The comparisons of vitamin D3 levels in IgA vasculitis across different subgroups and healthy children: a comparative study.

Background: IgA vasculitis is the most common form of vasculitis in children. Vitamin D deficiency has been observed to contribute to immune function and the pathogenesis of various immune diseases. However, at present, only a few studies with small sample sizes have shown that IgA vasculitis patients have lower vitamin D levels than healthy children. Thus, we conduct a large study to investigate the significance of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 (25(OH)D) levels of children with IgA vasculitis across different subgroups and healthy children. Methods: In this retrospective study, 1,063 children were recruited from the Ningbo Women and Children's Hospital between February 2017 and October 2019, including 663 patients hospitalized with IgA vasculitis and 400 healthy examination children who served as the control group at the same time. There wasn't any bias in the season. The healthy group came from children who underwent normal physical examination. The 663 IgA vasculitis patients were then divided into the IgA vasculitis-nephritis and non-IgA vasculitis-nephritis groups, streptococcal-infection and no-streptococcal-infection groups, gastrointestinal-involvement and no-gastrointestinal-involvement groups, and joint-involvement and no-joint-involvement groups. The serum 25(OH)D levels at disease onset were analyzed. All the participants were followed up for 6 months from the date of onset. Results: The serum 25(OH)D levels of the IgA vasculitis group (15.47±6.58 ng/mL) were significantly lower than those of the healthy control group (22.48±6.24 ng/mL) (P<0.01). There were no significant differences in terms of age and sex between the IgA vasculitis and healthy control group. Further, among the IgA vasculitis patients serum 25(OH)D levels were reduced in the IgA vasculitis-nephritis (12.99±4.92 ng/mL), streptococcal-infection (14.2±6.06 ng/mL), and gastrointestinal-involvement (14.43±6.33 ng/mL) groups (P=0.00, 0.004, 0.002, respectively). The vitamin D levels with IgA vasculitis were significantly lower in winter and spring than summer and autumn. Conversely, the joint-involvement group did not show a significant reduction in vitamin D levels compared to no joints involved group. Conclusions: IgA vasculitis patients have reduced vitamin D levels, which suggests that vitamin D deficiency may be involved in the development of IgA vasculitis. Vitamin D supplementation may reduce the incidence of IgA vasculitis, and maintaining high vitamin D levels in IgA vasculitis patients may prevent renal damage.

Serum derived from zeranol-implanted ACI rats promotes the growth of human breast cancer cells in vitro.

BACKGROUND: Zeranol (Z) is a non-steroidal anabolic growth promoter with potent estrogenic activity that is widely used as a growth promoter in the US beef industry. Consumption of beef derived from zeranol-implanted cattle may be a risk factor for breast cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The effect of serum on the proliferation of human breast cancer MCF-7 cell line and primary cultured human breast epithelial cells (PCHBECs) was investigated. ACI rats were implanted with 12 mg zeranol pellet and the serum was harvested at day 110 after implantation. The effect of zeranol-serum on mRNA expression of cell cycle regulating gene (cyclin D1) and tumor suppressor genes (p53, and p21) was evaluated using real-time RT-PCR. RESULTS: The serum derived from ACI rats 110 days post-zeranol implantation significantly promoted the proliferation of MCF-7 cells and primary cultured human breast epithelial cells compared to control serum. Zeranol-serum up-regulated cyclin D1 and down-regulated p53 and p21 expression in PCHBECs compared with control serum. CONCLUSION: Bio-active zeranol metabolites contained in meat produced from cattle after zeranol implantation may be a risk factor for breast cancer.

Novel heteroligated titanium complexes with fluorinated salicylaldiminato and ß-enaminoketonato ligands: synthesis, characterization and catalytic behavior in vinyl addition polymerization of norbornene.

