Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) is a green tea polyphenol that presents anticancer activities in multiple cancer cells, but no available report was addressed for the underling molecular mechanism of cytotoxic impacts on drug-resistant oral squamous cell carcinoma cells. In the present study, the inhibitory effects of EGCG were experienced on cisplatin-resistant oral cancer CAR cells. EGCG inhibited cell viability in a time- and concentration-dependent manner by a sulforhodamine B (SRB) assay. EGCG induced CAR cell apoptosis and autophagy by 4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI) dye, acridine orange (AO) staining and green fluorescent protein (GFP)-tagged LC3B assay, respectively. EGCG also significantly enhanced caspase-9 and caspase-3 activities by caspase activity assay. EGCG markedly increased the protein levels of Bax, cleaved caspase-9, cleaved caspase-3, Atg5, Atg7, Atg12, Beclin-1, and LC3B-II, as well as significantly decreased the expression of Bcl-2, phosphorylated AKT (Ser473) and phosphorylation of STAT3 on Tyr705 by western blotting in CAR cells. Importantly, the protein and gene expression of multidrug resistance 1 (MDR1) were dose-dependently inhibited by EGCG. Overall, downregulation of MDR1 levels and alterations of AKT/STAT3 signaling contributed to EGCG-induced apoptosis and autophagy in CAR cells. Based on these results, EGCG has the potential for therapeutic effect on oral cancer and may be useful for long-term oral cancer prevention in the future. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol 32: 845-855, 2017.

No abstract

We report a calcified cataractous lens in a 24-year-old man who had retinal degeneration in the right eye since childhood. The visual acuity had dropped to light perception. Clear corneal phacoemulsification was performed, and the shell of a 5.4 mm x 4.0 mm x 2.0 mm calcified substance was removed with a forceps using the can-opener technique. The specimen was analyzed using radiological study, histopathological examination, chemical element analysis, and transmission electron microscopy. Four years postoperatively, the patient's visual acuity was 20/200.

No abstract

This study demonstrates for the first time a continuously tunable photonic bandgap (PBG) of wide spectral range based on a blue phase (BP) wedge cell. A continuously shifting PBG of the BP wedge cell occurs due to the thickness gradient of the wedge cell at a fixed temperature. The wedge cell provides a gradient of boundary force on the LCs and thus forms a distribution of BP crystal structure with a gradient lattice. Additionally, a spatially tunable lasing emission based on a dye-doped BP (DDBP) wedge cell is also demonstrated. The tunable band of the PBG and lasing emission is about 130 nm and 70 nm, respectively, which tuning spectral ranges are significantly wider than those of CLC and DDCLC wedge cells, respectively. Such a BP device has a significant potential in applications of tunable photonic devices and displays.

This work investigates the performance evolution of color cone lasing emissions (CCLEs) based on dye-doped cholesteric liquid crystal (DDCLC) cells at different fabrication conditions. Experimental results show that the energy threshold (E(th)) and relative slope efficiency (η(s)) of the lasing signal emitted at each cone angle (0°-35°) in the CCLE decreases and increases, respectively, when the waiting time in a homogenously rubbed aligned DDCLC cell is increased from 0 hr to 216 hr (9 days). This result occurs because defect lines gradually shrink with the anchoring of the surface alignment when the waiting time is increased. Hence, the scattering loss decreases, and the dwelling time of the fluorescence photons in the resonator increases, which in turn enhances the CCLE performance. With the aligned cell given the pretreatment of a rapid annealing processing (RAP), the waiting time for obtaining an optimum CCLE can markedly be reduced sixfold. The surface alignment of the DDCLC cell also plays a necessary role in generating the CCLE. This work provides an insight into the temporal evolution of the performance for the CCLE laser and offers a method (RAP) of significantly speeding up the formation of a CCLE laser with optimum performance.

Streptococcus viridans is potential microorganisms of ReA. Careful survey and prompt treatment is necessary.

Secondhand smoke (SHS) is an important health issue worldwide. Inhaling SHS during pregnancy could cause abnormalities in the internal tissues of newborns, which may then impair fetal development and even cause severe intrauterine damage and perinatal death. However, the understanding of cytopathic mechanisms of SHS by maternal passive smoking on fetus liver during pregnancy is still limited. This study analyzed the effects of high-dose SHS (SHSH) on fetus liver using a maternal passive smoking animal model. Experiments showed that hepatic matrix metalloproteinase-9 activity and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase deoxyuridine triphosphate nick-end labeling-positive cells were significantly increased in livers from fetuses of hamsters treated with SHSH. Similarly, expressions of both extrinsic and intrinsic apoptotic molecules were significantly higher in livers from fetuses of hamsters exposed to SHSH. Additionally, significantly increased inflammatory proteins, including transforming growth factor β, inducible nitric oxide synthase, and interleukin 1β, and fibrotic signaling molecules, including phosphorylated Smad2/3, SP1, and α-smooth muscle actin, were observed in the fetus livers from hamsters treated with SHSH. This study revealed that SHSH not only increased apoptosis through intrinsic and extrinsic pathways in the livers of fetuses from hamsters exposed to SHSH but also augmented hepatic fibrosis via Smad2/3 signaling.