Vaporized Perfluorocarbon Confers Protection against Acute Lung Injury by Inhibiting MMP-9 Expression without Protective Effects in other Organs

OBJECTIVE: Vaporized perfluorocarbon (PFC) is a treatment for lung injury; this study investigated its mode of action and potential protective effects on other organs, which are unclear. METHODS: Acute lung injury was induced by lung lavage with artificial seawater in 32 female New Zealand White rabbits. Animals received either conventional mechanical ventilation (CMV), positive end-expiratory pressure under CMV (PEEP), vaporized PFC ventilation, or positive end-expiratory pressure with vaporized PFC ventilation (PEEP + PFC). Histopathology of the lung, small intestine, liver and kidney were investigated. Matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9 mRNA levels in the lung were analysed. RESULTS: Pathological injury of the lung was significantly alleviated in the PEEP, PFC and PEEP + PFC groups compared with the CMV group. Tissue damage in the liver, kidney and small intestine was similar between all groups. MMP-9 mRNA levels in the PEEP, PFC and PEEP + PFC groups were significantly lower than those in the CMV group. CONCLUSIONS: Vaporized PFC ventilation can significantly alleviate lung injury but has no significant protective effect on other organs. Alleviation of lung injury may be associated with MMP-9 inhibition.

Drug-mediated inhibition of Fli-1 for the treatment of leukemia

The Ets transcription factor, Fli-1 is activated in murine erythroleukemia and overexpressed in various human malignancies including Ewing's sarcoma, induced by the oncogenic fusion protein EWS/Fli-1. Recent studies by our group and others have demonstrated that Fli-1 plays a key role in tumorigenesis, and disrupting its oncogenic function may serve as a potential treatment option for malignancies associated with its overexpression. Herein, we describe the discovery of 30 anti-Fli-1 compounds, characterized into six functional groups. Treatment of murine and human leukemic cell lines with select compounds inhibits Fli-1 protein or mRNA expression, resulting in proliferation arrest and apoptosis. This anti-cancer effect was mediated, at least in part through direct inhibition of Fli-1 function, as anti-Fli-1 drug treatment inhibited Fli-1 DNA binding to target genes, such as SHIP-1 and gata-1, governing hematopoietic differentiation and proliferation. Furthermore, treatment with select Fli-1 inhibitors revealed a positive relationship between the loss of DNA-binding activity and Fli-1 phosphorylation. Accordingly, anti-Fli-1 drug treatment significantly inhibited leukemogenesis in a murine erythroleukemia model overexpressing Fli-1. This study demonstrates the ability of this drug-screening strategy to isolate effective anti-Fli-1 inhibitors and highlights their potential use for the treatment of malignancies overexpressing this oncogene.

Critical role of proinflammatory cytokine IL-6 in allograft rejection and tolerance

The proinflammatory cytokine IL-6 plays an important role in controlling T-cell differentiation, especially the development of Th17 and regulatory T cells. To determine the function of IL-6 in regulating allograft rejection and tolerance, BALB/c cardiac grafts were transplanted into wild-type or IL-6-deficient C57BL/6 mice. We observed that production of IL-6 and IFN-γ was upregulated during allograft rejection in untreated wild-type mice. In IL-6-deficient mice, IFN-γ production was greater than that observed in wild-type controls, suggesting that IL-6 production affects Th1/Th2 balance during allograft rejection. CD28-B7 blockade by CTLA4-Ig inhibited IFN-γ production in C57BL/6 recipients, but had no effect on the production of IL-6. Although wild-type C57BL/6 recipients treated with CTLA4-Ig rejected fully MHC-mismatched BALB/c heart transplants, treatment of IL-6-deficient mice with CTLA4-Ig resulted in graft acceptance. Allograft acceptance appeared to result from the combined effect of costimulatory molecule blockade and IL-6-deficiency, which limited the differentiation of effector cells and promoted the migration of regulatory T cells into the grafts. These data suggest that the blockade of IL-6, or its signaling pathway, when combined with strategies that inhibit Th1 responses, has a synergistic effect on the promotion of allograft acceptance. Thus, targeting the effects of IL-6 production may represent an important part of costimulation blockade-based strategies to promote allograft acceptance and tolerance.

Effects of exogenous enzymes in corn-based and Canadian pearl millet-based diets with reduced soybean meal on growth performance, intestinal nutrient digestibility, villus development, and selected microbial populations in broiler chickens

An experiment was conducted to compare a commercial corn-soybean meal diet with a pearl millet diet containing less soybean meal (-27%), alone or in combination with exogenous enzymes, on growth performance, jejunal villus development, ileal CP, and AA digestibility, and cecal microbial populations in broilers. One hundred sixty 1-d-old male Ross 508 broilers (5/cage) were randomly allocated to one of the following dietary treatments: 1) a standard corn-soybean meal control diet (CTL); 2) a pearl millet-soybean meal diet (PM); 3) CTL + exogenous enzymes (CE); and 4) PM + exogenous enzymes (PE) with 8 replicate cages/treatment. The PM and PE diets contained less soybean meal because of greater CP and AA contents of pearl millet. All diets were isonitrogenous and isocaloric. Body weight and feed intake were recorded weekly over 35 d. At d 21 and 35, 8 broilers per treatment were euthanized for sample collection and analyses. Gain-to-feed was greater (P < 0.01) for pearl millet- than corn-based diets. Apparent ileal digestibility (AID) of CP and most AA was similar between corn-based and pearl millet-based diets, and enzyme supplementation improved AID of CP (P < 0.01) and most AA at both d 21 and 35. However, for AID of some AA at d 21, the response to enzyme supplementation was less pronounced in broilers fed pearl millet-based diets than those fed corn-based diets (grain × enzyme, P ≤ 0.05). The villus was longer (P < 0.01) in broilers fed PM and PE than CTL and CE at d 35. Similarly, at d 35, lactobacilli loads were greater (P < 0.01) in broilers fed PM and PE than CTL and CE. It is concluded that, in comparison with corn, broiler diets formulated with pearl millet require less soybean meal and can be used to improve growth performance traits, intestinal lactobacilli populations, and villus development, whereas enzyme supplementation increases AID of CP and AA.

