Background Radiation-induced optic neuropathy (RION) is a severe complication after radiotherapy for head and neck cancer,which threatens the visual acuity and quality of life of patients.Till now,there is no recognized treatment for RION.It is of great significance to study the natural progression of the RION,and to prevent and treat RION.Objective This study was to establish an ideal radioactive optic nerve injury animal model.Methods Healthy 8-week SD rats with hygiene grade were randomly divided into normal control group and model group,with 6 rats in each group.The total 30 Gy dose of radiation with 3 portions was used to irradiate the head model group rats;ELISA was performed to analysis the changes of endothelin-1 (ET-1) and Von Willebrand factor (vWF) concentrations in blood 2,4 and 8 weeks after irradiation.Hematoxylin-eosin staining and transmission electron microscope were performed to observe the changes of optic structure.The use and care of the experimental animals complied with the ARVO statement.Results The concentrations of ET-1 in the model group were (23.18± 0.11),(27.98 ±0.22),(33.90 ±0.1 1),(65.25 ±0.38) and (43.82 ± 0.09) pg/ml before irradiation,1 day,2,4,6 weeks after irradiation,those in the normal control group were (22.65 ± 0.14),(23.18 ± 0.19),(23.68 ± 0.15),(24.23±0.12) and (23.58±0.16)pg/ml.The concentrations of vWF in the model group were (63.16±2.21),(88.32± 2.06),(123.38 ± 1.36),(191.40 ± 0.61) and (141.69 ± 0.82) pg/ml before irradiation,1 day,2,4,6 weeks after irradiation,those in the normal control group were (62.82 ± 1.56),(63.35 ±2.06),(64.12 ± 1.76),(63.52±2.02) and (63.48 ± 1.55)pg/ml.There were significant differences of ET-1 and vWF concentrations among different groups and time points (ET-1:Fgroup =32.160,P =0.012;Ftime =21.180,P =0.023.vWF:Fgroup =73.110,P=0.001;Ftime =46.180,P =0.002).The nerve fiber bundles was swelled with disordered arrangement and vacuolization 8 weeks after irradiation.Axon swell and atrophy,axons with myelin sheath layer plate separation were obtained.The rates of axon demyelination in the normal control group and model group were (1.35 ±0.79) ％ and (14.44±2.32)％,respectively.There was a statistically significant difference between the two groups (t =14.07,P＜0.01).Conclusions The total 30 Gy dose of radiation on the head of rats can make stable radioactive optic nerve injury model.This model making method is simple,cheap and practical,which is worth further study.

OBJECTIVE: To introduce the research progression of fMRI in brain functional localization in China or abroad in the recent 15 years, so as to further comprehend the effect and value of fMRI.DATA SOURCES: A computer-based online search of Medline database was undertaken to identify English articles about fMRI published from 1990 to 2005 with the keywords "functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), brain".STUDY SELECTION: The articles about experimental studies of fMRI articles irrelative to motor function, sensory function, hearing function, visuEnglish title.DATA EXTRACTION: Totally 6 144 relevant articles were collected, 18 articles were involved according to the inclusive criteria, and the others were excluded. cles about sensory function, including 1 about simple tactile stimulation,ry function, including 2 about simple visual stimulation, and 1 about binoction, including about hearing stimulation by various methods, and 1 about comparison between normal and abnormal subjects by the same stimulation.language function, 1 about visual language function, and 1 about listening basic principle.CONCLUSION: fMRI was more accurate, convenient and direct than other methods. It can not only show localization, size and dimension of the activated areas in different cerebral regions, but also show accurate anatomical position. Many aspects still need to be consummated, for example, exploration of the stimulating method, design of advanced hardware, post processing of the image and the effect of visualization. With the development of hardware, software and the endless endeavor of scientists, fMRI dooms to play an important role in illustrating the function of human brain.

