Comparative cost analysis of implanting devices in different cardiac resynchronization therapeutic strategies.

BACKGROUND: Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) is an established treatment option for heart failure patients. However, the implementation of triple-chamber pacemakers can be cost-prohibitive. His-Purkinje system pacing (HPSP) can also enable cardiac resynchronization, and it can be achieved with relatively inexpensive conventional pacemakers. HYPOTHESIS: This article aims to comparatively evaluate the cost of implanting devices in different CRT strategies to provide meaningful guidance for clinical decision-making by electrophysiologists. METHODS: Data was collected on the prices, designed life, and price/designed life of multiple mainstream models of CRT-P, CRT-D, dual-chamber pacemakers, and single-chamber pacemakers that were sold in the Chinese market in 2022. The prices, designed lives, and price/designed life of different pacemaker models were then compared. RESULTS: The costs of CRT-P and CRT-D (13008.44 ± 2752.30 USD and 22043.36 ± 3676.25 USD) were significantly higher than those of conventional pacemakers (dual-chamber: 11142.39 ± 4273.85 USD and single-chamber: 5634.28 ± 2032.80 USD) (p < .05). Additionally, the price/designed life of conventional pacemakers (dual-chamber: 839.63 ± 258.62 US dollar/year and single-chamber: 435.86 ± 125.44 US dollar/year) was significantly better than that of CRT-P and CRT-D (1386.91 ± 266.73 and 2585.53 ± 520.27 US dollar/year, respectively) (p < .05). CONCLUSION: Conduction system pacing (CSP)-based CRT is more cost-effective than BVP-based CRT. Furthermore, CSP-based CRT can achieve cardiac resynchronization with conventional pacemakers and may be a good option for HF patients who do not need defibrillation.

Effects of first-line antidiabetic drugs on the improvement of arterial stiffness: A Bayesian network meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Changes in vascular function are closely associated with the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Pulse wave velocity (PWV) is a potential indicator of vascular dysfunction; it allows noninvasive assessment of arterial stiffness. Currently, evidence for the effects of different classes of antidiabetic drugs on arterial stiffness remains limited. In this study, a network meta-analysis (NMA) was performed to explore the associations between changes in arterial stiffness and first-line antidiabetic drugs by evaluating PWV in patients with different metabolic abnormalities. METHODS: We systematically searched several electronic databases for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published from inception until 25 August 2022, without language restrictions. The primary outcome was the change in PWV (ΔPWV) in all included studies; subgroup analysis was performed for patients with abnormal glucose metabolism, including prediabetes and diabetes mellitus. NMA was performed to calculate the mean differences (MDs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) as effect sizes to evaluate the ΔPWV. RESULTS: Among the 2257 candidate articles identified in the initial search, 18 RCTs were eventually included in the analysis. In all studies, two classes of new antidiabetic drugs, glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R) agonists and sSodium-glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT-2) inhibitors, improved arterial stiffness by decreasing PWV compared with placebo (MD = -1.11, 95% CI: -1.94 to 0.28) and (MD = -0.76, 95% CI: -1.45 to -0.08). A conventional antidiabetic drug, metformin, also showed similar efficacy compared with placebo (MD = -0.73, 95% CI: -1.33 to -0.12). Finally, in subgroup studies of patients with abnormal glucose metabolism diseases, GLP-1R agonists (MD = -1.06, 95% CI: -2.05 to -0.10) significantly decreased PWV compared with placebo. CONCLUSION: Three classes of antidiabetic drugs-GLP-1R agonists, SGLT-2 inhibitors, and metformin-have the potential to improve arterial stiffness. Among the six classes of antidiabetic drugs analyzed, GLP-1R agonists constitute the only class of drugs that improves arterial stiffness in patients with abnormal glucose metabolism diseases.

Sclerosing extramedullary hematopoietic tumor of the colon: A case report and literature review.

