Objective:To explore the early predictive value of urinary nephrin in acute kidney injury (AKI) for critically ill neonates.Methods:A prospective study was conducted to neonates who were admitted to Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) Children′s Hospital of Soochow University, from July to October 2016.According to whether AKI occurred during the NICU′s hospitalization, neonates were divided into AKI group and non-AKI group.Urinary nephrin levels were detected at the first 24 h of NICU, and the score for neonatal acute physiology (SNAP) was assessed within 24 hours of NICU.Multivariate linear analyses were applied to analyze potential variables that were asso-ciated with urinary nephrin level.Multivariate Logistic regression analysis was adopted to evaluate the relationship between urinary nephrin and AKI after adjusting for confounding factors.A receiver operating characteristic(ROC) curve and the area under the ROC curve (AUC) were calculated to assess the early predictive value of urinary nephrin for neonatal AKI. Results:Among the 156 neonates enrolled in the study, 16 cases(10.2%) developed AKI.The median of urinary nephrin, urinary albumin and SNAP scores were 0.27 μg/mg uCr, 0.48 g/g uCr and 9 scores with AKI group, while the median of urinary nephrin, urinary albumin and SNAP scores were 0.16 μg/mg uCr, 0.16 g/g uCr and 7 scores with non-AKI group.When compared with non-AKI neonates, urinary nephrin ( Z=-3.201, P=0.001), urinary albumin ( Z=-2.652, P=0.008) and SNAP score ( Z=-2.611, P=0.009) were significantly higher in AKI neonates.Multiple linear regression analysis proved that urinary nephrin levels were significantly correlated with urinary albumin ( B=0.488, SE=0.117, P<0.001). Multivariate Logistic regression analysis revealed that urinary nephrin remained significantly associated with AKI ( P=0.018) after adjusting for confounding factors, including gestational age, birth weight, gender, SNAP score, mechanical ventilation and apnea.Urinary nephrin achieved AUC of 0.746 (95% CI: 0.606-0.886, P=0.001). Conclusions:As a biomarker of glomerular injury, urinary nephrin is significantly related to the occurrence of AKI and has early predictive value for AKI in critically ill neonates.

Pancreatic cancer is a common malignancy with the worst prognosis.Radical surgery has been the only curative treatment for pancreatic cancer.With the advancement of surgical techniques and the implementation of the concept of comprehensive treatment for cancer in recent years,neoadjuvant therapy for pancreatic cancer has received more attention.There are continuing controversies in the hotspots and difficulties,with opportunities and challenges coexisting.Four famous experts and their teams in pancreatic surgery discussed selection strategy of neoadjuvant therapy for pancreatic cancer based on clinical experiences.Professor Wang Chunyou proposed that surgery was prior for patients with a higher likelihood of achieving R0 resection for pancreatic cancer to avoid the possibility of tumor progression and loss the opportanity of radical resection during neoadjuvant therapy.For patients with less chance of radical resection for pancreatic cancer and unresectable pancreatic cancer,neoadjuvant therapy is worthy of a positive attempt.Professor Jin Gang and his team believed that neoadjuvant therapy played an important role in improving the survival time of patients with pancreatic head cancer,especially with borderline resectable pancreatic head cancer.After neoadjuvant therapy,pancreatic surgeons should pay attention to improvement of surgery safety and R0 resection rate.Professor Dai Menghua and his team suggested that patients with resectable pancreatic cancer and borderline resectable pancreatic cancer could benefit from neoadjuvant therapy,which required proof from clinical trials.Surgeons should choose the appropriate treatment strategy based on guidelines and individual conditions for patients with pancreatic cancer.Professor Shao Cheghao and his team suggested that surgical treatment after neoadjuvant therapy or translational therapy for locally advanced pancreatic head cancer is safe,effective and feasible,especially for pancreaticoduodenectomy with combined revascularization.For the treatment of patients with pancreatic head cancer after neoadjuvant chemotherapy,the choice of next treatment options,evaluation indicators,timing of surgery and surgical methods need to be further studied.

