[Clinical Effect of Surgical Reconstruction of Extracranial Vertebral Artery].

Objective To evaluate the effect of surgical reconstruction of extracranial vertebral artery and to summarize the experience. Methods The clinical data of 15 patients undergoing surgical reconstruction of extracranial vertebral artery from September 2018 to June 2022 were collected.The operation methods,operation duration,intraoperative blood loss,operation complications,and relief of symptoms were retrospectively analyzed. Results Eleven patients underwent vertebral artery (V1 segment) to common carotid artery transposition,two patients underwent endarterectomy of V1 segment,two patients underwent V3 segment to external carotid artery bypass or transposition.The operation duration,intraoperative blood loss,and blocking time of common carotid artery varied within 120-340 min,50-300 ml,and 12-25 min,with the medians of 240 min,100 ml,and 16 min,respectively.There was no cardiac accident,cerebral hyperperfusion syndrome,cerebral hemorrhage or lymphatic leakage during the perioperative period.One patient suffered from cerebral infarction and three patients suffered from incomplete Horner's syndrome after the operation.During the follow-up (4-45 months,median of 26 months),there was no anastomotic stenosis,new cerebral infarction or cerebral ischemia. Conclusion Surgical reconstruction of extracranial vertebral artery is safe and effective,and individualized reconstruction strategy should be adopted according to different conditions.

Trophinin-associated protein expression correlates with shorter survival of patients with glioma: a study based on multiple data fusion analysis.

BACKGROUND: Trophinin-associated protein (TROAP) mediates embryonic transfer, regulates microtubules, and is associated with the biological behavior of various cancers. However, there is limited information on the role of TROAP in glioma. METHODS AND RESULTS: We obtained clinical information on 1948 patients with glioma from The Cancer Genome Atlas, Gene Expression Omnibus and the Chinese Glioma Genome Atlas. Basal assays were used to measure changes in TROAP expression levels in high-grade glioma cell lines and in normal human astrocytes. Quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction assays showed that TROAP expression was higher in glioma cell lines than in normal astrocytes. The expression level of TROAP in 749 glioma was significantly higher than that in 228 normal brain tissues using Student's t test. The expression of TROAP has a positive relationship with the clinical characteristics of poor prognosis, such as WHO grade, age and has negatively correlated with the indicators of beneficial prognosis, such as IDH mutation and 1p19q co-deletion. Kaplan-Meier survival curves, single multifactor analysis were used to analyze correlations between TROAP and clinical features and prognosis of gliomas. In addition, TROAP overexpression was an independent risk factor for glioma and was associated with reduced overall survival of patients with glioma particularly in patients with WHO grade III and grade IV glioma. Gene set enrichment analysis showed that homologous recombination, cell cycle, and p53 signaling pathways were enriched in samples overexpressing TROAP. CONCLUSION: TROAP is a potential risk factor associated with poor prognosis in patients with glioma and may act as a highly specific biomarker, offering the possibility of individualized glioma treatment.

Titanium-Enriched Slag Prepared by Atmospheric Hydrochloric Acid Leaching of Mechanically Activated Vanadium Titanomagnetite Concentrates.

The titanium-enriched slag was obtained via atmospheric hydrochloric acid leaching of mechanically activated vanadium titanomagnetite concentrates (VTMCs). Under the influence of mechanical activation, specific physicochemical changes were observed via X-ray diffractometry, scanning electron microscopy, and granulometric laser diffraction analysis. Experimental findings revealed that the mechanical activation of VTMCs resulted in a decrease in the median volume particle diameter (d50) and an increase in the specific surface area (SA) with an increased milling time. The results of the leaching experiment revealed that the mechanical activation treatment favors the extraction of iron (Fe) and titanium dioxide (TiO2) from the VTMCs. The Fe and TiO2 extractions from the mechanically activated sample after 10 h compared with the unactivated sample were increased by 12.82% and 4.73%, respectively. The presence of the ilmenite phase in the titanium-enriched slag was confirmed by X-ray diffractometry and EDS patterns, and the content of the TiO2 in the enriched slag can get as high as 43.75%.

Impact of thymosin α1 as an immunomodulatory therapy on long-term survival of non-small cell lung cancer patients after R0 resection: a propensity score-matched analysis.

