BACKGROUND:Primary cortical neurons and microglial cells play a crucial role in exploring cell therapies for neurological disorders,and most of the current methods for obtaining the two types of cells are cumbersome and require separate extraction.It is therefore crucial to find a convenient and rapid method to extract both types of cells simultaneously. OBJECTIVE:To explore a novel method for simultaneous extraction of primary cortical neurons and microglial cells. METHODS:Newborn suckling SD rats were taken within 24 hours.The brain was removed and placed in a dish with DMEM,and the pia mater was removed for later use.Primary neurons were extracted from the same brain tissue,and then the remaining brain tissue was used to extract microglial cells.The whole process was performed on ice.Extraction and culture steps of primary cortical neurons:The cerebral cortex was taken 2.0-3.0 mm with forceps,and the tissue was digested with papain for 20 minutes.After aborting digestion,the blown tissue presented an adherent tissue suspension.The supernatant cell suspension was obtained,filtered,and dispensed into 15 mL centrifuge tubes.After centrifugation and re-suspension,the cells were inoculated onto 6-well plate crawls coated with L-polylysine.Neuronal morphology was observed at 1-day intervals,and staining could be performed for identification using immunofluorescence staining of MAP2 and β-Tubulin by day 7.Microglia extraction and culture steps:The remaining brain tissue at 8-10 mm thick was subjected to microglial cell extraction,digested by trypsin for 20 minutes.After digestion was stopped,the tissue was blown to a homogenate,and then the homogenate was transferred to the culture bottle for culture.On day 14,the culture flasks were sealed and subjected to constant temperature horizontal shaking for 2 hours.Microglial cells were shed in the supernatant.Purified microglial cells were taken and continued to be cultured for 3 days for identification by Iba1 immunofluorescence staining. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)After 24 hours of culture,the neurons were adherent to the wall,the cytosol was enlarged,and some neurons developed synapses.After 3 and 5 days of culture,the cytosol was further enlarged,and most of the neurons were in the form of synapses,and some neurons were growing in clusters.On day 7,neuronal synapses were prolonged and thickened,and they were connected with each other to form a network.The neurons were identified by β-Tubulin and MAP2 immunofluorescence staining.(2)The cells grew close to the wall on day 1 of culture.On days 3,5,and 7,the density of microglial cells was small,and the cell morphology was bright oval or round,but the cells basically grew in clumps on the upper layer of other cells.On day 10,the density of microglial cells increased significantly.On day 14,microglial cells grew in dense clumps on the upper layer of other cells,and then they could be isolated and purified.The isolated and purified cells were taken and re-cultured to day 3 and identified as microglial cells by Iba1 immunofluorescence;their purity was greater than 95%.(3)The results show that primary cortical neurons and microglial cells obtained by this method after extraction and culture are of high purity,good morphology,and high viability.

