Following the Nonthermal Phase Transition in Niobium Dioxide by Time-Resolved Harmonic Spectroscopy

Photoinduced phase transitions in correlated materials promise diverse applications from ultrafast switches to optoelectronics. Resolving those transitions and possible metastable phases temporally are key enablers for these applications, but challenge existing experimental approaches. Extreme nonlinear optics can help probe phase changes, as higher-order nonlinearities have higher sensitivity and temporal resolution to band structure and lattice deformations. Here the ultrafast transition from the semiconducting to the metallic phases in polycrystalline thin-film NbO_{2} is investigated by time-resolved harmonic spectroscopy. The emission strength of all harmonic orders shows a steplike suppression when the excitation fluence exceeds a threshold (∼11-12  mJ/cm^{2}), below the fluence required for the thermal transition-a signature of the nonthermal emergence of a metallic phase within 100±20  fs. This observation is backed by full ab initio simulations as well as a 1D chain model of high-harmonic generation from both phases. Our results demonstrate femtosecond harmonic probing of phase transitions and nonthermal dynamics in solids.

[Anatomical relationship between the brachiocephalic trunk and the trachea and the clinical implications]

OBJECTIVE

To observe the anatomical features and relative position of the brachiocephalic trunk and the trachea to provide an anatomical basis for diagnosis and treatment of mechanical airway obstruction and for facilitating the performance of tracheotomy.

METHODS

A total of 91 formalin- fixed adult cadavers (70 male and 21 female) were used in this study. The whole length of the larynx and the trachea were separated and exposed from the neck to the chest, followed by separation of the aortic arch and its 3 branches to observe the anatomical position of the brachiocephalic trunk and the trachea.

RESULTS

The brachiocephalic trunk and the trachea did not intersect in 3.30%, partially intersected in 71.43%, and completely intersected in 25.27% of the 91 cadaveric specimens. The male specimens all showed greater outer diameter of the aortic arch, the brachiocephalic trunk and the trachea with a greater length of the trachea than the female specimens (P < 0.05), while the distances from the aortic arch to the brachiocephalic trunk or the cricoid cartilage did not differ significantly between them (P > 0.05). The number of the tracheal cartilage rings above the brachiocephalic trunk ranged from 3 to 10, and the mean number did not differ significantly between the male and female specimens (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSION

The brachiocephalic trunk has complex anatomical relationship with the trachea, and caution should be taken to avoid injuries of the brachiocephalic trunk and the aortic arch in the diagnosis and treatment of mechanical respiratory obstruction and during tracheotomy.

Comparative analysis of sensitivity and specificity of computer-aided cognitive test in screening mild cognitive impairment patients and test of reliability and validity

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the reliability and validity of the computer-aided cognitive test (CACT).

METHODS

219 Subjects of Tongji Hospital's Brain Health cohort (115 cases of Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) patients and 104 cases of normal controls) were enrolled, of which 24 cases received a retest after 2 weeks. Finally, the reliability and validity of the scale were tested and analyzed.

RESULTS

(1) Reliability: (a) the internal consistency reliability of the total score of the scale was 0.645; (b) the retest reliability correlation coefficient of the total score of the scale was 0.900; (c) the Guttman Split-Half coefficient was 0.631; (2) Validity: (a) construct validity analysis showed that the correlation coefficient between each section score was between 0.036 and 0.408, and the correlation coefficient between each section score and the total score was between 0.468 and 0.781; (b) criterion validity analysis showed that the correlation coefficient between the total score of CACT and that of the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) was 0.733, and the coefficient between the total score of CACT and that of the basic version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) was 0.763; (c) the area under the ROC curve of the CACT to distinguish between MCI patients and controls was 0.920, with an optimal diagnostic threshold of 20, a sensitivity of 88.5%, and a specificity of 80.9%.

CONCLUSION

The CACT is little influenced by education level. It has good reliability and validity, which can be used for early clinical screening of cognitive dysfunction.

Rosuvastatin Slows Progression of Carotid Intima-Media Thickness: The METEOR-China Randomized Controlled Study

BACKGROUND

Atherosclerosis is the leading cause of cardiovascular disease worldwide, including in China. Primary prevention, through lipid-lowering, could avert development of atherosclerosis. Carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) is a well-validated measure of atherosclerosis used in intervention studies as the primary outcome and alternative end point for cardiovascular disease events.

METHODS

This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter, parallel-group study assessed the effects of rosuvastatin 20 mg/d compared with placebo on progression of CIMT over 104 weeks in Chinese people with subclinical atherosclerosis. The primary end point was the annualized rate of change in mean of the maximum CIMT measurements taken 7× over the study period from each of 12 carotid artery sites (near and far walls of the right and left common carotid artery, carotid bulb, and internal carotid artery). Secondary end points included CIMT changes at different artery sites and lipid-parameter changes. Safety was also assessed.

RESULTS

Participants were randomized (1:1) to receive rosuvastatin (n=272) or placebo (n=271). Baseline characteristics were well balanced between groups. The change in mean of the maximum CIMT of the 12 carotid sites was 0.0038 mm/y (95% CI, -0.0023-0.0100) for the rosuvastatin group versus 0.0142 mm/y (95% CI, 0.0080-0.0204) for the placebo group, with a difference of -0.0103 mm/y (95% CI, -0.0191 to -0.0016; P=0.020). For the CIMT secondary end points, the results were generally consistent with the primary end point. There were clinically relevant improvements in lipid parameters with rosuvastatin. We observed an adverse-event profile consistent with the known safety profile of rosuvastatin.

CONCLUSIONS

Rosuvastatin 20 mg/d significantly reduced the progression of CIMT over 2 years in Chinese adults with subclinical atherosclerosis and was well tolerated.

REGISTRATION

URL: https://www.

CLINICALTRIALS

gov; Unique identifier: NCT02546323.

