Effect of acetaminophen on relieving orthodontic pain with clear aligner based on GAD-7: A retrospective research.

Objectives: Patients may have uncomfortable feelings during orthodontic treatment, which can directly lead to dissatisfaction. So in order to improve the patient's sense of pleasure during the treatment, it would be of great benefit if orthodontic pain can be relieved. Materials and methods: We included 150 patients wearing clear aligners from 18 to 30 years old during 2018-2020. Then designed following groups to determine the effectiveness of both verbal behavior modification and combination therapy with acetaminophen in reducing treatment pain: Group A, generalized anxiety disorder 7 (GAD-7) scored 0-4; Group B, GAD-7 scored 5-9; Group C, GAD-7 scored 10-14; and Group D, GAD-7 scored 15-21. Results: There was a difference in the visual analog scale (VAS) between verbal behavior modification with and without a 300-mg acetaminophen tablet oral QD in Group A (received the intervention at 8 h and 1 d), Group B at 8 h and 1 d, Group C at 8 h, 1 d, 2 d, and 3 d, and Group D at 8 h, 1 d, 2 d, 3 d, and 4 d. After 8 h, 1 d, 2 d, 3 d, and 4 d in patients with verbal behavior modification, VAS was markedly increased in Group D compared with Group A, B and C. Furthermore, after 8 h and 1 d in patients with verbal behavior modification and 300-mg acetaminophen tablet oral QD, VAS was strongly enhanced in Group D. Conclusions: Dental anxiety is strongly associated with pain in orthodontic patients receiving clear aligners. Acetaminophen administration may be a benefit in orthodontic pain that results from clear aligners, especially in the group with more GAD-7.

Mechanistic insights of magnolol antimicrobial activity against Mycoplasma using untargeted metabolomic analyses.

The unreasonable use of antibiotics is one of the important causes of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) that poses a huge public health threat. Magnolol is a traditional Chinese medicine exhibiting antibacterial-, antifungal-, anti-inflammatory-, and antioxidant activities. However, it is unclear whether magnolol has an inhibitory effect on mycoplasma. This study found that magnolol showed excellent inhibitory activity against various mycoplasmas. Magnolol showed dose-dependent inhibition of Mycoplasma synoviae growth and biofilm formation in vitro. Magnolol caused severely sunken and wrinkled M. synoviae cell membranes at the minimum inhibitory concentration, and an enlarged cell diameter. The chicken embryo infection model showed that magnolol significantly reduced M. synoviae pathogenicity in vivo. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analysis showed that the citrate cycle, glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, and pyruvate metabolism were significantly disturbed at the minimum inhibitory concentration of magnolol. Interestingly, 41% of differential metabolites were in the categories of lipids and lipid-like molecules. Protegenin A was up-regulated 58752-fold after magnolol treatment. It belongs to fatty acyls, and destroys cell membrane integrity and cell activity. Ghosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidic acid, and phosphatidylserine related to membrane maintenance and stress response were widely down-regulated. Collectively, our results illustrate the feasibility of magnolol as a phytochemical compound to treat mycoplasma infection.

Photoelectrochemical UV Detector Based on High-Temperature Resistant ITO Nanowire Network Transparent Conductive Electrodes: Both the Response Range and Responsivity Are Improved.

UV transparent conductive electrodes based on transferable ITO nanowire networks were prepared to solve the problem of low UV light utilization in conventional photoelectrochemical UV detectors. The mutually cross-linked ITO nanowire network achieved good electrical conductivity and light transmission, and the novel electrode had a transmission rate of more than 80% throughout the near-UV and visible regions. Compared to Ag nanowire electrodes with similar functionality, the chemical stability of the ITO nanowire transparent conductive electrode ensured that the device worked stably in iodine-based electrolytes. More importantly, ITO electrodes composed of oxides could withstand temperatures above 800 °C, which is extremely critical for photoelectrochemical devices. After the deposition of a TiO2 active layer using the high-temperature method, the response range of the photoelectrochemical UV detector was extended from a peak-like response between 300-400 nm to a plateau-like response between 200-400 nm. The responsivity was significantly increased to 56.1 mA/W. The relationship between ITO nanowire properties and device performance, as well as the reasons for device performance enhancement, were intensively investigated.

