Clinical features and prognostic significance of tumor involved with subventricular zone in pediatric glioblastoma: a 10-year experience in a single hospital.

PURPOSE: Tumors involved with subventricular zone (SVZ) predicted an adverse prognosis had been well proved in adult glioblastoma (GBM). However, we still know less about its impact on children due to the rarity of pediatric glioblastoma (pGBM). We performed this retrospective study to better understand the clinical and prognostic features of pGBM involved with SVZ. METHODS: Fifty-two patients diagnosed with pGBM at our center between January 2011 and January 2021 were selected for review to demonstrate the characteristics of tumor contacting SVZ. Thirty patients who underwent concurrent chemoradiotherapy and adjuvant chemotherapy postoperatively were selected for survival analysis. RESULTS: Of all the 52 patients, 21 were found to contact SVZ and 31 were not. The median PFS and OS in SVZ + patients were 5.2 and 8.9 months, respectively, whereas median PFS and OS were 11.9 and 17.9 months, respectively, in SVZ - patients. Multivariate analysis showed that involvement of SVZ was an independent prognostic factor for OS while focality at diagnosis was an independent prognostic factor for PFS. Tumors contacted with SVZ tend to have larger volumes, lower incidence of epilepsy, and lower total resect rate and they were more likely to originate from midline location. Age at diagnosis; gender; adjuvant therapy; focality at diagnosis; focality at relapse; mutational status of H3K27M, MGMT, IDH1, and IDH2; and expression of P53 and ATRX protein failed to characterize SVZ + patients. CONCLUSION: Involvement of SVZ predicted worse OS in pGBM and it had some distinct clinical features in comparison with those that did not contact with SVZ. Multifocal tumor at diagnosis was related to a shorter PFS. We should make a further step to clarify its molecular features.

Near infrared light fluorescence imaging-guided biomimetic nanoparticles of extracellular vesicles deliver indocyanine green and paclitaxel for hyperthermia combined with chemotherapy against glioma.

BACKGROUND: We investigated the therapeutic effect of targeting extracellular vesicles (EVs) loaded with indocyanine green (ICG) and paclitaxel (PTX) on glioma. METHODS: Raw264.7 cells were harvested to extract EVs for the preparation of ICG/PTX@RGE-EV by electroporation and click chemistry. We evaluated the success of modifying Neuropilin-1 targeting peptide (RGE) on the EV membrane of ICG/PTX@RGE-EV using super-resolution fluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry. Spectrophotometry and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) were implemented for qualitative and quantitative analysis of the ICG and PTX loaded in EVs. Photothermal properties of the vesicles were evaluated by exposing to 808-nm laser light. Western blot analysis, cell counting kit 8 (CCK-8), Calcein Acetoxymethyl Ester/propidium iodide (Calcein-AM/PI) staining, and flow cytometry were utilized for assessing effects of vesicle treatment on cellular behaviors. A nude mouse model bearing glioma was established to test the targeting ability and anti-tumor action of ICG/PTX@RGE-EV in vivo. RESULTS: Under exposure to 808-nm laser light, ICG/PTX@RGE-EV showed good photothermal properties and promotion of PTX release from EVs. ICG/PTX@RGE-EV effectively targeted U251 cells, with activation of the Caspase-3 pathway and elevated apoptosis in U251 cells through chemotherapy combined with hyperthermia. The anti-tumor function of ICG/PTX@RGE-EV was confirmed in the glioma mice via increased accumulation of PTX in the ICG/PTX@RGE-EV group and an increased median survival of 48 days in the ICG/PTX@RGE-EV group as compared to 25 days in the PBS group. CONCLUSION: ICG/PTX@RGE-EV might actively target glioma to repress tumor growth by accelerating glioma cell apoptosis through combined chemotherapy-hyperthermia.