Changes of T lymphocyte subpopulations and their roles in predicting the risk of Parkinson's disease

T lymphocytes are involved in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease (PD), while the heterogeneity of T-cell subpopulations remains elusive. In this study, we analyzed up to 22 subpopulations of T lymphocytes in 115 PD patients and 60 matched healthy controls (HC) using flow cytometry. We found that PD patients exhibited decreased naïve CD8⁺ T cells (CD3⁺ CD8⁺ CD45RA⁺ CD45RO^-) and increased late-differentiated CD4⁺ T cells (CD3⁺ CD4⁺ CD28^- CD27^-), compared to HC, which were not affected by anti-parkinsonism medication administration. The proportion of naïve CD8⁺ T cells in PD patients was positively correlated with their severity of autonomic dysfunction and psychiatric complications, but negatively associated with the severity of rapid eye movement and sleep behavior disorder. The proportion of late-differentiated CD4⁺ T cells was negatively correlated with the onset age of the disease. We further developed individualized PD risk prediction models with high reliability and accuracy on the base of the T lymphocyte subpopulations. These data suggest that peripheral cellular immunity is disturbed in PD patients, and changes in CD8⁺ T cells and late-differentiated CD4⁺ T cells are representative and significant. Therefore, we recommend naïve CD8 + and late-differentiated CD4⁺ T cells as candidates for multicentric clinical study and pathomechanism study of PD.

Brain–Computer Interface-Robot Training Enhances Upper Extremity Performance and Changes the Cortical Activation in Stroke Patients: A Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Study

Introduction

We evaluated the efficacy of brain–computer interface (BCI) training to explore the hypothesized beneficial effects of physiotherapy alone in chronic stroke patients with moderate or severe paresis. We also focused on the neuroplastic changes in the primary motor cortex (M1) after BCI training.

Methods

In this study, 18 hospitalized chronic stroke patients with moderate or severe motor deficits participated. Patients were operated on for 20 sessions and followed up after 1 month. Functional assessments were performed at five points, namely, pre1-, pre2-, mid-, post-training, and 1-month follow-up. Wolf Motor Function Test (WMFT) was used as the primary outcome measure, while Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA), its wrist and hand (FMA-WH) sub-score and its shoulder and elbow (FMA-SE) sub-score served as secondary outcome measures. Neuroplastic changes were measured by functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) at baseline and after 20 sessions of BCI training. Pearson correlation analysis was used to evaluate functional connectivity (FC) across time points.

Results

Compared to the baseline, better functional outcome was observed after BCI training and 1-month follow-up, including a significantly higher probability of achieving a clinically relevant increase in the WMFT full score (ΔWMFT score = 12.39 points, F = 30.28, and P &lt; 0.001), WMFT completion time (ΔWMFT time = 248.39 s, F = 16.83, and P &lt; 0.001), and FMA full score (ΔFMA-UE = 12.72 points, F = 106.07, and P &lt; 0.001), FMA-WH sub-score (ΔFMA-WH = 5.6 points, F = 35.53, and P &lt; 0.001), and FMA-SE sub-score (ΔFMA-SE = 8.06 points, F = 22.38, and P &lt; 0.001). Compared to the baseline, after BCI training the FC between the ipsilateral M1 and the contralateral M1 was increased (P &lt; 0.05), which was the same as the FC between the ipsilateral M1 and the ipsilateral frontal lobe, and the FC between the contralateral M1 and the contralateral frontal lobe was also increased (P &lt; 0.05).

Conclusion

The findings demonstrate that BCI-based rehabilitation could be an effective intervention for the motor performance of patients after stroke with moderate or severe upper limb paresis and represents a potential strategy in stroke neurorehabilitation. Our results suggest that FC between ipsilesional M1 and frontal cortex might be enhanced after BCI training.

Clinical Trial Registration

www.chictr.org.cn, identifier: ChiCTR2100046301.

Silymarin protects the rats against paraquat-induced acute kidney injury via Nrf2

BACKGROUND

Paraquat (PQ) poisoning induces severe acute kidney injury and causes extremely high rate of death. In this study, we aimed to investigate the protective effects of silymarin on PQ-induced acute kidney injury and explore the underlying mechanisms.

METHODS

A rat model was established through intraperitoneal injection of PQ. Rats were administrated with saline or silymarin for 3 days. Then, survival rate, physiological parameters, and renal injury score were evaluated. The apoptosis and oxidative stress in kidney tissues were determined through hematoxylin and eosin staining, quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, Western blot, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays.

RESULTS

Silymarin administration could significantly increase the survival rate of PQ-poisoned rats. It was found that silymarin treatment improved renal function, decreased injury score in kidney tissues, and inhibited the apoptosis and oxidative stress in PQ-induced acute kidney injury through the activating the signaling pathway of Nrf2 and promoting its nuclear translocation.

CONCLUSION

Silymarin exhibited a protective effect against PQ-induced kidney injury, suggesting that treatment with this flavonoid could be a potential therapeutic agent for the treatment of acute kidney injury.

Extended Application of Digital Clock Drawing Test in the Evaluation of Alzheimer's Disease Based on Artificial intelligence and the Neural Basis

INTRODUCTION

This study aimed to build the supervised learning model to predict the state of cognitive impairment, Alzheimer's Disease (AD) and cognitive domains including memory, language, action, and visuospatial based on Digital Clock Drawing Test (dCDT) precisely.

METHODS

207 normal controls, 242 Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) patients, 87 dementia patients, including 53 AD patients, were selected from Shanghai Tongji Hospital. The electromagnetic tablets were used to collect the trajectory points of dCDT. By combining dynamic process and static results, different types of features were extracted, and the prediction models were built based on the feature selection approaches and machine learning methods.

RESULTS

The optimal AUC of cognitive impairment's screening, AD's screening and differentiation are 0.782, 0.919 and 0.818, respectively. In addition, the cognitive state of the domains with the best prediction result based on the features of dCDT is action with the optimal AUC 0.794, while the other three cognitive domains got the prediction results between 0.744-0.755.

DISCUSSION

By extracting dCDT features, cognitive impairment and AD patients can be identified early. Through dCDT feature extraction, a prediction model of single cognitive domain damage can be established.

Gene expression profiling of early Parkinson's disease patient reveals redox homeostasis

Parkinson's disease (PD) is slowly progressive. Due to the lack of specific and sensitive biomarkers, the majority of PD patients are in the advanced stages when diagnosed. This study aimed to investigate biomarkers for early PD diagnosis. We first selected differential mRNAs by analysis of a Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) data set. Next, we performed RNA sequencing to select differential mRNAs. After an integrated analysis of GEO and RNAseq data, we identified the PD early diagnosis biomarkers associated with oxidative stress. By function analysis, cellular response to hormone stimulus and response to the oxygen-containing compound was involved in the top Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA)s of the two cohorts. Moreover, SOCS7 was included in these GSEAs coincidentally. Further, by analyzing SOCS7 and its physical interactors, we found they mainly participate in immunity and redox homeostasis related processes, which might play a significant role in PD. Thus, our results suggest SOCS7 might be the potential diagnostic marker for PD.

