Inhibition of autophagy by chloroquine makes chemotherapy in nasopharyngeal carcinoma more efficient

Objectives

A combination of platinum-based chemotherapy and radiotherapy is the standard treatment for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). However, the efficacy of chemotherapy has reached a plateau. Many autophagy studies suggest that autophagy can either promote or suppress to cancer progression. Thus, a role of autophagy in the acquisition of chemoradioresistance has recently been a notable event. Therefore, we examined the relationship between autophagy and chemotherapy in NPC.

腺病毒介导酸性成纤维生长因子对兔角膜内皮细胞感染及促增殖作用的实验研究

目的　观察复制缺陷型重组腺病毒载体介导酸性成纤维生长因子 (aFGF)对体外培养的兔角膜内皮细胞 (RCEC)的感染效率和促增殖作用。方法　 2 93A细胞扩增复制缺陷型重组腺病毒 ,选用细胞半数感染剂量 (TCID50 )法测定病毒滴度。体外培养RCEC ,用携带报告基因 (LacZ)的重组腺病毒 (Ad LacZ)感染RCEC ,二甲基甲酰胺 (X gal)染色估计瞬时感染效率 ,将含aFGF的重组腺病毒 (Ad aFGF)感染RCEC ,RT PCR、Westernblot分别检测aFGF转录及蛋白质表达情况 ,噻唑盐 (MTT)法检测转基因细胞增殖情况。结果　病毒滴度为 2× 10 8pfu/ml;重组腺病毒感染RCEC 2 4h后即可检测到外源基因表达 ,当感染倍数 (MOI)值等于 2 0时 ,Ad LacZ对RCEC的感染效率为 10 0 % ,感染Ad aFGF对RCEC增殖有促进作用 (F =2 17.10 7,P <0 .0 5 )。结论　复制缺陷型重组腺病毒载体介导的外源基因在RCEC中可有效表达 ,感染Ad aFGF对RCEC增殖具有促进作用。     

SKP2及MRP-1/CD9在声门癌及癌旁组织中的表达及其临床意义

目的:观察声门癌及癌旁组织中SKP2及MRP-1/CD9蛋白的变化意义及其对声门癌手术安全切除范围的指导意义。方法:用免疫组织化学SP法检测38例声门鳞状细胞癌组织及距癌组织边缘2、5、10mm的组织中SKP2及MRP-1/CD9蛋白的表达,并取10例声带息肉组织作对照。结果:SKP2蛋白产物异常表达按息肉黏膜组织、癌旁组织(2、5、10mm)及癌组织的顺序依次递减,差异有统计学意义(均P<0.05);MRP-1/CD9蛋白产物异常表达按息肉黏膜组织、癌旁组织(2、5、10mm)及癌组织的顺序依次递增,差异有统计学意义(均P<0.05)。结论:SKP2及MRP-1/CD9均可作为判断喉癌生物学特性的参考指标,声门癌手术安全切缘以距肿瘤≥5mm的标准较为适宜。     

Safety and Efficacy of Eucaloric Very Low-Carb Diet (EVLCD) in Type 1 Diabetes: A One-Year Real-Life Retrospective Experience

A eucaloric very low carbohydrate diet (EVLCD) is a diet with a daily caloric intake equal to the total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) with a carbohydrate content of <50 g/day. The literature on very low carbohydrate diets (VLCD) in type 1 diabetes (DM 1) is limited, although recently published scientific studies have highlighted their safety and efficacy in managing DM 1. In this retrospective analysis, we report the clinical data of 33 patients affected by DM 1 carrying out insulin therapy who switched voluntarily from their usual diet (high carb, low fat) to an EVLCD. Our aim is to evaluate the glycemic control, the amount of insulin needed in order to maintain glycemic control and safety of EVLCD. The switch improved glycemic control (mean glycated hemoglobin decreased from 8.3% to 6.8% (p < 0.01). The number of patients who reached a glycated hemoglobin value of <7% increased statistically from 12% to 57% (p < 0.01), and there was a statistically significant decrease (p < 0.01) in the units of daily insulin (from 36.7± 14.9 IU to 28.9 ±9.1 IU) A reduction from 54% to 24% in clinical level 2 hypoglycemia episodes was reported. No cases of severe hypoglycemia or ketoacidosis were observed. The results of the study support that EVLCD in DM 1 seems safe and effective when adopted under tight medical supervision.     

Café-au-lait macules and pediatric malignancy caused by biallelic mutations in the DNA mismatch repair (MMR) gene PMS2

A 14-year-old male presented with a T4 sigmoid adenocarcinoma, <10 colonic adenomas and multiple café-au-lait macules. Family history was not suggestive of a dominant hereditary form of colorectal cancer. Evaluation of the tumor revealed abnormal immunohistochemical staining of the PMS2 protein and high frequency microsatellite instability. Germline analysis identified biallelic PMS2 missense mutations. A new cancer syndrome caused by biallelic mutations in the mismatch repair genes, including PMS2, is now emerging and is characterized by café-au-lait macules, colonic polyps and a distinctive tumor spectrum.     

