Wall Mechanical Properties and Hemodynamics of Unruptured Intracranial Aneurysms

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Aneurysm progression and rupture is thought to be governed by progressive degradation and weakening of the wall in response to abnormal hemodynamics. Our goal was to investigate the relationship between the intra-aneurysmal hemodynamic conditions and wall mechanical properties in human aneurysms.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total of 8 unruptured aneurysms were analyzed. Computational fluid dynamics models were constructed from preoperative 3D rotational angiography images. The aneurysms were clipped, and the domes were resected and mechanically tested to failure with a uniaxial testing system under multiphoton microscopy. Linear regression analysis was performed to explore possible correlations between hemodynamic quantities and the failure characteristics and stiffness of the wall.

RESULTS

The ultimate strain was correlated negatively to aneurysm inflow rate (P = .021), mean velocity (P = .025), and mean wall shear stress (P = .039). It was also correlated negatively to inflow concentration, oscillatory shear index, and measures of the complexity and instability of the flow; however, these trends did not reach statistical significance. The wall stiffness at high strains was correlated positively to inflow rate (P = .014), mean velocity (P = .008), inflow concentration (P = .04), flow instability (P = .006), flow complexity (P = .019), wall shear stress (P = .002), and oscillatory shear index (P = .004).

CONCLUSIONS

In a study of 8 unruptured intracranial aneurysms, ultimate strain was correlated negatively with aneurysm inflow rate, mean velocity, and mean wall shear stress. Wall stiffness was correlated positively with aneurysm inflow rate, mean velocity, wall shear stress, flow complexity and stability, and oscillatory shear index. These trends and the impact of hemodynamics on wall structure and mechanical properties should be investigated further in larger studies.

Mitochondrial DNA revealed the extent of genetic diversity and invasion origin of populations from two separate invaded areas of a newly invasive pest, Cydia pomonella (L.) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) in China

Cydia pomonella is a serious invasive insect pest in China, and has caused severe damage to the production of apple and pear in its invaded areas. This species is distributing in the northwest and northeast of China, but no occurrence of it has been recorded in the large areas (about 3000-5000 km away) between the invaded northwestern and northeastern regions despite continuous monitoring. As yet the genetic diversity and invasion origin of the C. pomonella populations in Northwestern and Northeastern China is obscure. In this study, we investigate the genetic diversity of 14 populations of C. pomonella sampled throughout the main distribution regions in Northwestern (Xinjiang and Gansu Provinces) and Northeastern (Heilongjiang Province) China and compared them with nine populations from Europe and other continents using the mitochondrial COI, COII and Cytb genes. Both the populations from Northeastern and Northwestern China shared some haplotypes with populations from other countries. Haplotypes of the three mitochondrial genes had a different distribution in Northeastern and Northwestern China. The northeastern populations had more private haplotypes than the northwestern populations. A large number of the individuals from northwestern populations shared a few haplotypes of each of the three genes. The haplotype numbers and haplotype diversities of the northeastern populations were similar to those of field populations in other countries, but were higher than those of the northwestern populations. Populations from the Northwestern China showed similar haplotype number and haplotype diversity. We conclude that the population genetic background of C. pomonella populations in Northeastern and Northwestern China varies due to different invasion sources and that this should be considered before the application of new pest control tactics.

Sex dimorphism in periodontitis in animal models

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Although surveys in the USA have shown that male subjects are more prone to develop periodontitis, sex as a risk factor in periodontitis, and its mechanism, remain controversial. Animal models are ideal for investigating immunological mechanisms of sex dimorphism in periodontitis because in these models it is possible to exclude the interference of gender-related risk factors, such as smoking and oral hygiene habits. Based on surveys in humans and reports on sex dimorphism in other diseases, our hypothesis is that sex is a risk factor in periodontitis.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Different murine models (oral gavage model and ligature model) for periodontitis have been utilized to determine susceptibility to periodontitis in female and male mice. Periodontal bone levels were measured as the distance from the cemento-enamel junction to the alveolar bone crest (CEJ-ABC) in young female or male mice (8-10 wk of age). Differential expression of inflammatory mediators in the gingivae of female and male mice was determined by quantitative real-time PCR.

RESULTS

In comparison with male mice, female mice displayed significantly (p < 0.05) increased periodontal bone loss, accompanied by elevated expression of proinflammatory cytokines (interleukin-1β, interleukin-6 and interleukin-17A) and higher numbers of oral bacteria.