MRI study of cerebral blood flow, vascular reactivity, and vascular coupling in systemic hypertension

Chronic hypertension alters cerebrovascular function, which can lead to neurovascular pathologies and increased susceptibility to neurological disorders. The purpose of this study was to utilize in vivo MRI methods with corroborating immunohistology to evaluate neurovascular dysfunction due to progressive chronic hypertension. The spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR) model at different stages of hypertension was studied to evaluate: i) basal cerebral blood flow (CBF), ii) cerebrovascular reactivity (CVR) assessed by CBF and blood-oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) signal changes to hypercapnia, iii) neurovascular coupling from CBF and BOLD changes to forepaw stimulation, and iv) damage of neurovascular unit (NVU) components (microvascular, astrocyte and neuron densities). Comparisons were made with age-matched normotensive Wistar Kyoto (WKY) rats. In 10-week SHR (mild hypertension), basal CBF was higher (p < 0.05), CVR trended higher, and neurovascular coupling response was higher (p < 0.05), compared to normotensive rats. In 40-week SHR (severe hypertension), basal CBF, CVR, and neurovascular coupling response were reversed to similar or below normotensive rats, and were significantly different from 10-week SHR (p < 0.05). Immunohistological analysis found significantly reduced microvascular density, increased astrocytes, and reduced neuronal density in SHR at 40 weeks (p < 0.05) but not at 10 weeks (p > 0.05) in comparison to age-matched controls. In conclusion, we observed a bi-phasic basal CBF, CVR and neurovascular coupling response from early to late hypertension using in vivo MRI, with significant changes prior to changes in the NVU components from histology. MRI provides clinically relevant data that might be useful to characterize neurovascular pathogenesis on the brain in hypertension.

Measuring effects on intima-media thickness: an evaluation of rosuvastatin in Chinese subjects with subclinical atherosclerosis-design, rationale, and methodology of the METEOR-China study

BACKGROUND

The beneficial effect of statins on atherosclerosis and cardiovascular outcomes has been well established. The Measuring Effects on intima media Thickness: an Evaluation Of Rosuvastatin (METEOR) global study demonstrated that a 2-year orally administered treatment with rosuvastatin 40 mg daily significantly slowed the progression of carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) compared to placebo. The current METEOR-China study is designed to evaluate the effect of rosuvastatin 20 mg daily versus placebo on the progression of atherosclerosis measured by CIMT in asymptomatic Chinese subjects.

METHODS

This is a phase 3, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicentre parallel-group study. Asymptomatic Chinese subjects with a 10-year ischaemic cardiovascular disease (ICVD) risk < 10% will be recruited at 25 study sites. They will be treated with rosuvastatin 20 mg or placebo for 104 weeks. The primary endpoint is the annualised rate of change in CIMT measured by B-mode ultrasonography. Secondary endpoints include the annualised rate of change in CIMT at three different sections of the carotid artery and changes in the serum lipid profile. Safety parameters will also be assessed.

CONCLUSION

The study will evaluate whether rosuvastatin 20 mg slows the progression of CIMT in asymptomatic Chinese subjects at low risk of ICVD.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02546323 . Registered on September 10, 2015.

A simple nomogram to predict contrast-induced acute kidney injury in patients with congestive heart failure undergoing coronary angiography

Background

Patients with congestive heart failure (CHF) are vulnerable to contrast-induced acute kidney injury (CI-AKI), but few prediction models are currently available.

Objectives

We aimed to establish a simple nomogram for CI-AKI risk assessment for patients with CHF undergoing coronary angiography.

Methods

A total of 1876 consecutive patients with CHF (defined as New York Heart Association functional class II-IV or Killip class II-IV) were enrolled and randomly (2:1) assigned to a development cohort and a validation cohort. The endpoint was CI-AKI defined as serum creatinine elevation of ≥0.3 mg/dL or 50% from baseline within the first 48–72 hours following the procedure. Predictors for the nomogram were selected by multivariable logistic regression with a stepwise approach. The discriminative power was assessed using the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and was compared with the classic Mehran score in the validation cohort. Calibration was assessed using the Hosmer–Lemeshow test and 1000 bootstrap samples.

Results

The incidence of CI-AKI was 9.06% (n=170) in the total sample, 8.64% (n=109) in the development cohort and 9.92% (n=61) in the validation cohort (p=0.367). The simple nomogram including four predictors (age, intra-aortic balloon pump, acute myocardial infarction and chronic kidney disease) demonstrated a similar predictive power as the Mehran score (area under the curve: 0.80 vs 0.75, p=0.061), as well as a well-fitted calibration curve.

Conclusions

The present simple nomogram including four predictors is a simple and reliable tool to identify CHF patients at risk of CI-AKI, whereas further external validations are needed.

Figure 1

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding source: None

Impaired cerebral hemodynamics in late-onset depression: computed tomography angiography, computed tomography perfusion, and magnetic resonance imaging evaluation

Background

Late-onset depression (LOD) is often difficult to recognize when there is an absence of a family history of depression and less severe psychopathology. Increasing evidence has shown that the development and course of LOD symptomatology are associated with cerebrovascular comorbidities and cerebral microvascular lesions. This study was designed to evaluate the associations of LOD with macrovascular and microvascular changes in the brain by using a multi-imaging method, including computed tomography angiography (CTA), CT perfusion (CTP), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), to explore the course and pathomechanism of LOD.

Methods

A total of 116 participants were divided into two groups. Participants older than 60 years who met the diagnostic criteria of depression [International Classification of Diseases (ICD), 10th Edition] were enrolled in the LOD group, and the remainder were age- and sex-matched into the control group. The cognitive/mood status of all participants was evaluated by an experienced neuropsychologist. Global and regional mean cerebral blood flow (CBF) were measured by CT cerebrovascular perfusion imaging; the stenosis of the bilateral intracranial large arteries (internal carotid artery, anterior cerebral artery, middle cerebral artery, posterior cerebral artery, and vertebral artery) was recorded by CTA; regional white matter hyperintensity (WMH) loads were evaluated by fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) MRI; and the Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD) was used to evaluate depression status.

Results

Our key findings were the following: (I) participants in the LOD group were more prone to intracranial arterial stenosis (81.1% vs. 74.6%), had more severe stenotic arteries compared with controls (Z=2.024, P<0.05), and significantly more participants with LOD had severe stenosis of the middle cerebral artery (MCA) (9.4% vs. 0%, P<0.05); (II) there was a significant difference in hypoperfusion of the frontal and parietal lobes superposed on global cerebral hypoperfusion between the two groups (P<0.001); (III) and there was a significant difference in high WMH loads in deep white matter (DWM) between the two groups (P<0.05).

