Effects of sound therapy on resting-state functional brain networks in patients with tinnitus: A graph-theoretical-based study.

BACKGROUND: Tinnitus is considered to be triggered by aberrant neural activity in the brain. Sound therapy is regarded as a reasonable management option for tinnitus treatment and has been applied in the clinical setting for decades. HYPOTHESIS: We hypothesized that sound therapy, a commonly used tinnitus treatment method, would alter the functional connectivity (FC) of brain regions in tinnitus models. STUDY TYPE: Longitudinal. POPULATION: Resting-state functional MRI data were collected from 27 tinnitus patients before and after 12 weeks of sound therapy. Twenty-seven age- and sex-matched healthy controls were also longitudinally scanned at the 12-week timepoint. FIELD STRENGTH: 3.0T MRI system and echo planar imaging (EPI) sequence, 3D brain volume imaging (BRAVO) sequence. ASSESSMENT: Functional connectivity strength (FCS), a graph-theoretical-based analytic method, was applied to analyze the FC features in the whole brain. STATISTICAL TESTS: Student's t-test and chi-square test were used for analyses between two groups. A two-way analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) followed by post-hoc analyses was performed to determine differences of FC. RESULTS: The interaction effect between the two groups and two scans on FCS was observed in the bilateral thalami and left anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). The fitted FCS values in the bilateral thalami were significantly higher in tinnitus patients at baseline and decreased to a relatively normal range after sound therapy compared with healthy controls. Conversely, the fitted FCS values in the left ACC were within the normal range, but increased after treatment (1.08 ± 0.29, P < 0.02); however, there was no change in the control group. Importantly, significant correlations were observed between the FCS changes in the right thalamus (P = 0.028), the FC of the right thalamus-right inferior frontal gyrus (P = 0.015), and symptomatic improvement. DATA CONCLUSION: Sound therapy may modulate the brain network by altering the gating function of the thalamus as well as enhancing the tinnitus-canceling system. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 2 Technical Efficacy Stage: 4 J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2019;50:1731-1741.

Long-term reactions to pulsatile tinnitus are marked by weakened short-range functional connectivity within a brain network in the right temporal lobe.

BACKGROUND: There have been recent efforts to characterize brain functional activity features in patients with pulsatile tinnitus (PT). These efforts have revealed evidence of aberrant functional connectivity (FC) of the right middle temporal gyrus (MTG) in PT patients with prolonged disease duration. PURPOSE: To assess the possible predictive effect of aberrant FC of MTG in PT patients with prolonged disease duration. STUDY TYPE: Retrospective. POPULATION: Thirty-four patients with recent-onset PT (RPTIN), 24 patients with long-term PT (LPTIN), and 35 age-, gender-, and education-matched healthy controls were enrolled. FIELD STRENGTH/SEQUENCE: 3.0T MRI system and echo-planar imaging (EPI) sequence, 3D brain volume imaging (BRAVO) sequence. ASSESSMENT: Functional MRI data preprocessing was performed in Data Processing & Analysis for Brain Imaging (DPABI) and Statistical Parametric Mapping (SPM) 8. The FC analyses were conducted using the software REST. STATISTICAL TESTS: One-way analysis of covariance was conducted between three groups with age and gender as covariates, and post-hoc analysis was used to identify the sources of group effects. Pearson's correlation analysis was conducted for the z-values of altered FC strength in the PT group and the clinical data. RESULTS: Among hubs belonging to the executive control network, the default mode network (DMN), and limbic network, the strength of FC was mainly decreased in the patient groups compared with normal controls (P < 0.05). Relative to RPTIN patients and normal controls, LPTIN patients were further characterized by significantly decreased FC between several short-range brain regions adjacent to the seed (P < 0.05). Finally, disease duration was negatively correlated with decreased FC between the seed and right fusiform gyrus/parahippocampal gyrus, right inferior frontal gyrus, and right MTG (a brain area adjacent to the seed region). DATA CONCLUSION: Long-term reactions to PT mainly involved weakened short-range FC, especially within a functional network in the right temporal lobe. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 4 Technical Efficacy: Stage 2 J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2018.

