Clarifying the relationship and analyzing the influential factors of bronchial asthma in children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder

BACKGROUND Bronchial asthma is closely related to the occurrence of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder(ADHD)in children,which can easily have adverse effects on children’s learning and social interactions.Studies have shown that childhood asthma can increase the risk of ADHD and the core symptoms of ADHD.Compared with children with ADHD alone,children with asthma and ADHD are more likely to show high levels of hyperactivity,hyperactive-impulsive and other externalizing behaviors and anxiety in clinical practice and have more symptoms of somatization and emotional internalization.AIM To explore the relationship between ADHD in children and bronchial asthma and to analyze its influencing factors.METHODS This retrospective cohort study was conducted at Dongying People's Hospital from September 2018 to August 2023.Children diagnosed with ADHD at this hospital were selected as the ADHD group,while healthy children without ADHD who underwent physical examinations during the same period served as the control group.Clinical and parental data were collected for all participating children,and multivariate logistic regression analysis was employed to identify risk factors for comorbid asthma in children with ADHD.RESULTSSignificant differences were detected between the ADHD group and the control group in terms of family history ofasthma and allergic diseases, maternal complications during pregnancy, maternal use of asthma and allergymedications during pregnancy, maternal anxiety and depression during pregnancy, and parental relationshipstatus (P < 0.05). Out of the 183 children in the ADHD group, 25 had comorbid asthma, resulting in a comorbidityrate of 13.66% (25/183), compared to the comorbidity rate of 2.91% (16/549) among the 549 children in the controlgroup. The difference in the asthma comorbidity rate between the two groups was statistically significant (P <0.05). The results of the multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that family history of asthma and allergicdiseases, maternal complications during pregnancy, maternal use of asthma and allergy medications duringpregnancy, maternal anxiety and depression during pregnancy, and parental relationship status are independentrisk factors increasing the risk of comorbid asthma in children with ADHD (P < 0.05).CONCLUSIONChildren with ADHD were more likely to have comorbid asthma than healthy control children were. A familyhistory of asthma, adverse maternal factors during pregnancy, and parental relationship status were identified asrisk factors influencing the comorbidity of asthma in children with ADHD. Clinically, targeted interventions basedon these factors can be implemented to reduce the risk of comorbid asthma. This information is relevant for resultssections of abstracts in scientific articles.

Cryoablation for intrapulmonary bronchial cyst:A case report

BACKGROUND Bronchial cysts are congenital malformations usually located in the mediastinum,and intrapulmonary localization is very rare.Cryoablation is a novel therapeutic approach that promotes tumor necrosis and stimulates anti-tumor immune responses.CASE SUMMARY This article reports a case of a 68-year-old male patient who was diagnosed with an intrapulmonary bronchogenic cyst by computed tomography examination and pathology,and the patient subsequently underwent cryoablation therapy and achieved complete response with after 3 months of follow-up.CONCLUSION Intrapulmonary bronchogenic cysts are very rare,cryoablation therapy is feasible,safe,and effective for intrapulmonary bronchial cysts.

Research Progress on Pulmonary Rehabilitation in Children with Bronchial Asthma

Bronchial asthma is a chronic respiratory disease that poses a significant threat to the physical and mental health of children globally.Currently,pulmonary rehabilitation is a non-pharmacological intervention that has shown promise in treating chronic respiratory diseases.However,most studies related to pulmonary rehabilitation only focus on chronic conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD),lung cancer,and bronchiectasis.Research on bronchial asthma in children is still in the preliminary stages.This article reviews the concept,basic content,and application mode of pulmonary rehabilitation,to provide reference for the clinical research of pulmonary rehabilitation in children with bronchial asthma,and to carry out multimodal pulmonary rehabilitation to improve the disease control level and quality of life of asthma in children.

