Dahuang Zhechong Pill Alleviates Liver Fibrosis Progression by Regulating p38 MAPK/NF-κ B/TGF-ß1 Pathway.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effect and mechanism of Dahuang Zhechong Pill (DHZCP) on liver fibrosis. METHODS: Liver fibrosis cell model was induced by transforming growth factor-ß (TGF-ß) in hepatic stellate cells (HSC-T6). DHZCP medicated serum (DMS) was prepared in rats. HSC-T6 cells were divided into the control (15% normal blank serum culture), TGF-ß (15% normal blank serum + 5 ng/mL TGF-ß), DHZCP (15% DMS + 5 ng/mL TGF-ß), DHZCP+PDTC [15% DMS + 4 mmol/L ammonium pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (PDTC)+ 5 ng/mL TGF-ß], and PDTC groups (4 mmol/L PDTC + 5 ng/mL TGF-ß). Cell activity was detected by cell counting kit 8 and levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-1ß, IL-6, aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) in the cell supernatant were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbnent assay. Western blot was used to measure the expressions of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase/nuclear factor kappa B/transforming growth factor-ß1 (p38 MAPK/NF-κ B/TGF-ß1) pathway related proteins, and the localization and expressions of these proteins were observed by immunofluorescence staining. RESULTS: DHZCP improves the viability of cells damaged by TGF-ß and reduces inflammatory cytokines and ALT and AST levels in the supernatant of HSC-T6 cells induced with TGF-ß (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Compared with the TGF-ß group, NF-κ B p65 levels in the DHZCP group were decreased (P<0.05). p38 MAPK and NF-κ B p65 levels in the DHZCP+PDTC were also reduced (P<0.01). Compared with the TGF-ß group, the protein expression of Smad2 showed a downward trend in the DHZCP, DHZCP+PDTC, and PDTC groups (all P<0.01), and the decreasing trend of Samd3 was statistically significant only in DHZCP+PDTC group (P<0.01), whereas Smad7 was increased (P<0.05 or P<0.01). CONCLUSION: DHZCP can inhibit the process of HSC-T6 cell fibrosis by down-regulating the expression of p38 MAPK/NF-κ B/TGF-ß1 pathway.

Obesity indicators as mediators of association between daytime napping and type 2 diabetes mellitus: the Guangzhou Biobank Cohort Study.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the mediating effect of obesity indicators on the association between daytime napping and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) qualitatively and quantitatively using baseline data from the Guangzhou Biobank Cohort Study. METHODS: Twenty-nine thousand three hundred fifty-five participants aged 50+ years were included in this cross-sectional study. Mediation analysis was used to assess the mediating effect of body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), hip circumference (HC), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) on the association between daytime napping and T2DM after adjustment for sex, age, education, occupation, smoking status, alcohol use and physical activity. RESULTS: The mean (standard deviation) age of participants was 61.5 ( 7.1) years. The prevalence of T2DM and daytime napping was 12.5% and 65.2%, respectively. After adjustment for potential confounders, WC, WHR and WHtR showed partial mediating effects on the association between daytime napping and T2DM, with the proportion (95% confidence interval) of mediation effect being 10.17% (8.14-14.43%), 14.91% (11.95-21.24%) and 9.36% (7.49-13.29%), respectively. No mediating effect of BMI or HC on the association between daytime napping and T2DM was found. CONCLUSIONS: Our results showed significant mediating effects of WC, WHR and WHtR on the association between daytime napping and T2DM, suggesting that waist circumference management could be important in daytime nappers.

Retrospective study on the merits of bone grafts and the influence of implant protrusion length after osteotome sinus elevation surgery.

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to evaluate the endo-sinus bone remodeling of dental implants placed via osteotome sinus floor elevation (OSFE) after 6 months and using different implant protrusion lengths and bone grafts through cone beam computed tomography (CBCT). METHODS: Ninety-six patients with 124 implants were included and assigned into four groups. Group 1: implant protrusion length<4 mm with bone graft; group 2: implant protrusion length>4 mm with bone graft; group 3: implant protrusion length<4 mm without bone graft; group 4: implant protrusion length>4 mm without bone graft. Apical bone gain (ABG), cortical bone gain (CBG), bone density gain (BDG), and marginal bone loss (MBL) were observed and analyzed at baseline and 6 months after implant surgery. RESULTS: The CBG in grafted groups 1 and 2 was higher than that in non-grafted groups. The ABG and BDG were higher in non-grafted groups 3 and 4 than in grafted groups, and the levels in group 3 were higher than those in group 4. The CBG in grafted group 2 was higher than that in group 1. No significant difference was observed in MBL analysis. CONCLUSIONS: The BDG of IPL<4 mm implants was higher than IPL>4 mm implant when bone grafts were not applied. No relevance was observed between IPL and CBG. Bone grafts can accelerate endo-sinus bone remodeling by increasing CBG and dissipating the influence of IPL on BDG.