Noble gas and neuroprotection: From bench to bedside.

In recent years, inert gases such as helium, argon, and xenon have gained considerable attention for their medical value. Noble gases present an intriguing scientific paradox: although extremely chemically inert, they display a remarkable spectrum of clinically useful biological properties. Despite a relative paucity of knowledge about their mechanisms of action, some noble gases have been used successfully in clinical practice. The neuroprotection elicited by these noble gases has been investigated in experimental animal models of various types of brain injuries, such as traumatic brain injury, stroke, subarachnoid hemorrhage, cerebral ischemic/reperfusion injury, and neurodegenerative diseases. Collectively, these central nervous system injuries are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality every year worldwide. Treatment options are presently limited to thrombolytic drugs and clot removal for ischemic stroke, or therapeutic cooling for other brain injuries before the application of noble gas. Currently, there is increasing interest in noble gases as novel treatments for various brain injuries. In recent years, neuroprotection elicited by particular noble gases, xenon, for example, has been reported under different conditions. In this article, we have reviewed the latest in vitro and in vivo experimental and clinical studies of the actions of xenon, argon, and helium, and discuss their potential use as neuroprotective agents.

[Effective Dose of Prophylactic Norepinephrine for Preventing Hypotension under Combined Spinal and Epidural Anesthesia during Cesarean Section in Singleton Versus Twin Pregnancies].

Objective: To determine and compare the 90% effective dose (ED 90) of prophylactic infusion of norepinephrine for preventing hypotension during combined spinal-epidural anesthesia for cesarean section in singleton versus twin pregnancies. Methods: A randomized controlled trial was conducted, enrolling 200 pregnant women, 100 of which were of singleton pregnancies while the other 100 were of twin pregnancies, at West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University between November 3, 2020 and June 2, 2021. All 200 subjects were to have Cesarean section under combined spinal-epidural anesthesia. By using a random number table, they were randomly assigned to five groups, receiving norepinephrine at the infusion dosage of 0.025, 0.050, 0.075, 0.100, and 0.125 µg/(kg·min), with 20 subjects of singleton pregnancy and 20 subjects of twin pregnancy in each group. Norepinephrine infusion started when the anesthesiologist initiated the spinal anesthetic injection and lasted until the delivery of the fetus. The primary outcome measure was the incidence of maternal hypotension during combined spinal-epidural anesthesia, up until the delivery of the fetus. Survival analysis, with survival being defined as not having hypotension, of the incidence of hypotension among the subjects was conducted. Probit regression was used to determine the ED 90 of norepinephrine, as well as the corresponding 95% confidence interval ( CI), for preventing hypotension during cesarean delivery under combined spinal-epidural anesthesia in women with singleton and twin pregnancies. Results: There was no significant difference in the baseline data or the anesthesia and operation data between pregnant women of singleton pregnancy and those of twin pregnancy ( P>0.05). In singleton pregnant women receiving 0.025, 0.05, 0.075, 0.1 and 0.125 µg/(kg·min) of norepinephrine, the incidence of hypotension was 50% (10/20), 35% (7/20), 20% (4/20), 10% (2/20) and 5% (1/20), respectively. The estimated ED 90 of prophylactic norepinephrine for preventing hypotension during anesthesia was 0.100 (95% CI, 0.082-0.130) µg/(kg·min). In twin pregnant women receiving 0.025, 0.05, 0.075, 0.1 and 0.125 µg/(kg·min) of norepinephrine, the corresponding incidence of hypotension was 60% (12/20), 20% (4/20), 20% (4/20), 10% (2/20) and 5% (1/20). The estimated ED 90 of norepinephrine for preventing hypotension during anesthesia was 0.098 (95% CI, 0.080-0.127) µg/(kg·min). Survival analysis showed significant difference in the incidence of hypotension among the five groups receiving different infusion doses in singleton pregnancy subjects, and the same is true of the twin pregnancy subjects ( P<0.05). The incidence of reactive hypertension increased with increasing dosage of norepinephrine in both singleton pregnancy subjects and twin pregnancy subjects ( P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the incidence of other maternal adverse reaction or in neonatal outcomes in singleton and twin pregnancy subjects receiving different dosage of norepinephrine ( P>0.05). The gestational weeks, weight, and BMI were significantly different ( P<0.05), while the other characteristics, including age and height, were comparable ( P>0.05) between singleton and twin pregnancy subjects receiving norepinephrine at the same dosage. There was no significant difference in the incidence of hypotension, reactive hypertension, bradycardia, nausea and vomiting, and dizziness between singleton and twin pregnancy subjects receiving the same dose ( P>0.05). Survival analysis displayed no significant difference in the incidence of hypotension between singleton and twin pregnancy subjects receiving norepinephrine at the same dosage ( P>0.05). There was no significant difference in the ED 90 of norepinephrine between women with singleton pregnancies and those with twin pregnancies ( P>0.05). Conclusion: There was no significant difference in the ED 90 of norepinephrine for preventing hypotension during combined spinal-epidural anesthesia between women with singleton pregnancy and those with twin pregnancy. Interference of other factors, including gestational age, body mass, and BMI should be considered in clinical practice.