Left ventricular posterior wall thickness is an independent risk factor for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation

BACKGROUND

Atrial fibrillation is the most common significant cardiac arrhythmia in clinical practice, but its risk factors remain to be clarified. We have hypothesized that left ventricular posterior wall thickness is an independent risk factor for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF).

METHODS

A total of 166 consecutive patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation were included in this study. Another 166 healthy check-up people, strictly age and sex-matched, were enrolled as controls in the same period. Univariable analysis and multivariable conditional logistic stepwise regression analysis were conducted. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed on those significant indices obtained from the multivariable logistic regression analysis.

RESULTS

The multivariable stepwise analysis identified left ventricular posterior wall thickness, left atrial diameter tricuspid insufficiency and residence (countryside) as independent predictors for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis demonstrated the cutoff values of those risk factors aforementioned.

CONCLUSIONS

In this strictly age and sex-matched population-based sample, left ventricular posterior wall thickness, left atrial diameter, tricuspid insufficiency and residence were predictive risks for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. This study offers novel information therapeutically beyond that provided by traditional clinical atrial fibrillation risk factors.

Total hip replacement for high dislocated hips without femoral shortening osteotomy

When performing total hip replacement (THR) in high dislocated hips, the presence of soft-tissue contractures means that most surgeons prefer to use a femoral shortening osteotomy in order to avoid the risk of neurovascular damage. However, this technique will sacrifice femoral length and reduce the extent of any leg-length equalisation. We report our experience of 74 THRs performed between 2000 and 2008 in 65 patients with a high dislocated hip without a femoral shortening osteotomy. The mean age of the patients was 55 years (46 to 72) and the mean follow-up was 42 months (12 to 78). All implants were cementless except for one resurfacing hip implant. We attempted to place the acetabular component in the anatomical position in each hip. The mean Harris hip score improved from 53 points (34 to 74) pre-operatively to 86 points (78 to 95) at final follow-up. The mean radiologically determined leg lengthening was 42 mm (30 to 66), and the mean leg-length discrepancy decreased from 36 mm (5 to 56) pre-operatively to 8.5 mm (0 to 18) postoperatively. Although there were four (5%) post-operative femoral nerve palsies, three had fully resolved by six months after the operation. No loosening of the implant was observed, and no dislocations or infections were encountered. Total hip replacement without a femoral shortening osteotomy proved to be a safe and effective surgical treatment for high dislocated hips.

Influence of flavonoid extracts from celery on oxidative stress induced by dichlorvos in rats

The present work was to investigate the effects of flavonoid extracts from celery on oxidative stress induced by dichlorvos (DIC) in male Wistar rats maintained on a normal diet. The rats were given DIC through intragastric administration by the dose of 7.2 mg/kg·body weight (bw)/day and additionally added 5% flavonoid extracts to the diet for 4 weeks continuously. The activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), catalase (CAT), glutathione-S-transferase (GST) and the content of malondialdehyde (MDA) in livers of rats were measured at the end of the experiment. Under the influence of DIC, there were significant decrease in the activities of SOD, CAT and GST and significant increase in GPx activity and MDA content. The results also showed that the activities of SOD, GST and CAT in the DIC-treated group declined significantly when compared with the flavonoid extracts group and the DIC + flavonoid extracts group, respectively. With regard to GPx activity and MDA content, significant increase were showed in the DIC-treated group in comparison to those in the flavonoid extracts group and the DIC + flavonoid extracts group, respectively. The observations presented lead us to conclude the harmful effects of DIC during the exposure and the protective role of flavonoids in minimizing these effects.

Tumor vasculature is a key determinant for the efficiency of nanoparticle-mediated siRNA delivery

Delivering small interfering RNA (siRNA) to tumors using clinically viable formulations remains the primary technical hurdle that prevents the development of siRNA therapy for cancer treatment. Over the past several years, significant effort has been devoted to explore novel delivery strategies, whereas relatively little attention has been paid to understand the impact of physiological constrains such as tumor vasculature on the efficiency of siRNA delivery. Using the previously described positive-readout tumor models where successful siRNA delivery leads to an upregulation of β-galactosidase within tumor sections, we analyzed the spatial distribution of localized target knockdown within tumor sections relative to tumor hypoxia and found that stable nucleic acid lipid particle (SNALP), a lipid nanoparticle-based delivery system, predominantly delivers siRNA to areas adjacent to functional tumor blood vessels. Increasing tumor vascularity by ectopic expression of VEGF resulted in more efficient siRNA delivery to tumors using SNALP. SNALP-mediated delivery of a siRNA-targeting Ran GTPase led to target knockdown and significant antitumor efficacy in the highly vascularized HepG2-derived liver tumors, but not in the poorly vascularized HCT-116-derived liver tumors. These results highlight the significant impact of tumor vasculature on siRNA delivery and call for a more focused effort on addressing tumor penetration after extravasation, an area of only limited attention currently.