Primary squamous cell carcinoma with sarcomatoid differentiation of the kidney associated with ureteral stone obstruction: A case report.

BACKGROUND: Primary squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) with sarcomatoid differentiation of the kidney was rarely reported. This disease is usually related to renal stones, and due to a lack of symptoms and radiological features, patients usually attend the hospital with late stage disease. CASE SUMMARY: A 54-years-old female presented with left flank pain and an abdominal mass for 6 mo. Imaging studies revealed that the left kidney was enlarged and massive hydronephrosis was present. A stone was seen in the ureteropelvic junction. The patient subsequently underwent left radical nephrectomy, and histopathological examination of the mass revealed a poorly differentiated renal SCC with sarcomatoid differentiation. After primary surgery, the patient received four cycles of tirelizumab. Four months later, the patient developed adrenal, lymph, and uterine appendage metastases. CONCLUSION: SCC of the kidney has a poor prognosis, and should be considered in patients with a renal mass, long-standing urinary calculi and massive hydronephrosis.

Effects of group mindfulness-based cognitive therapy and group cognitive behavioural therapy on symptomatic generalized anxiety disorder: a randomized controlled noninferiority trial.

BACKGROUND: Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) is a promising alternative treatment for generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). The objective of this study was to examine whether the efficacy of group MBCT adapted for treating GAD (MBCT-A) was noninferior to group cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) designed to treat GAD (CBT-A), which was considered one of first-line treatments for GAD patients. We also explored the efficacy of MBCT-A in symptomatic GAD patients compared with CBT-A for a variety of outcomes of anxiety symptoms, as well as depressive symptoms, overall illness severity, quality of life and mindfulness. METHODS: This was a randomized, controlled, noninferiority trial with two arms involving symptomatic GAD patients. Adult patients with GAD (n = 138) were randomized to MBCT-A or CBT-A in addition to treatment as usual (TAU). The primary outcome was the anxiety response rate assessed at 8 weeks after treatment as measured using the Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA). Secondary outcomes included anxiety remission rates, scores on the HAMA, the state-trait anxiety inventory (STAI), the Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD), the Severity Subscale of the Clinical Global Impression Scale (CGI-S), and the 12-item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-12), as well as mindfulness, which was measured by the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ). Assessments were performed at baseline, 8 weeks after treatment, and 3 months after treatment. Both intention-to-treat (ITT) and per-protocol (PP) analyses were performed for primary analyses. The χ2 test and separate two-way mixed ANOVAs were used for the secondary analyses. RESULTS: ITT and PP analyses showed noninferiority of MBCT-A compared with CBT-A for response rate [ITT rate difference = 7.25% (95% CI: -8.16, 22.65); PP rate difference = 5.85% (95% CI: - 7.83, 19.53)]. The anxiety remission rate, overall illness severity and mindfulness were significantly different between the two groups at 8 weeks. There were no significant differences between the two groups at the 3-month follow-up. No severe adverse events were identified. CONCLUSIONS: Our data indicate that MBCT-A was noninferior to CBT-A in reducing anxiety symptoms in GAD patients. Both interventions appeared to be effective for long-term benefits. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Registered at chictr.org.cn (registration number: ChiCTR1800019150 , registration date: 27/10/2018).

The mechanism by which hyperbaric oxygen treatment alleviates spinal cord injury: genome-wide transcriptome analysis.

Accumulating studies have demonstrated that hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) treatment alleviates spinal cord injury (SCI). However, the underlying mechanism by which HBO alleviates SCI remains to be elucidated. In this study, we performed genome-wide transcriptional profiling of the spinal cord between SCI mice and mice that received HBO treatment by high-throughput RNA sequencing at 1 week after SCI. We also compared genome-wide transcriptional profiles from SCI mice and sham-operated mice. We found 76 differentially co-expressed genes in sham-operated mice, SCI mice, and HBO-treated SCI mice. Using Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analysis, we identified the biological characteristics of these differentially expressed genes from the perspectives of cell component, biological process, and molecular function. We also found enriched functional pathways including ferroptosis, calcium signaling pathway, serotonergic synapse, hypoxia-inducible factor-1 signaling pathway, cholinergic synapse, and neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction. We performed quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and validated that HBO treatment decreased the expression of Hspb1 (heat shock protein beta 1), Hmox1 (heme oxygenase 1), Ftl1 (ferritin light polypeptide 1), Tnc (tenascin C) and Igfbp3 (insulin-like growth factor binding protein 3) and increased the expression of Slc5a7 (solute carrier family 5 choline transporter member 7) after SCI. These results revealed the genome-wide transcriptional profile of the injured spinal cord after HBO treatment. Our findings contribute to a better understanding of the mechanism by which HBO treats SCI and may provide new targets for SCI intervention.