Efficacy and Impact on Inflammatory Factors and Lung Function in Pediatric Bronchial Asthma Treated with Modified Dingchuan Decoction

Objective:To study the efficacy of treating pediatric bronchial asthma with a modified Dingchuan Decoction and its effect on inflammatory factors and lung function levels.Methods:Sixty cases of bronchial asthma admitted to the hospital between January and December 2023 were divided into two groups using a computerized randomization method.One group of 30 cases received basic treatment with a salmeterol ticarcoson powder inhaler(control group),while the observation group received the same treatment plus a modified Dingchuan Decoction.The disappearance time of symptoms,levels of inflammatory factors,lung function indexes,and clinical efficacy were compared between the two groups.Results:The disappearance time of symptoms in the observation group was shorter than that in the control group.The levels of inflammatory factors after treatment were lower,and lung function indexes were higher in the observation group compared to the control group.Additionally,the total effective rate of treatment in the observation group was higher than that in the control group(P<0.05).Conclusion:In the clinical treatment of pediatric bronchial asthma,supplementing conventional Western medicine with a modified Dingchuan Decoction is effective,as it actively reduces inflammatory factor levels and improves lung function.

Analysis of the Effect of Non-Invasive Positive Pressure Ventilation in Emergency Treatment of Severe Bronchial Asthma with Respiratory Failure

Objective:This study aims to evaluate the clinical efficacy of non-invasive positive pressure ventilation(NIPPV)in patients with severe bronchial asthma combined with respiratory failure.Methods:90 patients with severe bronchial asthma combined with respiratory failure between September 2022 and December 2023 were selected for the study and randomly divided into the experimental group(NIPPV-assisted treatment)and the control group.The differences between the two groups were compared in terms of total effective rate of treatment,days of clinical symptom disappearance,days of hospitalization,lung function indexes,incidence of adverse reactions,and quality of life.Results:Patients in the experimental group had a significantly higher total effective rate of treatment(97.78%)than the control group(75.56%).In terms of pulmonary function indexes,patients in the experimental group showed significant improvement after treatment,especially the increase in forced expiratory volume and forced vital capacity,while these improvements were not as obvious in the control group.In addition,the incidence of adverse reactions was significantly lower in the experimental group than in the control group,suggesting that the application of NIPPV is relatively safe.Quality of life assessment also showed that patients in the experimental group had significantly better quality of life than the control group after treatment.Conclusion:This study demonstrated the effectiveness of NIPPV as an adjunctive treatment for severe bronchial asthma combined with respiratory failure.NIPPV can improve lung function,reduce the incidence of adverse effects,increase the overall effectiveness of the treatment,and contribute to the improvement of patients'quality of life.Therefore,NIPPV should be regarded as an effective and safe treatment in clinical management,especially in patients with severe bronchial asthma combined with respiratory failure,where its application has potential clinical significance.

Assessing the Impact of General Anesthesia and Bronchial Intubation in Conjunction with Thoracic Paravertebral Nerve Block on Cellular Immunity and Surgical Management in Tuberculous Pyothorax Patients

Objective:This study aims to investigate the impact of combining general anesthesia with bronchial intubation and thoracic paravertebral nerve block during surgery for patients with tuberculous pyothorax.Methods:Eighty patients diagnosed with tuberculous pyothorax,admitted to the hospital between January 2023 and September 2023,were randomly selected for this study.The patients were divided into control and study groups using a numerical table method.The control group underwent general anesthesia with bronchial intubation,while the study group received general anesthesia with bronchial intubation in conjunction with thoracic paravertebral nerve block.Subsequently,the patients were monitored to assess mean arterial pressure,heart rate variations,and adverse reactions to anesthesia.Results:The study group exhibited significantly lower mean arterial pressure and heart rate levels during the post-surgical incision,immediate end of surgery,and immediate extubation periods compared to the control group(P<0.05).Furthermore,the Ricker and Ramsay scores in the study group were significantly lower than those in the control group(P<0.05).Conclusion:The combined use of general anesthesia via bronchial intubation and thoracic paravertebral nerve block has been found to stabilize mean arterial pressure and heart rate while providing effective sedation for surgical treatment in patients with tuberculous septic thorax.

