Nasal Sinus Mucoceles Manifesting Ocular Symptoms.

INTRODUCTION: To describe the ocular symptoms in a series of patients with nasal sinus mucoceles of different locations. METHODS: The authors analyzed the diagnosis and treatment of patients with sinus mucoceles and ocular symptoms who presented to the hospital from February 2010 to April 2020. A total of 61 patients were included in the study. The locations of the mucoceles were the frontal sinus (8 patients), ethmoid sinus (25 patients), and sphenoid sinus (28 patients). The authors selected 1 typical mucocele case from each of the sinuses, including the frontal, ethmoid, and sphenoid sinuses, and analyzed the history, diagnosis, and treatment of mucoceles in each location. RESULTS: The main clinical manifestations were ophthalmic symptoms, such as exophthalmos or displacement, eye pain, blindness or decreased vision, blepharoptosis, and diplopia; no obvious nasal symptoms were noted. Most patients with these symptoms went to an ophthalmologist first. All lesions in this study were found through imaging examinations. Most symptoms improved after surgical interventions. Only 2 of the 61 patients had no improvement in vision because of the long period of vision loss. CONCLUSIONS: Although sinus mucoceles are located in the sinuses, ocular symptoms are more prevalent than nasal symptoms. The earlier the imaging examinations are performed; the sooner lesions are detected, and the patients can be treated.

Blueberry-derived exosomes-like nanoparticles ameliorate nonalcoholic fatty liver disease by attenuating mitochondrial oxidative stress.

Accumulating evidence indicates that mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress play a pivotal role in the initiation and progression of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). In this study, we found that blueberry-derived exosomes-like nanoparticles (BELNs) could ameliorate oxidative stress in rotenone-induced HepG2 cells and high-fat diet (HFD)-fed C57BL/6 mice. Preincubation with BELNs decreased the level of reactive oxygen species (ROS), increased the mitochondrial membrane potential, and prevented cell apoptosis by inducing the expression of Bcl-2 and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) and decreasing the content of Bax in rotenone-treated HepG2 cells. We also found that preincubation with BELNs accelerated the translocation of Nrf2, an important transcription factor of antioxidative proteins, from the cytoplasm to the nucleus in rotenone-treated HepG2 cells. Moreover, administration of BELNs improved insulin resistance, ameliorated the dysfunction of hepatocytes, and regulated the expression of detoxifying/antioxidant genes by affecting the distribution of Nrf2 in the cytoplasm and nucleus of hepatocytes of HFD-fed mice. Furthermore, BELNs supplementation prevented the formation of vacuoles and attenuated the accumulation of lipid droplets by inhibiting the expression of fatty acid synthase (FAS) and acetyl-CoA carboxylase 1 (ACC1), the two key transcription factors for de novo lipogenesis in the liver of HFD-fed mice. These findings suggested that BELNs can be used for the treatment of NAFLD because of their antioxidative activity.

The flower of Edgeworthia gardneri (wall.) Meisn. suppresses adipogenesis through modulation of the AMPK pathway in 3T3-L1 adipocytes.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: The flower of Edgeworthia gardneri (Wall.) Meisn., locally named "Lvluohua, ", has been widely used as Tibetan folk medicine for the treatment of metabolic diseases for a long time. AIM OF THIS STUDY: To evaluate the anti-adipogenesis effect of ethyl acetate extract of the flower of E. gardneri (EEG extract) in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Obesity-related parameters such as lipid accumulation and TG content were determined by Oil red O staining and enzymatic kit, respectively. Western blotting was used to determine the expressions of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ), CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein-α (C/EBPα), phosphorylated adenosine 5'-monophosphate (AMP)-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC). Moreover, main constituents of EEG extract were analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). RESULTS: EEG extract decreased the lipid and triglyceride (TG) accumulations during the differentiation process and down-regulated the adipogenesis-related transcriptional factors PPARγ and C/EBPα. EEG extract treatment increased AMPK and ACC phosphorylation. In addition, pretreatment with AMPK inhibitor, weakened the inhibitory effects of EEG extract on the expressions of PPARγand C/EBPα. HPLC analysis indicated that tiliroside was the main constituent in EEG extract. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that EEG extract may exert anti-adipogenic effects through modulation of the AMPK signaling pathway.

In vitro evaluation of dual agonists for PPARγ/ß from the flower of Edgeworthia gardneri (wall.) Meisn.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: In Tibet, the flower of Edgeworthia gardneri (Wall.) Meisn., locally named "Lvluohua, [symbols: see text]", has been traditionally used to treat diabetes mellitus for many years. AIM OF THIS STUDY: To evaluate the activity of dual agonists for PPARγ/ß from the flower of E.gardneri in vitro. MATERIALS AND METHODS: HeLa cells were transiently co-transfected with the re-constructed plasmids of pBIND-PPARγ-LBD or pBIND-PPARß-LBD and rL4.35. The activities of crude extracts, secondary fractions and compounds from the flower of E.gardneri were evaluated with the transfected cells. Rosiglitazone (at 0.5 µg/mL) and L-165041 (at 0.5 µg/mL) were used as the positive controls for PPARγ and PPARß respectively. RESULTS: The results demonstrated that n-hexane, ethyl acetate and n-butanol extracts from the flower of E.gardneri were able to significantly activate PPARγ and PPARß respectively, and the activity of ethyl acetate extract was much better. We further observed that, among the 11 secondary fractions of ethyl acetate extract, the fr. 9 could activate PPARγ and PPARß significantly. Moreover, umbelliferone (from fr.9) and pentadecanoic acid could activate PPARγ and PPARß at the same time. CONCLUSIONS: The extracts from the flower of E.gardneri could significantly activate PPARγ and PPARß. Besides, umbelliferone and pentadecanoic acid isolated from the flower of E.gardneri were the new agonists for PPARγ and PPARß.

[Experimental study of cervical lymph node in thyroid by using radioactive nano tracer].

OBJECTIVE: Using radioactive nano tracer with different sizes (average diameter were 50, 80 and 100 nm) and dosages (0.01 and 0.02 ml) in the thyroids of rabbits, to study the drainage of thyroid to cervical lymph nodes (LNs) in rabbits and to provide experimental evidence for the choice of ideal sizes and dosages of radioactive Nano tracer for the sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) in thyroid cancer patients. METHODS: Thirty adult rabbits were randomly divided into six groups (50 nm - 0.01 ml, 50 nm - 0.02 ml, 80 nm - 0.01 ml, 80 nm - 0.02 ml, 100 nm - 0.01 ml, 100 nm - 0.02 ml of (99m)Tc-Sb(2)S(3)) with five rabbits in each group. A total of 60 sides of thyroids were included. The mean number of LNs with radioactivity, the initial, the strangest and the lasting time of radioactivity in LNs in each group were measured. RESULTS: One to three LNs were identified in one side neck of rabbits, totally 86 LNs. Most of LNs with radioactivity existed in level VI, counting for 75.6% (65/86). (99m)Tc-Sb(2)S(3) with 50 nm particles was significantly better than that with 80 nm or 100 nm particles with regarding the initial and the strangest radioactive time of (99m)Tc-Sb(2)S(3) in LNs (P < 0.05). There were no significant difference in the mean number of LNs with radioactivity, the initial, the strangest and the lasting time of radioactivity between the dosages of 0.01 ml and 0.02 ml of (99m)Tc-Sb(2)S(3) with same size of particles (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: (99m)Tc-Sb(2)S(3) with 50 nm particles, in the dosage of 0.01 ml or 0.02 ml, could be good choice for SLNB of thyroid cancer.