Inhibition of ZDHHC16 promoted osteogenic differentiation and reduced ferroptosis of dental pulp stem cells by CREB.

BACKGROUND: The repair of bone defects caused by periodontal diseases is a difficult challenge in clinical treatment. Dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) are widely studied for alveolar bone repair. The current investigation aimed to examine the specific mechanisms underlying the role of Zinc finger DHHC-type palmitoyl transferases 16 (ZDHHC16) in the process of osteogenic differentiation (OD) of DPSCs. METHODS: The lentiviral vectors ZDHHC16 or si-ZDHHC16 were introduced in the DPSCs and then the cells were induced by an odontogenic medium for 21 days. Subsequently, Quantitate Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), immunofluorescent staining, proliferation assay, ethynyl deoxyuridine (EdU) staining, and western blot analysis were used to investigate the specific details of ZDHHC16 contribution in OD of DPSCs. RESULTS: Our findings indicate that ZDHHC16 exhibited a suppressive effect on cellular proliferation and oxidative phosphorylation, while concurrently inducing ferroptosis in DPSCs. Moreover, the inhibition of ZDHHC16 promoted cell development and OD and reduced ferroptosis of DPSCs. The expression of p-CREB was suppressed by ZDHHC16, and immunoprecipitation (IP) analysis revealed that ZDHHC16 protein exhibited interconnection with cAMP-response element binding protein (CREB) of DPSCs. The CREB suppression reduced the impacts of ZDHHC16 on OD and ferroptosis of DPSCs. The activation of CREB also reduced the influences of si-ZDHHC16 on OD and ferroptosis of DPSCs. CONCLUSIONS: These findings provide evidences to support a negative association between ZDHHC16 and OD of DPSCs, which might be mediated by ferroptosis of DPSCs via CREB.

Use of different ligand modification liposomes to evaluate the anti-liver tumor activity of cantharidin.

In this study, cantharidin(CTD), a bioactive terpenoid in traditional Chinese medicine cantharidin, was selected as a model component to construct novel nano liposome delivery systems for hepatocellular carcinoma therapy. Previous studies have shown that although cantharidin has definite curative effects on primary liver cancer, it is associated with numerous toxic and side effects. Therefore, based on the glycyrrhetinic acid (GA) binding site and the asialoglycoprotein receptor (ASGPR) on the hepatocyte membrane, the surface of CTD liposomes was modified with stearyl alcohol galactoside (SA-Gal) or/and the newly synthesized 3-succinic-30-stearyl deoxyglycyrrhetinic acid (11-DGA-Suc) ligands, and the physicochemical properties, pharmacokinetics, in vivo and in vitro anti-liver tumor activity and its mechanism of modified liposomes were investigated. Compared to CTD-lip, SA-Gal-CTD-lip, and 11-DGA-Suc + SA-Gal-CTD-lip, 11-DGA-Suc-CTD-lip showed stronger cytotoxicity and increased inhibition of HepG2 cell migration had the highest apoptosis rate. The cell cycle results indicated that HepG2 cells was arrested mainly at G0/G1phase and G2/M phase. The results of in vivo pharmacokinetic experiments revealed that the distribution of modified liposomes in the liver was significantly increased compared with that of unmodified liposome. In vivo tumor inhibition experiment showed that 11-DGA-Suc-CTD-lip had excellent tumor inhibition, and the tumor inhibition rates was 80.96%. The 11-DGA-Suc-CTD-lip group also displayed the strongest proliferation inhibition with the lowest proliferation index of 7% in PCNA assay and the highest apoptotic index of 49% in TUNEL assay. Taken together, our findings provide a promising solution for improving the targeting of nano liposomes and further demonstrates the encouraging potential of poor solubility and high toxicity drugs applicable to tumor therapy.

Fatty Acid-Based Coacervates as a Membrane-free Protocell Model.

Membrane-less scenarios that involve liquid-liquid phase separation (coacervation) provide clues for how protocells might emerge. Here, we report a versatile approach to construct coacervates by mixing fatty acid with biomolecule dopamine as the protocell model. The coacervate droplets are easily formed over a wide range of concentrations. The solutes with different interaction characteristics, including cationic, anionic, and hydrophobic dyes, can be well concentrated within the coacervates. In addition, reversible self-assemblies of the coacervates can be controlled by concentration, pH, temperature, salinity, and bioreaction realizing cycles between compartmentalization and noncompartmentalization. Through in situ dopamine polymerization, the stability of coacervate droplets is significantly improved, leading to higher resistance toward external factors. Therefore, the coacervates based on fatty acid and dopamine could serve as a bottom-up membrane-less protocell model that provides the links between the simple (small molecule) and complex (macromolecule) systems in the process of cell evolution.

