Comparison of the Efficacy of Indwelling Gastric Tubes in Preoperative and Postoperative Patients With Oral and Maxillofacial Malignancies.

PURPOSE: To explore the optimal plan for the timing of indwelling gastric tube placement in oral and maxillofacial malignant tumor patients. DESIGN: A prospective randomized controlled trial. METHODS: 80 patients with oral and maxillofacial tumor were selected, and 40 patients were Pre-operative group. The remaining 40 patients were the control group, called Postoperative group. The body weight and hospital stay of the two groups were observed before and after surgery. Blood samples were taken before surgery and 1, 3 and 7 days after surgery to detect hemoglobin and plasma albumin. FINDINGS: The number of postoperative hospitalization days in the pre-operative group was significantly lower than that in the post-operative group; postoperative hemoglobin and plasma albumins were lower in both groups compared with the preoperative level. CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative nasogastric tube ensured early postoperative administration of gastrointestinal nutrition, promoted postoperative plasma albumin recovery, and shortened the days of hospitalization.

Life Satisfaction and Its Relationship With Personality Traits Among Medical College Students in China.

BACKGROUND: Life satisfaction is a comprehensive psychological index to measure a person's life quality. Previous studies have found that population sociological factors, physiological factors, psychological factors, and social factors all affect life satisfaction, but few studies have looked at the role of stable psychological factors, such as personality, in life satisfaction. Thus, this study combined previous research results and theories to study the current situation of college students' life satisfaction and its correlation with personality. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to comprehensively assess the life satisfaction levels among university students enrolled in a medical college in China, explore their correlation with various demographic factors and personality traits, identify potential areas for intervention, and provide recommendations for improving students' overall well-being and fostering the development of a positive and healthy personality. METHODS: A stratified cluster sampling method was used to select college students from a university. The questionnaire consists of general characteristics, a life satisfaction scale, and the Big Five Inventory. Descriptive statistical methods were conducted to describe the college students' life satisfaction status; an analysis of variance was performed to compare the score of life satisfaction among different demographic features; and the correlation between the score of life satisfaction and the Big Five Inventory was also analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 3116 subjects were included in this survey. The life satisfaction of females was higher than that of males in the dimensions of family, friends, school, and overall satisfaction (p<0.05). The life satisfaction of males in the self dimension was higher than that of females (p<0.05). The life satisfaction of different weight types had statistical significance in the life dimension (p<0.05). The life satisfaction of family, school, and overall well-being among smoking college students was lower than that of non-smoking college students (p<0.05). The life satisfaction of non-drinking college students in family, friends, life, school, and overall life satisfaction scores was higher than those of drinking college students (p<0.05). College students who get plenty of sleep a day (more than eight hours) scored higher life satisfaction scores in the self dimension than sleep-deprived college students (p<0.05). In addition to the family dimension, students taking long physical exercise breaks every day had higher life satisfaction scores in every dimension than students lacking physical exercise (p<0.05). The mean score of personality in the agreeableness and openness dimensions is the highest. Correlation analysis showed that the personality score in each dimension was positively correlated with the life satisfaction score in each dimension except for the neuroticism dimension of personality (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: The life satisfaction of college students is different for different lifestyles. The student management department should pay attention to the physical and mental health of college students with low life satisfaction and further find out the reasons for the difference in life satisfaction. Meanwhile, education should be strengthened for college students and encourage them to give up smoking and alcohol; strengthen physical training; and university education should strengthen the personality cultivation of college students.

