A comparative study of the use of digital technology in the anterior smile experience.

OBJECTIVES: this study aims to compare the clinical outcomes of traditional and digital crown extension guides in the aesthetic restoration of anterior teeth. Additionally, the study will analyze the differences in the results of various digital crown extension guides in anterior aesthetic restorations. METHODS: Sixty-two patients who required aesthetic restoration of their anterior teeth were selected for this study. The patients had a total of 230 anterior teeth and were randomly divided into three groups: a control group of 22 cases who received diagnostic wax-up with pressure film, an experimental group 1 of 20 cases who received 3D printed digital models with pressure film, and an experimental group 2 of 20 patients who received digital dual-positioning guides. The control group had a total of 84 anterior teeth, experimental group 1 had 72 anterior teeth, and experimental group 2 had 74 anterior teeth. The study compared three methods for fabricating crown extension guides: the control group used the diagnostic wax-up plus compression film method, while experimental group 1 used compression film on 3D printed models and experimental group 2 used 3D printed digital dual-positioning crown extension guides. After the crown lengthening surgery, the control group patients wore DMG resin temporary crown material for gingival contouring, while the experimental group patients wore 3D printed resin temporary crowns for the same purpose. The patients were followed up in the outpatient clinic after wearing temporary crowns for 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months, respectively. The clinical results were evaluated in terms of marginal fit, red aesthetic index, and white aesthetic index. RESULTS: Based on the statistical analysis, the experimental group required significantly fewer follow-up visits and less time for guide design and fabrication compared to the control group. Additionally, the surgical time for the experimental group was significantly shorter than that of the control group. During the postoperative period between the 1st and 3rd month, the PES index scores for the marginal gingival level, proximal, and distal mesiodistal gingival papillae of the experimental group showed a trend of superiority over those of the control group. By the 6th month, the marginal gingival level exhibited a significant difference between the experimental and control groups. The experimental group demonstrated superior results to the control group in terms of shape, contour, and volume of the teeth, color, surface texture, and transparency of the restorations, and features during the 1st and 3rd postoperative months. In the 6th month, the comparative results indicated that the experimental group continued to exhibit superior outcomes to the control group in terms of the shape, color, surface texture, and transparency of the restorations, as well as the characteristics of the teeth. Additionally, the experimental group demonstrated significantly fewer gingival alterations than the control group at 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months post-procedure, with this difference being statistically significant. Furthermore, the combination of 3D printing technology and restorative techniques was utilized, resulting in consistent patient satisfaction. CONCLUSION: Digitalisation plays an important role in anterior aesthetic restorations. The use of digital technology to manage the entire process of anterior cosmetic restorations can improve restorative results, reduce the number of follow-up appointments, shorten consultation time, and achieve better patient satisfaction.

Clinical decision support tool for breast cancer recurrence prediction using SHAP value in cooperative game theory.

Background: Recurrence remains the primary cause of death in patients with breast cancer. Although machine learning can efficiently predict the prognosis of breast cancer patients, the black-box nature of the model may result in a lack of evidence for clinicians when making critical decisions. Methods: In this study, our main objective was twofold: (1) to develop a clinical decision support tool for predicting the prognosis of breast cancer and (2) to identify and explore the key factors that influence breast cancer recurrence. To achieve this, we employed an explainable ensemble learning method called Shapley additive explanation (SHAP), which leverages cooperative game theory. Using real-world data from 1629 breast cancer patients, we analyzed and uncovered the key factors associated with breast cancer recurrence. Subsequently, we used these identified factors to create a recurrence prediction model and establish a decision mechanism for the tool. The proposed method not only provides accurate recurrence predictions but also offers transparent explanations for these predictions. Results: By utilizing four key factors, namely, tumor size, clinical stage III, number of lymph node metastases, and age, our decision support tool for predicting breast cancer recurrence achieved significant improvements. The extra-tree model exhibited an increased area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.97, while the Random Forest model demonstrated an improved AUC of 0.96. We also offer a decision mechanism for a recurrence prediction model based on the identified key factors. This transparent and interpretable decision-making process facilitated by our explainable ensemble learning model enhances trust and promotes its applicability in clinical settings. Conclusions: The proposed explainable ensemble learning method shows promising results in predicting breast cancer recurrence, outperforming existing methods with high accuracy and transparency. This advancement has the potential to significantly improve clinical decision-making and patient outcomes in breast cancer treatment.

