Objective:To investigate the differences of the glymphatic system (GS) function between patients with mesial temporal lobe epilepsy with hippocampal sclerosis (mTLE-HS) and healthy controls and between different seizure types by using diffusion tensor imaging along perivascular space (DTI-ALPS), and to analyze the correlation between GS function and the course of disease, as well as the efficacy of predicting the surgical outcome.Methods:This study was a cross-sectional study. A total of 171 patients with mTLE-HS (mTLE-HS group) and 75 healthy volunteers (HC group) were retrospectively enrolled from July 2009 to July 2021 at Jinling Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University. The general information of all subjects, such as seizure type (partial seizure, secondary generalized seizure), surgical outcome, etc., was analyzed. The 3D magnetization prepared rapid gradient echo T 1WI and DTI sequence images were collected. The VBM analysis method was used to segment cerebrospinal fluid and calculate the volume. The ALPS index of the bilateral brain was calculated using the Atlas-based DTI-ALPS method. Independent sample t-test or paired t test were used to compare the ALPS index between the mTLE-HS group and HC group, and between patients with different seizure types. Pearson correlation analysis was used to analyze the correlation between bilateral ALPS index and disease duration in mTLE-HS group. The predictive value of the ALPS index for surgical outcomes was evaluated by receiver operating characteristics curve and area under the curve. Results:Among the 171 mTLE-HS patients, 98 patients were mTLE with left-side HS (mTLE-LHS) and 73 patients were mTLE with right-side HS (mTLE-RHS); 37 patients underwent surgical treatment, including 27 with good prognosis and 10 with poor prognosis. Compared with the HC group, the left-side ALPS index of mTLE-LHS and mTLE-RHS were both decreased ( P<0.05). The right-side ALPS index in mTLE-RHS was lower than that in the HC group ( P<0.001). There was no significant difference in the right-side ALPS index between mTLE-LHS and HC group ( P=0.080). The ALPS index on the affected side of patients with secondary generalized seizures was significantly lower than that of patients with only partial seizures (all P<0.05), but the difference in ALPS index on the healthy side was not statistically significant( P>0.05). The left-side and right-side ALPS index in mTLE-LHS were negatively correlated with disease duration ( r=-0.272, P=0.007; r=-0.307, P=0.002), but no significant correlation was found between the left-side or right-side ALPS index in mTLE-RHS (all P>0.05). The DTI-ALPS index on the affected side in mTLE-HS patients exhibited good diagnostic accuracy for surgical outcome classification, with an area under the curve of 0.778. Conclusions:The patients with mTLE-HS exhibit dysfunction of the GS, and the degree of impairment is related to the type of seizure and the course of epilepsy. The ALPS index, which characterizes the function of GS, demonstrates good diagnostic accuracy for classifying surgical outcomes.

Objective:To explore the changes of brain excitation/inhibition balance and gray matter volume (GMV) and their correlations with clinical features in benign childhood epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes (BECTS).Methods:A cross-sectional study was performed; 83 BECTS children enrolled from Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Jinling Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University from January 2015 to January 2024 were selected as BECTS group. During the same period, 101 age- and gender-matched healthy children were recruited as healthy control group through advertisements in local primary schools. Data of conventional MRI and resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI) of the two groups were collected. Whole brain GMV was analyzed by voxel-based morphometry (VBM), and Hurst index was calculated based on time series data of blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) signal of rs-fMRI. Correlations of GMV and Hurst index with disease duration and onset age in children with BECTS were explored by Pearson correlation analysis.Results:Compared with the healthy control group, the BECTS group had significantly increased GMV and decreased Hurst index in the bilateral Rolandic region ( P<0.05). Pearson correlation analysis showed that in the BECTS group, GMV in bilateral Rolandic region was negatively correlated with onset age ( r=-0.267, P=0.015) and positively correlated with disease course ( r=0.267, P=0.015); Hurst index in bilateral Rolandic region was positively correlated with onset age ( r=0.323, P=0.003) and negatively correlated with disease course ( r=-0.240, P=0.029); Hurst index was negatively correlated with GMV in bilateral Rolandic region ( r=-0.328, P=0.003). Conclusion:BECTS children have excitation/inhibition imbalance in epilepsy-related regions and cortical structural delay, and both of them are related to onset age and disease course.

