Objective To study the tissue-specificity of ?-carotene-15,15’-monooxygenase(? CMOOX). Method Semi-quantitative RT-PCR and HPLC were used to study the expression of ?CMOOX mRNA and its activity in different tissues of chicken. Results ?CMOOX mRNA was expressed in tissues including heart, liver, spleen, lung, kidney, duodenum, jejunum, ileum, muscle and testis, not expressed in lung. Furthermore, it was expressed in jejunum with the highest level. ?CMOOX activity was found in every tissue, except lung, and highest in duodenum and jejunum. Conclusion The distribution of ?CMOOX in chicken has tissue specificity.

OBJECTIVE:To investigate the effects of dexmedetomidine on neuron injury indexes,inflammatory factors and spinal cord function of cervical operation patients. METHODS:Totally of 112 patients underwent cervical operation of general anesthesia in our hospital during May 2015 to Nov. 2017 were divided into control group and dexmedetomidine group according to random number table,with 56 cases in each group. Anesthesia of both groups was totally maintained by intravenous anesthesia. Dexmedetomidine group was given intravenous infusion of Dexmeimidine hydrochloride injection with loading dose of 0.8 μg/kg and injection time of more than 10 min before anesthesia maintenance,and then was continuously pumped to 30 min before operation at the rate of 0.4 μg/(kg·h). The levels of neuron injury indexes (GFAP,NSE,MMP-9) and inflammatory factors (TNF-α,IL-6,IL-10)of 2 groups were observed before anesthesia induction(T0),1 h after operation(T1),1 d after operation (T2),7 d after operation (T3). Japanese Orthopedics Academy (JOA) scores of cervical vertebra were observed in 2 groups before operation and 7 d after operation,and VAS scores were also observed in 2 groups 1 d and 7 d after operation. The occurrence of ADR was recorded. RESULTS:Each 3 patients of 2 groups withdrew from the study,and each 53 patients of 2 groups completed the study. There was no statistical significance in neuron injury indexes or serum levels of inflammatory factors between 2 groups at T0 (P>0.05). At T1-T3,above indexes of both groups were significantly higher than at T0;the levels of GFAP,NSE,MMP-9,TNF-α and IL-6 in dexmedetomidine group were significantly lower than control group,while the level of IL-10 was significantly higher than control group,with statistical significance (P<0.05). There was no statistical significance in JOA score or VAS score between 2 groups before operation or 1 d after operation (P>0.05). Seven days after operation,JOA scores of 2 groups were increased significantly,while VAS scores were decreased significantly,with statistical significance(P<0.05);but there was no statistical significance between 2 groups (P>0.05). No obvious ADR was found in 2 groups. CONCLUSIONS:Additional use of dexmedetomidine before anesthesia maintenance can improve the serum levels of inflammatory factors in cervical operation patients,and relieve neuron spinal cord and injury to certain extent,but would not influence the safety of drug use.

With the development of diagnostic and screening technologies,the incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with extrahepatic metastasis is increasing and surgical rate is also increasing.There is currently no standard of treatment.Four famous experts and their teams in hepatic surgery discussed reasonability of surgical treatment for HCC with extrahepatic metastasis based on clinical experiences.Professor Geng Xiaoping suggested that HCC with extrahepatic metastasis was classified as advanced HCC,however,under the premise of strict control of indications,selective patients undergoing comprehensive treatment combined with surgical procedures could achieve good prognosis.For some rare liver malignancies,active surgical treatment for extrahepatic metastasis based on comprehensive treatment was recommended.Professor Zhou Jian proposed that resection of intrahepatic lesions in HCC with extrahepatic metastasis should be based on the premise of whether to prolong the survival of patients.He advocated choice of individualized treatment and comprehensive treatment of multiple methods to benefit patients' survival.The necessary intrahepatic lesion resection was a positive and feasible treatment strategy.Professor Wang Jie shared the diagnosis and treatment of 2 patients with HCC and extrahepatic metastasis,suggested that primary tumor resection might have a favorable impact on the prognosis of these patients with resectable primary tumors.Therefore,surgical treatment was important for HCC patients with extrahepatic metastasis,and surgical therapy combined with personalized systemic treatment showed survival benefit for selected patients.Professor Zhou Weiping recommended that choosing surgery for HCC with extrahepatic metastasis should be extraordinarily cautious.Priority should be given to improving the survival rate of patients.In the case of effective control or complete necrosis of extrahepatic metastases,hepatic primary tumor resection was still the current mainstream opinion.