Association between lipid metabolism and periodontitis in obese patients: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: To investigate the association between clinical periodontal parameters of periodontitis, serum lipid metabolism markers and adipokines' levels in patients with obesity and periodontitis. METHODS: A total of 112 patients admitted to Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University were included in this study. They were divided into normal body weight group (18.5 < body mass index, BMI < 25, n = 36), overweight group (25 ≤ BMI < 30, n = 38), and obesity group (BMI ≥ 30, n = 38) accordingly. The diagnosis of periodontitis was based on the newest international classification of periodontitis. Full-mouth clinical periodontal measurements included: plaque index, periodontal pocket depth, clinical attachment level, and bleeding on probing. Gingival crevicular fluid samples were analyzed for: Interleukin-1ß, tumor necrosis factor-α, Interleukin-6 and C-reactive protein. Serum triglycerides, total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein cholesterol, high density lipoprotein cholesterol and glycosylated hemoglobin levels were measured. Visfatin, leptin, resistin, and adiponectin levels in serum were also measured. RESULTS: The ratio of participants without periodontitis was significantly highest in normal weight group, and the proportion of severe periodontitis (stage III and IV) was highest in obesity group. The periodontal pocket depth, clinical attachment level, and the inflammatory cytokines in gingival crevicular fluid in obesity group and overweight group were higher than those in normal body weight group. The BMI and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) were significantly positive correlated with periodontal pocket depth and clinical attachment level. Using a Multivariate logistic regression model, periodontitis correlates to BMI, WHR, serum levels of triglyceride, total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein, and adipokines such as visfatin, leptin, and resistin. CONCLUSIONS: Obesity is positively correlated with the aggravation of periodontitis. Obesity may aggravate the damage to periodontal tissue by regulating the secretion level of adipokines.

Aldosterone activates ERK phosphorylation in the nucleus tractus solitarius.

Sodium intake effect of aldosterone has attracted much attention. In our recent study, aldosterone can play a nongenomic regulatory role on rapid sodium intake in the NTS (nucleus tractus solitarius) by activating G protein-coupled estrogen receptor (GPER), and it exhibited an obvious time-dependent and concentration-dependent regulation. However, the molecular mechanism how aldosterone regulated sodium intake rapidly, is unclear. To determine the molecular mechanism of rapid sodium intake regulation of aldosterone, rats with a stainless-steel cannula in the NTS were used (n = 6 each subgroup), and were injected different concentrations of aldosterone/G1 (GPER agonist)/G15 (GPER antagonist) at different time points, then detected ERK1/2 protein expression. The results showed that aldosterone/G1 increased the ERK1/2 protein phosphorylation, and presented a time-dependent and concentration-dependent similar to sodium intake; Meanwhile, G15 partially blocked this effect at least. Taken together, we postulate that ERK1/2 protein may influence nongenomic sodium intake regulated by aldosterone at nucleus tractus solitarius level.

High Temperature-Resistant Transparent Conductive Films for Photoelectrochemical Devices Based on W/Ag Composite Nanonetworks.

The traditional Ag nanowire preparation means that it cannot meet the demanding requirements of photoelectrochemical devices due to the undesirable conductivity, difficulty in compounding, and poor heat resistance. Here, we prepared an Ag nanonetwork with superior properties using a special template method based on electrospinning technology. The transparent conductive films based on Ag nanonetworks have good transmittance in a wide range from ultraviolet to visible. It is important that the films have high operability and are easy to be compounded with other materials. After compounding with high-melting-point W metal, the heat-resistance temperature of the W/Ag composite transparent conductive films is increased by 100 °C to 460 °C, and the light transmission and electrical conductivity of the films are not significantly affected. All experimental phenomena in the study are analyzed theoretically. This research can provide an important idea for the metal nanowire electrode, which is difficult to be applied to the photoelectrochemical devices.

Qualitative characteristics of contrast-enhanced ultrasound and VueBox quantitative perfusion analysis of the molecular classification of breast cancer / 中华超声影像学杂志

