Clinical implications of procalcitonin in Kawasaki disease: a useful candidate for differentiating from sepsis and evaluating IVIG responsiveness

Clinical and Experimental Medicine - Kawasaki disease (KD) is an acute systemic vasculitis and suspected to be triggered by several potential infections in which procalcitonin (PCT) experiences an...     

Aβ1-42对大鼠脑组织SOD、GSH-Px活性及MDA含量的影响

目的 探究Aβ1-42寡聚体对大鼠大脑的氧化应激损伤的影响.方法 经过Morris水迷宫实验,挑选出逃避潜伏期少于60s的60只实验大鼠随机等分为4组,设为正常组、PBS对照组、Aβ1-42纤维组、Aβ1-42寡聚体组.将Aβ1-42纤维或Aβ1-42寡聚体注射于大鼠右侧脑室制成实验动物模型;PBS对照组采用同样的方法给予注射等量的PBS;正常组不作任何处理.使用可见分光光度计检测大鼠脑组织的超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)、谷胱甘肽过氧化物酶(GSH-Px)的活性变化及丙二醛(MDA)的含量水平变化情况.借助于光学显微镜观察苏木精-伊红(HE)染色的各组大鼠海马组织的形态学变化.结果 与正常组及PBS组比较,Aβ1-42纤维组和Aβ1-42寡聚体组大鼠皮质MDA含量(分别为7.826±1.696、11.247±1.948)及海马MDA(分别为9.818±1.900、15.090±2.425)含量增加(P<0.05),皮质SOD(分别为29.829±6.340、18.649±6.070)和海马SOD(分别为51.097±8.381、31.634±8.680)活性下降(P<0.05),皮质GSH-Px(分别为133.113±17.506、79.503±19.936)和海马GSH-Px(分别为154.819±23.688、102.800±28.332)活性下降(P<0.05),其中,以Aβ1-42寡聚体组的变化更明显.HE染色可知,Aβ1-42纤维体及Aβ1-42寡聚体可使大鼠大脑海马区的神经元损伤,其中,Aβ1-42寡聚体对神经元的毒性损伤作用更严重.结论 Aβ1-42纤维、Aβ1-42寡聚体都可通过氧化应激损伤引起大鼠脑组织神经元的损伤,以Aβ1-42寡聚体氧化损伤作用更大.     

MicroRNA-33/33* inhibit the activation of MAVS through AMPK in antiviral innate immunity

Innate immunity plays a prominent role in the host defense against pathogens and must be precisely regulated. As vital orchestrators in cholesterol homeostasis, microRNA-33/33* have been widely investigated in cellular metabolism. However, their role in antiviral innate immunity is largely unknown. Here, we report that VSV stimulation decreased the expression of miR-33/33* through an IFNAR-dependent manner in macrophages. Overexpression of miR-33/33* resulted in impaired RIG-I signaling, enhancing viral load and lethality whereas attenuating type I interferon production both in vitro and in vivo. In addition, miR-33/33* specifically prevented the mitochondrial adaptor mitochondrial antiviral-signaling protein (MAVS) from forming activated aggregates by targeting adenosine monophosphate activated protein kinase (AMPK), subsequently impeding the mitophagy-mediated elimination of damaged mitochondria and disturbing mitochondrial homeostasis which is indispensable for efficient MAVS activation. Our findings establish miR-33/33* as negative modulators of the RNA virus-triggered innate immune response and identify a previously unknown regulatory mechanism linking mitochondrial homeostasis with antiviral signaling pathways.     

Exploring the stage-specific roles of Tcf-1 in T cell development and malignancy at single-cell resolution