Objective To evaluate the preventive effect of orifices-dredging and stasis-removing therapy on retinal vascular endothelium and optic nerve damage induced by radiation in rats. Methods Thirty-six SD rats were randomly divided into 3 groups, namely blank control group, model group and therapy group. Rats in the model group and therapy group were exposed to X-ray radiation once a week for three weeks. Two weeks before the radiation, therapy group was pretreated with intraperitoneal injection of Astragalus injection ( 4.0 g/kg) , Ligustrazine Hydrochloride injection ( 15 mg/kg) and Xingnaojing injection ( 2.5 mL/kg) once a day, blank control group and model group were given intraperitoneal injection of same volume of saline once a day. Before radiation, one day, and 2, 4 and 6 weeks after radiation, we detected the blood concentrations of endothelin-1 ( ET-1) and Von willebrand factor (vWF) in all of the rats by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) , and analyzed the dynamic changes and intergroup difference. Demyelination of optic nerve was observed under transmission electron microscope, and demyelination percentage was counted 2, 4, and 6 weeks after irradiation. Results Compared with the blank control group, the blood concentrations of ET-1 and vWF in model group were increased after irradiation (P<0.05) , and the peak value appeared on the fourth week after irradiation. Compared with the model group, the blood concentrations of ET-1 and vWF in the therapy group were decreased weeks 2 after irradiation ( P<0.05) . The demyelination percentage of optic nerve was significantly higher in the model group than that in the blank control group (P<0.05) 2, 4, and 6 weeks after irradiation. Compared with the model group, the demyelination percentage of optic nerve in therapy group showed insignificant changes 2 and 4 weeks after irradiation (P>0.05) , but was decreased obviously 6 weeks after irradiation (P<0.05) . Conclusion Pretreatment with orifices-dredging and stasis-removing therapy can decrease the blood concentrations of ET-1 and vWF in the radiation-induced retinal damage rats, and can reduce the demyelination of optic nerve in irradiated rats.

Objective Evaluating the effects of Bushen-Gufeigao and breathing movements on the patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease of Lung and kidney deficiency TCM pattern. Methods The patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease of lung and kidney deficiency TCM pattern were recruited and randomly divided into two groups the treatment group (32 cases) and the control group (34 cases). The control group was treated with the conventional medicine, and the treatment group were added Bufei-Gushengao and breathing movements based on the treatment of control group. Both groups were treated for 1 month. The changes of the clinical symptoms, lung function and frequency of attack and duration of each attack in 10 months after treatment were observed. Results After the treatment, compared with the control group, the TCM patterns scores (5.32 ± 2.67 vs. 9.12 ± 4.11, t=4.424) of the treatment group significantly decreased, while the FVC (3.00 ± 0.49 L vs. 2.71 ± 0.47 L, t=2.408), FEV1 (2.27 ± 0.44 L vs. 1.85 ± 0.54 L, t=3.496), and the percentage of FEV1%(75.62 ± 6.84 vs. 66.86 ± 9.32, t=4.333) increased significantly. In the 10 mouths after the treatment, the treatment group showed significantly fewer patients who had attacked more than 6 times than that in the control group, and the duration of attacks showed significantly fewer minutes in the treatment group than the control group (5.56 ± 1.45 d vs. 8.06 ± 1.80 d, t=6.190). Conclusion Bushen-Gufeigao and breathing movements can effectively improve patient's lung function and symptoms.

Objective To observe the manifestations of MSCT and CT virtual endoscopy (CTVE) images of pleural windows in spontaneous pneumothorax.Methods MSCT data of 73 patients of spontaneous pneumothorax were analyzed.Taking pneumatized sac as the center,thin cross sectional planer (1 mm thickness) MPR and CTVE were reconstructed.Then the size and location of pleural windows,form of pleural surface defect or niche and the relationship with the chest were observed.Results In all 73 patients of spontaneous pneumothorax,27 pleural windows were detected in 15 patients with MSCT thin cross-sectional planer reconstruction image.Pleural windows were observed on the left side in 11 patients,while on the right side in 4 patients.Most of pleural windows located at apex (15/27,55.56％),followed by anterior chest wall (7/27,25.93％) and mediastinum (5/27,18.52％).The connection of pleura window with thorax was shown in 23 (23/27,85.19％).Small defection on parietal pleural with pneumatized sac bulging was seen in all pleural windows,with circular,elliptic,short columnar or hockey shapes.On the front view of CTVE,pleural windows showed niche on parietal pleural surface with round or oval form,and the bottom of the pneumatized sac could be straightly seen in 19 pleural windows.The walls were flat,tunnel shaped in 6 pleural windows,while cavernous shaped in other pleural windows.Conclusion Pleural windows often displayed as small diverticulum like shadows on parietal pleural surfaces,and the pathogenesis might be associated with negative pressure increased in local pleural cavity and pleural damages.

