Upper Blepharoplasty through Infrabrow Skin Excision to Treat Dermatochalasis with Lateral Hooding and Medial Orbital Fat Loss in Selected Patients.

PURPOSE: Dermatochalasis with lateral hooding and medial orbital fat loss are common signs of aging in the upper eyelid. Removing the excess skin in this area through infrabrow skin excision can effectively lift the loose skin of the upper eyelid and minimizes visible scarring. Additionally, we have identified three compartments of orbital fat prolapse based on orbital anatomy. Transferring volume from the lateral compartment to the intermediate region can flatten the lateral upper eyelid and create medial fullness, which ultimately rejuvenates the upper eyelid. This study presents an operative method for correcting age-related changes in the upper eyelid using this technique. METHODS: A total of 34 eyelids from 17 patients underwent a surgical procedure involving infrabrow skin excision, along with repositioning and lifting of lateral orbital fat. The inclusion criteria consisted of patients with moderate to severe upper eyelid dermatochalasis, coupled with middle fat loss and lateral hooding. To correct lateral hooding and restore midfacial fullness, lateral orbital fat was repositioned to an intermediate position, and the orbicularis oculi muscle was fold-sutured to the corrugator supercilii muscle. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients was 55.59 ± 3.20 years, with a range of 48 to 61 years. The mean follow-up period was 9.94 ± 1.35 months, ranging from 8 to 12 months. Patients were evaluated at 1-month, 3-month, and 6-month intervals. The Strasser system was used to evaluate the surgical outcomes at 3 months. All patients achieved good surgical outcomes, expressed through satisfactory cosmetic improvements, and improved visual field. The procedure effectively corrected lateral hooding and loss of middle orbital fat through infrabrow skin excision. No complications, such as wound dehiscence, lagophthalmos, noticeable scarring, ocular dyskinesia, or sensory changes, were observed. CONCLUSIONS: The combination of infrabrow skin excision, repositioning of lateral orbital fat, and lifting of the orbicularis oculi muscle effectively addresses moderate to severe dermatochalasis, lateral hooding, medial fat loss, and improves elasticity of the anterior wall of the upper lid in our patients. This procedure can produce satisfactory and long-lasting aesthetic results with an inconspicuous scar beneath the brow.

Long non-coding RNA CCHE1 modulates LDHA-mediated glycolysis and confers chemoresistance to melanoma cells.

Melanoma is considered as the most common metastatic skin cancer with increasing incidence and high mortality globally. The vital roles of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in the tumorigenesis of melanoma are elucidated by emerging evidence. The lncRNA cervical carcinoma high-expressed 1 (CCHE1) was overexpressed and acted as an oncogene in a variety of cancers, while the function of CCHE1 in melanoma remains unclear. Here, we found that CCHE1 was highly expressed in melanoma and correlated with the poorer survival of melanoma patients. Depletion of CCHE1 inhibited the proliferation, induced cell apoptosis and suppressed in vivo tumor growth. To further understand the functional mechanism of CCHE1, the interacting partners of CCHE1 were identified via RNA pull-down assay followed by mass spectrometry. CCHE1 was found to bind lactate dehydrogenase A (LDHA) and acted as a scaffold to enhance the interaction of LDHA with the fibroblast growth factor receptor type 1 (FGFR1), which consequently enhanced LDHA phosphorylation and activity of LDHA. Inhibiting CCHE1 strikingly suppressed the glycolytic flux of melanoma cells and lactate generation in vivo. Further study demonstrated that CCHE1 desensitized melanoma cells to dacarbazine and inhibition of glycolysis reversed CCHE1-induced chemoresistance. These results uncovered the novel function of CCHE1 in melanoma by reprogramming the glucose metabolism via orchestrating the activity of LDHA.

SNHG 12 and hsa-miR-140-5P may play an important role in the ceRNA network related to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Background: Competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) networks play important roles in the mechanism and development of a variety of diseases. This study aimed to construct a ceRNA network of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). Methods: We searched the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database and then analyzed the RNAs of 353 samples to explore differentially expressed lncRNAs (DELs), microRNAs (miRNAs; DEMs), and messenger RNAs (DEmRNAs) during the progression of HCM. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), Gene Ontology (GO) analysis, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis, and transcription factor (TF) prediction of miRNAs were also performed, and the GO terms, KEGG pathway terms, protein-protein interaction (PPI) network, and Pearson correlation network of the DEGs were visualized with the Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes/Proteins (STRING) database and through Pearson analysis. In addition, a ceRNA network related to HCM was constructed on the basis of the DELs, DEMs, and DEs. Finally, the function of the ceRNA network was explored via GO and KEGG enrichment analyses. Results: Through our analysis, 93 DELs (77 upregulated and 16 downregulated), 163 DEMs (91 upregulated and 72 downregulated), and 432 DEGs (238 upregulated and 194 downregulated) were screened. The functional enrichment analysis results for miRNAs showed that the miRNAs were mainly related to the VEGFR signaling network and the INFr pathway and were mainly regulated by TFs such as SOX1, TEAD1, and POU2F1. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA), GO analysis, and KEGG enrichment analysis showed that the DEGs were enriched in the Hedgehog signaling pathway, IL-17 signaling pathway, and TNF signaling pathway. In addition, a ceRNA network including 8 lncRNAs (e.g., LINC00324, SNHG12, and ALMS1-IT1), 7 miRNAs (e.g., hsa-miR-217, hsa-miR-184, and hsa-miR-140-5p), and 52 mRNAs (e.g., IGFBP5, TMED5, and MAGT1) was constructed. The results revealed that SNHG12, hsa-miR-140-5p, hsa-miR-217, TFRC, HDAC4, TJP1, IGFBP5, and CREB5 may form an important network involved in the pathology of HCM. Conclusions: The novel ceRNA network that we have demonstrated will provide new research points about molecular mechanisms of HCM.

Sulforaphane attenuation of experimental diabetic nephropathy involves GSK-3 beta/Fyn/Nrf2 signaling pathway.

Sulforaphane (SFN), the bioactive component of cruciferous vegetables, is a potent indirect antioxidant. Oxidative stress and activation of glycogen synthase kinase 3beta (GSK3ß) are two major contributors to the pathogenesis of diabetic nephropathy (DN). Here, we investigated whether and how SFN affected GSK3ß in experimental models of DN in vivo and in vitro. SFN treatment obviously prevented the increase in urine albumin excretion, matrix expansion, transforming growth factor-ß1 expression, fibronectin and type IV collagen deposition in the diabetic kidney. Simultaneously, the level of 8-oxo-deoxyguanosine, an indicator of oxidative damage, was markedly lowered in SFN-treated diabetic rats, together with a significant reduction in activity of the GSK-3ß/Fyn axis and an evident activation of Nrf2 signaling. Similarly, antifibrotic effects of SFN, parallel to enhanced inhibitory Ser9-phosphorylation of GSK3ß and Fyn/Nrf2 nuclear export/import, were observed in the cultured rat mesangial cells (RMC) exposed to high glucose. The salutary effects of SFN on high-glucose-stimulated RMC were abolished by overexpression of GSK3ß while being rescued by lithium chloride, a well-known GSK3ß inhibitor. Taken together, our findings suggested that SFN ameliorated experimental diabetic nephropathy, at least in part, via GSK3ß/Fyn/Nrf2 signaling pathway.