Association between plasma inflammatory mediators and histological endotypes of nasal polyps / 中华耳鼻咽喉头颈外科杂志

Objective: To compare the clinical characteristics and plasma inflammatory markers levels in different endotypes of chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP), and to explore the plasma biomarkers associated with endotypes of CRSwNP. Methods: A total of 74 CRSwNP patients (male/female: 41/33; average age: 40 years) and 40 control subjects underwent septoplasty in Tongji Hospital from January 2015 to December 2017 were enrolled in this study. The demographic and clinical features of all subjects including age, gender, past history, visual analogue scale (VAS) and CT scores were recorded. Patients with CRSwNP were divided into EoshighNeuhigh, EoshighNeulow, EoslowNeuhigh and EoslowNeulow four endotypes according to the eosinophil (Eos) percentage and neutrophil (Neu) count of nasal polyps tissue. Preoperative blood routine was performed and the levels of 27 biomarkers in plasma were measured by Bio-Plex suspension chip method. The clinical characteristics and the level of serum biomarkers of patients with different endotypes were compared. SPSS 18.0 software was used for statistical analysis. Results: There was no difference in the clinical features including gender ratio, age, course of disease, VAS score, endoscopy and CT score among EoshighNeuhigh, EoshighNeulow, EoslowNeuhigh and EoslowNeulow CRSwNP patients. Compared with EoslowNeuhigh and EoslowNeulow CRSwNP patients, patients with EoshighNeuhigh and EoshighNeulow endotype demonstrated a higher prevalence of atopy, allergic rhinitis and asthma comorbidity, and increased peripheral blood eosinophil absolute count and percentage (all P<0.05). However, there was no significant difference between EoshighNeuhigh and EoshighNeulow CRSwNP. Plasma levels of all 27 mediators including type 1 cytokines (IL-12 and IFN-γ), type 2 cytokines (IL-4, IL-5 and IL-13), type 3 cytokines (IL-17A), pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6 and TNF-α) and tissue remodeling-related markers (bFGF, VEGF and PDGF-BB) demonstrated no significant difference among all endotypes of CRSwNP (all P>0.05). Conclusions: Eoshigh and Eoslow CRSwNP patients display significant differences regarding the prevalence of atopy, allergic rhinitis and asthma comorbidity, peripheral blood eosinophil absolute count and percentage, but the clinical characteristics, blood cellular and biological markers can not effectively distinguish four endotypes of CRSwNP. Further studies are warranted to dig out the potential objective, convenient and reliable markers associated with endotypes in patients with CRSwNP.

Analysis of the therapeutic effect of cortical-sparing adrenalectomy on bilateral pheochromocytoma / 中华泌尿外科杂志

Objective:To investigate the efficacy and safety of cortical-sparing adrenalectomy (CSA) in the treatment of bilateral pheochromocytoma.Methods:The clinical data of 20 patients with bilateral pheochromocytoma treated in Xiangya Hospital of Central South University from January 2004 to December 2019 were analyzed retrospectively, including 10 males and 10 females. The average age of onset was 32.5 (8-51) years. 3 cases had a family history of pheochromocytoma. There were 14 and 6 patients with bilateral synchronous and metachronous onset, respectively. The mean value of vanilmandelic acid (VMA) in 20 cases was (106.4 ± 60.0) μ mol/24h. Preoperative enhanced CT showed a soft tissue mass with uneven enhancement in the adrenal region, with low-density necrosis, which suggested the diagnosis of Pheochromocytoma. All 20 cases underwent CSA under general anesthesia. In 14 cases of bilateral synchronous disease, 9 cases underwent simultaneous operation and 5 cases underwent staged operation; 6 patients with metachronous disease underwent bilateral tumor resection successively. Laparoscopic surgery was performed in 18 cases and open surgery in 2 cases. Through the abdominal or retroperitoneal approach, open the fat capsule around the upper pole of the kidney, free the medial edge of the upper pole of the kidney, expose the adrenal gland and tumor, completely remove the tumor and capsule, ensure that the adrenal tissue is 3-5 mm away from the cutting edge of the tumor, and the reserved cortical size is at least 1 / 3 of the ipsilateral adrenal gland. The central adrenal vein was preserved as much as possible to reduce the damage to the adrenal vascular bed. The operation related data, intraoperative monitoring records, postoperative complications and long-term follow-up results were recorded.Results:All the 20 cases were successfully completed without tumor rupture. The operation time of simultaneous operation and staged operation were (242.3 ± 61.0) min and (137.9 ± 60.3) min, respectively. The number of patients admitted to ICU after operation was 7 and 2, respectively ( P<0.05); The intraoperative bleeding volume was (528.6 ± 355.7) ml and (277.8 ± 264.7) ml, the number of blood transfusion cases were 5 and 2 cases, and the average hospital stay was (7.4 ± 2.0) d and (7.8 ± 3.3) d, respectively ( P>0.05). 20 cases took glucocorticoid orally (prednisone 5 mg, once every 12 hours) after operation. There was no obvious manifestation of adrenocortical dysfunction and Addison's crisis. The hormone was stopped gradually from 2 weeks to 1 month after operation. The average follow-up was 5.4 (1.0-16.0) years. There were 3 cases of recurrence and no metastasis. Gene detection was performed in 10 cases after operation, and 7 cases carried pheochromocytoma RET and VHL pathogenic gene mutations (RET in 2 cases and VHL in 5 cases). Conclusion:Although CSA has a certain risk of recurrence, it avoids hormone replacement and does not increase the risk of metastasis and death. It is recommended for the treatment of hereditary pheochromocytoma, especially bilateral pheochromocytoma.

