How the EQ-5D utilities are derived matters in Chinese diabetes patients: a comparison based on different EQ-5D scoring functions for China

Quality of Life Research - In China, multiple approaches to calculating EQ-5D utilities are available, including the two EQ-5D-3L (3L2014 and 3L2018) scoring functions, the EQ-5D-5L (5L) scoring...     

Aberrant IGF1–PI3K/AKT/MTOR signaling pathway regulates the local immunity of oral lichen planus

ObjectivesOral lichen planus (OLP) is a T cell-mediated immune-related chronic disease, featured by accumulation of T cells and apoptosis of keratinocytes. Insulin-like growth factors 1 (IGF1) signaling, in combination with its downstream PI3K/AKT/MTOR cascade, plays pivotal roles in the regulation of inflammation and immune response. Meanwhile, TRB3 acts as a connective protein in the pathway. This study investigated the possible function of IGF1–PI3K/AKT/MTOR pathway in the local immunity of OLP.MethodsThe expression of phosphorylated IGF1R (p-IGF1R) and TRB3 in lesional tissues of OLP was measured. The effects of T cells pretreated with PI3K inhibitor LY294002, MTOR antagonist rapamycin and exogenous IGF1 on the cell proliferation and apoptosis, as well as supernatant inflammatory cytokine levels were detected in co-culture system of activated T cells and oral keratinocytes, respectively.ResultsThe expression of p-IGF1R and TRB3 in OLP lesions was significantly increased when compared with controls (P < 0.001). Rapamycin-treated T cells displayed enhanced apoptosis rate and promoted proliferation of their keratinocytes in the co-culture system. Notably, abnormal expression of IFN-γ and IL-4 were detected in supernatant of T cell alone and co-culture system in response to pharmacological modulators of IGF1–PI3K/MTOR pathway.ConclusionsThe aberrant IGF1–PI3K/AKT/MTOR signaling may participate in the immunoregulatory mechanism of OLP, via regulation on the crosstalk between T cells and keratinocytes, as well as imbalanced cytokine networks.     

Artemisinin and its derivatives: a potential therapeutic approach for oral lichen planus

Background

Oral lichen planus (OLP) is a common T-cell-mediated oral mucosal disease, whose pathogenesis mainly includes antigen-specific and non-specific mechanisms. As a refractory chronic inflammatory disease, there is still no curable management for OLP till now.

Findings

Artemisinins are a family of compounds that are widely used as frontline treatment for malaria worldwide. In addition to its well-established antimalarial properties, emerging evidence hints that artemisinin family drugs also possess preferential immunoregulatory and anti-inflammation properties, such as modifying T lymphocytes’ activation and cytokines release, modulating Th1/Th2 balance, activating regulatory T cells (Tregs), modulating inflammatory signaling pathways, as well as acting on non-specific mechanisms of OLP. However, there is still no report focused on the influence of artemisinins on OLP.

Conclusion

This review outlined the data-based immunomodulatory effects of artemisinins on different immune cells in conjunction with their therapeutic prospective with regard to the pathogenesis of OLP, suggesting that artemisinin and its derivatives might be possible candidates for treatment of OLP.

     

Combination of acupuncture and chinese medicinal herbs in treating model rats with polycystic ovary syndrome

We explored the effects of combination of acupuncture and Chinese medicinal herbs in treating model rats with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) and to explore whether acupuncture has positive effects on the absorption of salvianolic acid B in the extracts of a Chinese medicine formula when treating the model rats. 60 female Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into Groups A, B, C, D, E and F, with ten rats in each group. Except Group F, all of the other rats were induced to PCOS with oral administration of letrozole. The rats in Group F served as normal controls. Group A was treated with acupuncture. Group B was treated with oral administration of the extracts of the Chinese medicine formula. Group C was treated with a combination of oral administration of the extracts of Chinese medicine and acupuncture. Group D received western medicine as positive controls. After treatment, the serum levels of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone(LH) and testosterone (T) in each group were detected with the Enzyme-Linked ImmunoSorbent Assay (ELISA) and the serum concentration of salvianolic acid B were determined using High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). The serum levels of T and the ratio of LH/FSH in Group A, B. C, D, and F were significantly lower than those of Group E, indicating the model rats with PCOS were successfully established. Compared with Groups A, B, D and E, the serum levels of T and the ratio of LH/FSH in Group C were significantly lower respectively, indicating combination of acupuncture and Chinese medicinal herbs can significantly enhance curative effects in treating model rats with PCOS. The concentration of serum salvianolic acid Group C was significantly higher than Group B, indicating that acupuncture might improve the absorption of salvianolic acid B from the extracts of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge in the Chinese medicine formula. Combination of acupuncture and Chinese medicinal herbs significantly enhance curative effects in treating model rats with PCOS and acupuncture has positive effects in improving the absorption of salvianolic acid B in the extracts of the Chinese medicine formula when treating the model rats with PCOS.     

