Pathological features of Brucella spondylitis: A single-center study.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the pathological features of Brucella spondylitis (BS) under the optical microscope, thus providing pathological references for the diagnosis. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 70 BS patients (42 males and 28 females, mean age 52.01 ± 10.77 [20-74] years) admitted in the Department of Spine Surgery, the General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, from January 2013 to December 2020. Their medical history, clinical manifestations, laboratory test results, imaging findings and bacteriological culture results were collected. Among them, 5, 5, 43, 4 and 13 cases demonstrated involvement into the cervical vertebra, thoracic vertebra, lumbar vertebra, thoracolumbar vertebra and lumbosacral vertebra, respectively. Notably, L4 showed pathology in 32 cases. Pathological features of BS were analyzed by H&E staining of granulation tissues, sclerotic bones, sequestrums, and intervertebral discs. RESULTS: 42 cases underwent bacterial culture, of which 4 were positive, and the positive rate of bacterial culture was only 9.5%. The highest Vas score was 7, the lowest was 4, and the average was 5.76 ± 0.89. The highest CRP was 153 mg/L, the lowest was 0.98 mg/L, and the average was 30.98 ± 33.79 mg/L. The highest ESR is 112 mm/h, the lowest is 5 mm/h, and the average is 49.34 ± 27.73 mm/h. Under the optical microscope, BS manifested acute or chronic inflammation. Acute inflammatory features included neutrophil and eosinophil infiltration, necrosis, and abscesses, while chronic inflammatory features included lymphocyte, plasma cell, fibrous tissue and monocyte infiltration, hyaline degeneration, angiogenesis and hyperplasia of other tissues. Other features included vasodilation, hemorrhage, granulomas and multinucleated giant cell infiltration. In the present study, chronic inflammation was observed in 25 cases, in-acute-phase chronic inflammation in 45 cases, and acute inflammation in no cases. Pathological features of BS under the microscope included foam cell reaction in 46 cases, histiocytic reaction in 24 cases and eosinophilic abscesses in 6 cases. Eosinophil infiltration was observed in 45 cases (mainly during the acute phase of chronic inflammation) and massive eosinophilic abscesses in 6 cases. Granulation tissue hyperplasia followed inflammatory repair in 25 BS cases, and was generally boosted in the acute phase of chronic inflammation. Multinucleated giant cell infiltration and granulomas were less observed in BS cases, which differed from pathological features of spinal tuberculosis. CONCLUSIONS: Chronic inflammation or in-acute-phase chronic inflammation is the main pathological feature of BS, while the single acute inflammation is less observed in BS cases. Foam cell reaction and histiocytic reaction scale up during the acute phase of chronic inflammation, and some BS patients may develop massive eosinophilic abscesses. Granulation tissue hyperplasia, rather than multinucleated giant cell infiltration and granulomas, serve as pathological reference for the differential diagnosis of BS and spinal tuberculosis.

SPOCK1 silencing decreases 5-FU resistance through PRRX1 in colorectal cancer.

SPOCK1 is an extracellular proteoglycan and involved in tumor growth and metastasis in various cancers. 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) is commonly used for the treatment of colorectal cancer (CRC) in patients who receive concurrent chemoradiotherapy. However, the relationship between development of resistance to 5-FU and SPOCK1 remain unclear. In this study, we established two 5-fluorouracil (5-FU)-resistant CRC cell lines, HCT116/FU and LOVO/FU, and found that SPOCK1 is upregulated in 5-FU-resistance CRC cells compared with its parental cell line. knockdown of SPOCK1 in 5-FU-resistant CRC cells increases their sensitivity to 5-FU. In contrast, transient transfection of SPOCK1 enhanced HCT116 and LOVO cell resistance to 5-FU and reduced cell apoptosis. Mechanistically, SPOCK1 promoted 5-FU resistance by regulating PRRX1 expression and the downstream apoptosis signaling pathway. Taken together, our results revealed for the first time that SPOCK1 plays a crucial role in the resistance of CRC cells to 5-FU and indicated that targeting SPOCK1 may be a promising therapeutic strategy to overcome 5-FU resistance in CRC.

Investigated diagnostic value of synthetic relaxometry, three-dimensional pseudo-continuous arterial spin labelling and diffusion-weighted imaging in the grading of glioma.

