Regulation of mouse digestive function, intestinal mucosal barrier function, and inflammatory reaction by lycium barbarum polysaccharide pathway through myosin light chain kinase.

This research investigated the impacts of lycium barbarum polysaccharide (LBP) on the digestive function, intestinal mucosal barrier function, inflammatory response, and myosin light chain kinase (MLCK) signaling pathway in immunosuppressed mice. 70 mg/kg cyclophosphamide was injected into abdomen for the preparation of immune suppression model. Healthy BALB/c mice served as control for the analysis of the differences in gastrointestinal motility and absorptive capacity, intestinal mucosal barrier function, the phagocytic ability of abdominal macrophages, serum immune factor and inflammatory factor levels, and the activation status of the MLCK signaling pathway after continuous gavage with 100 mg/kg LBP. Results revealed a decrease in d-xylose content, phagocytic rate, index of abdominal macrophages, and spleen index in the serum and urine of model mice compared to those of controls. In addition, levels of IgA, IgG, IgM, IL-6 (interleukin-6), IL-12, and interferon-γ (IFN-γ) decreased, while MLCK and myosin light chain (MLC) levels rose (P < 0.01). Versus those in Model group, urine d-xylose content, phagocytic rate, index of abdominal macrophages, spleen index, and the levels of IgA, IgG, IgM, IL-6, IL-12, and IFN-γ of mice undergoing the gavage with LBP increased, while MLCK and p-MLC levels declined (P < 0.05). In conclusion, LBP improved digestive absorption and immune function of immunosuppressed mice and regulated intestinal mucosal barrier immune system by inhibiting MLCK signaling pathway activation.

Increased visibility of deep medullary veins in leukoaraiosis: a 3-T MRI study.

Cerebral venous collagenosis has been implicated in leading to white matter hyperintensities (WMHs) via venous ischemia. We sought to determine whether cerebral venous dilation or ischemia correlate with the severity of WMHs by quantitative in vivo imaging techniques. This was an investigator-initiated prospective single-center study. We reviewed clinical, laboratory data from 158 consecutive WMHs patients and 50 controls, and measured the number of voxels of deep medullary veins (DMVs) on susceptibility-weighted image and assessed the WMH volume (as a marker of the severity of WMHs) on a 3-T magnetic resonance system. We then performed the logistic-regression analysis and partial Pearson's correlation analysis to examine the association between the venous voxel count and WMH volume. The number of voxels of DMVs was significantly higher in WMHs than in controls. Increased number of voxels of DMVs was independently associated with both WMH volume of the whole brain and coregistered regional WMH volume after adjusting for age and number of lacunes. Our study indicates that cerebral deep venous insufficiency or ischemia play a role in the pathogenesis of WMHs, which may provide prognostic information on patients with WMHs and may have implications for therapeutic interventions.

[Multi-mode MRI-based intravenous thrombolysis with recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rtPA) reduces hemorrhagic transformation in ischemic stroke patients].

OBJECTIVE: To compare the safety of intravenous thrombolytic therapy with recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rtPA) in ischemic patients under the guidance of CT and multi-mode MRI. METHODS: The clinical, laboratory, and radiologic data from 113 consecutive hyperacute ischemic patients who received intravenous rtPA therapy from June 2009 to October 2011 was retrospectively reviewed. The rate of hemorrhagic transformation (HT) and the clinical outcome between CT and multi-mode MRI was compared. Etiological subgroups were classified according to Chinese ischemic stroke subclassification (CISS). RESULTS: Among 113 patients treated with intravenous rtPA, the mean age was 66 ±12 years, 74(65.5%) were man, the pretreatment National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score (NIHSS) was 12.4 ±6.5, and time from symptom onset to therapy was 259.7 ±131.7 min. Postlytic radiological HT was found in 34 patients (30.1%). Symptomatic ICH occurred in 9 patients (8%). Logistic regression analysis suggested that multi-mode MRI was an independent predictor of reduced risk of HT. CONCLUSION: The risk of hemorrhagic complications is lower in patients receiving intravenous thrombolytic therapy with rtPA guided by multi-mode MRI than those guided by CT scan.