Tympanostomy tube placement for intractable Meniere's disease in the elderly.

BACKGROUND: The treatment of refractory elderly Meniere's disease is a challenge. AIM: To investigate the efficacy of tympanostomy tube placement in elderly patients with Meniere's disease. METHODS: 31 patients over 60 years old with Meniere's disease who had failed medical treatment and underwent tympanostomy tube placement. Vertigo control, hearing level, tinnitus, and ear fullness were recorded and analyzed preoperatively and postoperatively. RESULTS: All patients completed a 6-month follow-up. At 6 months postoperatively,complete control, substantial control and limited control of vertigo were achieved in 10 (32%), 13 (42%), and 6 (19%) patients respectively. Two patients (6%) reported no substantial improvement. Twelve patients completed a 2-year follow-up. At 2 years postoperatively, complete control, substantial control and limited control of vertigo were achieved in 3 (25%), 5 (42%), and 1 (8%) patients respectively. Three (25%) patients showed no significant improvement in vertigo. The majority of patients reported significant improvement in the functional level scale, the Dizziness Handicap Inventory scores, and ear fullness at 6 months and 2 years postoperatively. CONCLUSIONS AND SIGNIFICANCE: Tympanostomy tube placement may reduce vertigo attacks and improved the quality of life in elderly patients with Meniere's disease.

Synthesis of functionalized tetrahydrodibenzo[b,g][1,8]naphthyridin-1(2H)-ones through base-promoted annulation of quinoline-derived dipolarophiles and cyclic enaminones.

An eco-friendly and metal-free method for the synthesis of tetrahydrodibenzo[b,g][1,8]naphthyridin-1(2H)-ones was established. Quinoline-derived dipolarophiles and cyclic enaminones as starting materials undergo a 1,4-Michael addition/SNAr tandem annulation reaction affording the target products. This approach features transition metal-free conditions, good functional group tolerance and operational simplicity.

Efficacy of Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) for Tinnitus: A Retrospective Study.

OBJECTIVE: Current studies still find insufficient evidence to support the routine use of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) in tinnitus. This study aimed to assess response of tinnitus to treatment with rTMS and identify factors influencing the overall response. METHODS: Between January 2016 and May 2017, 199 tinnitus patients were identified from a retrospective review of the electronic patient record at the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital. All patients received rTMS treatment. Their clinicodemographic profile and outcomes, including the tinnitus handicap inventory (THI) and visual analog scale (VAS) scores, were extracted for analysis. RESULTS: Regarding the THI results, 62.3% of all patients responded to rTMS. The analysis of the VAS score revealed an overall response rate of 66.3%. Both percentages were close to the patient's subjective assessment result, of 63.8%. Patients with tinnitus of less than 1-week duration had the highest response rate to rTMS in terms of either THI/VAS scores or the patient's subjective assessment of symptoms. Tinnitus duration was recognized as a factor influencing the overall response to the treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation treatment is effective for patients with tinnitus, but its efficacy is affected by tinnitus duration. Tinnitus patients are advised to attend for rTMS as soon as possible since therapy was more effective in those with a shorter duration of disease of less than 1 week.

Efficacy of Tailor-Made Notched Music Training Versus Tinnitus Retraining Therapy in Adults With Chronic Subjective Tinnitus: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial.

