The pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis ( MS) involves alterations to multiple pathways and processes, which represent a significant challenge for developing more-effective therapies.In MS, abnormalities have been identified in several cytokine-signaling pathways, as well as those of other immune receptors.Among the downstream molecules implicated are Jak/Stat, NF-κb, ERK1/2, p38 or Jun/Fos, current MS drugs target some of these pathways.This article will with the aid of the latest research results of systems biology approaches that study pathway dysregulation in the process of MS development, targeting these relevant MS-signaling pathways, offers the opportunity to accelerate the development of novel individual or combination therapies for the future of new drug research.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the epidemiological characteristics, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, and treatment of Brucella orchitis, so as to provide reliable evidence for the prevention and treatment of the disease.

METHODSWe conducted retrospective statistical analyses on the medical records of 48 outpatients and 21 inpatients with Brucella orchitis.

RESULTSBrucella orchitis was diagnosed in 6.67% of the male patients with brucellosis (69/1 034). The disease exhibited typical epidemiological features, with a higher incidence rate among those in frequent contact with sheep and elderly people, in the period from April to July, and in the areas with sheep husbandry. All the Brucella orchitis patients had such local symptoms as testicular pain and swelling, more frequently involving both testes, and other most common symptoms included fever, chills, sweating, and painful joints. Based on IIEF-5, 45 of the patients suffered from severe erectile dysfunction, with their reproductive function temporarily affected in the course of the disease. Misdiagnosis easily occurred in the early stage of the disease. Therapeutic options mainly included doxycycline hydrochloride and rifampicin, administered orally or intravenously, which could effect a cure, though relapse might occur in some cases.

CONCLUSIONBru- cella orchitis has distinct epidemiological characteristics, with clinical manifestations of testicular pain and swelling. Though a transient disease, it affects the reproductive function of the patient before cured. It can be treated by combined oral and intravenous medication, with painkillers or ice bags for testicular pain and swelling.

Animals ; Brucella ; pathogenicity ; Brucellosis ; complications ; diagnosis ; therapy ; Humans ; Male ; Orchitis ; diagnosis ; microbiology ; therapy ; Retrospective Studies ; Sheep

Objective To compare the efficiency of oscillation with sonication in preparing nano-scale microbubbles (NBs).Methods Nano-scale microbubbles were prepared using oscillation and sonication respectively,and then compared the NBs' size,size distribution,concentrations and time-consumption of the two methods.Results The sizes of nanobubbles prepared by sonication and oscillation were (373.88 ±18.43)nm and (360.74 ± 14.39)nm,respectively.There was no significant difference in size between the two methods (P =0.523).The polidispersity was larger in sonication before centrifugation,there was significant difference between the two methods (P ＜0.001).The concentration of nanobubbles prepared by oscillation was (1.48 ± 0.15) × 1010,which was higher than that by oscillation [(8.07 ± 0.62) × 108],there was significant difference between the two methods (P ＜ 0.001).The consuming time was shorter in oscillation,the difference was significant when compared with sonication (P ＜0.001).Conclusions Both two methods can successfully prepare NBs.Compared with sonication,oscillation can effectively produce NBs with smaller polidispersity,higher concentration and shorter time-consumption.

Background and purpose:Early evaluating the therapeutic efficacy of transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) in patients with hepatic cancer is still a diffcult clinical problem. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the ability of the apparent diffusion coeffcient (ADC) to help predict early disease progression after TACE.Methods:Institutional review board approval was obtained, and all patients signed informed consent. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) (b=50, 500, 1 000 mm2/s) were performed before and 1 month after initiating TACE for 23 patients with hepatic cancer (14 were male, 9 were female; mean age: 53.3 years;range: 21-85 years). Contrast-enhanced MRI was performed 3 months after initiating TACE. Patients were classiifed as either progressing or non-progressing according to RECIST 1.1. The preoperative ADC values of tumor and the ADC values of tumor 1 month after TACE were analyzed by pairedt-test in both progressing and non-progressing group. Unpairedt-test was used to compare ADC parameters between progressing and non-progressing group. In all the 23 hepatic cancer patients, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to determine a threshold ADC ratio (ADC%) to differentiate progressing from non-progressing patients.Results:Thirteen progressing and 9 non-progressing patients were evaluated. Increase in ADCs of tumor was observed in non-progressing patients at 1 month after TACE compared with preoperative ADCs. There was a signiifcant difference between the 2 groups (P=0.01). In progressing group, preoperative ADCs of tumor were similar to those at 1 month after TACE (P=0.221). There was no significant difference in preoperative ADCs of tumor and ADC% between the progressing and non-progressing groups. In patients with hepatic cancer, 1 month ADC ratio in non-progressing patients were signiifcantly higher than those of progressing patients (P=0.029). Using ROC to evaluate the ability of ADC% could predict early disease pro-gression after TACE. Using -6.455% as the threshold, the area under the ROC curve was 0.867 (95%CI: 0.643-1.000). The sensitivity was 100%, and the speciifcity was 66.7%.Conclusion:One month after TACE, the increases in ADCs of tumor were observed only in the non-progressing group; and the ADC ratio seems to be a promising tool for helping predict the early disease progression after TACE in patients with hepatic cancer.

