Melatonin prevents EAAC1 deletion-induced retinal ganglion cell degeneration by inhibiting apoptosis and senescence.

Normal tension glaucoma (NTG) is referred to as a progressive degenerative disorder of the retinal ganglion cells (RGCs), resulting in nonreversible visual defects, despite intraocular pressure levels within the statistically normal range. Current therapeutic strategies for NTG yield limited benefits. Excitatory amino acid carrier 1 (EAAC1) knockout (EAAC1-/- ) in mice has been shown to induce RGC degeneration without elevating intraocular pressure, mimicking pathological characteristics of NTG. In this study, we explored whether daily oral administration of melatonin could block RGCs loss and prevent retinal morphology and function defects associated with EAAC1 deletion. We also explored the molecular mechanisms underlying EAAC1 deletion-induced RGC degeneration and the neuroprotective effects of melatonin. Our RNA sequencing and in vivo data indicated EAAC1 deletion caused elevated oxidative stress, activation of apoptosis and cellular senescence pathways, and neuroinflammation in RGCs. However, melatonin administration efficiently prevented these detrimental effects. Furthermore, we investigated the potential role of apoptosis- and senescence-related redox-sensitive factors in EAAC1 deletion-induced RGCs degeneration and the neuroprotective effects of melatonin administration. We observed remarkable upregulation of p53, whereas NRF2 and Sirt1 expression were significantly decreased in EAAC1-/- mice, which were prevented by melatonin treatment, suggesting that melatonin exerted its neuroprotective effects possibly through modulating NRF2/p53/Sirt1 redox-sensitive signaling pathways. Overall, our study provided a solid foundation for the application of melatonin in the management of NTG.

Comparison of 19G FNA Versus 22G FNB Needles for Endoscopic Ultrasound-Guided Fine-Needle Sampling of Subepithelial Tumors: Is Bigger Better?

OBJECTIVES: To compare the diagnostic efficiency of 19G fine-needle aspiration (FNA) and 22G fine-needle biopsy (FNB) in endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)-guided sampling for subepithelial tumors (SETs). METHODS: The data of patients with SETs who underwent 19G FNA or 22G FNB were reviewed retrospectively in two tertiary hospitals. Tissue cores were assessed by macroscopic on-site evaluation (MOSE). Cytological or histological diagnosis were classified as definite, suspect, or no diagnosis. RESULTS: Seventy five patients (mean age: 55 years, 44 males) underwent 19G EUS-FNA (31) or 22G EUS-FNB (44). The overall diagnostic yield was 82.7%. The rate of definite cytological diagnoses was 9.7% (3/31) in 19G and 13.6% (6/44) in 22G group (x2 = 1.520, P = .468). In terms of MOSE, 19G needle, requiring only two punctures, achieved a higher good tissue core rate than 22G group (100.0% [31/31] versus 84.1% [37/44], x2 = 5.440, P = .020]). For histological diagnosis, the 19G group achieved higher definite rate than the 22G group, 93.6% (29/31) versus 65.9% (29/44) (x2 = 7.957, P = .019) on the first puncture, 90.3% (28/31) versus 63.6% (28/44) (x2 = 7.139, P = .028) on the second puncture, 96.8% (30/31) versus 70.5% (31/44) (x2 = 7.319, P = .026) on both the first and second punctures, and 96.8% (30/31) versus 72.7% (32/44) (x2 = 7.538, P = .023) on all three punctures. CONCLUSIONS: The 19G EUS-FNA requires only two punctures to achieve better tissue core quality by MOSE and yields a higher rate of histological diagnosis than 22G ProCore needle for SETs. The bigger 19G FNA needle seems to play an important role in the evaluation of SETs.

Triazine herbicide reduced the toxicity of the harmful dinoflagellate Karenia mikimotoi by impairing its photosynthetic systems.

