Sulforaphane alleviates psoriasis by enhancing antioxidant defense through KEAP1-NRF2 Pathway activation and attenuating inflammatory signaling

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease that affects millions of people worldwide. Sulforaphane (SFN) has been shown to have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. In this study, we investigated the effects of SFN on a mouse model of psoriasis induced by imiquimod (IMQ) and its underlying molecular mechanism. Mice treated with SFN showed significant improvement in psoriatic symptoms, including reduced erythema, scales, and cutaneous thickness. Histopathological analysis and immunohistochemical staining revealed decreased expression of K16, K17, and Ki67 in SFN-treated mice, indicating reduced abnormal differentiation of keratinocytes and cutaneous inflammation. SFN treatment also reduced the activation of STAT3 and NF-κB pathways and downregulated pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1β, IL-6, and CCL2. In vitro experiments using HaCaT cells demonstrated that SFN inhibited IL-22 and TNF-α-induced activation of inflammatory pathways and keratinocyte proliferation. Network pharmacology analysis suggested that the KEAP1-NRF2 pathway might be involved in the protective effects of SFN on psoriasis. We observed reduced NRF2 expression in human psoriatic lesions, and subsequent experiments showed that SFN activated KEAP1-NRF2 pathway in vivo and in vitro. Importantly, NRF2-deficient mice exhibited aggravated psoriasis-like symptoms and reduced response to SFN treatment. Our findings indicate that SFN ameliorates psoriasis symptoms and inflammation through the KEAP1-NRF2 pathway, suggesting a potential therapeutic role for SFN in the treatment of psoriasis.

Vitamin D attenuates DNCB-induced atopic dermatitis-like skin lesions by inhibiting immune response and restoring skin barrier function

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a common chronic inflammatory skin disease causing erythema and itching. The etiology of AD is complex and not yet clear. Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that promotes skin cell growth and differentiation and regulates immune function. This study aimed to explore the therapeutic effect of calcifediol, the active metabolite of vitamin D, on experimental AD and the possible mechanism of action. We found that the levels of vitamin D binding protein (VDBP) and vitamin D receptor (VDR) in biopsy skin samples from AD patients decreased compared with controls. We used 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB) to induce an AD mouse model on the ear and back of BALB/c mice. A total of five groups were used: the control group, the AD group, the AD + calcifediol group, the AD + dexamethasone group, and the calcifediol alone group. Under calcifediol treatment, mice exhibited reduced spinous layer thickening, reduced inflammatory cell infiltration, downregulated aquaporin 3 (AQP3) expression, and restored the barrier function of the skin. Simultaneous calcifediol treatment decreased STAT3 phosphorylation, inhibited inflammation and chemokine release, decreased AKT1 and mTOR phosphorylation, and suppressed epidermal cell proliferation and abnormal differentiation. In conclusion, our study demonstrated that calcifediol significantly protected mice against DNCB-induced AD. In a mouse model of AD, calcifediol may reduce inflammatory cell infiltration and chemokines by inhibiting the phosphorylation of STAT3 and may restore skin barrier function through the downregulation of AQP3 protein expression and inhibition of cell proliferation.

Creatine modulates cellular energy metabolism and protects against cancer cachexia-associated muscle wasting

Cancer cachexia is a multifactorial syndrome defined by progressive loss of body weight with specific depletion of skeletal muscle and adipose tissue. Since there are no FDA-approved drugs that are available, nutritional intervention is recommended as a supporting therapy. Creatine supplementation has an ergogenic effect in various types of sports training, but the regulatory effects of creatine supplementation in cancer cachexia remain unknown. In this study, we investigated the impact of creatine supplementation on cachectic weight loss and muscle loss protection in a tumor-bearing cachectic mouse model, and the underlying molecular mechanism of body weight protection was further assessed. We observed decreased serum creatine levels in patients with cancer cachexia, and the creatine content in skeletal muscle was also significantly decreased in cachectic skeletal muscle in the C26 tumor-bearing mouse model. Creatine supplementation protected against cancer cachexia-associated body weight loss and muscle wasting and induced greater improvements in grip strength. Mechanistically, creatine treatment altered the dysfunction and morphological abnormalities of mitochondria, thus protecting against cachectic muscle wasting by inhibiting the abnormal overactivation of the ubiquitin proteasome system (UPS) and autophagic lysosomal system (ALS). In addition, electron microscopy revealed that creatine supplementation alleviated the observed increase in the percentage of damaged mitochondria in C26 mice, indicating that nutritional intervention with creatine supplementation effectively counteracts mitochondrial dysfunction to mitigate muscle loss in cancer cachexia. These results uncover a previously uncharacterized role for creatine in cachectic muscle wasting by modulating cellular energy metabolism to reduce the level of muscle cell atrophy.