Comprehensive functional interrogation of susceptibility loci in GWASs identified KIAA0391 as a novel oncogenic driver via regulating pyroptosis in NSCLC.

Approximately 51 non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) risk loci have been identified by genome-wide association studies (GWASs). We conducted a high throughput RNA-interference (RNAi) screening to identify the candidate causal genes in NSCLC risk loci. KIAA0391 at 14q13.1 had the highest score and could promote proliferation and metastasis of NSCLC in vitro and in vivo. We next prioritized rs3783313 as a causal variant at 14q13.1, by integrating a large-scale population study consisting of 27,120 lung cancer cases and 27,355 controls, functional annotation, and expression quantitative trait locus (eQTL) analysis. Then we found that rs3783313 could facilitate a promoter-enhancer interaction to upregulate KIAA0391 expression by affecting the affinity of transcription factor NFYA. Mechanistically, KIAA0391 knockdown dramatically influenced pyroptosis-related pathways and increased the expression of CASP1. And KIAA0391 transcriptionally repressed CASP1 by binding to SMAD2 and induced an anti-pyroptosis phenotype, promoting tumorigenesis of NSCLC, which provides new insights and potential target for NSCLC.

Development and evaluation of a polygenic risk score for lung cancer in never-smoking women: A large-scale prospective Chinese cohort study.

The proportion of lung cancer in never smokers is rising, especially among Asian women, but there is no effective early detection tool. Here, we developed a polygenic risk score (PRS), which may help to identify the population with higher risk of lung cancer in never-smoking women. We first performed a large GWAS meta-analysis (8595 cases and 8275 controls) to systematically identify the susceptibility loci for lung cancer in never-smoking Asian women and then generated a PRS using GWAS datasets. Furthermore, we evaluated the utility and effectiveness of PRS in an independent Chinese prospective cohort comprising 55 266 individuals. The GWAS meta-analysis identified eight known loci and a novel locus (5q11.2) at the genome-wide statistical significance level of P < 5 × 10-8 . Based on the summary statistics of GWAS, we derived a polygenic risk score including 21 variants (PRS-21) for lung cancer in never-smoking women. Furthermore, PRS-21 had a hazard ratio (HR) per SD of 1.29 (95% CI = 1.18-1.41) in the prospective cohort. Compared with participants who had a low genetic risk, those with an intermediate (HR = 1.32, 95% CI: 1.00-1.72) and high (HR = 2.09, 95% CI: 1.56-2.80) genetic risk had a significantly higher risk of incident lung cancer. The addition of PRS-21 to the conventional risk model yielded a modest significant improvement in AUC (0.697 to 0.711) and net reclassification improvement (24.2%). The GWAS-derived PRS-21 significantly improves the risk stratification and prediction accuracy for incident lung cancer in never-smoking Asian women, demonstrating the potential for identification of high-risk individuals and early screening.

Integrative analyses of N6-methyladenosine-associated single-nucleotide polymorphisms (m6A-SNPs) identify tumor suppressor gene AK9 in lung cancer.

N6 -methyladenosine (m6 A) modification has been identified as one of the most important epigenetic regulation mechanisms in the development of human cancers. However, the association between m6 A-associated single-nucleotide polymorphisms (m6 A-SNPs) and lung cancer risk remains largely unknown. Here, we identified m6 A-SNPs and examined the association of these m6 A-SNPs with lung cancer risk in 13,793 lung cancer cases and 14,027 controls. In silico functional annotation was used to identify causal m6 A-SNPs and target genes. Furthermore, methylated RNA immunoprecipitation and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (MeRIP-qPCR) assay was performed to assess the m6 A modification level of different genotypes of the causal SNP. In vitro assays were performed to validate the potential role of the target gene in lung cancer. A total of 8794 m6 A-SNPs were detected, among which 397 SNPs in nine susceptibility loci were associated with lung cancer risk, including six novel loci. Bioinformatics analyses indicated that rs1321328 in 6q21 was located around the m6 A modification site of AK9 and significantly reduced AK9 expression (ß = -0.15, p = 2.78 × 10-8 ). Moreover, AK9 was significantly downregulated in lung cancer tissues than that in adjacent normal tissues of samples from the Cancer Genome Atlas and Nanjing Lung Cancer Cohort. MeRIP-qPCR assay suggested that C allele of rs1321328 could significantly decrease the m6 A modification level of AK9 compared with G allele. In vitro assays verified the tumor-suppressing role of AK9 in lung cancer. These findings shed light on the pathogenic mechanism of lung cancer susceptibility loci linked with m6 A modification.

