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AIM: To observe the postoperative changes in macular morphological structure and blood flow density of patients with idiopathic macular epiretinal membrane(IMEM)by optical coherence tomography angiography(OCTA), and explore their correlation with visual acuity.METHOD: Prospective study. A total of 45 cases(45 eyes)with IMEM admitted to our hospital from January 2020 to July 2021 were included. The best corrected visual acuity(BCVA), central macular area thickness(CMT), foveal avascular zone(FAZ)area and changes in blood flow density of superficial capillary plexus(SCP)were observed at 1mo, 1, 3 and 6mo before and after operation.RESULT: The BCVA at 1wk after operation had no significant change compared with preoperative data(P>0.05), while it was improved at other time points(P<0.05). The CMT measured at 1wk after operation was thickened significantly(P<0.05), while it was significantly decreased at 1mo, 3mo and 6mo after operation(P<0.05). The FAZ area measured at 1wk and 1mo after operation had no significant change(P>0.05), while it was significantly enlarged at 3 and 6mo after operation(P<0.05). The SCP measured at 1wk, 1 and 3mo after operation had no significant change(P>0.05), while it was significantly decreased at 6mo after operation(P<0.05). BCVA measured at 3 and 6mo after operation was positively correlated with CMT(r=0.457, 0.615, P=0.032, 0.012).CONCLUSION: The visual acuity of patients with IMEM recovered quickly within 1mo after operation, and then it tended to be stable. However, the recovery of macular foveal morphology and blood flow distribution was slower than that of visual acuity, and there was no obvious correlation with visual acuity.
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Objective:To explore the effect and mechanism of Xiangshenwan on ulcerative colitis （UC） induced by dextran sulfate sodium （DSS） in mice based on the classic Toll-like receptor （TLR）/nuclear factor kappa B （NF-<italic>κ</italic>B） signaling pathway. Method:The experimental mice were divided into a normal group， a model group， a Xiangshenwan group， and a mesalazine group. The mice， except for those in the normal group， received 3% DSS solution for 7 days to establish the acute UC model and were treated with Xiangshenwan （5 g·kg<sup>-1</sup>） and mesalazine （300 mg·kg<sup>-1</sup>） continuously from the 1st day to the 10th day of modeling. The body weight， disease activity index （DAI）， colon weight， intestinal weight index， colon length， colon weight per unit length， and pathological changes of mice were evaluated respectively. The protein expression of TLR5， myeloid differentiation factor 88 （MyD88）， interleukin-1 receptor-associated kinase 4 （IRAK4）， tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated factor 6 （TRAF6）， transforming growth factor <italic>β</italic>-activated kinase 1 （TAK1）， p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase （MAPK）， NF-<italic>κ</italic>B， IRAK1， TAK1-binding protein 1 （TAB1）， TAB2， mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 3 （MKK3）， MKK6 and cyclic adenosine monophosphate response element-binding protein （CREB） in colon tissues of mice was detected by Western blot. Result:Compared with the normal group， the model group showed decreased body weight of mice， increased DAI scores， elevated colon weight， intestinal weight index， and colon weight per unit length， shortened colon length， severe colonic mucosal injury， and up-regulated protein expression of TLR5， MyD88， IRAK4， TRAF6， TAK1， p38 MAPK， NF-<italic>κ</italic>B， IRAK1， TAB1， TAB2， MKK3， MKK6， and CREB in colon tissues （<italic>P</italic><0.05，<italic> P</italic><0.01<bold>）.</bold> Compared with the model group， the Xiangshenwan group and the mesalazine group displayed increased body weight of mice， decreased DAI scores， declining colon weight， intestinal weight index， and colon weight per unit length， increased colon length， improved colonic mucosal injury， and down-regulated protein expression of TLR5， MyD88， IRAK4， TRAF6， TAK1， p38 MAPK， NF-<italic>κ</italic>B， IRAK1， TAB1， TAB2， MKK3， MKK6， and CREB in colon tissues （<italic>P</italic><0.05，<italic> P</italic><0.01）. Conclusion:Xiangshenwan can effectively treat DSS-induced UC presumedly by the inhibition of TLR/NF-<italic>κ</italic>B signaling pathway.