Objective:To investigate the value of qualitative characteristics of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) and VueBox quantitative parameters in the evaluation of pathological molecular typing of breast cancer.Methods:A retrospective analysis was performed on 133 patients with pathologically confirmed breast cancer who underwent CEUS examination in the People′s Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region from January 2020 to July 2022. The patients were divided into Luminal A type, Luminal B type, human epidermal growth factor receptor-2(HER-2) type and triple negative type according to the results of immunohistochemistry. The differences of qualitative characteristics and quantitative parameters of CEUS in different molecular subtypes of breast cancer were analyzed. The ROC curve was used to evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of CEUS in the differentiation of molecular subtypes of breast cancer.Results:There were significant differences in enhancement intensity, post-enhancement boundary, filling defect and peripheral radial convergence among different molecular subtypes of breast cancer(all P<0.05), while there was no significant difference in enhancement uniformity ( P>0.05). Peak enhancement (PE), wash-in and wash-out areas under the curve (WiWoAUC), and wash-in ratio (WiR) of HER-2 type and triple-negative type breast cancer were higher than Luminal A type and Luminal B type (all P<0.05). ROC curve analysis showed that PE and radial convergence had reasonable diagnostic efficiency in Luminal A type, and the areas under the curve were 0.849 and 0.780, sensitivity was 0.711 and 0.889, specificity was 0.909 and 0.671, accuracy was 0.842 and 0.744, respectively. The areas under the curve of PE in diagnosing Luminal B type was 0.852, the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy were 0.825, 0.763 and 0.782, respectively. The area under the curve of WiWoAUC and filling defect in diagnosing HER-2 type were 0.912 and 0.898, the sensitivity was 0.903 and 0.903, the specificity was 0.853 and 0.892, and the accuracy was 0.865 and 0.895, respectively. The area under the curve of clear boundary after enhancement in diagnosing triple negative type was 0.919, and the sensitivity, specificity and accuracy were 0.941, 0.897 and 0.902, respectively. Conclusions:There are differences in the qualitative characteristics and quantitative parameters of contrast-enhanced ultrasound in different molecular types of breast cancer. CEUS is suggested as a noninvasive modality for preoperative prediction of molecular subtypes of breast cancer.

Analysis of intermittent photic stimulation in children′s video electroencephalography / 中华实用儿科临床杂志

Objective:To explore the value of intermittent photic stimulation (IPS) in children′s video electroencephalography (EEG).Methods:The data of 8 994 children aged 1 to 18 years, who received IPS in the video EEG examination at the Liangjiang Campus of the Children′s Hospital of Chongqing Medical University from March 2021 to March 2022, were analyzed retrospectively.Patients were divided into non-epilepsy group and confirmed or suspected epilepsy group.Their IPS responses, clinical and EEG characteristics were collected.Categorical variables were expressed using frequencies and percentages.The relationship between IPS response and age was determined by Chi- square test or Fisher′ s exact probability method. Results:The median age of 8 994 children was 6.3 years.There were 2 310 (25.7%) children in the non-epileptic group, including 1 364 (59.0%) males and 946 (41.0%) females.There were 6 684 (74.3%) children in the confirmed or suspected epileptic group, including 3 842 (57.5%) males and 2 842 (42.5%) females.In the non-epileptic group, 141 cases (6.1%) had IPS photo-driving responses, and 1 case had photo paroxysmal response (PPR). In the confirmed or suspected epilepsy group, IPS photo-driving responses (2.4%) occurred in 160 cases, PPR (1.2%) in 82 cases, photo convulsion responses(0.3%) in 18 cases, and asymmetric photo-driving responses (0.2%) in 14 cases.The IPS photosensitivity responses varied among children of different ages, sexes, epileptic discharge types and seizure types in the confirmed or suspected epilepsy group.The children aged 6 to 18 years showed significantly stronger photosensitivity responses than those aged 1 to <6 years ( P<0.001). The photosensitivity activity in females was 1.9 times higher than that in males.The photosensitivity activity in patients with generalized discharges was 1.7 times more intense than that in patients with focal discharges.The photosensitivity reaction in patients with photo convulsive generalized seizures was 2.5 times stronger than that in patients with focal seizures. Conclusions:Routine standardized IPS is important for the detection of photosensitivity in children diagnosed or suspected with epilepsy.It can effectively guide the medical practice.

Study of Morphology, Rheology, and Dynamic Properties toward Unveiling the Partial Miscibility in Poly(lactic acid)-Poly(hydroxybutyrate-co-hydroxyvalerate) Blends.

