AIM:To explore the effect of CXCL16 deficiency on streptozocin ( STZ)-induced diabetic nephrop-athy in mice.METHODS:CXCL16 knockout ( C16 KO) mice (8 years old) were used to build up diabetes model by treating with STZ.Age-and gender-matched wild-type ( WT) C57BL/6J mice treated with STZ were used as control.All mice were fed with chow diets for 12 weeks, and the development of diabetic nephropathy was evaluated.RESULTS:Compared with the WT mice treated with STZ, C16 KO mice treated with STZ presented lower fasting glucose levels and better glucose tolerance power.C16 KO mice treated with STZ also had lower urine protein levels and smaller areas of glo-merular injury as compared with WT mice treated with STZ.Furthermore, CXCL16 deficiency decreased the contents of re-nal reactive oxygen species ( ROS) , malondialdehyde ( MDA) and oxidized low-density lipoprotein ( ox-LDL) and the mR-NA expression of lectin-like oxidized low-density lipoprotein receptor 1 (Lox-1), and attenuated the expression of renal in-flammatory factors including tumor necrosis factor α( TNF-α) and interleukin 6 ( IL-6) , as well as chemokines including intercellular cell adhesion molecular 1 (ICAM-1) and chemokine C-X-C motif ligand 1 (CXCL1).CONCLUSION:CX-CL16 deficiency obviously inhibits the development of STZ-induced diabetic nephropathy in mice.

BACKGROUNDRecently chemoradiotherapy becomes a standard treatment of un-resectable advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) instead of radiotherapy alone. This study is to evaluate the clinical effect and toxicities of concurrent chemoradiotherapy in patients with stage III NSCLC after 2 cycles of induction chemotherapy with cisplatin-based regimens.

METHODSNinety-two patients with stage III NSCLC were divided randomly into two groups: forty-seven patients received concurrent chemoradiotherapy (chemoradiotherapy group), the other 45 patients received only radiotherapy (radiotherapy group). For both groups, the same radiation technic was given with the conventional fraction. The total dose was 60-65Gy/30-33Fr/6-6.5Wk. For the chemoradiotherapy group, the patients were also given with concurrent chemotherapy (navelbine 15-18mg/m² on the 1st and 8th day, cisplatin 60mg/m² on the 1st day).

RESULTSThe response rate in the chemoradiotherapy group was similar to that in the radiotherapy group (59.6% vs 51.5%, P > 0.05), but the complete response rate in the chemoradiotherapy group was significantly higher than that in the radiotherapy group (14.9% vs 6.7%, P < 0.05). The 1- and 2-year survival rates in the chemoradiotherapy group were similar to those in the radiotherapy group (65.9% and 42.5% vs 53.3% and 33.3%, P > 0.05). The 1- and 2-year local control rates in the chemoradiotherapy group were significantly higher than those in the radiotherapy group (63.8% and 53.2% vs 51.1% and 44.4%, P < 0.05). The incidences of grade III-IV radiation esophagitis and leukopenia in the chemoradiotherapy group were significantly higher than those in the radiotherapy group (21.2% and 12.7% vs 4.4% and 0, P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONSConcurrent chemoradiotherapy has the potential of improving the survival rate of stage III NSCLC, it can also increase the acute toxic effect, but all patients can tolerate this treatment regimen.

Contracture and spasticity of ankle joints were major sources of disability in neurological impairment including stroke and cerebral palsy, etc. The manual stretching used in physical therapy might be laborious and time-consuming to the therapists and the outcome was dependent on the experience and the subjectiveend feelingof the therapists. A device was developed that could safely stretch the an-kle joint to its extreme positions with quantitative control of the resistance torque and stretching velocity. Furthermore, it could satisfy a strong need for quantitative and objective measures of the impairment and rehabilitation outcome. This was just the meaning intelligent stretching referred to. This article described the origin of the concept of intelligent stretching and its definition, operational principle, and su-periority and weakness, as well as its application in ankle joint spasticity and contracture in patients with stroke and cerebral palsy.