Fibrous dysplasia of the anterior mandible: A rare case report.

Fibrous dysplasia (FD) is a rare bony disorder in which normal bone is replaced by abnormal fibro-osseous tissue. It often involves the long bones, craniofacial bones, ribs, and pelvis. Approximately 30% of monostotic FD (MFD) lesions are found in the cranial or facial bones. In general, FD is found in teenagers, and it usually becomes static after adulthood. FD involves the maxilla almost two times more often than the mandible. It frequently appears in the posterior region of the jaw bone and is usually unilateral. Here, we present an unusual case of symptomatic MFD affecting the anterior region of the mandible in a 43-year-old female with the clinical, radiographical, and histopathological features. The clinical examination showed both the labial and lingual bone expansion in the anterior mandible. The radiographic examination revealed a lesion with both radiopaque and radiolucent features showing a "ground-glass" appearance. The diagnosis was obtained after confirmatory intrabony biopsy with the histopathological examination, and it was diagnosed with benign FD. The patient preferred regular follow-up of MFD after discussion. During the regular follow-up, MFD lesion showed no obvious signs of progression or malignancy features.

Rare case of undifferentiated uterine sarcoma with neuroectodermal differentiation and osteoclast-like giant cells.

OBJECTIVE: We describe the first case of a rare undifferentiated uterine sarcoma exhibiting both neuroectodermal differentiation and osteoclast-like giant cells, and elaborate its morphology. CASE REPORT: A 54-year-old woman presented with suprapubic pain, frequent urination, and perimenopausal abnormal vaginal bleeding. Computed tomography revealed a large heterogeneous uterine mass and multiple lung nodules. She received a staging surgery. The tumor pathology examination revealed an undifferentiated uterine sarcoma (UUS) with neuroectodermal differentiation and osteoclast-like giant cells (OGCs). The patient was managed with palliative hospice care; however, she died within 1.5 months of diagnosis. CONCLUSION: UUSs are rare high-grade tumors observed in elderly women. These women typically present with postmenopausal bleeding and extrauterine diseases and have a poor prognosis. Neuroectodermal differentiation in UUSs has a müllerian origin. The presence of OGCs may suggest a poor prognosis; however, further studies are necessary to determine the exact nature of such neoplasms.

Low Second-To-Fourth Digit Ratio Has High Explosive Power? A Prepubertal Study.

Hsu, CC, Fong, TH, Chang, HM, Su, B, Chi, CP, Kan, NW, and Hsu, MC. Low second-to-fourth digit ratio has high explosive power? A prepubertal study. J Strength Cond Res 32(7): 2091-2095, 2018-A recent study reported that lower limb explosive power had no correlation with the index finger: ring finger (2D:4D) ratio. However, many studies hypothesized that a lower 2D:4D ratio (reflecting a relative higher testosterone exposure) predicts higher physical fitness. The aim of this study was to replicate the study of explosive power and the 2D:4D ratio in a sample of Taiwanese children. A total of 541 Taiwanese prepubertal children (257 girls and 284 boys aged 9-10 years) participated in this study. This study analyzed the relationship between the 2D:4D ratio and explosive power. Explosive power of the lower limbs was assessed using the standing long jump (SLJ) test. The lengths of the second and fourth fingers of the right hand were measured to calculate the 2D:4D ratio. The SLJ length was correlated with the 2D:4D ratios (r = -0.144, p = 0.015) in boys. After controlling for age and the body mass index, this correlation remained significant (r = -0.134, p = 0.024). For girls, 2D:4D ratios were not significantly correlated with SLJ scores. These results indicate that the SLJ distance was negatively correlated with the 2D:4D ratio in boys, but not in girls. These findings might suggest that prenatal testosterone exposure is negatively correlated with the explosive power in men, but not in women.

Endometriosis in a kidney with focal xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis and a perinephric abscess.