Conclusions

A low global or regional perfusion state, moderate-to-severe stenosis of MCAs, and high WMH loads could be used as imaging biomarkers to indicate diffuse or localized cerebral macrovascular and microvascular pathology in LOD.

Relationship between initial international normalized ratio and prognosis in patients with cardiogenic cerebral embolism

BACKGROUND

Cardiogenic cerebral embolism is one of the most common causes of ischemic stroke. In general, cardioembolic stroke is associated with more severe neurological deficits and higher early mortality, as well as a worse functional outcome. Oral anticoagulant (OAC) therapy could reduce the risk of stroke significantly. However, several limitations have led to it being underused, which raises the failure of anticoagulant therapy. This study aimed to investigate the patients with atrial fibrillation presented cardioembolic stroke who underwent OAC therapy, and to assess treatment efficacy, and outcomes, especially the international normalized ratio (INR) value in the acute phase.

METHODS

Clinical data of 306 patients with cardioembolic stroke and etiology of atrial fibrillation were retrospectively analyzed, and demographics, cardiovascular risk factors, embolic cardiopathy, CHADS2 and CHA2DS2-VASc score, HAS-BLED score, INR value, TOAST subtypes, OCSP classification, modified Rankin Scale (mRS) scores and prognosis were evaluated.

RESULTS

The median score on the CHADS2 and CHA2DS2-VASc scales was 3 and 4, respectively; The median score on the HAS-BLED scale was 2. Only 33 patients (10.8%) were in therapeutic INR range at the onset of stroke. In the acute phase, 233 patients (76.1%) continued to use OAC therapy, and 73 patients were suspended. Eighteen patients (24.7%) resumed treatment after an average of 32 days. Thirty-nine of 251 survivors with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation were modified to novel oral anticoagulants (NOACs). At 3 months follow-up, patients with INR ≥1.7 had significantly better prognosis than those with INR <1.7, both in the percentage of patients with functional independence (78.9% vs. 41.2%) and in mortality (7.0% vs. 25.0%) (P<0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Patients presented cardioembolic stroke despite being treated with OAC, especially those with a subtherapeutic INR value, raises the failure of anticoagulant therapy. Despite the ineffectiveness of the OAC, the prognosis is better when the INR ≥1.7 at the initiation of the stroke.

The effect of acetylation on the protein stability of BmApoLp-III in the silkworm, Bombyx mori

Acetylation is an important, reversible posttranslational modification to a protein. In a previous study, we found that there were a large number of acetylated sites in various nutrient storage proteins of the silkworm haemolymph. In this study, we confirmed that acetylation can affect the stability of nutrient storage protein Bombyx mori apolipophorin-III (BmApoLp-III). First, the expression of BmApoLp-III could be upregulated when BmN cells were treated with the deacetylase inhibitor panobinostat (LBH589); similarly, the expression was downregulated when the cells were treated with the acetylase inhibitor C646. Furthermore, the increase in acetylation by LBH589 could inhibit the degradation and improve the accumulation of BmApoLp-III in BmN cells treated with cycloheximide and MG132 respectively. Moreover, we found that an increase in acetylation could decrease the ubiquitination of BmApoLp-III and vice versa; therefore, we predicted that acetylation could improve the stability of BmApoLp-III by competing for ubiquitination and inhibiting the protein degradation pathway mediated by ubiquitin. Additionally, BmApoLp-III had an antiapoptosis function that increased after LBH589 treatment, which might have been due to the improved protein stability after acetylation. These results have laid the foundation for further study on the mechanism of acetylation in regulating the storage and utilization of silkworm nutrition.

[Analysis of spatial-temporal distribution of pesticide poisoning in Quzhou, 2013-2017]

Objective: To analysis the epidemic and spatial characteristics of pesticide poisoning in Quzhou during 2013-2017, and to provide scientific basis for the prevention and control of influenza in Quzhou in the future. Methods: The incidence data of pesticide poisoning from January 1, 2013 to December 31, 2017 in Quzhou collected from China Information System For Disease Control And Prevention. The descriptive analysis conducted by using SPSS18.0 software, and the Sa T Scan 9.2 software was used to complete space-time scan. Finally, ArcMap10.2 software was used to visualize the results. Results: There were 1819 cases of pesticide poisoning in Quzhou from 2007 to 2016, among which 298 cases were reported for productive poisoning, the incidence peak was from August to September, the highest number of patients in productive poisoning was in the age group of 46-60 years old and over 61 years old, with 109 patients in each group, and the number of male patients was significantly higher than that of female (χ(2)=63.857, P<0.01) . 1521 cases of non-productive pesticide poisoning were reported, among which the proportion of suicide poisoning (57.65%) was far higher than that of accidental poisoning (28.97%) , the number of female suicide poisoning was higher than that of male (χ(2)=5.510, P=0.019) , the proportion of accidental poisoning was the highest in the ≤15 years age group (89.00%, 89/100) , furthermore the number of suicide poisoning was the highest in the ≥61 years age group (314) . The incidence of pesticide poisoning could be detected by temporal-spatial scanning statistics, the time clustering is from August to September, the spatial clustering is in Jiangshan city, there are consistent with the descriptive of pesticide poisoning. Conclusion: The pesticide poisoning in Quzhou is mainly caused by non-productive suicide poisoning, and the spatial clustering is in Jiangshan city. Relevant departments should carry out targeted prevention and control measures according to the different characteristics of pesticide poisoning in clustered and non-clustered areas.

Phase Space Dynamics of a Plasma Wakefield Dechirper for Energy Spread Reduction

Plasma-based accelerators have made impressive progress in recent years. However, the beam energy spread obtained in these accelerators is still at the ∼1% level, nearly one order of magnitude larger than what is needed for challenging applications like coherent light sources or colliders. In plasma accelerators, the beam energy spread is mainly dominated by its energy chirp (longitudinally correlated energy spread). Here we demonstrate that when an initially chirped electron beam from a linac with a proper current profile is sent through a low-density plasma structure, the self-wake of the beam can significantly reduce its energy chirp and the overall energy spread. The resolution-limited energy spectrum measurements show at least a threefold reduction of the beam energy spread from 1.28% to 0.41% FWHM with a dechirping strength of ∼1  (MV/m)/(mm pC). Refined time-resolved phase space measurements, combined with high-fidelity three-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations, further indicate the real energy spread after the dechirper is only about 0.13% (FWHM), a factor of 10 reduction of the initial energy spread.