Development of 11-DGA-3-O-Gal-Modified Cantharidin Liposomes for Treatment of Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Liver cancer is a common malignant tumor worldwide, and its morbidity and mortality increase each year. The disease has a short course and high mortality, making it a serious threat to human health. PURPOSE: The objective of this study was to create novel liver-targeting nanoliposomes to encapsulate cantharidin (CTD) as a potential treatment for hepatic carcinoma. METHODS: 3-Galactosidase-30-stearyl deoxyglycyrrhetinic acid (11-DGA-3-O-Gal)-modified liposomes (11-DGA-3-O-Gal-CTD-lip) for the liver-targeted delivery of CTD were prepared via the film-dispersion method and characterized. In vitro analyses of the effects on cellular cytotoxicity, cell migration, cell cycle, and cell apoptosis were carried out and an in vivo pharmacokinetics study and tissue distribution analysis were performed. RESULTS: Compared with unmodified liposomes (CTD-lip), 11-DGA-3-O-Gal-CTD-lip showed higher cytotoxicity and increased the inhibition of HepG2 cell migration, but they did not increase the apoptotic rate of cells. The inhibition mechanism of 11-DGA-3-O-Gal-CTD-lip on hepatocellular carcinoma was partly through cell cycle arrest at the S phase. Analysis of pharmacokinetic parameters indicated that 11-DGA-3-O-Gal-CTD-lip were eliminated more rapidly than CTD-lip. Regarding tissue distribution, the targeting efficiency of 11-DGA-3-O-Gal-CTD-lip to the liver was (41.15 ± 3.28)%, relative targeting efficiency was (1.53 ± 0.31)%, relative uptake rate was( 1.69 ± 0.37)%, and peak concentration ratio was (2.68 ± 0.12)%. CONCLUSION: 11-DGA-3-O-Gal-CTD-lip represent a promising nanocarrier for the liver-targeted delivery of antitumor drugs to treat hepatocellular carcinoma.

Porphyromonas gingivalis lipopolysaccharides affect gingival stem/progenitor cells attributes through NF-κB, but not Wnt/ß-catenin, pathway.

AIM: This study investigates for the first time the effect of Porphyromonas gingivalis lipopolysaccharides (Pg-LPS) on proliferative/regenerative aptitudes of gingival stem/progenitor cells (G-MSCs). MATERIAL AND METHODS: G-MSCs (n = 5) were treated by 0, 10 ng/ml, 100 ng/ml, 1 µg/ml or 10 µg/ml Pg-LPS. At 1 hour, Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR-4) expression and NF-κB and Wnt/ß-catenin signalling pathways were examined. Colony-forming unit assay was conducted at day 12. At 24 and 48 hours, MTT test, ALP activity, mRNA for tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6, collagen-I (Col-I), collagen-III, RUNX-2, alkaline phosphatase (ALP), osteonectin and protein expression of interleukin-6 and TNF-α were analysed. RESULTS: With increasing Pg-LPS, TLR-4 was upregulated, pNF-κB-p65 rose from median (Q25/Q75) 6.56% (4.19/7.90) to 13.02% (8.90/16.50; p = 0.002) and pNF-κB-p65/tNF-κB-p65 from 0.14(0.10/0.17) to 0.30(0.21/0.42; p = 0.002). pß-Catenin, tß-catenin and pß-catenin/tß-catenin showed no differences. Increasing Pg-LPS concentration increased cell numbers from 288.00(72.98/484.32) to 861.39 (540.41/1599.94; p = 0.002), ALP mRNA from 0.00(0.00/0.01) to 0.56(0.00/1.90; p = 0.004) and TNF-α from 32.47(12.11/38.57) to 45.32(28.68/48.65; p = 0.036). Over time, ALP activity increased from 0.89(0.78/0.95) to 1.90(1.83/2.09; p < 0.001), mRNA for TNF-α from 0.00(0.00/0.12) to 0.01(0.00/0.06; p = 0.007), mRNA for Col-I from 82.70(0.03/171.50) to 124.00(52.85/232.50; p = 0.019), while mRNA for RUNX-2 decreased from 1.73(0.92/3.20) to 0.84(0.48/1.47; p = 0.005). CONCLUSIONS: Pg-LPS upregulated G-MSCs' proliferation, without attenuation of their regenerative potential. The effects were NF-κB, but not Wnt/ß-catenin, pathway dependent.