BACKGROUND: The presence of endometriosis in the kidney is extremely rare. We report a case of endometriosis in renal parenchyma incidentally found in a malfunctioning kidney removed because of xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis. CASE PRESENTATION: A 53-year-old Chinese premenopausal woman presented with intermittent right flank pain for many years. Imaging studies revealed a contracted non-functioning right kidney and a perinephric abscess. The contracted kidney was considered to have resulted from chronic pyelonephritis. The abscess was drained. The patient subsequently underwent a right nephrectomy. Histology revealed endometriosis of renal parenchyma in addition to xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis and a perinephric abscess. No evidence of endometriosis was identified at the pelvic site. The patient was symptom-free after operation. CONCLUSION: Endometriosis is a common benign condition in women of reproductive age that is characterized by the presence of endometrial glands and stroma outside the uterine cavity, which affects either genital or extragenital sites. Involvement of the urinary tract is rare. Among the urinary tract endometriosis, only a few cases involve the kidney. Renal endometriosis is difficult to diagnose; a final diagnosis relies on the pathohistologic findings. Treatment involves hormonal manipulation or a hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy. Whether a nephrectomy required depends on the level of renal function. Although extremely rare, renal endometriosis should be part of the differential diagnostic spectrum when a contracted, non-functioning kidney is present. Early diagnosis might have prevented an unnecessary nephrectomy in cases of uncomplicated renal endometriosis.

Elite collegiate tennis athletes have lower 2D: 4D ratios than those of nonathlete controls.

The ratio of the length of the second finger (index finger) to the fourth finger (ring finger) (2D:4D ratio) is a putative marker for prenatal hormones. Physiological research has suggested a low 2D:4D ratio correlates with high athletic ability. Athletes of specific sports (e.g., American football) have lower 2D:4D ratios than those of nonathletes, whereas athletes of some sports (e.g., rowing, gymnastics, and soccer) do not. This study investigated the 2D:4D ratios among collegiate tennis athletes, elite collegiate tennis athletes, and nonelite collegiate tennis athletes and compared them with nonathletes of both sexes. The participants included 43 elite collegiate tennis athletes (Level I intercollegiate athletes in Taiwan; 27 males and 16 females), 107 nonelite collegiate tennis athletes (Level II athletes; 55 males and 52 females), and 166 nonathlete college students (80 males and 86 females). The principle findings suggest that (a) regardless of sex, collegiate tennis athletes have lower 2D:4D values than those of nonathletes; (b) elite collegiate tennis athletes have lower 2D:4D values than those of nonathletes; (c) among females but not males, athletes and nonelite athletes have lower 2D:4D values than those of nonathletes; and (d) males have lower 2D:4D values than those of females.

Differential miRNA expression in repeated recurrence of nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Deregulated microRNAs (miRNAs) are known to be involved in the tumorigenesis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). However, the role of miRNA expression in tumor recurrence is not yet understood. We found distinctive miRNA expression in repeated recurrent tumors using miRNA microarray, and verified this using quantitative real-time RT-PCR and miRNA in situ hybridization analysis. Computational analysis and immunohistochemistry further revealed that differentially expressed miRNAs may work in concert to modulate a multitude of biological pathways. The results not only indicate differential miRNA expression during tumor relapse, but imply the potential use of miRNAs to classify repeated recurrence of NPC beyond the histological approach.

Effects of BCAA, arginine and carbohydrate combined drink on post-exercise biochemical response and psychological condition.

This study investigated the effects of BCAA, arginine and carbohydrate combined beverage (BCAA Drink) on biochemical responses and psychological conditions during recovery after a single bout of exhaustive exercise. Fourteen healthy males were assigned to drink either BCAA Drink (BA trial) or placebo (PL trial) on two sessions separated by 2 weeks. Blood samples of each subject were collected before exercise, 0, 10, 20, 40, 60, 120 min and 24 h after exercise. No significant differences in the levels of lactate, ammonia, creatine kinase and glycerol between the two groups were observed at any of the time points. However, the levels of glucose and insulin were significantly higher in the BA trial as compared to those in the PL trial at the 40 and 60 min recovery points. Furthermore, the testosterone-to-cortisol ratio at the 120 min recovery point was significantly higher in the BA trial as compared to that in the PL trial. The results indicate the occurrence of anabolic response during the recovery period. The benefit of BCAA Drink was also performed by Profile of Mood States to assess the psychological condition. Fatigue score increased immediately at exhaustion in both groups, but the decrease in the fatigue score at 120 min recovery point was significant only in BA trial. These data indicate that a single bout of exhaustive exercise enhanced the feeling of fatigue. The detrimental consequence was reduced by an ingestion of BCAA Drink.