BACKGROUND: There is limited information about thymosin α1 (Tα1) as adjuvant immunomodulatory therapy, either used alone or combined with other treatments, in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This study aimed to evaluate the effect of adjuvant Tα1 treatment on long-term survival in margin-free (R0)-resected stage IA-IIIA NSCLC patients. METHODS: A total of 5746 patients with pathologic stage IA-IIIA NSCLC who underwent R0 resection were included. The patients were divided into the Tα1 group and the control group according to whether they received Tα1 or not. A propensity score matching (PSM) analysis was performed to reduce bias, resulting in 1027 pairs of patients. RESULTS: After PSM, the baseline clinicopathological characteristics were similar between the two groups. The 5-year disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) rates were significantly higher in the Tα1 group compared with the control group. The multivariable analysis showed that Tα1 treatment was independently associated with an improved prognosis. A longer duration of Tα1 treatment was associated with improved OS and DFS. The subgroup analyses showed that Tα1 therapy could improve the DFS and/or OS in all subgroups of age, sex, Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI), smoking status, and pathological tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) stage, especially for patients with non-squamous cell NSCLC and without targeted therapy. CONCLUSION: Tα1 as adjuvant immunomodulatory therapy can significantly improve DFS and OS in patients with NSCLC after R0 resection, except for patients with squamous cell carcinoma and those receiving targeted therapy. The duration of Tα1 treatment is recommended to be >24 months.

Hierarchical Brookite TiO2-Bi2MoO6 Nanospheres with Efficient Visible-Light-Driven Photocatalytic Response.

Hierarchical TiO2-Bi2MoO6 nanospheres as efficient visible-light responsive photocatalyst are fabricated by dispersing brookite TiO2 nanorods on the hierarchical Bi2MoO6 nanospheres, which provides visible-light absorption and large surface area. The morphologies, surface area and light absorption features of as-prepared TiO²-Bi²MoO6 can be rational controlled by varying the loading amount of TiO² nanorods on hierarchical Bi²MoO6 nanospheres. As a result, the TiO²-Bi²MoO6-3 yields 380 ppm CO² production for decomposing 2-propanol at 11 h under visible light irradiation, realizing 4.4 times enhancement of photocatalytic property with respect to pure TiO² nanorods. Moreover, the three-dimensional hierarchical architecture enables the hybrid TiO²-Bi²MoO6 excellent cycling stability.

Is It Necessary to Perform the Pharmacological Interventions for Intrahepatic Cholestasis of Pregnancy? A Bayesian Network Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Although many meta-analyses have evaluated the pharmacotherapy of intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP) and recommended ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) as an effective treatment, the defect of the pair-wise analyses and the mixture of the control group made the outcome uncertain and unclear. We aimed to employ Bayesian network meta-analysis (NMA) to compare the maternal and fetal outcomes after UDCA, S-adenosylmethionine (SAMe) mono-therapy or the combination treatment of these two drugs for ICP patients. METHODS: Multiple electronic database searches were conducted for articles published up to 1 September 2018. The relevant information was extracted from the published reports with a predefined data extraction sheet, and the risk of bias was assessed with the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool. Poisson Bayesian network meta-analysis was employed to identify the synthesized evidence from the relevant trials, with reporting hazard risks (HRs) and 95% credible intervals (CrIs). RESULTS: The pooled outcomes of the 13 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with 625 participants indicated that none of the three regimens can significantly improve maternal and fetal outcomes. CONCLUSION: This NMA of the RCTs clarified that the current intervention has no favorable effect on pruritus and other symptoms in ICP patients.

Combination of mild therapeutic hypothermia and adipose-derived stem cells for ischemic brain injury.