AIM:This study aims to investigate the effects of aerobic exercise on hypothalamic autophagy and central leptin resistance in obese mice,and to explore the potential mechanisms.METHODS:Forty male C57BL/6J mice,aged 7 to 8 weeks,were randomly assigned to 5 groups:normal control(CON)group,high-fat diet(HFD)group,HFD+exercise(HFD+Exe)group,HFD+phosphate-buffered saline(PBS)group,and HFD+rilmenidine(autophagy ago-nist)group,with 8 mice in each group.Additionally,twelve fibronectin type Ⅲ domain-containing protein 5(Fndc5)gene(encoding irisin precursor protein)knockout(Fndc5 KO)mice were randomly allocated to Fndc5 KO+HFD group and Fndc5 KO+HFD+Exe group,with 6 mice in each group.All mice were fed for 28 weeks.The mice in CON group re-ceived a normal diet,while those in the remaining groups were provided with an HFD.The mice in HFD+Exe and Fndc5 KO+HFD+Exe groups engaged in aerobic treadmill exercise while continuing an HFD from weeks 17 to 28.The mice in HFD+PBS group received intraperitoneal injections of PBS as a control,while those in HFD+rilmenidine group received in-traperitoneal injections of rilmenidine(10 mg?kg-1?d-1),4 times a week over a total duration of 12 weeks(weeks 17 to 28).Following the intervention,serum metabolite levels,as well as concentrations of leptin and irisin,were quantified by ELISA.Morphological alterations in the liver and white adipose tissues were evaluated through oil red O staining and he-matoxylin-eosin(HE)staining.Western blot was utilized to assess the hypothalamic protein levels of autophagy markers,autophagy-related protein 7(ATG7),beclin-1,microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3(LC3)and p62,and leptin resistance markers,suppressor of cytokine signaling 3(SOCS3)and protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B(PTP1B).RE-SULTS:Observations of mouse phenotypes indicated that HFD feeding significantly increased body weight,blood lipid content and serum leptin level(P<0.05).The results of HE and oil red O staining demonstrated that HFD feeding marked-ly promoted lipid accumulation in the liver and caused ballooning of white adipocytes.Western blot analyses revealed that HFD feeding significantly down-regulated the protein levels of ATG7,beclin-1 and LC3-Ⅱ/LC3-I,but up-regulated the pro-tein level of p62(P<0.05),thus reducing cellular autophagy capacity.Furthermore,HFD feeding elevated the protein levels of leptin resistance markers SOCS3 and PTP1B(P<0.05).Aerobic exercise and autophagy agonist were found to partially reverse these changes,enhancing cellular autophagy capacity and alleviating leptin resistance.However,these effects were diminished after knockout of Fndc5 gene,further substantiating the role of irisin in exercise-mediated en-hancement of cellular autophagy and attenuation of leptin resistance.CONCLUSION:Aerobic exercise alleviates hypo-thalamic autophagy defect and central leptin resistance in obese mice,which may be associated with exercise-induced irisin.

