Background
The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between Talin-1 and stability of carotid atherosclerosis plaque and also find out the role of miRNA, as an upstream regulator, in regulating the expression level of Talin-1.
Methods
Human carotid plaques were obtained from 20 symptomatic carotid stenosis patients who underwent carotid endarterectomy (CEA) in our hospital between October 2014 and August 2017. Western blot analysis and immunohistochemistry was carried out to detect the distribution and expression level of Talin-1 in each plaque sample. The content of miRNAs in carotid plaque was decected by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), and the relative expression levels were calculated by 2
-△△Ct
method after the (cycle threshold) Ct value (power amplification knee point) was obtained. Dual-luciferase reporter assays were applied to verify the successful transfections. Finally, we compared all the groups with independent-samples t-test and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA).
Results
Talin-1 was significantly downregulated in human unstable carotid plaque samples compared with stable carotid plaques (
P
< 0.05), and the distribution of Talin-1 was mainly found in the fibrous cap of carotid plaque. The overexpression of miRNA-330-5p was found in unstable carotid plaque, which significantly induced the inhibition of expression level of Talin-1.
Conclusion
Upregulated miR-330-5p may lead to unstable carotid plaques by targeting Talin-1 in symptomatic carotid stenosis patients. This might be a new target for the treatment of atherosclerotic diseases through future studies.
Corneal injectable hydrogels represent a promising alternative to alleviate donor shortage and simplify traditional surgeries. However, most hydrogels focus on repairing focal corneal defects (≤3.5 mm) and leave many clinical requirements unmet. Herein, a novel ion-activated bioadhesive hydrogel (IonBAH) is designed and its long-term performance of repairing large corneal defects (6 mm) is evaluated in rabbits for 6 months. The IonBAH is a dual-network hydrogel composed of natural corneal extracellular matrix and peptide-modified alginate, which enables its desirable transparency and biocompatibility, tunable mechanics, and robust adhesion. Moreover, the IonBAH maintains the secretory phenotype of quiescent keratocytes, while preventing their myofibroblastic differentiation in vitro. Upon application in situ, it rapidly seals the 6 mm corneal defect and forms normal curvature through the coverage of a contact lens impregnated with calcium ions. During the 6 months follow-up, the IonBAH promotes rapid regeneration of corneal epithelium, stroma, and nerves with restored transparency, equivalent to the outcome of donor corneal transplantation. In addition, the suitability of IonBAH as an adhesive and patch for various clinical requirements are also evaluated with a pleasing outcome. Collectively, IonBAH may provide a clinically applicable scaffold for corneal surgeries, especially in large defect repair.
Diabetic encephalopathy is a complication of diabetes mellitus characterized by impaired cognitive functions. Protein kinase C (PKC) isoforms are rarely reported on diabetic encephalopathy, although they have been believed to play crucial roles in other diabetic complications. In this study, streptozotocin- (STZ-) induced diabetic mice were found to exhibit learning and memory deficits in the Morris water maze test. Meanwhile, the expression of cPKCβII, nPKCε, and cPKCγ did not change in the hippocampus, cortex, and striatum at 2 and 8 weeks after STZ injection. The nPKCε translocation to the membrane, where it is activated, was not altered in the above brain regions at 2 and 8 weeks after STZ injection. Nevertheless, cPKCβII translocation to the membrane was significantly decreased in the cortex and hippocampus at 8 weeks after STZ injection. The translocation of cPKCγ from the cytosol to the membrane was remarkably decreased in the hippocampus at 2 and 8 weeks and in the cortex and striatum at 8 weeks after STZ injection. In addition, deletion of cPKCγ aggravated the impairment of spatial learning and memory. In conclusion, our results suggest that the decrease in the activity of cPKCβII and cPKCγ, especially cPKCγ, may play key roles in the pathogenesis of diabetic encephalopathy.
