Role of resident memory T cells in neuroinflammatory and neurodegenerative diseases in the central nervous system

The immune system has been attracting increasing attention in the field of chronic neurological disorders in the central nervous system(CNS).Autoreactive T cells targeting CNS antigens play a crucial role in the development of various autoimmune diseases,such as multiple sclerosis(MS)and neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder(NMOSD).Moreover,T cells are now recognized as a pivotal contributor to the pathology of neurodegenerative disorders,including Alzheimer's disease(AD),Parkinson's disease(PD),and multiple system atrophy.

Interstitial Lung Diseases Associated with Connective Tissue Pathologies: Radiologic Features

Introduction: The high resolution computed tomography (HRCT) is an important part in the diagnostic approach of interstitial lung disease (ILD) associated with connective tissue diseases (CTD) by providing detailed information on the elementary lesion and the radiological pattern of ILD. Aim: to point out the role of HRCT in the diagnosis of ILD associated with CTD (ILD-CTD). Methods: A Retrospective descriptive study was conducted between 2008 and 2017. Data of 24 patients presenting ILD-CTD were collected. A review of HRCT was performed by a radiologist without knowledge of the CTD. Results: Predominant elementary lesion of ILD associated with dermatomyositis (9 cases) was ground glass opacity (n = 9) followed by consolidation (n = 6). Non Specific Interstitial Pneumonia (NSIP) was the most reported pattern (5 cases). Ground glass opacity was also the predominant elementary lesion for the 2 cases of scleroderma and in Sj&#246gren’s syndrome (4 cases/5). NSIP was the predominant radiological presentation in these two CTD. Lymphoid interstitial pneumonia revealed Sj&#246gren’s syndrome in one case. In rheumatoid arthritis (6 cases), the elementary HRCT lesions were irregular interlobular septal thickening (n = 4) and honeycombing (n = 4) consistent with Usual Interstitial Pneumonia (UIP) in 2 cases. Similarly UIP has been described for the 2 patients with lupus and mixed connective tissue disease. Conclusion: HRCT plays an important role in the management of ILD-CTD. Description of the HRCT elementary lesions and the radiological pattern of ILD can be helpful for CTD’s diagnosis.

Correlation of MRI-determined small bowel Crohn’s disease categories with medical response and surgical pathology

AIM: To determine whether magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can be used to categorize small bowel Crohn's disease (SB CD) into groups that correlate with response to medical therapy and surgical pathology.METHODS: Data was collected from all patients with MRI evidence of SB CD without significant colonic disease over a 32-mo period. Two radiologists, blinded to clinical findings, evaluated each MRI and grouped them based on bowel wall thickness and wall enhancement. These categories were: (1) "fibrosis", (2) "mild segmental hyper-enhancement and mild wall thickening", (3) "mild segmental hyper-enhancement and marked wall thickening", (4) "marked segmental transmural hyper-enhancement". Patient response to additional medical therapy post-MRI was prospectively determined at 8-wk. Non-responders underwent endoscopy and were offered therapeutic endoscopy or surgery. Surgical pathology was assessed against the MRI category. RESULTS: Fifty-five patients were included. Females and category "2" patients were more likely, and patients with luminal narrowing and hold-up less likely, to respond to medical therapy (P < 0.05). Seventeen patients underwent surgery. The surgical pathologicalfindings of fibrosis and the severity of inflammation correlated with the MRI category in all cases.CONCLUSION: Our fi ndings suggest that SB CD can be grouped by the MRI f indings and that these groups are associated with patients more likely to respond to continued medical therapy. The MRI categories also correlated with the presence and level of intestinal inflammation and fibrosis on surgical pathology, and may be of prognostic use in the management of CD patients.

