ABSTRACT Purpose: Chronic inflammation in the liver is a key trigger for liver injury and fibrosis in various liver diseases. Given the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects of Saffron, this study aimed to investigate the pharmacological effects of Saffron on hepatic inflammation and fibrosis. Methods: The mice model of hepatic fibrosis was constructed using CCl4, and Saffron was administered at low (10 mg/kg) and high (20 mg/kg) doses by gavage. Then, the changes in liver function, liver inflammation and fibrosis markers were evaluated. The effects and mechanisms of Saffron on hepatic stellate cells were further investigated in in-vitro experiments. Results: Saffron improved liver function, reduced liver inflammation and attenuated liver fibrosis in a dose-dependent manner in hepatic fibrosis mice. Furthermore, Western blotting showed that Saffron significantly inhibited JAK/STAT3 phosphorylation in fibrotic livers. Conclusions: Saffron can attenuate liver fibrosis by inhibiting the JAK/STAT3 pathway and the activation of hepatic stellate cell, providing a theoretical basis for the development of new anti-fibrotic drugs.

Abstract Background Anti-ribosomal P (anti-Rib-P) antibody is a specific serological marker for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and routinely tested by targeting the common epitope of three ribosomal proteins of P0, P1 and P2. This study aimed to investigate if testing antibodies against individual ribosomal protein, but not the common epitope, is required to achieve the best diagnostic benefit in SLE. Methods The study included 82 patients with SLE and 22 healthy donors. Serum antibodies were determined by ELISA and immunoblot. Results The prevalence of each antibody determined by ELISA was 35.4% (anti-Rib-P), 45.1% (anti-Rib-P0), 32.9% (anti-Rib-P1) and 40.2% (anti-Rib-P2) at 99% specificity, respectively. Of 53 patients with negative anti-Rib-P antibody, 21 (39.6%) were positive for anti-Rib-P0, 9 (17.0%) for anti-Rib-P1 and 12 (22.6%) for anti-Rib-P2 antibody. The positive rate of anti-Rib-P antibody detected by ELISA was close to the results by immunoblot (33.4%). Patients with any of these antibodies were featured by higher disease activity and prevalence of skin rashes than those with negative antibodies. Moreover, each antibody was particularly related to some clinical and laboratory disorders. The distribution of subclasses of IgG1–4 was varied with each antibody. Anti-Rib-P0 IgG1 and IgG3 were strongly correlated with disease activity and lower serum complement components 3 and 4. Conclusions Anti-Rib-P antibody is not adequate to predict the existence of antibodies against ribosomal P0, P1 and P2 protein. The examination of antibodies against each ribosomal protein is required to achieve additional diagnostic benefit and to evaluate the association with clinical and serological disorders as well.

We presented a theoretical study on the detailed reaction mechanism and kinetics of the HNCS molecule with the OH-. The barrierless minimum energy path and the most favorable entrance channel have been determined by study the thermodynamic and kinetic characters of the channel with low energy barrier. The B3LYP/6-311++G** method was employed for all the geometrical optimizations and a multi-level extrapolation method based on the G3 energies was employed for further energy refinements. In addition, the analysis of the combining interaction between hydroxide ion and HNCS was performed by natural bond orbitals (NBO) analysis. The calculation results indicated that the reaction of OH- with HNCS had four channels, and the channel of H-atom in HNCS direct extraction to OH- (OH-+HNCS→IM1→TS3→IM4→P2(SCN- +H2O)) in singlet state was the main channel with the low potential energy and high equilibrium constant and reaction rate constant. SCN- and H2O were main products.

