Management of Pseudophakic Malignant Glaucoma Using Modified Nd:YAG Laser Treatment Methodology Through Surgical Preset Iridectomy.

INTRODUCTION: The use of the neodymium:yttrium-aluminum-garnet (Nd:YAG) laser to treat malignant glaucoma (MG) has been described in the literature since the 1980s. However, the technique has been reported to have a short-term effect, with a notable relapse rate. In the present study, we report the efficacy and durability of a modified Nd:YAG laser treatment methodology for treatment of pseudophakic or aphakic MG. METHODS: Patients with chronic angle-closure glaucoma and deemed at high risk of developing post-operative MG received prophylactic peripheral iridectomy during their conventional operation beginning in 2017. When the diagnosis of pseudophakic or aphakic MG was confirmed, a thorough Nd:YAG laser capsulo/zonulo-hyaloido-vitreolysis (CZHV) was performed through iridectomy, along with standardized pre- and post-laser medications. This retrospective case series includes 14 eyes of 11 patients with MG who had surgical preset iridectomy and modified Nd:YAG laser CZHV between 2017 and 2022. Outcome measures included resolution and recurrence of MG and incidence of treatment complications. RESULTS: The mean follow-up was 27.1 ± 15.0 months (range, 12-48). Long-term resolution of MG was obtained in all included eyes at the end of the follow-up. Six eyes (42.9%) achieved long-term resolution with a single Nd:YAG laser intervention. Eight eyes (57.1%) achieved long-term resolution following two to three laser interventions, with two eyes (14.3%) experiencing recurrence. There was no complication during the follow-up. At the final visit, a significant reduction (P = 0.0001) in the mean intraocular pressure (IOP) was observed (13.1 ± 2.8 mmHg) compared to presentation (21.4 ± 6.3 mmHg). CONCLUSION: The modified Nd:YAG laser treatment methodology is a minimally invasive option to manage pseudophakic or aphakic MG with sustained effectiveness. Reduced inflammatory reactions due to prophylactic peripheral iridectomy, rapid diagnosis, and timely treatment initiation have all contributed to the favorable outcomes associated with this modified treatment methodology.

Protective effects of Radix Isatidis polysaccharide ameliorates obesity via promotion AMPK pathway in high-fat-diet-induced obese rats and 3T3-L1 adipocyte cells.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this paper is to ascertain the effect and mechanism of Radix Isatidis polysaccharide (RIP) on obesity. METHODS: High fat diet (HFD)-induced obese rats and the MDI-induced 3T3-L1 adipocyte cells were established to evaluate the ameliorated obesity effect and mechanism from RIP. KEY FINDINGS: Experiments in vivo show that oral administration of RIP has significant preventive effects on HFD-induced obesity and metabolic disorders in rats. With treatment of RIP (20, 40 and 80 mg/kg BW), the body weight, fat accumulation, adipocyte cell size, serum lipid levels and antioxidant enzyme activity were progressively improved. On the other hand, the treatment of 3T3-L1 cells with RIP (25, 50 and 100 mg/L) led to a decrease in lipid accumulation and glucose consumption. In addition, during adipogenesis in 3T3-L1 cells, RIP remarkably down-regulated mRNA levels of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPARγ), CCAAT/enhancer binding protein-α (C/EBPα), sterol regulatory element-binding protein-1c (SREBP-1c), fatty acid synthase (FAS), acetyl-CoA carboxylase and glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase. Furthermore, after RIP treatment, the protein expression of PPARγ, C/EBPα, FAS, HMG-CoA reductase and acetyl-CoA synthetase-1 (AceCS1) were significantly decreased and the expression of p-AMPK was increased. CONCLUSION: These results highlight the potential of RIP for obesity interventions and suggest that RIP inhibited adipocyte differentiation and lipid synthesis by activating adenosine 5'-monophosphate (AMP)-activated protein kinase (AMPK) signalling pathway and down-regulating the expression of major adipogenic transcription factors, PPARγ, C/EBPα, etc.