Sclerosing extramedullary hematopoietic tumor (SEMHT) is a rare tumor that can occur in association with some chronic myeloproliferative neoplasms, particularly myelofibrosis. The morphology of SEMHT can mimic that of a wide variety of other lesions, both macroscopically and microscopically. SEMHT originating from the colon is extremely rare. The present study reports a case of SEMHT in the colon with involvement of the peri-intestinal lymph nodes. On the basis of the clinical symptoms and endoscopic results, a malignant tumor of colon was suspected. Pathological examination revealed the deposition of collagen and hematopoietic components in the fibrous mucus background. Immunohistochemical staining for CD61 confirmed the presence of atypical megakaryocytes, while immunohistochemical staining for myeloperoxidase and glycophorin A highlighted the existence of granulocyte and erythrocyte precursors, respectively. These findings combined with a clinical history of myelofibrosis led to the final diagnosis of SEMHT. The presence of atypical megakaryocytes with immature hematopoietic cell morphology and a good understanding of the clinical history of the patient are essential to prevent misdiagnosis. The present case emphasizes the necessity of reviewing previous hematological history and considering clinical findings together with the associated pathological results.

Primary adrenal anastomosing haemangioma.

Not required for Clinical Vignette.

Perianal Paget disease associated with non-invasive colorectal adenoma.

Perianal skin Paget disease (PPD) is an unusual subtype of extramammary Paget disease, which is usually caused by a primary intraepithelial adnexal tumor and secondary spread from colorectal adenocarcinoma. The reports of secondary PPD associated with non-invasive colorectal adenoma are rare. We report a rare case of non-invasive colorectal-adenoma-associated PPD. In this case, the intraepithelial Paget cells of perianal skin manifested with colorectal phenotype by immunohistochemistry, and adjacent adenomas had high-grade intraepithelial neoplasia but not invasion. Although this is a rare manifestation of PPD, understanding this phenomenon is important to prevent overdiagnosis and invasive overtreatment. Clinical management is variable and, therefore, close follow-up examination is necessary.

Mediastinal cavernous angioleiomyoma: A case report and review of literature.

Angioleiomyoma is a type of pericyte tumor with a benign biological behavior. It typically features proliferation of mature perivascular smooth muscle cells around blood vessels. Angioleiomyoma may be categorized into solid, cavernous or venous subtypes. Usually, it occurs in the dermis or subcutaneous tissue, while the rare cavernous subtype is most common in the upper extremities. Only a small number of cases of angioleiomyoma located in the mediastinum have been reported to date. In addition, there are few reports of mediastinal angioleiomyoma described as a cavernous histopathological subtype. The present study reported a case of mediastinal angioleiomyoma presenting as an unusual cavernous histopathological subtype. The histopathological and immunohistochemical features, based on which a diagnosis of cavernous angioleiomyoma was confirmed, were desmin- and smooth muscle actin-positive expression in spindle tumor cells, as well as ETS-related gene (ERG)- and CD31-positive expression in vascular endothelial cells. Cavernous angioleiomyoma of the mediastinum rarely occurs in the clinical setting but should be considered as a differential diagnosis of mediastinal tumors.

Inhibiting Intestinal Krüppel-Like Factor 5 Impairs the Beneficial Role of Renal Denervation in Gut Microbiota in Rats with Heart Failure.

