Efficacy of Daiwenjiu ointment on the treatment of cervical spondylosis with nerve root type caused by cold dampness obstruction.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to assess the clinical efficacy of Daiwenjiu ointment in the treatment of cervical spondylosis with cold dampness obstruction nerve root type. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on a cohort of 110 patients diagnosed with cervical spondylotic radiculopathy. Based on the treatment method, the patients were divided into two groups. The control group received electroacupuncture treatment, while the observation group received a combination of Daiwenjiu ointment and electroacupuncture treatment. The outcome measures included Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA) scores for cervical spine function, Simplified McGill Pain Questionnaire (SF-MPQ) scores, and changes in serum inflammatory factors TNF-α and IL-1ß. RESULTS: Following treatment, the JOA score in the observation group increased from 9.45 ± 1.35 to 14.82 ± 1.29 after treatment, indicating better recovery of cervical spine function compared to the control group (p < 0.001). The SF-MPQ score in the observation group decreased to 18.25 ± 3.80 after treatment, while it remained at 30.20 ± 4.30 in the control group. This difference between the groups was statistically significant (p < 0.001). Furthermore, the observation group demonstrated a significant decrease in serum levels of TNF-α and IL-1ß after treatment compared to the control group (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Daiwenjiu ointment exhibits significant therapeutic effects in patients with cold dampness obstruction nerve root type cervical spondylosis. It effectively improves cervical function, reduces pain, and downregulates inflammatory cytokine levels.

Biodegradation of Imazethapyr by Bacterial Strain IM9601 Isolated from Agricultural Soil.

The widespread utilization of the herbicide imazethapyr presents significant challenges to crop rotation and results in detrimental soil degradation issues. Bacterial biodegradation has emerged as a promising and eco-friendly approach for mitigating pesticide residues contamination in the environment. In this study, a novel bacterium, identified as Brevibacterium sp. IM9601, was isolated and characterized based on morphological, physiological, and biochemical characteristics, as well as 16S rRNA gene sequence. This strain exhibited the ability to utilize imazethapyr as its sole carbon source for growth. Response surface methodology (RSM) was applied to optimize the degradation conditions. The most favorable conditions were determined to be a temperature of 27 °C, pH of 6.0, and an initial inoculum with a final OD600 of 0.15. Under these optimized condition, bacterial strain IM9601 exhibited substantial imazethapyr degradation, with removal rates of 90.08 and 87.05% for initial imazethapyr concentrations of 50 and 100 mg L-1, respectively, achieved within a 5-day incubation period. This investigation highlights imazethapyr-degrading capabilities of the Brevibacterium genus bacterial strain IM9601, marking it as a potentially novel and effective solution for addressing the environmental pollution resulting from the usage of imazethapyr. The study contributes to the growing body of research on bioremediation approaches, offering a sustainable and environmentally friendly method for mitigating the adverse impacts of herbicide contamination in agricultural settings.

DNA methylation modifications induced by hexavalent chromium.

Hexavalent chromium [Cr (VI)] contributes a significant health risk and causes a number of chronic diseases and cancers. While the genotoxic and carcinogenic effects of hexavalent chromium exposure are explicit and better-characterized, the exact mechanism underlying the carcinogenic process of Cr (VI) is still a matter of debate. In recent years, studies have shown that epigenetic modifications, especially DNA methylation, may play a significant role in Cr (VI)-induced carcinogenesis. The aim of this review is to summarize our understanding regarding the effects of Cr (VI) on global and gene-specific DNA methylation.

Nitrogen fertilization and soil nitrogen cycling: Unraveling the links among multiple environmental factors, functional genes, and transformation rates.

Anthropogenic nitrogen (N) inputs substantially influence the N cycle in agricultural ecosystems. However, the potential links among various environmental factors, nitrogen functional genes, and transformation rates under N fertilization remain poorly understood. Here, we conducted a five-year field experiment and collected 54 soil samples from three 0-4 m boreholes across different treatments: control, N-addition (nitrogen fertilizer) and NPK-addition (combined application of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium fertilizers) treatments. Our results revealed pronounced variations in soil physiochemical parameters, metal concentrations and antibiotic levels under both N and NPK treatments. These alternations induced significant shifts in bacterial and fungal communities, altered NFG abundance and composition, and greatly enhanced rates of nitrate reduction processes. Notably, nutrients, antibiotics and bacteria exerted a more pronounced influence on NFGs and nitrate reduction under N treatment, whereas nutrients, metals, bacteria and fungi had a significant impact under NPK treatment. Furthermore, we established multidimensional correlations between nitrate reduction gene profiles and the activity rates under N and NPK treatments, contrasting with the absence of significant relationships in the control treatment. These findings shed light on the intricate relationships between microbial genetics and ecosystem functions in agricultural ecosystem, which is of significance for predicting and managing metabolic processes effectively.