New bioactive peptides from the venom gland of a social hornet Vespa velutina.

Bacterial resistance to drugs is a global problem requiring the urgent development of new antibiotics. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are excellent candidates for the design of novel antibiotics to combat microbial resistance. In this research, we identified four new peptides (U-VVTX-Vp1a, U-VVTX-Vp1b, U-VVTX-Vp2a, and U-VVTX-Vp2b, respectively) from the venom of Vespa velutina, and tested their antimicrobial, antioxidant, and hemolytic effects. All four peptides showed scavenging ability against DPPH, ABTS+, and •OH free radicals. Of note, Vp1b strongly inhibited the growth of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli bacteria at concentrations of 60 and 120 µM. Due to their low hemolytic activity, all four peptides could be utilized in the development of new antioxidants and as candidates for the design of novel antimicrobial agents.

Primary cutaneous Epstein-Barr virus-positive diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, not otherwise specified, in a nonimmunocompromised young man: A case report.

Primary cutaneous EBV (Epstein-Barr virus)-positive diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, not otherwise specified (DLBCL, NOS), is an extremely rare disease. The clinical and pathological features of DLBCL, NOS have not been clearly illustrated. We report a case of primary cutaneous EBV-positive DLBCL, NOS in a 35-year-old Chinese male with multiple ulcerated and nodular lesions on his trunk and arms for 6 months. No other organs, except the skin, were involved. The lesions were localized in the dermis with focal necrosis. The tumor cells were immunoblastic- or centroblastic-like cells and diffusely distributed. There were numerous inflammatory cells in the background. The tumor cells were positive for CD20, PAX-5, MUM1, LMP1, CD30, and Epstein-Barr virus encodedsmall RNA, but negative for EBNA2. Polymerase chain reaction showed a monoclonal IG gene rearrangement. The patient received 6 cycles of CHOP (cyclophosphamide, hydroxydaunorubicin, Oncovin®, prednisone) chemotherapy and went into complete remission. There was no evidence of relapse after 35 months of follow-up.

Studies on the cold tolerance of ratoon 'Chaling' common wild rice

BACKGROUND: Rice is the staple food of many people around the world. However, most rice varieties, especially widely grown indica varieties and hybrids, are sensitive to cold stress. In order to provide a basis for the utilization of a common wild rice (CWR, Oryza rufipogon Griff.) named 'Chaling' CWR in cold-tolerant rice breeding and deepen the understanding of rice cold tolerance, the cold tolerance of ratoon 'Chaling' CWR was studied under the stress of the natural low temperature in winter in Changsha, Hunan province, China, especially under the stress of abnormal natural low temperature in Changsha in 2008, taking other ratoon CWR accessions and ratoon cultivated rice phenotypes as control. RESULTS: The results showed that ratoon 'Chaling' CWR can safely overwinter under the natural conditions in Changsha (28° 22' N), Hunan province, China, which is a further and colder northern place than its habitat, even if it suffers a long-term low temperature stress with ice and snow. In 2008, an extremely cold winter appeared in Changsha, i.e., the average daily mean temperature of 22 consecutive days from January 13 to February 3 was - 1.0 °C, and the extreme low temperature was - 4.7 °C. After subjected to this long-term cold stress, the overwinter survival rate of ratoon 'Chaling' CWR was 100%, equals to that of ratoon 'Dongxiang' CWR which is northernmost distribution in the word among wild rice populations, higher than those of ratoon 'Fusui' CWR, ratoon 'Jiangyong' CWR, and ratoon 'Liujiang' CWR (63.55-83.5%) as well as those of ratoon 'Hainan' CWR, ratoon 'Hepu' CWR, and all the ratoon cultivated rice phenotypes including 3 japonica ones, 3 javanica ones, and 5 indica ones (0.0%). CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that ratoon 'Chaling' CWR possesses strong cold tolerance and certain freezing tolerance.