Krüppel-like factor 5 (KLF5) is critical in maintaining intestinal barrier function, and renal denervation (RDN) mitigates gut microbiota aberrations in rats with heart failure (HF). It is unclear whether intestinal KLF5 can be regulated by RDN and whether inhibiting intestinal KLF5 weakens the beneficial role of RDN on gut microbiota. Sprague-Dawley rats were distributed into a CG (sham transverse aortic constriction [TAC] and sham RDN), HF (induced by TAC), or RDN (underwent RDN after TAC) group or a CG.M, HF.M, or RDN.M group, which included the administration of the KLF5 inhibitor to the CG, HF, or RDN group, respectively. Transmission electron microscopy, mRNA, and protein expression of KLF5 and desmoglein 2 (DSG2) in jejunum and sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene in fecal samples were evaluated. KLF5 expression was lower in the RDN group than in the HF group (P < 0.001). The microvillus length, density, length-to-width ratio, and DSG2 expression were lower in the RDN.M group than in the RDN group, and the same trend was observed between the HF.M and HF groups (all P < 0.05). The gut bacterial community structure was altered after administration of a KLF5 inhibitor. The abundances of Proteobacteria, Gammaproteobacteria, Sutterella, and Prevotellaceae were higher, and the abundance of Firmicutes was lower in the RDN.M group than in the RDN group (all P < 0.05). These findings indicated that RDN suppressed intestinal KLF5 expression, and inhibiting intestinal KLF5 expression exacerbated the gut microbiota by impairing the intestinal barrier function in HF rats following RDN, which weakened the beneficial role of RDN on gut microbiota. IMPORTANCE Krüppel-like factor 5 (KLF5) is critical for the maintenance of intestinal barrier function. It is unclear whether intestinal KLF5 expression can be affected by renal denervation (RDN) in heart failure (HF) and whether inhibiting intestinal KLF5 expression exacerbates the gut microbiome and weakens the role of RDN in mitigating gut microbiome aberrations in HF rats after RDN. We demonstrated that RDN significantly suppressed intestinal KLF5 expression and that inhibiting intestinal expression of KLF5 exacerbated the gut microbiota and weakened the role of RDN in mitigating microbiota aberrations by impairing intestinal barrier function, resulting in an increase in bacteria harmful to cardiac function and a decrease in beneficial bacteria in HF rats following RDN. This study highlighted the important roles of intestinal KLF5 in modulating gut microbiota in HF and suggested that the influence of RDN on intestinal KLF5 was another possible role of RDN in HF besides downregulating the sympathetic nerve.

Evaluating the recycling efficiency of industrial water use systems in China: Basin differences and factor analysis.

Numerous studies have divided industrial water use system into stages of industrial water use (IWU) and wastewater treatment (IWT) subsystems, named as the IWUWT system, yet scant studies have examined its dynamic recycling efficiency with non-discretionary variables. This paper proposes a dynamic two-stage recycling model with non-discretionary variables to compare and analyze the basin differences of the efficiency, and further reveal the driving forces of this efficiency in the Yangtze River basin and Yellow River basin. The results are as follows. (1) The average overall efficiency of the IWUWT system for the 30 provinces during 2011-2018 was 0.79 due to the bad performance of the IWT subsystem with an efficiency score of 0.74, especially for Yunnan and Guangxi. (2) The influence of economic policy uncertainty on circulating industrial water use is more significant in the south basin. (3) Economic development and water use intensity were the main drivers of IWUWT efficiency in the Yangtze River basin, while economic development and environmental consciousness were for the Yellow River basin. The results have important implications for Chinese government and different provinces to improve IWUWT efficiency by policy-making.

Axillary Lymph Node Dissection Can Be Omitted in Breast Cancer Patients With Mastectomy and False-Negative Frozen Section in Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy.

Background: The IBCSG 23-01 and AMAROS trials both reported that axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) did not change survival rates in breast cancer patients with positive nodes detected by sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB). The aim of this study was to determine whether breast cancer patients with mastectomy and false-negative frozen section (FS) in SLNB could forgo ALND. Materials and Methods: This was a retrospective study of cN0 patients diagnosed with primary invasive breast cancer treated by mastectomy and SLNB at our institute between January 2010 and December 2014. Patients with false-negative FS in SLNB were separated by the following management of axillary lymph node dissection in the non-ALND group (nonprocess or axillary radiation only) and ALND group (with or without radiation). Results: A total of 212 patients were included, 86 and 126 patients in the non-ALND and ALND groups, respectively. The positive rate of non-sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs) was 15.87% (20/126) in the ALND group. In multivariate analysis, we found that patients with larger tumor size (>2 cm) (OR, 1.989; p = 0.030) and multifocal lesions (OR, 3.542; p = 0.029) tended to receive ALND. The positivity of non-SLNs in the ALND group was associated with SLN macrometastasis (OR, 3.551; p = 0.043) and lymphovascular invasion (OR, 6.158; p = 0.003). Also, removing more SLNs (≥3) was related to negativity in non-SLNs (OR, 0.255; p = 0.016). After a median follow-up of 59.43 months, RFS and OS of the two groups were similar (p = 0.994 and 0.441). In subgroup analysis, we found that 97 patients who met the inclusive criteria of the IBCSG 23-01 trial had similar RFS and OS between the non-ALND and ALND groups (p = 0.856 and 0.298). The positive rate of non-SLNs was 9.62% (5/52). Also, in 174 patients who met the criteria of the AMAROS trial, RFS and OS in the non-ALND and ALND groups were similar (p = 0.930 and 0.616). The positive rate of non-SLNs was 18.27% (19/104). Conclusion: ALND can be carefully omitted in selected breast cancer patients with mastectomy and false-negative FS in SLNB. SLNB is relatively sufficient in the IBCSG 23-01-eligible patients, and axillary radiation was an effective option in the AMAROS-eligible patients.

