The 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has occurred in China and around the world. SARS-CoV-2-infected patients with severe pneumonia rapidly develop acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and die of multiple organ failure. Despite advances in supportive care approaches, ARDS is still associated with high mortality and morbidity. Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)-based therapy may be an potential alternative strategy for treating ARDS by targeting the various pathophysiological events of ARDS. By releasing a variety of paracrine factors and extracellular vesicles, MSC can exert anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic, anti-microbial, and pro-angiogenic effects, promote bacterial and alveolar fluid clearance, disrupt the pulmonary endothelial and epithelial cell damage, eventually avoiding the lung and distal organ injuries to rescue patients with ARDS. An increasing number of experimental animal studies and early clinical studies verify the safety and efficacy of MSC therapy in ARDS. Since low cell engraftment and survival in lung limit MSC therapeutic potentials, several strategies have been developed to enhance their engraftment in the lung and their intrinsic, therapeutic properties. Here, we provide a comprehensive review of the mechanisms and optimization of MSC therapy in ARDS and highlighted the potentials and possible barriers of MSC therapy for COVID-19 patients with ARDS.
Adoptive Transfer ; Alveolar Epithelial Cells ; pathology ; Animals ; Apoptosis ; Betacoronavirus ; Body Fluids ; metabolism ; CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes ; immunology ; Clinical Trials as Topic ; Coinfection ; prevention & control ; therapy ; Coronavirus Infections ; complications ; immunology ; Disease Models, Animal ; Endothelial Cells ; pathology ; Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation ; Genetic Therapy ; methods ; Genetic Vectors ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Immunity, Innate ; Inflammation Mediators ; metabolism ; Lung ; pathology ; physiopathology ; Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation ; methods ; Mesenchymal Stem Cells ; physiology ; Multiple Organ Failure ; etiology ; prevention & control ; Pandemics ; Pneumonia, Viral ; complications ; immunology ; Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Adult ; immunology ; pathology ; therapy ; Translational Medical Research

Adult ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents ; therapeutic use ; Coronary Vasospasm ; complications ; physiopathology ; Coronary Vessels ; diagnostic imaging ; Electrocardiography ; Gas Gangrene ; complications ; therapy ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Pericarditis ; complications ; physiopathology

PURPOSE: Diabetic nephropathy is a serious complication of type 2 diabetes mellitus, and delaying the development of diabetic nephropathy in patients with diabetes mellitus is very important. In this study, we investigated inflammation, oxidative stress, and lipid metabolism to assess whether curcumin ameliorates diabetic nephropathy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Animals were divided into three groups: Long-Evans-Tokushima-Otsuka rats for normal controls, Otsuka-Long-Evans-Tokushima Fatty (OLETF) rats for the diabetic group, and curcumin-treated (100 mg/kg/day) OLETF rats. We measured body and epididymal fat weights, and examined plasma glucose, adiponectin, and lipid profiles at 45 weeks. To confirm renal damage, we measured albumin-creatinine ratio, superoxide dismutase (SOD), and malondialdehyde (MDA) in urine samples. Glomerular basement membrane thickness and slit pore density were evaluated in the renal cortex tissue of rats. Furthermore, we conducted adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) signaling and oxidative stress-related nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2 (Nrf2) signaling to investigate mechanisms of lipotoxicity in kidneys. RESULTS: Curcumin ameliorated albuminuria, pathophysiologic changes on the glomerulus, urinary MDA, and urinary SOD related with elevated Nrf2 signaling, as well as serum lipid-related index and ectopic lipid accumulation through activation of AMPK signaling. CONCLUSION: Collectively, these findings indicate that curcumin exerts renoprotective effects by inhibiting renal lipid accumulation and oxidative stress through AMPK and Nrf2 signaling pathway.
Albuminuria ; Animals ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal/*therapeutic use ; Curcumin/*pharmacology ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2/*metabolism/urine ; Diabetic Nephropathies/complications/*drug therapy/metabolism/pathology ; Gene Expression/drug effects ; Inflammation ; Kidney/drug effects/metabolism/physiopathology ; Kidney Glomerulus/metabolism/physiopathology ; Lipid Metabolism/*drug effects ; Male ; Malondialdehyde/metabolism/urine ; Oxidative Stress/*drug effects ; Rats ; Rats, Inbred OLETF ; Rats, Long-Evans ; Superoxide Dismutase/metabolism

OBJECTIVETo investigated the involvement of pulmonary function impairment in ulcerative colitis (UC), to explore a scientific basis for the Chinese medicine (CM) theory of exterior-interior correlation between Lung (Fei) and Large intestine (Dachang).

