Objective To explore the MRI findings of ovarian cancer peritoneal carcinomatosis (PC).Methods MRI findings of 34 cases with advanced ovarian cancer and PC confirmed by operation and pathology were reviewed retrospectively.MRI protocols included T1 WI,T2 WI,MRH,DWIBS,and gadolinium-enhanced 3D THRIVE sequences.The type of ovarian tumor and MRI manifestations of PC were analyzed.Results All of the ovarian tumors and PC lesions were high signal intensity in DWIBS.All of the ovarian tumors were shown as mixed cystic solid masses,including type Ⅱa in 12 cases,type Ⅱb in 7 cases,and type Ⅱc in 1 5 cases.The MR manifestations of PC were described as follow:linear thickening of the peritoneum (n=2),irregular linear thickening of the peritoneum (n=27);smudged thickening of the omentum (n=1 9),cake-like thickening of the omentum (n=1 1);fouling-appearance of the mesentery (n=4);plaque,nodule and mass in the abdominal cavity (n= 34),cystic mass (n=8).PC lesions were detected in the Douglas’space in 31 cases,paravesical interspace in 24 cases,omentum in 20 cases,paracolic gutter in 9 cases, right subdiaphragmatic / parahepatic space in 1 1 cases,and left subdiaphragmatic / parasplenic space in 10 cases.The primary and PC tumors invaded the rectum in 26 cases,sigmoid in 22 cases,and uterus in 1 6 cases.Ascites and lymphadenectasis in abdomen were seen in 33 and 7 cases,respectively.Conclusion Ovarian cancer PC can be diagnosed accurately by combing DWIBS and con-ventional MRI.

Objective To explore the value of static and dynamic MRI before and after operation of pelvic organ prolapse (POP). Methods 29 patients with POP (POP group)and 12 normal women (control group)underwent static and dynamic MRI.The morphologic changes of pelvic floor were observed on MR images.The measurements of bladder,uterus,Douglas pouch to pubococcygeal line (B-PCL,U-PCL,D-PCL),the puborectal hiatus line (H-line),muscular pelvic floor descent (M-line),the levator hiatus size (LHS),the levator plate angle (LPA),the iliococcygeus angle (ICA)and the urethral inclination angle (UA)were recorded on dynamic MR images.Results 19 cystoceles,28 uterine prolapses,4 rectoceles and 14 hernias of Douglas pouch were detected with MRI.29 cases of pelvic floor relaxation,27 cases of levator ani muscle defect and 24 cases of pubocervical fascial defect were found.The values of B-PCL,U-PCL, D-PCL,H-line,M-line,LHS,LPA,ICA and UA of POP group were larger than control group (P<0.01).The positions of pelvic organ returned to normal in 9 cases of 21 postoperative cases,while 12 cases remained prolapses.There was no displacement of mesh in 8 cases of mesh implant.The values of B-PCL,U-PCL,D-PCL,UA after operation were smaller than those before operation (P<0.05).Conclusion Static and dynamic MRI can evaluate morphological and functional changes of pelvic floor before and after operation of POP comprehensively,and may reveal those invisible pelvic floor dysfunction and postoperative remnant defects.

BACKGROUND:The effects and molecular mechanism of simvastatin on the proliferation and differentiation of osteoblasts remain unclear. Especial y, we do not know much about the effects of connexin 43.
OBJECTIVE:To evaluate the effects of simvastatin on the proliferation and differentiation of osteoblasts and the regulatory effect of simvastatin on the expression of osteogenic genes and connexin 43.
METHODS:Newborn Sprague-Dawley rats were chosen and the cranium digestion method was used to culture osteoblasts. The different concentrations of simvastatin (0.062 5, 0.125, 0.25, 0.5 and 1.0μmol/L) were used to deal with osteoblasts. The proliferative effect of simvastatin on osteoblasts was measured with 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide. The effect of simvastatin on osteoblast differentiation was measured with alkaline phosphatase activities. The mRNA and protein expression of osteogenic genes and connexin 43 were measured by real time quantitative RT-PCR and western blot assay.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:There were no significant differences in absorbance values of simvastatin groups at 3 days (P>0.05). However, at 4 and 5 days, absorbance values were lower in the simvastatin groups than those in the control group (P<0.05). Compared with the control group, alkaline phosphatase activities of osteoblasts were greater in the simvastatin groups (P<0.05). Moreover, the effects of 0.25μmol/L simvastatin on alkaline phosphatase activities of osteoblasts were most significant. Osteocalcin, alkaline phosphatase activities, type I col agen and connexin 43 mRNA and protein expressions were increased after treatment with 0.25μmol/L simvastatin (P<0.05). These results indicated that simvastatin may inhibit the proliferation and improve the differentiation of osteoblasts by upregulating the mRNA and protein expression of osteogenic genes and connexin 43. These data may provide the new intervention target for osteoporosis treated with statins.

