Crosstalk Between the Nervous System and Colorectal Cancer.

The nervous system is the dominant regulatory system in the human body. The traditional theory is that tumors lack innervation. However, an increasing number of studies have shown complex bidirectional interactions between tumors and the nervous system. Globally, colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer. With the rise of tumor neuroscience, the role of nervous system imbalances in the occurrence and development of CRC has attracted increasing amounts of attention. However, there are still many gaps in the research on the interactions and mechanisms involved in the nervous system in CRC. This article systematically reviews emerging research on the bidirectional relationships between the nervous system and CRC, focusing on the following areas: (1) Effects of the nervous system on colon cancer. (2) Effects of CRC on the nervous system. (3) Treatment of CRC associated with the nervous system.

Extreme drought along the tropic of cancer (Yunnan section) and its impact on vegetation.

The frequent occurrence of extreme weather events is one of the future prospects of climate change, and how ecosystems respond to extreme drought is crucial for response to climate change. Taking the extreme drought event in the Tropic of Cancer (Yunnan section) during 2009-2010 as a case study, used the standardized precipitation evapotranspiration index to analyse the impact of extreme drought on enhanced vegetation index (EVI), leaf area index (LAI) and gross primary productivity (GPP), and to analyzed the post extreme drought vegetation recovery status. The results indicate the following: (1) Due to the cumulative effects of drought and vegetation phenology, vegetation growth in the months of March to May in 2010 was more severely affected. (2) Compared to EVI and LAI, GPP is more sensitive to drought and can accurately indicate areas where drought has impacted vegetation. (3) Following an extreme drought event, 70% of the vegetation can recover within 3 months, while 2.87-6.57% of the vegetation will remain unrecovered after 6 months. (4) Cropland and grassland show the strongest response, with longer recovery times, while woodland and shrubland exhibit weaker responses and shorter recovery times. This study provides a reference for the effects of extreme drought on vegetation.

DPP-Cu2+ Complexes Gated Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles For pH and Redox Dual Stimuli-Responsive Drug Delivery.

OBJECTIVE: A simple pH and redox dual stimuli-responsive diketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP)-Cu2+ complexes gated mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSN) were prepared for precise drug delivery and controlled drug release. METHOD: MSN was prepared by sol-gel method and then laminated. Carboxylic acid (CA)-Pyrrolo[3,4-c] pyrrole-1,4-dione, 2,5-dihydro-3,6-di-2-pyridinyl (PyDPP) was grafted onto the surface of amino-functionalized MSN (MSN-NH2) through a simple amide reaction and then complexed with Cu2+ to form gated molecules after doxorubicin (DOX) loading. RESULTS: Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and Low-angle X-ray diffraction (XRD) showed that MSN with uniform particle size (100 nm) and porous structure was successfully prepared. The prepared MSN, MSN- NH2, and MSN-DPP were fully characterized by Zeta potential, Fourier transforms infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and nitrogen adsorption- desorption. High DOX-loading capacity (18.22%) and encapsulation efficiency (89.16%) were achieved by optimizing the mass ratio of MSN to DOX. Release studies showed that the gated molecules of our designed DPP-Cu2+ complexes had a good blocking effect under physiological conditions (the cumulative release rate of drugs within 24 hours was only 4.18%) and responded well to the pH and redox glutathione (GSH) dual stimuli. In vitro cytotoxicity assay showed that MSN-DPP-Cu2+ had good biocompatibility in both Hep G2 cells and L02 cells (the relative cell viability of both cells within 48 hours was above 97%), and the MSN-DPP-Cu2+@DOX could be triggered for efficient drug release in Hep G2 cells. CONCLUSION: The MSN-DPP-Cu2+ described in this research may be a good delivery system for the controlled release of antitumor drugs and can provide a potential possibility for clinical application in the future.