AIM:This study aims to investigate the effects of aerobic exercise on hypothalamic autophagy and central leptin resistance in obese mice,and to explore the potential mechanisms.METHODS:Forty male C57BL/6J mice,aged 7 to 8 weeks,were randomly assigned to 5 groups:normal control(CON)group,high-fat diet(HFD)group,HFD+exercise(HFD+Exe)group,HFD+phosphate-buffered saline(PBS)group,and HFD+rilmenidine(autophagy ago-nist)group,with 8 mice in each group.Additionally,twelve fibronectin type Ⅲ domain-containing protein 5(Fndc5)gene(encoding irisin precursor protein)knockout(Fndc5 KO)mice were randomly allocated to Fndc5 KO+HFD group and Fndc5 KO+HFD+Exe group,with 6 mice in each group.All mice were fed for 28 weeks.The mice in CON group re-ceived a normal diet,while those in the remaining groups were provided with an HFD.The mice in HFD+Exe and Fndc5 KO+HFD+Exe groups engaged in aerobic treadmill exercise while continuing an HFD from weeks 17 to 28.The mice in HFD+PBS group received intraperitoneal injections of PBS as a control,while those in HFD+rilmenidine group received in-traperitoneal injections of rilmenidine(10 mg?kg-1?d-1),4 times a week over a total duration of 12 weeks(weeks 17 to 28).Following the intervention,serum metabolite levels,as well as concentrations of leptin and irisin,were quantified by ELISA.Morphological alterations in the liver and white adipose tissues were evaluated through oil red O staining and he-matoxylin-eosin(HE)staining.Western blot was utilized to assess the hypothalamic protein levels of autophagy markers,autophagy-related protein 7(ATG7),beclin-1,microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3(LC3)and p62,and leptin resistance markers,suppressor of cytokine signaling 3(SOCS3)and protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B(PTP1B).RE-SULTS:Observations of mouse phenotypes indicated that HFD feeding significantly increased body weight,blood lipid content and serum leptin level(P<0.05).The results of HE and oil red O staining demonstrated that HFD feeding marked-ly promoted lipid accumulation in the liver and caused ballooning of white adipocytes.Western blot analyses revealed that HFD feeding significantly down-regulated the protein levels of ATG7,beclin-1 and LC3-Ⅱ/LC3-I,but up-regulated the pro-tein level of p62(P<0.05),thus reducing cellular autophagy capacity.Furthermore,HFD feeding elevated the protein levels of leptin resistance markers SOCS3 and PTP1B(P<0.05).Aerobic exercise and autophagy agonist were found to partially reverse these changes,enhancing cellular autophagy capacity and alleviating leptin resistance.However,these effects were diminished after knockout of Fndc5 gene,further substantiating the role of irisin in exercise-mediated en-hancement of cellular autophagy and attenuation of leptin resistance.CONCLUSION:Aerobic exercise alleviates hypo-thalamic autophagy defect and central leptin resistance in obese mice,which may be associated with exercise-induced irisin.

Objective:To explore the changes of brain excitation/inhibition balance and gray matter volume (GMV) and their correlations with clinical features in benign childhood epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes (BECTS).Methods:A cross-sectional study was performed; 83 BECTS children enrolled from Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Jinling Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University from January 2015 to January 2024 were selected as BECTS group. During the same period, 101 age- and gender-matched healthy children were recruited as healthy control group through advertisements in local primary schools. Data of conventional MRI and resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI) of the two groups were collected. Whole brain GMV was analyzed by voxel-based morphometry (VBM), and Hurst index was calculated based on time series data of blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) signal of rs-fMRI. Correlations of GMV and Hurst index with disease duration and onset age in children with BECTS were explored by Pearson correlation analysis.Results:Compared with the healthy control group, the BECTS group had significantly increased GMV and decreased Hurst index in the bilateral Rolandic region ( P<0.05). Pearson correlation analysis showed that in the BECTS group, GMV in bilateral Rolandic region was negatively correlated with onset age ( r=-0.267, P=0.015) and positively correlated with disease course ( r=0.267, P=0.015); Hurst index in bilateral Rolandic region was positively correlated with onset age ( r=0.323, P=0.003) and negatively correlated with disease course ( r=-0.240, P=0.029); Hurst index was negatively correlated with GMV in bilateral Rolandic region ( r=-0.328, P=0.003). Conclusion:BECTS children have excitation/inhibition imbalance in epilepsy-related regions and cortical structural delay, and both of them are related to onset age and disease course.

