Visual impairment and blindness caused by retinal diseases: A nationwide register-based study.

Background: Retinal disorders cause substantial visual burden globally. Accurate estimates of the vision loss due to retinal diseases are pivotal to inform optimal eye health care planning and allocation of medical resources. The purpose of this study is to describe the proportion of visual impairment and blindness caused by major retinal diseases in China. Methods: A nationwide register-based study of vitreoretinal disease covering all 31 provinces (51 treating centres) of mainland China. A total of 28 320 adults diagnosed with retinal diseases were included. Participants underwent standardised ocular examinations, which included best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), dilated-fundus assessments, and optical coherence tomography. Visual impairment and blindness are defined using BCVA according to the World Health Organization (WHO) (visual impairment: <20/63-≥20/400; blindness: <20/400) and the United States (visual impairment: <20/40-≥20/200; blindness: <20/200) definitions. The risk factors of vision loss were explored by logistic regression analyses. Results: Based on the WHO definitions, the proportions for unilateral visual impairment and blindness were 46% and 18%, respectively, whereas those for bilateral visual impairment and blindness were 31% and 3.3%, respectively. Diabetic retinopathy (DR) accounts for the largest proportion of patients with visual impairment (unilateral visual impairment: 32%, bilateral visual impairment: 60%) and blindness (unilateral blindness: 35%; bilateral blindness: 64%). Other retinal diseases that contributed significantly to vision loss included age-related macular degeneration, myopic maculopathy, retinal vein occlusion, and rhegmatogenous retinal detachment and other macular diseases. Women (bilateral vision loss: P = 0.011), aged patients (unilateral vision loss: 45-64 years: P < 0.001, ≥65 years: P < 0.001; bilateral vision loss: 45-64 years: P = 0.003, ≥65 years: P < 0.001 (reference: 18-44 years)) and those from Midwest China (unilateral and bilateral vision loss: both P < 0.001) were more likely to suffer from vision loss. Conclusions: Retinal disorders cause substantial visual burden among patients with retinal diseases in China. DR, the predominant retinal disease, is accountable for the most prevalent visual disabilities. Better control of diabetes and scaled-up screenings are warranted to prevent DR. Specific attention should be paid to women, aged patients, and less developed regions.

Long non-coding RNA LINC00240 promotes gastric cancer progression via modulating miR-338-5p/METTL3 axis.

Gastric cancer (GC) is a common cancer with high incidence. Understanding the epidemiology and physiopathology of GC is crucial for formulating novel therapeutic strategies. Recent studies have implicated long non-coding RNA LINC00240, miR-338-5p and methyltransferase-like 3 (METTL3) in the progression of GC. In this study, we investigated the functional role of LINC00240/miR-338-5p/METTL3 axis in regulating the aggressiveness of GC cells. We first demonstrated that LINC00240 was upregulated in GC tissues and GC cell lines. High expression of LINC00240 was associated with advanced TNM stage, a higher extent of distant metastasis and lymph nodes metastasis, and the poor overall and disease-free survival of the patients. In GC cell lines, the knockdown of LINC00240 inhibited GC cell proliferation and migration, but induced cell apoptosis. We further identified and validated the functional interaction between LINC00240 and miR-338-5p. miR-338-5p seemed to function as a downstream target negatively regulated by LINC00240, and miR-338-5p could target METTL3 at 3' UTR to downregulate its expression. In GC tissues, the expression of miR-338-5p was negatively correlated with LINC00240, and the expression of miR-338-5p was negatively correlated with METTL3. Importantly, miR-338-5p inhibitor or METTL3 overexpression could rescue the inhibitory effect of LINC00240 knockdown on cell proliferation and migration, and inhibit the apoptosis induction in GC cells. Taken together, our data imply that the upregulation of LINC00240 in GC cells promotes the malignant phenotype by modulating miR-338-5p/METTL3 axis, which could serve as potential therapeutic targets for GC treatment.

Formosanin C attenuates lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammation through nuclear factor-κB inhibition in macrophages.