改良揭膜消化法分离培养恒河猴角膜内皮细胞

目的　分析改良揭膜消化法分离培养恒河猴角膜内皮细胞的可行性。方法　揭取恒河猴角膜后弹力层和内皮层,反复剪碎,用１ｍｇ·ｍＬ－１胶原酶Ａ消化１５ｍｉｎ,离心后重悬接种。待原代细胞长满８０％ ～９０％时,以４０×１０６个·Ｌ－１的密度传代。观察记录原代及传代细胞生长情况、传代时间,进行细胞鉴定,并与组织贴壁法相比较。结果　改良揭膜消化法获取的原代细胞生长较慢,２１ｄ融合成单层铺路石样结构,无基质细胞污染;传代细胞生长较快,５～６ｄ可传一代;神经元特异烯醇化酶表达阳性。组织贴壁法分离组织２４ｈ后组织片体积变小,透亮度明显下降,疑似溶解,高倍镜下观察显示,后弹力层纤维排列紊乱,细胞观察不清;继续培养至第５天,细胞完全溶解,组织片碎裂,轮廓不清,未见角膜内皮细胞爬出。结论　改良揭膜消化法能简易高效地获得大量恒河猴角膜内皮细胞。     

ACE抑制肽的合成及其活性研究

为研究血管紧张素转换酶 (angiotensin converting enzyme, ACE) 抑制肽体外抑制ACE活性以期筛选出有降压作用的先导物, 采用Fmoc固相合成法合成ACE抑制肽, 经反相高效液相色谱法 (RP-HPLC) 分离纯化, 采用质谱对其进行鉴定, 并使用RP-HPLC法直接测定ACE抑制肽对ACE的体外抑制活性。合成的6个八肽经RP-HPLC纯化后, 质谱分析结果与理论值一致。活性评价结果表明6号八肽 (抗SARS肽) 对ACE的抑制作用最明显, 其IC₅₀为3.4×10⁻⁵ mol·L⁻¹, 由此可见抗SARS肽 (AVLQSGFR-OH) 是一个具有降压作用的先导物, 具有进一步研究的意义。     

Role of sortase in Streptococcus mutans under the effect }f nicotine

Streptococcus mutans is a common Gram-positive bacterium and plays a significant role in dental caries. Tobacco and/or nicotine have documented effects on S. mutans growth and colonization. Sortase A is used by many Gram-positive bacteria, including S. mutans, to facilitate the insertion of certain cell surface proteins, containing an LPXTGX motif such as antigen 1/11. This study examined the effect of nicotine on the function of sortase A to control the physiology and growth of S. mutans using wild-type S. mutans NG8, and its isogenic sortase-defective and -complemented strains. Briefly, the strains were treated with increasing amounts of nicotine in planktonic growth, biofilm metabolism, and sucrose-induced and saliva-induced antigen I/ll-dependent biofilm formation assays. The strains exhibited no significant differences with different concentrations of nicotine in planktonic growth assays. However, they had significantly increased （P~〈 0.05） biofilm metabolic activity （2- to 3-fold increase） as the concentration of nicotine increased. Furthermore, the sortase-defective strain was more sensitive metabolically to nicotine than the wild-type or sortase-complemented strains. All strains had significantly increased sucrose-induced biofilm formation （2- to 3-fold increase） as a result of increasing concentrations of nicotine. However, the sortase-defective strain was not able to make as much sucrose- and saliva-induced biofilm as the wild-type NG8 did with increasing nicotine concentrations. These results indicated that nicotine increased metabolic activity and sucrose-induced biofilm formation. The saliva-induced biofilm formation assay and qPCR data suggested that antigen 1/11 was upregulated with nicotine but biofilm was not able to be formed as much as wild-type NG8 without functional sortase A.     

Effect of aged bone marrow microenvironment on mesenchymal stem cell migration

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are known to have many notable features, especially their multiple differentiation ability and immunoregulatory capacity. MSCs are important stem cells in the bone marrow (BM), and their characteristics are affected by the BM microenvironment. However, effects of the BM microenvironment on the properties of MSCs are not well understood. In this study, we found that BM from aged mice decreased MSC colony formation. Flow cytometry data showed that the proportion of B220⁺ cells in BM from aged mice was significantly lower than that in BM from young mice, while the proportion of CD11b⁺, CD3⁺, Gr-1⁺, or F4/80⁺ cells are on the contrary. CD11b⁺, B220⁺, and Ter119⁺ cells from aged mice were not the subsets that decreased MSC colony formation. We further demonstrated that both BM from aged mice and young mice exhibited similar effects on the proliferation of murine MSC cell line C3H10T1/2. However, when cocultured with BM from aged mice, C3H10T1/2 showed slower migration ability. In addition, we found that phosphorylation of JNK (c-Jun N-terminal kinases) in C3H10T1/2 cocultured with BM from aged mice was lower than that in C3H10T1/2 cocultured with BM from young mice. Collectively, our data revealed that BM from aged mice could decrease the migration of MSCs from their niche through regulating the JNK pathway.     

Intra-thyroid thyroglossal duct cyst: a case report and review of literature

Thyroglossal duct cyst is the most common congenital cyst in the head and neck, which is defined usually occurring in children. However, intra-thyroid thyroglossal duct cyst in an adult is unusually found. Here we describe a case of a 45-year-old woman who was found neck mass along the midline for 5 years. During the surgery we found a separated nodule in the left inferior pole of the thyroid. Surprisingly the diagnosis of the nodule was confirmed by pathology and histological examination demonstrating that it was the thyroglossal duct cyst. Intra-thyroid thyroglossal duct cyst in an adult is a rare finding, with few cases reported. For it is generally thought that any thyroid tissue found in the lateral aspect of the neck may indicate metastatic deposits from well-differentiated thyroid carcinoma. Although pathogenesis of an alone thyroglossal duct cyst in the left inferior pole of the thyroid remains unknown, our case could suggest thyroglossal duct cyst should not be excluded in the differential diagnosis of lateral neck masses especially when it simulates nodules in the thyroid.     

调强放射治疗的计划优化

本文结合文献、探讨调强放射治疗计划优化中的若干重要问题,包括调强放疗的物理优化和生物优化、优化模型和参数、优化算法、退化、频响和滤波、多目标优化、射野方向和数目优化,以及移动靶区的计划优化.