ObjectiveTo investigate the possible mechanism of Guben Fangxiao Beverage （固本防哮饮） for the prevention and treatment of chronic airway inflammation during asthma remission. MethodsThirty-six female Balb/c mice were randomly divided into normal group， model group， low-， medium-， and high-dose of Guben Fangxiao Beverage group and montelukast sodium group， with 6 mice in each group. Except for the normal group， ovalbumin and respiratory syncytial virus were used in other groups to establish a mouse model of bronchial asthma in remission stage. After molding， the low-， medium-， and high-dose groups of Guben Fangxiao Beverage were respectively given 12， 24， and 36 g/（kg·d）， the montelukast sodium group was given montelukast sodium granule 2.6 mg/（kg·d）， and the mice in the normal group and model group were given 20 ml of double-distilled water， all by gavage， once a day for 28 days. The levels of interleukin 4 （IL-4） and interleukin 5 （IL-5） in the lung tissue of mice were detected； HE staining was used to observe the pathology of the lung tissue and to score the inflammation； DHE staining was used to observe the level of reactive oxygen species （ROS） in the lung tissue， and the activities of mitochondrial respiratory chain complexes Ⅰ， Ⅱ， Ⅲ， Ⅳ， and Ⅴ in the lung tissue were detected； the levels of serum superoxide dismutase （SOD）， catalase （CAT）， malondialdehyde （MDA） and adenosine triphosphate （ATP） were detected； the protein expression levels of phosphorylated adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase （p-AMPK）， nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 （Nrf2）， haem oxygenase 1 （HO-1） and cAMP responsive element binding protein （CREB） in the lung tissues of the model group were detected by Western blot. ResultsCompared with the normal group， the histopathological results of the lungs of mice in the model group showed an increase in inflammatory cells around the airways and an increase in inflammatory score； DHE staining showed an increase in the level of ROS， and an increase in the levels of IL-4 and IL-5 in the lung tissues； the levels of serum SOD， CAT， and ATP were reduced， and the level of MDA was elevated； the activities of the mitochondrial respiratory chain complexes Ⅰ， Ⅱ， Ⅲ， Ⅳ， and Ⅴ of the lung tissues were reduced， and the activities of p-AMPK， Nrf2， CREB protein expression decreased （P＜0.05）. Compared with the model group， the lung tissue inflammatory cells and inflammation scores of mice in each Guben Fangxiao Beverage dose group and montelukast sodium group were reduced； the levels of ROS， IL-4 and IL-5 in the lung tissue were reduced； the levels of CAT and ATP in the serum increased， and the content of MDA was reduced； and the activities of mitochondrial respiratory chain complexes Ⅰ and Ⅱ， as well as the expression of CREB protein， were elevated in the lung tissue （P＜0.05）. Compared with the high-dose group， the MDA level of the medium-dose Guben Fangxiao Beverage group decreased （P＜0.05）. The activity of mitochondrial respiratory chain complex V in the medium-dose group was higher than that in the montelukast sodium group， and the activity of mitochondrial respiratory chain complex Ⅳ in the medium- and high-dose groups was higher than that in the low-dose group （P＜0.05）. ConclusionGuben Fangxiao Beverage can inhibit oxidative stress and improve mitochondrial function to relieve chronic airway inflammation in bronchial asthma model mice during asthma remission， and its mechanism may be related to the activation of AMPK/Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway.

Rotundic acid(RA),an ursane-type pentacyclic triterpene acid isolated from the dried barks of Ilex rotunda Thunb.(Aquifoliaceae),possesses diverse bioactivities.To further study its pharmacokinetics,a simple and sensitive liquid chromatography with triple quadrupole mass spectrometry(LC-QqQ-MS/MS)method was developed and validated to quantify RA concentration in rat plasma and tissue using etofesalamide as an internal standard(IS).Plasma and tissue samples were subjected to one-step protein precipitation.Chromatographic separation was achieved on a ZORBAX Eclipse XDB-C18 col-umn(4.6 mm×50 mm,5 μm)under gradient conditions with eluents of methanol:acetonitrile(1∶1,V/V)and 5mM ammonium formate:methanol(9∶1,V/V)at 0.5mL/min.Multiple reaction monitoring transitions were performed at m/z 487.30 → 437.30 for RA and m/z 256.10 → 227.10 for IS in the negative mode.The developed LC-QqQ-MS/MS method exhibited good linearity(2-500 ng/mL)and was fully validated in accordance with U.S.Food and Drug Administration bioanalytical guidelines.Dose proportionality and bioavailability in rats were determined by comparing pharmacokinetic data after single oral(10,20,and 40 mg/kg)and intravenous(10 mg/kg)administration of RA.Tissue distribution was studied following oral administration at 20 mg/kg.The results showed that the absolute bioavailability of RA after administration at different doses ranged from 16.1％to 19.4％.RA showed good dose proportionality over a dose range of 10-40 mg/kg.RA was rapidly absorbed in a dose-dependent manner and highly distributed in the liver.In conclusion,this study is the first to systematically elucidate the absorption and distribution characteristics of RA in rats,which can provide additional information for further development and evaluation of RA in drug metabolism and pharmacokinetic studies.

Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor (MPNST) is a rare neurogenic malignant tumor. MPNST has aty-pical clinical symptoms and imaging presentations, difficult diagnosis, a high degree of malignancy, and poor prognosis. It usually occurs in the trunk, approximately 20% in the head and neck, and rarely in the mouth. This paper reports a case of MPNST of the tongue. A summary of the clinical features, diagnosis, and treatment of MPNST is presented in combination with a literature review to provide a reference for the diagnosis and treatment of this disease.
Humans ; Nerve Sheath Neoplasms/pathology* ; Neurofibrosarcoma ; Tongue/pathology*