Clinical effects of two combinations of olfactory agents on olfactory dysfunction after upper respiratory tract infection during olfactory training

SUMMARY OBJECTIVE To compare two combinations of olfactory agents for olfactory training therapy of olfactory dysfunction after upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) and investigate the influencing factors on clinical effects. METHODS 125 patients with olfactory dysfunction were randomly divided into two groups: test and control. During the olfactory training, four odors were used in both groups. The olfactory training lasted for 24 weeks. Then, participants were tested using Sniffin' Sticks and threshold-discrimination-identification (TDI) composite scoring before treatment and at 1, 3, and 6 months after treatment. The TDI scores were compared at different time points between the groups and within them, and influence factors were analyzed. RESULTS There was no significant difference in TDI scores between both groups. Furthermore, TDI scores did not significantly change after one month of treatment in either of the groups. After 3 and 6 months of treatment, TDI scores both significantly increased, and the odor discrimination and identification abilities significantly strengthened in both groups; however, the odor thresholds did not improve. The course of the disease was a significant influencing factor on the therapeutic effect of olfactory training for both groups. CONCLUSION The combination of essential balm, vinegar, alcohol, and rose perfume for olfactory training, which are scents commonly found in daily life, can effectively cure URTI-induced olfactory dysfunction, and significantly improve the odor discrimination and identification abilities. Furthermore, prolonging the treatment time can help with the recovery of olfactory functions, and earlier olfactory training can improve the therapeutic effect.

RESUMO OBJETIVO Comparar duas combinações de agentes olfativos para uso em terapia de treinamento olfativo no tratamento de disfunção olfatória após infecção do trato respiratório superior (ITRS) e investigar os fatores que influenciam os efeitos clínicos. METODOLOGIA 125 pacientes com disfunção olfativa foram divididos aleatoriamente em dois grupos: teste e controle. Durante o treinamento olfativo, quatro odores foram utilizados em ambos os grupos. O treinamento olfativo durou 24 semanas. Em seguida, os participantes foram testados usando Sniffin' Sticks e o escore de discriminação, limiar e identificação (TDI) antes do tratamento e 1, 3 e 6 meses após o ele. Os escores de TDI foram comparados em momentos diferentes, entre os grupos e dentro deles, e os fatores de influência foram analisados. RESULTADOS Não houve diferença significativa nos escores de TDI entre os dois grupos. Além disso, os escores de TDI não demonstração nenhuma alteração significa após um mês de tratamento em ambos os grupos. Após 3 e 6 meses de tratamento, ambos os escores de TDI aumentaram significativamente, e as habilidades de identificação e discriminação de odores melhoraram significativamente em ambos os grupos; contudo, os limiares de odor não demonstraram melhora. O curso da doença foi um importante fator de influência no efeito terapêutico do treinamento olfativo em ambos os grupos. CONCLUSÃO A combinação de bálsamo essencial, vinagre, álcool, e perfume de rosas no treinamento olfativo, todos aromas comumente encontrados na vida cotidiana, podem efetivamente curar disfunção olfativa induzida por ITRS e melhorar significativamente as habilidades de discriminação e identificação de odores. Além disso, a prolongamento do tempo de tratamento pode ajudar na recuperação das funções olfativas, e o início antecipado do treinamento olfativo pode melhorar o efeito terapêutico.

