BACKGROUND: Long-term remote ischemic conditioning (RIC) has been proven to be beneficial in multiple diseases, such as cerebral and cardiovascular diseases. However, the hyperacute and acute effects of a single RIC stimulus are still not clear. Quantitative proteomic analyses of plasma proteins following RIC application have been conducted in preclinical and clinical studies but exhibit high heterogeneity in results due to wide variations in experimental setups and sampling procedures. Hence, this study aimed to explore the immediate effects of RIC on plasma proteome in healthy young adults to exclude confounding factors of disease entity, such as medications and gender. METHODS: Young healthy male participants were enrolled after a systematic physical examination and 6-month lifestyle observation. Individual RIC sessions included five cycles of alternative ischemia and reperfusion, each lasting for 5 min in bilateral forearms. Blood samples were collected at baseline, 5 min after RIC, and 2 h after RIC, and then samples were processed for proteomic analysis using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method. RESULTS: Proteins related to lipid metabolism (e.g., Apolipoprotein F), coagulation factors (hepatocyte growth factor activator preproprotein), members of complement cascades (mannan-binding lectin serine protease 1 isoform 2 precursor), and inflammatory responses (carboxypeptidase N catalytic chain precursor) were differentially altered at their serum levels following the RIC intervention. The most enriched pathways were protein glycosylation and complement/coagulation cascades. CONCLUSIONS One-time RIC stimulus may induce instant cellular responses like anti-inflammation, coagulation, and fibrinolysis balancing, and lipid metabolism regulation which are protective in different perspectives. Protective effects of single RIC in hyperacute and acute phases may be exploited in clinical emergency settings due to apparently beneficial alterations in plasma proteome profile. Furthermore, the beneficial effects of long-term (repeated) RIC interventions in preventing chronic cardiovascular diseases among general populations can also be expected based on our study findings.
Young Adult ; Humans ; Male ; Proteome ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Proteomics ; Ischemia ; Blood Coagulation

Amorphous solid dispersions (ASDs) are popular for enhancing the solubility and bioavailability of poorly water-soluble drugs. Various approaches have been employed to produce ASDs and novel techniques are emerging. This review provides an updated overview of manufacturing techniques for preparing ASDs. As physical stability is a critical quality attribute for ASD, the impact of formulation, equipment, and process variables, together with the downstream processing on physical stability of ASDs have been discussed. Selection strategies are proposed to identify suitable manufacturing methods, which may aid in the development of ASDs with satisfactory physical stability.

Histone modification plays an important role in the process of cellular DNA damage repair. In recent years, a great number of studies have shown that histone modification affectsradiation responses including recruitment of DNA damage repair factors, creation of chromatin open structures and establishment of repressive histone marks.Regulation of histone modification may influence the process of DNA damage repair and thus affect radiation sensitivity. In this paper, the effects of histone modification on DNA damage repair, cellular radiosensitivity and the underlying mechanisms are reviewed.

Compared with the previous automatic segmentation neural network for the target area which considered the target area as an independent area, a stacked neural network which uses the position and shape information of the organs around the target area to regulate the shape and position of the target area through the superposition of multiple networks and fusion of spatial position information to improve the segmentation accuracy on medical images was proposed in this paper. Taking the Graves' ophthalmopathy disease as an example, the left and right radiotherapy target areas were segmented by the stacked neural network based on the fully convolutional neural network. The volume Dice similarity coefficient (DSC) and bidirectional Hausdorff distance (HD) were calculated based on the target area manually drawn by the doctor. Compared with the full convolutional neural network, the stacked neural network segmentation results can increase the volume DSC on the left and right sides by 1.7% and 3.4% respectively, while the two-way HD on the left and right sides decrease by 0.6. The results show that the stacked neural network improves the degree of coincidence between the automatic segmentation result and the doctor's delineation of the target area, while reducing the segmentation error of small areas. The stacked neural network can effectively improve the accuracy of the automatic delineation of the radiotherapy target area of Graves' ophthalmopathy.
Algorithms ; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted ; Neural Networks, Computer ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

PHACES syndrome is rare in clinical practice. It is a multiple systematic disease. Its main clinical features are facial segmental hemangioma with posterior fossa malformation, arterial abnormality, cardiac malformation and aortic stenosis.We report a typical case of PHACES syndrome, basing on the patient's medical history, clinical manifestations and imaging features, treatment and follow up data which can provides a reference for clinical diagnosis and treatment.

