Effect of Porphyromonas gingivalis lipopolysaccharide on calcification of human umbilical artery smooth muscle cells co-cultured with human periodontal ligament cells

xlomafota13 shared this article with you from Inoreader Effect of <em>Porphyromonas gingivalis</em> lipopolysaccharide on calcification of human umbilical artery smooth muscle cells co-cultured with human periodontal ligament cells Via Experimental and therapeutic medicine Exp Ther Med. 2021 Jun;21(6):655. doi: 10.3892/etm.2021.10087. Epub 2021 Apr 20. ABSTRACT Periodontitis is an independent risk factor for coronary heart disease. Porphyromonas gingivalis lipopolysaccharide (Pg-LPS) was considered to be one of the main virulence factors. In addition, vascular smooth muscle cells transform into osteoblast-like cells in an arterial calcification process under chronic inflammatory conditions. The present study aimed to determine the calcification induced by Pg-LPS in human umbilical artery smooth muscle cells (HUASMCs) co-cultured with human periodontal ligament cells (HPDLCs). An in vitro co-culture system was established using Transwell inserts. HUASMC proliferation and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity were measured with a Cell Counting Kit-8 and an ALP kit, respectively. Calcium nodule formation was detected using alizarin red S staining. The effects of Pg-LPS on the mRNA expression of the calcification genes of ALP, core-binding factor α1 (Runx2) and bone sialoprotein (BSP) were assessed using reverse transcription-quantitative PCR. The results indicated that Pg-LPS increased HUASMC proliferation and ALP activity. Furthermore, among all of the groups, calcium nodule formation was most extensive in co-cultured cells in the mineralization-inducing medium containing Pg-LPS. In addition, the expression of specific osteogenic genes (Runx2, ALP and BSP) significantly increased in the presence of Pg-LPS and mineralization-inducing medium, which was further enhanced in co-culture with HPDLCs. In conclusion, co-culture with HPDLCs increased the effect of Pg-LPS to stimulate the calcification of HUASMCs. It was suggested that besides the inflammation, periodontitis may promote the occurrence of vascular calcification. The study indicated that periodontal treatment of subgingival scaling to reduce and/or control Porphyromonas gingivalis may decrease the occurrence o r severity of vascular calcification. PMID:33968185 | PMC:PMC8097230 | DOI:10.3892/etm.2021.10087 View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Differential proteomic analysis of tibial subchondral bone from male and female guinea pigs with spontaneous osteoarthritis

xlomafota13 shared this article with you from Inoreader Differential proteomic analysis of tibial subchondral bone from male and female guinea pigs with spontaneous osteoarthritis Via Experimental and therapeutic medicine Exp Ther Med. 2021 Jun;21(6):633. doi: 10.3892/etm.2021.10065. Epub 2021 Apr 15. ABSTRACT A proteomic study on the tibial subchondral bone in guinea pigs with spontaneous osteoarthritis was performed to investigate the molecular alterations that occur in early osteoarthritis. A total of 132 healthy Hartley guinea pigs (aged 1 month; 66 female and 66 male) were randomly divided into 11 groups of six. Changes in articular cartilage and tibial subchondral bone were assessed using macroscopic examinations and micro-computed tomography. iTRAQ-integrated liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry was used to identify differentially altered proteins in the tibial subchondral bone between 1- and 3-month-old guinea pigs, which were then validated using western blotting. A gradual progression of cartilage degeneration was observed in the knee joints of the subject animals from 5-11 months. With aging, the tibial subchondral trabecular bone a cquired more plate-like and less anisotropic properties, with increased bone mineral density, bone volume, trabecular thickness and numbers. The proteomic study identified 138 and 113 proteins significantly differentially expressed between 3- and 1-month old guinea pigs in both the male and female animals, respectively. Western blotting confirmed the increased expression of osteoblast-associated protein S100 calcium-binding protein A8 (S100A8) and the deregulated expression of osteoclast-associated proteins coronin 1A (CORO1A) and T-cell immune regulator 1 (TCIRG1) in the 3-month old guinea pigs in comparison to the 1-month old guinea pigs. Spontaneous cartilage degeneration in the knee joints of male Hartley guinea pigs tended to be more serious compared with the females during the development of osteoarthritis. Together, the results suggest that osteoblast-associated protein S100A8 and osteoclast-associated proteins CORO1A and TCIRG1 are potentially key regulators of early osteoar thritic development in tibial subchondral bone. PMID:33968164 | PMC:PMC8097192 | DOI:10.3892/etm.2021.10065 View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Regulatory mechanism of calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II in the occurrence and development of ventricular arrhythmia (Review)