Widespread expression of prostate apoptosis response-4 in nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Prostate apoptosis response-4 (Par-4) augments apoptosis in various tumors, either during apoptotic insult or by ectopic overexpression. However, investigation of Par-4 expression in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is lacking. METHODS: Specimens from patients with NPC, hypopharyngeal carcinoma (HPC), or oral cavity cancer were examined for Par-4 expression using immunohistochemistry. NPC cell proliferation and apoptosis were analyzed using immunohistochemical staining for Ki67, B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2), and in situ terminal deoxyribonucleotidyl transferase (TdT)-mediated biotin-16-dUTP nick end-labeling (TUNEL) assay, respectively. RESULTS: Par-4 was ubiquitously expressed in NPC biopsies (96.2%, 25/26) and was significantly higher than in HPC (47.6%, 50/105, p < .0001) and oral cavity cancers (38.7%, 12/31, p < .0001). Remarkably, apoptosis of NPC cells was absent and Par-4 expression was associated with obvious expression of Bcl-2 and Ki67 in all patients tested with NPC. CONCLUSIONS: Immunohistochemistry results showed widespread expression of Par-4 in NPC and revealed sustainable proliferation of NPC cells regardless of Par-4 expression.

American ginseng supplementation attenuates creatine kinase level induced by submaximal exercise in human beings.

AIM: To investigate whether American ginseng (AG, Panax quinquefolium) supplementation was able to improve endurance exercise performance. METHODS: Thirteen physically active male college students were divided into two groups (AG or placebo) and received supplementation for 4 wk, before the exhaustive running exercise. Treadmill speed was increased to a pace equivalent to 80% VO2max of the subject. A 4-wk washout period followed before the subjects crossed over and received the alternate supplement for the next 4 wk. They then completed a second exhaustive running exercise. The physiological variables that were examined included time to exhaustion and oxygen pulse. Moreover, the plasma creatine kinase (CK) and lactate were measured prior to the exercise, at 15 and 30 min during exercise, immediately after exercise, and 20, 40, 60, and 120 min after exercise. RESULTS: The major finding of this investigation was that the production plasma CK during the exercise significantly decreased for group AG than for group P. Secondary physiological finding was that 80% VO2max running was not improved over a 4-wk AG supplementation regimen. CONCLUSION: Supplementation with AG for 4 wk prior to an exhaustive aerobic treadmill running reduced the leakage of CK during exercise, but did not enhance aerobic work capacity. The reduction of plasma CK may be due to the fact that AG is effective for the decrease of skeletal muscle cell membrane damage, induced by exercise during the high-intensity treadmill run.

Prevention of cellular oxidative damage by an aqueous extract of Anoectochilus formosanus.

Anoectochilus formosanus (AF) is a popular folk medicine in Taiwan whose pharmacological effects have been characterized. In this work we investigated the antioxidant properties of an aqueous extract prepared from AF. The AF extract was capable of scavenging H2O2 in a dose-dependent manner. We induced oxidative stress in HL-60 cells, either by the addition of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) or by the xanthine/xanthine oxidase reaction. Apoptosis caused by oxidative damage was displayed by DNA fragmentation on gel electrophoresis, and the apoptotic fraction was quantified with flow cytometry. The cell damage induced by oxidative stress was prevented by the plant extract in a concentration-dependent manner. Furthermore, the proteolytic cleavage of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase during the apoptotic process was also inhibited by AF extract. Our results provide the basis for determining an AF extract to be an antioxidant.