Transcriptome Profiling and Identification of the Candidate Genes Involved in Early Ripening in Ziziphus Jujuba.

The early ripening jujube is an immensely popular fresh fruit due to its high commercial value as well as rich nutrition. However, little is known about the mechanism of jujube fruit's ripening. In this study, the transcriptome profiles were comprehensively analyzed between the 'Lingwu Changzao' jujube and its early-ripening mutant during the fruit development and maturity. A total of 5,376 and 762 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were presented at 80 and 90 days after the flowering of the jujube fruit, respectively. Furthermore, 521 common DEGs were identified as candidate genes that might be associated with the fruit's early ripening. Our findings demonstrated that in a non-climacteric jujube fruit, abscisic acid (ABA) was more greatly involved in fruit ripening than ethylene. Meanwhile, the fruit ripening of the early-ripening mutant was regulated by eight promotors of DEGs related to glucose and fructose, seven repressors of DEGs related to brassinosteroid signal transduction, and a series of transcription factor genes (MYB, Bhlh, and ERF). Additionally, the expression of 20 candidate DEGs was further validated by real-time PCR during the late fruit maturation stage. Collectively, the present study sheds light on the metabolic mechanism of the fruit's early ripening and provides valuable candidate genes for the early-ripening mutant's breeding.

Environmentally induced ribosomal DNA (rDNA) instability in human cells and populations exposed to hexavalent chromium [Cr (VI)].

Hexavalent Chromium [Cr (VI)] is an established toxicant, carcinogen, and a significant source of public health concern. The multicopy ribosomal DNA (rDNA) array is mechanistically linked to aging and cancer, is the most evolutionarily conserved segment of the human genome, and gives origin to nucleolus, a nuclear organelle where ribosomes are assembled. Here we show that exposure to Cr (VI) induces instability in the rDNA, triggering cycles of rapid, specific, and transient amplification and contraction of the array in human cells. The dynamic of environmentally responsive rDNA copy number (CN) amplification and contraction occurs at doses to which millions of individuals are regularly exposed. Finally, analyses of human populations occupationally exposed to Cr (VI) indicate that environmental exposure history and drinking habits but not age shape extensive naturally occurring rDNA copy number variation. Our observations identify a novel pathway of response to hexavalent chromium exposure and raise the prospect that a suite of environmental determinants of rDNA copy number remain to be discovered.

Overexpression of fibulin-3 in tumor tissue predicts poor survival of malignant mesothelioma patients from hand-spinning asbestos exposed area in eastern China.

Fibulin-3 is an extracellular matrix glycoprotein widely expressed in various tissues. Tissue fibulin-3 expression have never been reported in association with prognosis of mesothelioma. Hence, we sought to determine the association between fibulin-3 expression and mesothelioma survival. We made a tissue microarray, which was comprised of cancer and normal tissue from mesothelioma patients (n = 82) during the period 1998-2017 in China. Fibulin-3 and HGMB1 expression were analyzed by immunohistochemistry method. Kaplan-Meier method and Cox proportional hazard models were used for analyzing survival data. Overall, 61 cases (74.4%) were female; 90.2% were of epithelioid type; the median overall survival time was 12.5 months. Fibulin-3 and HMGB1 were highly expressed in tumor tissue rather than adjacent tissue. The expression of fibulin-3 in tissue was correlated with that of HMGB1 (r = 0.32, P = 0.003). High expression of fibulin-3 in tumor tissue could predict poor survival in patients with mesothelioma (P = 0.02). This remained true in a multivariate model, with a significant hazard ratio of 1.91. We demonstrated that fibulin-3 in tumor tissue was a novel biomarker of poor survival of mesothelioma, suggesting it may be a relevant target for therapeutic intervention.

Novel DNA methylation biomarkers for hexavalent chromium exposure: an epigenome-wide analysis.

Aim: We aimed to identify differential methylation of genes that could illuminate the biological mechanisms of chromium (VI) toxicity in this exposure-control study. Materials & methods: DNA methylation was measured in blood samples collected from electroplating workers and controls using a combination of Infinium Methylation450K Chip and targeted-bisulfite sequencing. QuantiGene assay was used to detect the mRNA expression of differentially methylated genes. Inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry was used to quantify metals in blood and urine samples. The cytosine-phosphate-guanine sites methylation and gene expression were confirmed in a human lymphoblastoid cell line. Results & conclusion: A total of 131 differentially methylated cytosine-phosphate-guanine sites were found between exposures and controls. DNA methylation of SEMA4B may serve as a potential biomarker for chromium (VI) exposure.