xlomafota13 shared this article with you from Inoreader Regulatory mechanism of calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II in the occurrence and development of ventricular arrhythmia (Review) Via Experimental and therapeutic medicine Exp Ther Med. 2021 Jun;21(6):656. doi: 10.3892/etm.2021.10088. Epub 2021 Apr 20. ABSTRACT Ventricular arrhythmia (VA) is a highly fatal arrhythmia that involves multiple ion channels. Of all sudden cardiac death events, ~85% result from VAs, including ventricular tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation. Calcium/calmodulin-dependent pro-tein kinase II (CaMKII) is an important ion channel regulator that participates in the excitation-contraction coupling of the heart, and as such is important for regulating its electrophysiological function. CaMKII can be activated in a Ca2+/calmodulin (CaM)-dependent or Ca2+/CaM-independent manner, serving a key role in the occurrence and development of VA. The present review aimed to determine whether activated CaMKII induces early afterdepolarizations and delayed afterdepolarizations that result in VA by regulating sodium, potassium and calcium ions. Assessing VA mechanisms base d on the CaMKII pathway is of great significance to the clinical treatment of VA and the de-velopment of effective drugs for use in clinical practice. PMID:33968186 | PMC:PMC8097202 | DOI:10.3892/etm.2021.10088 View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Influence of fine particulate matter and its pure particulate fractions on pulmonary immune cells and cytokines in mice

xlomafota13 shared this article with you from Inoreader Influence of fine particulate matter and its pure particulate fractions on pulmonary immune cells and cytokines in mice Via Experimental and therapeutic medicine Exp Ther Med. 2021 Jun;21(6):662. doi: 10.3892/etm.2021.10094. Epub 2021 Apr 21. ABSTRACT Particulate matter with a diameter ≤2.5 µm (PM2.5) has a complex composition and has been associated with the incidence of cardiopulmonary disease and premature death in humans. However, whether pure particulate fractions of PM2.5 (PPP2.5), which are composed primarily of carbon, are responsible for the toxicity caused by ambient particulate matter (original PM2.5 particles, OPP2.5) is currently unclear. The present study assessed the acute toxic effects of OPP2.5 sampled in Beijing, China and of its PPP2.5 fraction in male BALB/c mice. The mice were intratracheally instilled with a single dose of aerosolized OPP2.5 or PPP2.5. Blood, lungs and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid were collected after 24 h for histopathology, flow cytometry and the measure ment of pro-inflammatory cytokines/chemokines and other biochemical factors. Both OPP2.5 and PPP2.5 caused acute toxicity, particularly inflammatory responses, including an increase in the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines and an accumulation of numerous immune cells in the lungs. OPP2.5 induced a stronger inflammatory response than PPP2.5. The complex components adsorbed into the solid core granules of OPP2.5 and the granules themselves contributed to the toxic effects. PMID:33968192 | PMC:PMC8097186 | DOI:10.3892/etm.2021.10094 View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Association of obstructive sleep apnea/hypopnea syndrome with glaucomatous optic neuropathy and ocular blood flow

xlomafota13 shared this article with you from Inoreader Association of obstructive sleep apnea/hypopnea syndrome with glaucomatous optic neuropathy and ocular blood flow Via Experimental and therapeutic medicine Exp Ther Med. 2021 Jun;21(6):657. doi: 10.3892/etm.2021.10089. Epub 2021 Apr 20. ABSTRACT The present study aimed to investigate the prevalence of glaucomatous optic neuropathy in patients with obstructive sleep apnea/hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS). In total, 83 subjects (45 cases of severe OSAHS and 38 controls) underwent polysomnographic assessment and were evaluated for the severity of the disease using the Apnea-Hypopnea index. A detailed ophthalmologic exam was then performed, including measurement of the intraocular pressure (IOP) with a Goldmann applanation tonometer and Pascal dynamic contour tonometer (DCT), recording of the ocular pulse amplitude measured by the Pascal DCT, standard automated perimetry and retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) and ganglion cell complex (GCC) thickness evaluation using optical coherence tomography. Ocular blood flow was assessed using color Doppler imaging (CDI) and ophthalmic artery indices were evalua ted, including peak systolic blood velocity, end diastolic blood velocity and resistivity index (RI). There was a significant difference in the mean IOP between controls (11.03±3.85 mmHg) and cases of severe OSAHS (18.06±3.39 mmHg) when the IOP was measured by DCT (P<0.0001), but not with the Goldmann applanation tonometer (IOP, 13.97±2.85 mmHg for controls and 14.89±3.21 mmHg for cases of severe OSAHS; P=0.0877). Significant negative correlations were observed between RNFL thickness and RI (P=0.0011) in cases of severe OSAHS, as well as between GCC thickness and RI (P<0.008) in all subjects. Furthermore, a negative correlation between RI and RNFL thickness in severe cases of OSAHS suggested a hemodynamically induced vulnerability of RNFL in OSAHS. The correlation between RI and GCC thickness in all subjects suggested that impaired perfusion, more prominent in OSAHS, leads to structural changes. Therefore, cases of severe OSAHS should be monitored for changes in RNFL and G CC thickness, as well as CDI findings. Furthermore, patients with increased ophthalmic artery RIs should be monitored for changes in the GCC, regardless of the etiology of the RI increase. PMID:33968187 | PMC:PMC8097189 | DOI:10.3892/etm.2021.10089 View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Clinical and diagnostic value of the combination of lymphocyte count and creatine kinase in the detection of coronavirus 2019