Synthesis of Five-Membered Cyclic Guanidines via Cascade [3 + 2] Cycloaddition of α-Haloamides with Organo-cyanamides.

The convenient preparation of N2-unprotected five-membered cyclic guanidines was achieved through a cascade [3 + 2] cycloaddition between organo-cyanamides and α-haloamides under mild conditions in good to excellent yields (up to 99%). The corresponding cyclic guanidines could be easily transformed into hydantoins via hydrolysis.

The effect of different atmosphere absolute hyperbaric oxygen on the expression of extracellular histones after traumatic brain injury in rats.

By observing the dynamic changes of extracellular histones H1, H2A, H4, and NF-κB expression in brain tissues after brain injury in rats, we explore the association among the expression of extracellular histones H1, H2A, H4, and NF-κB following traumatic brain injury (TBI), as well as the effect of different atmospheres absolute hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) intervention on the expression and possible mechanisms. A total of 120 SD rats were randomly divided into 4 groups: Sham-operated (SH), TBI (traumatic brain injury) group, traumatic brain injury and hyperbaric oxygen treatment 1.6ATA (TBI + HBO1) group, and traumatic brain injury and hyperbaric oxygen treatment2.2ATA (TBI + HBO2) group, with 30 rats in each group. The rats in each group were then randomly divided into five smaller time-specific sub-groups: 3 h, 6 h, 12 h, 24 h, and 48 h after surgery. TBI models were established, and the brain tissue around the lesion was taken at different time points. On the one hand,we detected the level of local histones H1, H2A, H4, and NF-κB by RT-PCR and Western Blot. On the other hand, we used immunohistochemical methods to detect the expression of NF-κB, while using the TUNEL method to observe the cell apoptosis in experimental groups after brain injury. Extracellular histones H1, H2A, H4, and NF-κB proteins were highly expressed at 3 h, then with a slight fluctuation, reached to peak at 48 h after the injury. HBO can affect the expression of histones H1, H2A, H4, and NF-κB. The decline of each indicator in the 1.6ATA group was significantly lower than that in the 2.2ATA group, especially within 6 h (P < 0. 05). In addition, NF-κB expression was consistent with the pathological changes of apoptosis in experimental groups. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy with relatively low pressure (1.6ATA) at the early stage can significantly inhibit the expression of extracellular histones H1, H2A, H4, and NF-κB around the lesion, reduce the apoptosis of nerve cells, and thus play an important role in alleviating secondary brain injury.

Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment Improves Hearing Level via Attenuating TLR4/NF-κB Mediated Inflammation in Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss Patients.

OBJECTIVE: Hyperbaric oxygen treatment (HBOT) has demonstrated efficacy in improving hearing levels of patients with idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSHL); however, the underlying mechanisms are not well understood. HBOT alleviates the inflammatory response, which is mediated by Toll-like receptor (TLR) 4 and nuclear factor (NF)-κB. In this study we investigated whether HBOT attenuates inflammation in ISHHL patients via alteration of TLR4 and NF-κB expression. METHODS: ISHHL patients ( n = 120) and healthy control subjects ( n = 20) were enrolled in this study. Patients were randomly divided into medicine group treated with medicine only ( n = 60) and HBO group receiving both HBOT and medicine ( n = 60). Audiometric testing was performed pre- and post-treatment. TLR4, NF-кB, and TNF-α expression in peripheral blood of ISSHL patients and healthy control subjects was assessed by ELISA before and after treatment. RESULTS: TLR4, NF-κB, and TNF-α levels were upregulated in ISSHL patients relative to healthy control subjects; the levels were decreased following treatment and were lower in the HBO group than that in the medicine group post-treatment ( P < 0.05 and P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: HBOT alleviates hearing loss in ISSHL patients by suppressing the inflammatory response induced by TLR4 and NF-κB signaling.