Real-world treatment patterns and survival for locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

The "real world" treatment mode and clinical efficacy of locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (LAESCC) are unclear. Meanwhile, the role of immunotherapy in the clinical practice is also puzzling. We conducted the research to investigate the statue of "real world" LAESCC. The clinical data of patients with locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma which met the criteria from January 2010 to December 2019 have been retrospectively analyzed, and the distribution of clinical treatment patterns has been analyzed. They cover such aspects as dfferences in survival time and further analysis of the differences in overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) between patients who received immunotherapy and those who did not receive immunotherapy. What is more, Cox risk regression model has also been used to evaluate the risk factors affecting the prognosis of LAESCC. The cases of a total of 5328 newly diagnosed patients with esophageal cancer were collected, and a total of 363 patients were included in the study, with a median age of (46.2 ± 7.8) years old; 84 (23.1%) and 279 (76.9%) patients received 1L and ≥ 2L, respectively; Concurrent chemoradiotherapy (74.1%) and paclitaxel combined with platinum-based chemotherapy (14.3%) were the main first-line treatment options; fluorouracil combined with cisplatin regimen-based chemotherapy (63.8%) was the main treatment option for ≥ 2L, of which 69 patients (25.3%) received immunization treatment; OS of patients with 1 line of therapy and ≥ 2L were (22.4 ± 7.2) months and (38.7 ± 8.5) months, respectively, and the comparison between groups was statistically significant (P < .05); among 69 patients with ≥ 2L who received immunotherapy, PFS and The OS was (14.6 ± 6.9) and (45.3 ± 9.7) respectively, and the comparison between the groups was statistically significant (all P < .05). Cox multivariate analysis has shown that clinical stage, immunotherapy, concurrent chemoradiotherapy, and ≥ 2L are the main factors affecting OS. and immunotherapy, concurrent chemoradiotherapy, and ≥ 2L are independent factors affecting PFS. Concurrent chemoradiotherapy is currently one of the standard treatments for LAESCC, and most patients are still willing to receive second-line or above treatments. Adding immunotherapy to standard treatment modalities may further optimize clinical treatment modalities and improve patient outcomes.

Obesity related microRNA­424 is regulated by TNF­α in adipocytes.

In recent years, obesity has become a major public health concern. Obesity has been previously associated with low­grade inflammation and TNF­α induction in adipose tissue, which subsequently disrupts adipocyte metabolism. MicroRNAs (miRNAs/miRs) are important metabolic factors and their dysregulation has been associated with obesity­related metabolic syndromes. In fact, it has been directly suggested that miR­424 may be functionally associated with adipogenesis, although its exact role in this process remains unclear. The present study aimed to identify the function of miR­424 in adipogenesis. In the present study, miR­424 expression levels were analyzed during adipogenesis and the differential expression of this miRNA in the adipose tissue of obese and non­obese children was also assessed. Furthermore, the interaction between miR­424 and the adipocytokine TNF­α was determined. Finally, miR­424 target genes and downstream signaling pathways were predicted via bioinformatics and analyzed by performing a luciferase reporter assay to elucidate the functional mechanisms of miR­424 in adipogenesis of visceral adipocytes. The results revealed that the expression levels of miR­424 upregulated in the adipose tissue biopsies from obese children compared with the biopsies of non­obese children. However, in cultured adipocytes, the expression levels of miR­424 were discovered to be gradually downregulated during the adipogenesis process. TNF­α treatment significantly downregulated the expression levels of miR­424 via binding to its promoter region and reducing its transcriptional activity. Through bioinformatic prediction analysis, miR­424 target genes were analyzed, of which several were identified to be involved in signaling pathways that are known to regulate adipogenesis, such as the Wnt signaling pathway. In conclusion, the present study indicated that miR­424 was regulated by TNF­α and served an important role in adipogenesis.

Tumour necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand expression in patients with diabetic nephropathy.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to evaluate the expression profile of tumour necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) in patients with diabetic nephropathy (DN). METHODS: A total of 126 Chinese subjects were enrolled in this study, including 42 patients with diabetes mellitus (DM), 42 patients with DN and 42 healthy controls. Real-time polymerase chain reaction was performed to analyze levels of TRAIL mRNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Serum levels of soluble TRAIL (sTRAIL) and various cytokines were detected with a commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, the levels of TRAIL mRNA in PBMCs and sTRAIL in sera were both significantly decreased in the DM and DN patients ( P < 0.05). Conversely, levels of interleukin (IL)-1, IL-6, tumour necrosis factor-α and monocyte chemotactic protein-1 were higher in the DN group than in the control group. Serum levels of TRAIL positively correlated with TRAIL mRNA levels in all of the subjects examined ( P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: These results provide support and a theoretical basis for further research of TRAIL in regard to the pathogenesis of DN.

