Radiation nephropathy refers to the damage of renal parenchyma and blood vessel caused by sufficient exposure to ionizing radiation.The clinical presentation includes proteinuria,hematuria,anemia,hypertension,and azotemia.Histological features include capillary loop thickening,mesangiolysis,formation of the double contours,subendothelial swelling,tubular atrophy,and tubulointerstitial fibrosis.Similar changes are seen in a variety of experimental animal models.The pathogenesis of radiation nephropathy remained unclear.It is reported that radiation-induced changes in kidney cell phenotype,renin angiotensin system(RAS) and oxidative stress is clearly involved.Multiple experimental studies have shown that antagonism of the RAS is beneficial,even when not initiated until weeks after irradiation.Recent findings suggest a similar benefit in clinical radiation nephropathy.

Objective To investigate the operation key points and therapeutic effect using the pressure cooker technique (PCT)for embolization of the dural arteriovenous fistula (DAVF)at the petrous apex region. Methods The clinical data of 4 patients with DAVF at the petrous apex region admitted to the Department of Neurosurgery,Xuanwu Hospital,Capital Medical University from October 2015 to February 2016 were analyzed retrospectively. The PCT technique was used to conduct embolization therapy. Results DSA confirmed that 4 patients had DAVF at the petrous apex region with the multi-branch artery blood supply and they were drained via the superior petrosal veins. The patients were embolized by using PCT. DSA confirmed that they were embolized completely after procedure. They were followed up at 3months after surgery and their symptoms were improved. Conclusion For DAVF at the petrous apex region with the multi-branch artery blood supply,the preliminary experience shows that PCT technique may improve the efficiency of embolization,thereby obtaining anatomical cure.

Objective To evaluate arterial stiffness in middle-age and elderly patients on the treatment of hemodialysis and to investigate the risk factors of arterial stiffness. Method A total of 87 in middle-age and elderly patients on the treatment of hemodialysis were enrolled. The distensibility coefficient (DC) of the common carotid artery was evaluated by an ultrasonic phase-locked echo-tracking system. Serum albumin, total cholesterol (TC), high density lipoprotein (HDL), low density lipoprotein (LDL), triglyceride (TG), glucose, creatinine,calcium, phosphorus, and intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH) were determined with well established methods. Results The ages of 87 patients ranged from 45 to 81 years, and the duration of treatment with hemodialysis was varied from 3 to 204 months . The carotid DC was ( 13.39 ± 5.32 ) × 10-3/kPa in middle-age and elderly patients on hemodialysis. In stepwise multiple regression analysis, systolic blood pressure (β = -0.349, P ＜ 0.001), age (β=-0.323, P ＜ 0.001), diabetes (β =-0.195,P = 0.027), and serum calcium (β =-0.276,P =0.002) were independently correlated with carotid DC. Conclusions Systolic blood pressure, age, diabetic,serum calcium were independent determinants for arterial stiffness of carotid artery in middle-age and elderly patients on hemodialysis.

Objective To assess the outcome of percutaneous vertebroplasty for symptomatic vertebral hemangiomas. Methods Five cases with 7 symptomatic vertebral hemangiomas were treated with percutaneous vertebroplasty. Aggressive lesions were treated with absolute alcohol injection in addition. Patients were followed-up and clinical manifestations were observed and CT, MRI and X-ray plain film were compared between before and after vertebroplasty. Results Procedures were successful without complications. Most of the symptoms resolved within 24 hours after vertebraplasty. All patients were followed-up for 12～50 months and free of neurological deficits and symptoms. Imaging follow-up showed no vertebral collapse, nor recurrance of hemangiomas. Conclusion With effective long-term follow-up and quick elimination of symptoms, precutaneous vertebroplasty, added with absolute alcohol injection in aggressive cases, proves to be a safe and effective treatment for symptomatic vertebral hemangiomas.

To compare the distribution characteristics of common syndrome types and syndrome elements of menopause syndrome in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women on the basis of standardized syndrome differentiation extracted by experts' experiences.

AIM: To study the correlation between the expression of recepteur d'origine nantais (RON) protein and CXC chemokine motif receptor 4 (CXCR4) protein and abiraterone resistance in patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). METHODS: From January 2017 to February 2020, 127 patients with CRPC who were treated with abiraterone in our hospital were selected. According to the status of drug resistance, they were divided into observation group (n=32, patients with abiraterone resistance) and control group (n=95, patients in remission). Immunohistochemistry and Western blot analysis were used to compare the expression of RON and CXCR4 protein between the two groups. Logistic regression analysis was used to conduct single-factor and multi-factor analysis of RON, CXCR4 protein and drug resistance, and receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) and area under ROC (AUC) were used to analyze the value of RON and CXCR4 protein in predicting drug resistance. In addition, RON and CXCR4 inhibitors were added to abiraterone-resistant cell lines. The effects of the two on the apoptosis indicators of abiraterone resistance[caspase-3, caspase-9, apoptosis rate] were observed. RESULTS: Immunohistochemistry showed that the positive expression rate of RON in the observation group (71.88%, 23/32) was higher than that of the control group (27.37%, 26/95). The positive expression rate of CXCR4 in the observation group (65.63%, 21/32) was higher than that of the control group (12.63%, 12/95). Western blot detection showed that the RON and CXCR4 proteins in the observation group were higher than those in the control group (P< 0.05). RON and CXCR4 protein were positively correlated with drug resistance (P< 0.05). After adding RON and CXCR4 inhibitors, the expression of RON and CXCR4 was successfully inhibited, and the rates of caspase-3, caspase-9 and cell apoptosis were higher than those of abiraterone-resistant cell lines (P< 0.05). The cell migration and invasion detected by Transwell experiment showed that inhibiting the expression of RON and CXCR4, the number of cell migration and invasion cells were significantly reduced (P< 0.05). The AUC of RON protein predicting abiraterone resistance was 0.789, the cut-off value was> 4.11, the sensitivity was 84.37%, and the specificity was 61.05% (P< 0.05). The AUC of abiraterone resistance predicted by CXCR4 protein was 0.825, the cutoff value was> 3.42, the sensitivity was 75.00%, and the specificity was 80.00% (P< 0.05). The AUC of RON+CXCR4 protein predicting abiraterone resistance was 0.884 (95%CI: 0.815-0.934), the sensitivity was 87.50%, and the specificity was 83.16% (P< 0.05). CONCLUSION: The expression of RON and CXCR4 protein in CRPC patients increases significantly, which is closely related to the resistance of Abiraterone in patients and is expected to become a marker for predicting drug resistance. Inhibiting the expression of RON and CXCR4 proteins can promote the apoptosis of CRPC abiraterone resistant cells.

OBJECTIVETo investigate promoter methylation status of LITAF gene in B-cell lymphoma and to explore transcription regulation of 5-Aza-2'-deoxycytidine (5-Aza-CdR) on LITAF gene.

METHODSOne hundred and five paraffin specimens including 54 cases of diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL), 15 small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL), 8 mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma (MALT) and 6 follicular lymphoma (FL) were included. Five reactive lymphoid hyperplasia samples were collected as control. Methylation status of CpG island in LITAF gene in the specimens and in Raji, Pfeiffer and Daudi cell lines were detected by methylation-specific PCR (MSP). LITAF expression in Raji, Pfeiffer and Daudi cell lines with or without 5-Aza-CdR treatment was detected by Western blot and immunohistochemistry. The inhibitory ratio in the three cell lines was measured by MTT assay.

RESULTSThe frequency of LITAF gene methylation in B-cell lymphoma was 89.5% (94/105) . Among them, 3.8% (4/105) showed complete hypermethylation. In control group, however, there was no methylation in CpG island of LITAF gene promoter. The expression of LITAF was recovered or increased along with the cell growth inhibition when the cells exposed to demethylating reagent.

CONCLUSIONSLITAF gene silencing with aberrant CpG methylation is probably one of the critical events to the oncogenesis of B-cell lymphoma, which may have important implications as a candidate marker for diagnosis and target gene therapy.

Adult ; Azacitidine ; analogs & derivatives ; metabolism ; Cell Line, Tumor ; CpG Islands ; DNA Methylation ; Gene Silencing ; Humans ; Lymphoma, B-Cell ; genetics ; metabolism ; Lymphoma, B-Cell, Marginal Zone ; genetics ; Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse ; genetics ; Nuclear Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Promoter Regions, Genetic ; Transcription Factors ; genetics ; metabolism

To investigate the effects of Fritillariae Cirrhosae Bulbus on airway remodeling and matrix metalloproteinase-2(MMP-2), matrix metalloproteinase-9(MMP-9), tissue inhibitor-1 of metalloproteinase(TIMP-1) of a murine asthma model, and explore its mechanism in treatment of asthma. BALB/C murines were randomly divided into the normal group, model group, high dose group, low dose group, and positive control group. Except for the normal group, all the other groups received ovalbumin(OVA) to establish murine asthma model. After successful modeling, the murines in high dose group and low dose group were orally administered with Fritillariae Cirrhosae Bulbus powder at the dose of 18.0 mg•kg⁻¹ and 9.0 mg•kg⁻¹, respectively; the murines in positive control group were injected intraperitoneally with dexamethasone at the dose of 0.5 mg•kg⁻¹; while the murines in normal group and the model group were orally administered with the same volume of normal saline. All the drugs were given to murines per day for 28 d. The variations of airway responsiveness, variations of the total cell count and leukocyte differential count in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid(BALF), and the variations of thicknesses of bronchial wall and airway smooth muscle of each group were observed. The levels of MMP-2, MMP-9 and TIMP-1 were measured by ELISA; and the expression levels of MMP-2, MMP-9 and TIMP-1 mRNA were detected by RT-PCR. The results showed that as compared with the normal group, the airway responsiveness, the count of total cells, neutrophils, macrophage, lymphocytes, eosinophils in BALF, and the thicknesses of bronchial wall and airway smooth muscle were increased significantly in the model group(P<0.01); as compared with the model group, the above indicators were decreased significantly in the high dose group, low dose group and positive control group (P<0.05 or P<0.01). As compared with the normal group, the levels and expressions of MMP-2, MMP-9 and TIMP-1 mRNA were increased significantly in the model group(P<0.01); while as compared with the model group, these levels were decreased significantly in the high dose group, low dose group and positive control group(P<0.01). In conclusion, Fritillariae Cirrhosae Bulbus can improve airway remodeling in a murine asthma model, and its mechanisms may be related to down-regulating MMP-2, MMP-9 and TIMP-1 levels.