xlomafota13 shared this article with you from Inoreader Clinical and diagnostic value of the combination of lymphocyte count and creatine kinase in the detection of coronavirus 2019 Via Experimental and therapeutic medicine Exp Ther Med. 2021 Jun;21(6):641. doi: 10.3892/etm.2021.10073. Epub 2021 Apr 16. ABSTRACT The present study aimed to investigate the diagnostic efficiency of the absolute number of lymphocytes (LYM) and creatine kinase (CK) levels in the diagnosis of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). For this, the clinical data from 84 patients with COVID-19 admitted to Tianjin Haihe Hospital (Tianjin, China) between January and February 2020 were collected. The patients were divided into the following groups: The common COVID-19 group (n=61) and severe COVID-19 group (n=23). In addition, 30 healthy subjects were included as a control group. The results demonstrated that the percentage of neutrophils (NEU%) was significantly increased, while the absolute number of white blood cells, LYM and the percentage of lymphocytes (LYM%) were significantly decreased in patients with COVID-19. Furthermore, in the severe group, the absolute number of red blood c ells in female patients, the NEU%, the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and the serum levels of interleukin-6 and C-reactive protein (CRP) were markedly elevated, while those of LYM and LYM% were significantly decreased (all P<0.05). In addition, in the receiver operating characteristics curve analysis for the combination of LYM + CK, the area under the curve values were 0.96 and 1.00, with a sensitivity of 95.08 and 100%, specificity of 86.67 and 100% and cut-off values of 0.42 and 0.50 for the common and severe COVID-19 group, respectively. The results indicated that the diagnostic efficiency of LYM + CK was higher than that of each single factor. Finally, a moderate correlation of lactate dehydrogenase with CRP and NLR (r=0.492 and 0.433, respectively; both P<0.05) was obtained. Overall, the results of the present study indicated that the values of LYM and CK were associated with the progression of COVID-19, suggesting that the combination of both factors may be of clin ical diagnostic value for COVID-19. PMID:33968172 | PMC:PMC8097235 | DOI:10.3892/etm.2021.10073 View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Facing coronavirus disease 2019: What do we know so far? (Review)

xlomafota13 shared this article with you from Inoreader Facing coronavirus disease 2019: What do we know so far? (Review) Via Experimental and therapeutic medicine Exp Ther Med. 2021 Jun;21(6):658. doi: 10.3892/etm.2021.10090. Epub 2021 Apr 20. ABSTRACT Although the World Health Organization declared the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which originated in China, as a public health emergency of international concern as early as January 30, 2020, the current COVID-19 epidemic is spreading rapidly. As of April 19, 2020, total of 2,392,165 confirmed cases had been reported in 211 countries and regions, with 614,421 (25.68%) cured cases and 164,391 (6.87%) deaths. Scientists and clinicians have made great efforts to learn much about COVID-19 so that it can be controlled as soon as possible. Herein, this review will discuss the epidemiology, pathology, clinical features, diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19 based on the current evidence. PMID:33968188 | PMC:PMC8097225 | DOI:10.3892/etm.2021.10090 View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

lncRNA NORAD promotes the progression of osteosarcoma via targeting of miR-155-5p

xlomafota13 shared this article with you from Inoreader lncRNA NORAD promotes the progression of osteosarcoma via targeting of miR-155-5p Via Experimental and therapeutic medicine Exp Ther Med. 2021 Jun;21(6):645. doi: 10.3892/etm.2021.10077. Epub 2021 Apr 18. ABSTRACT Osteosarcoma (OS) is the most common malignant bone tumor in teens. Non-coding RNA activated by DNA damage (NORAD), a long non-coding RNA (lncRNA), has been reported to be involved in cancer biology, although its role in OS remains largely unknown. In the present study reverse transcription-quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) was used to determine the expression levels of NORAD and miR-155-5p in samples from patients with OS. OS cell lines (Saos-2 and U2OS) were used as cell models. The biological influence of NORAD on OS cells was studied in vitro using Cell Counting Kit-8 and Transwell assays. The interaction between NORAD and miR-155-5p was clarified by bioinformatics analysis, RT-qPCR, luciferase reporter assay and RNA immunoprecipitation. NORAD was significantly increased in OS samples in comparison with controls, while miR-155-5p was reduced. Knockdown of NORAD and transfection of miR-155-5p mimics markedly inhibited the viability, migration and invasion of OS cells. There was a negative correlation between NORAD and miR-155-5p expression levels in OS samples. Taken together, the results of the present study indicated that the NORAD/miR-155-5p axis played a crucial role in regulating the proliferation, migration and invasion of OS cells. It is hypothesized that NORAD and miR-155-5p may serve as potential novel therapeutic targets for OS management. PMID:33968176 | PMC:PMC8097224 | DOI:10.3892/etm.2021.10077 View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