A systematic review of pharmacokinetic studies on herbal drug Fuzi: Implications for Fuzi as personalized medicine.

BACKGROUND: Fuzi, which is the processed lateral roots of Aconitum carmichaeli Debx. (Ranunculaceae), is a traditional herbal medicine that is well known for its excellent pharmacological effects and acute toxicity. Aconitum alkaloids are responsible for its pharmacological activity and toxicity. Although a large number of studies on Fuzi have been reported, no comprehensive review on its pharmacokinetics has yet been published. PURPOSE: This paper seeks to present a comprehensive review regarding the phytochemistry, pharmacokinetic features and toxicity of Fuzi. The regulation of drug-metabolizing enzymes (DMEs) and efflux transporters (ETs) by Fuzi is also concluded. Additionally, the use of Fuzi as a personalized medicine based on the bioavailability barrier (BB), which mainly comprises DMEs and ETs, is discussed. METHODS: All available information on Fuzi was collected by searching for key words in PubMed, ScienceDirect, CNKI, Google Scholar, Baidu Scholar, and Web of Science. RESULTS: Aconitum alkaloids, which mainly include diester-diterpene alkaloids (DDAs), monoester-diterpene alkaloids (MDAs) and unesterified-diterpene alkaloids (UDAs), could be detected after Fuzi ingestion in vivo. The Aconitum alkaloids are rapidly absorbed in the intestine and extensively distributed in the body. DMEs, especially CYP3A4/5, are responsible for various types of metabolic reactions of the Aconitum alkaloids. ETs, including P-glycoprotein (P-gp), multidrug resistance-associated protein 2 (MRP2), and breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP), are involved in the efflux of the DDAs and MDAs. The kidney is the most important organ involved in the excretion of the Aconitum alkaloids. DDAs are the main toxic compounds present in Fuzi, and their acute toxicity is mainly due to their effects on the voltage-dependent sodium channels. Furthermore, Fuzi can substantially regulate DMEs and ETs. CONCLUSIONS: The toxicity of DDAs is acute. However, further investigations are necessary to determine the exact toxicological mechanisms. The significant impact of Fuzi on DMEs and ETs suggests that the co-administration of Fuzi with drugs that are substrates of DMEs and/or ETs may cause herb-drug interactions (HDIs). The BB network controlled exposure to the Aconitum alkaloids in vivo. Polymorphisms of DMEs and ETs in different individuals contribute to the differences in the efficacy and toxicity of Fuzi ingestion. In the future, the use of Fuzi as personalized medicine based on the BB network is necessary and practical to achieve ideal therapeutic efficacy with minimal toxicity.

Aconitum alkaloids, the major components of Aconitum species, affect expression of multidrug resistance-associated protein 2 and breast cancer resistance protein by activating the Nrf2-mediated signalling pathway.

