All-trans retinoic acid and COX-2 cross-talk to regulate BMP9-induced osteogenic differentiation via Wnt/β-catenin in mesenchymal stem cells

COX-2 specific inhibitor, which has been widely used, can delay bone fracture healing and reduce osteogenic potential of bone marrow stromal cells. However, it remains unknown how to prevent these side-effects of COX-2 inhibitor. In this study, we introduced BMP9-induced osteogenic differentiation as model to evaluate whether all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) could ameliorate these adverse effects of COX-2 specific inhibitor on bone metabolism with in vitro and in vivo experiments, and uncover the possible mechanism underlying this process. Results showed that ATRA enhanced the potential of BMP9 to induce the osteogenic markers, such as alkaline phosphates (ALP) and mineralization; but retinoic acid receptor a (RARa) inhibitor showed the reversal effects. COX-2 specific inhibitor (NS398) reduced the osteogenic markers induced by BMP9, and ATRA almost eliminated the inhibitory effect of NS398. BMP9 up-regulated the protein level of β-catenin and promoted it translocate to nucleus, and both were reduced by NS398. On the contrary, ATRA notablely attenuated the inhibitory effect of NS398 on BMP9-increased β-catenin. Exogenous RXRa obviously ameliorated the inhibitory effect of silencing COX-2 on ectopic bone formation induced by BMP9. NS398 reduced the level of phosphorylated CREB, which was almost reversed by ATRA. Besides, RXRa interacted with phosphorylated CREB directly and both were recruited at β-catenin promoter region. Thus, we demonstrated that ATRA may reverse the side-effects of COX-2 inhibitor on bone metabolism through increasing the activation of Wnt/β-catenin pathway partly.

Effect of different time of ultrasound treatment on physicochemical, thermal, and antioxidant properties of chicken plasma protein

The aim of present study was to investigate the effect of different times (5 min (UCPP-5), 10 min (UCPP-10), 20 min (UCPP-20), and 30 min (UCPP-30)) of ultrasound treatment on physicochemical, thermal, and antioxidant properties of chicken plasma protein (CPP). UCPP-20 had the highest fluorescence intensity and the lowest particle size. However, no major changes in the subunit compositions and the secondary structure of UCPPs were presented in SDS-PAGE and circular dichroism. The surface hydrophobicity and sulfhydryl content of UCPPs increased significantly (P < 0.05) as compared to those of CPP. With the increasing time of ultrasound treatment, there were more and deeper holes on the protein surfaces. Furthermore, protein modification by ultrasound could improve the thermal properties of UCPPs. Additionally, UCPPs showed a significant increase in antioxidant properties over CPP, especially UCPP-20. These observations indicated that ultrasound treatment was necessary for modification of CPP to meet the requirements for food processing.

[Comparative study of three-dimensional versus two-dimensional laparoscopic C1 radical hysterectomy for cervical cancer]

Objective: To compare the clinical effects and the subjective perception of surgeons with three-dimensional (3D) and two-dimensional (2D) laparoscopic C1 radical hysterectomy surgeries for cervical cancer. Methods: The retrospective cohort study was conducted. The clinicopathological data of 101 patients with cervical cancer who received C1 laparoscopic radical hysterectomy (C1-LRH) surgery from June 2015 to August 2017 were collected. Of all patients, 42 cases undergoing 3D laparoscopic surgery and 59 cases undergoing 2D laparoscopic surgery were respectively allocated into the C1-3DLRH group or C1-2DLRH group. The clinical effect and the subjective perception of surgeons were compared between the two groups. Results: (1) There was no significant difference between the C1-3DLRH group and C1-2DLRH group in terms of age, body mass index (BMI), International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage, pathologic type, etc. (all P>0.05). Compared with C1-2DLRH group, the operation time was significantly shortened [(192±54) vs (221±54) minutes, P<0.01], blood loss was significantly less [(102±88) vs (167±117) ml, P<0.01], and the success rate of inferior hypogastric plexus (IHP) bladder branch preservation was significantly increased [86% (36/42) vs 66% (39/59), P<0.05] in C1-3DLRH group. There were no significant difference in the number of lymph nodes, the incidence of operative complications, the infection rate, the time of catheterization and the length of hospitalization between the two groups (all P>0.05). The long-term bladder function was evaluated at the twelfth month after operation, 39 patients in the C1-3DLRH group and 53 patients in the C1-2DLRH group were completed the survey. The results showed that 13% (5/39) of the patients in the C1-3DLRH group had long-term bladder dysfunction, which was lower than that 21% (11/53) of the C1-2DLRH group, but there was no significant difference between the two groups (χ(2)=0.980, P=0.322). (2) A total of 251 laparoscopic surgeons questionnaires were eligible. The incidence of side effects in the first and second generation of 3D and 2D laparoscopic surgeons was 20.4% (10/49), 6.9% (6/87) and 3.5% (4/115), respectively. The incidence of side effects in the first generation of 3D laparoscopic surgeons was higher than that in the second generation of 3D (χ(2)=5.463, P=0.019) and 2D laparoscopic surgeons (χ(2)=12.475, P<0.01). There was no difference between the second generation of 3D and 2D laparoscopic surgeons (χ(2)=1.208, P=0.272). Conclusions: 3D laparoscopy is advantageous to the preservation of autonomic nerve in C1-LRH operation and may improve the quality of operation compared with 2D laparoscopy. The second generation of 3D laparoscopic device might overcome the side effects of the surgeons.