Ribosomal DNA copy number is associated with P53 status and levels of heavy metals in gastrectomy specimens from gastric cancer patients.

The ribosomal DNA (rDNA) can act as a sensor and responder of cancer-associated stress. Here we investigated rDNA copy number in gastric cancers and its association with existing biomarkers and metals exposure. This study was performed on paired tumor and adjacent normal tissues obtained from 65 gastric cancer patients who underwent gastrectomy. Immunohistochemistry was used to assess HER-2, E-cadherin, EGFR, CK (pan), CK20, CK7, TopoⅡ, CAM5.2, P53, and Ki-67 expression. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) was used to detect the concentrations of 17 metals in gastric tissues. rDNA copy number was detected by qPCR in genomic DNA isolated from tissue samples. Associations between the expression of existing markers, metal concentrations, and rDNA copy number were evaluated. Within patients with gastric cancer, the copy number of the 45S rDNA components (18S, 5.8S, 28S) and the 5S rDNA in tumor tissues were significantly higher than those in adjacent normal tissues, whereas mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) copy number was significantly lower in tumor tissues than that in adjacent normal tissues. Further analysis revealed that the increase in 18S, 5.8S, and 28S rDNA copy number in tumor tissues was diminished in the context of EGFR and P53 loss. Moreover, analysis of metals revealed particularly high concentrations of As, Cd, Cr, Cu and Fe in the gastric tissues of these patients. Intriguingly, rDNA copy number variation across individuals was correlated with the concentrations of some metals. The rDNA was amplified in tumor tissues of gastric cancer patients, and its amplification may be associated with metals exposure. The expression of EGFR and P53 may influence rDNA copy number, with diminished amplification of the rDNA in cancers that were negative for these biomarkers. Our observation further our understanding of rDNA copy number in gastric cancer and its potential as a simple and useful marker in gastric cancer monitoring.

Diagnostic Value of Concentration of Circulating Cell-Free DNA in Breast Cancer: A Meta-Analysis.

The diagnostic value of the concentration of circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA) for breast cancer has generated inconsistent results. The aim of this study was to evaluate the first diagnostic value of the concentration of cfDNA for breast cancer by meta-analysis. Studies were retrieved by searching PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science before June 2018. Sensitivity, specificity, diagnostic odds ratio (DOR), the summary receiver operating characteristic (SROC) curve, and the area under curve (AUC) were used to summarize overall diagnostic performance. The random-effects model was used to calculate the pooled statistics. Subgroup analysis and meta-regression analysis were carried out to detect the source of heterogeneity. A total of 13 studies were identified with 1,087 breast cancer patients and 720 healthy controls. Overall, the pooled sensitivity and specificity of concentration of cfDNA for breast cancer were 87% (95% CI, 73-94%) and 87% (95% CI, 79-93%), respectively. The pooled DOR was 32.93 (95% CI, 13.52-80.19) and the SROC curve revealed an AUC of 0.93 (95% CI, 0.91-0.95). Meta-regression analysis showed that no covariate had a significant correlation with relative DOR (RDOR). Publication bias was not detected in this meta-analysis. This meta-analysis indicates that the concentration of cfDNA has potential first diagnostic value for breast cancer and plasma may be a better source of cfDNA for detection of breast cancer.

Menstrual disorders and occupational exposures among female nurses: A nationwide cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: The regularity of menstrual cycles is one of the important indicators of female reproductive health. However, the current evidence on the association of occupational exposures and menstrual disorders is scarce. OBJECTIVES: This study aims to elucidate the relationship between occupational hazards and menstrual characteristics in female nurses and non-nurse health care workers in China. DESIGN: We conducted a national cross-sectional study on the reproductive health of female nurses in China. SETTINGS: A total of 1, 300 medical institutions in 15 provincial administrative regions in China participated in the study. PARTICIPANTS: There were 8, 904 nurses and 3, 977 non-nurse health care workers who were selected using simple random sampling method. METHODS: All participants were administered a face-to-face standardized questionnaire, including personal socio-demographic information, occupational activities, and self-reported menstrual characteristics. Univariate and multivariate logistic regressions were used for statistical analyses. RESULTS: The results demonstrated that 41% of nurses experienced menstrual disorders. We found handling disinfectants was the most significant risk factor for menstrual disorders (OR = 1.53, 95% CI: 1.39-1.68), followed by abnormal workload (OR = 1.28, 95% CI: 1.19-1.39), and occupation as a nurse (OR = 1.28, 95% CI: 1.18-1.40). Noise, prolonged standing or frequent heavy lifting, night work, anti-cancer drug exposure, and overtime work were moderately associated with the occurrence of menstrual disorder (OR > 1). CONCLUSIONS: This national-wide cross-sectional study has revealed the significant association between menstrual disorders and occupational hazards among female nurses in China.