This paper aimed at studying the effects of hyaluronic acid (HA) with different molecular weights on the transdermal absorption and retention of reduced glutathione (GSH) in the isolated skin of SD rats. Franz diffusion cell method was used to investigate the effects with different molecular weights HA on the in vitro transdermal penetration of GSH and the storage in different layers of the skin. AutoDock molecular docking was used to study the interaction between GSH and HA. Attenuated total reflection Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) and H&E section staining were used to characterize the changes and effects of lipids and proteins in the rat stratum corneum after HA acts on the skin. The results of in vitro transdermal experiments showed that HA with different molecular weights had a significant impact on the amount of GSH passing through the skin, that as the molecular weight of HA increased, the effect of preventing GSH from passing through the skin became stronger, that in terms of skin storage, HA with different molecular weights could increase the storage of GSH in the stratum corneum, and that HA with a molecular weight below 7K could also significantly increase the storage of GSH in the dermis. The molecular docking results showed that HA and GSH had a relatively strong interaction, which could form intermolecular hydrogen bonds; and the results of ATR-FTIR and H&E staining showed that HA could interact with lipids and keratins in the stratum corneum of the skin. Such interaction can increase the permeability of the stratum corneum of the drug, however, as a water-soluble GSH, it may be involved in the formation of intermolecular hydrogen bonds with HA. In the structure of HA hydrogel, the amount of GSH drug passing through the intact skin is reduced; but at the same time, this interaction also provides a reservoir for the formation of GSH, thus increasing its storage in the skin. Through comparison of the storage capacity of GSH in the stratum corneum and dermis of the isolated skin due to the increase of HA with different molecular weights, it has been found that the storage capacity of HA with low relative molecular weight is the best.

Objective To noninvasively assess the cerebral ischemic status using the velocity profile of the carotid and vertebral arteries measured by Doppler ultrasound and a neural network model.Methods Imaging data were collected from patients who underwent computed tomography perfusion(CTP)and Doppler ultrasound.Hemodynamic parameters were extracted from the ultrasound images.These parameters were used to train a fully connected neural network model.The model was validated using the CTP results.Results Sixty-two eligible patients were included;44 were randomly selected as the training dataset and 18 were designated for validation.In the training set,the area under the curve(AUC)of the receiver operating characteristic,sensitivity,specificity,and accuracy were 0.95,0.833,0.923,and 0.886,respectively.In the test set,the AUC,sensitivity,specificity,and accuracy were 0.860,0.714,1.000,and 0.889,respectively.Conclusions The model based on Doppler ultrasound and neural network was clinically verified and had good accuracy for assessing cerebral ischemia,showing its clinical potential for the early screening of cerebral ischemia.

BACKGROUND:Increasing autologous stem cellmobilization is conceived to achieve effectively repair of cardiac ischemic injury. Therefore, it is important to seek a specific and effective mobilization agent. OBJECTIVE:To observe the effects of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α(HIF-1α) on bone marrow mesenchymal stem cellmobilization in myocardial infarction. METHODS:Left anterior descending artery was ligated to establish a rat model of acute myocardial infarction in 90 outbreeding Sprague-Dawley rats, and then the models were randomly divided into three groups. In HIF-1α-antisense oligonucleotide (ASODN) group, HIF-1α-ASODN was infused into the tail vein to restrain the expression of HIF-1αin infarcted ischemic tissue. In HIF-1α-missense oligonucleotide (MSODN) group or control group, an equal volume of HIF-1α-MSODN or saline was injected. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:After 30 hours and 7 days of modeling, the number of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells and expression of vascular endothelial growth factor in the peripheral blood of the control group were similar to the HIF-1α-MSODN group, but significantly higher than the HIF-1α-ASODN group. After 7 days of modeling, the expressions of HIF-1αprotein, vascular endothelial growth factor protein and mRNA in the ischemic myocardial tissues of the control group were similar to the HIF-1α-MSODN group, but significantly higher than the HIF-1α-ASODN group. After 7, 14 and 28 days of modeling, the capil ary density in the ischemic myocardial tissues of the control group was similar to the HIF-1α-MSODN group, but significantly higher than the HIF-1α-ASODN group. These findings indicate that after acute myocardial infarction, high expression of HIF-1αexhibits a causal relationship with mobilization of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells, initiating a series of self-healing process of myocardial tissues.

