Overexpression of TMEM150A in glioblastoma multiforme patients correlated with dismal prognoses and compromised immune statuses.

Transmembrane proteins have exhibited a significant correlation with glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). The current study elucidates the roles of transmembrane protein 150A (TMEM150A) in GBM. Data on patients with GBM were collected from The Cancer Genome Atlas and Xena databases. The objective was to identify the expression levels of TMEM150A in patients with GBM, and evaluate its diagnostic and prognostic values, accomplished using the receiver operating characteristic and survival analyses. On a cellular level, Cell Counting Kit-8, Wound healing, and Transwell experiments were performed to gauge the impact of TMEM150A on cell growth and migration. The study further investigated the correlation between TMEM150A expression and immune status, along with ribonucleic acid (RNA) modifications in GBM. The findings demonstrated TMEM150A overexpression in the cancerous tissues of patients with GBM, with an area under the curve value of 0.95. TMEM150A overexpression was significantly correlated with poor prognostic indicators. TMEM150A overexpression and isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) mutation status were predictive of poor survival time among patients with GBM. In vitro experiments indicated that suppressing TMEM150A expression could inhibit GBM cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. Moreover, TMEM150A overexpression was associated with stromal, immune, and estimate scores, immune cells (such as the T helper (Th) 17 cells, Th2 cells, and regulatory T cells), cell markers, and RNA modifications. Therefore, TMEM150A overexpression might serve as a promising biomarker for predicting poor prognosis in patients with GBM. Inhibiting TMEM150A expression holds the potential for improving the survival time of patients with GBM.

HLA-DPA1 overexpression inhibits cancer progression, reduces resistance to cisplatin, and correlates with increased immune infiltration in lung adenocarcinoma.

PURPOSE: Human Leukocyte Antigen-DP alpha 1 (HLA-DPA1) is a critical gene in antigen-presenting cells and plays a significant role in immune regulation. The objective of this study was to comprehensively analyze the roles of HLA-DPA1 and its association with lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). METHODS: We utilized bioinformatics and conducted a meta-analysis to examine the roles of HLA-DPA1 expression on the progression and immunity of LUAD. We also performed CCK-8, wound healing, and Transwell assays to validate the functions of HLA-DPA1 in LUAD. RESULTS: HLA-DPA1 expression is downregulated in LUAD tissues and is associated with gender, race, age, smoking history, clinical stage, histological type, lymph node metastasis, and prognosis of patients with LUAD. HLA-DPA1 is involved in immune responses, leukocyte cell-cell adhesion, and antigen processing and presentation. Overexpression of HLA-DPA1 inhibits cancer cell proliferation, migration, and invasion while promoting cell sensitivity to cisplatin in A549 and A549/DDP cells. Additionally, overexpression of HLA-DPA1 correlates with tumor purity, stromal, immune, and ESTIMATE scores, the abundance of immune cells (B cells, CD8+ T cells, CD4+ T cells, macrophages, dendritic cells, and neutrophils), and immune cell markers (programmed cell death 1, cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4, and cluster of differentiation 8A). CONCLUSIONS: Decreased HLA-DPA1 expression is associated with poor prognosis and immune infiltration in LUAD while HLA-DPA1 overexpression inhibits cancer cell proliferation and progression. Therefore, HLA-DPA1 shows potential as a prognostic biomarker and a therapeutic target for LUAD.

TMEM41A overexpression correlates with poor prognosis and immune alterations in patients with endometrial carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Expression levels of transmembrane protein 41A (TMEM41A) are related to the progression of malignant tumors. However, the association between TMEM41A expression and endometrial carcinoma (EC) remains unclear. This study aims to identify the roles of TMEM41A expression in the prognosis of patients with EC and its correlation with EC progression. METHODS: The TMEM41A expression and its correlation with the survival of patients with EC were assessed. Cox regression analysis was used to identify the prognostic factors, while nomograms were used to examine the association between the prognostic factors and the survival of patients with EC. Finally, the link between TMEM41A level and immune microenvironment and RNA modifications was investigated in EC. RESULTS: TMEM41A was overexpressed in EC. TMEM41A overexpression could diagnose the EC and evaluate the poor prognosis of patients. Overexpression of TMEM41A was associated with clinical stage, age, weight, histological subtype, tumor grade, and survival status of patients with EC. Clinical stage, age, tumor grade, radiotherapy, and TMEM41A overexpression were factors of poor prognosis in patients with EC. The nomograms revealed the correlation between the TMEM41A level and survival time of patients with EC at 1, 3, and 5 years. Furthermore, TMEM41A overexpression was significantly correlated with the level of the stromal score, immune score, estimate score, NK CD56 bright cells, iDC, NK cells, eosinophils, pDC, T cells, TReg, cytotoxic cells, mast cells, Th17 cells, neutrophils, aDC, NK CD56 dim cells, TFH, Th2 cells, CD8 T cells, macrophages, immune cell markers, and RNA modifications. CONCLUSIONS: TMEM41A is overexpressed in EC tissues and is associated with the prognosis, immune microenvironment, and RNA modification. Our preliminary studies indicate that overexpression of TMEM41A can potentially serve as a biomarker for EC treatment.