OBJECTIVES: Chronic subjective tinnitus can have a serious effect on daily life, even causing serious psychological disorders. Currently there are no specific effective solutions or cures. Tailor-made notched music training (TMNMT) is a recently proposed sound therapy that has simpler processes and a higher compliance rate than tinnitus retraining therapy (TRT), a widely used treatment for chronic subjective tinnitus. This study explores the therapeutic effect of TMNMT in comparison to TRT to highlight its clinical value. DESIGN: The study was a randomized controlled, single-blinded clinical trial. One hundred twenty eligible participants were randomly assigned to receive TMNMT (n = 60) or TRT (n = 60) for 3 mo with concurrent follow-up. It should be noted that the duration of sound treatment in TRT was modified to 2 hr per day for better feasibility in practice. The primary outcome was mean change in tinnitus handicap inventory (THI) measured at baseline ( T0 ), 1 mo ( T1 ) and 3 mo ( T2 ) after intervention. Change in visual analog scale (VAS) was measured as a secondary outcome. A comparison of therapeutic effectiveness between TMNMT and TRT was evaluated by repeated measure analysis of variance. RESULTS: One hundred and twelve (93%) of participants took part in the study, of which 64 were men and 48 women. Mean (SD) age was 42.80 (12.91) years. Fifty-eight were allocated to receive TMNMT and 54 to receive TRT. The between-group difference in primary outcome was -6.90 points (95% confidence interval [CI], -13.53 to -0.27) at T1 and -6.17 points (95% CI, -13.04 to 0.71) at T2 . These results closely reached to clinical significance of tinnitus-related effective relief. For the secondary outcome, the mean value in the TMNMT group was 0.83 points (95% CI, 0.12 to 1.54), significantly lower than the mean value of the TRT group. The differences in THI and VAS between the two groups were statistically significant after intervention. Further analysis showed that age and baseline THI and VAS scores were associated with change in THI and VAS scores after interventions. CONCLUSIONS: Both TMNMT and TRT were able to alleviate chronic subjective tinnitus effectively after a 3 month intervention. When the two forms of therapy were compared TMNMT appeared to be more effective and consequently potentially superior to TRT for reducing tinnitus loudness and functional and emotional disturbance associated with chronic subjective tinnitus.

A deep learning approach to the diagnosis of atelectasis and attic retraction pocket in otitis media with effusion using otoscopic images.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to develop and validate a deep learning (DL) model to identify atelectasis and attic retraction pocket in cases of otitis media with effusion (OME) using multi-center otoscopic images. METHOD: A total of 6393 OME otoscopic images from three centers were used to develop and validate a DL model for detecting atelectasis and attic retraction pocket. A threefold random cross-validation procedure was adopted to divide the dataset into training validation sets on a patient level. A team of otologists was assigned to diagnose and characterize atelectasis and attic retraction pocket in otoscopic images. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, including area under the ROC curve (AUC), accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity were used to assess the performance of the DL model. Class Activation Mapping (CAM) illustrated the discriminative regions in the otoscopic images. RESULTS: Among all OME otoscopic images, 3564 (55.74%) were identified with attic retraction pocket, and 2460 (38.48%) with atelectasis. The diagnostic DL model of attic retraction pocket and atelectasis achieved a threefold cross-validation accuracy of 89% and 79%, AUC of 0.89 and 0.87, a sensitivity of 0.93 and 0.71, and a specificity of 0.62 and 0.84, respectively. Larger and deeper cases of atelectasis and attic retraction pocket showed greater weight, based on the red color depicted in the heat map of CAM. CONCLUSION: The DL algorithm could be employed to identify atelectasis and attic retraction pocket in otoscopic images of OME, and as a tool to assist in the accurate diagnosis of OME.

Comparison between 3D-FLAIR and 3D-real IR MRI sequences with visual classification method in the imaging of endolymphatic hydrops in Meniere's disease.

