Morphine Preconditioning Alleviates Ischemia/Reperfusion-induced Caspase-8-dependent Neuronal Apoptosis through cPKCγ-NF-κB-cFLIPL Pathway.

BACKGROUND: Perioperative cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury is a major contributor to postoperative death and cognitive dysfunction in patients. It was reported that morphine preconditioning (MP) can mimic ischemia/hypoxia preconditioning to protect against ischemia/reperfusion injury. However, the mechanism of MP on the ischemia/reperfusion-induced neuronal apoptosis has not been fully clarified. METHODS: The middle cerebral artery occlusion/reperfusion (MCAO/R) model of mice and the oxygen-glucose deprivation/reoxygenation (OGD/R) model in primary cortical neurons were used to mimic ischemic stroke. In vivo, the infarct size was measured by using TTC staining; NDSS, Longa score system, and beam balance test were performed to evaluate the neurological deficits of mice; the expression of the protein was detected by using a western blot. In vitro, the viability of neurons was determined by using CCK-8 assay; the expression of protein and mRNA were assessed by using western blot, RT-qPCR, and immunofluorescent staining; the level of apoptosis was detected by using TUNEL staining. RESULTS: MP can improve the neurological functions of mice following MCAO/R (P<0.001, n=10 per group). MP can decrease the infarct size (P<0.001, n=10 per group) and the level of cleaved-caspase-3 of mice following MCAO/R (P<0.01 or 0.001, n=6 per group). MP can increase the levels of cPKCγ membrane translocation, p-p65, and cFLIPL, and decrease the levels of cleaved-caspase-8, 3 in neurons after OGD/R or MCAO/R 1 d (P<0.05, 0.01 or 0.001, n=6 per group). In addition, MP could alleviate OGD/R-induced cell apoptosis (P<0.001, n=6 per group). CONCLUSION: MP alleviates ischemia/reperfusion-induced Caspase 8-dependent neuronal apoptosis through the cPKCγ-NF-κB-cFLIPL pathway.

Facile Solid-State Synthesis to In Situ Generate a Composite Coating Layer Composed of Spinel-Structural Compounds and Li3PO4 for Stable Cycling of LiCoO2 at 4.6 V.

Due to its high energy density, high-voltage LiCoO2 is the preferred cathode material for consumer electronic products. However, its commercial viability is hindered by rapid capacity decay resulting from structural degradation and surface passivation during cycling at 4.6 V. The key to achieving stable cycling of LiCoO2 at high voltages lies in constructing a highly stable interface to mitigate surface side reactions. In this study, we present a facile in situ coating strategy that is amenable to mass production through a simple wet-mixing process, followed by high-temperature calcination. By capitalizing on the facile dispersion characteristics of nano-TiO2 in ethanol and the ethanol dissolubility of LiPO2F2, we construct a uniform precoating layer on LiCoO2 with nano-TiO2 and LiPO2F2. The subsequent thermal treatment triggers an in situ reaction between the coating reagents and LiCoO2, yielding a uniform composite coating layer. This composite layer comprises spinel-structured compounds (e.g., LiCoTiO4) and Li3PO4, which exhibit excellent chemical and structural stability under high-voltage conditions. The uniform and stable coating layer effectively prevents direct contact between LiCoO2 and the electrolyte, thereby reducing side reactions and suppressing the surface passivation of LiCoO2 particles. As a result, coated LiCoO2 maintains favorable electronic and ionic conductivity even after prolonged cycling. The synergistic effects of spinel-structured compounds and Li3PO4 contribute to the superior performance of LiCoO2, demonstrating a high capacity of 202.1 mA h g-1 (3.0-4.6 V, 0.5 C, 1 C = 274 mA g-1), with a capacity retention rate of 96.7% after 100 cycles.

Effect of Nephritis Rehabilitation Tablets combined with tacrolimus in treatment of idiopathic membranous nephropathy.

