Abstract The goal of this work was to clarify the mechanism of action of Lactobacillus casei on genipin in triggering glioma apoptosis. DPPH and ABTS free radicals could be successfully eliminated by geniposide, LC-NBRC101979 (Lactobacillus casei), and geniposide + LC-NBRC101979. Geniposide and LC-NBRC101979 had effects that were stronger when combined than when taken alone. Geniposide, LC-NBRC101979, and Geniposide + LC-NBRC101979 did not have any detrimental effects on healthy epithelial cells HBE, but they greatly decreased the growth of U87 glioma cells, according to cell studies. Additionally, the combination of geniposide and LC-NBRC101979 had a stronger inhibitory impact than either drug alone. Results from qPCR revealed that in U87 cells, geniposide, LC-NBRC101979, and eniposide + LC-NBRC101979 could up-regulate caspase-3, COX-2, p53, c-myc, p21 mRNA expression and down-regulate Bcl-2, NF-κB expression. According to the results of the study on the effects of oxidative stress on cells, geniposide, LC-NBRC101979, and geniposide combined with LC-NBRC101979 can decrease the levels of MDA, LDH, and NO in normally damaged epithelial cells caused by oxidative stress and increase the levels of CAT, SOD, GSH-Px, and T-AOC. According to HPLC data, LC-NBRC101979 was able to convert the majority of geniposide into geniposide. It is clear that LC-NBRC101979 may enhance geniposide's inhibitory impact on glioma.

Abstract Objectives: The Lateral Arm Free Flap (LAFF) offers advantageous features like variable thickness and minimal hair growth. LAFF is primarily used in orofacial and pharyngeal reconstructions, with limited reports on tracheal/esophageal applications. Also, the psychological prognosis and quality of life in patients with LAFF reconstruction are lacking. Methods: This retrospective case series presents outcomes of LAFF reconstruction for head and neck surgical defects which included 19 patients. The disease type, location of reconstruction, TNM staging, tumor size, chemoradiation status, anxiety, depression, quality of life and detailed perioperative information of the LAFF reconstruction surgery were presented in a descriptive pattern. Subgroup analysis was conducted using Mann–Whitney U and Pearson r test Conclusions: The lateral arm free flap exhibits remarkable versatility and multifunctionality, providing advantageous outcomes in head and neck reconstruction. Level of evidence: Level 4 according to OCEBM.

Abstract Background: Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is an aggressive and mostly incurable hematological malignancy with frequent relapses after an initial response to standard chemotherapy. Therefore, novel therapies are urgently required to improve AML clinical outcomes. 4-Amino-2-trifluoromethyl-phenyl retinate (ATPR), a novel all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) derivative designed and synthesized by our team, has been proven to show biological anti-tumor characteristics in our previous studies. However, its potential effect on leukemia remains unknown. The present research aims to investigate the underlying mechanism of treating leukemia with ATPR in vitro. Methods: In this study, the AML cell lines NB4 and THP-1 were treated with ATPR. Cell proliferation was analyzed by the CCK-8 assay. Flow cytometry was used to measure the cell cycle distribution and cell differentiation. The expression levels of cell cycle and differentiation-related proteins were detected by western blotting and immunofluorescence staining. The NBT reduction assay was used to detect cell differentiation. Results: ATPR inhibited cell proliferation, induced cell differentiation and arrested the cell cycle at the G0/G1 phase. Moreover, ATPR treatment induced a time-dependent release of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Additionally, the PTEN/PI3K/Akt pathway was downregulated 24 h after ATPR treatment, which might account for the anti-AML effects of ATPR that result from the ROS-mediated regulation of the PTEN/PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. Conclusions: Our observations could help to develop new drugs targeting the ROS/PTEN/PI3K/Akt pathway for the treatment of AML.

Zinc oxide (ZnO) films were prepared on amorphous quartz substrates by sol-gel spin-coating using Zn(CH3COO)2•2H2O precursor. Isopropanol, ethanol and 2-methoxyethanol were used as solvents. The film drying temperature was kept constant at 200 ºC and the annealing temperature was varied from 400 to 800 ºC. Highly transparent and (002)-oriented hexagonal wurtzite-type ZnO films were obtained using isopropanol solvent. The ZnO films prepared at Tanneal = 600 ºC showed the highest (002) preferential orientation, however it was not the significant feature to achieve low resistivity. The uniform and (002)-oriented ZnO films prepared at Tanneal = 400 ºC display the highest transmittance (>93% in the visible region) and the lowest resistivity (7.1 Ω•cm).

Taurine has positive effects on bone metabolism. However, the effects of taurine on osteoblast apoptosis in vitro have not been reported. The aim of this study was to investigate the activity of taurine on apoptosis of mouse osteoblastic MC3T3-E1 cells. The data showed that 1, 5, 10, or 20 mM taurine resulted in 16.7, 34.2, 66.9, or 63.75% reduction of MC3T3-E1 cell apoptosis induced by the serum deprivation (serum-free α-MEM), respectively. Taurine (1, 5, or 10 mM) also reduced cytochrome c release and inhibited activation of caspase-3 and -9, which were measured using fluorogenic substrates for caspase-3/caspase-9, in serum-deprived MC3T3-E1 cells. Furthermore, taurine (10 mM) induced extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) phosphorylation in MC3T3-E1 cells. Knockdown of the taurine transporter (TAUT) or treatment with the ERK-specific inhibitor PD98059 (10 μM) blocked the activation of ERK induced by taurine (10 mM) and abolished the anti-apoptotic effect of taurine (10 mM) in MC3T3-E1 cells. The present results demonstrate for the first time that taurine inhibits serum deprivation-induced osteoblast apoptosis via the TAUT/ERK signaling pathway.