TGF-β and IL-17 serum levels and specific immunotherapy

Two new T cell subsets may be involved in allergic rhinitis (AR) pathogenesis: Th17 and T regulatory cells, mainly producing IL-17 and TGF-β respectively. Successful Sublingual Immunotherapy (SLIT) induces relevant immunological changes, thus the aim of this study was to evaluate serum IL-17 and TGF-β levels in AR patients treated with SLIT for 2 years. Patients' blood samples were collected before initiating SLIT (baseline), three months after the end of the first pre-seasonal SLIT course, and at the end of the second pre-seasonal course. IL-17 was detectable only in the most severe allergic patients. SLIT significantly induced an increase in serum TGF-β levels. There was moreover a significant relationship between TGF-β and symptom severity and drug use at the end of the study. Therefore, this study provides clinically relevant evidence that two pre-seasonal SLIT courses may significantly affect serum TGF-β levels.     

胃癌大肠转移的X线钡灌肠表现

目的:分析胃癌大肠转移的X线钡灌肠表现。方法:104例胃癌入院术前检查发现结肠转移或胃癌术后转移入院治疗的病例。分析钡灌肠初次发现大肠转移征象的年龄、发现胃癌原发病变距初次发现大肠转移的间隔时间、转移病变的发生部位和病变造成的X线钡灌肠图像上的肠管变形和粘膜面的改变。结果:104例胃癌结肠转移,男67例,女37例。胃癌术前检查中发现结肠转移者32例,术后发现的大肠转移中,多数转移发生在手术后3年内(占91.3%)。胃癌原发灶的肉眼形态BorrmannⅢ型(28例)和BorrmannⅣ型(65例)者占89.4%,组织学中以低分化腺癌和印戒细胞癌为主要成分者占91.3%。X线钡灌肠检查显示大肠转移的好发部位为横结肠(80),其次为直肠(50)。转移灶可累及多节段肠管,其中横结肠中1/3段(47),横结肠左1/3(44),横结肠右1/3(39)和直肠腹膜返折之上(39)。X线显示肠管单侧变形者227处,双侧变形者96处。黏膜面表现为梳齿状黏膜纹聚集改变253处,颗粒结节状改变23处,外压性改变20处,弥漫性改变62处。结论:胃癌大肠转移的好发部位为横结肠和直肠,结肠黏膜面的梳齿状黏膜纹聚集为胃癌大肠转移的主要X线钡剂灌肠表现。     

17 β雌二醇通过丝裂原活化蛋白激酶抑制前列腺癌细胞系PC3增殖

目的探讨丝裂原活化蛋白激酶在17β雌二醇(E2)抑制前列腺癌PC3细胞生长中的作用。方法检测不同浓度E2作用不同时间后PC3细胞生长抑制率。流式细胞仪分析细胞周期分布,TUNEL染色检测凋亡。Western blot检测ERK1/2,JNK和p38活性。RT-PCR法检测雌激素受体(ER)α、ERβ、P21WAF1和cyclinD1的表达。结果E2抑制PC3细胞增殖,并且可以激活ERK1/2、JNK和p38。处理因素作用48h后,对照组、E2、E2 PD98059、E2 SP600125、E2 SB203580组细胞的凋亡率分别为(0.9±0.1)%;(23.0±1.4)%;(30.0±1.2)%;(10.6±0.8)%和(14.6±0.7)%,(P<0.05)。E2使细胞阻滞在G1期,PD98059、SP600125、SB203580分别预处理1h后细胞分别进一步阻滞在G1期;轻度阻滞在G1期和进入S期。RT-PCR发现PC3细胞表达ERα和ERβ,E2、E2 PD98059、E2 SP600125、E2 SB203580组中cyclinD1、P21WAF1基因表达分别为对照组的(0.42±0.03)、(3.13±0.02)倍;(0.21±0.03)、(3.08±0.05)倍;(0.43±0.01)、(1.31±0.04)倍;(2.81±0.02)、(3.14±0.02)倍(P<0.05)。结论E2激活JNK增加P21WAF1基因表达,并激活p38抑制cyclinD1表达,使细胞阻滞在G1期,JNK和p38通路还介导E2引起PC3细胞凋亡。同时E2又可激活ERK1/2,轻度拮抗上述作用。     