Pre-pregnancy BMI, gestational weight gain and postpartum weight retention: a meta-analysis of observational studies.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the association of gestational weight gain (GWG) or pre-pregnancy BMI with postpartum weight retention (PPWR). DESIGN: Meta-analysis. SETTING: PubMed, Cochrane Controlled Trials Register, EMBASE, Science Citation Index Expanded, Current Contents Connects and Biosis Previews were used to search articles. SUBJECTS: Publications that described the influence of pre-pregnancy BMI or GWG on PPWR. RESULTS: Seventeen studies that satisfied the eligibility criteria were included in the analyses. Women with inadequate and excessive GWG had significantly lower mean PPWR of -2·14 kg (95 % CI -2·43, -1·85 kg) and higher PPWR of 3·21 kg (95 % CI 2·79, 3·62 kg), respectively, than women with adequate GWG. When postpartum time spans were stratified into 1-3 months, 3-6 months, 6-12 months, 12-36 months and ≥15 years, the association between inadequate GWG and PPWR faded over time and became insignificant (-1·42 kg; 95 % CI -3·08, 0·24 kg) after ≥15 years. However, PPWR in women with excess GWG exhibited a U-shaped trend; that is, a decline during the early postpartum time span (year 1) and then an increase in the following period. Meta-analysis of qualitative studies showed a significant relationship between excessive GWG and higher PPWR risk (OR=2·08; 95 % CI 1·60, 2·70). Moreover, meta-analysis of pre-pregnancy BMI on PPWR indicated that mean PPWR decreased with increasing BMI group. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that GWG, rather than pre-pregnancy BMI, determines the shorter- or longer-term PPWR.

[Postpartum weight retention in Beijing, Suzhou and Guangzhou women and its associated factors].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prevalence of postpartum weight retention (PPWR) in urban Chinese women, and to explore its associated factors. METHODS: Cluster sampling methods were used to select a total of 6 hospitals in Beijing, Guangzhou and Suzhou. A total of 578 women in the 0 - 1 months, 1 - 2 months, 2 - 4 months and 4 - 8 months postpartum participated in this study. Anthropometric indicators of height and weight were measured for each participant. Questionnaire was used to obtain the sociodemographic characteristics. Maternal information of pre-pregnancy weight and gestational weight gain were obtained by medical records. RESULTS: The pre-pregnancy BMI of participants was (20. 8 ± 2. 7), while postpartum BMI was (23. 4 ± 3. 2). PPWR decreased over time, however, 53. 4% of women had PPWR over 5kg at the 4 - 8 months postpartum. 32. 6% of women were overweight or obese at 4 - 8 months postpartum. Women with PPWR >0kg at 4 - 8 months postpartum had a higher gestational weight gain ((16.5 ± 5.5) kg) compared to those with PPWR≤0 kg ((13.0 ±4.7) kg). Women with higher education experience had a higher proportion of weight retention over 0 kg at 4 - 8 month postpartum. CONCLUSION: PPWR is a serious health and nutritional problem in Chinese women, where excess in gestational weight gain is associated with PPWR. To improve the health and lifestyle of perinatal women, a comprehensive health education and health intervention should be explored.

Bitter gourd inhibits the development of obesity-associated fatty liver in C57BL/6 mice fed a high-fat diet.