Mild therapeutic hypothermia has been shown to mitigate cerebral ischemia, reduce cerebral edema, and improve the prognosis of patients with cerebral ischemia. Adipose-derived stem cell-based therapy can decrease neuronal death and infiltration of inflammatory cells, exerting a neuroprotective effect. We hypothesized that the combination of mild therapeutic hypothermia and adipose-derived stem cells would be neuroprotective for treatment of stroke. A rat model of transient middle cerebral artery occlusion was established using the nylon monofilament method. Mild therapeutic hypothermia (33°C) was induced after 2 hours of ischemia. Adipose-derived stem cells were administered through the femoral vein during reperfusion. The severity of neurological dysfunction was measured by a modified Neurological Severity Score Scaling System. The area of the infarct lesion was determined by 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride staining. Apoptotic neurons were detected by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining. The regeneration of microvessels and changes in the glial scar were detected by immunofluorescence staining. The inflammatory responses after ischemic brain injury were evaluated by in situ staining using markers of inflammatory cells. The expression of inflammatory cytokines was measured by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Compared with mild therapeutic hypothermia or adipose-derived stem cell treatment alone, their combination substantially improved neurological deficits and decreased infarct size. They synergistically reduced the number of TUNEL-positive cells and glial fibrillary acidic protein expression, increased vascular endothelial growth factor levels, effectively reduced inflammatory cell infiltration and down-regulated the mRNA expression of the proinflammatory cytokines interleukin-1ß, tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-6. Our findings indicate that combined treatment is a better approach for treating stroke compared with mild therapeutic hypothermia or adipose-derived stem cells alone.

Anti-tyrosinase kinetics and antibacterial process of caffeic acid N-nonyl ester in Chinese Olive (Canarium album) postharvest.

Enzymatic browning and bacterial putrefaction are mainly responsible for quality losses of Chinese Olive (Canarium album) postharvest and lead to very short shelf life on average. Screening anti-browning and anti-bacterial agents is important for preservation of Chinese Olive. Caffeic acid N-nonyl ester (C-9) and caffeic acid N- Heptyl ester (C-7) was synthesized as inhibitors of tyrosinase, which is a key enzyme in browning process. The compound of C-9 could inhibit the activity of tyrosinase strongly and its IC50 value was determined to be 37.5µM, while the compound of C-7 had no inhibitory ability. Kinetic analyses showed that compound of C-9 has been a reversible inhibitory mechanism below 50µM and been irreversible mechanisms above 50µM. For the reversible inhibitory mechanism, the values of inhibitory constants (KI and KIS) were determined to be 24.6 and 37.4µM, respectively. The results of Chinese Olive fruit postharvest showed that the compound of C-9 could effectively anti-browning and anti-bacterial putrefaction. In addition, this compound had strong antibacterial activities against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis and Salmonella. Therefore, C-9 could be a potential anti-browning and anti-bacterial reagent.

Synthesis of Triazole Schiff's Base Derivatives and Their Inhibitory Kinetics on Tyrosinase Activity.

In the present study, new Schiff's base derivatives: (Z)-4-amino-5-(2-(3- fluorobenzylidene)hydrazinyl)-4H-1,2,4-triazole-3-thiol (Y1), (Z)-3-((2-(4-amino-5- mercapto-4H-1,2,4-triazol-3-yl)hydrazono)methyl)phenol (Y2), (Z)-2-((2-(4-amino-5- mercapto-4H-1,2,4-triazol-3-yl)hydrazono)methyl)phenol (Y3) and 3-((Z)-(2-(4- (((E)-3-hydroxybenzylidene)amino)-5-mercapto-4H-1,2,4-triazol-3-yl)hydrazono)methyl)phenol (Y4) were synthesized and their structures were characterized by LC-MS, IR and 1H NMR. The inhibitory effects of these compounds on tyrosinase activites were evaluated. Compounds Y1, Y2 and Y3 showed potent inhibitory effects with respective IC50 value of 12.5, 7.0 and 1.5 µM on the diphenolase activities. Moreover, the inhibition mechanisms were determined to be reversible and mixed types. Interactions of the compounds with tyrosinase were further analyzed by fluorescence quenching, copper interaction, and molecular simulation assays. The results together with the anti-tyrosinase activities data indicated that substitution on the second position of benzene ring showed superior ant-ityrosinase activities than that on third position, and that hydroxyl substitutes were better than fluorine substitutes. In addition, two benzene rings connecting to the triazole ring would produce larger steric hindrance, and affect the bonding between tyrosinase and inhibitors to decrease the inhibitory effects. The anti-tyrosinase effects of these compounds were in contrast to their antioxidant activities. In summary, this research will contribute to the development and design of antityrosinase agents.

Inhibition effects of benzylideneacetone, benzylacetone, and 4-phenyl-2-butanol on the activity of mushroom tyrosinase.