Higher intraoperative mean arterial blood pressure does not reduce postoperative delirium in elderly patients following gastrointestinal surgery: A prospective randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to describe the relationship between the different levels of intraoperative mean arterial blood pressure (MAP) and postoperative delirium in elderly patients undergoing gastrointestinal laparoscopic surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This prospective controlled clinical trial enrolled 116 patients aged 65 to 85 years who underwent gastrointestinal laparoscopic surgery. These patients were randomized 1:1 to a MAP goal of 65 to 85 mmHg (L group) or an 86 to 100 mmHg (H group). The primary endpoint was the incidence of postoperative delirium, assessed twice daily with the Confusion Assessment Method (CAM) and Richmond Agitation-Sedation Scale (RASS) during the first five postoperative days. Delirium severity was evaluated with the Delirium-O-Meter (D-O-M). RESULTS: 108 patients (L group n = 55, H group n = 53) were eventually included in intention-to-treat analyses. Postoperative delirium occurred in 18 (32.7%) of 55 cases of L group and in 15 (28.3%) of 53 cases of H group. The incidence of delirium subtypes between the two groups: hypoactive delirium 14.5% (8/55) vs 11.3% (6/53); hyperactive delirium 7.3% (4/55) vs 3.8% (2/53); mixed delirium 10.9% (6/55) vs 13.2% (7/53). However, the L group showed higher D-O-M scores of the first episode of delirium: 14.5 (Q1 = 12, Q3 = 18.5) vs 12 (Q1 = 10, Q3 = 14), which means the delirium is more severe. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with 65 to 85 mmHg, maintaining intraoperative MAP at 86-100 mmHg did not reduce the incidence of postoperative delirium in elderly patients undergoing gastrointestinal laparoscopic surgery. However, the severity of delirium could be reduced and blood loss is a risk factor for postoperative delirium.

Safety and efficacy of remimazolam compared with propofol in induction of general anesthesia.

BACKGROUND: Remimazolam is a new ultrashort acting benzodiazepine anesthetic which has predictable sedative duration and rapid recovery in gastrointestinal endoscopy. Propofol is a commonly used intravenous anesthetic in clinical work which also has rapid action, short action time and rapid recovery. To date, there have been relatively few articles comparing the two for general anesthesia induction. So, we conducted a randomized trial to evaluate whether remimazolam is superior to propofol during anesthesia induction in terms of efficacy and safety. METHODS: One hundred and eighty nine ASA I or II patients scheduled for elective surgery were divided into four groups: remimazolam 0.2 mg/kg (R1 group), 0.3 mg/kg (R2 group), 0.4 mg/kg (R3 group), and propofol group (P group). All patients were anesthetized with single shots of experimental drugs during induction period. Efficacy was measured by completing the induction of anesthesia without rescue sedation; and safety was defined as no severe adverse events. RESULTS: Success induction rates in remimazolam groups were 89% (R1 group), 94% (R2 group) and 100% (R3 group) while success induction rate in P group was 100%. Hypotension rates during induction were lower in R1 group (13%) and R2 group (24%) compared with P group (44%). Hypotension rate in R3 group (34%) was similar to propofol (44%). Injection site pain in group P was 27% while no pain was observed in remimazolam groups. CONCLUSIONS: Remimazolam is a safe and effective sedative drug during induction with less adverse effects for general anesthesia in ASA I or II patients.

Bioaugmentation potential evaluation of a bacterial consortium composed of isolated Pseudomonas and Rhodococcus for degrading benzene, toluene and styrene in sludge and sewage.

Bioaugmentation was conducted using a bacterial consortium of Pseudomonas putida SW-3 and Rhodococcus ruber SS-4, to test their ability to degrade benzene, toluene, and styrene (BTS). SW-3 and SS-4 were isolated from domestic sludge and sewage samples to establish a synthetic consortium with an optimized ratio of 2:1 to reach a degradation efficiency of 82.5-89.8% of BTS. The bacterial consortium was inoculated with sludge and sewage samples at a ratio of 2:1, resulting in a degradation efficiency of 97.9% and 92.7%, respectively, at a BTS concentration of 1800 mg·L-1. Analysis of bacterial community structure following bioaugmentation indicated an increase in abundance of BTS-degrading bacteria, particularly Acinetobacter and Pseudoxanthomonas in sludge and Pseudomonas in sewage, enhancing the collective BTS degradation ability of the bacterial community. Principal component analysis demonstrated that a more balanced bacterial community structure was established following intervention. This indicated that the selected bacteria are excellent candidates for bioaugmentation.