A New Risk Model Based on 7 Quercetin-Related Target Genes for Predicting the Prognosis of Patients With Lung Adenocarcinoma.

Background: Studies have reported that quercetin inhibits the growth and migration of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). This study aimed to explore the roles and mechanisms of quercetin target genes in the progression of LUAD. Methods: The quercetin structure and potential target genes of quercetin were explored in the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology and SwissTargetPrediction databases. The differentially expressed quercetin target genes were identified in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database, and the clinical values of quercetin target genes were explored. Subsequently, a risk model was constructed via the Cox regression and survival analysis to evaluate the potential effects and possible mechanisms of quercetin target genes. Results: The quercetin differential target genes involved in biological processes such as the oxidation-reduction process, cell proliferation, G2/M transition of the mitotic cell cycle, and were related to the lung cancer. NEK2, TOP2A, PLK1, CA4, CDK5R1, AURKB, and F2 were related to the prognosis, and were independent factors influencing the prognosis of LUAD patients. The risk model was related to the gender, clinical stage, T stage, lymph node metastasis, and survival status of LUAD patients, and was independent risk factor associated with poor prognosis. In the high-risk group, the risk model involved signaling pathways such as cell cycle, DNA replication, spliceosome, and homologous recombination. Conclusion: The quercetin potential target genes NEK2, TOP2A, PLK1, CA4, CDK5R1, AURKB, and F2 were related to the diagnosis and prognosis of LUAD patients. A risk model based on 7 quercetin target genes could be used to assess the prognosis of patients with LUAD.

Evaluation of the roles and regulatory mechanisms of PD-1 target molecules in NSCLC progression.

BACKGROUND: Targeted programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) therapy could effectively improve the long-term prognosis of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The role of PD-1 targets in the progression of NSCLC has not been fully revealed. METHODS: The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in patients' blood after NSCLC treatment with PD-1 blocker nivolumab in the GSE141479 dataset were analyzed by GEO2R and identified in the TCGA database. The mechanism of action involved in the PD-1 target molecules via the Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG). The protein-protein interaction (PPI) network shows the relationship between PD-1 target molecules. The factors affecting the prognosis of NSCLC patients were identified via the COX regression analysis and survival analysis to build the risk model and nomogram. RESULTS: There were 64 DEGs in patients' blood after nivolumab treatment and 48 DEGs in NSCLC tissues. The PD-1 target molecules involved cell proliferation, DNA replication, cell cycle, lung cancer, and other cellular processes. The prognostic factors CCNA2, CHEK1, DLGAP5, E2F8, FOXM1, HIST1H2BH, HJURP, MKI67, PLK1, TPX2, and TYMS, and the independent factors HIST1H2BH and PLK1, influenced the prognosis of NSCLC patients. HIST1H2BH and PLK1 were overexpressed in LUAD and LUSC tissues. The elevated expression levels of HIST1H2BH and PLK1 were related to the overall survival (OS) and the progression-free survival of NSCLC patients. High-risk NSCLC patients had a poor prognosis and were an independent factor influencing the poor prognosis of NSCLC patients. The high-risk model group was enriched with signaling mechanisms such as cell cycle, DNA replication, and homologous recombination. CONCLUSIONS: The risk model based on PD-1 target molecules was helpful to assess the prognosis of NSCLC patients. HIST1H2BH and PLK1 might become prognostic biomarkers of NSCLC patients.