[Relationship of Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator Expression with Clinical Features and Prognosis in Patients with Acute Leukemia].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the expression of cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) protein in patients with acute leukemia and its relationship to clinical features and prognosis of acute leukemia. METHODS: A total of115 patients with acute leukemia were enrolled in the experimental group and 20 healthy individuals were used as control. Peripheral blood or bone marrow samples were collected, and mononuclear cells were isolated. The expression of CFTR protein was detected by Western blot. The relationships of CFTR protein expression to clinical features and prognosis was analyzed. RESULTS: The expression of CFTR protein was not detected in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of normal control, while it was positive in more than half of acute leukemias including acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), but negative in the patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia (M3). In the patients with AML, there was no difference in peripheral white blood cells (WBC), peripheral blast cells, platelet and hemoglobin (HGB) between CFTR-positive and CFTR-negative patients. There was no relationship between the expression of CFTR protein and gene mutations such as NPM1, CEBPA, FLT3-ITD, and C-Kit. Complete remission (CR) rate after two course in CFTR-negative patients was slightly higher than that in positive patients. The survival time of CFTR-negative patients was little longer than that of positive patients, but the difference was not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: The expression of CFTR protein seems not associated with clinical features, treatment response and prognosis in the patients with acute leukemia.

Hyperbaric oxygen improves functional recovery of rats after spinal cord injury via activating stromal cell-derived factor-1/CXC chemokine receptor 4 axis and promoting brain-derived neurothrophic factor expression.

BACKGROUND: Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a worldwide medical concern. This study aimed to elucidate the mechanism underlying the protective effect of hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) against SCI-induced neurologic defects in rats via exploring the stromal cell-derived factor-1 (SDF-1)/CXC chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4) axis and expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). METHODS: An acute SCI rat model was established in Sprague-Dawley rats using the Allen method. Sixty rats were divided into four groups (n = 15 in each group): sham-operated, SCI, SCI treated with HBO (SCI + HBO), and SCI treated with both HBO and AMD3100 (an antagonist of CXCR4; SCI + HBO + AMD) groups. The rats were treated with HBO twice a day for 3 days and thereafter once a day after the surgery for up to 28 days. Following the surgery, neurologic assessments were performed with the Basso-Bettie-Bresnahan (BBB) scoring system on postoperative day (POD) 7, 14, 21, and 28. Spinal cord tissues were harvested to assess the expression of SDF-1, CXCR4, and BDNF at mRNA and protein levels, using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, Western blot analysis, and histopathologic analysis. RESULTS: HBO treatment recovered SCI-induced descent of BBB scores on POD 14, (1.25 ±â€Š0.75 vs. 1.03 ±â€Š0.66, P < 0.05), 21 (5.27 ±â€Š0.89 vs. 2.56 ±â€Š1.24, P < 0.05), and 28 (11.35 ±â€Š0.56 vs. 4.23 ±â€Š1.20, P < 0.05) compared with the SCI group. Significant differences were found in the mRNA levels of SDF-1 (mRNA: day 21, SCI + HBO vs. SCI + HBO + AMD, 2.89 ±â€Š1.60 vs. 1.56 ±â€Š0.98, P < 0.05), CXCR4 (mRNA: day 7, SCI + HBO vs. SCI, 2.99 ±â€Š1.60 vs.1.31 ±â€Š0.98, P < 0.05; day 14, SCI + HBO vs. SCI + HBO + AMD, 4.18 ±â€Š1.60 vs. 0.80 ±â€Š0.34, P < 0.05; day 21, SCI + HBO vs. SCI, 2.10 ±â€Š1.01 vs.1.15 ±â€Š0.03, P < 0.05), and BDNF (mRNA: day 7, SCI + HBO vs. SCI, 3.04 ±â€Š0.41 vs. 2.75 ±â€Š0.31, P < 0.05; day 14, SCI + HBO vs. SCI, 3.88 ±â€Š1.59 vs. 1.11 ±â€Š0.40, P < 0.05), indicating the involvement of SDF-1/CXCR4 axis in the protective effect of HBO. CONCLUSIONS: HBO might promote the recovery of neurologic function after SCI in rats via activating the SDF-1/CXCR4 axis and promoting BDNF expression.