BACKGROUND: Aconitum alkaloids from Aconitum species are often used to treat arthritis and rheumatic diseases but have the drawback of high toxicity. Identifying their pharmacokinetic behaviour is important for the safe clinical application of Aconitum species. Efflux transporters (ETs), including P-glycoprotein (P-gp), multidrug resistance-associated protein 2 (MRP2), and breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP), have important functions in regulating the pharmacokinetic behaviours of drugs and in herb-herb or herb-drug interactions (HDIs). The Aconitum alkaloids regulate P-gp expression and function, but their effects on MRP2 and BCRP expression remain unknown. PURPOSE: To determine the effects of three Aconitum alkaloids, aconitine (AC), benzoylaconine (BAC), and aconine, on MRP2 and BCRP. METHODS: The levels of the protein and mRNA expression of MRP2 and BCRP in vivo and in vitro were measured via Western blotting and real-time PCR, respectively. Fluorescence signals of MRP2 and BCRP were detected via confocal fluorescence microscopy. A reporter assay using HepG2-C8 cells, which were generated by transfecting plasmids containing the antioxidant response element (ARE)-luciferin gene into HepG2 cells, was used to examine the ARE-luciferin activity. The transport activities of MRP2 and BCRP were tested via flow cytometry using substrate probes. RESULTS: The Aconitum alkaloids significantly up-regulated MRP2 and BCRP expression, accompanied by a marked increase in nuclear factor E2-related factor-2 (Nrf2) expression in the jejunum, ileum, and colon of FVB mice, in the order AC < BAC < aconine. In the in vitro model, the Aconitum alkaloids increased MRP2 and BCRP expression in Caco-2 and LS174T cells, in the order AC < BAC < aconine. Additionally, these alkaloids promoted the translocation of Nrf2 from the cytoplasm to the nucleus and significantly increased ARE-luciferin activity in HepG2-C8 cells. Luteolin, a potent inhibitor of Nrf2, markedly prevented MRP2 and BCRP expression from being induced by the three Aconitum alkaloids. The efflux activity of MRP2 was also significantly increased in cells receiving the same treatment. CONCLUSIONS: The tested Aconitum alkaloids significantly increased the expression of MRP2 and BCRP by activating the Nrf2-mediated signalling pathway and enhanced the efflux activity of MRP2. The potential for herb-herb interactions or HDIs exists when Aconitum species are co-administered with substrate drugs that are transported via MRP2 and BCRP. Therefore, the Aconitum alkaloids may be used as quality indicators for the herbs of Aconitum species.

LC-MS/MS quantification of sulfotransferases is better than conventional immunogenic methods in determining human liver SULT activities: implication in precision medicine.

This study aims to determine whether enzyme activities are correlated with protein amounts and mRNA expression levels of five major human sulfotransferase (SULT) enzymes in 10 matched pericarcinomatous and hepatocellular carcinoma liver samples. The MRM UHPLC-MS/MS method, Western blot and RT-PCR were used along with SULT activity measurement using probe substrates. The LC-MS/MS method was specific for all five tested SULTs, whereas Western blot was specific for only two isoforms. The activities of SULT1A1, SULT1B1, SULT1E1 and SULT2A1 in 9 of 10 samples showed a significant decrease in tumor tissues relative to matched pericarcinomatous tissues, whereas the activities of SULT1A3 in 7 of 10 samples increased. The turnover numbers of SULTs did not change, except for SULT1A1. A generally high degree of correlations was observed between SULT activities and protein amounts (r2 ≥ 0.59 except one), whereas a low degree of correlations was observed between SULT activities and mRNA expression levels (r2 ≤ 0.48 except one). HCC reduced the SULT activities via impaired protein amounts. LC-MS/MS quantification of SULTs is highly reliable measurement of SULT activities, and may be adopted for implementing precision medicine with respect to drugs mainly metabolized by SULTs in healthy and HCC patients.

Chronic Trigeminal Nerve Stimulation Protects Against Seizures, Cognitive Impairments, Hippocampal Apoptosis, and Inflammatory Responses in Epileptic Rats.

Trigeminal nerve stimulation (TNS) has recently been demonstrated effective in the treatment of epilepsy and mood disorders. Here, we aim to determine the effects of TNS on epileptogenesis, cognitive function, and the associated hippocampal apoptosis and inflammatory responses. Rats were injected with pilocarpine to produce status epilepticus (SE) and the following chronic epilepsy. After SE induction, TNS treatment was conducted for 4 consecutive weeks. A pilocarpine re-injection was then used to induce a seizure in the epileptic rats. The hippocampal neuronal apoptosis induced by seizure was assessed by TUNEL staining and inflammatory responses by immunohistochemistry and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The spontaneous recurrent seizure (SRS) number was counted through video monitoring, and the cognitive function assessed through Morris Water Maze (MWM) test. TNS treatment attenuated the SRS attacks and improved the cognitive impairment in epileptic rats. A pilocarpine re-injection resulted in less hippocampal neuronal apoptosis and reduced level of interleukin-1 beta (IL-1ß), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and microglial activation in epileptic rats with TNS treatment in comparison to the epileptic rats without TNS treatment. It is concluded that TNS treatment shortly after SE not only protected against the chronic spontaneous seizures but also improved cognitive impairments. These antiepileptic properties of TNS may be related to its attenuating effects on hippocampal apoptosis and pro-inflammatory responses.

