Objective To investigate the effect of Kinesio Taping on interleukin-1β(IL-1β),tumor necrosis factor α(TNF-α)and matrix metalloproteinase-3 (MMP-3)in synovial fluid of patients with knee osteoarthritis in early and middle stage.Methods A total of 84 patients with knee osteoarthritis who met the inclusion/exclusion criteria were randomly selected and divided into the control group treated with placebo(kinesiology tape without elasticity)and the experimental group treated with Kinesio Tape.Both two tapes were changed every two days,with 15 times of changes as a course of treatment.Synovial fluid sample was drawn before and one week after treatment,and was used for measuring Levels of 1L-1β,TNF-α and MMP-3 by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).and knee function was evaluated before and 1 week after treatment.Results Compared with pre-treatment,the levels of IL-1β,TNF-α and MMP-3 in synovial fluid were significantly decreased in the experimental group after treatment [(20.07 ± 6.94) ng/Lvs.(38.12 ± 5.93) ng/L,(42.42±8.76)ng/Lvs.(58.23±9.54)ng/L,(11.28±1.99)μg/L vs.(15.67±2.21)μg/L,t =12.81,7.91 and 9.57,all P＜0.05].The levels of IL-1β,TNF-α and MMP-3 in synovial fluid were lower in the experimental group after treatment than before treatment[(20.07±6.94)ng/L vs.(38.12±5.93)ng/L,(42.42±8.76)ng/L vs.(58.23±9.54)ng/L,(11.28 ±1.99)μg/L vs.(15.67±2.21)ng/L,t =12.81,7.91 and 9.57,all P＜0.05],and were lower in the experimental group after treatment than in control after treatment[(20.07±6.94)ng/L vs.(37.97±6.21)ng/L,(42.42±8.76)ng/L vs.(57.04 ±8.73)ng/L,(11.28± 1.99)μg/Lvs.(15.01± 2.56)μg/L,t =12.46,7.66 and 7.46,all P＜0.05]Lysholm score was significantly higher in the experimental group after treatment than before treatment[(74.5 ± 2.6) vs.(44.7 ± 2.8),t =50.54,P ＜0.05],and was also higher in the experimental group after treatment than in the control group after treatment[(74.5±2.6) vs.(50.2± 2.3),t =45.37,P＜0.05].Conclusions Kinesio Taping can significantly reduce the levels of IL-1β,TNF-α and MMP-3 in synovial fluid of patients with knee osteoarthritis through inhibiting the inflammatory response in articular cavity.

Based on the reactive oxygen species (ROS) regulatory properties of diphenyleneiodonium (DPI), we investigated the effects of DPI on host-infected T. gondii proliferation and determined specific concentration that inhibit the intracellular parasite growth but without severe toxic effect on human retinal pigment epithelial (ARPE-19) cells. As a result, it is observed that host superoxide, mitochondria superoxide and H2O2 levels can be increased by DPI, significantly, followed by suppression of T. gondii infection and proliferation. The involvement of ROS in anti-parasitic effect of DPI was confirmed by finding that DPI effect on T. gondii can be reversed by ROS scavengers, N-acetyl-L-cysteine and ascorbic acid. These results suggest that, in ARPE-19 cell, DPI can enhance host ROS generation to prevent T. gondii growth. Our study showed DPI is capable of suppressing T. gondii growth in host cells while minimizing the un-favorite side-effect to host cell. These results imply that DPI as a promising candidate material for novel drug development that can ameliorate toxoplasmosis based on ROS regulation.
Acetylcysteine ; Ascorbic Acid ; Humans ; Mitochondria ; Parasites ; Reactive Oxygen Species ; Retinaldehyde ; Superoxides ; Toxoplasma ; Toxoplasmosis

Dendritic cell is one of the first innate immune cell to encounter T. gondii after the parasite crosses the host intestinal epithelium. T. gondii requires intact DC as a carrier to infiltrate into host central nervous system (CNS) without being detected or eliminated by host defense system. The mechanism by which T. gondii avoids innate immune defense of host cell, especially in the dendritic cell is unknown. Therefore, we examined the role of host PI3K/AKT signaling pathway activation by T. gondii in dendritic cell. T. gondii infection or T. gondii excretory/secretory antigen (TgESA) treatment to the murine dendritic cell line DC2.4 induced AKT phosphorylation, and treatment of PI3K inhibitors effectively suppressed the T. gondii proliferation but had no effect on infection rate or invasion rate. Furthermore, it is found that T. gondii or TgESA can reduce H2O2-induced intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) as well as host endogenous ROS via PI3K/AKT pathway activation. While searching for the main source of the ROS, we found that NADPH oxidase 4 (NOX4) expression was controlled by T. gondii infection or TgESA treatment, which is in correlation with previous observation of the ROS reduction by identical treatments. These findings suggest that the manipulation of the host PI3K/AKT signaling pathway and NOX4 expression is an essential mechanism for the down-regulation of ROS, and therefore, for the survival and the proliferation of T. gondii.

Objective: To analyze the clinical characteristics of neonatal tracheotomy in neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Methods: This single-center retrospective study included 14 neonates admitted to NICU of Beijing Children's Hospital, Capital Medical University from January 2016 to August 2021, and were<28 days of age on admission, who met the criteria of tracheotomy and finally completed the procedure. The clinical characteristics including age, weight, duration of ventilation, etiology of tracheotomy, length of hospital stay and prognosis were summarized and analyzed. Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to compare the weight gain velocity and the duration of ventilation before and after tracheotomy. Paired t-test was used to compare the hospitalization length before and after tracheotomy. Spearman correlation was used to analyze the correlation between the clinical characteristics and outcomes. Results: For the 14 neonates, the gestational age was (38±4) weeks and birth weight was (2 824±949) g. Nine of them were male. The age on transportation was 16 (6, 25) d. A total of 10 neonates were on invasive ventilation on admission, the other 4 were on nasal continuous positive airway pressure support. Bilateral vocal cord paralysis (7 cases) was the commonest cause of tracheotomy. The age on operation was 33 (22, 44) d. There were statistically significant differences in duration of ventilation and weight gain velocity before and after operation (19.00 (10.50, 34.00) vs. 0.86 (0.06, 3.25) d, 1.66 (-0.16, 5.54) vs. 4.69 (2.30, 9.32) g/(kg·d), Z=3.01 and -1.98, both P<0.05). The total hospital stay in NICU was (37±12) d. One neonate died during hospitalization. The existence of pneumonia on admission was positively correlated to NICU stay length (r=0.57, P=0.027), the pre-operational weight gain velocity was negatively correlated to the post-operational NICU stay length (r=-0.73, P=0.020). There were 4 neonates de-cannulated during 7-38 months after the tracheotomy, and 5 neonates still wearing the tracheal cannulation during 15-66 months after the tracheotomy. Two neonates died and 2 neonates lost follow-up after discharge. All neonates could not vocalize normally before de-cannulation, and the language development obviously lagged behind the normal age group after de-cannulation. Conclusions: Bilateral vocal cord paralysis is the commonest cause of neonatal tracheotomy. The benefit of tracheotomy for NICU neonates with surgical indications is obvious, especially in facilitating extubation and improving weight gain.
Child ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Intensive Care Units, Neonatal ; Male ; Retrospective Studies ; Tracheotomy ; Vocal Cord Paralysis ; Weight Gain