Silybin Alleviates Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis by Suppressing Dendritic Cell Activation and Th17 Cell Differentiation.

Silybin, a peculiar flavonoid compound derived from the fruit and seeds of Silybum marianum, exhibits strong anti-inflammatory activities. In the present study, we found that silybin effectively alleviated experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), an animal model of multiple sclerosis (MS), via inhibition of dendritic cell (DC) activation and Th17 cell differentiation. Silybin treatment greatly ameliorated the disease severity and significantly declined inflammation and demyelination of the central nervous system (CNS) of EAE mice. Consistent with the disease development, silybin-treated bone marrow-derived DCs (BM-DCs) exhibited reduced costimulatory molecules (e.g., CD80 and CD86) and MHC II expression. These results demonstrated the distinguished bioactivity of silybin for suppressing DC activation, inhibiting pathogenic Th17 inflammatory cell responses, and, eventually, alleviating EAE severity. Taken together, our results show that silybin has high potential for the development of a novel therapeutic agent for the treatment of autoimmune diseases such as MS.

[Expression of sB7-H4 in Serum and Lymphoma Tissues of Patients with Malignant Lymphoma and Its Value for Diagnosis and Re-Examine of Lymphoma].

OBJECTIVE: To study the soluble B7-H4 (sB7-H4) expression in serum and lymphoma tissues of patients with malignant lymphoma (ML) and its value for diagnosis and re-examination lymphoma. METHODS: The serum samples from 83 cases of ML were collected, among them 69 cases of newly diagnosed ML were enrolled in group A including 11 cases of Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL group) and 58 cases of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL group), the serum samples from 14 cases of relapsed ML were enrolled in group B; at the same time the serum samples of 50 healthy persons conformed by physical examination were collected and enrolled in control group. The double antibody sandwich ELISA was used to detect the serum level of sB7-H4 in each group, and immunohistochemistry method was used to detect the expression of sB7-H4 in malignant lymphoma and reactive lymphoid hyperplasia tissues. RESULTS: The serum level of sB7-H4 in the group A was significantly increased in comparison with the group B and control group, and the level of group B was significantly higher than that in the control group (P<0.05); the serum level of sB7-H4 in the NHL group was significantly increased in comparison with HL group and control group, and the level of HL group was higher than that of control group (P<0.05). The expression of sB7-H4 in reactive lymphoid hyperplasia tissues was negative, but the positive expression rate in malignant lymphoma tissues was 47.50%, suggesting the positive rate of sB7-H4 in malignant lymphoma tissues was significantly higher than that of reactive lymphoid hyperplasia tissues (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: The high expression of sB7-H4 in serum and lymphoma tissues of patients with malignant lymphoma has a certain value for the diagnosis and re-examination of patients with malignant lymphoma.

miR­140­5p inhibits human glioma cell growth and invasion by targeting JAG1.

miR­140­5p has been reported to be a tumor suppressor in several types of human cancer, however, little is known about its expression and function in human gliomas. The present study aimed to detect the expression of miR­140­5p in human glioma tissues and cell lines, and to investigate the effect of miR­140­5p on glioma cell growth, invasion and adhesion using in vitro gain­of­function and loss­of­function experiments. Furthermore, the hypothesis that Jagged1 (JAG1) may be a target gene of miR­140­5p was tested. Reverse transcription­quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis revealed that miR­140­5p was significantly downregulated in human glioma tissues and cell lines compared with normal tissues, and that its expression was correlated with the grade of gliomas. Transfection of a miR­140­5p mimic into SW1783 glioma cells promoted cell growth, invasion and adhesion, as determined by MTT, Transwell and cell adhesion assays respectively. By contrast, transfection of a miR­140­5p inhibitor had the opposite effect. A dual­luciferase reporter assay confirmed that JAG1 was a target gene of miR­140­5p, and miR­140­5p inhibited JAG1 expression both at the mRNA and protein level. In addition, JAG1 overexpression reversed the effect of miR­140­5p on glioma cell growth, invasion and adhesion. In conclusion, the present study is the first to reveal that miR­140­5p acts as a tumor suppressor in human gliomas. JAG1 was demonstrated to be a novel target of miR­140­5p, and miR­140­5p exerted its inhibitory effect on human glioma growth and invasion, partly by suppressing JAG1. The present study may provide useful information toward novel targets for the treatment of gliomas.

[Predictive factors of testicular sperm extraction in men with non-obstructive azoospermia].

Men with non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA) can achieve fertility by testicular sperm extraction (TESE) coupled with intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), the key to which is the successful retrieval of sperm from the testis. Although improved testicular sperm extraction techniques have increased the chances of sperm retrieval, to predict preoperatively the success of sperm retrieval from NOA patients remains challenging. A non-invasive diagnostic technique predicting the presence of sperm in the testis would be useful for avoiding possible surgical intervention. At present, some preoperative variables, such as serum FSH, inhibin B level, testis volume, genetic analysis, histopathology on diagnostic biopsy, Raman Spectroscopy, and molecular and protein markers, have provided new insights into the chances of successful sperm retrieval in NOA males. This review aims to evaluate the preoperative factors currently available for predicting the outcomes of sperm retrieval from NOA patients.