Three-dimensional Imaging of Multi-slice Spiral CT in Bronchial Artery Correlative Study on Blood Supply of Central Lung Cancer and Its Clinical Significance

Objective: To evaluate three-dimensional bronchial artery imaging charactersin central lung cancer and applied values with multi-slice spiral CT (MSCT) to provide theoreticalevidence on blood supply and intervention therapy. Methods: Eighteen patients with central lungcancer underwent MSCT with real time helical thin-slice CT scanning. Three-dimensional bronchialartery reconstruction was done at the console work-station. The space anatomical characters ofbronchial artery were observed through different rotations. Results: For 6 cases, thethree-dimensional images of bronchial artery (33.33%) could exactly show the origins, the routes(lung inner segment and mediatism segment) and the diameters of bronchial arteries. Vision rate ofbronchial arteries was the highest in pulmonary artery stricture and truncation groups, and thevessels' diameter became larger apparently. These characters demonstrated blood supply of this kindof central lung cancer come from bronchial artery. Volume rendering images were the best ones amongthree-dimensional images. Conclusion: Three-dimensional imaging with MSCT in bronchial artery canreveal the anatomical characters of bronchial artery and provide theoretical evidence on bloodsupply and intervention therapy of central lung cancer.

FDG-PET in Bronchial Alveolar Carcinoma

Objective： The purpose of this study was to assess the features of bronchial alveolar carcinoma in fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose （FDG） uptake by Positron emission tomography（PET）. Methods： From December 1998 to October 2004, 35 patients with bronchial alveolar carcinoma （BAC） were imaged with FDG-PET before surgery. The PET results were interpreted using visual and semiquantitative assessment. For semiquantitative analysis, standardized uptake value （SUV） was calculated. Results： All tumors of the patients could be detected by FDG-PET and identified by visual method. By semiquantitative analysis, FDG uptake of the tumor （SUVmax and SUVmean） was higher than that of normal lung （SUVlung） （P〈0.001）, SUVmax, SUVmean of the tumor and SUVlung were 3.14±1.65, 2.40±1.34 and 0.38±0.08 respectively. Correlations were found between FDG uptake and tumor size （P〈0.05）. SUVmean in 21 tumors （21/35, 60.0%） and SUVmax in 15 tumors （15/35, 42.9%） were lower than 2.5. These 21 tumors were all considered as benign by visual method and semiquantitative analysis. Conclusion： （1） FDG uptake was higher in bronchial alveolar carcinoma than that in normal lung tissue. （2） FDG uptake and tumor size appear to be correlated with each other. （3） Bronchial alveolar carcinomas lead to many false negative cases in FDG-PET.

Nasobronchial interaction

Upper and lower airways can be considered as a unifiedmorphofunctional unit. In this paper, nasobronchial interactions are evaluated based on literature.To discuss nasobronchial interactions, literature review from Pub Med since 1982 is evaluated. Data base was including the terms "nasobronchial interaction, nasal and bronchial". Asthma and rhinosinusitis may be associated with environmental factors and immunological predisposition. Treatment of rhinosinusitis may decrease asthma exacerbations. It was concluded that "one airway, one disease"-concept may be accepted when considering naso-bronchial interaction. Asthma treatment should also mean treating the nose as good as treating patients with nasal symptoms. To reach the succesful results it should be associated with evaluation of lung functions.

