Rare Occipital Artery Pseudoaneurysm After Radical Neck Dissection.

Pseudoaneurysm formation in the occipital artery, post radical neck dissection, leading to a bulging mass, is a rare but potentially fatal occurrence. The authors treated a patient with pseudoaneurysm of occipital artery, post radical neck dissection, presenting with pain and swelling after 17 days of surgery. A pseudoaneurysm involving occipital artery was revealed by digital subtraction angiography and treated by endovascular micro-coil embolization.

Classifying and characterizing the development of self-reported overall quality of life among the Chinese elderly: a twelve-year longitudinal study.

BACKGROUND: To promote healthy aging, the information about the development of quality of life (QoL) is of great importance. However, the explorations of the heterogeneity in the change of QoL under the Chinese context were limited. This study aimed to identify potential different development patterns of QoL and the influential factors using a longitudinal, nationally representative sample of the Chinese elderly. METHODS: We adopted a five-wave longitudinal dataset from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS), and a total of 1645 elderly were obtained. The sample had a mean age of 72.7 years (SD = 6.64) and was 47.2% male. Overall QoL was measured through self-report during the longitudinal process. We utilized the conditional growth mixture model (GMM) with time-invariant covariates (TICs) to explore various development patterns and associated factors. RESULTS: Three distinct trajectories of self-reported overall QoL were identified: the High-level Steady Group (17.08%), the Mid-level Steady Group (63.10%), and the Low-level Growth Group (19.82%). Results also indicated that several factors predicted distinct trajectories of self-reported overall QoL. Those elderly who received enough financial resources, had adequate nutrition, did not exhibit any disability, engaged in leisure activities, and did less physical labor or housework at the baseline were more likely to report a higher level of overall QoL over time. CONCLUSIONS: There existed three development patterns of self-reported overall QoL in elders, and the findings provided valuable implications for the maintenance and improvement of QoL among the Chinese elderly. Future studies could examine the influence of other confounding factors.

Sirtuins: Research advances on the therapeutic role in acute kidney injury.

BACKGROUND: Acute kidney injury (AKI), a common multidisciplinary diagnostic clinical critical illness, eventually causes end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Although many clinical measures have been taken to prevent or treat AKI, high morbidity and death rates were recorded. Therefore, in-depth pathogenesis study and search for new therapeutic targets are in demand. Interestingly, the suirtuins family showed a significant protective effect in AKI. Sirtuins (SIRT1-7) is a family of seven proteins with NAD+-dependent type III histone deacetylase activity. Sirtuins family members were involved by AKI, and regulation of sirtuins activities significantly improved AKI-induced renal injury. Therefore, the therapeutic role and molecular mechanisms of the sirtuins family in AKI has important research implications for clinical applications or basic research. PURPOSE: This review summarizes recent advances in the roles and functions of the sirtuins family, discusses their therapeutic effects on AKI and related molecular mechanisms, and the mechanisms of action of small molecule specific activators or inhibitors sirtuins in the prevention and treatment of AKI were discussed. METHODS: The data in this review were retrieved from various scientific databases (PubMed, Google scholar, Science Direct, and Web of Science), till December 2021. The keywords were used as follows: "Sirtuins", "Acute kidney injury", "AKI", "Sirtuins modulators" and "Histone deacetylation". The retrieved data followed PRISMA criteria (preferred reporting items for systematic review). RESULTS: Growing evidence indicates that members of the sirtuins family regulate the development and progression of different renal diseases, including AKI, through anti-inflammation, antioxidation, anti-apoptotic, and maintenance of mitochondrial homeostasis. The molecular mechanism of Sirtuins family on AKI mainly regulated NF-κB, JNK/ERK, and AMPK/mTOR signaling pathways, upregulated the expression of PGC-1α, HO-1, NRF2, Bcl-2, OPA1, and AMPK, and downregulated the expression of NRLP3, IL-1ß, TNF-α, IL-6, ROS, MFF, Drp1, Bax, ERK, and mTOR. In addition, the active ingredients of herbs (resveratrol, thujaplicins, huperzine, and curcumin) could activate the activity of SIRT1 or SIRT3, thereby improving AKI. Meanwhile, the synthetic Sirtuins inhibitor (AK-1) inhibited SIRT2 activity, thus alleviating AKI. In the future, more specific modulators will remain needed to enhance the clinical therapeutic role of the Sirtuins family in AKI. CONCLUSION: The sirtuins family is a promising type III histone deacetylase for AKI treatment. This review will provide insight into sirtuins family's therapeutic role in AKI and promote the clinical use of sirtuins modulators in AKI.