Alpha-7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor agonist alleviates psoriasis-like inflammation through inhibition of the STAT3 and NF-κB signaling pathway

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory cutaneous disease; it has been discovered that stimulation of the nervous system increases susceptibility to psoriasis. Although the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway, which is mediated by the alpha-7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α7nAChR), is critical for controlling multiple types of inflammation, its expression pattern and pathogenesis function in psoriatic lesioned skin tissue are unknown. We hereby analyzed the expression of α7nAchR in human and mouse psoriatic skin tissue. In vivo, PNU-282987 or Methyllycaconitine, a specific agonist or antagonist of α7nAchR, were administered to imiquimod (IMQ)-induced psoriatic mouse models. The macroscopic appearance and histopathological features of the psoriatic mice skin were evaluated. In addition, cell proliferation and differentiation markers were investigated. The level of pro-inflammatory cytokines released from the lesioned skin, as well as the activation of the relevant signaling pathways, were measured. Our findings indicated that psoriatic lesional skin expressed an increased level of α7nAChR, with its tissue distribution being primarily in skin keratinocytes and macrophages. In an IMQ-induced murine psoriasis model, α7nAChR agonist PNU-282987 treatment alleviated psoriasis-like inflammation by down-regulating the expression of multiple types of pro-inflammatory mediators and normalized keratinocyte proliferation and differentiation, whereas α7nAChR antagonist treatment exacerbated its effect. Mechanically, we observed that activation of the α7nAChR inhibited the activation of the STAT3 and NF-κB signaling pathways in in vitro cultured HaCaT cells induced by Th17-related cytokine IL-6/IL-22 or Th1-related cytokine TNF-α. Taken together, these findings demonstrate that attenuation of psoriatic inflammation via the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway is dependent on α7nAChR activation.

Targeting HSP90 Inhibits Proliferation and Induces Apoptosis Through AKT1/ERK Pathway in Lung Cancer

Lung cancer is one of the most common malignant cancers worldwide. Searching for specific cancer targets and developing efficient therapies with lower toxicity is urgently needed. HPS90 is a key chaperon protein that has multiple client proteins involved in the development of cancer. In this study, we investigated the transcriptional levels of HSP90 isoforms in cancerous and normal tissues of lung cancer patients in multiple datasets. The higher expression of HSP90AA1 in cancer tissues correlated with poorer overall survival was observed. The higher levels of transcription and expression of HSP90AA1 and the activity of AKT1/ERK pathways were confirmed in lung cancer patient tissues. In both human and mouse lung cancer cell lines, knocking down HSP90AA1 promoted cell apoptosis through the inhibition of the pro-survival effect of AKT1 by decreasing the phosphorylation of itself and its downstream factors of mTOR and BAD, as well as downregulating Mcl1, Bcl-xl, and Survivin. The knockdown also suppressed lung cancer cell proliferation by inhibiting ERK activation and downregulating CyclinD1 expression. The treatment of 17-DMAG, an HSP90 inhibitor, recaptured these effects in vitro and inhibited tumor cell growth, and induced apoptosis without obvious side effects in lung tumor xenograft mouse models. This study suggests that targeting HSP90 by 17-DMAG could be a potential therapy for the treatment of lung cancer.

Pathological Bases and Clinical Application of Long Noncoding RNAs in Cardiovascular Diseases

Increasing evidence has suggested that noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) have vital roles in cardiovascular tissue homeostasis and diseases. As a main subgroup of ncRNAs, long ncRNAs (lncRNAs) have been reported to play important roles in lipid metabolism, inflammation, vascular injury, and angiogenesis. They have also been implicated in many human diseases including atherosclerosis, arterial remodeling, hypertension, myocardial injury, cardiac remodeling, and heart failure. Importantly, it was reported that lncRNAs were dysregulated in the development and progression of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). A variety of studies have demonstrated that lncRNAs could influence gene expression at transcription, post-transcription, translation, and post-translation level. Particularly, emerging evidence has confirmed that the crosstalk among lncRNAs, mRNA, and miRNAs is an important underlying regulatory mechanism of lncRNAs. Nevertheless, the biological functions and molecular mechanisms of lncRNAs in CVDs have not been fully explored yet. In this review, we will comprehensively summarize the main findings about lncRNAs and CVDs, highlighting the most recent discoveries in the field of lncRNAs and their pathophysiological functions in CVDs, with the aim of dissecting the intrinsic association between lncRNAs and common risk factors of CVDs including hypertension, high glucose, and high fat. Finally, the potential of lncRNAs functioning as the biomarkers, therapeutic targets, as well as specific diagnostic and prognostic indicators of CVDs will be discussed in this review.