Management and outcome of bronchial trauma due to blunt versus penetrating injuries

BACKGROUND The number of patients with bronchial trauma(BT)who survived to hospital admission has increased with the improvement of prehospital care;early diagnosis and treatment should be considered,especially among blunt trauma patients,whose diagnosis is frequently delayed.AIM To describe the early recognition and surgical management considerations of blunt and penetrating BTs,and to elaborate the differences between them.METHODS All patients with BTs during the past 15 years were reviewed,and data were retrospectively analyzed regarding the mechanism of injury,diagnostic and therapeutic procedures,and outcomes.According to the injury mechanisms,the patients were divided into two groups:Blunt BT(BBT)group and penetrating BT(PBT)group.The injury severity,treatment procedures,and prognoses of the two groups were compared.RESULTS A total of 73 patients with BT were admitted during the study period.The proportion of BTs among the entire cohort with chest trauma was 2.4%(73/3018),and all 73 underwent thoracotomy.Polytrauma patients accounted for 81.6% in the BBT group and 22.9%in the PBT group,and the mean Injury Severity Score was 38.22±8.13 and 21.33±6.12,respectively.Preoperative three-dimensional spiral computed tomography(CT)and/or fiberoptic bronchoscopy(FB)were performed in 92.1% of cases in the BBT group(n=38)and 34.3% in the PBT group(n=35).In the BBT group,a delay in diagnosis for over 48 h occurred in 55.3% of patients.In the PBT group,31 patients underwent emergency thoracotomy due to massive hemothorax,and BT was confirmed during the operation.Among them,22 underwent pulmo-tractotomy for hemostasis,avoiding partial pneumonectomy.In this series,the overall mortality rate was 6.9%(5/73),and it was 7.9%(3/38)and 5.7%(2/35)in the BBT group and PBT group,respectively(P>0.05).All 68 survivors were followed for 6 to 42(23±6.4)mo,and CT,FB,and pulmonary function examinations were performed as planned.All patients exhibited normal lung function and healthy conditions except three who required reoperations.CONCLUSION The difference between blunt and penetrating BTs is obvious.In BBT,patients generally have no vessel injury,and the diagnosis is easily missed,leading to delayed treatment.The main cause of death is ventilation disturbance due to tension pneumothorax early and refractory atelectasis with pneumonia late.However,in PBT,most patients require emergency thoracotomy because of simultaneous vessel trauma and massive hemothorax,and delays in diagnosis are infrequent.The leading cause of death is hemorrhagic shock.

Regulating effect of glycyrrhetinic acid on bronchial asthma smooth muscle proliferation and apoptosis as well as inflammatory factor expression through ERK1/2 signaling pathway

Objective: To study the influence of glycyrrhetinic acid(GA) on bronchial asthma(BA)smooth muscle proliferation and apoptosis as well as inflammatory factor expression and its molecular mechanism.Methods: Male SD guinea pigs were selected and made into asthma models, bronchial asthma smooth muscle cells were cultured and divided into BA group, GA group and GA + LM group that were treated with serum-free RPMI1640 culture medium, serumfree RPMI1640 culture medium containing 50 ng/mL glycyrrhetinic acid, serum-free RPMI1640 culture medium containing 50 ng/mL glycyrrhetinic acid and 100 ng/mL LM22B-10 respectively; normal guinea pigs were collected and bronchial smooth muscle cells were cultured as control group. The cell proliferation activity as well as the expression of proliferation and apoptosis genes, inflammatory factors and p-ERK1/2 was determined.Results: Proliferation activity value and m RNA expression of Bcl-2, TNF-α, IL-4, IL-6,YKL-40, protein expression of p-ERK1/2 of airway smooth muscle cell in BA group were significantly higher than those of control group while m RNA expression levels of Bax,caspase-9 as well as caspase-3 were significantly lower than that of control group(P < 0.05); proliferation activity value and m RNA expression of Bcl-2, TNF-α, IL-4, IL-6, YKL-40, protein expression of p-ERK1/2 of airway smooth muscle cell in GA group were significantly lower than those of BA group(P < 0.05) while the m RNA expression levels of Bax, caspase-9 as well as caspase-3 were significantly higher than those of BA group(P < 0.05); proliferation activity value and m RNA expression of Bcl-2, TNF-α, IL-4, IL-6, YKL-40 of airway smooth muscle cell in GA + LM group were significantly higher than those of GA group(P < 0.05) while m RNA expression levels of Bax, caspase-9 as well as caspase-3 were significantly lower that of GA group(P < 0.05).Conclusion: GA can inhibit the proliferation of bronchial smooth muscle cells and reduce the expression of inflammatory factors by inhibiting the phosphorylation of ERK1/2.