Peritoneal dialysis effluent-derived exosomal miR-432-5p: an assessment tool for peritoneal dialysis efficacy.

Background: Ultrafiltration (UF) volume and peritoneal solute transport rate (PSTR) are common parameters used to evaluate the efficacy of peritoneal dialysis (PD) on individual patients. It is unclear whether the level of exosomal microRNA (miRNA) in peritoneal dialysis effluent (PDE) can predict UF or PSTR. This study was designed to investigate if there is a correlation between PDE exosomal miRNA (miR-432-5p) levels and various UF volumes and PSTRs in PD patients. It also aimed to explore the underlying mechanism of water and dialytic sodium removal (DSR). Methods: The PSTR was quantified using the 4-hour (4 h) 3.86% dialysate to plasma creatinine ratio. The PDE exosomes (PDE-exo) were isolated by ultracentrifugation. An miRNA assay was used to identify the different miRNA in the PDE-exo of patients in a high (H; PSTR >0.65, n=5) and low (L; PSTR <0.65, n=5) group. We focused on miR-432-5p as bioinformatic analysis had shown that it could be involved in sodium transport. We used mimic/inhibitor transfection and dual luciferase reporter assay to verify the target genes of miR-432-5p. We used PKH-67 stained PDE-exo to observe their interaction with human MeT-5A mesothelial cells. Results: Our results showed that the PDE-exo-miR-432-5p level was higher in group H than in group L. The levels of PDE-exo-miR-432-5p were positively correlated with PSTR (r=0.391; P<0.05; n=40) and negatively correlated with the 4 h UF volume (r=-0.376; P<0.05; n=40) and 4 h DSR (r=-0.535; P<0.01; n=24). Epithelial sodium channel α subunit (α-ENaC) was revealed as a direct target gene of miR-432-5p and expressed on both human peritoneum and MeT-5A cells. Furthermore, we found the PKH67 labeled-PDE-exo could be internalized into MeT-5A cells. Conclusions: A high PDE-exo-miR-432-5p level was associated with poor UF volume and DSR. It may be that PDE-exo-miR-432-5p affects DSR through downregulating α-ENaC expression.

Glycoprotein 96 in Peritoneal Dialysis Effluent-Derived Extracellular Vesicles: A Tool for Evaluating Peritoneal Transport Properties and Inflammatory Status.

Background: Extracellular vesicles (EVs) from peritoneal dialysis effluent (PDE), containing molecules such as proteins and microRNAs (miRNAs), may be potential biological markers to monitor peritoneal function or injury. Peritoneal inflammation is an important determinant of peritoneal solute transport rate (PSTR). Thus, the aim of this study is to determine whether the specific proteins capable of evaluating the PSTR could be found in PDE-EVs, and explore the underlying mechanism for the association between PSTR and peritoneal inflammation. Methods: Sixty patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis (PD) were divided into two groups: high/high average transport (H/A) group (PET >0.65) and low/low average transport (L/A) group (PET <0.65). EVs derived from PDE (PDE-EVs) were isolated by ultracentrifugation. Proteomic analysis was performed to explore the differentially expressed proteins and identify the potential biomarkers in PDE-EVs from the two groups, and we focused on glycoprotein 96 (GP96) as it could be involved in the inflammatory process. The expression of GP96 in PDE-EVs and inflammatory cytokines was quantified by real-time PCR and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The infiltration of macrophages and neutrophils into the peritoneum was detected using immunohistochemistry in a PD rat model. Results: The expression of PDE-EVs-GP96 was significantly higher in the H/A group, and was positively correlated with the PSTR and the level of the inflammatory factor interleukin (IL)-6. GP96-enriched EVs enhanced the secretion of proinflammatory cytokines IL-1ß, IL-6, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, and IL-8 in macrophages, which was reversed by a pharmacological GP96-specific inhibitor (PU-WS13). The GP96 inhibitor also reduced local peritoneal inflammation by decreasing the infiltration of inflammatory cells and levels of proinflammatory cytokines (IL-6 and TNF-α) and chemokines (CCL2, CXCL1, and CXCL2) in a PD rat model. Conclusions: PDE-EVs-GP96 is a new promising tool to evaluate the status of peritoneal inflammation and PSTR, and the mechanism may be related to affecting the inflammatory properties of macrophages.

