Swertiamarin attenuates paraquat-induced pulmonary epithelial-like cell apoptosis via NOX4-mediated regulation of redox and mitochondrial function

Abstract The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of swertiamarin (STM) in attenuating paraquat (PQ)-induced human lung alveolar epithelial-like cell (A549) apoptosis and the underlying mechanisms. A549 cells were pretreated with different concentrations of STM for 2 hr and then cultured with or without PQ (700 µM) for 24 hr. Cell survival was determined using the CCK8 assay. Morphological changes, MDA content, inflammatory factors, fibrogenesis parameters, apoptosis rates, redox status and mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) were evaluated. The expression of several genes involved in the modulation of redox status was measured by Western blotting. Cell viability and MMP were decreased, but the apoptosis rate and DCFH oxidation were elevated by PQ exposure. STM pretreatment notably increased cell viability and MMP and reduced the apoptosis rate and DCFH oxidation. Furthermore, TLR4- NOX4 signaling was significantly inhibited by STM. The downregulation of NOX4 by siRNA exerted the same protective effects as STM. This study provides the first evidence that STM attenuates PQ-induced pulmonary epithelial-like cell apoptosis via NOX4-mediated regulation of redox and mitochondrial function

Clinical use of video-assisted mediastinoscopy in 40 thoracic surgery patients / 中国胸心血管外科临床杂志

@#Objective    To evaluate the clinical role of video-assisted mediastinoscopy and its safety and effectiveness in the diagnosis of thoracic disease. Methods    We reviewed the clinical data of consecutive 40 patients (25 males and 15 females with an average age of 54.6 years) who received video-assisted mediastinoscopic surgery in our department of thoracic surgery from December 2011 to November 2016, including mediastinal lymph node biopsy in 27 patients, mediastinal primary lesions biopsy in 8, bronchial cystectomy in 3 and esophageal dissection in 2. Results    The histological results were positive in 20 patients (73.1%) in mediastinal lymph node biopsy, including granulomatous mediastinitis in 14 and metastasis in 6 (non-small cell lung cancer in 4, Ewing sacoma in 1 and small cell lung cancer in 1) and reactive proliferation in 7 (26.9%). In mediastinal primary lesions biopsy, the accuracy rate of diagnosis was 100.0%. The pathologic results were malignant in all patients, including small cell lung cancer in 5, adenoid cystic carcinoma in 1, squamous carcinoma in 1 and adenocarcinoma in 1. In patients who received the bronchial cystectomy, no recurrence was found during at least 2 years follow-up. There was one patient with severe complication (innominate artery injury). Two patients suffered transient laryngeal recurrent nerve palsy with hoarseness and two patients incision secretion. Conclusion    Video-assisted mediastinoscopic surgery is effective and safe and dissection should be careful in granulomatous mediastinitis to avoid the great vessel injures.