Antibiotic resistance patterns of urinary tract pathogens in children from Central Romania

xlomafota13 shared this article with you from Inoreader Antibiotic resistance patterns of urinary tract pathogens in children from Central Romania Via Experimental and therapeutic medicine Exp Ther Med. 2021 Jul;22(1):748. doi: 10.3892/etm.2021.10180. Epub 2021 May 12. ABSTRACT One of the most frequent bacterial infections in children are urinary tract infections (UTIs). In recent years, an increasing incidence of UTIs caused by resistant bacterial strains has been observed, especially with extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae that represent about 15% of UTIs. A retrospective study was performed comprising 331 pediatric cases with UTI. Our study aimed to detect the resistance of the uropathogens to common drugs used in UTI treatment. High resistance rates have been recorded for ampicillin, amoxicillin, trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (TMP/SMX), cefuroxime, and ciprofloxacin, among E. coli and Klebsiella. The multidrug-resistance (MDR) rate was detected in one-third of the uropathogens, among which more than half were isolated in patients with urinary tract abnormalities. Our study highl ighted that nitrofurantoin, ceftriaxone, amikacin and carbapenem may be used for the empirical treatment for febrile or complicated UTI in children. This is the first comprehensive study that evaluates antibiotic resistance in UTIs in children, and their association with urinary tract abnormalities in Romania. As a result of this research, the protocol for initial empiric treatment of infants with febrile or complicated UTI should be modified considering a detailed and ongoing monitoring of local sensitivity of uropathogens to antimicrobial agents. PMID:34055063 | PMC:PMC8138273 | DOI:10.3892/etm.2021.10180 View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Analysis of the effects of prepared porcelain veneers and unprepared porcelain veneers on gingival crevicular flora based on high-throughput sequencing

xlomafota13 shared this article with you from Inoreader Analysis of the effects of prepared porcelain veneers and unprepared porcelain veneers on gingival crevicular flora based on high-throughput sequencing Via Experimental and therapeutic medicine Exp Ther Med. 2021 Jul;22(1):777. doi: 10.3892/etm.2021.10209. Epub 2021 May 18. ABSTRACT The effect of tooth preparation on the gingival crevicular flora of abutment teeth during porcelain veneer treatment is not clear. The purpose of the present study was to analyze the difference between prepared porcelain veneers and unprepared porcelain veneers on gingival crevicular flora. High-throughput sequencing was used in the present study. A total of 20 patients (40 anterior teeth) with veneer restoration of anterior teeth were enrolled. They were divided into two groups: The prepared porcelain veneer group (group P, 11 cases, 19 anterior teeth) and unprepared porcelain veneer group (group U, 9 cases, 21 anterior teeth). After 2 years of follow-up, the restoration and healthy natural gingival crevicular fluid were collected to extract bacterial DNA. 16S ribosomal DNA high-throughput sequencing technique was used to compare the diversity of gingival sulcus flora structure between the prepared porcelain veneer and unprepared porcelain veneer groups. In addition, a healthy control group (group H) was also used for comparison. The Shannon index of the group U was lower than that of group H and group P. The abundance of Proteus in group U was higher than that in group H and group P at the phylum level (P<0.05). At the genus level, the abundance of Porphyromonas, Prevotella and Actinomycetes in group U was significantly higher than that in group H and group P (P<0.05). Compared with the group P, the bacterial diversity of the group U was lower, and the proportion of gingival sulcus pathogenic bacteria was higher. The unprepared porcelain veneer had a certain adverse effect on the periodontal tissue. PMID:34055076 | PMC:PMC8145799 | DOI:10.3892/etm.2021.10209 View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Anti-inflammatory role of curcumin in retinal disorders (Review)