Effects of Crude Toxins from Colletotrichum gloeosporioides on Growth of Dendrobium officinale Kimura et Migo / 广州中医药大学学报

To explore the effects of crude toxins from Colletotrichum gloeosporioides(C. gloeosporioides)on the growth of Dendrobium officinale Kimura et Migo(D. officinale),and to provide early basis for thescreening and cultivation of the resistant variants of C. gloeosporioides. Methods Seedlings of D. officinal werecultivated in MS medium added with different concentrations of the crude toxins from C. gloeosporioides. Theeffects of the crude toxin on the growth of seedlings were observed, and the optimum resistance -selectionthreshold was preliminarily screened. Results In the concentration range of 5％ - 15％(volume fraction),crudetoxins from C. gloeosporioides increased the plant height,stem diameter,number of new bud,root number,and fresh mass of D. officinale,among which the effect of 5％(volume fraction)of crude toxins was the moststrongest. In the concentration range of 35％ - 40％(volume fraction),crude toxins suppressed the plant height,leaf number,number of new bud,root number,and the fresh mass of D. officinale. When cultured with 20％(volume fraction)crude toxins, D. officinale was blooming, and the flowers appeared variation phenomenon.Conclusion The crude toxins from C. gloeosporioides have biological activity and certain toxicity,which can beconsidered as a selection agent instead of pathogenin in vitro to screen the resistant variant of D. officinale,butthe optimum resistance-selection threshold still needs further research.

Helicobacter pylori Tipα protein induces IL-1β and IL-18 production in THP-1-drived macrophages through activation of NLRP3 inflammasome / 中国人兽共患病学报

We preliminarily investigated the role of NLRP3 inflammasome in Helicobacter pylori (H.pylori) Tipa-induced pro-inflammatory cytokines secretion in PMA-differentiated human acute monocytic leukemia cell line THP-1.PMA-differentiated THP-1 cells were treated with pure recombinant Tips protein.The secretion levels of TNF-α,IL-1β and IL-18 in supernatant of culture medium were detected by ELISA.Then we blocked MyD88/NF-κB and NLRP3/Caspase-1 pathways by PDTC or the general ROS scavenger,NAC,respectively,and determined the secretion levels of proinflammatory cytokines and the expression levels of NLRP3 and Caspase-1.The results showed that Tips protein can significantly induced the secretion of TNF-α,IL-1β and IL-18 in THP-1 cells in a time and dose-dependent manner.Levels of TNF-α,IL-1β and IL-18 approached their peaks at 6 h post-treatment by 40 μg/mL of Tipα protein (P＜0.05).Moreover,the blockade of NF-κB signaling pathway by PDTC can inhibit the secretion of proinflammatory cytokines and the expression of NLRP3 and Caspase-1.When THP-1 cells were pre-treated with ROS scavenger NAC,the Tipα-induced increased IL-1β and IL-18 secretion was obviously eliminated (P＜0.05),while TNF-α level had no significant difference,and the expression levels of Caspase-1 and NLRP3 also have a significant decrease.Our results demonstrated that Tipα can promote THP-1-drived macrophages to secrete proinflammatory cytokines TNF-α,IL-1β and IL-18,and the NLRP3/Caspase-1 pathway may be involved in the Tipα protein-induced IL-1β and IL-18 secretion.

Structure-based strategy for consistency evaluation of dosage forms / 药学学报

Strategies and techniques are extremely important to improve the evaluation efficiency and fully guarantee the consistency of dosage forms. For preparations with a structural feature as solid dosage forms and particulate dispersion systems, the structures of dosage forms are the outcome of the specific formulation and production process, which determine the drug delivery behaviors as well as the pharmacokinetics of the dosage forms. Conventional techniques failed to quantitatively determine the structures of dosage forms. Synchrotron radiation micro-computed tomography is a new generation of structural quantitative characterization technology in revealing the internal structure of dosage forms with unprecedented capability for quantitative characterization of the static and dynamic structures of dosage forms, enabling to reversely analyze the production process and identify the structure differences between the generics and brand products. Based on synchrotron radiation micro-computed tomography methodology researches and applications in static structures (powders, particulate systems, tablets, films, membranes, etc.), dynamic structures (hydration) and de-formulation of production process, we have classified the structures of dosage forms into four levels from macro-scope to molecular level as dosage forms, granular intermediates for formulation, dynamic structure and molecular structures, and proposed dosage form structure based new strategy for consistency evaluation. Along with conventional dissolution/ release behavior similarity, the internal structure consistency ensures high consistency between the brand product and the generics.

Evaluation of the Combination of Methylprednisolone and Tranilast after Spinal Cord Injury in Rat Models

OBJECTIVE: The aim of our study was to evaluate the neuroprotective functions of the combination therapy using methylprednisolone (MP) and tranilast (TR) after spinal cord injury (SCI) in adult rats. METHODS: Spinal cord compression injury model was achieved using Yasargil aneurysm clip. Rats were divided into control group, MP group, TR group, and combination therapy group using TR and MP. Rat models were assessed for locomotor functional recovery using Basso, Beattie, and Bresnahan (BBB) score, spinal cord water content and myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity 24 hours post SCI, haematoxylin and eosin staining and glial fibrillary acid protein (GFAP) staining at 7 and 14 days post SCI. RESULTS: The spinal cord water content and MPO activity in the combination therapy group was significantly lower than the control group and the individual therapy groups p0.05). At 2 weeks after SCI there was a slight decrease in GFAP expression compared to the first week but the difference was not statistically significant (p>0.05), GFAP expression between the groups was not statistically significant p>0.05. CONCLUSION: Combining MP and TR is therapeutically more effective in improving functional recovery, inhibiting inflammation and glial scar formation after acute SCI.

