Monocytes Release Pro-Cathepsin D to Drive Blood-to-Brain Transcytosis in Diabetes.

BACKGROUND: Microvascular complications are the major outcome of type 2 diabetes progression, and the underlying mechanism remains to be determined. METHODS: High-throughput RNA sequencing was performed using human monocyte samples from controls and diabetes. The transgenic mice expressing human CTSD (cathepsin D) in the monocytes was constructed using CD68 promoter. In vivo 2-photon imaging, behavioral tests, immunofluorescence, transmission electron microscopy, Western blot analysis, vascular leakage assay, and single-cell RNA sequencing were performed to clarify the phenotype and elucidate the molecular mechanism. RESULTS: Monocytes expressed high-level CTSD in patients with type 2 diabetes. The transgenic mice expressing human CTSD in the monocytes showed increased brain microvascular permeability resembling the diabetic microvascular phenotype, accompanied by cognitive deficit. Mechanistically, the monocytes release nonenzymatic pro-CTSD to upregulate caveolin expression in brain endothelium triggering caveolae-mediated transcytosis, without affecting the paracellular route of brain microvasculature. The circulating pro-CTSD activated the caveolae-mediated transcytosis in brain endothelial cells via its binding with low-density LRP1 (lipoprotein receptor-related protein 1). Importantly, genetic ablation of CTSD in the monocytes exhibited a protective effect against the diabetes-enhanced brain microvascular transcytosis and the diabetes-induced cognitive impairment. CONCLUSIONS: These findings uncover the novel role of circulatory pro-CTSD from monocytes in the pathogenesis of cerebral microvascular lesions in diabetes. The circulatory pro-CTSD is a potential target for the intervention of microvascular complications in diabetes.

Genomic landscape of the immune microenvironments of brain metastases in breast cancer.

BACKGROUND: This study was intended to investigate the genomic landscape of the immune microenvironments of brain metastases in breast cancer. METHODS: Three gene expression profile datasets (GSE76714, GSE125989 and GSE43837) of breast cancer with brain metastases were downloaded from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. After differential expression analysis, the tumor immune microenvironment and immune cell infiltration were analyzed. Then immune-related genes were identified, followed by function analysis, transcription factor (TF)-miRNA-mRNA co-regulatory network analysis, and survival analysis of metastatic recurrence. RESULTS: The present results showed that the tumor immune microenvironment in brain metastases was immunosuppressed compared with primary caner. Compared with primary cancer samples, the infiltration ratio of plasma cells in brain metastases samples was significantly higher, while the infiltration ratio of macrophages M2 cells in brain metastases samples was significantly lower. Total 42 immune-related genes were identified, such as THY1 and NEU2. CD1B, THY1 and DOCK2 were found to be implicated in the metastatic recurrence of breast cancer. CONCLUSIONS: Targeting macrophages or plasma cells may be new strategies for immunotherapy of breast cancer with brain metastases. THY1 and NEU2 may be potential therapeutic targets for breast cancer with brain metastases, and THY1, CD1B and DOCK2 may serve as potential prognostic markers for improvement of brain metastases survival.

Identification of potential biomarkers and candidate small molecule drugs in glioblastoma.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Glioblastoma (GBM) is a common and aggressive primary brain tumor, and the prognosis for GBM patients remains poor. This study aimed to identify the key genes associated with the development of GBM and provide new diagnostic and therapies for GBM. METHODS: Three microarray datasets (GSE111260, GSE103227, and GSE104267) were selected from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database for integrated analysis. The differential expressed genes (DEGs) between GBM and normal tissues were identified. Then, prognosis-related DEGs were screened by survival analysis, followed by functional enrichment analysis. The protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed to explore the hub genes associated with GBM. The mRNA and protein expression levels of hub genes were respectively validated in silico using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Human Protein Atlas (HPA) databases. Subsequently, the small molecule drugs of GBM were predicted by using Connectivity Map (CMAP) database. RESULTS: A total of 78 prognosis-related DEGs were identified, of which10 hub genes with higher degree were obtained by PPI analysis. The mRNA expression and protein expression levels of CETN2, MKI67, ARL13B, and SETDB1 were overexpressed in GBM tissues, while the expression levels of CALN1, ELAVL3, ADCY3, SYN2, SLC12A5, and SOD1 were down-regulated in GBM tissues. Additionally, these genes were significantly associated with the prognosis of GBM. We eventually predicted the 10 most vital small molecule drugs, which potentially imitate or reverse GBM carcinogenic status. Cycloserine and 11-deoxy-16,16-dimethylprostaglandin E2 might be considered as potential therapeutic drugs of GBM. CONCLUSIONS: Our study provided 10 key genes for diagnosis, prognosis, and therapy for GBM. These findings might contribute to a better comprehension of molecular mechanisms of GBM development, and provide new perspective for further GBM research. However, specific regulatory mechanism of these genes needed further elaboration.