Tyrosinase (EC 1.14.18.1) is the key enzyme of melanin synthesis and fruit-vegetable browning. The inhibition of benzylideneacetone, benzylacetone, and 4-phenyl-2-butanol on mushroom tyrosinase was first investigated. The results shown that these three compounds could effectively inhibit the enzyme activity sharply and the inhibitory effects were determined to be reversible. Their inhibitor concentrations leading to 50% activity lost values were determined to be 1.5, 2.8, and 1.1 mM for monophenolase and 2.0, 0.6, and 0.8 mM for diphenolase, respectively. For the monophenolase activity, all of these three compounds were mixed-type inhibitors, however, only 4-phenyl-2-butanol obviously lengthened the lag time. For the diphenolase activity, benzylideneacetone and benzylacetone were mixed-type inhibitors, while 4-phenyl-2-butanol was a noncompetitive type inhibitor. In conclusion, these compounds exhibited potent antityrosinase activities. This research would provide scientific evidence for the use of benzylideneacetone, benzylacetone, and 4-phenyl-2-butanol as antityrosinase agents.

Inhibitory kinetics of chlorocinnamic acids on mushroom tyrosinase.

Tyrosinase (EC 1.14.18.1) is the key enzyme of most food enzymatic oxidation. Tyrosinase inhibitors are important in food industry. In the present paper, 2-chlorcinnamic acid and 2,4-dichlorocinnamic acid were synthesized and the inhibitory kinetics on mushroom tyrosinase were investigated. The results showed that both compounds synthesized could inhibit tyrosinase activity. For monophenolase activity, both chlorocinnamic acids could extended the lag time and decrease the steady-state activities, 2-chlorcinnamic acid extended the lag time just by 5%, and 2,4-dichlorcinnamic acid extended the lag time more than by 30.4%. For diphenolase activity, the IC50 values of 2-chlorcinnamic acid and 2,4-dichlorocinnamic acid were determined to be 0.765 mM and 0.295 mM, respectively. The inhibition kinetics showed that 2-chlorcinnamic acid and 2,4-dichlorocinnamic acid displayed a reversible and uncompetitive mechanism. The inhibition constants were determined to be 0.348 mM and 0.159 mM, respectively. The research may supply the basis for designing new tyrosinase inhibitors.

Antityrosinase and antimicrobial activities of furfuryl alcohol, furfural and furoic acid.

The inhibitory kinetics of furfuryl alcohol, furfural and furoic acid on mushroom tyrosinase have been investigated. The results showed that these furan compounds were reversible inhibitors of the enzyme. Furthermore, furfuryl alcohol and furfural were found to be mixed-type inhibitors while furoic acid is uncompetitive inhibitor. The inhibition constants have been confirmed and the order of the inhibiting ability was furfural>furoic acid>furfuryl alcohol. They indicate that the functional groups on the furan ring play a crucial role in the inhibition on the enzyme. In addition, it was also found that these furan compounds could inhibit the proliferation of Salmonella bacteria and Bacillus subtilis to different extents. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of furfuryl alcohol, furfural and furoic acid against B. subtilis and S. bacteria were 0.115, 0.027, 0.015 and 0.115, 0.029, 0.009 µM, respectively. The minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) values of that were 0.115, 0.027, 0.015 and 0.231, 0.121, 0.030 µM, respectively.

[Effect of pamidronate on cementoclast and osteoclast differentiation factor expression during orthodontic tooth movement in rats].

PURPOSE: To investigate the influence of pamidronate on cementoclast and osteoclast differentiation factor(ODF) expression during orthodontic tooth movement in rats. METHODS: 24 female, 6-week-old SPF Wistar rats were selected and the animal models for orthodontic tooth movement were established. Each rat's maxillary was divided into experimental side and control side. Pamidronate(50 µL) was injected into the sub-periosteum area adjacent to the left upper first molar(experimental side) every 3 days during the experiment, while 0.9%NS(50 µL) was injected into the corresponding area of the control side. The rats were executed in batch on the 3rd, 7th and 14th day respectively during the orthodontic treatment for detecting the amount of cementoclast and the expression of ODF in the periodontal tissues. All statistical analysis was performed using PASW Statistics 18 software package. RESULTS: The amount of cementoclasts was significantly less in the experimental side than that in the control side on the 7th and 14th days(P<0.05). The expression of ODF was significantly less in the experimental side than that in the control side on the 7th and 14th days(P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Local injection of pamidronate can reduce the number of cementoclast and the expression of ODF.

Inhibitory effects of naphthols on the activity of mushroom tyrosinase.