METHODSTotally 120 patients with a diagnosis of UC were recruited and the demographics, clinical data, and blood samples were collected. C-reactive protein (CRP) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) concentrations were measured. Every patient accepted pulmonary function test and took chest radiograph (CXR).> RESULTS: Pulmonary function abnormalities were present in 72 of 120 patients. The median (interquartile range) vital capacity (VC), forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV), carbon monoxide diffusion capacity (DL) of lung, total lung capacity (TLC) and functional residual volume (FRV) were decreased in distal UC and pancolitis compared with ulcerative prochitis (P <0.0005). Male patients had increased VC, FEV/FVC, and residual volume (RV)/TLC compared with female (P <0.0005), but decreased DLand carbon monoxide iffusion capacity (K) of lung/alveolar ventilation (P <0.0005). Age was strongly correlated with RV (Spearman rank correlation coefficient (rs)=-0.57,P <0.0001), and RV/TLC (rs=0.48,P<0.0001). Age was also correlated with FEV/FVC (rs=-0.29, P=0.001), forced expiratory flow in 75% vital capacity (FEF75%, rs=-0.20, P=0.03), DL(rs=-0.21, P=0.02), TLC (rs=-0.25, P=0.006), and FRV (rs=-0.28, P=0.002). The course of disease was correlated with FEF75% (rs=-0.18, P=0.049) and K(rs=-0.19, P=0.036). Chest radiograph abnormalities were presented in 38 of 120. Pulmonary symptoms were presented in 10 of 120. Other extraintestinal complications were presented in 21 of 120.

CONCLUSIONSPulmonary function impairment was more frequently than other extraintestinal complications in UC patients, which may be affected by sex, age, extent and course of disease. These results may be a scientific basis for the theory of exterior-interior correlation between Lung and Large intestine.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Age of Onset ; Aged ; Colitis, Ulcerative ; complications ; pathology ; physiopathology ; Colon ; pathology ; Demography ; Female ; Humans ; Inflammation ; complications ; pathology ; Lung ; diagnostic imaging ; physiopathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Radiography, Thoracic ; Respiratory Function Tests ; Young Adult

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition plays an important role in the development and progression of endometriosis. Mesenchymal-epithelial transition is involved in forming localized lesions of endometriosis, while EMT is involved in the injury, repair and fibrosis induced by local inflammation of endometriosis and the process of cell invasion and metastasis. The studies of signal transduction pathway and related proteins of epithelial-mesenchymal transition in the process of endometriosis may provide new targets for diagnosis and treatment of endometriosis.
Endometriosis ; complications ; etiology ; pathology ; physiopathology ; Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition ; physiology ; Female ; Fibrosis ; complications ; Humans ; Inflammation ; complications ; Signal Transduction ; physiology

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the feasibility and efficacy of CO2 laser assisted posterior cordotomy for patients with bilateral paralysis of the vocal cord. METHOD: Twenty-one patients with bilateral paralysis of the vocal cord underwent CO2 laser assisted posterior cordotomy in our hospital from Jul. 2009 to Jun. 2015. The causes of the bilateral paralysis of the vocal cord were thyroidectomy in 15 cases, cervical trauma in 2 cases, resection of pituitary tumor in 1 case, inflammation in 1 case and without cause in 2 cases. Ten patients underwent tracheotomy before the operation; 9 patients underwent tracheotomy after the operation; 2 cases without tracheotomy. RESULT: The tracheotomy tube was plugged next day after posterior cordotomy. Lots of patients were breathing well without any effort. A few patients were breathing hard, so the tracheotomy tube was plugged discontinuously. Seventeen patients were decannulated 1 year after operation. Two patients were failed to decannulated. The patients were followed up for 3 months 6 years after operation, and all of them were breathing well. CONCLUSION Our limited experience showed that CO2 laser assisted posterior cordotomyis an effective and reliable surgical procedure for patients with bilateral paralysis of the vocal cord.
Cordotomy ; methods ; Humans ; Inflammation ; complications ; Laser Therapy ; Lasers, Gas ; Neck Injuries ; complications ; Pituitary Neoplasms ; complications ; surgery ; Thyroidectomy ; adverse effects ; Tracheotomy ; Treatment Outcome ; Vocal Cord Paralysis ; surgery ; Vocal Cords ; physiopathology