全器械吻合法在全胃切除术后胃肠道重建中的应用(附56例报告)

目的评价机械吻合在全胃切除后消化道重建中的应用价值。方法回顾性分析56例胃恶性肿瘤患者全胃切除后应用管状吻合器吻合进行消化道重建的临床资料。结果本组每例手术时间为70～180min，平均手术时间90．5min。无手术死亡。术后无一例发生吻合口瘘（食管空肠吻合处）；4例发生吻合口溃疡，2例发生吻合口狭窄，吻合口狭窄率为3．57％，吻合口溃疡发生率为7．10％。结论全机械吻合在全胃切除术中具有操作简便、安全可靠、疗效确切，可缩短手术时间，减少术后吻合口瘘及吻合口狭窄率等优点，值得推广应用。     

Thyroid Artery Erosion by Esophageal Cancer: Management with Interventional Radiology

Management of upper gastrointestinal bleeding because of erosion of vessels by esophageal cancer may be challenging. We present herein the angiographic images of a 49-year-old patient who was admitted with massive bleeding from a tumor-eroded inferior thyroid artery. Attempts to control the bleeding by means of flexible endoscopy and insertion of a Sengstaken–Blakemore tube had failed. The diagnosis was impressively demonstrated by multislice computed tomography with intravenous contrast in the arterial phase and multiplanar reconstructions (computed tomography angiography) and by digital subtraction angiography. The bleeding was successfully treated with superselective catheterization and coiling of the eroded vessel.     

小干扰RNA干扰大鼠神经元Nogo受体mRNA表达的实验研究

目的观察大鼠Nogo受体(NgR)特异性小干扰RNA(small interfering RNA,siRNA)在原代神经元干扰其mRNA表达的效果。方法体外培养大鼠原代皮层和海马细胞,应用阳离子脂质体转染试剂转染4对化学合成的大鼠NgR特异性siRNA,72h后提取细胞总RNA,实时荧光定量RT-PCR检测NgR mRNA表达情况。结果4对siRNA均能够下调靶基因NgR的mRNA表达水平,siNgR199、siNgR562、siNgR772和siNgR964等干扰后,NgR mRNA的表达分别为对照siRNA干扰组的6.5%、62.4%、15.2%和6.86%,与对照siRNA干扰组比较有统计学意义(P<0.05)。结论化学合成的NgR特异性siRNA能够有效的干扰大鼠原代皮层和海马细胞内NgR基因mRNA的表达水平。     

Iron deficiency down-regulates the Akt/TSC1-TSC2/mammalian Target of Rapamycin signaling pathway in rats and in COS-1 cells

Iron deficiency (ID) is one of the most commonly known forms of nutritional deficiencies. Low body iron is thought to induce neurologic defects but may also play a protective role against cancer development by cell growth arrest. Thus, ID may affect cellular pathways controlling cell growth and proliferation, the mechanism of which is still not fully understood. The serine/threonine protein kinase Akt and its downstream target, the mammalian Target of Rapamycin (mTOR), is known to play a crucial role in the regulation of cell growth and survival. Therefore, we hypothesized that Akt/mTOR pathway could be influenced by ID. Three-week-old male Wistar-strain rats were divided into 3 groups and the 2 groups had free access to a control diet (C group) or an iron-deficient diet (D group). The third group (PF group) were pair-fed the control diet to the mean intake of the D group. After 4 weeks, rats were killed and their brains were sampled. In separate experiments, COS-1 cells were cultured with or without the iron chelator deferoxamine. Western blots of brain samples and COS-1 lysates were used to analyze the expression and phosphorylation state of Akt, TSC2, mTOR, and S6 kinase proteins implicated in the Akt/mTOR pathway. Using 2 different ID models, we show for the first time that iron deficiency depresses Akt activity in rats and in COS-1 cells, leading to a decrease in mTOR activity.     

Potent relaxant effect of a Celastrus paniculatus extract in the rat and human ileum

Ethnopharmacological importance

Celastrus paniculatus Willd. (Celastraceae) is an Ayurvedic remedy used for the treatment of a number of diseases, including bowel spasms.