Protist communities are more sensitive to nitrogen fertilization than other microorganisms in diverse agricultural soils

BACKGROUND

Agricultural food production is at the base of food and fodder, with fertilization having fundamentally and continuously increased crop yield over the last decades. The performance of crops is intimately tied to their microbiome as they together form holobionts. The importance of the microbiome for plant performance is, however, notoriously ignored in agricultural systems as fertilization disconnects the dependency of plants for often plant-beneficial microbial processes. Moreover, we lack a holistic understanding of how fertilization regimes affect the soil microbiome. Here, we examined the effect of a 2-year fertilization regime (no nitrogen fertilization control, nitrogen fertilization, and nitrogen fertilization plus straw amendment) on entire soil microbiomes (bacteria, fungi, and protist) in three common agricultural soil types cropped with maize in two seasons.

RESULTS

We found that the application of nitrogen fertilizers more strongly affected protist than bacterial and fungal communities. Nitrogen fertilization indirectly reduced protist diversity through changing abiotic properties and bacterial and fungal communities which differed between soil types and sampling seasons. Nitrogen fertilizer plus straw amendment had greater effects on soil physicochemical properties and microbiome diversity than nitrogen addition alone. Moreover, nitrogen fertilization, even more together with straw, increased soil microbiome network complexity, suggesting that the application of nitrogen fertilizers tightened soil microbiomes interactions.

CONCLUSIONS

Together, our results suggest that protists are the most susceptible microbiome component to the application of nitrogen fertilizers. As protist communities also exhibit the strongest seasonal dynamics, they serve as the most sensitive bioindicators of soil changes. Changes in protist communities might have long-term effects if some of the key protist hubs that govern microbiome complexities as top microbiome predators are altered. This study serves as the stepping stone to promote protists as promising agents in targeted microbiome engineering to help in reducing the dependency on exogenous unsustainably high fertilization and pesticide applications.

Very high external quantum efficiency and wall-plug efficiency 527 nm InGaN green LEDs by MOCVD

We demonstrate very high luminous efficacy InGaN-based green light-emitting diodes (LEDs) grown on c-plane patterned sapphire substrates (PSS) using metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). The 527 nm green LEDs show a peak external quantum efficiency (EQE) of 53.3%, a peak wall-plug efficiency (WPE) of 54.1% and a peak luminous efficacy of 329 lm/W, respectively. A high EQE of 38.4%, a WPE of 32.1% and a very low forward voltage of 2.86 V were obtained at a typical working current density of 20 A/cm². By operating low cost green LEDs at a low current density, our devices (0.5 mm²) demonstrating an EQE and a WPE higher than 50% and an efficacy of 259 lm/W at 4 A/cm² with an output power of 24 mW. High crystal quality of the InGaN/GaN MQWs was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and the advantage of the epitaxy design was investigated by APSYS software simulation. These results provide a simple way to achieve very high efficiency InGaN green LEDs.

Bioaugmented soil aquifer treatment for P-nitrophenol removal in wastewater unique for cold regions

P-nitrophenol (PNP) is a toxic and recalcitrant organic pollutant and a usual intermediate in the production of fine chemicals, which has posed a significant threat to subsurface environment safety. Soil aquifer treatment (SAT) is a promising method to remove and remediate contamination in vadose zone with low cost and high efficiency. However, there are still research gaps for the treatment of recalcitrant contaminants by SAT in cold regions, such as un-robust indigenous microbes and low temperature constraint in vadose zone. The bioaugmentation technology was first introduced into SAT in order to enhance the removal ability of PNP by SAT operated in cold regions in this study. A high-efficiency PNP-degrading bacterium was successfully isolated, which can efficiently degrade PNP below 200 mg L^-1 with a degradation rate above 99% at 15 °C close to the real subsurface temperature in cold regions, and added into SAT for bioaugmentation. The feasibility of bioaugmented SAT and associated PNP removal process were investigated by laboratory sand columns, along with effects of the SAT operative parameters (namely PNP loading concentration, flow rate and soil saturation level of SAT). Within the range of PNP loading stresses tested (1-200 mg L^-1), PNP removal efficiency was optimal at constant flow rate of 219 mL d^-1 in unsaturated operating condition of SAT under 15 °C among all the investigated experimental conditions. Longer hydraulic residence time increased the PNP removal rate, although the accumulated mass removed reduced and the removal efficiencies remained constant in unsaturated operating condition of SAT. It is found from the comparison between the PNP removals via both unsaturated and saturated columns that slight difference only in the removal rate of PNP was observed and the highly efficient bioaugmented SAT can completely degrade PNP of 10 mg L^-1 within 5 wetting/drying cycles under both scenarios.