The effects of casticin on phosphorylation of FoxO3a in stem-like cells derived from ovarian cancer SKOV3 cell line / 中国癌症杂志

Background and purpose:Ovarian cancer is associated with a high recurrence and mortality due to the existence of cancer stem cells. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of casticin (CAS) on the capability of self-renewal in ovarian cancer stem cell like cells (OCSLCs) derived from SKOV3 cell line. Methods:SKOV3 cell line cells were cultured in vitro, and OCSLCs were obtained and amplified through suspended culture with conditioned medium of the stem cells. The phosphorylation level of FoxO3a was analyzed using Western blot. The protein expression of FoxO3a was inhibited by FoxO3a speciifc siRNA transfection, and then the ratio of sphere-formation was detected. Results: Compared with parental cells, OCSLCs over-expressed phosphorylated FoxO3a (pFoxO3a) and had elevated ratio of sphere-formation [(3.1±0.3)% vs (34.8±6.8)%, P<0.05]. CAS significantly inhibited the capability of sphere-formation in OCSLCs and down-regulated the expression level of pFoxO3a. And the transfection of FoxO3a speciifc siRNA suppressed the protein expression of FoxO3a and attenuated the inhibitory effect of CAS on the sphere-formation of OCSLCs. Conclusion: Reduced expression level of pFoxO3a is involved in the effect that CAS inhibits sphere-formation of OCSLCs derived from SKOV3 cell line.

Effect of silencing FoxO3a on capability of sphere-formation in ovarian cancer SKOV3 cell line / 中国医师杂志

Objective To explore whether Forkhead O transcription factor-3a (FoxO3a) activity affects the capability of sphere-formation of ovarian cancer SKOV3 cell line.Methods Sphere-forming cells (SFCs) were obtained and amplified through suspended culture with conditioned medium of the stem cells in SKOV3 cell line.After SKOV3 cells were transfected with FoxO3a specific siRNA,the protein expressions of FoxO3a and Bmi1 and the ratio of sphere-formation were compared with Western blot and sphere-forming assay,respectively.Results Compared to parental cells,SFCs from SKOV3 cell line had higher ratio of sphere-formation and over-expressed Bmi1 and pFoxO3a.Transfection of FoxO3a specific siRNA down-regulated the protein expression of FoxO3a and upregulated expression of Bmi1 in SKOV3 cells,and enhanced the capability of sphere-formation.Conclusions Silence of FoxO3a leads to enhanced capability of sphere-formation in SKOV3 cell line.

In situ investigation to three dimensional structures of Chinese medicines seeds / 中国中药杂志

This paper is aimed to microscopic identification of traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) using an in situ imaging method. In this study, two kinds of Zingiberaceae seeds, Amomi Rotundus Fructus and Alpiniae Katsumadai Semen, were investigated by synchrotron radiation in-line X-ray phase-contrast computed tomography (IXPCT) imaging method. The results showed that the microstructures of these Zingiberaceae seeds could be clearly obtained from the virtual slices information in different observing angles. It proves that IXPCT is an effective imaging method, which can provide the imaging information for the microscopic identification of the intact TCMs in situ and non-destructively.

Exploring the three-dimensional structure of dermal tissues of normal skin and scar in rat with synchrotron radiation X-ray imaging technology / 中华烧伤杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To compare the morphological difference between dermal tissue of normal skin and that of scar in rat, and to explore its structural pattern.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The full-thickness skin and the scar tissue formed 3 weeks after wound healing from SD rats were harvested as samples, which were prepared appropriately afterwards. Samples were scanned and imaged with synchrotron radiation technology, micro-CT, and phase-contrast imaging technology. The images were rebuilt with three-dimensional software.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The micro-CT was materialized by using X-ray generated by synchrotron radiation light source. The structure of dermal tissues was clearly shown with the assistance of phase-contrast imaging technology in the process. It was demonstrated that the dermal tissues of normal skin of rat were mainly composed of collagenous fibers, which twined together to form an olive-like structure. These olive-like structures as basic units were arranged randomly in a certain way. The collagenous fibers in dermal tissue of the scar were arranged in a parallel manner, while some fibers were crooked and arranged in a disorderly manner.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Dermal tissue of normal skin in rat has stable three-dimensional structure, and its basic structure and manner of composition are obviously different from those of scar dermal tissue.</p>