Geriatric nutrition risk index: a more powerful index identifying muscle mass loss in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the association of geriatric nutrition risk index (GNRI), a traditional albumin-body weight calculation, with myopenia in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and compare its ability to identify myopenia with protein indicators. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was carried out based on a Chinese RA cohort. Clinical data and protein indicators (including albumin, globulin, albumin to globulin ratio, prealbumin, hemoglobin) were collected. GNRI was estimated by serum albumin and body weight. Myopenia was indicated as muscle mass loss measured by bioelectric impedance analysis. RESULTS: There were 789 RA patients included with mean age 52.6 ± 12.6 years and 77.6% female. There were 41.3%, 18.0%, 27.5%, 13.2% patients with no (GNRI > 98), low (GNRI 92 to ≤ 98), moderate (GNRI 82 to < 92), and major nutrition-related risk (GNRI < 82). There were 406 (51.5%) RA patients with myopenia, RA patients with major nutrition-related risk had the highest prevalence of myopenia (87.5% vs. 73.3% vs. 50.0% vs. 26.1%). Multivariate logistic analysis showed that compared with no risk, RA patients with low (OR = 3.23, 95% CI: 1.86-5.61), moderate (OR = 9.56, 95% CI: 5.70-16.01), and major nutrition-related risk (OR = 28.91, 95% CI: 13.54-61.71) were associated with higher prevalence of myopenia. Receiver operating characteristic curves showed that GNRI (AUC = 0.79) performed a better identifiable ability toward myopenia than serum albumin (AUC = 0.66) or others indicators (AUC range 0.59 to 0.65), respectively. CONCLUSION: GNRI, an objective and convenient albumin-weight index, may be preferable for identifying myopenia in RA patients. Key Points • We firstly elucidated the association of GNRI with muscle mass loss among RA patients, and compared its ability to identify muscle mass loss with serum albumin or other protein indicators. • Major nutrition-related risk identified by GNRI showed the highest risk of muscle mass loss, GNRI demonstrated a greater ability to identify myopenia in RA patients. which indicated GNRI was an objective and convenient albumin-weight index to identify myopenia in RA patients.

Magnesium promotes the viability and induces differentiation of neural stem cells both in vitro and in vivo.

OBJECTIVE: Neural stem cells (NSCs) are multipotent stem cells that generating various neural cells, including neurons, astrocytes and oligodendrocytes. This showed that NSCs is an ideal candidate in the application of neural disease treatment. In the current study, we established a simple and efficient method to promote the viability and induce the differentiation of NSCs by stimulating with magnesium. METHODS: The proliferation and differentiation of NSCs was determined by MTT assay and immunostaining. The behavior alteration was measured by rotorod test and Morris water maze. RESULTS: Magnesium enhanced proliferation in NSCs. The ratio of Nestin+, Ki67+ and GFAP+ progenitor cells was increased in the presence of magnesium. Besides, magnesium induced the glial differentiation instead of neuronal differentiation in NSCs. By contrast, transplantation of Mg2+-treated NSCs in vivo generated more neurons. In established PD models, transplantation of Mg2+-treated NSCs could improve the symptoms and recover the memory. CONCLUSION: We established a simple and efficient way to promote the proliferation and induce the differentiation of NSCs. More importantly, this may also facilitate to develop a new method to neural disorder treatment.

Delivery of MTH1 inhibitor (TH287) and MDR1 siRNA via hyaluronic acid-based mesoporous silica nanoparticles for oral cancers treatment.