Extended inflammation and cytokine production pathogenically contribute to a number of inflammatory disorders. Formosanin C (FC) is the major diosgenin saponin found in herb Paris formosana Hayata (Liliaceae), which has been shown to exert anti-cancer and immunomodulatory functions. In this study, we aimed to investigate anti-inflammatory activity of FC and the underlying molecular mechanism. RAW264.7 macrophages were stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or pretreated with FC prior to being stimulated with LPS. Thereafter, the macrophages were subjected to analysis of the expression levels of pro-inflammatory mediators, including nitric oxide (NO), prostaglandin E2 (PGE), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß), and IL-6, as well as two relevant enzymes, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2). The analysis revealed that FC administration blunted LPS-induced production of NO and PGE in a dose-dependent manner, while the expression of iNOS and COX-2 at both mRNA and protein levels was inhibited in LPS-stimulated macrophages pre-treated with FC. Moreover, LPS stimulation upregulated mRNA expression and medium release of TNF-α, IL-1ß, and IL- 6, whereas this effect was blocked upon FC pre-administration. Mechanistic studies showed that inhibitory effects of FC on LPS-induced inflammation were associated with a downregulation of IκB kinase, IκB, and p65/NF-κB pathway. Taken together, these data suggest that FC possesses an inflammation-suppressing activity, thus being a potential agent for the treatment of inflammation-associated disorders.

The Relationship Between Helicobacter pylori and Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

BACKGROUND: Helicobacter pylori may have a protective effect against inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). We integrated epidemiological data to identify the correlation between IBD and H. pylori. Moreover, we analyzed whether IBD medication and classification affect H. pylori, and whether eradication of H. pylori leads to recurrence of IBD. METHODS: Articles published up to May 1, 2019, in three main databases including PubMed, MEDLINE and Embase, were searched. Study types included cross-sectional studies, retrospective studies and perspective studies, and data were combined and analyzed. Spearman correlation analysis and meta-analysis were performed after collecting and collating the relevant data. Sensitivity analysis and meta-regression were used to evaluate reliability and heterogeneity. RESULTS: Fifty-nine studies on IBD prevalence, 127 studies on H. pylori prevalence, and 23 studies for meta-analysis were included. IBD, ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD) were negatively correlated to H. pylori prevalence (all P<0.001). The meta-analysis results showed that compared to controls, the odds of having H. pylori infection were 0.44, 0.36, 0.54 for IBD, CD and UC, respectively (OR=0.44, 95% CI=0.34-0.59; OR=0.36, 95% CI=0.26-0.49; OR=0.54, 95% CI=0.4-0.72). Moreover, IBD patients were 1.41 times (OR=1.41, 95% CI=1.25-1.58) more likely to relapse after eradication of H. pylori. Finally, H. pylori infection was not related to IBD medication and classification. CONCLUSION: H. pylori prevalence was negatively correlated to IBD and H. pylori had a protective effect against IBD. Furthermore, eradication of H. pylori can lead to recurrence of IBD.

Effect of vitamin D deficiency on spontaneous peritonitis in cirrhosis: a meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Few studies have reported the relationship between spontaneous peritonitis in cirrhosis and vitamin D, and the result is not very convincing. AIM: To conduct a meta-analysis to clarify the relationship between vitamin D and spontaneous peritonitis. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Articles published up to 1 October 2019 in the PubMed, Medline, and Embase databases were searched. According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, relevant statistical data were extracted and analysed by STATA. RESULTS: Six articles met the inclusion criteria. It was demonstrated that the average 25(OH)D level in spontaneous peritonitis patients was 2.36 less than that in control individuals (SMD = -2.36, 95% CI: -3.92, -0.8, I 2 = 97.2%, p < 0.01). Moreover, it found that spontaneous peritonitis patients were 4.33 times more likely to be vitamin D deficient than controls (OR = 4.33, 95% CI: 1.57, 11.93, I 2 = 50.1%, p = 0.111). Sensitivity analysis showed that the meta-analysis results were stable and reliable. CONCLUSIONS: Vitamin D may be an importantly protective factor in spontaneous peritonitis.

