A novel aged mouse model of recurrent intracerebral hemorrhage in the bilateral striatum

The current animal models of stroke primarily model a single intracerebral hemorrhage(ICH)attack,and there is a lack of a reliable model of recurrent ICH.In this study,we established 16-month-old C57 B L/6 male mouse models of ICH by injecting collagenaseⅦ-S into the left striatum.Twenty-one days later,we injected collagenaseⅦ-S into the right striatum to simulate recurrent ICH.Our results showed that mice subjected to bilateral striatal hemorrhage had poorer neurological function at the early stage of hemorrhage,delayed recovery in locomotor function,motor coordination,and movement speed,and more obvious emotional and cognitive dysfunction than mice subjected to unilate ral striatal hemorrhage.These findings indicate that mouse models of bilateral striatal hemorrhage can well simulate clinically common recurrent ICH.These models should be used as a novel tool for investigating the pathogenesis and treatment targets of recurrent ICH.

Magnonic band-pass and band-stop filters with structurally modulated waveguides

Magnonics is a fascinating and emerging field, which mainly studies processing information with spin waves.Magnonic devices with in-plane magnetization have recently been realized. Because of the isotropic propagation, magnonic devices based on perpendicular magnetization are attracting extensive interest. Here, we numerically demonstrate two magnonic filters with out-of-plane magnetization using micromagnetic simulations. The band-pass and the band-stop functions have been realized in two structurally modulated waveguides, respectively. The intensity of spin waves is manipulated when they arrive at the uniformly/non-uniformly magnetized modulators, which results in the variation of transmission coefficients. It is found that the proposed filters can work at multiple frequencies, which can be further adjusted by the external magnetic field. Our designed magnonic devices with Néel-type skyrmion could promote the development of spin wave computing using spin textures.

Pulmonary complications in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease following transthoracic esophagectomy

AIM： To investigate the incidence of various types of postoperative pulmonary complications （POPCs） and to evaluate the significance of perioperative arterial blood gases in patients with esophageal cancer accompanied with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease （COPD） after esophagectomy. MEHTODS： Three hundred and fifty-eight patients were divided into POPC group and COPD group. We performed a retrospective review of the 358 consecutive patients after esophagectomy for esophageal cancer with or without COPD to assess the possible influence of COPD on postoperative pulmonary complications. We classified COPD into four grades according to percent-predicted forced expiratory volume in 1 s （FEV1） and analyzed the incidence rate of complications among the four grades. Perioperative arterial blood gases were tested in patients with or without pulmonary complications in COPD group and compared with POP（： group. RESULTS： Patients with COPD （29/86, 33.7%）had more pulmonary complications than those without COPD （36/272, 13.2%） （P〈0.001）. Pneumonia （15/29, 51.7%）, atelectasis （13/29, 44.8%）, prolonged 02 supplement （10/29, 34.5%）, and prolonged mechanical ventilation （8/29, 27.6%） were the major complications in COPD group. Moreover, patients with severe COPD （grade Ⅱ B, FEV1 〈 50% of predicted） had more POPCs than those with moderate（gradeⅡA,50%-80% of predicted） and mild （grade Ⅰ≥80% of predicted） COPD （P〈0.05）. PaO2 was decreased and PaCO2 was increased in patients with pulmonary complications in COPD group in the first postoperative week.CONCLUSION： The criteria of COPD are the critical predictor for pulmonary complications in esophageal cancer patients undergoing esophagectomy. Severity of COPD affects the incidence rate of the pulmonary complication,and percent-predicted FEV1 is a good predictive variable for pulmonary complication in patients-with COPD.Arterial blood gases are helpful in directing perioperative management.

Clonality and allelotype analyses of focal nodular hyperplasia compared with hepatocellular adenoma and carcinoma