BACKGROUND: Clinically, the evidence of endolymphatic hydrops (EH) in Meniere's disease (MD) primarily relies on audiological examinations, such as glycerol tests and electrocochleography, to suggest the presence of EH indirectly. However, these techniques lack sensitivity and specificity, and they do not sufficiently assess the degree of EH. This study aims to explore the application of three-dimensional fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (3D-FLAIR) and three-dimensional real inversion recovery (3D-real IR) sequence imaging of EH in MD and to assess the image quality and grading of EH. METHODS: The study included 50 patients with definite MD. The 3D-FLAIR and 3D-real IR sequence images were performed 24 h after bilateral intratympanic injection of gadolinium. The image quality of both sequences was reviewed by two experienced radiologists. The vestibular and cochlear EH grades of both sequences were reviewed by two experienced otologists using a visual grading method. The Cohen's kappa and Pearson tests were used to analyze the data. RESULTS: The reliability of image quality between the two radiologists was excellent (0.7 < kappa < 0.9). There were significant statistical differences in the image quality between the 3D-real IR and 3D-FLAIR sequences (p = 0.023 and p = 0.035, respectively). The reliability for the grading of vestibular and cochlear EH between the two otologists was excellent (0.7 < kappa < 0.9). The 3D-real IR sequence detected more severe hydrops than did the 3D-FLAIR sequence (p < 05). CONCLUSION: The image quality of the 3D-real IR sequence is better than that of the 3D-FLAIR sequence, and there are differences in the vestibular and cochlear EH grades of both sequences. The sensitivity of the 3D-real IR sequence in the cochlea is higher. The method of visual grading can be applied to both technologies when combined with 3D-real IR.

A Deep Learning Approach to Predict Conductive Hearing Loss in Patients With Otitis Media With Effusion Using Otoscopic Images.

Importance: Otitis media with effusion (OME) is one of the most common causes of acquired conductive hearing loss (CHL). Persistent hearing loss is associated with poor childhood speech and language development and other adverse consequence. However, to obtain accurate and reliable hearing thresholds largely requires a high degree of cooperation from the patients. Objective: To predict CHL from otoscopic images using deep learning (DL) techniques and a logistic regression model based on tympanic membrane features. Design, Setting, and Participants: A retrospective diagnostic/prognostic study was conducted using 2790 otoscopic images obtained from multiple centers between January 2015 and November 2020. Participants were aged between 4 and 89 years. Of 1239 participants, there were 209 ears from children and adolescents (aged 4-18 years [16.87%]), 804 ears from adults (aged 18-60 years [64.89%]), and 226 ears from older people (aged >60 years, [18.24%]). Overall, 679 ears (54.8%) were from men. The 2790 otoscopic images were randomly assigned into a training set (2232 [80%]), and validation set (558 [20%]). The DL model was developed to predict an average air-bone gap greater than 10 dB. A logistic regression model was also developed based on otoscopic features. Main Outcomes and Measures: The performance of the DL model in predicting CHL was measured using the area under the receiver operating curve (AUC), accuracy, and F1 score (a measure of the quality of a classifier, which is the harmonic mean of precision and recall; a higher F1 score means better performance). In addition, these evaluation parameters were compared to results obtained from the logistic regression model and predictions made by three otologists. Results: The performance of the DL model in predicting CHL showed the AUC of 0.74, accuracy of 81%, and F1 score of 0.89. This was better than the results from the logistic regression model (ie, AUC of 0.60, accuracy of 76%, and F1 score of 0.82), and much improved on the performance of the 3 otologists; accuracy of 16%, 30%, 39%, and F1 scores of 0.09, 0.18, and 0.25, respectively. Furthermore, the DL model took 2.5 seconds to predict from 205 otoscopic images, whereas the 3 otologists spent 633 seconds, 645 seconds, and 692 seconds, respectively. Conclusions and Relevance: The model in this diagnostic/prognostic study provided greater accuracy in prediction of CHL in ears with OME than those obtained from the logistic regression model and otologists. This indicates great potential for the use of artificial intelligence tools to facilitate CHL evaluation when CHL is unable to be measured.

Development and validation of a novel ferroptosis-related gene signature for predicting prognosis and immune microenvironment in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