A meta-analysis on the diagnostic performance of magnetic resonance imaging and transient elastography in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

BACKGROUND: Noninvasive methods have been used for the assessment of hepatic steatosis in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The aim was to assess the efficacy and accuracy of both magnetic resonance imaging(MRI) and transient elastography(TE) for the evaluation of hepatic steatosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, MEDLINE and Web of Science databases were searched to retrieve studies examining the accuracy of MRI-proton density fat fraction(PDFF) and TE-controlled attenuation parameter(CAP) for evaluating the grading of steatosis(S0-S3) diagnosed by liver biopsy in NAFLD. We compared the sensitivity, specificity, hierarchical summary receiver operating characteristic curves(HSROC) and clinical utility of these methods. RESULTS: Twenty-four articles with a total of 2979 patients with NAFLD were included. The steatosis distribution was 8.1%/35.1%/32.2%/24.6% for S0/S1/S2/S3. For the diagnostic accuracy of MRI-PDFF, the HSROCs were 0.97 for ≥S1, 0.91 for ≥S2 and 0.90 for ≥S3. For the diagnostic accuracy of TE-based CAP, the HSROCs were 0.85 for ≥S1, 0.83 for ≥S2 and 0.79 for ≥S3. Following a 'positive' measurement (over the threshold value) for ≥S1, the corresponding post-test probabilities of PDFF and CAP for the presence of steatosis were 82% and 61%, respectively, when the pretest probability was 24%. If the values were below these thresholds ('negative' results), the post-test probabilities were 3% and 7%. CONCLUSION: MRI-PDFF and TE-CAP both provide highly accurate noninvasive approaches for quantifying and staging hepatic steatosis in NAFLD. Compared with TE-CAP, MRI-PDFF is significantly more accurate for evaluating dichotomized grades of steatosis.

Effects of tacrolimus on the TGF­ß1/SMAD signaling pathway in paraquat­exposed rat alveolar type II epithelial cells.

Paraquat is a highly toxic pesticide, which often causes pulmonary interstitial fibrosis after poisoning, and there is no specific antidote. At present, limited studies have reported that tacrolimus, as an immunosuppressant, can inhibit pulmonary fibrosis, but the specific mechanism remains unknown. The aim of the present study was to demonstrate the effect of tacrolimus on the TGF­ß1 pathway associated with pulmonary fibrosis in paraquat exposed alveolar type II epithelial cells, and to identify the antipulmonary fibrosis mechanism of tacrolimus The rat alveolar epithelial type II RLE­6TN cell line was exposed to paraquat and treated with or without tacrolimus for 24 h, or with a TGF­ß1 receptor type I/II inhibitor (LY2109761) for 1, 4, 8 or 16 h. MTT assays were used to detect the viability of rat alveolar type II epithelial cells under these different treatment conditions, while the concentrations of TGF­ß1, SMAD3, SMAD7 and connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) in the cell culture supernatant were determined using ELISAs. Additionally, reverse transcription­quantitative PCR and immunofluorescence were used to analyze the mRNA and protein expression levels of TGF­ß1, SMAD3, CTGF and SMAD7. The results demonstrated that the inhibition of the proliferation of RLE­6TN cells exposed to 200 nmol/l paraquat was 26.05±2.99%. The inhibition rate of 10 ng/ml tacrolimus on paraquat­exposed alveolar type II epithelial cells was 18.40±3.49%. The inhibition rate caused by 5 µmol/l LY2109761 was 26.56±4.49%. The expression levels of TGF­ß1, SMAD3 and CTGF, as well as their concentrations in the culture supernatant, were significantly downregulated in the tacrolimus group compared with the paraquat group. However, both the concentration and expression levels of SMAD7 were significantly upregulated in the tacrolimus group compared with the paraquat group. In conclusion, tacrolimus can reduce the levels of TGF­ß1, SMAD3 and CTGF, increase the level of SMAD7 in TGF­ß1 signaling pathway and protect the development of pulmonary fibrosis in paraquat exposed alveolar epithelial cells.