An Amphiphilic Entangled Network Design Toward Ultratough Hydrogels.

Hydrogels find important roles in biomedicine, wearable electronics, and soft robotics, but their mechanical properties are often unsatisfactory. Conventional tough hydrogel designs are based on hydrophilic networks with sacrificial bonds, while the incorporation of hydrophobic polymers into hydrogels is less well understood. In this work, a hydrogel toughening strategy is demonstrated by introducing a hydrophobic polymer as reinforcement. Semicrystalline hydrophobic polymer chains are "woven" into a hydrophilic network via entropy-driven miscibility. In-situ-formed sub-micrometer crystallites stiffen the network, while entanglements between hydrophobic polymer and hydrophilic network enable large deformation before failure. The hydrogels are stiff, tough, and durable at high swelling ratios of 6-10, and the mechanical properties are tunable. Moreover, they can effectively encapsulate both hydrophobic and hydrophilic molecules.

Dental management of a patient with Moebius syndrome: A case report.

BACKGROUND: Moebius syndrome (MBS) is a nonprogressive and rare congenital neuromuscular disorder involving the facial nerve and abductor nerve; it mainly manifests as facial paralysis and eye strabismus paralytic symptoms. Tissues in the oral cavity are also compromised, characterized by microstomia, micrognathia, tongue malformation, cleft lip, high arched palate or cleft palate, bifid uvula, and dental malocclusion. Therefore, dentistry plays a fundamental and crucial role in caring for these individuals. However, there is limited available data on MBS treatment, particularly regarding dental management. CASE SUMMARY: This case report presents dental treatment of a 21-year-old man with MBS and discusses crucial interactions among oral complications of MBS. In this case, the patient was clinically characterized by congenital neuromuscular disorder, occlusal disorders, and tooth and gum problems. It is noteworthy that the patient presented early eruption of deciduous teeth 2 mo after birth, which has not been reported in other MBS cases and suggests a potentially new clinical manifestation of this syndrome. It is important to note that MBS cannot be cured, and oral manifestations of this syndrome can be managed by a multidisciplinary health care team that helps the patient maintain oral hygiene and dental health. After a series of oral treatments, no obvious poor oral hygiene, swollen gums, or abnormal imaging results were observed after 2 years of follow-up. CONCLUSION: This case addressed the oral clinical manifestations of MBS and difficulties experienced during dental management, and suggested early tooth eruption as a potentially new clinical manifestation of this syndrome. Knowledge of the loop-mediated association among oral complications of this syndrome is essential to perfecting treatments.

GOX-hemin nanogels with enhanced cascade activity for sensitive one-step glucose detection.

Early glucose detection is important in both healthy people and diabetic patients. The glucose colorimetric detection techniques usually consist of multiple steps and their preparation processes are time consuming. In this work, we fabricate a GOX-hemin nanogel (GHN) that could be used for one-step colorimetry detection of glucose. The GHN was prepared by carrying out polymerization on the surface of GOX. Each GOX-hemin nanogel consists of a single GOX encapsulated with a thin polymer network containing hemin. The proximity of hemin to GOX facilitates two reactions, i.e. the oxidation of glucose catalysed by GOX to yield H2O2, and the subsequent 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) oxidation reaction catalysed by hemin to yield the blue colored product. These processes work in tandem, which greatly enhances the efficacy, sensitivity and stability of the detection system. The limit of detection in our system was determined to be as low as 4 µM. Furthermore, the glucose detection activity still maintained more than 70% even after being incubated at 55 °C for 30 minutes, or in 20% (v/v) aqueous solution of DMF, CH3CN or THF for 25 minutes at room temperature. It is anticipated that this work can provide a method for developing diverse functional materials based on proteins.

A Unique Visual Attention Profile Associated With the FMR1 Premutation.