Aim of the study

To investigate the mode of the relaxing action of a methanolic extract prepared from the seeds of Celastrus paniculatus (CPE, 0.0001–10 μg/mL) in the rat ileum and to try to confirm on human tissues the intestinal pharmacological activity of the extract.

Materials and methods

The relaxant effect of CPE was studied in vitro by evaluating its effect on the spontaneous contractions of the isolated ileum.

Results

CPE exerted a tetrodotoxin- and ω-conotoxin-resistant inhibitory effect on rat ileum motility (IC₅₀: 0.24 ± 0.02 μg/mL; E_max: 99.0 ± 0.60%). The inhibitory effect was reduced by nifedipine but not by cyclopiazonic acid. Experiments with specific antagonists enabled us to exclude the involvement of the main endogenous spasmogenic (i.e. acetylcholine and tachykinins) and relaxing (noradrenaline, nitric oxide, ATP) compounds. CPE also relaxed the isolated human ileum (IC₅₀: 0.26 ± 0.02 μg/mL; E_max: 99.1 ± 0.46%).

Conclusion

It is concluded that (i) CPE exerted a powerful myogenic and L-type Ca²⁺-dependent relaxing effect in the isolated rat ileum and that (ii) the human ileum is sensitive to the inhibitory effect of CPE. If confirmed in vivo, our data could explain the traditional use of this herb in the treatment of intestinal spasms.     

Aspergillus Iris Granuloma: A Case Report with Review of Literature

We report the case of a 25-year-old male patient who presented with complaints of redness, photophobia, and decreased vision in the right eye of a week's duration. Slit-lamp biomicroscopic examination revealed a cream-colored, irregular elevated inferior iris mass, extending on to the anterior lens surface. Differential diagnoses of a fungal granuloma, a medulloepithelioma, and an amelanotic melanoma were considered. An excisional biopsy of the mass was performed through a superior clear corneal incision. Polymerase chain reaction analysis of the aqueous humor showed a positive pan fungal genome. Histopathology of the biopsied mass showed a giant cell granuloma with surrounding numerous branching, septate hyphae. Culture growth revealed Aspergillus fumigatus We report this case because of the rarity of Aspergillus iris granuloma as a primary presentation of endogenous Aspergillosis and review the relevant literature. Absence of a significant systemic history compounded the diagnostic dilemma in our patient. Definitive differentiation of this rare entity from a foreign body, amelanotic melanoma, and other inflammatory conditions such as sarcoidosis and tuberculosis, may be possible only on microbiological and histo-pathological evaluation.     

膀胱小细胞癌3例报告并文献复习

目的:探讨膀胱小细胞癌(BSCC)的临床特征、病理学特征和诊治方法。方法:回顾性分析3例BSCC的临床资料。3例均为男性,年龄68~82岁,2例有间断无痛性肉眼血尿,1例有尿频尿急。1例B超检查见膀胱内有1.5cm×0.9cm稍强回声区,后伴弱声影,中心回声较低;1例膀胱镜检查见膀胱颈10~12点处有1cm×1cm乳头状突起,无蒂,广基,呈地毯样生长;1例盆腔CT及加强扫描示膀胱内有类圆形团块状影,大小约2.5cm×2.6cm。2例行经尿道膀胱肿瘤电切术,1例行膀胱部分切除术。结果:术后病理检查均报告为膀胱小细胞未分化癌。免疫组织化学结果:嗜铬蛋白颗粒均( ~ ),神经特异烯醇化酶均(-~±),例1突触素(-),例2突触素( ),例3突触素( ~ )。例1术后3年复发,患者拒绝行根治性膀胱全切术,服中药治疗10个月后死亡。例2术后8个月因膀胱小细胞癌转移而死于全身衰竭。例3术后病理检查结果为膀胱移行细胞癌2~3级,部分为小细胞未分化癌,局部伴腺样分化,3个月后复发,行根治性膀胱全切加双侧输尿管皮肤乳头术,术后随访15个月无肿瘤复发。结论:BSCC是一种少见的高度恶性的膀胱肿瘤,诊断主要靠病理学检查,早期即可发生转移,预后较差。行根治性切除术加联合化疗可提高治愈率。