[Effect of EDTA and hyaluronic acid on the activity of periodontal ligament fibroblasts and the expression of cytokines].

PURPOSE: To investigate the effect of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and hyaluronic acid (HA) on the activity of periodontal ligament fibroblasts (PDLFs) and the expression of cytokines. METHODS: Twelve wisdom teeth extracted due to orthodontics treatment were selected and prepared into 5 mm×4 mm root pieces, then divided into EDTA group, HA group, EDTA+HA group and untreated group according to different treatment methods. They were placed in the well plate and PDLFs inoculated on the root piece. After 24 and 48 h of inoculation, the cell proliferation of each group was detected by MTT assay. The adhesion of PDLFs was observed under microscope. The inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, IL-8 and IL-1ß and TNF-α) levels produced by PDLFs were determined by ELLISA and Western Blot. SPSS 22.0 software package was used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: After 24 h and 48 h inoculation, all the treatments promoted cell proliferation and adhesion of PDLFs compared with the untreated group, and the combined treatment promoted cell proliferation and adhesion significantly better than single treatment (P<0.05). The cell proliferation and adhesion effect of EDTA group and HA group increased with the inoculation time, without significant difference between the groups (P>0.05). The results of ELLISA and Western blot showed that compared with the untreated group, the treatment groups inhibited the expression of inflammatory factors IL-6, IL-1ß and TNF-α, and promoted the expression of IL-8, and the effect of EDTA+HA group was much more significant(P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: EDTA+HA can significantly promote the growth of periodontal ligament fibroblasts and inhibit the expression of inflammatory cytokines, which may be related to its ability to enhance the adhesion of fibroblasts and then improve their viability.

Pathway analysis of a genome­wide association study on a long non­coding RNA expression profile in oral squamous cell carcinoma.

Long non­coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been consistently demonstrated to be involved in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) as either tumor oncogenes or tumor suppressors. However, the underlying mechanisms of OSCC tumorigenesis and development have not yet been fully elucidated. The expression profiles of mRNAs and lncRNAs in OSCC were analyzed by a microarray assay. To verify the results of the microarray, 10 differentially expressed lncRNAs were randomly selected and measured by quantitative RT­PCR (qRT­PCR). Gene Ontology (GO) and metabolic pathway analyses were performed to analyze gene function and identify enriched pathways. Subsequently, two independent algorithms were used to predict the target genes of the lncRNAs. We identified 2,294 lncRNAs and 1,938 mRNAs that were differentially expressed in all three OSCC tissues by a microarray assay. Through the construction of co­expression networks of differentially expressed genes, 4 critical lncRNAs nodes were identified as potential key factors in the pathogenesis of OSCC. Expression of the 4 critical lncRNA nodes was not associated with age, sex, smoking or tumor location (P>0.05) but was positively correlated with clinical stage, lymphatic metastasis, distant metastasis and survival status (P<0.05). Kaplan­Meier analysis demonstrated that low expression levels of these 4 critical lncRNA nodes contributed to poor median progression­free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) (P<0.05). GO and pathway analyses indicated that the functions and enriched pathways of many dysregulated genes are associated with cancer. Potential target genes of dysregulated lncRNAs were enriched in 43 metabolic pathways, with cancer pathways being the primary enrichment pathways. In summary, we analyzed the profile of lncRNAs in OSCC and identified the functions and enriched metabolic pathways of both dysregulated mRNAs and the target genes of dysregulated lncRNAs, providing new insights into molecular markers and therapeutic targets for OSCC.

Role of the Chinese herbal medicine xianhuayin on the reversal of premalignant mucosal lesions in the golden hamster buccal pouch.

AIM: To investigate the role of the Chinese herbal medicine Xianhuayin on the reversal of 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA)-induced premalignant mucosal lesions in the oral buccal pouch of golden hamsters. METHODOLOGY: The animals were randomly divided into a non-diseased control group (n=5) and an experimental group including 50 animals in which the buccal mucosa had been painted with DMBA (0.5% in acetone) to generate an oral mucosa premalignant lesion. Animals in the experimental group were further divided into Xianhuayin-treated group (n=30), untreated premalignant lesion group (n=10) and normal saline (NS)-treated group (n=10). The cheek (buccal) pouch mucosa of the golden hamsters in each group was observed with light and electron microscopy eight weeks after intragastric administration with NS or Xianhuayin. RESULTS: In the non-diseased control group, the buccal mucosa was keratinized and stratified squamous epithelium under a light microscope. In the untreated premalignant lesion group, variable degrees of epithelial dysplasia was observed. The irregular epithelial mucosa gradually became distinct in the Xianhuayin-treated group. Scanning electronic microscopic (SEM) analysis showed that surface of the cells exhibited honeycomb structures in the hamster of untreated-group. The cells were morphologically irregular, overlapped and loosened in the untreated premalignant lesion group. Most of the cell surface exhibited honeycomb structure in the Xianhuayin-treated group. Transmission electronic microscopic (TEM) analysis showed that buccal mucosal epithelial cells were morphologically regular in the non-diseased control group. Desmosomes and tonofibrils were reduced and the nucleus was morphologically irregular in the untreated premalignant lesion group. In the Xianhuayin-treated group, the widening intercellular gap was gradually reduced, desmosomes and the cells becoming morphologically regular. No significant difference was observed between the hamsters in NS-treated group and those in the untreated premalignant lesion group. Significant therapeutic efficacy was observed in the group receiving Xianhuayin. CONCLUSION: Xianhuayin is effective in the reversal of DMBA-induced premalignant lesions in the buccal pouch of golden hamsters.