Atypical visual attention patterns have been observed among carriers of the fragile X mental retardation gene (FMR1) premutation (PM), with some similarities to visual attention patterns observed in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and among clinically unaffected relatives of individuals with ASD. Patterns of visual attention could constitute biomarkers that can help to inform the neurocognitive profile of the PM, and that potentially span diagnostic boundaries. This study examined patterns of eye movement across an array of fixation measurements from three distinct eye-tracking tasks in order to investigate potentially overlapping profiles of visual attention among PM carriers, ASD parents, and parent controls. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine whether variables constituting a PM-specific looking profile were able to effectively predict group membership. Participants included 65PM female carriers, 188 ASD parents, and 84 parent controls. Analyses of fixations across the eye-tracking tasks, and their corresponding areas of interest, revealed a distinct visual attention pattern in carriers of the FMR1 PM, characterized by increased fixations on the mouth when viewing faces, more intense focus on bodies in socially complex scenes, and decreased fixations on salient characters and faces while narrating a wordless picture book. This set of variables was able to successfully differentiate individuals with the PM from controls (Sensitivity = 0.76, Specificity = 0.85, Accuracy = 0.77) as well as from ASD parents (Sensitivity = 0.70, Specificity = 0.80, Accuracy = 0.72), but did not show a strong distinction between ASD parents and controls (Accuracy = 0.62), indicating that this set of variables comprises a profile that is unique to PM carriers. Regarding predictive power, fixations toward the mouth when viewing faces was able to differentiate PM carriers from both ASD parents and controls, whereas fixations toward other social stimuli did not differentiate PM carriers from ASD parents, highlighting some overlap in visual attention patterns that could point toward shared neurobiological mechanisms. Results demonstrate a profile of visual attention that appears strongly associated with the FMR1 PM in women, and may constitute a meaningful biomarker.

Enantioseparation of benzazoles and benzanilides on polysaccharide-based chiral columns.

The chiral recognition ability of the polysaccharide-based chiral columns (Chiralpak AD-RH, Chiralpak AS-RJ, Chiralpak IC, Chiralcel OD-RH, and Chiralcel OJ-RH) for the benzazoles and the benzanilides was evaluated under reversed phase conditions. The columns showed the high chiral recognition ability for a wide range of benzazoles and benzanilides. Twenty-one racemates were used for the evaluation, and 20 racemates were completely separated on at least one of the columns. In particular, AS-RH and OJ-RH showed the high chiral recognition ability for the benzazoles, and the AD-RH, IC, and OJ-RH were effective for the benzanilides.

18-GA-Suc Modified Liposome Loading Cantharidin for Augmenting Hepatic Specificity: Preparation, Characterization, Antitumor Effects, and Liver-Targeting Efficiency.

Cantharidin (CTD), a natural Chinese medicine constituent extracted from mylabris, is a potent drug against hepatocellular carcinoma. However, the clinical application of CTD was limited because of its toxicity and low solubility. In this work, a novel CTD-loaded liposome modified with 3-succinyl-30-stearyl glycyrrhetinic acid (18-GA-Suc-CTD-Lip) was prepared to enhance liver-targeting efficiency and antitumor activity. 18-GA-Suc-CTD-Lip and CTD-Lip were successfully prepared by film dispersion method and totally characterized. The antitumor effects in vitro were evaluated by cell proliferation inhibition assay, transwell assay, cell cycle analysis, and an apoptosis test. Pharmacokinetic and biodistribution were all investigated to precisely reveal liver-targeting efficiency of 18-GA-Suc-CTD-Lip in vivo. The IC50 values of 18-GA-Suc-CTD-Lip in HepG2 (3.417 ± 0.165 nmol/L) and Huh-7 (4.478 ± 0.409 nmol/L) cells were much lower than that of CTD-Lip, indicating that antitumor effects of 18-GA-Suc-CTD-Lip were remarkable because of the modification of 18-GA-Suc. The maximum concentration in the liver of 18-GA-Suc-CTD-Lip (1.72 ± 0.14 µg/g) was more than twice CTD-Lip (0.75 ± 0.08 µg/g) at 30 min, illustrating that 18-GA-Suc-CTD-Lip possesses excellent liver-targeting efficiency. Conclusively, 18-GA-Suc-CTD-Lip could be a potential liver-targeting antitumor drug for hepatocellular carcinoma.