To investigate the effects of morphological characteristics of cranial base on malocclusion by analyzing characteristics of sagittal and vertical facial types of Angle's class II division 1 malocclusion so as to provide theoretical references for clinical diagnosis and correction of early Angle's class II division 1 malocclusion in permanent teeth. We randomly selected lateral radiographs of the skull of 80 patients at the age of 1214 years old from the Department of Orthodontics, Stomatological Hospital, Shanxi Medical University, China. There were 20 cases of Angle's class I malocclusion with average angle, 20 cases of Angle's class II division 1 malocclusion with average angle, 20 cases of Angle's class II division 1 malocclusion with low angle, and 20 cases of Angle's class II division 1 malocclusion with high angle. Winceph 8.0 software was used to measure 39 hard tissue markers and 13 indicators reflecting the characteristics of cranial base structure. One-way t-test was used in the average-angle class II division 1 group and average-angle class I group. Least significantdifference was utilized in patients with different vertical types of class II division 1 malocclusion.nterior (S-N) and posterior (S-Ba) cranial base lengths,and total cranial base length(Ba-N) were significantly longer in the class II division 1 patients compared with the class I patients. Significant differences in anterior cranial floor base angle (CF-PM), middle cranial floor base angle (Ba-SE-PM), and posterior cranial base inclination (SBa-FH) were determined between class II division 1 malocclusion and class I malocclusion patients. CF-PM angle and SBa-FH were smaller in class II division 1 subjects than in class I subjects. Ba-SE-PM angle and cranial floor base angle (Ba-SE-FMS) were larger in class II division 1 subjects than in class I subjects. No significant difference in cranial base angle (N-S-Ba) and anterior cranial base inclination (SN-FH) was detected between class II division 1 subjects and class I subjects. Morphology of cranial base and cranial floor base has a significant effect on sagittal and vertical facial types of Angle's class II division 1 malocclusion. The changes in the length of the posterior skull base and the inclination of the anterior skull base are mainly presented in the sagittal direction. Angle of cranial base and cranial floor base plays a certain role in vertical facial type of Angle's class II division 1 malocclusion.

El objetivo de este trabajo consistió en investigar los efectos de las características morfológicas de la base craneal sobre la maloclusión, a través del análisis de los siferentes tipos faciales de maloclusión Clase II de Angle (sagital y vertical), para proporcionar referencias teóricas para el diagnóstico clínico y la corrección temprana de la maloclusión de clase II división 1 de Angle en dientes permanentes. Se seleccionaron al azar radiografías laterales de cráneo de 80 pacientes, entre 12-14 años de edad, del Departamento de Ortodoncia, Hospital de Estomatología, Universidad Médica de Shanxi, China. Hubo 20 casos de maloclusión clase I de Angle con ángulo promedio, 20 casos de maloclusión clase II de Angle con ángulo promedio, 20 casos de maloclusión Clase II de Angle con ángulo bajo y 20 casos de maloclusión clase 1 de Angle con ángulo alto. Se utilizó el software Winceph 8.0 para medir 39 marcadores de tejido duro y 13 indicadores que reflejan las características de la estructura de la base de cráneo. Se usó la prueba t de una vía en el grupo clase II de división 1 con ángulo promedio y el grupo clase I con ángulo promedio. Se detectaron diferencias mínimas significativas en pacientes con diferentes tipos verticales de maloclusión clase II división 1. Las longitudes de la base de cráneo posterior (SN) y posterior (S-Ba), y la longitud total de la base craneal (Ba-N) fueron significativamente mayores en la clase II, en comparación con los pacientes de la clase I. Se determinaron diferencias significativas en el ángulo de la base del piso craneal anterior (CF-PM), el ángulo de la base del piso craneal medio (Ba-SE-PM) y la inclinación de la base craneana posterior (SBa-FH) entre la maloclusión clase II división 1 y los pacientes con maloclusión de clase I. Los ángulos de CF-PM y SBa-FH fueron más pequeños en la clase II división 1 que en la clase I. El ángulo de Ba-SE-PM y el ángulo de base del piso craneal (Ba-SE-FMS) fueron mayores en sujetos de clase II división 1 que en sujetos de clase I. No se detectaron diferencias significativas en el ángulo de la base craneana (N-S-Ba) y la inclinación de la base craneal anterior (SN-FH) entre los sujetos de la clase II división 1 y los de la clase I. La morfología de la base craneal y de la base del suelo craneal tiene un efecto significativo en los tipos faciales sagital y vertical de maloclusión Clase II división 1 de Angle. Los cambios en la longitud de la base posterior del cráneo y la inclinación de la base anterior del cráneo se presentaron principalmente en la dirección sagital. El ángulo de la base craneal y la base del suelo craneal tiene cierto rol en el tipo facial vertical de la clase II de Angle.