Efficacy and safety of intraoperative radiotherapy in rectal cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: In recent years, intraoperative radiotherapy (IORT) has been increasingly used for the treatment of rectal cancer. However, the efficacy and safety of IORT for the treatment of rectal cancer are still controversial. AIM: To evaluate the value of IORT for patients with rectal cancer. METHODS: We searched PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science databases, and conference abstracts and included randomized controlled trials and observational studies on IORT vs non-IORT for rectal cancer. Dichotomous variables were evaluated by odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI), hazard ratio (HR) and 95%CI was used as a summary statistic of survival outcomes. Statistical analyses were performed using Stata V.15.0 and Review Manager 5.3 software. RESULTS: In this study, 3 randomized controlled studies and 12 observational studies were included with a total of 1460 patients, who are mainly residents of Europe, the United States, and Asia. Our results did not show significant differences in 5-year overall survival (HR = 0.80, 95%CI = 0.60-1.06; P = 0.126); 5-year disease-free survival (HR = 0.94, 95%CI = 0.73-1.22; P = 0.650); abscess (OR = 1.10, 95%CI = 0.67-1.80; P = 0.713), fistulae (OR = 0.79, 95%CI = 0.33-1.89; P = 0.600); wound complication (OR = 1.21, 95%CI = 0.62-2.36; P = 0.575); anastomotic leakage (OR = 1.09, 95%CI = 0.59-2.02; P = 0.775); and neurogenic bladder dysfunction (OR = 0.69, 95%CI = 0.31-1.55; P = 0.369). However, the meta-analysis of 5-year local control was significantly different (OR = 3.07, 95%CI = 1.66-5.66; P = 0.000). CONCLUSION: The advantage of IORT is mainly reflected in 5-year local control, but it is not statistically significant for 5-year overall survival, 5-year disease-free survival, and complications.

LncRNA NEAT1-miR-101-3p/miR-335-5p/miR-374a-3p/miR-628-5p-TRIM6 axis identified as the prognostic biomarker for lung adenocarcinoma via bioinformatics and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Overexpression of the tripartite motif containing 6 (TRIM6) is associated with dismal prognosis in cancer patients, but its exact roles in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) have not been reported. METHODS: The roles of TRIM6 are identified by using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), TIMER2, Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO), etc., and the regulatory networks and related-prognostic biomarkers of TRIM6 are identified via the ENCORI and LNCAR databases in the LUAD progression. RESULTS: TRIM6 expression level in LUAD tissues was significantly increased. TRIM6 over-expression level in LUAD patients was associated with smoking, clinical stage, histological type, lymph node metastasis, TP53 mutation and dismal prognosis, and related to prognosis-related age, race, sex, clinical stage and tumor purity of LUAD patients. TRIM6 overexpression was associated with the levels of CD8+ T cells, macrophages, neutrophils and myeloid dendritic cells, and correlated with the levels of LUAD immune cell markers CD8A, IRF5, CD163, VSIG4, MS4A4A, ITGAM, HLA-DPA1, NRP1, ITGAX, etc. TRIM6 might influence the progression of LUAD by regulating homologous recombination, oocyte meiosis, and ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis. LUAD patients with overexpression of miR-101-3p, miR-335-5p, miR-374a-3p, miR-628-5p, and NEAT1 had a poor prognosis. CONCLUSIONS: NEAT1-miR-101-3p/335-5p/374a-3p/628-5p-TRIM6 network, which we constructed from our results, might be an important factor in the dismal prognosis of LUAD patients.