Ferroptosis-related gene signature predicts prognosis in kidney renal papillary cell carcinoma.

Ferroptosis, an iron-dependent form of selective cell death, is involved in the development of many cancers. However, the role of ferroptosis-related genes (FRGs) in kidney renal papillary cell carcinoma (KIRP) is unclear. In this study, we examined the mRNA expression profiles and clinical data of patients with KIRP from the TCGA cohort. Consequently, 41 differentially-expressed FRGs were screened using the limma package, and 17 prognostic-related FRGs were identified by survival analysis and univariate Cox regression analyses. Thereafter, a ferroptosis-related gene prognostic index (FRGPI) was constructed based on five FRGs (AKR1C3, SAT1, FANCD2, HSBP1 and SQLE), using lasso Cox and multivariate Cox regression analyses. KIRP patients with high FRGPI scores displayed worse outcomes. Furthermore, the FRGPI was shown to be a reliable independent prognostic factor in both the training and testing cohorts. Comprehensive analysis also showed that the FRGPI can distinguish gene mutation, functional enrichment of immune cells and molecular function-related pathways. Interestingly, low FRGPI score could be more benefit from immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) therapy. Then, the two hub prognostic genes (AKR1C3 and FANCD2) as a risk gene for KIRP were identified based on the FRGPI module, and the expression profiles of these two genes were validated using human KIRP cells, besides, we furthermore discovered that Fancd2 is significantly up-regulated in most cancers and is associated with prognosis. In conclusion, these findings showed that FRGPI can accurately predict the prognosis of patients with KIRP, suggesting that this risk model is a promising prognostic biomarker for these patients. Moreover, targeting ferroptosis (FANCD2) could be a potential therapeutic alternative for various cancers.

Dural puncture epidural versus conventional epidural analgesia for labor: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled studies.

Dural puncture epidural (DPE) technique is a modification of the conventional epidural (EP) technique in that the dura is intentionally punctured with a spinal needle but without any spinal injection. This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the benefits and risks associated with the DPE technique for labor analgesia. Randomized trials comparing DPE analgesia with EP analgesia for labor pain relief were systematically searched in the database of Medline, Embase, Cochrane Controlled Trials Register, Web of Science, and China Biology Medicine till 1st August 2021. The primary outcome was the percentage of patients with satisfactory pain relief following DPE or EP analgesia, which was defined as visual analog scale (VAS) pain scores ≤ 3/10 (or 30/100) measured 10 min and 20 min after initiation of labor analgesia. Totally ten trials with 1099 patients were included in this review. DPE technique increased the percentage of patients with VAS pain score ≤ 3/10 (or 30/100) both at 10 min (RR 1.43; 95% CI 1.17, 1.74; p < 0.001; I2 = 0%) and 20 min (RR 1.13; 95% CI 1.04, 1.22; p = 0.005; I2 = 0%) after labor analgesia. No adverse event was found with DPE analgesia. We conclude that compared with EP analgesia, DPE analgesia is beneficial for labor pain relief by shortening the time to achieve satisfactory pain control. Meanwhile, DPE analgesia is not associated with increased adverse maternal/fetal events.

Topical use of olive oil preparation to prevent radiodermatitis: results of a prospective study in nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients.