Overexpression of oncostatin M receptor regulates local immune response in glioblastoma.

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most lethal cancer in central nervous system. It is urgently needed to look for novel therapeutics for GBM. Oncostatin M receptor (OSMR) is a cytokine receptor gene of IL-6 family and has been reported to be involved in regulating GBM tumorigenesis. However, the role of OSMR regulating the disrupted immune response in GBM need to be further investigated. Three gene expression profiles, Chinese Glioma Genome Atlas (CGGA), The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) data set (GSE16011), were enrolled in our study and used for OSMR expression and survival analysis. The expression of OSMR was further verified with immunohistochemistry and western blot analysis in glioma tissues. Microenvironment cell populations-counter (MCP-counter) was applied for analyzing the relationship between OSMR expression and nontumor cells. The functions of OSMR in GBM was investigated by Gene Ontology, Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA), gene set variation analysis and so on. The analysis of cytokine receptor activity-related genes in glioma identifies OSMR as a gene with an independent predictive factor for progressive malignancy in GBM. Furthermore, OSMR expression is a prognostic marker in the response prediction to radiotherapy and chemotherapy. OSMR contributes to the regulation of local immune response and extracellular matrix process in GBM. Our findings define an important role of OSMR in the regulation of local immune response in GBM, which may suggest OSMR as a possible biomarker in developing new therapeutic immune strategies in GBM.

Lpp of Escherichia coli K1 inhibits host ROS production to counteract neutrophil-mediated elimination.

Escherichia coli (E. coli) is the most common Gram-negative bacterial organism causing neonatal meningitis. The pathogenesis of E. coli meningitis, especially how E. coli escape the host immune defenses, remains to be clarified. Here we show that deletion of bacterial Lpp encoding lipoprotein significantly reduces the pathogenicity of E. coli K1 to induce high-degree of bacteremia necessary for meningitis. The Lpp-deleted E. coli K1 is found to be susceptible to the intracellular bactericidal activity of neutrophils, without affecting the release of neutrophil extracellular traps. The production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), representing the primary antimicrobial mechanism in neutrophils, is significantly increased in response to Lpp-deleted E. coli. We find this enhanced ROS response is associated with the membrane translocation of NADPH oxidase p47phox and p67phox in neutrophils. Then we constructed p47phox knockout mice and we found the incidence of bacteremia and meningitis in neonatal mice induced by Lpp-deleted E. coli is significantly recovered by p47phox knockout. Proteomic profile analysis show that Lpp deficiency induces upregulation of flagellar protein FliC in E. coli. We further demonstrate that FliC is required for the ROS induction in neutrophils by Lpp-deleted E. coli. Taken together, these data uncover the novel role of Lpp in facilitating intracellular survival of E. coli K1 within neutrophils. It can be inferred that Lpp of E. coli K1 is able to suppress FliC expression to restrain the activation of NADPH oxidase in neutrophils resulting in diminished bactericidal activity, thus protecting E. coli K1 from the elimination by neutrophils.