Bitter gourd (BG) is a popular fruit in Asia with numerous well-known medicinal uses, including as an antidiabetic. In the current study, we aimed to explore the effects of BG on mitochondrial function during the development of obesity-associated fatty liver. C57BL/6 mice were divided into 4 experimental groups: mice fed a normal diet (control; included for reference only), mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD), and mice fed an HFD supplemented with freeze-dried BG powder through daily gavage at doses of 0.5 (HFD+0.5BG) and 5 (HFD+5BG) g/kg, respectively. After 16 wk, mice in the HFD+5BG group showed less body and tissue weight gain and less hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia compared with those in the HFD group (P < 0.05). In both HFD+0.5BG and HFD+5BG groups, serum interleukin-6 concentration was lower than that in the HFD group (P < 0.02). The serum C-reactive protein concentration was lower in the HFD+5BG group compared with the HFD group (P < 0.04). An analysis of liver tissue revealed lower liver triglyceride and cholesterol concentrations in both HFD+0.5BG and HFD+5BG groups than in the HFD group (P < 0.01). The HFD+5BG group had less activation of the sterol regulatory element binding protein/fatty acid synthase (SREBP-1/FAS) pathway, greater superoxide dismutase activity, and less total protein and mitochondrial protein oxidation than did the HFD group (P < 0.05). Mitochondrial complex I, II, III, and V activity was greater in the HFD+0.5BG group than in the HFD group (P < 0.03). The HFD+5BG group only had greater complex V activity compared with the HFD group (P < 0.05). Mitochondrial dynamics regulators, including dynamin related protein 1 (DRP1) and mitofusin 1 (MFN1), as well as proapoptotic protein expression levels were restored by BG treatment (P < 0.02). Taken together, our results suggest that BG prevents inflammation and oxidative stress, modulates mitochondrial activity, suppresses apoptosis activation, and inhibits lipid accumulation during the development of fatty liver.

Effect of probiotic fermented milk on blood pressure: a meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.

Previous studies have suggested that probiotic fermented milk may possess blood pressure (BP)-lowering properties. In the present study, we aimed to systematically examine the effect of probiotic fermented milk on BP by conducting a meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. PubMed, Cochrane library and the ClinicalTrials.gov databases were searched up to March 2012 to identify eligible studies.The reference lists of the obtained articles were also reviewed. Either a fixed-effects or a random-effects model was used to calculate the combined treatment effect. Meta-analysis of fourteen randomised placebo-controlled trials involving 702 participants showed that probiotic fermented milk, compared with placebo, produced a significant reduction of 3·10 mmHg (95% CI 24·64, 21·56) in systolic BP and 1·09 mmHg (95% CI 22·11, 20·06) in diastolic BP. Subgroup analyses suggested a slightly greater effect on systolic BP in hypertensive participants than in normotensive ones (23·98 v. 22·09 mmHg). Analysis of trials conducted in Japan showed a greater reduction than those conducted in European countries for both systolic BP (26·12 v. 22·08 mmHg) and diastolic BP (23·45 v. 20·52 mmHg). Some evidence of publication bias was present, but sensitivity analysis excluding small trials that reported extreme results only affected the pooled effect size minimally. In summary, the present meta-analysis suggested that probiotic fermented milk has BP-lowering effects in pre-hypertensive and hypertensive subjects.

Clinical features and surgical management of four peculiar cases of intracranial metastases from renal cell carcinoma.

Intracranial metastasis from renal cell carcinoma is rare. In this study, four patients (age range 56-72 years) were treated for intracranial metastases from renal cell carcinoma. The metastasis was solitary in all four patients and was located in the temporoparietal region in two patients, cerebellum in one patient, and bilateral lateral ventricles in one patient. Preoperative magnetic resonance imaging showed hemorrhage and necrosis in the tumor in all four patients, and one patient had edema in the region of the tumor. All patients were treated with craniotomy for tumor resection, and histopathologic examination showed clear cell carcinoma. Marked bleeding occurred in all patients during the operation, but preoperative direct injection of ethanol into epidural metastases (2 patients) was effective in decreasing intraoperative blood loss. Prognosis was poor with limited survival time (range 2 weeks-45 months), but prognosis was best in the two patients who were treated with postoperative radiation therapy and chemotherapy (survival times 26 and 45 months). To our knowledge, this is the largest report of four uncommon intracranial metastases from RCC in Chinese patients. In summary, intracranial metastasis from renal cell carcinoma should be considered in the differential diagnosis of intracranial tumor because of the high risk of bleeding and poor prognosis.