BACKGROUND: Radiodermatitis is a common side effect of radiotherapy. However, an effective method for the prevention of radiodermatitis has not yet been identified. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of topical olive oil in the prevention of acute radiodermatitis in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) who were undergoing concurrent chemoradiotherapy. METHODS: A prospective study was conducted in patients with NPC. The patients were randomized into the intervention (n = 47) and control (n = 47) groups. Patients in the control group were treated with a general skin care regimen (placebo), whereas patients in the intervention group were treated with olive oil thrice daily for 7 weeks during chemoradiotherapy and for two weeks thereafter. On a weekly basis for a total duration of 9 weeks, a blinded observer assessed the severity of dermatitis, which was graded from 0 to 4 according to the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) criteria and the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) score. RESULTS: Mild reactions due to radiation (grades I and II) occurred in 93.6% of the intervention group and in 72.3% of the control group. Patients in the intervention group encountered significantly less severe dermatitis during chemoradiotherapy compared with patients in the control group (P < 0.01). A multivariate analysis revealed that the use of olive oil (P < 0.01) was significantly associated with a decrease in skin injuries. CONCLUSIONS: The prophylactic use of olive oil was associated with a significant decrease in the intensity of acute dermatitis in NPC patients. The results of this trial indicate that olive oil holds promise as a safe and effective prophylactic treatment for radiodermatitis.

Application of new packing material in endoscopic nasal surgery.

OBJECTIVE: To show the efficacy and comfort of pneumatic bag packing after the endoscopic nasal surgery. Pneumatic bag packing may be recommendable in terms of comfort and efficacy after endoscopic nasal surgery. Significant findings: There were statistical significant differences between the pneumatic bag packing and the expansive sponge packing regarding subjective symptoms and objective findings after surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Pneumatic bag packing may be recommendable in terms of comfort and efficacy after endoscopic nasal surgery.

Age is a critical risk factor for severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (SFTS) is an emerging infectious disease in East Asia. SFTS is a tick borne hemorrhagic fever caused by SFTSV, a new bunyavirus named after the syndrome. We investigated the epidemiology of SFTS in Laizhou County, Shandong Province, China. METHODS: We collected serum specimens of all patients who were clinically diagnosed as suspected SFTS cases in 2010 and 2011 in Laizhou County. The patients' serum specimens were tested for SFTSV by real time fluorescence quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR). We collected 1,060 serum specimens from healthy human volunteers by random sampling in Laizhou County in 2011. Healthy persons' serum specimens were tested for specific SFTSV IgG antibody by ELISA. RESULTS: 71 SFTS cases were diagnosed in Laizhou County in 2010 and 2011, which resulted in the incidence rate of 4.1/100,000 annually. The patients ranged from 15 years old to 87 years old and the median age of the patients were 59 years old. The incidence rate of SFTS was significantly higher in patients over 40 years old and fatal cases only occurred in patients over 50 years old. 3.3% (35/1,060) of healthy people were positive to SFTSV IgG antibody. The SFTSV antibody positive rate was not significantly different among people at different age groups. CONCLUSION: Our results revealed that seroprevalence of SFTSV in healthy people in Laizhou County was not significantly different among age groups, but SFTS patients were mainly elderly people, suggesting that age is the critical risk factor or determinant for SFTS morbidity and mortality.

A cross-sectional survey of severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus infection of domestic animals in Laizhou City, Shandong Province, China.

A serosurvey of severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTSV) infection in domestic animals was conducted in the rural areas of Laizhou City, Shandong Province, China to determine strategies for control and prevention of SFTS. Serum samples were collected from cattle, goats, dogs, pigs, and chickens and antibodies against SFTSV were detected by double-antigen sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Of 641 serum samples, the SFTSV seropositive rate was 41.8% (268/641): 74.8%, 57.1%, 52.1%, 35.9%, and 0%, for goats, cattle, dogs, chickens, and pigs, respectively. We also found that the SFTSV seropositive rates were high among the aged cattle, goats, dogs, and chickens. SFTSV infections existed among cattle, goats, dogs, and chickens in Laizhou City, and goats had the highest seroprevalence. SFTSV seroprevalence increased with an increase in age among animals. To control of animal infestation with ticks may prevent human SFTSV infections.