BACKGROUND: To investigate the performance of synthetic relaxometry, three-dimensional pseudo-continuous arterial spin labelling (pCASL) and diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) in differentiating high-grade gliomas (HGGs) from low-grade gliomas (LGGs) and to compare with the conventional MRI. METHODS: Seventy-two patients with gliomas (including 27 LGGs and 45 HGGs) were studied using synthetic magnetic resonance imaging (sy-MRI), pCASL, and DWI with a 3.0 T MR scanner. T1 relaxometry (T1), T2 relaxometry (T2), as well as proton density (PD) from sy-MRI, cerebral blood flow (CBF) from pCASL, apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) from DWI and enhancement quality (EQ), proportion enhancing (PE) from conventional contrast enhanced image based Visually-Accessible-Rembrandt-Images (VASARI) scoring system, were all analyzed by two radiologists. The Student's t-test, Mann-Whitney U test or Fisher's exact test was used to compare the parameters between LGGs and HGGs. The diagnostic performance of each parameter and their combination for glioma grading were analyzed. RESULTS: Significant statistical differences in T1, PD, CBF, ADC, EQ and PE are observed between LGGs and HGGs (all P < 0.001). The ADC values have higher discrimination abilities compared with other univariable parameters, with the AUC of 0.905. AUC values for conventional contrast-enhanced method, EQ and PE from VASARI, and conventional contrast-free method, CBF + ADC, are 0.873 and 0.912 respectively. The combined T1, PD, CBF and ADC model had the best performance for differentiating LGGs and HGGs with AUC, sensitivity and specificity of 0.993, 95.5%, 100%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Relaxometry parameters derived from synthetic MRI contributed to the discrimination of low-grade gliomas from high-grade gliomas. Proposed contrast-free approach combining T1, PD, CBF and ADC showed a strong discriminative power, and outperformed conventional approaches.

Diethylenediamine-assisted template-free synthesis of a hierarchical TiO2 sphere-in-sphere with enhanced photocatalytic performance.

With the assistance of diethylenediamine (DETA), a template-free solvothermal approach is employed to one-step synthesize a hierarchical TiO2 sphere-in-sphere, which has a unique structure: an interior nanosized sphere is contained in the cavity of another hollow microsphere, and numerous nanosheets of width ca. 20-26 nm vertically distribute on the surface. It is proved that DETA added in solution plays an important inducing role in the formation of both the hollow sphere-in-sphere structure and surface sheet-assembled network. Therefore, a DETA-assisted formation mechanism of the hierarchical TiO2 sphere-in-sphere has been described in detail. The unique hierarchical sphere-in-sphere structure endows the TiO2 product with increasing light-harvesting efficiency and specific surface area, resulting in its enhanced photocatalytic activity for the degradation of various organic pollutants under the illumination of UV light.

[Nasal glioma: report of one case].

Nasal glioma, which is also known as nasal glial heterotopia, is a rare benign congenital lesion. A lot of explanations for the pathogenesis of this disease have already been provided. However, all of them lack theoretical basis. Nowadays, for nasal glioma, complete resection of the tumor is generally used in clinic treatment. CT examination or MRI is necessary for confirming the lesions and the relation between the tumor and intracranial part. This paper reported a neonatal nasal glioma case associated with congenital nasal deformity.

Solvothermal synthesis of well-dispersed ZnSe microspheres.

Well-defined crystalline ZnSe microspheres have been fabricated successfully via a simple solvothermal route under mild conditions in the presence of ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid disodium salt (Na(2)EDTA) and octadecylamine (ODA). X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectrum (EDS), X-ray photoelectron spectra (XPS), Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and photoluminescence spectra (PL) were used to characterize the phase structures, morphologies, and properties of the products. The result of XRD demonstrated that we obtained ZnSe products crystallized well with a stilleite structure. The influencing elements such as reaction time, sodium hydroxide (NaOH), addition of chelating reagent Na(2)EDTA, and the water/ethanol volume ratio were investigated, and the possible formation mechanism was also proposed. Furthermore, the experimental result indicated that ZnSe microspheres showed blue emission under ultraviolet excitation.

YVO4:Eu3+ functionalized porous silica submicrospheres as delivery carriers of doxorubicin.

Porous silica microspheres were fabricated by a facile surface-protected etching strategy. Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) was used as a protecting polymer absorbed on the surface of silica microspheres and NaOH was employed as an etching agent. Owing to the protective action of PVP and inhomogeneous etching, mesopores were created in the silica microspheres. Then, based on the Pechini-type sol-gel and impregnating process, YVO(4):Eu(3+) nanocrystals were integrated into the channels to form highly luminescent YVO(4):Eu(3+)@SiO(2) composite microspheres. The biocompatibility tests on L929 fibroblast cells using MTT assay reveal low cytotoxicity of the system. Owing to the large interior space and electrostatic interaction, the porous microspheres show a relatively high loading capacity (438 mg DOX/YVO(4):Eu(3+)@SiO(2) g) and encapsulation efficiency (87.6%) for the anti-cancer drug doxorubicin hydrochloride (DOX). The drug release behavior and cytotoxic effect against human cervical carcinoma cells (HeLa cells) of the DOX-loaded YVO(4):Eu(3+)@SiO(2) carriers were investigated in vitro. It was found that the carriers present a highly pH-dependent drug release behavior due to electrostatic interaction between the silica surface and DOX molecules. The drug release rate became greater at low pH owing to the increased electrostatic repulsion. The DOX-loaded carriers demonstrate a similar or even greater anti-cancer activity with respect to the free DOX against HeLa cells. Furthermore, the PL intensity of the microspheres shows correlation with the cumulative release of DOX. These results suggest that the composite can potentially act as a multifunctional drug carrier system with luminescent tagging and pH-controlled release properties.