A series of heteroligated (salicylaldiminato)(ß-enaminoketonato)titanium complexes of the general formula [3-Bu(t)-2-OC(6)H(3)CH==N(C(6)F(5))][PhN==C(CF(3))CHC(R)O]TiCl(2) (3a: R==Ph, 3b: R==C(6)H(4)Ph(p), 3c: R==C(6)H(4)Ph(o), 3d: R = 1-naphthyl, 3e: R = C(6)H(4)F2(2,6), 3f: R = C(6)H(4)Cl2(2,5), 3g: R==C(6)F4(2,3,5,6)OMe(4)) were synthesized. The structure of complexes 3d, 3f-g were determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. The X-ray crystallographic analysis indicated these complexes adopted a distorted octahedral geometry around the titanium center. Upon activation with modified methylaluminoxane, complexes 3a-g exhibited moderate to good catalytic activity for norbornene (NB) vinyl addition polymerization, producing moderate molecular weight polynorbornenes under mild conditions. The introduction of electron-withdrawing groups can greatly enhance the catalytic activity. Significantly, the heteroligated titanium complexes displayed greatly improved activity for vinyl addition polymerization of NB compared to homoligated counterparts, which may stem from the suitable combinations of electronic and steric effects.

Aromatase expression in leptin-pretreated human breast pre-adipocytes is enhanced by zeranol and suppressed by (-)-gossypol.

BACKGROUND: Obesity is associated with an increased risk of estrogen-dependent breast cancer. Recently, concerns have been raised regarding the role of zeranol (Z), a non-steroidal anabolic growth promoter with potent estrogenic activity widely used in the U.S.A. beef industry, as a possible contributor to an increased incidence of human breast cancer. This study hypothesized that obese individuals may be at greater risk of developing zeranol-induced breast cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The aromatase mRNA expression level of three cell types isolated from adipose tissues were assayed by RT-PCR, and the cell proliferation of primary cultured human normal breast pre-adipocytes (HNBPADs) was investigated using the CellTiter96® non-radioactive method. The effects of Z and gossypol on aromatase expression of leptin-pretreated HNBPADs were evaluated by RT-PCR. RESULTS: HNBPADs expressed higher aromatase than primary cultured human breast epithelial cells and stromal cells. Z enhanced the mitogenic activity of leptin and increased aromatase expression in HNBPADs. Moreover, (-)-gossypol counteracted Z- and leptin-induced cell proliferation and aromatase expression. CONCLUSION: These results suggested that bioactive Z metabolites contained in meat produced from Z-implanted beef cattle may increase estrogen biosynthesis in obese individuals by increasing aromatase expression and estrogen production, which will promote cell sensitivity and increase breast cancer cell growth.

Synthesis and characterization of the titanium complexes bearing two ß-enaminoketonato ligands with electron withdrawing groups/modified phenyls and their behaviors for ethylene (co-)polymerization.

A series of new titanium complexes with two asymmetric bidentate ß-enaminoketonato [N,O] ligands (2b-t), [PhN=C(CF(3))CHC(Ar)O](2)TiCl(2) (2b, Ar = -C(6)H(4)F(o); 2c, Ar = -C(6)H(4)F(m); 2d, Ar = -C(6)H(4)F(p); 2e, Ar = -C(6)H(4)Cl(p); 2f, Ar = -C(6)H(4)OMe(p); 2g, Ar = -C(6)H(4)CF(3)(p); 2h, Ar = -C(6)H(4)CF(3)(m); 2i, Ar = -C(6)H(4)CF(3)(o); 2j, Ar = -C(6)H(4)Cl(o); 2k, Ar = -C(6)H(4)Br(o); 2l, Ar = -C(6)H(4)I(o); 2m, Ar = -C(6)H(3)F(2)(2,4); 2n, Ar = -C(6)H(3)F(2)(2,6); 2o, Ar = -C(6)H(3)F(2)(3,4); 2p, Ar = -C(6)H(3)F(2)(3,5); 2q, Ar = -C(6)F(5); 2r, Ar = C(6)F(4)OMe; 2s, Ar = -C(6)H(3)Cl(2)(2,6); 2t, Ar = -C(6)H(3)Cl(2)(2,5)), have been synthesized based on substituted acetophenones. X-Ray analyses reveal that complexes 2h, 2k, 2m, and 2n adopt distorted octahedral geometry around the titanium center, in which the two chloride ligands are situated in the cis-orientation. 2s also adopts distorted octahedral geometry, but the two chloride ligands in it are situated in the trans-orientation due to the increase of the steric effect of the phenyl derived from the acetophenone. The influence of the substituent effects on catalyst performance, including catalytic activities and the molecular weight distribution of the polymers obtained, was investigated in detail. With modified methylaluminoxane (MMAO) as a cocatalyst, complexes 2b-r and 2t are active catalysts for ethylene polymerization at room temperature, and produce high molecular weight polymers. It is observed that the catalytic activities are significantly enhanced by introducing some electron-withdrawing groups, such as -F, -Cl and -CF(3), into the suitable positions of the phenyl ring close to the oxygen donor. It should be noted that complexes 2c-i, 2p, 2n and 2t are also capable of promoting the living copolymerization of ethylene with norbornene at room temperature, yielding high molecular weight copolymers with narrow molecular weight distributions (PDI = 1.05-1.30).

