Microplastics aggravates rheumatoid arthritis by affecting the proliferation/migration/inflammation of fibroblast-like synovial cells by regulating mitochondrial homeostasis.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease involving multiple joints. RA is a systemic disease characterized by chronic synovial inflammation and destruction of articular cartilage and bone. As a new pollutant, microplastics can enter the body through the respiratory and digestive tract and cause health damage. However, to date, the impact of microplastics on RA has not been revealed. Therefore, in the current research, we explored the impact of microplastics on RA. First, FLS (fibroblast-like synoviocytes) from RA was isolated and identified. FLS has been used as a cell model in vivo to study the potential impact of microplastics on FLS. Therefore, a series of biochemical experiments have been carried out, such as indirect immunofluorescence, western blotting and flow cytometry. First, we found that microplastics promote the proliferation of RA-FLSs through the MTT assay and the detection of cell proliferation markers and the cell cycle analysis through flow cytometry. On this basis, further research showed that microplastics also promoted the invasion and migration ability of RA-FLSs through Transwell experiments. In addition, microplastics also promote the secretion of inflammatory factors in RA-FLSs. In in vivo studies, the effect of microplastics on RA cartilage damage was evaluated. The results showed that RA cartilage damage was aggravated by microplastics, as determined by Alcian blue, toluidine blue and safranin O-fast green staining. Current research shows that microplastics, as a new pollutant, can promote sustained damage in RA.

Application of Two Kinds of Video Laryngoscope in General Anesthesia during UPPP Operation / 天津医药

Objective To compare success rate of intubation and safety of two types of video laryngoscopes during anesthesia in uvulopalatopharyngoplasty surgery (UPPP) for obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) patients. Methods UPPP surgery were operated to 60 patients between January and October of 2013 and those patients were randomly divided into McGrath MAC video laryngoscope group (M group), GlideScope video laryngoscope (G group), and SHUCMAN direct la-ryngoscopy (S group), with 20 patients per group. Mallampati classification scores, Cormack-Lehane grade, intubation suc-cess rate, pre-intubation vs post-intubation heart rate and blood pressure changes were recorded and compared. Results Mallampati classification scores were not significantly different between these three groups, and Cormack-Lehane grade be-tween M group and G group were also not statistically different. M and G group had distinct advantages in Cormack-Lehane grade, success rate in intubation, heart rate, blood pressure at completion of intubation (T3) and 1 minute after intubation (T4), and the differences are statistically significant (P < 0.05). Blood pressure changes were stabler in G group than M group. Conclusion The two video laryngoscopes used in anesthesia intubation during UPPP surgery can both effectively re-veal the structure of the throat, but also work with high success rate and safety. What’s more, in this study the McGrath MAC video laryngoscope was shown to be superior to GlideScope video laryngoscope.

Curcumin inhibits HeLa cell invasion and migration by decreasing inducible nitric oxide synthase / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the inhibitory effects of curcumin against HeLa cell invasion and migration and explore the underlying mechanisms.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>HeLa cells were exposed to curcumin treatment at the concentrations of 0, 10, 25, 50, 100, 150 and 200 µmol/L for 24 h. MTT and TUNEL assays were used to assess the cell proliferation inhibition and apoptosis, respectively. Transwell assay was used to evaluate the invasiveness and migration of the treated cells, and RT-PCR and Western blotting were employed to detect the changes in the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), and MMP-9 and E-cad, the 2 markers of cell invasion and migration, were detected by Western blotting. The capacity of NO production in HeLa cells was measured by Griess method.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Curcumin inhibited the proliferation of HeLa cells by inducing cell apoptosis in a concentration-dependent manner. Curcumin inhibited the invasion and migration of HeLa cells by increasing E-cad expression and decreasing MMP-9 expression, and also decreased the expression level of iNOS and NO production in the cells.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Curcumin inhibits the invasion and migration of HeLa cells by decreasing the expression of iNOS.</p>