Platelets can reflect the severity of Crohn's disease without the effect of anemia.

OBJECTIVES: Anemia and changes in platelets (PLT) are common in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). In our study, we aimed to verify whether PLT count can independently reflect the severity of IBD. METHODS: In our hospital, 137 Crohn's Disease (CD), 69 Ulcerative colitis (UC) patients, and 412 healthy controls were included to compare the differences in PLT count. In addition, the effect of anemia, C-reactive protein (CRP), age, CD activity index (CDAI) or Mayo on PLTs was also analyzed. If PLTs independently affected CD or UC, we used the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve to verify the diagnostic value and obtain the cut-off value of PLT. RESULTS: CD and UC patients had higher PLT than controls (p<0.001, p<0.001; respectively). In CD patients, the results showed that patients with anemia (P<0.01), Iron Deficiency Anemia (IDA) (p<0.001), CRP≥8 mg/L (p=0.046), and CDAI≥150 (p<0.001) had higher PLT, while in UC patients, those with anemia (p=0.018), CRP≥8 mg/L (p=0.045), and Mayo≥3 (p=0.029) had higher PLT. Univariate analysis showed that CDAI was positively correlated with PLT count (p<0.001), while hemoglobin (p=0.001) and age (p<0.001) were negatively correlated with PLT in CD. In UC patients, Mayo (p=0.001) and CRP (p<0.001) were positively correlated with PLT, while hemoglobin (p=0.002) was negatively correlated. Finally, by linear stepwise multivariate analysis, we clarified the positive relationship between PLT and CD (p<0.001) by eliminating the interference of hemoglobin, and determined the cut-off value of PLT as 298×109/L. For UC, we did not obtain similar results. CONCLUSIONS: PLT can be an indicator of disease severity in CD, while there is a lack of evidence regarding this finding in UC.

Estimation of a New Canopy Structure Parameter for Rice Using Smartphone Photography.

The objective of this study was to develop a low-cost method for rice growth information obtained quickly using digital images taken with smartphone. A new canopy parameter, namely, the canopy volume parameter (CVP), was proposed and developed for rice using the leaf area index (LAI) and plant height (PH). Among these parameters, the CVP was selected as an optimal parameter to characterize rice yields during the growth period. Rice canopy images were acquired with a smartphone. Image feature parameters were extracted, including the canopy cover (CC) and numerous vegetation indices (VIs), before and after image segmentation. A rice CVP prediction model in which the CC and VIs served as independent variables was established using a random forest (RF) regression algorithm. The results revealed the following. The CVP was better than the LAI and PH for predicting the final yield. And a CVP prediction model constructed according to a local modelling method for distinguishing different types of rice varieties was the most accurate (coefficient of determination (R2) = 0.92; root mean square error (RMSE) = 0.44). These findings indicate that digital images can be used to track the growth of crops over time and provide technical support for estimating rice yields.

Characteristics and prognosis of isolated small-bowel Crohn's disease.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies suggest that Crohn's disease (CD) with both small bowel and colon involvement is more serious than colonic CD. However, clinical features of isolated small-bowel CD have not been fully investigated. METHODS: In this retrospective case-control study, 89 patients were divided into two groups according to capsule endoscopy, ileocolonoscopy, and enhanced computed tomography results. The case group was isolated small-bowel CD (n = 50) and the control group was CD with both small bowel and colon involvement (n = 39). We collected data of the patients and analyze it. RESULTS: In univariate analysis, isolated small-bowel CD group had higher percentage of stricture, Lewis score, platelet, plateletcrit and lower Harvey-Bradshaw index, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, and erythrocyte sedimentation rate. In multivariable analysis, it had lower Harvey-Bradshaw index (p = 0.000), which meaned relatively mild symptoms. However, it had higher Lewis score (p = 0.007), which meaned more serious small-bowel inflammation. The Kaplan-Meier survival curve also suggested that isolated small-bowel CD patients were more likely to accept partial small intestinal resection surgery (p = 0.029). CONCLUSIONS: Isolated small-bowel CD is easily overlooked for milder clinical symptoms and relatively limited lessions, but severe small-bowel histological injury results in owing worse clinical outcomes. Clinicians should pay more attention to the isolated small-bowel CD and take aggressive intervention during therapy.