Triazine herbicides are common contaminants in coastal waters, and they are recognized as inhibitors of photosystem II, causing significant hinderance to the growth and reproduction of phytoplankton. However, the influence of these herbicides on microalgal toxin production remains unclear. This study aimed to examine this relationship by conducting a comprehensive physiological and 4D label-free quantitative proteomic analysis on the harmful dinoflagellate Karenia mikimotoi in the presence of the triazine herbicide dipropetryn. The findings demonstrated a significant decrease in photosynthetic activity and pigment content, as well as reduced levels of unsaturated fatty acids, reactive oxygen species (ROS), and hemolytic toxins in K. mikimotoi when exposed to dipropetryn. The proteomic analysis revealed a down-regulation in proteins associated with photosynthesis, ROS response, and energy metabolism, such as fatty acid biosynthesis, chlorophyll metabolism, and nitrogen metabolism. In contrast, an up-regulation of proteins related to energy-producing processes, such as fatty acid ß-oxidation, glycolysis, and the tricarboxylic acid cycle, was observed. This study demonstrated that dipropetryn disrupts the photosynthetic systems of K. mikimotoi, resulting in a notable decrease in algal toxin production. These findings provide valuable insights into the underlying mechanisms of toxin production in toxigenic microalgae and explore the potential effect of herbicide pollution on harmful algal blooms in coastal environments.

Effectiveness of Different Telerehabilitation Strategies on Pain and Physical Function in Patients With Knee Osteoarthritis: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic, degenerative bone and joint disease. It can lead to major pressure to the quality of life and mental health of patients, and also brings a serious economic burden to society. However, it is difficult for patients with knee OA to access rehabilitation when discharging from the hospital. Internet-based rehabilitation is one of the promising telemedicine strategies for the improvement of knee OA, but the effect of different telerehabilitation strategies on knee OA is not clear. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to identify telerehabilitation strategies attributing to the improvement of pain and physical function outcomes in patients with knee OA. METHODS: We reviewed and analyzed telerehabilitation strategies from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing telerehabilitation with conventional treatment or usual care. For each strategy, we examined whether RCTs that applied the telerehabilitation strategy resulted in a significant improvement in pain or physical function compared with conventional treatment or usual care. RESULTS: We included 6 RCTs (n=734) incorporating 8 different telerehabilitation strategies. The duration of the interventions ranged from 1 to 48 weeks, and sample sizes ranged from 20 to 350 patients. The results showed that RCTs that provided telerehabilitation were found to be more effective than conventional treatments for improving pain (P=.003; standardized mean difference [SMD] -0.21, 95% CI -0.35 to -0.07), but not physical function (P=.24; SMD -0.09, 95% CI -0.25 to 0.06). Furthermore, this systematic review and meta-analysis indicated that there is no significant correlation between different telerehabilitation strategies and the pain and physical function of patients with knee OA. CONCLUSIONS: This systematic review and meta-analysis showed that telerehabilitation programs could relieve pain but not improve physical function for patients with knee OA. These results indicated that telerehabilitation is beneficial for the implementation of home rehabilitation exercises for patients with knee OA, thereby reducing the economic burden of health. However, there were limitations in terms of the number of search results and the number of studies that were eligible for this review and meta-analysis. Therefore, the results need to be interpreted with caution, and more high-quality studies with large samples are needed to focus on the long-term outcomes of telerehabilitation for patients with knee OA to address this limitation.

Optimized dual therapy for treatment-naive patients of Helicobacter pylori infection: A large-scale prospective, multicenter, open-label, randomized controlled study.