Relationship between Apoptosis and E-cadherin Expression in Bronchial Epithelium of Smoking Mouse

To investigate whether apoptosis is associated with cell adhesion in bronchial epithelium, and whether it contributes to the kinetics of injury and repair of surface epithelia, this study was performed for E-cadherin expression by using immunohistochemistry technique and for apoptosis by TUNEL method An animal model of smoking was used for this study The results showed that epithelial cells with membrane anchored E-cadherin decreased remarkably at several time points during 6 months of exposure to smoke ( P< 0 01) and then restored to normal level This fluctuation was associated exclusively with the alteration in number of apoptotic cells ( P <0 01) There was no significant difference in activation of nuclear transcription factor NF-kappa B among groups ( P> 0 05) All these suggested that apoptosis is associated with E-cadherin expression in bronchial epithelium of smoking mouse

Aortic ostia of the bronchial arteries and tracheal bifurcation:MDCT analysis

AIM:To explore the anatomical relationships between bronchial artery and tracheal bifurcation using computed tomography angiography (CTA).METHODS:One hundred consecutive patients (84 men,16 women;aged 46-85 years) who underwent CTA using multi-detector row CT (MDCT) were investigated retrospectively.The distance between sites of bronchial artery ostia and tracheal bifurcation,and dividing directions were explored.The directions of division from the descending aorta were described as on a clock face.RESULTS:We identified ostia of 198 bronchial arteries:95 right bronchial arteries,67 left bronchial arteries,36 common trunk arteries.Of these,172 (87%) divided from the descending aorta,25 (13%) from the aortic arch,and 1 (0.5%) from the left subclavian artery.The right,left,and common trunk bronchial arteries divided at-1 to 2 cm from tracheal bifurcation with frequencies of 77% (73/95),82% (54/66),and 70% (25/36),respectively.The dividing direction of right bronchial arteries from the descending aorta was 9 to 10 o’clock with a frequency of 81% (64/79);that of left and common tract bronchial arteries was 11 to 1 o’clock with frequencies of 70% (43/62) and 77% (24/31),respectively.CONCLUSION:CTA using MDCT provides details of the relation between bronchial artery ostia and tracheal bifurcation.

Modern imaging of the tracheo-bronchial tree

Recent state-of-the-art computed tomography and improved three-dimensional(3-D) postprocessing techniques have revolutionized the capability of visualizing airway pathology,offering physicians an advanced view of pathology and allowing for appropriate management planning.This article is a comprehensive review of trachea and main bronchi imaging,with emphasis on the dynamic airway anatomy,and a discussion of a wide variety of diseases including,but not limited to,congenital large airway abnormalities,tracheobronchial stenoses,benign and malignant neoplasms and tracheobronchomalacia.The importance of multiplanar reconstruction,3-D reconstruction and incorporation of dynamic imaging for non-invasive evaluation of the large airways is stressed.

Malignant Transformation and Abnormal Expression of Eukaryotic Initiation Factor in Bronchial Epithelial Cells Induced by Cadmium Chloride