Abnormal baseline brain activity in patients with pulsatile tinnitus: a resting-state FMRI study.

Numerous investigations studying the brain functional activity of the tinnitus patients have indicated that neurological changes are important findings of this kind of disease. However, the pulsatile tinnitus (PT) patients were excluded in previous studies because of the totally different mechanisms of the two subtype tinnitus. The aim of this study is to investigate whether altered baseline brain activity presents in patients with PT using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) technique. The present study used unilateral PT patients (n = 42) and age-, sex-, and education-matched normal control subjects (n = 42) to investigate the changes in structural and amplitude of low-frequency (ALFF) of the brain. Also, we analyzed the relationships between these changes with clinical data of the PT patients. Compared with normal controls, PT patients did not show any structural changes. PT patients showed significant increased ALFF in the bilateral precuneus, and bilateral inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) and decreased ALFF in multiple occipital areas. Moreover, the increased THI score and PT duration was correlated with increased ALFF in precuneus and bilateral IFG. The abnormalities of spontaneous brain activity reflected by ALFF measurements in the absence of structural changes may provide insights into the neural reorganization in PT patients.

Expression of Rad51 and the histo-morphological evaluation of testis of the sterile male cattle-yak.

Meiotic recombination is key to the repair of DNA double-strand break damage, provide a link between homologs for proper chromosome segregation as well as ensure genetic diversity in organisms. Defects in recombination often lead to sterility. The ubiquitously expressed Rad51 and the meiosis-specific DMC1 are two closely related recombinases that catalyze the key strand invasion and exchange step of meiotic recombination. This study cloned and sequenced the coding region of cattle-yak Rad51 and determined its mRNA and protein expression levels, evaluated its molecular and evolutionary relationship as well as evaluated the histo-morphological structure of testes in the yellow cattle, yak and the sterile cattle-yak hybrid. The Rad51 gene was amplified using PCR, cloned and sequenced using testicular cDNA from yak and cattle-yak. Real-time PCR was used to examine the expression levels of Rad51/DMC1 mRNA in the cattle, yak and cattle-yak testis while western blotting, immunofluorescence and immunohistochemistry were used to assess the protein expression and localization of Rad51/DMC1 protein in the testicular tissue sections. The results revealed that the mRNA and protein expression of Rad51 and DMC1 are extremely low in the male cattle-yak testis with a corresponding higher incidence of germ cell apoptosis. There was also thinning of the germinal epithelium possibly due to the depletion of the germ cells leading to the widening of the lumen area of the cattle-yak seminiferous tubule. Our findings provide support for the hypothesis that the low expression of Rad51 and DMC1 may contribute to the male hybrid sterility in the cattle-yak.

The effects of sound therapy in tinnitus are characterized by altered limbic and auditory networks.

To determine the neural mechanism underlying the effects of sound therapy on tinnitus, we hypothesize that sound therapy may be effective by modulating both local neural activity and functional connectivity that is associated with auditory perception, auditory information storage or emotional processing. In this prospective observational study, 30 tinnitus patients underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging scans at baseline and after 12 weeks of sound therapy. Thirty-two age- and gender-matched healthy controls also underwent two scans over a 12-week interval; 30 of these healthy controls were enrolled for data analysis. The amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation was analysed, and seed-based functional connectivity measures were shown to significantly alter spontaneous local brain activity and its connections to other brain regions. Interaction effects between the two groups and the two scans in local neural activity as assessed by the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation were observed in the left parahippocampal gyrus and the right Heschl's gyrus. Importantly, local functional activity in the left parahippocampal gyrus in the patient group was significantly higher than that in the healthy controls at baseline and was reduced to relatively normal levels after treatment. Conversely, activity in the right Heschl's gyrus was significantly increased and extended beyond a relatively normal range after sound therapy. These changes were found to be positively correlated with tinnitus relief. The functional connectivity between the left parahippocampal gyrus and the cingulate cortex was higher in tinnitus patients after treatment. The alterations of local activity and functional connectivity in the left parahippocampal gyrus and right Heschl's gyrus were associated with tinnitus relief. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging can provide functional information to explain and 'visualize' the mechanism underlying the effect of sound therapy on the brain.

