Search

Lipoteichoic acid (LTA) of Enterococcus faecalis is a potent stimulator of inflammatory responses, but the effects of E. faecalis LTA on osteoclastogenesis remains far from well understood. This study showed that E. faecalis LTA significantly inhibited osteoclastogenesis of wild type murine bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMMs) in the presence of a high dose of RANKL, while the inhibition of osteoclastogenesis by E. faecalis LTA was significantly removed in BMMs with deficient expression of the transcription factor RBP-J. In addition, a few small osteoclasts were generated in BMMs with only E. faecalis LTA stimulation, presumably due to the production of TNF-α and IL-6. Furthermore, both p38 and ERK1/2 MAPK signaling pathways were activated after 24 h of E. faecalis LTA treatment, but these signaling pathways were not activated after 6 d of treatment with RANKL in mature osteoclasts. In conclusion, E. faecalis LTA, which induces inflammatory response, could inhibit RANKL-induced osteoclastogenesis via RBP-J in BMMs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Allergic rhinitis (AR), a common disease in otolaryngology, is a key risk factor for poorly controlled asthma and many complications, although it is not life-threatening. The negative impact of AR on social productive forces and human health is no less than that of asthma. Dendritic cells (DCs) play an important role in AR. In addition to sharing some of DC's biological characteristics, DCs-derived exosomes (DEXs) can promote the priming and activation of T cells and the maturation and differentiation of T helper type 2 (Th2) cells. Multiple signaling pathways in AR can be modulated by DEXs, which present allergens and participate in allergic immune responses. Anti-allergic drugs can be carried by DEXs to alleviate allergic airway inflammation and treat Th2-mediated AR effectively. Therefore, DEXs are crucial in the pathogenesis and treatment of AR.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have shown great potential as important therapeutic tools for dental pulp tissue engineering, with the maintenance and enhancement of their stemness being crucial for successful therapeutic application in vivo and three-dimensional (3D) spheroid formation considered a reliable technique for enhancing their pluripotency. Human exfoliated deciduous tooth stem cells (SHED) were cultured in a low attachment plate to form aggregates for five days. Then, the resulting spheroids were analyzed for pluripotent marker expression, paracrine secretory function, proliferation, signaling pathways involved, and distribution of key proteins within the spheroids. The results indicated that 3D spheroid formation significantly increased the activation of the transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β)/Smad signaling pathway and upregulated the secretion and mRNA expression levels of TGF-β, which in turn enhanced the expression of pluripotency markers in SHED spheroids. The activation of the TGF-β/Smad signaling pathway through 3D spheroid formation was found to preserve the stemness properties of SHED. Thus, understanding the mechanisms behind pluripotency maintenance of SHED culture through 3D spheroid formation could have implications for the therapeutic application of MSCs in regenerative medicine and tissue engineering., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (©2023 The Author(s). Published by MRE Press.)

Introduction: To investigate the inhibitory effect of quercetin (QUE) on dendritic cells (DCs) through the toll-like receptor 4/interleukin-1 receptor-associated kinase 4/nuclear factor kappa-B (TLR4/IRAK4/NF-κB) signalling pathway., Material and Methods: CCK-8 and apoptosis assays were performed to determine the optimal concentration and action time of QUE to inhibit DCs. Protein extracts from treated DCs were used for Western blotting experiments to determine the relative expression levels of TLR4, IRAK4, and NF-κB p65 proteins. Changes in the ratio of CD86 and CD11c positive cells on the DCs surface were detected using flow cytometry. The molecular docking technique was used to analyse the binding site and free energy of QUE and IRAK4., Results: CCK-8 and apoptosis assays suggested that QUE inhibited the activity and function of DCs in a time-dose-dependent manner. The results of Western blotting suggested that the relative expression levels of TLR4, IRAK4, and NF-κB p65 proteins were increased in the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) group compared with the normal control group, and the relative expression of the above proteins was decreased after treatment with QUE and IRAK4-IN-4. The results of flow cytometry suggested that LPS increased the expression of CD86 and CD11c on the surface of DCs, and QUE and IRAK4-IN-4 decreased the expression of CD86 and CD11c induced by LPS. Molecular docking results showed that the binding sites of QUE and IRAK4 were stable, with the minimum binding energies comparable to that of IRAK4-IN-4., Conclusions: Quercetin may inhibit the activity and function of DCs through the TLR4/IRAK4/NF-κB signalling pathway, and IRAK4 may be its target., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Termedia.)