Acid Promoted Direct Cross-Coupling of Methyl Ketones with Dimethyl Sulfoxide: Access to Ketoallyl Methylsulfides and -sulfones.

A new strategy to prepare ß-acyl allylic methylsulfides and -sulfones through acid promoted direct cross-coupling of methyl ketones with dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) is reported. The reaction proceeded through the nucleophilic attack of enamine intermidiates derived from ketones to in situ generated thionium ion species, followed by elimination of methanthiol to give ketoallylic methylsulfides. With the prolonged reaction time, such products could be further reacted with a methyl sulfonyl radical, which might be generated from a methylthiosulfonate species, to afford ketoallylic methylsulfones in high yields. Molecular transformations of the allylic methylsulfides were also demonstrated.

Rapid quantification of multi-components in alcohol precipitation liquid of Codonopsis Radix using near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS).

A near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) approach was established for quality control of the alcohol precipitation liquid in the manufacture of Codonopsis Radix. By applying NIRS with multivariate analysis, it was possible to build variation into the calibration sample set, and the Plackett-Burman design, Box-Behnken design, and a concentrating-diluting method were used to obtain the sample set covered with sufficient fluctuation of process parameters and extended concentration information. NIR data were calibrated to predict the four quality indicators using partial least squares regression (PLSR). In the four calibration models, the root mean squares errors of prediction (RMSEPs) were 1.22 µg/ml, 10.5 µg/ml, 1.43 µg/ml, and 0.433% for lobetyolin, total flavonoids, pigments, and total solid contents, respectively. The results indicated that multi-components quantification of the alcohol precipitation liquid of Codonopsis Radix could be achieved with an NIRS-based method, which offers a useful tool for real-time release testing (RTRT) of intermediates in the manufacture of Codonopsis Radix.

Bioinformatic and Expression Analysis of Ventricular Septal Defect-associated Long Non-coding RNA TUC40-.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the potential role of TUC40- in human and mouse embryonic heart development. METHODS: Bioinformatics databases including NCBI,UCSC,and Uniprot and software including Clustal,DNAMAN,and MEGA 6 were used to collect information of TUC40- and uc.40-. The expression profile at key time points of heart development was investigated by strand-specific quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: Uc.40- was conservative in sequence, genomic location, and transcription factor binding sites across human and mouse. Pbx1/TUC40- showed negative trend during embryonic mouse heart maturation. CONCLUSIONS: Various levels of conservation of uc.40- suggests similar functions of TUC40- in these two species. TUC40- may play its roles in human and mouse embryonic heart development by regulating Pbx1.

[Simultaneous determination of six components in water extract and alcohol precipitation liquid in Astragali Radix by HPLC-UV-ELSD].

A HPLC-UV-ELSD method was established for simultaneous determination of six components in two intermediates of Shenqi Fuzheng injection (SFI) and the feasibility of establishing quantitative analysis of multi-components by single marker (QAMS) methods on different detectors was further explored. Calycosin-7-O-ß-D-glucoside and astragloside Ⅳ were selected as internal reference substances for respectively flavonoids and saponins, and relative correlation factors (RCF) of formononetin-7-O-ß-D-glucoside, 9, 10-dimethoxypterocarpan-3-O-ß-D-glucopyranoside, 2'-dihydroxy-3', 4'-dimethoxyisoflavan-7-O-ß-D-glucopyranoside and astragloside Ⅱ were calculated. Eventually, quantitative results of the 14 samples were compared between QAMS and external standard method. The sample concentrations calculated by QAMS were similar with concentrations calculated by external standard method, and the absolute values of relative deviations were generally less than 5% according to the UV detection of flavonoids. On the basis of ELSD detection for saponins, however, the absolute values of relative deviation of the two methods ranged from 0.48% to 23.17%. The QAMS method built on ultraviolet (UV) detectors was stable and can be used as a substitute method to reduce the consumption of standard compounds; meanwhile, the accuracy of QAMS method built on evaporative light scattering detector (ELSD) was inferior to that of external standard method, and the working principle of ELSD and feasible concentration range remain to be further studied.