[Prognostic analysis of stage Ⅰb2 andⅡa2 cervical squamous cancer without high risk factors treated with neo-adjuvant chemotherapy and radical hysterectomy]

Objective: To analyze the prognosis of Ⅰb2 and Ⅱa2 cervical squamous cancer without high risk factors treated with neo-adjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) and radical hysterectomy. Methods: This retrospective study included patients with International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage Ⅰ b2 and Ⅱ a2 cervical squamous cancer without high risk factors who underwent platinum-based NACT followed by radical surgery from January 2008 to January 2015. The responses of NACT were observed and compared in their effect on postoperative pathologic risk factors. Kaplan-Meier method and Cox regression analysis were performed to analyze survival status. Results: This study was recruited 282 patients with the average age of (44.4±6.7) years old. After NACT, 42 patients achieved complete response [CR, 14.9% (42/282) ], while 138 patients achieved partial response [PR, 48.9% (138/282) ] and 102 stable disease [SD, 36.2% (102/282) ]. The rate of pathologic diameter ≥4 cm, deep stromal invasion (DSI) positive and lymph-vascular space invasion (LVSI) positive rate decreased significantly in CR and PR group compared with SD group (P<0.05) . The number of postoperative risk factors in CR, PR and SD groups varied significantly (χ(2)=64.869, P=0.000) . Besides, the rate of multiple intermediate risk factors was respectively 0 vs 13.8% vs 45.1% (χ(2)=7.107, P=0.008) . The disease relapsed in 23 patients, and 12 died. On the whole series, 5-year overall survival rate was 91.7%, and 5-year recurrence-free survival rate was 88.9%. The rate of recurrence (P=0.002) and mortality (P=0.036) were higher in LVSI positive patients compared with LVSI negative. And the rate of recurrence was higher in patients with multiple intermediate risk factors, compared with no or one intermediate risk factors (P=0.002) . Univariate analysis revealed that LVSI positive and multiple intermediate risk factors were the factors predicted recurrence and mortality (P<0.05) , and no significance in age, stage, tumor grade, tumor diameter before or after NACT, response to NACT, or DSI positive factors (all P>0.05) . The multivariate analysis showed that, the factor of primary tumor diameter ≥6 cm (P=0.022) and multiple intermediate risk factors (P=0.001) were independent prognostic variables for recurrent-free survival. Besides, multiple intermediate risk factors was independent prognostic variable for overall survival (P=0.034) . After surgery, 107 patients did not receive adjuvant therapy, while 175 patients received adjuvant therapy with 26 radiotherapy, 46 chemotherapy and 103 concurrent radiochemotherapy. On survival analysis of postoperative adjuvant treatment, 5-year recurrence-free survival rate of radiotherapy group was significantly lower in patients with the factor of SD response to NACT (P=0.011) and multiple intermediate risk factors (P=0.008) , while overall no significance in overall survival rate (P>0.05) . Conclusions: NACT may be play beneficial role in relieving the status of intermediate risk factors for stage Ⅰ b2 and Ⅱ a2 cervical squamous cancer without high risk factors. The status of multiple intermediate risk factors is independent prognostic factors for recurrence and mortality. For patients with multiple intermediate risk factors, postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy or concurrent radiochemotherapy might be the better choice to prevent relapse.

Multimodal monitoring combined with hypothermia for the management of severe traumatic brain injury: A case report

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a prominent public health issue that has a significant negative impact on patients and their family members. It is the leading cause of mortality and disability among young (below 50 years old) individuals. Intracranial hypertension (ICH) remains the single most difficult therapeutic challenge for the management of severe TBI. Therapeutic hypothermia may reduce intracranial hypertension and improve patient outcomes; however, the use of hypothermia is controversial. It has been reported that therapeutic hypothermia elicits no therapeutic benefit for patients with TBI. The present study presents two patients with severe(s) TBI who were admitted to 101st Hospital of the People's Liberation Army Between June 2017 to October 2017. Multimodal brain monitoring measurements of intracranial pressure, cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP) and bispectral index (BIS) were used during assisted hypothermia for management of patients with sTBI. The duration, degree of hypothermia treatment and speed of re-warming were assessed.

