The majority of patients in this study presented relatively realistic perceptions. However, an alarming portion of the sample presented with inaccurate perceptions and unrealistic expectations, which the dental team would need to diagnose and correct prior to initiating implant treatment.

Edited by Tamas DalmayKeywords: miRNA miR-181b Adenylyl cyclase 9 cAMP Cervical cancer cell a b s t r a c t MicroRNAs are a class of small, endogenous, non-coding RNAs that function as post-transcriptional regulators. In this study, we found that miR-181b promoted cell proliferation and inhibited cell apoptosis in cervical cancer cells. And we validated a new miR-181b target gene, adenylyl cyclase 9 (AC9). miR-181b restricted cAMP production by post-transcriptionally downregulating AC9 expression. Phenotypic experiments indicated that miR-181b and AC9 exerted opposite effects on cell proliferation and apoptosis.

ObjectiveTo examine the current literature on the impact of patients’ expectations on treatment outcomes or final patient satisfaction and to identify the theoretical frameworks, study designs and measurement instruments which have been employed to assess patients’ expectations within implant dentistry.MethodsA structured literature search of four databases Pubmed, Cochrane, Web of Science and PsychINFO was conducted following PRISMA guidelines. Any type of literature published in English discussing the topic of ‘patients expectations’ in oral health were identified and further screened. Studies reporting on expectations regarding dental implants were selected and a narrative review was conducted.ResultsThe initial search yielded 16707 studies, out of which 1051 ‘potentially effective studies’ were further assessed and final 41 ‘effective studies’ were included [Kappa = 0.76]. Ten observational studies, published from 1999 to 2013, dealt specifically with expectations of dental implants. There was a large degree of heterogeneity among studies in terms of assessment instruments. Expectations relating to aesthetics and function were primarily considered. Among the 10 studies, 8 were classified as quantitative research and 2 as qualitative research. The STROBE quality of reporting scores of the studies ranged from 13.5 to 18.0. Three of the 8 quantitative studies employed a before/after study design (prospective studies) and used visual analogue scales (VAS) to measure patient expectations.ConclusionsThere is a growing interest in patients’ expectations of dental implants. Most studies are cross sectional in nature and the quality of reporting varies considerably. Expectations with respect to aesthetics and function are key attributes considered. The use of visual analogue scales (VAS) provides quantitative assessments of patients’ expectations but the lack of standardization of measures prohibits meta- analyses.

IntroductionMechanical forces play critical roles in the development and remodelling process of bone. As an alternative cell source for bone engineering, adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) should be fully investigated for their responses to mechanical stress and the mechanisms responsible for osteogenic induction in response to mechanical signals.Material and methodsWe hypothesized that appropriate application of uniaxial cyclic tensile strain to ASCs could increase bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) expression and improve osteogenesis of ASCs. To test our hypothesis, ASCs from the same flask of the same donor were subjected to tensile strain with different patterns in order to eliminate the difference of donor site and passage. After surface markers investigation, the osteo-induced ASCs were subjected to uniaxial cyclic tensile stretch with the following two loading patterns: long duration continuous pattern (6 h, 1 HZ, 2000 µɛ) and short duration consecutive pattern (17 min every day for 10 consecutive days, 1 HZ, 2000 µɛ). Then osteogenic related genes were analysed by real-time PCR.ResultsThe ASCs were positive for the markers STRO-1, CD90 and CD44 and negative for CD34. Cyclic tensile strain of 6 continuous h’ duration significantly increased gene expressions of BMP-2 and Runx2, and depressed OCN mRNA expression. In contrast, mechanical loading of 17 min every day did not significantly affect gene expression of BMP-2, Runx2, OCN or ALP.ConclusionsWe indicate that ASCs may sense mechanical loading in a duration-dependent manner and cyclic tensile stretch may modulate the osteogenic differentiation of ASCs via the BMP-2 signalling pathway.

A reciprocal relationships between osteogenesis and adipogenesis has been observed in vitro and in vivo, and mechanical stretch has been believed to be a regulating factor of osteo-adipogenic axis differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells. In this study, rat adipose stem cells (ASCs) were isolated and cultured in adipogenic or normal medium. Their exposure to cyclic mechanical stretch (2000 με, 1 Hz) in the presence of adipogenic medium decreased mRNA and protein level of PPAR-γ, and increased Runx2 mRNA and protein levels as well as Pref-1 mRNA level, compared to static samples. ASCs cultured in normal medium without adipogenic induction did not show any significant change in mRNA expression of PPAR-γ, Runx2, nor Pref-1 irrespective of mechanical loading. Stretching induced phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated protein kinases 1 and 2 (ERK1/2) during the induction period. It was concluded that mechanical stretch inhibited adipogenesis and stimulated osteogenesis of these ASCs in the presence of adipogenic medium and that ERK1/2 activation may be involved in the mechanical stress-induced trans-differentiation.

The data, together with the molecular functions of PIM-1 suggest that PIM-1 may have an important role in CaP progression and has potential to be a diagnostic and prognostic marker for CaP.

Abstract. The present study aimed to investigate the protective role of curcumin against oxidative stress in rat hepatic stellate cells (HSCs)-T6, and to determine the possible underlying mechanisms. HSC-T6 cells were divided into three groups: Negative control group, oxidant-treated group and curcumin-treated group. Flow cytometry and spectrophotometry were used to measure the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and glutathione (GSH). Immunocytochemistry and a radioimmunoassay were used to determine the expression of smooth muscle α-actin (α-SMA) and the secretion of extracellular matrix (ECM) molecules. In addition, western blotting and immunocytochemistry were used to determine the expression levels of nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor (Nrf2). Treatment with glucose oxidase (GO) significantly stimulated the formation of ROS and increased the production of MDA, as compared with the control cells; however, the production of GSH was only slightly increased. In addition, treatment with GO significantly promoted the expression of α-SMA and the secretion of ECM molecules. Conversely, treatment with curcumin significantly decreased the levels of ROS and MDA, and significantly increased the levels of GSH. Curcumin significantly inhibited the expression of α-SMA and decreased the secretion of ECM molecules. Furthermore, treatment with curcumin significantly increased the nuclear expression levels of Nrf2. These results indicated that curcumin may protect rat HSCs against oxidative stress and inhibit the GO-induced activation and secretion of ECM molecules in vitro. These effects were mediated by the upregulation of Nrf2 nuclear translocation. IntroductionPrevious studies have demonstrated that oxidative stress has a significant role in the occurrence and progression of hepatitis and hepatic fibrosis (1-4). Oxidative stress results from the excessive production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and the inability of an organism to eliminate them. Excessive ROS lead to lipid peroxidation, protein and DNA damage, and injury to cellular structure and function (5). Numerous studies have reported the important role of ROS in various types of hepatic injury (6-10). In addition to ROS-induced inflammation, ROS may lead to loss of normal regulatory functions, resulting in tissue injury and excessive repair, and the development of hepatitis and hepatic fibrosis (11,12). It has previously been demonstrated that activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) has a key role in the progression of hepatic fibrosis; therefore, HSCs are considered important target cells in hepatic fibrosis research (13). Furthermore, HSCs can be activated by oxidative stress and transformed into myofibroblasts. Myofibroblasts synthesize abundant extracellular matrix (ECM) molecules, which may lead to hepatic fibrosis (14); therefore, how to inhibit the activation of HSCs exposed to oxidative stress requires further investigation. Nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor (Nrf2) is a transcription fa...

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