A new phenylpropanoid and a new isoflavone glycoside from Shenqi Fuzheng Injection.

A new phenylpropanoid and a new isoflavone glycoside were isolated from Shenqi Fuzheng Injection. Their structures were elucidated as (αS)-α-ethenyl-4-hydroxy-3-methoxy-benzenemethanol (1) and calycosin 7-O-[α-d-glucopyranosyl (1 â†’ 4)]-ß-d-glucopyranoside (2) by means of spectroscopic methods including UV, IR, HR-ESI-MS, and NMR. The absolute configurations of 1 and 2 were confirmed by quantum chemical calculation and acid hydrolysis.

Serum mannose-binding lectin and C-reactive protein are potential biomarkers for patients with community-acquired pneumonia.

AIM: The aim of this study was to identify whether mannose-binding lectin (MBL) and C-reactive protein (CRP) may be used as clinical biomarkers for predicting outcome of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) by tracking serum MBL and CRP level changes during a time course. METHODS: One hundred four patients with CAP and 100 healthy individuals were enrolled in this study. The patients were further divided into Survivor and Death groups based on 30-day mortality. The MBL and CRP levels in these patients at pre- and post-treatments at days 4 and 7 were determined using an immunoturbidimetric assay and an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). RESULTS: Compared to the control group, the MBL and CRP levels in the CAP group were significantly higher. CRP levels in the CAP group significantly reduced within 1 week following anti-infection and other supporting therapies including anti-phlegm and liquidation. MBL levels were significantly higher in the Survivor group than in the Death group (p<0.05). On the contrary, CRP levels were significantly higher in the Death group than in the Survivor group (p<0.05). There was a negative correlation between the serum MBL and CRP levels in all patients following the treatments. CONCLUSION: Both the MBL and CRP can serve as inflammatory markers in predicting the outcome of patients with CAP.

Preconditioned hyperbaric oxygenation protects skin flap grafts in rats against ischemia/reperfusion injury.

Hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy is an effective therapy for ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury of the brain, small intestine, testes and liver. However, the detailed molecular mechanisms underlying the effect of HBO therapy remain undetermined. In the current study, the hypothesis that preconditioning rats with HBO protects grafted skin flaps against subsequent I/R injury was investigated. In addition, the molecular mechanisms underlying HBO therapy were characterized by analyzing the roles of the following important inflammatory factors: High mobility group protein 1 (HMGB1) and nuclear factor-κ B (NF-κB). A total of 40 rats were randomly divided into the following five groups: (i) Sham surgery (SH); (ii) ischemia followed by reperfusion 3 days following surgery (I/R3d); (iii) ischemia followed by reperfusion 5 days following surgery (I/R5d); (iv) HBO preconditioning (HBO-PC) and ischemia followed by reperfusion 3 days following surgery (HBO-PC+3d); and (v) HBO-PC and ischemia followed by reperfusion 5 days following surgery (HBO-PC+5d). For the surgical procedure, all pedicled skin flaps were first measured and elevated (9x6 cm). The feeding vessels of the skin flaps were subsequently clamped for 3 h and released to restore blood flow. The rats in the HBO-PC+3d and HBO-PC+5d groups received 1 h HBO for 3 and 5 consecutive days, respectively, prior to surgery. Following surgery, the rats were euthanized, and grafted tissues were collected for western blotting and immunohistochemistry. HBO-PC increased blood perfusion in epigastric skin flaps and attenuated I/R injury following skin flap graft. Additionally, the elevated expression of HMGB1 and NF-κB proteins during I/R injury was attenuated by HBO-PC treatment. HBO-PC may therefore be applied to reduce I/R injury and improve the survival rate of grafted skin flaps. The molecular mechanisms underlying the effect of HBO therapy are associated with the attenuation of inflammatory responses.