Crosstalk between autophagy and epithelial-mesenchymal transition and its application in cancer therapy.

Autophagy is a highly conserved catabolic process that mediates degradation of pernicious or dysfunctional cellular components, such as invasive pathogens, senescent proteins, and organelles. It can promote or suppress tumor development, so it is a "double-edged sword" in tumors that depends on the cell and tissue types and the stages of tumor. The epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a complex biological trans-differentiation process that allows epithelial cells to transiently obtain mesenchymal features, including motility and metastatic potential. EMT is considered as an important contributor to the invasion and metastasis of cancers. Thus, clarifying the crosstalk between autophagy and EMT will provide novel targets for cancer therapy. It was reported that EMT-related signal pathways have an impact on autophagy; conversely, autophagy activation can suppress or strengthen EMT by regulating various signaling pathways. On one hand, autophagy activation provides energy and basic nutrients for EMT during metastatic spreading, which assists cells to survive in stressful environmental and intracellular conditions. On the other hand, autophagy, acting as a cancer-suppressive function, is inclined to hinder metastasis by selectively down-regulating critical transcription factors of EMT in the early phases. Therefore, the inhibition of EMT by autophagy inhibitors or activators might be a novel strategy that provides thought and enlightenment for the treatment of cancer. In this article, we discuss in detail the role of autophagy and EMT in the development of cancers, the regulatory mechanisms between autophagy and EMT, the effects of autophagy inhibition or activation on EMT, and the potential applications in anticancer therapy.

COX-2/PGE2 Axis Regulates HIF2α Activity to Promote Hepatocellular Carcinoma Hypoxic Response and Reduce the Sensitivity of Sorafenib Treatment.

Purpose: Hypoxia-inducible factor-2α (HIF2α) is regarded as a preferential target for individualized hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) treatment and sorafenib resistance. Our study aimed to identify the regulatory mechanisms of HIF2α activity under hypoxic conditions. We sought to determine whether the COX-2/PGE2 axis is involved in the regulatory mechanisms of HIF2α activity and of sorafenib resistance in hypoxic HCC cells.Experimental Design: The cell viability, migration, and invasion abilities were measured to analyze the effects of HIF2α on hypoxic HCC cells. Both in vitro and in vivo HCC models were used to determine whether the COX-2/PGE2 axis is a driver of HIF2α level and activity, which then reduces the sensitivity of sorafenib treatment in hypoxic HCC cells.Results: Under hypoxic conditions, the COX-2/PGE2 axis effectively stabilized HIF2α and increased its level and activity via decreasing von Hippel-Lindau protein (p-VHL) level, and also enhanced HIF2α activity by promoting HIF2α nuclear translocation via MAPK pathway. The activation of HIF2α then led to the enhanced activation of VEGF, cyclin D1, and TGFα/EGFR pathway to mediate HCC development and reduce the sensitivity of sorafenib. More importantly, COX-2-specific inhibitors synergistically enhanced the antitumor activity of sorafenib treatment.Conclusions: Our data obtained demonstrate that the COX/PGE2 axis acts as a regulator of HIF2α expression and activity to promote HCC development and reduce sorafenib sensitivity by constitutively activating the TGFα/EGFR pathway. This study highlights the potential of COX-2-specific inhibitors for HCC treatment and particularly for enhancing the response to sorafenib treatment. Clin Cancer Res; 24(13); 3204-16. ©2018 AACR.

Studies on anti-angiogenesis of ginsenoside structure modification HRG in vitro.