Spermidine Affects Cardiac Function in Heart Failure Mice by Influencing the Gut Microbiota and Cardiac Galectin-3.

Spermidine, which can be synthesized by the gut microbiota, can prevent cardiac hypertrophy and delay the progression to heart failure (HF). However, it is not clear whether the effect of spermidine on cardiac function is mediated by modulating the gut microbiota when HF occurs. Female HF Kunming mice induced by transverse aortic constriction were administered spermidine (HF+S group) or its antagonist (HF+SR group). Echocardiography, messenger ribonucleic acid (RNA) and protein expression of galectin-3 in the heart, cardiomyocyte apoptosis assays and gut microbiota analysis were detected. Left ventricular end-diastolic volume and diameter (LVVd and LVDd), and left ventricular end-systolic volume and diameter in the HF+SR group were significantly enlarged compared with those in the HF group (all P < 0.05). The HF+S group had a smaller LVDd and LVVd than the HF+SR group (5.01 ± 0.67 vs. 6.13 ± 0.45 mm, P = 0.033; 121.44 ± 38.74 vs. 189.94 ± 31.42 µL, P = 0.033). The messenger RNA and protein expression of galectin-3 and the number of apoptotic cardiomyocytes increased significantly in the HF+SR group compared to the HF group. Gut microbiota analysis showed that spermidine antagonists reduced the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio and changed the microbial community richness and diversity. In conclusion, spermidine can improve cardiac function in HF, and the regulation of gut microbiota and cardiac fibrosis may be a factor in the effect of spermidine on the improvement of cardiac function.

Renal Denervation Mitigated Fecal Microbiota Aberrations in Rats with Chronic Heart Failure.

BACKGROUND: Changes in the composition and diversity of gut microbiota, which can be altered by autonomic nerve activity, contribute to the development of heart failure (HF). Renal denervation (RDN) can improve cardiac function by reducing sympathetic nerve activity. However, whether the beneficial role of RDN on HF is related to gut microbiota is unknown. METHODS: Thirty rats were assigned to a control, HF (with induced transverse aortic constriction (TAC)), RDN (with RDN induced 10 weeks after TAC), Nog (HF rats with Nogo-P4-administered 8 weeks after RDN), and NEP (HF rats with NEP1-40-administered 8 weeks after RDN) group. Then, 16SrRNA amplicon sequencing and analyses of fecal samples were performed. RESULTS: Beta diversity analyses revealed that compared to the HF group, the RDN, Nog, and NEP groups clustered closer to the control group. The Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio was reduced in the HF group (1.59) compared with the control group (3.21) and was significantly decreased compared to the Nog (7.19), RDN (6.20), and NEP (4.42) groups. At the genus level, the HF group showed decreased abundances of Lactobacillus and Alistipes and increased abundances of Bacteroides and Clostridium compared with the control group. The abundances of Lactobacillus and Alistipes were increased, and those of Bacteroides and Clostridium were decreased in the RDN, Nog, and NEP groups compared to the HF group. However, no differences were observed between the three groups that underwent RDN. The microbial function showed the same tendency. CONCLUSIONS: RDN reversed the abnormal changes in the gut microbiome in HF rats. Inhibition of reinnervation after RDN did not affect intestinal bacteria.