BACKGROUND:Studies have found that activation of nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2/heme oxidase-1(Nrf2/HO-1)pathway can alleviate oxidative stress caused by cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury,but whether human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells(hBMSC)can activate Nrf2/HO-1 pathway to alleviate cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury is still lacking relevant studies. OBJECTIVE:To investigate whether intracranial transplantation of hBMSC alleviates oxidative stress injury in cerebral ischemia-reperfusion animal models by activating Nrf2/HO-1 pathway. METHODS:Totally 40 male SPF SD rats were randomly divided into sham operation group,model group,hBMSC transplantation group,hBMSC+solvent group and hBMSC+Nrf2 inhibitor group.Each group consisted of eight animals.In the model group and the hBMSC transplantation group,middle cerebral artery occlusion model was prepared by thread embolization method.The thread embolization was removed 1 hour later,and 30 μL PBS or hBMSC cultured to at least passage 5 was injected into the right cortex and striatum of rats.In the hBMSC+Nrf2 inhibitor group and hBMSC+solvent group,the left ventricle was injected with Nrf2 inhibitor Brusatol and its solvent dimethyl sulfoxide respectively 24 hours before model establishment,then the middle cerebral artery occlusion model was prepared,and hBMSC was injected.Relevant indexes were detected 3 days after transplantation. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)CT and TTC staining showed the same area and volume of cerebral infarction:model group>hBMSC+Nrf2 inhibitor group>hBMSC+solvent group>hBMSC transplantation group>sham operation group.(2)Hematoxylin-eosin staining and Nissl's staining showed that the ischemic brain tissue was intact and the neurons were normal in the sham operation group.Compared with the model group,the pathological morphology and neuronal injury of the hBMSC transplantation group and the hBMSC+solvent group were significantly improved.Compared with the hBMSC+solvent group,the hBMSC+Nrf2 inhibitor group had more serious pathological morphology and neuronal damage.(3)Western blot assay and oxidative stress index detection results showed that compared with the sham operation group,Nrf2 and HO-1 proteins were decreased(all P<0.05),malondialdehyde was increased and superoxide dismutase was decreased(all P<0.05)in the model group.Compared with the model group,the expression levels of Nrf2 and HO-1 proteins were increased(all P<0.05),malondialdehyde was decreased and superoxide dismutase was increased(all P<0.05)in the hBMSC transplantation group and the hBMSC+solvent group.Compared with the hBMSC+solvent group,the expression levels of Nrf2 and HO-1 proteins were simultaneously decreased(all P<0.05),and malondialdehyde was increased and superoxide dismutase was decreased(all P<0.05)in the hBMSC+Nrf2 inhibitor group.(4)These results indicate that hBMSC can alleviate cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury possibly by activating Nrf2/HO-1 pathway.

The aim of this study was to investigate the role of selenoprotein M (SelM) in endoplasmic reticulum stress and apoptosis in nickel-exposed mouse hearts and to explore the detoxifying effects of melatonin. At 21 d after intraperitoneal injection of nickel chloride (NiCl₂) and/or melatonin into male wild-type (WT) and SelM knockout (KO) C57BL/6J mice, NiCl₂ was found to induce changes in the microstructure and ultrastructure of the hearts of both WT and SelM KO mice, which were caused by oxidative stress, endoplasmic reticulum stress, and apoptosis, as evidenced by decreases in malondialdehyde (MDA) content and total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) activity. Changes in the messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein expression of genes related to endoplasmic reticulum stress (activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4), inositol-requiring protein 1 (IRE1), c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), and C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP)) and apoptosis (B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2), Bcl-2-associated X protein (Bax), Caspase-3, Caspase-9, and Caspase-12) were also observed. Notably, the observed damage was worse in SelM KO mice. Furthermore, melatonin alleviated the heart injury caused by NiCl₂ in WT mice but could not exert a good protective effect in the heart of SelM KO mice. Overall, the findings suggested that the antioxidant capacity of SelM, as well as its modulation of endoplasmic reticulum stress and apoptosis, plays important roles in nickel-induced heart injury.
Animals ; Male ; Mice ; Antioxidants/pharmacology* ; Apoptosis ; Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress ; Melatonin/pharmacology* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Nickel/adverse effects* ; Selenoproteins/genetics* ; Heart/drug effects*

  Objective  To understand the current status of surgical treatment for hemophilia osteoarthropathy (HO) in China.  Methods  Using an online questionnaire, select domestic hospitals that partici-pated in the compilation of the 'Guideline for perioperative management of hemophilia patients undergoing orthopaedic surgery in China ', in addition to members of the National Joint Surgery Group, and the Orthopedic Branch of the Chinese Medical Association for targeted investigation and analysis.  Results  A total of 17 domestic hospitals were included, all of which were general hospitals. Hospitals that started HO surgery treatment before 2000 accounted for 35.29%. A total of 3057 surgical cases of HO were reported by those hospitals. The most commonly performed surgical procedures were hip and knee joint replacement. The most commonly used coagulation factor replacement regimen was recombinant coagulation factor preparation. Ten hospitals reported finding patients with transfusion-related infectious diseases. Bleeding and hematoma formation were the most frequently reported surgical complications. Excessive length of hospital stay and high economic costs were the most frequently reported problems.  Conclusions  Surgical treatment for HO in 17 hospitals is mainly carried out in some large comprehensive medical centers in the eastern region. Compared with the patient base, the popularity and number of surgeries are still relatively insufficient. It is necessary to further standardize the treatment system by standardizing factor replacement and strengthening rehabilitation to improve surgical treatment outcomes.

