Neurocutaneous melanosis with an intracranial cystic-solid meningeal melanoma in an adult:A case report and review of literature

BACKGROUND Neurocutaneous melanosis(NCM)is a rare congenital,nonhereditary neurocutaneous syndrome that mainly occurs in children;adult NCM is very rare.Due to its rarity,the clinical features and treatment strategies for NCM remain unclear.The purpose of this study was to explore the clinical features,diagnosis,treatment and prognosis of NCM in adults.Most intracranial meningeal melanomas are solid masses,and cystic-solid malignant melanomas are very rare.Due to the lack of data,the cause of cystic changes and the effect on prognosis are unknown.CASE SUMMARY A 41-year-old woman was admitted to the hospital with intermittent headache for 1 mo.Magnetic resonance imaging(MRI)showed a 4.7 cm×3.6 cm cystic-solid mass in the left temporal lobe with peritumoral edema.The entire mass was removed,and postoperative pathology indicated malignant melanoma.CONCLUSION MRI is the first-choice imaging approach for diagnosing central nervous system diseases in NCM patients,although cerebrospinal fluid may also be used.At present,there is no optimal treatment plan;gross total resection combined with BRAF inhibitors and MEK inhibitors might be the most beneficial treatment.

Correlation between three-dimensional speckle tracking imaging parameter and the cardiotoxicity of chemotherapeutics in patients with lung cancer chemotherapy

Objective: To study the correlation between three-dimensional speckle tracking imaging (3D-STI) parameter global area strain (GAS) and the cardiotoxicity of chemotherapeutics in patients with lung cancer chemotherapy. Methods: Patients with lung cancer who underwent chemotherapy in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Medical University between February 2016 and May 2017 were selected as the chemotherapy group, the healthy subjects who received physical examination during the same period were selected as the control group, the 3D-STI examination was performed and GAS was calculated;the serum was collected to determine the contents of cardiotoxicity markers as well as apoptosis and oxidative stress indexes, and the peripheral blood was collected to determine the expression of apoptosis and oxidative stress molecules. Results: GAS level, serum ALDH2 and CAT contents as well as peripheral blood Keap1 and Bcl-2 expression intensity of chemotherapy group were lower than those of control group whereas serum Copeptin, CK-MB, cTnI, cMyBP-c, sTWEAK, sFas, MDA and 8-isoPGF2α contents as well as peripheral blood Nrf-2, gp91phox, p22 phox and Caspase-3 expression intensity were significantly higher than those of control group;the GAS level in chemotherapy group was negatively correlated with serum Copeptin, CK-MB, cTnI, cMyBP-c, sTWEAK, sFas, MDA and 8-isoPGF2α contents as well as peripheral blood Nrf-2, gp91phox, p22 phox and Caspase-3 expression intensity, and positively correlated with serum ALDH2 and CAT contents as well as peripheral blood Keap1 and Bcl-2 expression intensity. Conclusion: The changes of 3D-STI parameter GAS in patients with lung cancer chemotherapy can reflect the degree of cardiotoxicity induced by oxidative stress and apoptosis.

Effects of panax notoginseng saponins on apoptosis, inflammation and oxidative stress in rats with propofol-induced cognitive impairment

Objective: To study the effects of panax notoginseng saponins(PNS) on apoptosis, inflammation and oxidative stress in rats with propofol-induced cognitive impairment. Methods: 7-day-old SD rats were chosen as experimental animals and randomly divided into control group, propofol group and PNS intervention group, propofol group were given intraperitoneal injection of propofol, and PNS intervention group were given panax notoginseng saponins intervention on the basis of intraperitoneal injection of propofol. The brain tissues of three groups of rats were collected 7 d after modeling and intervention to measure the expression of apoptotic molecules, inflammatory molecules and oxidative stress molecules. Results: Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), nerve growth factor (NGF), Bax inhibitor 1 (BI-1), DNA dioxygenase (TET2), peroxidoreductin 6 (PRDX6), heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) mRNA expression in brain tissues of propofol group were lower than those of control group whereas Bcl-2 related X protein (Bax), glycoprotein 78 (GRP78), caspase-3 containing cysteine, nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), interleukin-1β(IL-1β), tumor necrosis factor-a(TNF-a), neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), NADPH oxidase 2 (NOX2), malondialdehyde (MDA) mRNA expression were higher than those of control group;BDNF, NGF, BI-1, TET2, PRDX6 and HSP70 mRNA expression in brain tissues of PNS intervention group were higher than those of propofol group whereas Bax, GRP78, Caspase-3, NF-κB, IL-1β, TNF-α, nNOS, iNOS, NOX2 and MDA mRNA expression were lower than those of propofol group. Conclusion: Panax notoginseng saponins can reduce the apoptosis, inflammation and oxidative stress in rats with propofol-induced cognitive impairment.