Synthesis and characterization of the titanium complexes bearing two regioisomeric trifluoromethyl-containing enaminoketonato ligands and their behavior in ethylene polymerization.

A series of new titanium complexes bearing two regioisomeric trifluoromethyl-containing enaminoketonato ligands (3a-h and 6a-h), [PhN=CRCHC(CF3)O]2TiCl2 (3a, R = Me; 3b, R = n-C5H11; 3c, R = i-Pr; 3d, R = Cy; 3e, R = t-Bu; 3f, R = CH=CHPh; 3g, R = Et; 3h, R = n-C11H23) and [PhN=C(CF3)CHC(R)O]2TiCl2 (6a, R = Ph; 6b, R = n-C5H11; 6c, R = i-Pr; 6d, R = Cy; 6e, R = t-Bu; 6f, R = CH=CHPh; 6g, R = CHPh2; 6h, R = CF3) have been synthesized and characterized. X-ray crystal structures analyses suggest that complexes 3c-e and 6c-d all adopt a distorted octahedral geometry around the titanium center. Complexes 3c, 3d and 6c display a cis-configuration of the two chlorine atoms around the titanium center, while complex 6d shows a trans-configuration of the two chlorine atoms. Especially, the configurational isomers (cis and trans) of complex 3e were identified both in solution and in the solid state by NMR and X-ray analyses. With modified methylaluminoxane as a cocatalyst, all the complexes are active towards ethylene polymerization, and produce high molecular weight polymers. With the variation of the relative position of the imino group and the trifluoromethyl group of the beta-enaminoketonato ligands, the polymerization behavior of the catalysts changed remarkably. It is observed that the substituent directly joined to the carbonyl in the ligands plays an important role for both the catalytic activities and the properties of the polymers produced.

[Establishment and evaluation of a computer-based software system for detection of initial approximal caries].

OBJECTIVE: To establish and evaluate a computer-based software system (caries diagnosing system, CDS): CDS for better detection of initial approximal caries based on the performance of radiography. METHODS: A total of 190 approximal surfaces from 95 extracted posterior teeth were examined by bite-wing radiography. After analysing and extracting the approximal lesion's characteristics of X-ray performance, using Matlab and VC language, the CDS was established. Then the proximal surfaces of these teeth were detected automatically by CDS, and scored by naked eyes of 8 experienced dentists for the extent of lesions. The histological appearance of sectioned teeth was used as the gold standard to assess sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and reproducibility. RESULTS: The sensitivity of CDS was 0.728, Pearson's correlation was 0.722, better than that of optic estimation. The reproducibility of CDS was good too. CONCLUSIONS: The CDS can report the lesion site and extension, its diagnostic level is better than that of optic estimation, it is an reasonably sensitive and accurate method for the detection of initial approximal caries in present clinic practice, and a tool of providing objective data.