Objective To discuss clinical significance on early diagnosis of brain injury in premature infants with multiple sequence joint inspection of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).Methods The brain MRI findings of 160 premature infants treated by Neonatal Intensive Care Unit were analyzed retrospectively.Results In 160 premature infants,brain injury occurred in 76 cases,the incidence of brain injury was 47.5％.Ischemic lesions were seen more in brain injury in premature infants,cerebral white matter injury was the most common,especially periventricular leukomalacia.Ischemic brain injury performed patchy or large sheet increased signal intensity on T1-weighted images(T1 WI),decreased signal intensity on T2-weighted images (T2WI) and obviously increased signal intensity on diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) in half egg circle center and around the lateral ventricle.Periventricular leukomalacia performed patchy decreased signal intensity on T1WI,increased signal intensity on T2WI and decreased signal intensity on DWI.Periventricular-intraventricular hemorrhage was seen more in hemorrhagic lesions.Hemorrhage stove was performed different signal because of different bleeding time.MRI performance in acute phase was iso-signal or slightly decreased signal intensity on T1WI,increased signal intensity on T2WI,increased signal intensity on T1WI,slightly decreased signal intensity on T2WI in early subacute,increased signal intensity on T1 WI and T2WI in late subacute and obviously decreased signal intensity on magnetic sensitive weighted imaging.The detection rate of ischemic lesions by DWI was higher than the conventional MRI,and DWI could show cerebral white matter damage of premature infants much earlier than the conventional MRI.The detection rate of hemorrhage stove by susceptibility weighted imagingc (SWI) was higher than the conventional MRI (x2 =23.78,P ＜ 0.05),and SWI could show hemorrhagic lesions much earlier than conventional MRI (x2 =27.02,P ＜ 0.05).Conclusions MRI,especially combined multiple sequence checking,could provide accurate imaging evidence for the early diagnosis of brain injury in premature infants.

