Analysis of Predictors for Lymph Node Metastasis in Patients with Superficial Esophageal Carcinoma.

In order to predict related risk factors for lymph node metastasis (LNM) in patients with superficial esophageal carcinoma (SEC) and provide reference for endoscopic minimally invasive treatment, we included a total of 93 patients with superficial esophageal carcinoma who have underwent esophagectomy and lymph node dissection from 2010 to 2015. The depth of invasion was remeasured and classified into 6 groups according to their wall penetration. The prediction model was founded based on the independent risk factors. The results shows that lymph node metastasis of m1, m2, m3, sm1, sm2, and sm3 of superficial esophageal carcinoma was 0%, 0%, 5.3%, 8.7%, 17.6%, and 37.5%, respectively. The tumor size, differentiation, and lymphvascular invasion were also significantly related to lymph node metastasis by univariate analysis. Multivariate analysis showed that the depth of invasion and lymphovascular invasion were independent risk factors of lymph node metastasis. A prediction model for lymph node metastasis was established as follows: p = ex /(1 + ex ), and x = -5.469 + 0.839 × depth of invasion + 1.992 × lymphavascular metastasis. The area under ROC curve was 0.858 (95% CI: 0.757-0.959). It was also shown that the depth of invasion was related to tumor differentiation, macroscopic type, and tumor size.

Hydrogen sulfide promotes proliferation and neuronal differentiation of neural stem cells and protects hypoxia-induced decrease in hippocampal neurogenesis.

Accumulating evidence has suggested that hydrogen sulfide (H2S) acts as a novel neuro-modulator and neuroprotective agent; however, it remains to be investigated whether H2S has a direct effect on neural stem cells (NSCs). In the present study, we examined the effects of H2S donor, sodium hydrosulfide (NaHS) on mouse NSCs and hippocampal neurogenesis. We report here that NaHS promoted proliferation and neuronal differentiation of NSCs. Further analysis revealed that NaHS-induced proliferation was associated with phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) 1/2 and neuronal differentiation was linked to altered expression of differentiation-related genes. In addition, C57BL/6 mice (1 day old) subjected to hypoxia were treated with NaHS to explore whether H2S would influence the neurogenesis of hippocampus. BrdU incorporation assay results showed that administration of NaHS could increase the number of proliferating cells in the dentate gyrus of hippocampus in the mice after hypoxia. Moreover, Morris water maze test showed that treatment with NaHS improved cognitive impairment after hypoxia in mice. These findings suggest that H2S may afford a novel therapeutic strategy to intervene in the progression of brain diseases.

Antidepressant-like activity of resveratrol treatment in the forced swim test and tail suspension test in mice: the HPA axis, BDNF expression and phosphorylation of ERK.

Resveratrol is a natural polyphenol enriched in Polygonum cuspidatum and has diverse biological activities. There is only limited information about the antidepressant-like effect of resveratrol. The present study assessed whether resveratrol treatment (20, 40 and 80mg/kg, i.p., 21days) has an antidepressant-like effect on the forced swim test (FST) and tail suspension test (TST) in mice and examined what its molecular targets might be. The results showed that resveratrol administration produced antidepressant-like effects in mice, evidenced by the reduced immobility time in the FST and TST, while it had no effect on the locomotor activity in the open field test. Resveratrol treatment significantly reduced serum corticosterone levels, which had been elevated by the FST and TST. Moreover, resveratrol increased brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) protein and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) phosphorylation levels in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus. All of these antidepressant-like effects of resveratrol were essentially similar to those observed with the clinical antidepressant, fluoxetine. These results suggest that the antidepressant-like effects of resveratrol in the FST and TST are mediated, at least in part, by modulating hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, BDNF and ERK phosphorylation expression in the brain region of mice.

Antidepressant-like effects of curcumin in chronic mild stress of rats: involvement of its anti-inflammatory action.

Mounting evidence suggests that inflammation may contribute to the pathophysiology of depression. Curcumin, a polyphenol extracted from the plant Curcuma longa, exhibits a number of pharmacological properties, including potent anti-inflammatory action. Hence, the current study aimed to explore the immunomodulatory effects of curcumin in an animal model of chronic mild stress (CMS). Rats were subjected to CMS protocol for a period of 21 days to induce depressive-like behavior. The body weight, sucrose preference and locomotor activity were evaluated. Both RT-PCR and ELISA were used to determine the expression of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus. Modulation of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) activation was assessed by western blotting. Chronic treatment with curcumin significantly reversed the CMS-induced behavioral abnormalities (reduced sucrose preference and decreased locomotor activity) in stressed rats. Additionally, curcumin effectively inhibited cytokine gene expression at both the mRNA and the protein level and reduced the activation of NF-κB. The study revealed that curcumin exerted antidepressant-like effects in CMS rats, partially due to its anti-inflammatory aptitude.