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Fluid and ion secretion from the submandibular gland (SMG) is mainly regulated by parasympathetic nerves. This study evaluated the effect of parasympathectomy on salivary secretion from normal and irradiated rat SMGs from 1 to 24 wk after denervation. Although stimulated salivary secretion was significantly lower in denervated SMGs compared with contralateral self-controls, the resting salivary flow rates were markedly higher in the denervated SMGs at 1, 12, and 24 wk after denervation. The levels of muscarinic acetylcholine M1 and M3 receptors, as well as of aquaporin 5, were up-regulated. Notably, although irradiated SMGs showed significantly lower resting and stimulated salivary secretion rates than non-irradiated SMGs, the resting salivary secretion rates of the irradiated and denervated SMGs were markedly higher than seen in the irradiated self-control SMGs at 1, 12, and 24 wk after parasympathectomy, and were even higher than seen in the non-irradiated sham-operated rats. The expression of M1 and M3 receptors was similarly elevated. Taken together, our results suggest that parasympathetic denervation increases resting salivary secretion of both normal and irradiated SMGs. This approach might provide a potential modality for relieving radiation-induced xerostomia, which is a common complication following treatment of head and neck cancer., (© 2017 Eur J Oral Sci.)

Rationale: Cronkhite-Canada syndrome (CCS) is a rare disease, the etiology of CCS is currently unknown. Although CCS is widely accepted as a benign disorder, the malignant potential of the polyps in CCS patients is yet controversial., Patient Concerns: A 55-year-old Chinese male was first admitted to Beijing Friendship Hospital with a 3-month history of frequent watery diarrhea (10-15 times/day), loss of taste, and a weight loss of 10 kg in August 2010. The left heel bone fracture in the patient occurred about 2 weeks prior to his diarrhea., Diagnoses: He was diagnosed as Cronkhite-Canada syndrome., Interventions: Oral administration of prednisone was initiated at a dosage of 20 mg/day., Outcomes: After 3 months of treatment, the clinical manifestations disappeared, and colonoscopy showed sparsely distributed small polyps in the colon. Consequently, the dose of prednisone was reduced to 10mg. However, after 4 months, his fingernails were again found atrophic along with mild abdominal discomfort without diarrhea. Colonoscopy revealed a recurrence of the polyps in March 2011. The treatment was repeated with prednisone at a dosage of 20 mg/day resulting in subsided symptoms. In September 2011, he underwent colonoscopy although no significant clinical manifestations were observed. In addition, the polyp in the sigmoid colon was cancerated., Lessons: The present case indicated that the physical stress was related to CCS and malignant transformation occurred in Cronkhite-Canada syndrome polyp. After the diffused inflammatory polyps have responded to steroid therapy, other existing adenomas require endoscopic treatments, which can decrease the possibility of neoplastic transformation.

Four series of rodlike racemic Schiff base mesogens possessing different alkyl chains and two types of linkages, ester and alkynyl linkages, were synthesized and applied to induce cubic blue phases (BPs) in simple binary mixture systems. The mesophases of these Schiff base mesogens were confirmed by variable-temperature X-ray diffraction and the characteristic texture from polarized optical microscopy (POM). In general, when chiral additive S-(+)-2-octyl 4-(4-hexyloxybenzoyloxy)benzoate (S811; 20-40 wt %) is added into the rodlike racemic salicylaldimine-based mesogens, the cubic BPs could be observed and its temperature range is larger than 20 K. The widest temperature range of the cubic BP (35 K) can be observed in the blending mixture composed of rodlike racemic salicylaldimine-based mesogen OH-TI n possessing alkynyl linkage and 35-40 wt % S811. However, Schiff base mesogens possessing alkynyl linkage show a direct isotropic to chiral nematic transition when equal amount of chiral dopant is added. Notably, the termination temperature of BPs is very close to room temperature (ca. 35 °C) after 40.0 wt % S811 is added into the salicylaldimine-based mesogens possessing terminal alkyl chains and ester linkage. Interestingly, wide BPs (>30 K) can also be induced by adding chiral additive 1,4:3,6-dianhydro-2,5-bis[4-(n-hexyl-1-oxy)benzoic acid]sorbitol (ISO(6OBA) 2 ) with a high helical twisting power into the racemic Schiff base mesogen possessing ester linkage. Cubic BPI and BPII can be confirmed by reflectance spectra and POM. The results of reflectance spectra indicate that the binary mixture composed of salicylaldimine-based mesogens and S811 easily exhibits a supercooling effect and induces BPI. However, only BPII can be observed in all binary mixtures containing Schiff base mesogens. On the basis of our experimental results and molecular modeling, we suppose that the values of biaxiality, polarizability, and the dipole moment of molecular geometry are the main factors that affect BP stabilization.