[Macular buckling for highly myopic traction maculopathy]

Objective: To observe the efficacy of macular buckling in the treatment of highly myopic traction maculopathy. Methods: Retrospective case series study. The patients with high myopia who underwent macular buckling at the Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center of Sun Yat-sen University from June 2014 to June 2019 were enrolled, including 136 males and 212 females. The age was (56.68±11.59) years old. The outcomes measured included retinal reattachment rate, foveoschisis recovery rate, macular hole closure rate, postoperative best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), axial length (AL), and complications. The measurements were recorded preoperatively and at 1 month, 6 months, 1 year, 2 years, and 3 years postoperatively. The data was statistically analyzed using paired t test. Results: A total of 378 eyes were included, including 216 eyes with foveoschisis and macular detachment and 162 eyes with macular holes and macular detachment. Among them, 296 eyes underwent macular buckling, and the other 82 eyes underwent macular buckling combined with pars plana vitrectomy. During the follow-up period, 373 eyes (98.68%) achieved retinal reattachment; in patients with foveoschisis, 204 eyes (94.44%) were recovered; in patients with macular holes, 89 eyes (54.09%) achieved closure. All the postoperative results of BCVA were better than the preoperative value (1.459±0.841). BCVA continued to increase from postoperative month 1, remained stable at 1 year, and reached 0.908±0.606 at 3 years (t=6.896, P<0.01). All the postoperative results of AL were shorter than the preoperative value. The AL shortened by (4.423±1.740)mm at one month (t=33.144, P<0.01), increased gradually thereafter, remained stable at 1 year, and shortened by (2.101±1.643) mm at three years (t=6.392, P<0.01). The common complications included transient high intraocular pressure in 98 eyes (25.92%), epiretinal hemorrhage in 67 eyes (17.72%), and vitreous hemorrhage in 9 eyes (2.38%), which all resolved spontaneously within 1 month. In the early postoperative period, all patients had a certain degree of eye movement limitation, and 39 eyes (10.31%) had diplopia which resolved within 6 months without treatment. The strabismus surgery was arranged to treat esotropia in 6 eyes (1.58%). The macular buckle was removed from 1 eye (0.26%) because of the inability to tolerate diplopia. There were 8 eyes (2.11%) requiring a second operation to adjust the position of the buckle. The macular buckle was also removed from 4 eyes (1.05%) due to the implant rejection. Conclusion: Macular buckling can effectively shorten the AL, resolve posterior scleral staphyloma, and improve vision in the treatment of highly myopic traction maculopathy. (Chin J Ophthalmol, 2021, 57: 433-439).

Tumour diameter is a predictor of mesorectal and mesenteric lymph node metastases in anorectal melanoma

AIM

Anorectal melanoma is a rare neoplasm with poor prognosis. The aim of this study was to investigate what clinicopathological factors predict lymph node metastases and to investigate their association with survival.

METHOD

Patients undergoing surgery with curative intent for primary anorectal melanoma in Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center between 1989 and 2011 were studied retrospectively. The associations between clinicopathological factors and lymph node metastases and prognosis were determined.

RESULTS

Forty-three patients underwent a potentially curative resection with a median follow-up of 20 months; the 5-year overall survival rate was 29.6% with median overall survival of 28 months. Tumour diameter > 3 cm was associated with mesorectal and mesenteric lymph node metastases (P = 0.013). Perineural invasion (hazard ratio 5.683; 95% CI 1.978-16.328; P = 0.001) was the only factor that independently predicted survival.

CONCLUSION

Tumour diameter was associated with mesorectal and mesenteric lymph node metastases; therefore, wide local excision may not be appropriate for surgery with curative intent for patients with a tumour diameter ≥ 3 cm. Perineural invasion was an important prognostic factor for anorectal melanoma.

Interaction between synchronous bilateral prophylactic oophorectomy and adjuvant chemotherapy in female patients with locally advanced colorectal cancer

AIM

In this study we explored the prognostic impact of synchronous bilateral prophylactic oophorectomy in female patients with primary colorectal cancer undergoing radical surgery.