Effect of oral L-arginine supplementation on blood pressure: a meta-analysis of randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies suggest that L-arginine, an amino acid and a substrate of nitric oxide synthase, may have blood pressure (BP)-lowering effect. Because some studies were performed with limited number of patients with hypertension and therefore limited statistical power with sometimes inconsistent results, we aimed to examine the effect of oral L-arginine supplementation on BP by conducting a meta-analysis of randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials. METHODS: PubMed, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and the ClinicalTrials.gov databases were searched through June 2011 to identify randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials of oral L-arginine supplementation on BP in humans. We also reviewed reference lists of obtained articles. Either a fixed-effects or, in the presence of heterogeneity, a random-effects model was used to calculate the combined treatment effect. RESULTS: We included 11 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials involving 387 participants with oral L-arginine intervention ranging from 4 to 24 g/d. Compared with placebo, L-arginine intervention significantly lowered systolic BP by 5.39 mm Hg (95% CI -8.54 to -2.25, P = .001) and diastolic BP by 2.66 mm Hg (95% CI -3.77 to -1.54, P < .001). Sensitivity analyses restricted to trials with a duration of 4 weeks or longer and to trials in which participants did not use antihypertensive medications yielded similar results. Meta-regression analysis suggested an inverse, though insignificant (P = .13), relation between baseline systolic BP and net change in systolic BP. CONCLUSIONS: This meta-analysis provides further evidence that oral L-arginine supplementation significantly lowers both systolic and diastolic BP.

Gender-related difference of sevoflurane postconditioning in isolated rat hearts: focus on phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase/Akt signaling.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have reported that female gender confers cardioprotection against ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury, partly because estrogen activates phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase/Akt (PI3K/Akt) pathway. We have previously proven that cardioprotection of sevoflurane postconditioning is mediated by PI3K/Akt pathway in male rats. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether the cardioprotection of sevoflurane postconditioning is influenced by gender, and the role of PI3K/Akt pathway in such gender difference. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Isolated hearts from 2-mo-old male and female SD rats were subjected to ischemia for 40 min and reperfusion for 2 h in the Langendorff apparatus, and were randomly assigned to the following groups: no ischemia/reperfusion (CON), ischemia/reperfusion (I/R), I/R+sevoflurane postconditioning (I/R+SPC), I/R+100 nM wortmannin (I/R+WOR), and I/R+SPC+WOR. Postconditioning was performed with administration of 3.0% sevoflurane at the first 10 min of reperfusion. Left ventricular developed pressure (LVDP), left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP), and myocardial lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release were measured. Infarct size was detected by riphenyltetrazolium chloride staining. The protein expression of total Akt (t-Akt) and phosphorylated Akt (Ser(473)) (p-Akt) were determined by Western blot. RESULTS: The I/R group showed lower LVDP and higher LVEDP than CON group in the same gender during reperfusion period. The LDH release and infarct size were smaller in the female I/R group (P < 0.05 versus male I/R group). Sevoflurane postconditioning markedly improved left ventricular function and decreased LDH, infarct size in the male I/R+SPC group (P < 0.05 versus male I/R group) but not in the female I/R+SPC group. Wortmannin abolished the cardioprotection of sevoflurane postconditioning in the male I/R+SPC+Wort group (P < 0.05 versus male I/R+SPC group), and markedly increased the infarct size and LVEDP and decreased LVDP in female rats. The t-Akt protein expression was no significant difference in all groups. The ratio of p-Akt/t-Akt expression in the male CON group was a little lower than that in the female CON group, but there was no statistical significance. In male rats, the ratio of p-Akt/t-Akt was no difference between CON and I/R group, but it was higher in I/R+SPC group than that in I/R group (P < 0.05). In female rats, the level of p-Akt was markedly increased by I/R, which was markedly higher than that in male I/R group (P < 0.05). However, p-Akt was not different between I/R and I/R+SPC groups. Wortmannin decreased the p-Akt expression in both male and female rats. CONCLUSIONS: It is concluded that female rat hearts showed greater resistance to I/R injury, and sevoflurane postconditioning developed cardioprotection in male rats but not in female rats. The PI3K/Akt pathway may be involved in the cardioprotection by both sevoflurane postconditioning and gender.

Goji berry effects on macular characteristics and plasma antioxidant levels.