The reciprocal longitudinal relationship between body mass index and subjective well-being in China.

The relationship between body mass index (BMI) and subjective well-being (SWB) has been widely discussed in empirical literature. However, most previous studies were cross-sectional and inadequate to assess directionality. The current study examines the prospective relationship between BMI and SWB by analyzing nationally representative longitudinal data from 2009 to 2015. Eligible subjects were those who participated in a three-wave measurement (n = 18,443, age 13-99 years). We used a random-intercept cross-lagged panel model (RI-CLPM) to investigate the dynamic relationship between BMI and SWB, controlling for covariate effects. Results indicated that BMI and SWB were positively associated at the population level, and there was a reciprocal relationship at the individual level. An individual's BMI levels positively influenced his or her subsequent SWB values, with effects ranging from 0.15 (95% CI: 0.09-0.22) to 0.16 (95% CI: 0.09-0.24). At the same time, an individual's SWB levels positively influenced subsequent BMI values, with effects ranging from 0.12 (95% CI: 0.08-0.17) to 0.17 (95% CI: 0.10-0.24). This mutual reinforcement process supports the "jolly fat" hypothesis from a longitudinal perspective, implying that the psychosocial burden of excess weight may not hold in China. The implications are that mental health interventions could help prevent the risk of being underweight, and nutritional care would contribute to the creation of a happier society.

Growth patterns of activity of daily living disability and associated factors among the Chinese elderly: A twelve-year longitudinal study.

OBJECTIVES: The acceleration of population aging has brought a lot of attention to the disability among older populations, but existing results about the development patterns of disability were mixed. The current study aimed to identify the potential different development patterns of disability and the influential factors using a large, nationally representative sample of the Chinese elderly. METHODS: We adopted a five-wave longitudinal dataset from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS), and 1,654 elderly aged 65 and over were obtained. Disability was measured by the Katz index scale grading individuals on a scale of difficulty to carry out activities of daily living (ADL). We utilized the conditional growth mixture model (GMM) to identify various development patterns and associated factors. RESULTS: Compared with those without disability (n = 1,140), individuals with ADL disability (n = 514) were more likely to be old, female, or Han ethnic, eat more healthy food and suffer from chronic disease. Two groups with distinct trajectories of ADL disability were identified, including the Slightly Increasing Group and the Quickly Increasing Group. People who did less housework (OR=0.33, 95%CI: 0.12-0.90; p = 0.030), suffered from stroke (OR=5.39, 95%CI: 1.43-20.35; p = 0.013) or dementia (OR=10.29, 95%CI: 1.01-104.44; p = 0.049) were more likely to be classified into the Quickly Increasing Group. CONCLUSION: There existed two development patterns of ADL disability among the Chinese elderly. Besides, doing housework could help prevent the deterioration of disability, and suffering from stroke or dementia may accelerate the deterioration of ADL ability in later years. Implications are provided for public health interventions.

Modeling the change trajectory of sleep duration and its associated factors: based on an 11-year longitudinal survey in China.

