A patient developed persistent parkinsonism after intravenously injecting a high dose of methamphetamine. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed bilateral hypoxic/ischemic basal ganglia damage, which could have been caused by the vasoconstrictive effect of methamphetamine. This case adds some circumstantial evidence to the association between methamphetamine and Parkinsonism. Key words: Parkinsonism; methamphetamine; substance use disorders
Parkinsonian Disorders ; Methamphetamine

Objective:To evaluate the effect of long-chain non-coding RNA MEG3(LncRNA MEG3) on the radiosensitivity of cervical cancer cells, and to explore its underlying mechanism.Methods:The expression of LncRNA MEG3 in cervical cancer cells was detected by qRT-PCR. In the overexpression control group (transfected with pcDNA 3.1), LncRNA MEG3 overexpression group (transfected with pcDNA 3.1-LncRNA MEG3), miR-NC inhibition group (transfected with anti-miR-NC), miR-181a-5p inhibition group (transfected with anti-miR-181a-5p), LncRNA MEG3+ miR-NC overexpression group (co-transfected with pcDNA3.1-LncRNA MEG3 and anti-miR-NC), LncRNA MEG3+ miR-181a-5p overexpression group (co-transfected with pcDNA 3.1-LncRNA MEG3 and anti-miR-181a-5p), all plasmids were transfected into SiHa cells by liposome method. The cell survival fraction was assessed by colony formation assay. The cell apoptosis rate was evaluated by flow cytometry. The cell fluorescence activity was assessed by dual luciferase reporter assay. The expression levels of PTEN, p-Akt and Akt proteins were detected by Western blot.Results:Compared with the radiosensitive group, the expression of LncRNA MEG3 was significantly down-regulated in radiation-resistant cervical cancer tissues ( P<0.05), and its expression level was positively correlated with the sensitivity of cervical cancer cells. Overexpression of LncRNA MEG3 or inhibition of miR-181a-5p could significantly enhance the irradiation sensitivity and promote the apoptosis of cervical cancer cell line SiHa (both P<0.05). The fluorescence activity of wild-type LncRNA MEG3 cells was inhibited by miR-181a-5p. Overexpression of miR-181a-5p reversed the irradiation sensitization and pro-apoptosis effect of LncRNA MEG3 and the regulation of the PTEN/Akt signaling pathway on cervical cancer cell. Conclusion:LncRNA MEG3 can enhance the sensitivity of cervical cancer cells to radiation exposure, probably by targeting the miR-181a-5p and regulating the PTEN/Akt signaling pathway, which will provide a new direction for improving clinical prognosis of cervical cancer patients.

Objective:To investigate the effects of probiotics on intestinal flora, intestinal function, and T lymphocyte level in patients with cervical cancer after radiotherapy.Methods:A total of 92 patients with cervical cancer who underwent pelvic radiotherapy in The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from September 2020 to February 2022 were included in this study. They were randomly divided into control and experimental groups ( n = 46/group). The patients in the experimental group took probiotics during radiotherapy, while the patients in the control group did not take probiotics during radiotherapy. The amount of intestinal flora, D-lactic acid, diamine oxidase, and T lymphocyte subset levels pre- and post-radiotherapy were compared between the two groups. Urinary lactulose (L) and mannitol (M) concentrations were determined in each group. Urinary excretion ratios of L to M were calculated. Results:After 10, 15, and 20 times of radiotherapy and after all radiotherapies, the amount of Escherichia coli and Enterococcus in the experimental group was significantly lower than that in the control group ( F = 128.60, 224.99, all P < 0.05). The amount of Bifidobacteria and Lactobacilli in the experimental group was significantly higher than that in the control group ( F = 2 065.46, 948.23, both P < 0.05). After 10, 15, and 20 times of radiotherapy and after all radiotherapies, plasma D-lactic acid level in the experimental group was (9.34 ± 1.63) μg/L, (9.15 ± 1.36) μg/L, (8.68 ± 1.06) μg/L, and (8.05 ± 0.82) μg/L, respectively. After 10, 15, and 20 times of radiotherapy and after all radiotherapies, plasma diamine oxidase level in the experimental group was (86.34 ± 20.25) μg/L, (84.28 ± 17.45) μg/L, (80.40 ± 13.35) μg/L, and (76.85 ± 10.87) μg/L, respectively, and urinary excretion ratio of L to M in the experimental group was (1.84 ± 0.16), (1.55 ± 0.12), (1.26 ± 0.09), (0.98 ± 0.06), respectively, all of which were significantly lower than those in the control group ( F = 121.60, 31.73, 417.84, all P < 0.05). After 10, 15, and 20 times of radiotherapy and after all radiotherapies, CD4 + level in the experimental group was (39.80 ± 4.90)%, (40.92 ± 5.30)%, (42.52 ± 6.14)%, (43.83 ± 6.55)%, respectively, CD4 +/CD8 + was (1.52 ± 0.25), (1.63 ± 0.22), (1.71 ± 0.39), (1.83 ± 0.22), respectively, all of which were significantly higher than those in the control group ( F = 58.69, 31.07, all P < 0.05). Conclusion:Probiotics can improve the status of intestinal flora and intestinal barrier function in patients with cervical cancer after radiotherapy, and simultaneously improve the cellular immune function of patients.