MicroRNA-219a-2-3p modulates the proliferation of thyroid cancer cells via the HPSE/cyclin D1 pathway

xlomafota13 shared this article with you from Inoreader MicroRNA-219a-2-3p modulates the proliferation of thyroid cancer cells via the HPSE/cyclin D1 pathway Via Experimental and therapeutic medicine Exp Ther Med. 2021 Jun;21(6):659. doi: 10.3892/etm.2021.10091. Epub 2021 Apr 20. ABSTRACT Heparanase (HPSE) is an endo-β-D-glucuronidase overexpressed in different types of human cancer, and a predicted target of microRNA (miRNA/miR)-219a-2-3p in thyroid cancer. The present study aimed to investigate the potential role of HPSE and miR-219a-2-3p in thyroid cancer, and the molecular mechanism of miR-219a-2-3p regulating the proliferation of thyroid cancer cells via HPSE was confirmed. Immunohistochemistry analysis was performed to detect HPSE expression in thyroid cancer sections. In addition, reverse transcription-quantitative PCR analysis was performed to detect mRNA and miR-219a-2-3p expression levels in thyroid cancer samples and cell lines. miR-219-2-3p mimic or HPSE plasmid were transfected into B-CPAP and TPC-1 thyroid cancer cells. Furthermore, western blot analysis was performed to detect the protein expression levels of HPSE a nd cyclin D1. Cell cycle analysis was performed using propidium iodide staining and flow cytometry, and EdU incorporation was performed to detect cell proliferation. The results demonstrated that high HPSE expression was significantly associated with tumor size, extracapsular invasion and lymph node metastasis. Notably, a statistically negative correlation was observed between HPSE mRNA expression and miR-219a-2-3p expression in thyroid cancer tumors, as well as in thyroid cancer cell lines. When exogenously expressed in B-CPAP and TPC-1 cells, miR-219a-2-3p induced cell cycle arrest at the G0/G1 phase and decreased the percentage of proliferating cells. Furthermore, HPSE and cyclin D1 protein expression decreased following transfection with miR-219a-2-3p. Notably, when HPSE was ectopically expressed in miR-219a-2-3p transfected cells, cyclin D1 expression and the number of proliferative cells increased. Taken together, these results suggest that HPSE contribut es to the proliferation of thyroid cancer cells. In addition, miR-219a-2-3p was confirmed to target HPSE and inhibit cell proliferation, which was associated with cyclin D1 suppression-mediated cell cycle arrest. PMID:33968189 | PMC:PMC8097191 | DOI:10.3892/etm.2021.10091 View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Microarray analysis of the time-dependent expression profiles of long non-coding RNAs in the progression of vein graft stenotic disease

xlomafota13 shared this article with you from Inoreader Microarray analysis of the time-dependent expression profiles of long non-coding RNAs in the progression of vein graft stenotic disease Via Experimental and therapeutic medicine Exp Ther Med. 2021 Jun;21(6):635. doi: 10.3892/etm.2021.10067. Epub 2021 Apr 15. ABSTRACT Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been reported to be involved in various biological processes, including cell proliferation and apoptosis. However, the expression profiles of lncRNAs in patients with vein graft restenosis remain unknown. In the present study, the time-dependent expression profiles of genes in vein bypass grafting models were examined by microarray analysis. A total of 2,572 lncRNAs and 1,652 mRNAs were identified to be persistently significantly differentially expressed. Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analysis was performed to investigate the functions of these lncRNAs. A total of 360 lncRNAs and 135 protein-coding genes were predicted to be involved in the vascular remodeling process. Co-expression network analysis revealed the association between 194 lncRNAs and seven associated protein-c oding genes, including transforming growth factor-β1, Fes, Yes1 associated transcriptional regulator, sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor 1, Src, insulin receptor and melanoma cell adhesion molecule. Moreover, reverse transcription-quantitative PCR results supported those of the microarray data, and overexpression of AF062402, which regulates the transcription of Src, stimulated the proliferation of primary vascular smooth muscle cells. The findings of the present study may facilitate the development of novel therapeutic targets for vein graft restenosis and may help to improve the prognosis of patients following coronary artery bypass grafting. PMID:33968166 | PMC:PMC8097238 | DOI:10.3892/etm.2021.10067 View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.