Elucidation of Anti-Hypertensive Mechanism by a Novel Lactobacillus rhamnosus AC1 Fermented Soymilk in the Deoxycorticosterone Acetate-Salt Hypertensive Rats

Dietary intake of fermented soymilk is associated with hypotensive effects, but the mechanisms involved have not been fully elucidated. We investigated the anti-hypertensive effects of soymilk fermented by L. rhamnosus AC1 on DOCA-salt hypertension from the point of view of oxidative stress, inflammatory response and alteration of the gut microbiome. The antioxidant assays in vitro indicated the ethanol extract (EE) of L. rhamnosus AC1 fermented soymilk showed better antioxidative effects than the water extract (WE). Those extracts displayed a hypotensive effect using a tail-cuff approach to measuring blood pressure and improved nitric oxide (NO), angiotensin II (Ang II), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin factor-6 (IL-6) on DOCA-salt hypertensive rats. Furthermore, cardiac and renal fibrosis were attenuated by those extracts. The gut microbiota analysis revealed that they significantly reduced the abundance of phylum Proteobacteria, its family Enterobacteriaceae and genus Escherichia-Shigella. Moreover, metabolomic profiling revealed several potential gut microbiota-related metabolites which appeared to involve in the development and recovery of hypertension. In conclusion, fermented soymilk is a promising nutritional intervention strategy to improve hypertension via reducing inflammation and reverting dysbiotic microbiota.     

Vitamin D and Diseases of Mineral Homeostasis: A Cyp24a1 R396W Humanized Preclinical Model of Infantile Hypercalcemia Type 1

Infantile hypercalcemia type 1 (HCINF1), previously known as idiopathic infantile hypercalcemia, is caused by mutations in the 25-hydroxyvitamin D 24-hydroxylase gene, CYP24A1. The R396W loss-of-function mutation in CYP24A1 is the second most frequent mutated allele observed in affected HCINF1 patients. We have introduced the site-specific R396W mutation within the murine Cyp24a1 gene in knock-in mice to generate a humanized model of HCINF1. On the C57Bl6 inbred background, homozygous mutant mice exhibited high perinatal lethality with 17% survival past weaning. This was corrected by crossbreeding to the CD1 outbred background. Mutant animals had hypercalcemia in the first week of life, developed nephrolithiasis, and had a very high 25(OH)D₃ to 24,25(OH)₂D₃ ratio which is a diagnostic hallmark of the HCINF1 condition. Expression of the mutant Cyp24a1 allele was highly elevated while Cyp27b1 expression was abrogated. Impaired bone fracture healing was detected in CD1-R396^w/w mutant animals. The augmented lethality of the C57Bl6-R396W strain suggests an influence of distinct genetic backgrounds. Our data point to the utility of unique knock-in mice to probe the physiological ramifications of CYP24A1 variants in isolation from other biological and environmental factors.     

Fetal stroke and cerebrovascular disease: Advances in understanding from lenticulostriate and venous imaging,alloimmune thrombocytopaenia and monochorionic twins

Fetal stroke is an important cause of cerebral palsy but is difficult to diagnose unless imaging is undertaken in pregnancies at risk because of known maternal or fetal disorders. Fetal ultrasound or magnetic resonance imaging may show haemorrhage or ischaemic lesions including multicystic encephalomalacia and focal porencephaly. Serial imaging has shown the development of malformations including schizencephaly and polymicrogyra after ischaemic and haemorrhagic stroke. Recognised causes of haemorrhagic fetal stroke include alloimmune and autoimmune thrombocytopaenia, maternal and fetal clotting disorders and trauma but these are relatively rare. It is likely that a significant proportion of periventricular and intraventricular haemorrhages are of venous origin. Recent evidence highlights the importance of arterial endothelial dysfunction, rather than thrombocytopaenia, in the intraparenchymal haemorrhage of alloimmune thrombocytopaenia. In the context of placental anastomoses, monochorionic diamniotic twins are at risk of twin twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS), or partial forms including Twin Oligohydramnios Polyhydramnios Sequence (TOPS), differences in estimated weight (selective Intrauterine growth Retardation; sIUGR), or in fetal haemoglobin (Twin Anaemia Polycythaemia Sequence; TAPS). There is a very wide range of ischaemic and haemorrhagic injury in a focal as well as a global distribution. Acute twin twin transfusion may account for intraventricular haemorrhage in recipients and periventricular leukomalacia in donors but there are additional risk factors for focal embolism and cerebrovascular disease. The recipient has circulatory overload, with effects on systemic and pulmonary circulations which probably lead to systemic and pulmonary hypertension and even right ventricular outflow tract obstruction as well as the polycythaemia which is a risk factor for thrombosis and vasculopathy. The donor is hypovolaemic and has a reticulocytosis in response to the anaemia while maternal hypertension and diabetes may influence stroke risk. Understanding of the mechanisms, including the role of vasculopathy, in well studied conditions such as alloimmune thrombocytopaenia and monochorionic diamniotic twinning may lead to reduction of the burden of antenatally sustained cerebral palsy.     

噻二唑合成工艺的改进

目的：为了提高噻二唑的收率。方法：以水合肼为原料经酰化、成盐、环合、精制四步合成了药物中间体噻二唑。结果：总收率达68％。结论：本方法具有操作安全、工艺简单、收率高等特点。