OBJECTIVES: Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is common disease in otorhinolaryngology and will lead to lower airway abnormality. However, the only lung function in CRS patients and associated factors have not been much studied. METHODS: One hundred patients with CRS with nasal polyps (CRSwNP group), 40 patients with CRS without nasal polyps (CRSsNP group), and 100 patients without CRS were enrolled. The difference in lung function was compared. Meanwhile, CRSwNP and CRSsNP group were required to undergo a bronchial provocation or dilation test. Additionally, subjective and objective outcomes were measured by the visual analogue scale (VAS), 20-item Sino-Nasal Outcome Test (SNOT-20), Lund-Mackay score, Lund-Kennedy endoscopic score. The correlation and regression methods were used to analyze the relationship between their lung function and the above parameters. RESULTS: The forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) and forced expiratory flow between 25% and 75% of forced vital capacity (FEF25-75) of CRSwNP group were significantly lower than other groups (P<0.05). On peak expiratory flow, there was no difference between three groups. In CRSwNP group, FEV1 was negatively correlated with peripheral blood eosinophil count (PBEC) and duration of disease (r=–0.348, P=0.013 and r=–0.344, P=0.014, respectively), FEF25-75 negatively with VAS, SNOT-20 (r=–0.490, P=0.028 and r=–0.478, P=0.033, respectively) in CRSsNP group. The incidence of positive bronchial provocation and dilation test was lower in CRSwNP group (10% and 0%, respectively), with both 0% in CRSsNP group. The multiple linear regression analysis indicated that change ratio of FEV1 before and after bronchial provocation or dilation test were correlated with PBEC in CRSwNP group (β=0.403, P=0.006). CONCLUSION: CRS leading to impaired maximum ventilation and small airway is associated with the existence of nasal polyp. Lung function impairments can be reflected by PBEC, duration, VAS, and SNOT-20. In CRSwNP patients, PBEC is independent predictor of FEV₁ change ratio.
Bronchial Hyperreactivity ; Bronchial Provocation Tests ; Eosinophils ; Forced Expiratory Volume ; Humans ; Incidence ; Linear Models ; Lung* ; Nasal Polyps ; Otolaryngology ; Ventilation ; Vital Capacity

OBJECTIVETo validate the discharge, inflammation, polyps/edema (DIP) scoring system for the assessment of endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) outcomes in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS).

METHODSThirty patients with CRS were included in this prospective study. All patients were evaluated before and 2 months after surgery. Baseline measures and postoperative outcomes were evaluated using sino-nasal outcome test-20 (SNOT-20), visual analogue scale (VAS) symptom score and Lund-Mackay CT score (in baseline only). All endoscopic videos were recorded before surgery and in the end of follow-up. All videos were scored blindly by two rhinologistis using the DIP and Lund-Kennedy system for investigating the inter-rater and test-retest reliability, as well as the correlations with the existing subjective and objective scoring systems.SPSS17.0 software was used to analyze the data.

RESULTSThe average scores of VAS, SNOT-20, Lund-Kennedy, and DIP before and after surgery were listed below. Baseline, 29.73 ± 13.05, 24.43 ± 13.76, 7.70 ± 3.25 and 32.67 ± 13.48. Post-surgical, 13.60 ± 8.67, 10.40 ± 7.45, 5.03 ± 2.04 and 16.97 ± 8.37. All scores were declined significantly from baseline (t value were 7.43, 6.49, 6.88 and 10.93, all P < 0.001). The DIP system showed a higher inter-rater and rest-rest reliability than Lund-Kennedy system (interclass coefficient,ICC > 0.75). The Pearson analysis revealed that VAS scores were significantly correlated with SNOT-20 scores both in baseline and post-surgical assessments (r = 0.518 6, P = 0.003, and r = 0.546 7, P = 0.000). Before surgery, Lund-Kennedy scores were significantly correlated with DIP and Lund-Mackay CT scores (r = 0.937 5, P = 0.000 and r = 0.748 0, P = 0.000). DIP scores were significantly correlated with Lund-Mackay CT scores (r = 0.712 2, P = 0.000). After surgery,DIP scores were significantly correlated with Lund-Kennedy scores (r = 0.869 6, P = 0.000). But there were no significant correlations between subjective scores (VAS and SNOT-20) and objective scores (Lund-Kennedy, DIP and Lund-Mackay CT), (all P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSThe DIP scoring system shows substantial inter-rater and test-retest reliability.It is also significantly correlated with existing objective scoring parameters. It is suitable and reliable to use.