Traditional uses, phytochemistry, and pharmacology of Toxicodendron vernicifluum (Stokes) F.A. Barkley - A review.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Toxicodendron vernicifluum (Stokes) F.A. Barkley (syn. Rhus verniciflua or vernicifera Stokes, Anacardiaceae) (RVS), the lacquer tree, also known as sumac, has been used in China, Japan and South Korea for thousands of years as a highly durable coating material and a traditional herbal medicine, which contains medicinal ingredients with anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and anti-rheumatic activities. AIM OF THIS REVIEW: This review intends to provide a comprehensive and critical appraisal of RVS, including its phytochemical data, botanical and pharmacological literature that support its therapeutic potential in treatment on human diseases, with emphasis on the isolation of natural occurring compounds and detailed pharmacological investigations. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Specific information of RVS was collected by using the key words "Toxicodendron vernicifluum", "Rhus verniciflua Stokes", "Rhus vernicifera Stokes" and "Lacquer tree" through published scientific materials (including PubMed, ScienceDirect, Wiley, ACS, CNKI, Scifinder, Springer, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and Baidu Scholar) and other literature sources. RESULTS: The major phytoconstituents, 175 of which are presented in this review, including flavonoids, urushiols, terpenes, phenolic acids and other types of compounds, of which flavonoids and urushiols are main components. The extracts and isolates purified from RVS showed a wide range of in vitro and in vivo pharmacological effects, such as anti-cancer, anti-oxidation, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, tyrosinase inhibition and so on. CONCLUSION: The modern pharmacological research of RVS mainly focus on the pharmacological effects of crude extract or active constituents, of which the flavonoids are widely studied. However, there are few reports on the relationship between pharmacological effects and their structures. And at present, there is still a lack of researches that are of both effective and in-depth. Meanwhile, there is little research on quality control. Apart from the wood and lacquer, other botanical parts also need to be explored further. In addition to phenolic compounds, the study on other types of components in T. vernicifluum would start more sparks for the discovery of new bioactive principles.

α-Tetralonyl Glucosides from the Green Walnut Husks of Juglans mandshurica and Their Antiproliferative Effects.

Two new α-tetralonyl glucosides, (4S)-4,5,8-trihydroxy-α-tetralone-5-O-ß-D-glucopyranosyl(1 → 6)-ß-D-glucopyranoside (1: ) and (4S)-4,8-dihydroxy-α-tetralone-4-O-ß-D-glucopyranosyl(1 → 6)-ß-D-glucopyranoside (2: ), together with eight known compounds (3:  - 10: ) were isolated from the green walnut husks of Juglans mandshurica. The structural characterization of all compounds was performed by spectroscopic analyses, including 1D and 2D NMR and HR-ESI-MS experiments. The isolated compounds were assayed for their cytotoxicity against two human cancer cell lines, A549 and HeLa. Four compounds (7:  - 10: ) exhibited inhibitory effects against two human cancer cell lines with GI50 values between 1.3 and 5.8 µM.

Zeasesquiterpene A-E, new sesquiterpenes from the roots of Zea mays.

Zeasesquiterpene A-E (1-5), five new sesquiterpenes with two cyclohexanes, were isolated from the roots of Zea mays. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of 1D and 2D NMR spectral data and ECD analysis. A plausible biosynthetic pathway for the compounds (1-6) were hypothesized. All isolated compounds were screened for cytotoxicities against five human cancer cell lines (A549, MDA-MB-231, SK-Hep-1, SNU638 and HCT116) in vitro by MTT assay. Compound 4 showed potential cytotoxic activities against A549 (14.3 µΜ) and SNU638 (9.7 µΜ). By contrast, compound 1 exhibited moderate cytotoxicity to the four human cancer cell lines (A549, SK-Hep-1, SUN638 and HCT116), and the IC50 values are from 19.5 µΜ to 22.5 µΜ.

Levosimendan and nesiritide as a combination therapy in patients with acute heart failure.

BACKGROUND: Individually, levosimendan and nesiritide have been associated with substantial clinical benefits for the treatment of acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF). The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of the combination of levosimendan and nesiritide for the treatment of ADHF. METHODS: One hundred and twenty patients were randomly assigned to control, levosimendan, nesiritide or combination groups. The patients received 2 drugs: 1 was levosimendan or placebo A and the other was nesiritide or placebo B. The primary end points were rates of clinical effectiveness at 1, 3, 5 and 9 days after the start of therapy. RESULTS: Nine days after the initiation of drug infusion, the clinical effectiveness rate in the combination group was better than that in the control group (odds ratio: 1.43, 95% confidence interval: 0.46-2.41, P = 0.004). The combination treatment also resulted in higher rates of clinical effectiveness than individually provided levosimendan or nesiritide at 1 day (both P = 0.04) or placebo at 1, 3 or 5 days (P = 0.002, 0.006 and 0.009, respectively). The combination method was associated with fewer deaths and readmissions, as compared with the rate observed in the placebo group during the 3-month follow-up (hazard ratio: 0.43, 95% confidence interval: 0.19-0.96, P = 0.038). CONCLUSIONS: Among patients with ADHF, intravenous infusion of levosimendan and nesiritide was superior to placebo and single-drug therapies in terms of improvements in clinical conditions during the early stages of therapy.