Genome-wide profiling reveals novel microRNAs in hand-spinning-specific chrysotile exposure.

AIM: We aimed to explore miRNA expression profiles in hand-spinning chrysotile exposed workers and their potential influencing factors. METHODS: miRNA array technique was applied to screen differentially expressed miRNAs between plasma samples from three exposed workers and three controls. Then, seven selected miRNAs were validated in 143 workers and 100 controls, and the potential influencing factors were revealed by multiple linear regression. Finally, the expression levels of those seven miRNAs were evaluated in human mesothelial cells (Met-5A) that were exposed to chrysotile at 5 µg·cm-2 for 8, 24 and 48 h, respectively. RESULTS & CONCLUSION: Hand-spinning chrysotile exposure can result in differential expression of miRNAs. Several of those miRNAs have positive correlations with asbestos exposure.

Decreased 8-oxoguanine DNA glycosylase 1 (hOGG1) expression and DNA oxidation damage induced by Cr (VI).

Occupational exposure to Cr (VI) can cause DNA damage, genetic instability and elevate the risk of cancer. Here we investigated Cr (VI)-induced DNA damage and 8-oxoguanine DNA glycosylase 1 (hOGG1) gene expression in electroplating workers. The hOGG1 gene encodes a DNA repair enzyme that is crucial in DNA oxidation damage repair. Deficiency in hOGG1 DNA repair capacity contributes to the accumulation of DNA damage and genetic instability. To address the issues, we collected peripheral blood samples and urine samples from 162 electroplating workers and 84 control subjects. We measured blood chromium levels, urine chromium levels, DNA damage, and hOGG1 mRNA expression. We found significantly higher levels of blood chromium, urine chromium, and DNA damage in electroplating workers compared with controls, whereas mRNA levels of the hOGG1 gene were significantly lower in the exposed workers. Furthermore, in electroplating workers we found that blood Cr had a positive association with DNA damage as measured with the tail DNA%. Meanwhile, tail DNA% was positively associated with hOGG1 mRNA expression. Finally, the effect of potassium dichromate treatment was investigated in a human B lymphoblastoid cell line (LCL). We observed that potassium dichromate induced a concentration-dependent decrease in hOGG1 mRNA. After removing the K2Cr2O7-containing medium for 3 days and 7 days, the abundance of hOGG1 mRNA expression recovered to a similar level as the controls. Collectively, our findings suggest that decreased hOGG1 mRNA expression in occupationally exposed populations partially contribute to Cr (VI) induced DNA damage.

The Protective Role of Hyaluronic Acid in Cr(VI)-Induced Oxidative Damage in Corneal Epithelial Cells.

Cr(VI) exposure could produce kinds of intermediates and reactive oxygen species, both of which were related to DNA damage. Hyaluronan (HA) has impressive biological functions and was reported to protect corneal epithelial cells against oxidative damage induced by ultraviolet B, benzalkonium chloride, and sodium lauryl sulfate. So the aim of our study was to investigate HA protection on human corneal epithelial (HCE) cells against Cr(VI)-induced toxic effects. The HCE cell lines were exposed to different concentrations of K2Cr2O7 (1.875, 3.75, 7.5, 15.0, and 30 µM) or a combination of K2Cr2O7 and 0.2% HA and incubated with different times (15 min, 30 min, and 60 min). Our data showed that Cr(VI) exposure could cause decreased cell viability, increased DNA damage, and ROS generation to the HCE cell lines. But incubation of HA increased HCE cell survival rates and decreased DNA damage and ROS generation induced by Cr(VI) in a dose- and time-dependent manner. We report for the first time that HA can protect HCE cells against the toxicity of Cr(VI), indicating that it will be a promising therapeutic agent to corneal injuries caused by Cr(VI).

Serum HMGB1 as a Potential Biomarker for Patients with Asbestos-Related Diseases.