The mechanism of botulinum A on Raynaud syndrome

Background

Botulinum neurotoxin type A (BoNT/A) is emerging as a treatment modality for Raynaud's phenomenon (RP). However, the mechanism of the role of BoNT/A in antagonizing the constriction of arteriola in RP remains unclear.

Materials and methods

We tested the constriction of arteriole diameter and the distribution of adrenergic receptors on the rat cremaster modle. Moreover, we measured the secretion of norepinephrine (NE), protein level changes and related receptors on cultured rat superior cervical ganglia neurons(SCGNs), a model of sympathetic neuron.

Results

Based on our results, the inhibition of arteriole vasoconstriction was increased with increasing doses of BoNT/A. BoNT/A, prazosin, and BQ123 treatment can result in significant inhibition of arteriole vasoconstriction with the same electrical stimulation. The inhibition effect of prazosin was equivalent to BoNT/A, while BQ123 has a synergistic effect with BoNT/A. After treating SCGNs using BoNT/A for 30 min, the decrease in fluorescence intensity of FM1-43 slowed down which was correlated with the doses of BoNT/A. Furthermore, release of NE in the supernatant was significantly decreased as measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, 24 h after a high dose of BoNT/A (25 µ/mL). Cleaved-SNAP-25 was detected by Western blotting 24 h following BoNT/A (50 µ/mL) treatment. Moreover, receptor SV2C, GM1, and FGFR3 were detected on sympathetic neurons, similarly to cholinergic neurons.

Conclusion

Our study showed that BoNT/A could significantly inhibit electrical stimulation-induced arteriole vasoconstriction through the sympathetic pathway. The mechanism was similar to the cholinergic one, in which the vesicle release of sympathetic neurons could be inhibited by cleavage of SNAP-25. The end result was blocked vesicle fusion with the presynaptic membrane after BoNT/A treatment, inhibiting the release of the NE.

Safety and Efficacy of Rotigotine for Treating Parkinson's Disease: A Meta-Analysis of Randomised Controlled Trials

We aimed to comprehensively analyse the safety and efficiency of rotigotine for treating Parkinson's disease (PD). We conducted systematic literature searches of Cochrane library, PubMed and Embase databases up to April 2016, with 'Rotigotine', 'Parkinson Disease ' and 'Parkinson's disease' as key searching terms. Outcomes, including Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) Part III and Part II scores, 'off' time, adverse events (AEs), serious AEs and discontinuation because of AEs, were compared between rotigotine and placebo groups under a fixed or random effect model. For dichotomous and continuous data, risk ratio (RR) and weighted mean difference with their corresponding 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were taken as the effect sizes to calculate merged results. Twelve eligible studies were included. For patients with early or advanced PD, rotigotine could significantly improve UPDRS Part III and Part II scores (p < 0.001) and it had significantly higher incidence of AEs than the placebo (p < 0.001). Regarding discontinuation because of AEs, rotigotine showed a significant advantage over placebo in patients with early PD, whereas the overall result demonstrated no statistically significant difference between the groups. Rotigotine can improve daily living and motor ability of patients with PD, although it has higher incidence of AEs. Rotigotine might be more appropriate for patients with advanced PD than for those with early PD. This article is open to POST-PUBLICATION REVIEW. Registered readers (see "For Readers") may comment by clicking on ABSTRACT on the issue's contents page.

Comparison of neurotoxic potency between a novel chinbotulinumtoxinA with onabotulinumtoxinA, incobotulinumtoxinA and lanbotulinumtoxinA in rats

Four botulinumtoxin type A (BoNT/A) products, onabotulinumtoxinA (A/Ona), incobotulinumtoxinA (A/Inco), lanbotulinumtoxinA (A/Lan) and chinbotulinumtoxinA (A/Chin), are applied in the present study, among which A/Chin is newly produced. We aimed to compare the neurotoxic potency of these toxins by the gauge of muscle strength reduction. Furthermore, potential molecular and cellular mechanisms were also explored. According to our data, muscle strengths in the four toxin groups were all significantly decreased after injection for 1 week. A/Chin achieved the most obvious reduction in muscle strength as compared to the other three products at the dose of 0.5 U. However, there was no difference between the four toxins when increased to 2 U. As the toxins wore off, muscle strength recovered to basal level 12 weeks postinjection. We further measured the expression levels of key factors involved in neuromuscular junction stabilization and muscle genesis. Our results showed that nicotinic acetylcholine receptor, myogenic regulatory factors and muscle-specific receptor tyrosine kinase were all significantly upregulated upon BoNT/A treatment. Consistent with the result of muscle strength, A/Chin had the most obvious induction of gene expression. Moreover, we also found local inflammation response following BoNT/A injection. Owing to lack of complexing proteins, both A/Inco and A/Chin stimulated relatively lighter inflammation compared to that of A/Ona and A/Lan groups. In conclusion, our study provided evidence for the efficacy of the novel A/Chin and its similar functional mode to that of A/Ona, A/Inco and A/Lan. In addition, A/Chin has superiority in inducing muscle paralysis and inflammation stimulation, which may indicate faster onset and longer duration of this novel A/Chin.

Mesencephalic astrocyte-derived neurotrophic factor reduces cell apoptosis via upregulating HSP70 in SHSY-5Y cells

Background

Mesencephalic astrocyte-derived neurotrophic factor (MANF) is a new candidate growth factor for dopaminergic neurons against endoplasmic reticulum stress (ER stress). HSP70 family, a chaperon like heat shock protein family, was proved to be involved in the MANF induced survival pathway in 6-OHDA treated SHSY-5Y cells. However, the ER stress relative transcriptome, in MANF signaling cascades is still investigated. The involvement of HSP70, a 70kd member of HSP70 family, need further to be verified.

Methods

The cell apoptosis was assayed by MTT, TUNEL staining and western blot of cleaved Caspase-3. The differentially expressed genes in SHSY-5Y cells under different conditions (control, 6-OHDA, 6-OHDA + MANF) were investigated by RNA-seq. Expression of HSP70 was further confirmed by real-time PCR. RNAi knockdown for HSP70 was performed to investigate the role of HSP70 in the MANF signaling pathway.

Results

MANF inhibits 6-OHDA-induced apoptosis in SHSY-5Y cells. Six ER stress relative genes (HSP70, GRP78, xbp-1, ATF-4, ATF-6, MAPK) were found enriched in 6-OHDA + MANF treatment group. HSP70 was the most significantly up-regulated gene under 6-OHDA + MANF treatment in SHSY-5Y cells. RNAi knockdown for HSP70 inhibits the protective effects of MANF against 6-OHDA toxicity in SHSY-5Y cells.

