UCA1 impacts progress of rheumatoid arthritis by inducing the apoptosis of fibroblast-like synoviocyte.

OBJECTIVE: Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic autoimmune joint disease, which is characterized by the proliferation of fibroblast-like synoviocyte. Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) has been reported to play an important role in the progression of many different diseases. The main objective of this research was to find out whether the lncRNAs influence the activity of fibroblast-like synoviocyte and the progression of this disease. PATIENTS AND METHODS: qRT-PCR was used to detect the expression of UCA1 in fibroblast-like synoviocyte from normal people and rheumatoid arthritis patients. MTT assay was used to detect the viability of cells. Apoptosis was detected by Caspase-3 Colorimetric Activity Assay Kit (Millipore, Billerica, MA, USA). Western blot was used to analyze the relationship of UCA1 and apoptosis. RESULTS: We found that the UCA1 was highly expressed in the normal fibroblast-like synoviocyte (NFLS), compared with the fibroblast-like synoviocyte of rheumatoid arthritis (RAFLS). We also found that the decrease in UCA1 expression increased the viability in NFLS and overexpressed UCA1 level in RAFLS decreased the viability. Caspase-3 was highly expressed in cells with higher viability. What's more, UCA1 could affect the viability of FLS by changing the expression of Wnt6. CONCLUSIONS: According to the results, we found that UCA1 was closely related to rheumatoid arthritis, which could be a potential target for treating it.

[The measurement of pneumatization of maxillary sinus extended into alveolar process basing on the CT and its clinical significance].

Objective:To investigate the significance of pneumatization of maxillary sinus extended into alveolar process.Method:One hundred outpatients encountered were included in this study. The pneumatizations of maxillary sinus extended into alveolar process were observed and classified. Depth of surgical procedure of maxillary sinus in different type was measured.Result:The actual depth of surgical procedure of maxillary sinus of in different types of the alveolar process pneumatization varied greatly. The actual depth of surgical procedure of maxillary sinus in type Ⅲ pneumatization of alveolar process were (32.27±3.48)mm, which were significantly deeper than type Ⅱ (28.35±3.45)mm and type Ⅰ(20.73±3.09)mm (P< 0.05 respectively). Moreover, the actual depth of surgical procedure of maxillary sinus in type Ⅱ was also deeper than type Ⅰ(P< 0.05).Conclusion:The pneumatization of maxillary sinus extended into alveolar process can significantly affect the actual depth of the maxillary sinus in the operation of endoscopic middle meatus antrostomy, which may serve as a reference for the choice of endoscopic maxillary sinus approaches.

[Barium sulphate aspiration during upper gastrointestinal examinations: two cases report and review of the literature].

Objective:To investigate the causes of barium aspiration,death rate and the cause of death in the upper gastrointestinal examinations,and to help the doctor selecting a reasonable method in upper gastrointestinal tract examination.Method:Two cases in our hospital was reported,and totally 25 patients in 22 articles were obtained in pubmed or google shchoolar form 1989 to 2014.Purpose of radiologic studies of the upper digestive tract,distribution of the aspirate,clinical presentation and prognosis after aspiration of the sulfate barium in literature were collected.Result:①Aspiration of barium sulfate mainly happened in elderly patients and infant.The age of died group were older than survive group,however,there were no significant difference statistically(F=0.909, P=0.355).②The directly mortality rate associated with barium aspiration was up to 38.1% in adult,and ten patients of them(47.6%) recovered.All the infants were recovered completely form the respiratory distress cause by the aspiration of barium sulfate.③Aspiration may more likelyoccur in certain conditions involving dysphagia and esophageall obstruction by tumor or foreign body.Further,the gastro-esophageal reflux,recent esophageal surgery,eructation and vomiting may also increase the risk of aspiration of the aspiration of barium sulfate.④About 84.0% patients were with initial dyspnea,hypotension,respiratory distress or respiratory failure.A minority of patients without significant reactions,only suffered fever and cough(16.0%).⑤The deposition of barium sulphate were commonly affected both lungs(80.0%).Barium sulfates distributed in unilateral lung only were found in five patients 20.0%.Conclusion:Aspiration may easier occur in certain conditions involving dysphagia and esophageall obstruction by tumor or foreign body.Further,the gastro-esophageal reflux,recent esophageal surgery,eructation and vomiting may also increase the risk of aspiration of the aspiration of barium sulfate.Most of the patients after aspiration of barium were presented with initial dyspnea,hypotension,respiratory distress or respiratory failure.When considerable amounts of barium sulfate are aspirated into the lung leading to arterial hypoxemia and dyspnea,it is mandatory that aggressive treatment with steroids,antibiotics,respiratory physiotherapy,oxygen,and bronchoalveolar lavage is initiated without delay.