PURPOSE: Goji berry (Lycium barbarum L.) is purported to benefit vision because of its high antioxidant (especially zeaxanthin) content, although this effect has not been demonstrated in high-quality human studies. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of daily supplementation with a proprietary milk-based formulation of goji berry, Lacto-Wolfberry (LWB), on macular characteristics and plasma zeaxanthin and antioxidant capacity levels in elderly subjects. METHODS: This was a double-masked, randomized, placebo-controlled trial in healthy elderly subjects (range, 65 to 70 years) receiving 13.7 g/d of LWB (n = 75) or placebo (n = 75) for 90 days. Subjects underwent direct ophthalmic examination to assess pigmentation and soft drusen count in the macula and a blood draw to measure plasma zeaxanthin level and total antioxidant capacity. RESULTS: The placebo group demonstrated hypopigmentation and soft drusen accumulation in the macula, whereas the LWB group remained stable. Both plasma zeaxanthin level and antioxidant capacity increased significantly in the LWB group, by 26% and 57%, respectively, but did not change in the placebo group. No product-related adverse events were reported in either group. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, daily dietary supplementation with goji berry for 90 days increases plasma zeaxanthin and antioxidant levels as well as protects from hypopigmentation and soft drusen accumulation in the macula of elderly subjects. However, the mechanism of action is unclear, given the lack of relationship between change in plasma zeaxanthin and change in macular characteristics.

Clinical Features and Prognostic Factors of Pediatric Glioblastoma: Report of 38 Cases.

OBJECTIVE: To better characterize children with glioblastoma, assess outcomes, and identify prognostic factors associated with overall survival and progression-free survival in a relatively large cohort from a single institution. METHODS: For this retrospective review, 38 pediatric patients with a diagnosis of glioblastoma who were treated at The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University between January 2015 and January 2020 were selected. Clinical and pathological characteristics, imaging, treatment, and survival variables were compared. RESULTS: There were 24 boys and 14 girls with a median age of 11.5 years (range, 3-18 years). All patients underwent surgery, with gross total resection in 16 and subtotal resection in 22. Of patients, 18 received radiation combined with chemotherapy, 6 received radiation or chemotherapy alone, and 14 did not receive any adjuvant therapy. Contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging of 21 patients showed rim enhancement, while heterogeneous enhancement was shown on imaging of the other 17 patients. Tumors were observed in hemispheric locations in 19 cases and in central locations in the others. Median overall survival was 10.5 months with a median progression-free survival of 6 months. Extent of resection, adjuvant therapy, and original site of tumor were identified as independent predictors for progression-free survival and overall survival on multivariate analysis. There were significant differences in prognosis among different enhancement characteristics; patients with rim-enhancing tumors had a better prognosis. CONCLUSIONS: Pediatric glioblastoma carries a dismal prognosis. Maximum safe resection followed by adjuvant radiation with chemotherapy is considered standard treatment. Better outcomes are associated with hemispheric tumor locations and rim enhancement on magnetic resonance imaging.

A milk-based wolfberry preparation prevents prenatal stress-induced cognitive impairment of offspring rats, and inhibits oxidative damage and mitochondrial dysfunction in vitro.

Lycium barbarum (Fructus Lycii, Wolfberry, or Gouqi) belongs to the Solanaceae. The red-colored fruits of L. barbarum have been used for a long time as an ingredient in Chinese cuisine and brewing, and also in traditional Chinese herbal medicine for improving health. However, its effects on cognitive function have not been well studied. In the present study, prevention of a milk-based wolfberry preparation (WP) on cognitive dysfunction was tested in a prenatal stress model with rats and the antioxidant mechanism was tested by in vitro experiments. We found that prenatal stress caused a significant decrease in cognitive function (Morris water maze test) in female offspring. Pretreatment of the mother rats with WP significantly prevented the prenatal stress-induced cognitive dysfunction. In vitro studies showed that WP dose-dependently scavenged hydroxyl and superoxide radicals (determined by an electron spin resonance spectrometric assay), and inhibited FeCl(2)/ascorbic acid-induced dysfunction in brain tissue and tissue mitochondria, including increases in reactive oxygen species and lipid peroxidation and decreases in the activities of complex I, complex II, and glutamate cysteine ligase. These results suggest that dietary supplementation with WP may be an effective strategy for preventing the brain oxidative mitochondrial damage and cognitive dysfunction associated with prenatal stress.