Subcellular Expression Patterns of FKBP Prolyl Isomerase 10 (FKBP10) in Colorectal Cancer and Its Clinical Significance.

FKBP10, a member of the FK506-binding protein (FKBP) family, has been implicated in cancer development, although its prognostic function remains controversial. In this study, we analyzed the expression of FKBP10 in tumor tissues using online databases (TCGA) as well as our CRC cohort, and investigated the relationship between its subcellular expression pattern and patient outcomes. Cox regression analysis was used to determine the associations between different subcellular expression patterns of FKBP10 and clinical features of patients. We also discussed the expression level of FKBP10 based on different subcellular expression patterns. Our results showed that FKBP10 was significantly elevated in CRC tissues and exhibited three different subcellular expression patterns which were defined as 'FKBP10-C' (concentrated), 'FKBP10-T' (transitional) and 'FKBP10-D' (dispersive). The FKBP10-D expression pattern was only found in tumor tissues and was associated with unfavorable disease-free survival in CRC patients. High expression levels of FKBP10-C predicted an unfavorable prognosis of recurrence of CRC, while FKBP10-D did not. Our findings suggest that the subcellular expression patterns and expression level of FKBP10 play crucial prognostic roles in CRC, which revealed that FKBP10 may be a viable prognostic and therapeutic target for the diagnosis and treatment of CRC.

Association between home and community-based services and depressive symptoms in Chinese older adults: a multilevel analysis.

BACKGROUND: As the phenomenon of ageing continues to intensify, home and community-based services (HCBSs) have been increasingly important in China. However, the association between HCBSs utilization and depressive symptoms in older adults in China is unclear. Consequently, this study aimed to examine the association between HCBSs utilization and depressive symptoms in Chinese older adults. METHODS: This study included 7,787 older adults (≥ 60 years old) who were recruited within the framework of the 2018 China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). Depressive symptoms were assessed using the 10-item Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D-10). HCBSs utilization was assessed via the question, "What kind of HCBSs were being utilized in their community?". Data were analyzed using binary logistic regression models and generalized hierarchical linear models (GHLM). RESULTS: Of the 7,787 participants, 20.0% (n = 1,556) reported that they utilized HCBSs, and 36.7% (n = 2,859) were evaluated that they had depressive symptoms. After adjusting for individual- and province-level covariates, the HCBSs utilization was found to be associated with depressive symptoms (OR = 1.180, 95% CI: 1.035-1.346, p < 0.05). Additionally, the depressive symptoms were significantly associated with gender, residence, educational level, marital status, number of chronic diseases, self-rated health (SRH), smoking, and provincial Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita. CONCLUSIONS: This study found HCBSs utilization might be a protective factor against depressive symptoms in Chinese older adults. It is of utmost significance for the government to provide targeted HCBSs at the community level to address the unmet care needs of older adults, which can reduce the occurrence of negative emotions, consequently contributing to less severe depressive symptoms.

'Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus' secretory protein SDE3 inhibits host autophagy to promote Huanglongbing disease in citrus.