Ferroptosis plays an important role across variable cancer types. However, few studies have focused on the prognostic patterns of ferroptosis-related genes in HNSCC. Cohorts with mRNA expression profiles, as well as corresponding clinical data of HNSCC patients from published studies, were collected and consolidated from public databases. We performed random survival forest analysis, Kaplan-Meier (KM) analysis of best combinations, and Cox regression analysis on 231 ferroptosis-related genes to construct a gene signature in the discovery cohort (TCGA), and later validated it in the validation cohort (GEO). The 7-gene signature was constructed to stratify patients into two groups according to their level of risk. Poorer overall survival (OS) was detected in the high risk (HRisk) group than in the low risk (LRisk) group in both the TCGA cohort (P < 0.0001, HR = 1.71, 95%CI:1.41-2.07) and the GEO cohort (P < 0.001, HR = 1.68, 95%CI:1.32-2.13). The risk score was identified as an independent predictive factor of OS in multivariate Cox regression analyses (HR > 1, P < 0.0001) in both cohorts. The signature's predictive capacity was proven by the time-dependent receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis and nomogram analysis. Functional enrichment analysis revealed that immunosuppressive pathways such as matrix extracellular space, and (transforming growth factor-ß)TGF-ß were enriched. The HRisk group was strongly associated with upregulation of both cancer-related pathways and stromal scores, while higher proportions of anti-tumor immune cells and immune signatures were enriched in the LRisk group. In conclusion, the signature based on 7 ferroptosis-related genes could be applicable for predicting the prognosis of HNSCC, indicating that ferroptosis may be a potential therapeutic target for HNSCC.

Alcohol consumption and risk of stomach cancer: A meta-analysis.

Stomach cancer is one of the most common cancers in the world. The relationship between alcohol consumption and the risk of stomach cancer remains unclear. Epidemiology studies investigating this relationship have shown inconsistent findings. A meta-analysis was performed to explore the association between alcohol consumption and increased stomach cancer risk. Eighty-one epidemiology studies, including 68 case-control studies and 13 cohort studies, were included in this study. A significant association was found between alcohol consumption and increased risk of stomach cancer (OR = 1.20, 95% CI 1.12-1.27). To explore the source of the significant heterogeneity (p < 0.05, I2 = 86%), analysis was stratified by study type (case-control study and cohort study), control type (hospital-based control and population-based control), gender (male, female, and mix), race (White and Asian), region (United States, Sweden, China, Japan), subsite of stomach cancer, and type of alcohol. The stratified analyses found that region and cancer subsite are major sources of the high heterogeneity. The inconsistent results in different regions and different subsites might be related to smoking rates, Helicobacter pylori infection, obesity, and potential genetic susceptibility. The positive association between drinking and increased risk of stomach cancer is consistent in stratified analyses. The dose-response analysis showed a clear trend that a higher daily intake of alcohol is associated with a higher risk of stomach cancer.

Meso-Substituted Thiazole Orange for Selective Fluorescence Detection to G-Quadruplex DNA and Molecular Docking Simulation.

The cyanine dye thiazole orange (TO, including 2TO and 4TO) is widely used as a light-up fluorescent probe upon binding to almost all forms of DNA, but it exhibits poor selectivity for recognizing G-quadruplex DNA (G-DNA), which has significant biological functions in biological processes and therapeutic applications. Here, introducing benzyl substituent to the meso position of the methine chain of 2TO is expected to selectively recognize G-DNA. The spectroscopic titrations reveal that modified 2TO (meso-Bn-2TO) has almost no background fluorescence in solution and shows a preference to bind with G-DNA over ssDNA, dsDNA, and ct-DNA. Specifically, meso-Bn-2TO 1a displays a strong fluorescent signal upon interaction with G-DNA and a very weak fluorescent signal upon interaction with ssDNA, dsDNA, and ct-DNA, displaying considerable selectivity for G-DNA. However, parent 2TO all gives a fluorescent signal in G-DNA, dsDNA, and ct-DNA. The fluorescence intensity of 1a increases nearly 80-162 times when bound with different G-DNA. The binding constants of 1a and 2TO to G-DNA htg22 are 3.16 and 1.52 µM, respectively. Molecular docking study of 1a and 2TO with different DNA reveals that introducing benzyl substituent to the meso position methine chain of 2TO alters the planarity of the chromophore, thus enhancing the interactions with G-DNA and weakening the interactions with duplex DNA and therefore realizing selective detection to G-DNA.