[Application of liver three-dimensional visualization technologies in the treatment planning of hepatic malignant tumor]

Objective: To discuss the application of three dimentional(3D)visualization technologies in treatment plan of hepatic malignant tumor. Methods: The clinical data of 300 patients with liver malignant tumor who received treatment from January 2016 to January 2017 in the Third Department of Hepatic Surgery of Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital was retrospectively analyzed in this study, including 221 male and 79 female patients aged from 7 to 76 years with median age of 54 years. The median height was 168 cm (115-183 cm), the median weight was 65 kg (20-105 kg) and the median tumor volume was 142 ml (23-2 493 ml). Three-dimensional visualization technology was used in all patients to reconstruct liver three-dimensional graphics. Also, two and three-dimensional methods were taken respectively to evaluate patients and develop treatment strategy. The change of treatment strategy caused by 3D evaluation, actual surgical plan, operation time, time of hepatic vascular occlusion, intraoperative blood loss, volumes of blood transfusion and postoperative complications was observed. Results: After three-dimensional visualization technology was applied, 75(25%) of 300 patients' treatment strategies had been changed. The range of hepatectomy was extended in 25 patients. And 7 of them were due to hepatic venous variation, which resulted in increasing drainage area. In other 4 patients, liver resections were extended due to lack of perfusion of the liver parenchyma after the removal of portal vein. And hepatectomy was expanded in 14 patients in order to increase the surgical margin. The range of hepatectomy was reduced in 8 patients, 4 of which were due to hepatic venous variation, such as hepatic vein of segment 4 or lower right posterior hepatic vein. The remaining 4 cases were because of insufficient residual liver volume.The surgical resection was performed in 278 cases, 257 of which received operation directly. Left hepatectomy was performed in 24 patients and right hepatectomy was performed in 33 patients. Left trisectionectomy was carried out in 12 patients and right trisectionectomy was carried out in 11 patients. Caudate lobectomy was applied in 10 patients. There were 18 cases of left lateral sectionectomy, 7 cases of right anterior sectionectomy, 25 cases of right posterior sectionectomy and 18 cases of mesohepatectomy. Single or multi segment resection was performed in 99 patients. The treatment strategy of thirty-six patients was converted to staged hepatectomy (ALPPS 11 cases and portal vein embolization 25 cases). The median operation time was 130 minutes (90-360 minutes) and the median inflow blood occlusion time was 20 minutes (0-75 minutes). Median blood loss volume was 200 ml (20-1 600 ml). Thirty-seven of 278 patients received transfusions, and the average red blood transfusion volume was (4.4±1.7)units (0-8 units). Median hepatic resection volume was 530 ml(30-2 600 ml). There were 117 cases of pleural effusion after operation, including 3 patients needing invasive therapy. Ascites occurred in 23 patients, 6 of whom needed invasive therapy. Biliary leakage was observed in 30 patients. Eight patients occurred hepatic cutting surface hemorrhage, 6 of whom received blood transfusion, and 4 of whom underwent laparotomy to stop bleeding. Three patients had pulmonary infection after surgery and 3 patients appeared biliary obstruction. Deep vein thrombosis took place in 2 patients and portal vein thrombosis was observed in 4 patients. No postoperative liver failure and death ever happened in our study group. Conclusion: Three-dimensional visualization technique can optimize the treatment strategy of patients with liver malignant tumor, improve surgical safety.

Value of Ventricular Intracranial Pressure Monitoring for Traumatic Bifrontal Contusions

OBJECTIVE

To investigate clinical efficacy of and optimal therapeutic strategy for ventricular intracranial pressure monitoring (V-ICPM) in patients with traumatic bifrontal contusions (TBCs).

METHODS

From 8760 patients with traumatic brain injury treated between January 2010 and January 2016, a retrospective analysis was performed on 105 patients with TBCs who underwent V-ICPM and 282 patients with TBCs who did not. All patients underwent treatment at the 101st Hospital of PLA, Wuxi, China. Rates of successful conservative treatment, decompressive craniectomy, and bifrontal craniotomy; incidence of neurologic dysfunction; length of stay; and medical expenses were compared between groups.