This study investigates the anti-angiogenic effect of 3ß, 12ß, 20(S)-trihydroxy dammarane-3-O-ß-d-glucopyranosyl(1-2)-ß-d-glucopyranoside(HRG), a new chemical compound obtained by structure modification on Ginseng saponins Rg3, associated with the regulation of matrix metalloproteinases(MMPs) and its upstream signal-regulated molecule of vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF) and basic fibroblast growth factor(b-FGF) in vitro, which plays an critical role in angiogenesis during the process of carcinoma. In our study, to investigate the anti-angiogenesis effect of HRG in HUVECs, we utilized cell proliferation assay, tube formation assay, wound-healing assay, Semi-quantitative reverse transcription PCR, and Western blot assay. Our results demonstrated that HRG plays a major role in the regulation of proliferation, migration and tube formation of HUVECs by suppressing the expression of VEGF and b-FGF in both transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels. In addition, the expression of MMP-2 and MMP-9, which were related to the ECM degradation, were down-regulated after administration of HRG as well. Overall, our results revealed that HRG strongly inhibited the process of angiogenesis and shows better effectiveness than Rg3.

[Villous adenoma of the urinary tract: a clinicopathological study].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the clinicopathological features, immunophenotype, differential diagnosis, pathogenesis and prognosis of villous adenoma with poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma of the urinary tract. METHODS: Clinical and pathologic findings of 3 cases of villous adenoma with poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma of the urinary tract were analyzed by gross examination, microscopic investigation and immunohistochemical staining. The related literatures were reviewed. RESULTS: All of the three cases were middle-aged or elderly patients. Three cases all presented with hematuria and mucusuria. Endoscopic examination identified that case 1 had a polyp with broad attachment in the dome of bladder, case 2 had a solid mass in the ureter, and case 3 had a exophytic fungating tumor in the renal pelvis. Microscopically, case 1 revealed a papillary lesion with finger-like processes lined by pseudostratified columnar epithelium with abundant goblet cells. The cells demonstrated moderate degree dysplasia. In case 2 and case 3, both villous adenomas and poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma were observed, the adenoma cells arranged in a cribriform pattern, and the tumor cells showed severe atypia, mitotic activity, and transition with invasive poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma. Immunohistochemically, the tumor cells in three cases were positive for CK20, CEA,EMA and MUC-1; none of them expressed cdx-2 and PSA; In case 2 and 3, the same immunophenotype of villous adenomas and their associated adenocarcinomas was observed, but the number of the positive cells of p53 and Ki-67 staining were significantly increased in the area of adenocarcinomas than in that of the villous adenomas. CONCLUSIONS: Villous adenoma of the urinary tract is rare. It can occur in the urinary bladder, urachus, renal pelvis, ureter and urethra. These lesions may have malignant potential and frequently coexist with other malignant tumors. So, villous adenoma of the urinary tract should be removed completely and sampled thoroughly to avoid missing a more aggressive component.

Molecular pathological study of the human nasopharyngeal carcinoma CNE3 cell line.

The present study aimed to identify the molecular pathological changes of the nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) epithelial CNE3 cell line, which has been used in experimental studies for 20 years in a culture environment. The pathological type of NPC and the presence of the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) were identified. CNE3 short tandem repeats (STRs) were amplified, analyzed and compared using metastatic carcinoma tissue from primary NPC. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) and in situ hybridization (ISH) were used to identify the immunophenotype and EBV-encoded small RNA (EBER) expression in nude mice transplanted CNE3 tumor cells. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and DNA sequencing were used to identify the EBV oncogene, BamH1-A right frame 1 (BARF1) and electron microscopy was used to analyze the organization of the ultrastructure. CNE3 was not cross-contaminated by other human cell lines and the EBV was no longer present in the CNE3 cells. The pathological type of CNE3 was transformed from an undifferentiated non-keratinizing carcinoma with focal adenocarcinoma differentiation into a poorly-differentiated adenocarcinoma. In conclusion, this knowledge on the molecular pathological changes of CNE3 may aid in the development of new research approaches for NPC.

[Study on genetic aberrations of ocular mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphomas occurring in southern China].