Background: This study aimed to assess the safety and efficacy of EXOSEAL vascular closure device (EVCD) insertion by comparing its performance with manual compression (MC) in achieving hemostasis at the brachial artery puncture site. Methods: A retrospective study of brachial artery access by using either MC or EVCD for achieving hemostasis from March 2016 to October 2017 was conducted. Patients with Stanford type B aortic dissection (TBAD) undergoing percutaneous transbrachial procedures were included. Time to hemostasis (TTH) was the primary efficacy end point. Seven-day incidence of major access siteerelated complications was the primary safety end point. TTH and major and minor complications associated with treatment of these 2 groups were also evaluated. Results: A total of 157 patients with TBAD undergoing percutaneous transbrachial procedures entered the analysis. Of these, 107 patients underwent EVCD insertion and 50 patients underwent MC. The baseline characteristics of the 2 groups were similar. TTH was significantly shorter for EVCD over MC (P < 0.05). The TTH 10 min in the MC group was 100.0% (n ¼ 50), but in the EVCD group, it was 2 min, 87.9% (n ¼ 107); 2e5 min, 7.5% (n ¼ 107); and 10 min, 4.7% (n ¼ 107). The EVCD group had several major complications, while the MC group had none. Two patients (1.9%, n ¼ 107) required vascular repair, one patient (0.6%, n ¼ 107) required blood transfusion, and 1 patient (0.6%, n ¼ 107) developed upper limb numbness and weakness after EVCD deployment. Minor complication such as the occurrence of hematoma (5 cm) in the MC group was 4 (8.0%) but was also 4 (3.7%) in the EVCD group, showing statistically significant difference (P ¼ 0.030). The incidence of ecchymosis was Xiaolong Wei, Tonglei Han and Yudong Sun contributed equally to this work.
Background: Sweet syndrome with both histiocytoid pathology and giant cellulitis-like lesion feature is extremely rare and has only been reported once. Our case is different from the previous report because the cutaneous lesion was caused by local invasive irritation, which made it much more difficult to distinguish from cellulitis.Case presentation: A 52-year-old male was diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome with multilineage dysplasia (MDS-MLD) associated with myelofibrosis (MDS-F) as well as angioneurotic edema of the tongue and floor of the mouth. Seven days after sternal aspiration, a cellulitis-like lesion was formed at the puncture site. Since he had neutropenia, history of glucocorticoid use and didn't keep the site dry and clean after aspiration, cellulitis was diagnosed, followed by broad-spectrum antibiotics and debridement. However, the lesion continued to expand, associated with blisters formation, accompanied by chills and fever. Blood cultures and blister smears didn't detect any pathogens. Biopsy of the lesion was performed and histiocytoid Sweet syndrome was diagnosed. He received prednisone treatment, and the fever relieved within 24 hours and the cutaneous lesion resolved within one week. He has had no recurrence during two-month follow-up.Conclusions: This case can provide help for timely diagnosis and treatment and a reference for further summarizing the characteristics of this rare variant.
Scleras are mainly used for the treatment of glaucoma,
eyelid damage,
and scleral ulcers. Given that the sclera and cornea collectively
constitute the complete external structure of the eyeball and both
have the same tissue and cell origin, we attempted to identify scleral
materials to treat lamellar and penetrating corneal injuries. Based
on research in our center, antigenic components in decellularized
porcine sclera (DPS) were removed using a simplified decellularization
method, leaving the collagen structure and active components undamaged.
DPS preserved the mechanical properties and did not significantly
inhibit the proliferation and replication of human corneal epithelial
cells. In vivo, the graft epithelium healed well after lamellar and
penetrating scleral grafting, and the graft thickness did not change
evidently. DPS can resist suture traction during scleral transplantation
and maintain anterior chamber stability until day 28 post-operatively,
especially in penetrating repairs. No obvious immune rejection of
lamellar or penetrating scleral grafts was found 28 days after DPS
transplantation. This study shows that DPS could be used as an alternative
material for the emergency repair of corneal perforations and lamellar
injuries, representing another application of sclera.
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