Serum levels of ANGPTL4 and NLRP3 in patients with severe traumatic brain injury and their diagnostic value for secondary massive cerebral infarction / 国际检验医学杂志

Objective To explore the changes of serum angiopoietin-like protein 4(ANGPTL4)and NOD-like receptor protein 3(NLRP3)levels after traumatic brain injury(TBI)and their diagnostic value for sec-ondary massive cerebral infarction.Methods A total of 100 TBI patients admitted to the hospital from Au-gust 2019 to August 2021 were enrolled as the TBI group,meantime,100 healthy people in the hospital were enrolled as the control group.The serum levels of ANGPTL4 and NLRP3 were detected by enzyme-linked im-munosorbent assay(ELISA).The clinical characteristics of TBI patients with and without secondary massive cerebral infarction were compared.Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was applied to analyze the serum levels of ANGPTL4 and NLRP3 on their diagnostic value for TBI patients with secondary massive cere-bral infarction.Multivariate Logistic regression analysis was applied to analyze the factors affecting the occur-rence of secondary massive cerebral infarction in TBI patients.Results The serum ANGPTL4 level in TBI group was lower than that in the control group,and the serum NLRP3 level was higher than that in the con-trol group(P<0.05).There were obvious differences in proportion of brain hernia,proportion of subarach-noid hemorrhage,serum levels of ANGPTL4 and NLRP3 between patients with secondary massive cerebral infarction and patients without secondary massive cerebral infarction(P<0.05).ROC curve analysis showed that the area under the curve(AUC)of serum ANGPTL4 and NLRP3 in diagnosing secondary massive cere-bral infarction in TBI patients was 0.792 and 0.812 respectively,with sensitivity of 77.80%and 83.30%re-spectively,and specificity of 86.60%and 64.60%respectively.The sensitivity,the specificity and AUC of the combined detection were 83.30%,82.90%and 0.867 respectively.Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that serum NLRP3 level was a risk factor for TBI patients with secondary massive cerebral infarction(P<0.05).After treatment,it was found that serum ANGPTL4 level increased and NLRP3 level decreased in TBI patients(P<0.05).Conclusion The serum level of ANGPTL4 in TBI patients decreases,while the level of NLRP3 increases,and the level of ANGPTL4 in the serum of patients with secondary massive cerebral in-farction decreases and the level of NLRP3 increases,both of them are of great significance in the diagnosis of secondary massive cerebral infarction in TBI patients.

Progresses in imaging researches of transverse sinus stenosis / 中国医学影像技术

Transverse sinus is an important pathway of intracranial venous reflux,which is also crucial for maintaining cerebral circulation and stabilizing intracranial pressure.Transverse sinus stenosis(TSS)is the most common variation of transverse sinus,which might lead to changes in sinus hemodynamics and pressure and closely related to idiopathic intracranial hypertension,pulsatile tinnitus and chronic headache.The progresses in imaging researches of transverse sinus stenosis were reviewed in this article.

Baseline Functional Connectivity Features of Neural Network Nodes Can Predict Improvement After Sound Therapy Through Adjusted Narrow Band Noise in Tinnitus Patients.

Previous resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies have shown neural connectivity alterations after the treatment of tinnitus. We aim to study the value of the baseline functional connectivity features of neural network nodes to predict outcomes of sound therapy through adjusted narrow band noise. The fMRI data of 27 untreated tinnitus patients and 27 matched healthy controls were analyzed. We calculated the graph-theoretical metric degree centrality (DC) to characterize the functional connectivity of the neural network nodes. Therapeutic outcomes are determined by the changes in the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI) score after a 12-week intervention. The connectivity of 10 brain nodes in tinnitus patients was significantly increased at baseline. The functional connectivity of right insula, inferior parietal lobule (IPL), bilateral thalami, and left middle temporal gyrus was significantly modified with the sound therapy, and such changes correlated with THI changes in tinnitus patients. Receiver operating characteristic curve analyses revealed that the measurements from the five brain regions were effective at classifying improvement after therapy. After age, gender, and education correction, the adjusted area under the curve (AUC) values for the bilateral thalami were the highest (left, 0.745; right, 0.708). Our study further supported the involvement of the fronto-parietal-cingulate network in tinnitus and found that the connectivity of the thalamus at baseline is an object neuroimaging-based indicator to predict clinical outcome of sound therapy through adjusted narrow band noise.

