Alleviatory Role of Panax Notoginseng Saponins in Modulating Inflammation and Pulmonary Vascular Remodeling in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: mechanisms and Implications

COPD is an inflammatory lung disease that limits airflow and remodels the pulmonary vascular system. This study delves into the therapeutic potential and mechanistic underpinnings of Panax notoginseng Saponins (PNS) in alleviating inflammation and pulmonary vascular remodeling in a COPD rat model. Symmap and ETCM databases provided Panax notoginseng-related target genes, and the CTD and DisGeNET databases provided COPD-related genes. Intersection genes were subjected to protein-protein interaction analysis and pathway enrichment to identify downstream pathways. A COPD rat model was established, with groups receiving varying doses of PNS and a Roxithromycin control. The pathological changes in lung tissue and vasculature were examined using histological staining, while molecular alterations were explored through ELISA, RT-PCR, and Western blot. Network pharmacology research suggested PNS may affect the TLR4/NF-κB pathway linked to COPD development. The study revealed that, in contrast to the control group, the COPD model exhibited a significant increase in inflammatory markers and pathway components such as TLR4, NF-κB, HIF-1α, VEGF, ICAM-1, SELE mRNA, and serum TNF-α, IL-8, and IL-1β. Treatment with PNS notably decreased these markers and mitigated inflammation around the bronchi and vessels. Taken together, the study underscores the potential of PNS in reducing lung inflammation and vascular remodeling in COPD rats, primarily via modulation of the TLR4/NF-κB/HIF-1α/VEGF pathway. This research offers valuable insights for developing new therapeutic strategies for managing and preventing COPD.

Simultaneous realization of high gain and low DMG of four-mode EDFA under bidirectional hybrid-mode pump

We theoretically and experimentally verify that, the bidirectional hybrid-mode pumping scheme can address the optimization problem of trade-off between high gain and low differential modal gain (DMG) of four-mode erbium-doped fiber amplifier (4M-EDFA), in comparison with traditional both forward and backward hybrid-mode pumping scheme. It is noticed that, when the total pump power is fixed, the bidirectional hybrid-mode pumping scheme can not only achieve higher gain, but also suppress DMG due to different overlap integrals for the forward and backward pumping schemes. The bidirectional hybrid-mode pumped 4M-EDFA is developed with the forward pumping at LP02 mode and the backward pumping at LP21 mode, under a pump power ratio of 30%:70%. Thus, we can achieve an average gain of up to 21.16 dB and a low DMG of 0.43 dB at 1550 nm, and an average gain of up to 20.64 dB with a DMG of less than 1.6 dB over the C-band. In particular, the bidirectional hybrid-mode pumping scheme allows us to tailor the gain characteristics of the few-mode erbium-doped fiber amplifiers (FM-EDFAs), by adjusting the power ratio between forward and backward pumps.

AsOBP1 is required for bioallethrin repellency in the malaria vector mosquito Anopheles sinensis

The use of insecticides, primarily pyrethroids, is a pivotal strategy for mosquito control globally. Bioallethrin, the first commercially available volatile pyrethroid, can elicit spatial (i.e., noncontact) repellency to mosquitoes through the coactivation of olfactory receptor neurons and sodium channels. However, the olfactory mechanism of the repellency elicited by bioallethrin in mosquitoes is still unclear. Here, we demonstrated the involvement of AsOBP1 in the bioallethrin repellency in Anopheles sinensis, one of the main vectors of vivax malaria in China and other Southeast Asian countries. The behavioral and electrophysiological analyses in AsOrco-/- mutant found that the spatial repellency elicited by bioallethrin depended on the odorant receptor (OR)-mediated olfactory pathway. Furthermore, the repellency was reduced in the AsOBP1-/- mutant and a pyrethroid-resistant strain, in which the expression of AsOBP1 was significantly decreased. Moreover, recombinant AsOBP1 protein bound to bioallethrin in an in vitro competition assay. These results indicate that activation of the AsOBP1-mediated olfactory pathway is an important component of bioallethrin repellency. Our research lays the foundation for further elucidation into the olfactory mechanism of bioallethrin repellency and the behavioral modifications of pyrethroid-resistant mosquitoes.

Non-orthogonal optical multiplexing empowered by deep learning

Orthogonality among channels is a canonical basis for optical multiplexing featured with division multiplexing, which substantially reduce the complexity of signal post-processing in demultiplexing. However, it inevitably imposes an upper limit of capacity for multiplexing. Herein, we report on non-orthogonal optical multiplexing over a multimode fiber (MMF) leveraged by a deep neural network, termed speckle light field retrieval network (SLRnet), where it can learn the complicated mapping relation between multiple non-orthogonal input light field encoded with information and their corresponding single intensity output. As a proof-of-principle experimental demonstration, it is shown that the SLRnet can effectively solve the ill-posed problem of non-orthogonal optical multiplexing over an MMF, where multiple non-orthogonal input signals mediated by the same polarization, wavelength and spatial position can be explicitly retrieved utilizing a single-shot speckle output with fidelity as high as ~ 98%. Our results resemble an important step for harnessing non-orthogonal channels for high capacity optical multiplexing.

Implications of left atrial volume index in patients with three-vessel coronary disease: A 6.6-year follow-up cohort study

BACKGROUND

Risk assessment and treatment stratification for three-vessel coronary disease (TVD) remain challenging. This study aimed to investigate the prognostic value of left atrial volume index (LAVI) with the Synergy Between Percutaneous Coronary Intervention with Taxus and Cardiac Surgery (SYNTAX) score II, and its association with the long-term prognosis after three strategies (percutaneous coronary intervention [PCI], coronary artery bypass grafting [CABG], and medical therapy [MT]) in patients with TVD.

METHODS

This study was a post hoc analysis of a large, prospective cohort of patients with TVD in China, that aimed to determine the long-term outcomes after PCI, CABG, or optimal MT alone. A total of 8943 patients with TVD were consecutively enrolled between 2004 and 2011 at Fuwai Hospital. A total of 7818 patients with available baseline LAVI data were included in the study. Baseline, procedural, and follow-up data were collected. The primary endpoint was major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCE), which was a composite of all-cause death, myocardial infarction (MI), and stroke. Secondary endpoints included all-cause death, cardiac death, MI, revascularization, and stroke. Long-term outcomes were evaluated among LAVI quartile groups.

RESULTS

During a median follow-up of 6.6 years, a higher LAVI was strongly associated with increased risk of MACCE (Q3: hazard ratio [HR] 1.20, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.06-1.37, P = 0.005; Q4: HR 1.85, 95%CI 1.64-2.09, P <0.001), all-cause death (Q3: HR 1.41, 95% CI 1.17-1.69, P <0.001; Q4: HR 2.54, 95%CI 2.16-3.00, P <0.001), and cardiac death (Q3: HR 1.81, 95% CI 1.39-2.37, P <0.001; Q4: HR 3.47, 95%CI 2.71-4.43, P <0.001). Moreover, LAVI significantly improved discrimination and reclassification of the SYNTAX score II. Notably, there was a significant interaction between LAVI quartiles and treatment strategies for MACCE. CABG was associated with lower risk of MACCE than MT alone, regardless of LAVI quartiles. Among patients in the fourth quartile, PCI was associated with significantly increased risk of cardiac death compared with CABG (HR: 5.25, 95% CI: 1.97-14.03, P = 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

LAVI is a potential index for risk stratification and therapeutic decision-making in patients with three-vessel coronary disease. CABG is associated with improved long-term outcomes compared with MT alone, regardless of LAVI quartiles. When LAVI is severely elevated, PCI is associated with higher risk of cardiac death than CABG.