Heart and lung, a dangerous liaison-Tako-tsubo cardiomyopathy and respiratory diseases: A systematic review

AIM: To investigate the possible association between Tako-tsubo cardiomyopathy(TTC)-a reversible clini-cal condition mimicking an acute myocardial infarction characterized by multifactorial pathophysiologic mecha-nisms- and respiratory system diseases. METHODS: We systematically searched PubMed and EMBASE medical information sources, to identify the different triggering causes, limiting our search to ar-ticles in English. The search keywords were: "tako-tsubo cardiomyopathy", "takotsubo", "takotsubo cardiomyopa-thy", "broken heart syndrome", "stress-induced cardio-myopathy", "apical ballooning syndrome", and "ampulla cardiomyopathy in combination with respiratory dis-eases, lung, pulmonary disease. For each kind of dis-ease, we registered: author, year and country of study, patient sex, age, concurring situation, and outcome. RESULTS: Out of a total of 1725 articles found, we se-lected 37 papers reporting a total of 38 patients. As ex-pected, most patients were women(81.6%), mean age was 65 ± 10 years. Outcome was favorable in 100% of cases, and all the patients have been discharged un-eventfully in a few days. CONCLUSION: An association between respiratory diseases and TTC is likely to exist. Patients with severe respiratory diseases, due to the high dosages of β2-agonists used or to the need of invasive procedures, are highly exposed to the risk of developing TTC.

Prognostic Nutritional Index Associates with the Severity of Silicosis:A Study from a Tertiary Class A Prevention and Treatment Institute for Occupational Diseases in China

Pneumoconiosis is a group of heterogeneous fibrotic lung diseases caused by inorganic mineral dust and includes coal workers’pneumoconiosis and silicosis.Silicosis involves diffuse or nodular interstitial pulmonary fibrosis caused by exposure to asbestos or silica dust.China is thought to have the highest number of silicosis cases,with 6,000 new cases reported annually^([1]).Currently,the clinical diagnosis and monitoring of silicosis relies mainly on a history of occupational exposure and radiological abnormalities^([2]).Therefore,determining further indicators is crucial to reflect the severity of silicosis.

Wnt/β-catenin Signaling Cascades in Cardiovascular Diseases

Cardiovascular diseases are a group of disorders of the heart and blood vessels,primarily including coronary heart disease,stroke,and other diseases.It is the world’s leading cause of death,and its incidence is increasing yearly.Hypertension is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease.Wnt signaling comprises a series of highly conservative cascading events controlling fundamental biological processes.Wnt signaling pathways include the canonical Wnt pathway(or Wnt/β-catenin pathway),the non canonical planar cell-polarity pathway,and the non-canonical calcium-dependent pathways.Abnormal Wnt signaling promotes cell proliferation and differentiation,cardiac malformations,various malignancies,so drugs targeting Wnt signaling play a great therapeutic potential.Wnt/β-catenin pathway is involved in the occurrence and development of cardiovascular diseases such as atherosclerosis and stroke by regulating cell proliferation,migration,apoptosis,blood-brain barrier permeability,inflammation,oxidative stress,and immune response.Based on the latest research progress,this review summarizes the role of Wnt/β-catenin signaling in cardiovascular diseases,in order to provide new ideas for the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases.

Primary biliary cholangitis presenting with granulomatous lung disease misdiagnosed as lung cancer:A case report

BACKGROUND There are few cases of pulmonary granulomatous changes secondary to primary biliary cirrhosis(PBC).No case of granulomatous lung disease secondary to PBC misdiagnosed as lung cancer had been reported.CASE SUMMARY A middle-aged woman presented with lung nodules and was misdiagnosed with lung cancer by positron emission tomography/computed tomography.She underwent left lobectomy,and the pathology of the nodules showed granulomatous inflammation,which was then treated with antibiotics.However,a new nodule appeared.Further investigation with lung biopsy and liver serology led to the diagnosis of PBC,and chest computed tomography indicated significant reduction in the pulmonary nodule by treatment with methylprednisolone and ursodeoxycholic acid.CONCLUSION Diagnosis of pulmonary nodules requires integrating various clinical data to avoid unnecessary pulmonary lobectomy.