Experience of Treating Bronchiectasis by Using Mahuang Shengma Decoction （麻黄升麻汤） / 中医杂志

This paper summarized the experience in treating bronchiectasis with Mahuang Shengma Decoction （麻黄升麻汤）. The pathogenesis of bronchiectasis is “lung-spleen qi deficiency” as the root， and “phlegm-heat obstructing the lung” as the branch. The key point of treatment is to improve the internal environment of phlegm， heat， and deficiency. According to clinical experience， Mahuang Shengma Decoction is good at raising the yang qi to dissipate fire， clearing the upper and warming the lower， which is in accord with the pathogenesis of bronchiectasis. In clinical practice， Mahuang Shengma Decoction is usually used as the basic formula， and the heat-clearing medicinals and center-warming medicinals of the formula will be adjusted according to the abnormal exuberance of heat or cold of the pathogenesis； and the formula can also be modified in accordance with the symptoms. At the same time， importance should be attached to the application of Mahuang （Herba Ephedrae）， and its dosage should be flexibly adjusted according to the constraint degree of the pathogenic qi， so as to expel the constraint fire， bank up earth to generate metal， regulate heat and cold simultaneously， and treat both the root and the branch.

Erratum: Author correction to "Neutralization of SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirus using ACE2-engineered extracellular vesicles" Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B 12 (2022) 1523-1533

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1016/j.apsb.2021.09.004.].

Long noncoding RNA LOC646029 functions as a ceRNA to suppress ovarian cancer progression through the miR-627-3p/SPRED1 axis / 医学前沿

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play a crucial regulatory role in the development and progression of multiple cancers. However, the potential mechanism by which lncRNAs affect the recurrence and metastasis of ovarian cancer remains unclear. In the current study, the lncRNA LOC646029 was markedly downregulated in metastatic ovarian tumors compared with primary tumors. Gain- and loss-of-function assays demonstrated that LOC646029 inhibits the proliferation, invasiveness, and metastasis of ovarian cancer cells in vivo and in vitro. Moreover, the downregulation of LOC646029 in metastatic ovarian tumors was strongly correlated with poor prognosis. Mechanistically, LOC646029 served as a miR-627-3p sponge to promote the expression of Sprouty-related EVH1 domain-containing protein 1, which is necessary for suppressing tumor metastasis and inhibiting KRAS signaling. Collectively, our results demonstrated that LOC646029 is involved in the progression and metastasis of ovarian cancer, which may be a potential prognostic biomarker.

Effect of arteriosclerotic intracranial arterial vessel wall enhancement on downstream collateral flow / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

BACKGROUND@#The effect of arteriosclerotic intracranial arterial vessel wall enhancement (IAVWE) on downstream collateral flow found in vessel wall imaging (VWI) is not clear. Regardless of the mechanism underlying IAVWE on VWI, damage to the patient's nervous system caused by IAVWE is likely achieved by affecting downstream cerebral blood flow. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of arteriosclerotic IAVWE on downstream collateral flow.@*METHODS@#The present study recruited 63 consecutive patients at the Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University from January 2021 to November 2021 with underlying atherosclerotic diseases and unilateral middle cerebral artery (MCA) M1-segment stenosis who underwent an magnetic resonance scan within 3 days of symptom onset. The patients were divided into 4 groups according to IAVWE and the stenosis ratio (Group 1, n = 17; Group 2, n = 19; Group 3, n = 13; Group 4, n = 14), and downstream collateral flow was analyzed using three-dimensional pseudocontinuous arterial spin labeling (3D-pCASL) and RAPID software. The National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) scores of the patients were also recorded. Two-factor multivariate analysis of variance using Pillai's trace was used as the main statistical method.@*RESULTS@#No statistically significant difference was found in baseline demographic characteristics among the groups. IAVWE, but not the stenosis ratio, had a statistically significant significance on the late-arriving retrograde flow proportion (LARFP), hypoperfusion intensity ratio (HIR), and NIHSS scores ( F = 20.941, P <0.001, Pillai's trace statistic = 0.567). The between-subject effects test showed that IAVWE had a significant effect on the three dependent variables: LARFP ( R2 = 0.088, F = 10.899, P = 0.002), HIR ( R2 = 0.234, F = 29.354, P <0.001), and NIHSS ( R2 = 114.339, F = 33.338, P <0.001).@*CONCLUSIONS@#Arteriosclerotic IAVWE significantly reduced downstream collateral flow and affected relevant neurological deficits. It was an independent factor affecting downstream collateral flow and NIHSS scores, which should be a focus of future studies.@*TRIAL REGISTRATION@#ChiCTR.org.cn, ChiCTR2100053661.