BACKGROUND: The efficacy and safety of high-dose amoxicillin (AMX) and proton pump inhibitors (PPI) dual therapy raises much more attention in recent years. Comparative studies among the dual therapies are required to explore more suitable regimens. This study compared the efficacy, adverse events, and patient compliance of three different high-dose dual regimens in treatment-naive patients of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was a prospective, multicenter, open-label, randomized controlled trial, including H. pylori-infected treatment-naive patients at 12 tertiary hospitals in China. The eligible subjects received high-dose AMX and esomeprazole (ESO) dual therapy of different regimens. They were randomly assigned to group A (ESO 20 mg plus AMX 750 mg, Qid for 14 days), group B (ESO 40 mg Bid plus AMX 1 g Tid for 14 days), or group C (ESO 20 mg plus AMX 1 g, Tid for 14 days). The eradication rates, adverse events, and patient compliance of the three groups were compared. RESULTS: Between April 2021 and January 2022, a total of 1080 subjects were screened and 945 were randomized. The eradication rates in groups A, B, and C were 88.6% (95% CI 84.5%-91.9%), 84.4% (95% CI 80.0%-88.3%), and 86.7% (95% CI 82.4%-90.2%; p = .315), respectively, based on intention-to-treat analysis; 90.3% (95% CI 86.4%-93.3%), 85.5% (95% CI 81.1%-89.2%), and 87.8% (95% CI 83.6%-91.2%; p = .197), respectively, according to modified intention-to-treat analysis; and 90.4% (95% CI 86.5%-93.5%), 85.8% (95% CI 81.4%-89.5%), and 88.3% (95% CI 84.1%-91.7%; p = .202) in per-protocol analysis. History of antibiotics use in 2 years reduced eradication effect in group B (ESO 40 mg Bid, AMX 1 g Tid). The modified intention-to-treat eradication rates were 81.4% vs 90.0% among those with or without a history of antibiotics use in group B (p = .031). The adverse event rates were 13.7%, 12.7%, and 12.1% in groups A, B, and C, respectively (p = .834). Patient compliance of the three groups was similar. CONCLUSIONS: Two optimized AMX and PPI dual regimens (ESO 40 mg Bid or 20 mg Tid plus AMX 1 g Tid for 14 days) had similar efficacy, safety and compliance as compared with classical dual regimen (ESO 20 mg plus AMX 750 mg Qid for 14 days) in H. pylori-infected treatment-naive patients.

Role of Platelet to Lymphocyte Ratio and Red Cell Distribution Width in Predicting Postoperative Complications in Patients with Acute Mesenteric Ischemia.

BACKGROUND: The predictive values of the platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and red cell distribution width (RDW) have been demonstrated in different types of abdominal surgery. The aim of this study was to investigate the interest of the preoperative PLR and RDW as predictors of 30-day postoperative complications in patients with acute mesenteric ischemia (AMI). METHODS: Clinical data of 105 AMI patients were retrospectively reviewed. Postoperative complications were evaluated by the Clavien-Dindo classification. The cutoff values for neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR), PLR, and RDW were determined by receiver operating characteristic curves. Univariate and multivariate analyses evaluating the risk factors for postoperative complications were performed. RESULTS: In the univariate analyses, advanced age, female, anemia, high white blood cell (WBC), high PLR, high NLR, high RDW, Charlson comorbidity index (CCI) score ≥2, and bowel resection were associated with the postoperative complications. A multivariable analysis revealed that advanced age, high PLR, high RDW, and bowel resection were independent predictors of postoperative complications. CONCLUSIONS: The PLR and RDW might play important roles in evaluation of the risk of postoperative complications in AMI patients. The preoperative PLR and RDW are simple and useful predictors of postoperative complications in AMI patients.

Analysis of Prevention and Treatment of Anastomotic Leakage after Sphincter-Preserving Surgery for Middle- and Low-Grade Rectal Cancer under Laparoscopy.

Background: Anastomotic leakage is one of the most serious complications that can occur after laparoscopic-assistedsphincter-preserving surgery for middle- and low-grade rectal cancer. Objectives: To explore the cause, prevention, and treatment of anastomotic leakage after sphincter-preserving surgery for middle- and low-grade rectal cancer under laparoscopy. Methods: The clinical data from patients with mid- and low-grade rectal cancer who underwent laparoscopic-assistedanus-preserving surgery in the anorectal surgery department of our hospital have been analyzed. Patients with a definite diagnosis, indications for laparoscopic surgery, and sphincter-preserving surgery were included in the analysis, and patients with a protective loop ileostomy and laparotomy were excluded. Results: Among the 126 patients with middle- and low-grade rectal cancer undergoing sphincter-preserving surgery under laparoscopy. There were 75 male patients and 51 female patients, ranging in age from 37 to 89 years old, with an average age of 60.2 ± 6.7. The distance from the lower edge of the rectal tumor to the anal edge was ≤10 cm. 6 developed anastomotic leakage after the operation (leakage rate of 4.7%). Moreover, turbid purulent fluid was drained from the abdominal drainage tube in three patients on the third and fourth days after the operation, and the abdominal drainage tube drained serous drainage in three more patients on the fifth and sixth days, with signs of peritonitis appearing locally. All patients received continuous flushing and negative pressure drainage with a self-made double cannula and symptomatic treatment, and all were cured and discharged. Conclusion: Many factors can cause anastomotic leakage after this operation, and adequate perioperative preparation, meticulous operation during surgery, and careful postoperative management are key factors in preventing it.