Objective: To investigate the diagnosis and evaluation methods of nasal bone fractures after nasal trauma, and the guiding significance of three-dimensional CT imaging technology for its treatment. Method: A total of 255 patients with nasal bone fractures were randomly selected from our hospital. All patients underwent CT scan of the nasal bones and reconstructed on a computer system. The reconstructed CT images were observed, measured and evaluated. Analyze the morphological characteristics of nasal bone fractures and evaluate the involvement of other facial structures. Result: Among 255 patients with nasal trauma, there were traumatic nasal bone fractures, including 71 cases（27.8%） with simple nasal bone fractures, 143 cases（56.1%） with traumatic nasal septum deviation, and 41 cases（16.1%） with other fractures. External nasal fracture classification: type Ⅰ（unilateral nasal bone or maxillary frontal fracture） 91 cases（35.7%）， type Ⅱ（bilateral nasal bone or fracture） 21 cases（8.2%），type Ⅲ（with trauma Nasal septum deviation） 143 cases（56.1%）. A total of 214 patients（83.9%） underwent surgical treatment, and underwent nasal endoscopic reduction of nasal bone fractures under local anesthesia, and 77 patients（30.2%） underwent nasal septum surgery. Conclusion: CT three-dimensional imaging technology can clearly display the location of the nasal bone fracture, the shape of the fracture line, the number of fragments formed by the fracture, and quantitative analysis of the deformity caused by it, which plays an important role in its diagnosis and treatment., Competing Interests: The authors of this article and the planning committee members and staff have no relevant financial relationships with commercial interests to disclose., (Copyright© by the Editorial Department of Journal of Clinical Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery.)

Twenty-one xanthone derivatives (XDs) were synthesized by a microwave-assisted technique. Their in vitro inhibition potency against the growth of four cancer cell lines was evaluated. XD-1 ∼ [6,9,10-trihydroxy-3,3-dimethyl-5-(2-methylbut-3-en-2-yl)-3 H ,7 H -pyrano[2,3- c ]xanthen-7-one] was confirmed as the most active agent against HepG2 cell line growth with IC 50 of 18.6 ± 2.31 μM. Apoptosis analysis indicated different contributions of early/late apoptosis and necrosis to cell death for XD-1. XD-1 arrested HepG2 cells on the G0/G1 phase, as indicated by the decreased expressions of cyclin D and CDK2 and the increased expressions of p21. Western blot implied that XD-1 regulated p53/MDM2 to a better healthier state. Moreover, XD-1-induced cell apoptosis was mitochondrion-mediated, as evidenced by caspase activation and involved the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway. All the evidence supports that XD-1 is a significant anti-cancer agent for HCC., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest concerning., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

Targeting Toll-like receptor 7 (TLR7) is known to have a potential therapeutic effect on experimental allergic asthma, but the exact mechanism is incompletely understood. To investigate the potential therapeutic effect of TLR7 agonist (TLR7a) a new versatile TLR7 agonist conjugated to Der f 1 was synthesized and evaluated in vivo here. It was confirmed that the course of airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) and eosinophilia of the TLR7a vaccine-treated mice were limited. Levels of specific IgG1, IgG2a and IgE antibodies of these mice were changed obviously compared with that of the model mice. The expression of T helper 2 cytokine, interleukin (IL)-4, production in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and splenocytes were significantly decreased, while the levels of IFN-γ, IL-12 and IL-10 were increased after the treatment of TLR7a vaccine. In addition, Muc5 expression and goblet cells were significantly decreased in the lung tissue of asthma model mice treated with TLR7a plus Der f 1. These results suggest that the TLR7a-Der f 1 vaccine exhibits interesting therapeutic potency in suppressing allergic asthma and could be used a new agent in the treatment of allergic diseases., Competing Interests: None.

The clival region refers to the skull base between dorsum sellae and anterior border of foramen magnum. It is located in central area of skull base and is in close proximity to pons, medulla oblongata, basilar artery and other crucial intracranial structures. Although there are various microsurgical approaches using craniotomy to reach this region, there are still a lot of difficulty in exposure of clivus. With the increasing development in extended endoscopic endonasal approach, a new route to clivus, as well as meticulous endoscopic anatomy studies is emerging. This article reviewed related researches progress of the detailed anatomical studies from endoscopic perspective.