Objective To observe the serum cortisol level in ischemic stroke patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS),and discuss the influence factors and its correlation with severity of cerebral infarction.Methods Two hundred ischemic stroke patients with onset of 6 h to 3 weeks,admitted to our hospital from July 2015 to April 2017,were recruited;all patients were monitored with polysomnography.According to apnea hypopnea index (AHI),all patients were divided into ischemic stroke without OSAS group (AHI＜5/h,n=89) and ischemic stroke with OSAS group (AHI≥ 5/h,n=111).Moreover,according to AHI,patients from ischemic stroke with OSAS group were divided into three subgroups,namely,mild subgroup (5/h ≤AHI＜15/h),moderate subgroup (15/h ≤AHI＜30/h) and severe subgroup (AHI ≥30/h).According to National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) scores,all subjects were divided into a group of NIHSS scores no more than 10 and a group of NIHSS scores＞10.The general clinical data,biochemical indices,early morning blood pressure,serum cortisol level and sleeping parameters were detected and compared among the groups,and the main factors affecting serum cortisol levels were identified by multivariate linear regression analysis.Results (1) The serum cortisol level in ischemic stroke with OSAS patients ([195.41±75.31] μg/L) was significantly higher than that of ischemic stroke without OSAS patients ([158.65±77.28] μg/L,P＜0.05);the serum cortisol level in ischemic stroke with mild OSAS subgroup ([227.32±75.12] μg/L) was significantly increased as compared with that in the ischemic stroke with moderate OSAS subgroup and ischemic stroke with severe OSAS subgroup ([191.27±71.50] μg/L and [175.21±75.13] μg/L,P＜0.05).(2) The serum cortisol level of group of NIHSS scores＞10 was significantly higher than that of group of NIHSS scores ≤ 10 (P＜0.05).(3)AHI,NIHSS scores,longest duration of apnea,and lowest blood oxygen saturation at night had significant effects on serum cortisol levels.Serum cortisol levels increased with AHI (β=89.984,95％CI:71.325-108.644,P=0.000) and NIHSS scores (β=0.923,95％CI:0.377-1.468,P=0.001),increased with the longest sleep apnea (β=0.804,95％CI:0.262-1.325,P=0.000),and decreased with the lowest blood oxygen saturation at night (β=-0.709,95％CI:-0.290--0.041,P=0.000).Conclusion The serum cortisol level in cerebral infarction patients with OSAS was increased,and the higher the severity of cerebral infarction and OSAS is,the higher the serum cortisol level is.

AIM:To investigate the molecular mechanism underlying ferroptosis induced by celastrol(Cel)in huamn pancreatic cancer cell line PANC-1.METHODS:The viability of PANC-1 cells was analyzed by MTT assay,and the effects of Cel on cell proliferation were analyzed using EdU and colony formation assays.Flow cytometry and fluores-cence microscopy were used to assess and observe changes in lipid reactive oxygen species(ROS)levels,respectively,while the levels of malondialdehyde(MDA),glutathione(GSH)and Fe2+were measured using specific kits.The protein expression of glutathione peroxidase 4(GPX4)was evaluated by Western blot,and GPX4 ubiquitination was measured by immunoprecipitation.RESULTS:It was found that the viability,proliferation and colony formation in PANC-1 cells de-creased gradually as the concentration of Cel increased.Addition of Cel alone to the cells reduced both cell rounding and viability,while treatment with ferrostatin-1(Fer-1)alone or in combination with Cel had no effect on either cell morpholo-gy or viability.Fluorescence staining of lipid ROS with BODIPYTM 581/591 C11 followed by flow cytometry analysis showed significantly increased levels of green fluorescence indicative of oxidized lipid ROS,which were further increased after treatment of the cells with Cel.Treatment of the cells with both Cel and Fer-1 reduced the green fluorescence and lip-id ROS levels.Treatment with Cel also increased the levels of MDA and Fe2+,relative to the controls,which reducing the levels of GSH,while addition of both Cel and Fer-1 to the cells restored the levels of MDA,Fe2+,and GSH to those of the control group.CONCLUSION:Treatment with Cel reduces the proliferation of pancreatic cancer cells by inducing fer-roptosis through promoting the ubiquitination and degradation of GPX4.