Changes in reactive oxygen species, superoxide dismutase, and hypoxia-inducible factor-1α levels in missed abortion.

This study aimed to investigate changes in the expression levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) in the trophoblasts of patients who had experienced missed abortions. The missed abortion group included 28 patients with missed abortions. The control group was comprised of 35 women who had elected to undergo surgically induced abortion in their first trimester, and whose embryos were confirmed to be alive before surgery. No woman in either group had any known causative factor for missed or spontaneous abortion. As soon as the diagnosis of "missed abortion" was definitively made, the chorionic trophoblast was obtained by induced abortion operation. The same method was used for individuals in the control group, who were at 7-10 weeks of pregnancy. Levels of ROS, SOD, and HIF-1α in the chorionic trophoblasts from women in both groups were examined within 1 hour by fluorescent staining, chemiluminometry, and enzyme immunoassay methods. The SOD and HIF-1α levels were lower and the ROS level was higher in the trophoblasts from women in the missed abortion group compared to levels in the control group (P < 0.05). ROS, SOD and HIF-1α levels in the chorionic trophoblasts from patients with missed abortion are altered compared to levels in control patients. Changes in these factors should be evaluated further for their potential role in missed abortion.

Annual financial impact of thyroidectomies for nodular thyroid disease in China.

A large proportion of patients with thyroid nodules in China undergo thyroidectomy in order to get confirmatory histology diagnosis. The financial impact of this modality remains to be investigated. To evaluate rationality of performing thyroidectomy without a routine FNA preoperatively from the economic perspective, we conducted a retrospective, observational study of all archival thyroidectomies with records of cost per stay (CPS), cost per day (CPD) and length of stay (LOS) from 2008 to 2013 in the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University. We compared all the parameters between cancer and non-cancer thyroidectomies. We recruited 6, 140 thyroidectomies with valid records of CPS, CPD and LOS in this period. The CPS of cancer thyroidectomy was significantly higher than non-cancer thyroidectomy. The percentage of cancer thyroidectomy increased from 26.5% to 41.6%. The percentage of annual cost of cancer thyroidectomies rose from 30.2% to 45.2%. The LOS for cancer and non-cancer thyroidectomy decreased while the CPD increased in the past six years. The estimated national cost in 2012 for all thyroidectomies would be USD 1.86 billion with USD 1.09 billion for non-cancer thyroidectomies. We have witnessed great improvement in the healthcare for patients with thyroid nodules in China. However, given limited healthcare resources, currently thyroid FNA for more precise preoperative diagnosis may help to curb the rapidly increasing demand in healthcare costs in the future for nodular thyroid disease in China.

Isoflurane protects against injury caused by deprivation of oxygen and glucose in microglia through regulation of the Toll-like receptor 4 pathway.

Oxygen and glucose deprivation (OGD) are the most important factors related to tissue damage resulting from stroke. Microglial cells have been found to be very vulnerable to ischemia and OGD. It has been reported that isoflurane exposure can protect the mammalian brain from insults such as ischemic stroke; however, the effects of isoflurane on OGD-induced injury in microglia are as yet unknown. In this study, we investigated the effects of isoflurane on OGD-induced injury in microglia. 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) revealed that OGD did indeed induce cell death in microglia. However, isoflurane preconditioning attenuated OGD-induced cell death. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay demonstrated that isoflurane treatment alleviated OGD-induced apoptosis. Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) plays a considerable role in the induction of innate immune and inflammatory responses. Our results indicate that isoflurane preconditioning inhibits the upregulation of TLR4 as well as the activation of its downstream molecules, such as c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB), in BV-2 microglia exposed to OGD. Importantly, we also found that isoflurane pretreatment significantly reduces the production of proinflammatory factors such as tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-ß, and nitric oxide (NO). The results indicate that TLR4 and its downstream NF-κB-dependent signaling pathway contribute to the neuroprotection of microglia exposed to OGD/reoxygenation by administration of isoflurane.