Efficacy of intravenous levosimendan in patients with heart failure complicated by acute myocardial infarction.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the efficacy of a short-term intravenous infusion of levosimendan in patients with heart failure due to acute myocardial infarction (AMI). METHODS: This was a randomized, single-center, single-blind study that included 160 patients. Patients were randomly divided into 2 groups: 1 received levosimendan (n = 80) and the other received placebo (n = 80). The study included multiple primary end points (death, myocardial ischemia or worsening heart at the 6 month follow-up) and used a composite outcome. RESULTS: The primary end point rate in the levosimendan group was lower than that in placebo group (43.7 vs. 62.5%, HR 0.636, 95% CI 0.413-0.981, p = 0.041). Moreover, the mortality rate at 6 months was similar between the 2 groups (17.5 vs. 22.5%, HR 0.786, 95% CI 0.382-1.543, p = 0.458). There was a higher incidence of myocardial ischemia in the levosimendan group at 14 days than in the placebo group (11.2 vs. 7.5%, HR 1.510, p = 0.435), but between 15 and 180 days, it was significantly lower in the levosimendan group than in the placebo group (3.8 vs. 13.8%, HR 0.261, p = 0.036). CONCLUSION: Short-term intravenous infusion of levosimendan appears to be more effective than placebo for treating patients with heart failure complicated by AMI.

Short-term effect of upstream administration in comparison to deferred injection of tirofiban on patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention.

BACKGROUND: High bolus dose tirofiban has been demonstrated to provide greater inhibition of platelet aggregation, but the most appropriate timing of its administration remains unknown. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the efficacy of upstream vs. deferred administration of tirofiban in patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) on clinical outcomes. METHODS: The 660 patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention were divided into upstream (n=330, administration of tirofiban to all patients in emergency room) and deferred groups (n=330, treatment of patients with large thrombus burden or no-reflow phenomenon in cardiac catheterization laboratory during PCI). The primary end-points were death, nonfatal myocardial infarction (MI), stent thrombosis (ST), revascularization of targeted vessels (TVR) or major adverse cardiac events (MACE) at 1 month and 6 months following PCI, with safety end-point at 7 days. RESULTS: Compared with that of the deferred group, there was a significant increase of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) in the upstream group within 7 days (55.5 ± 6.6% vs. 54.6 ± 7.9%, P=0.011). The rates of 7-day and 1-month MACE in the upstream group were lower than those in the deferred group (1.5% vs. 4.2%, 3.3% vs. 7.0%, P=0.037 and 0.034, respectively). However, there were higher tendencies for major and minor bleedings in the upstream group (1.8% vs. 0.9%, 2.7% vs. 1.5%, P=0.315 and 0.280, respectively). CONCLUSION: To the Chinese patients with acute myocardial infarction undergoing primary PCI, upstream administration of tirofiban was slightly superior to deferred injection for short-term clinical outcomes.

Dietary supplementation of honeysuckle improves the growth, survival and immunity of Penaeus monodon.

