Background and purpose:As a member of the catenin family, Delta-catenin protein could promote proliferation and invasion of tumor cells, but the accurate mechanism of Delta-catenin promoting cell proliferation is not clear. In the present study, we illustrated that Delta-catenin’s effect on cell apoptosis and their relationship with mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway, and the possible mechanism was also explored for Delta-catenin promoting invasion and proliferation of tumor cells. Methods:The alterations of p38 and c-jun N-terminal rinasel JNK protein activity were detected in SPC and SK lung cancer cell lines with Delta-catenin overexpression or not, by Western blot method. At the same time, the apoptotic number of tumor cells was also examined by FCM method. Furthermore, the number of invasive tumor cells was examined by Matrigel invasive experiment. Results:Compared with untreated group and empty vector group, the activity of p38 protein was unchanged in lung cancer cell lines with Delta-catenin overexpressed (P>0.05), but the activity of JNK protein was decreased signiifcantly (P<0.05),meanwhile, apoptotic proportion of tumor cells were also reduced (P<0.05), and invasive ability of tumor cells was enhanced signiifcantly (P<0.05). Conclusion:Delta-catenin probably decreases apoptosis number of lung cancer cells via inhibiting the activity of JNK pathway, and then promotes invasive ability of tumor cells.

Objective To observe the clinical effects on prevention of alveolar bone absorption by site preservation after tooth extraction due to periodontitis.Methods The experimental group consisted of 40 patients with 45 extracted teeth due to periodontitis.The fresh sockets were immediately grafted and filled with Bio-oss collagen and Bio-Gide after minimally invasive tooth extraction,while 40 teeth of control group were only treated with cotton balls bitten tightly over the socket for half an hour.Two groups were observed for changes in alveolar bone density by X-ray and cone beam CT (CBCT)after 6 months.Results There were the wound healing and no infection in extraction site of all patients with or without site preservation operation.The gingiva of extraction site was pink and tough in all groups.The alveolar bone loss in regular extraction patients significantly increased in horizontal and vertical aspects by X-ray and CBCT,while site preservation improved the alveolar bone defects (P<0.05).After site preservation for 6 months,CBCT analysis showed that the density of new alveolar bone markedly enhanced compared with regular extraction group.Conclusion The technique of site preservation after tooth extraction due to periodontitis is a method which can prevent and reduce disuse atrophy absorption of the alveolar ridge so that the height and width of the alveolar bone can meet aesthetic requirements.

This study aimed to investigate whether β-elemene could improve the dysfunction of vascular endothelial cells induced by low shear force (LSS), and the proliferation and migration of vascular smooth muscle cells induced by oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL). Parallel plate flow chambers and ox-LDL were used to establish vascular endothelial cells (ECs) dysfunction model and vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMCs) proliferation and migration model, respectively, and the effects of β-elemene on ECs dysfunction and VSMCs proliferation and migration were examined. The activity of ROS in ECs was measured by DHE and the activity of NO in ECs was tested by DAF-FM DA. The protein phosphorylation of Akt and ERK in ECs were detected by Western blot. The proliferation of VSMCs was measured by MTT. The migration of VSMCs was examined by cell scratch test and Transwell assay. The gene expression of MMP-2 and MMP-9 in VSMCs was measured by RT-qPCR. In ECs, β-elemene could significantly reduce the LSS-induced increase in ROS, significantly increase the LSS-induced decrease in NO, decrease the phosphorylation of ERK, and increase the phosphorylation of Akt. In VSMCs, β-elemene could significantly reduce the proliferation and migration of VSMCs induced by ox-LDL, and reduce the gene expression of MMP-2 and MMP-9. To conclude, β-elemene can improve the LSS-induced ECs dysfunction and ox-LDL-induced VSMCs proliferation and migration.