xlomafota13 shared this article with you from Inoreader Anti-inflammatory role of curcumin in retinal disorders (Review) Via Experimental and therapeutic medicine Exp Ther Med. 2021 Jul;22(1):790. doi: 10.3892/etm.2021.10222. Epub 2021 May 21. ABSTRACT Curcumin [1,7-bis-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-hepta-1,6-diene-3,5-dione], the main component of turmeric (Curcuma longa, a flowering plant of the ginger family, Zingiberaceae), is known to possess different pharmacological activities, particularly anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Since an underlying inflammatory process exists in several ocular conditions, such as anterior uveitis, glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and diabetic retinopathy (DR), the aim of the present review was to summarize the pleiotropic effects exerted by this molecule, focusing in particular on its beneficial role in retinal diseases. The anti-inflammatory activity of curcumin has also been described in numerous systemic inflammatory pathologies and tumors. Specifically, the biological, pharmaceutical and nutraceutical properties of curcumin are associated with its ability to downregulate the expression of the following genes: IκBα, cyclooxygenase 2, prostaglandin E2, interleukin (IL)-1, IL-6, IL-8 and tumor necrosis factor-α. According to this finding, curcumin may be useful in the treatment of some retinal disorders. In DR, proliferative vitreoretinopathy and AMD, beneficial effects have been observed following treatment with curcumin, including slowing down of the inflammatory process. Despite the aforementioned evidence, the main disadvantage of this substance is that it possesses a low solubility, as well as poor oral bioavailability due to its reduced absorption, rapid metabolism and rapid elimination. Therefore, several curcumin analogues have been synthesized and tested over the years, in order to improve the possible obtainable therapeutic effects. The purpose of the present review was to identify new aspects that could guide future research on this important traditional medicine, which is a well-tolerated natural product, and is widely considered safe and economical. PMID:34055089 | PMC:PMC8145690 | DOI:10.3892/etm.2021.10222 View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

rs1344706 polymorphism of zinc finger protein 804a (ZNF804a) gene related to the integrity of white matter fiber bundle in schizophrenics

xlomafota13 shared this article with you from Inoreader rs1344706 polymorphism of zinc finger protein 804a (ZNF804a) gene related to the integrity of white matter fiber bundle in schizophrenics Via Experimental and therapeutic medicine Exp Ther Med. 2021 Jul;22(1):778. doi: 10.3892/etm.2021.10210. Epub 2021 May 18. ABSTRACT Genetic factors play an important role in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia (SZ), and the zinc finger protein 804a (ZNF804a) gene has been considered to be a risk gene for schizophrenia. In the present study, the correlation between rs1344706 polymorphism of ZNF804a gene and the integrity of white matter in schizophrenic cases was explored. A total of 60 SZ patients and 100 healthy controls (HC) were included to undergo head MRI. According to the genotyping of rs1344706 in ZNF804a, the subjects in each group were divided into a normal allele and risk allele-carrying group. The imaging data were preprocessed by PANDA software, and thefractional anisotropy (FA) of each subject was calculated. With SPM8 software, age and years of education were considered as covariates, and diagnosis as well as genotype (AA, GG/AG) were considered as intergroup facto rs. Four groups of FA images were analyzed by two-factor analysis of variance. The FA value of the right posterior radiocrown in the patient group was lower than that in the control group, and the difference was statistically significant. The FA value of the right lower frontal occipital tract and the right upper radiocrown in the G allele carrier group was lower than that in the A allele homozygous group. There was detection of an interaction between the FA value of the splenium of corpus callosum, the body part of the corpus callosum and the right cingulate tract. In the present study, it was demonstrated that the rs1344706 GG/AG genotype of the ZNF804a gene locus in SZ patients suffered from abnormal structure in a specific region of the brain. This finding indicated that the rs1344706 single nucleotide polymorphism of the ZNF804a gene may affect the integrity of the white matter of the brain in SZ patients and may be involved in the pathophysiological mechanism of SZ. PMID :34055077 | PMC:PMC8145689 | DOI:10.3892/etm.2021.10210 View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Silencing miRNA-1297 suppresses the invasion and migration of prostate cancer cells via targeting modulation of PTEN and blocking of the AKT/ERK pathway