CONCLUSION

In contrast to the results in humans, in which periodontitis susceptibility is also influenced by confounding gender-related behaviors, in the murine oral gavage model and ligature model, female mice appear to be more susceptible to periodontal bone loss than male mice. In the ligature model, we observed significantly (p < 0.05) higher CEJ-ABC distance, gingival proinflammatory cytokine production and number of oral bacteria in female mice. Furthermore, our results imply that female mice develop periodontitis with a higher progression rate. Our study has therefore established that animal models can be used to dissect the mechanisms underlying genuine gender-based differences in periodontal disease susceptibility and/or progression.

Impact of intra-operative intraperitoneal chemotherapy on organ/space surgical site infection in patients with gastric cancer

BACKGROUND

Various risk factors for surgical site infection (SSI) have been identified such as age, overweight, duration of surgery, blood loss, etc. Intraperitoneal chemotherapy during surgery is a common procedure in patients with gastric cancer, yet its impact on SSI has not been evaluated.

AIM

To evaluate whether intra-operative intraperitoneal chemotherapy is a key risk factor for organ/space SSI in patients with gastric cancer.

METHODS

All patients with gastric cancer who underwent surgery at the Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery between January 2008 and December 2013 were studied. The organ/space SSI rates were compared between patients who received intra-operative intraperitoneal chemotherapy and patients who did not receive intra-operative intraperitoneal chemotherapy, and the risk factors for organ/space SSI were analysed by univariate and multi-variate regression analyses. The microbial causes of organ/space SSI were also identified.

FINDINGS

Of the eligible 845 patients, 356 received intra-operative intraperitoneal chemotherapy, and the organ/space SSI rate was higher in these patients compared with patients who did not receive intra-operative intraperitoneal chemotherapy (9.01% vs 3.88%; P = 0.002). Univariate analysis confirmed the significance of this finding (odds ratio 2.443; P = 0.003). As a result, hospital stay was increased in patients who received intra-operative intraperitoneal chemotherapy {mean 20.91 days [95% confidence interval (CI) 19.76-22.06] vs 29.72 days (95% CI 25.46-33.99); P = 0.000}. The results also suggested that intra-operative intraperitoneal chemotherapy may be associated with more Gram-negative bacterial infections.

CONCLUSION

Intra-operative intraperitoneal chemotherapy is a significant risk factor for organ/space SSI in patients with gastric cancer.

Dissolved effluent organic matter: Characteristics and potential implications in wastewater treatment and reuse applications

Wastewater reuse is currently considered globally as the most critical element of sustainable water management. The dissolved effluent organic matter (dEfOM) present in biologically treated urban wastewater, consists of a heterogeneous mixture of refractory organic compounds with diverse structures and varying origin, including dissolved natural organic matter, soluble microbial products, endocrine disrupting compounds, pharmaceuticals and personal care products residues, disinfection by-products, metabolites/transformation products and others, which can reach the aquatic environment through discharge and reuse applications. dEfOM constitutes the major fraction of the effluent organic matter (EfOM) and due to its chemical complexity, it is necessary to utilize a battery of complementary techniques to adequately describe its structural and functional character. dEfOM has been shown to exhibit contrasting effects towards various aquatic organisms. It decreases metal uptake, thus potentially reducing their bioavailability to exposed organisms. On the other hand, dEfOM can be adsorbed on cell membranes inducing toxic effects. This review paper evaluates the performance of various advanced treatment processes (i.e., membrane filtration and separation processes, activated carbon adsorption, ion-exchange resin process, and advanced chemical oxidation processes) in removing dEfOM from wastewater effluents. In general, the literature findings reveal that dEfOM removal by advanced treatment processes depends on the type and the amount of organic compounds present in the aqueous matrix, as well as the operational parameters and the removal mechanisms taking place during the application of each treatment technology.

CT and MRI findings of radiation-induced external auditory canal carcinoma in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma after radiotherapy

OBJECTIVE

To summarize the radiological and clinical features of radiation-induced external auditory canal carcinomas (RIEACCs) in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinomas (NPCs) after radiation therapy.

METHODS

CT, MRI and clinical features in 16 patients with histologically proven RIEACCs were retrospectively reviewed. There were 2 females and 14 males, with a median age of 52.5 years at the time of diagnosis of RIEACC. Imaging parameters including lesion extent, size, margin, shape, bone destruction, adjacent structure invasion, density/signal intensity, and pattern and degree of enhancement were assessed. Clinical features including clinical staging, histological type, treatment and radiation dose (RD) of primary NPC as well as the histological type, staging of radiation-induced tumour and the latent period between NPC and RIT were recorded.