Oral Mesenchymal Stem/Progenitor Cells: The Immunomodulatory Masters.

Oral mesenchymal stem/progenitor cells (MSCs) are renowned in the field of tissue engineering/regeneration for their multilineage differentiation potential and easy acquisition. These cells encompass the periodontal ligament stem/progenitor cells (PDLSCs), the dental pulp stem/progenitor cells (DPSCs), the stem/progenitor cells from human exfoliated deciduous teeth (SHED), the gingival mesenchymal stem/progenitor cells (GMSCs), the stem/progenitor cells from the apical papilla (SCAP), the dental follicle stem/progenitor cells (DFSCs), the bone marrow mesenchymal stem/progenitor cells (BM-MSCs) from the alveolar bone proper, and the human periapical cyst-mesenchymal stem cells (hPCy-MSCs). Apart from their remarkable regenerative potential, oral MSCs possess the capacity to interact with an inflammatory microenvironment. Although inflammation might affect the properties of oral MSCs, they could inversely exert a multitude of immunological actions to the local inflammatory microenvironment. The present review discusses the current understanding about the immunomodulatory role of oral MSCs both in periodontitis and systemic diseases, their "double-edged sword" uniqueness in inflammatory regulation, their affection of the immune system, and the underlying mechanisms, involving oral MSC-derived extracellular vesicles.

Oral microbiome and pancreatic cancer.

BACKGROUND: Microbiota profiles differ between patients with pancreatic cancer and healthy people, and understanding these differences may help in early detection of pancreatic cancer. Saliva sampling is an easy and cost-effective way to determine microbiota profiles compared to fecal and tissue sample collection. AIM: To investigate the saliva microbiome distribution in patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC) and the role of oral microbiota profiles in detection and risk prediction of pancreatic cancer. METHODS: We conducted a prospective study of patients with pancreatic cancer (n = 41) and healthy individuals (n = 69). Bacterial taxa were identified by 16S ribosomal ribonucleic acid gene sequencing, and a linear discriminant analysis effect size algorithm was used to identify differences in taxa. Operational taxonomic unit values of all selected taxa were converted into a normalized Z-score, and logistic regressions were used to calculate risk prediction of pancreatic cancer. RESULTS: Compared with the healthy control group, carriage of Streptococcus and Leptotrichina (z-score) was associated with a higher risk of PDAC [odds ratio (OR) = 5.344, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.282-22.282, P = 0.021 and OR = 6.886, 95%CI: 1.423-33.337, P = 0.016, respectively]. Veillonella and Neisseria (z-score) were considered a protective microbe that decreased the risk of PDAC (OR = 0.187, 95%CI: 0.055-0.631, P = 0.007 and OR = 0.309, 95%CI: 0.100-0.952, P = 0.041, respectively). Among the patients with PDAC, patients reporting bloating have a higher abundance of Porphyromonas (P = 0.039), Fusobacterium (P = 0.024), and Alloprevotella (P = 0.041); while patients reporting jaundice had a higher amount of Prevotella (P = 0.008); patients reporting dark brown urine had a higher amount of Veillonella (P = 0.035). Patients reporting diarrhea had a lower amount of Neisseria and Campylobacter (P = 0.024 and P = 0.034), and patients reporting vomiting had decreased Alloprevotella (P = 0.036). CONCLUSION: Saliva microbiome was able to distinguish patients with pancreatic cancer and healthy individuals. Leptotrichia may be specific for patients living in Sichuan Province, southwest China. Symptomatic patients had different bacteria profiles than asymptomatic patients. Combined symptom and microbiome evaluation may help in the early detection of pancreatic cancer.

Quality Evaluation of Ilex asprella Based on Simultaneous Determination of Five Bioactive Components, Chlorogenic Acid, Luteoloside, Quercitrin, Quercetin, and Kaempferol, Using UPLC-Q-TOF MS Study.