Identification and comparative analysis of low phosphate tolerance-associated microRNAs in two maize genotypes.

Low phosphate (Pi) availability is a major constraint on maize growth and productivity. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are known to play critical roles in plant responses to various environmental conditions. The identification of low Pi tolerance-associated miRNAs will accelerate the development of Pi starvation tolerant maize plants. However, miRNAs associated with low Pi tolerance have not been identified. In this study, we compared deep sequencing small RNA reads from two maize genotypes, the wild type, Qi319, and the low Pi tolerant mutant, 99038, under normal and low Pi conditions. Six known miRNA families and seven novel miRNAs were found differently expressed by the two genotypes. All these miRNAs were confirmed by sequencing a second batch of small RNA libraries constructed in the same way as those used in the first sequencing. The expression profiles of some of these miRNAs were further confirmed by real-time PCR. The predicted target genes of the low Pi tolerance-associated miRNAs were involved in root development or stress responses. Expression levels of some of target genes were significantly different between Qi319 and 99038. These findings suggested that miRNAs may play important roles in low Pi tolerance in maize and may be a key factor in determining the level of low Pi tolerance in different maize genotypes. This study provides an approach for identifying low Pi tolerance-associated miRNAs and can help in the selection and manipulation of high performing maize genotypes under low Pi conditions.

Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus among domesticated animals, China.

To investigate the infections of severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTSV) in domesticated animals, we sampled a total of 3,039 animals in 2 counties in Shandong Province, People's Republic of China, from April to November 2011. SFTSV-specific antibodies were detected in 328 (69.5%) of 472 sheep, 509 (60.5%) of 842 cattle, 136 (37.9%) of 359 dogs, 26 (3.1%) of 839 pigs, and 250 (47.4%) of 527 chickens. SFTSV RNA was detected in all sampled animal species, but the prevalence was low, ranging from 1.7% to 5.3%. A cohort study in 38 sheep was conducted to determine when seroconversion to SFTSV occured. SFTSVs were isolated from sheep, cattle, and dogs and shared >95% sequence homology with human isolates from the same disease-endemic regions. These findings demonstrate that natural infections of SFTSV occur in several domesticated animal hosts in disease-endemic areas and that the virus has a wide host range.

[The infection status and epidemic rule of new bunia virus in the livestock and poultry in hilly area of Jiaodong peninsula].

OBJECTIVE: To understand the infection status and epidemic rule of new bunia virus in the livestock and poultry which are closely related with humans such as sheep, cattle, dogs, pigs and chicken in the hilly area of Jiaodong peninsula in Shandong province. METHODS: Penglai and Laizhou in the hilly area of Jiaodong peninsula in Shandong province where severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome cases occurred in 2010 were selected as experimental sites. During April to November in 2011, serum specimens of the sheep, cattle, dogs, pigs and chicken with ticks in endemic area were randomly collected by random number table.5 ml venous blood was collected in each livestocks or poultries and there were total 3576 samples.New bunia virus antibody in different species of livestocks or poultries serum was continuously detected using double antigen sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and the infection rates of new bunia virus between different species of livestocks or poultries and between Penglai and Laizhou were analyzed using chi-square test. RESULTS: Test results in 3576 samples of livestocks or poultries serum specimen showed that the infection rate was as high as 63% (636/1013) in sheep, 53% (444/841)in cattle, 46% (242/530) in chicken, 29% (104/362)in the dogs, and 1% (12/830) in pigs. There were significant differences of new bunia virus infection among different species (χ(2) = 815.26, P < 0.05).In Penglai, the infection rate was as high as 71% (400/563) in sheep, 57% (232/409)in cattle, 35% (93/266) in chicken, 44% (796/1819)in total, while in Laizhou, the infection rate was 53% (236/450)in sheep, 49% (212/432)in cattle, 56% (149/264)in chicken, 36% (642/1757)in total, their difference was statistically significant(χ(2) values were 37.04, 4.93, 24.63, 19.38, all P values were < 0.05).Infection rates of dogs and pigs showed no obvious fluctuation.However, there were two peaks of infection in sheep in summer and autumn, the infection rate was as high as 62% (68/110) in June and 86% (204/236) in November;There were two peaks of infection in cattle in spring and autumn, the infection rate was as high as 56% (53/94) in April and 73% (116/159) in November; there was only one peak of infection in chicken, the infection rate was as high as 65% (55/85) in September. CONCLUSION: The infection rate is higher in sheep, cattle, chickens and dogs in the hilly area of Jiaodong peninsula. The peak season is spring, summer and autumn.

