TNF-α inhibits SCF, ghrelin, and substance P expressions through the NF-κB pathway activation in interstitial cells of Cajal

Ulcerative colitis is a chronic inflammatory disease of the colon where intestinal motility is disturbed. Interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC) are required to maintain normal intestinal motility. In the present study, we assessed the effect of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) on viability and apoptosis of ICC, as well as on the expression of stem cell factor (SCF), ghrelin, and substance P. ICC were derived from the small intestines of Swiss albino mice. Cell viability and apoptosis were measured using CCK-8 assay and flow cytometry, respectively. ELISA was used to measure the concentrations of IL-1β, IL-6, ghrelin, substance P, and endothelin-1. Quantitative RT-PCR was used to measure the expression of SCF. Western blotting was used to measure the expression of apoptosis-related proteins, interleukins, SCF, and NF-κB signaling pathway proteins. TNF-α induced inflammatory injury in ICC by decreasing cell viability and increasing apoptosis and levels of IL-1β and IL-6. TNF-α decreased the levels of SCF, ghrelin, and substance P, but had no effect on endothelin-1. TNF-α down-regulated expressions of SCF, ghrelin, and substance P by activating the NF-κB pathway in ICC. In conclusion, TNF-α down-regulated the expressions of SCF, ghrelin, and substance P via the activation of the NF-κB pathway in ICC.

Application of preoperative computed tomography-guided embolization coil localization of pulmonary nodules in thoracoscopic pulmonectomy: A randomized controlled trial / 中国胸心血管外科临床杂志

@#Objective    To explore the diagnostic and treatment value of computed tomography (CT)-guided embolization coil localization of pulmonary nodules accurately resected under the thoracoscope. Methods    Between October 2015 and October 2016, 40 patients with undiagnosed nodules of 15 mm or less were randomly divided into a no localization group (n=20, 11 males and 9 females with an average age of 60.50±8.27 years) or preoperative coil localization group (n=20, 12 males and 8 females with an average age of 61.35±8.47 years). Coils were placed with the distal end deep to the nodule and the superficial end coiled on the visceral pleural surface with subsequent visualization by video-assisted thoracoscopic (VATS). Nodules were removed by VATS wedge excision using endo staplers. The tissue was sent for rapid pathological examination, and the pulmonary nodules with definitive pathology found at the first time could be defined as the exact excision. Results    The age, sex, forced expiratory volume in the first second of expiration, nodule size/depth were similar between two groups. The coil group had a higher rate of accurate resection (100.00% vs. 70.00%, P=0.008), less operation time to nodule excision (35.65±3.38 min vs. 44.38±11.53 min, P=0.003), and reduced stapler firings (3.25±0.85 vs. 4.44±1.26, P=0.002) with no difference in total costs. Conclusion    Preoperative CT-guided coil localization increases the rate of accurate resection.

Innovative technology of clinical microbiology for respiratory tract infections:present and future / 中华检验医学杂志

Respiratory tract infection remains a hot clinical topic.Disappointingly, routine microbiology tests do not meet the needs of target antimicrobial therapy.Widespread practice of antibiotic empiricism has lead to dramatic use of broad-spectrum antibiotics and antimicrobial resistance.The application of new clinical microbiology tests to identify the offending pathogen may allow administration of narrow spectrum antibiotic therapy.To do so,the full clinical microbiology armamentarium with newer point-of-care tests and polymerase chain reaction tests must be exploited.The return of the sputum gram stain and introduction of newer molecular tests would provide information for judicious selection of antimicrobials.