OBJECTIVES: To investigate the regulatory role of the NLRP3 signaling pathway in hepatocyte pyroptosis in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) under hypoxia. METHODS: Twenty-four male C57BL/6 mice were randomized equally into hypoxic control (A), hypoxic NASH model (B), hypoxic NASH+NLRP3 inhibitor (C), and hypoxic NASH+caspase-1 inhibitor (D) groups. In groups B-D, the mice were fed a methionine choline-deficient (MCD) diet under hypoxic conditions (to simulate a 5000 m altitude) for 6 weeks; the mice in groups C and D received intraperitoneal injections of the respective inhibitors every other day. RESULTS: Compared with those in group A, the mice in group B showed significantly elevated serum levels of FBG, TC, TG, ALT and AST, increased liver lipid content, inflammatory cell infiltration and collagen fiber deposition, and enhanced hepatic expressions of NLRP3, caspase-1, IL-1β and GSDMD proteins, with obvious swelling, cristae breakage, vacuolization, and outer membrane disruption of the mitochondria, ribosome loss in the cytoplasm, destruction of the nuclear membrane, and pathological changes of the rough endoplasmic reticulum. Treatment with NLRP3 inhibitor and caspase-1 inhibitor both significantly lowered serum levels of TC, TG, ALT and AST (but without significantly affecting FBG) in the mouse models, and reduced liver lipid content, inflammatory cell infiltration, collagen deposition, and expression levels of NLRP3, caspase-1, GSDMD and IL-1β. The treatments also significantly improved pathological changes in the mitochondria, ribosomes and endoplasmic reticulum in liver tissues of the mice. CONCLUSIONS NLRP3 signaling pathway plays a key role in promoting hepatocyte pyroptosis in NASH mice under hypoxic condition, and inhibiting this pathway can effectively reduce liver inflammation, suggesting its potential as a therapeutic target for NASH treatment.
Animals ; Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease/metabolism* ; NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein/metabolism* ; Pyroptosis ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Male ; Hepatocytes/pathology* ; Signal Transduction ; Mice ; Hypoxia/metabolism* ; Caspase 1/metabolism* ; Interleukin-1beta/metabolism* ; Liver/metabolism*

Corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients with trauma are at high risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE), which must be taken seriously in the therapeutic processes. Hypercoagulable state is induced by 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) in many ways, such as increasing the level of inflammatory factors and fibrinogen, and inducing endothelial cell injury. The venous wall injuries from trauma and operation directly or indirectly trigger off the exogenous coagulation pathway and the microcirculation can be damaged at the same time, which may initiate the exogenous pathway of VTE. Immobilization of limbs and forced bed rest during the treatment of traumatic patients will slow venous blood flow. Chronic non-communicable diseases such as diabetes in the elderly were independent risk factors for VTE. Furthermore, the persistent fever, severe lung disease, respiratory failure, sepsis and invasive technology application add the risk of VTE and the difficulty of treatment. In order to help effective prevention VTE of for COVID-19 patients with trauma, the authors put forward relevant technical suggestions for prevention and nursing of VTE to provide basis for nursing work during pandemic of COVID-19.

To explore the clinical characteristics and imaging features of miliary tuberculomas in central nervous system (CNS).A total of 5 cases diagnosed with tuberculosis in CNS first diagnosed by neurologists in Navy General Hospital of PLA were enrolled in the study.All clinical and imaging data were collected and analyzed retrospectively.The main initial symptoms were fever and headache (4/5).Multiple diffused miliary lesions were shown by brain MRI,with maximum diameter ranged from 1-4 mm and ringshape or nodular enhancement after gadolinium injection.As mycobacterium tuberculosis could seldomly be found in serum and cerebrospinal fluid,contrast MRI remains the effective method for detecting miliary tuberculomas in CNS.

Objective To analyze the clinical,imaging and pathological features of cortical vein thrombosis (CoVT). Methods Ten patients with CoVT (4 patients with CoVT alone and 6 patients with CoVT and venous sinus thrombosis)treated at Navy General Hospital from January 2006 to Jun 2013 were collected retrospectively.Its etiology,imaging,and pathological features of brain tissue in 3 patients were analyzed. Results Of the 10 patients with CoVT,3 were female and 7 were male.Their mean age was 31 ± 15 years old.(1)Brain CT scan and MRI showed hemorrhagic cerebral infarction,and contrast-enhanced MRI showed scattered heterogeneous enhancement within lesions. DSA could find CoVT at different parts.(2)3 patients underwent brain biopsy because they were initially diagnosed as brain tumor. Pathological examination showed glial cell,endothelial proliferation and phagocytic reaction.Scattered spotty bleeding was observed,and significant expansion of small veins,A few of them had blood stasis and thrombosis. Conclusion CoVT is one kind of intracranial venous thrombosis. It is more common occurred in young and middle aged adults,and most of them were venous sinus thrombosis.It is caused by retrograde thrombosis and spread to cortical veins.CoVT is easily to be misdiagnosed as brain tumor.Combination of clinical and imaging findings is needed for accurate diagnosis.

Objective To analyze the clinical,imaging and pathological features of cortical vein thrombosis (CoVT).Methods Three cases of cortical vein thrombosis were diagnosed in our hospital from February 2010 to October 2012.We reviewed and summarized their clinical manifestation,radiological feature and pathological characteristics.Results All patients were young with acute onset.The main clinical manifestations included headache,epilepsy or limbs weakness.Two cases had intracranial hypertension.One case had decreased activity of protein S.One had increased plasma homocysteine.Brain computed tomography scan showed hypodensity lesion with some hyperdensity inside.Cranial routine magnetic resonance imaging showed long signal in T1-weighed image and T2-weighed image,with occasional short T1 signal inside.Contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging revealed heterogeneous enhancement.All of 3 cases underwent brain biopsy because of the suspected diagnosis of brain tumor.Brain pathology showed the local necrosis and hemorrhage,dilated small vein with congestion or thrombosis.Neuronal degeneration,hyperplasia of gliocyte,hyperplasia of endotheliocyte in small blood vessels with reaction of histiocytes was also displayed.Duration from initial visit to final diagnosis was from 14 days to 2 months.Conclusions CoVT has various clinical and radiological manifestations and it is easy to misdiagnose as brain tumor.Careful analysis of clinical and imaging data could improve its diagnostic accuracy.Brain biopsy would also be helpful for diagnosis.