High-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) functions as a proinflammatory cytokine and is one of the most intriguing molecules in inflammatory disorders and cancers. Notably, HMGB1 is a potential therapeutic target and novel biomarker in related diseases. However, the diagnostic value of HMGB1 for benign and malignant asbestos-related diseases (ARDs) remains unclear. In this work, we detected preoperative serum HMGB1 levels in Chinese asbestos-exposed (AE) and ARDs populations and further evaluated the diagnostic value of HMGB1 in patients with certain types of ARDs, including those with pleural plaques, asbestosis, or malignant mesothelioma (MM). The experimental data presented that the serum level of HMGB1 was significantly elevated in AE and ARDs subjects. Our findings indicated that serum HMGB1 is a sensitive and specific biomarker for discriminating asbestosis- and MM-affected individuals from healthy or AE individuals. In addition, serum matrix metalloproteinases 2 and 9 are not correlated with HMGB1 in ARDs. Thus, our study provides supporting evidence for HMGB1 as a potential biomarker either for the clinical diagnosis of high-risk AE cohorts or for evaluating ARDs.

Plasma Fibulin-3 as a Potential Biomarker for Patients with Asbestos-Related Diseases in the Han Population.

Fibulin-3 has been reported as a potential biomarker for mesothelioma. However, little is known about the diagnostic efficacies of fibulin-3 for asbestos-related diseases (ARDs) in China. This study was to investigate the utility of fibulin-3 for asbestos exposure and ARDs. A total of 430 subjects were recruited from Southeast China, including healthy individuals, asbestos-exposed (AE) individuals, and patients with pleural plaques (PP), asbestosis, and malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM). Plasma fibulin-3 was measured using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Linear regression analyses were applied to explore the influencing factors of fibulin-3. Receiver operating characteristic curves were used to determine the cutoff values. The median fibulin-3 level of subjects in the mesothelioma group was higher than that in other groups. Subjects in the asbestosis group had higher median fibulin-3 level than those in the control group. A higher fibulin-3 level was found in the group with ≥10 years of asbestos exposure as compared with control groups. The AUCs of fibulin-3 for distinguishing MPM subjects from control, AE, PP, and asbestosis subjects were 0.92, 0.88, 0.90, and 0.81, respectively. Our study provided evidence that fibulin-3 could be a potential biomarker for the early screening of MPM, but not of other nonmalignant ARDs in Chinese populations.

The Association Between Serum Vitamin D Levels and Age-Related Macular Degeneration: A Systematic Meta-Analytic Review.

PURPOSE: We conducted a meta-analysis of individual studies reporting an association between serum vitamin D levels and AMD. METHODS: Relevant studies evaluating the association between serum vitamin D levels and AMD risk were identified by systematically searching four electronic literature databases (Ovid Medline, PubMed, EMBASE, and ISI Web of Science) censored by June 2015. Due to the heterogeneity of studies in categorizing serum vitamin D levels, all individual odds ratios (ORs) were recalculated and transferred for an increase of serum vitamin D levels by 10 ng/ml. Summary ORs and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of AMD risk per 10-unit increase of serum vitamin D were obtained using standard meta-analysis. Publication bias was evaluated using funnel plots and Kendall's rank correlation tests. RESULTS: Ten individual studies were included and pooled in this meta-analysis. Meta-analysis of studies on AMD risk led to a pooled OR (95% CI) of 0.91 (0.69-1.22) for an increase of 25-hydroxy vitamin D by 10 ng/mL (P = 0.12). No indication for publication bias was found, but substantial heterogeneity was obtained (I2 = 79.7%, P < 0.01). Estimates from subgroup analyses also did not show statistically significant associations of serum vitamin D levels with different stages (early AMD, late AMD, and advanced AMD) and subtypes of AMD (neovascular AMD and nonneovascular AMD; P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: There is no evidence to indicate an inverse association between serum vitamin D levels and any stages and subtypes of AMD risk, but opposite results from the United States and Korea resulted in this nonsignificance. Potential difference across various study designs might exist, based on few studies reporting in heterogeneous manners so far. More studies are needed to further confirm the causality of vitamin D and AMD, especially longitudinal studies.

[Discussion on reinforcing-reducing method by lifting and thrusting the needle and slow-rapid reinforcing-reducing method from the point of view of energy].

OBJECTIVE: To resolve the contradictory in expounding of reinforcing and reducing by lifting and thrustion the needle and slow-rapid reinforcing and reducing method. METHODS: In a certain condition,the relationship between the external force (the joint force of both the pressing on the force pressing on the needle and the force arresting the needle's moving) and the speed of needle's moving is deduced by means of kinetic energy theorem, so, when the needle is heavily thrust or lifted, the speed of its moving will be increased. CONCLUSION: In the reinforcing and reducing method by lifting and thrusting the needle, "heavily"and "gently" of heavily thrustiing and gently lifting or gently thrusting and heavily lifting should be considered as differences of the amplitudes of lifting and thrusting the needle; "slow-rapid" of slow-rapid reinforcing and reducing method should be considered as difference of the speeds.