Resveratrol induces immunogenic cell death of human and murine ovarian carcinoma cells.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to clarify whether immunogenic cell death (ICD) contributed to the anti-tumor action of resveratrol against ovarian carcinoma. METHODS: Resveratrol suppressed cell proliferation and induced apoptosis in ovarian carcinoma cells. In addition, resveratrol treatment stimulated cell surface exposure of calreticulin, HMGB1 secretion and ATP release. RESULTS: Vaccination with resveratrol-pretreated ID8 cells significantly inhibited growth of subsequent inoculated xenograft tumor. Direct administration with resveratrol suppressed tumor progression accompanied with compromised cell proliferation and enhanced cell apoptosis. We further characterized increases of both mature dendritic cells and cytotoxic T cells in xenograft tumor in response to resveratrol treatment, which also inhibited TGF-ß production and stimulated both IL12p7 and IFN-γ secretion. Most importantly, we demonstrated that combination with PD-1 antibody greatly inhibited tumor growth, while depletion of CD8+ T cells by neutralizing antibody restored xenograft progression. CONCLUSION: Our data suggested resveratrol exerted anti-tumor action against ovarian cancer via both apoptosis and ICD pathways.

Feasibility and Efficacy of Simultaneous Integrated Boost Intensity-modulated Radiation Therapy based on MRI-CT fusion in Patients with Brain Metastases of Non-small Cell Lung Cancer.

Purpose: To assess the feasibility and therapeutic effects of simultaneous integrated boost intensity-modulated radiation therapy (SIB-IMRT) based on the fusion imaging of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) as a dose-intensive technique in patients with brain metastases (BM) of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods and materials: Forty-six NSCLC patients with 1 to 7 brain metastases were enrolled in this retrospective study between November, 2011 and February, 2017. Thirty-one patients (67.4%) had 1-3 metastases (oligometastases), otherwise, more than 3 metastases were seen in only 15 patients (32.6%). GTV (Gross tumor volume) contouring was based on the fusion imaging of MRI-CT, WBRT was prescribed in 37.5 Gy/15 fractions with a simultaneous boost in the metastatic lesions of 52.5 Gy/15 fractions. Results: The median overall survival (OS) and intracranial progression free survival (PFS) for all the patients were 20.0 months and 11.0 months, respectively. The 6-month and 1-year OS were 87.0% and 69.6% respectively, while the 6-month and 1-year PFS were 78.3% and 43.5% respectively. Until the end of the follow-up, 16 patients (34.8%) were alive. No evidence of intracranial progress or recurrence was found in 6 patients (13.0%) during the follow-up. Conclusion: SIB-IMRT with the dose/fractionation based on the fusion imaging of MRI-CT is feasible and safe. It is beneficial to the NSCLC patients with BM and can reduce the overall costs of treatment.

ENT1 inhibition attenuates epileptic seizure severity via regulation of glutamatergic neurotransmission.

Type 1 equilibrative nucleoside transporter (ENT1) promotes glutamate release by inhibition of adenosine signaling. However, whether ENT1 plays a role in epileptic seizure that involves elevated glutamatergic neurotransmission is unknown. Here, we report that both seizure rats and patients show increased expression of ENT1. Intrahippocampal injection of a specific inhibitor of ENT1, nitrobenzylthioinosine (NBTI), attenuates seizure severity and prolongs onset latency. In order to examine whether NBTI would be effective as antiepileptic after peripheral application, we injected NBTI intraperitoneally, and the results were similar to those obtained after intrahippocampal injection. NBTI administration leads to suppressed neuronal firing in seizure rats. In addition, increased mEPSC in seizure are inhibited by NBTI. Finally, NBTI results in deactivation of phosphorylated cAMP-response element-binding protein in the seizure rats. These results indicate that ENT1 plays an important role in the development of seizure. Inhibition of ENT1 might provide a novel therapeutic approach toward the control of epileptic seizure.