Objective To compare the short-term efficacies of laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB) and laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) in the treatment of obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus,and to investigate the relationship between the body weight loss and the decrease of glucose of the 2 treatment methods.Methods The clinical data of 40 patients with obesity combined with type 2 diabetes mellitus who were admitted to the Changhai Hospital of the Second Military Medical University from January 2010 to December 2011 were retrospectively analyzed.There were 14 patients treated by LAGB (LAGB group) and 26 by LSG (LSG group).The body weight loss and the decrease of glucose at postoperative year 1 of the 2 groups were compared.The differences in the body weight and glucose before and after operation within groups were compared using the paired t test,and the differences in the body weight and glucose between the 2 groups were compared using the multiple analysis of variance.The correlation between the body weight loss and the decrease of glucose was analyzed using the linear regression analysis.Results Laparoscopic surgery was successfully done without conversion to open surgery or intraoperative complications.The operation time and volume of blood loss were (69 ± 16)minutes and (31 ± 14)mL in the LAGB group,(120 ± 15) minutes and (148 ± 48) mL in the LSG group.Complications including postoperative malnutrition,electrolyte disturbance,delayed gastric emptying,bleeding,anastomotic leakage did not occurr in the 2 groups.Two patients were complicated with abdominal incision fat liquefaction,and were cured by symptomatic treatment.(1) The body weight,body mass index (BMI) and waistline had a decrease trend.The body weight,BMI and waistline in the LAGB group were decreased from (117 ± 28)kg,(40 ± 8)kg/m2 and (118 ± 15) cm before operation to (94 ± 28) kg,(33 ± 8) kg/m2 and (92 ± 15) cm at postoperative week 48.The body weight,BMI and waistline in the LSG group were decreased from (119 ± 25)kg,(42 ± 6)kg/m2 and (123 ± 14)cm before operation to (74± 16)kg,(26± 4)kg/m2 and (86 ± 13)cm at postoperative week 48.The EWL had an increase trend in the 2 groups.The EWL in the LAGB group was increased from 7％ ± 2％ at postoperative week 1 to 53％± 24％ at postoperative week 48,and the EWL in the LSG group was increased from 11％ ± 4％ at postoperative week 1 to 90％ ± 20％ at postoperative week 48.There were significant differences in the changes of body weight,BMI,waistline and EWL between the 2 groups (F =60.660,74.490,57.650,90.020,P ＜ 0.05).(2) The levels of glycosylated hemoglobin,fasting glucose,fasting insulin,HOMA-IR,triglyceride,total cholesterol,low-density lipoprotein and high density lipoprotein in the LAGB group were decreased from 8.1％± 0.8％,(8.4±0.6)mmol/L,(21±8)μmol/L,7.9 ±2.9,(1.68±0.50)mmol/L,(6.0±1.1)mmol/L (4.1 ± 0.8) mmol/L,(1.09 ±0.15)mmol/L to 6.4％ ±0.8％,(6.3 ±0.3) mmol/L,(10 ± 3) μmol/L,2.7 ±0.9,(1.04 ± 0.09) mmol/L,(4.3 ± 0.8) mmol/L,(2.3 ± 0.4) mmol/L,(1.22 ± 0.09) mmol/L at postoperative week 48 ; the levels of glycosylated hemoglobin,fasting glucose,fasting insulin,HOMA-IR,triglyceride,total cholesterol,low-density lipoprotein and high density lipoprotein in the LSG group were changed from 7.9％ ± 1.0％,(9.0±1.0)mmol/L,(21 ±9) μ mol/L,8.5 ±3.5,(2.09 ± 0.70) mmol/L,(6.0 ± 1.2)mmol/L,(3.9 ± 1.1) mmol/L,(1.06 ± 0.21) mmol/L before operation to 5.1％ ± 0.8％,(5.2 ± 0.4) mmol/L,(4 ± 1)μmol/L,0.9±0.2,(1.22±0.17)mmol/L,(4.2±0.8)mmol/L,(2.3 ±0.6)mmol/L,(1.30±0.13)mmol/L at postoperative week 48.There was a decrease trend of the glycosylated hemoglobin,fasting glucose,fasting insulin,HOMA-IR,trigluceride,total cholesterol and low density lipoprotein and a increase trend of the high density lipoprotein in the 2 groups.There were significant differences in the levels of glycosylated hemoglobin,fasting glucose,fasting insulin,HOMA-IR,triglyceride,total cholesterol,low-density lipoprotein and high density lipoprotein between the 2 groups (F =57.650,74.270,36.750,42.960,10.870,30.650,32.560,11.490,P ＜0.05).The levels of glucose of the LAGB group at postoperative month 1 and 3 were influenced by BMI (b =0.543,0.753,P ＜ 0.05),while the levels of glucose of the LAGB group did not be influenced by BMI at postoperative month 6 and year 1 (b =0.130,0.222,P ＞0.05).The levels of glucose of the LSG group did not be influenced by BMI at postoperative month 1,3,6 and year 1 (b =0.185,0.035,0.212,0.126,P ＞0.05).Conclusions The efficacy of LSG is superior to LAGB for the treatment of obesity combined with type 2 diabetes mellitus.The efficacy of LAGB is correlated with the change of body weight,while the efficacy of LSG does not correlated with the change of body weight.