RESULTS

Glasgow Outcome Scale was used to assess all patients during follow-up (range, 6 months to 5.5 years). There were no significant differences in prognosis between the 2 groups (P = 0.100). Compared with the patients who did not undergo V-ICPM, the V-ICPM group had a significantly better successful conservative treatment rate (64.8% vs. 47.2%, P = 0.002), decompressive craniectomy rate (8.1% vs. 22.1%, P = 0.008), and bifrontal craniotomy rate (5.7% vs. 15.6%, P = 0.01); shorter length of stay (P = 0.000); and lower medical expenses (P = 0.004).

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with TBCs should be strictly, closely, and dynamically observed by neurosurgery intensive care unit physicians and nurses. Patients should undergo ventricular intracranial pressure probe implantation in a timely manner. V-ICPM can help optimize treatment. Although V-ICPM did not significantly improve the prognosis of patients, it had many other advantages. V-ICPM warrants further clinical research and may be beneficial for patients with TBCs.

Solvent-free nanofluid with three structure models based on the composition of a MWCNT/SiO2 core and its adsorption capacity of CO2

A series of core/shell nanoparticle organic/inorganic hybrid materials (NOHMs) with different weight ratios of two components, consisting of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and silicon dioxide (SiO₂) as the core were synthesized. The NOHMs display a liquid-like state in the absence of solvent at room temperature. Five NOHMs were categorized into three kinds of structure states based on different weight ratio of two components in the core, named the power strip model, the critical model and the collapse model. The capture capacities of these NOHMs for CO₂ were investigated at 298 K and CO₂ pressures ranging from 0 to 5 MPa. Compared with NOHMs having a neat MWCNT core, it was revealed that NOHMs with the power strip model show better adsorption capacity toward CO₂ due to its lower viscosity and more reactive groups that can react with CO₂. In addition, the capture capacities of NOHMs with the critical model were relatively worse than the neat MWCNT-based NOHM. The result is attributed to the aggregation of SiO₂ in these samples, which may cause the consumption and hindrance of reactive groups. However, the capture capacity of NOHMs with the collapse model was the worst of all the NOHMs, owing to its lowest content of reactive groups and hollow structure in MWCNTs. In addition, they presented non-interference of MWCNTs and SiO₂ without aggregation state.

Protective effects of atorvastatin on cerebral vessel autoregulation in an experimental rabbit model of subarachnoid hemorrhage

The aim of the present study was to assess the therapeutic effects of atorvastatin on cerebral vessel autoregulation and to explore the underlying mechanisms in a rabbit model of subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). A total of 48 healthy male New Zealand rabbits (weight, 2–2.5 kg) were randomly allocated into SAH, Sham or SAH + atorvastatin groups (n=16/group). The Sham group received 20 mg/kg/d saline solution, whereas 20 mg/kg/d atorvastatin was administered to rabbits in the SAH + atorvastatin group following SAH induction. Changes in diameter, perimeter and basilar artery (BA) area were assessed and expression levels of the vasoactive molecules endothelin-1 (ET-1), von Willebrand factor (vWF) and thrombomodulin (TM) were measured. Neuronal apoptosis was analyzed 72 h following SAH by terminal deoxynucleotidyl-transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) staining. The mortality rate in the SAH group was 18.75, 25% in the SAH + atorvastatin treated group and 0% in the Sham group (n=16/group). The neurological score in the SAH + atorvastatin group was 1.75±0.68, which was significantly higher compared with the Sham group (0.38±0.49; P<0.05). The BA area in the SAH + atorvastatin group (89.6±9.11) was significantly lower compared with the SAH group (115.4±11.0; P<0.01). The present study demonstrated that SAH induction resulted in a significant increase in the diameter, perimeter and cross-sectional area of the BA in the SAH + atorvastatin group. Administration of atorvastatin may significantly downregulate the expression levels of ET-1, vWF and TM (all P<0.01) vs. sham and SAH groups. TUNEL staining demonstrated that neuronal apoptosis was remarkably reduced in the hippocampus of SAH rabbits following treatment with atorvastatin (P<0.05). Atorvastatin treatment may alleviate cerebral vasospasm and mediate structural and functional remodeling of vascular endothelial cells, in addition to promoting anti-apoptotic signaling. These results provided supporting evidence for the use of atorvastatin as an effective and well-tolerated treatment for SAH in various clinical settings and may protect the autoregulation of cerebral vessels.