AIM： To identify clonality and genetic alterations in focal nodular hyperplasia （FNH） and the nodules derived from it. METHODS： Twelve FNH lesions were examined. Twelve hepatocellular adenomas （HCAs） and 22 hepatocellular carcinomas （HCCs） were used as references. Nodules of different types were identified and isolated from FNH by microdissection. An X-chromosome inactivation assay was employed to describe their clonality status. Loss of heterozygosity （LOH） was detected, using 57 markers, for genetic alterations.RESULTS： Nodules of altered hepatocytes （NAH）, the putative precursors of HCA and HCC, were found in all the FNH lesions. Polyclonality was revealed in 10 FNH lesions from female patients, and LOH was not detected in any of the six FNH lesions examined, the results apparently showing their polyclonal nature. In contrast, monoclonality was demonstrated in all the eight HCAs and in four of the HCCs from females, and allelic imbalances were found in the HCAs （9/9） and HCCs （15/18）, with chromosomal arms 11p, 13q and 17p affected in the former, and 6q, 8p, 11p, 16q and 17p affected in the latter lesions in high frequencies （≥ 30%）. Monodonality was revealed in 21 （40%） of the 52 microdissected NAH, but was not found in any of the five ordinary nodules. LOH was found in all of the 13 NAH tested, being highly frequent at six loci on 8p, 11p, 13q and 17p. CONCLUSION： FNH, as a whole, is polyclonal, but some of the NAH lesions derived from it are already neoplastic and harbor similar allelic imbalances as HCAs.

Effects of Lactobacillus plantarum on gut barrier function in experimental obstructive jaundice

AIM:To investigate the mechanisms of Lactobacillus plantarum(L.plantarum)action on gut barrier in preoperative and postoperative experimental obstructive jaundice in rats.METHODS:Forty rats were randomly divided into groups of sham-operation,bile duct ligation(BDL),BDL +L.plantarum,BDL+internal biliary drainage(IBD),and BDL+IBD+L.plantarum.Ten days after L.plantarum administration,blood and ileal samples were collected from the rats for morphological examination,and intestinal barrier function,liver function,intestinal oxidative stress and protein kinase C(PKC)activity measurement.The distribution and expression of the PKC and tight junction(TJ)proteins,such as occludin,zonula occludens-1,claudin-1,claudin-4,junction adhesion molecule-A and F-actin,were examined by confocal laser scanning microscopy,immunohistochemistry,Western blotting,real-time fluorescent quantitative polymerase chain reaction assay.RESULTS:L.plantarum administration substantially restored gut barrier,decreased enterocyte apoptosis,improved intestinal oxidative stress,promoted the activity and expression of protein kinase(BDL vs BDL+L.plantarum,0.295±0.007 vs 0.349±0.003,P<0.05;BDL+IBD vs BDL+IBD+L.plantarum,0.407±0.046 vs 0.465±0.135,P<0.05),and particularly enhanced the expression and phosphorylation of TJ proteins in the experimental obstructive jaundice(BDL vs BDL+L.plantarum,0.266±0.118 vs 0.326±0.009,P<0.05).The protective effect of L.plantarum was more prominent after internal biliary drainage(BDL+IBD vs BDL +IBD+L.plantarum,0.415±0.105 vs 0.494±0.145,P<0.05).CONCLUSION:L.plantarum can decrease intestinal epithelial cell apoptosis,reduce oxidative stress,and prevent TJ disruption in biliary obstruction by activating the PKC pathway.

Enteroaggregative Escherichia aoliisolated from Chinese diarrhea patients with high-pathogenicity island of Yersinia'xs involved in synthesis of siderophore yersiniabactin

AIM: To investigate the distribution of 12 high-pathogenicity island (HPI) genes and the relation between HPI genes and expression of yersiniabactin (Ybt) in enteroaggregative E.coli(EAggEC) isolated from Chinese diarrhea patients.METHODS: The distribution of 12 HPI genes was investigated by PCR and DNA hybridization in two prototype strains of EAggEC, EAggEC 17-2, EAggEC O42, and 6 clinical EAggEC isolates from China. The production of siderophore Ybt in HPI-positive strains was detected by reporter gene bioassay to determine the relation between HPI genes and expression of Ybt. Flow cytometry was used to detect fluorescent signal of the reporter strain that could designate production of Ybt.RESULTS: Seven strains were HPI-positive and one strain was HPI-negative. Six of the seven HPI-positive strains were inserted into asnT-tRNA site. Moreover, seven EAggEC HPI-positive strains revealed enhanced fluorescence signal but the EAggEC HPI-negative strain did not. However, there was a difference in Ybt expression condition and level among these seven EAggEC HPI-positive strains. Although UFT073 strain, the prototype strain of uropathogenic E.coli(UPEC), carried the complete HPI core part, we did not detect the expression of Ybt in it.CONCLUSION: EAggEC HPI-positive strains can express the Ybt system, but the presence of HPI core part does not mean the functional expression of Ybt.