ABSTRACT:Objective To investigate the effects of berberine on matrix metalloproteinases/tissue inhibitors of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs/TIMPs) in rat periodontitis .Methods Adult male Sprague‐Dawley rats were subjected to thread ligation and porphyromonas gingivalis ( P . gingivalis ) inoculation resulting in periodontitis . Berberine [150 mg/(kg · d)] or vehicle was administered by oral gavage for 4 weeks .Alveolar bone loss and soft‐tissue destruction were determined by micro‐computed tomography (μ‐CT) and HE staining .The contents of tumor necrosis factor‐α(TNF‐α) and interleukin‐1β(IL‐1β) of gingival tissue were examined by ELISA .The expressions of MMP‐2 ,MMP‐9 and TIMP‐2 as well as the phosphorylation of P38 MAPK and NF‐κB were determined by Western blot .Results Significant increases were observed in alveolar bone loss and periodontal soft‐tissue destruction with higher levels of TNF‐α, IL‐1β and MMP‐2/9 expressions and the activities of P38 MAPK and NF‐κB in the experiment periodontitis group .Berberine of [150 mg/(kg · d)] not only improved the periodontal tissue and decreased alveolar bone loss ,but also reduced the contents of TNF‐α,IL‐1βand MMP‐2/9 and increased TIMP‐2 .In addition ,berberine inhibited the phosphorylation of P38 MAPK/NF‐κB .Conclusion Berberine protects against periodontal tissue damage via decreasing MMP‐2 and MMP‐9 expressions but increasing TIMP‐2 expression , which may be induced by inhibition of P38 MAPK/NF‐κB and the anti‐inflammatory effect on rat periodontitis .

Objective: To investigate the mechanism underlying the effects exerted by the Qizhu prescription (QZP) in breast cancer (BC), and the respective targets. Methods: Expression data from the ArrayExpress and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) were used to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in BC. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses were performed on the DEGs to identify genes involved in protein–protein interactions. Molecular docking was used to explore the dynamic relationship between active molecules and targets. Cell function experiments and animal studies were conducted to evaluate the effects of hub genes and active QZP compounds on BC cell behavior. Results: Among the 25 evaluated BC-related targets of QZP, matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP1) and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) exhibited the highest degrees of dysregulation. GO and KEGG enrichment analyses revealed that the anti-BC targets of QZP primarily affected drug responses and pathways in cancer cells. Molecular docking analysis suggested potential interactions between EGFR and quercetin/luteolin, as well as between MMP1 and luteolin/kaempferol/quercetin. Quercetin significantly reduced BC cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and tumor development in vivo. Treatment of BC cells with quercetin decreased the expression or activation of several associated proteins. Conclusion The findings of our study provide new insights into the therapeutic potential of traditional Chinese medicine against BC, with particular reference to QZP.

Objective To investigate the prevalence and risk factors of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in Chengdu urban population and the prevalence of CKD in risk population.Methods Questionnaire (anamnesis,smoking,drink) of risk factors of CKD and somatoscopy (blood pressure,body height and body weight) were caried out in railman of Chengdu urban.Their blood and urine indicators (blood sugar,blood lipid,blood uric acid,blood creatinine,uromicroprotein/creatinine ratio,routine urine examination,etc) were measured.The prevalence and risk factors of CKD in Chengdu urban population and the prevalence of CKD in risk population were elucidated.Results Eligible data of 5326 subjects were enrolled in the study.After the adjustment of age and gender component,the prevalence of albuminuria was 11.54％,reduced eGFR was 5.54％,hematuria was 3.87％,and CKD was 18.32％; the recognition was 1.93％.In addition,the prevalence of albuminuria was respectively 23.79％,28.00％,14.08％; prevalence of reduced eGFR was respectively 4.76％,4.53％,3.26％; prevalence of hematuria was respectively 2.94％,3.20％,2.37％ in 3098 people with hypertension,diabetes or hyperlipaemia.Independent risk factors of albuminuria were female,hypertension,diabetes,hyperlipemia and high BMI.Independent risk factors of reduced eGFR were female,age,hyperuricemia and hypertension.Drink was negatively correlated with reduced eGFR.Independent risk factors of hematuria were female and age.Conclusions The prevalence of CKD is quite high and the recognition rate is low in the Chengdu urban populaton.Risk factors of CKD are age,female,diabetes,hypertension,hyperlipemia,hyperuricemia and high BMI.Control of the development of metabolic disease can reduce the CKD.

