[Impact of endoscopic endonasal approach on quality of life in patients with anterior skull base intra-extracranial extension meningioma].

Objective: To summarize the experience of endoscopic endonasal approach in the treatment of anterior skull base with intra-extracranial extension meningioma, and to analyze the perioperative quality of life of patients, and to discuss the safety and efficacy of the treatment. Methods: A total of 83 cases of anterior skull base with intra-extracranial extension meningioma admitted to Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University from October 2007 to October 2019, who underwent endoscopic endonasal approach tumor resection, were retrospectively analyzed. The quality of life of the patients were evaluated by Anterior Skull Base Questionnaire (ASBQ) before and after surgery. The surgical techniques, extent of tumor resection, postoperative complications and the changes of patients' quality of life were summarized and analyzed. SPSS 23.0 software was used for statistical analysis. Results: A total of 57 anterior skull base with intra-extracranial extension meningioma patients were enrolled according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, including 23 males and 34 females, aging (48.6±16.6) years. Fifty cases (87.7%) reached or exceeded Simpson gradeⅠ resection, and 7 cases underwent subtotal resection. Symptoms relief was as follows: headache relief in 45/50 (90%), vision improvement in 18/19 (94.7%), olfaction improvement in 6/45 (13.3%), mental symptoms improvement in 3/9 (33.3%), and seizure relief in 5/7 (71.4%). Postoperative complication included mental symptoms in 5 cases, cerebrospinal fluid leakage in 2 cases, epilepsy in 2 cases, frontal lobe hemorrhage in 1 case, and intracranial infection in 1 case. The follow-up period was 38 to 144 months. There were two cases recurring and no death. ASBQ assessment showed significant improvement in general condition, physical function, role function, mood disorder, pain, vision impairment, and sleep disturbance at 1 month postoperatively, with continued improvement thereafter, and reached stable at 6 months postoperatively. Conclusion: Endoscopic endonasal approach surgery is able to achieve safe and effective tumor resection for anterior skull base intra-extracranial extension meningioma, and the quality of life of patients can be improved steadily.

[Blue light regulates the expression of brain derived neurotrophic factor in the habenula nucleus of depression-like rats induced by light deprivation].

Objective: To investigate the regulatory effect of blue light on the expression of brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the habenula nucleus of depression-like rats induced by light deprivation. Methods: male SD rats were exposed to white light (white light control group, 20 rats) and constant darkness (depression model group, 60 rats), respectively. 18 days later rats in depression model group were randomly divided into three groups: depression model group (treated with constant darkness), blue light group (treated with blue light) and red light group (treated with red light). Rats in white light control group were kept in white light. All rats exposed to light were in a standard 12∶12 h Light/Dark condition at 20 lx for 36 days. Sucrose preference test was applied to evaluate depression-like symptoms of rats. The c-fos+cells in the habenula nucleus, intergeniculate leaflet and ventral lateral geniculate nucleus were detected. The phosphoylation of cAMP-response element binding protein (CREB) and the relative BDNF protein level in the habenula nucleus were measured. Results: Sucrose intake per kg body weight increased in rats exposed to blue light and returned to the level of control group (P>0.05). Sucrose intake per kg body weight in red light group and depression model group were lower than control group (P<0.05). More c-fos+cells were detected in the habenula nucleus, intergeniculate leaflet and ventral lateral geniculate nucleus from blue light group than those from depression model group (P<0.05). The relative BDNF protein level and the phosphoylation of CREB in the habenula nucleus from blue light group were higher than those from depression model group (P<0.05). Conclusion: Blue light could relieve depression-like symptoms in light-deprived rats. Exposure to blue light could activate neurons in the habenula nucleus to which intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells projected. Blue-light-mediated antidepressant effect might involve in the activation of CREB/BDNF signal transduction pathways in the habenula nucleus.

Pleiotropic loci underlying bone mineral density and bone size identified by a bivariate genome-wide association analysis.

Aiming to identify pleiotropic genomic loci for bone mineral density and bone size, we performed a bivariate GWAS in five discovery samples and replicated in two large-scale samples. We identified 2 novel loci at 2q37.1 and 6q26. Our findings provide insight into common genetic architecture underlying both traits. INTRODUCTION: Bone mineral density (BMD) and bone size (BS) are two important factors that contribute to the development of osteoporosis and osteoporotic fracture. Both BMD and BS are highly heritable and they are genetically correlated. In this study, we aim to identify pleiotropic loci associated with BMD and BS. METHODS: We conducted a bivariate genome-wide association (GWA) analysis of hip BMD and hip BS in 6180 participants from 5 samples, followed by in silico replication in the UK Biobank study of BMD (N = 426,824) and the deCODE study of BS (N = 28,954), respectively. RESULTS: SNPs from 2 genomic loci were significant at the genome-wide significance (GWS) level (p lt; 5 × 10-8) in the discovery samples and were successfully replicated in the replication samples (2q37.1, lead SNP rs7575512, discovery p = 1.49 × 10-10, replication p = 0.05; 6q26, lead SNP rs1040724, discovery p = 1.95 × 10-8, replication p = 0.03). Functional annotations suggested functional relevance of the identified variants to bone development. CONCLUSION: Our findings provide insight into the common genetic architecture underlying BMD and BS, and enhance our understanding of the potential mechanism of osteoporosis fracture.

[Research Progress of the Relationship between the Expression of TAR DNA-binding Domain Protein 43 and Brain Injury].

TAR DNA-binding domain protein 43 （TDP-43） is a highly conserved and widely expressed nuclear protein. Nowadays, the expression of TDP-43 can be found in most neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, which makes it become a neurodegenerative disease associated marker protein. From the current research status at homeland and abroad, and around the relationship between the expression of TDP-43 and brain injury, this article emphatically probes into the specific expression and function of TDP-43 in acute and chronic brain injury based on the knowledge of its biological characteristics, which aims to explore the feasibility for determining the cause of death and the injury and disability situations by TDP-43 in forensic pathology.