Objective: To evaluate the correlation between electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use and environmental e-cigarette exposure among residents living in Guangzhou City, so as to provide the evidence for the development of the e-cigarette control policy. Methods: Permanent university students living in Guangzhou City were recruited as investigators from July to October 2021, and the permanent adult residents in communities where the university students lived were randomly selected as participants. Subjects' demographic features, e-cigarette use, passive viewing of e-cigarette use and exposure to e-cigarette advertising were collected using both online and offline questionnaire surveys, and the association of e-cigarette use with passive viewing of e-cigarette use and exposure to e-cigarette advertising were examined using a multivariable logistic regression model. Results: A total of 948 questionnaires were allocated, and 874 valid questionnaires were recovered, with an effective recovery rate of 92.19%. The respondents had a mean age of ( 34.96±13.76 ) years. There were 420 men ( 48.05% ), and 426 married residents ( 48.80% ). The prevalence of e-cigarette use was 14.99%, and the rate of e-cigarette use was 23.81% in men and 6.83% in women. In addition, 27.27% of respondents at ages of 35 to 44 years used e-cigarette, 479 respondents viewed e-cigarette advertising ( 54.81% ) and 510 respondents had at least once passive viewing of e-cigarette use ( 58.35% ). Multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed that a higher frequency of exposure to e-cigarette advertising ( OR: 3.064-5.784, 95%CI: 1.683-12.620 ) and a higher frequency of passive viewing of e-cigarette use ( OR: 2.182-2.349, 95%CI: 1.094-4.526 ) led to a higher rate of e-cigarette use. Conclusions E-cigarette use is affected by passive viewing of e-cigarette use and exposure to e-cigarette advertising among community residents in Guangzhou City. Supervision and restriction is recommended for e-cigarette advertising, marketing, and use in public places.

Objective To investigate the therapeutic effects and mechanisms of curcumin derivatives C66 treatment on hepatic fibrosis .Methods Thirty three C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into 3 groups:normal control group ,model control group and curcumin derivatives C66 treatment group .Nine mice in normal control group were fed with water and food .Hepatic fibrosis model was induced in 24 mice by intraperitoneal injection of 40% carbon tetrachloride at a dose of 4 mL/kg for the first time ,followed by 2 mL/kg twice a week for 6 weeks . At week 6 ,6 mice were randomly selected to perform pathological examination to evaluate whether the hepatic fibrosis were successfully induced .Mice with hepatic fibrosis were randomized into model control group and curcumin derivatives C66 treatment group with 9 mice in each group .From week 6 on ,mice in the treatment group were lavaged with curcumin derivatives C66 at a dosage of 10 mg ·/(kg · d) .The rest mice were administered with equivalent dosage of 0 .5% carboxymethylcellulose sodium .Serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) ,aspartate aminotransferase (AST ) and liver hydroxyproline ( Hyp ) contents were detected , and the semi‐quantitative analysis of liver fibrosis was performed by pathological examination in hepatic tissue by hematoxylin and eosin (HE) and Masson staining .The expressions of collagen Ⅰ ,α‐smooth muscle actin (α‐SMA) mRNA and collagen Ⅰ ,α‐SMA ,nuclear factor‐kappa B p65 (NF‐κB p65) ,inhibitor kappa B alpha (IκBα) protein in each group were detected by quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR) and Western blot .Data were analyzed with one‐way ANOVA analysis .Results The serum levels of ALT and AST in model control group ,C66 treatment group and normal control group were (202 .71 ± 19 .66 ) U/L , (233 .42 ± 23 .97 ) U/L ;(102 .00 ± 11 .04 ) U/L , (120 .87 ± 13 .83 ) U/L ;(36 .66 ± 6 .37) U/L and (43 .33 ± 8 .08)U/L ,respectively .The differences between model and normal control group were both significant (t=23 .96 and 22 .39 ,respectively ;both P<0 .05) .The C66 treatment group showed significantly lower levels of serum ALT and AST in contrast with model control group (t =11 .56 and 10 .52 ,respectively ;both P<0 .05) .Compared to the model control group ,hepatic Hyp contents in normal control group and C66 treatment group were significantly different (t= 17 .50 , P< 0 .05;t=11 .45 ,P<0 .05) .Collagen Ⅰand α‐SMA mRNA expressions in C66 treatment group were remarkably lower in contrast with that in model control group (t= 7 .23 and 7 .95 ,respectively ;both P< 0 .05) . Protein levels of Collagen Ⅰ ,α‐SMA and NF‐κB p65 decreased in C66 treatment group ,while IκBαincreased significantly (all P<0 .05) .Conclusion The application of C66 can contribute to the regression of liver fibrosis and the mechanism may rely on the regulation of NF‐κB expression .