Objective:To investigate the molecular etiology of Perrault syndrome by analyzing the clinical phenotype and pathogenic gene variants of 2 male patients with bilateral severe sensorineural deafness.Methods:Two male patients with Perrault syndrome characterized by severe sensonrineual deafness adimitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University between February 2021 and March 2022 were selected, and the clinical phenotype and pathogenic gene variants of them and their family members were summarized. The whole exome sequencing technology was used to screen the pathogenic variants of the probands, and the candidate variants were determined by combining with clinical phenotype. The probands and their family members were verified by the Sanger sequencing method.Results:The whole exome sequencing results showed that the proband of family 1 had a compound heterozygous variants of the LARS2 (NM_015340.4) gene c.1565C>A (p.Thr522Asn) and c.1079T>C (p.Ile360Thr). The reported pathogenic variant c.1565C>A came from the mother, and the novel variant c.1079T>C came from the father. The second proband harbored compound heterozygous variants of HARS2 gene (NM_012208.4) c.1273C>T (p.Arg425Trp) and c.1403G>C (p.Gly468Ala), with the former from the proband′s mother, the latter from the father. The c.1273C>T was novel and c.1403G>C was the reported pathogenic variant. All above variants were respectively classified as pathogenic, uncertain significance, uncertain significance and likely pathogenic based on the ACMG guidelines. Conclusion:This study expands the mutational spectrum of LARS2 and HARS2 genes, which highlights that genetic testing plays an important role in the early diagnosis of syndromic deafness.

Objective:To analyze the number of appeals volume and causes for complaints received by the government hotline against a hospital in Yangzhou during the pandemic of novel coronavirus pneumonia(hereinafter referred to as COVID-19), so as to provide reference for handling such hotline complaints during pandemics.Methods:Retrospective comparative analysis was made on the " 12345" government hotline work orders received from July 28, 2020 to August 28, 2020(routine prevention and control period) and July 28, 2021 to August 28, 2021(pandemic closure and control period). A descriptive analysis was made on the cause types of complaints and the distribution of departments in question, along with an analysis of the correlation between the cumulative number of cases of pandemic development and the number of complaints using Spearman rank correlation method.Results:The number of work orders for a hospital in Yangzhou during the pandemic control period(659 cases) was 7.7 times higher than that in the routine control period(76 cases). Management problems accounted for 96.7%(637 cases) in the level-1 type of the causes of complaints during the closure and control period of the pandemic, and workflow problems accounted for 90.9%(599 cases) in the level-2 type, which increased by 28.3 and 27.7 percentage points respectively compared with the routine prevention and control period; The highest proportion in the level-3 type of causes for complaints during the closure and control period of the pandemic was administrative management, accounting for 87.9%(579 cases). The departments being complained the most during the pandemic incubation period, outbreak period and recovery period of the pandemic were the fever clinic, oncology department and discharge center respectively. The cumulative number of cases of pandemic development was positively correlated with the number of complaints.Conclusions:During the COVID-19, the handling of the government hotline should be analyzed along with the causes of complaints, focusing on patients′ demands, providing timely feedback, developing collaborative management measures, and achieving accurate policy implementation.