Recent advances in the preparation and utilization of carbon nanotubes for hydrogen storage.

Recent progress in the production, purification, and experimental and theoretical investigations of carbon nanotubes for hydrogen storage are reviewed. From the industrial point of view, the chemical vapor deposition process has shown advantages over laser ablation and electric-arc-discharge methods. The ultimate goal in nanotube synthesis should be to gain control over geometrical aspects of nanotubes, such as location and orientation, and the atomic structure of nanotubes, including helicity and diameter. There is currently no effective and simple purification procedure that fulfills all requirements for processing carbon nanotubes. Purification is still the bottleneck for technical applications, especially where large amounts of material are required. Although the alkalimetal-doped carbon nanotubes showed high H2 weight uptake, further investigations indicated that some of this uptake was due to water rather than hydrogen. This discovery indicates a potential source of error in evaluation of the storage capacity of doped carbon nanotubes. Nevertheless, currently available single-wall nanotubes yield a hydrogen uptake value near 4 wt% under moderate pressure and room temperature. A further 50% increase is needed to meet U.S. Department of Energy targets for commercial exploitation. Meeting this target will require combining experimental and theoretical efforts to achieve a full understanding of the adsorption process, so that the uptake can be rationally optimized to commercially attractive levels. Large-scale production and purification of carbon nanotubes and remarkable improvement of H2 storage capacity in carbon nanotubes represent significant technological and theoretical challenges in the years to come.

Epidermal growth factor decreases the concentration of thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) receptors and TRH responses in pituitary GH4C1 cells.

Treatment of pituitary GH4C1 cells with epidermal growth factor (EGF) caused up to a 60% reduction in the amount of [3H]MeTRH bound to specific TRH receptors. The effects of EGF were first detectable after a 2-h incubation and maximal by 24-72 h. EGF elicited a half-maximal response at 0.03 nM. Equilibrium binding analysis was performed on intact cells that had been incubated with or without 10 nM EGF for 96 h. EGF decreased the apparent number of TRH receptors (maximum binding = 0.36 vs. 0.58 pmol/mg protein for EGF-treated and control cells, respectively) without altering the apparent affinity (dissociation constant = 6.4 vs. 7.4 nM). The effects of EGF on TRH receptors were reversible. When EGF was removed from the medium, TRH receptors returned to control levels within 48 h. To assess whether the reduction of TRH receptors was functionally important, the ability of TRH to stimulate phospholipid turnover was measured in cells with a normal complement of TRH receptors and in cells that had been treated with EGF for 72 h to reduce TRH receptor density. EGF significantly blunted the ability of TRH to stimulate release of inositol phosphates from metabolically labeled cells. TRH increased inositol monophosphate accumulation 6.3-fold in control cultures and 2.0-fold in EGF-treated cells. These data show that EGF regulates the concentration of TRH receptors on pituitary GH4C1 cells and the responsiveness of the cells to TRH.

Potent cytodifferentiating agents related to hexamethylenebisacetamide.

Bishydroxamic acids are effective inducers of differentiation in murine erythroleukemia cells. Flexible analogs of suberic acid bisdimethylamide are approximately 100 times as active as the parent compound or hexamethylenebisacetamide. They also induce differentiation of human promyelocytic leukemia cells (HL-60) and a subclone of human colon carcinoma cells (HT-29-U4). Some rigid bishydroxamic acids with benzene rings in the spacers are even more active toward murine erythroleukemia cells but show curious biological differences. In contrast to the flexible molecules, those with benzene spacers show poor activity toward HL-60 cells; they also have different geometric requirements, and they are not additive with hexamethylenebisacetamide in their effect. It is likely that rigid bishydroxamic acids, with a benzene ring spacer, induce differentiation by a different mechanism in spite of their chemical resemblance to the flexible bisamide and bishydroxamic acid inducers.