This pictorial review aims to illustrate the various manifestations of the diabetic foot on magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. The utility of MR imaging and its imaging features in the diagnosis of pedal osteomyelitis are illustrated. There is often difficulty encountered in distinguishing osteomyelitis from neuroarthropathy, both clinically and on imaging. By providing an accurate diagnosis based on imaging, the radiologist plays a significant role in the management of patients with complications of diabetic foot.
Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Cellulitis ; diagnosis ; Diabetic Foot ; complications ; diagnosis ; Female ; Gangrene ; diagnosis ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Osteomyelitis ; diagnosis ; physiopathology ; Risk Factors ; Skin Diseases ; diagnosis ; Ulcer ; diagnosis

OBJECTIVETo investigate the regulatory effects of Shenfu Injection (SFI, ) on hemodynamic parameters and serum proteins in rats with post-infarction chronic heart failure (CHF).

METHODSForty-five healthy Wistar rats were randomized into three groups: sham, heart failure (model) and SFI group. The CHF was induced by left coronary artery ligation. Seven days after the surgical operation, animals in the sham group and the model group received saline (6.2 mL/kg/d), while animals in the SFI group received SFI (6.2 mL/kg d) intraperitoneally. Four weeks later, cardiac hemodynamic parameters were measured via the carotid route. The expression of serum proteins was analyzed by two-dimensional electrophoresis and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometer (MALDI-TOF MS).

RESULTSRecording of hemodynamic parameters showed that left ventricular systolic pressure (LVSP), maximum rate of left ventricular pressure (+dp/dtmax) rise, and maximum rate of left ventricular pressure (-dp/dtmax) decrease, while the left ventricular end diastolic pressure (LVEDP) rose in the model group compared to those in the sham group (P <0.05). The results of the MALDI-TOF MS indicated that haptoglobin (HP), pentraxin 3 (PTX3) and alpha-1-antitrypsin were up-regulated, while serum albumin and 40S ribosomal protein were down-regulated in the model group (P <0.05). Compared with the model group, LVSP, +dp/dtmax and -dp/dtmax were higher, while LVEDP was lower in the SFI group (P<0.05). Expression levels of HP and PTX3 were lower than in the model group (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONSFI could improve hemodynamic function and decrease inflammatory reactions in the pathophysiology of CHF. The serum proteins HP and PTX3 could be potential biomarkers for chronic ischemic heart failure, and they could also be the serum protein targets of SFI.

Animals ; Blood Proteins ; metabolism ; C-Reactive Protein ; metabolism ; Chronic Disease ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Electrophoresis, Gel, Two-Dimensional ; Haptoglobins ; metabolism ; Heart Failure ; blood ; complications ; drug therapy ; physiopathology ; Heart Function Tests ; Hemodynamics ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Imaging, Three-Dimensional ; Inflammation ; complications ; drug therapy ; Male ; Myocardial Ischemia ; blood ; complications ; drug therapy ; physiopathology ; Phytotherapy ; Proteome ; metabolism ; Rats, Wistar ; Serum Amyloid P-Component ; metabolism ; Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization

No abstract available.
Antirheumatic Agents/therapeutic use ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid/blood/*complications/diagnosis/drug therapy/physiopathology ; Biological Markers/blood ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Facial Dermatoses/complications/diagnosis ; Female ; Hand Joints/physiopathology/radiography ; Humans ; Immunosuppressive Agents/therapeutic use ; Inflammation Mediators/blood ; Knee Joint/physiopathology/radiography ; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic/blood/*complications/diagnosis/drug therapy ; Middle Aged ; Syndrome ; Treatment Outcome

We report the case of a 41-year-old Chinese woman with Behçet's disease (BD) complicated by acute myocardial infarction, requiring inotropic and ventilatory support. Angiography showed critical left anterior descending coronary artery stenosis, a blocked left subclavian artery and left carotid artery stenosis. The patient was successfully treated with a high dose of immunosuppressants, standard anti-ischaemic therapy and percutaneous coronary intervention. Although life-threatening, coronary arteritis is a treatable manifestation of BD. We suggest that the diagnosis of coronary arteritis be considered in patients with BD who present with chest pain. Involvement of other arteries should also be looked out for in these patients.
Adult ; Angiography ; Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary ; Arterial Occlusive Diseases ; physiopathology ; Arteritis ; physiopathology ; Behcet Syndrome ; complications ; Coronary Angiography ; Coronary Vessels ; physiopathology ; Female ; Humans ; Infarction ; complications ; Inflammation ; physiopathology ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Myocardial Infarction ; complications ; Prednisolone ; therapeutic use ; Subclavian Artery ; pathology ; physiopathology