Burr-hole craniotomy treating chronic subdural hematoma: a report of 398 cases.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the treatment of chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH) with burr-hole craniotomy in our hospital. METHODS: From January 2004 to December 2009, 398 patients with CSDH, 338 males and 60 females (male/female equal to 5.63/1), received burr-hole craniotomy in our hospital. The median age was 60 years with the mean age of (58.1 ± 18.1) years, (65.0 ± 14.5) years for females and (57.0 ± 18.2) years for males. Trauma history was determined in 275 patients (69.1%). Burr-hole craniotomy was performed under local anesthesia in 368 patients and general anesthesia in 30 patients. CSDH was classified into 3 groups according to the density on CT scan. Clinical data concerning etiologies, symptoms and signs, concomitant diseases, diagnosis, therapies and outcomes were investigated retrospectively. Patients'neurological status on admission and at discharge was also classified to judge the outcomes. RESULTS: Generally, trauma history showed few differences between those over 60 years old and under 60 years old, but showed obvious differences when gender was taken into account. Totally 123 male patients (60.0% of 204 cases) suffering from head injuries were under 60 years, whereas 35 female patients (85.4% of 41 cases) with trauma histories were over 60 years. The duration from trauma to appearance of clinical symptoms was (84.0 ± 61.7) days (range, 0-1493 days). Traumatic accident was the leading etiology, other accompanying diseases such as cerebral vascular disease, hypertension, etc, were also predisposing factors. Commonly, the elderly presented with hemiplegia/hemidysesthesia/hemiataxia and the young with headache. Most CSDH patients (95.6%) treated with burr-hole craniotomy successfully recovered. However, postoperative complications occurred in 17 cases, including recurrence of CSDH in 15 cases, subdural abscess in 1 case and pneumonia in 3 cases. CONCLUSION: Burr-hole craniotomy is an easy, efficient and reliable way to treat CSDH.

Microsurgical treatment of cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea in sphenoidal sinus.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the clinical manifestation, diagnosis and surgical treatment of cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea in sphenoidal sinus. METHODS: Nine cases of cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea in sphenoidal sinus from 2007 to 2009 were retrospectively analyzed consisting of their possible etiological factors, clinical manifestations, localization of the leakage site and treatment methods. Among them, there were 3 cases of traumatic rhinorrhea, 4 postoperative rhinorrhea and 2 spontaneous rhinorrhea. All 9 patients underwent 3-dimensional CT scan in sellar region including all para-nasal sinus. Leakage site was identified and repairing procedure was performed through trans-sphenoidal approach. RESULTS: All cases were cured with the trans-sphenoidal microsurgical procedure. They were followed up for 9 months to 2 years. No recurrence, no infection and epilepsy complications were observed. CONCLUSION: For the cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea at sphenoidal sinus, it is critical to identify the leakage site accurately and the trans-sphenoidal approach is a microinvasive and effective way to repair the leakage, which is worthy to be advocated.

[Analysis of surgical treatment strategies of petroclival region tumors].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the surgical strategy of the tumors of petroclival region. METHODS: The surgical data of 55 cases presented with meningioma and trigeminal nerve sheath tumors from January 2002 to February 2009 was retrospectively analyzed. All the cases were divided into full-cut group, sub-total resection group, part of resection group or divided into full-cut group and no-total resection group, in terms of various surgical strategy. The incidence of postoperative neurological disorder and quality of life status were focused and statistical analysis was carried out. RESULTS: There were 21 patients with complete cut, 22 patients with sub-total resection and 12 patients with part of resection. There were 12 patients with neurological deterioration in full-cut group and 10 patients in no-total resection group. There was significant difference between total resection group and no-total resection group (χ(2) = 4.16, P < 0.05). All the patients were assessed based on the criterion of KPS, 12 patients of full-cut whose KPS ≥ 80, 29 patients were the same in no-total resection group. There was significant difference between the two groups (χ(2) = 5.42, P < 0.05). The mean follow-up time was 3 years. No recurrence was found in full-cut group and 5 recurrence of no-total resection group. CONCLUSIONS: The pursuit of full-cut for the tumors of petroclival region may result in serious neurological dysfunction and poor life quality after the operation. Non-full-cut combination of postoperative radiotherapy may receive a relative better results.

Honokiol inhibits carotid artery atherosclerotic plaque formation by suppressing inflammation and oxidative stress.

