AIM: To investigate the effects of metformin on airway inflammation, remodeling and neovascularization in a mouse model of chronic asthma and its possible mechanisms.METHODS: BALB/c mice were randomly divided into saline group, ovalbumin (OVA) group and OVA+metformin group, with 8 in each.At the end of OVA exposure, blood and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were collected for the measurement of OVA specific IgE and leukocyte counts.Lung tissue sections were stained with hematoxylin-eosin, periodic acid-Schiff and Masson's trichrome to detect inflammatory cell infiltration, goblet cell hyperplasia, and collagen deposition around the airway, respectively.Immunohistochemistry was used to evaluate the number and percentage area of new blood vessels (CD31+), and the protein level of phosphorylated AMP-activated protein kinase (p-AMPK) in the airway.RESULTS: Compared with saline group, the eosinophil percentage and OVA specific IgE in serum in OVA group were all increased obviously (P<0.01).Metformin inhibited the above increases (P<0.05).Compared with control group, a marked increase in inflammation infiltration, PAS+ cells and collage deposition in the airway mucosa in OVA group were observed.Metformin partially relieved the above changes.CD31+ vessels in the wall of bronchi showed the abundance of blood vessels observed in OVA group compared with control group, which was suppressed by the treatment with metformin (P<0.05).The protein level of p-AMPK was reduced in the lung tissue challenged with OVA as compared with control group (P<0.05), while metformin increased the protein level of p-AMPK (P<0.01).CONCLUSION: The protein level of p-AMPK in the airway in OVA group is attenuated.Metformin effectively inhibits airway inflammation, remodeling and neovascularization possibly via activating AMPK signaling pathway.

[ ABSTRACT] AIM: To explore whether autophagy is involved in the excessive death of renal tubular epithelial cells in subtotal nephrectomy ( SNx) rats and the relationship between autophagy and necroptosis in the kidney of SNx rats. METHODS:Male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to control group ( n=6 ) and SNx group ( n=42 ) .The rats in SNx group were subjected to SNx.Sham surgery was performed in the rats in control group.The rats in SNx group were divided into subgroups at 0, 4, 8 and 12 weeks ( n=6) and the other rats in SNx group were divided into SNx+vehi-cle group, SNx+necrostatin-1 (Nec-1) group and SNx+3-methyladenine (3-MA) group.The expression of RIP1, RIP3, LC3 and beclin-1 at mRNA and protein levels was measured at 0, 4, 8 and 12 weeks by qPCR and immunohistochemistry. The effects of Nec-1 or 3-MA on the protein expression of LC3-I, LC3-II and beclin-1, and production of reactive oxygen species ( ROS) in the rat kidney were determined by Western blot and DCFH-DA staining.The death of renal tubular epi-thelial cells in the SNx rats was observed by TUNEL staining and electron microscopy.Finally, the effects of Nec-1 and 3-MA on blood urea nitrogen ( BUN) , serum creatinine ( SCr) and the pathological changes of the renal tissues were ana-lyzed.RESULTS:The highest mRNA and protein levels of RIP1, RIP3, LC3 and beclin-1 appeared at the 8th week after SNx (P<0.01).Compared with the rats in SNx+vehicle group, the protein over-expression of LC3-II/I and beclin-1, re-nal tubular epithelial cells with typical morphological features of necroptotic cell death and TUNEL-positive renal tubular
cells were decreased in the SNx rats treated with Nec-1 and 3-MA (P<0.01), but 3-MA did not reduce the increased con-centration of ROS.In addition, treatment with Nec-1 and 3-MA obviously reduced BUN, SCr (P<0.05), glomeruloscle-rosis index and tubulointerstitial injury score (P<0.01).CONCLUSION:Autophagy participates in the excessive death of renal tubular epithelial cells in SNx rats.Inhibition of autograph prevents necroptotic cell death of renal tubular cells, and alleviates chronic renal injury in SNx rats.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate effect of hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy on treatment of late healed wounds after pharyngeal and laryngeal carcinomas surgery. METHOD: Eighty-three patients with late healed wounds after pharyngolaryngectomy were divided into two groups, which were HBO treatment group (n = 48) and control group (n = 35) by random. 48 cases were treated with the general therapeutic measure along with HBO (the pressure is 2 x 10(5) Pa, 110 minutes per day for 5 to 10 days). The other 35 cases were treated with the general therapy without HBO as control. RESULT: There were fresh granulation erupted from the wound of entry after 3 or 4 days of HBO) treatment, then the granulation and the new blood capillary erupted continually to fill the wound surface, and the wound of entry was healed over finally. In the HBO and the control groups, the average healing time was 27.50 and 45.00 days (P < 0.01) in the wound by necrosectomy of the myocutaneous flap or forearm flap, 8. 50 and 14.09 days (P < 0.01) in the pharyngeal fistula, 5.93 and 8.62 days (P < 0.01) in the infected or fluid-filled wound. CONCLUSION HBO therapy is an effective and powerful treatment for late healed postoperative wounds in pharyngeal and laryngeal carcinomas surgery.
Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Hyperbaric Oxygenation ; Laryngeal Neoplasms ; surgery ; therapy ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Otorhinolaryngologic Surgical Procedures ; Postoperative Period ; Treatment Outcome ; Wound Healing

Objective To understand the needs to reform curriculum for the graduate students in health management, and to provide evidence for the reform of the curriculum system. Methods From Jan-uary 2015 to May from China's colleges and universities carrying out health management professional post-graduate education, graduate students and supervisors from 3 universities were selected, and self-designed questionnaires were used to investigate their views on training objectives, abilities and curriculum settings, as well as the needs and suggestions for curriculum reform. The questionnaire survey data were collected and analyzed by SPSS 17.0. Results 120 questionnaires were issued and 100 were recovered in the study, with a recovery rate of 83.3％. 84.0％ of the graduate students did not manage relevant work experience before entering the school. The graduate students thought that we should focus on the research and teaching ability training related to the management of health services, and then the cultivation of management ability. There were 60 questionnaires for instructors, and 51 were recovered, with a recovery rate of 85.0％. With regard to the demand for ability training , teachers and graduate students tended to agree on the goal and focus of the training. 100.0％instructors believed that learning was an important course, only 11.2％ of the students thought that the course of study was not important, but to the current status of health manage-ment professional postgraduate courses, 79.3％ instructors believed that the current curriculum was reasonable, and only 53.5％of the students thought it reasonable. Conclusion The emphasis should be given to optimizing the course setting, adding practical and innovative courses, and strengthening the training of scientific research, etc., which is the only way to improve the quality of health management postgraduate education and meet the needs of health development.