Two trials were conducted to determine the effects of honeysuckle on shrimp, Penaeus monodon, first on growth performance, secondly on the immune response of shrimp. In trial 1, shrimp (mean initial wet weight about 3.02 g) were fed with five diets containing 0% (basal diet), 0.1%, 0.2%, 0.4% and 0.8% honeysuckle in triplicate for 60 days. Growth performance (final body wet weight, FBW; weight gain, WG; biomass gain, BG) of shrimp fed honeysuckle diets were higher (P < 0.05) than that of shrimp fed the basal diet, shrimp fed 0.4% honeysuckle diet showed the highest value of growth performance. Shrimp fed 0.2% honeysuckle diet showed highest value of survival. The total antioxidant status (TAS) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity of shrimp fed 0.2%, 0.4% and 0.8% honeysuckle diets were higher (P < 0.05) than those of shrimp fed basal and 0.1% honeysuckle diets. Hepatopancreas malondialdehyde (MDA) of shrimp fed honeysuckle diets were lower (P < 0.05) than that of shrimp fed the basal diet. Total haemocyte count of shrimp fed the basal diet was lower (P < 0.05) than that of shrimp fed honeysuckle diets. Haemolymph clotting time of shrimp had the opposite trend with the total haemocyte count of shrimp. In trial 2, the shrimp were exposed to air during a simulated live transportation for 36 h after the rearing trial. The antioxidant responses were characterized by lower TAS and higher antioxidant enzyme activities (superoxide dismutase: SOD, GSH-Px) and higher oxidative stress level (MDA) in the hepatopancreas compared to levels found in trial 1. No mortalities were observed in any diet groups after 36 h of simulated live transportation. The glutathione (GSH) content and TAS of shrimp fed 0.2%, 0.4% and 0.8% honeysuckle diets were higher (P < 0.05) than those of shrimp fed the basal and 0.1% honeysuckle diets. The SOD activity of shrimp fed the basal diet was higher (P < 0.05) than that of shrimp fed honeysuckle diets. The GSH-Px activity of shrimp fed the basal diet was lower (P < 0.05) than that of shrimp fed 0.2%, 0.4% and 0.8% honeysuckle diets but without significant difference (P > 0.05) with shrimp fed 0.1% honeysuckle diet. Moreover, the oxidative stress level (MDA) recorded in the hepatopancreas with shrimp submitted to the honeysuckle diets were lower. In conclusion, results suggested that dietary intake containing honeysuckle could enhance the growth performance of P. monodon and improve its resistance to air exposure during simulated live transportation. Considering the effect of honeysuckle on both growth performance and survival of P. monodon, the level of honeysuckle supplemented in the diet should be between 0.2% and 0.4%.

Effect of dietary vitamin E and selenium supplementation on growth, body composition, and antioxidant defense mechanism in juvenile largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) fed oxidized fish oil.

Six oxidized fish oil contained diets were formulated to investigate the effect of graded levels of vitamin E (V(E)) (α-tocopherol acetate: 160, 280, and 400 mg kg(-1)) associated with either 1.2 or 1.8 mg kg(-1) selenium (Se) on growth, body composition, and antioxidant defense mechanism of juvenile largemouth bass. Another control diet containing fresh fish oil with 160 mg kg(-1) V(E) and 1.2 mg kg(-1) Se was also prepared. Over a 12-week feeding trial, about 5 % of Micropterus salmoide fed diet OxSe1.2/V(E)160 showed inflammation and hemorrhage symptoms at the base of dorsal, pectoral, and tail fin. Fish in all treatments survived well (above 90 %). Feed intakes (88.42-89.58 g fish(-1)) of all treatments were comparable. Growth performances (weight gain and specific growth rate) and feed utilization (feed and protein efficiency ratio) were significantly impaired by dietary oil oxidation, and they did not benefit from neither V(E) nor Se supplementation. Regardless of dietary V(E) and Se supplementation, oxidized oil ingestion resulted in markedly decreased hepatosomatic index and intraperitoneal fat ratio. Oxidized oil ingestion also induced markedly lower liver and muscle lipid contents, and these effects could be alleviated by dietary Se supplementation. Dietary oil oxidation stimulated hepatic catalase activities relative to the control, and supplementation of V(E) abrogated this effect. Hepatic reduced glutathione content in the control was markedly higher than that of treatment OxSe1.2/V(E)160, without any significant differences comparing with the other oxidized oil receiving groups. Hepatic glutathione peroxidase activity and liver Se concentration reflected dietary Se profile, whereas liver V(E) level reflected dietary V(E) profile. Compared with the control, fish fed diet OxSe1.2/V(E)160 obtained markedly higher serum, liver and muscle malondialdehyde contents, which droppe significantly with increasing either V(E) or Se supplementation. In conclusion, the overall results in this study suggested that both V(E) and Se inclusion could protect largemouth bass from the oxidative damage challenged by dietary oil oxidation.

Pain and cognitive dysfunction are the risk factors of delirium in elderly hip fracture Chinese patients.

AIMS: To observe the incidence of delirium in elderly hip fracture patients and search for the potential risk factors. METHODS: Patients over 60 years were included in this study. Gender, age, education level, fracture type, organic dysfunction, cognitive dysfunction, comorbidity, medication, time from admission to surgery, and pain intensity were collected and analyzed, together with laboratory assessments and surgery including surgery type, time in surgery and blood loss in surgery. RESULTS: 16 in 123 patients developed delirium. The incidence rate of delirium was 13% in the period of 6 days after surgery. Pain intensity and cognitive dysfunction were the risk factors. CONCLUSION: Pain intensity and cognitive impairment after hip fracture were found as the risk factors for development of delirium in elder Chinese patients. Prevention and management of delirium needs pain management pre- and post-operatively.