Objective To explore the effect of low-frequency electroacupuncture (EA) on neuropathic pain induced by spinal nerve injury and its underlying mechanism.Methods Thirty-two male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into a normal group,a sham spared nerve injury (SNI) group,an SNI group and an SNI+EA group,each of 8.The rats in the SNI and SNI+EA groups were given SNI surgery,while those of the sham-SNI group only had the sciatic nerve and its branches exposed without any lesion.EA at 2 Hz was applied over the ipsilateral Zusanli and Kunlun acupoints daily for 14 days after the surgery.The ipsilateral paw withdrawal threshold (PWT) was measured,along with protein kinase A (PKA) levels in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord,calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) and substance P (SP) levels along with transient receptor potential V1 (TRPV1).Results Compared to the normal group,the SNI groups all showed significant decreases in their PWTs on the affected side and significant increases in PKA,TRPV1,CGRP and substance P on the affected side.Compared to SNI group,the average ipsilateral PWT in the SNI+EA group increased significantly after EA treatment,while PKA levels,TRPV1,CGRP levels and SP expression all decreased significantly.Conclusion Electroacupuncture at low frequency can effectively relieve neuropathic pain,perhaps through down-regulation of PKA in the spinal cord and by decreasing pain hypersensitivity related to CGRP and SP.

Objective To determine the expression pattern of macrophage-inducible c-type lectin (MINCLE)on Macrophage(Mφ),myeloid dendritic cell (mDC)and plasmacytoid DC(pDC)in peripheral blood (PB)and synovial fluid(SF)in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).Methods For mRNA expression of MINCLE,253 RA patients and 71 healthy control subjects were enrolled.The mRNA level of MINCLE was determined by real-time PCR.For protein expression of MINCLE,18 patients with RA,5 patients with osteoarthritis(OA)and 12 healthy control subjects were enrolled.The expression of MINCLE on Mφ,mDC and pDC were detected by flow cytometry.The differences of MINCLE expressions in PB between RA patients,OA patients and healthy controls,or differences between PB and SF in RA patients were analyzed using Mann-Whitney U test or paired-samples t test.Results ①Compared to the healthy controls,RA patients showed elevated mRNA expression level of MINCLE in PBMCs[(1.65±0.36)vs (0.37±0.06),U=6057,P=2.75×10-5].②At protein level,MINCLE was hardly detected in Mφ,mDC and pDC in PB of OA patients and healthy controls.In SF,MINCLE was highiy expressed on mDC in RA patients,compared with that in OA patients[(34.8±4.4)%,U=0,P=2.6×10-3].In RA patients,the expression level of MINCLE was remarkably elevated in Mφ,mDC and pDC in SF compared with that in PB[Mφ(2.01±0.53)%vs(0.273±0.51)%,t=4.879,P=2.23×10-6;mDC(34.8±4.4)%vs(22.7±5.5)%t=2.535.P=0.017].Conclusion MINCLE is selectively expressed on Mφ.mDC and pDC in SF in RA patients.MINCLE may serve as a potential important marker,or even target,for RA and possibly even for inflammation in general.

Objective:To explore the relationship between the preoperative fear of pain(FOP) and postoperative pain in patients with lung cancer undergoing video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery, with a view to provide a basis for psychological and behavioral intervention in perioperative pain.Methods:One hundred lung cancer patients underwent thoracoscopic surgery from August 2018 to December 2019 were recruited. The FOP was collected by the Chinese version of the fear of pain questionnaire-Ⅲ before operation. And postoperative pain including rest pain and cough pain was collected after surgery. The correlation analysis and relative risk coefficient was used to evaluate the relationship between preoperative FOP and postoperative pain.Results:Both rest pain and cough pain were positively correlated with FOP with the correlation coefficients of 0.404 and 0.489 (both P <0.05). Patients with a high level of FOP before surgery were more likely to report severe pain when coughing after surgery, which was 3.643 times (95% CI value was 1.585-8.372) higher than the patients with non-high level preoperative FOP. Conclusions:Patients with a high level preoperative FOP may report higher pain after surgery. Screening and identification of such patients are needed for further cognitive behavioral intervention.

Attaining higher peak bone mass and strength in early life stage is critical for reducing risk of osteoporosis or lower bone mass later in life. Genetic factors such as race and gender are mostly responsible for the variability and timing of reaching peak bone mass. In general, Asians have lower areal bone mineral density and would reach peak bone mass earlier when they are compared to Caucasians. Among different lifestyle factors, strong evidence is only available for positive effects of dietary calcium and physical exercise on bone accretion. Studies showed that the calcium intake of Chinese population at all ages is well below the recommended intake levels. To develop peak bone mass and strength to reach their genetic potentials, achieving adequate calcium and vitamin D intake through promoting dietary intake and/or supplementation, are strongly recommended, especially in Chinese adolescents.