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BACKGROUND: Brain injury can promote fracture healing is becoming an issue of concern, but the underlying mechanism remains unknown.OBJECTIVE: To establish a model of cerebral injury combined with right tibial fracture, and to investigate the cerebrospinal fluid and serum levels of calcitonin gene-related peptide, nerve growth factor and insulin-like growth factor-1.METHODS: New Zealand white rabbits were randomly divided into four groups: group A: blank control group;group B: simple brain injury group; group C: simple tibial fracture group; group D: tibial fracture combined with brain injury. The cerebrospinal fluid and serum levels of calcitonin gene-related peptide, nerve growth factor and insulin-like growth factor-1 were detected at different time points. The rabbits in the groups C and D were sacrificed at 1, 4 and 8 weeks after modeling to remove the whole tibia, and scanned by X-ray. The callus volume was calculated, and the pathological changes were analyzed.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The fracture healing was faster in the group D than the group C. The callus volume,trabecular width, trabecular area ratio, and the number of newly born vessels in the group D were significantly higher than those in the group C at 4 weeks after modeling (P < 0.05). The cerebrospinal fluid and serum levels of calcitonin gene-related peptide, nerve growth factor and insulin-like growth factor-1 in the group D were significantly higher than those in the group C (P < 0.05), and the cerebrospinal fluid levels reached the maximum values earlier than did the serum levels. Furthermore, in the group D, the calcitonin gene-related peptide level was increased earlier than the other two factors. To conclude, calcitonin gene-related peptide, nerve growth factor and insulin-like growth factor-1 are essential factors involved in promoting fracture healing after traumatic brain injury, and moreover calcitonin gene-related peptide shows a stronger ability than the other factors.
ABSTRACT
<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Liver targeting drug delivery systems can improve the curative effects and relieve the cytotoxicity of the chemotherapy drugs in the treatment of liver diseases. Nanoparticles carrying therapeutic drugs are currently under hot investigation with great clinical significance. This study was aimed to investigate the different tissue distribution of the adriamycin polybutylcyanoacrylate nanoparticle (ADM-PBCA-NP) in the mice body after an injection via lateral tail vein, and to study the liver targeting effects of ADM-PBCA-NP in different diameters on normal mice liver.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>One hundred and eighty Kunming mice were randomly divided into 6 groups with 30 mice in each group (5 treatment groups of ADM-PBCA-NP in the different diameter ranges, non-conjugated free adriamycin injection was employed as the control group). A single dose of either conjugated or free adriamycin equaled 2 mg/kg of body weight was delivered via the tail vein. Five mice in each trail were sacrificed at 5, 15, 30 minutes, 1, 5 and 12 hours postinjection, respectively. The adriamycin concentrations in the respectively collected liver, kidney, spleen, heart, lung and plasma were demonstrated using a high performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detector.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Compared with the control group, adriamycin was hardly detected in the heart muscle of the treatment groups (P < 0.05). The nanoparticle-conjugated adriamycin was cleaned up quickly from the kidney tissue. The adriamycin concentrations of the mice liver and spleen in the experimental groups were significantly higher than that in the control group, except for the group with the nanoparticles diameters of (22.3 +/- 6.2) nm (P < 0.05). The ADM-PBCA-NP in (101.0 +/- 20.3) nm diameter had the highest liver distribution, and the second highest adriamycin distribution in liver was the group of (143.0 +/- 23.5) nm diameter (P < 0.05). Moreover, adriamycin was released slowly in the liver during the detection period in the experimental groups. ADM-PBCA-NP in (22.3 +/- 6.2) nm diameter was not distributed in the tissue of the liver, kidney, heart, spleen, and lung.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>ADM-PBCA-NP in 100 - 150 nm diameter range has the best liver targeting with a characteristic of slow medicine release. It also decreases the medicine distribution in the heart, kidney and lung. In the treatment of liver cancer, the polybutylcyanoacrylate nanoparticles system has a good liver targeting ability, which increases the anticancer activity and markedly decreases the toxicity of adriamycin.</p>