PHACES syndrome is rare in clinical practice. It is a multiple systematic disease. Its main clinical features are facial segmental hemangioma with posterior fossa malformation, arterial abnormality, cardiac malformation and aortic stenosis.We report a typical case of PHACES syndrome, basing on the patient's medical history, clinical manifestations and imaging features, treatment and follow up data which can provides a reference for clinical diagnosis and treatment.

Objective: To report the clinical features of anti-MDA5 antibody positive juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM) complicated with severe interstitial lung disease (ILD). Methods: The clinical data of three patients, who was admitted to the Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Children's Hospital of the Capital Institute of Pediatrics from September 2016 to July 2017, with anti-melanoma differentiation associated gene 5 (MDA5) antibody positive JDM complicated with ILD were retrospectively extracted and analyzed. Meanwhile, PubMed database, CNKI, Wanfang database and China Biology Medicine disc (from their establishment to February 2019) with the key words "juvenile dermatomyositis" "interstitial lung disease" , and "anti-MAD5 antibody" both in English and Chinese were searched. Results: There were 2 females and 1 male (P1-P3), aged from 10 years 3 months to13 years 4 months, the time from onset to diagnosis were 2 months, 4 months and 10 months. All presented with rash. One of them had decreased muscle strength, and two had decreased activity tolerance. Creatine kinase was 588, 915 and 74 U/L, and serum ferritin were 1 792, >2 000 and 195.4 μg/L. All three patients had positive anti-MDA5 antibodies. At the time of diagnosis, all of them had ILD, pneumothorax and mediastinal emphysema, but had no respiratory symptoms. All three patients received oral methylprednisolone and cyclophosphamide pulse therapy, while human immunoglobulin was given only to P1 and P2. P1 developed rapid progressive pulmonary interstitial disease (RPILD) and died of respiratory failure after 2 months. While P2 and P3 were followed up for 1 to 2 years, who had complete remission, as anti-MDA5 antibody turned to negative and ILD improved significantly. Ten related reports in literature were retrieved, without reported Chinese cases, and most cases initiated with rash and very likely complicated with arthritis. Some of them were more likely to have ILD rather than muscle weakness. It also showed that Japanese JDM children had higher rate of positive anti-MDA5 antibody than patients from the U.S. and U.K., and are more susceptible to ILD and RPILD. The mortality rate of patients with RPILD is extremely high. Conclusions The cases of JDM with positive anti-MDA5 antibody mainly presented with rash and mild muscle weakness, and could be complicated with ILD, pneumothorax and mediastinal emphysema without respiratory symptoms at early stage. Anti-MDA5 antibody titer is related to disease activity and can turn to negative after treatment.

Objective To report the clinical features of anti?MDA5 antibody positive juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM) complicated with severe interstitial lung disease (ILD). Methods The clinical data of three patients, who was admitted to the Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Children's Hospital of the Capital Institute of Pediatrics from September 2016 to July 2017, with anti?melanoma differentiation associated gene 5 (MDA5) antibody positive JDM complicated with ILD were retrospectively extracted and analyzed. Meanwhile, PubMed database, CNKI, Wanfang database and China Biology Medicine disc (from their establishment to February 2019) with the key words "juvenile dermatomyositis""interstitial lung disease", and"anti?MAD5 antibody"both in English and Chinese were searched. Results There were 2 females and 1 male (P1-P3), aged from 10 years 3 months to13 years 4 months, the time from onset to diagnosis were 2 months, 4 months and 10 months. All presented with rash. One of them had decreased muscle strength, and two had decreased activity tolerance. Creatine kinase was 588, 915 and 74 U/L, and serum ferritin were 1 792, >2 000 and 195.4 μg/L. All three patients had positive anti?MDA5 antibodies. At the time of diagnosis, all of them had ILD, pneumothorax and mediastinal emphysema, but had no respiratory symptoms. All three patients received oral methylprednisolone and cyclophosphamide pulse therapy, while human immunoglobulin was given only to P1 and P2. P1 developed rapid progressive pulmonary interstitial disease (RPILD) and died of respiratory failure after 2 months. While P2 and P3 were followed up for 1 to 2 years, who had complete remission, as anti?MDA5 antibody turned to negative and ILD improved significantly. Ten related reports in literature were retrieved, without reported Chinese cases, and most cases initiated with rash and very likely complicated with arthritis. Some of them were more likely to have ILD rather than muscle weakness. It also showed that Japanese JDM children had higher rate of positive anti?MDA5 antibody than patients from the U. S. and U. K., and are more susceptible to ILD and RPILD. The mortality rate of patients with RPILD is extremely high. Conclusions The cases of JDM with positive anti?MDA5 antibody mainly presented with rash and mild muscle weakness, and could be complicated with ILD, pneumothorax and mediastinal emphysema without respiratory symptoms at early stage. Anti?MDA5 antibody titer is related to disease activity and can turn to negative after treatment.

