Application of immersion B-scan ultrasonography in diagnosis of complex retinal detachment,persistent hyperplastic primary vitreous and intraocular tumors

AIM:To evaluate the diagnostic value of panoramic immersion B-scan ultrasonography(Pano-immersion B-scan,PIB)in complex retinal detachment(RD),persistent hyperplastic primary vitreous(PHPV)and intraocular tumors.METHODS:The clinical data of 44 patients collected from May 2012 to December 2019 in Chinese PLA General Hospital was retrospectively studied.All of these patients underwent PIB of the eye,because it was difficult to diagnose by routine ocular fundus examination,conventional ultrasound or/and ultrasonic biomicroscope(UBM)due to opacity of refractive media,pupillary occlusion,large involvement or special location of the lesion.The imaging features of difficult cases in PIB were analyzed.The diagnosis accuracy rating of PIB were evaluated and contrasted with conventional ultrasound or UBM by the standard of intraoperative diagnosis or/and pathological results.RESULTS:According to intraoperative diagnosis or pathological results as gold standard,among the 44 cases,there were 19 cases missed diagnosis,misdiagnosed or difficult-to-diagnose by conventional ultrasound or UBM,including 4 cases of long-standing RD difficult to diagnose,4 cases misdiagnosed,and 11 cases incompletely observed or miss diagnosed.The diagnostic accuracy rate of PIB and conventional ultrasound or UBM were 100%(44/44)and 56.82%(25/44),and the sensitivity of them were 100%and 56.82%.All the patients underwent PIB and were diagnosed as RD(15 cases),retinal and choroidal detachment(4 cases),subchoroidal hematocele(1 case),vitreous opacity and/or organic membrane formation(4 cases),PHPV(12 cases),iris and/or ciliary body tumors(3 cases),and choroidal tumors(6 cases).According to the intraoperative diagnosis or pathological results,the diagnostic coincidence rate of PIB was 100%,which was significantly higher than conventional ultrasound and UBM.CONCLUSION:PIB can help to accurately diagnose complex RD,PHPV,and intraocular masses with special location or/and excessive size.It has important diagnostic value for patients with equivocal findings at conventional ultrasound examination.

Buyang Huanwu decoction up-regulates Notch1 gene expression in injured spinal cord

Expression of genes in the Notch signaling pathway is altered in the injured spinal cord, which indicates that Notch participates in repair after spinal cord injury. Buyang Huanwu decoction, a traditional Chinese herbal preparation, can promote the growth of nerve cells and nerve fibers; however, it is unclear whether Buyang Huanwu decoction affects the Notch signaling pathway in injured spinal cord. In this study, a rat model was established by injuring the T10 spinal cord. At 2 days after injury, rats were intragastrically administered 2 m L of 0.8 g/m L Buyang Huanwu decoction daily until sacrifice. Real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction analysis demonstrated that at 7, 14 and 28 days after injury, the expression of Notch1 was increased in the Buyang Huanwu decoction group compared with controls. These findings confirm that Buyang Huanwu decoction can promote the expression of Notch1 in rats with incomplete spinal cord injury, and may indicate a mechanism to promote the repair of spinal cord injury.

Comparison of outcomes of idiopathic macular holes treated by vitrectomy with air or silicone oil tamponade based on the hole size