Microvascular alterations of the ocular surface and retina in connective tissue disease-related interstitial lung disease

AIM:To examine the disparities in macular retinal vascular density between individuals with connective tissue disease-related interstitial lung disease(CTD-ILD)and healthy controls(HCs)by optical coherence tomography angiography(OCTA)and to investigate the changes in microvascular density in abnormal eyes.METHODS:For a retrospective case-control study,a total of 16 patients(32 eyes)diagnosed with CTD-ILD were selected as the ILD group.The 16 healthy volunteers with 32 eyes,matched in terms of age and sex with the patients,were recruited as control group.The macular retina’s superficial retinal layer(SRL)and deep retinal layer(DRL)were examined and scanned using OCTA in each individual eye.The densities of retinal microvascular(MIR),macrovascular(MAR),and total microvascular(TMI)were calculated and compared.Changes in retinal vascular density in the macular region were analyzed using three different segmentation methods:central annuli segmentation method(C1-C6),hemispheric segmentation method[uperior right(SR),superior left(SL),inferior left(IL),and inferior right(IR)],and Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study(ETDRS)methods[superior(S),inferior(I),left(L),and right(R)].The data were analyzed using Version 9.0 of GraphPad prism and Pearson analysis.RESULTS:The OCTA data demonstrated a statistically significant difference(P<0.05)in macular retinal microvessel density between the two groups.Specifically,in the SRL and DRL analyses,the ILD group exhibited significantly lower surface density of MIR and TMI compared to the HCs group(P<0.05).Furthermore,using the hemispheric segmentation method,the ILD group showed notable reductions in SL,SR,and IL in the superficial retina(P<0.05),as well as marked decreases in SL and IR in the deep retina(P<0.05).Similarly,when employing the ETDRS method,the ILD group displayed substantial drops in superficial retinal S and I(P<0.05),along with notable reductions in deep retinal L,I,and R(P<0.05).In the central annuli segmentation method,the ILD group exhibited a significant decrease in the superficial retinal C2-4 region(P<0.05),whereas the deep retina showed a notable reduction in the C3-5 region(P<0.05).Additionally,there was an observed higher positive likelihood ratio in the superficial SR region and deep MIR.Furthermore,there was a negative correlation between conjunctival vascular density and both deep and superficial retinal TMI(P<0.001).CONCLUSION:Patients with CTD-ILD exhibits a significantly higher conjunctival vascular density compared to the HCs group.Conversely,their fundus retinal microvascular density is significantly lower.Furthermore,CTD-ILD patients display notably lower superficial and deep retinal vascular density in comparison to the HCs group.The inverse correlation between conjunctival vascular density and both superficial and deep retinal TMI suggests that detecting subtle changes in ocular microcirculation could potentially serve as an early diagnostic indicator for connective tissue diseases,thereby enhancing disease management.

Dynamic Pathology and Antigen Location Study on Broiler Breeders with Coinfection of Marek's Disease Virus and Reticuloendotheliosis Virus

To further understand the generation and development of coinfection of Marek＇s disease virus （MDV） and reticuloendotheliosis virus （REV） in broiler breeders, and then find the method and optimal time of differential diagnosis for complex clinic multiple infection, the authors studied the pathohistological changes, apoptosis, immunohistochemistry （immunofluorescence）, and ultrastructure of tumor tissues of broiler breeders inoculated with MDV and REV. The study showed that proliferation of small lymphocytes was seen in the main organs at the age of 1 week, then immature lymphocytes, all kinds of lymphocytes, primitive reticulum cells, and Marek＇s disease cells （MDCs） were observed at 2-9 weeks. Apoptosis of lymphocytes could not be seen until the age of 10 weeks in the immune system. Immunohistochemistry detection showed that the positive signs of MDV and REV antigen were observed in the main organs at 2 weeks of age. Multi-morphology lymphocytes, MDV, and REV, mitotic figures and apoptosis of lymphocytes were observed with the help of transmission electron microscopy. MDV cooperating with REV promotes the course of disease of coinfection. Differential diagnosis can be done by immunohistochemistry in the early stage （before 2 weeks）, and histopathology in the late stage （post 4 weeks）. MDCs, primitive reticulum cells, immature lymphocytes, and two kinds of virions can serve as a basis for bistopathology differential diagnosis.