Conclusion

MANF exerts a protective role against 6-OHDA induced apoptosis in SHSY-5Y cells via up-regulating some ER stress genes, including HSP70 family members. The HSP70 expression level plays a key role in MANF-mediated survival pathway.

Self-assembled lipoprotein based gold nanoparticles for detection and photothermal disaggregation of β-amyloid aggregates

Curcumin loaded lipoprotein based NPs with an ApoE3 shell and an AuNP core are synthesized for the detection and light-triggered disaggregation of Aβ oligomers.

RNA-Seq Expression Analysis of Enteric Neuron Cells with Rotenone Treatment and Prediction of Regulated Pathways

The enteric nervous system (ENS) is involved in the initiation and development of the pathological process of Parkinson's disease (PD). The effect of rotenone on the ENS may trigger the progression of PD through the central nervous system (CNS). In this study, we used RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) analysis to examine differential expression genes (DEGs) and pathways induced by in vitro treatment of rotenone in the enteric nervous cells isolated from rats. We identified 45 up-regulated and 30 down-regulated genes. The functional categorization revealed that the DEGs were involved in the regulation of cell differentiation and development, response to various stimuli, and regulation of neurogenesis. In addition, the pathway and network analysis showed that the Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase (MAPK), Toll-like receptor, Wnt, and Ras signaling pathways were intensively involved in the effect of rotenone on the ENS. Additionally, the quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction result for the selected seven DEGs matched those of the RNA-seq analysis. Our results present a significant step in the identification of DEGs and provide new insight into the progression of PD in the rotenone-induced model.

Functional characterization of Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus mutant lacking late expression factor 9

Baculoviridae is a family of invertebrate viruses with large double-stranded DNA genomes. Proteins encoded by some late expression factor (lef ) genes are involved in the regulation of viral gene expression. Lef-9 is one of four transcription-specific Lefs, which are components of the virus-encoded RNA polymerase, and can initiate and transcribe late and very late genes. As a multifunctional protein encoded by the Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV), Lef-9 may be involved in the regulation of viral propagation. However, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. To determine the role of lef-9 in baculovirus infection, lef-9-knockout virus (lef-9-KO-Bacmid virus) was constructed using the Red recombination system, and the Bac-to-Bac system was used to prepare lef-9-repaired virus (lef-9-Re-Bacmid virus). The lef-9-KO virus did not produce infectious viruses or show infection activity, while the lef-9-repaired virus recovered both. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) analysis of the transcription levels in wild-type-Bacmid, lef-9-KO-Bacmid, and lef-9-Re-Bacmid viruses showed that the lef-9-KO bacmid had little effect on viral genome replication. However, the transcription levels of the early and late viral genes, lef-3, ie-1, vp39, and p10, were significantly lower in BmN cells transfected with lef-9-KO-Bacmids than in the controls. Electron microscopy showed no visible enveloped virions in cells transfected with lef-9-KO-Bacmids, while many mature virions in cells transfected with lef-9-Re-Bacmid and wt-Bacmid were present. Thus, lef-9 was not essential for viral genome replication, but significantly affected viral gene transcription and expression in all periods of cell life cycle.

Overexpression of CXCR7 induces angiogenic capacity of human hepatocellular carcinoma cells via the AKT signaling pathway

Angiogenesis is essential for tumor growth, especially in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The hypervascularity is associated with poor prognosis and highly invasive HCC. The C‑X‑C chemokine receptor type 7 (CXCR7) has been implied overexpressed in many tumor types. Our study aimed to investigate the CXCR7 function in HCC. The tube formation, Transwell migration assay of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and chicken chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) assay were used. We confirmed that CXCR7 induces angiogenic capacity. Moreover, overexpressing CXCR7 increased the phosphorylated (but not total) AKT expression in HCC cells. Furthermore, overexpressing CXCR7 increased the expression of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)‑α, interleukin (IL)‑6 and IL‑8 in HCC cells. Additionally, inhibition of AKT by LY294002 abrogated CXCR7‑induced angiogenic capacity in HCC cells. Our study suggested that CXCR7 plays an important pro‑angiogenic role in HCC via activation of the AKT pathway. So CXCR7 may be a potential target for anti‑angiogenic therapy in HCC.

Neuroprotective Effects of Poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase Inhibitor Olaparib in Transient Cerebral Ischemia

Olaparib was the first poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase inhibitor approved by Food and Drug Administration for oncology treatment. However, its neuroprotective effects have not been elucidated. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of olaparib in transient cerebral ischemia. A mouse model of transient middle cerebral artery occlusion was used. Reperfusion was performed at 2 h after ischemia. Different doses of olaparib (1, 3, 5, 10 and 25 mg/kg) were administered intraperitoneally immediately after reperfusion. Twenty-four hours after ischemia, the neurological score was assessed, and grip and string tests were performed to evaluate the behavioral deficits in the mice. Cresyl violet staining was used to assess cerebral edema and the lesion volume. Immunohistochemistry was performed to evaluate the expression of blood-brain barrier proteins collagen IV and claudin-5, as well as extravasation of IgG. Ischemia induced a neurological deficit, which was significantly ameliorated by olaparib at 3 and 5 mg/kg. However, this neuroprotective effect was not observed in mice treated with either low-dose or high-dose olaparib. Both 3 and 5 mg/kg olaparib markedly reduced cerebral infarction volume, but not cerebral edema. The expression of collagen IV decreased after cerebral ischemia, which was improved by olaparib at 3 and 5 mg/kg. These results were confirmed by the reduction of IgG extravasation with olaparib. Olaparib showed clear neuroprotective effects in transient ischemic mice mainly through the reduction of cerebral infarction and blood-brain barrier damage.

Association between matrix metalloproteinase gene polymorphisms and development of ischemic stroke

We investigated the association between MMP2 rs243865, MMP3 rs3025058 and MMP9 rs3918242 polymorphisms and development of ischemic stroke in a Chinese population. Between January 2012 and May 2014, a total of 317 patients with ischemic stroke and 317 health control subjects were enrolled into our study. The MMP2 rs243865, MMP3 rs3025058 and MMP9 rs3918242 polymorphisms were analyzed using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) coupled with restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP). By multivariate logistic regression analysis, we found that individuals carrying with the CC genotype and the TC+CC genotype of MMP9 rs3918242 were associated with a significantly increased risk of ischemic stroke when compared with the TT genotype, and the ORs (95% CI) was 5.47 (2.64-12.38) and 1.55 (1.08-2.24), respectively. The TC+CC genotype of MMP9 rs3918242 was associated with an elevated risk of ischemic stroke in tobacco smokers, and the OR (95% CI) was 2.03 (1.11-3.74). In conclusion, our study suggests that MMP9 rs3918242 polymorphism is correlated with an elevated risk of ischemic stroke, and this gene polymorphism has interaction with tobacco smoking in the risk of ischemic stroke.