BACKGROUND: Sleep duration is a vital public health topic, yet most existing studies have been limited to cross-sectional surveys or inconsistent classifications of sleep duration categories, and few characterized its continuous development process. The current study aimed to depict its change trajectory in the general population and identify associated factors from a dynamic perspective. METHODS: A total of 3788 subjects (45.4% male, mean age 46.72 ± 14.89 years) from the China Health and Nutrition Survey were recruited, and their daily sleep duration for five consecutive measurements from 2004 to 2015 was recorded. We adopted latent growth modelling to establish systematic relations between sleep duration and time. Participants' sociodemographic characteristics, lifestyle, and health factors were taken as covariates. RESULTS: The change in sleep duration could be depicted by a linear decreasing trajectory with the mean yearly decrease at 2.5 min/day. The trajectory did not differ by residence, BMI category, chronic disease situation, smoking status, or drinking status. Moreover, there were sex and age differences in the trajectory, and females and those under 30 were prone to larger decrease rates. CONCLUSION: The quantified yearly change in sleep duration provided insights for the prediction and early warning of insufficient sleep. Public health interventions focusing on slowing down the decrease rates among females and young individuals are warranted.

The association between self-management ability and malnutrition-inflammation-atherosclerosis syndrome in peritoneal dialysis patients: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: The relationship between malnutrition-inflammation-atherosclerosis syndrome (MIAS) and self-management ability has not been previously revealed even though both play an important role in the management of peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients. METHODS: In total, 93 patients were enrolled in this study. A self-management questionnaire was used for the evaluation of self-management ability. The identification of MIAS was based on one or more of the following three conditions: C-reactive protein (CRP)≥10 mg/L, malnutrition-inflammation score (MIS)> 7, and the presence of atherosclerosis-related medical records. The possible association between different self-management abilities and MIAS was analyzed with a Spearman correlation analysis. RESULTS: There were 40 (43.0%) patients in the atherosclerosis group, and 38 (40.9%), 38 (40.9%), 10 (10.8%), and 7 (7.5%) patients in the MIAS0, MIAS1, MIAS2, and MIAS3 groups, respectively. The group with a score above the mean score of the Dialysis Effect Evaluation and Monitoring dimension had a fewer number of hospitalizations, higher albumin levels, lower MIS scores, a lower level of IL-6, and a lower number of MIAS factors. The Pearson and Spearman correlation analyses also revealed that this dimension was negatively correlated with the MIAS, MIS, IL-6, BNP, number of hospitalizations, and age and positively associated with albumin and prealbumin. CONCLUSION: The Dialysis Effect Evaluation and Monitoring dimension of the self-management scale for PD patients is closely linked to the MIAS, and a better dialysis effect evaluation and monitoring capacity results in a decreased likelihood of exposure to malnutrition and inflammation. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry: ChiCTR2000035525 ( http://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.aspx?proj=58110 ), registered August 13, 2020.

Evaluation of inflammatory and cardiac-electrophysiological markers in patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis.

Background: The Tp-e/QT (peak to end of T-wave duration/QT interval) ratio is a promising marker of myocardial repolarization and ventricular arrhythmogenesis. Its elevation is associated with sudden cardiac death in different clinical conditions. This study was designed to assess the possible association between increased Tp-e/QT ratio and clinical factors in peritoneal dialysis patients. Materials & methods: We devised a prospective cross-sectional study, which included 107 patients who were divided into groups according to their Tp-e/QT ratio. The association of an increased Tp-e/QT ratio with related factors was analyzed with multivariate logistic regression. Results: Thirty-one patients, who had an elevated Tp-e/QT ratio, showed higher values of IL-6, left ventricular end-systolic diameter, Tp-e, percentage of diabetes mellitus, coronary artery calcification, and left ventricular ejection fraction. Multivariate analysis revealed that IL-6 was an independent risk factor for a higher Tp-e/QT ratio after adjustments. Conclusion: Our study revealed that a high serum IL-6 level in peritoneal dialysis patients increased the risk of a higher Tp-e/QT ratio, which indicated a potentially hazardous interplay between inflammation and arrhythmogenesis.