Automated Classification of Lung Diseases in Computed Tomography Images Using a Wavelet Based Convolutional Neural Network

Recently, convolutional neural networks (CNNs) have been utilized in medical imaging research field and have successfully shown their ability in image classification and detection. In this paper we used a CNN combined with a wavelet transform approach for classifying a dataset of 448 lung CT images into 4 categories, e.g. lung adenocarcinoma, lung squamous cell carcinoma, metastatic lung cancer, and normal. The key difference between the commonly-used CNNs and the presented method is that in this method, we adopt the use of redundant wavelet coefficients at level 1 as inputs to the CNN, instead of using original images. One of the main advantages of the proposed method is that it is not necessary to extract regions of interest from original images. The wavelet coefficients of the entire image are used as inputs to the CNN. We compare the classification performance of the proposed method to that of an existing CNN classifier and a CNN-based support vector machine classifier. The experimental results show that the proposed method outperforms the other two methods and achieve the highest overall accuracy of 91.9%. It demonstrates the potential for use in classification of lung diseases in CT images.

Impact of continuous care on cardiac function in patients with lung cancer complicated by coronary heart disease

BACKGROUND Despite sharing similar pathogenic factors,cancer and coronary heart disease(CHD)occur in comparable populations at similar ages and possess similar susceptibility factors.Consequently,it is increasingly commonplace for patients to experience the simultaneous occurrence of cancer and CHD,a trend that is steadily rising.AIM To determine the impacts of continuing care on lung cancer patients with CHD following percutaneous coronary intervention(PCI).METHODS There were 94 lung cancer patients with CHD following PCI who were randomly assigned to the intervention group(n=38)and the control group(n=41).In the intervention group,continuing care was provided,while in the control group,routine care was provided.An evaluation of cardiac and pulmonary function,medication compliance,a 6-min walk test,and patient quality of life was performed.RESULTS Differences between the two groups were significant in left ventricular ejection fraction,6-min walk test,oxygen uptake,quality of life and medication compliance(P<0.05).In comparison with the control group,the enhancement in the intervention group was more significant.The intervention group had more patients with high medication compliance than the control group,with a statistically significant difference(P<0.05).CONCLUSION After undergoing PCI,lung patients with CHD could benefit from continued care in terms of cardiac and pulmonary function,medications compliance,and quality of life.

Clinical evolution of antisynthetase syndrome-associated interstitial lung disease after COVID-19 in a man with Klinefelter syndrome:A case report

BACKGROUND This study presents a case of rapidly developing respiratory failure due to antisynthetase syndrome(AS)following coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)in a 33-year-old man diagnosed with Klinefelter syndrome(KS).CASE SUMMARY A 33-year-old man with a diagnosis of KS was admitted to the Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine of a tertiary hospital in China for fever and shortness of breath 2 wk after the onset of COVID-19.Computed tomography of both lungs revealed diffuse multiple patchy heightened shadows in both lungs,accompanied by signs of partial bronchial inflation.Metagenomic next-generation sequencing of the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid suggested absence of pathogen.A biopsy specimen revealed organizing pneumonia with alveolar septal thickening.Additionally,extensive auto-antibody tests showed strong positivity for anti-SSA,anti-SSB,anti-Jo-1,and anti-Ro-52.Following multidisciplinary discussions,the patient received a final diagnosis of AS,leading to rapidly progressing respiratory failure.CONCLUSION This study underscores the clinical progression of AS-associated interstitial lung disease subsequent to viral infections such as COVID-19 in patients diagnosed with KS.

Pathological mechanism of immune disorders in diabetic kidney disease and intervention strategies

Diabetic kidney disease is one of the most severe chronic microvascular complications of diabetes and a primary cause of end-stage renal disease.Clinical studies have shown that renal inflammation is a key factor determining kidney damage during diabetes.With the development of immunological technology,many studies have shown that diabetic nephropathy is an immune complex disease,and that most patients have immune dysfunction.However,the immune response associated with diabetic nephropathy and autoimmune kidney disease,or caused by ischemia or infection with acute renal injury,is different,and has a complicated pathological mechanism.In this review,we discuss the pathogenesis of diabetic nephropathy in immune disorders and the intervention mechanism,to provide guidance and advice for early intervention and treatment of diabetic nephropathy.