Antimicrobial acroautophagy/autophagy plays a vital role in degrading intracellular pathogens or microbial molecules in host-microbe interactions. However, microbes evolved various mechanisms to hijack or modulate autophagy to escape elimination. Vector-transmitted phloem-limited bacteria, Candidatus Liberibacter (Ca. Liberibacter) species, cause Huanglongbing (HLB), one of the most catastrophic citrus diseases worldwide, yet contributions of autophagy to HLB disease proliferation remain poorly defined. Here, we report the identification of a virulence effector in "Ca. Liberibacter asiaticus" (Las), SDE3, which is highly conserved among the "Ca. Liberibacter". SDE3 expression not only promotes the disease development of HLB and canker in sweet orange (Citrus sinensis) plants but also facilitates Phytophthora and viral infections in Arabidopsis, and Nicotiana benthamiana (N. benthamiana). SDE3 directly associates with citrus cytosolic glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenases (CsGAPCs), which negatively regulates plant immunity. Overexpression of CsGAPCs and SDE3 significantly inhibits autophagy in citrus, Arabidopsis, and N. benthamiana. Intriguingly, SDE3 undermines autophagy-mediated immunity by the specific degradation of CsATG8 family proteins in a CsGAPC1-dependent manner. CsATG8 degradation is largely rescued by treatment with an inhibitor of the late autophagic pathway, E64d. Furthermore, ectopic expression of CsATG8s enhances Phytophthora resistance. Collectively, these results suggest that SDE3-CsGAPC interactions modulate CsATG8-mediated autophagy to enhance Las progression in citrus.Abbreviations: ACP: asian citrus psyllid; ACD2: ACCELERATED CELL DEATH 2; ATG: autophagy related; Ca. Liberibacter: Candidatus Liberibacter; CaMV: cauliflower mosaic virus; CMV: cucumber mosaic virus; Cs: Citrus sinensis; EV: empty vector; GAPC: cytosolic glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase; HLB: huanglongbing; H2O2: hydrogen peroxide; Las: liberibacter asiaticus; Laf: liberibacter africanus; Lam: liberibacter americanus; Pst: Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato; PVX: potato virus X; ROS: reactive oxygen species; SDE3: sec-delivered effector 3; TEM: transmission electron microscopy; VIVE : virus-induced virulence effector; WT: wild-type; Xcc: Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri.

Inhibition of BRD4 enhanced the tumor suppression effect of dasatinib in gastric cancer.

BRD4, a member of the bromodomain and extraterminal (BET) family, is elevated in multiple cancer tissues, including gastric cancer (GC). Targeted therapy with BRD4 may help improve the overall survival of patients with GC. Meanwhile, the approved multi-target kinase inhibitor, dasatinib, was recently reported to show varied tumor-suppressive effects in GC cells. This study investigated BRD4 expression in vivo and in vitro using immunohistochemistry and western blotting, respectively. We discussed the relationship between BRD4 expression and patient prognosis. Next, the antitumor efficacy of dasatinib was measured in BRD4-knockdown GC cells to determine the role of BRD4 blockage in dasatinib treatment. Finally, molibresib, a BET inhibitor, was used to measure the cooperative function of BRD4 inhibition and dasatinib treatment in three GC cell lines. Epithelial BRD4 expression was higher in tumoral and metastatic tissues and was strongly associated with unfavorable tumor, node, and metastasis stages and survival. BRD4 expression was heterogeneous in the three GC cell lines tested in vitro. In SGC7901, a BRD4-high GC cell line, knockdown of BRD4 using specific siRNAs suppressed cell growth individually and cooperatively with dasatinib. Moreover, molibresib and dasatinib showed a cooperative effect in suppressing the proliferation of BRD4-high GC cells. In conclusion, we confirmed that increased epithelial BRD4 expression is associated with poor disease stage and prognosis in GC and BRD4 blockage might be a valuable strategy to improve the sensitivity of dasatinib and other drugs in the chemotherapy of advanced GC.

SHP2 inhibition improves celastrol-induced growth suppression of colorectal cancer.

This study aimed to explore novel targets for celastrol sensitization in colorectal cancer (CRC) based on differentially regulated signals in response to high- or low-dose celastrol. Targeting signals were investigated using Western blotting or phosphorylated receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) arrays. Corresponding inhibitors for the signals were individually combined with low-dose celastrol for the assessment of combined anti-CRC effects, based on proliferation, apoptosis, colony assays, and xenograft models. The potential mechanism for the combination of celastrol and SHP2 inhibition was further examined. Low-dose celastrol (<1 µM) did not effectively suppress AKT and ERK signals in CRC cells compared to high-dose celastrol (>1 µM). However, when combined with an AKT or ERK inhibitor, low-dose celastrol could cooperatively suppress CRC proliferation. Furthermore, failed AKT or ERK inhibition by low-dose celastrol may be due to reactivated RTK-SHP2 signaling with negative feedback. The combination of celastrol and the SHP2 inhibitor resulted in greatly reduced AKT and ERK signals, as well as greater inhibition of CRC growth than celastrol alone. Moreover, the mechanism underlying combination suppression was also involved in the activation of immune cell infiltration (mainly for CD8+ cells) in CRC tissues. Failure to inhibit RTK-SHP2-AKT/ERK signaling contributed to the lack of CRC growth suppression by low-dose celastrol. However, the combination of celastrol and the SHP2 inhibitor resulted in synergistic inhibition of CRC growth and provided a promising therapeutic target.