Honokiol is a natural active compound extracted from Chinese herbal medicine, Magnolia officinalis. In this study, the role of honokiol in the development of carotid artery atherosclerotic lesions was evaluated in an ApoE-/- mouse model fed with a normal diet (ND) or a Western-type diet (WD) for ten weeks. After first two weeks, a perivascular collar was surgically placed on the right common carotid arteries of the mice. Then, WD-fed mice were intraperitoneally injected with honokiol (10 or 20 mg/kg) or administrated with 10 mg/kg atorvastatin calcium by gavage once a day for eight weeks. After that, the right common carotid arteries were excised for further experiments. The result showed that honokiol substantially inhibited the development of atherosclerotic lesions. Furthermore, honokiol downregulated the expression of pro-inflammatory markers, like tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin (IL)-6, and IL-1ß. Additionally, honokiol treatment decreased reactive oxygen species level and enhanced superoxide dismutase activity. Nitric oxide level, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expression, and aberrant activation of nuclear factor-κB pathway were also significantly inhibited by honokiol treatment. Together, these findings suggest that honokiol protects against atherosclerotic plaque formation in carotid artery, and may be an effective drug candidate for the treatment of carotid artery atherosclerotic stenosis.

Elevated lymphocyte specific protein 1 expression is involved in the regulation of leukocyte migration and immunosuppressive microenvironment in glioblastoma.

Immune cell infiltration mediates therapeutic response to immune therapies. The investigation on the genes regulating leukocyte migration may help us to understand the mechanisms regulating immune cell infiltration in tumor microenvironment. Here, we collected the data from Chinese Glioma Genome Atlas (CGGA) and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) to analyze the expression of leukocyte migration related genes in glioblastoma (GBM). Lymphocyte specific protein 1 (LSP1) was identified as the only gene in this family which not only has an elevated expression, but also serve as an independent predictive factor for progressive malignancy in glioma. We further confirmed these results in clinical glioma samples by quantitative PCR, immunofluorescence, immunohistochemistry, and western blot. Moreover, LSP1 expression was closely related to the response to radio- and chemotherapy in GBM, and positively correlated with immunosuppressive cell populations, including M2 macrophages, neutrophil, and regulatory T cell. Additionally, elevated LSP-1 expression enhanced the expression of immunosuppression related genes like programmed cell death 1 (PD1) and leukocyte associated immunoglobulin like receptor 1 (LAIR1) in macrophages. LSP1 also promoted the migration of macrophages. Together, our study suggests a novel role of LSP1 contributing to immunosuppressive microenvironment in GBM and serving as a potential therapeutic target for it.

Integrin Beta 5 Is a Prognostic Biomarker and Potential Therapeutic Target in Glioblastoma.

Background: Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most lethal cancer of the central nervous system. Integrin beta 5 (ITGB5) is thought to be involved in intercellular signal transduction and regulation of tumor initiation and progression. However, the function of ITGB5 in GBM is not known. Methods: To address this question, we evaluated the expression level of ITGB5 in clinical specimens by immunohistochemistry and western blotting, as well as the association between ITGB5 expression and GBM patient survival using data from Chinese Glioma Genome Atlas and The Cancer Genome Atlas. The biological function of ITGB5 in GBM was investigated by Gene Ontology, gene set enrichment, and in vitro loss-of-function experiments using glioma cells. Results: Among integrin family members, ITGB5 showed the greatest difference in expression between low-grade glioma and GBM. Elevated ITGB5 expression was highly correlated with glioma progression and a mesenchymal subtype and poor survival in GBM patients. ITGB5 was found to be associated with regulation of the immune response and angiogenesis in GBM, and was required for migration and invasion of glioma cells and tube formation by endothelial cells. Conclusions: These data indicate that ITGB5 can serve as a predictive biomarker for GBM patient survival and is a potential therapeutic target in GBM treatment.

Integrated profiling identifies caveolae-associated protein 1 as a prognostic biomarker of malignancy in glioblastoma patients.