Chronic Disease ; Edema ; Endoscopy ; Female ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Male ; Nasal Polyps ; diagnosis ; Paranasal Sinuses ; Polyps ; Postoperative Period ; Prospective Studies ; Reproducibility of Results ; Rhinitis ; diagnosis ; Sinusitis ; diagnosis

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effect of curcumin on diabetic nephropathy in db/db mice and its possible mechanism. METHODS: Ten female db/db mice were randomly divided into 2 groups: one was treated with curcumin at 200 mg/(kg.d) and the other was a placebo group. Five age-matched db/m mice were grouped as the controls. In the curcumin group, curcumin was administered to db/db mice for 18 weeks. At the end of the experiment, the blood glucose and albumin were measured, and the kidney tissue sections were stained with PAS to observe the pathological changes. The expression of collagen IV and FN in the kidney was detected by immunohitochemistry staining. Western blot was used to detect the phosphorylation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) and IκB in the kidney. RESULTS: Compared with db/m mice, the weight and blood glucose of db/db mice were markedly increased, accompanied with heavy proteinuria, glomerulus hypertrophy, mesangial area expansion, thickening of basement membrane and ECM deposition. The phosphorylation of STAT3 was upregulated and the degradation of IκB was increased. Compared with the db/db mice, curcumin significantly decreased the urinary albumin, inhibited the phosphorylation of STAT3 and the degradation of IκB, and reduced the expression of collagen IV and FN in the kidney. CONCLUSION Curcumin can obviously decrease albuminuria and attenuate glomerular sclerosis in diabetic db/db mice by inhibiting phosphorylation of STAT3 and degradation of IκB.
Albuminuria ; Animals ; Blood Glucose ; Collagen Type IV ; metabolism ; Curcumin ; pharmacology ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 ; Diabetic Nephropathies ; drug therapy ; Female ; Fibronectins ; metabolism ; I-kappa B Proteins ; metabolism ; Kidney ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Mice ; Phosphorylation ; Proteinuria ; STAT3 Transcription Factor ; metabolism

The protection of language function is one of the major challenges of brain surgery. Over the past century, neurosurgeons have attempted to seek the optimal strategy for the preoperative and intraoperative identification of language-related brain regions. Neurosurgeons have investigated the neural mechanism of language, developed neurolinguistics theory, and provided unique evidence to further understand the neural basis of language functions by using intraoperative cortical and subcortical electrical stimulation. With the emergence of modern neuroscience techniques and dramatic advances in language models over the last 25 years, novel language mapping methods have been applied in the neurosurgical practice to help neurosurgeons protect the brain and reduce morbidity. The rapid advancements in brain-computer interface have provided the perfect platform for the combination of neurosurgery and neurolinguistics. In this review, the history of neurolinguistics models, advancements in modern technology, role of neurosurgery in language mapping, and modern language mapping methods (including noninvasive neuroimaging techniques and invasive cortical electroencephalogram) are presented.
Brain Mapping ; Brain Neoplasms ; Humans ; Language ; Neurosurgery ; Neurosurgical Procedures

Metastasis and resistance are main causes to affect the outcome of the current anticancer therapies. Heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) as an ATP-dependent molecular chaperone takes important role in the tumor metastasis and resistance. Targeting Hsp90 and downregulating its expression show promising in inhibiting tumor metastasis and resistance. In this study, a redox-responsive dual-drug nanocarrier was constructed for the effective delivery of a commonly used chemotherapeutic drug PTX, and a COA-modified 4-arm PEG polymer (4PSC) was synthesized. COA, an active component in oleanolic acid that exerts strong antitumor activity by downregulating Hsp90 expression, was used as a structural and functional element to endow 4PSC with redox responsiveness and Hsp90 inhibitory activity. Our results showed that 4PSC/PTX nanomicelles efficiently delivered PTX and COA to tumor locations without inducing systemic toxicity. By blocking the Hsp90 signaling pathway, 4PSC significantly enhanced the antitumor effect of PTX, inhibiting tumor proliferation and invasiveness as well as chemotherapy-induced resistance in vitro. Remarkable results were further confirmed in vivo with two preclinical tumor models. These findings demonstrate that the COA-modified 4PSC drug delivery nanosystem provides a potential platform for enhancing the efficacy of chemotherapies.