Protective effect of dexmedetomidine on the propofol-induced cognitive dysfunction and neuron apoptosis in rats

Objective:To study the protective effect of dexmedetomidine on the propofol-induced cognitive dysfunction and neuron apoptosis in rats.Methods: SD rats were selected as the experimental animals and randomly divided into control group, propofol group and Dex group, propofol group and Dex group were established into propofol-induced cognitive dysfunction models by intraperitoneal injection of propofol, and Dex were given dexmedetomidine intervention on the basis of model establishment. The cognitive behavioral indicators were measured 1 d, 3 d and 5 d after model establishment;the contents of nerve marker molecules as well as inflammatory and oxidative stress response molecules in brain tissue of the hippocampus were measured at 5 d after model establishment.Results: 1 d, 3 d and 5 d after model establishment, the escape latency of propofol group were significantly longer than those of control group while the frequency of original platform crossing were significantly less than those of control group, and the escape latency of Dex group were significantly shorter than those of propofol group while the frequency of original platform crossing were significantly more than those of propofol group;5 d after model establishment, BDNF, SYN1, GPx and SOD contents in brain tissue of propofol group were significantly lower than those of control group while Nogo-A, Aβ, NF-kB p65, P2X7, TNFα, MCP1, ROS, p47PHOX and MDA contents were significantly higher than those of control group;BDNF, SYN1, GPx and SOD contents in brain tissue of Dex group were significantly higher than those of propofol group while Nogo-A, Aβ, NF-kB p65, P2X7, TNFα, MCP1, ROS, p47PHOX and MDA contents were significantly lower than those propofol group.Conclusion: Dexmedetomidine can reduce the cognitive dysfunction induced by propofol and inhibit the apoptosis induced by inflammatory response and oxidative stress response.

Effects of parecoxib sodium intervention before induction on inflammatory stress response and endocrine steady state after laparoscopic surgery

Objective:To study the effects of parecoxib sodium intervention before induction on the inflammatory stress response and endocrine steady state after laparoscopic surgery.Methods:120 cases of patients who accepted laparoscopic cholecystectomy in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Medical University between March 2015 and December 2016 were selected and randomly divided into the parecoxib group who accepted parecoxib sodium combined with general anesthesia and the control group who accepted general anesthesia. Before anesthesia induction (T0), immediately after extubation of anesthesia (T1) and 6 hours after extubation (T2), serum levels of inflammatory cytokines and stress hormones as well as peripheral blood levels of immune cells were determined.Results:At T0, serum PGE2, TNF-α, IL-6, CRP, Cor, NE, Ins, C-P and AT-II levels as well as peripheral blood IFNγ+CD4+T cell and Perforin+CD8+T cell levels were not significantly different between two groups of patients;at T1 and T2, serum PGE2, TNF-α, IL-6, CRP, Cor, NE, Ins, C-P and AT-II levels of parecoxib group were significantly lower than those of control group while peripheral blood IFNγ+CD4+T cell and Perforin+CD8+T cell levels were significantly higher than those of control group.Conclusion: Parecoxib sodium intervention before induction can inhibit inflammatory stress response and improve endocrine steady state after laparoscopic surgery.

Serum and cerebrospinal fluid tau protein level as biomarkers for evaluating acute spinal cord injury severity and motor function outcome