The influence of inhibiting renal neural regeneration on the efficacy of renal denervation to chronic heart failure.

AIMS: Some studies support the occurrence of nerve regeneration in renal arteries after renal denervation (RDN). But it is unclear whether inhibiting reinnervation after RDN is beneficial to enhancing the effect of RDN on chronic heart failure (CHF). METHODS AND RESULTS: Chronic heart failure Sprague Dawley rats induced by transverse aortic constriction were administered with the analogue of Nogo-B (Nogo group) or its antagonist (NEP group) respectively after RDN. Echocardiography, messenger RNA, and protein expression of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) in renal artery and nerves surrounding renal artery were detected. Relative protein expression of CGRP was significantly decreased in the Nog group compared with the RDN group (0.64 ± 0.51 vs. 1.68 ± 1.07, P = 0.048). The number of nerves surrounding renal artery was higher in the NEP group than in the Nog group. Left ventricular end-systolic volume and diameter (LVVs and LVDs) were greatly decreased, and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and fractional shortening (FS) increased significantly in the RDN, Nog and NEP groups when compared with the HF group (all P < 0.05). No significant differences were observed in left ventricular end-diastolic volume and diameter; LVDs; LVVs; FS; LVEF; and the levels of plasma renin, noradrenaline, and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide among three groups: the RDN, Nog, and NEP groups. CONCLUSIONS: Reinnervation of renal artery occurred in CHF rats after RDN, which had no effect on therapeutic role of RDN in CHF, and inhibiting this neural regeneration had no clinical significance and did not affect the efficacy of RDN to CHF.

Multiple Microinvasion Foci in Ductal Carcinoma In Situ Is Associated With an Increased Risk of Recurrence and Worse Survival Outcome.

BACKGROUND: Ductal carcinoma in situ with microinvasion (DCISM) was defined as one or more foci of invasion beyond the basement membrane within 1 mm. The size of primary lesion is associated with axillary status and prognosis in patients with invasive breast cancer; thus, it is of interest to determine whether multiple foci of microinvasion are associated with a higher risk of positive axillary status or worse long-term outcomes in patients with DCISM. METHODS: This study identified 359 patients with DCISM who had undergone axillary evaluation at our institute from January 2006 to December 2015. Patients were categorized as one focus or multiple foci (≥2 foci) according to the pathological results. Clinicopathological features, axillary status, and disease-free survival rate were obtained and analyzed. RESULTS: Of 359 patients, 233 (64.90%) had one focus of microinvasion and 126 (35.10%) had multiple foci. Overall, 242 (67.41%) and 117 (32.59%) patients underwent sentinel lymph nodes biopsy (SLNB) and axillary lymph nodes dissection (ALND), respectively. Isolated tumor cells were found in four (1.11%) patients and axillary metastasis rate was 2.51%. Neither axillary evaluation methods (P = 0.244) nor axillary metastasis rate (P = 0.559) was significantly different between patients with one focus and multiple foci. In univariate analysis, patients with multiple foci tended to have larger tumor size (P < 0.001), higher nuclear grade (P = 0.001), and higher rate of lymphatic vascular invasion (P = 0.034). Also, the proportion of positive HER2 (P = 0.027) and Ki67 level (P = 0.004) increased in patients with multiple foci, while in multivariate analysis, only tumor size showed significant difference (P = 0.009). Patients with multiple foci were more likely to receive chemotherapy (56.35 vs 40.77%; P = 0.028). At median 5.11 years follow-up, overall survival rate was 99.36%. Patients with multiple microinvasive foci had worse disease-free survival rate compared with one-focus patients (98.29 vs 93.01%, P = 0.032). CONCLUSION: Even though the numbers of microinvasion were different and patients with multiple foci of microinvasion tended to have larger tumor size, there was no higher risk of axillary involvement compared with patients with one focus of microinvasion, while patients with multiple microinvasive foci had worse DFS rate. Thus, DCISM patients with multiple foci of microinvasion may be the criterion for more aggressive local-regional treatment. Optimization of adjuvant therapy in DCISM patients is required.