Objective To explore the diagnosis and treatment of tumor associated gastrocolic fistula (GCF).Methods The records of the 4 patients with GCF between August 2008 to February 2014 were retrospectively analyzed.Three female and one male patients,those whose average age were 61 years,have been pathologically diagnosed postoperatively as gastrocolic fistula caused by malignant diseases.The main clinical symptoms were diarrhea (3 cases),fecal vomitus (3 cases),weight loss (4 cases),and abdominal pain (4 cases).Positive diagnostic tests for GCF included gastroscope (3 cases),colonoscope (1 case),barium enema (1 case),upper gastrointestinal contrast (2 cases).Results En-bloc resection of the involved gastrocolic region have been performed for all,2 patients underwent radical gastrectomy and colon resection and 2 patients were taken on palliative procedure.Pathology indicated adenocarcinoma all,Immunohistochemical detection for CK20,CDX-2 were applied for identifying the originations of tumors.Delayed gastric emptying and DIC occurred in one patient who died in 3 months after the operation,anastomotic leakages were found in 2 cases.The survival patients were all discharged and taken capecitabine combined with Oxaliplatin for chemotherapy.Conclusions Endaoscopy and gastrointestinal imaging are main evidences for diagnosis of GCF.En-bloc resection of the involved gastrocolic region were recommended,enterostomy was safer than entero-anastomosis in one stage procedure.The originations of tumors may be identifying according to the pathological characteristic and CDX-2,CK20 staining.Adjuvant chemotherapy should be applied.

Background5-Nitro-2-(3-styrene-acrylic amine) benzoic acid ( NPPB),a chloride channel inhibitor,has a promoting effect on cell apoptosis in myocardial ischemia and reperfusion of domestic rabbit.The CIC chloride channel has been found in the ocular trabecular cells.However,the effect of NPPB on the shape and function of trabecular cells is unclear. Objective This study was performed to investigate the effect of NPPB on the proliferation,cell cycle progression and apoptosis of human trabecular meshwork cells.MethodsThe immortalized human trabcular cell strain was cultured,and logarithmic-phase cells were incubated in 96-well plates at a density of 1 ×106/ml.Different concentrations of NPPB (10,50,100 μ mol/L) were added to the medium,and the MTT assay was used to assess the growth and proliferation of the cells.Flow cytometry was used to evaluate the cell cycle.Then,100 mg/L 5-FU or 100 mg/L 5-FU + 100 μmol/L NPPB was used to induce cell apoptosis,which was assessed by Annexin V-PI.The membrane potential of mitochondria was examined using rhodamine 123 (△ψm).Results After 48 hours of treatment with NPPB,the abosorbency (A value) of the cells was gradually lowered with the increasing dose of NPPB,with significant differences among the 4 groups (F =7.230,P =0.006).Compared with the 10 μmol/L NPPB group,the A values were significantly declined in the 50 and 100 μmol/L NPPB groups (t =1.610,P =0.025 ;t =12.270,P =0.001 ).Forty-eight hours after exposure to NPPB,the percentage of cells in G0/G1 phase was increased and that in the S phase was decreased.The percentages of cells in different phases of cell cycle were significantly different in comparison with their control groups (without NPPB)( P＜0.05 ).Twenty-four and 48 hours after the treatment with 100 mg/L 5-FU,the apoptosis rates of the cells were raised in the 100 mg/L 5-FU group and 100 mg/L 5-FU + 100 μmol/L NPPB group compared to the without NPPB group (t24h =2.130,P =0.023;t48h =4.810,P=0.011 ) ;while that in the 100 mg/L 5-FU+100 μmol/L NPPB group was higher than the 100 mg/L 5-FU group ( t24 h =1.980,P =0.037 ; t48 h =1.290,P =0.028 ),and the mitochondrial membrane potential was lowered ( t24h =1.580,P =0.029 ; F48 h =6.200,P =0.015 ).Conclusions NPPB suppresses the proliferation of human trabecular cells and promotes the cells to enter S phase via the G1/S check point.In addition,ClC might be involved in an anti-apoptosis mechanism through the internal mitochondrial pathway.

Circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) have been confirmed to play an important role in biological processes,such as cell proliferation,differentiation and apoptosis.Founded on the high stability and minimal invasiveness,circulating miRNAs could be applied to the clinical practice as biomarkers.There are many technological approaches and platforms for circulating miRNAs detection but without a consistent protocol.Meanwhile,there are various factors affecting circulating miRNAs detection.In this review,technical factors and preanalytical factors in the circulating miRNA profiling are explored.

Intracranial branch atheromatous disease (BAD) was proposed by Caplan in 1989.It has been widely studied in Japan in recent years.With the application of high-resolution magnetic resonance,BAD has become a hot topic.This article reviews the concept,etiology,pathology,diagnosis and treatment of BAD as well as its relationship with ischemic stroke.