AIMTo investigate the activation of the nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT) and its function in the corticosterone (CORT)-induced apoptosis of rat Leydig cells.

METHODSNFAT in rat Leydig cells was detected by Western blotting and immunohistochemical staining. Cyclosporin A (CsA) was used to evaluate potential involvement of NFAT in the CORT-induced apoptosis of Leydig cells. Intracellular Ca(2+) was monitored in CORT-treated Leydig cells using Fluo-3/AM. After the Leydig cells were incubated with either CORT or CORT plus CsA for 12 h, the levels of NFAT2 in the nuclei and in the cytoplasm were measured by semi-quantitative Western blotting. The role of NFAT2 in CORT-induced Leydig cell apoptosis was further evaluated by observing the effects of NFAT2 overexpression and the inhibition of NFAT2 activation by CsA on FasL expression and apoptosis.

RESULTSWe found that NFAT2 was the predominant isoform in Leydig cells. CsA blocked the CORT-induced apoptosis of the Leydig cells. The intracellular Ca(2+) level in the Leydig cells was significantly increased after the CORT treatment. The CORT increased the level of NFAT2 in the nuclei and decreased its level in the cytoplasm. CsA blocked the CORT-induced nuclear translocation of NFAT2 in the Leydig cells. Both CORT-induced apoptosis and FasL expression in the rat Leydig cells were enhanced by the overexpression of NFAT2 and antagonized by CsA.

CONCLUSIONNFAT2 was activated in CORT-induced Leydig cell apoptosis. The effects of NFAT2 overexpression and the inhibition of NFAT2 activation suggest that NFAT2 may potentially play a pro-apoptotic role in CORT-induced Leydig cell apoptosis through the up-regulation of FasL.

Animals ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Calcium ; metabolism ; Cell Nucleus ; metabolism ; Corticosterone ; pharmacology ; Cytoplasm ; metabolism ; Immunohistochemistry ; Kinetics ; Leydig Cells ; cytology ; drug effects ; physiology ; Male ; NFATC Transcription Factors ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

To establish the experts consensus on the management of delirium in critically ill patients.A special committee was set up by 15 experts from the Chinese Critical Hypothermia-Sedation Therapy Study Group.Each statement was assessed based on the GRADE (Grading of Recommendations Assessment,Development,and Evaluation) principle.Then the Delphi method was adopted by 36 experts to reassess all the statements.(1) Delirium is not only a mental change,but also a clinical syndrome with multiple pathophysiological changes.(2) Delirium is a form of disturbance of consciousness and a manifestation of abnormal brain function.(3) Pain is a common cause of delirium in critically ill patients.Analgesia can reduce the occurrence and development of delirium.(4) Anxiety or depression are important factors for delirium in critically ill patients.(5) The correlation between sedative and analgesic drugs and delirium is uncertain.(6) Pay attention to the relationship between delirium and withdrawal reactions.(7) Pay attention to the relationship between delirium and drug dependence/ withdrawal reactions.(8) Sleep disruption can induce delirium.(9) We should be vigilant against potential risk factors for persistent or recurrent delirium.(10) Critically illness related delirium can affect the diagnosis and treatment of primary diseases,and can also be alleviated with the improvement of primary diseases.(11) Acute change of consciousness and attention deficit are necessary for delirium diagnosis.(12) The combined assessment of confusion assessment method for the intensive care unit and intensive care delirium screening checklist can improve the sensitivity of delirium,especially subclinical delirium.(13) Early identification and intervention of subclinical delirium can reduce its risk of clinical delirium.(14) Daily assessment is helpful for early detection of delirium.(15) Hopoactive delirium and mixed delirium are common and should be emphasized.(16) Delirium may be accompanied by changes in electroencephalogram.Bedside electroencephalogram monitoring should be used in the ICU if conditions warrant.(17) Pay attention to differential diagnosis of delirium and dementia/depression.(18) Pay attention to the role of rapid delirium screening method in delirium management.(19) Assessment of the severity of delirium is an essential part of the diagnosis of delirium.(20) The key to the management of delirium is etiological treatment.(21) Improving environmental factors and making patient comfort can help reduce delirium.(22) Early exercise can reduce the incidence of delirium and shorten the duration of delirium.(23) Communication with patients should be emphasized and strengthened.Family members participation can help reduce the incidence of delirium and promote the recovery of delirium.(24) Pay attention to the role of sleep management in the prevention and treatment of delirium.(25) Dexmedetomidine can shorten the duration of hyperactive delirium or prevent delirium.(26) When using antipsychotics to treat delirium,we should be alert to its effect on the heart rhythm.(27) Delirium management should pay attention to brain functional exercise.(28) Compared with non-critically illness related delirium,the relief of critically illness related delirium will not accomplished at one stroke.(29) Multiple management strategies such as ABCDEF,eCASH and ESCAPE are helpful to prevent and treat delirium and improve the prognosis of critically ill patients.(30) Shortening the duration of delirium can reduce the occurrence of long-term cognitive impairment.(31) Multidisciplinary cooperation and continuous quality improvement can improve delirium management.Consensus can promote delirium management in critically ill patients,optimize analgesia and sedation therapy,and even affect prognosis.