Triclosan induces ROS-dependent cell death and autophagy in A375 melanoma cells.

Melanoma is a common type of cutaneous tumor, but current drug treatments do not satisfy clinical practice requirements. At present, mitochondrial uncoupling is an effective antitumor treatment. Triclosan, a common antimicrobial, also acts as a mitochondrial uncoupler. The aims of the present study were to investigate the effects of triclosan on melanoma cells and the underlying mechanisms. Mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), mitochondrial morphology, mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (mito-ROS), intracellular superoxide anion and [Ca2+]i were measured using confocal microscopy. It was found that triclosan application was associated with decreased A375 cell viability in a dose- and time-dependent manner and these effects may have cell specificity. Furthermore, triclosan induced MMP depolarization, ATP content decrease, mito-ROS and [Ca2+]i level increases, excessive mitochondrial fission, AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activation and STAT3 inhibition. Moreover, these aforementioned effects were reversed by acetylcysteine treatment. Triclosan acute treatment also induced mitochondrial swelling, which was reversed after AMPK-knockdown associated with [Ca2+]i overload. Cell death was caused by STAT3 inhibition but not AMPK activation. Moreover, triclosan induced autophagy via the ROS/AMPK/p62/microtubule-associated protein 1A/1B-light chain 3 (LC3) signaling pathway, which may serve a role in feedback protection. Collectively, the present results suggested that triclosan increased mito-ROS production in melanoma cells, following induced cell death via the STAT3/Bcl-2 pathway and autophagy via the AMPK/p62/LC3 pathway.

SATB2 knockdown decreases hypoxia-induced autophagy and stemness in oral squamous cell carcinoma.

Increasing evidence has suggested that special AT-rich sequence-binding protein 2 (SATB2) may be involved in the progression of numerous types of human cancer; however, the biological function of SATB2 in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) occurrence and progression remains relatively unknown. The present study aimed to investigate the potential role of SATB2 in the regulation of biological characteristics of OSSC during hypoxia. The expression of SATB2 in SCC9 cells was knocked down using small interfering RNA. Western blotting was used to determine the protein expression levels of SATB2, autophagy-related proteins microtubule-associated protein light chain (LC)3-I/II and Beclin-1, and stemness markers such as Oct-4 (POU class 5 homeobox 1), Sox-2 (SRY-box 2) and Nanog (nanog homeobox). Transmission electron microscopy and monodansylcadaverine staining were used to detect the presence of autophagosomes. Furthermore, the self-renewal capacity of cells was analyzed using colony forming assays; the cell proliferative, migratory and invasive ability were evaluated using CCK-8, wound healing and Transwell assays, respectively; and the cell cycle distribution and rate of apoptosis were detected using flow cytometry. The expression levels of SATB2, autophagy-related proteins and stemness markers were significantly increased in SCC9 cells following hypoxic treatment. Meanwhile, the genetic knockdown of SATB2 inhibited hypoxia-mediated autophagy by decreasing the expression levels of Beclin-1, and preventing the conversion of LC3-I to LC3-II and the accumulation of autophagosomes. The knockdown of SATB2 also inhibited the hypoxia-induced colony-forming ability and the expression of stemness markers. Functionally, it also inhibited the proliferative, migratory and invasive abilities of SCC9 cells, while inducing apoptosis and cell cycle arrest under hypoxia. In conclusion, the present study suggested that SATB2 may function as an oncogene in OSCC cells, and targeting SATB2 may be a potential therapeutic strategy for the treatment of OSCC.

Comparison of the osteogenic differentiation of orofacial bone marrow stromal cells prior to and following marsupialization in patients with odontogenic cyst.