Radiomics based on fluoro-deoxyglucose positron emission tomography predicts liver fibrosis in biopsy-proven MAFLD: a pilot study.

Rationale: Since non-invasive tests for prediction of liver fibrosis have a poor diagnostic performance for detecting low levels of fibrosis, it is important to explore the diagnostic capabilities of other non-invasive tests to diagnose low levels of fibrosis. We aimed to evaluate the performance of radiomics based on 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) in predicting any liver fibrosis in individuals with biopsy-proven metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD). Methods: A total of 22 adults with biopsy-confirmed MAFLD, who underwent 18F-FDG PET/CT, were enrolled in this study. Sixty radiomics features were extracted from whole liver region of interest in 18F-FDG PET images. Subsequently, the minimum redundancy maximum relevance (mRMR) method was performed and a subset of two features mostly related to the output classes and low redundancy between them were selected according to an event per variable of 5. Logistic regression, Support Vector Machine, Naive Bayes, 5-Nearest Neighbor and linear discriminant analysis models were built based on selected features. The predictive performances were assessed by the receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Results: The mean (SD) age of the subjects was 38.5 (10.4) years and 17 subjects were men. 12 subjects had histological evidence of any liver fibrosis. The coarseness of neighborhood grey-level difference matrix (NGLDM) and long-run emphasis (LRE) of grey-level run length matrix (GLRLM) were selected to predict fibrosis. The logistic regression model performed best with an AUROC of 0.817 [95% confidence intervals, 0.595-0.947] for prediction of liver fibrosis. Conclusion: These preliminary data suggest that 18F-FDG PET radiomics may have clinical utility in assessing early liver fibrosis in MAFLD.

Cd Adsorption by Iron-Organic Associations: Implications for Cd Mobility and Fate in Natural and Contaminated Environments.

The mobility and fate of Cd in soil are mainly controlled by active substances such as iron minerals and organic matter. Iron minerals and organic matter often coexist in the form of iron-organic associations (IOA), which have large specific surface areas and many functional groups, potentially affecting Cd adsorption. However, little is known about Cd adsorption by IOA. This study investigated Cd adsorption by the synthetic IOA under different conditions. The results indicate Cd adsorption increased with the increasing amount of IOA, while the adsorption efficiency decreased gradually. pH significantly affects Cd adsorption, because the Cd speciation and the surface charge of IOA changed under different pH conditions. Under alkaline condition, part of Cd would form hydroxide precipitate, facilitating Cd adsorption by IOA. The composition of organic matter in IOA didn't significantly affect Cd adsorption.

Outcomes of laparoscopic gastrectomy for gastric cancer in elderly patients.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to compare the short- and longterm outcomes of elderly and middle-aged patients with gastric cancer who underwent laparoscopic gastrectomy. METHODS: From January 2010 to February 2017, a total of 75 patients with gastric cancer aged ≥70 years (elderly group) underwent laparoscopic gastrectomy, and their short- and long-term outcomes were compared with those of 197 patients with gastric cancer aged 60-69 years (middleaged group) who underwent also laparoscopic gastrectomy during the same period. RESULTS: With respect to the patients' preoperative baseline characteristics, the elderly group had a higher Charlson comorbidity index score, rate of previous abdominal operations, and American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) classification score compared to middle-aged patient group. There were no significant differences in the other baseline characteristics. There were no significant between-groups differences in the duration of surgery, intraoperative blood loss, incidence and severity of 30-day postoperative complications, and pathological results. Long-term follow-up results showed that the tumor recurrence rates were similar between groups, as were the overall (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) rates. Multivariate analysis showed that age was not an independent predictor of OS and DFS. CONCLUSION: In summary, laparoscopic gastrectomy in elderly patients with gastric cancer can achieve similar short- and long-term outcomes as those for middle-aged patients. Age is thus not a contraindication for laparoscopic gastrectomy.