Experimental study on ultra-high resolution CT imaging anatomy of single neural canal / 中华放射学杂志

Objective:To re-identify the anatomical features of singular nerve canal (SNC) through observing and measuring the morphological characteristics of SNC using ultra-high resolution CT (U-HRCT).Methods:The U-HRCT images of 52 human head specimens (104 ears) from December 2019 to January 2020 were obtained. The best standard cross-sectional and coronal images of SNC were reconstructed. The morphology of the main trunk and branches of the SNC were observed. According to the number of turning points, the trunks of SNC were divided into single turning point type, double turning point type and no turning point type. According to the branch morphology, the branched SNC were divided into bifurcated type, confluent type, side branch type and bilateral branch type. The diameter, angle and length of each section of the posterior canal ampulla (PCA) of the main trunk, the turning point and the internal auditory meatus (IAM) were measured. Independent sample t test or Mann-Whitney U test was used to test group differences of main trunk diameter of the SNC with or without branches. Results:Totally 104 ears of 52 cases were divided into single turning point type of 79 ears, double turning point type of 20 ears and no turning point type of 5 ears. The bilateral morphological classification was the same in 30 cases (60 ears), including 24 cases of single turning point type (48 ears), 5 cases of double turning point type (10 ears), and 1 case of no turning point type (2 ears). The ear morphology on both sides was different in 22 cases (44 ears). The diameters of the PCA, the turning point and the IAM of SNC with single turning point type were (0.31±0.07), (0.40±0.10), (0.46±0.10) mm, respectively, and the angles were 60.5°±7.8°, 120.3°±9.6°, 38.3°±7.5° respectively. And the length of the PCA and the IAM in the SNC with single turning point type were (1.95±0.38), (2.31±0.68) mm, respectively. The diameters of the PCA, the turning point near the PCA, the turning point near the IAM and the IAM of SNC with double turning point type were (0.32±0.09), (0.38±0.09), (0.47±0.12), (0.47±0.13) mm, and the angle were 60.9° (57.3°, 64.9°), 117.9°±12.3°, 129.6°±12.4°, 41.7° (32.9°, 79.5°), respectively. The length of the PCA, the IAM and the distance between these two turning points were (1.78±0.31), 0.65 (0.46, 1.15), 0.96 (0.80, 1.15) mm, respectively. The diameters of the PCA and the IAM of SNC without turning point type were (0.20±0.01) and (0.50±0.12) mm. The angles with the PCA and the IAM in these cases were 58.4°±9.6° and 46.2°±5.1°, and the length was (3.61±0.32) mm. A total of 48 ears had branches, including bifurcated type (36 ears), confluence type (4 ears), side branch type (5 ears) and bilateral branch type (3 ears). In the SNC group with single turning point, the diameter of the turning point in the cases without branches was wider than that of cases with branches ( t=2.11, P=0.039). However, there was no significant difference in the diameter of each section between these two subgroups of SNC cases with double turning point type. Conclusions:U-HRCT is able to clearly show the SNC, the imaging features of whom are variable and should be re-understood.

