Objective To investigate the age-related changes of the mandibular third molar root pulp visibility in individuals in East China,and to explore the feasibility of applying this method to deter-mine whether an individual is 18 years or older.Methods A total of 1 280 oral panoramic images were collected from the 15-30 years old East China population,and the mandibular third molar root pulp visibility in all oral panoramic images was evaluated using OLZE 0-3 four-stage method,and the age distribution of the samples at each stage was analyzed using descriptive statistics.Results Stages 0,1,2 and 3 first appeared in 16.88,19.18,21.91 and 25.44 years for males and in 17.47,20.91,22.01 and 26.01 years for females.In all samples,individuals at stages 1 to 3 were over 18 years old.Conclusion It is feasible to determine whether an individual in East China is 18 years or older based on the mandibular third molar root pulp visibility on oral panoramic images.

OBJECTIVES: To explore the damage effects of chronic restraint stress (CRS) on amygdala cells through the rat CRS model. METHODS: The rat CRS model was established, and the changes in body weight and adrenal mass in control group and CRS group were monitored at 1 d, 7 d, 14 d and 21 d. The behavior changes were evaluated by the percentage of retention time of open arms and open arm entries using the elevated plus maze (EPM). ELISA was used to detect the concentrations of rat's corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH), adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and cortisol. The changes of expression of glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) in amygdala were determined by immunohistochemistry and Western blotting. Ultrastructure changes of glial cell were observed by transmission electron microscopy. The apoptosis rate of amygdala was measured by flow cytometry. RESULTS: Compared with the control group at the same time points, body weight of CRS 1 d, 7 d, 14 d and 21 d groups increased slowly, but adrenal mass increased significantly; the serum level of CRH, cortisol and ACTH increased significantly at 7 d, 14 d and 21 d respectively; the expression of GR in amygdala was increased while that of GFAP was decreased; EPM test suggested that the percentage of retention time of open arms and open arm entries decreased significantly after 14 d. The CRS group showed different degrees of glial cell damage in amygdala, and the apoptosis rate of glial cell was significantly increased in 21 d group. CONCLUSIONS This study successfully established a CRS model in rats, and anxiety-like behavioral changes in model rats may be caused by apoptosis of amygdala astrocytes.
Rats ; Animals ; Hydrocortisone/pharmacology* ; Amygdala/metabolism* ; Adrenocorticotropic Hormone/pharmacology* ; Apoptosis ; Body Weight

The pain-relieving effect of acupuncture is known to involve primary afferent nerves (PANs) via their roles in signal transmission to the CNS. Using single-unit recording in rats, we characterized the generation and transmission of electrical signals in Aβ and Aδ fibers induced by acupuncture-like stimuli. Acupuncture-like signals were elicited in PANs using three techniques: manual acupuncture (MAc), emulated acupuncture (EAc), and electro-acupuncture (EA)-like peripheral electrical stimulation (PES). The discharges evoked by MAc and EAc were mostly in a burst pattern with average intra-burst and inter-burst firing rates of 90 Hz and 2 Hz, respectively. The frequency of discharges in PANs was correlated with the frequency of PES. The highest discharge frequency was 246 Hz in Aβ fibers and 180 Hz in Aδ fibers. Therefore, EA in a dense-disperse mode (at alternating frequency between 2 Hz and 15 Hz or between 2 Hz and 100 Hz) best mimics MAc. Frequencies of EA output >250 Hz appear to be obsolete for pain relief.

Algorithms ; Familial Primary Pulmonary Hypertension ; Humans ; Hypertension, Pulmonary/diagnosis* ; Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension

Objective To analyze the cognitive changes and influencing factors in patients with lacunar cerebral infarction after carotid artery intervention therapy. Methods Sixty lacunar cerebral infarction combined with carotid stenosis patients treated with artery intervention therapy (intervention therapy group) and 68 lacunar cerebral infarction without carotid stenosis patients treated with drug therapy (drug therapy group) were selected. The neuropsychological test was completed at entry and 1, 6, 12 months after entry, and the results were compared with 60 healthy controls (control group). The cognitive changes were observed. The neuropsychological test included mini mental state examination (MMSE), Montreal cognitive assessment scale (MoCA) and cognitive field test. Results There were statistical differences in other scores except the Stroop test C section and Wechsler adult intelligence scale (WAIS-RC) picture arrangement subtest at entry in intervention therapy group and drug therapy group compared with control group (P<0.05). There were no statistical differences in the all scores at entry between drug therapy group and intervention therapy group (P>0.05). In intervention therapy group, the MMSE scores, MoCA total score, Rey-Osterrieth complex figure test (ROCFT), auditory verb learning test (AVLT), and the WAIS-RC picture arrangement subtest, verbal fluency test, WAIS-RC digit span backwards subtest of performing function 12 months after entry were significantly better than those at entry, and there were statistical differences (P<0.05). MMSE score, MoCA total score, long-time delayed recall of ROCFT, the immediate recall, long-time delayed recall and short delayed recall of AVLT, semantic category fluency test of performing function and digit span backwards subtest of WAIS-RC 6 months after entry were significantly better than those at entry:(27.8 ± 2.2) scores vs. (26.4 ± 1.9) scores, (20.7 ± 2.3) scores vs. (19.3 ± 2.0) scores, (12.4 ± 3.2) scores vs. (10.8 ± 2.6) scores, (54.3 ± 10.6) scores vs. (49.9 ± 10.9) scores, (12.4 ± 2.0) scores vs. (11.2 ± 2.8) scores, (12.9 ± 2.0) scores vs. (10.6 ± 2.6) scores, (17.5 ± 4.0) scores vs. (15.4 ± 3.4) scores and (4.0 ± 0.9) scores vs. (3.5 ± 0.9) scores, and there were statistical differences (P<0.05). In drug therapy group, there were no statistical differences in the all scores 1 and 6 months after entry, compared with that at entry (P>0.05);the MMSE score, MoCA total score, ROCFT, the immediate recall, long-time delayed recall and short delayed recall of AVLT, WAIS-RC picture arrangement subtest, verbal fluency test, WAIS-RC digit span backwards subtest of performing function and digit span backwards subtest of WAIS-RC 12 months after entry were significantly better than those at entry, and there were statistical differences (P<0.05). There were no statistical differences in all scores 12 months after entry between intervention therapy group and drug therapy group (P>0.05). In patients intervention therapy group, Logistic regression analysis showed that the MoCA score was related with age, hypertension and low education level (P<0.01 or<0.05), but was not related with smoking, diabetes and interventional treatment (P>0.05). Conclusions Cognitive impairment in patients with lacunar cerebral infarction and carotid stenosis is severe and extensive, but most cognition disorders can improve to normal level 12 months after artery intervention therapy.

OBJECTIVETo detect the expression of phosphorylated-signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (p-Stat3) and myeloid leukemia-1 (Mcl-1) as well as their correlation, and to investigate the functional role of Stat3 and Mcl-1 in the pathogenesis of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC).

METHODSStat3 activity in ESCC cells was inhibited with JAK/Stat3 inhibitors (AG490 or JSI-124). Specific siRNA was used to inhibit the Stat3 expression. Cell apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry. Expression of Mcl-1 protein was determined by Western blotting. Expression of phospho-Stat3 (Tyr705) and myeloid leukemia-1 (Mcl-1) proteins in ESCC tissues was detected by tissue microarray and immunohistochemistry. The relationship between p-Stat3 or Mcl-1 aberrant expression and clinicopatholohical features of ESCC was analyzed. The correlation of their expression was also analyzed.

RESULTSSuppression of the Stat3 signaling activation in ESCC cells led to marked apoptosis, and dramatic reduction of Mcl-1 protein. The positive rate of phospho-Stat3 (Tyr705) expression was 45.0% in 50/111 of the ESCC tissue samples. The lower the degree of tumor differentiation, the higher the positive rate of phospho-Stat3 (Tyr705), showing a significant difference (P = 0.018). The positive rate of Mcl-1 protein expression was 72.1% (80/111), and the lower the degree of tumor differentiation was, the higher there was the positive rate of Mcl-1, with a significant difference (P = 0.026). There was a positive correlation between the expressions of p-Stat3 and Mcl-1 proteins (P = 0.012).

CONCLUSIONSIn a subset of ESCC tissues, p-Stat3 (Tyr705) and Mcl-1 are overexpressed and positively correlated with each other, and both are correlated with tumor differentiation. Persistent activation of Stat3 contributes to apoptotic resistance in ESCC cells, and may be at least partly mediated through upregulation of Mcl-1.