Background: Esophageal cancer is the sixth leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Pentraxin-3 (PTX3) is a member of the PTX superfamily. Here, we investigated the role of PTX3 in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC)., Methods: The effect of PTX3 on ESCC cell proliferation, colony formation, apoptosis, migration, and invasion was investigated using cell viability assays, colony formation assays, flow cytometry, and migration and invasion assays. The effect of PTX3 on the tumorigenicity of ESCC in vivo was investigated with xenograft studies in nude mice., Results: PTX3 overexpression in ESCC cells reduced cellular proliferation and colony formation (P < 0.05) and increased the rate of apoptosis (P < 0.05). PTX3 expression had no significant effect on the migratory or invasive potential of ESCC cells. In our mouse model of human ESCC, we achieved 100% successful tumor establishment. Compared with the control and empty vector-expressing groups, the PTX3-expressing group formed significantly smaller tumors (P < 0.05)., Conclusions: This study indicates that PTX3 might play an inhibitory role in ESCC.

Four simple rodlike Schiff base mesogens with tolane moiety were synthesized and applied to stabilize cubic blue phases (BPs) in simple binary mixture systems for the first time. When the chiral additive or was added into a chiral salicylaldimine-based compound, the temperature range of the cubic BP could be extended by more than 20 °C. However, when the chiral Schiff base mesogen was blended with chiral dopant possessing opposite handedness, , BPs could not be observed. Interestingly, the widest temperature range of the cubic BPs (∼35 °C) could be induced by adding the rodlike chiral dopant or into the rodlike racemic Schiff base mesogen with hydroxyl group. On the basis of our experimental results and molecular modeling, the appearance and temperature range of the BPs are affected by the dipole moment and the biaxiality of the molecular geometry. Accordingly, we demonstrated that the hydroxyl group and the methyl branch in this type of Schiff base mesogen play an important role in the stabilization of BPs.

The altered expression of miRNAs is involved in carcinogenesis of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), but whether miRNAs regulate COX-2 expression in ESCC is not clear. To this end, the expression levels of miR-26a and miR-144 in ESCC clinical tissues and cell lines were investigated by qRT-PCR. COX-2 and PEG2 were quantified by western blot and ELISA. Decrease in miR-26a and miR-144 expression in ESCC was found by a comparison between 30 pairs of ESCC tumor and adjacent normal tissues as well as in 11 ESCC cell lines (P < 0.001). Co-transfection of miR-26a and miR-144 in ESCC cell lines more significantly suppressed cell proliferation, migration, and invasion than did either miR-26a or miR-144 alone (all P < 0.001), as shown by assays of CCK8, migration and invasion and flow cytometry. The inhibitory effect of these two miRNAs in vivo was also verified in nude mice xenograft models. COX-2 was confirmed as a target of miR-26a and miR-144. In conclusion, miR-26a and miR-144 expression is downregulated in ESCC. Co-expression of miR-26a and miR-144 in ESCC cells resulted in inhibition of proliferation and metastasis in vitro and in vivo, suggesting that targeting COX-2 may be the mechanism of these two miRNAs.

Although deep brain stimulation (DBS) has been a promising alternative for treating several neural disorders, the mechanisms underlying the DBS remain not fully understood. As rat models provide the advantage of recording and stimulating different disease-related regions simultaneously, this paper proposes a battery-less, implantable neuro-electronic interface suitable for studying DBS mechanisms with a freely-moving rat. The neuro-electronic interface mainly consists of a microsystem able to interact with eight different brain regions bi-directionally and simultaneously. To minimize the size of the implant, the microsystem receives power and transmits data through a single coil. In addition, particular attention is paid to the capability of recording neural activities right after each stimulation, so as to acquire information on how stimulations modulate neural activities. The microsystem has been fabricated with the standard 0.18 μm CMOS technology. The chip area is 7.74 mm (2) , and the microsystem is able to operate with a single supply voltage of 1 V. The wireless interface allows a maximum power of 10 mW to be transmitted together with either uplink or downlink data at a rate of 2 Mbps or 100 kbps, respectively. The input referred noise of recording amplifiers is 1.16 μVrms, and the stimulation voltage is tunable from 1.5 V to 4.5 V with 5-bit resolution. After the electrical functionality of the microsystem is tested, the capability of the microsystem to interface with rat brain is further examined and compared with conventional instruments. All experimental results are presented and discussed in this paper.