Retraction Note: Effects of Bariatric Surgery on Incidence of Obesity-Related Cancers: A Meta-Analysis.

In the article entitled, "Effects of Bariatric Surgery on Incidence of Obesity-Related Cancers: A Meta-Analysis" which was published in Medical Science Monitor 2015;21: 1350-1357, sections in the text have been directly copied from a previously published article, entitled, "The Effects of Bariatric Surgery on Colorectal Cancer Risk: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis", Sorena Afshar, Seamus B. Kelly, Keith Seymour, Jose Lara, Sean Woodcock, John C. Mathers  in Obesity Surgery 2014; 24(10):1793-1799. Thus owing to duplicity of text, the article is being retracted. Reference: 1. Xiang-wu Yang, Peng-zhou Li, Li-yong Zhu, Shaihong Zhu Effects of Bariatric Surgery on Incidence of Obesity-Related Cancers: A Meta-Analysis Medical Science Monitor 2015;21: 1350-1357 DOI: 10.12659/MSM.893553.

Comparisons of the in-the-bag stabilities of single-piece and three-piece intraocular lenses for age-related cataract patients: a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: To compare the in-the-bag stability and visual function of single-piece intraocular lenses (IOLs) and three-piece IOLs. METHODS: A total of 65 patients with age-related cataracts (80 eyes) were enrolled and randomly assigned to receive in-the-bag implantation of either a single-piece IOL (40 eyes) or a three-piece IOL (40 eyes). Follow-up visits were conducted at 1 week, 1 month and 3 months postoperatively. Visual acuity, refraction and total aberration were examined. IOL position stability (including axial movement, decentration and tilt) was measured using a Scheimpflug imaging system. RESULTS: At the 3-month follow-up visit, single-piece IOLs did not exhibit significant axial movement (0.07 ± 0.30 mm, p = 0.13) compared with their axial position at 1 week postoperatively, whereas three-piece IOLs displayed forward axial movement of -0.22 ± 0.23 mm (p < 0.0001). The mean manifest spherical equivalence (SE) of eyes with single-piece IOL was 0.15 ± 0.18D, whereas in eyes with three-piece IOLs, the mean manifest SE was -0.34 ± 0.15D (p < 0.001). There was no statistically significant difference in IOL decentration, tilt, uncorrected visual acuity, best-corrected visual acuity or total spherical aberration between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Three months after implantation, single-piece IOLs exhibit better axial stability and more stable refractive outcome than three-piece IOLs, but both IOLs perform equally well in terms of decentration, tilt, visual acuity and total aberration. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrial.gov, NCT02609997 , 11/18/2015, retrospectively registered.

Retrospective analysis of 30 severe autoimmune hemolytic anemia patients treated by whole blood exchange transfusion.

BACKGROUND: Autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA) results from the excessive destruction of red blood cells (RBCs). Nowadays, there is no exact treatment for severe AIHA and our current medical therapies do not effectively stop the progression of severe AIHA. Therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) is used as emergency therapy that is sometimes helpful. Whole blood exchange (WBE) is based on TPE while its replacement liquids are donor RBCs and fresh plasma. We hypothesized that WBE transfusion might be able to control the process of acute hemolysis, avoid the hemolytic crisis, and improve severe hemolytic anemic symptoms rapidly. The objective was to investigate the efficiency of WBE on severe AIHA. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Thirty severe AIHA patients were treated with WBE in our hospital from June 2003 to August 2013. An apheresis instrument (COBE Spectra, TerumoBCT) was employed in WBE procedure. We retrospectively analyzed the results of these severe anemic patients. RESULTS: Twelve hours after WBE treatment, 26 of 30 (86.7%) patients' Hb levels were elevated immediately. Their total bilirubin concentration, direct bilirubin levels, and titers of antibodies were decreased, and clinical symptoms were relieved rapidly. Two (6.7%) patients' hemolysis was stopped from deteriorating, one (3.3%) patient's hemolysis was not controlled by the treatment due to malignancy, and another (3.3%) patient died from pleural hemorrhage of Evans syndrome. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that WBE is an effective therapy for severe AIHA. Further investigation of this application is warranted.