RESULTS

All patients had a single RIEACC. The lesions had a size of 3.5 ± 1.4 cm and were localized (n = 7) or extensive (n = 9). Most of the lesions were partially or ill defined with an irregular shape and had an intermediate density/signal pattern and moderate homogeneous enhancement. The latent period of RIEACCs ranged from 10 to 20 years in nine patients with a RD of 68-70 Gy; from 2 to 10 years in five patients with a RD of 68-74 Gy; and more than 20 years in two patients with a RD of 70 or 72 Gy.

CONCLUSION

An external auditory canal (EAC) mass with homogeneous, intermediate CT density or signal intensity in patients with NPC after radiotherapy is highly suggestive of RIEACC, which should be included in the routine surveillance for patients with NPC after radiotherapy.

ADVANCES IN KNOWLEDGE

RIEACCs could occur as short as 2 years after radiotherapy in patients with NPC and have distinct features from otitis media and sarcomas. This EAC malignancy should be included in routine surveillance for patients with NPC after radiotherapy.

Initial results from a prototype whole-body photon-counting computed tomography system

X-ray computed tomography (CT) with energy-discriminating capabilities presents exciting opportunities for increased dose efficiency and improved material decomposition analyses. However, due to constraints imposed by the inability of photon-counting detectors (PCD) to respond accurately at high photon flux, to date there has been no clinical application of PCD-CT. Recently, our lab installed a research prototype system consisting of two x-ray sources and two corresponding detectors, one using an energy-integrating detector (EID) and the other using a PCD. In this work, we report the first third-party evaluation of this prototype CT system using both phantoms and a cadaver head. The phantom studies demonstrated several promising characteristics of the PCD sub-system, including improved longitudinal spatial resolution and reduced beam hardening artifacts, relative to the EID sub-system. More importantly, we found that the PCD sub-system offers excellent pulse pileup control in cases of x-ray flux up to 550 mA at 140 kV, which corresponds to approximately 2.5×10¹¹ photons per cm² per second. In an anthropomorphic phantom and a cadaver head, the PCD sub-system provided image quality comparable to the EID sub-system for the same dose level. Our results demonstrate the potential of the prototype system to produce clinically-acceptable images in vivo.

A multi-centre randomised trial comparing ultrasound vs mammography for screening breast cancer in high-risk Chinese women

Background:

Chinese women tend to have small and dense breasts and ultrasound is a common method for breast cancer screening in China. However, its efficacy and cost comparing with mammography has not been evaluated in randomised trials.

Methods:

At 14 breast centres across China during 2008–2010, 13 339 high-risk women aged 30–65 years were randomised to be screened by mammography alone, ultrasound alone, or by both methods at enrolment and 1-year follow-up.

Results:

A total of 12 519 and 8692 women underwent the initial and second screenings, respectively. Among the 30 cancers (of which 15 were stage 0/I) detected, 5 (0.72/1000) were in the mammography group, 11 (1.51/1000) in the ultrasound group, and 14 (2.02/1000) in the combined group (P=0.12). In the combined group, ultrasound detected all the 14 cancers, whereas mammography detected 8, making ultrasound more sensitive (100 vs 57.1%, P=0.04) with a better diagnostic accuracy (0.999 vs 0.766, P=0.01). There was no difference between mammography and ultrasound in specificity (100 vs 99.9%, P=0.51) and positive predictive value (72.7 vs 70.0% P=0.87). To detect one cancer, the costs of ultrasound, mammography, and combined modality were $7876, $45 253, and $21 599, respectively.

Conclusions:

Ultrasound is superior to mammography for breast cancer screening in high-risk Chinese women.