Platelets can reflect the severity of Crohns disease without the effect of anemia

OBJECTIVES: Anemia and changes in platelets (PLT) are common in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). In our study, we aimed to verify whether PLT count can independently reflect the severity of IBD. METHODS: In our hospital, 137 Crohn's Disease (CD), 69 Ulcerative colitis (UC) patients, and 412 healthy controls were included to compare the differences in PLT count. In addition, the effect of anemia, C-reactive protein (CRP), age, CD activity index (CDAI) or Mayo on PLTs was also analyzed. If PLTs independently affected CD or UC, we used the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve to verify the diagnostic value and obtain the cut-off value of PLT. RESULTS: CD and UC patients had higher PLT than controls (p<0.001, p<0.001; respectively). In CD patients, the results showed that patients with anemia (P<0.01), Iron Deficiency Anemia (IDA) (p<0.001), CRP≥8 mg/L (p=0.046), and CDAI≥150 (p<0.001) had higher PLT, while in UC patients, those with anemia (p=0.018), CRP≥8 mg/L (p=0.045), and Mayo≥3 (p=0.029) had higher PLT. Univariate analysis showed that CDAI was positively correlated with PLT count (p<0.001), while hemoglobin (p=0.001) and age (p<0.001) were negatively correlated with PLT in CD. In UC patients, Mayo (p=0.001) and CRP (p<0.001) were positively correlated with PLT, while hemoglobin (p=0.002) was negatively correlated. Finally, by linear stepwise multivariate analysis, we clarified the positive relationship between PLT and CD (p<0.001) by eliminating the interference of hemoglobin, and determined the cut-off value of PLT as 298×109/L. For UC, we did not obtain similar results. CONCLUSIONS: PLT can be an indicator of disease severity in CD, while there is a lack of evidence regarding this finding in UC.

A semi-dominant mutation in a CC-NB-LRR-type protein leads to a short-root phenotype in rice.

The mechanisms of plant defense against pathogen attack in plant leaves have been extensively studied. However, our understanding of plant defense mechanisms in plant roots is still limited. In this study, a semi-dominant mutant nrtp1-D (necrotic root tip 1), with a short-root phenotype, was characterized in rice. Map-based cloning revealed that NRTP1 encoded a typical coiled-coil nucleotide binding leucine rich repeat (CC-NB-LRR) type protein and the mutation caused an amino acid substitution in the Nucleotide-Binding adaptor shared by Apaf1, certain R genes and CED4 (NB-ARC) domain, which may cause constitutive auto-activation of the NRTP1 protein. Gene expression analysis revealed that NRTP1 was preferentially expressed in rice roots. Expression of mutant nrtp1-D in tobacco leaves induced necrotic lesions, which indicated a common mechanism of plant defense response between leaves and roots. Transcriptome analysis revealed that many typical defense-response genes were differentially expressed in homozygous nrtp1-D. In addition, we also found differential expression of genes in pathways which had not previously been described as being associated with pathogen response. Histochemical analysis showed that the level of nitric oxide (NO), but not reactive oxygen species (ROS), was increased in homozygous nrtp1-D mutant roots. These results indicate that, in addition to the mechanism of defense response common to both roots and shoots, a novel pathway may also exist in rice roots, which does not operate in shoots.

Polymorphisms in PEDF linked with the susceptibility to age-related macular degeneration: A case-control study.