Disruption of mediator complex subunit 19 (Med19) inhibits cell growth and migration in tongue cancer.

BACKGROUND: Mediator complex subunit 19 (Med19) is a critical subunit of the mediator complex that forms a bridge between the transcription factors and RNA polymerase II. Although it has been reported that Med19 plays an important role in stabilizing the whole mediator complex, its biological importance in tongue cancer cell proliferation and migration has not been addressed. METHODS: By using MTT, BrdU incorporation, colony formation, flow cytometric, tumorigenesis and transwell assays, We tested the Med19 role on tongue cancer cell growth and migration. RESULTS: We demonstrated that lentivirus-mediated Med19 knockdown could arrest tongue cancer cells at G1 phase, inhibit tongue cancer cell proliferation and migration in vitro. The tumorigenicity of Med19 short hairpin RNA (shRNA)-expressing lentivirus infected tongue cancer cells were decreased after inoculating into nude mice. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that Med19 plays an important role in tongue cancer proliferation and migration, and suggest possible applications for tongue cancer therapy.

Cysteine residues 87 and 320 in the amino terminal domain of NMDA receptor GluN2A govern its homodimerization but do not influence GluN2A/GluN1 heteromeric assembly.

N-Methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDARs) play a central role in various physiological and pathological processes in the central nervous system. And they are commonly composed of four subunits, two GluN1 subunits and two GluN2 or GluN3 subunits. The different subunit compositions make NMDARs a heterogeneous population with distinct electrophysiological and pharmacological properties and thus with different abilities to conduct neuronal activities. The subunit composition, assembly process, and final structure of assembled NMDARs have been studied for years but no consensus has been achieved. In this study, we investigated the role of the amino terminal domain (ATD) of GluN2A in regulating NMDAR assembly. The ATD of GluN2A was first expressed in heterogeneous cells and the homodimer formation was investigated by fluorescent resonance energy transfer and non-reducing SDSPAGE electrophoresis. Each of the three cysteine residues located in the ATD was mutated into alanine, and the homodimerization of the ATD or GluN2A, as well as the heteromeric assembly of NMDARs was assessed by non-reducing SDSPAGE electrophoresis, co-immunoprecipitation and immunocytochemistry. We found that two cysteine residues, C87 and C320, in the ATD of the GluN2A subunit were required for the formation of disulfide bonds and GluN2A ATD homodimers. Furthermore, the disruption of GluN2A ATD domain dimerization had no influence on the assembly and surface expression of NMDARs. These results suggest that the two ATD domains of GluN2A are structurally adjacent in fully-assembled NMDARs. However, unlike GluN1, the homomerization of the ATD domain of GluN2A is not required for the assembly of NMDARs, implying that GluN2A and GluN1 play unequal roles in NMDAR assembly.

Activation of Notch signaling in human tongue carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Involvement of Notch signaling in several tumors is well known, but its role in tongue squamous cell carcinoma remains poorly characterized. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the roles of Notch signaling in the oncogenesis of tongue carcinoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Tumor specimens and adjacent non-neoplastic tongue tissues from 74 patients with tongue carcinoma and human tongue carcinoma cell line Tca8113 were examined using immunohistochemistry and RT-PCR to determine the expressions of Notch1, Notch3, Jagged1, and Jagged2. RESULTS: The mRNA expressions of Notch1, Notch3, Jagged1, and Jagged2 were detected in Tca8113, tongue carcinoma, and adjacent non-neoplastic tongue tissues. The expression levels of mRNAs in tongue carcinoma were higher than those in adjacent non-neoplastic tongue tissues (P < 0.05). Immunohistochemical examination showed that the Notch signal molecules were expressed in Tca8113, tongue carcinoma, and adjacent non-neoplastic tongue tissues. The expression rates of Notch1 and Notch3 protein in tongue carcinoma were higher than those in adjacent non-neoplastic tongue tissues (χ² = 6.10, P = 0.013; χ² = 3.94, P = 0.047). Notch1 and jagged1 were significantly more highly expressed in lymph node metastasis-positive tongue carcinoma (χ² = 6.108, P = 0.013; χ² = 7.354, P = 0.025). In addition, expressions of Notch3 and Jagged2 were highly correlated in tongue carcinoma tissues (χ² = 42.130, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Expressions of Notch receptors and ligands in tongue carcinoma and adjacent non-neoplastic tongue tissues suggest that Notch signaling may control cell differentiation and proliferation of carcinoma cells. The disorder of Notch signaling may be a mechanism of the tongue carcinoma development.