Aim To observe the effect of epimedium on the proliferation and stem cell-like character expression of breast cancer cells, and investigate the relationship between the inhibition of stem cell-like character and miR-148a by epimedium, and its molecular mechanism. Methods After treatment with different concentrations of epimedium, cell viability and population dependence were detected by MTT assay and colony formation assay; the breast cancer stem cell-derived mammosphere formation was examined by Mammosphere assay; the expression levels of CD44,ALDH-1, Oct4,BMIl and EpCAM were detected by qPCR; the protein expression levels of EpCAM, SOX4, ZO-1, E-cadherin and vimentin were detected by Western blot; the protein localization of EpCAM was observed by im-munofluorescence assay; the effect of epimedium on migration was detected by wound healing assay. The miR-148a mimic was transfected into MDA-MB-231 cells, and the effects of epimedium on stem-like character expression of transfected MDA-MB-231 cells were observed. Results Epimedium significantly inhibited the proliferation and population dependence of MDA-MB-231 cells (P < 0.05 ), and reduced the breast cancer stem cell-derived mammosphere formation; compared with control group, epimedium significantly decreased mRNA levels of CD44, ALDH-1, Oct4, BMI1 and EpCAM (P <0.05) ,decreased protein contents of EpCAM, SOX4 and Vimentin (P < 0.05 ), up-regulated the protein expression of ZO-1 and e-cadherin ( P <0.05) ,and decreased the migration ability of MDA-MB-231 cells (P < 0.05). Epimedium up-regulated the expression of miR-148a in MDA-MB-231 cells (P <0.01). YYH + miR-148a mimic group significantly inhibited stem-like character expression and EMT process of breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells compared with control group (P <0.05). Conclusions Epimedium can inhibit the proliferation of MDA-MB-231 cells, which may be related to the up-regulation of miR-148a, decrease of stem-like character expression of breast cancer cells,and inhibition of EMT.

We wished to establish an expert consensus on late stage of critical care (CC) management. The panel comprised 13 experts in CC medicine. Each statement was assessed based on the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) principle. Then, the Delphi method was adopted by 17 experts to reassess the following 28 statements. (1) ESCAPE has evolved from a strategy of delirium management to a strategy of late stage of CC management. (2) The new version of ESCAPE is a strategy for optimizing treatment and comprehensive care of critically ill patients (CIPs) after the rescue period, including early mobilization, early rehabilitation, nutritional support, sleep management, mental assessment, cognitive-function training, emotional support, and optimizing sedation and analgesia. (3) Disease assessment to determine the starting point of early mobilization, early rehabilitation, and early enteral nutrition. (4) Early mobilization has synergistic effects upon the recovery of organ function. (5) Early functional exercise and rehabilitation are important means to promote CIP recovery, and gives them a sense of future prospects. (6) Timely start of enteral nutrition is conducive to early mobilization and early rehabilitation. (7) The spontaneous breathing test should be started as soon as possible, and a weaning plan should be selected step-by-step. (8) The waking process of CIPs should be realized in a planned and purposeful way. (9) Establishment of a sleep-wake rhythm is the key to sleep management in post-CC management. (10) The spontaneous awakening trial, spontaneous breathing trial, and sleep management should be carried out together. (11) The depth of sedation should be adjusted dynamically in the late stage of CC period. (12) Standardized sedation assessment is the premise of rational sedation. (13) Appropriate sedative drugs should be selected according to the objectives of sedation and drug characteristics. (14) A goal-directed minimization strategy for sedation should be implemented. (15) The principle of analgesia must be mastered first. (16) Subjective assessment is preferred for analgesia assessment. (17) Opioid-based analgesic strategies should be selected step-by-step according to the characteristics of different drugs. (18) There must be rational use of non-opioid analgesics and non-drug-based analgesic measures. (19) Pay attention to evaluation of the psychological status of CIPs. (20) Cognitive function in CIPs cannot be ignored. (21) Delirium management should be based on non-drug-based measures and rational use of drugs. (22) Reset treatment can be considered for severe delirium. (23) Psychological assessment should be conducted as early as possible to screen-out high-risk groups with post-traumatic stress disorder. (24) Emotional support, flexible visiting, and environment management are important components of humanistic management in the intensive care unit (ICU). (25) Emotional support from medical teams and families should be promoted through"ICU diaries"and other forms. (26) Environmental management should be carried out by enriching environmental content, limiting environmental interference, and optimizing the environmental atmosphere. (27) Reasonable promotion of flexible visitation should be done on the basis of prevention of nosocomial infection. (28) ESCAPE is an excellent project for late stage of CC management.
Humans ; Consensus ; Critical Care/methods* ; Intensive Care Units ; Pain/drug therapy* ; Analgesics/therapeutic use* ; Delirium/therapy* ; Critical Illness