Objective To make correct diagnosis for Rathke cleft cyst(RCC)and cystic pituitary adenomas(CPA)through retrospective analysis of characteristics of MRI.Methods RCC (n=30)and CPA (n=30)confirmed by surgery and pathology were analyzed retrospectively.Following characteristics of lesions were observed:morphology,size,location,range,T1WI signal intensity and patterns of enhancement,presence of intracystic fluid level,septum,nodule,hypointense rim on T2WI and change of the pituitary stalk.The independent sample t-test and χ2 test were used respectively to analyze differences between two groups of continuous variables and categorical variables.Results Most of RCC were oval,less than 2 cm3,under the optic chiasm and within the bilateral cavernous sinus,various for signal intensity,without or with thin-walled contrast enhancement.Intracystic nodule accounted for 40% of cases and there were double cystic nodules in 1 case.Obvious contrast enhancement of intracystic nodule was found in 1 case.Pituitary stalk was in center.Most of CPA were snowman shaped,bigger than 2 cm3,off middle line location,with compression of the optic chiasm and sellar base,had thick-walled contrast enhancement,with intracystic fluid level and septum,had hypointense rim on T2WI.The pituitary stalk was shifted.Conclusion The MRI findings of RCC and CPA are significant differences in the shape,size,intracapsular structure,enhanced performance and changes of surrounding structure.

Objective To evaluate the diagnostic value of contrast-enhanced ultrasound in acute kidney injury (AKI) caused by sepsis. Methods The sepsis patients admitted to intensive care unit of Tianjin Third Central Hospital from January 2015 to June 2017 were enrolled. All of the patients were completed the 6-hour Bundle treatment and the bilateral renal contrast-enhanced ultrasound within 24 hours, and the peak signal intensity (PSI), peak intensity time (PIT), wash internal rate (WIR) and renal function parameters were measured at the same time. The patients were divided into AKI 24 hours group and non-AKI 24 hours group according to Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO)-AKI diagnostic criteria, and the parameters differences were compared between the two groups. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve were used to analyze the diagnostic value of the parameters. Renal function of the non-AKI group patients was measured again 7 days after hospital admission, and patients were divided into AKI 7 days group and non-AKI 7 days group, and the related parameters of the two groups measured within 24 hours were compared. Results ① Ninety-six patients were enrolled, with 39 cases of AKI occurred within 24 hours after admission, and with an incidence of 40.6%. Contrast-enhanced ultrasound showed that the time-intensity curve (TIC) of non-AKI patients manifested as a slow down after rapid rise to the peak, but the AKI patients showed as slow rise to the peak and more slow decrease. Compared with non-AKI 24 hours group, AKI 24 hours group performance as PSI weakened, PIT extended and WIR decreased [PSI (dB): 114.41±19.38 vs. 141.24±24.65, PIT (s): 22.86±4.29 vs. 17.39±3.68, WIR (dB/s): 5.53±4.17 vs. 7.85±1.84, all 1 < 0.01]. ROC curve analysis showed that area under the ROC curve (AUC) of WIR, PIT, PSI was 0.85, 0.84, 0.82 respectively (all 1 < 0.01), the cut-off value of WIR was 7.18 dB/S, the sensitivity, specificity and accuracy were 82.05%, 80.70% and 81.25% respectively; the cut-off value of PIT was 18.45 s, the sensitivity, specificity and accuracy were 74.35%, 73.68% and 73.95% respectively;the cut-off values of PSI was 121.21 dB, the sensitivity, specificity and accuracy were 71.79%, 87.72% and 81.25% respectively. ② The incidence of AKI within 7 days in non-AKI patients was 26.3% (15/57). There were significant differences in PIT, WIR and PSI between AKI 7 days group and non-AKI 7 days group [PSI (dB): 124.97±26.64 vs. 147.02±21.51, PIT (s): 20.61±3.27 vs. 16.24±3.13, WIR (dB/s): 6.81±1.76 vs. 8.22±1.75, all 1 < 0.05]. However, there was no significant difference in serum creatinine (SCr), blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine clearance rate (CCr). Conclusion Compared to SCr and BUN, contrast-enhanced ultrasound parameters can early response to renal dysfunction, and contribute to early diagnosis of sepsis induced AKI.