Supratentorial Cortical Ependymomas: A Retrospective Series of 13 Cases at a Single Center.

OBJECTIVE: Cortical ependymomas (CEs), supratentorial ependymomas that selectively involve the cerebral cortex, are relatively rare neoplasms that have not been extensively described. The purpose of our study was to identify the clinical features, radiologic characteristics, and treatment of a series of such tumors. METHODS: Thirteen patients with CEs from our hospital were included in this study. Epidemiologic characteristics, clinical features, imaging findings, treatment methods, and clinical outcomes were reviewed retrospectively. RESULTS: The patients consisted of 7 men and 6 women with mean age of 31.1 ± 23.2 years (range, 4-74 years). The most common clinical manifestation was seizure (n = 11; 85%), followed by headache (n = 2; 15%). None of the tumors were incidentally detected. Eight CEs were located in the right hemisphere and 5 in the left side. The 2 most common tumor locations were the frontal (n = 5; 38%) and parietal lobe (n = 5; 38%). All patients underwent surgical resection. Gross total resection was achieved in 12 patients (92%), and subtotal resection was performed in 1 patient (8%). Ten of the 11 patients who presented with seizure are seizure-free after surgery (91% seizure-free rate). According to the World Health Organization classification system, 9 tumors (69%) were Grade II (ependymoma) and 4 (31%) were Grade III (anaplastic ependymoma). The mean follow-up was 52 months (range, 20-88 months). No recurrence was observed in patients with Grade II CEs. Of 4 patients with Grade III CEs, 2 (50%) suffered from tumor recurrence after initial treatment. CONCLUSIONS: CEs are a rare subset of supratentorial ependymomas that selectively involve the cerebral cortex. Most CEs are low grade and present with seizures. Anaplastic CEs show a greater recurrence rate and a relatively poor prognosis. Gross total resection with or without adjuvant radiotherapy is currently the optimal treatment for CEs. CEs seem to have a more favorable prognosis than other supratentorial ependymomas.

Supratentorial extraventricular ependymomas: A retrospective study focused on long-term outcomes and prognostic factors.

OBJECTIVE: Supratentorial extraventricular ependymomas are relatively rare. Long-term outcomes and prognostic factor for this rare tumor have not been well established. The purpose of this study was to demonstrateprogression-freesurvival(PFS),overallsurvival(OS), and prognostic factors of such tumor. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Fifty-five patients with supratentorial extraventricular ependymomas from our hospital were included in this study. Epidemiological characteristics, clinical features, treatment,long-term outcomes, and prognostic factors for PFS and OS were reviewed retrospectively. RESULTS: The patients consisted of 30 males and 25 females with mean age of 30.0 ±â€¯23.6 years (range, 1-74 years). Twenty-nine tumors were located in the right hemisphere, and 26 in the left side. The 2 most common tumor locations were the frontal (n = 19; 35%) and parietal lobe (n = 11; 20%). All patients underwent surgical resection. Gross-total resection (GTR) was achieved in 42 cases (76%) and subtotal resection (STR) was performed in 13 patients (24%). According to the WHO classification system, 38 tumors (69%) were Grade III (anaplastic ependymoma), and 17 (31%) were Grade II (ependymoma). Three-,5-, and 10 year PFS rates were 60%, 49%, and 36%, respectively. Three-,5-, and 10 year OS rates were 79%, 64%, and 49%, respectively. EOR and tumor grade were identified as prognostic factors for PFS and OS on univariate analysis, multivariate analysis, and Kaplan-Meierlog-rank testing. Subtotal resection (STR) predicted a worse PFS (HR = 4.808; 95%, 1.942-11.905; P = .001) and OS (HR = 5.650; 95%, 2.114-15.152; P = .001). WHO Grade III tumors also had worse PFS (HR = 3.922; 95%, 1.429-18.182; P = .012) and OS (HR = 6.329; 95%, 1.328-30.303; P = 0.021). For patients with tumor recurrence, reoperation was significant prognostic factors for OS (HR = 2.091; 95%, 0.939-4.654; p = .000). Age, sex, tumor side, and postoperativeradiotherapy were not prognostic factors for PFS and OS. CONCLUSIONS: Most supratentorial extraventricular ependymomas are WHO grade III tumors. STRandWHO Grade III pathology predicted worse PFS and OS. Gross-total resection remains the optimal treatment for patients with supratentorial extraventricular ependymoma. Reoperation should be considered first in cases of recurrence. The role of postoperative radiotherapy as an adjuvant treatment for supratentorial extraventricular ependymoma needs further investigation.