AIM:To compare the efficacy of vitrectomy combined with air or silicone oil in the treatment of idiopathic macular hole(IMH).METHODS:According to the results of high-definition optical coherence tomography(HD-OCT),75 cases(75 eyes)of IMH in stage II-IV(Gass stage)in the General Hospital of Chinese PLA from January 2017 to December 2019 were collected for this retrospective study.The best corrected visual acuity(BCVA)and minimum diameter of IMH(MMHD)were measured.Eyes underwent vitrectomy combined with internal limiting membrane peeling operation,and were divided into disinfection air group(30 eyes)and silicone oil group(45 eyes)according to the intraocular tamponade.For MMHD≤400μm(MMHD1),there were 23 eyes in air group and 16 eyes in silicone oil group.For MMHD2>400μm(MMHD2),there were 7 eyes in air group and 29 eyes in silicone oil group.One month after surgery,the closure rates of IMH and BCVA were compared and analyzed.According to HD-OCT,the closure shape was graded with A(bridge closure)and B(good closure).RESULTS:The closure rates of air group and silicone oil group were 86.67%and 95.56%respectively with no significant difference(P>0.05);For MMHD1,those of air group and silicone oil group were 95.65%and 100%respectively with no significant difference(P>0.05);For MMHD2,those of air group and silicone oil group were 57.14%and 93.10%respectively,and those of the silicone oil group were higher than the air group(P<0.05).There was no significant difference in the closure shape grade between MMHD1 air group and silicone oil group(P>0.05).The proportion of Grade B in MMHD2 silicone oil group was higher than that in the air group(P<0.05).BCVA of each group after operation was better than that before operation,and there was no significant difference between air group and silicone oil group.While among them,MMHD1 air group was better than silicone oil group(P<0.05),and there was no significant difference between MMHD2 air group and silicone oil group(P>0.05).CONCLUSION:For smaller IMH(≤400μm),the efficacy of vitrectomy combined with air should be considered better than silicone oil;for larger IMH(>400μm),the efficacy of silicone oil may be better than air.

Advances in traditional Chinese medicine for liver disease therapy in 2020

Liver diseases are gradually becoming a serious threat to human health worldwide.Although a number of medications have been introduced for the prophylaxis,diagnosis,and treatment of liver diseases,several limitations and challenges remain.Traditional Chinese medicine is frequently used to treat liver diseases and well known to protect hepatocytes and inhibit inflammation,oxidative stress,and fibrosis.However,given the complex composition of traditional Chinese medicine,clarifying the mechanisms behind its curative and protective effects is difficult.In this review,research progress on traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of liver diseases in 2020 is summarized on the basis of the literature available in the PubMed database.Herbal extracts derived from traditional Chinese medicine,including flavonoids,polysaccharides,saponins,and alkaloids,and Chinese medicinal formulas,such as the classic decoctions Chaihu Shugan powder,Linggui Zhugan decoction,and Huanglian Jiedu decoction,have shown promising therapeutic efficacy in liver disease treatment.We summarized the findings of several studies on the active ingredients of traditional Chinese herbs used for liver disease treatment in 2020,focusing mainly on their ability to confer antiviral effects to treat hepatitis,regulate antioxidant levels and apoptosis to treat liver injury,inhibit inflammation and improve dysfunctions in amino acids and energy metabolism to treat alcoholic liver disease,reduce hepatic lipid deposition to treat nonalcoholic fatty liver disease,promote activated hepatic stellate cells to treat liver fibrosis,inhibit the proliferation or promote the apoptosis of liver cancer cells to treat hepatocellular carcinoma,and improve bile acid metabolism to treat cholestasis.

Protective effect of modified Yu-Ye decoction on type 2 diabetes mellitus rats

Background:Yu-Ye decoction is a classic prescription therapy that is widely used in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM).In this study,we evaluate and exhibit the protective effect of modified Yu-Ye decoction on T2DM rats.Methods:Sixty rats with T2DM were included in this study that was induced by high-fat high-glucose diet for 6 weeks.following 6 weeks later,1%streptozotocin 30 mg/kg was injected intraperitoneally,and the T2DM rats were randomly divided into the model group,the metformin(90 mg/kg)positive control group,and the modified Yu-Ye decoction(6.4 g/kg,12.7 g/kg,25.4 g/kg)group.In contrast,standard chow was provided to the 10 rats in the control group.The drug was administered for four weeks,and fasting blood glucose was monitored.After four weeks of treatment,oral glucose tolerance test experiments were carried out.Serum was collected for the detection of alanine aminotransferase,aspartate aminotransferase,creatinine,blood urea nitrogen,low density lipoprotein,high density lipoprotein,and total cholesterol,triglyceride.Hematoxylin-eosin staining was used to assess potential pathological changes in the liver,kidneys,and pancreas.Results:Results from fasting blood glucose monitoring and oral glucose tolerance test showed that modified Yu-Ye decoction could significantly improve the blood glucose concentration and insulin resistance,compared to the model group.In addition,modified Yu-Ye decoction could significantly reduce the serum levels of alanine aminotransferase,aspartate aminotransferase,creatinine,blood urea nitrogen,low density lipoprotein,total cholesterol,triglyceride,and increase the level of high density lipoprotein.At the same time,hematoxylin-eosin results exhibited that modified Yu-Ye decoction could increase the number of islet cells,reduce the volume of islet cells,improve liver edema and inflammation,and improve renal glomerular hypertrophy.Conclusion:This study shows that modified Yu-Ye decoction ameliorates T2DM because it can reduce fasting blood glucose concentration,improve glucose tolerance,protect liver and kidney function,and improve livers,kidneys,and pancreas tissue morphology.

