Clinical course of masticatory function recovery following arthrocentesis in patients with unilateral mandibular condyle head fracture

The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical course of masticatory function recovery following arthrocentesis. Patients with a unilateral condylar head fracture who underwent arthrocentesis for therapeutic reasons were evaluated and compared with patients with a unilateral condylar head fracture who did not undergo arthrocentesis. At 3 months after treatment, the occlusal contact area and maximum bite force in patients with a fracture treated with arthrocentesis were greater than in those who did not receive arthrocentesis at the same time points, although the differences were not significant. Moreover, at 1 and 3 months following arthrocentesis, mean (±SD) occlusal contact area (1 month: 1.99 ± 0.55 mm², p = 0.01; 3 months: 2.90 ± 1.36 mm², p = 0.03) and maximum bite force (1 month: 82.45 ± 15.04 N, p = 0.01; 3 months: 101.11 ± 14.53 N, p = 0.01) on the fractured side in patients who underwent that treatment were significantly reduced when compared with those on the non-fractured side. The authors conclude that if the priority is to avoid open reduction and internal fixation, then the arthrocentesis approach might be a less invasive alternative, albeit with the price of a prolonged healing interval.     

健脾消癌方通过PI3K/Akt信号通路抑制结肠癌血管生成的研究＊

目的 观察结肠癌HCT116细胞健脾消癌方的条件培养液对HUVEC细胞管腔形成的影响，从PI3K/Akt生物轴调控角度探讨其作用机制。方法 培养HCT116细胞，细胞设3组：对照组，健脾消癌方组（加入15%健脾消癌方含药血清）及人参皂苷Rg3组；制备HCT116细胞健脾消癌方条件培养液（分组及制备方法见实验方法），用条件培养液干预HUVEC（脐静脉内皮细胞，Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells），Matrigel基质胶法检测HCT116细胞健脾消癌方条件培养液对HUVEC小管形成的影响。随后采用蛋白免疫印迹法（Western blot）检测各组HCT116细胞磷脂酰肌醇3-激酶（PI3K）、蛋白激酶B（Akt）、p-Akt、VEGF（血管内皮生长因子，Vascular endothelial growth factor）蛋白表达。最后在结肠癌HCT116荷瘤小鼠中验证健脾消癌方对肿瘤生长速度的影响，并经瘤组织VEGF蛋白表达、CD31免疫组化染色检测肿瘤内血管生成情况。结果 模型组HUVEC细胞管腔形成较空白血清组显著增加（P<0.05）；健脾消癌方组及人参皂苷Rg3组较模型组HUVEC细胞管腔形成显著减少（P<0.01）。p-Akt和VEGF蛋白表达水平模型组高于空白血清组（P<0.05），健脾消癌方组及人参皂苷Rg3组显著低于模型组（P<0.01）；PI3K、Akt蛋白表达量组间差异无统计学意义。与对照组比较，模型组荷瘤小鼠肿瘤体积显著性增大，瘤组织内VEGF表达、CD31阳性面积显著性增加，差异有统计学意义（P<0.05）；与模型组比较，健脾消癌方组及人参皂苷Rg3组荷瘤小鼠肿瘤体积显著减小，瘤组织内VEGF表达、CD31阳性面积降低，差异有统计学意义（P<0.05）。结论 健脾消癌方可抑制肿瘤的血管生成和生长，其作用机制可能与PI3K/Akt生物轴调控VEGF表达有关。     