Objective: Hippocampal neuron apoptosis contributes to autism, while METTL3 has been documented to possess great potentials in neuron apoptosis. Our study probed into the role of METTL3 in neuron apoptosis in autism and to determine the underlying mechanism. Methods: Bioinformatics analysis was used to analyze expressed genes in autism samples. Institute of Cancer Research mice were treated with valproic acid to develop autism models. The function of METTL3 in autism-like symptoms in mice was analyzed with behavioral tests and histological examination of their hippocampal tissues. Primary mouse hippocampal neurons were extracted for in vitro studies. Downstream factors of METTL3 were explored and validated. Results: METTL3, MALAT1, and Wnt/β-catenin signaling were downregulated, while SFRP2 was upregulated in the hippocampal tissues of a mouse model of autism. METTL3 stabilized MALAT1 expression by promoting m6A modification of MALAT1. MALAT1 promoted SFRP2 methylation and led to reduced SFRP2 expression by recruiting DNMT1, DNMT3A, and DNMT3B to the promoter region of SFRP2. Furthermore, SFRP2 facilitated activation of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling. By this mechanism, METTL3 suppressed autism-like symptoms and hippocampal neuron apoptosis. Conclusion This research suggests that METTL3 can reduce autism-like symptoms and hippocampal neuron apoptosis by regulating the MALAT1/SFRP2/Wnt/β-catenin axis.

BACKGROUND: Although intensively studied in patients with cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), the prognostic value of diastolic blood pressure (DBP) has little been elucidated in patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD). This study aimed to reveal the prognostic value of DBP in AECOPD patients. METHODS: Inpatients with AECOPD were prospectively enrolled from 10 medical centers in China between September 2017 and July 2021. DBP was measured on admission. The primary outcome was all-cause in-hospital mortality; invasive mechanical ventilation and intensive care unit (ICU) admission were secondary outcomes. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) and multivariable Cox regressions were used to identify independent prognostic factors and calculate the hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for adverse outcomes. RESULTS: Among 13,633 included patients with AECOPD, 197 (1.45%) died during their hospital stay. Multivariable Cox regression analysis showed that low DBP on admission (<70 mmHg) was associated with increased risk of in-hospital mortality (HR = 2.16, 95% CI: 1.53-3.05, Z = 4.37, P <0.01), invasive mechanical ventilation (HR = 1.65, 95% CI: 1.32-2.05, Z = 19.67, P <0.01), and ICU admission (HR = 1.45, 95% CI: 1.24-1.69, Z = 22.08, P <0.01) in the overall cohort. Similar findings were observed in subgroups with or without CVDs, except for invasive mechanical ventilation in the subgroup with CVDs. When DBP was further categorized in 5-mmHg increments from <50 mmHg to ≥100 mmHg, and 75 to <80 mmHg was taken as reference, HRs for in-hospital mortality increased almost linearly with decreased DBP in the overall cohort and subgroups of patients with CVDs; higher DBP was not associated with the risk of in-hospital mortality. CONCLUSION: Low on-admission DBP, particularly <70 mmHg, was associated with an increased risk of adverse outcomes among inpatients with AECOPD, with or without CVDs, which may serve as a convenient predictor of poor prognosis in these patients. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION Chinese Clinical Trail Registry, No. ChiCTR2100044625.
Humans ; Blood Pressure ; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive/therapy* ; Cohort Studies ; Respiration, Artificial ; Inpatients ; Hospital Mortality