Polydatin alleviates bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis and alters the gut microbiota in a mouse model.

To investigate the effect and mechanism of polydatin on bleomycin (BLM)-induced pulmonary fibrosis in a mouse model. The lung fibrosis model was induced by BLM. The contents of TNF-α, LPS, IL-6 and IL-1ß in lung tissue, intestine and serum were detected by ELISA. Gut microbiota diversity was detected by 16S rDNA sequencing; R language was used to analyse species composition, α-diversity, ß-diversity, species differences and marker species. Mice were fed drinking water mixed with four antibiotics (ampicillin, neomycin, metronidazole, vancomycin; antibiotics, ABx) to build a mouse model of ABx-induced bacterial depletion; and faecal microbiota from different groups were transplanted into BLM-treated or untreated ABx mice. The histopathological changes and collagen I and α-SMA expression were determined. Polydatin effectively reduced the degree of fibrosis in a BLM-induced pulmonary fibrosis mouse model; BLM and/or polydatin affected the abundance of the dominant gut microbiota in mice. Moreover, faecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) from polydatin-treated BLM mice effectively alleviated lung fibrosis in BLM-treated ABx mice compared with FMT from BLM mice. Polydatin can reduce fibrosis and inflammation in a BLM-induced mouse pulmonary fibrosis model. The alteration of gut microbiota by polydatin may be involved in the therapeutic effect.

The effect of sodium bicarbonate on OHCA patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis of RCT and propensity score studies.

BACKGROUND: Evidence on the efficacy of sodium bicarbonate (SB) in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is controversial and generally of low quality. A systematic review and meta-analysis was performed to evaluate the effect of SB in OHCA patients based on randomized controlled trial (RCT) and propensity score matching (PSM) cohort studies. METHODS: We searched the PubMed, Cochrane, and Embase databases for RCTs and PSM cohort studies from inception to July 15, 2023. We included studies involving adult (>16 years) no-trauma OHCA patients with clear comparisons between the Bicarbonate group and Control group. All studies reported our primary outcome of short-term survival rate included ROSC and survival to emergency department or hospital admission or secondary outcome of long-term survival rate included survival at hospital discharge and good neurologic survival at 1 month. Results were expressed as odds ratio (OR) with accompanying 95% confidence interval (CI). To reduce bias, we performed a subgroup analysis of RCTs and PSM cohort studies. Also, we performed sensitivity analysis to resolve the heterogeneity. RESULTS: Six studies (3 RCTs and 3 PSMs) comprising 21,402 patients were included. The primary outcome of this meta-analysis showed that short-term survival rate between the two groups was no difference (OR = 1.04; 95% CI, 0.98 to 1.12; P = 0.21; χ2 = 6.68; I2 = 25%). Secondary outcome demonstrated that long -term survival rate between the two groups was no difference (OR = 0.82; 95% CI, 0.50 to 1.34; P = 0.43; χ2 = 14.96; I2 = 80%). A sensitive analysis was performed by removing one study showed long-term survival rate of the Bicarbonate group was lower than that of the Control group. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with OHCA, sodium bicarbonate administration was associated neither with short-term survival rate nor with long-term survival rate, it may even worsen the long-term survival.

Primary colorectal diffuse large B-cell lymphoma initially presenting with pleural effusion: report of one case and review of literature.

Gastrointestinal (GI) diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is one of the frequently reported histologic subtypes of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) that occur in the GI tract. However, the presentation of quite different clinical manifestations, morphologic characteristics, immunophenotypes, and molecular biologic features is challenging for its diagnosis. Herein, we describe a rare case of primary colorectal DLBCL that occurred in a 59-year-old immunocompetent Chinese female who attended our respiratory clinic for the third time with an asymptomatic pleural effusion and pleural thickening. In her clinical setting, there was no history of trauma or travel, and no evidence of infections, connective tissue diseases, or malignancies such as pleural mesothelioma. Lymphoma was highly suspected for the enlargement of systemic lymph nodes and the multiple polypoid appearance in the rectum found by endoscopy examination. In a repeated colonoscopy, immunohistochemical and molecular features of the multiple "polyps" allowed diagnosis of colorectal diffuse large B-cell NHL. To our knowledge, this is the first case of a verified diagnosis of pleural effusion associated with a primary colorectal DLBCL. The purpose of this report is to alert clinicians that when we evaluate the causes of unexplained pleural effusion, lymphoma should be considered, particularly when the available examination data cannot be corroborated by clinical manifestations.

Overexpression of Napsin A resensitizes drug-resistant lung cancer A549 cells to gefitinib by inhibiting EMT.