Impact of interleukin 6 levels on acute lung injury risk and disease severity in critically ill sepsis patients

BACKGROUND Sepsis is a life-threatening condition characterized by a dysregulation of the host response to infection that can lead to acute lung injury(ALI)and multiple organ dysfunction syndrome(MODS).Interleukin 6(IL-6)is a pro-inflammatory cytokine that plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of sepsis and its complications.AIM To investigate the relationship among plasma IL-6 levels,risk of ALI,and disease severity in critically ill patients with sepsis.METHODS This prospective and observational study was conducted in the intensive care unit of a tertiary care hospital between January 2021 and December 2022.A total of 83 septic patients were enrolled.Plasma IL-6 levels were measured upon admission using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.The development of ALI and MODS was monitored during hospitalization.Disease severity was evaluated by Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II(APACHE II)and Sequential Organ Failure Assessment(SOFA)scores.RESULTS Among the 83 patients with sepsis,38(45.8%)developed ALI and 29(34.9%)developed MODS.Plasma IL-6 levels were significantly higher in patients who developed ALI than in those without ALI(median:125.6 pg/mL vs 48.3 pg/mL;P<0.001).Similarly,patients with MODS had higher IL-6 levels than those without MODS(median:142.9 pg/mL vs 58.7 pg/mL;P<0.001).Plasma IL-6 levels were strongly and positively correlated with APACHE II(r=0.72;P<0.001)and SOFA scores(r=0.68;P<0.001).CONCLUSIONElevated plasma IL-6 levels in critically ill patients with sepsis were associated with an increased risk of ALI andMODS.Higher IL-6 levels were correlated with greater disease severity,as reflected by higher APACHE II andSOFA scores.These findings suggest that IL-6 may serve as a biomarker for predicting the development of ALI anddisease severity in patients with sepsis.

Putative roles of cathepsin B in Alzheimer's disease pathology: the good, the bad, and the ugly in one?

Alzheimer＇s disease（AD）is a fatal progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by loss in memory,cognition,and executive function and activities of daily living.AD pathogenesis has been shown to involve loss of neurons and synapses,cholinergic deficits,amyloid-beta protein（Aβ）deposition,tau protein hyperphosphorylation, and neuroinflammation.

Predictors of disease recurrence after radical resection and adjuvant chemotherapy in patients with stage IIb-IIIa squamous cell lung cancer:A retrospective analysis

BACKGROUND Lung cancer(LC)is a global medical,social and economic problem and is one of the most common cancers and the leading cause of mortality from malignant neoplasms.LC is characterized by an aggressive course,and in the presence of disease recurrence risk factors,patients,even at an early stage,may be indicated for adjuvant therapy to improve survival.However,combined treatment does not always guarantee a favorable prognosis.In this regard,establishing predictors of LC recurrence is highly important both for determining the optimal treatment plan for the patients and for evaluating its effectiveness.AIM To establish predictors of disease recurrence after radical resection and adjuvant chemotherapy in patients with stage IIb-IIIa lung squamous cell carcinoma(LSCC).METHODS A retrospective case-control cohort study included 69 patients with LSCC who underwent radical surgery at the Orenburg Regional Clinical Oncology Center from 2009 to 2018.Postoperatively,all patients received adjuvant chemotherapy.Histological samples of the resected lung were stained with Mayer's hematoxylin and eosin and examined under a light microscope.Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to identify predictors associated with the risk of disease recurrence.Receiver operating characteristic curves were constructed to discriminate between patients with a high risk of disease recurrence and those with a low risk of disease recurrence.Survival was analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method.The log-rank test was used to compare survival curves between patient subgroups.Differences were considered to be significant at P<0.05.RESULTS The following predictors of a high risk of disease recurrence in patients with stage IIb-IIa LSCC were established:a low degree of tumor differentiation[odds ratio(OR)=7.94,95%CI=1.08-135.81,P=0.049];metastases in regional lymph nodes(OR=5.67,95%CI=1.09-36.54,P=0.048);the presence of loose,fine-fiber connective tissue in the tumor stroma(OR=21.70,95%CI=4.27-110.38,P=0.0002);and fragmentation of the tumor solid component(OR=2.53,95%CI=1.01-12.23,P=0.049).The area under the curve of the predictive model was 0.846(95%CI=0.73-0.96,P<0.0001).The sensitivity,accuracy and specificity of the method were 91.8%,86.9%and 75.0%,respectively.In the group of patients with a low risk of LSCC recurrence,the 1-,2-and 5-year disease-free survival(DFS)rates were 84.2%,84.2%and 75.8%,respectively,while in the group with a high risk of LSCC recurrence the DFS rates were 71.7%,40.1%and 8.2%,respectively(P<0.00001).Accordingly,in the first group of patients,the 1-,2-and 5-year overall survival(OS)rates were 94.7%,82.5%and 82.5%,respectively,while in the second group of patients,the OS rates were 89.8%,80.1%and 10.3%,respectively(P<0.00001).CONCLUSION The developed method allows us to identify a group of patients at high risk of disease recurrence and to adjust to ongoing treatment.