[Spectral reflectance characteristics of dominant plant species at different eco-restoring stages in the semi-arid grassland].

The objective of the research is to apply hyperspectral technique into eco-restoring monitoring. Through the ASD Fields HH portable field spectrometer, the hyperspectral data of dominant plant species in vegetation at different eco-restoring stages in semi-arid grassland in Helin County, Inner Mongolia were collected. The original spectrum reflected data were pretreated by wavelet threshold denoising through ViewSpecPro software before analysis. Using the first derivative spectra between 660 and 800 nm, and the methods of detrended canonical correspondence analysis (DCCA) by Canoco 4. 5 software, the canopy hyperspectral datum of 6 dominant plant species was calculated. The results indicated that the dominant plant species at early succession stage were Setaria viridis and Caragana microphylia, at 5 years eco-restoring stage they were Salsola collina and Caragana microphylia and at late succession stage they were Pinus sylvestnis var. mongolica and Salsola collina, same as field survey. The graph of DCCA indicated that the influential bands of dominant species canopy at early eco-succession stage were short bands, with a large variation among species, the influential bands at 5 years eco-restoring stage were near infrared bands between 1 000 and 1 050 nm, and that at late stage were near infrared bands of 1 040-1 075 nm. The DCCA also showed obviously differences in canopy spectrum among 6 dominant species, and obviously differences among 3 eco-restoring stages.

[Responding relationship between endogenous hormones and hyperspectra reflectance for the different flowering stages of the giant panda's staple-food bamboos in Qinling].

The present research aims at utilizing hyperspectra information to estimate the content of endogenous hormones for predicting the bamboo flowering. The authors selected the giant panda's staple-food bamboos Bashania fargesii, Fargesia ginlingensis and Fargesia dracocephala in different flowering situations to measure their hyperspectral reflectance in Foping Nature Reserve. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to measure the contents of four endogenous hormones: Gibberellin (GA3), Auxin (IAA), Zeatin nucleotide (Zr) and Abscisic acid (ABA), and non-parametric test was applied to analyze their differences. Then, we built the responding relationship models between hormones and hyperspectral reflectance. The results showed that (1) GA3 contents of B. fargesii and F. dracocephala were higher in the flowering bamboo than in the non-flowering bamboo, while F. qinlingensis showed the opposite result; IAA and ABA contents of three bamboos were all lower in non-flowering bamboo than in the flowering one; Zr contents for three bamboo species were higher in the non-flowering bamboo than in the flowering one. (2) Except that B. fargesii's IAA and Zr had significant relationships with original spectral reflectance among some bands, other hormones of bamboos all showed the poor relationships with the original spectra; however, some specific bands of all four hormones of three bamboos had the very significant relationships with the first derivative reflectance. (3) The precisions of linear models were higher than the Parabola models. The authors concluded that the close relationships between the hormones' contents and spectra reflectance can be used to forecast the flowering of panda bamboos.

Hyperbaric oxygen intervention on expression of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α and vascular endothelial growth factor in spinal cord injury models in rats.

