Radix Scrophulariae extracts (harpagoside) suppresses hypoxia-induced microglial activation and neurotoxicity.

BACKGROUND: Hypoxia could lead to microglia activation and inflammatory mediators' overproduction. These inflammatory molecules could amplify the neuroinflammatory process and exacerbate neuronal injury. The aim of this study is to find out whether harpagoside could reduce hypoxia-induced microglia activation. METHODS: In this study, primary microglia cells harvested from neonatal ICR mice were activated by exposure to hypoxia (1 % O2 for 3 h). Harpagoside had been shown to be no cytotoxicity on microglia cells by MTT assay. The scavenger effect of harpagoside on hypoxia-enhanced microglial cells proliferation, associated inflammatory genes expression (COX-II, IL-1ß and IL-6 genes) and NO synthesis were also examined. RESULTS: Hypoxia enhances active proliferation of microglial cells, while harpagoside can scavenge this effect. We find that harpagoside could scavenge hypoxia-enhanced inflammatory genes expression (COX-2, IL-1ß and IL-6 genes) and NO synthesis of microglial cells. Under 3 h' hypoxic stimulation, the nuclear contents of p65 and hypoxia inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) significantly increase, while the cytosol IκB-α content decreases; these effects can be reversed by 1 h's pre-incubation of 10(-8) M harpagoside. Harpagoside could decrease IκB-α protein phosphorylation and inhibit p65 protein translocation from the cytosol to the nucleus, thus suppress NF-κB activation and reduce the HIF-1α generation. CONCLUSION: These results suggested that the anti-inflammatory mechanism of harpagoside might be associated with the NF-κB signaling pathway. Harpagoside protect against hypoxia-induced toxicity on microglial cells through HIF-α pathway.

The influence of chronic renal insufficiency on multi-therapeutic modalities for breast cancer: a single-center experience.

BACKGROUND: Due to the presence of other comorbidities and multi-therapeutic modalities in breast cancer, renally cleared chemotherapeutic regimens may cause nephrotoxicity. The aim of this retrospective study is to compare the chemotherapy types and outcomes in breast cancer patients with or without chronic renal disease. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We retrospectively enrolled 62 female patients with breast cancer and underlying late stages (stage 3b, 4, and 5) of chronic kidney disease (CKD) treated from 2000 to 2017. They were propensity score-matched 1:1 with patients in our database with breast cancer and normal renal function (total n = 124). RESULTS: The main subtype of breast cancer was luminal A and relatively few patients with renal impairment received chemotherapy and anti-Her-2 treatment. The breast cancer patients with late-stage CKD had a slightly higher recurrent rate, especially at the locally advanced stage. The 5-year overall survival was 90.1 and 71.2% for patients without and with late-stage CKD, but the breast cancer-related mortality rate was 88.9 and 24.1%, respectively. In multivariate analyses, dose-reduced chemotherapy was an independent negative predictor of 5-year recurrence-free survival and late-stage CKD was associated with lower 5-year overall survival rate. CONCLUSIONS: Breast cancer patients with late-stage CKD may receive insufficient therapeutic modalities. Although the recurrence-free survival rate did not differ significantly by the status of CKD, patients with breast cancer and late-stage CKD had shorter overall survival time but a lower breast cancer-related mortality rate, indicated that the mortality was related to underlying disease.

Enhancement of luminous efficacy of polymer light-emitting diodes with silver-nanoparticles by oxygen-plasma treatment.

Silver-nanoparticles deposited on indium tin oxide (AgNPs/ITO) with different O2 -plasma treatment times are used as the anode window substrate for polymer light-emitting diodes (PLED). When AgNPs/ITO with an O2 -plasma treatment time of 10 min is used for PLED, a maximum current efficiency of 3.33 cd/A is realized, which is notably higher than that of a reference PLED (1.00 cd/A). Compared to those of the reference PLED, the mean current efficiency and electroluminescence intensity of the optimal PLED are enhanced by 3.24 times and 480%, respectively. O2 -plasma treatment is an easy method for optimizing the localized surface plasmon resonance effect of metal nanoparticles, exhibiting advantages of scalable mass production and high suitability for applications in related optoelectronic components.