The effect of BM67 gene deletion on Bombyx mori nuclear polyhedrosis virus replication

Homologs of Bombyx mori nuclear polyhedrosis virus (BmNPV) Bm67 gene ORF67 have been found in the genome of all lepidopteran nuclear polyhedrosis viruses, but their function is still not very clear. In order to analyze it we employed a  bacmid harboring the complete BmNPV genome including the Bm67 gene and expressing infectious virus (wtBacmid) for the construction of its Bm67-deficient variant (Bm67-KO-Bacmid) using the Red recombination system and the Bm67-repaired variant (Bm67-Re-Bacmid) using the Bac-to-Bac system. By transfecting BmN cells with these bacmids we demonstrated that the Bm67-deficient virus did not generate infectious virus, while the repaired virus restored its infectivity, indicating that the Bm67 gene is essential for the formation of infectious budding virus (BV). Electron microscopy of BmN cells transfected with the abovementioned bacmids showed many mature rodshaped virus particles in both wtBacmid- and Bm67-Re-Bacmid-transfected cells but none in Bm67-KO-Bacmid-transfected ones. Moreover, the real-time RT-PCR showed that the deletion of Bm67 from wtBacmid significantly reduced the levels of viral genomic DNA and transcripts of viral early genes dnapol, ie-1 and lef-3 but not those of transcripts of late gene vp39 and very late gene p10. The finding that the Bm67-deficient virus generated reduced levels of infectious virus and transcripts of early dnapol gene but not those of late genes indicates that the Bm67 gene is essential for BmNPV replication.

Typical aura without headache: a case report and review of the literature

Introduction

Typical aura without headache (TAWH), which has been rarely reported both at home and abroad, is a rare type of migraine with aura.

Case presentation

This is a report on a 64-year-old Chinese migraineur who has had recurrent typical visual aura without headache attacks for more than 30 years, and has been misdiagnosed as having had transient ischemic attacks (TIA) many times. He mainly experienced episodes of ‘homonymous blurred vision’ or photopsia, which presented as different shapes located at the side or above his visual field, for example, patchy, cord-like, zigzag, curtain-like or irregular shapes. The shape was inconsistent during each attack, however, the color was mainly gray or light blue. The visual symptoms gradually disappeared in about 30 minutes. Our patient has never suffered a headache attack during or after the visual aura. Normal results were observed in his neurological and eye examinations, complete blood test, electroencephalogram and neuroimaging examination.

Conclusions

TAWH is an uncommon phenomenon of migraine. Migraine with visual aura mainly presents positive and dynamic symptoms. It has a benign course and can be diagnosed after exclusion of other organic diseases such as TIA and epilepsy.

Homocysteine level and risk of different stroke types: a meta-analysis of prospective observational studies

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Inconsistent findings have been reported regarding the association between elevated plasma homocysteine (Hcy) levels and the risk of different types of strokes. We conducted this meta-analysis to identify the association between homocysteine (Hcy) levels and different kinds of strokes or recurrences of strokes.

METHODS AND RESULTS

PubMed and Embase databases were searched for relevant studies published prior to April 2013. Only prospective studies that compared elevated Hcy levels with the risk of different types of strokes were selected. Results were presented as the relative risk (RR) and the corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI) comparing the highest Hcy category group with the lowest Hcy category group. Nine studies composed of 13,284 participants were included. The pooled RR of ischemic strokes when comparing the highest Hcy category group with the lowest Hcy category group was 1.69 (95% CI: 1.29-2.20) in a fixed-effect model. The pooled RR of hemorrhagic strokes and recurrent strokes when comparing the highest Hcy category group with the lowest Hcy category group in a fixed-effect model was 1.65 (95% CI: 0.61-4.45) and 1.76 (95% CI: 1.37-2.24), respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

This meta-analysis indicated that elevated Hcy levels are associated with an increased risk for ischemic strokes and recurrent strokes but had no distinct association with hemorrhagic strokes.

Transferrin receptor and ferritin-H are developmentally regulated in oligodendrocyte lineage cells

Iron is an essential trophic element that is required for cell viability and differentiation, especially in oligodendrocytes, which consume relatively high rates of energy to produce myelin. Multiple iron metabolism proteins are expressed in the brain including transferrin receptor and ferritin-H. However, it is still unknown whether they are developmentally regulated in oligodendrocyte lineage cells for myelination. Here, using an in vitro cultured differentiation model of oligodendrocytes, we found that both transferrin receptor and ferritin-H are significantly upregulated during oligodendrocyte maturation, implying the essential role of iron in the development of oligodendrocytes. Additional different doses of Fe³⁺ in the cultured medium did not affect oligodendrocyte precursor cell maturation or ferritin-H expression but decreased the expression of the transferrin receptor. These results indicate that upregulation of both transferrin receptor and ferritin-H contributes to maturation and myelination of oligodendrocyte precursor cells.

Transmission of avian influenza A(H7N9) virus from father to child: a report of limited person-to-person transmission, Guangzhou, China, January 2014

We investigated a possible person-to-person transmission within a family cluster of two confirmed influenza A(H7N9) patients in Guangzhou, China. The index case, a man in his late twenties, worked in a wet market that was confirmed to be contaminated by the influenza A(H7N9) virus. He developed a consistent fever and severe pneumonia after 4 January 2014. In contrast, the second case, his five-year-old child, who only developed a mild disease 10 days after disease onset of the index case, did not have any contact with poultry and birds but had unprotected and very close contact with the index case. The sequences of the haemagglutinin (HA) genes of the virus stains isolated from the two cases were 100% identical. These findings strongly suggest that the second case might have acquired the infection via transmission of the virus from the sick father. Fortunately, all 40 close contacts, including the other four family members who also had unprotected and very close contact with the cases, did not acquire influenza A(H7N9) virus infection, indicating that the person-to-person transmissibility of the virus remained limited. Our finding underlines the importance of carefully, thoroughly and punctually following-up close contacts of influenza A(H7N9) cases to allow detection of any secondary cases, as these may constitute an early warning signal of the virus's increasing ability to transmit from person-to-person.