Lipopolysaccharide induces the differentiation of hepatic progenitor cells into myofibroblasts via activation of the Hedgehog signaling pathway

Normally, hepatic progenitor cells (HPCs) are activated and differentiate into hepatocytes or bile ductular cells to repair liver damage during liver injury. However, it remains controversial whether the abnormal differentiation of HPCs occurs under abnormal conditions. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a component of the microenvironment, promotes liver fibrosis. In the present study, HPCs promoted liver fibrosis in rats following carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄) treatment. Meanwhile, the LPS level in the portal vein was elevated and played a primary role in the fate of HPCs. In vitro, LPS inhibited the hepatobiliary differentiation of HPCs. Concurrently, HPCs co-cultured with LPS for 2 weeks showed a tendency to differentiate into myofibroblasts (MFs). Thus, we conclude that LPS promotes the aberrant differentiation of HPCs into MFs as a third type of descendant. This study provides insight into a novel differentiation fate of HPCs in their microenvironment, and could thus lead to the development of HPCs for treatment methods in liver fibrosis.

[Transformation and Migration of Sulfur Speciation in the Rhizosphere and Bulk Soil of Paddy Soil]

A pool culture experiment was carried out to investigate the influence of different forms of sulfur fertilizers (sulfur and gypsum) on the transformation and migration of sulfur speciation in the rhizosphere and bulk soil of unpolluted and polluted paddy soils.The results showed that the redox potential (Eh) was about 93-283 mV and 83-254 mV, respectively, the soil solution pH was 7.5-8.4 and 7.7-8.4, respectively, and pe+pH was 9.1-13.2 and 9.1-12.5, respectively, in the bulk and bulk soil.Solution Eh values in Rhizosphere soil were generally higher than those in bulk soil, and solution pH in the former was generally lower than that in the latter.The different forms of inorganic sulfur followed the order of water-soluble sulfur (41%-81% of total inorganic sulfur, similarly hereinafter)>>sulfur adsorption (9%-34%)>hydrochloric acid soluble sulfur (8%-24%)>hydrochloric acid volatile sulfide (2%-8%) in the rhizosphere.In tillering and earing flowering,the concentrations of water-soluble and absorbed sulfur by application of gypsum were significantly higher than those using elemental sulfur.And its content in unpolluted paddy soil was significantly higher than that in polluted paddy soil. In the bulk soil,the forms of inorganic sulfur followed the order of water-soluble sulfur (40%-69%)>>hydrochloric acid soluble sulfur (18%-41%)>hydrochloric acid volatile sulfide (6%-16%)>adsorbed sulfur (0.7%-7.5%).The mass fractions of inorganic sulfur, organic sulphur and the total sulfur in the rhizosphere soil were in the range of 223-738 mg·kg^-1, 574-1647 mg·kg^-1 and 825-2287 mg·kg^-1,respectively,and the corresponding fractions were in the range of 68-128 mg·kg^-1, 108-391 mg·kg^-1 and 200-477 mg·kg^-1 in the bulk soil,respectively.Inorganic sulfur and organic sulfur of total sulfur in the rhizosphere were 20%-40% and 60%-80%, respectively, and those in the bulk were 18%-46% and 54%-82%, respectively.Total sulfur. organic sulfur and water-soluble sulfur and adsorbed sulfur and hydrochloric acid soluble sulfur in the rhizosphere were 3-11 times, 3-5 times, 5-7 times, 12-20 times, and 2-3 times of those in the bulk soil, respectively, whereas the hydrochloric acid volatile sulfur in the rhizosphere was lower than that in the bulk soil.

[The experience of abundant amount of pectoralis major myocutaneous flap tissue in restoring parenchyma defect of head and neck]

Objective:Explore the skills to flap the defects of the head and neck with myocutaneous of pectoralis major which has rich amount of organization to minimize complications.Method:Various of neck defects will be repaired when the myocutaneous flap of pectoralis major from obese male or/and female has been prepared with improved methods. First of all, the muscle must be fixed. Then we have to suture the skin and the defect of skin or mucous membrane;the potential closed cavities around the myocutaneous flap must be drainaged with the negative pressure after repaired. Clinical data of 23 (24 sides) patients undergoing the repair in our hospital between January 2008 and December 2014 were collected and reviewed retrospectively.Result:One of 23 cases was injured the thoracoacromial artery in the preparation process of myocutaneous flap by the operator, then we operated on the other side. All of the pectoralis major myocutaneous flaps has been survived except 1 case which was necrosis in distal partial of pectoralis major muscle flap, but healed after changing dressing.Three cases with pharyngeal leakage because of the infection were also healed after changing dressing; skin and skin flap partial dehiscence happend in 1 cases, but also healed after dressing; 1 cases with subcutaneous hemorrhage was healed after cleaning up hematocele.Conclusion:The pectoralis major myocutaneous flap is still a good material for the repair of head and neck defects as long as the management skill in perioperative has been mastered properly, even though the one with rich amount of organization is bloated and the preparation and repair is difficult.

