Fast freezing inhibits melanin synthesis of melanocytes by modulating the Wnt/ß-catenin signalling pathway.

Skin hyperpigmentation is mainly caused by excessive synthesis of melanin; however, there is still no safe and effective therapy for its removal. Here, we found that the dermal freezer was able to improve UVB-induced hyperpigmentation of guinea pigs without causing obvious epidermal damage. We also mimic freezing stimulation at the cellular level by rapid freezing and observed that freezing treatments <2.5 min could not decrease cell viability or induce cell apoptosis in B16F10 and Melan-A cells. Critically, melanin content and tyrosinase activity in two cells were greatly reduced after freezing treatments. The dramatic decrease in tyrosinase activity was associated with the downregulation of MITF, TYR, TRP-1 and TRP-2 protein expression in response to freezing treatments for two cells. Furthermore, our results first demonstrated that freezing treatments significantly reduced the levels of p-GSK3ß and ß-catenin and the nuclear accumulation of ß-catenin in B16F10 and Melan-A cells. Together, these data suggest that fast freezing treatments can inhibit melanogenesis-related gene expression in melanocytes by regulating the Wnt/ß-catenin signalling pathway. The inhibition of melanin production eventually contributed to the improvement in skin hyperpigmentation induced by UVB. Therefore, fast freezing treatments may be a new alternative of skin whitening in the clinic in the future.

High-intensity focused ultrasound for endometrial ablation in adenomyosis: a clinical study.

Objective: The present study aimed to investigate the clinical efficacy of endometrial ablation with high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) for symptom relief in women with adenomyosis. Methods: Between July 2014 and July 2020, 167 patients with adenomyosis treated at the Zhongshan City People's Hospital were enrolled in this study. Patients were divided into two groups according to patient aspirations: the control group, including patients who only underwent ablation of adenomyosis lesions (group A) and the treatment group, including patients who underwent removal of adenomyosis lesions and endometrial ablation (group B). Results: The reduced dysmenorrhea scores (visual analog scale) and menstrual volume scores (pictorial blood assessment chart) were measured before and after treatment. The scores were obtained by subtracting the postoperative scores from the preoperative scores and were compared to determine whether the symptoms had alleviated. Compared with the menstrual volume of group A, that in group B showed significant improvements. The average relief rates of dysmenorrhea in the two groups also showed significant improvement. However, the scores in group B showed a more significant improvement than those in group A. Conclusion: Therefore, our findings suggest that endometrial ablation using HIFU may be superior to conventional therapy with regard to alleviating the symptoms of increased menstruation in women with adenomyosis.

Correlation between maternally expressed gene 3 expression and heart rate variability in heart failure patients with ventricular arrhythmia.

AIM: The aim of the study was to analyse the correlation between maternally expressed gene 3 (MEG3) expression and heart rate variability (HRV) in heart failure patients with ventricular arrhythmia (VA). METHODS: A total of 130 heart failure patients, treated from July 2018 to March 2021, were prospectively selected and divided into a non-VA group (n = 85) and a VA group (n = 45) according to the presence or absence of VA. The correlations of serum MEG3 expression and HRV with cardiac function indicators were investigated by Pearson correlation analysis. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were plotted to assess the predictive value of MEG3, HRV and their combination for the occurrence of heart failure complicated with VA. RESULTS: The VA group had a higher left atrial diameter (LAD) and left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (LVEDD) but lower left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and ratio of mitral early diastolic peak velocity (E) to late peak atrial filling velocity (A) (E/A) than the non-VA group (p < 0.05). The serum MEG3 expression was negatively correlated with: standard deviation of the average RR intervals calculated over five-minute segments in the 24-hour record (SDANN), SDANN index, standard deviation of normal-to-normal RR interval (SDNN) index, percentage of differences between adjacent normal RR intervals exceeding 50 ms (PNN50), root mean square of successive difference (RMSSD), low frequency (LF), high frequency (HF), very low frequency (VLF), LVEF and E/A (r < 0, p < 0.05). The serum MEG3 expression was positively correlated with LAD and LVEDD (r > 0, p < 0.05). The areas under the ROC curves of MEG3, SDANN, SDANN index, SDNN index, PNN50, RMSSD, LF, HF, VLF and their combination for the prediction of the occurrence of heart failure complicated with VA were 0.812, 0.731, 0.737, 0.689, 0.860, 0.783, 0.791, 0.856, 0.769 and 0.966, respectively. CONCLUSION: MEG3 combined with HRV can effectively predict the occurrence of heart failure complicated with VA.

Spontaneous rupture of the uterus in the third trimester after high-intensity ultrasound ablation in adenomyosis: A case report.