[Comparison of therapeutic efficacy between fondaparinux and low molecular weight heparin for patients with acute coronary syndrome].

OBJECTIVE: To compare the efficacy and safety of fondaparinux with that of low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) in the treatment of acute coronary syndrome (ACS). METHODS: One hundred and five patients with ACS admitted from November 2009 to August 2010 were randomly divided into two groups. They were all treated with nitrates, ß-blockers, angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEI) or angiotensin receptor blockers (ARB), statins, clopidogrel, enteric-coated aspirin and other basic drugs. On the basis of the above treatment, the fondaparinux group patients (n=50) received hypodermic injection of fondaparinux 2.5 mg, once a day, and the LMWH group patients (n=55) received hypodermic injection of LMWH 0.4 ml, twice a day, the therapeutic course being 3-8 days in both groups. The therapeutic efficacy, the cardiovascular event and bleeding incidences during 7 days and 30 days of the treatment were observed. RESULTS: There was no significant difference between the fondaparinux group and LMWH group in the total effective rate (96.0% vs. 92.7%,P>0.05), also no significant differences were found between the two groups in cardiovascular events (death, acute myocardial infarction and recurrence of myocardial infarction) during 7 days and 30 days (7 days : 4.0% vs. 7.3%, 30 days: 8.0% vs. 10.9%, both P>0.05). There was no major bleeding incident, and the incidence of minor bleeding in fondaparinux group was obviously lower than that in LMWH group (2.0% vs. 32.7%, P<0.01). CONCLUSION: The efficacy of fondaparinux in the treatment of ACS is not inferior to that of LMWH, and adverse events during and after its administration were significantly lower than those in LMWH group, so that fondaparinux treatment for ACS is safe and can be highly recommended.

[Application of dual-energy computed tomography for detecting uric acid deposition in patients with gout].

OBJECTIVE: To assess the value of dual energy computed tomography (DECT) for the detection of uric acid (UA) deposition in patients with gout. METHODS: A total of 37 patients with tophaceous gout (including 8 crystal-proven cases) and 10 control patients (5 with unknown arthropathy, 3 with rheumatoid arthritis, and 2 with osteoarthritis) were included. DECT was performed for all peripheral joints (wrists, hands, elbows, knees, ankles and feet) . Color coding was used to display the localization of UA deposition. Images were reviewed independently by two trained radiologists. RESULTS: With DECT, patients with gout were found to have UA deposits in hands and wrists 46% (17/37) , elbows 16% (6/37) , knees 27% (10/37) , ankles and feet 89% (33/37) . No UA deposit was observed in all 10 control patients (P=0.000) . Among the 37 patients with gout, the number of UA deposition sites detected by DECT (n=297) was 2.25 times of that detected by physical examinations (n=132) (P=0.000) . CONCLUSIONS: DECT allows the visualization of UA deposition in gouty arthropathy. Even subclinical disease can be delineated with this technique. However, the accuracy of DECT requires further investigations.

[Features of eight segments of liver perfusion with the second generation dual-source computed tomography].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the features of eight segments of liver perfusion with the second generation dual-source computed tomography (DSCT) . METHODS: Totally 15 patients with pancreatic endocrine diseases underwent abdominal CT perfusion with the second generation DSCT. The liver perfusion images were then transferred to workstation, and perfusion parameters were calculated, and then the artery liver perfusion (ALp) , portal-vein liver perfusion (pVp) , and hepatic perfusion index (HpI) of the eight hepatic segments were calculated. RESULTS: ALp was significantly different between segments 3, 4 and segments 5-8 (P<0.05) . pVp was significantly different between segments 2 and segments 6, 7 (P<0.05) . pVp and HpI were significantly different between segment 3 and segments 5-8 (P<0.05,P<0.01) . CONCLUSIONS: The second generation DSCT can be used to evaluate the perfusion conditions in all eight hepatic segments. The perfusion differs among eight segments of liver, which may be related with the anatomy of the liver vessels and the position of DSCT scanning. Its clinical significance needs further research.