TRIM24-Mediated Acetylation of STAT6 Suppresses Th2-Induced Allergic Rhinitis

PURPOSE

Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a T helper type 2 (Th2)-mediated inflammatory disease. The E3 ligase tripartite motif-containing 24 (TRIM24) regulates the recruitment of acetyltransferase CREB-binding protein (CBP) to signal transducer and activator of transcription 6 (STAT6). CBP mediates the acetylation of STAT6 and decreases its activity. To date, the precise role of TRIM24 in AR has not been fully interpreted. Herein, our study aimed to explore the functions of TRIM24 in AR.

METHODS

The expression of TRIM24 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and CD4+ T cells from patients with AR was measured. TRIM24-conditional knockout mice with TRIM24 deficiency in CD4+ T cells were generated. Wide-type (WT) AR mice and TRIM24-conditional knockout AR mice were established. Then, AR symptoms and interleukin (IL)-4 levels were compared. Further, the proliferation, activation and polarization of CD4+ T cells from WT mice and TRIM24 knockout mice after stimulation were determined. The effects of TRIM24 deficiency on STAT6 activities were also evaluated.

RESULTS

Downregulated TRIM24 expression was detected in PBMCs and CD4+ T cells from patients with AR. TRIM24 conditional knockout mice had more sever AR symptoms with elevated IL-4 production. TRIM24-knockout CD4+ T cells had similar proliferation and activation when compared to WT CD4+ T cells, while they had enhanced Th2 polarization. TRIM24-knockout CD4+ T cells had decreased acetylation of STAT6 and enhanced STAT6 activities after IL-4 stimulation. The regulation of STAT6 activities by TRIM24 depended on TRIM24 N terminal RIGN domain and Lys383 acetylation site of STAT6.

CONCLUSIONS

TRIM24 suppresses Th2-mediated AR by regulating the acetylation of STAT6.

For patients with prior coronary artery bypass grafting and recurrent myocardial ischemia, percutaneous coronary intervention on bypass graft or native coronary artery?-A 5-year follow-up cohort study

BACKGROUND

Real-world data on target vessel of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for patients with prior coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) was still limited.

HYPOTHESIS

A prospective cohort was examined to determine the frequency and outcomes of native coronary artery PCI versus bypass graft PCI in patients with prior CABG.

METHODS

A large-sample observational study enrolled a total of 10 724 patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) underwent PCI in 2013. Two- and five-year clinical outcomes were compared between graft PCI group and native artery PCI group in patients with prior CABG.

RESULTS

A total of 438 cases had CABG history in the total cohort. Graft PCI group and native artery PCI group accounted for 13.7% and 86.3%, respectively. The rates of 2- and 5-year all-cause death and major adverse cardiovascular and cerebral events (MACCE) showed no significant difference between the two groups (p > .05). Two-year revascularization risk was lower in graft PCI group than native artery PCI group (3.3% and 12.4%, p < .05), but 5-year myocardial infarction (MI) risk was higher (13.3% and 5.0%, p < .05). In multivariate COX regression models, graft PCI group was independently associated with lower 2-year revascularization risk (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.21; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.05-0.88; p = .033), but higher 5-year MI risk than native artery PCI group (HR: 2.61; 95% CI: 1.03-6.57; p = .042). Five-year all-cause death and MACCE risk showed no difference between the two groups in model.

CONCLUSIONS

In patients with prior CABG underwent PCI, patients in graft PCI group had higher 5-year MI risk than patients received native artery PCI. But, 5-year mortality and MACCE was not significantly different between graft PCI group and native artery PCI group.

Reconfigurable ultra-broadband mode converter based on a two-mode fiber with pressure-loaded phase-shifted long-period alloyed waveguide grating

We present a reconfigurable ultra-broadband mode converter, which consists of a two-mode fiber (TMF) and pressure-loaded phase-shifted long-period alloyed waveguide grating. We design and fabricate the long-period alloyed waveguide gratings (LPAWG) with SU-8, chromium, and titanium via the photo-lithography and electric beam evaporation technique. With the help of the pressure loaded or released from the LPAWG onto the TMF, the device can realize reconfigurable mode conversion between the LP₀₁ mode and the LP₁₁ mode in the TMF, which is weak sensitive to the state of polarization. The mode conversion efficiency larger than 10 dB can be achieved with operation wavelength range of about 105 nm, which ranges from 1501.9 nm to 1606.7 nm. The proposed device can be further used in the large bandwidth mode division multiplexing (MDM) transmission and optical fiber sensing system based on few-mode fibers.

Three-dimensional mode multiplexer based on adiabatic-tapered waveguides forming vertical directional couplers over C + L band and beyond

We present a mode multiplexer based on vertical directional couplers that are formed by adiabatic-tapered waveguides. We design and fabricate the device via the micro-fabrication processing to (de)multiplex the E₁₁, E₂₁, and E₁₂ modes from the few-mode bus waveguide. Our experimental device shows a coupling ratio higher than 98.6% and 97.0% for the E₂₁ and E₁₂ modes, respectively, over the C + L band and beyond. The modal cross talk of this device can be lower than -17.1 dB, -18.4 dB, and -15.1 dB caused by the unintended E₁₁, E₂₁, and E₁₂ modes, respectively. This mode multiplexer can work over a broader wavelength range with weak polarization sensitivity, which could be used in the mode-division-multiplexing systems where mode (de)multiplexing is required in the expanded communication wavelength window other than the C-band.

Intensity-interrogated hot-wire anemometer based on chirp effect of a fiber Bragg grating

An intensity-interrogated optical fiber hot-wire anemometer based on the chirp effect of fiber Bragg grating (FBG) is presented. The FBG is coated with a silver film and heated optically by a 1480 nm laser beam, which is coupled into the fiber cladding by a long-period grating (LPG) and absorbed by the silver film to convert to thermal heat. Due to the gradual decrease of laser power along the length of the FBG, a temperature gradient is formed that induces a chirp effect to the FBG. Bandwidth of the FBG's reflection spectrum is therefore broadened that increases its reflected light power. The chirp rate of the FBG reduces with airflow velocity since the temperature gradient is weakened under the cooling effect of the airflow, resulting in a certain relationship between the reflected power of the FBG and airflow velocity. In the experiment, by detecting the reflected power of the FBG, airflow velocity measurement is achieved successfully with a high sensitivity up to -28.60 µW/(m·s^-1) at airflow velocity of 0.1 m/s and a dynamic response time of under one second. The measurement range is up to 0 to 11 m/s. The intensity interrogation scheme of the FBG hot-wire anemometer reduces its cost greatly and makes it a promising solution for airflow velocity measurement in practical applications.

The Use of Thromboelastography in Percutaneous Coronary Intervention and Acute Coronary Syndrome in East Asia: A Systematic Literature Review

Dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT), alongside percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), is central to the prevention of ischemic events following acute coronary syndrome (ACS). However, response to therapy can vary due to several factors including CYP2C19 gene variation, which shows increased prevalence in East Asian populations. DAPT responsiveness can be assessed using techniques such as light transmission aggregometry (LTA), VerifyNow^® and thromboelastography with the PlateletMapping^® assay, and there is increasing focus on the utility of platelet function testing to guide individualized treatment. This systematic literature review of one English and three Chinese language databases was conducted to evaluate the evidence for the utility of thromboelastography in ACS/PCI in East Asia. The search identified 42 articles from the English language and 71 articles from the Chinese language databases which fulfilled the pre-determined inclusion criteria, including 38 randomized controlled trials (RCTs). The identified studies explored the use of thromboelastography compared to LTA and VerifyNow in monitoring patient responsiveness to DAPT, as well as predicting ischemic risk, with some studies suggesting that thromboelastography is better able to detect low DAPT response than LTA. Other studies, including one large RCT, described the use of thromboelastography in guiding the escalation of DAPT, with some evidence suggesting that such protocols reduce ischemic events without increasing the risk of bleeding. There was also evidence suggesting that thromboelastography can be used to identify individuals with DAPT hyporesponsiveness genotypes and could potentially guide treatment by adjusting therapy in patients depending on responsiveness.