Influence of water stress on endogenous hormone contents and cell damage of maize seedlings.

Phytohormones play critical roles in regulating plant responses to stress. We investigated the effects of water stress induced by adding 12% (w/v) polyethylene glycol to the root medium on the levels of abscisic acid (ABA), indole-3-acid (IAA), zeatin (ZT), and gibberellin(3) (GA(3)) in maize leaves. The results suggested that water stress had significant effects on the four hormone levels. There was a transient increase in the IAA content during the initial stage of adaptation to water stress in maize leaves, but it dropped sharply thereafter in response to water stress. ABA content increased dramatically in maize leaves after 24 h of exposure to water stress, and then the high levels of ABA were maintained to the end. The contents of ZT and GA(3) rapidly declined in maize leaves subjected to water stress. The effects of water stress on chlorophyll content, electrolyte leakage and malondialdehyde levels in maize leaves were also studied. The variation of cell damage was negatively correlated with ZT and GA(3) levels in maize leaves under water stress. Thus, we explored the roles of ZT and GA(3) on the growth of maize seedlings under water stress by exogenous application. It is possible that both ZT and GA(3) were effective in protecting maize seedlings from water stress, which would be of great importance for the improvement of drought tolerance in maize by genetic manipulation.

Enhanced expression of phospholipase C 1 (ZmPLC1) improves drought tolerance in transgenic maize.

Phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C (PI-PLC) plays an important role in a variety of physiological processes in plants, including drought tolerance. It has been reported that the ZmPLC1 gene cloned from maize (Zea mays L.) encoded a PI-PLC and up-regulated the expression in maize roots under dehydration conditions (Zhai SM, Sui ZH, Yang AF, Zhang JR in Biotechnol Lett 27:799-804, 2005). In this paper, transgenic maize expressing ZmPLC1 transgenes in sense or antisense orientation were generated by Agrobacterium-mediated transformation and confirmed by Southern blot analysis. High-level expression of the transgene was confirmed by real-time RT-PCR and PI-PLC activity assay. The tolerance to drought stress (DS) of the homogenous transgenic maize plants was investigated at two developmental stages. The results demonstrated that, under DS conditions, the sense transgenic plants had higher relative water content, better osmotic adjustment, increased photosynthesis rates, lower percentage of ion leakage and less lipid membrane peroxidation, higher grain yield than the WT; whereas those expressing the antisense transgene exhibited inferior characters compared with the WT. It was concluded that enhanced expression of sense ZmPLC1 improved the drought tolerance of maize.

[Expression and significance of nuclear factor-kappa B ligand and correlation factor in the tissue of otitis media with cholesteatoma].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the expressions of nuclear factor-kappa B ligand (RANKL), receptor activator of nuclear factor-kappa B(RANK)and osteoprotegerin (OPG) and the relation of RANKL with bone- erosion in human cholesteatoma tissue. METHOD: Thirty cholesteatoma and twenty normal auditory canal skin specimens were investigated. The expressions of RANKL, RANK and OPG were examined by immunohistochemistry. RESULT: The overexpressions of the cytokine RANKL and RANK were found in infiltrated lymphocytes in the cholesteatoma tissue comparing with normal external meatal skin( t = 7. 758,6. 482, P <0. 05); While, the expression of OPG was significantly higher in cholesteatoma tissue comparing with normal external meatal skin. the OPG/ RANKL was decreased in cholesteatoma tissue comparing with normal external meatal skin( t = 8. 183, P < 0. 05). CONCLUSION: This study revealed that the expressions level of RANKL and RANK were markedly increased in the perimatrix of cholesteatoma, which is closely related to the bone- erosion induced by cholesteatoma.