Background: Ilex asprella (Hook. Et Arn.) Champ. Ex Benth. is one of the representative medicinal plants that naturally grows in South China. It serves as a major component of herbal tea as an aid for sore throat, toothache, and acne, and it is a folk medicine for treating upper respiratory tract inflammation resulting from fever, infectious hepatitis, and enteritis. Objective: To evaluate the quality of Ilex asprella, the bioactive components were identified comprehensively using quadruple time-of-flight (Q-TOF) MS, and the HPLC method for quality evaluation was established for the first time. Methods: Detection was conducted under the positive electrospray ionization mode with the 110 V fragment voltage and 4.0 kV capillary voltage for the ultra-performance LC-Q-TOF MS study. A Thermo Fisher C18 column (4.6 × 150 mm, 5 µm) associated with the 0.10% formic acid and acetonitrile as mobile phase and gradient elution was carried out for separation process, and the HPLC quality evaluation was detected at a wavelength of 340 nm. Results: The method was validated according to the International Conference on Harmonization regulation including LOQ, LOD, recovery, replication, precision, and linearity. The contents of five components were important for quality evaluation of Ilex asprella. Moreover, luteoloside and quercitrin had more significant impact than others. Conclusions: A specific accurate method has been proposed for the identification of the bioactive components and applied to simultaneous quantification analysis of five components in Ilex asprella. Highlights: The quality evaluation of Ilex asprella established based on its bioactive components can provide a solid promotion for applications of Ilex asprella in food and drug fields.

Chitosan-based controlled porosity osmotic pump for colon-specific delivery system: screening of formulation variables and in vitro investigation.

A microbially triggered colon-targeted osmotic pump (MTCT-OP) has been studied. The gelable property at acid condition and colon-specific biodegradation of chitosan were used to: (1) produce the osmotic pressure, (2) form the drug suspension and (3) form the in situ delivery pores for colon-specific drug release, respectively. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) study and the calculation of membrane permeability were applied to elucidate the mechanism of MTCT-OP. The effects of different formulation variables, including the level of pH-regulating excipient (citric acid) and the amount of chitosan in the core, the weight gain of semipermeable membrane and enteric-coating membrane, and the level of pore former (chitosan) in the semipermeable membrane, have been studied. Results of SEM showed that the in situ delivery pores could be formed in predetermined time after coming into contact with dissolution medium, and the number of pore was dependent on the initial level of pore former in the membrane. The amount of budesonide release was directly proportional to the initial level of pore former, but inversely related to the weight of semipermeable membrane. The effects of variations in the level of citric acid and chitosan in the core formulation on drug release were studied. The different levels of enteric-coating membrane could prevent cellulose acetate membrane (containing chitosan as pore former) from forming pore or rupture before contact with simulated colonic fluid, but had no effect on the drug release. Budesonide release from the developed formulation was inversely proportional to the osmotic pressure of the release medium, confirming that osmotic pumping was the major mechanism of drug release. These results showed that MTCT-OP based on osmotic technology and microbially triggered mechanism had a high potential for colon-specific drug delivery.

Bone marrow-derived cells homing for self-repair of periodontal tissues: a histological characterization and expression analysis.

Periodontitis, a disease leads to the formation of periodontal defect, can result in tooth loss if left untreated. The therapies to repair/regenerate periodontal tissues have attracted lots of attention these years. Bone marrow-derived cells (BMDCs), a group of cells containing heterogeneous stem/progenitor cells, are capable of homing to injured tissues and participating in tissue repair/regeneration. The amplification of autologous BMDCs' potential in homing for self-repair/regeneration, therefore, might be considered as an alternative therapy except for traditional cell transplantation. However, the knowledge of the BMDCs' homing and participation in periodontal repair/regeneration is still known little. For the purpose of directly observing BMDCs' involvement in periodontal repair, chimeric mouse models were established to make their bone marrow cells reconstituted with cells expressing green enhanced fluorescence protein (EGFP) in this study. One month after bone marrow transplantation, periodontal defects were made on the mesial side of bilateral maxillary first molars in chimeric mice. The green fluorescence protein-positive (GFP+) BMDCS in periodontal defect regions were examined by bioluminescent imaging and immunofluorescence staining. GFP+ BMDCs were found to aggregate in the periodontal defect regions and emerge in newly-formed bones or fibers. Some of them also co-expressed markers of fibroblasts, osteoblasts or vascular endothelial cells. These results indicated that BMDCs might contribute to the formation of new fibers, bones and blood vessels during periodontal repair. In conclusion, we speculated that autologous BMDCs were capable of negotiating into the surgical sites created by periodontal operation and participating in tissue repair.