Long-term effects of baseline on-treatment platelet reactivity in patients with acute coronary syndrome and thrombocytopenia undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention

Objective

To analyse the association between on-treatment platelet reactivity (TPR) and long-term outcomes of patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and thrombocytopenia (TP) in the real world.

Methods

This prospective observational study enrolled patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) that underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Patients with ACS and TP under dual antiplatelet therapy were selected for analysis. The 2- and 5-year clinical outcomes were evaluated among patients with high on-treatment platelet reactivity (HTPR), low on-treatment platelet reactivity (LTPR) and normal on-treatment platelet reactivity (NTPR), as tested by thromboelastogram at baseline.

Results

A total of 10 724 patients with CAD that underwent PCI were identified. Of these, 474 patients with ACS and TP met the inclusion criteria: 124 (26.2%) with HTPR, 163 (34.4%) with LTPR and 187 (39.5%) with NTPR. The 5-year rates of all-cause death, major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events, cardiac death, myocardial infarction, revascularization, stroke and bleeding were not significantly different among the three groups. Multivariate Cox regression analysis demonstrated that patients with HTPR were not independently associated with any of the 5-year endpoints compared with patients with NTPR.

Conclusions

TPR at baseline was not independently associated with long-term outcomes in patients with ACS and TP that underwent PCI.

Ultra-broadband LP11 mode converter with high purity based on long-period fiber grating and an integrated Y-junction

We report an ultra-broadband LP₁₁ mode converter with high purity based on integrated two shunt-wound long-period fiber gratings (LPFGs) and an adiabatic Y-junction, together with a high-order-mode bandpass filter. Two shunt-wound LPFGs are inscribed by CO₂ laser in a two-mode fiber to achieve a 10 dB bandwidth of 50 nm and 51 nm at resonance wavelengths of 1530 nm and 1570 nm, respectively. Meanwhile, the Y-junction fabricated by lithography can be operated over S + C+L band to combine the converted LP₁₁ mode. The presented ultra-broadband mode converter is able to achieve a mode conversion efficiency of 95%, together with a wavelength-dependent loss of less than 3 dB over the S + C+L band. This device has low modal crosstalk of 17 dB between the LP₀₁ and LP₁₁ modes, because most of the residual LP₀₁ mode is further filtered by a high-order-mode bandpass filter at the output port of the Y-junction. The insertion loss of mode converter is estimated to be lower than 2.7 dB, due to the use of low loss polymer material during the fabrication. The proposed ultra-broadband LP₁₁ mode converter with high purity is promising for the application of ultra-broadband mode-division-multiplexing transmission systems.

Ring core few-mode fiber sensor for curvature measurement

An all-fiber Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI) using ring core few-mode fiber (RC-FMF) for curvature sensing is proposed and experimentally demonstrated. The MZI was fabricated by splicing a segment of RC-FMF between two pieces of single-mode fiber (SMF). With the benefit of a RC of the central axis of the RC-FMF, the sensor is more sensitive to curvature compared to other fiber sensors based on ordinary SMF or FMF. Curvature measurement can be achieved by monitoring the wavelength shift of interference dips. Experimental results have shown that the sensitivity of curvature sensing can reach up to -4.370nm/m^-1, within the range of 1.199-1.549m^-1. Also, the temperature sensing characteristics of the sensor are measured, and the maximum temperature sensitivity is 57.6 pm/°C, ranging from 25°C to 45°C. The proposed MZI sensor has excellent potential for curvature measurement of building structural health monitoring, bridge engineering, and more.

All-optical light manipulation based on graphene-embedded side-polished fiber

We present a study of all-optical light manipulation arising in a graphene-embedded side-polished fiber (SPF) with a Norland Optical Adhesives (NOA)-coated structure. With the help of the Pauli blocking effect, such an all-fiber device serves to manage the loss of transverse-electric-polarized light when the control light and the signal light are polarized along the direction parallel to the graphene surface. The insertion loss of this device can be effectively reduced with the NOA coating. An enhanced interaction between the graphene and the propagated light can be achieved via the strong evanescent field of the SPF and longer interaction length. This results in effective all-optical manipulation of light with a modulation depth of 10.4 dB (or modulation efficiency of ∼91%) and a modulation slope of ∼1.3, where the required control power is only about 14 dBm. The device has broadband operation wavelength. The insertion loss for both the signal light and the control light are only about 0.6 dB. The experimental results are well-fitting with the simulation study. Such an all-fiber device has the potential for all-optical signal processing.

High mobility group box 1 inhibition by BoxA attenuates ovalbumin-induced allergic rhinitis in mice

This study was designed to evaluate the effects of BoxA on allergic rhinitis (AR). Ovalbumin (OVA)-induced AR mice model was employed and BoxA was administered to AR mice. AR symptoms, levels of cytokines and chemokines, and the expression of high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1), TLR2, and TLR4 were measured. BoxA treatment significantly ameliorated AR symptoms, decreased level of histamine, OVA-specific antibodies, suppressed the infiltration of immune cells in nasal tissues, inhibited the expression of IL-4, IL-6, IL-5, TNF-α, IL-13, IL-17, IL-2 while promoting the expression of IL-10, suppressed the expression of HMGB1, TLR2, and TLR4 in AR mice. BoxA ameliorated allergic rhinitis in mice by inhibiting HMGB1.

10-W power light co-transmission with optically carried 5G NR signal over standard single-mode fiber

Efficient co-transmission of 10-W power light and optically carried 5G new radio (NR) signal over standard single-mode fiber (SSMF) is experimentally demonstrated, with an optical power transmission efficiency (OPTE) of power light up to 71.8%. This efficiency record is enabled by carefully manipulating the linewidth of the power light and appropriately adjusting the wavelength spacing between the power light and 5G NR optical signal to effectively mitigate the nonlinear effect arising in the SSMF. In the experiment, the optically carried 5G NR 64-level quadrature amplitude modulation orthogonal frequency division multiplexing signal at 1550 nm, with a data rate of 1.5 Gbit/s, is successfully co-propagated with 10-W power light at 1064 nm over 1-km SSMF. The error-vector magnitude (EVM) is 0.48% under a received electrical power of -25dBm. In comparison with back-to-back transmission, only slight EVM degradation of 0.02% is observed, showing that the 5G NR optical signal is almost unaffected by the existence of power light. Moreover, the power fluctuation of the collected power light is less than 0.2% over 6 h, while the EVM fluctuation is smaller than 0.01% within 30 min. Our scheme is promising to realize an optically powered remote antenna unit through the existing 5G fronthaul SSMF link.

Wideband low confinement loss anti-resonant hollow core fiber with nested U-shape tube

We propose a nested U-shape tube anti-resonant hollow core fiber (UARF) that can effectively reduce the confinement loss (CL) as well as the loss oscillations. The key parameters of UARF have been optimized via numerical analysis. Simulation results show that the CL of proposed UARF is lower than 0.01dB/km over a 550 nm operational bandwidth range from 1.3 µm to 1.85 µm. This CL is nearly one order of magnitude lower than the nested anti-resonant nodeless fiber (NANF). Moreover, the loss ratio between higher-order modes to the fundamental mode is verified to be more than 100,000 over a ultrawide bandwidth of 1000 nm, which indicates its excellent single mode performance. The tolerance towards the structure deformation of UARF has been evaluated for the purpose of practical fiber fabrication. Thus, the proposed UARF has potential application in large capacity data transmission, nonlinear optics, gas sensing and so on.