AIMS: Glioblastoma (GBM) is a lethal disease of the central nervous system with high mortality, and novel therapeutic targets and strategies for GBM are urgently needed. Caveolae-associated protein 1 (CAVIN1) is an essential caveolar component-encoding gene and has been poorly studied in glioma. To this end, in this study, we evaluated CAVIN1 expression in glioma tissue as well as the correlation between CAVIN1 expression and prognosis in glioma patients using the data collected from clinical samples or from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), Chinese Glioma Genome Atlas (CGGA), Rembrandt, and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) data sets. METHODS: Survival analysis was performed with the Kaplan-Meier curve and log-rank test. The predictive role of CAVIN1 in progressive malignancy in glioma was evaluated by using a receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve. Gene ontology (GO), Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA), and gene set variation analysis (GSVA) methods were used to interpret the functions of CAVIN1 in GBM. RESULTS: CAVIN1 expression was elevated in GBM compared with that in low-grade glioma and nontumor brain samples and was correlated with unfavorable outcomes in glioma patients. Additionally, CAVIN1 could serve as an independent predictive factor for progressive malignancy in GBM. Furthermore, CAVIN1 was associated with disrupted angiogenesis and immune response in the tumor microenvironment of GBM. CONCLUSIONS: We identified CAVIN1 as a prognostic biomarker and potential target for developing novel therapeutic strategies against GBM.

Costimulatory checkpoint SLAMF8 is an independent prognosis factor in glioma.

AIMS: Immune checkpoint blockade has made breakthroughs in immunotherapy for glioma. However, current immunotherapy has therapeutic benefits only in a subset of patients and accompanied by immune-related side effects. SLAMF8 is a costimulatory molecule that affects the activation of macrophages in inflammation. The study of SLAMF8 may provide new information for immunological research and treatment of glioma. METHODS: CGGA and TCGA cohorts of 946 patients with RNA sequencing data and full clinical information were analyzed using R language and GraphPad Prism 7. RESULTS: SLAMF8 was overexpressed along with malignancy progression and was a biomarker of mesenchymal subtype. As an independent prognostic factor, high SLAMF8 conferred reduced overall survival and chemotherapy resistance. SLAMF8 implied lower proportion of cancer cells along with increasing enrichment of monocytic lineage, myeloid dendritic cells. Functional analysis showed higher SLAMF8 indicated activation of antigen processing and presenting and the IFN-γ/TNF/TLR-mediated signaling. Meanwhile, coexpressing with classical checkpoint SLAMF8 aggravated immunosuppression and enhanced inflammation response. CONCLUSION: Our study highlighted the important role of SLAMF8 in malignancy progression, shortened survival, and immune disorders. Further research on SLAMF8 in immunosuppression and inflammation response to glioma cells could aid immunotherapy for glioma.

[Antimicrobial resistance of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in hospital environment and inpatients].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the spread and antimicrobial susceptibility of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) at hospital. METHODS: Totally 110 strains of Staphylococcus aureus (SA) were isolated from the clinical samples of patients in 4 hospitals and 30 strains of SA were isolated from the hospital environment and personnel in Xiangya Hospital. MRSA was detected using oxacillin disk diffusion test, cefoxitin disk diffusion test and MecA, FemA gene PCR assay. Beta-lactamase was detected using nitrocephin sticks. The antimicrobial susceptibility of MRSA was tested by K-B disk diffusion test. RESULTS: Among the 140 strains, 89 were MRSA, accounting for 63.57% of the total SA. The isolation rates of MRSA in clinical strains and environment strains were 64.55% and 60.00% (P > 0.05). All MRSA strains were sensitive to vancomycin and linezolid, 87 MRSA strains (97.75%) were sensitive to teicoplanin, most of which, however, were resistant to other antibiotics. Among the 89 strains, 85 MRSA strains (95.51% ) expressed beta-lactamase. CONCLUSIONS: MRSA is highly prevalent in hospitals. Most MRSA strains are multi-drug resistant, but are still sensitive to vancomycin, linezolid, and teicoplanin.

NFAT-1 hyper-activation by methionine enkephalin (MENK) significantly induces cell apoptosis of rats C6 glioma in vivo and in vitro.

