Background Exfoliation syndrome is a systemic disease with abnormal accumulation of extracellular matrix.Oxidative stress and imbalance between matrix metalloproteinases(MMPs) and tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinases(TIMPs)may play an important role in the pathogenesis of exfoliation syndrome.Researches showed that the incidence of exfoliation syndrome is higher in Uyghur nationality than that in Han nationality.However,whether the imbalance of serum MMPs and TIMPs is associated with pathogenesis of different ethnic groups is unclear.Objective The aim of the study was to discuss the change of serum MMP-9 and TIMP-2 in Uyghur patients.Methods This study protocol was approved by Ethic Committee of Xinjiang Medical University and followed Declaration of Helsinki.A prospective cohort study was performed.Forty Uyghur nationality (46 eyes) with exfoliation syndrome were collected from March 2012 to May 2013 in Affiliated First Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University and First People Hospital of Kashi.Forty cases(40 eyes)age-and gender-matched normal volunteers were included in the same duration.The peripheral blood was collected under the informed consent.Serum MMP-9 and TIMP-2 levels were detected by ELISA,and the results between the two groups were compared using independent samples t test.Results Slit-lamp examination found that part of pigmentation was depigmented and white dandrufflike substance attached in the pupil margin in all the patients,and stripping white dandruff-like substance was deposited in the front surface of the lens capsule which distributed in 3 zones.The pupils were disk-shaped pupil,and the surrounding area was the ring granular and the middle was transparent area without ablative material after dilation.Serum MMP-9 levels were (57.88±18.63)μg/L in the exfoliation syndrome group and (9.35±2.78)μg/L in the normal control group;serum TIMP-2 levels were (17.36±4.66) μg/L in the exfoliation syndrome group and (25.73±3.59) μg/L in the control group.The ratios of MMP-9/TIMP-2 were 3.57± 1.45 in the exfoliation syndrome group and 0.37±0.11 in the control group,with statistically significant differences in serum MMP-9 and TIMP-2 levels as well as ratio of MMP-9/TIMP-2 between the two groups(t=11.52,-6.36,9.87,all at P=0.00).Conclusions The upregulation of serum MMP-9 and downregulation of serum TIMP-2 are found in Uyghur patients with exfoliation syndrome.It is verified that the imbalance of serum MMP-9 and TIMP-2 contributes to the pathogenesis of exfoliation syndrome in Uyghur patients.

Objective To evaluate the clinical practical value of the golden angle radial sparse parallel(GRASP)technology in the MR imaging quality of lung cancer under free-breathing state.Methods The imaging data of 30 lung cancer patients diagnosed with CT screening were collected by using a large-aperture 3.0T MR scanner.All patients underwent routine Cartesian breath-hold volume interpolation(BH-VIBE)scanning,then free-breathing dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging(DCE-MRI)scanning based on GRASP technology,and another repetitive BH-VIBE scanning.The MR imaging quality was independently evaluated by two experienced thoracic radiologists including overall image quality,lesion outline,artifact grade and diagnostic confidence,mean-while,the CT images of the patient at the same time were used as a reference.The sequence information on MR images was also pro-cessed blindly.Results The GRASP sequence could effectively eliminate the interference of motion artifacts such as respiration and cardiac large vessel beats,and the image quality,lesion outline,artifact grade,and diagnostic confidence of the GRASP sequence were significantly better than the BH-VIBE(P＜0.01).The image quality of the GRASP sequence was more satisfactory with clea-rer tumor boundary and more details.Conclusion Free-breathing high-temporal-spatial resolution GRASP technology has better image quality than traditional BH-VIBE scanning,and it is a reliable method for high-resolution imaging of lung cancer.

Uridine is one of the essential nutrients in organisms. To maintain normal cell growth and intracellular metabolism, the uridine must be maintained at certain concentration. Recent studies have shown that uridine can reduce inflammatory response in organisms, participate in glycolysis, and regulate intracellular protein modification, such as glycosylation and acetylation. Furthermore, it can protect cells from hypoxic injury by reducing intracellular oxidative stress, promoting high-energy compounds synthesis. Previous studies have shown that the protective effects of uridine are closely related to its effect on mitochondria. This review summarizes the effect of uridine on mitochondrial function.
Uridine/metabolism* ; Mitochondria/metabolism*

Microcystin-leucine arginine (MC-LR), a potentially carcinogenic toxin, is produced by Cyanobacteria such as Microcystis and Ananabacteria during water bloom. Increasing evidence demonstrated that MC-LR induces male reproductive toxicity, mainly by inducing germ cell apoptosis, destroying cell cytoskeleton, interfering with DNA damage repair pathway, and damaging blood-testicular barrier (BTB), which eventually lead to male sterility. Testicular Sertoli cells are the somatic cells that directly contact with spermatogenic cells in seminiferous tubules. They not only regulate immune response to maintain testicular immune homeostasis by secreting a variety of cytokines and immunosuppressive factors, but also provide the protective effects of spermatogenic cells by forming BTB. MC-LR induces inflammation and apoptosis of Sertoli cells, and destroys the integrity of the BTB, and then causes spermatogenesis dysfunction.
Male ; Humans ; Sertoli Cells ; Leucine/pharmacology* ; Arginine/pharmacology* ; Microcystins/metabolism* ; Immunity