Background Heavy metal pollution in cultivated land will affect crop yield and quality, as well as groundwater quality, ecological security, and human health. Objective To analyze the pollution status of heavy metal elements such as chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), and lead (Pb) in cultivated soils of the Donghe River Basin in Chenzhou City, and to evaluate the environmental quality of local cultivated soil. Methods A total of 16 samples of cultivated soil from the Donghe River Basin in Chenzhou City were collected, and the contents of Cr, Cu, Zn, As, Cd, and Pb in the samples were determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The Nemerow comprehensive pollution index method (the evaluation indicators included both Nemerow comprehensive pollution index and single pollution index), the geological accumulation index method, and the potential ecological risk index method were used to evaluate the soil environmental quality. Results The average levels of Cr, Cu, Zn, As, Cd, and Pb in the soil samples in the study area were 58.25, 49.50, 273.88, 137.76, 2.92, and 672.29 mg·kg⁻¹, respectively. The average values of Cu, Zn, As, Cd, and Pb were all exceeded the background values of soil elements in Hunan Province. The single pollution indices of As, Cd, Pb, and Zn in soil were 4.40, 9.74, 5.85, and 1.15 respectively. The contamination of As and Pb reached 93.75% and 81.25% respectively. The geological accumulation indices of soil As, Cd, Pb, and Zn were 2.11, 3.71, 2.97, and 0.58, respectively, which showed heavy Cd pollution, moderate As and Pb pollution, and slight Zn pollution. The potential ecological hazard indices of soil Cr, Cu, Zn, As, Pb, and Cd were 1.63, 9.07, 2.90, 87.75, 113.18, and 695.76. 81.Twenty five percent of Cd samples showed heavy pollution and above, and 62.50% of Pb samples had moderate pollution and above. The Nemerow comprehensive pollution index was 7.72, which belonged to heavy pollution; and the comprehensive potential ecological risk index was 910.29, which belonged to high ecological risk. Conclusion There are certain differences in the results of different evaluation methods. The cultivated soils of the Donghe River Basin in Chenzhou City, is seriously polluted by heavy metals, and Cd, As, and Pb are the main polluting elements.

Objective:To investigate the effect of tocilizumab (TCZ) on ventricular arrhythmias (VAs) after myocardial infarction (MI) in Sprague-Dawley rats and explore its potential mechanism.Methods:The random number table method was used to divide 32 adult male Sprague-Dawley rats into 4 groups: Sham group, TCZ group, MI group and MI+TCZ group, with 8 rats in each group. The MI model was established by ligation of the left anterior descending branch of the coronary artery in the MI and MI+TCZ groups, and only sutured without ligation in the Sham and TCZ groups. TCZ was injected into the left superior cervical ganglion (SCG) of rats in the TCZ and MI+TCZ groups after successful modeling or sham operation, and the same amount of normal saline was injected in the Sham and MI groups. 24 h after successful modeling, ECG of rats in each group was recorded, heart rate variability (HRV, including low frequency power (LF), high frequency power (HF), LF/HF ratio), QT interval, QTc interval were calculated, and left ventricular effective refractory period (ERP) and VA inducibility were measured. Myocardial infarct size and tissue changes were observed with triphenyl tetrazolium chloride staining and HE staining. Real-time PCR analysis was used to detect the messager RNA (mRNA) expression of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) 3 in SCG and potassium voltage-gated channel subfamily D member 2 (Kcnd2) in myocardial infarction periphery. The expression of c-fos in SCG was detected by immunofluorescence staining.Results:Compared with Sham group and MI+TCZ group, rats in MI group had higher LF and LF/HF ratio, longer QT interval and QTc interval, more VAs induced, lower HF and shorter ERP ( P all<0.05). Triphenyl tetrazolium chloride staining and HE staining showed that rats in the Sham and TCZ groups had normal myocardial tissue structure, those in the MI group had severe myocardial injury, and those in the MI+TCZ group had less myocardial injury than those in the MI group. Real-ime PCR analysis showed that compared with Sham group and MI+TCZ group, mRNA expression levels of IL-6 and STAT3 in SCG of rats in MI group were higher, and mRNA expression level of myocardial Kcnd2 was lower ( P all<0.05). Immunofluorescence staining showed that the content of c-fos in SCG of rats in MI group was higher than that of Sham group and MI+TCZ group ( P all<0.05). Conclusions:TCZ may reduce neural activity of the SCG after MI by inhibiting the IL-6/STAT3 signaling pathway, thereby alleviating myocardial injury and inhibiting VAs.