Long non-coding RNA HCG22 inhibits the proliferation, invasion and migration of oral squamous cell carcinoma cells by downregulating miR-425-5p expression.

Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) HLA complex group 22 (HCG22) is known to be involved in the occurrence and development of cancer; however, its role in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) remains unclear. Therefore, the main aim of the present study was to investigate the role and mechanisms of action of lncRNA HCG22 in OSCC cells. The expression levels of lncRNA HCG22 and microRNA (miR)-425-5p in OSCC cells were assessed using reverse transcription-quantitative PCR analysis. Cell proliferation was detected using Cell Counting Kit-8 and colony formation assays. In addition, the expression levels of cell proliferation-related proteins, p27, cyclin E and cyclin-dependent kinase 2, were detected by western blot analysis. The cell invasive ability was detected by Transwell assay, while the cell migratory ability was detected via a wound healing assay. The expression levels of the invasion- and migration-related proteins, MMP2 and MMP9, were measured by western blot analysis. The targeted association between lncRNA HCG22 and miR-425-5p was verified by RNA immunoprecipitation and dual-luciferase reporter assays. The results revealed that lncRNA LCG22 was expressed at low levels, while miR-425-5p was highly expressed in OSCC cell lines, based on bioinformatics analysis. The overexpression of lncRNA HCG22 inhibited the proliferation, invasion and migration of OSCC cells. Moreover, lncRNA HCG22 and miR-425-5p were found to have a direct targeted association, and lncRNA HCG22 inhibited cell proliferation, invasion and migration by targeting miR-425-5p. Collectively, the findings of the present study demonstrated that lncRNA HCG22 may inhibit the proliferation, invasion and migration of OSCC cells by downregulating miR-425-5p expression.

Therapeutic Suppression of FAK-AKT Signaling Overcomes Resistance to SHP2 Inhibition in Colorectal Carcinoma.

SHP2 mediates signaling from multiple receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) to extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and Ser and Thr kinase AKT, and its inhibitors offer an unprecedented opportunity for cancer treatment. Although the ERK signaling variation after SHP2 inhibition has been well investigated, the AKT signaling variation in colorectal carcinoma (CRC) is still unknown. Therefore, we performed immunohistochemistry and bioinformatics analyses to explore the significance of p-SHP2 in CRC. A panel of CRC cell lines with the SHP2 inhibitor, SHP099, was used to assess the effects on viability and signaling. The inhibitors of AKT and focal adhesion kinase (FAK) signaling were examined in combination with SHP099 as potential strategies to enhance the efficacy and overcome resistance. Frequent resistance to the SHP2 inhibitor was observed in CRC cells, even in those without RAS mutations. We observed rapid adaptive reactivation of the AKT pathway in response to SHP2 inhibition, possibly driven by the reactivation of RTKs or released p-FAK. High baseline p-FAK may also be associated with CRC cell resistance to SHP2 inhibition. Co-inhibition of FAK abrogated the feedback reactivation of AKT in response to SHP2 inhibition. Moreover, the combined inhibition of SHP2 with AKT or FAK resulted in sustained AKT pathway suppression and improved antitumor efficacy in vitro and in vivo. Our study found that reactivation of the AKT pathway is a key mechanism of adaptive resistance to SHP2 inhibition, highlighting the potential significance of AKT and FAK inhibition strategies to enhance the efficacy of SHP2 inhibitors in CRC treatment.

Effect of prenatal cigarette smoke exposure on sevoflurane-induced respiratory suppression in neonatal rats and the protective role of hydrogen sulfide.