Functional studies of a novel oncogene TGM3 in human esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

AIM： To investigate the role of transglutaminase 3 （TGM3） gene in human esophageal squamous cell carcinoma （ESCC）, and analyze its relationship with clinicopathological parameters. METHODS： Gene expression of TGM3 in fresh esophageal cancer tissues and their corresponding normal mucosas was detected immunohistochemically（I HC） by means of tissue microarray（TMA）. Its correlation with clinical characteristics was evaluated and analyzed by univariate analysis. All statistical analyses were performed by SPSS version 10.0. RESULTS： Expression rate of TGM3 was reduced to 81.8% in ESCC. Expression of TGM3 was significantly inversely correlated with histological grade of esophageal carcinoma （in grade I, II and III tumors, the reduced expression was 4/7, 57/71, and 20/21, respectively, P 〈 0.05）, whereas it had no obvious correlations with lymph node metastasis and depth of invasion. CONCLUSION： Reduced expression of TGM3 may play an important role in esophageal carcinogenesis.

Overexpression of Ets-like protein 1 in human esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

AIM: To study the expression pattern of Ets-like protein 1 (Elk-1) in human esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) and to analyze its relationship with clinicopathologic parameters. METHODS: The expression of Elk-1 in fresh esophageal cancer tissues and their corresponding normal mucosae was detected immunohistochemically (IHC) by means of tissue microarray (TMA). Its correlation with clinical characteristics was evaluated and analyzed by univariate analysis. All statistical analyses were performed by SPSS version 13.0. RESULTS: Expression level of transcription factor Elk-1 increased in 78.5% (84/107) ESCC tissues compared with their matched normal esophageal epithelium. However, the expression of Elk-1 did not show any obvious correlation with degree of differentiation of esophageal carcinoma (in well-differentiated, moderately-differentiated and poorly-differentiated tumors, the increased expression was 7/8, 60/74, and 19/25, respectively, P > 0.05). Moreover, no obvious correlation was found with lymph node metastasis and depth of invasion. CONCLUSION: Increased expression of transcription factor Elk-1 may play an important role in esophageal carcinogenesis.

Potential impact of epidural labor analgesia on the outcomes of neonates and children

This review summarizes recent evidences regarding the potential influences of epidural labor analgesia(ELA)on the outcomes of neonates and children.Terms and relevant words including“ELA,”“ELA and neonatal outcomes,”“ELA and children’s development,”and“ELA and children’s neurocognitive development”were used to search articles published in PubMed database up to October 2019.Original articles and reviews regarding potential influences of ELA on neonates and children were identified.Relevant references of the selected articles were also screened.The anesthetics used during ELA can be absorbed,enter the fetus,and produce neonatal depression;however,these effects are less severe than those during systematic opioid analgesia.The impact of anesthetic exposure during ELA on children’s neurodevelopment has not been fully studied,but would be mild if any.ELA increases the risk of intrapartum maternal fever;the latter may be harmful to neonatal outcomes.The use of ELA may increase birth injury by increasing instrumental delivery,although long-term adverse events are rare.On the other hand,ELA may reduce maternal depression and,thus,produce favorable effects on neurocognitive development in childhood;but evidences are still lacking in this aspect.ELA may produce both favorable and unfavorable effects on neonates and children.These effects should be discussed with parturient women before making decisions.The potential harmful effects should be carefully managed.The overall impacts of ELA on neonatal and children’s outcomes need to be studied further.

Sesquiterpenes from the leaves of Nicotiana tabacum and their anti-tobacco mosaic virus activity

In searching for more bioactive compounds, phytochemical investigations on the acetone extract of the leaves ofNicotiana tabacurn resulted in the isolation of two new sesquiterpenes, nicosesquiterpene A and B （1 and 2）, along with four known sesquiterpene derivatives （3-6）. Structural elucidation of I and 2 was performed by spectral methods, such as HRMS, IR, UV, 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopy. Compounds 1 and 2 are the first naturally occurring pterosin-type sesquiterpene bearing an isopropyl moiety. Compounds 1-6 were also evaluated for their anti-tobacco mosaic virus （anti-TMV） activity. The results showed that compounds 1 and 2 exhibited high anti-TMV activity with inhibition rates of 36.7% and 45.6%, respectively, which is higher than that of positive control. The other compounds also showed potential activity with inhibition rates in the range of 22.7%-29.2%.