The Differences of Interstitial Lung Diseases in High-Resolution Computerized Tomography and Pulmonary Function Test among Different Connective Tissue Diseases, and the Correlated Factors

Objective. To study the difference of interstitial lung diseases (ILDs) in high-resolution computerized tomography and pulmonary function test among different connective tissue diseases (CTDs). Methods. 209 patients with different CTDs were recruited and underwent lung HRCT and PFT. Eerythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), serum ferritin (SF), anti-SSA, and so on were tested. Based on HRCT, a patient was classified into ILD group (CTD+ILD) or non-ILD group (CTD-ILD). HRCT, PFT, and laboratory markers were compared according to CTDs and CTD-associated ILDs. Results. The incidences of ILD were 79.6%, 82.0%, 89.7%, and 97.1% respectively for Rheumatoid arthritis (RA), primary Sjogren’s symptom (pSS), dermatomyositis/polymyositis (DM/PM), and systemic sclerosis (SSc) groups. RA and pSS patients exhibited more nodules, patching, ground-glass opacity, and cord shadow foci in HRCT, DM/PM and SSc patients exhibited more reticular opacity and honeycombing foci. RA and pSS patients exhibited more obstructive ventilatory disorder, small airway dysfunction and emphysema in PFT, and DM/PM and SSc patients exhibited more restrictive ventilatory disorder, mixed ventilatory disorder. ESR, CRP and SF were significantly higher in total CTD+ILD group than in total CTD-ILD group (P = 0.047, 0.006, 0.004, respectively), and higher in different CTD+ ILD groups than in comparable CTD-ILD groups (P = 0.049, 0.048, and 0.023, pSS+ILD, SSc+ILD and RA+ILD compared to pSS-ILD, SSc-ILD and RA-ILD, respectively for ESR, CRP, SF). The positive rate of anti-SSA was significantly higher in DM/PM+ILD group than in DM/PM-ILD group (P = 0.025). Conclusions. The manifestations and incidences of ILDs differ among different CTDs in HRCT and PFT, and inflammation and anti-SSA are positively correlated with ILDs in different CTDs, which provide important evidences for judging disease condition and prognosis.

Cerebellar pathology in motor neuron disease:neuroplasticity and neurodegeneration

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is a relentlessly progressive multi-system condition.The clinical picture is dominated by upper and lower motor neuron degeneration,but extra-motor pathology is increasingly recognized,including cerebellar pathology.Post-mortem and neuroimaging studies primarily focus on the chara cterization of supratentorial disease,des pite emerging evidence of cerebellar degeneration in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.Cardinal clinical features of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis,such as dysarthria,dysphagia,cognitive and behavioral deficits,saccade abnormalities,gait impairment,respiratory weakness and pseudobulbar affect are likely to be exacerbated by co-existing cerebellar pathology.This review summarizes in vivo and post mortem evidence for cerebellar degeneration in amyotrophic lateral scle rosis.Structural imaging studies consistently capture cerebellar grey matter volume reductions,diffusivity studies readily detect both intra-cerebellar and cerebellar peduncle white matter alte rations and functional imaging studies commonly report increased functional connectivity with supratentorial regions.Increased functional connectivity is commonly interpreted as evidence of neuro plasticity representing compensatory processes despite the lack of post-mortem validation.There is a scarcity of post-mortem studies focusing on cerebellar alte rations,but these detect pTDP-43 in cerebellar nuclei.Ce rebellar pathology is an overloo ked facet of neurodegeneration in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis despite its contribution to a multitude of clinical symptoms,wides p read connectivity to spinal and supratentorial regions and putative role in compensating for the degeneration of primary motor regions.