Distributed refractive index sensing based on bending-induced multimodal interference and Rayleigh backscattering spectrum

A distributed refractive index (RI) sensor based on high-performance optical frequency domain reflectometry was developed by bending a piece of standard single-mode fiber to excite sets of higher-order modes that penetrate the surrounding medium. External variations in RI modifies the profiles of the sets of excited higher-order modes, which are then partially coupled back into the fiber core and interfere with the fundamental mode. Accordingly, the fundamental mode carries the outer varied RI information, and RI sensing can be achieved by monitoring the wavelength shift of the local Rayleigh backscattered spectra. In the experiment, an RI sensitivity of 39.08 nm/RIU was achieved by bending a single-mode fiber to a radius of 4 mm. Additionally, the proposed sensor maintains its buffer coating intact, which boosts its practicability and application adaptability.

Bending-loss-resistant distributed Brillouin curvature sensor based on an erbium-doped few-mode fiber

We developed a bending-loss-resistant distributed Brillouin curvature sensor based on an erbium-doped few-mode fiber (Er-FMF) and differential pulse-width pair Brillouin optical time-domain analysis. With Er ion amplification compensating for bending-induced optical loss, radii in the ∼0.3 to 2.02 cm range could be monitored correctly. The corresponding Brillouin frequency shift variations were in the range of 91.7 to 9 MHz, which agrees well with theoretical calculations. The sensitivity of the Er-FMF device increased inversely with the bending radius, with the optimal sensitivity of 292.7 MHz/cm obtained at a radius of 0.3 cm. To the best of our knowledge, this is the smallest radius of curvature detected and highest sensitivity reported to date, indicating potential applications in distributed sharp-bend sensing, such as intelligent robotics and structural health monitoring.

Adaptive intensity transformation-based phase retrieval with high accuracy and fast convergence

Phase-retrieval (PR) receivers can reconstruct complex-valued signals from two de-correlated intensity measurements, without the assistance of any optical carriers. However, both the calculation complexity with hundreds of iterations and the limited PR accuracy prevent it from being applied to high-speed photonic interconnections. Here we propose and demonstrate a PR receiver based on adaptive intensity transformation, with the capability of both fast convergence and high accuracy. Then we numerically reconstruct 56 GBaud QPSK signals after the 80 km standard single-mode fiber transmission by using our proposed PR receiver with only 50 iterations. In comparison with the recently reported PR receiver with the phase reset, our proposed PR receiver can reduce the required optical signal-to-noise ratio by 1.95 and 1.89 dB, in terms of 20% soft-decision and 7% hard-decision forward-error correction, respectively.

Hardware-efficient blind frequency offset estimation for digital subcarrier multiplexing signals

Since the frequency offset estimation (FOE) must be implemented before the subcarrier de-multiplexing and chromatic dispersion compensation (CDC) for digital subcarrier multiplexing (DSM) signals, traditional FOE algorithms for single carrier transmission is no longer suitable. Here, we propose a hardware-efficient blind FOE solution for the DSM signals by monitoring spectral dips in the frequency domain. With the use of a smoothing filter, the estimation accuracy of FOE can be significantly increased. Moreover, we identify that the proposed FOE method is robust to various transmission impairments, including amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) noise, optical filtering, and fiber nonlinearity. The effective function of the proposed FOE method is numerically and experimentally verified under scenarios of both back-to-back (B2B) and the 2560 km standard single-mode fiber (SSMF) transmission, leading to a FOE error less than 100 MHz with a FFT size of 1024.

Luteolin ameliorates inflammation and Th1/Th2 imbalance via regulating the TLR4/NF-κB pathway in allergic rhinitis rats

OBJECTIVE

Luteolin has an anti-allergic effect but its mechanism is not clear. This study attempted to determine the mechanisms of luteolin in rhinitis.

METHODS

Allergic rhinitis rat model was established by ovalbumin (OVA) stimulation. Then, the rats were treated with normal saline, luteolin, or lipopolysaccharide (LPS) for 14 days. Nasal symptoms were scored; the histopathological changes of nasal mucosa were detected by hematoxylin-eosin staining. Serum levels of Th1 type cytokines (IFN-γ, IL-2), Th2 type cytokines (IL-4, IL-5, IL-13), and OVA-specific IgE (sIgE) were determined by ELISA. The expressions of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and p65 in nasal mucosa were detected by Western blot or immunohistochemistry.

RESULTS

Luteolin decreased symptom scores, specifically, the scores in control group, model group, model + 0.1 mg/kg luteolin, model + 1 mg/kg luteolin, and model + 10 mg/kg luteolin groups were 0.63 ± 0.52, 7.88 ± 0.83, 1.38 ± 0.52, 2.75 ± 0.46, and 5.00 ± 0.53, respectively. Luteolin ameliorated nasal mucosa inflammation by promoting the down-regulated levels of Th1 type cytokines, and suppressing the up-regulated levels of Th2 type cytokines, OVE-sIgE, TLR4, and p65. LPS further increased symptom scores, aggravated nasal mucosa inflammation, improved the unbalance of Th1/Th2 type cytokines, and lowered the expressions of OVE-sIgE, TLR4, and p65. Moreover, LPS reversed the effect of luteolin on allergic rhinitis rats.

CONCLUSION

Luteolin ameliorated inflammation and Th1/Th2 imbalance via regulating the TLR4/NF-κB pathway in allergic rhinitis rats. This study provided novel evidence that luteolin could be used as a candidate drug in allergic rhinitis treatment.

Effects of GPR81 silencing combined with cisplatin stimulation on biological function in hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma

Hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (HSCC) is a malignant tumor found in the head and neck region. Lactate receptor 1, also known as G protein‑coupled receptor81 (GPR81), has been reported to play a vital role in cancer growth and metabolism. However, the function of GPR81 in HSCC remains largely unknown. The present study investigated the effect of GPR81 on cell survival and GPR81‑mediated energy metabolism under cisplatin treatment in HSCC. GPR81 knockdown reduced the proliferation and invasion of the human HSCC cell line FaDu. Furthermore, GPR81 silencing combined with cisplatin treatment increased the expression of translocase of outer mitochondrial membrane 20 at the mRNA and protein levels (P<0.05). mRNA and protein expression of phosphofructokinase 1 in mRNA appeared to be downregulated in GPR81 knockdown FaDu cells treated with cisplatin, although this was not statistically significant. GPR81 silencing and cisplatin challenge showed no significant upregulation compared with the control, but significant downregulation in mRNA and protein levels compared with the shRNA‑scramble group. Apoptosis was measured by flow cytometry with annexin V and 7‑aminoactinomycin D. GPR81 silencing and cisplatin led to an increased apoptotic rate. Moreover, absence of GPR81 combined with cisplatin exposure increased caspase‑3 expression and decreased Bcl‑2 levels. The results of the present study suggested that GPR81 and cisplatin sensitivity played an important role in HSCC growth and metabolism.

MicroRNA-892a regulates laryngocarcinoma cell proliferation via Dicer

IMPACT STATEMENT

This work expanded the knowledge of the molecular mechanisms underlying LC progression by exploring the role of miR-892a in the viability of TU212 and M4E cells. The results showed that miR-892a, which exhibited elevated expression in LC cells and tissue specimens of patients with LC, exerted an inhibitory effect on Dicer expression, whereas silencing of miR-892a in TU212 and M4E cells hindered cell proliferation and growth and promoted apoptosis. Furthermore, miR-892a was demonstrated to directly target Dicer 3'-UTR and inhibit its expression. These findings demonstrated that miR-892a acted as an LC oncogene via its action on Dicer, which further confirmed that miR-892a can serve as a diagnostic indicator or promising agent for LC treatment.