BACKGROUND: Hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) intervention is a main therapeutic method and the curative effect has been certified for spinal cord injury (SCI), but the mechanisms of the neuroprotective effect of HBO on SCI remain elusive. This study aimed to observe the change in expression of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) after SCI at different time points and to investigate the neuroprotective mechanism of HBO on SCI in rats. METHODS: A total of 160 adult Sprague-Dawley rats, weighing between 250 and 300 g, were randomly assigned to four experimental groups (n = 40 per group). SCI group: SCI was created with a special NYU impactor of Allen's by a 25 gramcentimeter impacting energy on T10 of the spinal cord. SCI+HBO group: HBO therapy after SCI model was established. Sham operation (SH) group: only laminectomy of T10 and no impact on the spinal cord was done. SH+HBO group: HBO therapy after sham operation. The hindlimb functional recovery was evaluated using Basso, Beattie, and Bresnahan (BBB) score and the expressions of HIF-1α and VEGF were observed with fluorescent quantitation PCR and Western blotting method of six rats picked randomly from each group at different time points of 1, 3, 7, and 14 days after operation. RESULTS: Rats in the SCI group and SCI+HBO group were paralyzed completely after operation with BBB 0-1 score. Rats in the SH group and SH+HBO group could walk after sham operation with BBB 20-21 score. The BBB score of rats in the SCI+HBO group (4.67±1.97 and 10.83±2.23) was higher than that in the SCI group (1.83±0.75 and 6.67±2.16) at 7 and 14 days time points obviously (P < 0.05). The expressions of HIF-1a and VEGF in the SCI group and SCI+HBO group were higher than in the SH group and SH+HBO group at any time point obviously (P < 0.05), while the SCI+HBO group presented the least expression of HIF-1α mRNA and protein (3.82±0.41 and 0.59±0.06; 2.26±0.41 and 0.37±0.05; 1.58±0.26 and 0.29±0.05) than that in the SCI group (6.36±0.58 and 0.76±0.07; 3.55±0.47 and 0.51±0.07; 2.27±0.39 and 0.40±0.06) respectively at 3, 7, and 14 days time points (P < 0.05) with significant difference and more expression of VEGF mRNA and protein (5.83±0.77 and 0.72±0.06; 4.59±0.51 and 0.63±0.06) than that in the SCI group (3.06±0.30 and 0.48±0.07; 2.25±0.24 and 0.39±0.09) respectively at 7 and 14 days time points (P < 0.05) with significant difference. CONCLUSIONS: HBO could improve the hind limb functional recovery after SCI in rats. The elevation and duration of the expression of VEGF and the reduction of expression of HIF-1α by HBO intervention may be inversely related in the repair of damaged spinal cord and neuroprotective effect.

Effects of hyperbaric oxygen preconditioning on ischemia-reperfusion inflammation and skin flap survival.

BACKGROUND: Hyperbaric oxygen preconditioning (HBO) is a new method of ischemia preconditioning. In this study, we examined its effects on skin flap survival and the mechanisms involved. METHODS: Thirty-six rats were divided into three groups: HBO preconditioning, control, and sham groups. An extended epigastric adipocutaneous flap based on the right superficial epigastric artery and vein was raised. A 3-hour period of flap ischemia was induced by clamping the pedicle vessels with a microvascular clamp. At the end of ischemia induction, the clamp was removed and the flap was resutured. Rats in the HBO preconditioning group were treated with HBO four times before surgery. Microcirculation in the skin flap was measured on postoperative days 1, 3 and 5. The size of the flap was measured on postoperative day 5, before the animals were sacrificed. Samples of the skin flap were prepared and stained with hematoxylin and eosin. The levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-1ß, and IL-6 in the flap samples were measured. RESULTS: Surviving flap size was significantly higher in the HBO preconditioning group compared with controls, with a reduced inflammatory response and increased perfusion. IL-1, TNF-α, and IL-6 levels in the HBO preconditioning group were lower than in controls. CONCLUSIONS: HBO preconditioning improved flap survival in this ischemia-reperfusion rat model. The mechanisms responsible for this effect may relate to attenuation of the inflammatory response and increased flap perfusion following HBO preconditioning.

[Studies on hyperspectral characteristics of Microcystis aeruginosa under the cultivation conditions with different phosphorus concentrations].

Microcystis aeruginosa is one of the most common species in the algae-bloom events of domestic lakes. Illumination incubator was used to cultivate M. aeruginosa under conditions of different phosphorus concentrations in the laboratory. Spectroscopic data of culture solutions were collected by GER1500 spectrometer under the sunlight. The study focused on the growth rhythm of M. aeruginosa and the characteristics of spectral variation in the culture solutions. The results showed that low phosphorus concentration (< or =10 microg x L(-1)) is a restricting factor for the growth and reproduction of M. aeruginosa. Moreover, the reflections of spectrum from culture solutions of M. aeruginosa showed significant changes along with cultivation period, such as at the wavelengths of 550, 610, 660, 700-710 and 760 nm.