The aim of the work was to investigate the effect and possible mechanism of MENK on the growth of rat C6 glioma in vivo or in vitro. Our findings showed that MENK could inhibit the growth of rat C6 glioma, prolong median survival times in tumor-bearing rats, and induce glioma cell apoptosis. Moreover, MENK could increase the activities of caspase-3, caspase-8 and caspase-9. It also increased the expression of Fas, FasL, Bax, while decreased the expression of Bcl-2. We further confirmed that MENK could increase opioid receptors MOR and DOR expressions, Ca2+ influx into the cytoplasm, and a substantial increase of NFAT1accumulation in the nuclei in C6 glioma cell. When we specifically knocked down NFAT1, there was no effect of MENK on the cell viability and FasL up-regulation in NFAT1 knocked-down cell. These results demonstrate that MENK could bind to opioid receptors MOR and DOR on C6 glioma cells and trigger a Ca2+ influx into the cytoplasm, resulting in translocation of NFAT1 into the nucleus. The hyper-activation of NFAT1 may regulate transcription of downstream gene, such as FasL, and induce apoptosis of rat C6 glioma cells.

A murine model of dry eye induced by topical administration of erlotinib eye drops.

In the present study, the effects of erlotinib on mouse tear function and corneal epithelial tissue structure were investigated. Throughout the 3 weeks of treatment, no notable differences were observed in the body, eye or lacrimal gland weights of the control and experimental mice. However, in the experimental group, the tear volume and break­up times of tear film were significantly lower following treatment with erlotinib compared with the control group. Corneal fluorescein staining in the experimental group revealed patchy staining, and the Lissamine green staining and inflammatory index were significantly higher in the experimental group at 3 weeks than in the control group. In the experimental group, the number of corneal epithelium layers increased significantly following treatment with erlotinib for 3 weeks and a significant increase in the number of vacuoles was observed compared with the control group. Treatment with erlotinib significantly increased the corneal epithelial cell apoptosis, and led to a significantly increased number of epithelial cell layers and increased keratin 10 expression. It also significantly reduced the number of conjunctival goblet cells. Transmission electron microscopy and scanning electron microscopy revealed that the corneal epithelial surface was irregular and there was a substantial reduction and partial loss of the microvilli in the experimental group. Mice treated with erlotinib also exhibited an increased protein expression of tumor necrosis factor­α and decreased protein expression of phosphorylated­epidermal growth factor receptor in the corneal epithelial cells. The topical application of erlotinib eye drops was revealed to induce dry eyes in mice. This is a novel method of developing a model of dry eyes in mice.

Synthesis of bilirubin imprinted polymer thin film for the continuous detection of bilirubin in an MIP/QCM/FIA system.

A bilirubin imprinted polymer (BIP) was coated on a thiol pretreated Au electrode on a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) chip. The BIP thin film was synthesized using 4-vinylpyridine (4-Vpy) as the monomer, divinylbenzene (DVB) as the cross-linker, and benzophenone as the initiator. By using a photo-graft surface polymerization technique with irradiation by ultra-violet (UV) light, a thin BIP film was prepared, from which a biomimetic sensor for the detection of bilirubin was developed. The sensor was able to discriminate bilirubin in solution owing to the specific binding of the imprinted sites. The BIP/QCM chip has been repeatedly used for more than 7 months in many continuous experiments. The detection signal of bilirubin from the BIP thin film/QCM was compared with the non-BIP thin film/QCM. Biliverdin, an analogue of bilirubin, was used for comparison. The analogue comparison confirmed the binding specificity of the BIP film toward bilirubin. The selectivity can be as high as 31.2. The effect of pH on the detection of bilirubin is also discussed. With proper solvent for elution and recovery, flow injection analysis (FIA) could be applied to the system. The performance of the BIP/QCM chip was evaluated. A linear calibration of the bilirubin concentration with respect to the frequency shift was successfully obtained. The reproducibility of measurements from the same BIP/QCM chip was confirmed. In addition, repeatability of detection was also confirmed from different BIP/QCM chips. In conclusion, a combined BIP thin film/QCM/FIA method was successfully established for the detection of bilirubin concentration using a molecularly imprinted film.