Background: Studies have shown that abnormal expression of circular RNA (circRNA) is closely related to the development, progress and prognosis of a variety of tumors, and is an ideal diagnostic indicator and therapeutic target. However, the role of circRNA in the development and progress of pancreatic cancer needs to be further explored. Aims: To investigate the expression of circ-RANBP1 in pancreatic cancer tissue and its effect on pancreatic cancer cell proliferation, migration and invasion. Methods: The expression of circ-RANBP1 in pancreatic cancer tissue and normal para-cancerous tissue was detected by in situ hybridization. MIA PaCa-2 cells and SW 1990 cells were cultured, and transfected with knockdown oligomer and overexpressed plasmid of circ-RANBP1, respectively, and corresponding control groups were served. Expression of circ-RANBP1 in pancreatic cancer cells was detected by qRT-PCR. EdU method was used to detect the effect of circ-RANBP1 on cell proliferation. Transwell assay was used to detect the effect of circ-RANBP1 on cell migration and invasion. Western blotting and immunofluorescence were used to detect the effect of circ-RANBP1 on epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Angiogenesis assay was used to explore the effect of circ-RANBP1 on angiogenesis ability. Results: The expression of circ-RANBP1 was significantly increased in pancreatic cancer tissue when compared with paired normal tissues, and was closely associated with poor prognosis of patients. Circ-RANBP1 knockdown inhibited the proliferation of MIA PaCa-2 cells, while overexpression of circ-RANBP1 promoted the proliferation of SW 1990 cells. Compared with control group, circ-RANBP1 knockdown suppressed the migration and invasion of MIA PaCa-2 cells, and overexpression of circ-RANBP1 promoted the migration and invasion of SW 1990 cells. Knockdown of circ-RANBP1 could inhibit EMT, while circ-RANBP1 overexpression showed opposite effect. Inhibition of circ-RANBP1 significantly reduced angiogenesis, while overexpression of circ-RANBP1 significantly enhanced angiogenesis. Conclusions: Circ-RANBP1 is highly expressed in pancreatic cancer tissue, and can promote the proliferation, migration, invasion, EMT and angiogenesis of pancreatic cancer cells.

Objective: Accumulating evidence has shown that aberrant alternative splicing events are closely associated with the onset and development of cancer. However, whether genetic variants-associated alternative splicing is linked to risk of endometrial cancer remains largely uncertain. Methods: We identified single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) locates in the splicing number trait locus (sQTL) of endometrial cancer using the CancerSplicing QTL database. In parallel with bioinformatics analysis, we conducted a case-control study comprising 2,000 cases and 2,013 controls to assess the association between identified SNP which possesses mRNA splicing function and endometrial cancer susceptibility. Furthermore, we used the Kaplan-Meier Plotter, The Human Protein Atlas, SPNR, and Spliceman2 databases for sQTL and differential gene expression analyses to identify the genetic variant which most potentially influence the risk of endometrial cancer through alternative splicing to reveal the potential mechanism by which candidate SNPs regulate the risk of endometrial cancer. Results: The results indicated that SNP rs7128029 AConclusion These findings suggest that SNP rs7128029-mediated alternative splicing events in PSMD13 are associated with endometrial cancer risk and may be a potential early screening biomarker for endometrial cancer-susceptible populations.

Radiotherapy still fails to achieve satisfactory efficacy in the treatment of malignant tumors, and applying radiotherapy sensitizers is an effective method to improve the efficacy of radiotherapy. Gold nanomaterials can effectively increase the sensitivity of tumor cells to radiotherapy due to their high atomic numbers. Gold nanoclusters have more excellent radiobiological and radiophysical properties due to their smaller size. This paper reviews the special radiobiological and radiophysical properties of gold nanoclusters and describes in detail their sensitizing effects in external radiation radiotherapy, radionuclide therapy, and X-ray induced photodynamic therapy.

OBJECTIVETo explore the interaction between P311 and transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-β1) in murine fibroblasts and its effect on the function of fibroblasts.