Effects of bariatric surgery on incidence of obesity-related cancers: a meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this meta-analysis was to investigate possible relationships between bariatric surgery and incidence of obesity-related cancers. Obesity is an established risk factor for obesity-related cancers but the effects of bariatric surgery on incidence of obesity-related cancers are uncertain. MATERIAL/METHODS: We searched 4 electronic databases to identify eligible studies: PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. Five observational studies were eligible and included in this meta-analysis. Random-effects or fixed-effects odds ratio (OR) and its corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI) were pooled. RESULTS: Meta-analysis of these 5 observational studies revealed that bariatric surgery was associated with a significantly (p=0.0004) reduced incidence of obesity-related cancers (OR=0.43, 95%CI, 0.27-0.69) when compared with control individuals. Pooled estimated data showed that bariatric surgery is associated with a 24% lower colorectal cancer (CRC) risk. No publication bias was detected by Egger's or Begg's tests. CONCLUSIONS: Although bariatric surgery may significantly reduce incidence of obesity-related cancers, considering the limitations of these included studies, these findings should be confirmed by further well-designed studies.

Ultrasound-guided endoscopic biliary drainage: a useful drainage method for biliary decompression in patients with biliary obstructions.

BACKGROUND: Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography with fluoroscopy guidance is a well-established technique for providing biliary drainage in patients with biliary obstructions. However, fluoroscopic facilities may not always be available and fluoroscopy carries a risk of radiation exposure. AIM: We retrospectively compared the procedure success rate and efficacy of ultrasound-guided endoscopic biliary drainage (UG-EBD) and fluoroscopy-guided endoscopic biliary drainage (FG-EBD) in patients with biliary obstructions. METHODS: Patients who had received either UG-EBD or FG-EBD were included in the study. Main outcome measurements included the procedure success rate, procedure time, and clinical response. RESULTS: A total of 125 patients who had undergone UG-EBD (n = 63) and FG-EBD (n = 62) were identified. The total procedure success rate was 93.7 % in the UG-EBD group and 96.8 % in the FG-EBD group without statistical difference. Also, no significant difference was found in the procedure success rate of lower or upper/middle obstructions of the common bile duct (CBD) between the 2 groups. The mean procedure time was not different between the 2 groups [UG-EBD group 24.54 (9.52) min vs. FG-EBD group 21.74 (8.77) min, p = 0.09]. There were no differences in the normalization of clinical and laboratory parameters and immediate complication between the 2 groups. CONCLUSIONS: Endoscopic biliary drainage (EBD) under US-guidance and under fluoroscopy guidance is equally effective and safe for patients with lower or upper/middle obstructions of the CBD. The UG-EBD technique is especially suitable for special patients, such as critically ill patients, pregnant woman, etc.

Dipeptidyl peptidase-4 modulates left ventricular dysfunction in chronic heart failure via angiogenesis-dependent and -independent actions.

BACKGROUND: The inhibition of dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP4) protects the heart from acute myocardial ischemia. However, the role of DPP4 in chronic heart failure independent of coronary artery disease remains unclear. METHODS AND RESULTS: We first localized the membrane-bound form of DPP4 to the capillary endothelia of rat and human heart tissue. Diabetes mellitus promoted the activation of the membrane-bound form of DPP4, leading to reduced myocardial stromal cell-derived factor-1α concentrations and resultant angiogenic impairment in rats. The diabetic rats exhibited diastolic left ventricular dysfunction (DHF) with enhanced interstitial fibrosis caused partly by the increased ratio of matrix metalloproteinase-2 to tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-2 in a DPP4-dependent fashion. Both genetic and pharmacological DPP4 suppression reversed the stromal cell-derived factor-1α-dependent microvasculopathy and DHF associated with diabetes mellitus. Pressure overload induced DHF, which was reversed by DPP4 inhibition via a glucagon-like peptide-1/cAMP-dependent mechanism distinct from that for diabetic heart. In patients with DHF, the circulating DPP4 activity in peripheral veins was associated with that in coronary sinus and with E/e', an echocardiographic parameter representing DHF. Comorbid diabetes mellitus increased the circulating DPP4 activities in both peripheral veins and coronary sinus. CONCLUSIONS: DPP4 inhibition reverses DHF via membrane-bound DPP4/stromal cell-derived factor-1α-dependent local actions on angiogenesis and circulating DPP4/glucagon-like peptide-1-mediated inotropic actions. Myocardium-derived DPP4 activity in coronary sinus can be monitored by peripheral vein sampling, which partly correlates with DHF index; thus, circulating DPP4 may potentially serve as a biomarker for monitoring DHF.

