Detecting potential mechanism of vitamin D in treating rheumatoid arthritis based on network pharmacology and molecular docking.

Aim: Vitamin D plays a vital role in Rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, the mechanism of vitamin D and rheumatism is still unclear. Therefore, a strategy based on network pharmacology and molecular docking was used to explore the mechanism of vitamin D and RA. Methods: The targets of RA were obtained from the GeneCards database and Therapeutic Targets Database, and the targets of vitamin D were obtained from the Drugbank database and STITCH database. Next, overlapping genes were identified by Venny, and further Gene ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), and molecular docking analyses were performed. Results: A total of 1,139 targets of RA and 201 targets of vitamin D were obtained. A total of 76 overlapping genes were identified by Venny. The enrichment analysis showed that cell proliferation, immune response, and apoptotic process were the critical biological processes of vitamin D in treating RA. Antifolate resistance, osteoclast differentiation, and the nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) signalling pathway are fundamental mechanisms of vitamin D in treating RA. According to further molecular docking, ALB, TNF, CASP3, and TP53 may be important punctuation points or diagnostic markers for future RA treatment. Conclusion: By analysing overlapping genes of diseases and drugs, this study confirmed that ALB, TNF, CASP3, and TP53 may be essential markers or diagnostic markers for future RA treatment.

Remediation of saline-sodic soil with flue gas desulfurization gypsum in a reclaimed tidal flat of southeast China.

Salinization and sodicity are obstacles for vegetation reconstruction of coastal tidal flat soils. A study was conducted with flue gas desulfurization (FGD)-gypsum applied at rates of 0, 15, 30, 45 and 60Mg/ha to remediate tidal flat soils of the Yangtze River estuary. Exchangeable sodium percentage (ESP), exchangeable sodium (ExNa), pH, soluble salt concentration, and composition of soluble salts were measured in 10cm increments from the surface to 30cm depth after 6 and 18months. The results indicated that the effect of FGD-gypsum is greatest in the 0-10cm mixing soil layer and 60Mg/ha was the optimal rate that can reduce the ESP to below 6% and decrease soil pH to neutral (7.0). The improvement effect was reached after 6months, and remained after 18months. The composition of soluble salts was transformed from sodic salt ions mainly containing Na(+), HCO3(-)+CO3(2-) and Cl(-) to neutral salt ions mainly containing Ca(2+) and SO4(2-). Non-halophyte plants were survived at 90%. The study demonstrates that the use of FGD-gypsum for remediating tidal flat soils is promising.

Use of ESI-FTICR-MS to Characterize Dissolved Organic Matter in Headwater Streams Draining Forest-Dominated and Pasture-Dominated Watersheds.

Electrospray ionization Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (ESI-FTICR-MS) has proven to be a powerful technique revealing complexity and diversity of natural DOM molecules, but its application to DOM analysis in grazing-impacted agricultural systems remains scarce. In the present study, we presented a case study of using ESI-FTICR-MS in analyzing DOM from four headwater streams draining forest- or pasture-dominated watersheds in Virginia, USA. In all samples, most formulas were CHO compounds (71.8-87.9%), with other molecular series (CHOS, CHON, CHONS, and CHOP (N, S)) accounting for only minor fractions. All samples were dominated by molecules falling in the lignin-like region (H/C = 0.7-1.5, O/C = 0.1-0.67), suggesting the predominance of allochthonous, terrestrial plant-derived DOM. Relative to the two pasture streams, DOM formulas in the two forest streams were more similar, based on Jaccard similarity coefficients and nonmetric multidimensional scaling calculated from Bray-Curtis distance. Formulas from the pasture streams were characterized by lower proportions of aromatic formulas and lower unsaturation, suggesting that the allochthonous versus autochthonous contributions of organic matter to streams were modified by pasture land use. The number of condensed aromatic structures (CAS) was higher for the forest streams, which is possibly due to the controlled burning in the forest-dominated watersheds and suggests that black carbon was mobilized from soils to streams. During 15-day biodegradation experiments, DOM from the two pasture streams was altered to a greater extent than DOM from the forest streams, with formulas with H/C and O/C ranges similar to protein (H/C = 1.5-2.2, O/C = 0.3-0.67), lipid (H/C = 1.5-2.0, O/C = 0-0.3), and unsaturated hydrocarbon (H/C = 0.7-1.5, O/C = 0-0.1) being the most bioreactive groups. Aromatic compound formulas including CAS were preferentially removed during combined light+bacterial incubations, supporting the contention that black carbon is labile to light alterations. Collectively, our data demonstrate that headwater DOM composition contains integrative information on watershed sources and processes, and the application of ESI-FTICR-MS technique offers additional insights into compound composition and reactivity unrevealed by fluorescence and stable carbon isotopic measurements.