Objective:To screen the causative genes of five families with branchio-oto-renal syndrome (BORS) or branchio-oto syndrome(BOS) and to analyze the phenotypic characteristics and clinical management strategies of patients.Methods:Five families with BORS/BOR from December 2018 to September 2021 were recruited, information of patients, including family history and medical history, was collected, and genealogies were drawn. The examinations concerning audiology, nephrology, and radiology were performed on the affected individuals. Peripheral blood was obtained for DNA extraction, then next-generation sequencing technology was used to screen candidate variants associated with BORS/BOS. Based on patient′s clinical results, the appropriate interventions were recommended and implemented.Results:Eight individuals were diagnosed with BOS or BORS. Of the eight patients, all had hearing loss, preauricular pits and ear malformations, and only four presented with branchial cleft fistulae or cysts. Except for two patients(5-I-2, 5-II-2) who did not undergo renal examination, the remaining six lacked renal abnormalities. Genetic analysis identified four likely pathogenic or pathogenic EYA1 variants (c.1715G>T, c.1140+1G>A, c.639G>C, c.1475+1G>C; NM_000503.6), and c.1715G>T was first reported in this study. Middle ear ossicular reconstruction was performed in 1-II-2,2-I-2 and 3-II-2, but did not yield the expected results; then hearing aids and cochlear implantation were recommended and achieved satisfactory results. Conclusions:Next-generation sequencing technology facilitates the diagnosis and genetic counseling of BORS/BOS. Hearing loss, preauricular pits, ear malformations and branchial cleft fistulae or cysts are the most common manifestations of patients in this study. Middle ear surgeries for improving hearing loss may have some limitations in BORS/BOS patients, and hearing aids and cochlear implantation can contribute to hearing gains.

Objective:To investigate the clinical features, risk factors, treatment and prognosis of dermatomyositis (DM) patients with positive anti-melanoma differentiation associated gene 5(MDA5) antibody with rapidly progressive interstitial lung disease (RPILD).Methods:The clinical data of 88 DM patients from June 2019 to June 2020, at the rheumatology department of Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital were collected and retrospectively analyzed. T-test, non-parametric Mann-Whitney U test, Chi-squared test, Fisher exact probability and Logistics regression analysis were used for data analysis. Results:① 37%(36/88) DM patients were positive for anti-MDA5 antibody. The frequency of ulcerative rash, Gottron's sign, arthritis, clinically amyopathic dermatomyositis (CADM), and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) was significantly higher in patients with anti-MDA5 antibody ( P<0.05). The cell count of white blood cell, neutrophil, lymphocyte, and serum creatine kinase (CK) level were significantly lower in the anti-MDA5 antibody positive group than those in the negative group ( P<0.05). Of anti-MDA5 antibody positive DM patients, 100% developed ILD, 34% (11/32)developed RP-ILD, 16%(5/32) died, which were significantly higher than those of anti-MDA5 antibody negative patients ( P<0.05). ② Of anti-MDA5 antibody positive DM patients, the C reactive protein (CRP) level, positive rate of anti-Ro-52 antibody and mortality rate were significantly higher RPILD group than those in the non-RPILD group [15.70(4.49, 29.00) vs 3.22 (1.66, 7.15), Z=-2.440, P=0.014; 91% vs 43%, P=0.011; 46% vs 0, P=0.002]. Logistics regression analysis indicated that positive anti-Ro-52 antibody [ OR=4.561, 95% CI (1.797, 11.580), P=0.001] might be a risk factor for anti-MDA5 antibody positive DM-RPILD. ③ Among patients with anti-MDA5 antibody with RPILD, serum ferritin and D-dimer level was significantly higher and oxygenation index was significantly lower in the non-survival group than those in the survival group [1 931 (1 377, 7 379) vs 638(196, 876), Z=-2.556, P=0.009; 2 760(1 995, 4 854) vs 985(533, 1 588), Z=-2.379, P=0.017; 230(140, 256) vs 309(262, 382), Z=2.191, P=0.030]. In addition, the delayed intensive treatment time was significantly longer in the non-survival group than those in the survival group [(14.0±2.6) vs (4.5±1.4), t=7.899, P<0.01]. Furthermore, the proportion of combined therapy with two disease modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARDs) was significantly lower in the non-survival group than those in the survival group (0 vs 83%, P=0.015). Conclusion:Anti-MDA5 antibody may be associ-ated with characteristic clinical manifestations of DM, ILD, RPILD and high mortality rate. Positive anti-Ro-52 antibody may be a risk factor for anti-MDA5 antibody positive DM-RPILD. High serum ferritin and D-dimer level and low oxygenation index in RPILD patients may be associated with poor prognosis. Early treatment with two DMARDs may improve the prognosis of RPILD.