xlomafota13 shared this article with you from Inoreader Silencing miRNA-1297 suppresses the invasion and migration of prostate cancer cells via targeting modulation of PTEN and blocking of the AKT/ERK pathway Via Experimental and therapeutic medicine Exp Ther Med. 2021 Jul;22(1):768. doi: 10.3892/etm.2021.10200. Epub 2021 May 17. ABSTRACT Phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) loss is a major contributing factor of prostate cancer (PC). miRNA-1297 was reported to serve role in various cancer types; however, the potential roles of miRNA-1297 in PC had not been investigated. In the present study, tumor and adjacent tissues were collected from patients with PC. The gene expression level of miRNA-1297 was measured via polymerase chain reaction. Results indicated that the miRNA-1297 was overexpressed in tumor tissues from PC patients and in PC cell lines. miRNA-1297 also contributed toward the progression of PC. PTEN was confirmed as the direct target of miRNA-1297 and bound with miRNA-1297 via four binding sites. The miRNA-1297 level was negatively associated with the PTEN level. Silencing miRNA-1297 or overexpression of PTEN significantly inhibited the cell migration and invasion. In a ddition, the AKT/ERK pathway was also inhibited following silencing of miRNA-1297 or overexpression of PTEN. Taken together, the results indicated that silencing miRNA-1297 exerted inhibitory effects on the invasion and migration of PC cells via modulating PTEN and blocking of the AKT/ERK pathway. The results of the present study provided a novel strategy for treatment of prostate cancer cells. PMID:34055067 | PMC:PMC8145438 | DOI:10.3892/etm.2021.10200 View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Expression and prognostic value of SULT1A2 in bladder cancer

xlomafota13 shared this article with you from Inoreader Expression and prognostic value of SULT1A2 in bladder cancer Via Experimental and therapeutic medicine Exp Ther Med. 2021 Jul;22(1):779. doi: 10.3892/etm.2021.10211. Epub 2021 May 19. ABSTRACT Sulfotransferase Family 1A Member 2 (SULT1A2) is a protein coding gene. Several studies have reported that SULT1A2 may have a chemical carcinogenic effect if expressed as a functional protein. The present study aimed to investigate the expression and potential role of SULT1A2 in bladder cancer (BC). Data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus databases were used to analyze SULT1A2 expression in BC. In addition, reverse transcription-quantitative PCR and western blot analyses were performed to detect SULT1A2 expression in BC cells and tissues. Immunohistochemistry analysis was performed on 100 formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded BC tissues and corresponding adjacent normal bladder tissues (ANBTs) to verify SULT1A2 expression and determine the clinical significance of SULT1A2 in BC. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was perf ormed to determine the potential biological processes and internal molecular mechanisms. The results demonstrated that SULT1A2 was highly expressed in BC tissues compared with ANBTs. Furthermore, high SULT1A2 expression was significantly associated with the staging of BC. Analyses of TCGA datasets and BC tissue microarray indicated that high SULT1A2 expression was significantly associated with a favorable overall survival in patients with BC. In addition, GSEA revealed pathways, diseases and biological processes associated with SULT1A2. Taken together, the results of the present study suggest that SULT1A2 acts as an oncogene in BC, and thus may serve as a biomarker for tumor staging and prognosis in patients with BC. PMID:34055078 | PMC:PMC8145616 | DOI:10.3892/etm.2021.10211 View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Long non-coding RNA HIT000218960 is associated with poor prognosis in patients with gastric cancer

xlomafota13 shared this article with you from Inoreader Long non-coding RNA HIT000218960 is associated with poor prognosis in patients with gastric cancer Via Experimental and therapeutic medicine Exp Ther Med. 2021 Jul;22(1):694. doi: 10.3892/etm.2021.10126. Epub 2021 May 2. ABSTRACT Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been indicated to have important roles in the development of malignant tumors. In the present study, the expression of HIT000218960 in gastric cancer (GC) tissues was assessed and its clinical significance was analyzed. It was revealed that HIT000218960 was highly expressed in GC tissues and HIT000218960 levels in GC tissues from 103 cases were positively correlated with high mobility group AT-hook 2 (HMGA2) mRNA expression. Furthermore, HIT000218960 was significantly associated with tumor diameter, TNM stage, histological grade, the number of lymph nodes with metastasis and HMGA2 expression in tumor tissues of patients with GC. The results of the univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis indicated that HIT000218960 expression was a factor affecting the prognosis of patients with GC. In addition, patien ts with GC with lower HIT000218960 or HMGA2 expression had more favorable 3-year survival, while HIT000218960 expression did not affect the 3-year overall survival of patients with GC with different levels of HMGA2 expression. In conclusion, HIT000218960 was highly expressed in patients with GC and was related to poor prognosis. PMID:34055048 | PMC:PMC8145346 | DOI:10.3892/etm.2021.10126 View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