Lung cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors and also the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the world. Epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKI), such as gefitinib, have been used in the therapy of lung cancer. However, the acquisition of drug resistance is a major limitation in the clinical efficiency of EGFR-TKIs. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) has been demonstrated to be an underlying mechanism of acquired resistance. A previous study has reported that Napsin A expression can inhibit EMT in lung cancer cells. The present study therefore investigated the effect of Napsin A on the sensitivity of EGFR-TKI-resistant lung cancer cells. First, a drug-resistant lung cancer cell line was generated using the EGFR-TKI gefitinib on A549 cells (termed here A549-GFT). EMT was demonstrated to be induced in the drug resistant A549-GFT cells, evidenced by reduced E-cadherin expression and increased Vimentin expression compared with control A549 cells. Next, Napsin A was overexpressed in the cells by transfection of the Napsin A-expression vector, PLJM1-Napsin A. Western blot analysis confirmed that the protein expression levels of Napsin A were significantly elevated in the Napsin A-overexpressing cells. Cell proliferation and apoptosis assays were performed to evaluate the effect of Napsin A overexpression on resistant A549 cells. The results of MTT assay demonstrated that Napsin A overexpression inhibited the proliferation of A549 and drug-resistant A549-GFT cells and that the proliferation of Napsin A-overexpressing A549-GFT cells was significantly inhibited by gefitinib treatment compared with control A549-GFT cells. The results from the Annexin V/propidium iodide double staining apoptosis assay indicated that Napsin A overexpression enhanced gefitinib-induced apoptosis in A549-GFT cells. Additionally, EMT was reversed following Napsin A expression in A549-GFT cells, as evidenced by the restoration of E-cadherin and downregulation of Vimentin expression. Further investigation demonstrated that Napsin A overexpression resulted in inhibition of focal adhesion kinase, a critical factor in integrin signaling, in the resistant A549-GFT cells. These data suggested that Napsin A resensitized the drug-resistant A549-GFT cells to gefitinib, possibly by reversing EMT via integrin signaling inhibition. Therefore, Napsin A combined with a TKI may be a more effective treatment strategy for lung cancer.

Napsin A is negatively associated with EMT­mediated EGFR­TKI resistance in lung cancer cells.

Epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR­TKI) have been used as a standard therapy for patients with lung cancer with EGFR­activating mutations. Epithelial­mesenchymal transition (EMT) has been reported to be associated with the development of EGFR­TKI resistance, which limits the clinical efficacy of EGFR­TKI. Therefore, investigating the resistance­associated mechanism is required in order to elucidate an effective therapeutic approach to enhance the sensitivity of lung cancer to EGFR­TKI. In the present study, EGFR­TKI erlotinib­sensitive H358, H322 and H441 lung cancer cells, erlotinib­moderately sensitive A549 cells, and erlotinib­insensitive HCC827 cells with EGFR­mutation (exon 19 deletion) were used to detect the mRNA and protein expression of the EMT­associated proteins E­cadherin and vimentin, and napsin A, by reverse transcription­quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis and western blotting. It was observed that the E­cadherin expression level in erlotinib­sensitive cells was increased compared with the moderately sensitive A549 cells and HCC827 cells; however, vimentin exhibited opposite expression, suggesting a correlation between EMT and erlotinib sensitivity in lung cancer cells. The napsin A expression level was observed to be positively associated with erlotinib sensitivity. In addition, napsin A highly­expressingH322 cells were used and napsin A­silenced cells were constructed using small interfering RNA (siRNA) technology, and were induced by transforming growth factor (TGF)­ßl. It was observed that TGF­ßl partially induced the alterations in E­cadherin and vimentin expression and the occurrence of EMT in napsin A highly­expressing cells, while TGF­ßl significantly induced EMT via downregulation of E­cadherin and upregulation of vimentin in napsin A­silenced cells; cell proliferation and apoptosis assays demonstrated that TGF­ßl induced marked resistance to erlotinib in napsin A­silenced cells compared with napsin A­expression cells. These data indicated that napsin A expression may inhibit TGF­ßl­induced EMT and was negatively associated with EMT­mediated erlotinib resistance, suggesting that napsin A expression may improve the sensitivity of lung cancer cells to EGFR­TKI through the inhibition of EMT.

Behcet disease combined with Sjogren syndrome: A unique case report and literature review.