To study the relationship between pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF) rs1136287, rs1894286 polymorphisms and the risk of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in northern Chinese populations.The study was carried out on case-control methods. Ninety-six patients with AMD and 98 health controls were recruited who were matched with the former by age and gender, rs1136287 and rs1894286 were genotyped by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (HWE) was also checked by χ test. The distribution frequencies of genotype, allele, and haplotype were calculated by direct counting method. The genotype, allele, and haplotype distribution differences between the case and control groups were analyzed by chi-square test, and odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) was used to express the relative risk of AMD in northern Chinese populations. The linkage disequilibrium (LD) and haplotype analyses were conducted with Haploview software.The genotype and allele distribution frequencies in rs1136287 were obviously between in cases and controls (P < .05). TT genotype might lead to 3.24 times risk of AMD occurrence compared with CC genotype (OR = 3.24, 95% CI = 1.26-8.32), and C allele also played an increased risk role in the attack of AMD (OR = 1.58, 95% CI = 1.06-2.38). The T-C haplotype frequency of rs1136287-rs1894286 in PEDF were significantly correlated to the increased susceptibility to AMD (OR = 1.57, 95% CI = 1.02-2.40).The rs1136287 polymorphism in PEDF may be related to the occurrence risk of AMD. Additionally, a haplotype is also a non-ignorable risk factor.

Risk of macular degeneration affected by polymorphisms in Matrix metalloproteinase-2: A case-control study in Chinese Han population.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the correlation of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in Matrix metalloproteinase -2 (MMP-2) gene and the risk of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in Chinese Han population.A total of 126 AMD patients and 141 healthy controls participated in this study. Genotypes of MMP-2 gene polymorphisms were identified by the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). χtest was used to detect the differences of genotypes and alleles frequencies between case and control groups. Relative risk of AMD was evaluated by odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs).Distribution of variant allele carriers (computed tomography + TT genotypes) of MMP-2 gene rs243865 SNP was significantly different between case and control groups, and might act as protective factors for the onset of AMD (P = .044, OR = 0.583, 95% CI = 0.344-0.987). Nevertheless, the T allele might reduce the AMD risk (P = .030, OR = 0.611, 95% CI = 0.390-0.956). However, no significant association existed between rs243865 and AMD risk in the subgroup analysis based on age. GA + AA genotypes of rs243866 SNP may associate with a decreased risk of AMD in the age≤65 years subgroup (P = .028, OR = 0.399, 95% CI = 0.174-0.915).MMP-2 gene rs243865 and rs243866 SNPs associated with the risk of AMD. Further studies should be performed to confirm the results.

[Effect of neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin on prognosis of patients with type 2 hepatorenal syndrome].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) on prognosis of patients with type 2 hepatorenal syndrome (HRS). METHODS: A total of 54 patients with type 2 HRS were included in the study, and stratified for analysis according to survival status at 6-month followup:survival group, n=25; death group, n=29. Single factor analysis was used to compare the betweengroup differences for levels of plasma NGAL, urine NGAL, renin, aldosterone, and blood biochemical indicators. The Cox proportional hazard regression model was used to assess the prognosis of patients with type 2 HRS. The F-test, t-test, chi-square test, Pearson's correlation analysis, and Cox regression model were used for the statistical analyses. RESULTS: The HRS patients with liver cirrhosis showed significantly lower levels of hemoglobin, platelets and albumin (all P < 0.05), but significantly higher international normalized ratio and levels of aspartate aminotransferase, alanine arninotransferase, total bilirubin, direct bilirubin, serum creatinine, plasma NGAL, urine NGAL, renin and aldosterone (all P < 0.05). Plasma NGAL and urine NGAL were positively correlated with renin, aldosterone, blood creatinine, MELD score, Child-Pugh score and ascites (P < 0.05). The patients in the 6-month survival group showed significantly lower levels of albumin, serum sodium, serum creatinine, plasma NGAL, urine NGAL, renin, and aldosterone than those in the death group (P < 0.05), but significantly higher glomerular filtration rate (vs. death group, P < 0.05). The Cox proportional hazard regression model showed that MELD, plasma NGAL, total bilirubin and creatinine were influencing factors of 6-month prognosis for patients with type 2 HRS (relative risk: 1.214, 1.157, 1.098 and 1.016 respectively). CONCLUSION: Plasma NGAL is high in patients with type 2 FHRS, and is associated with risk of death.

