Search

Introduction: Dexamethasone (DEX) co-treatment has proved beneficial in NSCLC patients, improving clinical symptoms by the reduction of side effects after chemotherapy. However, recent studies have shown that DEX could render cancer cells more insensitive to cytotoxic drug therapy, but it is not known whether DEX co-treatment could influence therapy-induced senescence (TIS), and unknown whether it is in a p53-dependent or p53-independent manner. Methods: We examined in different human NSCLC cell lines and detected cellular senescence after cisplatin (DDP) treatment in the presence or absence of DEX. The in vivo effect of the combination of DEX and DDP was assessed by tumor growth experiments using human lung cancer cell lines growing as xenograft tumors in nude mice. Results: Co-treatment with DEX during chemotherapy in NSCLC resulted in increased tumor cell viability and inhibition of TIS compared with DDP treated group. DEX co-treatment cells exhibited the decrease of DNA damage signaling pathway proteins, the lower expression of p53 and p21CIP1, the lower cellular secretory program and down-regulation of NF-κB and its signaling cascade. DEX also significantly reduced DDP sensitivity in vivo. Conclusions: Our results underscore that DEX reduces chemotherapy sensitivity by blunting therapy induced cellular senescence after chemotherapy in NSCLC, which may, at least in part, in a p53-dependent manner. These data therefore raise concerns about the widespread combined use of gluocorticoids (GCs) with antineoplastic drugs in the clinical management of cancer patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to develop a patent tissue-engineered blood vessel that grossly resembles native tissue, required culture times in most studies exceed 8 weeks. For the sake of shortening the maturation period of the constructs, we have used deformation as the basic index for mechanical environment control. A new bioreactor with a machine vision identifier was developed to accurately control the deformation of the construct during the perfusion process. Two groups of seeded constructs (n = 4 per group) were investigated in this study, with one group stimulated by a cyclic deformation of 10% and the other by a pulsatile pressure that gradually increased to 120 mm Hg (the control group). After 21 days of culture, the mechanical properties of the constructs were examined. The average burst strength and suture retention strength in the two groups were significantly different (t test, p < 0.05). For the experimental group, the average burst strength and suture retention strength were higher than those of the control group, by 31.6 and 23.4%, respectively. Specifically, the average burst strength of the constructs reached 1,402 mm Hg (close to that of the native vessel, i.e. 1,680 mm Hg) within a relatively short period of 21 days. In conclusion, deformation is an observable, controllable and very valuable index for mechanical environment control in vascular tissue engineering. It makes the control of mechanical stimuli more essential and experiments more comparable. Copyright © 2005 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermal depoling phenomena determine the upper temperature limit of the piezoelectric ceramics in application. In this paper, high-densified KNbO3 ceramics derived from single-crystalline nanostructures exhibited favorable piezoelectric constants d33, which varied from 105 to 80 pC/N over a broad temperature range from 25 to 225 °C. In situ x-ray diffraction combined with Raman spectra demonstrate clearly the transition sequence of crystallographic orientations during thermal depoling process. The interaction between defect dipoles D and spontaneous polarization inside domains Ps favored to preserve piezoelectric activity, while the spontaneous rotation of Ps induced by the phase transition resulted in the deliquesce of d33. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Single-crystalline KNbO3 nanocubes with orthorhombic phase were prepared in a large scale by a simple one-step molten salt route without using any surfactant as template; the nanostructures exhibited high piezoelectric properties such as d33 = 105 pC/N and kp = 0.34 as piezoelectric materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Numerous SO3²-/HSO3- fluorescent probes have been reported based on various mechanisms. However, most probes are constructed from classic dyes such as coumarin, BODIPY, and cyanine. The development of a new fluorophore with excellent performance is still required. CRL-1, a turn-on fluorescent probe based on indolizines, was developed for the detection of sulfite. Compared with other analytes, probe CRL-1 showed a short response time (within 10 s) and excellent selectivity and had strong fluorescence emission at 458 nm. The probe's LOD was 8.1 mM. Furthermore, cell imaging experiments suggested that the probe can be useful in biological systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Autophagy participates in the regulation of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). However, the role of autophagy-related genes (ARGs) in the pathogenesis of the PAH is still unclear. This study aimed to identify the ARGs in PAH via bioinformatics analysis. A microarray dataset (GSE113439) was downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus database to identify differentially expressed ARGs (DEARGs). Protein–protein interactions network, gene ontology, and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analyses were performed to screen hub genes and the underlying molecular mechanisms of PAH. Finally, the mRNA expression of the hub genes was validated using the GSE53408 dataset. Twenty-six DEARGs were identified, all of which were upregulated. Enrichment analyses revealed that these DEARGs were mainly enriched in the nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain (NOD)-like receptor signaling pathway, PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, response to hypoxia, response to nutrient levels, and autophagy. Among these hub genes, the mRNA expression levels of HSP90AA1, HIF1A, MET, IGF1, LRRK2, CLTC, DNM1L, MDM2, RICTOR, and ROCK2 were significantly upregulated in PAH