Comparison of fracture resistance between cast posts and fiber posts: a meta-analysis of literature.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to compare the fracture resistance of cast posts versus the fracture resistance of fiber posts by means of meta-analysis when they were used in the restoration of endodontically treated teeth. METHODS: MEDLINE, Cochrane Controlled Trials Register, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, and China Biology Medicine disc were used in the literature search. Two independent reviewers assessed the titles and abstracts of all articles that were found according to the predefined inclusion criteria. Relevant articles were acquired in full-text form. Data in these studies were independently extracted. Standardized mean differences of included studies were combined and analyzed by using meta-analysis. RESULTS: Thirteen studies met the inclusion criteria. There was considerable heterogeneity among these studies. The standardized mean difference of the combined data was 0.64 (95% confidence interval, 0.08-1.20; P < .001), indicating that the cast post group displayed significantly higher fracture resistance than the fiber post group. CONCLUSIONS: On the basis of the current best available evidence, we concluded that cast posts had higher fracture resistance than fiber posts.

[Meta analysis of the comparison between cast metal posts' and fiber posts' clinical results].

PURPOSE: This study was designed to use meta analysis to compare the success rate between cast metal posts and fiber posts after root canal therapy. METHODS: The Chinese literatures published between 2001 and 2011 about the differences between the success rate of cast metal posts and fiber posts were collected. The criteria for inclusion and exclusion was established according to evidence-based medicine method. Meta-analysis was performed with Review Manager 4.2 (RevMan 4.2). RESULTS: Eight literatures were eligible for inclusion in this meta analysis, 929 patients were involved. The RR(relative risk) and 95% CI(confidence interval) were 0.92, 0.89-0.95, respectively. CONCLUION: Fiber post has a higher success rate when used in the restoration of endodontically treated teeth.

Preparation of budesonide-poly (ethylene oxide) solid dispersions using supercritical fluid technology.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the possibility of preparing solid dispersions of the poorly soluble budesonide by supercritical fluid (SCF) technique, using poly (ethylene oxide) (PEO) as a hydrophilic carrier. The budesonide-PEO solid dispersions were prepared, using supercritical carbon dioxide (SC CO(2)) as the processing medium, and characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), solubility test and dissolution test in order to understand the influence of the SCF process on the physical status of the drug. The endothermic peak of budesonide in the SCF-treated mixtures was significantly reduced, indicating that budesonide was in amorphous form inside the carrier system. This was further confirmed by SEM and PXRD studies. The enhanced dissolution rates of budesonide were observed from SCF-treated budesonide-PEO mixtures. The amorphous characteristic of the budesonide, the better mixing of drug and PEO powders in the presence of SC CO(2), together with the improved wettability of the drug in PEO, produced a remarkable enhancement of the in vitro drug dissolution rate. Thus, budesonide-PEO solid dispersions with enhanced dissolution rate can be prepared using organic solvent-free SCF process.

Facial phenotype in children and young adults with PHOX2B-determined congenital central hypoventilation syndrome: quantitative pattern of dysmorphology.

Congenital central hypoventilation syndrome (CCHS) is caused by mutations in PHOX2B, which is essential for maturation of the neural crest into the autonomic nervous system and is expressed in the dorsal rhombencephalon, a region that gives rise to facial structures. Digital photographs of 45 individuals with PHOX2B-confirmed CCHS, and 45 matched controls were analyzed for 17 linear and 6 angular measurements, and 9 derived indices. Paired t tests were used to compare group means, correlation was calculated between PHOX2B polyalanine expansion number and facial measures, and stepwise logistic regression was used to predict case-control and genotype status. CCHS cases differed significantly from controls on 13 variables (6 after p value correction: nasolabial angle, upper lip height, lateral lip height, facial index, upper facial index, and presence of inferior inflection of the lateral segment of the upper lip vermillion border). Five variables were able to predict correctly 85.7% of CCHS cases and 82.2% of controls: upper lip height, biocular width, upper facial height, nasal tip protrusion, and inferior inflection of the upper lip vermillion border. A negative relationship between number of repeats and four anthropometric measures was observed: mandible breadth, nasolabial angle, lateral lip height, and mandible-face width index. These results suggest a characteristic facial phenotype in children and young adults with CCHS, due to an expansion mutation in PHOX2B.