Tau protein, a microtubule-associated protein, has a high specific expression in neurons and axons. Because traumatic spinal cord injury mainly affects neurons and axons, we speculated that tau protein may be a promising biomarker to reflect the degree of spinal cord injury and prognosis of motor function. In this study, 160 female Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into a sham group, and mild, moderate, and severe spinal cord injury groups. A laminectomy was performed at the T8 level to expose the spinal cord in all groups. A contusion lesion was made with the NYU-MASCIS impactor by dropping a 10 g rod from heights of 12.5 mm(mild), 25 mm(moderate) and 50 mm(severe) upon the exposed dorsal surface of the spinal cord. Tau protein levels were measured in serum and cerebrospinal fluid samples at 1, 6, 12, 24 hours, 3, 7, 14 and 28 days after operation. Locomotor function of all rats was assessed using the Basso, Beattie and Bresnahan locomotor rating scale. Tau protein concentration in the three spinal cord injury groups(both in serum and cerebrospinal fluid) rapidly increased and peaked at 12 hours after spinal cord injury. Statistically significant positive linear correlations were found between tau protein level and spinal cord injury severity in the three spinal cord injury groups, and between the tau protein level and Basso, Beattie, and Bresnahan locomotor rating scale scores. The tau protein level at 12 hours in the three spinal cord injury groups was negatively correlated with Basso, Beattie, and Bresnahan locomotor rating scale scores at 28 days(serum: r =-0.94; cerebrospinal fluid: r =-0.95). Our data suggest that tau protein levels in serum and cerebrospinal fluid might be a promising biomarker for predicting the severity and functional outcome of traumatic spinal cord injury.

Decreased uncoupling protein 2 expression in aging retinal pigment epithelial cells

AIM: To analyze the expression of uncoupling protein 2(UCP2) in retinal pigment epithelium(RPE) cells at the different human age, further explore the possible new target of RPE cells protection.METHODS: Adult retinal pigment epithelial-19(ARPE-19) cells and the primary RPE cells at the different age(9-20 y,50-55 y, 60-70 y, >70 y) were cultured and harvested. The expression of UCP2 in these cells was detected by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR), Western blot and confocal microscopy.RESULTS: Cells from the donors more than 60 y are larger and more fibroblastic in appearance compared to ARPE-19 cells and those primary cultures obtained from the younger individuals by using phase-contrast micrographs. Results of RT-PCR, Western blot and confocal microscopy all showed that UCP2 was highly expressed in ARPE-19 cells and in the younger primary cultured human RPE cells at the age of 9-20 y and 50-55 y, whereas lower expression of UCP2 was measured in the older primary cultured human RPE cells at the age more than 60 y.CONCLUSION: Expression of UCP2 gene is decreased in aged RPE cells, promoting the lower ability of anti-oxidation in these cells. It is indicated that UCP2 gene might be a new target for protecting the cells from oxidative stress damage.

Investigation on the Mode of Action of the Traditional Chinese Medical Prescription-Yiqihuoxue Formula, an Effective Extravasation Treatment for Cerebral Vascular Microemboli in ApoE-/- mice

Objective: The objective of this study was to investigate the mechanisms underlying anti-embolism and extravasational effects of traditional Chinese medical prescription YiqiHuoxue(YQHX) formula in ApoE-/-mice with cerebral vascular microemboli. Materials and Methods: An ApoE-/-mice model with microemboli was developed by infusing fluorescently labeled heterologous fibrin-rich microparticles into the internal carotid artery of ApoE -/-gene knockout male mice through the common carotid artery. Before microemboli injection, the animals were randomly divided into four groups of 10 animals, treated daily for 6 weeks by intragastric administration: The ApoE-/-control group(physiological saline, 0.2 mL/10 g/d), YQHX group(0.2 ml/10 g/d), clopidogrel group(3 mg/kg/d), and atorvastatin group(3 mg/kg/d);a further group was constituted of normal male C57 BL/6 J mice(with the same genetic background as ApoE-/-mice;normal control group;no treatment;microemboli injection). The mice in each microemboli group were divided into three subgroups, the 2-h, 24-h, and 72-h subgroups, corresponding to the time after microemboli injection. Two hours(or 24 h or 72 h) after microemboli injection, the changes in aortic intima and brain tissue were analyzed by histopathology, the amounts of fluorescent emboli being measured by fluorescence microscopy image analysis. Comparison points included the microemboli induced loss of aorta functions and pathological changes, atherosclerotic plaque, brain ultrastructure and functions, and embolus extravasation. Results: Loss of aorta functions and adverse pathological changes, atherosclerotic plaque, serious damage in brain ultrastructure and functions, and reduced thrombus elimination were obviously serious in microemboli injected ApoE-/-mice. These symptoms were significantly relieved by the YQHX pretreatment:(i) the ratio of thrombus accumulation was increased with a significant decrease in thrombus extravasation in ApoE-/-mice, while YQHX induced an increased thrombus extravasation;(ii) the degree of aortic intimal thickening and brain tissue structural disorders were significantly increased in ApoE-/-mice, but overtly inhibited in the YQHX group;(iii) YQHX restored cell viability and homeostasis in the brain;(iv) YQHX regulated the expression of pro-and anti-inflammatory cytokines in the aorta;and(v) YQHX reduced cortical nerve nuclei pyknosis, edema, liquefaction, and necrosis induced by brain hypoxia, especially in the 24 h and 72 h groups. Conclusions: These findings indicate that the protective effects of YQHX on the brain against microemboli-induced injury may be attributed to the activation of extravasation mechanisms, which are involved in the cerebrovascular injury pathway and constitutively important in the progression of ischemic stroke.