The purpose of the present work was to gain a fundamental understanding of how the composition and physico-chemical properties affect the rheology, morphology, miscibility, and thermal stability of poly(lactic acid) (PLA)-poly(hydroxybutyrate-co-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) biopolymer blends obtained by melt mixing. First, restricted processing conditions were chosen, due to the inherent thermal degradation of PHBV, as proven by rheological dynamic time sweep (DTS) measurements and size-exclusion chromatography (SEC). Based on this, the composition dependence of the blends was investigated using small-amplitude oscillatory shear rheology (SAOS), and the results were confirmed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis. Subsequently, the changes in glass transition temperatures (Tgs) from the molten to the solid state, as observed by DMA and DSC, were verified by coupling SAOS to dielectric relaxation spectroscopy (DRS). Herein, the thermo-rheological complexity of PLA/PHBV blends in the melt was revealed, especially for PLA-rich blends. Irregularly structured morphologies, caused by highly mismatched viscoelastic properties, illustrated the degree of partial miscibility. Moreover, the thermo-rheological complexity appeared in the molten state of the asymmetric PLA-rich phases could be correlated to the crystal-amorphous interfacial MWS polarization, because of the locally-induced phase separation and heterogeneity, and owing to the differences in their crystallization properties during cooling. The miscibility also suffered from the lower thermal stability of PLA and the even more unstable PHBV. Nevertheless, the melt-induced degradation process of the PLA/PHBV blends seemed to be responsible for some of the in situ self-compatibilization and plasticization mechanisms. As a result, the miscibility and thermo-rheological simplicity were improved for the intermediate and PHBV-rich compositions at low temperatures, since their properties were, to a large extent, governed by the significant degradation of PHBV. The present findings should increase the understanding of morphological changes in PLA/PHBV blends and help control their micro/nanostructure.

The role of central amygdaloid nucleus in regulating the nongenomic effect of aldosterone on sodium intake in the nucleus tractus solitary.

OBJECTIVE: The central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) has dense downward fiber projections towards the nucleus tractus solitary (NTS) and can modulate the activity of NTS taste neurons. However, whether CeA affects the nongenomic role of aldosterone (ALD) in regulating sodium intake at the NTS level remains unclear. METHODS: First, 40 adult male Sprague Dawley rats were divided into five groups, referring to different concentrations of ALD, to observe the sodium intake pattern compared with the vehicle (n = 8). ALD, the mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist spironolactone (SPI), and ALD + SPI were injected into the NTS. Then, the rats were divided into four groups (n = 16): bilateral/unilateral CeA electrolytic lesions, bilateral/unilateral CeA sham lesions. After recovery, one stainless steel 23-gauge cannula with two tubes was implanted into the rat NTS, and all rats underwent a recovery period of 7 days. Then, each group was divided into two subgroups that received aldosterone or control solution injection, and the cumulative intake of 0.3 mol/L NaCl solution was recorded within 30 min. RESULTS: Bilateral CeA lesion eliminated the increased 0.3 mol/L NaCl intake induced by aldosterone microinjected into the NTS (CeA lesion: 0.3 ± 0.04 ml/30 min vs. sham lesion: 1.3 ± 0.3 ml/30 min). Unilateral CeA lesion reduced the increased NaCl intake induced by aldosterone microinjected into the NTS compared with the control group (p < .05) in the first 15 min but not in 15-30 min (p > .05). In sham lesion rats, aldosterone (5 ng/0.1 µl) still induced a significant increase in NaCl intake (aldosterone: 1.3 ± 0.3 ml/30 min vs. control: 0.25 ± 0.02 ml/30 min) (p < .05). CONCLUSION: The results verified that the complete CeA may play an important role in aldosterone to regulate the nongenomic effect on rapid sodium intake.

Value of contrast-enhanced ultrasound quantitative analysis combined with ACR TI-RADS classification in the differential diagnosis of thyroid solid nodules / 中华超声影像学杂志