miR-152 regulated glioma cell proliferation and apoptosis via Runx2 mediated by DNMT1.

BACKGROUND: Aberrant DNA methylation is associated with tumor onset and progression. Study has verified that the DNA methylation of miR-152 was mediated in many tumors, but whether it involved in glioblastomas was still unclear. METHODS: This study enrolled 20 patients with glioma to analyze the expression pattern of miR-152. Real-time PCR and western blot were used to detect the mRNA or protein expression level, respectively. The relationship between miR-152 and runx2 was detected by Luciferase reporter assay. The methylation level of miR-152 was determined by methylation-specific PCR. Cell proliferation and apoptosis were detected by MTT and Annexin-FITC/PI assay. RESULTS: The expression of miR-152 was down-regulated while the expression of DNMT1 was up-regulated in both glioma tissue and cell lines. MiR-152 was hypermethylated and its expression was negatively correlated with DNMT in glioma cell lines. DNMT1 knockdown promoted the expression of miR-152, however, DNMT1 overexpression suppressed the expression of miR-152. MiR-152 overexpression promoted glioma cell apoptosis while miR-152 knockdown promoted cell proliferation. MiR-152 targets Runx2 to regulate its expression, Runx2 overexpression abolished the effects of miR-152 overexpression. CONCLUSION: MiR-152 regulated cell proliferation and apoptosis of glioma mediated by Runx2, while the mechanism of down regulated miR-152 in glioma tissues and cells was its hypermethylation.

Histochemical studies on intestinal metaplasia adjacent to gastric cardia adenocarcinoma in subjects at high-incidence area in Henan, north China.

AIM: To characterize the histochemical type and pattern of intestinal metaplasia (IM) adjacent to gastric cardia adenocarcinoma (GCA) and distal gastric cancer (GC) in Linzhou, Henan Province, China. METHODS: Alcian-blue-periodic acid Schiff and high iron diamine-Alcian blue histochemical methods were performed on 142 cases of IM, including 49 cases of GCA and 93 cases of GC. All the patients were from Linzhou, Henan Province, China, the highest incidence area for both GCA and squamous cell carcinoma. Radio- or chemotherapy was not applied to these patients before surgery. RESULTS: The detection rate of IM in tissues adjacent to GCA tissues was 44.9%, which was significantly lower than that in GC tissues (80.64%, P<0.01). The rates of both incomplete small intestinal and colonic IM types identified by histochemistry in GCA tissues (31.82% and 63.64%, respectively) were significantly higher than those in GC (5.33% and 21.33%, respectively, P<0.01). CONCLUSION: IM in GCA and GC should be considered as a separate entity. Further research is needed to evaluate whether neoplastic progression of IM is related to its mucin profile in GCA.

Postconditioning with sevoflurane protects against focal cerebral ischemia and reperfusion injury involving mitochondrial ATP-dependent potassium channel and mitochondrial permeability transition pore.