Liver fibrosis in mice treated with Yue-Ju-Bao-He pills

Background:The aim of this study was to investigate the protective effect and antioxidant mechanism of Yue-Ju-Bao-He pills(YJBH)on liver fibrosis induced by carbon tetrachloride in mice.Methods:Thirty C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into cntrol group,model group,and YJBH group.The control group received 0.2 mL olive oil intraperitoneally injected twice per week for six weeks.Four weeks after injection,the control group received oral treatment of 0.2 mL normal saline once per day for three weeks.The model and YJBH groups received 20%carbon tetrachloride olive oil solution(2 mL/kg)intraperitoneal injections twice per week for 6 weeks to induce liver fibrosis.After 4 weeks of carbon tetrachloride injections,the model and YJBH groups received oral treatment of either 0.2 mL normal saline or YJBH(0.9 mg/kg)once per day for 3 weeks,respectively.After three weeks of treatment,liver sections from mice were used for hematoxylin-eosin staining and Masson’s Trichrome staining to observe the status of the liver tissue.The therapeutic effect of YJBH on liver fibrosis was studied by determining alanine transaminase and aspartate aminotransferase and pathological changes in livers.Determining the malondialdehydelevel,superoxide dismutase,and glutathione peroxidase activities in liver homogenates were done to observe antioxidant mechanisms.Results:Compared with the control group,the body weight of mice in the model group decreased significantly and the liver index increased.After YJBH treatment,the body weight of mice increased and the liver index decreased compared with the model group.In addition,liver function indexes aspartate aminotransferase and alanine transaminase were significantly improved.The level of malondialdehyde in liver tissue was significantly decreased,and the expression of glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase were increased.The pathological examination showed that liver cell injury of YJBH group was significantly reduced by the infiltration of inflammatory cells into collagen fibers.Conclusion:YJBH can effectively delay the progress of liver fibrosis induced by carbon tetrachloride,and the mechanism may be related to oxidative stress.

Notes,outline and divergence times of Basidiomycota

The Basidiomycota constitutes a major phylum of the kingdom Fungi and is second in species numbers to the Ascomycota.The present work provides an overview of all validly published,currently used basidiomycete genera to date in a single document.An outline of all genera of Basidiomycota is provided,which includes 1928 currently used genera names,with 1263 synonyms,which are distributed in 241 families,68 orders,18 classes and four subphyla.We provide brief notes for each accepted genus including information on classification,number of accepted species,type species,life mode,habitat,distribution,and sequence information.Furthermore,three phylogenetic analyses with combined LSU,SSU,5.8s,rpb1,rpb2,and ef1 datasets for the subphyla Agaricomycotina,Pucciniomycotina and Ustilaginomycotina are conducted,respectively.Divergence time estimates are provided to the family level with 632 species from 62 orders,168 families and 605 genera.Our study indicates that the divergence times of the subphyla in Basidiomycota are 406-430 Mya,classes are 211-383 Mya,and orders are 99-323 Mya,which are largely consistent with previous studies.In this study,all phylogenetically supported families were dated,with the families of Agaricomycotina diverging from 27-178 Mya,Pucciniomycotina from 85-222 Mya,and Ustilaginomycotina from 79-177 Mya.Divergence times as additional criterion in ranking provide additional evidence to resolve taxonomic problems in the Basidiomycota taxonomic system,and also provide a better understanding of their phylogeny and evolution.

