[Comparison of skeletal structure of temporomandibular joint through cone-beam CT between Angle Classâ , â ¡1, â ¡2, â ¢ malocclusion patients with permanent dentition].

PURPOSE: To compare characteristics of temporomandibular joint and related structures according to gender and Angle Ⅰ, Ⅱ1, Ⅱ2 and Ⅲ class. METHODS: Cone-beam CT (CBCT) was performed in 123 patients with malocclusion, and three-dimensional reconstruction was performed with Mimics 19.0 software. The anterior, upper, and posterior spaces of temporomandibular joint, width and depth of acetabulum, height and horizontal angle of condyle, radius of condyle, and anteroposterior and long-axis diameter of condyle were analysed on sagittal plane. The position of condyle in the joint fossa was analyzed using Pullinger methods. SPSS 22.0 software package was used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: Significant differences were found in the long axis and radius of the condyles between Class Ⅰ and Ⅲ, Class Ⅰ and Ⅱ1, respectively (P<0.05). The widest acetabulum was observed in Class Ⅲ, followed by Class Ⅰ, Ⅱ1, and Ⅱ2. Moreover, the deepest acetabulum was found in Class Ⅱ2, followed by Class Ⅱ1, Ⅰ, and Ⅲ. No significant differences were detected in the left and right condyle-related structures among different temporomandibular articulation. In addition, the anterior articular space was significantly larger in Class Ⅰ patients, compared with Class Ⅱ2 patients. CONCLUSIONS: There are significant differences in condylar morphology, joint space, joint fossa morphology and condylar position between different Angle classifications.

Icariin protects vascular endothelial cells from oxidative stress through inhibiting endoplasmic reticulum stress / 中西医结合学报

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the protective effect and underlying mechanism(s) of icariin (ICA) in preventing hydrogen peroxide (HO)-induced vascular endothelial cell injury via endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS).@*METHODS@#To study the effects of ICA on HO-induced damage, we used the cell counting kit-8 assay to detect cell viability and the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling assay to determine cell adhesion and apoptosis, respectively. Spectrophotometry and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay were used to measure the expression levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px). Subsequently, glucose-regulated protein 78 (GRP78), activating transcription factor-4 (ATF4) and eukaryotic initiation factor-2α (eIF2α) were detected using Western blotting.@*RESULTS@#In human umbilical vein endothelial cells, different concentrations of ICA exhibited multiple effects, including reduced HO damage, improved cell viability and adhesion, reduced cell apoptosis and increased SOD and GSH-Px activity. Among the ICA concentrations used, only the HO + 100 μmol/L ICA group had significant differences compared to the HO group. ERS activators HO and dl-dithiothreitol (DTT) significantly increased GRP78, ATF4 and eIF2α expressions, decreased cell activity and reduced SOD and GSH-Px activity. In contrast, the HO + 100 μmol/L ICA and HO + 100 μmol/L ICA + DTT groups had significant inhibitory effects on the expressions of GRP78, ATF4 and eIF2α proteins, showing enhanced cell viability and SOD and GSH-Px activity.@*CONCLUSION@#The results showed the dose-dependent effects of ICA against HO-induced injury in vascular endothelial cells. The inhibition of GRP78, ATF4 and eIF2α protein expressions in the ERS, and the subsequent alleviation of oxidative stress damage, might be the molecular mechanism.

[Effect of cyclic tensile stress on expression of type â ¡ collagen and Sox9 in rat cranial base synchondrosis].

PURPOSE: To establish an in vitro mechanical stimulation model of cranial base synchondrosis chondrocytes, and to study the effect of cyclic tensile stress on the main extracellular matrix of rat cranial base synchondrosis. METHODS: Cyclic tensile stress was imposed to the second passage of cranial base synchondrosis chondrocytes for 3, 6, 12 and 24 hours respectively by using a Flexcell Strain Unit-5000T(10% surface elongation, 1 Hz). After mechanical loading, the total RNA of the cells harvested from six-well BioFlex was extracted. Real-time quantitative RT-PCR was performed to quantify the mRNA levels of type Ⅱ collagen and Sox9. The data were analyzed with SPSS 17.0 software package. RESULTS: Compared with the control group(0 h group), the mRNA expression of type Ⅱ collagen was decreased after 3 hours of loading, but not statistically significant; While the expression of Sox9 decreased significantly (P<0.05). In the 6 h group, the expression of Col-Ⅱ and Sox9 decreased significantly (P<0.01 and 0.05, respectively). The expression of Col-Ⅱ and Sox9 increased in the 12 h group. The 24 h group showed significant increase in both type Ⅱ collagen and Sox9 (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The results illustrate that cyclic tensile stress can affect the synthesis of the main extracellular matrix of cranial base synchondrosis in vitro. Expression of type Ⅱ collagen and Sox9 can be inhibited during early stage of mechanical loading. However, when loading time extends, the mechanical stimuli greatly promotes the expression of type Ⅱ collagen and Sox9. The reaction of Sox9 in this in vitro mechanical stimulation model happens earlier than that of type Ⅱ collagen.

Expression of G-protein coupled estrogen receptor in the testis of the male mouse with kidney yin or kidney yang deficiency and its impact on the reproductive function of the mouse / 中华男科学杂志

Objective@#To investigate the expression of the G-protein coupled estrogen receptor (GPER) in the testis of the male mouse with kidney yin or kidney yang deficiency and its influence on the reproductive function of the mouse.@*METHODS@#We randomized 30 six-week-old male Kunming mice into three groups of equal number: kidney yang deficiency, kidney yin deficiency, and normal control, and established the models of kidney yang deficiency and kidney yin deficiency by peritoneal injection of hydrocortisone at 50 mg/kg for 5 days and 25 mg/kg for 10 days, respectively. We observed the behavioral changes of the mice using the elevated plus-maze, exhaustive swimming and field experiment, examined the semen quality with the automatic sperm quality analyzer, calculated the average number of the offspring, measured the serum testosterone (T) and estradiol (E2) levels and T/E2 ratio by Roche electrochemiluminescence assay, and determined the localization and expression of GPER in the testis by immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence staining.@*RESULTS@#Compared with the mice with kidney yin deficiency, those with kidney yang deficiency showed remarkably fewer entries into the open arm and central area (P 0.05); the latter group also exhibited significant decreases in the epididymal sperm count (［7.27 ± 1.30］ vs ［3.05 ± 1.06］ ×108/g, P 0.05), and markedly reduced serum T (［24.96 ± 6.18］ vs ［16.72 ± 5.92］ ng/dl,P <0.05), E2 (［19.81 ± 4.01］ vs ［15.24 ± 1.11］ pg/ml,P <0.05) and T/E2 ratio (1.41 vs 1.25, P <0.05). The expression of GPER was found in the cytoplasm of the Leydig cells, negative in the nuclei and cell membrane, significantly higher in the kidney yang than in the kidney yin deficiency group (P <0.05).@*CONCLUSIONS@#The numbers of sperm and offspring decreased while the percentage of morphologically abnormal sperm increased in both the kidney yang and kidney yin deficiency mice, even more significantly in the former, which might be associated with the up-regulated expression of GPER in the testis of the mouse with kidney yang deficiency and consequently the reduced serum T level and T/E2 ratio.