The HSP expression of passive repetitive plyometric trained skeletal muscle.

This study aims to understand the effect of ten-week passive repetitive plyometric (PRP) training on human skeletal muscle and the application of PRP training for performance. Vastus lateralis of nine candidates were aspirated before (pre) and after (post) PRP training. Histochemical approaches with regular hematoxylene-eosin (HE) and Mallory's phosphotungstic acid hematoxylin (PTAH) stains were used to demonstrate the changes of muscle fibers. Immunohistochemical studies with heat shock protein (anti-hsp72, Stressgen, Canada) were employed to display cellular activities. Each set of slides was quantitatively analyzed by using a modified morphometric method (Russ and Dehoff, 1999) on a Nikon ECLIPSE 80i microscope, equipped with an Evolution VF COOLED color video camera, and the Image-Pro Plus software (5.0 for Win; Media Cybernetics, USA). Finally, hsp72 mRNAs of both pre-PRP and post-PRP specimens were amplified through RT-PCR. Signal intensities were read by a densitometer and analyzed through the SPSS (11.0 for Win) statistically. Post-PRP muscle cells demonstrated hypertrophic change with increased cellular content and a narrowed inter-cellular space according to both HE and PTAH profiles. Post-PRP cellular hsp72 proteins were higher by up to five percent, as measured by a gray-scale reading. Further, after a training period of 10 weeks, hsp72 mRNA expression was several times higher.

Effects of maternal undernutrition during late gestation on the lung surfactant system and morphometry in rats.

Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) is associated with reduced lung function during infancy and throughout adulthood. We investigated the effects of maternal undernutrition (50% rations of the control food intake) during the last week of gestation on the pulmonary surfactant system and lung morphometry in postnatal rats. IUGR rats exhibited a significantly lower body weight, lower lung weight, lower lung/body weight ratio, lower lung volume, and lower lung volume/body weight ratio on some postnatal days. IUGR rats had a significantly lower lung saturated phosphatidylcholine and lower plasma corticosterone levels on postnatal d 1 only, and values were comparable between control and IUGR rats in the ensuing weeks. Lung surfactant protein (SP)-A, SP-B, SP-C, and SP-D mRNA expressions were similar between control and IUGR rats. Volume fractions of the alveolar airspace were significantly lower in IUGR rats on postnatal d 7, 14, and 42. Alveolar surface areas were significantly lower in IUGR rats during the study period. The alveolar surface area/body weight ratio reached a peak on postnatal d 7, and values were significantly lower in IUGR rats on postnatal d 1, 14, 28, and 42. We conclude that maternal undernutrition during late gestation decreases lung surfactant lipid levels in the immediate postnatal period and alters the development of lung structure during the postnatal period. Alteration of lung surfactant and structure may be important in the pathogenesis of impaired pulmonary function in IUGR infants and children.

Methylprednisolone effects on oxygenation and histology in a rat model of acute lung injury.

We examined the effects of methylprednisolone on gas exchange, pressure-volume curve, lavage fluid inflammatory cell counts, protein content, surfactant pool size, and lung histology in a rat model of paraquat-induced lung injury. Twenty-three adult male Sprague-Dawley rats received intraperitoneal paraquat injection (35 mg/kg) and were randomly divided into three groups: (1). control group received no further treatment; (2). 1-dose methylprednisolone group received a concomitant intraperitoneal methylprednisolone injection (30 mg/kg); (3). 3-dose methylprednisolone group received a concomitant and daily intraperitoneal methylprednisolone injection (30 mg/kg) for three doses. Three days after paraquat injection, the rat was ventilated for 90 min, a static pressure-volume curve and bronchoalveolar lavage was performed, and postmortem histology was examined. Surfactant pool size of the 3-dose methylprednisolone group was significantly increased when compared with the control and 1-dose methylprednisolone groups. Methylprednisolone treatment increased oxygenation and the value was statistically significant for 3-dose methylprednisolone group at 90 min of ventilation. Inflammatory cell counts in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and lung injury score were decreased as the methylprednisolone dose increased. We conclude that high-dose methylprednisolone treatment increased surfactant pool size and improved lung histology of paraquat-injured lungs but this augmentation could not significantly improve oxygenation throughout the ventilation period.