MiR-21b-3p protects NS2OY cells against oxygen-glucose deprivation/reperfusion-induced injury by down-regulating cyclooxygenase-2.

Recent studies have shown abnormal expression levels of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and miR-21b-3p in cerebral ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) rat models. Decreased COX-2 expression could reduce brain injury and thus could be a target of miR-21b-3p according to the miRNA databases (miRDB) analysis. However, its functions and underlying mechanisms in I/R injury remain unclear. In our study, we have established an oxygen/glucose deprivation and reperfusion (OGD/R) model by using NS2OY cells. The expression of miR-21b-3p and COX-2 was determined by quantitative real-time PCR or Western blot, and the fluorescence intensities were detected by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) or immunofluorescence. After transfection and OGD/R treatments, the functions of miR-21b-3p and COX-2 on cell viability and apoptosis were detected using cell-counting kit 8, Edu staining, flow cytometry and Hoechst staining, respectively. Finally, dual-luciferase reporter assay was used to explore the relationship between miR-21-b-3p and COX-2. The results have showed that COX-2 mRNA and protein expression were significantly increased; however, the expression of miR-21b-3p was remarkably reduced in NS2OY cells after OGD/R treatment. The changes were most remarkable in OGD 2 h/R24 group. Function analysis has showed that when NS2OY cells were exposed to OGD/R injury, overexpressed miR-21b-3p significantly downregulated COX-2 expression, increased cell viability and decreased apoptosis. In addition, knocking down the expression of COX-2 could also increase cell viability and decrease apoptosis. Dual-luciferase reporter assays showed miR-21b-3p as the target of 3'-UTR of COX-2. Therefore, we concluded that OGD/R-induced injury by down-regulating COX-2.

Relevance of number and physiological status of conspecifics in preventing stress-induced decreases in newly proliferated cells and neuroblasts.

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVE: The presence of three conspecifics prevents stress-induced decreases in newly proliferated cells and neuroblasts in mouse dentate gyrus (DG). In this study, we sought to determine how many conspecifics are required to exert these protective effects against stress. In addition, we manipulated the physiological status of those conspecifics in the context of their stress-buffering effects and used airborne oxytocin exposure as a substitute for the presence of conspecifics. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Bromodeoxyuridine staining was used to indicate the newly proliferated cells and co-staining with doublecortin to reveal the proliferative neuroblasts. RESULTS: Presentation of three intact and lipopolysaccharide-treated conspecifics prevented the stress-induced decreases in the number of newly proliferated cells and neuroblasts in DG. Presentation of one saline- or oxytocin (OT)-treated conspecific did not exert observable stress-buffering effects. In contrast, airborne oxytocin prevented the stress-induced decreases in DG cell proliferation and early neurogenesis, while pretreatment with L-371,257, a selective OT receptor antagonist, abolished the buffering effects of OT. CONCLUSIONS: Physical interaction with the conspecifics and conspecifics' sickness, at best, play a minor role in mediating the buffering effects against stress-induced decreases in DG cell proliferation or early neurogenesis. Moreover, stress-buffering effects are negligible with the presence of only one conspecific. Finally, airborne OT produced stress-buffering effects possibly via its stimulation of OT receptors. Oxytocin merits further study as a substitute for the stress-buffering effects of companions.

Meso-Substituent-Directed Aggregation Behavior and Water Solubility: Direct Functionalization of Methine Chain in Thiazole Orange and Biological Applications in Aqueous Buffer.

A new strategy is presented to preclude aggregation and enhance water solubility of cyanine dyes. Namely, a heteroatom-containing substituent, for distorting molecular plane and increasing interaction with water molecules, is introduced to the methine chain of 2-thiazole orange (1, a monocyanine) via one-step, and 2-thiazole orange derivatives 2a-g are prepared accordingly. The X-ray crystal structures show that the molecular plane of 2a-g is drastically twisted, which reduces intermolecular π-π stacking. The derivatives 2a-g exhibit good to excellent water solubility and can be dissolved in aqueous phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) at concentrations suitable for biomedical applications. No aggregation in aqueous PBS, relatively high molar extinction coefficients, and low solvatochromism of 2a-g are reflected by the UV-vis spectra. Compound 2b shows fast response and high selectivity for biothiols (Cys, Hcy, and GSH) in aqueous PBS and is further employed to detect endogenous biothiols with decent biocompatibility as demonstrated by live cell fluorescence imaging.