RATIONALE: Behcet disease(BD) and Sjogren syndrome(SS) are separate conditions that rarely concomitantly affect an individual. In theory,mild symptoms of patients with BD or SS are easy to igore and,thus,remain undiagnosed. There,it is reasonable to believe there may be some clinical cases of combined diseases that go undiscovered and which needs to be taken seriously. In addition,it has been suggested that herpes simplex virus(HSV) types 1 and 2 are associated with BD,but have not been shown to be correlated to the direct pathogenesis of BD. The role of HSV in BD needs more research and attention. PATIENT CONCERNS: Here,we report a young woman who had both BD and SS. The first symptom of the disease was fever. However,the HSV type 1 IgG and HSV type 2 IgM antibody results were positive in our case and,which rendered this case unique. DIAGNOSES: BD and SS concomitantly affect the individual,and BD was the acute type. INTERVENTIONS: IV methylprednisolone was used for 9 days and then oral glucocorticoids was used to instead,and the treatment works very well. OUTCOMES: BD and SS can concomitantly affect an individual,and we believe that HSV-2 may be directly related to the pathogenesis of BD. The nature of BD as an auto-inflammatory disorder, autoimmune disorder, or both, is controversial. If we can find more patients who combined affected these two disease, it might helpful for us to understand the nature of BD. LESSONS: For patients with clinical diagnosis of BD or SS,we need to be alert that it may combinded the other disease. Long term follow up and detailed inspection are important means to avoid undiscovered.

Oil-Water Separation of Electrospun Cellulose Triacetate Nanofiber Membranes Modified by Electrophoretically Deposited TiO2/Graphene Oxide.

Recycled waste industrial cellulose triacetate (TAC) film, which is one of the key materials in polarizers, was used to produce nanofiber membranes by electrospinning and synergistic assembly with graphene oxide (GO) and titanium dioxide (TiO2) for oil-water separation. In this study, GO and TiO2 coated by an electrophoretic deposition method introduced super hydrophilicity onto the recycled TAC (rTAC) membrane, with enhanced water permeability. The results indicate that when the outermost TiO2 layer of an asymmetric composite fiber membrane is exposed to ultraviolet irradiation; the hydrophilicity of the hydrophilic layer is more effectively promoted. Moreover, this coating could efficiently repel oil, and demonstrated robust self-cleaning performance during the cycle test, with the aid of the photocatalytic properties of TiO2. The rTAC membrane of networked hydrophobic fibers could also increase the speed of the filtrate flow and the water flux of the oil-water emulsion. The permeate carbon concentration in the water was analyzed using a total organic carbon analyzer. Incorporation of TiO2/GO onto the rTAC membrane contributed greatly towards enhanced membrane hydrophilicity and antifouling performance. Therefore, the novel TiO2/GO/rTAC asymmetric composite fiber has promise for applications in oil-water separation.

Chronic myeloid leukemia following repeated diagnostic X-ray exposure for the treatment of recurrent spontaneous pneumothorax in a patient with ankylosing spondylitis: A case report and literature review.

Previous studies have indicated that X-ray irradiation may increase the risk of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), and the incidence of spontaneous pneumothorax in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is higher than in the general population. Patients with AS usually develop spontaneous pneumothorax several years after the diagnosis of AS. The present study reports the unusual case and complicated clinical history of a 29-year-old man with recurrent pneumothorax and AS, who developed CML following repeated exposure to low doses of radiation via diagnostic X-rays and chest computed tomography imaging. Pneumothorax was diagnosed prior to AS in this patient; the present case report highlights the importance of recognizing AS as a possible underlying cause of recurrent spontaneous pneumothorax. Patients with AS may be more sensitive to injury via X-ray-derived radiation, and even small diagnostic doses may be associated with CML. Diagnostic X-ray exposure should therefore be limited to reduce the risk of radiation-associated malignancies, including CML, particularly in patients with AS.

Chronic myeloid leukaemia following repeated exposure to chest radiography and computed tomography in a patient with pneumothorax: A case report and literature review.

It is well known that radioactive rays may cause damage to the human body. Progress in modern medicine has led to an increased risk of therapeutic and diagnostic radiation exposure of patients. Although clear evidence of a radiation dose-dependent risk of chronic myeloid leukaemia, particularly for patients exposed to radiation at a young age, has been established, it is not known whether radiation exposure during diagnostic imaging also increases the risk of cancer. The present study reports the case of a patient who underwent several diagnostic imaging tests (including repeated chest radiography and computed tomography) for recurrent pneumothorax. At around one year subsequent to these tests, the patient was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukaemia. The patient exhibited an increase in white blood cell count over time, and a bone marrow smear test showed a myeloid/erythroid ratio of 13.9:1. In addition, the qualitative breakpoint cluster region (BCR)/Abelson (ABL) gene test revealed positive results for BCR/ABL fusion (p210). Based on the data reported in the current case, research aimed at elucidating the potential risks associated with diagnostic radiation is urgently required. It is crucial that medical professionals consider the potential harmful side effects of diagnostic radiation when ordering radiation-based diagnostic imaging examinations.