Investigation of the effect of gold coating of gold-coated fiber on distributed strain measurement by differential pulse pair Brillouin optical-time analysis

Gold-coated fiber (GCF) shows the potential to sense strain at high temperature owing to the hermeticity of gold coating that prevents hydrogen penetration. Nevertheless, there are trivial details of the gold coating of GCF that need to be addressed before using GCF to measure strain at high temperature. In this study, we thoroughly investigate the effect of the gold coating of GCF on strain measurement both at room temperature and high temperature up to 700°C with differential pulse pair Brillouin optical-time analysis (DPP-BOTDA). Owing to the inhomogeneity of gold coating induced by the manufacturing process, it is necessary to select the GCF with the gold coating of better homogeneity via DPP-BOTDA. Due to the residual stress that solidified in the GCF during the cooling process of coating, the GCF would first undergo plastic deformation and then elastic deformation in the strain measurement. After one-time strain measurement to remove the residual stress of GCF, the standard deviation of the strain coefficients at room temperature and high temperature are $ \pm {0.5}\% $±0.5% and $ \pm {1.3}\% $±1.3%, respectively, which is mainly due to the nonuniform thickness of the gold coating and the nonuniformity of silica fiber at high temperature.

Upregulation of circFLNA contributes to laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma migration by circFLNA-miR-486-3p-FLNA axis

Background

Accumulating evidence shows that circular RNAs (circRNAs) plays vital roles in tumor progression. However, the biological functions of circRNAs in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) metastasis is still unclear.

Methods

qRT-PCR was used to detect circFLNA, miRNAs and FLNA mRNA expression. Transwell assay and western blot were performed to evaluate cell migration ability and to detect FLNA, MMP2 and MLK1 protein expression, respectively. RNA pull-down analysis was used to find the binding-miRNAs of circFLNA. Luciferase reporter assay was used to examine the effect of circFLNA on miRNAs and miR-486-3p on FLNA expression.

Results

In this study, we confirmed that a Filamin A (FLNA)-derived hsa_circ_0092012 known as circFLNA, was upregulated in LSCC, and the higher expression of circFLNA was correlated with LSCC lymph node metastasis. Increased circFLNA facilitates LSCC cell migration ability through upregulating FLNA and MMP2 protein expression. Mechanistically, we find that circFLNA sponges miR-486-3p in LSCC cells, relieving miR-486-3p-induced repression of FLNA which promotes LSCC cell migration. Accordingly, FLNA mRNA is overexpressed in LSCC tissues and a higher FLNA level is correlated with poor survival. Dysregulation of the circFLNA/miR-486-3p/FLNA regulatory pathway contributes to LSCC migration.

Conclusions

In summary, our study sheds light on the regulatory mechanism of circFLNA in LSCC migration via sponging miR‐486-3p, which downregulates the FLNA protein expression. Targeting circFLNA/miR-486-3p/FLAN axis provides a potential therapeutic target for aggressive LSCC.

Long Noncoding RNA Linc00632 Inhibits Interleukin-13-Induced Inflammatory Cytokine and Mucus Production in Nasal Epithelial Cells

Allergic rhinitis (AR) is an allergic disease characterized as (immunoglobulin E)-mediated type I hypersensitivity disorder. The interleukin-13 (IL-13) signaling pathway has been implicated in the pathogenesis of AR. In the present study, we investigated the regulatory role and mechanism of long noncoding RNA Linc00632 in IL-13-induced inflammatory cytokine and mucus production in nasal epithelial cells (NECs) from AR patients. We evaluated the expression of Linc00632 in nasal tissues from AR patients and in IL-13-treated NECs. We explored the role of Linc00632 in granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), eotaxin, and MUAC5AC production in IL-13-treated NECs. We searched for the potential target of Linc00632. Downregulation of Linc00632 was identified in nasal tissues of AR patients and in IL-13-treated NECs. Linc00632 inhibited IL-13-induced GM-CSF, eotaxin, and MUAC5AC production. Linc00632 targeted miR-498 and negatively regulated its expression. MiR-498 targeted IL1RN and inhibition of miR-498 suppressed IL-13-induced GM-CSF, eotaxin, and MUC5AC expression. The regulation of IL-13-induced dysfunction of NECs by Linc00632 depended on miR-498. Linc00632 inhibited IL-13-induced GM-CSF, eotaxin, and MUAC5AC production in IL-13-treated NECs by targeting miR-498.

[Nasopharyngeal low grade papillary adenocarcinoma with squamous differentiation：a case report]

Summary Low grade papillary adenocarcinoma is especially rare tumor in nasopharynx. Here we reported a patient who had low grade papillary adenocarcinoma of the nasopharynx and was diagnosed by pathology. The patient complained for bilateral nasal congestion for 10 years and was hospitalized in recent 3 years. The patient received nasopharyngeal tumor resection, and the postoperative pathological examination showed low grade nasopharyngeal papillary adenocarcinoma with squamation. The patient was followed up for 9 months without recurrence or metastasis. We reported this case and reviewed the relevant literature in order to improve the diagnosis and treatment of this disease..

[External nose eccrine poroma：a case report]

Eccrine poroma is a benign neoplasm of the terminal duct. It is commonly located in distal extremities but rarely present in head and neck. This report mainly describes a case of external nose eccrine poroma. We will clarify the disease from pathology; histopathological examination; diagnosis; clinical manifestations to prognosis.

[The relationship between ¹⁸F-FDG uptake and oncogene in human laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma transplantation tumor animal model]

Objective:The aim of this study is to explore the relationship between [F18] fluoro 2 deoxy d glucose ¹⁸F-FDG) uptake and oncogene expression in human laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) transplantation tumor.Method:Ten nude mice were randomly divided into two groups, 5 mice of each group. One group was injected subcutaneously with Hep-2 cells to establish xenograft model, and the other one was injected with HIF-RNAi-Hep-2 cells. All animals were conducted with positron emission tomography computed tomography PET scan. The average tumor T/N ratio was calculated. After PET scanning, tumor tissue was picked off for immunohistochemical examination.Result:The tumor imaging were both clear and there was no significant difference between these two groups (P> 0.05). The expression of hypoxia inducible factor 1 alpha (HIF-1α), glucose transporter protein-1 (GLUT-1) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) were high in Hep-2 group. The expression of HIF-1α was lower in HIF-RNAi-Hep-2 group (P< 0.05). But there was no significant difference about the expression of GLUT-1 and VEGF between these two groups (P> 0.05).Conclusion:The oncogenic pathway activated in LSCC is related with the uptake of ¹⁸F-FDG. The glycolysis gene and vascular factor maybe play a critical role.

[Study on the relationship between MCT-1 and p53 in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma]

Objective:The aim of this study is to investigate the expression and clinical significance of monocarboxylate transporter 1 (MCT-1) and p53 in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC). Method:Immunohistochemical staining of MCT-1 and p53 was carried out in 41 cases of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma embedded in paraffin, and the relationship between positive expression and clinicopathological data was evaluated. All data were analyzed by SPSS software (Windows version 21.0). Result:In normal mucosa p53 expression was absent; while, the basal "stem cell" layer is highly enriched in MCT-1. The positive expression of MCT-1 and p53 in the 41 cases of LSCC was 73.2% and 61.0% respectively. The differential expressions of MCT-1 and p53 in LSCC and normal tissues had significant difference (P=0.002, P=0.028). In the well-differentiated tumor tissues, MCT-1 was mainly expressed in the highly invasive cancerous cells. In poorly differentiated tumors, cells in the nests diffusely stain strongly for MCT-1. Of the 41 cases of LSCC, MCT-1 and p53 was significantly associated with histologic grade (P=0.046, P=0.047), clinical stage (P=0.023, P=0.044) and lymph node metastasis (P=0.044, P=0.005). However, over expression of MCT-1 and p53 had no relation with age (P=0.945, P=0.364), gender (P=1.0, P=1.0) and tumor location (P=0.456, P=0.51). Spearman analysis is shown a positive correlation with MCT-1 and p53 (r=0.418, P=0.006). Conclusion:MCT-1 is an importer of L-lactate and ketone bodies into cells, and high expression of MCT-1 induces high OXPHOS and low glycolytic states. We show here that MCT-1 is the best marker of the basal stem cell layer of normal mucosa, and its expression correlate with high p53 expression in LSCC. Therefore, MCT-1 is a new target for the development of anticancer drugs for laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma.