Facile synthesis of homochiral compounds integrating circularly polarized luminescence and two-photon excited fluorescence.

A pair of novel chiral one-dimensional compounds with the general formula [Cd(NO3)2L2]·THF (where L is R- or S-2,2'-bis(methoxymethoxy)-6,6'-bis(4-pyridyl)-1,1'-binaphthyl) for the first time show circularly polarized luminescence, two-photon excited fluorescence, and second harmonic generation activity.

Light-Driven Reversible Intermolecular Proton Transfer at Single-Molecule Junctions.

Photoresponsive molecular systems are essential for molecular optoelectronic devices, but most molecular building blocks are non-photoresponsive. Employed here is a photoinduced proton transfer (PIPT) strategy to control charge transport through single-molecule azulene junctions with visible light under ambient conditions, which leads to a reversible and controllable photoresponsive molecular device based on non-photoresponsive molecules and a photoacid. Also demonstrated is the application of PIPT in two single-molecule AND gate and OR gate devices with electrical signal as outputs.

Scutellarin inhibits human renal cancer cell proliferation and migration via upregulation of PTEN.

BACKGROUND: Scutellarin is a naturally flavone glycoside that has been shown to exhibit anti-proliferative and anti-apoptotic activities among various human malignancies. However, the anti-cancer effect of Scutellarin in Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and the underlying mechanism remains unclear. METHODS AND MATERIALS: RCC cell lines ACHN and 786-O were treated with different concentrations (0-210 µM) of Scutellarin in vitro. Cell viability and proliferation were investigated by MTT and colony formation assays. Cell invasion and migration were detected by Transwell assays. Cell apoptosis and cell cycle distribution was measured by flow cytometry. Western blot was used to investigate the expression levels of crucial proteins. Xenograft tumor model was established to evaluate tumor growth in vivo. RESULTS: Scutellarin significantly inhibited RCC cell proliferation in a dose- and time- dependent manner. Treatment of RCC cells with Scutellarin (30, 60, and 90 µM) markedly induced apoptosis and cell cycle arrested at G0/G1 phase in a concentration-dependent characteristic. Cell invasion and migration capacities of RCC cells were also dose-dependently suppressed by Scutellarin treatment. Western blot assays revealed that the crucial proteins including cyclin D1, CDK2, Bcl2, MMP-2, and MMP-9 were significantly reduced while Bax, cleaved caspase 3 and p21 were increased by Scutellarin in RCC cells. In vivo assay indicated that Scutellarin possessed anti-cancer effect on xenograft without triggering toxic effect. Mechanically, Scutellarin dramatically increased the protein level of phosphatase and tensin homologue (PTEN) and inhibited the activity of P13K/AKT/mTOR signaling. Ectopic expression of PTEN enhanced the inhibitory effect of Scutellarin on RCC proliferation while knockdown of PTEN abrogated it through regulating its downstream P13K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway. CONCLUSION: Scutellarin inhibited RCC cell proliferation and invasion partially by enhancing the expression of PTEN through inhibition of P13K/AKT/mTOR pathway, suggesting that Scutellarin might serve as a potential therapeutic agent in RCC treatment.

mGluR5 upregulation and the effects of repeated methamphetamine administration and withdrawal on the rewarding efficacy of ketamine and social interaction.