MIR34A modulates lens epithelial cell apoptosis and cataract development via the HK1/caspase 3 signaling pathway.

Cataracts are the leading cause of blindness in the world. Age is a major risk factor for cataracts, and with increasing aging, the burden of cataracts will grow, but the exact details of cataractogenesis remain unclear. A recent study showed that microRNA-34a (MIR34A) is involved in the development of cataracts, but the underlying pathogenesis remains obscure. Here, our results of microRNA target prediction showed that hexokinase 1 (HK1) is one of the genes targeted by MIR34A. Based on this finding, we focused on the function of MIR34A and HK1 in the progress of cataracts, whereby the human lens epithelial cell line SRA01/04 and mouse lens were treated with MIR34A mimics and HK1 siRNA. We found that HK1 mRNA is a direct target of MIR34A, whereby the high expression of MIR34A in the cataract lens suppresses the expression of HK1. In vitro, the upregulation of MIR34A together with the downregulation of HK1 inhibits the proliferation, induces the apoptosis of SRA01/04 cells, and accelerates the opacification of mouse lenses via the HK1/caspase 3 signaling pathway. In summary, our study demonstrates that MIR34A modulates lens epithelial cell (LEC) apoptosis and cataract development through the HK1/caspase 3 signaling pathway.

Fecal microbiota transplantation: a novel strategy for treating Alzheimer's disease.

Alzheimer's disease is a common neurological disorder, which has become one of the major factors affecting human health due to its serious impact on individuals, families and society. It has been confirmed that gut microbiota can affect the occurrence and development of Alzheimer's disease. Especially, fecal microbiota transplantation plays a positive role in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. The mechanisms for improving Alzheimer's disease might include anti-inflammation and regulation of amyloid ß-protein, synaptic plasticity, short-chain fatty acids, and histone acetylation. In this mini-review, the relationship between fecal microbiota transplantation and Alzheimer's disease was summarized. It is hoped that fecal microbiota transplantation would play a positive role in the prevention and treatment of Alzheimer's disease in the future.

Predictive factors of epiretinal membrane in complicated rhegmatogenous retinal detachment tamponaded with silicone oil.

AIM: To determine the incidence and predictive factors for epiretinal membrane (ERM) formation in eyes with complicated primary rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) tamponaded with silicone oil (SO). METHODS: This retrospective case-control study included 141 consecutive patients with (51 eyes) and without (90 eyes) ERM formation after primary pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) and SO tamponade for complicated RRD. The risk factors for ERM were assessed using logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: The prevalence of postoperative ERM was 36.2% (51/141). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the risk factors for ERM in SO-tamponaded eyes included preoperative proliferative vitreoretinopathy [PVR; odds ratio (OR), 2.578; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.580-4.205, P<0.001], preoperative choroidal detachment (OR, 4.454; 95%CI 1.369-14.498, P=0.013), and photocoagulation energy (OR, 2.700; 95%CI 1.047-6.962, P=0.040). The duration of the preoperative symptoms, intraocular SO tamponade time, giant retinal tear, preoperative vitreous hemorrhage, preoperative best-corrected visual acuity, number of breaks, quadrants of RRD, axial length, and photocoagulation points were not predictive factors for ERM formation. CONCLUSION: Preoperative PVR, choroidal detachment, and photocoagulation energy are risk factors of ERM formation after complicated RRD repair. Better ophthalmic care as well as patient education are necessary for such patients with risk factors.