miR-3677-5p promotes the proliferation, migration and invasion of hepatocellular carcinoma cells and is associated with prognosis

xlomafota13 shared this article with you from Inoreader miR-3677-5p promotes the proliferation, migration and invasion of hepatocellular carcinoma cells and is associated with prognosis Via Experimental and therapeutic medicine Exp Ther Med. 2021 Jul;22(1):780. doi: 10.3892/etm.2021.10212. Epub 2021 May 19. ABSTRACT MicroRNA (miRNA/miR)-3677 has been indicated to be negatively associated with the survival of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) based on The Cancer Genome Atlas database. However, as a novel miRNA, the role of miR-3677-5p in HCC has remained to be elucidated. In the present study, the expression of miR-3677-5p was assessed in HCC tissues and cell lines using reverse transcription-quantitative PCR. Survival analysis was performed using Kaplan-Meier curves. Furthermore, the prognostic significance of miR-3677-5p was evaluated using Cox regression analysis. The effects of miR-3677-5p on cell proliferation, as well as migration and invasion capacities, were analyzed using Cell Counting Kit-8, crystal violet and Transwell assays. The results demonstrated that the level of miR-3677-5p expression was upregulated in human HCC tissues and cell l ines and that miR-3677-5p expression was closely associated with tumor size, TNM stage and vascular invasion. Furthermore, high miR-3677-5p expression was significantly associated with unfavorable clinical prognosis for patients with HCC. Overexpression of miR-3677-5p was indicated to significantly promote the proliferation, migration and invasion of HCC cells, whereas knockdown of miR-3677-5p was observed to have an inhibitory effect. In conclusion, the present study demonstrated that miR-3677-5p acts as an oncogene that has a critical role in the regulation of HCC proliferation and progression. Hence, miR-3677-5p may serve as a valuable prognostic biomarker and may be developed as a promising therapeutic target for HCC. PMID:34055079 | PMC:PMC8145920 | DOI:10.3892/etm.2021.10212 View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Decrease of ABCB1 protein expression and increase of G1 phase arrest induced by oleanolic acid in human multidrug-resistant cancer cells

xlomafota13 shared this article with you from Inoreader Decrease of ABCB1 protein expression and increase of G<sub>1</sub> phase arrest induced by oleanolic acid in human multidrug-resistant cancer cells Via Experimental and therapeutic medicine Exp Ther Med. 2021 Jul;22(1):735. doi: 10.3892/etm.2021.10167. Epub 2021 May 9. ABSTRACT Oleanolic acid (OA) is a natural compound that can be found in a number of edible and medicinal plants and confers diverse biological actions. However, the direct target of OA in human tumor cells remains poorly understood, preventing its application in clinical and health settings. A previous study revealed that overexpression of caveolin-1 in human leukemia HL-60 cells can increase its sensitivity to OA. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of OA on the doxorubicin-resistant human breast cancer MCF-7 cell line (MCF-7/DOX), harringtonine-resistant human leukemia HL-60 cells (HL-60/HAR) and their corresponding parental cell lines. Western blotting was performed to measure protein expression levels, whilst Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assays, cell cycle analysis (by flow cytometry) and apoptosis assays (with Annexin V/PI staining) were used to assess drug sensitivity. CCK-8 assay results suggested that MCF-7/DOX cells, which overexpress the caveolin-1 protein, have similar OA susceptibility to their parent line. In addition, sensitivity of MCF-7/DOX cells to OA was not augmented by knocking down caveolin-1 using RNA interference. HL-60/HAR cells exhibited a four-fold increased sensitivity to OA compared with that in their parental HL-60 cells according to CCK-8 assay. Both of the resistant cell lines exhibited higher numbers of cells at G1 phase arrest compared with those in their parent lines, as measured via flow cytometry. Treatment of both MCF-7 cell lines with 100 µM OA for 48 h induced apoptosis, with increased effects observed in resistant cells. However, no PARP-1 or caspase-3 cleavage was observed, with some positive Annexin V staining found after HL-60/HAR cells were treated with OA, suggesting that cell death occurred via non-classical apoptosis or through other cell death pathways. It was f ound that OA was not a substrate of ATP-binding cassette subfamily B member 1 (ABCB1) in drug-resistant cells, as indicated by the accumulation of rhodamine 123 assessed using flow cytometry. However, protein expression of ABCB1 in both of the resistant cell lines was significantly decreased after treatment with OA in a concentration-dependent manner. Collectively, these results suggest that OA could reduce ABCB1 protein expression and induce G1 phase arrest in multidrug-resistant cancer cells. These findings highlight the potential of OA for cancer therapy. PMID:34055052 | PMC:PMC8138263 | DOI:10.3892/etm.2021.10167 View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Long non-coding RNA Rian protects against experimental bronchopulmonary dysplasia by sponging miR-421