Paraquat poisoning by skin absorption: Two case reports and a literature review.

The present report describes two cases of paraquat poisoning by skin absorption. The cases involved contractual workers who were spraying paraquat in an orchard. Whilst spraying, some solution adhered to their skin. The skin developed erythema followed by blistering and hemorrhaging hemorrhagic diabrosis. Six days later the patients were admitted to the Department of Poisoning and Occupational Disease, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University (Jinan, China) with 3 and 2% total body surface area (TBSA) burns, respectively. Surgical debridement was performed and immunosuppressants were administered during the patients' treatment. The patients were treated successfully and had made a complete recovery following 21 days. From these cases it was examined how paraquat may cause skin injuries and occasionally poisoning. To the best of our knowledge, cases of paraquat poisoning are rare in China. A review of the relevant literature was performed.

Using bosentan to treat paraquat poisoning-induced acute lung injury in rats.

BACKGROUND: Paraquat poisoning is well known for causing multiple organ function failure (MODS) and high mortality. Acute lung injury and advanced pulmonary fibrosis are the most serious complications. Bosentan is a dual endothelin receptor antagonist. It plays an important role in treating PF. There is no related literature on the use of bosentan therapy for paraquat poisoning. OBJECTIVE: To study the use of bosentan to treat acute lung injury and pulmonary fibrosis as induced by paraquat. METHOD: A total of 120 adult Wister male rats were randomly assigned to three groups: the paraquat poisoning group (rats were intragastrically administered with paraquat at 50 mg/kg body weight once at the beginning); the bosentan therapy group (rats were administered bosentan at 100 mg/kg body weight by intragastric administration half an hour after paraquat was administered, then the same dose was administered once a day); and a control group (rats were administered intragastric physiological saline). On the 3rd, 7th, 14th, and 21st days following paraquat exposure, rats were sacrificed, and samples of lung tissue and venous blood were collected. The levels of transforming growth factor-ß1 (TGF-ß1), endothelin-1 (ET-1), and hydroxyproline (HYP) in the plasma and lung homogenate were determined. Optical and electronic microscopes were used to examine pathological changes. RESULT: The TGF-ß1, ET-1, and HYP of the paraquat poisoning group were significantly higher than in the control group, and they were significantly lower in the 21st day therapy group than in the paraquat poisoning group on the same day. Under the optical and electronic microscopes, lung tissue damage was observed to be more severe but was then reduced after bosentan was administered. CONCLUSION: Bosentan can reduce inflammation factor release. It has a therapeutic effect on acute lung injury as induced by paraquat.

OsCYP2, a chaperone involved in degradation of auxin-responsive proteins, plays crucial roles in rice lateral root initiation.

Auxin plays a pivotal role in many facets of plant development. It acts by inducing the interaction between auxin-responsive [auxin (AUX)/indole-3-acetic acid (IAA)] proteins and the ubiquitin protein ligase SCF(TIR) to promote the degradation of the AUX/IAA proteins. Other cofactors and chaperones that participate in auxin signaling remain to be identified. Here, we characterized rice (Oryza sativa) plants with mutations in a cyclophilin gene (OsCYP2). cyp2 mutants showed defects in auxin responses and exhibited a variety of auxin-related growth defects in the root. In cyp2 mutants, lateral root initiation was blocked after nuclear migration but before the first anticlinal division of the pericycle cell. Yeast two-hybrid and in vitro pull-down results revealed an association between OsCYP2 and the co-chaperone Suppressor of G2 allele of skp1 (OsSGT1). Luciferase complementation imaging assays further supported this interaction. Similar to previous findings in an Arabidopsis thaliana SGT1 mutant (atsgt1b), degradation of AUX/IAA proteins was retarded in cyp2 mutants treated with exogenous 1-naphthylacetic acid. Our results suggest that OsCYP2 participates in auxin signal transduction by interacting with OsSGT1.