Objective:To investigate the differences of the glymphatic system (GS) function between patients with mesial temporal lobe epilepsy with hippocampal sclerosis (mTLE-HS) and healthy controls and between different seizure types by using diffusion tensor imaging along perivascular space (DTI-ALPS), and to analyze the correlation between GS function and the course of disease, as well as the efficacy of predicting the surgical outcome.Methods:This study was a cross-sectional study. A total of 171 patients with mTLE-HS (mTLE-HS group) and 75 healthy volunteers (HC group) were retrospectively enrolled from July 2009 to July 2021 at Jinling Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University. The general information of all subjects, such as seizure type (partial seizure, secondary generalized seizure), surgical outcome, etc., was analyzed. The 3D magnetization prepared rapid gradient echo T 1WI and DTI sequence images were collected. The VBM analysis method was used to segment cerebrospinal fluid and calculate the volume. The ALPS index of the bilateral brain was calculated using the Atlas-based DTI-ALPS method. Independent sample t-test or paired t test were used to compare the ALPS index between the mTLE-HS group and HC group, and between patients with different seizure types. Pearson correlation analysis was used to analyze the correlation between bilateral ALPS index and disease duration in mTLE-HS group. The predictive value of the ALPS index for surgical outcomes was evaluated by receiver operating characteristics curve and area under the curve. Results:Among the 171 mTLE-HS patients, 98 patients were mTLE with left-side HS (mTLE-LHS) and 73 patients were mTLE with right-side HS (mTLE-RHS); 37 patients underwent surgical treatment, including 27 with good prognosis and 10 with poor prognosis. Compared with the HC group, the left-side ALPS index of mTLE-LHS and mTLE-RHS were both decreased ( P<0.05). The right-side ALPS index in mTLE-RHS was lower than that in the HC group ( P<0.001). There was no significant difference in the right-side ALPS index between mTLE-LHS and HC group ( P=0.080). The ALPS index on the affected side of patients with secondary generalized seizures was significantly lower than that of patients with only partial seizures (all P<0.05), but the difference in ALPS index on the healthy side was not statistically significant( P>0.05). The left-side and right-side ALPS index in mTLE-LHS were negatively correlated with disease duration ( r=-0.272, P=0.007; r=-0.307, P=0.002), but no significant correlation was found between the left-side or right-side ALPS index in mTLE-RHS (all P>0.05). The DTI-ALPS index on the affected side in mTLE-HS patients exhibited good diagnostic accuracy for surgical outcome classification, with an area under the curve of 0.778. Conclusions:The patients with mTLE-HS exhibit dysfunction of the GS, and the degree of impairment is related to the type of seizure and the course of epilepsy. The ALPS index, which characterizes the function of GS, demonstrates good diagnostic accuracy for classifying surgical outcomes.

To explore the effect of Mlk3 (mixed lineage kinase 3) deficiency on blood pressure, Mlk3 gene knockout (Mlk3KO) mice were generated. Activities of sgRNAs targeted Mlk3 gene were evaluated by T7 endonuclease I (T7E1) assay. CRISPR/Cas9 mRNA and sgRNA were obtained by in vitro transcription, microinjected into zygote, followed by transferring into a foster mother. Genotyping and DNA sequencing confirmed the deletion of Mlk3 gene. Real- time PCR (RT-PCR), Western blotting or immunofluorescence analysis showed that Mlk3KO mice had an undetectable expression of Mlk3 mRNA or Mlk3 protein. Mlk3KO mice exhibited an elevated systolic blood pressure compared with wild-type mice as measured by tail-cuff system. Immunohistochemistry and Western blotting analysis showed that the phosphorylation of MLC (myosin light chain) was significantly increased in aorta isolated from Mlk3KO mice. Together, Mlk3KO mice was successfully generated by CRISPR/Cas9 system. MLK3 functions in maintaining blood pressure homeostasis by regulating MLC phosphorylation. This study provides an animal model for exploring the mechanism by which Mlk3 protects against the development of hypertension and hypertensive cardiovascular remodeling.
Animals ; Mice ; Mice, Knockout ; CRISPR-Cas Systems ; Blood Pressure ; Gene Knockout Techniques ; Zygote