Protection against corneal hyperosmolarity with soft-contact-lens wear

Hyperosmotic tear stimulates human corneal nerve endings, activates ocular immune response, and elicits dry-eye symptoms. A soft contact lens (SCL) covers the cornea preventing it from experiencing direct tear evaporation and the resulting blink-periodic salinity increases. For the cornea to experience hyperosmolarity due to tear evaporation, salt must transport across the SCL to the post-lens tear film (PoLTF) bathing the cornea. Consequently, limited salt transport across a SCL potentially protects the ocular surface from hyperosmotic tear. In addition, despite lens-wear discomfort sharing common sensations to dry eye, no correlation is available between measured tear hyperosmolarity and SCL-wear discomfort. Lack of documentation is likely because clinical measurements of tear osmolarity during lens wear do not interrogate the tear osmolarity of the PoLTF that actually overlays the cornea. Rather, tear osmolarity is clinically measured in the tear meniscus. For the first time, we mathematically quantify tear osmolarity in the PoLTF and show that it differs significantly from the clinically measured tear-meniscus osmolarity. We show further that aqueous-deficient dry eye and evaporative dry eye both exacerbate the hyperosmolarity of the PoLTF. Nevertheless, depending on lens salt-transport properties (i.e., diffusivity, partition coefficient, and thickness), a SCL can indeed protect against corneal hyperosmolarity by reducing PoLTF salinity to below that of the ocular surface during no-lens wear. Importantly, PoLTF osmolarity for dry-eye patients can be reduced to that of normal eyes with no-lens wear provided that the lens exhibits a low lens-salt diffusivity. Infrequent blinking increases PoLTF osmolarity consistent with lens-wear discomfort. Judicious design of SCL material salt-transport properties can ameliorate corneal hyperosmolarity. Our results confirm the importance of PoLTF osmolarity during SCL wear and indicate a possible relation between PoLTF osmolarity and contact-lens discomfort.     

A basal‐enriched microRNA is required for prostate tumorigenesis in a Pten knockout mouse model

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play important roles in prostate cancer development. However, it remains unclear how individual miRNAs contribute to the initiation and progression of prostate cancer. Here we show that a basal layer‐enriched miRNA is required for prostate tumorigenesis. We identify miR‐205 as the most highly expressed miRNA and enriched in the basal cells of the prostate. Although miR‐205 is not required for normal prostate development and homeostasis, genetic deletion of miR‐205 in a Pten null tumor model significantly compromises tumor progression and does not promote metastasis. In Pten null basal cells, loss of miR‐205 attenuates pAkt levels and promotes cellular senescence. Furthermore, although overexpression of miR‐205 in prostate cancer cells with luminal phenotypes inhibits cell growth in both human and mouse, miR‐205 has a minimal effect on the growth of a normal human prostate cell line. Taken together, we have provided genetic evidence for a requirement of miR‐205 in the progression of Pten null‐induced prostate cancer.     

Endoscopy-Related Bleeding and Thromboembolic Events in Patients on Direct Oral Anticoagulants or Vitamin K Antagonists

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A modality-specific somatosensory evoked potential test protocol for clinical evaluation: A feasibility study

ObjectiveWe aimed to establish an objective neurophysiological test protocol that can be used to assess the somatosensory nervous system.MethodsIn order to assess most fiber subtypes of the somatosensory nervous system, repetitive stimuli of seven different modalities (touch, vibration, pinprick, cold, contact heat, laser, and warmth) were synchronized with the electroencephalogram (EEG) and applied on the cheek and dorsum of the hand and dorsum of the foot in 21 healthy subjects and three polyneuropathy (PNP) patients. Latencies and amplitudes of the modalities were assessed and compared. Patients received quantitative sensory testing (QST) as reference.ResultsWe found reproducible evoked potentials recordings for touch, vibration, pinprick, contact-heat, and laser stimuli. The recording of warm-evoked potentials was challenging in young healthy subjects and not applicable in patients. Latencies were shortest within Aβ-fiber-mediated signals and longest within C-fibers. The test protocol detected function loss within the Aβ-fiber and Aδ-fiber-range in PNP patients. This function loss corresponded with QST findings.ConclusionIn this pilot study, we developed a neurophysiological test protocol that can specifically assess most of the somatosensory modalities. Despite technical challenges, initial patient data appear promising regarding a possible future clinical application.SignificanceEstablished and custom-made stimulators were combined to assess different fiber subtypes of the somatosensory nervous system using modality-specific evoked potentials.     

Mimengosides J and K: two new neuroprotective triterpenoids from the fruits of Buddleja lindleyana

Two new 11-methoxyl substituted triterpenoids, named as mimengosides J (1) and K (2), along with seven known compounds, were isolated from the fruits of Buddleja lindleyana. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic analysis. In addition, the new ones were evaluated for protective effects against damage of SH-SY5Y cells induced by 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium ion (MPP⁺) and the results indicated that those may be one of the candidate compositions of Buddleja lindleyana for the treatment of neurodegenerative disease.