Optical coherence tomography evaluation of retinal nerve fiber layer thickness in non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy and primary open angle glaucoma: a systematic review and Meta-analysis.

AIM: To assess the differences in average and sectoral peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (pRNFL) thickness using spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) in patients with non-arteritic anterior ischemic neuropathy (NAION) compared with those with primary open angle glaucoma (POAG). METHODS: A comprehensive literature search of the PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Embase databases were performed prior to October, 2021. Studies that compared the pRNFL thickness in NAION eyes with that in POAG eyes with matched mean deviation of the visual fields were included. The weighted mean difference (WMD) with 95% confidence interval (CI) was used to pool continuous outcomes. RESULTS: Ten cross-sectional studies (11 datasets) comprising a total of 625 eyes (278 NAION eyes, 347 POAG eyes) were included in the qualitative and quantitative analyses. The pooled results demonstrated that the superior pRNFL was significantly thinner in NAION eyes than in POAG eyes (WMD=-6.40, 95%CI: -12.22 to -0.58, P=0.031), whereas the inferior pRNFL was significant thinner in POAG eyes than in NAION eyes (WMD=11.10, 95%CI: 7.06 to 15.14, P≤0.001). No difference was noted concerning the average, nasal, and temporal pRNFL thickness (average: WMD=1.45, 95%CI: -0.75 to 3.66, P=0.196; nasal: WMD=-2.12, 95%CI: -4.43 to 0.19, P=0.072; temporal: WMD=-1.24, 95%CI: -3.96 to 1.47, P=0.370). CONCLUSION: SD-OCT based evaluation of inferior and superior pRNFL thickness can be potentially utilized to differentiate NAION from POAG, and help to understand the different pathophysiological mechanisms between these two diseases. Further longitudinal studies and studies using eight-quadrant or clock-hour classification method are required to validate the obtained findings.

Synthesis, characterization and thermal behavior of plasticized poly (vinyl chloride) doped with folic acid-modified titanium dioxide.

To inhibit the agglomeration of nanotitanium dioxide, a poly (vinyl chloride) (PVC) composite film doped with folic acid-modified titanium dioxide was synthesized and characterized using X-ray powder diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis coupled with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The average grain size of the folic acid-modified titanium dioxide was found to decrease by 1.3 nm, indicating that the cohesiveness of the nanoparticles is decreased. The lowest temperature for 1.0% thermal decomposition of PVC was determined to be 230.0 °C. The decomposition rate at the peak temperature is found to be 39.6% lower than that of a control sample. The stability of the PVC is improved due to a lower number of surface chlorine atoms as well intermolecular attraction. A mechanism for folic acid modification of titanium dioxide-doped PVC is proposed. After doping, the ester groups in the plasticizer show a significant decrease in the vibration peak intensities observed at 1264 cm-1, 1736 cm-1 and 1106 cm-1. The doped PVC film suppresses the release of CO2, and the strongest vibration peak at 1264 cm-1 is found to be 17.2% lower than that for the blank sample, indicating that doping is beneficial for plasticizer recovery.

INHBA gene silencing inhibits gastric cancer cell migration and invasion by impeding activation of the TGF-ß signaling pathway.

Gastric cancer (GC) is the fourth largest cancer in the world, with a 5-year survival rate of <30%. Thus, this study intends to investigate the effects of inhibin ßA (INHBA) gene silencing on the migration and invasion of GC cells via the transforming growth factor-ß (TGF-ß) signaling pathway. Initially, this study determined the expression of INHBA and the TGF-ß signaling pathway-related genes in GC tissues. After that, to assess the effect of INHBA silencing on GC progression, GC cells were transfected with short hairpin RNAs that targeted INHBA in order to detect the expression of INHBA and the TGF-ß signaling pathway-related genes, as well as cell migration, invasion, and proliferation abilities. Finally, a tumor xenograft model in nude mice was constructed to verify the effect that the silencing of INHBA had on tumor growth. Highly expressed INHBA and activated TGF-ß signaling pathways were observed in GC tissues. In response to shINHBA-1 and shINHBA-2, the TGF-ß signaling pathway was inhibited in GC cells, whereas the GC cell migration, invasion, proliferation, and tumor growth were significantly dampened. On the basis of the observations and findings of this study, INHBA gene silencing inhibited the progression of GC by inactivating the TGF-ß signaling pathway, which provides a potential target in the treatment of GC.

Biological evaluation of a novel copper-containing composite for contraception.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the biocompatibility of a novel copper-containing composite to provide preclinical data for clinical application of intrauterine device (IUD) or intra-vas device (IVD). DESIGN: Prospective experimental study. SETTING: Good laboratory practices laboratories. ANIMALS: Twenty healthy adult mice (SPF grade Kunming white mice, animal code SCXK 2003-0005). INTERVENTION(S): Cytotoxicity tests in vitro were conducted to evaluate the influence of the materials on the morphology, growth, and proliferation of cultured L929 mouse fibroblasts. Acute systemic toxicity tests were conducted to investigate the acute systemic toxic reaction with mice, and then the materials were implanted into the spinal muscle of rabbits (n = 15). The rabbits were sacrificed for pathologic examination at 1, 4, and 12 weeks after surgery. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Evaluation of cytotoxicity by MTT assay, cytotoxicity test by direct contact assay, acute systemic toxicity test, and material implantation test. RESULT(S): The cytotoxicity grade of the copper-containing composite was 0-1, suggesting that the material was free of cytotoxicity; no acute systemic toxicity was found in any mice; mild inflammatory reaction was observed in the surrounding tissues of the implanted material in the early implantation stage, which was similar to that of the sham-operated sides. Twelve weeks after implantation, the inflammatory reaction was completely disappeared in the implanted tissue, similarly to the sham-operated sides. The fibrosis membrane surrounding the material became stable gradually over time. CONCLUSION: The copper-containing composite has excellent biocompatibility, which is feasible and safe for the clinical application as a novel contraceptive material.