BKCa channels regulate the immunomodulatory properties of WJ-MSCs by affecting the exosome protein profiles during the inflammatory response.

BACKGROUND: Wharton's jelly-derived mesenchymal stem cells (WJ-MSCs) from the human umbilical cord have been studied extensively due to their immunomodulatory functions. Large-conductance Ca2+-activated K+ (BKCa channels) channels are involved in many inflammatory responses, but their involvement in the anti-inflammatory activity of WJ-MSCs is unknown. The underlying molecular mechanism, through which BKCa channels mediate the immunomodulation of WJ-MSC, which may include changes in exosomes proteomics, has not yet been clarified. METHODS: Alizarin staining, Oil Red O staining, and flow cytometry were used to identify WJ-MSCs, which were isolated from human umbilical cord Wharton's jelly. BKCa channels were detected in WJ-MSCs using western blotting, real-time polymerase chain reaction (real-time PCR), and electrophysiology, and cytokine expression was examined using real-time PCR and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs). Exosomes were characterized using transmission electron microscopy and nanoparticle tracking analysis. Proteomics analysis was performed to explore exosomal proteomic profiles. RESULTS: The cells derived from human umbilical cord Wharton's jelly were identified as MSCs. BKCa channels were detected in the isolated WJ-MSCs, and the expression of these channels increased after lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation. BKCa channels blockade in LPS-treated WJ-MSCs induced apoptosis and decreased interleukin-6 (IL-6) expression. Furthermore, THP-1 cells (human monocytic cell line) stimulated with LPS/interferon gamma (IFN-γ) produced more anti-inflammatory cytokines after treatment with exosomes derived from BKCa channel-knockdown WJ-MSCs (si-exo). We also observed altered expression of mitochondrial ATP synthase alpha subunit (ATP5A1), filamin B, and other proteins in si-exo, which might increase the anti-inflammatory activity of macrophages. CONCLUSIONS: Our study described the functional expression of BKCa channels in WJ-MSCs, and BKCa channels regulated the immunomodulatory properties of WJ-MSCs by affecting the exosomal protein profiles during the inflammatory response.

Effect and Safety of Huannao Yicong Formula () in Patients with Mild-to-Moderate Alzheimer's Disease: A Randomized, Double-Blinded, Donepezil-Controlled Trial.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effect and safety of Huannao Yicong Formula (, HYF) in the treatment of patients with mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's disease (AD). METHODS: Sixty patients with mild-tomoderate AD were evenly randomized into HYF group and donepezil group with the random number method. Patients in the HYF group took 5 g of HYF granules twice daily and 5 mg placebo of donepezil once daily. Patients in the donepezil group took 5 mg donepezil once daily and 5 g placebo of HYF granules twice daily. The intervention lasted for 6 months. Clinical researchers, participants and statisticians were blinded to the treatment assignment throughout the study. The primary outcomes were scores of Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale-Cognitive Subscale (ADAS-Cog) and Chinese Medicine Symptom Scale (CM-SS). The secondary outcomes were scores of Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) test and Mini-Mental State Exam (MMSE). The serum levels of acetylcholinesterase (AchE) and amyloid-ß protein 42 (Aß42) were detected with enzymelinked immunosorbent assay kits. The scale assessments were conducted at baseline, the 3rd and 6th months of treatment, respectively. Biochemistry tests were conducted at baseline and the 6th month of treatment. RESULTS: A total of 52 patients completed the trial, 28 in HYF group and 24 in donepezil group. Compared with the baseline, HYF and donepezil signifificantly decreased the total scores of ADAS-Cog and CM-SS, and signifificantly increased the scores of MoCA and MMSE after 6-month treatment (all P<0.01). Both treatments remarkably reduced the serum levels of AchE and Aß42 (both P<0.05). The CM-SS total effective rate of HYF was signifificantly higher than donepezil [75.00% (21/28) vs. 54.17% (13/24), P<0.05]. No severe adverse events were observed in both groups. CONCLUSION: HYF is effective and safe for improving the cognitive function in mildto-moderate AD patients. [Trial registration: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (Reg No. ChiCTR-IOR-17011746)].