Dental Abnormalities Caused by Novel Compound Heterozygous CTSK Mutations

Cathepsin K (CTSK) is an important protease responsible for degrading type I collagen, osteopontin, and other bone matrix proteins. The mutations in the CTSK gene can cause pycnodysostosis (OMIM 265800), a rare autosomal recessive bone dysplasia. Patients with pycnodysostosis have been reported to present specific dental abnormalities; however, whether these dental abnormalities are related to dysfunctional CTSK has never been reported. Here we investigated the histologic changes of cementum and alveolar bone in a pycnodysostosis patient, caused by novel compound heterozygous mutations in the CTSK gene (c.87 G>A p.W29X and c.848 A>G p.Y283C). The most impressive manifestations in tooth were extensive periradicular high-density clumps with unclear periodontal space by orthopantomography examination and micro-computed tomography scanning analysis. Hematoxylin/eosin and toluidine blue staining and atomic force microscopy analysis showed that the cementum became significantly thickened, softened, and full of cementocytes. The disorganized bone structure was the main character of alveolar bone. The p.W29X mutation may represent the loss-of-function allele with an earlier termination codon in the precursor CTSK polypeptide. Residue Y283 is highly conserved among papain-like cysteine proteases. Three-dimensional structure modeling analysis found that the loss of the hydroxybenzene residue in the Y283C mutation would interrupt the hydrogen network and possibly affect the self-cleavage of the CTSK enzyme. Furthermore, p.Y283C mutation did not affect the mRNA and protein levels of overexpressed CTSK in COS-7 system but did reduce CTSK enzyme activity. In conclusion, the histologic and ultrastructural changes of cementum and alveolar bone might be affected by CTSK mutation via reduction of its enzyme activity (clinical trial registration: ChiCTR-TNC-10000876).

The distribution of kisspeptin (Kiss)1- and Kiss2-positive neurones and their connections with gonadotrophin-releasing hormone-3 neurones in the zebrafish brain

Kisspeptin is a neuroendocrine hormone with a critical role in the activation of gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) neurones, which is vital for the onset of puberty in mammals. However, the functions of kisspeptin neurones in non-mammalian vertebrates are not well understood. We have used transgenics to labell kisspeptin neurones (Kiss1 and Kiss2) with mCherry in zebrafish (Danio rerio). In kiss1:mCherry transgenic zebrafish, Kiss1 cells were located in the dorsomedial and ventromedial habenula, with their nerve fibres contributing to the fasciculus retroflexus and projecting to the ventral parts of the interpeduncular and raphe nuclei. In kiss2:mCherry zebrafish, Kiss2 cells were primarily located in the dorsal zone of the periventricular hypothalamus and, to a lesser extent, in the periventricular nucleus of the posterior tuberculum and the preoptic area. Kiss2 fibres formed a wide network projecting into the telencephalon, the mesencephalon, the hypothalamus and the pituitary. To study the relationship of kisspeptin neurones and GnRH3 neurones, these fish were crossed with gnrh3:EGFP zebrafish to obtain kiss1:mCherry/gnrh3:EGFP and kiss2:mCherry/gnrh3:EGFP double transgenic zebrafish. The GnRH3 fibres ascending to the habenula were closely associated with Kiss1 fibres projecting from the ventral habenula. On the other hand, GnRH3 fibres and Kiss2 fibres were adjacent but scarcely in contact with each other in the telencephalon and the hypothalamus. The Kiss2 and GnRH3 fibres in the ventral hypothalamus projected into the pituitary via the pituitary stalk. In the pituitary, Kiss2 fibres were directly in contact with GnRH3 fibres in the pars distalis. These results reveal the pattern of kisspeptin neurones and their connections with GnRH3 neurones in the brain, suggesting distinct mechanisms for Kiss1 and Kiss2 in regulating reproductive events in zebrafish.

Robust and tunable 16.375Gb/s dual-band optical OFDM transmissions over directly modulated VCSEL-based 200m OM2 MMFs

Utilizing low-cost, 2.2GHz modulation bandwidth, uncooled and standalone directly modulated VCSEL (DM-VCSEL)-based real-time dual-band optical OFDM (OOFDM) transmitters, aggregated 16.375Gb/s transmissions of OOFDM signals having bandwidths approximately 3.8 times higher than the VCSEL manufacturer-specified modulation bandwidths, are experimentally demonstrated, for the first time, over 200m OM2 MMF links based on intensity modulation and direct detection. The aggregated signal transmission capacities of the aforementioned links vary by just 8% for various OM2 MMFs ranging from 100m to 500m, and by just 10% over a 1GHz passband carrier frequency detuning range. Such dual-band OOFDM adaptability-induced excellent performance robustness and large passband frequency tunability can significantly relax the requirements on VCSEL modulation bandwidth for achieving specific transmission performances for cost-sensitive application scenarios such as data centers.