A functional MRI study of altered spontaneous brain activity pattern in patients with congenital comitant strabismus using amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to use amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) to investigate local features of spontaneous brain activity in patients with congenital comitant strabismus and clarify their relationship with emotional and psychosocial problems. METHODS: A total of 20 patients with congenital comitant strabismus (ten males and ten females), and 20 healthy controls (ten males and ten females) closely matched in age, sex, and education underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging scans. The ALFF method was used to assess local features of spontaneous brain activity. Congenital comitant strabismus patients were distinguished from healthy controls by receiver operating characteristic curve. Correlation analysis was performed to explore the relationships between the observed mean ALFF signal values of the different areas and the Chinese version of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. RESULTS: Compared with healthy controls, patients with congenital comitant strabismus had significantly lower ALFF in the bilateral medialfrontal gyrus and higher values in the bilateral cerebellum posterior lobe and left angular gyrus. In the congenital comitant strabismus group, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale-depression score showed a negative correlation with the ALFF signal values of the bilateral medial frontal gyrus (r=-0.550, P=0.012) and a negative correlation was noted between the mean ALFF signal values of the left angular gyrus and strabismus duration (r=-0.515, P=0.020). CONCLUSION: Congenital comitant strabismus mainly involves dysfunction in the bilateral medial frontal gyrus, bilateral cerebellum posterior lobe, and left angular gyrus, which may reflect the underlying pathologic mechanism of congenital strabismus.

Altered spontaneous brain activity patterns in patients with unilateral acute open globe injury using amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation: a functional magnetic resonance imaging study.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate altered spontaneous brain activities in patients with unilateral acute open globe injury (OGI) using amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) method and its relationship with their clinical manifestations. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 18 patients with acute OGI (16 males and two females) and 18 healthy controls (HCs, 16 males and two females) closely matched in age, sex, and education were recruited in this study. The ALFF method was used to evaluate the altered spontaneous brain activities. The relationships between the mean ALFF signal values of different brain regions and the clinical features were evaluated by correlation analysis. Acute OGI patients were distinguished from HCs by receiver operating characteristic curve. RESULTS: Compared with HCs, acute OGI patients had significantly higher ALFF values in the left cuneus, left middle cingulum cortex, and bilateral precuneus. Furthermore, the age of OGI patients showed a negative correlation with the ALFF signal value of the left middle cingulum cortex (r=-0.557, P=0.016) and a negative correlation with the mean ALFF signal value of the bilateral precuneus (r=-0.746, P<0.001). The ALFF signal value of the bilateral precuneus was negatively correlated with the duration of OGI (r=-0.493, P=0.038) and positively correlated with the vision acuity of the injured eye (r=0.583, P=0.011). CONCLUSION: Acute OGI mainly induces dysfunction in the left cuneus, left middle cingulum cortex, and bilateral precuneus, which may reflect the underlying pathologic mechanisms of abnormal brain activities in OGI patients.

Binding specificity of alpha-bilirubin-imprinted poly(methacrylic acid-co-ethylene glycol dimethylacrylate) toward alpha-bilirubin.

alpha-Bilirubin is an important index to determine the liver's functions. Poly(methacrylic acid-co-ethylene glycol dimethylacrylate) (poly(MAA-co-EGDMA)) imprinted with alpha-bilirubin was proposed and shown to be able to bind alpha-bilirubin specifically. The extraction condition was also discussed. Polymers prepared by imprinting bilirubin in poly(MAA-co-EGDMA) and in poly(beta-cyclodextrin-co-EGDMA) were compared. In this work, binding specificity of molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) toward the target template, alpha-bilirubin, is discussed. Adsorption profile of alpha-bilirubin by bilirubin-imprinted poly(MAA-co-EGDMA) was measured as a function of time, from where the equilibrium could be determined. Two hours was determined to be the proper time for adsorption. Biliverdin as a rather similar analog compound of bilirubin was chosen for comparison of binding specificity in this study. Progesterone as well as testosterone was also chosen for study because they both co-exist in serum with bilirubin and might interfere with binding capacity of imprinted poly(MAA-co-EGDMA) toward alpha-bilirubin. Specificity of this polymer for bilirubin was thus confirmed by tasks carried out in mixture solutions comprised of compounds above. It is true that biliverdin contained in the binary mixture did affect the binding capacity of bilirubin. Nevertheless, polymer's binding specificity for bilirubin was essentially sufficient for recognition of alpha-bilirubin in the presence of other compounds. How MIP identified the target template molecule, alpha-bilirubin, is also elucidated.