BACKGROUND: Idiopathic membranous nephropathy (IMN) has a high incidence in the middle-aged and elderly population, and poses a great threat to the physical and mental health and quality of life of patients. Nephritis Rehabilitation Tablets have many potential effects, such as clearing residual toxins, tumefying the kidney and spleen, replenishing qi, and nourishing yin, and have played an important role in the treatment of a variety of kidney diseases. AIM: To investigate the efficacy and safety of Nephritis Rehabilitation Tablets combined with tacrolimus in the treatment of IMN. METHODS: Eighty-four patients with IMN recruited from January 2017 to September 2020 were randomly divided into a study group (n = 42) and a control group (n = 42). On the basis of routine symptomatic treatment, both groups were treated with tacrolimus, and the study group was additionally treated with Nephritis Rehabilitation Tablets. Both groups were treated for 12 wk. The therapeutic effect, the levels of renal function indexes [serum creatinine (Scr), serum albumin, and 24-h urinary protein], urinary immunoglobulin (IgG4), membrane attack complex (C5b-9), and the incidence of adverse reactions were measured before and after 12 wk of treatment. RESULTS: The total effective rate in the study group was significantly higher than that of the control group. Before treatment, there was no significant difference in Scr, serum albumin, or 24 h urinary protein between the two groups. After 12 wk of treatment, the levels of Scr and 24-h urinary protein in both groups were significantly lower and serum albumin was significantly higher than those before treatment (P < 0.05), and the levels of Scr and 24-h urinary protein were significantly lower (P = 0.003 and 0.000, respectively), and the level of serum albumin was significantly higher (P = 0.00) in the study group than in the control group. Before treatment, there was no significant difference in urinary IgG4 and C5b-9 levels between the study group and the control group (P = 0.336 and 0.438, respectively). After 12 wk of treatment, the levels of urinary IgG4 and C5b-9 in the two groups were lower than those before treatment, and the levels of urinary IgG4 and C5b-9 in the study group were significantly lower than those in the control group (P = 0.000). There was no significant difference in the incidence of adverse reactions between the two groups (P = 0.710). CONCLUSION: Based on routine intervention, Nephritis Rehabilitation Tablets combined with tacrolimus in the treatment of IMN can effectively improve the renal function of patients and downregulate the expression of urinary IgG4 and C5b-9. In addition, they can improve the overall therapeutic effect while not increasing the risk of adverse reactions.

Characterization of a Candida albicans isolate from a recurrent cervical lymphadenitis patient.

Candida albicans is the most frequently isolated opportunistic fungal pathogen in humans. However, patients with cervical lymphadenitis caused by Candida infection are rarely reported, and few studies have focused on the mechanisms underlying chronic Candida infection. In this study, we isolated a C. albicans strain (JL01) from a recurrent cervical lymphadenitis patient. The clinical isolate was identified by morphological observation and confirmed by DNA sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions. Strain JL01 is resistant to azole antifungal drugs, but sensitive to amphotericin B. The strain is able to adapt to oxidative and osmotic stresses but is defective in filamentous and invasive growth. The strain displays attenuated virulence in a murine systemic infection model. RNA-sequencing analysis revealed that JL01 has a distinct gene expression profile compared with C. albicans reference strain SC5314; hundreds of transcripts were significantly dysregulated, including those related to morphogenesis and pathogenesis. Taken together, our clinical, virulence, morphological, and biological analyses suggest that the azole resistance, oxidative and osmotic stress tolerance, invasive defect, hypovirulence, and impaired interaction with the host immune system of strain JL01 may correlate with its ability to cause cervical lymphadenitis in the patient. Our research may contribute to elucidating the mechanism(s) underlying the drug resistance and immune escape of C. albicans in chronic fungal infection.

Xanthoma Disseminatum in a Young Patient with Diabetes Insipidus.

Xanthoma disseminatum (XD) is a nonfamilial type of normolipidemic mucocutaneous xanthomatosis that belongs to the group of non-Langerhans cell histiocytoses. More than 100 cases of XD have been reported. In this study we report a case of XD in a 4-year-old boy with diabetes insipidus (DI). This boy is one of the youngest patients ever to present with XD combined with DI.

In vitro effects of ambroxol on Cryptococcus adherence, planktonic cells, and biofilms.

The antifungal effects of ambroxol (Amb; the metabolite VIII of bromhexine) against Cryptococcus planktonic cells and mature biofilms were investigated in this study. Amb showed antifungal activity against planktonic cells and mature biofilms. Disk diffusion test similarly showed antifungal profile for planktonic cells. Furthermore, Amb was found to be synergetic with fluconazole against planktonic cells and reduced the adherence of cells to polystyrene. Our results suggest that Amb can inhibit cryptococcal cells and biofilms, indicating its potential role in the prevention and treatment of cryptococcosis.