OBJECTIVES: Postconditioning with sevoflurane has been shown to protect against focal cerebral ischemia and reperfusion injury. However, the mechanism remains elusive. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that mitochondrial ATP-sensitive potassium (mitoKATP) and mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP) play roles in the neuroprotection of postconditioning with sevoflurane. METHODS: Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to MCAO for 90 minutes and then treated with sevoflurane at the beginning of reperfusion. The infarct volume, neurological deficit score, and brain edema were evaluated at 24 hours. Apoptosis were studied by TUNEL. The neuroprotective effect with or without 5-hydroxydecanoate (5-HD), a selective mitoKATP channel blocker or atractyloside (ATR), and an mPTP opener were analyzed. RESULTS: Postconditioning with sevoflurane significantly decreased neurological deficit scores, infarct volume, and brain edema and also reduced apoptotic cells. 5-HD and ATR abolished the neuroprotective effect, respectively. 5-HD or ATR alone had no effect on ischemia and reperfusion injury. DISCUSSION: Our data suggest that mitoKATP and mPTP play crucial roles in the neuroprotection of postconditioning with sevoflurane.

Association between gestational weight gain according to prepregnancy body mass index and short postpartum weight retention in postpartum women.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: This study aims to assess the relationship among prepregnancy body mass index, gestational weight gain, and postpartum weight retention, and to clarify the predictors of the amount of weight retained by Chinese women after pregnancy. METHODS: The multistage stratified random sampling was used in the cross-sectional study. RESULTS: The subjects included 1643 women. Mean gestational weight gain was 15.9 kg and mean postpartum weight retention was 5.1 kg. 43.2% of women gained excessive gestational weight gain and 53.3% of women gained 5 kg or more postpartum weight retention. In addition, the proportions of underweight women with inadequate weight gain and overweight women with excessive weight gain were 24.2% and 52.3%, respectively. Logistic regression analysis showed that the adjusted OR of excessive gestational weight gain was 1.74 (95% CI: 1.09-2.79) in overweight women compared with normal weight women. The postpartum weight retention and the proportion of women with postpartum weight retention of 5 kg or more were significantly higher in the excessive gestational weight gain women than in the adequate gestational weight gain women in all three body mass index groups. The adjusted OR of a weight increase of 5 kg or more was at least 1.90 for underweight, normal weight, and overweight women with a gestational weight gain above the recommended amount compared with those with a gestational weight gain within the recommended amount. CONCLUSIONS: Gestational weight gain above the recommended amount increases the risk of postpartum weight retention in all body mass index groups.

Plasma cholesterol-lowering activity of dietary dihydrocholesterol in hypercholesterolemia hamsters.

OBJECTIVE: Cholesterol analogs have been used to treat hypercholesterolemia. The present study was to examine the effect of dihydrocholesterol (DC) on plasma total cholesterol (TC) compared with that of ß-sitosterol (SI) in hamsters fed a high cholesterol diet. METHODS AND RESULTS: Forty-five male hamsters were randomly divided into 6 groups, fed either a non-cholesterol diet (NCD) or one of five high-cholesterol diets without addition of DC and SI (HCD) or with addition of 0.2% DC (DA), 0.3% DC (DB), 0.2% SI (SA), and 0.3% SI (SB), respectively, for 6 weeks. Results showed that DC added into diet at a dose of 0.2% could reduce plasma TC by 21%, comparable to that of SI (19%). At a higher dose of 0.3%, DC reduced plasma TC by 15%, less effective than SI (32%). Both DC and SI could increase the excretion of fecal sterols, however, DC was more effective in increasing the excretion of neutral sterols but it was less effective in increasing the excretion of acidic sterols compared with SI. Results on the incorporation of sterols in micellar solutions clearly demonstrated both DC and SI could displace the cholesterol from micelles with the former being more effective than the latter. CONCLUSION: DC was equally effective in reducing plasma cholesterol as SI at a low dose. Plasma TC-lowering activity of DC was mediated by inhibiting the cholesterol absorption and increasing the fecal sterol excretion.