Exosomes from miRNA‐126‐modified endothelial progenitor cells alleviate brain injury and promote functional recovery after stroke

AimsWe previously showed that the protective effects of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs)‐released exosomes (EPC‐EXs) on endothelium in diabetes. However, whether EPC‐EXs are protective in diabetic ischemic stroke is unknown. Here, we investigated the effects of EPC‐EXs on diabetic stroke mice and tested whether miR‐126 enriched EPC‐EXs (EPC‐EXs^miR126) have enhanced efficacy.MethodsThe db/db mice subjected to ischemic stroke were intravenously administrated with EPC‐EXs 2 hours after ischemic stroke. The infarct volume, cerebral microvascular density (MVD), cerebral blood flow (CBF), neurological function, angiogenesis and neurogenesis, and levels of cleaved caspase‐3, miR‐126, and VEGFR2 were measured on day 2 and 14.ResultsWe found that (a) injected EPC‐EXs merged with brain endothelial cells, neurons, astrocytes, and microglia in the peri‐infarct area; (b) EPC‐EXs^miR126 were more effective than EPC‐EXs in decreasing infarct size and increasing CBF and MVD, and in promoting angiogenesis and neurogenesis as well as neurological functional recovery; (c) These effects were accompanied with downregulated cleaved caspase‐3 on day 2 and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR2) upregulation till day 14.ConclusionOur results indicate that enrichment of miR126 enhanced the therapeutic efficacy of EPC‐EXs on diabetic ischemic stroke by attenuating acute injury and promoting neurological function recovery.     

Evaluation of Degenerative Lumbar Scoliosis After Short Segment Decompression and Fusion

The objective of this study was to investigate short segment decompression of degenerative lumbar scoliosis (DLS) and the efficiency of fusion treatment.After DLS surgery, the patients were retrospectively reviewed using the VAS (visual analog scale) and ODI (Oswestry Disability Index) to assess clinical outcomes. All patients underwent posterior lumbar decompressive laminectomy, pedicle screw internal fixation, and posterolateral bone graft fusion surgery. Radiographic measurements included the scoliotic Cobb angle, the fused Cobb angle, the anterior intervertebral angle (AIA), the sagittal intervertebral angle (SIA), and lumbar lordosis angle. The relationships between these parameters were examined by bivariate Pearson analysis and linear regression analysis.Preoperatively, the Cobb angle at the scoliotic segment was 15.4°, which decreased to 10.2° immediately following surgery (P < 0.05). The AIA significantly increased by the last follow-up (4.4 ± 3.4) compared with pre- and postoperative values (2.5 ± 2.8 and 2.2 ± 2.4, respectively; P < 0.05). However, the scoliotic Cobb angle and the AIA did not correlate with the VAS or ODI scores. At the final follow-up, no patients had pseudoarthrosis or internal instrumentation-related complications.Short fusion surgical treatment results in limited DLS correction, with correction loss over time. The AIA between the upper adjacent segment and proximal fused vertebra continues to increase postoperatively, which does not exacerbate clinical symptoms, as reflected by the low reoperation rates for repairing degeneration at adjacent levels.     

ADAM33 polymorphisms and susceptibility to allergic rhinitis: a meta-analysis

European Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - Several polymorphisms in a disintegrin and metalloproteinase 33 (ADAM33) have been implicated in susceptibility to allergic rhinitis (AR), but the...     

益心舒胶囊联合常规疗法治疗非瓣膜性心房颤动临床研究

目的：观察益心舒胶囊联合常规疗法治疗非瓣膜性心房颤动的疗效。方法：纳入96 例气阴亏虚兼瘀血内阻型非瓣膜性心房颤动患者，采用随机数字表法分为对照组和观察组各48 例。2 组患者均予常规降压、降糖、调脂以及调整心态、饮食等治疗措施，并服用华法林钠片治疗，观察组加予益心舒胶囊治疗。2 组疗程均为3 个月。观察2 组治疗前及治疗3 个月后凝血功能指标、心房颤动发作情况、血浆N 末端B 型利钠肽原（NT-proBNP） 以及血液流变学水平的变化。结果：治疗后，2 组凝血酶原时间（PT）、活化部分凝血活酶时间（APTT）、凝血酶时间（TT）、国际标准化比值（INR） 均较治疗前增加（P＜0.01），观察组PT、APTT、TT、INR 均长于或高于对照组（P＜0.01）。2 组心房颤动发作时间与发作频率均较治疗前缩短或降低（P＜0.01），观察组心房颤动发作时间与发作频率均短于或低于对照组（P＜0.01）。2 组血浆NT-proBNP 水平均较治疗前降低（P＜0.01），观察组血浆NT-proBNP 水平均低于对照组（P＜0.01）。2 组红细胞比容（HCT）、纤维蛋白原（Fb）、全血黏度、血浆比黏度均较治疗前降低（P＜0.01），观察组4 项指标值均低于对照组（P＜0.01）。结论：在常规治疗基础上加服益心舒胶囊治疗气阴亏虚兼瘀血内阻型非瓣膜性心房颤动，在改善患者的凝血功能、心功能以及缓解临床症状方面疗效明显，且可有效改善血液流变学水平。     

免疫检查点抑制剂应用于晚期胃癌治疗的研究进展

我国属胃癌高发国家,且以进展期胃癌为主。以手术和化疗为主的多学科治疗无法有效改善晚期胃癌患者的预后。近年来,免疫检查点抑制剂类药物的疗效在诸多癌症中得到了证实,因此,该类药物在胃癌中的治疗效果也受到了广泛的关注。本文对近年来的相关研究成果进行综述,全面介绍了免疫检查点抑制剂类药物在胃癌治疗中的临床应用情况、联合用药情况以及不良反应。对于其他治疗均失败的晚期胃癌患者,PD-1抑制剂是一个可行的治疗选项,其代表药物派姆单抗是目前唯一被美国食品药品监督管理局批准应用于胃癌治疗的免疫抑制剂类药物,而我国国家食品药品监督管理总局尚未批准任何此类药物应用于胃癌的临床治疗。如何进一步提高治疗的客观缓解率,将会是后续临床和基础研究的一大焦点。