Expression and localization of cannabinoid receptor 1 in rats' brain treated with acute and repeated morphine

Morphine induces adaptive changes in gene expression throughout the reward circuitry of brain. Recent research has proven the functional interactions between opioid and endogenous cannabinoid system in the central nervous system (CNS). The cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1-R) is one of the receptors that mediate the actions of cannabinoids and endocannabinoids in the CNS. Here, we investigated the expression of CB1-R in mRNA and protein levels in the brains of rats treated with acute and repeated morphine. Three groups of rats received intraperitoneal injections (ip injections) of saline, acute morphine (10 mg/kg) and repeated morphine (10 mg/kg, twice daily for 12 consecutive days), and the mRNA levels and protein expressions of CB1-R were examined. RT-PCR and western blot analyses supported that both mRNA and protein levels of CB1-R in cortex, cerebellum and hippocampus were increased by repeated morphine treatment. However, the mRNA level in cerebellum was down-regulated only after acute morphine treatment and would returned to basal levels later. We used immunohistochemistry techniques to determine the functional expression of CB1-R in morphine treated rat's brain. Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) revealed the significant increase of cytokine (IL-1beta, IL-6) levels in the repeated morphine treatment rats' cortex and hippocampus regions, which are both addiction-related brain areas. In addition, the results from RT-PCR and western blot assay indicated that the expression of CB1-R was directly increased by morphine treatment in vitro. All the results indicated that the CB1-R expression could be changed by morphine exposure and it might be involved in neural immune function, which provided a potential target for neurogenic disease treatment.

Therapeutic efficacy and safety of botulinum toxin type A in trigeminal neuralgia: a systematic review

Trigeminal neuralgia is a common disorder caused mainly by compression of the trigeminal nerve root by an overlying blood vessel. Pharmacotherapy and surgery are ineffective or unsuitable in many patients. Therefore, other therapeutic modalities have been tried, including injection of botulinum toxin type A (BTX-A). This study aims to systematically review the therapeutic efficacy and safety of BTX-A in trigeminal neuralgia. PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library Clinical Trials and Web of Science from January 1966 to March 2013 were searched with the terms of “botulinum toxin” AND “trigeminal neuralgia”, and references of related articles were traced. Data on the efficacy and safety of BTX-A in this disorder were extracted and analyzed by at least 2 reviewers. Data for individual studies were reported, and pooled data were analyzed if appropriate. Five prospective studies and one double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study were identified. Response was achieved in approximately 70-100% of patients, and the mean pain intensity and frequency were reduced by approximately 60-100% at 4 weeks after treatment in most studies. Major adverse events were not reported. Available studies show BTX-A may be effective in treatment of trigeminal neuralgia. However, well-designed randomized, controlled, double-blinded trial is still lacking. Future BTX-A treatment studies on optimal dose, duration of the therapeutic efficacy, common AEs, and the time and indications for repeat injection would be promising.

H19 DMR methylation correlates to the progression of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma through IGF2 imprinting pathway

BACKGROUND

H19 gene has been proved to be essential for human tumor growth which contains CpG rich regions. Imprinted gene expression in many cancers is usually associated with the function of methylation. We performed this study to better understand wether H19 DMR methylation correlates to the progression of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma through IGF2 imprinting pathway.

METHODS

LOI of IGF2 was detected in 276 samples, which were determined as heterozygote with ApaI polymorphism in exon 9 of IGF2 by PCR-RFLP and RT-PCR-RFLP. Methylation status of H19 DMR in informative samples was analyzed by bisulfite sequencing PCR. IGF2 expression was examined by real-time PCR and IHC.

RESULTS

208 ESCC patients were informative for ApaI polymorphism. 92 tumor and 30 normal tissues showed IGF2 LOI. Methylation status of H19 CBS6 was higher in patients with IGF2 LOI compared to patients with IGF2 MOI (p < 0.05). IGF2 expression in patients with IGF2 LOI was higher than patients with IGF2 MOI (p < 0.05) which was correlated with lymph node involvement, neoplastic grade and metastasis (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Our results suggested that H19 CBS6 hypermethylation is related to the LOI of IGF2 which usually leads to an overexpression of IGF2, playing important roles in the occurrence, development as well as metastasis of ESCC. Therefore, H19 CBS6 methylation potentially represents a novel clinically relevant epigenetic marker to identify individuals at increased risk for the occurrence, progression and prognosis of ESCC.

Disrupted iron metabolism and ensuing oxidative stress may mediate cognitive dysfunction induced by chronic cerebral hypoperfusion

Iron is a highly reactive free radical catalyst that has been shown to exacerbate oxidative stress and cell death in many neurodegenerative diseases. In this study, we produced a rat model of chronic cerebral hypoperfusion (CCH) by permanent bilateral carotid artery occlusion to investigate markers of iron and oxidative stress associated with it. We found CCH led to significant spatial memory impairment in the Morris water maze at 4 months after bilateral ligation. Iron deposition was observed in both the hippocampal CA1 area and cerebral cortex, and was correlated with localized neuronal death and increased lipid peroxidation. Western blotting revealed that the expression levels of ferritin heavy chain and the transferrin receptor were significantly elevated in hippocampus and cortex after CCH, whereas expression of iron regulatory protein 1 was significantly lower than in sham-treated rats. We conclude that localized neurodegeneration and concomitant cognitive impairments following CCH may result, at least in part, from local disruption of neuronal iron metabolism.

Is photodynamic therapy a solution for keloid?

Keloid is a common skin condition, especially in people of Asian and African decent. The treatment of keloid is still unsatisfactory. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a novel treatment for this condition, but is widely used in treating certain skin pre-malignant and malignant lesions due to its high efficiency and safety. Another aspect of PDT is its scarless (or minimal scarring) wound healing after treatment despite the fact that it causes skin inflammation. There are a few independent reports that indicate 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) or methylaminolevulinate (MAL)-PDT may be effective in keloid and hypertrophic scars. The mechanism is largely unknown. PDT may exert these effects by acting on keratinocytes and fibroblasts or directly on collagen/extracellular matrix (ECM) in keloid tissues, by inducing keloid fibroblast apoptosis/necrosis, modulating growth factor and cytokine expression, reducing collagen/ECM synthesis and causing degeneration of formed collagen/ECM. These potential mechanisms and the scope for topical PDT of keloids are considered in this article.