METHOD

From 1991 to 2000, 267 female patients with stage II or stage III colorectal cancer, who had undergone curative resection, were retrospectively reviewed. In 224 patients, the ovaries were preserved. The other 43 patients underwent synchronous bilateral prophylactic oophorectomy. Univariate and multivariate analyses (Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression, respectively) were used to evaluate the effect of prophylactic oophorectomy and other clinical factors on the prognosis of patients.

RESULTS

Both univariate and multivariate analyses showed that tumor stage and adjuvant chemotherapy were the only two significant clinical factors that affected the 5-year overall survival of patients (P < 0.01). There was no significant difference in the 5-year overall survival between patients who had, or had not, undergone prophylactic oophorectomy (75%vs 73%, P > 0.05). In the subgroup analysis by adjuvant chemotherapy, the 5-year overall survival in patients receiving adjuvant chemotherapy was similar between nonoophorectomy and oophorectomy groups. However, in patients without adjuvant chemotherapy, the oophorectomy group was shown to have a significantly better 5-year overall survival than the nonoophorectomy group (76%vs 51%, P = 0.047).

CONCLUSION

Prophylactic oophorectomy may improve the overall survival of female patients with locally advanced colorectal cancer without adjuvant chemotherapy, but its survival benefit vanished in patients receiving adjuvant chemotherapy. The role of prophylactic oophorectomy may be substituted by adjuvant chemotherapy, which makes prophylactic oophorectomy unnecessary during surgery for locally advanced colorectal cancer.

Digital mobile telephones and interference of ophthalmic equipment

AIM

To assess the effect of mobile telephone electromagnetic interference on electronic ophthalmic equipment.

METHODS

Prospective audit with mobile telephones placed at distances of 3 m, 1 m, and 30 cm from, and in contact with, electronic ophthalmic equipment. Any interruption or cessation of the function of the ophthalmic device was assessed with the mobile telephones in standby, and in dialling or receiving modes. Any alterations of displayed digital figures or numbers were also assessed.

RESULTS

A total of 23 electronic ophthalmic devices in two hospital ophthalmology outpatient departments were evaluated. All six mobile telephones used, and 22 (95.7%) of the 23 ophthalmic equipment evaluated had the Conformité Européene (CE) mark. No device showed any interruption or cessation of function. There were no alterations of displayed digital figures or numbers. The only effect of any kind was found with four instruments (1 non-CE marked), where there was temporary flickering on the screen, and only occurred when the mobile telephones were dialling or receiving at a distance of 30 cm or less from the instruments.

CONCLUSION

This study shows that among the electronic ophthalmic devices tested, none suffered failure or interruption of function, from mobile telephone interference. Although not comprehensive for all ophthalmic equipment, the results question the need for a complete ban of mobile telephones in ophthalmic departments. It highlights the need for a controlled, objectively measured study of the clinically relevant effects of mobile telephones in the ophthalmology outpatient setting.

The telemedicine network of the People's Liberation Army

In the early 1990s, the People's Liberation Army began to establish a telemedicine network for the non-emergency health-care of the personnel of military units and their families, as well as local civilian patients. All data were transferred over the ordinary telephone network. All the stations were uniformly equipped with PCs containing videoconferencing cards. The network comprised 13 management centres and 208 teleconsultation stations. To evaluate the telemedicine service, we conducted a survey with written questionnaires and telephone interviews. The questionnaire was sent to the person responsible for each telemedicine station. A total of 187 questionnaires were returned, a response rate of 85%. The survey showed that 1503 teleconsultation sessions had been conducted for military as well as civilian patients during the 18-month study period, and 1708 static images had been transferred across the network during these sessions.

[Clinical study of the relationship between the lateral recesses and the nerve roots]

To explicate the relationship and the clinical signification between the normal or narrow lateral recesses and the nerve roots, we measured the diameter of the entrans zone of the lateral recess, the interval between the upper articular processes and the interval between the nerve root and ab line on 50 normal cases, 43 narrow cases and 32 stenosis cases with VIDS image analysis system. The results showed that the nerve root was in the center side of the ab line in the normal station, with the degrees of the degeneration and cohesion ncreasing, the nerve root was in the lateral recess side of the ab line, and was compressed by the lateral recess. The authors considered that the real clinical signification of the entrance zone of the lateral recess was danger to the nerve root, but the deciding factors were the degrees of the degeneration and cohesion of the upper articular processes. The pathological conditions that resulted in the stenosis of the lateral recess and dangered the nerve root such as disc, flavum ligament and posterior port of the fibra ring were discussed in the article.