Objective:To observe the image characteristics of optical coherence tomography (OCT) in patients with primary vitreoretinal lymphoma (PVRL).Methods:A retrospective clinical study. Thirty-two eyes of 19 patients diagnosed with PVRL by vitreous pathology in the Department of Ophthalmology, Beijing Tongren Hospital from September 2016 to October 2019 were included in this study. There were 7 males and 12 females. The median age was 56 years. The mean time from symptom onset to final diagnosis was 6.1±3.8 months. The first diagnosis was uveitis in 12 cases (63.1%, 12/19), retinal vein occlusion in 2 cases (10.5%, 2/19), central retinal artery occlusion in 1 case (5.3%, 1/19), and suspected PVRL of camouflage syndrome in 4 cases (21.1%, 4/19). Routine ophthalmic examination and frequency-domain OCT examination were performed in all the patients, and typical images were stored for analysis. According to the examination results, PVRL OCT signs were divided into vitreous cells, inner retinal infiltration, outer retinal infiltration, retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) infiltration, sub-RPE infiltration, and subretinal fluid.Results:Vitreous cells were found in all eyes (100.0%, 32/32). RPE infiltrated were observed in 19 eyes (59.4%, 19/32), RPE infiltration in 16 eyes (50.0%, 16/32), outer retinal infiltration in 8 eyes (25.0%, 8/32), inner retinal infiltration in 16 eyes (50.0%, 16/32), and subretinal fluid in 4 eyes (12.5%, 4/32).Conclusions:PVRL OCT signs can involve vitreous and retinal anatomical levels, including vitreous cells, inner retinal infiltration, outer retinal infiltration, RPE infiltration, sub-RPE infiltration and subretinal fluid. The same patient can show multiple signs at the same time.

Objective:To explore the pathogenic variants of a family with syndromic deafness by high-throughput sequencing.Methods:The family was from Puyang City, Henan Province, and had four members, including two with syndromic deafness. The proband and his sister had congenital deafness, and their parents had normal phenotypes. The clinical phenotype of the family was characterized using clinical examinations and pedigree analysis. The clinical examinations included imaging examination, audiometry (pure tone audiometry, acoustic immittance, brainstem auditory evoked potential, and otoacoustic emission), vestibular function test, and ophthalmic examination (visual acuity test, visual field test, fundus examination, visual evoked potential, and electroretinogram). Target exome sequencing of 129 known deafness genes and bioinformatics analysis were used to screen suspected pathogenic variants. Sanger sequencing and minigene assay were used to verify and functionally investigate the mutation detected, respectively. According to the standards and guidelines for interpreting genetic variants proposed by the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics, the variants c.6049G>A and c.8699A>G were classified as pathogenic/likely pathogenic, and the variant c.9856C>G was classified as variants of uncertain significance.Results:The probands and his sister had severe sensorineural hearing loss with decreased binocular vision, night blindness, decreased peripheral visual field sensitivity and partial visual field defect, and normal vestibular function. Both of them had three CDH23 mutations, including CDH23 (NM_022124.5) c.6049G>A (p.Gly2017Ser),c.9856C>G (p.His3286Asp), and c.8699A>G (p. Asp2900Gly), The first two were inherited from the father, and the last one was from the mother. The missense variants c.9856C>G and c.8699A>G were not included in the gnomad database. The missense mutation c.6049G>A was located in the last position of exon 46 and was predicted to affect splicing by bioinformatics software. The minigene experiment showed that the mutation cause exon skipping of exon 46, resulting in an abnormal protein. Conclusions:Compound heterozygous variations of the CDH23 are the leading cause of USH1D in the family. This study confirms that the compound heterozygosity of splicing and missense variants of the CDH23 gene could lead to USH1D.