METHODSSkin fibroblasts obtained from five neonatal P311 wild-type C57BL/6 mice and P311 gene knock-out C57BL/6 mice were cultured. The second passage of fibroblasts were used in the following experiments. All experiments were repeated for 3 times. (1) The fibroblasts of P311 wild-type mice were divided into blank control group and P311 over-expression group according to the random number table (the same grouping method below), with 36 wells in each group. Fibroblasts in blank control group were transfected with 10 μL control vector, and fibroblasts in P311 over-expression group were transfected with equal efficiency P311 expression adenovirus vector. After being cultured for 48 hours, the mRNA expression level of P311, and the mRNA and protein expression levels of TGF-β1, α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), and collagen type I of fibroblasts in both groups were determined with real-time fluorescent quantitative RT-PCR and Western blotting (the same detection methods below), respectively. (2) After cultured reaching the cell density of 80%-90%, the mRNA and protein expression levels of TGF-β1, α-SMA, and collagen type I of the fibroblasts of P311 wild-type mice and P311 gene knock-out mice, with 4 flasks in each type of fibroblasts, were determined. (3) The fibroblasts of P311 wild-type mice were divided into blank control group and 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 ng/mL TGF-β1 groups after being starved treatment with DMEM medium containing 1% FBS for 3 hours, with 2 flasks in each group. Fibroblasts in blank control group were routinely cultured, while fibroblasts in the latter five groups were treated with 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 ng/mL TGF-β1, respectively. After being cultured for 48 hours, the mRNA expression levels of P311 in fibroblasts of the six groups were determined. Another fibroblasts of P311 wild-type mice were divided into blank control group and 10 ng/mL TGF-β1 group, with 6 wells in each group, and the protein expression levels of P311 in both groups were determined by immunofluorescence staining. (4) The fibroblasts of P311 wild-type mice were divided into blank control group and 10 ng/mL TGF-β1 group after being starved treatment as above, with 2 flasks in each group, and fibroblasts in blank control group were routinely cultured, while fibroblasts in the latter group were treated with 10 ng/mL TGF-β1. After being cultured for 48 hours, the mRNA and protein expression levels of α-SMA and collagen type Ⅰ were determined. The fibroblasts of P311 gene knock-out mice were grouped and treated as above, and the mRNA and protein expression levels of α-SMA and collagen type I were determined. Data were processed with one-way analysis of variance and t test.

RESULTS(1) The mRNA expression level of P311 of fibroblasts in P311 over-expression group was increased nearly 300 000-fold compared with that in blank control group (t=9.942, P<0.001). The mRNA expression levels of TGF-β1, α-SMA, and collagen type I of fibroblasts in P311 over-expression group, and the protein expression levels of pro-TGF-β1, activated TGF-β1, α-SMA, and collagen type I of fibroblasts in P311 over-expression group were significantly higher than those in blank control group (with t values from 8.192 to 49.090, P values below 0.01). (2) The mRNA expression levels of TGF-β1, α-SMA, and collagen type I in fibroblasts of P311gene knock-out mice were significantly lower than those in fibroblasts of P311 wild-type mice (with t values from 8.157 to 22.270, P values below 0.01). The protein expression levels of pro-TGF-β1, α-SMA, and collagen type I in fibroblasts of P311 gene knock-out mice were significantly lower than those in fibroblasts of P311 wild-type mice (with t values from 2.995 to 12.600, P<0.05 or P<0.01), and the protein expression levels of active TGF-β1 were similar in two types of fibroblasts (t=1.070, P>0.05). (3) The mRNA expression levels of P311 of fibroblasts in blank control group and 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 ng/mL TGF-β1 groups were 1.28 ± 0.44, 3.61 ± 0.91, 6.64 ± 0.92, 6.58 ± 1.04, 1.79 ± 0.31, 0.16 ± 0.06, respectively. Compared to the mRNA expression level of P311 of fibroblasts in the blank control group, the mRNA expression levels of P311 of fibroblasts in 5 and 20 ng/mL TGF-β1 groups were similar (with t values respectively 2.302 and 0.955, P values above 0.05), while they were significantly higher in 10 and 15 ng/mL TGF-β1 groups (with t values respectively 5.630 and 4.710, P values below 0.001), and they were significantly lower in 25 ng/mL TGF-β1 group (t=2.509, P<0.01). The protein expression level of P311 of fibroblasts in 10 ng/mL group was higher than that in blank control group. (4) The mRNA and protein expression levels of α-SMA and collagen type I of fibroblasts of P311 wild-type mice in 10 ng/mL TGF-β1 group were significantly higher than those in blank control group (with t values from 3.523 to 14.290, P<0.05 or P<0.01). The mRNA and protein expression levels of α-SMA and collagen type I of fibroblasts of P311 gene knock-out mice in 10 ng/mL TGF-β1 group were significantly higher than those in blank control group (with t values from 4.895 to 14.870, P<0.05 or P<0.01).

CONCLUSIONSThe interaction between P311 and TGF-β1 in murine fibroblasts exists and it may enhance the differentiation of fibroblasts in combination.

Actins ; metabolism ; Animals ; Cell Differentiation ; Cells, Cultured ; Collagen Type I ; metabolism ; Fibroblasts ; cytology ; metabolism ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Mice, Knockout ; Nerve Tissue Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; RNA, Messenger ; Transfection ; Transforming Growth Factor beta1 ; metabolism