Correlation between peripheral blood Cx40 gene polymorphism and atherosclerotic plaque property development in patients with cerebral infarction

Objective:To study the correlation between peripheral blood connexin 40 (Cx40) gene polymorphism and atherosclerotic plaque property development in patients with cerebral infarction.Methods: Patients who were treated in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Medical University due to acute cerebral infarction between March 2015 and March 2018 were selected as cerebral infarction group, and healthy subjects who received physical examination during the same period were selected as control group. Peripheral blood was collected to detect the polymorphism of Cx40 gene rs35594137 locus, and serum was collected to determine the contents of cytokines, proteases and related molecules.Results: The constituent ratio of Cx40 gene AA+AG genotype in peripheral blood of cerebral infarction group was higher than that of control group whereas the constituent ratio of GG genotype was lower than that of control group;serum IL-17, HMGB1, VCAM1, MCP-1, P-selectin, YKL-40, MMP9, TIMP1 and Caspase-3 contents as well as MMP9/TIMP1 ratio of cerebral infarction group were significantly higher than those of control group whereas ADAMTS13 and Vaspin contents were significantly lower than those of control group;serum IL-17, HMGB1, VCAM1, MCP-1, P-selectin, YKL-40, MMP9, TIMP1 and Caspase-3 contents as well as MMP9/TIMP1 ratio of cerebral infarction group of patients with CX40 gene AA+AG genotype were significantly higher than those of patients with GG genotype whereas ADAMTS13 and Vaspin contents were significantly lower than those of patients with GG genotype.Conclusion: The mutation from Cx40 gene rs35594137 allele G to A in peripheral blood of patients with cerebral infarction can promote the development of atherosclerotic plaque properties.

Experimental study about Hepatitis B virus X protein (HBx) promotion on the liver cancer cell line growth as well as its molecular mechanism

Objective:To study the effect of hepatitis B virus X protein (HBx) on the expression of proliferation molecules, invasion molecules and angiogenesis molecules in liver cancer cell lines.Methods: Liver cancer cell lines HepG2 were cultured and divided into HBx group and control group that were transfected with pcDNA3.1-HBx plasmid and blank pcDNA3.1 plasmid respectively. 24 h and 48 h after transfection, the mRNA expression of proliferation molecules Survivin, cyclinD1 and c-myc, invasion molecules CD44v6, MT1-MMP, MMP2 and MMP7 as well as angiogenesis molecules VEGF, Ang-1, Ang-2 and FGF-2 in cells were determined.Results:After 24 h and 48 h of transfection, the Survivin, cyclinD1, c-myc, CD44v6, MT1-MMP, MMP2, MMP7, VEGF, Ang-1, Ang-2 and FGF-2 mRNA expression in HBx group of cells were significantly higher than those in control group.Conclusion: HBx can promote the expression of proliferation molecules, invasion molecules and angiogenesis molecules in the liver cancer cell lines.

Effect of cycling heat treatment on the microstructure,phase,and compression behaviour of directed energy deposited Ti-Mo alloys

In this study,the effect of triple-cycling heat treatment on the microstructure,phase,and compression behaviour of directed energy deposited(DED)Ti-7Mo alloy was investigated with a focus on a non-equilibrium to equilibrium microstructure transition.As a result of thermal accumulation,in situ cycling,and rapid solidification,the as-deposited sample presents a continuous gradient microstructure withα-Ti in the top region andα+βin the bottom region.After the triple-cycling heat treatment,theα+βTi at the bottom region,which is non-equilibrium,changes to a state of equilibrium nearα-Ti.Meanwhile,the microstructure becomes more uniform throughout the entire sample.The morphology of theα-Ti phase changes from acicular to a short rode-like shape with increases in the number of dimensions.In terms of the mechanical properties,both the microhardness and compression properties were improved,particularly with respect to the fracture characteristics.The heat-treated sample possesses a much higher ductility than the brittle fractural behaviour.This work provides new insights into the microstructure and property optimisation and homogenisation of DED-processed Ti-based components with cycling heat treatment.