Repeated, recreational ketamine (KE) or methamphetamine (MA) administration seldom produce neurotoxicity, while combining MA and KE administration have been thought to render changes in neural plasticity and motivational behavior. In this study, we sought to assess whether pre-exposure to multiple MA injections and withdrawal may affect low-dose KE-produced rewarding effects, social interaction behavior and its neurochemical underpinnings. A 10-day MA injections (2 mg/kg/day) and 10-day withdrawal regimen was found to cause reliable behavioral sensitization. While KE (1 mg/kg) induced weak conditioned place preference (CPP), pre-exposure to this MA-withdrawal regimen enhanced such KE CPP magnitude. This MA-withdrawal regimen also caused impairments in the social interaction behavior in the sociability, social novelty test. Compared with the mice undergoing the 10-day saline-withdrawal or MA regimen, mice receiving the 10-day MA-withdrawal regimen exhibited lower dopamine-releasing probability in the nucleus accumbens, inferring the MA-withdrawal regimen-primed preference for KE rewarding effects. Likewise, mice receiving the MA-withdrawal regimen had high expression in mGluR5 protein but unaltered EAAT3, Homer2 expression in hippocampal tissues. Pretreatment with MPEP, an mGluR5 antagonist, prevented the MA-withdrawal regimen-induced increment in the KE CPP magnitude and impairments in social interaction behavior. We, thus, conclude that repeated MA administration and abstinence may enhance KE rewarding effects and produce eminent deficits in social recognition and interest. And these effects correlate with the mGluR5 over-expression and modulation of the KE-stimulating effect on dopamine release.

[Rosai-Dorfman disease in the larynx: report of a case and literature review].

OBJECTIVE: Rosai-Dorfman disease (RDD) is a rare histiocytic disorder that has nodal and extranodal manifestations. Currently no guidelines are available for the management of this disease. We report a case of laryngeal RDD that did not present with classical symptoms such as fever or lymphadenopathy and could be easily misdiagnosed as malignant tumor. The patient received minimally invasive surgeries combined with steroid therapy to preserve the laryngeal function as much as possible, and a favorable clinical outcome was obtained. Reports of similar cases in literatures were reviewed to obtain a better understanding of the disease course, diagnosis and treatment of this uncommon condition.

Approach to Introducing Substituent on the Dipole Conjugate Chain: The D-π-A Methine Chain Electrophilic Substitution.

The D-π-A methine chain electrophilic substitution reactions for directly introducing some functional groups to the dipole conjugate chain, with mild conditions and good yields, are disclosed. This method is shown to efficiently replace the hydrogen on the D-π-A methine chain with an electrophile to synthesize methine-substituted Cy3.5 in one step.

Mangiferin prevents corticosterone-induced behavioural deficits via alleviation of oxido-nitrosative stress and down-regulation of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) activity.

BACKGROUND: In recent years, a substantial amount of experimental studies have demonstrated that exogenous administration of corticosterone causes anxiety and depressive-like behaviour in rodents which involves hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis dysregulation. Our present study aimed to explore the neuroprotective potential of mangiferin against corticosterone-induced anxiety and depressive-like behaviour. METHODS: Corticosterone (40 mg/kg; subcutaneously) was administered once daily in swiss albino mice for 21 days. Mice were treated simultaneously with mangiferin (40 mg/kg; p.o.), 30 min prior to the corticosterone injection. RESULTS: Chronic administration of corticosterone caused anxiety and depressive-like behaviour in mice which was significantly alleviated by mangiferin treatment. Biochemical analysis revealed that mangiferin treatment significantly attenuated corticosterone-induced oxido-nitrosative stress and neuroinflammation in the hippocampus region. Furthermore, concomitant treatment with mangiferin significantly enhanced the hippocampal brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) level and decreased the serum corticosterone level in the corticosterone-treated animals. Western blotting analysis revealed that corticosterone administration significantly up-regulated the indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) protein expression level in the hippocampus which was significantly reduced by mangiferin treatment. CONCLUSION: Taken together, our results suggest that mangiferin exerts anti-anxiety and antidepressant effect in corticosterone-treated rats, which is probably mediated through up-regulation of BDNF level along with inhibition of oxido-nitrosative stress, neuroinflammation and IDO up-regulation in the hippocampus region.