Objective:To evaluate the value of VueBox ? contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) quantitative analysis combined with ACR TI-RADS classification in the diagnosis of benign and malignant solid thyroid nodules. Methods:A total of 201 patients with thyroid solid nodules (201 nodules) who underwent surgery or puncture biopsy in the People′s Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region were enrolled from October 2020 to February 2022. The preoperative conventional ultrasound and contrast-enhanced ultrasound images were retrospectively analyzed. According to the pathological results, they were divided into the malignant group and benign group. The differences of the quantitative parameters of CEUS between the two groups were analyzed, including peak enhancement (PE), wash-in and wash-out area under the curve (WiWoAUC), wash-in perfusion index (WiPI). ΔPE, ΔWiWoAUC, ΔWiPI were obtained by calculating the parameter difference between the surrounding normal glands and nodules. ROC curve was used to analyze the value of different quantitative parameters in the differential diagnosis of benign and malignant solid thyroid nodules. The CEUS quantitative parameters with best diagnostic performance was selected and combined with ACR TI-RADS classification system to evaluate the diagnostic efficiency of the single diagnostic approaches and the combined approach.Results:The quantitative parameters of PE, WiWoAUC, WiPI, ΔPE, ΔWiWoAUC, ΔWiPI were significantly different between benign group and malignant group (all P<0.001). ΔPE had the highest diagnostic value among all the quantitative parameters (the area under the ROC curve was 0.802), and the cut-off value was 0.21.ΔPE combined with ACR TI-RADS classification showed the best efficiency in diagnosis of benign and malignant thyroid nodules, with an area under the curve of 0.898, and the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of 73.39%, 93.48%, 93.02% and 74.78%, respectively. Conclusions:Quantitative parameters of CEUS by using VueBox ? software is valuable for the differential diagnosis of benign and malignant solid thyroid nodules, and its combination with ACR TI-RADS classification can improve the diagnosis accuracy.

Efficacy of short-term psychodynamic psychotherapy on anxiety and depression of gout patients and its influence on well-being index, family function and compliance / 中国医师杂志

Objective:To explore the of short-term psychodynamic psychotherapy on anxiety and depression of gout patients and its influence on well-being index, family function and compliance.Methods:60 gout patients were selected from June 2018 to December 2019 in the outpatient department of rheumatism and immunity department of Dongguan Kanghua Hospital by prospective case-control study. They were randomly divided into control group and treatment group, 30 cases respectively. Both groups were given gout related clinical treatment and routine nursing, and the treatment group was given short-term dynamic orientation psychotherapy. The treatment compliance, the psychological status, well-being index and blood uric acid (UA) level of the two groups were compared before intervention, immediately after intervention and 3 months after intervention.Results:The scores of Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and the generalized anxiety disorder 7-item scale (GAD-7) in the two groups were gradually decreased immediately and 3 months after intervention ( P<0.05), and the scores of well-being index were gradually increased ( P<0.05); Compared with the control group, the scores of PHQ-9 and GAD-7 in the treatment group decreased more significantly ( P<0.05), and the score of well-being index increased more significantly ( P<0.05); The scores of communication, behavior control and total function of family function in the treatment group decreased gradually immediately after intervention and 3 months after intervention ( P<0.05), and were significantly lower than those in the control group ( P<0.05); The level of serum UA in the two groups decreased gradually immediately after intervention and 3 months after intervention ( P<0.05), but there was no significant difference in UA level at each time point between the two groups. The treatment compliance of the treatment group was significantly better than that of the control group ( P<0.05). Conclusions:The short-term dynamic orientation psychotherapy for gout patients has obvious effect in improving the state of anxiety and depression, improving the index of well-being, family function and treatment compliance.

Research progress in rodent modeling of major depressive disorder / 中国药理学通报

Major depressive disorder (MDD) has a high disability rate and a high risk of suicide. Due to the limited efficacy of traditional antidepressants, researchers have actively developed animal models with different mechanisms to meet the clinical needs. The principle and preparation methods, phenotypic characteristics, model validity (simulating clinical MDD) and their advantages and disadvantages of different models have been reviewed in this article. It is helpful for researchers to explore the pathogenesis of MDD and to select appropriate animal models in the development of new anti-MDD drugs.

Arthroscopic versus open treatment for femoroacetabular impingement: A systematic review and meta-analyses.

BACKGROUND: Femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) is a common cause of hip pain and restricted range of motion in young adults and athletes. This study aims to compare clinical results and complications between patients treated for FAI who underwent either arthroscopic or open treatment. METHODS: The 7 studies were acquired from PubMed, Medline, Embase, and Cochrane Library. The data were extracted analyzed by RevMan5.3. Mean differences (MDs), odds ratios (ORs), and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale were used to assess risk of bias. RESULTS: Seven observational studies were assessed. The methodological quality of the trials indicated a low risk of bias. The pooled results of the modified Harris Hip Score (mHHS), the Non-Arthritic Hip Score (NAHS), the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), and satisfaction rate showed that the differences were not statistically significant between arthroscopic treatment (AT) and open treatment (OT). The difference of postoperative alpha angle was statistically significant, and OT was more effective [MD = 3.08, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) = 1.45-4.70, P = .0002]. The difference of postoperative internal rotation angle was statistically significant, and OT had better internal rotation angle (MD = -3.21, 95% CI = -6.14 to -0.28, P = .03). However, the difference of complications was statistically significant and AT achieved better result than OT (OR = 0.41, 95% CI = 0.22-0.74, P =0.003). CONCLUSION: AT had comparable effect and lower complications than OT, but had less improvement in alpha angle and internal rotation angle.