Tcf-1 (encoded by Tcf7) not only plays critical roles in promoting T cell development and differentiation but also has been identified as a tumor suppressor involved in preventing T cell malignancy. However, the comprehensive mechanisms of Tcf-1 involved in T cell transformation remain poorly understood. In this study, Tcf7^fl/fl mice were crossed with Vav-cre, Lck-cre, or Cd4-cre mice to delete Tcf-1 conditionally at the beginning of the HSC, DN2–DN3, or DP stage, respectively. The defective T cell development phenotypes became gradually less severe as the deletion stage became more advanced in distinct mouse models. Interestingly, consistent with Tcf7^−/− mice, Tcf7^fl/flVav-cre mice developed aggressive T cell lymphoma within 45 weeks, but no tumors were generated in Tcf7^fl/flLck-cre or Tcf7^fl/flCd4-cre mice. Single-cell RNA-seq (ScRNA-seq) indicated that ablation of Tcf-1 at distinct phases can subdivide DN1 cells into three clusters (C1, C2, and C3) and DN2–DN3 cells into three clusters (C4, C5, and C6). Moreover, Tcf-1 deficiency redirects bifurcation among divergent cell fates, and clusters C1 and C4 exhibit high potential for leukemic transformation. Mechanistically, we found that Tcf-1 directly binds and mediates chromatin accessibility for both typical T cell regulators and proto-oncogenes, including Myb, Mycn, Runx1, and Lyl1 in the DN1 phase and Lef1, Id2, Dtx1, Fyn, Bcl11b, and Zfp36l2 in the DN2–DN3 phase. The aberrant expression of these genes due to Tcf-1 deficiency in very early T cells contributes to subsequent tumorigenesis. Thus, we demonstrated that Tcf-1 plays stage-specific roles in regulating early thymocyte development and transformation, providing new insights and evidence for clinical trials on T-ALL leukemia.     

Morphological analysis of three-dimensionally reconstructed frontal sinuses from Chinese Han population using computed tomography

International Journal of Legal Medicine - The uniqueness and reliability of frontal sinuses for personal identification have gained wide recognition in forensics. However, few studies have assessed...     

经鼻腔给予丙酸睾丸酮对老年大鼠骨骼肌的改善作用

目的:探讨经鼻腔给予丙酸睾丸酮对老年大鼠骨骼肌生理功能和形态结构的改善作用.方法:老年雄性大鼠经鼻腔给予丙酸睾丸酮12周,利用倾斜面实验和水平绳实验观察大鼠的行为变化;H-E染色显示大鼠肱二头肌的形态变化.结果:老年大鼠鼻腔给予丙酸睾丸酮对体质量无明显影响;老年大鼠连续2d的倾斜面下滑角度减小,50°角下滑次数增加,水平绳悬挂时间缩短,鼻腔给予丙酸睾丸酮后连续2d的倾斜面下滑角度增加,50°角下滑次数减少,水平绳悬挂时间延长;老年大鼠单位面积内肱二头肌肌细胞间隔的比例增多,鼻腔给予丙酸睾丸酮后单位面积内肱二头肌肌细胞间隔的比例减少.结论:鼻腔给予丙酸睾丸酮可以提高老年大鼠的平衡反应能力和肌张力,增加肱二头肌肌细胞面积,对老年大鼠肌细胞的生理功能及形态结构起到一定的保护作用,为鼻腔应用丙酸睾丸酮治疗老化过程引起的肌肉减少症提供实验依据.     

Ultrastructural studies of the neurovascular unit reveal enhanced endothelial transcytosis in hyperglycemia-enhanced hemorrhagic transformation after stroke

AimsPre‐existing hyperglycemia (HG) aggravates the breakdown of blood–brain barrier (BBB) and increases the risk of hemorrhagic transformation (HT) after acute ischemic stroke in both animal models and patients. To date, HG‐induced ultrastructural changes of brain microvascular endothelial cells (BMECs) and the mechanisms underlying HG‐enhanced HT after ischemic stroke are poorly understood.MethodsWe used a mouse model of mild brain ischemia/reperfusion to investigate HG‐induced ultrastructural changes of BMECs that contribute to the impairment of BBB integrity after stroke. Adult male mice received systemic glucose administration 15 min before middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) for 20 min. Ultrastructural characteristics of BMECs were evaluated using two‐dimensional and three‐dimensional electron microscopy and quantitatively analyzed.ResultsMice with acute HG had exacerbated BBB disruption and larger brain infarcts compared to mice with normoglycemia (NG) after MCAO and 4 h of reperfusion, as assessed by brain extravasation of the Evans blue dye and microtubule‐associated protein 2 immunostaining. Electron microscopy further revealed that HG mice had more endothelial vesicles in the striatal neurovascular unit than NG mice, which may account for their deterioration of BBB impairment. In contrast with enhanced endothelial transcytosis, paracellular tight junction ultrastructure was not disrupted after this mild ischemia/reperfusion insult or altered upon HG. Consistent with the observed increase of endothelial vesicles, transcytosis‐related proteins caveolin‐1, clathrin, and hypoxia‐inducible factor (HIF)‐1α were upregulated by HG after MCAO and reperfusion.ConclusionOur study provides solid structural evidence to understand the role of endothelial transcytosis in HG‐elicited BBB hyperpermeability. Enhanced transcytosis occurs prior to the physical breakdown of BMECs and is a promising therapeutic target to preserve BBB integrity.