Growth mechanisms and environmental implications of carbonate concretions from the ～ 1.4Ga Xiamaling Formation, North China

Carbonate concretions provide unique records of ancient biogeochemical processes in marine sediments, and have the potential to reflect seawater chemistry indirectly. In fine-siliciclastic settings, they preferentially form in organicrich mudstones, owing to a significant fraction of the bicarbonate required for carbonate precipitation resulted from the decomposition of organic matter in sediments. In the Member IV of the Xiamaling Formation(ca. 1.40–1.35 Ga), North China, however, carbonate concretions occur in organic-poor green silty shales(avg. TOC = ~ 0.1 wt%).In order to elucidate the mechanism of the concretion formation and their environmental implications, a thorough study on the petrographic and geochemical compositions of the concretions and their host rocks was conducted.Macro-to microscopic fabrics, including deformed shale laminae surrounding the concretions, "cardhouse"structures of clay minerals and calcite geodes in the concretions, indicate that these concretions are of early diagenetic origin prior to the significant compaction of clay minerals. The carbon isotope compositions of the concretions(-1.7‰ to + 1.5‰) are stable and close to or slightly lower than that of the contemporaneous seawater, indicating that the bicarbonates required for the concretion formation were mainly sourced from seawater by diffusion rather than produced by methanogenesis or anoxic oxidation of methane(AOM); the rare occurrence of authigenic pyrite grains in the concretions likely indicates that bacterial sulfate reduction(BSR) did not play a significant role in their formation either. Almost all the calcite in the concretions has low Mn–Fe in nuclei but high Mn–Fe in rims with average Mn/Fe ratio close to 3.3. The calcite shows positive Ce anomalies(avg. 1.43)and low Y/Ho ratios(avg. 31). This evidence suggests that Mn reduction is the dominant process responsible for the formation of calcite rims while nitrate reduction probably triggered the precipitation of calcite nuclei.Prominence of Mn reduction in the porewater likely indicates that there was sufficient oxygen to support active Mn-redox cycling in the overlying seawater.

Epigenetic Silencing of Eyes Absent 4 Gene by Acute Myeloid Leukemia 1-Eight-twenty-one Oncoprotein Contributes to Leukemogenesis in t（8;21） Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Background： The acute myeloid leukemia 1 （AML1）-eight-twenty-one （ETO） fusion protein generated by the t（8;2 1）（q22;q22） translocation is considered to display a crucial role in leukemogenesis in AML. By focusing on the anti-leukemia effects of eyes absent 4 （EYA4） gene on AML cells, we investigated the biologic and molecular mechanism associated with AML 1 -ETO expressed in t（8;21） AML. Methods： Qualitative polymerase chain reaction （PCR）, quantitative reverse transcription PCR （RT-PCR）, and Western blotting analysis were used to observe the mRNA and protein expression levels of EYA4 in cell lines. Different plasmids （including mutant plasmids） of dual luciferase reporter vector were built to study the binding status of AML1-ETO to the promoter region of EYA4. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assay was used to study the epigenetic silencing mechanism of EYA4. Bisulfite sequencing was applied to detect the methylation status in EYA4 promoter region. The influence ofEYA4 gene in the cell proliferation, apoptosis, and cell clone-forming ability was detected by the technique of Cell Counting Kit-8, flow cytometry, and clonogenic assay. Results： EYA4 gene was hyperrnethylated in AMLI-ETO＋ patients and its expression was down-regulated by 6-fold in Kasumi-1 and SKNO-1 cells, compared to HL-60 and SKNO-1-siA/E cells, respectively. We demonstrated that AML1-ETO triggered the epigenetic silencing of EYA 4 gene by binding at AML 1-binding sites and recruiting histone deacetylase 1 and DNA methyltransferases. Enhanced EYA4 expression levels inhibited cellular proliferation and suppressed cell colony formation in AMLI-ETO cell lines. We also found EYA4 transfection increased apoptosis of Kasumi- 1 and SKNO-1 cells by 1.6-fold and 1.4-fold compared to negative control, respectively. Conclusions： Our study identified EYA4 gene as targets for AML1-ETO and indicated it as a novel tumor suppressor gene. In addition, we provided evidence that EYA4 gene might be a novel therapeutic target and a potential candidate for treating AML 1-ETO＋ t （8;21 ） AML.