OBJECTIVE: To study the genetic aberrations of ocular extranodal marginal zone B-cell lymphomas of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) type occurring in patients from southern China. METHODS: Fifty seven paraffin-embedded ocular MALT lymphoma specimens from patients in southern China were studied by interphase fluorescence-in-situ hybridization (FISH) for genetic aberrations including t(11;18)(q21;q21)/API2-MALT1, t(1;14)(p22;q32)/IgH-bcl-10, t(14;18) (q32;q21)/IgH-MALT1 and bcl-6/FOXP1 gene translocations. RESULTS: Amongst the 57 cases studied, 9 cases (15.8%) showed chromosome translocations, including 4 cases (7.0%) of t(11;18)(q21;q21)/API2-MALT1, 1 case (1.8%) of t(14;18) (q32;q21)/IgH-MALT1, 1 case (1.8%) of bcl-6 gene-related chromosome translocation and 3 cases (5.3%) of IgH-unknown translocation partner. FISH revealed 17 cases (29.8%) with 3 copies of bcl-6 gene, 21 cases (36.8%) with 3 copies of MALT1 gene and 12 cases (21.1%) with 3 copies of both genes. CONCLUSIONS: The MALT lymphoma-associated chromosome translocations t(11;18)(q21;q21)/API2-MALT1 and t(14;18) (q32;q21)/IgH-MALT1 are demonstrated in ocular MALT lymphomas of southern Chinese patients. The prevalence is significantly different from that reported in northern Chinese and northern American patients, indicating a geographic heterogeneity in the MALT lymphoma-associated genetic aberrations. The presence of 3 copies of bcl-6 and MALT1 genes is the commonest genetic abnormalities observed in ocular MALT lymphomas, suggesting a possible role in MALT lymphomagenesis.

[A clinical study of chromosome translocations in extranodal marginal zone lymphoma of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue in Chinese patients].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the genetic aberrations in extranodal marginal zone lymphoma of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphomas from different sites of the body in Chinese patients. METHODS: Two hundred and seventeen paraffin-embedded MALT lymphoma specimens from 11 major sites were studied with interphase fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) to detect t (11; 18) (q21; q21)/API2-MALT1, t (1; 14) (p22; q32)/IGH-BCL10, (14; 18) (q32; q21)/IGH-MALT1 and BCL6 gene involved chromosome translocations. RESULTS: These translocations were mutually exclusive and detected in 21% (46/217) of the cases, including t (11; 18) (q21; q21) API2-MALT1 13% (29/217), t (1; 14) (p22; q32) IGH-BCL10 in 1% (3/217), t (14; 18) (q32; q21) IGH-MALT1 1% (2/217), BCL6 involved translocation in 2% (4/217) and IGH-unknown translocation partner in 4% (8/217). t (11; 18) (q21; q21) API2-MALT1 was found with the highest frequency in MALT lymphoma from lungs (47%, 8/17) and small intestine (29%, 4/14), followed by salivary gland (17%, 1/6), stomach (14%, 12/84) and ocular adnexae (6%, 4/68). t (1; 14) (p22; q32) was only detected in lungs (12%, 2/17) and stomach (1%, 1/84). t (14; 18) (q32; q21) was mainly detected in lungs (6%, 1/17) and ocular adnexae (2%, 1/68). BCL6 gene involved translocation was detected in salivary gland (17%, 1/6) and stomach (4%, 3/84). CONCLUSIONS: It is demonstrated that the four translocations occur with markedly variable frequencies in MALT lymphoma of different sites in Chinese patients. The distributions of these chromosome translocations in Chinese patients are slightly different from those reported in western patients.

Variations in the ratios of co-cultured mesenchymal stem cells and chondrocytes regulate the expression of cartilaginous and osseous phenotype in alginate constructs.

As mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are capable of self-renewal and multilineage differentiation, the feasibility and efficacy of co-culturing human MSCs (hMSCs) with rabbit articular chondrocytes (rACs) to promote chondrogenic and osteogenic differentiation of hMSCs for clinical osteoarthritic therapy were investigated in the present study. The two distinct cell types were encapsulated in alginate hydrogels singly or in one of three ratios (2:1, 1:1, 1:2 of hMSCs to rACs) and cultured under chondrogenic conditions for 28 days. The results demonstrated that newly synthesized cartilaginous extracellular matrix (ECM) and type II collagen (col-2) gene signal were upregulated with greater hMSC ratios and longer culture periods. However, a specific col-2 gene probe for human was found only in single hMSC group but absent in all co-culture groups, which indicate that the enhanced cartilaginous phenotype originated from the co-cultured rACs. Osseous phenotype was histologically detected only in the 2:1 group on day 28; and xenogenic osteocalcin assay showed that it originated from hMSCs. This suggests that variations in the ratios of co-cultured hMSC and rAC regulated the cartilaginous and osseous phenotype as well as the differentiation of hMSCs in alginate constructs. The study provides new insights into the role of cell-cell interactions in regulating both cell differentiation and cell function and highlights the importance of developing appropriate differentiation protocols for tissue engineering therapies.

[Expressions of matrix metalloproteinase 9 in mucosal natural killer/T cell and mature T cell lymphomas and its relation to Epstein-Barr virus infection].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the expression of matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP9) in mucosal natural killer/T cell and mature T cell lymphomas and its relation to Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection. METHODS: The expression of MMP9 and EBV-encoded RNA (EBER) were detected by immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization in 59 cases of mucosal natural killer/T cell and mature T cell lymphomas. RESULTS: The positivity rates of MMP9 and EBERs were 83.05% and 72.88% respectively. The positivity rate of EBERs was correlated with histopathological subtype (P<0.05), but not with clinical stage, vascular invasion or the patients' survival time (P>0.05). The expression level of MMP9 was not correlated with the clinical stage, vascular invasion or survival time (P>0.05). No significant correlation was found between MMP9 expression and EBV infection. CONCLUSION: EBV may play an important role in the development of mucosal natural killer/T cell and mature T cell lymphomas and promote disease progression by up-regulating MMP9 expression indirectly. Elimination of EBV infection may be helpful to prevent the development of lymphoma.

Anti-obesity action of Salix matsudana leaves (Part 1). Anti-obesity action by polyphenols of Salix matsudana in high fat-diet treated rodent animals.

In preliminary experiments, polyphenol fractions prepared from the leaves of Salix matsudana reduced the elevation of the rat plasma triacylglycerol level at 3 and 4 h after oral administration of a lipid emulsion containing corn oil, at a dose of 570 mg/kg. The present study examined the anti-obesity action of polyphenol fractions of S. matsudana leaves by testing whether the polyphenol fractions prevented the obesity induced by feeding a high-fat diet to female mice for 9 weeks. Body weights at 2-9 weeks and the fi nal parametrial adipose tissue weights were significantly lower in mice fed the high-fat diet with 5% polyphenols of S. matsudana leaves than in those fed the high-fat diet alone. The polyphenols of S. matsudana leaves also significantly reduced the hepatic total cholesterol content, which was elevated in mice fed the high-fat diet alone. In addition, the polyphenol fractions of S. matsudana leaves inhibited palmitic acid uptake into brush border membrane vesicles prepared from rat jejunum and alpha-amylase activity, and their fractions enhanced norepinephrine-induced lipolysis in fat cells. In conclusion, it is suggested that the inhibitory effects of the flavonoid glycoside fraction of S. matsudana leaves on high-fat diet-induced obesity might be due to the inhibition of carbohydrate and lipid absorption from small intestine through the inhibition of alpha-amylase and palmitic acid uptake into small intestinal brush border membrane or by accelerating fat mobilization through enhancing norepinephrine-induced lipolysis in fat cells.