Anti-inflammatory effects of Tao Hong Si Wu Tang in mice with lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

BACKGROUND Lung cancer(LC)combined with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD)is a common combination of comorbidities.Anti-inflammation and modulation of oxidative/antioxidative imbalance may prevent COPD-induced LC,and are also crucial to the treatment of LC combined with COPD.Modern studies have shown that Tao Hong Si Wu Tang(THSW)has vasodilatory,anti-inflammatory,anti-fatigue,anti-shock,immunoregulatory,lipid-reducing,micronutrient-supplementing,and anti-allergy effects.AIM To observe the effects of THSW on COPD and LC in mice.METHODS A total of 100 specific pathogen-free C57/BL6 mice were randomly divided into five groups:Blank control group(group A),model control group(group B),THSW group(group C),IL-6 group(group D),and THSW+IL-6 group(group E),with 20 mice in each group.A COPD mouse model was established using fumigation plus lipopolysaccharide intra-airway drip,and an LC model was replicated by in situ inoculation using the Lewis cell method.RESULTS The blank control group exhibited a clear alveolar structure.The model control and IL-6 groups had thickened alveolar walls,with smaller alveolar lumens,interstitial edema,and several inflammatory infiltrating cells.Histopathological changes in the lungs of the THSW and THSW+IL-6 groups were less than those of the model control group.The serum IL-1β,IL-6,and TNF-αlevels and IL-6R,JAK,p-JAK,STAT1/3,p-STAT1/3,FOXO,p-FOXO,and IL-7R expression levels in lung tissues of mice in the rest of the groups were significantly higher than those of the blank control group(P<0.01).Compared with the model control group,the IL-6 group demonstrated significantly higher levels for the abovementioned proteins in the serum and lung tissues(P<0.01),and the THSW group had significantly higher serum IL-1β,IL-6,and TNF-αlevels and IL-7R expression levels in lung tissues(P<0.01)but significantly decreased IL-6R,JAK,p-JAK,STAT1/3,p-STAT1/3,FOXO,p-FOXO,and IL-7R levels(P<0.01).CONCLUSION THSW reduces the serum IL-1β,IL-6,and TNF-αlevels in the mouse model with anti-inflammatory effects.Its antiinflammatory mechanism lies in inhibiting the overactivation of the JAK/STAT1/3 signaling pathway.

Sarin Induced Lung Pathology and Protection by Standard Therapy Regime

The effects of atropine, diazepam and pralidoxime were studied for their ability to block the pathological lesions induced by sarin. Rats were exposed to an aerosol of sarin at a concentration of 51.2mg-m for 15 min following the pretreatment with one of the following combinations: atropine (10 mg/kg, i.m.) and diazepam (0.5 mg/kg, i.m.); atropine and pralidoxime (25 mg/kg, i.m.); diazepam and pralidoxime; atropine, diazepam and pralidoxime. Lung exposed to sarin aerosols revealed an increased cellular proliferation with progressive diffused interstitial thickening on the 4th day following exposure. On the 16th day, loss of alveolar space and consolidation of large areas of all lobes were observed. Sarin also caused damage to the respiratory bronchioles. All the therapy regime blocked the development of lung lesions in the descending orders: atropine, diazepam and pralidoxime, atropine and diazepam > diazepam and pralidoxime > atropine and pralidoxime. The result suggests that diazepam in combination with atropine and pralidoxime could be an effective drug combination regime for the lung lesions.