A novel scoring system using easily assessible predictors of return of spontaneous circulation and mortality in traumatic out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients: A retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: An accident event may necessitate triage of multiple cases of traumatic out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (TOHCA). However, factors for prioritizing treatment among multiple TOHCA patients have not been established. This study aims to use easily assessible predictors of TOHCA outcomes to develop a triage scoring system. METHODS: Patients with TOHCA brought to our hospital by emergency medical services (EMS) were included for analysis to identify independent risk factors for poor outcomes. A scoring system was developed and validated internally and externally. RESULTS: Of the 401 included patients, 86 (21.4%) had return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) after cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) for 30 min (81 patients, 94.2%) or 45 min (86 patients, 100%). The emergency department (ED) mortality rate was 89.3% and overall in-hospital mortality rate was 99%. Univariate and multivariate analyses identified body temperature <33 °C (OR, 4.65; 95% CI, 1.37-15.86), obvious chest injury (OR, 2.11; 95% CI, 1.03-4.34), and presumable etiology of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OR, 1.73; 95% CI, 1.01-2.98) as significant independent risk factors for non-ROSC. The TOHCA score, calculated as 1 point per risk factor, correlated significantly with the rate of non-ROSC and ED mortality (TOHCA score 0, 1, 2, 3: non-ROSC rate, 63.0%, 80.4%, 90.8%, 100%, respectively; ED mortality rate, 79.5%, 91.5%, 96.1%, and 100% respectively). The results of internal and external validations show a similar trend in both non-ROSC and mortality in the ED with increasing score. CONCLUSIONS: Termination of CPR for TOHCA after 45 min is reasonable; a 30-min resuscitation is acceptable in case of insufficient medical staff or resources. The TOHCA score may be able to be used with caution for triage.

Outcomes and prognostic factors in thyroid cancer patients with cranial metastases: A retrospective cohort study of 4,683 patients.

BACKGROUND: Cranial metastasis of thyroid cancer is rare. The aim of this study was to analyse the clinical characteristics, treatments and outcomes of thyroid cancer patients with cranial metastasis and to identify the associated prognostic factors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between January 1977 and August 2017, a total of 4683 patients were histologically confirmed to have thyroid cancer. Among them, 25 patients (0.53%) were identified as having cranial metastases, and their medical records were reviewed. The Kaplan-Meier method with a log-rank test was performed with cancer-specific survival as the main outcome. Cox regression analysis was used to examine the potential prognostic factors influencing patient survival. RESULTS: Of the 25 patients, 21 were female, and 4 were male. The median age at the time of diagnosis of cranial metastasis was 63 years. Sixteen patients had metastases to the brain, and nine patients had metastases involving the skull only. Papillary carcinoma and follicular carcinoma accounted for 84.0% of cases. Twenty-four cases (96.0%) had extracranial metastases at the time of diagnosis of cranial metastases. Twenty patients received surgery, and 4 patients received palliative radiotherapy. One patient received supportive care only. The median cancer-specific survival after the diagnosis of cranial metastases was 27 months. According to the Kaplan-Meier test, 3 factors had a significant impact on survival, the metastatic site, histological types and surgical resection. According to the Cox regression analysis, skull metastases (HR: 0.274, 95% CI: 0.083-0.904, p = 0.033) and surgical resection (HR: 0.134, 95% CI: 0.019-0.929, p = 0.042) were identified as independent prognostic factors for a better outcome. CONCLUSIONS: Surgical resection is the mainstay therapy for thyroid cancer patients with cranial metastasis. Cranial metastases involving the skull only are associated with a better outcome.

Molecular epidemiology and antimicrobial susceptibility of Salmonella enterica serotype Stanley isolates in Taiwan.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Salmonella enterica serotype Stanley became the third most common non-typhoidal Salmonella serotype among human isolates in 2004. The present study was conducted to gain further understanding of the epidemiology and antimicrobial suseptibility of S. Stanley. METHODS: A total of 20 culture-confirmed cases were retrieved from the Center for Disease Control collection and analyzed. Clinical features and demographic data of the cases were analyzed. Laboratory investigation of the isolates included antimicrobial susceptibility testing and molecular typing by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. Ceftriaxone-non-susceptible isolates were further examined by polymerase chain reaction, sequencing, and Southern blot hybridization. RESULTS: The cases studied were distributed widely across Taiwan, suggesting that the infection was an island-wide problem. S. Stanley predominantly caused infections in patients under the age of 5 years (75%). The most common type of illness was uncomplicated enterocolitis. Molecular typing showed 1 predominant genotype with 5 subtypes among these isolates. Antimicrobial resistance to ampicillin (75%), chloramphenicol (95%), and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (95%) was common. Two isolates expressed non-susceptibility to ceftriaxone, and a bla(CMY-2) gene was identified on an 80-kb plasmid in both isolates. CONCLUSION: The increase in S. Stanley infections may be associated with the spread of an epidemic clone, although this requires further epidemiological surveillance. In view of the high rate of antimicrobial resistance, especially the emergence of resistance to third-generation cephalosporins, continued surveillance of the infections caused by this bacterium should be undertaken.