Antineoplastic Agents ; pharmacology ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; metabolism ; pathology ; Cell Differentiation ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Survival ; drug effects ; Esophageal Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Humans ; Myeloid Cell Leukemia Sequence 1 Protein ; metabolism ; Neoplasm Grading ; Neoplasm Staging ; Phosphorylation ; RNA, Small Interfering ; genetics ; STAT3 Transcription Factor ; antagonists & inhibitors ; genetics ; metabolism ; Tyrphostins ; pharmacology

Animals ; Borrelia burgdorferi ; genetics ; China ; DNA, Bacterial ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; Rodentia ; microbiology ; Sequence Analysis, DNA

Abstract:By using PVX derived vector pGR107, the effect of BYDV-MP nuclear localization signal on the movement of PVX was studied. BYDV-MP was cloned into pGR107 using GFP as an indicator. BYDV-MP was then shown to induce the systemic infection and exacerbate the symptom of PVX through infecting Nicotiana benthamiana. When the PVX gene encoding 25kD protein, which functioned as a systematic movemnet protein,was deleted and the above experiment was repeated, the result showed that BYDV-MP could compensate the systemic movement of PVX. A serial mutants with substitutions on the fifth, sixth and seventh amino acids of BYDV-MP nuclear localization signal was further constructed. It was found that the mutants at the fifth, sixth amino acids in BYDV-MP nuclear localization signal could only delay or weaken systemic movement of PVX whereas the mutant at seventh amino acid could entirely inhibit systemic movement of PVX.
Amino Acid Sequence ; Green Fluorescent Proteins ; genetics ; Luteovirus ; physiology ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Nuclear Localization Signals ; chemistry ; physiology ; Plant Viral Movement Proteins ; physiology ; Potexvirus ; genetics ; physiology

A novel series of sorafenib analogs containing 2-picolinyl hydrazide moiety were designed and synthesized. In vitro, most of synthesized compounds have antiproliferation activity on MDA-MB-231, ACHN, HepG2, Mia-PaCa-2 and SW1990 cell lines tested by MTT assay. It is worth noting that the antitumor activities of compounds 2c, 2d and 2f are more potent than that of sorafenib on pancreatic cancer cells Mia-PaCa-2 and SW1990, and the activities of compounds 3f and 3g are 2-3 times than that of sorafenib on human hepatocellular carcinoma HepG2 cell line.
Antineoplastic Agents ; chemical synthesis ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Drug Design ; Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor ; Humans ; Molecular Structure ; Niacinamide ; analogs & derivatives ; chemical synthesis ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Phenylurea Compounds ; chemical synthesis ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Structure-Activity Relationship

BACKGROUNDEmbolization of collateral arteries is important for transcatheter hepatic arterial chemoembolization (TACE) in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We evaluated the efficacy and safety of TACE, and the prevention and management of complications among patients in whom the internal thoracic artery (ITA) was involved.

METHODSA total of 3614 cases of HCC were treated with 12 645 TACEs and 211 of these cases were given ITA angiography, including 156 cases of which the ITA was involved. We performed 562 TACEs in the 156 cases. We analyzed imaging examinations, types of embolization, and the incidence, prevention, and treatment of complications.

RESULTSThe ITA was successfully embolized in 156 cases. Angiography of the ITA showed that the major trunks were thickened with an increased number of branching vessels, contributing to intrahepatic and extrahepatic tumor blood supply. Different embolization methods were selected according to the blood supply, to effectively embolize the tumor and mitigate or avoid serious complications. TACE with ITA embolization extended the mean interval time between two treatments from 2.54 months (1 - 17 months) to 4.23 months (1 - 30 months) compared with that without ITA embolization. The ITA supplied the HCC in the following instances: HCC was located in the ventral hepatic area and abutted the diaphragm (P = 0.0064) and repeated TACE (P = 0.0003). The survival rate of TACE with ITA embolization for HCC was better than TACE without ITA embolization (P < 0.00001).

CONCLUSIONSIn cases with massive HCC or nodular HCC, the ITA may be involved in supplying blood to the tumor. This occurs when the tumor is positioned in the ventral hepatic area and abuts the diaphragm (S2, S4, and S8), and especially if cases have a previous history of TACE. In this case series, embolization was effective, extended the mean interval time of interventional therapy, and prolonged survival time.

Adult ; Aged ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; therapy ; Chemoembolization, Therapeutic ; methods ; Female ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms ; therapy ; Male ; Mammary Arteries ; Middle Aged ; Treatment Outcome