Protective effects of Celastrol on diethylnitrosamine-induced hepatocellular carcinoma in rats and its mechanisms

Celastrol, an active ingredient of Tripterygium Wilfordii, is a traditional Chinese medicinal herb, which has attracted interests for its potential anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer activities. The aim of this study was to evaluate the anti-tumor effect of Celastrol against diethylnitrosamine (DEN)-induced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in rats and furthermore, to explore the underlying mechanism. Sprague-Dawley rats were intragastrically administered with DEN (10mg/kg) for 6 days every week and persisting 16 weeks. The number of nodules was calculated. Hematoxylin-Eosin (HE) staining was used to evaluate the hepatic pathological lesions. The levels of serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), glutamic oxalacetic transaminase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and alpha fetoprotein (AFP) were analyzed by Elisa kits, and the protein levels of p53, Murine double minute (MDM) 2, Bax, Bcl-2, Bcl-xl, cytochrome C, Caspase-3, Caspase-9 and Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) were analyzed by western blot. The results showed that Celastrol could significantly decrease the mortality, the number of tumor nodules and the index of liver in the Celastrol groups compared with DEN-treated group. Moreover, Celastrol obviously improved the hepatic pathological lesions and decreased the elevated levels of ALT, AST, ALP and AFP. Meanwhile, Celastrol suppressed the expression of the protein MDM2, activated the intrinsic mitochondrial apoptosis pathway induced by p53, inhibited anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 and Bcl-xl, induced the pro-apoptotic Bax, cytochrome C, PARP and caspases. These results suggested that Celastrol had a good therapeutic action in reversing DEN-induced HCC rats, which may be associated with the apoptosis of hepatoma cells induced by Celastrol.

Bruton's tyrosine kinase inhibitor restrains Wnt signaling in chronic lymphocytic leukemia

The B-cell receptor (BCR) signaling pathway serves an important role in the pathogenesis of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), and has been identified as a novel and effective therapeutic target of CLL, with particular focus its kinase factor, BTK. Previous studies have focused on combining the BTK inhibitor with additional chemotherapeutic agents to improve the prognosis of patients with CLL. Further investigation into the mechanism of the BTK inhibitor would promote an understanding of the pathogenesis of CLL. The current study investigated the association between ibrutinib and the Wnt signaling pathway, additionally focussing upon one of its regulators, metadherin (MTDH), which has been identified to be overexpressed in CLL and is considered a promoter of the Wnt pathway. The experiments in the current study were performed in the MEC-1 CLL cell line. Results indicated that MTDH, β-catenin and lymphoid-enhancing factor-1 were inhibited subsequent to ibrutinib treatment. The results indicate that in CLL, ibrutinib is likely to possess an inhibitory role in Wnt signaling.

Atorvastatin ameliorates early brain injury after subarachnoid hemorrhage via inhibition of AQP4 expression in rabbits

The therapeutic effects of atorvastatin on early brain injury (EBI), cerebral edema and its association with aquaporin 4 (AQP4) were studied in rabbits after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) using western blot analysis and the dry-wet method. Seventy-two healthy male New Zealand rabbits weighing between 2.5 and 3.2 kg were randomly divided into three groups: the SAH group (n=24), sham-operated group (n=24) and the SAH + atorvastatin group (n=24). A double SAH model was employed. The sham-operated group were injected with the same dose of saline solution, the SAH + atorvastatin group received atorvastatin 20 mg/kg/day after SAH. All rabbit brain samples were taken at 72 h after the SAH model was established successfully. Brain edema was detected using the dry-wet method after experimental SAH was induced; AQP4 and caspase-3 expression was measured by western blot analysis, and neuronal apoptosis was detected by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labelling (TUNEL) staining at 72 h after SAH. The results indicated that brain edema and injury appeared soon after SAH, while brain edema and EBI were ameliorated and increased behavior scores were noted after prophylactic use of atorvastatin. Compared with the SAH group, the level of AQP4 and the cerebral content of water was significantly decreased (P<0.01) by atorvastatin, and TUNEL staining and studying the expression of caspase-3 showed that the apoptosis of neurons was reduced markedly both in the hippocampus and brain cortex by atorvastatin. The results suggest that atorvastatin ameliorated brain edema and EBI after SAH, which was related to its inhibition of AQP4 expression. Our findings provide evidence that atorvastatin is an effective and well-tolerated approach for treating SAH in various clinical settings.

