects on cell apoptosis and DNA damage. Investigations into the mechanism revealed that the expression levels of phosphorylated Ataxia telangiectasia-mutated (ATM) were considerably activated by dioscin, which significantly upregulated the expression levels of p53 to activate mitochondrial apoptosis signaling. Furthermore, the expression levels of BAX, cleaved caspase-3/9 and cleaved poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase were upregulated, and the expression levels of BCL-2 were downregulated by dioscin. Additionally, dioscin markedly downregulated the expression levels of matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP2), MMP9, RHO and cdc42, which are all associated with tumor invasion. In addition, p53-small interfering RNA transfection experiments indicated that dioscin exhibited excellent activity against skin cancer in vitro by decreasing p53 expression. Overall, the present results suggested that dioscin inhibited skin cancer cell proliferation via adjusting ATM/p53-mediated cell apoptosis, migration and DNA damage, which should be considered as a potential option for future treatments of skin cancer.     

血清p53抗体异常高水平对消化道肿瘤的早期诊断价值分析

目的:探讨血清p53抗体异常高水平对消化道肿瘤的早期诊断的价值。方法:选取2016年3月至2019年3月来我院检查确诊为消化道肿瘤的患者80例为消化道肿瘤组,选取来我院健康体检的67例健康志愿者为健康对照组。通过酶联免疫吸附实验检测血清中人体抑癌基因p53及其抗体水平;通过RT-qPCR检测血清中细胞凋亡相关基因Bcl-2、Bax和Caspase-3蛋白表达量。采用Pearson相关性分析明确消化道肿瘤p53、p53抗体水平和Bcl-2、Bax、Caspase-3蛋白表达水平的关系。结果:消化道肿瘤组p53水平降低,p53抗体水平异常升高(P<0.05)。与健康对照组相比,消化道肿瘤组Bcl-2表达量增加,Bax和Caspase-3蛋白表达量降低(P<0.05)。消化道肿瘤p53水平与Bcl-2蛋白表达水平呈负相关关系,与Bax、Caspase-3蛋白表达水平均呈正相关关系;p53抗体水平和Bcl-2蛋白表达水平呈正相关关系,与Bax、Caspase-3蛋白表达水平均呈负相关关系(P<0.05)。结论:消化道肿瘤患者血清p53抗体异常高水平,可作为临床辅助诊断消化道肿瘤的可靠指标之一。     

Comparison of three different types of splints and templates for maxilla repositioning in bimaxillary orthognathic surgery: a randomized controlled trial

The selection and implementation of a plan for maxillary surgery is of the utmost importance in achieving the desired outcome for the patient undergoing two-jaw orthognathic surgery. Some splint-based and splintless methods, accompanied by computer-assisted techniques, are helpful in improving surgical plan implementation. However, randomized controlled trials focused on this procedure are lacking. This study included 61 patients who underwent bimaxillary surgeries. The patients were randomly assigned to a conventional resin occlusal splint (CROS) group, a digital occlusal splint (DOS) group, or a digital templates (DT) group, in a 1:1:1 ratio. The mean linear distance between the planned and actual postoperative positions of eight selected points on the surfaces of the maxillary teeth was selected as the outcome measure. The distance was significantly smaller in the DT group (1.17 ± 0.66 mm) when compared to both the CROS group (2.55 ± 0.95 mm, P < 0.05) and DOS group (2.15 ± 1.12 mm, P < 0.05). However, the difference between the CROS group and DOS group was not statistically significant. These findings indicate that using digital templates results in the best performance in transferring the surgical plan to the operation environment as compared to the other two types of splints. This suggests that the application of digital templates could provide a reliable treatment option.     

Applications of geospatial analyses in health research among homeless people: A systematic scoping review of available evidence

BackgroundUnequal housing access resulted in more than 150 million homeless people worldwide, with millions more expected to be added every year due to the ongoing climate-related crises. Homeless population has a counterproductive effect on the social, psychological integration efforts by the community and exposure to other severe health-related issues. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) have long been applied in urban planning and policy, housing and homelessness, and health-related research.MethodsWe used the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) method to systematically review 24 articles collected from multiple databases (n = 10) that focused on health-related issues among homeless people and used geospatial analysis techniques in their research.ResultsOur findings indicated a geographic clustering of case study locations– 26 out of the 31 case study sites are from the USA and Canada. Studies used spatial analysis techniques to identify hotspots, clusters and patterns of patient location and population distribution. Studies also reported relationships among the location of homeless shelters and substance use, discarded needles, different infectious and non-infectious disease clusters.ConclusionMost studies were restricted in analyzing and visualizing the patterns and disease clusters; however, geospatial analyses techniques are useful and offer diverse techniques for a more sophisticated understanding of the spatial characteristics of the health issues among homeless people. Better integration of GIS in health research among the homeless would help formulate sensible policies to counter health inequities among this vulnerable population group.