Objective To analyze the relationship between malignant transformation and abnormal expression of eukaryotic initiation factor 3 （eIF3 p36） in human bronchial epithelial （16HBE） cells induced by cadmium chloride （CdCl2）. Methods 16HBE cells were treated several times with different concentrations of CdCl2. Tumorigenic potential of transformed cells was identified by assays for anchorage-independent growth in soft agar and for tumorigenicity in nude mice after the 35th passage. Total RNA was isolated from 16HBE cells induced by CdC12, including non-transformed, Cd-transformed, and Cd-tumorigenic cell lines. Special primers for eIF3 p36 were designed and the expression of eIF3 mRNA in different cell lines was detected with fluorescent quantitative-polymerase chain reaction technique （FQ-PCR）. Results The 35th passage of 16HBE cells transformed by CdCl2 exhibited overlapping growth. Compared with the non-transformed cells, colonies of transformed cell lines in soft agar showed statistically significant increases and dose-dependent effects （P〈0.01）. All Cd-induced transformed cell lines formed rumors in nude mice within 2 weeks of inoculation, but none of the mice injected with non-transformed cells showed tumors even after 3 weeks. All tumors were pathologically identified as poorly differentiated squamous cell carcinoma. The eIF3 p36 genes in different stages of 16HBE cells transformed by CdCl2 were elevated as compared with the non-transformed control （P〈0.01）, and the eIF3 expression increased with the degree of cell malignancy. Conclusion CdCl2 is capable of inducing morphological transformation in 16HBE cells and transformed cells are potentially tumorigenic. Over-expression of eIF3 p36 is positively correlated with malignant transformation of 16HBE cells induced by CdCl2 and may be one of the molecular mechanisms potentially responsible for carcinogenesis due to Cd.

Tuberculous esophagomediastinal fistula with concomitant mediastinal bronchial artery aneurysm-acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding: A case report

BACKGROUND Esophagomediastinal fistula is a very rare complication of tuberculosis in otherwise healthy adults, and mediastinal bronchial artery aneurysm is even rarer. In this case report, we describe a rare case of tuberculosis complication that presented with acute upper gastrointestinal(GI) bleeding. It also highlights the benefits of chest computed tomography(CT) as an excellent adjunct diagnostic tool to endoscopy and bronchoscopy and the role of trans-arterial embolization as a minimal invasive therapy alternative to surgery.CASE SUMMARY A 19-year-old medically free male patient presented with acute multiple episodes of hematemesis for 1 d. Upper GI endoscopy, bronchoscopy, and chest CT with IV contrast confirmed esophagomediastinal fistula with mediastinal bronchial artery aneurysm. After resuscitating patient with IV fluid and blood product transfusion, trans catheter embolization was performed for mediastinal bronchial artery aneurysm.CONCLUSION We successfully treated a patient with acute upper GI bleeding due to tuberculous esophagomediastinal fistula and mediastinal bronchial artery aneurysm using transcatheter coil embolization.

Roles of Rho/Rock Signaling Pathway in Silica-induced Epithelial-mesenchymal Transition in Human Bronchial Epithelial Cells

Objective To investigate the roles of Rho/Rock signaling pathway in silica-induced Epithelial-mesenchymal transition （EMT） in human bronchial epithelial cells （BEC） in vitro. Methods Human BEC were incubated with silica with various concentrations for indicated times. Cell viability was assayed by MTT test. Morphologic Changes were observed by microscope. Mesenchymal marker a-smooth muscle actin （a-SMA）, vimentin （Vim）, and epithelial marker E-cadherin （E-cad） were analyzed by Western Blot. The pull-down assay was used to measure Rho activity. In the prevention experiments, the specific inhibitor for Rho effector ROCK （Y27632） was used to inhibit the activity of Rho. Results Human BEC stimulated with silica were converted from a ＂cobblestone＂ epithelial structure into an elongated fibroblast-like shape structure. Incubation of human BEC with silica induced de novo expression of a-SMA and Vim, and loss of E-cad. Also, silica treatment resulted in Rho activation in human BEC. Y27632 up-regulated the E-cad expression but attenuated a-SMA and Vim expression in silica-stimulated cells. Conclusion The activation of Rho/ROCK signaling pathways is most likely involved in Silica-induced EMT in human bronchial epithelial cells.