[A preliminary study on the relationship between GLUT-1，MCT-4 and CAⅨ in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma]

Objective:The aim of this study was to evaluate the expression of metabolism-related proteins including glucose transporter-1(Glut-1), monocarboxylate transporter-4 (MCT-4) and carbonic anhydrase Ⅸ (CAⅨ) in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma and to access the clinical significance of the results.Method:Forty cases of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma and 10 cases of adjacent corresponding laryngeal mucosal tissues was selected. Histopathological grading, TNM and staging were done. Immunohistochemical staining for GLUT-1, MCT-4 and CAIX was performed on tissue sections from 40 cases of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma and 10 cases of adjacent corresponding laryngeal mucosal tissues to evaluate the association between the expression of metabolism-related proteins and clinicopathologic factors. Analysis was performed on SPSS software (Windows version 21.0). Result:The positive expression of GLUT-1，MCT-4 and CAⅨ in the 40 cases of laryngeal carcinoma was 72.5%，75% and 55% respectively. MCT-4 expression in normal mucosa was minimal or absent，while，the basal layer of proliferating stem cells is highly enriched in GLUT-1. Significant association of GLUT-1，MCT-4 and CAⅨpositive expression was found with histologic grade（P=0.012，P=0.028,P=0.013）, which high poorly differentiated expression in LSCC as compared to the well differentiated carcinoma cells. Moreover, of the 40 cases of LSCC，MCT-4 and CAⅨ was significantly associated with TNM stage(P=0.016，P=0.005). Higher MCT-4 and CAⅨ in stage Ⅲ or Ⅳ was found as compared to stageⅠor Ⅱ. The expression of GLUT-1，MCT-4 and CAIX showed no relationship with age，smoking amount，lymphnode metastasis or the tumor location（P>0.05）. There were significant positive correlations between the expression of GLUT-1, CAⅨ and tumoral expression of MCT-4(P<0.05) . Conclusion:The results here in presented glocuse uptake and pH regulation are closely linked in the metabolic remodeling，cancer progression and aggressiveness in LSCC. Therefore, combinatorial targeting of the metabolism-related proteins in the microenvironment of hypoxia may be an effective strategy for the treatment of patients with aggressive cancer.

[The roles of sodium-glucose transporters in tumor cell energy metabolism]

Glucose is a major metabolic substrate required for cancer cell survival and growth.Instead, the entry of glucose molecules into the cells is effected by a large family of structurally related transport proteins known as glucose transporters. Two main types of glucose transporters have been identified, namely, the passive facilitative glucose transporters(GLUTs) and the secondary active sodium-coupled glucose transporters(SGLTs).However, tumor cells may adapt to an ischemic microenvironment by upregulation of SGLTs in the plasma membrane which supplies the tumor cell with glucose even at very low extracellular glucose concentration.Therefore, SGLTs is essential for ischemic and hypoxic tumor cells to uptake glucose.Current research indicates that SGLTs may become a promising biomarker for cancer therapy.

Auditory deprivation modifies the expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor and tropomyosin receptor kinase B in the rat auditory cortex

The development and plasticity of central auditory system can be influenced by the change of peripheral neuronal activity. However, the molecular mechanism participating in the process remains elusive. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) binding with its functional receptor tropomyosin receptor kinase B (TrkB) has multiple effects on neurons. Here we used a rat model of auditory deprivation by bilateral cochlear ablation, to investigate the changes in expression of BDNF and TrkB in the auditory cortex after auditory deprivation that occurred during the critical period for the development of central auditory system. Reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and immunohistochemistry methods were adopted to detect the mRNA and protein expression levels of BDNF and TrkB in the auditory cortex at 2, 4, 6 and 8 weeks after surgery, respectively. The change in the expression of BDNF and TrkB mRNAs and proteins followed similar trend. In the bilateral cochlear ablation groups, the BDNF-TrkB expression level initially decreased at 2 weeks but increased at 4 weeks followed by the reduction at 6 and 8 weeks after cochlear removal, as compared to the age-matched sham control groups. In conclusion, the BDNF-TrkB signaling is involved in the plasticity of auditory cortex in an activity-dependent manner.

[The progress of the IL-12 cytokine family in allergic rhinitis]

As the IL-12 family plays an important role in immune regulation, it arouses the attention of the researchers increasingly. There are mainly four members in the IL-12 family, including IL-12, IL-23, IL-27 and IL-35 at present. The family members share many similar structures, but they have their own distinctive biological characteristics and play different roles to balance the functional effects of their own family. IL-12 and IL-23 are positive regulators and mainly play pro-inflammatory effect while IL-27 and IL-35 are negative regulators and mainly play anti-inflammatory effect. Thus, IL-12 family plays an important role in the regulation of the immune response and this function may be better than other cytokine family. IL-12 family has an important regulatory effect on multiple T cell subsets and also has an impact on their differentiation and function. So, we postulate that the IL-12 family may have an intense relationship with the generation and development of the allergic rhinitis. This article will mainly talk about the unique structure and role of the IL-12 cytokine family and discuss its immune regulation effect in the allergic rhinitis.

High speed and high resolution interrogation of a fiber Bragg grating sensor based on microwave photonic filtering and chirped microwave pulse compression

High speed and high resolution interrogation of a fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensor based on microwave photonic filtering and chirped microwave pulse compression is proposed and experimentally demonstrated. In the proposed sensor, a broadband linearly chirped microwave waveform (LCMW) is applied to a single-passband microwave photonic filter (MPF) which is implemented based on phase modulation and phase modulation to intensity modulation conversion using a phase modulator (PM) and a phase-shifted FBG (PS-FBG). Since the center frequency of the MPF is a function of the central wavelength of the PS-FBG, when the PS-FBG experiences a strain or temperature change, the wavelength is shifted, which leads to the change in the center frequency of the MPF. At the output of the MPF, a filtered chirped waveform with the center frequency corresponding to the applied strain or temperature is obtained. By compressing the filtered LCMW in a digital signal processor, the resolution is improved. The proposed interrogation technique is experimentally demonstrated. The experimental results show that interrogation sensitivity and resolution as high as 1.25 ns/με and 0.8 με are achieved.

[Effects of specific immunotherapy on the expression levels of serum IL-17,IL-35 and Treg/Th17 regulatory T cellsin patients with allergic rhinitis caused by dermatophagoides]

Objective:To explore the regulatory effect of sublingual immunotherapy on the balance of Treg/Th17 cells and the expression of IL-17 and IL-35 in serum of allergic rhinitis(AR) in pre-specific and post-specific immunotherapy.Method:In this study,30 cases were randomly selected from outpatients of otolaryngological department in the second hospital of Hebei Medical university.These were attributed as pretherapy group.After treatment,the same patients were as renamed as the post-therapy group.Another 30 cases were healthy subjects enrolled from physical examination branch of our hospital.We detected the expression level of IL-35 and IL-17 in peripheral blood by using ELISA and defeced CD4⁺ CD25⁺ Foxp3⁺ T cell and CD4⁺ IL-17⁺ T cell expression level via flow cytometry.Result:The expression level of IL-17 in pre therapy group was obviously higher than that in control group(P<0.05);The expression level of IL-17 in post therapy group was obviously lower than that in pre-therapy group,The difference was a statistically significance(t=5.030,P<0.05);The expression level of IL-17 in post therapy group was also higher than that in control group(P <0.05 ).The expression level of IL-35 in pre-therapy group was obviously lower than that in control group(P<0.05);The expression level of IL-35 in post therapy was obviously higher than that in pre-therapy group;The difference was a statistically significance (t=-4.083,P<0.05),the expression level of IL-35 in post therapy group was also lower than that in control group(P<0.05).The percentage of CD4⁺CD25⁺Foxp3⁺ T cell in CD4⁺ T cell was significant lower in pre therapy group than that in control group (P<0.05);The percentage of CD4⁺CD25⁺Foxp3⁺ T cell in CD4+ T cell in post therapy was obviously higher than that in pre therapy group;The difference was a statistically significance(t=-10.584,P<0.05),The percentage of CD4⁺CD25⁺Foxp3⁺ T cell in CD4⁺ T cell was also lower in post therapy group than that in control group (P<0.05 ).The percentage of CD4⁺IL17⁺ T cell in CD4⁺ T cell was significant higher in pre therapy group than that in control group (P<0.05);The percentage of CD4⁺IL-17⁺ T cell in CD4⁺ T cell in post therapy group was obviously lower than that in pre therapy group.The difference was a statistically significance (t=6.258,P<0.05).The percentage of CD4⁺IL-17⁺ T cell in CD4⁺ T cell was also higher in post therapy group than that in control group (P<0.05 ).Conclusion:Specific immunotherapy can have an impact on the expression levels of IL-17,IL-35 and also on Treg/Th17 cells balance in peripheral blood for patients with allergic rhinitis.

[The regulatory effect of IL-35 on the balance of Treg/Th17 cells in allergic rhinitis patients]

OBJECTIVE

To study the regulatory effect of IL-35 on the balance of Treg/Th17 cells in AR patients.

METHOD

In this study, 30 cases were randomly selected from outpatients of otolaryngological department in the second hospital of Hebei Medical university who were diagnosed as AR. Another 20 healthy cases enrolled from physical examination branch of our hospital were control group. The expression level of IL-35 and IL-17 in peripheral blood were detected by using ELISA and defeced CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ T cell and CD4+IL-17+T cell expression level were identified via flow cytometry.

RESULT

The expression level of IL-35 in AR group was obviously lower than that in control group, and the difference was a statistically significance (t = -8.145, P < 0.01). The expression level of IL-17 in AR group was obviously higher than that in control group, and the difference was a statistically significance (t = 14.969, P < 0.01). There was a remarkable negative correlation between the IL-35 and IL-17 expression in the serum of AR group (r = -0.773, P < 0.01). The percentage of CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ T cell in CD4+ T cell was significant lower in AR group than that in control group (t = -13.678, P < 0.01). The percentage of CD4+IL-17+ T cell in CD4+ T cell was much higher in AR group than that in control group (t = 5.632, P < 0.01). There was a remarkable negative correlation between the Treg and Th17 expression in the peripheral blood of AR group (r = -0.613, P < 0.01). There was a positive correlation between the expression of CD4+ CD25+Foxp3+ T cell and IL-35. There was a negative correlation between the IL-35 and Th17 in AR group (r = 0. -594, P < 0.01).

CONCLUSION

The lower expression of IL-35 was related to the incidence of AR, and it was an important cytokines for that. The lower expression of IL-35 may inhibit the proliferation of Treg cells, lead to hyper function of Th17 cells, increase secretion of s IL-17 and result in unbalance of Treg/Th17 cells; these may be the important mechanism of the occurrence of AR, thus regulation of IL-35 may become a new target for the immunological therapy of AR.

[Expression and clinical significance of MTDH, HIF-1α and TKTL1 in laryngeal carcinoma]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the functional mechanism of metadherin (MTDH), hypoxia-inducible factor-1 alpha (HIF-1α) and transketolase-like gene 1 (TKTL1) and their interaction with each other in laryngeal carcinoma development.

METHOD

Thirty laryngeal carcinoma samples and 20 samples of para-carcinoma tissue were taken from the patients received operation treatment. The expression levels of MTDH, HIF-1α and TKTL1 were detected in all the samples by SP immunohistochemical methods. The data were analyzed by the SPSS13.0 statistical software.

RESULT

The positive expression rate of MTDH, HIF-1α and TKTL1 in the 30 cases of laryngeal carcinoma was 56.67%, 60.00% and 63.33%, respectively, which was 20.00%,10.00% and 15.00% respectively in the para-carcinoma tissue, the difference of the positive expression rate of the tested objects between these two groups was statistically significant (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). Of the 30 cases of laryngeal carcinoma, the positive expression rate of MTDH, HIF-1α and TKTL1 in the cases with lymphnode metastasis was 84.62%, 84.62% and 79.62%, respectively, compared with the rate in those without lymph nodes metastasis, which was 35.29%, 41.18% and 35.29%. The difference of the positive expression rate of the tested objects between these two groups was statistically significant (P < 0.05). In the tissue of poorly differentiated squamons cell carcinoma verified by pathology, the positive expression rates of MTDH and HIF-1α was 73.68% and 84.21%, respectively, while that in the tissue of well differentiated squamous carcinoma was 27.27% and 18.18%. The difference of the positive expression rate of the tested objects between these two groups was statistically significant (P < 0.05 or (P < 0.01). The positive expression rate of TKTL1 in laryngeal carcinoma at stage I-II was 25.00% and that at stage III-IV was 72.22%, the difference between which was statistically significant (P < 0.05). The positive expression rate of HIF-1α in laryngeal carcinoma at stage I-II was 33.33% and that at stage III-IV was 77. 78%, the difference between which was statistically significant (P < 0.05). The expression of MTDH, HIF-1α and TKTL1 showed no relationship with age,smoking amount or the tumor location (P > 0.05). The Spearman's rank correlation analysis showed that the positive expression rates of MTDH and HIF-1α in laryngeal carcinoma had positive correlation (r = 0.384, P < 0.05); the positive expression rates of TKTL1 and HIF-1α in laryngeal carcinoma had positive correlation (r = 0.508, P < 0.01); But there was no significant correlation between the positive expression rates of MTDH and TKTL1 in laryngeal carcinoma (r = -0.107, P > 0.05).

CONCLUSION

It suggested that these three proteins may have close relationship with the occurrence, invasion and metastasis of the laryngeal carcinoma. MTDH and TKTL1 may be expected to be new clinical targets for laryngeal carcinoma treatment and it could offer theoretical basis for the prognosis of the laryngeal carcinoma.

[The expression of PKM2 and HIF-1α in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma and its clinical indication]

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to investigate the expression of PKM2 and HIF-1α in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma and to analyze their correlation in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma.

METHOD

Total 37 laryngeal carcinoma samples and para-carcinoma tissues were taken from the patients who accepted operation treatment in the Second Hospital of HeBei Medical University from 06/2013 to 06/2014. The protein expression levels of PKM2 and HIF-1α were detected with SP immunohistochemical methods. The data were analyzed by the SPSS 13.0 statistical software.

RESULT

The positive expression of PKM2 in laryngeal carcinoma tissues and adjacent tissues were 62.16% and 13.15%. The difference was statistically significant (P < 0.01). The positive expression of HIF-1α in laryngeal carcinoma tissues and adjacent tissues were 64.86% and 21.62%. The difference was statistically significant (P < 0.01). The positive expression of PKM2 and HIF-1α in well differentiated laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma were both 47.83%, while in medium and poorly differentiated laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma were 85.71% and 92.86% respectively. The difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). The positive expression of PKM2 and HIF-1α in patients with lymph metastasis were 90.00% and 100.00% respectively, 51.85% in those without lymph metastasis, the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). The rate of HIF-1α positive expression in I-II stage was 53.85%, 90.91% in III-IV stage. The difference between the two groups was statistically significant (P < 0.05). The expression of PKM2 and HIF-1α had no relationship with the age and smoking (P > 0.05). The expression of PKM2 was positively related with HIF-1α in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSION

The expression of PKM2 and HIF-1α are related with the proliferation, invasion and metastasis of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma. It provides a certain theoretical basis for laryngeal cancer diagnosis and screening to measure the expression of PKM2 and HIF-1α as biological indicators.

