OBJECTIVE:To investigate the effects of Cangfu daotan decoction combined with Clomiphene citrate capsule on sex hormone level and endometrial receptivity in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) combined infertility. METH-ODS:A total of 116 PCOS patients with infertility in the First Affiliated Hospital of Guiyang College of TCM from Jan. 2014 to Dec. 2014 were divided into observation group and control group according to random number table,with 58 cases in each group. Both groups received hormone regulation therapy since the fifth day of menstruation. Control group was given Clomiphene citrate capsule 50 mg,qd;observation group was additionally given one dose of Cangfu daotan decoction,400 mL after decocted with wa-ter,bid,on the basis of control group. Both groups were treated for 3 cycles of menstruation. The levels of serum sex hormone (E2,LH),endometrial thickness(Em),endometrial spiral arterial pulsatility index(PI)and resistance index(RI)were compared between 2 groups before and after treatment. The ovulation rate and pregnancy rate were compared between 2 groups after 1-year follow-up. RESULTS:Before treatment,there was no statistical significance in E2,LH,Em,PI or RI between 2 groups (P>0.05). After treatment,the levels of E2 and LH as well as Em in 2 groups were increased significantly,while PI and RI were de-creased significantly;the observation group was significantly better than the control group,with statistical significance(P<0.06). After 1-year follow-up,there was no statistical significance in ovulation rate between 2 groups (P>0.05). The pregnancy rate of observation group was 41.38％,which was significantly higher than that of control group (22.41％),with statistical significance (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS:Cangfu daotan decoction combined with Clomiphene citrate capsule can effectively regulate serum sex hormone levels of PCOS patients with infertility,and improve endometrial receptivity so as to increase pregnancy rate.

BACKGROUND:There is a very close relationship between osteoporosis and periodontal disease in postmenopausal women, but the mechanism remains unclear. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the expression of nuclear factor-κB in the alveolar bone andinterleukin-17 in the serum and gingiva in the mouse model of osteoporosis caused by ovariectomy. METHODS:Female mice aged 3 months were randomly divided into ovariectomy and sham operation groups. At 6 months after surgery, the mouse models were evaluated histologically on the submandibular bone and thigh bone stained with hematoxylin and eosin. In the submandibular bone, the expression levels of OCN and Runx2 were detected by RT-PCR, and the expression level of nuclear factor-κB was detected by immunohistochemical staining and western blot assay. Besides, the expression level of interleukin-17 in the serum and gingival homogenate was evaluated using Cytometric Beads Array. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The thigh bone in the ovariectomy group revealed the thin cortical bone, enlarged marrow cavity, and increased resorption lacunae, as well as fewer, thinner trabeculae with lower density and irregular structure. Compared with the sham operation group, the expression levels of OCN and Runx2 in the alveolar bone were decreased in the ovariectomy group. The activation of nuclear factor-κB (P65)appeared with P65 positive expression in the submandibular bone in the ovariectomy group, and the relative expression level was higher than that in the sham operation group. The serum level of interleukin-17 in the ovariectomy group was higher than that in the sham operation group, but the level in the gingival tissue showed no significant difference between the two groups. These results indicate that estrogen deficiency after ovariectomy can activate nuclear factor-κB signal pathway to play a role in periodontal osteolysis. However interleukin-17 in the local periodontal tissue may not be a key cytokine to damage the periodontal tissue.

Tooth root morphogenesis involves two biological processes, root elongation and dentinogenesis, which are guaranteed by downgrowth of Hertwig's epithelial root sheath (HERS) and normal odontoblast differentiation. Ubiquitin-dependent protein degradation has been reported to precisely regulate various physiological processes, while its role in tooth development is still elusive. Here we show ubiquitin-specific protease 34 (USP34) plays a pivotal role in root formation. Deletion of Usp34 in dental mesenchymal cells leads to short root anomaly, characterized by truncated roots and thin root dentin. The USP34-deficient dental pulp cells (DPCs) exhibit decreased odontogenic differentiation with downregulation of nuclear factor I/C (NFIC). Overexpression of NFIC partially restores the impaired odontogenic potential of DPCs. These findings indicate that USP34-dependent deubiquitination is critical for root morphogenesis by stabilizing NFIC.
Cell Differentiation ; Female ; Morphogenesis ; NFI Transcription Factors ; Odontogenesis ; Tooth Root

As a member of the AFF (AF4/FMR2) family, AFF4 is a transcription elongation factor that is a component of the super elongation complex. AFF4 serves as a scaffolding protein that connects transcription factors and promotes gene transcription through elongation and chromatin remodelling. Here, we investigated the effect of AFF4 on human dental follicle cells (DFCs) in osteogenic differentiation. In this study, we found that small interfering RNA-mediated depletion of AFF4 resulted in decreased alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and impaired mineralization. In addition, the expression of osteogenic-related genes (DLX5, SP7, RUNX2 and BGLAP) was significantly downregulated. In contrast, lentivirus-mediated overexpression of AFF4 significantly enhanced the osteogenic potential of human DFCs. Mechanistically, we found that both the mRNA and protein levels of ALKBH1, a critical regulator of epigenetics, changed in accordance with AFF4 expression levels. Overexpression of ALKBH1 in AFF4-depleted DFCs partially rescued the impairment of osteogenic differentiation. Our data indicated that AFF4 promoted the osteogenic differentiation of DFCs by upregulating the transcription of ALKBH1.
Biomarkers ; metabolism ; Cell Differentiation ; Cells, Cultured ; Dental Sac ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Gene Expression Regulation ; Humans ; Osteogenesis ; genetics ; Repressor Proteins ; Transcription Factors ; genetics ; metabolism ; Transcriptional Elongation Factors ; metabolism