Neutralization of SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirus using ACE2-engineered extracellular vesicles

The spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) throughout the world has resulted in stressful healthcare burdens and global health crises. Developing an effective measure to protect people from infection is an urgent need. The blockage of interaction between angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) and S protein is considered an essential target for anti-severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) drugs. A full-length ACE2 protein could be a potential drug to block early entry of SARS-CoV-2 into host cells. In this study, a therapeutic strategy was developed by using extracellular vesicles (EVs) with decoy receptor ACE2 for neutralization of SARS-CoV-2. The EVs embedded with engineered ACE2 (EVs-ACE2) were prepared; the EVs-ACE2 were derived from an engineered cell line with stable ACE2 expression. The potential effect of the EVs-ACE2 on anti-SARS-CoV-2 was demonstrated by both in vitro and in vivo neutralization experiments using the pseudovirus with the S protein (S-pseudovirus). EVs-ACE2 can inhibit the infection of S-pseudovirus in various cells, and importantly, the mice treated with intranasal administration of EVs-ACE2 can suppress the entry of S-pseudovirus into the mucosal epithelium. Therefore, the intranasal EVs-ACE2 could be a preventive medicine to protect from SARS-CoV-2 infection. This EVs-based strategy offers a potential route to COVID-19 drug development.

Effect of apatinib on radiosensitivity of glioma cells / 中华放射医学与防护杂志

Objective:To investigate the effect of apatinib on radiosensitivity of glioma cells U87MG and its potential mechanism.Methods:U87MG cells were divided into control group, apatinib group, radiation group and combination group treated with apatinib and radiation. The effect of different concentrations of apatinib (5, 10, 20, 40, 80 μmol/L) on cell proliferation was detected by CCK8 assay. The effect of apatinib on cell migration and invasion was detected by wound-healing assay and transwell assay, respectively. The effect of apatinib on cell radiosensitivity was detected by plate cloning assay, the cell apoptosis rate was detected by flow cytometry, and the protein expressions of Bax and Bcl-2 were detected by Western blot.Results:Apatinib significantly inhibited the proliferation of U87MG cells in a manner depended on the drug treatment time and radiation. Compared with the radiation group, the cell proliferation, migration and invasion in the combination group were inhibited much significantly ( t=9.857, 18.704, 4.197, P<0.05), so that the value of D0, Dq and SF2 of the combination group was lower, resulting in a radiosensitivity enhancement ratio (SER D0 ) of 1.3. Moreover, compared with the radiation group, the apoptosis rate of the combination group was increased, the expression of Bcl-2 protein was decreased, and the expression of Bax protein was increased ( t=16.187, 8.890, 5.222, P< 0.05). Conclusions:Apatinib inhibits cell proliferation, invasion and migration, induces apoptosis and increases radiosensitivity of glioma cells.

Modified en-bloc kidney transplantation from deceased infant donor to adult recipients: a report of 4 cases / 中华器官移植杂志

Objective:To introduce a newly modified surgical approach and explore the clinical efficacy of en bloc kidney transplantation from deceased infant donors to adults.Methods:Four cases of en bloc kidney transplantation from deceased infant donor to adult were performed with a new modified surgical approach in renal transplantation and dialysis center of the Second People's Hospital of Shanxi Province from January 2017 to September 2019. All 4 cases were cardiac death donors. There were 3 males and 1 female donors, aged (54 ± 22.69) d and weighing (5.6 ± 0.79) kg. There were 1 male and 3 female recipients, aged (41.5 ± 5.97) years and weighing (45 ± 3.56) kg. For lowering operative difficulties and preventing hemodynamic disturbances, bilateral kidneys were sutured and fixed during trimming. Then end-to-side anastomosis was performed between donor kidney abdominal aortic valve and recipient external iliac artery and between donor renal inferior vena cava valve and recipient external iliac vein.Results:All operations were successful without vascular or urinary complication. The average duration of donor kidney repair was 20 min and the average duration of transplantation 68.75 min. The functions of transplanted kidney recovered well during a follow-up period of 12 months. The long-term survivals of recipient and transplanted kidney were satisfactory.Conclusions:The newly modified surgical approach of en bloc kidney transplantation from deceased infant donor to adult has optimized operative handling. With a higher success rate, vascular complications are lowered. A wider popularization is recommended.