[Mechanism of combined use of cyclopamine and hydroxycamptothecin in inducing the apoptosis of human oral squamous cell carcinoma cell line].

OBJECTIVE: To study the mechanism underlying the effect of combined use of cyclonpamine and hydroxycamptothecin in inducing the apoptosis of human oral squamous cell carcinoma cell line (OSCC) HSQ-89. METHODS: CCK8 assay was used to investigate the inhibitory effect of cyclopamine on HSQ-89 cells. Flow cytometry (FCM) was employed to examine the cell apoptosis following combined treatment with cyclonpamine and hydroxycamptothecin. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was applied to detect the mRNA expressions of Bcl-2, Bcl-xl, and Bid in HSQ-89 cells after the treatments. RESULTS: Combined treatment with cyclonpamine and hydroxycamptothecin significantly inhibited the cell proliferation compared with hydroxycamptothecin treatment alone, also resulting in a significantly higher apoptosis rate of the cells (P<0.05). The mRNA level of Bcl-2 was significantly decreased after the treatments, especially after the combined treatment. Cyclopamine produced no significant effect on the mRNA levels of Bcl-xl and Bid in the cells. CONCLUSION: The combined use of cyclopamine and hydroxycamptothecin significantly down-regulates the expression on of bcl-2 to induce the apoptosis of human OSCC cell line HSQ-89.

[Clinical value of PET in identifying cervical nodal metastases of tongue cancer: a comparison with CT/MRI and clinical palpation in 38 cases].

OBJECTIVE: To assess the value of PET in the identification of cervical nodal metastases of tongue cancer in comparison with CT/MRI and clinical palpation. METHODS: Thirty-eight patients with tongue cancer underwent PET and CT/MRI within 2 weeks before surgery. The results of PET, CT/MRI, and clinical palpation were interpreted separately to assess the regional lymph node status, using histopathological analysis as the golden standard. The differences in the sensitivity, specificity and accuracy among the imaging modalities and clinical palpation were analyzed. RESULTS: The sensitivity of PET for nodal metastasis identification was 11.1% higher than that of CT/MRI (83.3% vs 72.2%, P=0.423) and 16.6% higher than that of clinical palpation (83.3% vs 66.7%, P=0.248). The specificity of PET was 5% higher than that of CT/MRI (80% vs 75%, P=0.703) and 15% higher than that of clinical palpation (80% vs 65%, P=0.288). The accuracy of PET, CT/MRI, and clinical palpation in identifying cervical nodal metastases was 81.6%, 73.7% and 65.8%, respectively. CONCLUSION: The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of PET for detecting cervical nodal metastases are greater than those of CT/MRI and clinical palpation. Although the results failed to show statistically significant differences, we still recommend that PET be used as a supplementary modality for identifying nodal metastases of tongue cancer.