xlomafota13 shared this article with you from Inoreader Long non-coding RNA Rian protects against experimental bronchopulmonary dysplasia by sponging miR-421 Via Experimental and therapeutic medicine Exp Ther Med. 2021 Jul;22(1):781. doi: 10.3892/etm.2021.10213. Epub 2021 May 19. ABSTRACT Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is a frequent complication characterized by accelerated lung alveolarization in newborns. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and microRNAs (miRs) are regarded as essential regulators in various diseases, including BPD. However, the detailed mechanism of the functions of RNA imprinted and accumulated in nucleus (Rian) lncRNA in the progression of BPD have remained elusive. The aim of the present study was to illustrate the interaction between miR-421 and Rian in BPD models and MLE-12 cells. The ability of Rian to protect neonatal lungs from hyperoxia-induced lung damage was examined. A mouse model of BPD and a hyperoxia-stimulated MLE-12 cell damage model were generated and treated with specific plasmid/mimics for the overexpression of Rian/miR-421. The interaction between miR-421 and Rian was predicted and verified usi ng StarBase and a dual-luciferase reporter assay, respectively. The expression levels of miR-421 or Rian in both tissues and the MLE-12 alveolar epithelial cell line were assessed using reverse transcription-quantitative (RT-q)PCR. As parameters of alveolarization, the mean linear intercept (MLI), radial alveolar count (RAC) and the lung weight/body weight (LW/BW) ratio were measured. Furthermore, RT-qPCR was used to measure mRNA levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1β) in the lung tissue of mice, and ELISAs were performed to determine the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1β) in the supernatant of MLE-12 cells. Cell growth and apoptosis were evaluated using an MTT assay and flow cytometry, respectively. Furthermore, caspase-3 activity was assessed using a caspase-3 activity detection kit. Prediction with StarBase and the dual-luciferase reporter assay revealed that miR-421 directly targeted Rian. RT-qPCR analysis confirmed that Rian was downregulated and miR-421 was upregulated in lung tissues of the mouse model of BPD and in hyperoxia-induced MLE-12 cells. However, the expression of miR-421 was decreased by Rian-overexpression, an effect that was reversed by miR-421 mimics. In addition, BPD was alleviated by Rian-plasmid, as confirmed by the enhanced RAC and reduced MLI and LW/BW ratio. The present results also indicated that Rian-plasmid inhibited the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1β) in BPD mouse serum and hyperoxia-induced MLE-12 cells. In addition, Rian-plasmid eliminated the effect of hyperoxia to inhibit cell viability and induce apoptosis in MLE-12 cells. However, all of these effects of Rian were markedly reversed by miR-421 mimics. The present results indicated that Rian may attenuate hyperoxic damage in neonatal lungs and may serve as a novel molecular target for BPD treatment. PMID:34055080 | PMC:PMC8145903 | DOI:10.3892/etm.2021.10213 View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.