[The impact of hypoxia improvement on laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma chemotherapy]

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the effect of hypoxia improvement in Hep-2 cell on cisplatin-induced apoptosis.

METHOD

Human laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma Hep-2 cells and HIF-1α-RNAi-Hep-2 cells were cultured in normoxic, hypoxic and reoxygenation condition. The inhibition of cisplatin on cell proliferation was evaluated by MTT assay. The influence of cisplatin on cell cycle and apoptosis were detected by flow cytometry.

RESULT

The inhibition of cisplatin on cell proliferation was reduced by hypoxia. After HIF-1α gene was silenced, the inhibition of cisplatin on Hep-2 cell proliferation was increased apparently, but was still interfered partly by hypoxia. Hypoxia could induce cell apoptosis decreased and enhance chemotherapeutic resistance. After reoxygenation, cell apoptosis induced by cisplatin was increased significantly (P < 0.05). HIF-1α-RNAi-Hep-2 cells under hypoxia also showed certain resistance to apoptosis but the sensitivity to cisplatin was higher than that of Hep-2 cells. When cells were returned from hypoxic condition to normoxic condition for some time, the apoptosis induced by cisplatin was increased significantly (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

The improvement of hypoxic microenvironment with HIF-1α gene knockout could increase the sensitivity of Hep-2 cells to chemotherapy.

[Change of auditory brainstem response in hearing deprivation rat model induced by bilateral cochlears ablation]

OBJECTIVE

To observe the change of auditory brainstem response (ABR) in hearing deprivation rat model induced by bilateral cochlears ablation at different time points.

METHOD

Forty SD rats were randomly divided into four experiment groups including 2-week group, 4-week group, 6-week group, 8-week group and four control groups with 5 rats (n = 10) in each group. Then bilateral cochlears ablation was applied to experiment groups. The threshold value of ABR was measured at different time and latent period of each wave was compared.

RESULT

The threshold of ABR in experiment group was elevated significantly. The latent period of each wave was pro longed significantly (P < 0.01). In experiment group, the threshold value of ABR in 2-week and 4-week group was significantly greater than that in 6-week group and 8-week group (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSION

Bilateral cochlears ablation surgery could elevate the threshold of ABR and latent period of each wave prolonged. The effect of hearing deprivation became apparent after surgery for 4 weeks.

[The role and clinical significance of 12-LOX passway in arachidonic acid metabolism induced by phospholipase Cgamma-2 in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma]

OBJECTIVE

To explore the expression of phospholipase Cgamma-2 (PLCgamma-2), lipoxygenase-12 (12-LOX) and arachidonic acid (AA) in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma and to study the the relationship between lipid metabolism and laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma.

METHOD

In 30 cases of carcinoma tissue and peritumoral laryngeal mucosa tissues (confirmed to be normal laryngeal tissues by pathology), immunohistochemical method (Streptavidin-peroxidase method, SP method) was used for the detection of expression of PLCgamma-2 and 12-LOX, and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) for the content of the arachidonic acid in carcinoma tissue and peritumoral normal laryngeal mucosa tissues.

RESULT

The positive rates of PLCgamma-2 and 12-LOX in carcinoma tissue were higher than in peritumoral normal laryngeal mucosa tissues with statistically significance differences (P < 0.05). The content of arachidonic acid was lower in carcinoma tissue than in peritumoral normal laryngeal mucosa tissues with statistically significance difference (P < 0.05). The positive expressions of PLCgamma-2 and 12-LOX were closely correlated to tnm stage, histological differentiation and lymph node metastasis (P < 0.05). The content of arachidonic acid had no significant correlations with tnm stage, histological differentiation and lymph node metastasis (P > 0.05). Both the expression of PLCgamma-2 and 12-LOX and the content of arachidonic acid had no statistically significant correlation with age (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSION

PLCgamma-2, AA and 12-LOX play important roles in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma. It may be meaningful to the treatment of laryngeal carcinoma by suppressing this passway.

Application of clinical PET imaging to human laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma xenografts

Positron emission tomography (PET) imaging with [F-18]-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (¹⁸F-FDG) is extensively applied in clinical practice. However, in animal experiments, the application of clinical PET is difficult, due to limitations in sensitivity and spatial resolution. This study aimed to determine the potential of ¹⁸F-FDG PET with regard to the imaging of human laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) xenografts. Twenty-seven LSCC tumor-bearing nude mice were divided randomly into seven groups which were each handled differently; the anesthetization, fasting, warming and the time point at which scanning was initiated were varied. The size of each xenograft was measured prior to conducting the scan. Using the RAMLA 3D image reconstruction method, images were acquired. The region of interest (ROI) technology was adopted to calculate target and non-target (T/N) ratios. The results were subsequently analyzed by semiquantitative analysis. The analysis showed that there was no significant correlation between tumor size and PET image quality (r=0.381, P>0.05); however, the handling conditions of the mice had a greater influence on the tumor image quality. Fasting increased ¹⁸F-FDG uptake (T/N, 1.153±0.008) to a certain degree, although the effect was unstable. By contrast, combining warming and fasting increased ¹⁸F-FDG uptake significantly (T/N, 2.0±0.29; P<0.05). The acquisition time had no impact on the tumor image quality. The study demonstrated that the application of clinical PET scanning has potential in the study of human LSCC xenografts in nude mice, and that the quality of the image of the tumor is greatly influenced by the handling conditions of the animals.

Hypoxia promotes radioresistance of CD133-positive Hep-2 human laryngeal squamous carcinoma cells in vitro

Hypoxia promotes the radioresistance of laryngeal carcinomas and CD133 is one of the markers expressed by tumor-initiating, human laryngeal carcinoma cells. In order to investigate whether CD133-positive Hep-2 cells exhibit a radioresistant phenotype and to determine whether hypoxia promotes this phenotype, we performed a series of experiments. Hep-2 cells, and Hep-2 cells stably expressing hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-targeted small interfering RNA (siRNA) were cultured under hypoxic and normoxic conditions and were treated with varying doses of γ-rays (0, 5, 10, 15 and 20 Gy). MTT and cell cycle assays were subsequently performed. Using fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS), CD133-positive Hep-2 cells and CD133-positive HIF-siRNA Hep-2 cells were isolated. These cells were grown as spheres under hypoxic and normoxic conditions for MTT and soft agar colony formation assays. The expression levels of DNA-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit (DNA-PKcs), survivin, p53 and ataxia-telangiectasia mutated (ATM) were also assayed using flow cytometry. The data showed that the growth of Hep-2 cells exposed to hypoxic conditions and treated with 10 Gy radiation (group A) was less compared to that of groups B-D (P<0.05). In addition, more cells in group A were arrested in the G1 phase of the cell cycle compared to groups B-D (P<0.05). The percentage of CD133+ cells detected after radiation increased and was the highest for group A (P<0.05). In sphere formation assays, significantly more CD133+ cells grew in spheres than CD133- cells (P<0.001). Moreover, sphere formation was the highest for CD133+ Hep-2 cells grown under hypoxic conditions and exposed to irradiation (group E) (P<0.05). Lastly, expression of DNA-PKcs and survivin for group E was the highest (P<0.05), while ATM and p53 levels remained largely unchanged (P>0.05). In conclusion, CD133-positive Hep-2 cells exhibited a radioresistant phenotype that was enhanced with hypoxia. Furthermore, an increase in DNA-PK activity was associated with this enhancement.

[Investigation of hypoxia detection in tumor]

Hypoxia could not only induce tumor chemoradiotherapeutic resistance, but also cause strong invasiveness which make tumor inclined to recurrence and metastasis. With regard to the detection of oxygenation condition in tumor tissue, there are many methods, but each has its advantages and disadvantages. Accurate monitoring of tumor oxygenation state plays an important role in therapeutic schedule formulation and implementation which would improve curative effect of tumor.