Elevated osteogenic potential of stem cells from inflammatory dental pulp tissues by Wnt4 overexpression for treating bone defect in rats.

BACKGROUND: The osteogenic capacity of inflammatory dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs-IPs) is reported lower than that of normal dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs-NPs). Down-regulation of Wnt4 may be the key factor affecting the osteogenic ability of DPSCs-IPs. In order to prove that the restoration of Wnt4 expression could improve the osteogenic potential of DPSCs-IPs, Wnt4 overexpressed inflammatory dental pulp stem cells (Wnt4-DPSCs-IPs) were performed to reconstruct bone defects in rats. METHODS: Human DPSCs-IPs were cultured and transfected with Wnt4 overexpression lentiviral vector. Stem cell characterization was performed by flow cytometry and induction of multidirectional differentiation. Wnt4-DPSCs-IPs were loaded onto poly (hydroxybutyrate-co-valerate) (PHBV). The compounds were engrafted into artificially-created defect in alveolar bone. The effectiveness of Wnt4-DPSCs-IPs/PHBV in bone regeneration was assessed by micro-CT and immunohistochemical staining of osteocalcin, a representative osteogenic marker. RESULTS: Collecting data showed that Wnt4 overexpression didn't change stem cell characteristics of DPSCs-IPs. Wnt4-DPSCs-IPs retain osteogenic, adipogenic and chondrogenic differentiation abilities. Wnt4-DPSCs-IPs/PHBV were more effective than DPSCs-IPs/PHBV in repair of rat bone defects by 3 months' post-surgical reconstruction. CONCLUSIONS: Restoration of Wnt4 expression could improve the osteogenic potential of DPSCs-IPs. Wnt4 restored DPSCs-IPs may be a feasible resource of seed cells for bone regeneration in future clinical application.

MicroRNA­29a promotes the neural differentiation of rat neural stem/progenitor cells by targeting KLF4.

Neural stem/progenitor cells (NSPCs) remain in the mammalian brain throughout life, where they have the ability to self­renew and generate different types of cell in the central nervous system (CNS). Therefore, NSPCs may be a potential novel therapeutic strategy following damage to the CNS. Previous research has reported that microRNA (miR)­29a served an important role in regulating cell proliferation, differentiation and survival; however, to the best of our knowledge, little is known of the effect of miR­29a in neural differentiation. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of miR­29a on the differentiation of NSPCs, determined via RNA interference, immunostaining, reverse transcription-quantitative PCR and western blotting. The present study discovered that the expression levels of miR­29a were significantly upregulated in a time­dependent manner during neural differentiation. Immunostaining showed that overexpression of miR­29a promoted neural differentiation, which manifested in increased expression levels of neuron­specific class III ß­tubulin (Tuj1); however, miR­29a had no effect on neuroglial differentiation. The expression levels of Kruppel­like factor 4 (KLF4) were downregulated following overexpression of miR­29a, whereas the inhibition of miR­29a demonstrated the opposite effect. These results suggested that the overexpression of miR­29a may promote neural differentiation in cultured rat NSPCs by decreasing the expression levels of KLF4. Thus indicating that targeting KLF4, a crucial regulatory factor for the maintenance of stemness, may be a potential underlying mechanism of action for miR­29a. In conclusion, the findings of the present study identified a potential mechanism of action for miR­29a in NSPC differentiation and provided a novel insight into the treatment strategies for CNS damage.

The central nucleus of the amygdala lesion attenuates orthodontic pain during experimental tooth movement in rats.