[Epigallocatechin-3-gallate induces G1 phase cell cycle arrest in KB cells].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effects of epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) on the proliferation of human oral epithelial cancer cell line KB cells and the molecular mechanisms. METHOD: KB cells were treated with various concentrations of EGCG for 24 or 48 h. MTT assay was used to test the cell viability. The changes of cell cycle in KB cells treated with EGCG for 48 h were analyzed using flow cytometry. The expressions of cyclin A, cyclin D1 and cyclin E were detected by RT-PCR and Western blotting. RESULT: The viability of KB cells treated with various concentrations of EGCG (25, 50, 100, 200, 400, and 800 micromol/L) for 48 h were decreased to (85.4-/+2.4)%, (80.4-/+2.8)%, (51.5-/+4.5)%, (30.2-/+1.9)%, (25.3-/+1.5)%, (20.0-/+1.1)%, respectively, showing significant difference from that of the control group [(100.0-/+2.2)%, P<0.05). EGCG decreased the viabilities of KB cells in a dose-dependent manner. Flow cytometry demonstrated that treatment with EGCG significantly increased the cell percentage in sub-G1 phase, which was (73.5-/+4.4)% after a 48-h EGCG treatment, significantly different from that in the control group [(47.3-/+3.5)%, P<0.05). EGCG-induced G1 phase arrest was correlated to the down-regulation of cyclin A and cyclin E. CONCLUSION: EGCG inhibits the proliferation of KB cells by inducing G1 phase arrest, which involves the downregulation of cyclin E.

[Clinical application of positron-emission tomography for the identification of cervical nodal metastases of head and neck cancer compared with CT or MRI and clinical palpation].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the value of positron-emission tomography (PET) for the identification of cervical nodal metastases of head and neck cancer compared with CT/MRI and clinical palpation. METHODS: Forty patients of head and neck cancer underwent PET and CT/MRI examination 2 weeks before surgery. PET, CT/MRI and clinical palpation were interpreted separately to assess regional lymph node status. Histopathologic analysis was used as the gold standard for assessment of the lymph node involvement. Differences in sensitivity, specificity and accuracy among the imaging modalities and clinical palpation were analyzed. RESULTS: The sensitivity of PET for the identification of nodal metastases was 14.3% higher than that of CT/MRI (P = 0.648) and 14.3% higher than that of clinical palpation (P = 0.648), whereas the specificity of PET was 15.4% higher than that of CT/MRI (P = 0.188) and 7.7% higher than that of clinical palpation (P = 0.482). The accuracy of 18F-FDG PET, CT/MRI, and clinical palpation for the identification of cervical nodal metastases was 85.0%, 70.0% and 75.0% respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of PET for the detection of cervical nodal metastases was higher than that of CT/MRI and clinical palpation. Although the results did not show a statistically significant difference, PET can still serve as a supplementary method for the identification of nodal metastases of head and neck cancer.

[Epidemiological investigation on congenital heart disease in several regions of Yunnan province].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the distribution of congenital heart disease (CHD) aged 3 - 18 in several regions of Yunnan province. METHODS: Cross-rectional studies were carried out among 48 638 children from Xishuangbanna, Dali, Baoshan Longling, Luxi Mangshi and Gejiu in Yunnan province with stratified, clustered sampling. RESULTS: The overall morbidity of CHD was 5.08 per thousand with 5.09 per thousand in males and 5.07 per thousand in females. Morbidity rates in different regions were 2.75 per thousand in Xishuangbanna, 7.85 per thousand in Dali, 9.59 per thousand in Baoshan Long ling, 4.80 per thousand in Gejiu, 16.99 per thousand in Luxi Wuchalu. However, in the same area, rates were different among different residents:3.25 per thousand in Gejiu, and was 9.10 per thousand in Laochang stannum mine, 11.20 per thousand in Datunxuanchang; 5.74 per thousand at the city of Baoshan Longling, 11.35 per thousand at countryside; 4.90 per thousand at the city of Dali, 8.71 per thousand at countryside; 1.69 per thousand at the city of Xishuangbanna, 4.40 per thousand at country. Morbidity rates in different ethnic groups were as follows: 5.39 per thousand in Dai, 6.83 per thousand in Jinuo, 0 per thousand in Hani, 8.12 per thousand in Bai, 14.18 per thousand in Jingpo. CONCLUSION: There were significant regional and ethnic differences seen in Yunnan on the mobidity of CHD which was different from the domestic literature reported.