The longitudinal trajectory of body mass index in the Chinese population: A latent growth curve analysis.

AIMS: The objective of this study was to investigate the longitudinal trajectory of BMI in the Chinese population, and to assess whether the gender or other personal characteristics were related to BMI, and whether there was a change in trajectory over time. METHODS: Data were obtained from 3,574 Chinese (5 to 89 years of age) who participated in the 2000-2011 of the China Health and Nutrition Survey. Latent growth curve models were used to investigate the longitudinal trajectory of BMI, and to examine the effect of some personal characteristics on BMI trajectory. RESULTS: The linear model resulted in a mean initial BMI value of 22.90 and a significant mean slope (Ms = 0.19, t = 10.73, p<0.001), suggesting a steady increase in BMI over time for the whole sample. For covariates, the educational level, alcohol and physical activity had differences on initial scores for BMI (ß = 0.05, p<0.001; ß = -0.12, p<0.05; ß = -0.08, p<0.05; respectively.), and the age had differences on both the initial scores and slope for BMI (ß = 0.01, p = <0.05; ß = -0.03, p<0.01; respectively.). Baseline measures revealed gender-associated differences on initial scores for BMI, and the slope for male was significantly steeper than that for female (ß = -0.11, p<0.05). The initial BMI status of Chinese living in the rural areas was significantly higher than that of Chinese living in the urban areas, and the slope for rural status was significantly steeper than that for urban status (ß = 0.21, p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Results indicated a linear trajectory of BMI in the Chinese population over a 12-year period. The longitudinal trajectories differed by age, gender and urban-rural status, suggesting different interventions should be adopted for different groups.

The Big-Fish-Little-Pond Effect on Academic Self-Concept: A Meta-Analysis.

The Big-fish-little-Pond effect is well acknowledged as the negative effect of class/school average achievement on student academic self-concept, which profoundly impacts student academic performance and mental development. Although a few studies have been done with regard to this effect, inconsistence exists in the effect size with little success in finding moderators. Here, we present a meta-analysis to synthesize related literatures to reach a summary conclusion on the BFLPE. Furthermore, student age, comparison target, academic self-concept domain, student location, sample size, and publication year were examined as potential moderators. Thirty-three studies with fifty-six effect sizes (total N = 1,276,838) were finally included. The random effects model led to a mean of the BFLPE at ß = -0.28 (p < 0.001). Moreover, moderator analyses revealed that the Big-Fish-Little-Pond effect is an age-based process and an intercultural phenomenon, which is stronger among high school students, in Asia and when verbal self-concept is considered. This meta-analysis is the first quantitative systematic overview of BFLPE, whose results are valuable to the understanding of BFLPE and reveal the necessity for educators from all countries to learn about operative means to help students avoid the potential negative effect. Future research expectations are offered subsequently.

Serum Protein Thiol Levels in Patients with Hospital-Acquired Acute Kidney Injury.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: This study aimed to examine antioxidants in patients with acute kidney injury (AKI) and determine whether serum protein thiol levels are associated with all-cause 90-day mortality in patients with hospital-acquired AKI. METHODS: According to the RIFLE criteria, 160 patients with hospital-acquired AKI were enrolled in our prospective cohort study. As controls, 72 critically ill patients without AKI and 72 age and sex-matched healthy subjects were also recruited. Serum protein thiol levels were analyzed in relation to all-cause mortality of patients with AKI. RESULTS: Serum protein thiol levels in AKI patients were lower than those in healthy people (p=0.010). Protein thiol levels showed a weak but significant positive correlation with serum albumin levels. The 90-day overall mortality rate was higher in AKI patients with high serum protein thiol levels than in those with low levels (p=0.032 by log rank test). In multivariate analysis (Cox regression), serum protein thiol levels (p=0.031) were independently associated with 90-day overall mortality after adjustment for age, sex, sepsis, and the Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with hospital-acquired AKI have remarkably low serum protein thiol levels. Elevated protein thiol levels are associated with 90-day overall mortality in hospital-acquired AKI.