Objective To determine the inhibitory effects of Ellipticine (ELL) on inflammation in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW264.7 cells of mouse and explore its molecular mechanism.Methods The RAW264.7 cells in log phase were challenged by LPS (10 mg/L) to induce inflammation and then treated with ELL (0.05, 0.5, 5μmol/L). At the same time the cells treated with ELL (5μmol/L) were considered as ELL control group while without any stimulation as control group. After 12 hours intervention, the content of inflammatory factors in cell supernatant was detected by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and then confirmed the most suitable concentration for the next experiment. After LPS of 10 mg/L was used to challenged RAW264.7 cells to cause inflammation, 5μmol/L ELL was used for intervention, and the mRNA expressions of inflammatory cytokines were detected by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) after 2, 4, 6 and 12 hours; the nuclear translocation of nuclear factor-κB p65 (NF-κB p65) as well as the phosphorylation levels of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), p38 mitogen-activated protein kinases (p38MAPK), c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), c-jun, c-fos were detected by Western Blot after 15 minutes, 30 minutes, 1 hour and 2 hours.Results ① The different proliferative potential of RAW264.7 treated with LPS (10 mg/L) and ELL (0.05, 0.5, 5μmol/L) had no significant difference comparing with control group, which indicated that ELL had no cytotoxicity with experimental concentration and had no effect on the cell proliferative potential as the result of drug interaction. The levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in supernatant were significantly increased after induced by LPS comparing with control group. However, the different concentrations of ELL could dose-dependently reverse the production of inflammatory factors, and 5μmol/L was the optimum concentration of anti-inflammatory. ② Compared with control group, the mRNA expressions of TNF-α, IL-6 were significantly increased, the nuclear translocation level of NF-κB p65 increased as well as the phosphorylation levels of ERK, p38MAPK, JNK, c-fos, c-jun after stimulated by LPS. While, the different concentration of ELL could reverse the mRNA of TNF-α, IL-6 and phosphorylation levels of JNK, c-fos, c-jun [TNF-αmRNA (2-ΔCt): 2.45± 0.19 vs. 3.41±0.32 after 2 hours, 1.20±0.11 vs. 2.11±0.21 after 4 hours, 1.68±0.09 vs. 2.51±0.31 after 6 hours;IL-6 mRNA (2-ΔCt): 3.41±0.52 vs. 4.10±0.38 after 6 hours, 1.61±0.08 vs. 3.91±0.25 after 12 hours; p-JNK/GAPDH:0.557±0.034 vs. 1.049±0.056 after 1 hour, 0.439±0.040 vs. 0.855±0.038 after 2 hours; p-c-fos/GAPDH: 0.158± 0.030 vs. 0.741±0.035 after 1 hour, 0.156±0.015 vs. 0.932±0.030 after 2 hours; p-c-jun/GAPDH: 0.425±0.036 vs. 0.802±0.059 after 1 hour, 0.345±0.075 vs. 0.952±0.068 after 2 hours; allP < 0.05]. However, it had no significant effect on the nuclear translocation level of NF-κB p65 and the phosphorylation level of ERK and p38MAPK. Conclusion ELL inhibited the production of IL-6, TNF-α inflammatory factors in LPS-induced RAW264.7 cells through suppression the phosphorylation of JNK and activator protein-1 (AP-1).

Objective To investigate the clinical features and gene mutations of 3M syndrome. Method The clinical data of a child with 3M syndrome was retrospectively analyzed. The DNA was extracted from the peripheral blood of the child and parents, and the sequence analyses were performed by Agilent SureSelect exon capture and Illumina HiSeq sequencing platform. And the mutant gene was validated by Sanger sequencing. Results The six-month-old girl presented special face and growth retardation.The girl had a missense mutation c.4898C>T,p.T1633M in the CUL7 gene(NM_014780.4),and both her parents had heterozygous mutations.The girl was diagnosed with 3M syndrome.Conclusions The CUL7 mutation is the major causative gene of 3M syndrome in this girl. Early gene testing should be performed to confirm the diagnosis in suspected clinical phenotype.