Modified intratympanic steroid therapy for sudden sensorineural hearing loss via tympanic tube and gelfoam as a salvage treatment.

Background: Sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) is a prevalent emergency in ear, nose, and throat practice. Previous studies have demonstrated that intratympanic steroid therapy (IST) can serve as a salvage treatment for SSNHL after the failure of systemic steroid therapy (SST). Objective: This study aimed to analyze the efficacy of modified IST involving the insertion of a tympanic tube and gelfoam as a salvage treatment for patients with SSNHL, and to explore its associated factors. Methods: Totally, 74 patients who were aged 22-81 years with SSNHL were enrolled and allocated to either the control group (n = 25) or the treatment group (n = 49) based on their treatment modalities. All patients received SST lasting for at least 7 days. Subsequently, patients in the treatment group, after SST failure, underwent IST twice a week for 2-6 weeks, while the control group did not. Efficacy was assessed by the improvement in pure tone average at the affected frequency at the beginning and end of IST. Results: Hearing improvement in all patients after IST in the treatment group was 9.71 ± 14.84 dB, with significant improvement at affected frequencies (250-8000 Hz) compared with the control group (P < 0.05). The findings indicated the duration from the onset of SSNHL to the beginning of IST as an independent factor for pure tone average improvement after treatment (P = 0.002), whereas age, duration of SST, and time of IST were not (P > 0.05). Conclusion: The modified IST was demonstrated to be a safe and effective method as a salvage treatment for SSNHL. This study explored the efficacy of a modified IST approach, incorporating the utilization of tympanic tubes and gelfoam as key components. The findings underscore the advantages of gelfoam as a strategic drug carrier placed in the round window niche. By minimizing drug loss, extending action time, and increasing perilymph concentration, gelfoam enhances the therapeutic impact of IST, contributing to improved hearing outcomes in patients with SSNHL.

Analysis of cognitive function and its related factors after treatment in Meniere's disease.

A growing body of research recently suggested the association between vestibular dysfunction and cognitive impairment. Meniere's disease (MD), a common clinical vestibular disorder, is usually accompanied by hearing loss and emotional stress, both of which may mediate the relationship between vestibule dysfunction and cognition. It is currently unknown whether the cognitive decline in MD patients could improve through treatment and how it relates to multiple clinical characteristics, particularly the severity of vertigo. Therefore, in the present study, the MD patients were followed up for 3, 6, and 12 months after treatment, and the cognitive functions, vertigo symptoms, and related physical, functional, and emotional effects of the patients were assessed using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI), aiming to explore the change in cognition before and after therapy and the correlation with various clinical features. It was found that cognitive decline in MD patients compared to healthy controls before therapy. Importantly, this cognitive impairment could improve after effective therapy, which was related to the severity of vertigo, especially in functional and physical impacts. Our results support the view that vestibular dysfunction is a potentially modifiable risk factor for cognitive decline.

Purification and Functional Characterization of a Soluble Trehalase in Lissorhoptrus oryzophilus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae).

Trehalase is the only enzyme known for the irreversible splitting of trehalose and plays a major role in insect growth and development. In this report, we describe a basic study of the trehalase gene fragment encoding a soluble trehalase from Lissorhoptrus oryzophilus (LoTRE1). Sequence alignment and phylogenetic analysis suggested that LoTRE1 was similar to some known insect trehalases and belongs to the Coleoptera trehalase group. Additionally, LoTRE1 was expressed mainly in the fat body. Purified protein was obtained using heterologous expression of LoTRE1 in Escherichia coli, and the recombinant protein exhibited the ability to decompose trehalose. Enzyme-substrate docking indicated the potential involvement of other residues in the catalytic activity, in addition to Asp 333. Moreover, feeding of adults on LoTRE1 dsRNA silenced the transcription of LoTRE1 and thereby reduced the activity of trehalase and increased the trehalose content; it also led to a 12% death rate. This study reveals essential molecular features of trehalase and offers insights into the structural aspects of this enzyme, which might be related to its function. Taken together, the findings demonstrate that LoTRE1 is indispensable for adults of this pest and provide a new target for the control of L. oryzophilus.

The herbivore-induced plant volatile tetradecane enhances plant resistance to Holotrichia parallela larvae in maize roots.

BACKGROUND: Many herbivore-induced volatiles have been proven to act as signaling compounds to regulate nearby plant defense responses. However, the precise roles of key volatiles produced by maize roots after Holotrichia parallela larva feeding remain largely unknown. RESULTS: We investigated changes in phytohormones and volatiles in maize roots after H. parallela larval infestation. Marked increases in the phytohormone jasmonic acid (JA) and the volatiles jasmone and tetradecane were induced by herbivores, whereas the salicylic acid content decreased. In addition, pre-exposure to tetradecane markedly increased the levels of the stress hormone JA, its precursors and derivatives, and related gene expression. In addition, pre-exposure altered the production of defensive benzoxazinoid secondary metabolites, resulting in increased plant resistance to H. parallela larvae. Plants pre-exposed to jasmone did not differ from control plants. In addition, bioassays showed that H. parallela larval growth was suppressed by feeding maize roots after pre-exposure to tetradecane. CONCLUSION: These results demonstrate that tetradecane may function as a potent defense induction signal that prepares neighboring plants for incoming attacks. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.

Three Host Plant Volatiles, Hexanal, Lauric Acid, and Tetradecane, are Detected by an Antenna-Biased Expressed Odorant Receptor 27 in the Dark Black Chafer Holotrichia parallela.

Insects rely on olfaction to locate their host plants by antennae in complex chemical environments. Odorant receptor (OR) genes are thought to play a crucial role in the process. ORs function together with odorant coreceptors to determine the specificity and sensitivity of olfactory reception. The dark black chafer, Holotrichia parallela Motschulsky (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae), is a destructive underground pest. To understand the molecular basis of H. parallela olfactory reception, an olfactory-biased expressed odorant receptor HparOR27 and HparOrco (HparOR40) were identified from antennal transcriptome analysis and prediction of the sequence structure. Tissue expression analysis showed that HparOR27 was mainly expressed in adult antennae throughout developmental stages. The functions of HparOR27 were analyzed using the Xenopus laevis oocyte expression system. HparOR27 was broadly responsive to three host plant volatiles, including hexanal, lauric acid, and tetradecane. Electroantennogram tests confirmed that three ligands were electrophysiologically active in antennae of female adults. A Y-tube olfactometer test indicated that hexanal was a repellent for adults of both sexes. Taken together, our data support the identification of odorant receptors and provide a molecular basis for eco-friendly pest control.