Oral cancer accounts for 95% of all maxillofacial malignant neoplasm. Presently, surgery and radiation (with and without chemotherapy) are the major treatments for oral cancer; however it met with limited therapeutic outcome. Overcoming the multidrug resistance and finding new therapeutic agents for oral cancer treatment are some of the serious challenges. Small molecule, TH287 potently and selectively inhibits the MTH1 protein in cells and could act as a new chemotherapeutic agent. The study reports the successful loading and delivery of MTH1 inhibitor - TH287 and MDR1 siRNA in oral squamous cell carcinoma. Our results showed that HA-assembled mesoporous silica nanoparticles were effective in controlling the drug release and internalization in CAL27 cancer cells. Cytotoxicity and apoptosis assay showed that combination of TH287 + MDR1 siRNA was significantly more effective in inducing the anticancer effect compared to that of TH287 (MTH1 inhibitor) alone. SiTMSN and HA-siTMSN significantly reduced the tumor burden compared to that of untreated control and free TH287. The study strongly supports the fact that the HA-siTMSN plays dual of inhibiting the MDR1 function and enhancing the cell killing effect of TH287 in the cancer tissues. Overall, results suggest that the HA-siTMSN platform is a promising vector the systemic delivery of MDR1 siRNA/TH287 and combinational therapeutics could be a viable solution for treatment of cancer of oral cavity.

[Scanning electron microscope analysis of the root dentin bonding interface filled with different pastes or bonded by different program in fiber post and resin bonded repair].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the influence of different bonding process and three different root canal sealing materials on microstructure of root canal dentin bonding interface after fiber post and resin bonding, so as to improve clinical operation steps and to optimize fiber post resin bonding effect. METHODS: Fifteen human single mandibular first premolars were selected. Three were bonded with fiber posts through Relyx Unicem conventional bonding steps after filled with root canal sealing materials of zinc oxide eugenol paste (Group A), and another three were bonded through the same steps after filled with sealing materials of Vitapex (Group B). The other nine were filled with sealing materials of AH Plus, randomly divided into three groups and bonded through different steps as follows: conventional bonding steps only (Group C), etching with 35% phosphoric acid before conventional bonding steps (Group D), and etching and coating with Singlebond 2 adhesive before conventional bonding steps (Group E). After immersed in saline solution for one week, all the roots were cut into three sections of 3 mm in thickness with emery chip and numbered as crown section, middle section and tip section respectively. The samples were observed the resin protrusion in mixed layer of dentin interface and dentinal tubules by scanning electron microscopy. RESULTS: We observed the resin protrusion in microstructures of the roots bonded through Relyx Unicem after filled with three different root canal sealing materials (Group A, B, C, E): most obvious in the root crown sections, middle in the root middle sections and least in the root tip sections. Differences were observed in roots filled with different sealing materials: little resin protrusion were observed in crown sections only in Group A and B, but large number of resin protrusion were found in crown and middle sections in Group C-E. Compared with Group C, no more resin protrusion were found in Group D. More and elongated resin protrusions were found in Group E. CONCLUSIONS: We recommend using AH Plus as root canal sealing materials for residual crown and root needed to strengthen by fiber post. It is no need to etch before Relyx Unicem conventional bonding steps. However, coating Singlebond 2 adhesive after acid etching has the potential to increase fiber post cementation.

[Endotoxin deactivation in artificial glass root canals with ultrasonic treatment].

OBJECTIVE: To study the deactivation of the endotoxin in artificial glass root canals with ultrasonic vibration. METHODS: 80 artificial glass root canals were randomly divided into 8 groups: Ultrasonic vibration of 5 minutes, 7 minutes, 10 minutes, ultrasonic vibration of 5 minutes together with 3% H2O2 solution, only 3% H2O2 solution, ultrasonic vibration of 5 minutes together with 5.25% NaClO solution, only 5.25% NaClO solution and the control. Standard endotoxin solution was introduced into each root canal. Different time's ultrasonic vibration was applied to different groups. After ultrasonic vibration, the endotoxin activity of each group was tested by kinetic turbidimetric limulus test. RESULT: There were no significant differences among the groups of different time ultrasonic vibration and the control (P>0.05). There was great statistical difference between each group with root canal rinse solution and the control (P<0.001). The endotoxin activity of the test was significantly lower than the control. There was no significant difference between the groups of only rinse solution and rinse solution together with ultrasonic vibration. CONCLUSION: Under the condition of this study, the only ultrasonic vibration can not deactivate the endotoxin of infected root canals and can not intensify the effect of root canal rinse solution.