The cross-talk between family and pediatrician: The case of bronchial asthma

Today the most important challenge facing the pediatrician is the increasing prevalence of chronic diseases. With this regard, pediatricians play a key role in the management of these conditions. The closeness with the family, the knowledge of the clinical case and the care continuity allow the pediatrician to acquire a position of director of every case. When pathological events have a chronic feature, suddenly the quality of life of the whole family changes. For this reason the first communication of chronic disease is very important and the task of the pediatrician should be to provide a positive message to help the family in facing the difficulty of this new challenge. The bronchial asthma is the most common chronic disease worldwide. The incidence, the prevalence, and the mortality of the disease have increased in children over the past decades. These trends are particularly marked above all in preschool children. The success reached by Pediatricians is closely related to the compliance and the implementation of the therapy followed by the little patient and his family. With this regard authors, in this review, focus on the illustration of several strategies, based on the pediatrician’ skills and medicine documents, that can be used for the improvement of communication among pedia- trician-family and child, never forgetting the hu- man aspect of the same doctor, that should con- ciliate with the scientific knowledge in the taking care of a specific chronic disease.

Alterations of FHIT Gene and P16 Gene in Nickel Transformed Human Bronchial Epithelial Cells

Objective To study the alterations of FHIT gene and P16 gene in malignant transformed human bronchial epithelial cells induced by crystalline nickel sulfide using an immortal human bronchial epithelial cell line, and to explore the molecular mechanism of nickel carcinogenesis. Methods 16HBE cells were treated 6 times with different concentrations of NiS in vitro, and the degree of malignant transformation was determined by assaying the anchorage-independent growth and tumorigenicity. Malignant transformed cells and tumorigenic cells were examined for alterations of FHIT gene and P16 gene using RT-PCR, DNA sequencing, silver staining PCR-SSCP and Western blotting. Results NiS-treated cells exhibited overlapping growth. Compared wkh that of negative control cells, soft agar colony formation efficiency of NiS-treated cells showed significant increases （P〈0.01） and dose-dependent effects. NiS-treated cells could form tumors in nude mice, and a squamous cell carcinoma was confirmed by histopathological examination. No mutation of exon 2 and exons 2-3, no abnormal expression in pl6 gene and mutation of FHIT exons 5-8 and exons 1-4 or exons 5-9 were observed in transformed cells and tumorigenic cells. However, aberrant transcripts or loss of expression of the FHIT gene and Fhit protein was observed in transformed cells and tumorigenic cells. One of the aberrant transcripts in the FHIT gene was confirmed to have a deletion of exon 6, exon 7, exon 8, and an insertion of a 36 bp sequence replacing exon 6-8. Conclusions The FHIT gene rather than the P16 gene, plays a definite role in nickel carcinogenesis. Alterations of the FHIT gene induced by crystalline NiS may be a molecular event associated with carcinogen, chromosome fragile site instability and cell malignant transformation. FHIT may be an important target gene activated by nickel and other exotic carcinogens.

Possible Role of DNA Polymerase beta in Protecting Human Bronchial Epithelial Cells Against Cytotoxicity of Hydroquinone

Objective To explore the toxicological mechanism of hydroquinone in human bronchial epithelial cells and to investigate whether DNA polymerase beta is involved in protecting cells from damage caused by hydroquinone. Methods DNA polymerase beta knock-down cell line was established via RNA interference as an experimental group. Normal human bronchial epithelial cells and cells transfected with the empty vector of pEGFP-C1 were used as controls. Cells were treated with different concentrations of hydroquinone （ranged from 10 μmol/L to 120 μmol/L） for 4 hours. MTT assay and Comet assay [single-cell gel electrophoresis （SCGE）] were performed respectively to detect the toxicity of hydroquinone. Results assay showed that DNA polymerase beta knock-down cells treated with different concentrations of hydroquinone had a lower absorbance value at 490 nm than the control cells in a dose-dependant manner. Comet assay revealed that different concentrations of hydroquinone caused more severe DNA damage in DNA polymerase beta knock-down cell line than in control cells and there was no significant difference in the two control groups. Conclusions Hydroquinone has significant toxicity to human bronchial epithelial cells and causes DNA damage. DNA polymerase beta knock-down cell line appears more sensitive to hydroquinone than the control cells. The results suggest that DNA polymerase beta is involved in protecting cells from damage caused by hydroquinone.