Ischemic preconditioning protects the brain against injury via inhibiting CaMKII-nNOS signaling pathway

Although studies have shown that cerebral ischemic preconditioning (IPC) can ameliorate ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) induced brain damage, but its precise mechanisms remain unknown. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the neuroprotective mechanisms of IPC against ischemic brain damage induced by cerebral I/R and to explore whether the Calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII)-mediated up-regulation of nNOS ser847-phosphorylation signaling pathway contributed to the protection provided by IPC. Transient global brain ischemia was induced by 4-vessel occlusion in adult male Sprague-Dawley rats. The rats were pretreated with 3 min of IPC alone or KN62 (selective antagonist of CaMKII) treatment before IPC, after reperfusion for 3 days, 6 min ischemia was induced. Cresyl violet staining was used to examine the survival of hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons. Immunoblotting was performed to measure the phosphorylation of CaMKII, nNOS, c-Jun and the expression of FasL. Immunoprecipitation was used to examine the binding between PSD95 and nNOS. The results showed that IPC could significantly protect neurons against cerebral I/R injury, furthermore, the combination of PSD95 and nNOS was increased, coinstantaneously the phosphorylation of CaMKII and nNOS (ser847) were up-regulated, however the activation of c-Jun and FasL were reduced. Conversely, KN62 treatment before IPC reversed all these effects of IPC. Taken together, the results suggest that IPC could diminish ischemic brain injury through CaMKII-mediated up-regulation of nNOS ser847-phosphorylation signaling pathway.

Methylprednisolone suppresses the Wnt signaling pathway in chronic lymphocytic leukemia cell line MEC-1 regulated by LEF-1 expression

High dose methylprednisolone (HDMP) has been an effective salvage therapy for patients with relapsed chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), while little is known about the exact mechanisms implicated in glucocorticoid-induced cell death. To explore the mechanism of glucocorticoid-induced cell death, we investigated the effect of HDMP on canonical Wnt signaling which emerged as a key pathway implicated in the pathogenesis of CLL. In this study, the human CLL cell line MEC-1 was incubated with various concentrations of methylprednisolone. Cell proliferation activity was detected by CCK8 assay, the apoptotic effect was evaluated by TUNEL assay. Western blot was used to detect active-caspase 3, and the key proteins in Wnt signaling pathway (LEF-1, β-catenin). RT-PCR was performed to assess the mRNA levels of β-catenin, LEF-1, c-myc and cyclin D1. We observed that high concentration of methylprednisolone could suppress the proliferation activity of MEC-1 cells, promote the relative expression of active-caspase 3, and induce apoptotic cell death. Furthermore, methylprednisolone could inhibit LEF-1 protein expression, consequently down-regulate mRNA levels of c-myc and cyclin D1, but could not affect the transcription level of β-catenin and LEF-1 mRNA. The results of this study indicate that methylprednisolone can suppress Wnt signaling pathway by down-regulating LEF-1 protein expression, indicating a novel mechanism for HDMP therapy in CLL.

Induction of long-term oscillations in the γ frequency band by nAChR activation in rat hippocampal CA3 area

The hippocampal neuronal network oscillation at γ frequency band (γ oscillation) is generated by the precise interaction between interneurons and principle cells. γ oscillation is associated with attention, learning and memory and is impaired in the diseased conditions such as Alzheimer's disease (AD) and schizophrenia. Nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) plays an important role in the regulation of hippocampal neurotransmission and network activity. It is not known whether nicotine modulates plasticity of network activity at γ oscillations in the hippocampus. In this study we investigated the effects of nicotine on the long-term changes of KA-induced γ oscillations. We found that hippocampal γ oscillations can be enhanced by a low concentration of nicotine (1μM), such an enhancement lasts for hours after washing out of nicotine, suggesting a form of synaptic plasticity, named as long-term oscillation at γ frequency band (LTOγ). Nicotine-induced LTOγ was mimicked by the selective α4β2 but not by α7 nAChR agonist and was involved in N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor activation as well as depended on excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmission. Our results indicate that nAChR activation induced plasticity in γ oscillation, which may be beneficial for the improvement of cognitive deficiency in AD and schizophrenia.

Celastrol induces mitochondria-mediated apoptosis in hepatocellular carcinoma Bel-7402 cells

Celastrol is a natural terpenoid isolated from Tripterygium wilfordii, a well-known Chinese medicinal herb that presents anti-proliferative activities in several cancer cell lines. Here, we investigated whether celastrol induces apoptosis on hepatocellular carcinoma Bel-7402 cells and further explored the underlying molecular mechanisms. Celastrol caused a dose- and time-dependent growth inhibition and apoptosis of Bel-7402 cells. It increased apoptosis through the up-regulation of Bax and the down-regulation of Bcl-2 in Bel-7402 cells. Moreover, celastrol induced the release of cytochrome c and increased the activation of caspase-3 and caspase-9, suggesting that celastrol-induced apoptosis was related to the mitochondrial pathway. These results indicated that celastrol could induce apoptosis in Bel-7402 cells, which may be associated with the activation of the mitochondria-mediated pathway.