Adenomyosis is a benign uterine disease. Due to the higher incidence of adenomyosis and patients' demands for fertility, high-intensity ultrasound ablation has been widely used in gynecological patients with uterine fibroids and adenomyosis. Ultrasound ablation of lesions can help alleviate symptoms in patients without increasing the incidence of obstetric complications in subsequent pregnancies. High-intensity ultrasound ablation is not considered a risk factor for uterine rupture. However, we describe a case of adenomyosis treated with high-intensity ultrasound ablation presenting with uterine rupture in the third trimester. The patient underwent an emergency cesarean section to deliver the baby successfully and underwent uterine repair surgery. When treating patients with adenomyosis, care should be taken to protect the myometrium, endometrium, and serous layer to reduce the risk of uterine rupture.

Yohimbine hydrochloride inhibits skin melanin synthesis by regulating wnt/ß-catenin and p38/MAPK signal pathways.

BACKGROUND: Yohimbine hydrochloride (YH) is a prescription drug to treat erectile dysfunction. It also had potential in fighting high blood pressure and diabetic neuropathy as well as promoting weight loss. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study is to investigate the anti-melanogenic function of yohimbine hydrochloride and reveal its underlying molecular mechanism. METHODS: B16F10 mouse melanoma cells, Melan-A murine melanocyte, Zebrafish embryos and C57BL/6 mouse ear skins were treated with different concentrations of YH. The extracellular and cellular melanin content was detected by spectrometry. The expression of microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF), tyrosinase and the activities of Wnt/ß-catenin and p38/MAPK signal pathways were determined by RT-qPCR, Western blot analysis and immunofluorescent staining. RESULTS: Melanin production could be effectively inhibited by YH at the safe concentration in vitro and in vivo. Q-PCR and WB results showed that the expression of MITF and tyrosinase were strongly downregulated after YH treatments along with the reduction of tyrosinase activity. YH markedly inhibited ß-catenin nuclear accumulation and p38 phosphorylation in B16F10 cells compared with the untreated controls. Importantly, the increase of MITF expression induced by ß-catenin activator BIO and p38 activator anisomycin could be fully reversed by YH treatments. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that YH can function as an anti-melanogenic agent, at least in part, by inhibiting Wnt/ß-catenin and p38/MAPK signal pathways. Therefore, YH may be potentially used as a skin-whitening compound for preventing hyperpigmentation disorders in the future.

[Anti-Helicobacter pylori treatment in patients with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of anti-Helicobacter pylori (H.pylori) treatment on patients with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) and its effect on blood platelet. METHODS: From April 2006 to April 2008, a total of 31 patients diagnosed as having ITP and H. pylori infection were collected. These patients were given standard antibiotic therapy for H. pylori eradication (omeprazole 20 mg, clarithromycin 0.5 g, and amoxicillin 1.0 g, twice per day for 1 week). The effect of anti-H. pylori treatment was analyzed, and the blood platelets were counted before the treatment and on day 7, 14, and 28 after the treatment. RESULTS: Of the 31 ITP patients with H. pylori infection, 21 were cured and 10 were not effective, with the effective rate 67.74%. Blood platelet increased in the cured group but did not change in the no-effect group. CONCLUSION: Anti-H. pylori treatment could increase the blood platelet, and H. pylori infection may be related to the reduction of blood platelet in ITP patients.

[Rapid determination of optimal time for peripheral blood stem cell harvest by detecting hematopoietor progenitor cell during mobilization].

OBJECTIVE: To develop a simple method to rapidly determine the optimal time of perpheral blood stem cell harvest. METHODS: We selected 5 healthy donors mobilized with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) in allogenic peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (allo-PBSCT) to continuously monitor the variety of hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSC/HPC) in the peripheral blood. HPC in the peripheral blood was detected by Sysmex XE-2100 fully automated hematology analyzer with an immature myeloid information channel and the CD34+ cells and colony-forming unit-granulocyte-macrophage (CFU-GM) were determined by flow cytometry and colony culture during mobilization. RESULTS: HPC was positively correlated with the CD34+ cells or CFU-GM in the peripheral blood (r = 0.82 or r = 0.85, respectively). HPC, CD34+ cells, and CFU-GM in allo-PBSCT donors obviously increased on the 4th day after the mobilization, and their peaks were on the 5th day after the mobilization. But HPC varied more than CD34+ cells and CFU-GM did. CONCLUSION: Sysmex XE-2100 can rapidly monitor the variety of HSC/HPC in allo-PBSCT donors mobilizated with G-CSF, and can provide a simple and economic method to determine the optimal time of peripheral blood stem cell harvest.