Discovery of Molecular Mechanisms of Traditional Chinese Medicinal Formula Si-Wu-Tang Using Gene Expression Microarray and Connectivity Map

To pursue a systematic approach to discovery of mechanisms of action of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), we used microarrays, bioinformatics and the “Connectivity Map” (CMAP) to examine TCM-induced changes in gene expression. We demonstrated that this approach can be used to elucidate new molecular targets using a model TCM herbal formula Si-Wu-Tang (SWT) which is widely used for women's health. The human breast cancer MCF-7 cells treated with 0.1 µM estradiol or 2.56 mg/ml of SWT showed dramatic gene expression changes, while no significant change was detected for ferulic acid, a known bioactive compound of SWT. Pathway analysis using differentially expressed genes related to the treatment effect identified that expression of genes in the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) cytoprotective pathway was most significantly affected by SWT, but not by estradiol or ferulic acid. The Nrf2-regulated genes HMOX1, GCLC, GCLM, SLC7A11 and NQO1 were upreguated by SWT in a dose-dependent manner, which was validated by real-time RT-PCR. Consistently, treatment with SWT and its four herbal ingredients resulted in an increased antioxidant response element (ARE)-luciferase reporter activity in MCF-7 and HEK293 cells. Furthermore, the gene expression profile of differentially expressed genes related to SWT treatment was used to compare with those of 1,309 compounds in the CMAP database. The CMAP profiles of estradiol-treated MCF-7 cells showed an excellent match with SWT treatment, consistent with SWT's widely claimed use for women's diseases and indicating a phytoestrogenic effect. The CMAP profiles of chemopreventive agents withaferin A and resveratrol also showed high similarity to the profiles of SWT. This study identified SWT as an Nrf2 activator and phytoestrogen, suggesting its use as a nontoxic chemopreventive agent, and demonstrated the feasibility of combining microarray gene expression profiling with CMAP mining to discover mechanisms of actions and to identify new health benefits of TCMs

Cephalometric analysis of hard and soft tissues in a 12-year-old syndromic child: A case report and update on dentofacial features of Crouzon syndrome

Crouzon syndrome or craniofacial dysostosis is a rare syndrome characterized by craniosynostosis, midfacial hypoplasia and exophthalmia. The abnormalities found in this syndrome change too much from case to case depending on the suture fusion order. We report a case of a 12 year old child and a mother showing variations in the dentofacial tissues clinically and radiographically. Subsequently, the application of digital software [Dolphin Imaging 11] enabled us to solve out the case as Crouzon syndrome by analyzing the skeletal and soft tissue alterations. An update of the effects of this syndrome on various systems and dentofacial features with emphasis on tooth abnormalities is documented

Eight year follow-up dental treatment in a patient with Treacher Collins syndrome

Treacher Collins syndrome (TCS) is an autosomal dominant disorder of craniofacial development characterized by variable involvement of the craniofacial structures derived from the first and second branchial arches. Occurrence of this syndrome is relatively rare with wide variations in the clinical expression. Aspects of speech, appearance, and social well-being along with psychological issues are hampered in these patients. Treating such disabled children poses a great challenge not only in the medical field but also in the dental meadow. We report a case of a 5-year-old boy who presented with this syndrome and the dental treatment was carried out with a noteworthy outcome for a period of 8 years. A brief review of etiology, dental anomalies along with prognosis is documented

The relationship between salivary IgA levels and dental caries in children

Purpose: The aim of the study was to find the relationship between salivary IgA (s-IgA) levels and dental caries in children. Materials and Methods: A total of 40 children in the age group of 8 to 12 years were selected and divided into two groups. Group I with DMFT score 0 and Group II with DMFT score ≥3. The whole unstimulated s-IgA levels were estimated using ELISA method. Results: Whole s-IgA levels were significantly higher in group II with DMFT score ≥3 as compared with group I with DMFT score 0. Conclusions: There was an increase in s-IgA levels in caries-active mouth to give protection mechanism against dental caries and the Streptococcus mutans which are active in caries-active mouth. The s-IgA antibodies can play an important role in control of dental caries

Tuberculosis: integrated studies for a complex disease 2050

Tuberculosis (TB) has been a disease for centuries with various challenges [1]. Like other places where challenges and opportunities come together, TB challenges were the inspiration for the scientific community to mobilize different groups for the purpose of interest. For example, with the emergence of drug resistance, there has been a huge volume of research on the discovery of new medicines and drug delivery methods and the repurposing of old drugs [2, 3]. Moreover, to enhance the capacity to detect TB cases, studies have sought diagnostics and biomarkers, with much hope recently expressed in the direction of point-of-care tests [4]. Despite all such efforts as being highlighted in 50 Chapters of this volume, we are still writing about TB and thinking about how to fight this old disease–implying that the problem of TB might be complex, so calling the need for an integrated science to deal with multiple dimensions in a simultaneous and effective manner. We are not the first one; there have been proposed integrated platform for TB research, integrated prevention services, integrated models for drug screening, integrated imaging protocol, integrated understanding of the disease pathogenesis, integrated control models, integrated mapping of the genome of the pathogen, etc. [5–12], to name some. These integrated jobs date back decades ago. So, a question arises: why is there a disease named TB yet? It might be due to the fact that this integration has happened to a scale that is not global, and so TB remains to be a problem, especially in resource-limited settings. Hope Tuberculosis: Integrated Studies for a Complex Disease helps to globalize the integrated science of TB.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio