Objective To investigate the diagnostic value of computer image analysis assisted aroundness measurement of gastric gland lumens in well-differentiated gastric adenocarcinoma.Methods From January 2016 to July 2016,10 hematoxylin-eosin (H-E) stained slides of pathologically diagnosed well-differentiated gastric adenocarcinoma were collected.At the same period,H-E stained slides of gastric epithelial hyperplasia and normal gastric mucosa,six slides of each,were collected as controls.All of them were scanned into high resolution.Digital data roundness,long diameter and short diameter were measured and compared.Kruskal-Wallis rank sum test was used for statistical analysis.Results The median values of lumen roundness of normal gastric mucosa,gastric epithelial hyperplasia and welldifferentiated gastric adenocarcinoma were 79.7°(10.6°),73.0°(12.3°) and 58.6°(15.2°),respectively,and the difference among three groups was statistically significant (H=494.827,P＜0.01).The values of gland roundness of normal gastric mucosa were higher than those of gastric mucosal hyperplasia and welldifferentiated gastric adenocarcinoma,and the differences were statistically significant (T=156.007 and -508.579,both P＜0.01).The value of gland roundness of gastric mucosal hyperplasia was higher than that of well-differentiated gastric adenocarcinoma,and the difference was statistically significant (T=-352.572,P＜0.01).The values of long diameter of gland lumens in normal gastric mucosa,gastric mucosal hyperplasia and well-differentiated gastric adenocarcinoma were 24.1 μm(11.8 μm),43.1 μm (28.8 μm),and 96.0 μm(79.3 μm),respectively,and the difference among three groups was statistically significant (H=744.987,P＜0.01).The values of short diameter of gland lumens in normal gastric mucosa,gastric mucosal hyperplasia and well-differentiated gastric adenocarcinoma were 16.0 μm (8.7 μm),22.7 μm (13.1 μm) and 33.5 μm (38.0 μm),respectively,and the difference among three groups was statistically significant(H=248.170,P＜0.01).Conclusion The roundness of gastric gland lumens can be used as an effective parameter for the differential diagnosis of normal gastric mucosa,gastric mucosal hyperplasia and well-differentiated gastric adenocarcinoma.

Objective:To investigate the characteristics of polypoidal lesions and abnormal branching vascular network (BVN) in patients with polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) by optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA).Methods:A case series study was conducted.Untreated 45 eyes of 42 patients with initial diagnosis of PCV from May 2016 to April 2017 in Peking Union Medical College Hospital were enrolled.There were 26 males (27 eyes) and 16 females (18 eyes) with the average age of (68.59±8.52) years.All patients underwent fundus fluorescein angiography (FFA), indocyanine green angiography (ICGA) and OCTA.The OCTA image features and detection rate of polypoidal lesion and BVN were analyzed.The study protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee of Peking Union Medical College Hospital (No.S-K631). Written informed consent was obtained from each patient prior to any examination.Results:ICGA images showed obvious polyps with higper fluorescence in all PCV patients, and BVN structure was observed in the ICGA images of 38 eyes.Ring, circle, cluster or node like hyper-reflective structures were detected in polypoidal lesions in the en face OCTA images of 35 eyes, and the detection rate was 77.8% (35/45). The BVN structure was detected in the OCTA images of all the 38 eyes, with the 100% (38/38) detection rate.Conclusion:OCTA can detect polypoidal lesions and BVN of PCV non-invasively, which can locate the lesion in combination with en face image and B-scan image.

BACKGROUND:Cervical cancer is one of the most frequent malignancies in women worldwide, and its occurrence and development is closely related to cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2).OBJECTIVE: To examine the expression of COX-2 alternative splicing variants in human cervical carcinoma tissue and understand its possible implications.DESIGN: Non-randomized controlled experiment.SETTING: Key Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, First Affiliated Hospital,Chongqing Medical University.PARTICIPANTS: Carcinoma tissue and normal tissue were obtained from 13 cervical carcinoma patients admitted during March 2002 to April 2002in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, First Affiliated Hospital,Chongqing Medical University.METHODS: A pair of specific primers were designed for reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) to obtain the mRNA of COX-2 in human cervical carcinoma tissues. The resultant band on electrophoresis was cloned, sequenced and analyzed.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: ① Agarose gel electrophoresis result of the PCR product of carcinoma and normal tissues; ② Sequencing result of the electrophoresis band from carcinoma and normal tissues.RESULTS: No COX-2 band (252 bp) was found in electrophoresis for normal tissues, while 2 bands appeared for cervical carcinoma tissues, including a new electrophoresis band of 534bp besides the COX-2 band. Cloning and sequencing revealed that this new band contained not only exons 7and 8 of COX-2 gene but also a reserved intron of 282 bp intron between exons 7 and 8. Analysis of the predicted amino acid sequence indicated that an in-frame stop codon occurred in the 48-50 bp of the intron retained in the mRNA.CONCLUSION: The presence of COX-2 alternative splicing mRNA variant (Genbank accession number:BU493602)is confirmed in human cervical carcinoma tissue, which codes for a protein possibly smaller than COX-2.

Objective To investigate the impact of reduced glutathione(GSH) on the prolifera- tion,oxidative stress and transforming growth factor?1(TGF-?1) expression of human hepatocytes and hepatic stellate cells(HSCs)(LX-2 cell line).Methods Human hepatocytes and HSCs were incubated with various concentrations of GSH(0.5—50 mmol/L or 0.5—10 mmol/L).The effects of GSH on the proliferation of hepatocytes and HSCs were studied by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphennyhera- zolium bromide colorimetric assay.Human hepatocytes and HSCs were co-cultured with GSH and ferric nitrilotriacetic acid,superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and malondialdehyde (MDA) contents were detected.HSCs were incubated with high(5.0 mmol/L),media(2.5 mmol/L) and low (0.5 mmol/L) concentrations of GSH,the expressions of TGF-?1 mRNA and protein were detected by ELISA and real- time PCR.Results In concentration ranged from 2.5 to 10 mmol/L,the GSH could promote the pro- liferation of hepatocytes but no HSCs,significantly increased the activity of SOD and decrease the con- tents of MDA in hepatocytes and HSCs,and inhibited the expression of TGF-?1 in HSCs.Conclusions GSH can not only promote the proliferation of hepatocytes,but also protect hepatocytes and HSCs from oxidative stress,and inhibit the secretion of TGF-?1 in HSCs.GSH may play a role in hepatocellular protection,antioxidation and anti-fibrosis.

Objective To investigate the potentiality of D3-creatine dilution method to be used in detection of skeletal muscle mass, so as to provide a new method for skeletal muscle mass detection in mice.Methods Four weeks, 10 weeks and 13 months old male C57BL/6 mice (10 each) were used in the present study. All mice were fed with a single dose of D3-creatine (2mg/kg) after testing body composition by EchoMRITM. Urine was collected at 24h, 48h and 72h after creatine administration, and analyzed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) that was used to determine the creatine pool size. The relationship between creatine pool size and the skeletal muscle mass determined by EchoMRITM was analyzed.Results Both lean body mass and total creatine pool size were aged mice > adult mice > juvenile mice. There was a significant correlation (r=0.687,P=0.000) between the lean body mass measured by EchoMRITM and the total creatine pool size calculated by D3-creatine dilution method.ConclusionThe D3-creatine dilution method may be used to determine the skeletal muscle mass of mice.

Objective To compare the fast blood flow density (FBFD) of intermediate choroid between endogenous Cushing syndrome (ECS) patients and healthy control subjects.Methods Thirteen eyes of 7 eligible ECS patients (ECS group) and 13 eyes of 7 gender,age,axial length matched healthy volunteers (control group) were enrolled in this study.For each subject,macular radial scan with swept source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT) was performed and subfoveal choroidal thickness (SCT) was measured.Then 3.0 mm× 3.0 mm macular scan with SS-OCT angiography was performed,and selected blood flow image at intermediate choroid level or 1/2 SCT beneath Bruch membrane.The grayscale images were then binarized for the analysis of FBFD.Results The SCT in ECS group was (394.7±77.7) μm,which was significantly thicker than (332.1 ± 68.1) μm in control group (t=2.923,P=0.008).The FBFD of intermediate choroid in ECS group were (76.35± 14.46)％,which were significantly greater than (63.57± 13.42)％ in control group (t=2.775,P=0.01).Conclusion ECS patients had increased FBFD at intermediate choroid level compared with healthy controls.

Vasovagal syncope(VVS),with its relatively high morbidity,is one of the most common types of au-tonomic-mediated reflex syncope in children,which can seriously affect pediatric patients in their life and study.A se-ries of research have shown that the mechanism for VVS is closely related to autonomic nervous imbalance,neurohor-monal factor,and cerebral blood flow abnormality,and has a certain degree of genetic tendency.Now the progress in the mechanisms for VVS at home and abroad is reviewed,in order to provide certain help for further research.

Objectives To elucidate the molecular changes of bone collagen during the development of postmenopausal osteoporosis and to investigate the molecular effects of estrogen replacement.Methods An adult ovariotomy rat model was used. Type-Ⅰ collagen and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) expressions in bone tissues of rats treated by sham surgery (SH), bilateral ovariotomy (OVX) and OVX with estradiol (OVX-E2) were analysed at mRNA level by using dot blot technique. The distribution of mRNA of these two genes in bone tissues was studied by in situ hybridization.Results The expression levels of both type-Ⅰ collagen and MMP-9 in bone tissues of OVX rats were higher than those of SH group, while treated with estradiol, the expression of both genes declined to some degree. In situ hybridization showed that type-Ⅰ collagen mRNA located in osteoblasts, whereas MMP-9 was mainly expressed in osteoclasts, some lining cells on bone surface, and some mononuclear cells in bone marrow.Conclusions The reduction of high bone turnover in osteoporotic bone tissues induced by estrogen replacement may result from alterations in gene expression related to bone formation and bone resorption. These alterations are consistent with the changes observed previously by histomorphometry and biochemical markers of bone metabolism on OVX animals and postmenopausal osteoporosis.

Objective: To evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) for the differentiation of PCV from wet age-related macular degeneration (wAMD). Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from Jun 2014 to Apr 2016 at Peking Union Medical College Hospital.The case series included 132 eyes of 126 patients with clinical diagnosis of PCV or wAMD.Eyes with three or more of the following SD-OCT findings were diagnosed with PCV: double layer sign, pigment epithelium detachment (PED), a sharp PED peak, a PED notch and a hyporeflective lumen representing polypoidal lesion.The sensitivity and specificity of the OCT-based diagnosis was estimated.Levels of agreement were determined by κ analyses. Results: One hundred and twenty-six patients (132 eyes) with PCV or wAMD were enrolled in the study.In PCV patients, PED notch, a hyporeflective lumen representing polypoidal lesion, PED peak, double layer sign and PED were 38, 35, 48, 40 and 46, accounting for 67.9%, 62.5%, 85.7%, 71.4% and 82.1%, respectively.In wAMD patients, PED notch, a hyporeflective lumen representing polypoidal lesion, PED peak, double layer sign and PED were 12, 3, 11, 8 and 26, accounting for 14.5%, 10.5%, 34.2%, 15.8% and 3.9%, respectively, which were all lower than PCV, with statistically significant differences (all at P<0.001). SD-OCT detected PCV in 49 of 56 eyes and 10 PCV patients were misdiagnosed as wAMD.The sensitivity and specificity of SD-OCT for the differentiation of PCV from wAMD were 87.5% and 86.8%, respectively.The consistence between SD-OCT and imdocyanine green angiography (ICGA) was moderate (κ=0.738, P<0.001). Conclusions SD-OCT exhibits high sensitivity and specificity in PCV diagnosis.The presence of DLS, PED, a sharp PED peak, a PED notch, and a hyporeflective lumen representing polypoidal lesion is suggested to be a new diagnostic strategy for PCV.

Objective Intracranial hemorrhage(ICH),the second most common subtype of stroke,exacerbates the disruption of the blood-brain barrier(BBB),leading to vasogenic edema,plasma protein extravasation,and infiltration of neurotoxic substances.The clearance capacity of the brain plays a crucial role in maintaining BBB homeostasis and facilitating patient recovery after hemorrhage.This study aimed to investigate the effect of circadian rhythms on BBB function,neuronal damage,and clearance capabilities. Methods The transwell model and hemoglobin were co-cultured to simulate the BBB environment after ICH.After intervention with different light groups,neuronal apoptosis was determined,glial phagocytosis was analyzed,the expression of endogenous clearing-related proteins aquaporin 4(AQP4)and low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 1(LRP1)was detected by western blotting and immunofluorescence dual standard method,and the expression of the tight junction protein occludin and melatonin receptor 1A(MTNR1A)was quantitatively analyzed. Results Circadian rhythms play a key role in maintaining the integrity of the BBB,reducing oxidative stress-induced neuronal damage,and improving microglial phagocytosis.Meanwhile,the expression of occludin and MTNR1A in neurovascular unit(NVU)co-cultured with hemoglobin improved the expression of AQP4 and LRP1,the key proteins in the NVU's endogenous brain clearance system. Conclusion Circadian rhythm(alternating black and white light)protects the NVU BBB function after ICH,promotes the expression of proteins related to the clearance of the hematoma,provides new evidence for the clinical treatment of patients recovering from ICH,and improves the circadian rhythm to promote brain metabolism and hematoma clearance.