Background: The aim of this study was to explore the application of intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) to evaluate pulmonary vascular properties and mortality in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH)., Methods: Patients (n = 51) with systolic pulmonary artery pressures ≥ 40 mm Hg on echocardiography were prospectively enrolled. All patients underwent right-heart catheterization and IVUS and were divided into three groups: PAH associated with connective tissue diseases (group 1, n = 25), PAH due to other causes (group 2, n = 15), and patients with connective tissue diseases without pulmonary hypertension (group 3, n = 11). PAH groups (groups 1 and 2) were divided into distal (n = 22) and proximal (n = 18) remodeling subtypes on the basis of IVUS results. All patients were followed (19 ± 10 months) to compare the differences among clinical variables, pulmonary vascular properties, and survival rates., Results: A total of 408 segments of pulmonary arteries were studied. The PAH groups demonstrated a greater mean wall thickness than group 3 (P < .01 for all). Pulmonary vascular mechanical properties, including compliance, distensibility, elastic modulus, and stiffness index β, were found to be worse in the PAH groups than in group 3 (P < .01 for all), but they tended to be better in group 1 than in group 2. An inverse exponential association was found between pulmonary vascular mechanical properties and hemodynamics, with R(2) values ranging from 0.54 to 0.78 (P < .001). In the PAH groups, the mortality in group 1 was similar to that in group 2 (12% vs 13%, P > .05), while the distal remodeling subtype had higher mortality than the proximal remodeling subtype (23% vs 0%, P < .05)., Conclusions: IVUS is useful in PAH assessment by evaluating pulmonary vascular properties and predicting mortality. The classification of the proximal and distal remodeling type of PAH may be proposed to predict mortality and evaluate the prognosis of patients with PAH in clinical practice., (Copyright © 2016 American Society of Echocardiography. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background & Aims: Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) is known to promote the carcinogenesis of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). There are no reports on whether microRNAs (miRNAs) regulate COX-2 expression in ESCC. This study investigated the effect of miR-101 on ESCC through modulating COX-2 expression in ESCC., Methods: Real-time quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used to quantify miR-101 expression in ESCC clinical tissues and cell lines. The effects of miR-101 on ESCC progression were evaluated by cell counting kit-8 (CCK8), transwell migration and invasion assays, as well as by flow cytometry. The COX-2 and PEG2 levels were determined by western blot and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA). The luciferase reporter assay was used to verify COX-2 as a direct target of miR-101. The anti-tumor activity of miR-101 in vivo was investigated in a xenograft nude mouse model of ESCC., Results: Downregulation of miR-101 was confirmed through comparison of 30 pairs of ESCC tumor and adjacent normal tissues (P < 0.001), as well as in 11 ESCC cell lines and a human immortalized esophageal cell line (P < 0.001). Transfection of miR-101 in ESCC cell lines significantly suppressed cell proliferation, migration, and invasion (all P < 0.001). The antitumor effect of miR-101 was verified in a xenograft model. Furthermore, COX-2 was shown to be a target of miR-101., Conclusions: Overexpression of miR-101 in ESCC inhibits proliferation and metastasis. Therefore, the miR-101/COX-2 pathway might be a therapeutic target in ESCC.

Cronkhite-Canada syndrome (CCS) is a very rare disease which may cause malignant transformation. A combination regimen including corticosteroids are common therapy for CCS, however the decrease of medicine may lead to CCS relapse and also may contribute to malignant transformation of the polyps in gastrointestinal tract. We retrospectively analyze one case of recurrent CCS from the first time of treatment after resection of colon cancer and readjust the usage of corticoids, the patient recovered well. The nine months follow-up showed non gastrointestinal tumor occurred or relapsed. We believe close follow-up should be taken when CCS patients are making medicine dosage alteration and tumor marker such as CEA may be included in the surveillance examination. When improvement using conservative treatment can be neither obtained nor is expected, the use of surgery should be considered.

Superwarfarins are a class of rodenticides. Gastrointestinal hemorrhage is a fatal complication of superwarfarin poisoning, requiring immediate treatment. Here, we report a 55-year-old woman with tardive upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage caused by superwarfarin poisoning after endoscopic cold mucosal biopsy.

We present a novel approach to the in situ deposition of size-controlled platinum nanoparticles on the exterior walls of carbon nanotubes (CNTs). The reduction of metal ions in ethylene glycol (EG), by the addition of a salt such as sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), p-CH3C6H4SO3Na, LiCF3SO3, or LiClO4, results in high dispersions and high loadings of platinum nanoparticles on CNTs without aggregation. We have performed controlled experiments to elucidate the mechanism. By exploiting the salt effect, our method effectively depresses homogeneous nucleation, leading to selective heterogeneous metal nucleation and growth, even on unmodified CNTs. In the 2.3-9.6 nm size range, the size of platinum nanoparticles, at 50% loading, can be controlled by changing the concentration of metal ions, the reaction temperature, the reducing reagent or the means by which reactive solutions are added. Our method provides a flexible route towards the preparation of novel one-dimensional hybrid materials, for which a number of promising applications in a variety of fields can be envisioned.