Development and in vitro/in vivo evaluation of a silastic intravaginal ring for mifepristone delivery

Preparation and in vitro/in vivo evaluation of mifepristone intravaginal ring formulations were investigated. In the present study, it is reported that a mifepristone intravaginal ring of reservoir design comprising of a mifepristone silicone elastomer core enclosed in a silicone layer. During the preparation of intravaginal ring solid dispersion method was employed which improved the release rate of drug from the intravaginal ring. In vitro release studies performed under sink conditions and the released drug amounts were estimated using UV spectrometry at 310 nm. In addition, the in vivo release profile of in-house devices was evaluated in female New Zealand white rabbits. The rabbit plasma samples were processed and analyzed using a validated HPLC-MS method. Norgestrel was used as internal standard, and plasma samples contained mifepristone and internal standard were deproteinized, and then subjected to HPLC-MS analysis under condition of electrospray ionization in the selected ion monitoring mode. The drug release from intravaginal ring made in house was constant for 21 days in rabbits, which suggested the mifepristone intravaginal ring release system would be useful in clinical practice in the future. The result indicated the in vitro/in vivo correlation is perfect, which explained in vitro release analysis method developed was feasible.

The accuracy of ultrasonography and magnetic resonance imaging for the diagnosis of Morton's neuroma: a systematic review

AIM

To determine the accuracy of MRI versus ultrasound for Morton's neuroma.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A search was undertaken for clinical studies published in any language in PubMed up to the date of December 2013. Studies assessing the accuracy of the ultrasound or MRI for the diagnosis of Morton's neuroma were included. Data were pooled for meta-analysis. Study selection, data collection, and extraction were performed independently by two authors. Meta-disc 1.4 and Revman 5.2 software were applied for statistical analysis.

RESULTS

The study included 12 studies; 217 patients underwent MRI and 241 underwent ultrasound examinations. There appeared greater diagnostic accuracy for ultrasound than MRI for the diagnosis of Morton's neuroma (ultrasound sensitivity 90%, specificity 88%, positive likelihood ratio 2.77, negative likelihood ratio 0.16 versus MRI sensitivity 93%, specificity 68%, positive likelihood ratio 1.89, negative likelihood ratio 0.19).

CONCLUSIONS

The available evidence suggests that ultrasound can provide better accuracy for the diagnosis of Morton's neuroma than MRI.

Personal inhalation exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in urban and rural residents in a typical northern city in China

Personal inhalation exposure samples were collected and analyzed for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) for 126 selected volunteers during heating and non-heating seasons in a typical northern Chinese city, Taiyuan. Measured personal PAH exposure levels for the urban residents in the heating and non-heating seasons were 690 (540-1051) and 404 (266-544) ng/m(3) , respectively, while, for the rural residents, they were 770 (504-1071) and 312 (201-412) ng/m(3) , respectively. Thus, rural residents are exposed to lower PAH contamination in comparison with the urban residents in the non-heating seasons. In the heating season, personal PAH inhalation exposure levels were comparable between the urban and rural residents, in part owing to the large rate of residential solid fuel consumption in the rural area for household cooking and heating. The estimated incremental lifetime cancer risks (ILCR) due to PAH exposure in Taiyuan were 3.36 × 10(-5) and 2.39 × 10(-5) for the rural and urban residents, respectively, significantly higher than the literature-reported national average level, suggesting an urgent need of PAH pollution control to protect human health.

Real-time experimental demonstrations of software reconfigurable optical OFDM transceivers utilizing DSP-based digital orthogonal filters for SDN PONs

Real-time optical OFDM (OOFDM) transceivers with on-line software-controllable channel reconfigurability and transmission performance adaptability are experimentally demonstrated, for the first time, utilizing Hilbert-pair-based 32-tap digital orthogonal filters implemented in FPGAs. By making use of an 8-bit DAC/ADC operating at 2GS/s, an oversampling factor of 2 and an EML intensity modulator, the demonstrated RF conversion-free transceiver supports end-to-end real-time simultaneous adaptive transmissions, within a 1GHz signal spectrum region, of a 2.03Gb/s in-phase OOFDM channel and a 1.41Gb/s quadrature-phase OOFDM channel over a 25km SSMF IMDD system. In addition, detailed experimental explorations are also undertaken of key physical mechanisms limiting the maximum achievable transmission performance, impacts of transceiver's channel multiplexing/demultiplexing operations on the system BER performance, and the feasibility of utilizing adaptive modulation to combat impairments associated with low-complexity digital filter designs. Furthermore, experimental results indicate that the transceiver incorporating a fixed digital orthogonal filter DSP architecture can be made transparent to various signal modulation formats up to 64-QAM.

