Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal cells ameliorate severe acute pancreatitis in rats via hemeoxygenase-1-mediated anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: It has been previously verified that mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) have a good therapeutic effect on severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) and the potential for regeneration of damaged pancreatic tissue, but the exact molecular mechanism remains unclear. In this study, we demonstrated the therapeutic effect of bone morrow MSCs (BMSCs) on SAP, probably by targeting heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1). METHODS: Six hours after SAP induction, either phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) or BMSCs were transfused into the caudal vein of rats, zinc protoporphyrin (ZnPP) was administered intraperitoneally. Pancreatic pathological scoring, serum levels of amylase and inflammatory factors, as well as levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), malondialdehyde (MDA) and myeloperoxidase (MPO), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activity in the pancreas were evaluated. RESULTS: Our data showed that BMSCs significantly reduce inflammation and oxidative stress, reduce apoptosis and promote angiogenesis of damaged pancreas. Moreover, BMSCs increased the level of HO-1 in the serum and pancreatic tissue in rats with SAP. In addition, the protective effect of BMSCs was partially neutralized by the HO-1 activity inhibitor ZnPP, suggesting a key role of HO-1 in the therapeutic effect of BMSCs on SAP. CONCLUSIONS: BMSCs ameliorated SAP, probably by inducing expression of HO-1, which can exert anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant effects, reduce apoptosis and promote angiogenesis.

LepR-Expressing Stem Cells Are Essential for Alveolar Bone Regeneration.

Stem cells play a critical role in bone regeneration. Multiple populations of skeletal stem cells have been identified in long bone, while their identity and functions in alveolar bone remain unclear. Here, we identified a quiescent leptin receptor-expressing (LepR+) cell population that contributed to intramembranous bone formation. Interestingly, these LepR+ cells became activated in response to tooth extraction and generated the majority of the newly formed bone in extraction sockets. In addition, genetic ablation of LepR+ cells attenuated extraction socket healing. The parabiosis experiments revealed that the LepR+ cells in the healing sockets were derived from resident tissue rather than peripheral blood circulation. Further studies on the mechanism suggested that these LepR+ cells were responsive to parathyroid hormone/parathyroid hormone 1 receptor (PTH/PTH1R) signaling. Collectively, we demonstrate that LepR+ cells, a postnatal skeletal stem cell population, are essential for alveolar bone regeneration of extraction sockets.

Surgical management of isolated retroperitoneal Castleman's disease: A case report.

Castleman's disease (CD) is an uncommon, poorly understood lymphoproliferative disease. Retroperitoneal forms may present as either a unicentric or multicentric disease. The present study reports the case of a 36-year-old man who was referred to the First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University (Hangzhou, China), for a detailed examination of an abdominal mass. The abdominal ultrasound and computed tomography scans revealed a solid mass localized in the region between segment 1 of the liver and the pancreas. An endosonography-guided fine-needle aspiration biopsy revealed chronic inflammation and lymphadenosis. The present study reports a rare case, in which the patient was treated with an exploratory laparotomy and resection. The retroperitoneal mass was pathologically diagnosed as CD of the hyaline vascular type. The patient was closely followed-up for 11 months and is presently free of disease. In conclusion, the possibility of unicentric CD should be considered when facing a solid hypervascular retroperitoneal mass. A complete surgical resection may successfully treat the disease without an unnecessarily extensive resection for the unicentric type.

Effect of hydrothorax EGFR gene mutation and EGFR-TKI targeted therapy on advanced non-small cell lung cancer patients.

Lung cancer is a malignancy with the highest incidence of morbidity and mortality worldwide. The lack of effective detection methods leads to the ineffectiveness of convetional therapy. The aim of the current study was to analyze the hydrothorax epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation in patients with advanced non-small lung cancer (NSCLC) and malignant pleural effusion. A new method for clinical treatment was developed through a comparison of the difference of EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR-TKI)-targeted therapy. Between January 2013 and January 2015, 68 cases diagnosed with advanced non-small lung cancer and malignant pleural effusion, were enrolled in the study. Previous first-line chemotherapeutic treatment schemes had been unsuccessful. EGFR 19 and EGFR 21 sites were detected for all the patients. Platinum-based drugs were provided for patients with wild-type EGFR. These patients served as the control group and underwent four cycles of treatments, with each cycle lasting 3 weeks. TKI medicine Gefitinib (Iressa™) was administered to patients with mutant EGFR tid, po, for a duration of 4-8 months. These patients served as the experimental group. There were 41 cases of EGFR mutations, of which 13 cases had EGFR 19 site mutations, 16 cases EGFR 21 site mutations, and the remaining 12 cases had 2 site mutations. EGFR mutations were not significant for gender, age, tumor type, stage and diameter (P>0.05). The results showed that the six-month survival rate, progression-free survival time (PFS), objective response rate (RP) and disease control rate (DCR) in the experimental group were higher than those in the control group. The drug side-effects in the experimental group indicated no statistical differences compared to the control group (P>0.05). The incidence of EGFR mutation was higher in patients with advanced non-small lung cancer and malignant pleural effusion. Targeted therapy improved the survival rate and was deemed to be a safe and effective method for patients with EGFR mutations.