Diabetes fuels periodontal lesions via GLUT1-driven macrophage inflammaging / 国际口腔科学杂志·英文版

Hyperglycemia induces chronic low-grade inflammation (inflammaging), which is a newly identified contributor to diabetes-related tissue lesions, including the inflammatory bone loss in periodontitis. It is also a secondary senescent pattern mediated by an increased burden of senescent cells and senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP). Macrophage is a key SASP-spreading cell and may contribute to the maintenance of SASP response in the periodontal microenvironment. Using a transgenic diabetic model (BLKS/J-Lepr

Genetically-engineered "all-in-one" vaccine platform for cancer immunotherapy

An essential step for cancer vaccination is to break the immunosuppression and elicit a tumor-specific immunity. A major hurdle against cancer therapeutic vaccination is the insufficient immune stimulation of the cancer vaccines and lack of a safe and efficient adjuvant for human use. We discovered a novel cancer immunostimulant, trichosanthin (TCS), that is a clinically used protein drug in China, and developed a well-adaptable protein-engineering method for making recombinant protein vaccines by fusion of an antigenic peptide, TCS, and a cell-penetrating peptide (CPP), termed an "all-in-one" vaccine, for transcutaneous cancer immunization. The TCS adjuvant effect on antigen presentation was investigated and the antitumor immunity of the vaccines was investigated using the different tumor models. The vaccines were prepared

Disrupted neural activity in unilateral vascular pulsatile tinnitus patients in the early stage of disease: evidence from resting-state fMRI.

Numerous studies have shown that neurological changes are important findings of tinnitus patients. Previous studies on tinnitus have indicated that patients with pulsatile tinnitus (PT) often show altered baseline brain activity in the resting state. This study used resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) to investigate changes in spontaneous brain activity among patients with unilateral pulsatile tinnitus in the early stage of disease (less than forty-eight months) and determined the relationship of these changes with clinical data. The PT patients (n=34) and matched normal control subjects (n=34) were enrolled in this study. Spontaneous brain activity was revealed by the regional homogeneity (ReHo) and amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) values. Compared with normal controls, the patients with PT had significantly increased ReHo and ALFF in the posterior cingulate cortex, right inferior parietal lobule (IPL) and right cerebellum posterior lobe. The PT group showed increased ReHo in the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), precuneus, right IPL, right superior frontal gyrus, some occipital areas and part of the right cerebellum posterior lobe. For ALFF, the increased clusters were in the PCC and precuneus and in some areas of the cerebellum posterior lobe, bilateral IPL and inferior frontal gyrus (IFG). Increased PT duration was correlated with increased ALFF in the bilateral inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) and precuneus. An increased THI score was correlated with ReHo and ALFF values in the precuneus. Taken together, the combined study of ReHo and ALFF measurements may yield a more comprehensive neurological pathophysiology framework for PT patients in the early stage of the disease.

Temporal Bone Pneumatization and Pulsatile Tinnitus Caused by Sigmoid Sinus Diverticulum and/or Dehiscence.

BACKGROUND: Although air cells within temporal bone may play an important role in the transmission of pulsatile tinnitus (PT) noise, it has not been studied systematically. PURPOSE: To evaluate the difference in temporal bone pneumatization between PT patients with sigmoid sinus diverticulum and/or dehiscence (SSDD) and healthy people. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 199 unilateral persistent PT patients with SSDD and 302 control subjects underwent dual-phase contrast-enhanced CT (DP-CECT), to assess the grade of temporal bone pneumatization in each ear. RESULTS: In the bilateral temporal bone of 302 controls, 16 ears were grade I, 53 were grade II, 141 were grade III, and 394 were grade IV. Among the affected ears of 199 PT cases, 1 ear was grade I, 18 were grade II, 53 were grade III, and 127 were grade IV. There was no significant difference in the pneumatization grade between the affected PT ear and either ear in the healthy subjects (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Although air cells within the temporal bone are an important factor in the occurrence of PT, its severity does not differ significantly from the pneumatization of healthy people.