patients than in healthy individuals. Ten hub DEARGs were identified and may participate in the pathogenesis of the PAH via the regulation of autophagy. The present study may provide novel therapeutic targets for PAH prevention and treatment and expand our understanding of PAH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article explores the concept of the "Digital Human" in the metaverse and its potential applications in medicine. It discusses the increasing demand for personalized healthcare resources and the role of technologies like AR/VR, computer vision, and intelligent voice in creating digital humans. The article delves into the three levels of medical digital humans, emphasizing the importance of natural and lifelike interaction capabilities and the use of artificial intelligence and deep learning for data analysis. It also discusses the applications of medical digital humans in healthcare, including as virtual doctors, medical assistants, and virtual patients, and their potential to revolutionize medicine and address healthcare challenges. [Extracted from the article]

Purpose: Caspase recruitment domain containing protein 9 (CARD9) has been demonstrated to be a pro-tumor factor in various cancers. However, our previous study found a significant decrease of CARD9 in malignant pleural effusion compared with benign pleural effusion. So we investigated the role of CARD9 in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and its working mechanism. Materials and Methods: Immunohistochemistry, western blot, and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction were used to detect the expression of CARD9 in specimens of NSCLC patients. The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database was also used to analyze the expression of CARD9 in NSCLC and its predicting value for prognosis. Immunofluorescence was used for CARD9 cellular location. Cell growth assay, clonal formation assay, wound healing assay, matrigel invasion assay, and flow cytometry were used to test cell proliferation, migration, invasion, apoptosis, and cycle progression of NSCLC cells with CARD9 knockdown or CARD9 overexpression. Co-immunoprecipitation was used to identify the interaction between CARD9 and B-cell lymphoma 10 (BCL10). SB203580 was used to inhibit p38 activation. Results: CARD9 was decreased in NSCLC tissues compared with normal tissues; low CARD9 expression was associated with poor survival. CARD9 was expressed both in tumor cells and macrophages. Downregulation of CARD9 in NSCLC cells enhanced the abilities of proliferation, invasion, and migration via activated mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK)/p38 signaling, while overexpression of CARD9 presented antitumor effects. BCL10 was identified to interact with CARD9. Conclusion: We demonstrate that CARD9 is an independent prognostic factor in NSCLC patients and inhibits proliferation, migration, and invasion by suppressing MAPK/p38 pathway in NSCLC cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a worldwide health problem associated with high morbidity and mortality, especially in elderly patients. Aging functions include mitochondrial dysfunction, cell-to-cell information exchange, protein homeostasis and extracellular matrix dysregulation, which are closely related to chronic inflammatory response and oxidation-antioxidant imbalance in the pathogenesis of COPD. COPD displays distinct inflammaging features, including increased cellular senescence and oxidative stress, stem cell exhaustion, alterations in the extracellular matrix, reduced levels of endogenous anti-inflammaging molecules, and reduced autophagy. Given that COPD and inflammaging share similar general features, it is very important to identify the specific mechanisms of inflammaging, which involve oxidative stress, inflammation and lung mesenchymal stem cell function in the development of COPD, especially in elderly COPD patients. In this review, we highlight the studies relevant to COPD progression, and focus on mechanisms associated with inflammaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rhomboid domain containing 1 (RHBDD1), is a member of the rhomboid protease family, which has a pivotal role in the progression of numerous severe malignancies. However, its role in colorectal carcinoma (CRC) remains to be elucidated. In the present study, RHBDD1 was shown to be widely expressed in CRC cell lines. Lentivirus-mediated RNA interference was employed to knockdown RHBDD1 expression in RKO CRC cells. Functional analyses indicated that depletion of RHBDD1 expression resulted in significantly reduced CRC cell proliferation and colony formation, and induced a G0/G1 phase cell cycle arrest. The findings of the present study suggest that RHBDD1 may contribute to CRC tumorigenesis and serve as a potential therapeutic target in human CRC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To optimize the extraction technology for polysaccharides from the root of Limonium sinense (Girard) Kuntze, Plumbaginaceae and evaluate the antioxidant capacity of polysaccharides from L. sinense (LSEP) Materials and Methods: One-singer factor and response surface methodology(RSM) were established to extract the polysaccharides from L. sinense. Then, the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl free radical, hydroxyl radical(.OH), and 2,2′-Azino-bis- (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) diammonium salt free radical assays were established to measure the antioxidant capacity of the LSEP in vitro. Results: According to analysis, extraction temperature significantly affected extraction yield. The optimum extraction conditions for LSEP were as follows: extraction temperature, 95°C; ultrasonic time 50 minutes; and dosage liquor ratio, 1: 12. Under these conditions, the experimental yield of crude LSEP was 12.80±0.19% which was well matched with the predicted models. The antioxidant capacity data suggested that LSEP has strong antioxidant activity. Conclusion: One-singer factor and RSM were used to extract of LSEP are simple and feasible and LSEP could be developed as a nutraceutical agent for itsstrong antioxidant activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]