Effects of baicalin on the gene expression of surfactant protein A (SP-A) in lung adenocarcinoma cell line H441.

Pulmonary surfactant, a complex lipoprotein, is secreted by alveolar type II cells. It lies at the alveolar air-fluid interface and prevents alveolar collapse by reducing surface tension. The high incidence of respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) in premature infants results principally from a deficiency of pulmonary surfactant. Surfactant protein A (SP-A) is the most abundant surfactant protein and reduces surface tension at the alveolar air-liquid interface in lung cells. In this study, RT-PCR and Western blot analyses of SP-A were performed to evaluate the biological activity of baicalin, a Chinese medicine prescribed extensively for preventing miscarriage. In in vitro experiments, lung adenocarcinoma cell line H441 was cultured with baicalin in varying concentrations and for varying lengths of time. The results show that the expression of SP-A gene was positively affected by baicalin in dose-dependent and time-course manners. The maximal expression of the SP-A gene, 1.7-fold greater than control, is induced at 150 nM of baicalin treated for 48 h.

Maternal nicotine effects on lung collagen gene expression in newborn rats.

We evaluated the effects of maternal nicotine treatment on collagen gene expression in newborn rat lungs. Timed pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats were injected subcutaneously with nicotine tartrate (2 mg/kg/day) from day 3 to day 21 of gestation. A control group was injected with an equal volume of 0.9% NaCl. On days 1, 7, 14, and 21 after birth, rat pups were randomly selected from each group and lungs were removed for measurement of collagen gene expression and collagen contents by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and histology, respectively. Body weights of nicotine-treated dams were lower than those of control dams from gestational days 5 to 21, and the values reached statistical significance on gestational days 17, 20, and 21. The body weight, lung weight, and lung/body weight ratio were comparable between control and nicotine-exposed rats. Lung collagen I and III mRNA expressions and collagen-staining pattern in alveolar septa were similar between control and nicotine-exposed rats during the study period. We conclude that maternal exposure to nicotine (2 mg/kg/Day) during pregnancy does not influence collagen gene expression or collagen contents in postnatal rat lungs.

Methylprednisolone does not enhance the surfactant effects on oxygenation and histology in paraquat-induced rat lung injury.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether exogenous surfactant would improve gas exchange and lung histology and methylprednisolone pretreatment would enhance the surfactant effect in a rat model of paraquat-induced lung injury. SETTING: University research facility. SUBJECTS: Thirty-three adult male Sprague-Dawley rats. INTERVENTIONS: All rats received intraperitoneal paraquat injection (35 mg/kg) and were assigned randomly to one of four groups: the control group received no further treatment; the methylprednisolone group received a concomitant intraperitoneal methylprednisolone injection (30 mg/kg); the surfactant group received intratracheal Survanta (100 mg/kg) at the start of ventilation; and the methylprednisolone + surfactant group received both methylprednisolone and surfactant treatments. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Three days after paraquat injection, every rat was ventilated for 90 min, a static pressure-volume curve and bronchoalveolar lavage were performed and postmortem histology was examined. Treatment with surfactant and methylprednisolone + surfactant improved oxygenation relative to the control group and produced significantly higher lung volumes than the control and methylprednisolone groups. Treatment with surfactant resulted in a significant decrease in total cell and neutrophil counts relative to the control group. Surfactant with methylprednisolone pretreatment significantly decreased total cell, macrophage and neutrophil counts when compared with the surfactant group. The histological appearance of the lungs was better in the two surfactant-treated groups. CONCLUSION: Intratracheal instillation of surfactant improves gas exchange, ameliorates lung inflammation and results in less lung damage in paraquat-induced rat lung injury. Surfactant with methylprednisolone pretreatment decreases inflammatory cell infiltration, but cannot further improve oxygenation and lung histology.