MicroRNA-130a inhibits HCV replication by restoring the innate immune response

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a major cause of chronic hepatitis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Currently pegylated interferon (IFN) combined with ribavirin remains the best therapeutic approach, although patients infected with HCV genotype I may benefit from adding protease inhibitors as 'triple therapy'. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are endogenous small noncoding RNAs that regulate gene expression and have recently been shown to play an important role in human innate immune response and as an antiviral in chimpanzees. We studied the effect of miR-130a on the HCV replication. We found that miR-130a significantly inhibits HCV replication in both HCV replicon and J6-/JFH1-infected cells. Over expression of miR-130a upregulated the expression of type I IFN (IFN-α/IFN -β), ISG15, USP18 and MxA, which are involved in innate immune response and decreased expression of miR-122, a well-defined miRNA promoting HCV production. In conclusion, miR-130a inhibits HCV replication/production by restoring host innate immune responses and/or downregulating pro-HCV miR-122. miR-130a might be a potential drug target by modulating host innate immune responses to combat HCV infection.

A comparison of serum and sputum inflammatory mediator profiles in patients with asthma and COPD

OBJECTIVE

To investigate serum and sputum cytokine profiles in asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD).

METHODS

Clinical characteristics, blood and sputum samples were collected from asthma (n = 37) and COPD (n = 36) patients, and healthy subjects (n = 39). Cytokines were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and inflammation antibody array; levels were analysed according to smoking status and presence of eosinophilia in the airways of COPD/asthma patients, and compared with those in healthy subjects.

RESULTS

ELISA revealed a significant difference in the expression of only a few cytokines in the COPD versus asthma groups, and in both patient groups compared with healthy subjects. The antibody array showed greater differentiation in inflammatory mediators. In the subphenotype analysis, the differential expression of cytokines was more significant between eosinophilic and noneosinophilic airway inflammation than between asthma and COPD, according to both the ELISA and antibody array. There was little difference in cytokine expression between smoking and nonsmoking subgroups.

CONCLUSIONS

Differential expression of inflammatory mediators is present between patients with COPD or asthma, and eosinophilic or noneosinophilic airway inflammation, and contributes to understanding the cytokine network of airway inflammation.

Ion channels, channelopathies, and tooth formation

The biological functions of ion channels in tooth development vary according to the nature of their gating, the species of ions passing through those gates, the number of gates, localization of channels, tissue expressing the channel, and interactions between cells and microenvironment. Ion channels feature unique and specific ion flux in ameloblasts, odontoblasts, and other tooth-specific cell lineages. Both enamel and dentin have active chemical systems orchestrating a variety of ion exchanges and demineralization and remineralization processes in a stage-dependent manner. An important role for ion channels is to regulate and maintain the calcium and pH homeostasis that are critical for proper enamel and dentin biomineralization. Specific functions of chloride channels, TRPVs, calcium channels, potassium channels, and solute carrier superfamily members in tooth formation have been gradually clarified in recent years. Mutations in these ion channels or transporters often result in disastrous changes in tooth development. The channelopathies of tooth include altered eruption (CLCN7, KCNJ2, TRPV3), root dysplasia (CLCN7, KCNJ2), amelogenesis imperfecta (KCNJ1, CFTR, AE2, CACNA1C, GJA1), dentin dysplasia (CLCN5), small teeth (CACNA1C, GJA1), tooth agenesis (CLCN7), and other impairments. The mechanisms leading to tooth channelopathies are primarily related to pH regulation, calcium homeostasis, or other alterations of the niche for tooth eruption and development.

Nicotine induces alteration of H3K27 demethylase UTX in kidney cancer cell

Cigarette smoking is one of the most important risk factors for kidney cancer, but the molecular mechanism is poorly understood. To examine the expression change of histone H3 on lysine 27 trimethylase (H3K27me3) demethylases ubiquitously transcribed TPR gene on the X chromosome (UTX) in kidney cancer cell line 786-O after nicotine treatment, quantitative real-time-polymerase chain reaction and western blotting analysis were carried out. These results showed that nicotine can increase UTX messenger RNA and protein levels and also decrease the content of H3K27me3. The decreased content of H3K27me3 may activate specific gene expression and lead to kidney cancer. Future investigation on nicotine induced UTX expression and its epigenetic effect would deepen our understanding on nicotine toxicity and carcinogenicity.