Effect and mechanism of reactive oxygen species-mediated NOD-like receptor family pyrin domain-containing 3 inflammasome activation in hepatic alveolar echinococcosis

BACKGROUND The NOD-like receptor family pyrin domain-containing 3(NLRP3)inflammasome is a significant component of the innate immune system that plays a vital role in the development of various parasitic diseases.However,its role in hepatic alveolar echinococcosis(HAE)remains unclear.AIM To investigate the NLRP3 inflammasome and its mechanism of activation in HAE.METHODS We assessed the expression of NLRP3,caspase-1,interleukin(IL)-1β,and IL-18 in the marginal zone and corresponding normal liver of 60 patients with HAE.A rat model of HAE was employed to investigate the role of the NLRP3 inflammasome in the marginal zone of HAE.Transwell experiments were conducted to investigate the effect of Echinococcus multilocularis(E.multilocularis)in stimulating Kupffer cells and hepatocytes.Furthermore,immunohistochemistry,Western blotting,and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay were used to evaluate NLRP3,caspase-1,IL-1β,and IL-18 expression;flow cytometry was used to detect apoptosis and reactive oxygen species(ROS).RESULTS NLRP3 inflammasome activation was significantly associated with ROS.Inhibition of ROS production decreased NLRP3-caspase-1-IL-1βpathway activation and mitigated hepatocyte damage and inflammation.CONCLUSION E.multilocularis induces hepatocyte damage and inflammation by activating the ROS-mediated NLRP3-caspase-1-IL-1βpathway in Kupffer cells,indicating that ROS may serve as a potential target for the treatment of HAE.

Analysis of isolation of cerebral cortical neurons in rats by different methods

The aim of this study was to find a way to efficiently separate neuronal cells from the cerebral cortex of adult rats,providing a reference method for rapid acquisition of neuronal cells from the adult rat brain.Fifteen SD rats were randomly divided into three groups,with five SD rats in each group.Then,neuron cells were isolated from the adult rat cerebral cortex by the grinding method,the trypsin method,and the collagenase II method,respectively.The expression of anti-NeuN in the neurons of each group was analyzed by flow cytometry.The acquisition rates and morphology of neurons of each group were observed by immunofluorescence staining.The grinding or collagenase II method is more suitable for rapid acquisition of neuronal cells from an adult rat’s cerebral cortex.The number of neuron cells obtained by the trypsin method were very few,so it is not convenient for later experiments.

A 7-year-old girl with giant congenital biliary dilatation

A 7-year-old girl presented to our out-patient clinic with complaints of abdominal mass and pain with yellowish skin for over 3 months.The patient was also accompanied by clinical manifestations such as nausea and vomiting,skin itching and clay-colored stools.She denied any past history of gastrointestinal bleeding or trauma.Examination revealed a non-tender swelling as it moved with breathing(Panel A).