Objective: To investigate routine blood test results and secular changes among Tibetan children and adolescents aged from 3 to 19 in the plateau, and to provide the basis for reference range of routine blood test for this population. Methods: A total of 1 568 Tibetan children and adolescents aged from 3 to 19 living in Shigatse, Tibet were selected by cluster random sampling method. Routine blood test results and its secular trends were compared by age and gender. Results: Significantly differences were found in red blood cell(RBC), hemoglobin(HGB), hematocrit (HCT), mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular hemoglobin(MCH), white blood cell(WBC), neutrophil(NEU), neutrophil percentage (NEU%), lymphocyte(LYM), lymphocyte percentage(LYM%)，monocyte percentage(MON%)，eosinophil percentage(EOS%),basophil percentage(BAS%) and platelet(PLT) among the four age groups of 3-5, 6-12, 13-15, and 16-19 years ( F/H =60.22, 179.41, 249.45, 115.03, 74.90, 14.33 , 33.46, 78.90, 49.20, 97.29, 24.45,24.28,42.65,20.10, P <0.05). Among red blood cell indexes, RBC, HGB, HCT,MCH increased with age in boys( F =148.77, 493.04, 623.14, 249.92, P <0.05), but there was no similar trend in girls( F =1.37, 0.15, 2.94, 0.11, P >0.05). HCT showed significant sex differences among the four age groups of 3-5 years, 6-12 years, 13-15 years, and 16-19 years [(41.33±2.31)% vs (41.98±2.40)%; (43.28±2.60)% vs ( 43.75 ±2.36)%; (46.20±3.11)% vs (44.83±2.67)%; (51.10±4.15)% vs (43.61±4.70)%, t =-2.10, -2.88, 3.50, 10.82, P <0.05]. WBC, NEU, NEU%, LYM, LYM%, monocyte(MON), and MON% increased significantly with age in both boys and girls ( P <0.05). From the age of 12 to 13, RBC, HGB and HCT in Tibetan male and female adolescents showed an opposite trend and widened gradually. Conclusion Red blood cell index shows significantly different trends among Tibetan adolescents and children of different ages and genders. Regional nationality, age, gender, and other factors should be considered when developing the reference value range of blood routine index.

Objective: To investigate the specificity of endogenous metabolic profile in plasma of patients with occupational acute methyl acetate poisoning using non-targeted metabolomics. Methods: A total of six patients with occupational acute methyl acetate poisoning were selected as the poisoning group, while 10 healthy workers without occupational exposure history of chemical hazards in the same industry were selected as the control group using the judgment sampling method. Metabolites in patient plasma of the two groups were detected using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry, and non-targeted metabolomics analysis was performed. Principal component analysis and partial least squares discriminant analysis were used to identify differential metabolites and analyze their metabolic pathways. Results: There were significant differences in metabolite profiles in patient plasma between poisoning group and control group. A total of 195 differentially expressed metabolites were screened in plasma of patients in poisoning group, including 119 upregulated and 76 downregulated metabolites. Lipid substances (lipids and lipid-like molecules) accounted for the highest proportion (21.5%). The differential metabolites of poisoning group were related to folate biosynthesis, amino acid metabolism, pyrimidine metabolism, sphingolipid biosynthesis and other metabolic pathways in plasma compared with the control group (all P<0.05). Conclusion: Occupational acute methyl acetate poisoning affects metabolism of the body. The folic acid biosynthesis, amino acid and lipid metabolism and other pathways may be involved in the occurrence and development of poisoning.