[Three-dimensional recons-truction of lumbar-sacral canal and its contents: experimental study]

In order to suit the needs of studies in spinal column surgery on three-dimensional spatial structure and morphology of lumbar-sacral canal and the nervous tissue within it, an experimental model was applied by the authors using lumbosacral specimens from two fresh young adult cadavers. Successive 2mm thick CTM screening was carried out from L3 to S2 vertebral bodies with an interval of 1mm. The serial two-dimensional CT photographical pictures so obtained were inputted into a computer and the three-dimensional images were reconstructed through a VIDAS image analysis system. The experimental results indicated that the three-dimensional images of reconstructed vertebral canal and the nervous tissue within it were lifelike. These images could not only reveal their three-dimensional structure and morphology, but also be cut and composed together at any direction and section by turning and transpositioning along X, Y and Z axes. The authors hold that the visual effect expressed by three-dimensional images reconstructed from two-dimensional pictures can play important role in stereomorphologic, biomechanical, and other studies in fields of anatomy, image analysis, and clinical medicine.

[Dynamec changls in dimension of cross-sectional areas of lumbar canal and dural sac: an experimental study]

The variation in the cross-sectional areas (CSA) of lumbar canal and dural sac under extension and flexion was studied by using CT scans in ten human cadaver lumbar spine specimens. CSA at different levels or same level in varying positions were distinctive. CSA in flexion position was increased, while in extension position reduced. Dynamic changes of CSA of canal (CSAC) at L4,5,L5-S1 were very significant (P < 0.01), and those of CSA of dural a (CSADS) at all levels but L5-S1 were significant (P < 0.05). It was considered that dynamic changes of CSAC at intervertebral levels were determined by the range of lumbar motions, but those of CSADS were influenced by changes of canal and biomechanical factors of intracanal soft-tissue and changes of dural sac length. Measurement of CSADS was more significant than that of CSAC.

Correlative study on findings of dynamic myelography and surgical operation in non-bony lumbar spinal canal stenosis

The authors performed dynamic lumbar myelography with Omnipaque on 110 patients from 1990 to 1992, of them, 33 cases were diagnosed as non-bony lumbar spinal canal stenosis according to contrast medium defect seen on the lateral view of the myelogram. All such cases were operated on and their dynamic pathological findings during the operation were recorded to compare with the abnormal findings observed on the myelograms, there was a high coincidence rate of 88.7%. The authors believe that the fibrous degenerative changes make up the basis of dural sac compression and the dynamic compression in the spinal canal plays a very important role in causing the severity of the stenosis. As the dynamic pathological findings on the myelograms can not be well demonstrated on CT scanning and MR imaging, the dynamic lumbar myelography should be the method of choice for use in some cases.

[Treatment of lumbar spinal stenosis with partial laminectomy and canal enlargement]

Thirty-eight patients with lumbar spinal stenosis were treated by partial laminectomy, incision of ligmental flava and canal enlargement. According to the pathological characteristic of lumbar spinal stenosis, both decompression and stability of the lumbar spine would be achieved by limited surgical treatment to the pathological segment and removing of any pathological factors. The average time for follow-up is 14 months. The excellent rate is 89.5%. The technique of the operation was also described and discussed.

[Myelographic diagnosis and treatment of lumbosacral nerve root anomalies]

Altogether 480 patients were examined with myelography in the study from 1987 to 1992 and 28 cases having anomalous lumbosacral nerve roots with other concomitant diseases were found. The anomalies were classified three types based on myelographic findings. Type 1, root sleeve displacement; Type 2, a, roots through one foramen; b, roots through two foramina; c, roots through three foramina; Type 3, double roots through one foramen. All patients were proved and treated during operation. The results of treatment were good (92.8%). We considered that most lumbosacral nerve roots anomalies were asymptomatic, however, when they were compressed by degenerative canal tissue, classic nerve root pain appeared eventually. Myelography is helpful to its diagnosis and treatment.

[Non-bony lumbar stenosis treated by excision of limited lamina and enlargement of spinal canal: a report of 45 cases]

In the treatment of 45 cases with non-bony lumbar stenosis, we adopted remain of spinal process and supraspinal ligament, excision of limited lamina and ligament flavum, enlargement of spinal canal. Follow-up of 40 cases showed 31 were excellent, 7, good and 2 poor. Satisfactory results were obtained in 95% of the cases: non-bony lumbar stenosis considered a type of acquired lumbar stenosis. Clinically, it was characterized by claudication. Diagnosis of the disease mainly depends on dynamic flexion-extension myelography. The advantages of this method include excision of spinal canal soft tissue which compressed nerve, small damage of bone structure, recover of the patients and lumbar stability.