Objective:To explore the changes of brain activity in drug-resistant or drug-controlled medial temporal lobe epilepsy patients by the method of functional connectivity density (FCD), and to analyze their correlation with the course of the disease.Methods:According to the definition of drug-resistant epilepsy by the International League Against Epilepsy in 2010, 146 patients with medial temporal lobe epilepsy who were clearly diagnosed as unilateral hippocampal sclerosis in Jinling Hospital, Nanjing University School of Medicine from July 2009 to February 2019 were divided into drug control group ( n=73) and drug-resistant group ( n=73). The 3.0 T resting state functional magnetic resonance scan was performed on all subjects to compare the difference in FCD between the two groups, and calculate the correlation between the FCD value of the brain area and the course of the disease between the two groups of patients. Results:There was significant difference between the two groups in FCD. Compared with the drug control group, the drug-resistant group had significantly lower FCD values in the insula, lenticular nucleus, thalamus, hippocampus and precentral gyrus on the side of the epileptogenic focus. The FCD value of the precuneus on the side of the epileptogenic focus in the drug-resistant group was negatively correlated with the duration ( r=-0.30, P=0.01). Conclusions:The FCD of patients with drug-resistant medial temporal lobe epilepsy was lower than that of the drug control group. In addition, there may be progressive damage to the brain. The difference is helpful for exploring the pathophysiological mechanisms related to drug resistance in patients with medial temporal lobe epilepsy, and finding reliable neuroimaging markers related to drug resistance.

Bladder cancer is the most common malignancy of the urinary system. Compound Kushen Injection (CKI) is a Chinese medicinal preparation that has been widely used in the treatment of various types of cancers in the past two decades. However, the pharmacological effect of CKI on bladder cancer is not still completely understood. In the current study, network pharmacology combined with bioinformatics was used to elucidate the therapeutic mechanism and potential targets of CKI in bladder cancer. The mechanism by which CKI was effective against bladder cancer was further verified in vitro using human bladder cancer cell line T24. Network pharmacology analysis identified 35 active compounds and 268 target genes of CKI. Bioinformatics data indicated 5500 differentially expressed genes associated with bladder cancer. Common genes of CKI and bladder cancer suggested that CKI exerted anti-bladder cancer effects by regulating genes such as MMP-9, JUN, EGFR, and ERK1. Functional enrichment analysis indicated that CKI exerted therapeutic effects on bladder cancer by regulating certain biological processes, including cell proliferation, cell migration, and cell apoptosis. In addition, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analysis implicated pathways related to cancer, bladder cancer, and the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway. Consistently, cell experiments indicated that CKI inhibited the proliferation and migration of T24 cells, and induced their apoptosis. Moreover, RT-qPCR and Western blot results demonstrated that CKI was likely to treat bladder cancer by down-regulating the gene and protein expression of MMP-9, JUN, EGFR, and ERK1. CKI inhibited the proliferation and migration, and induced the apoptosis of T24 bladder cancer cells through multiple biological pathways and targets. CKI also exhibited significant effects on the regulation of key genes and proteins associated with bladder cancer. Overall, our findings provide solid evidence and deepen current understanding of the therapeutic effects of CKI for bladder cancer, and further support its clinical use.
Computational Biology ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; Humans ; Network Pharmacology ; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases ; Urinary Bladder Neoplasms/genetics*

Objective To investigate the expression of human leucocyte antigen G (HLA-G) in urothelial carcinoma after renal transplantation,and to analyse the relationship between HLA-G expression and the various clinical and pathological parameters.Methods 29 patients with urothelium carcinoma after renal transplantation for the first time from January 2005 to June 2016 were selected as the experimental group,the age range was 32-70 years,with an average of (55.5 ± 8.1) years.29 non-transplanted patients with urothelial carcinoma as the control group 1,the age range was 36-74 years,with an average of (57.9 ± 8.2) years.15 cases of normal urinary tract epithelial were from cystoscopy biopsy as the control group 2.Immunohistochemical method was used to detect the difference of HLA-G expression between the three groups.The clinical and pathological data of patients with urothelial carcinoma after renal transplantation were analyzed.Results The expression rate of HLA-G was 79.3％ (23/32) in patients with urothelial carcinoma after renal transplantation,37.9％ (11/32) in non-transplanted group and 0 (0/15) in normal urinary tract epithelium group.The expression rate of HLA-G in non-transplanted group was significantly higher than that in normal urinary tract epithelium group (P ＜ 0.05).The expression rate of HLA-G in patients with urothelial carcinoma after renal transplantation was significantly higher than that in nontransplanted group and normal urinary tract epithelium group (P ＜ 0.05).Conclusions HLA-G is associated with the occurrence of urothelial carcinoma after renal transplantation.It may provide a new idea for the prevention and treatment of urinary tract epithelium after renal transplantation.