Effects of dexamethasone on angiotensin II-induced changes of monolayer permeability and F-actin distribution in glomerular endothelial cells.

The aim of this study was to investigate the changes in monolayer permeability and F-actin distribution caused by angiotensin II (Ang II)-induced injury in glomerular endothelial cells (GENCs) and the effects of dexamethasone on these changes. GENCs isolated and cultured from Wistar rats were used to examine the changes in monolayer permeability and F-actin distribution induced by Ang II. GENC permeability was evaluated by measuring the diffusion of biotin-conjugated bovine serum albumin (biotin-BSA) across a cell monolayer. The expression levels and distribution of F-actin were assessed by flow cytometry. The biotin-BSA concentrations were measured by capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Ang II at a concentration of 10 mg/l increased the permeability of the GENC monolayer at 6 h and 12 h (P<0.05 and P<0.01, respectively) and caused F-actin depolymerisation at 6 h and 12 h (P<0.01). The two effects attributed to Ang II were significantly inhibited by dexamethasone treatment (P<0.01). The increased permeability of the GENC monolayer induced by Ang II was significantly correlated with the depolymerisation of F-actin. Dexamethasone abrogated the Ang II-mediated damage to GENCs indicating that it may play an important role in protecting GENCs from injury.

In vitro evaluation of bond strength and sealing ability of a new low-shrinkage, methacrylate resin-based root canal sealer.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate a new low-shrinkage, methacrylate resin-based root canal sealer (LSRCS) to determine its bond strength in radicular dentin and sealing ability. METHODS: Extracted single-root teeth were randomly divided into three experimental groups (n=20) for obturation with Gutta-percha (GP)/AH Plus, Resilon/Epiphany, or Resilon/LSRCS. One-half of each experimental group was analyzed by the push-out test, using sections perpendicular to the long axis divided into 1mm serial slices and a universal testing machine to detect the loading force. The other half was analyzed by the dye penetration test using 2% methylene blue solution (pH=7) and measuring dye leakage under a stereomicroscope. RESULTS: The push-out test revealed significant differences (p<0.05) in bond strength produced by the three sealers; the GP/AH Plus group showed the highest bond strength, followed by Resilon/LSRCS and Resilon/Epiphany. According to the microleakage data, GP/AH Plus showed the least dye penetration, which was significantly less than Resilon/Epiphany and Resilon/LSRCS. There was no difference in apical leakage between Resilon/Epiphany and Resilon/LSRCS. CONCLUSION: The newly developed LSRCS, although not superior to AH Plus in bond strength or sealing ability, possesses monoblock potential and application prospects.

Immunosuppression effects of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells on renal interstitial injury in rats with unilateral ureteral obstruction.

We investigated the effects of intravenously administered bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) on renal interstitial inflammation and fibrosis. In unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) rats, the CD4(+)CD25(+) regulatory T-cell (Treg) cell, macrophage population and some inflammation related cytokines were tested. In the BMSCs -treated rats, renal exhibited lower renal Masson scores, decreased macrophage infiltration and interferon gamma (IFNγ) expression, and increased forkhead transcription factor (Foxp3) and interleukin-10 (IL-10) expression. No significant differences in the CD4(+)CD25(+) Treg population and renal transforming growth factor-ß1 (TGFß1) expression were observed between BMSCs-treated group and control group (p>0.05). In conclusion, BMSCs infusion leads to an anti-inflammation response in the early stage of UUO which may related to paracine mechanism.

[Application and prospect on the resin-dentin adhesion in the root canal therapy].

The application of adhesive root canal filling materials is the tendency in root canal obturation. The orientation is to develop the adhesive core material and sealer making a whole structure. In this review, we summarized the researches on the resin-dentin adhesion in the root canal obturation.