Up-conversion cell imaging and pH-induced thermally controlled drug release from NaYF4/Yb3+/Er3+@hydrogel core-shell hybrid microspheres.

In this study, we report a new controlled release system based on up-conversion luminescent microspheres of NaYF(4):Yb(3+)/Er(3+) coated with the smart hydrogel poly[(N-isopropylacrylamide)-co-(methacrylic acid)] (P(NIPAM-co-MAA)) (prepared using 5 mol % of MAA) shell. The hybrid microspheres show bright up-conversion fluorescence under 980 nm laser excitation, and turbidity measurements show that the low critical solution temperature of the polymer shell is thermo- and pH-dependent. We have exploited the hybrid microspheres as carriers for Doxorubicin hydrochloride (DOX) due to its stimuli-responsive property as well as good biocompatibility via MTT assay. It is found that the drug release behavior is pH-triggered thermally sensitive. Changing the pH to mildly acidic condition at physiological temperature deforms the structure of the shell, causing the release of a large number of DOX from the microspheres. The drug-loaded microspheres exhibit an obvious cytotoxic effect on SKOV3 ovarian cancer cells. The endocytosis process of drug-loaded microspheres is observed using confocal laser scanning microscopy and up-conversion luminescence microscopy. Meanwhile, the as-prepared NaYF(4):Yb(3+)/Er(3+)@SiO(2)@P(NIPAM-co-MAA) microspheres can be used as a luminescent probe for cell imaging. In addition, the extent of drug release can be monitored by the change of up-conversion emission intensity. These pH-induced thermally controlled drug release systems have potential to be used for in vivo bioimaging and cancer therapy by the pH of the microenvironment changing from 7.4 (normal physiological environment) to acidic microenvironments (such as endosome and lysosome compartments) owing to endocytosis.

Rattle-type hollow CaWO4:Tb(3+)@SiO2 nanocapsules as carriers for drug delivery.

Rattle-type hollow nanocapsules are among of the most promising candidates as drug carriers owing to their huge inner space and multifunctional material combination. In this paper, rattle-type hollow CaWO(4):Tb(3+)@SiO(2) nanocapsules with a diameter of 100-110 nm and a wall thickness around 10 nm were fabricated. The hollow silica nanospheres were used as nano-reactors and the luminescent core of CaWO(4):Tb(3+) was post-filled into the nano-reactors by a vacuum nano-casting route combined with a Pechini-type sol-gel method. Subsequently, doxorubicin hydrochloride (DOX), a model of an anti-cancer drug, is loaded into the CaWO(4):Tb(3+)@SiO(2) nanocapsules and their cell cytotoxicity, cancer cell uptake and drug release behavior are investigated in vitro. The prepared multifunctional inorganic nanocapsules show a loading capacity for DOX as high as 124 mg g(-1) and sustained-release properties. The release profile of the drug from DOX-loaded nanocapsules can last over five days. Besides, the blank CaWO(4):Tb(3+)@SiO(2) shows very low cytotoxicity against cancer cell lines (HeLa cell) while the DOX-loaded nanocapsules exhibit relatively high efficiency for killing of HeLa cells. The rapid cancer cell uptake process is observed by confocal laser scanning microscopy. The results indicate that a rattle-type hollow CaWO(4):Tb(3+)@SiO(2) nanocapsule has the potential to be used as drug carrier in therapy. Moreover, it is possible to extend the synthetic strategy in this study to other rattle-type multifunctional composites to meet various demands.

Monodisperse core-shell structured up-conversion Yb(OH)CO3@YbPO4:Er³+ hollow spheres as drug carriers.

In this work, we report a facile solution-phase synthesis of monodisperse core-shell structured Yb(OH)CO3@YbPO4 hollow spheres (size around 380 nm) by utilizing the colloidal sphere of Yb(OH)CO3 as the sacrificial template via the Kirkendall effect. The Er³+ doped Yb(OH)CO3@YbPO4 core-shell hollow spheres can be prepared similarly, which exhibit strong green emission under 980 nm NIR laser excitation even after loading with drug molecules. Most importantly, the sample can be used as an effective drug delivery carrier. The biocompatibility test on L929 fibroblast cells using MTT assay reveals low cytotoxicity of the system. A typical anticancer drug, doxorubicin hydrochloride (DOX), is used for drug loading, and the release properties, cytotoxicity, uptake behavior and therapeutic effects were examined. It is found that DOX is shuttled into cell by core-shell hollow spheres carrier and released inside cells after endocytosis, and the DOX-loaded spheres exhibited greater cytotoxicity than free DOX. These results indicate that the core-shell Er³+ doped Yb(OH)CO3@YbPO4 hollow spheres have potential for drug loading and delivery into cancer cells to induce cell death.