INTRODUCTION: Orthodontic pain is the most common adverse side effect reported in the context of tooth movement. Given its central role in processing pain and negative emotion, the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) is thought to be a key site involved in orthodontic pain sensation. METHODS: In the present study, we therefore explored whether the CeA is involved in contributing to orthodontic pain in a rat model of tooth movement. For this study, we utilized adult male rats with bilateral sham or electrolytic CeA lesions (400 µA; 25 s), and then we analyzed face grooming behavior as a measure of pain sensation. RESULTS: Through this approach, we found that there were time- and force-dependent factors influencing pain levels in these rats. We further found that bilateral CeA lesions markedly reduced tooth movement-induced orofacial pain and that unilateral CeA lesions did so to a lesser extent. CONCLUSIONS: As such, these results suggest the CeA is a key area of orthodontic pain, with the results of this study highlighting potential avenues for achieving pain relief in those suffering from orthodontic pain.

Maternal low protein exposure alters glucose tolerance and intestinal nutrient-responsive receptors and transporters expression of rat offspring.

AIMS: Maternal protein malnutrition during perinatal period has long-term consequences on the offspring's metabolic phenotype. Here we determined the effects of maternal protein-restricted (PR) diet on offspring's metabolism in 3- and 12-week-old. MAIN METHODS: Sprague-Dawley rats were fed with standard chow diet or PR diet during pregnancy and lactation. Food intake and body weight of offspring were measured weekly. The oral glucose tolerance tests were underwent, the pancreases were collected for histochemical staining, and the duodenum, jejunum and ileum were collected for gene and protein expression analysis in 3- and 12-week-old offspring. KEY FINDINGS: PR offspring had significant lower body weight and persisted till 12-week-old. From 3- to 12-week-old, PR offspring presented considerably impaired glucose tolerance, while no marked change was shown in control rats. Additionally, the average islet size of PR offspring decreased significantly in 12-week-old. The mRNA and protein expression of nutrient-responsive receptors and transporters T1R3, SGLT1 and GLUT2 increased significantly in the intestine of 3-week-old PR offspring. And from 3- and 12-week-old, the increase tendency of expression subdued. SIGNIFICANCE: These results suggest that maternal PR diet during critical developmental windows influences offspring metabolism, which may be subdued partially, but not be reversed completely by chow diet after weaning.

Progress in fluorescent visualization techniques for neurotransmitter detection / 生物工程学报

Neurotransmitters play an important role in nervous system. Temporal and spatial changes of neurotransmitter distribution are crucial to information processing in neural networks. Biosensors that can visually monitor neurotransmitters are one of the vital tools to explore a variety of physiological and pathological activities. This article reviews recent advances in monitoring neurotransmitters with high temporal and spatial resolution, and introduces the latest fluorescent imaging methods for typical neurotransmitters, including glutamate, dopamine, γ-aminobutyric acid and acetylcholine. The article also summarizes the basic principles, advantages and disadvantages of various visually detection methods, and provides systematic suggestions for designing neurotransmitter sensors with high temporal and spatial resolution.

Effect of Qingzao Jiufei Tang on Rate-limiting Enzymes HK2, PFK2 and PKM2 in Glycolytic Pathway in Lewis Lung Cancer-bearing Mice Cells / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective::To study the effect of Qingzao Jiufei Tang on the expression of key limiting enzymes hexokinase 2(HK2), phosphofructokinase 2(PFK2) and pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2), and the glucose content in Lewis mice colon cancer cells. Method::A total of 50 male C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into model group, chemotherapy group, and high, middle and low-dose Qingzao Jiufei Tang groups, with 10 mice in each group. The lung cancer cell model was established by injecting Lewis lung cancer cells into the right axilla. The high, middle and low dose groups were administered at the doses of 11, 5.5, 2.75 g·kg-1·d-1 for 2 weeks before modeling. The drug was administered through intraperitoneal injection at a dose of 50 mg·kg-1·(2 d)-1 in the chemotherapy group. The model group was intragastrically administered with an equal volume of normal saline. After the inoculation, the drug was administered for two weeks. Two weeks later, all of the mice were put to death, and tumor tissues were collected. The mRNA expression of HK2 was detected by Real-time PCR. the protein expression of PFK2 was detected by Western blot, the PKM2 activity was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Result::Compared with the model group, mRNA expressions and activity of PKM2 in lung cancer cells of treatment groups were significantly declined, and glucose content increased significantly, with significant differences from those of model group (P<0.01). The PFK2 protein expressions in lung cancer cells of treatment groups (high, medium and low-dose groups) were significantly decreased (P<0.05, P<0.01). Conclusion::Qingzao Jiufei Tang could inhibit Lewis proliferation, and decrease the glucose intake in lung cancer cells. The effect targets may be the key rate-limiting enzymes HK2, PFK2, PKM2.