Accuracy of fine needle aspiration biopsy processed by cytologic smear and cell block techniques for the diagnosis of lacrimal gland tumors: a study of 48 cases.

OBJECTIVE: To study the accuracy of fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) processed by smear cytology and cell block (CB) techniques for the diagnosis of lacrimal gland tumors (LGTs). STUDY DESIGN: In a prospective study, we enrolled 48 consecutive patients with LGTs. Immediately after excision of LGTs, the tissues were underwent FNAB with 23-gauge needles. The FNAB samples were processed to produce cytologic smears and CB from which slides were cut for immunohistochemical staining. The remainders were submitted for routine histopathologic processing. The diagnostic value of FNAB was assessed by comparing the FNAB diagnoses to those made by routine histopathology. RESULTS: Cytopathologic evaluations based on smear cytology and CB with sections stained immunohistochemically can distinguish non-epithelial lesions from epithelial ones in all cases. The diagnostic sensitivities, specificities, and accuracies for distinguishing benign from malignant lesions were: cytologic smears--76%, 68%, and 71%, respectively; CB with immunohistochemical staining--88%, 87%, and 88%, respectively. The accuracy of the tissue diagnosis compared to routine histopathology was less for cytologic smears (58%) than for CB with immunohistochemistry (81%; P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: FNAB of LGT processed using a CB technique capable of producing immunohistochemically stained slides results in a greater percentage of accurate tissue diagnoses than do cytologic smears, when compared to routine histopathology.

[Clinical and pathological analysis of primary lacrimal sac tumors].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical features and pathological classification of primary lacrimal sac tumors. METHODS: A retrospective study of 96 cases of primary lacrimal sac tumors in past 50 years from EENT Hospital (Jan. 1956 to Dec. 2005) was performed to investigate the clinical features, radiological manifestation, histopathological classification and treatment. RESULTS: Primary lacrimal sac tumors were more common in men than in women (1.8:1.0) and the median age at presentation was 46 years (ranged 11 - 80 years). The most common sign and symptom were epiphora and lacrimal sac mass, respectively. Among these primary lacrimal sac tumors, 94.8% were malignant tumors (91/95). All epithelial lacrimal sac tumors (83 cases, 86.5%) were malignant and squamous cell carcinoma was the most common tumor (64 cases, 66.7%), followed by undifferentiated carcinoma (10 cases, 10.4%), mucoepidermoid carcinoma (4 cases, 4.2%), adenocarcinoma (4 cases, 4.2%) and transitional cell carcinoma (1 case, 1.0%). The nonepithelial tumors consisted of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma (5 cases, 5.2%), melanoma (3 cases, 3.1%), neurilemoma (2 cases, 2.1%), hemangiopericytoma (2 cases, 2.1%) and cavernous hemangioma (1 case, 1.0%). CONCLUSIONS: Primary lacrimal sac tumors are extremely rare, but most of them are malignant tumors and are often misdiagnosed as dacryocystitis and lacrimal sac obstruction. Therefore, ophthalmologists should pay more attention to the diagnosis of lacrimal sac tumors.