Prenatal cigarette smoke (CS) exposure causes numerous respiratory health problems in infants. This study aimed to investigate the effect of prenatal CS exposure on sevoflurane-induced respiratory suppression in neonatal rats and the protective role of H2S. We found that at baseline, minute ventilation (V'E), respiratory frequency (fR), and tidal volume (VT) were similar among tested groups, whereas sigh frequency (fS) was lower in CS group than in the Control group. During 3 % sevoflurane anesthesia, V'E was decreased, fR was slowed, VT was increased, and fS was reduced in all groups; however, the decline in fR and increase in VT was greater in CS group than in the Control group. During the recovery, fS remained lower in CS group. The above changes of respiratory response caused by prenatal CS exposure were alleviated by NaHS pretreatment (a donor of H2S, 56 µmol/kg/d, intraperitoneal injection). These results indicated that prenatal CS exposure alters the breathing into a much slower and deeper manner in neonatal rats during sevoflurane anesthesia, and H2S mitigates this respiratory change.

Oxidative stress in retrotrapezoid nucleus/parafacial respiratory group and impairment of central chemoreception in rat offspring exposed to maternal cigarette smoke.

We have reported that smoking during pregnancy is associated with deficit in neonatal central chemoreception. However, the underlying mechanism is not well clarified. In this study, we developed a rat model of maternal cigarette smoke (CS) exposure. Pregnant rats were exposed to CS during gestational day 1-20. Offspring were studied on postnatal day 2. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) content and expressions of antioxidant proteins in retrotrapezoid nucleus/parafacial respiratory group (RTN/pFRG) were examined by fluorogenic dye MitoSOX™ Red and Western blotting, respectively. The response of hypoglossal rootlets discharge to acidification was also detected with micro-injection of H2O2 into RTN/pFRG of offspring brainstem slices in vitro. Results showed that maternal CS exposure led to an increase in ROS production, and brought about decreases in mitochondrial superoxide dismutase and Kelch-like ECH-associated protein-1, and an increase in NF-E2-related factor 2 in offspring RTN/pFRG. Catalase and glutathione reductase expressions were not significantly changed. Moreover, oxidative stress induced by micro-injection of H2O2 into RTN/pFRG in vitro inhibited the discharge response of hypoglossal rootlets to acidification. These findings suggest that maternal CS exposure results in oxidative stress in RTN/pFRG of rat offspring, which might play a role in the impairment of central chemoreception.

Mitochondrial KATP channels contribute to the protective effects of hydrogen sulfide against impairment of central chemoreception of rat offspring exposed to maternal cigarette smoke.

We previously reported that maternal cigarette smoke (CS) exposure resulted in impairment of central chemoreception and induced mitochondrial dysfunction in offspring parafacial respiratory group (pFRG), the kernel for mammalian central chemoreception. We also found that hydrogen sulfide (H2S) could attenuate maternal CS exposure-induced impairment of central chemoreception in the rat offspring in vivo. Mitochondrial ATP sensitive potassium (mitoKATP) channel has been reported to play a significant role in mitochondrial functions and protect against apoptosis in neurons. Thus, we hypothesize here that mitoKATP channel plays a role in the protective effects of H2S on neonatal central chemoreception in maternal CS-exposed rats. Our findings revealed that pretreatment with NaHS (donor of H2S, 22.4mM) reversed the central chemosensitivity decreased by maternal CS exposure, and also inhibited cell apoptosis in offspring pFRG, however, 5-HD (blocker of mitoKATP channels, 19mM) attenuated the protective effects of NaHS. In addition, NaHS declined pro-apoptotic proteins related to mitochondrial pathway apoptosis in CS rat offspring pFRG, such as Bax, Cytochrome C, caspase9 and caspase3. NaHS or 5-HD alone had no significant effect on above indexes. These results suggest that mitoKATP channels play an important role in the protective effect of H2S against impairment of central chemoreception via anti-apoptosis in pFRG of rat offspring exposed to maternal CS.

Improved osteogenic differentiation of human amniotic mesenchymal stem cells on gradient nanostructured Ti surface.