Tyrosinase (EC 1.14.18.1), a copper-containing multifunctional oxidase, was known to be a key enzyme for biosynthesis in fungi, plants and animals. In this work, the inhibition properties α-naphthol and ß-naphthol toward the activity of tyrosinase have been evaluated, and the effects of α-naphthol and ß-naphthol on monophenolase and diphenolase activity of tyrosinase have been investigated. The results showed that both α-naphthol and ß-naphthol could potently inhibit both monophenolase activity and diphenolase activity of mushroom tyrosinase, and that ß-naphthol exhibited stronger inhibitory effect against tyrosinase than α-naphthol. For monophenolase activity, ß-naphthol could not only lengthen the lag time but also decrease the steady-state activity, while α-naphthol just only decreased the steady-state activity. For diphenolase activity, both α-naphthol and ß-naphthol displayed revisible inhibition. Kinetic analyses showed that both α-naphthol and ß-naphthol were competetive inhibitors.

Synthesis and antityrosinase mechanism of benzaldehyde thiosemicarbazones: novel tyrosinase inhibitors.

p-Hydroxybenzaldehyde thiosemicarbazone (HBT) and p-methoxybenzaldehyde thiosemicarbazone (MBT) were synthesized and established by (1)H NMR and mass spectra. Both compounds were evaluated for their inhibition activities on mushroom tyrosinase and free-cell tyrosinase and melanoma production from B(16) mouse melanoma cells. Results showed that both compounds exhibited significant inhibitory effects on the enzyme activities. HBT and MBT decreased the steady state of the monophenolase activity sharply, and the IC(50) values were estimated as 0.76 and 7.0 µM, respectively. MBT lengthened the lag time, but HBT could not. HBT and MBT inhibited diphenolase activity dose-dependently, and their IC(50) values were estimated as 3.80 and 2.62 µM, respectively. Kinetic analyses showed that inhibition type by both compounds was reversible and their mechanisms were mixed-type. Their inhibition constants were also determined and compared. The research may supply the basis for the development of new food preservatives and cosmetic additives.

[Effects of the traditional Chinese drug Dipsacus asperoides on the reconstruction of paradentium during the orthodontic tooth movement in rats].

PURPOSE: To observe the effects of the traditional Chinese drug Dipsacus asperoides on the construction of paradentium as well as the mechanism of action to osteoclast during the orthodontic tooth movement in rats. METHODS: Forty-eight female 8-week-old SPF Wistar rats were selected. They were randomly divided into 2 groups: Dipsacus asperoides group and control group. Then animal model for orthodontic tooth movement was established. 3 mL of NS was drenched to the control group and the Dipsacus asperoides group was given 6 g/kg per day Dipsacus asperoides decoction. The rats were executed in batch on the 7th, 14th, 21st, 28th day during the orthodontic treatment. The distances of the tooth movement were measured and slices from the periodontium of the maxillary first molar were observed under optical microscope. Measurement data were compared with t test and analysis of variance by PASW statistics18. RESULTS: The movement distance of the first molar was significantly larger in the Dipsacus asperoides group than that in the control group. The amount of osteoclast in Dipsacus asperoides group increased significantly compared with that in the control group (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Dipsacus asperoides decoction is useful for the proliferation and differentiation of the osteoclast in orthodontic tooth movement. Supported by Shandong Provincial Science and Technology Development Project (Grant No.2008GG2NS02013) and Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province (Grant No.Q2008C12).

[Comparative study of mesh-plug and polypropylene hernia system tension-free hernioplasty for inguinal hernia].

OBJECTIVE: To compare the effects of mesh-plug and polypropylene hernia system (PHS) tension-free hernioplasty so as to explore the strategy of treatment for different patients. METHODS: Eighty patients with inguinal hernia were assigned into 3 equal groups according to the randomization schedule: PHS group and mesh-plug group. The operating time and the outcomes were recorded. RESULTS: The operating times of the mesh-plug group was 73.8 minutes significantly longer than that of the PHS group (56.5 minutes, P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the recovery progress between these 2 groups. The numbers of patients who had sense of foreign body and numbness in the mesh-plug group were significantly greater than those in the PHS group (both P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Mesh-plug tension-free hernioplasty is indicated for most inguinal hernia patients owing to the simple operation. More rational in design and more effective in reduction of recurrence, PHS is suitable for thin patients or patients with week or large transversalis fascia defection. And PHS is able to reduce the postoperative discomfort.