Decompression has been considered a valuable tool for odontogenic cystic lesions to minimize cyst size with low morbidity and recurrence. However, whether decompression has a role in regulating stem cell properties of orofacial bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) around the cysts has not been fully investigated. The present study compared the stem cell marker profile and osteogenic differentiation potential of orofacial BMSCs prior to and following marsupialization (pre­BMSCs vs. post­BMSCs) in the same individuals. The results demonstrated that post­BMSCs proliferated significantly faster, displayed higher colony­forming unit­fibroblast capacity and demonstrated higher expression of octamer binding protein 4, Nanog and SRY­related HMG box 2 when compared with the pre­BMSCs. Notably, the osteogenic potential was greater in the post­BMSCs compared with in pre­BMSCs, by demonstrating that the protein and mRNA expression levels of osteopontin, runt­related transcription factor 2, osteocalcin, alkaline phosphatase and osterix were upregulated in pre­BMSCs. Furthermore, the phosphorylated levels of extracellular signal­regulated kinase and c­Jun N­terminal kinase were enhanced in post­BMSCs. In conclusion, the study indicated that decompression influences the stem cell properties of orofacial BMSCs, and further studies are needed to verify the findings.

[A phytochemical and pharmacological advance on medicinal plant Litsea cubeba (Lauraceae)].

Litsea cubeba is one of aromatic medicinal plant belonging to family Lauraceae. The roots, stems and fruits of L. cubeba have been widely applied as folk medicines in some districts in China for relieving rheumatism and cold, regulating Qi (meridian) to alleviate pain. Previous studies revealed that this species contains major alkaloids, in specific aporphines, and minor flavonoids, lignans as well. Related pharmacological investigations demonstrated its activities and clinical applications on cardiovascular diseases, anti-cancer, against rheumatoid arthritis, relieving asthma and anti-allergic effects, as anti-oxidants, and so on. As an effort for further exploration of this bioactive ingredients and potential drug development, this paper summarizes most phytochemical and pharmacological results. Further, future prospects are also included.

[Chemical constituents from a Tibetan medicine Meconopsis horridula].

A phytochemical investigation on the aerial parts of a Tibetan medicine Meconopsis horridula, by solvent extraction, repeated chromatographies on silica gel, Sephadex LH-20, and preparative TLC techniques, led to the isolation of 9 compounds. By spectroscopic analysis and comparison of its 1H and 13C-NMR data with those in literatures, their structures were identified as oleracein E(1), N-( trans-p-coumaroyl) tyramine (2), chrysoeriol (3), apigenin (4), hydnocarpin (5), p-coumaric acid glucosyl ester (6), stigmast-5-ene-3beta-ylformate (7), 3beta-hydroxy-7alpha-ethoxy-24beta-ethylcholest-5-ene (8), and beta-sitosterol (9), respectively, among which compounds 6-8 were isolated from the genus for the first time,and 1,3 were isolated from the species for the first time. A MTT method was applied to evaluate the cytotoxic activity of compounds 14 against the human hepatocellular liver carcinoma cell line (HepG2), and compound 1 showed significant cytotoxicity against HepG2,with its inhibitory rate of 52.2% at 10 micromol x L(-1).

[Expression and significance of c-Jun activation domain binding protein 1 in human colorectal carcinoma].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the association of Jab1 (c-Jun activation domain binding protein 1) expression during carcinogenesis and clinicopathological characteristics of colorectal carcinoma (CRC) . METHODS: Tissue specimens were obtained from 80 cases of CRC from January 2007 to December 2008. And the expression of Jab1 protein for each specimen was detected by immunohistochemistry (EnVision). Six representative paired samples of cancerous and paired adjacent normal tissues were collected for Western blot. The relationships between the expression level of Jab1 protein and the clinicopathological characteristics of primary CRC were retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS: A high-level expression of Jab1 was present in cancerous tissues but not in paired adjacent normal tissues. The positive expression rate of Jab1 protein was as high as 96.3% (77/80) . And its high expression rate was 82.5% (66/80) , low expression rate 17.5% (14/80) and 8.8% (7/80) in cancerous and paired adjacent normal tissues respectively (P < 0.05) . Its expression was correlated with differentiation, invasion depth, TNM stage and lymph node metastasis (all P < 0.05) . Jab1 was significantly correlated with Ki-67 (r = 0.548, P < 0.01) and inversely with p27(kip1) (r = -0.461, P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: An over-expression of Jab1 protein might play an important role in the pathogenesis of CRC. Thus it may become a novel diagnostic marker and a therapeutic target in patients with CRC.