Titanium (Ti) and Ti-based alloys are widely used in the manufacture of dental and orthopedic implants. However, how to improve their osteogenic differentiation ability is still a key issue to be resolved. In this study, gradient nanostructured surface (GNS) samples were prepared by surface mechanical grinding treatment, and coarse-grained (CG) samples were obtained by recrystallization annealing, making sure that the two kinds of specimens had similar roughness. Then, human amniotic mesenchymal stem cells (hAMSCs) were cocultured with the two kinds of Ti to investigate the material effects on the cellular functions. The results demonstrated that the grains with size ~56 nm were formed on the surface of the GNS Ti, and the grain size gradually increases from the sample surface to interior. Compared to the CG samples, the GNS ones could make the adhesion effect of the hAMSCs better, and promote the cell proliferation and osteogenic differentiation more significantly, the preliminary mechanism of which might be due to their specific nanostructure, the thicker oxide layer formed on their surface and the enhanced hardness. Our results indicated that the gradient nanostructured Ti materials could enhance both osteogenic differentiation and mechanical properties, which may possess broader applications in bone tissue engineering and clinical implanting.

Maternal cigarette smoke exposure disturbs glutamate/GABA balance in pFRG of neonatal rats.

We previously found that maternal cigarette smoke (CS) exposure resulted in impairment of central chemoreception and oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction of parafacial respiratory group (pFRG, a critical site for mammalian central chemoreception) in neonatal rats. The present work was carried out to identify if maternal CS exposure could disturb the glutamate (GLU)-ergic and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-ergic balance in pFRG of neonatal rats. We found that maternal CS exposure induced a decrease in GLU content and consequently in GLU/GABA ratio in pFRG of neonatal rats. Maternal CS exposure also decreased glutamine content and glutaminase and glutamine synthetase activity in offspring pFRG. In addition, expression of vesicular glutamate transporter 2 was depressed, and those of glutamate transporter 1 and GABA transporter 3 were elevated by maternal CS exposure. These results indicate that maternal CS exposure leads to a disturbance of GLU/GABA balance in pFRG of the neonatal rats, which might contribute to the suppression of central chemoreception in maternal CS-exposed offspring.

Vacuolar Membrane ATPase Activity 21 Predicts a Favorable Outcome and Acts as a Suppressor in Colorectal Cancer.

Extracellular and/or intracellular manipulation of pH in tumor may have noticeable potential in cancer treatment. Although the assembly factor genes of V0 domain of the V-ATPase complex are required for intracellular pH homeostasis, their significance in colorectal cancer (CRC) remains largely unknown. Here, we used bioinformatics to identify the candidates from known assembly factor genes of the V0 domain, which were further evaluated by immunohistochemistry (IHC) in CRC and adjacent normal specimens from 661 patients. Univariate and multivariate Cox analyses were used to evaluate factors contributing to prognosis. The effects of variations in the expression of VMA21 on tumor growth were assessed in vitro and in vivo. Of five known assembly factors, only VMA21 showed differential expression between CRC and adjacent normal tissues at both mRNA and protein levels. Patients with high VMA21 expression had higher differentiation grade and longer disease-specific survival (DSS) at stages I-III disease. High VMA21 expression in tumors was also an independent predictor of DSS (hazard ratio, 0.345; 95% confidence interval, 0.123-0.976), with covariates included TNM stage and differentiation grade. VMA21 overexpression decreased CRC growth, whereas VMA21 knockdown increased CRC growth in vitro and in vivo. VMA21 expression suppresses CRC growth and predicts a favorable DSS in patients with stage I-III disease.

Oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction in parafacial respiratory group induced by maternal cigarette smoke exposure in rat offspring.

Cigarette smoke (CS) exposure negatively affects neurodevelopment. We established a CS exposure rat model to determine how maternal CS exposure induces oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction in parafacial respiratory group (pFRG) essential to central chemoreceptive regulation of normal breathing. Pregnant rats were exposed to CS during gestational days 1-20, and the offspring were studied on postnatal day 2. Our data showed that maternal CS exposure resulted in elevated accumulation of ROS, which left a footprint on DNA and lipid with increases in 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine and malondialdehyde contents. Furthermore, maternal CS exposure induced decreases in manganese superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione reductase activities as well as reduction in glutathione content in pFRG in the offspring. Moreover, maternal exposure to CS led to mitochondrial ultrastructure changes, mitochondrial swelling, reduction in ATP generation, loss of mitochondrial membrane potential and increase in mitochondrial DNA copy number. These findings suggest that maternal exposure to CS alters normal development of pFRG that is critical for normal respiratory control.