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Nucleus pulposus (NP) has been suggested to trigger an autoimmune response if exposed to the immune system, which plays a key role in neuropathic pain. Therefore, appropriate suppression of inflammation is a key factor for treating the radiculopathy caused by intervertebral disk (IVD) degeneration. Resveratrol, a key component of red wine, has been suggested to exhibit anti-inflammatory properties in vitro and in vivo. However, the effects of resveratrol on NP-mediated pain in vivo have not been studied. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether resveratrol may be useful in treating NP-mediated pain in an autologous NP model of radiculopathy. A total of 36 adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were allocated randomly into sham (group I), saline-treated (group II) and resveratrol-treated (group III) groups. Animal behavior in response to non-noxious mechanical stimulation with von Frey filaments was compared at days 0 (baseline), 3, 7, 14 and 21 following surgery. The expression of proinflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) and interleukin-1 (IL-1) were assessed at days 7 and 14. The data showed that resveratrol exhibited an anti-inflammatory effect on the expression of proinflammatory cytokines. Compared with group II, the expression of TNF-α and IL-1 was significantly decreased at each time point in group III. In addition, resveratrol significantly reduced pain behavior triggered by the application of NP tissue on the dorsal root ganglion for up to 14 days. These data suggest that resveratrol has potential for the treatment of NP-mediated pain, indicating a potential clinical application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of the small interfering RNA (siRNA)-induced inhibition of the Trop2 gene on the proliferation and invasion of lung adenocarcinoma H460 cells. A recombinant adenovirus expression vector, which contained siRNA targeting open reading frames for Trop2 (rAd5-siTrop2), was transfected into lung adenocarcinoma H460 cells. Three groups were included in the study, namely the Ctrl (non-transfected control), rAd5-siCtrl (native control) and rAd5-siTrop2 (knockdown Trop2 gene) groups. The mRNA and protein expression levels of Trop2 were detected using quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blot analysis, respectively. In addition, the expression levels of cyclin Dl and phospho-extracellular signal regulated kinase (p-ERK)-1 were detected using western blot analysis. The effects of Trop2 inhibition on the proliferation and invasion of lung adenocarcinoma H460 cells were investigated using a 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide and Transwell assay. Trop2-targeted siRNA recombinant plasmids were successfully constructed. The recombinant adenovirus vector, rAd5-siTrop2, significantly downregulated the mRNA and protein expression levels of Trop2 in the lung adenocarcinoma H460 cells, with cyclin D1 and p-ERK-1 expression downregulated simultaneously. In addition, following the silencing of Trop2, the proliferation and invasion rates of the lung adenocarcinoma H460 cells were reduced. Therefore, the results indicated that Trop2 serves a key function in the proliferation and invasion of lung adenocarcinoma H460 cells in vitro. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) is an extremely rare lung disease affecting females of a childbearing age. The condition occurs sporadically or in association with tuberous sclerosis complex. The diagnosis of LAM is often delayed since the clinical symptoms and signs are non-specific. The present study reports the a case of a patient with LAM, in which bloody sputum was presented as the initial symptom. The 43-year-old female had experienced a small amount of bloody sputum over the previous five years. The patient was admitted to the Department of Respiratory Medicine at Taizhou People's Hospital (Taizhou, China) in 2012, reporting symptoms of a cough, shortness of breath and bloody sputum over the previous 10 days. A high-resolution computed tomography scan revealed multiple small circular thin-walled translucent areas in both lung fields. The initial diagnosis of the patient was LAM. A biopsy was performed using a video-assisted thoracoscopy. In conclusion, increased awareness and early diagnosis and treatment were determined to be key factors in ensuring a satisfactory prognosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The host response to spinal cord injury (SCI) can lead to an ischemic environment that can induce cell death. Therapeutic interventions using neurotrophic factors have focused on the prevention of such reactions in order to reduce this cell death. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a potent angiogenic and vascular permeability factor. We hypothesized in this study that batroxobin would exhibit protective effects following SCI by promoting the expression of VEGF to reduce the levels of apoptosis in a rat model of SCI. Ninety adult female Sprague Dawley rats were divided randomly into sham injury (group I), SCI (group II) and batroxobin treatment (group III) groups. The Basso-Bettie-Bresnahan (BBB) scores, number of apoptotic cells and expression of VEGF were assessed at 1, 3, 5, 7, 14 and 28 days post-injury. The BBB scores were significantly improved in group III compared with those in group II between days 5 and 28 post-injury (P<0.05). At each time-point subsequent to the injury, the number of apoptotic cells in group III was reduced compared with that in group II. Compared with group II, treatment with batroxobin significantly increased the expression of VEGF from day 3 until 2 weeks post-SCI (P<0.05), while no significant difference was observed at day 28. These data suggest that batroxobin has multiple beneficial effects on SCI, indicating a potential clinical application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several previous studies have reported that rosuvastatin plus ticagrelor is superior to ticagrelor monotherapy in patients receiving percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI); several others, however, dispute this. The present meta-analysis summarized relevant studies, aiming to comprehensively explore the efficacy of rosuvastatin plus ticagrelor vs. ticagrelor monotherapy in patients receiving PCI. Published studies comparing the efficacy between rosuvastatin plus ticagrelor and ticagrelor alone among patients receiving PCI were searched in the CNKI, Wanfang, CQVIP, EMBASE, Cochrane and PubMed databases until January 2023. The present meta-analysis included 3 cohort studies and 4 randomized controlled trials with 426 patients receiving rosuvastatin plus ticagrelor and 424 patients receiving ticagrelor monotherapy. Rosuvastatin plus ticagrelor decreased the occurrence of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) compared with ticagrelor [relative risk (RR), 0.29; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.18-0.47]. Subgroup analysis revealed similar findings in studies with a follow-up of <6 months (RR, 0.24; 95% CI, 0.13-0.47) and ≥6 months (RR, 0.36; 95% CI, 0.18-0.70), as well as in studies using 10 mg rosuvastatin (RR, 0.27; 95% CI, 0.15-0.50) and 20 mg rosuvastatin (RR, 0.33; 95% CI, 0.16-0.69). In addition, rosuvastatin plus ticagrelor decreased the left ventricular (LV) end-systolic diameter [mean difference (MD), -0.71; 95% CI, -(1.36-0.07)], LV end-diastolic diameter [MD, -1.17; 95% CI, -(1.91-0.43)] and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide [MD, -2.97; 95% CI, -(4.55-1.38)], and increased the LV ejection fraction (MD, 0.99; 95% CI, 0.74-1.25). In conclusion, rosuvastatin plus ticagrelor was shown to decrease the risk of MACE and elevate cardiac function compared with ticagrelor monotherapy in patients receiving PCI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Primary pulmonary lymphoma (PPL) is an uncommon type of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. The majority of PPLs are of low-grade, mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue type. Primary pulmonary diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is extremely rare, and prompt diagnosis may be challenging since its clinical symptoms and signs are nonspecific. Although the clinical features, diagnostic procedures, optimal management and prognostic factors of this disease have not yet been well defined, open thoracotomy and chest computed tomography (CT)-guided percutaneous biopsy are the preferred methods used in previous studies. In the present case report, the diagnosis and management of a patient with primary pulmonary DLBCL is reported. A 68-year-old patient was admitted to hospital in May 2013, with complaints of shortness of breath and intermittent wheezing and a cough associated with the production of small amounts of phlegm. Following admission, chest CT scans revealed a mass in the right middle lobe with ground-glass opacities at the lesion margins, as well as air bronchograms in the areas of consolidation. Bronchoscopy was performed and revealed an endobronchial lesion and partial stenosis in the distal end of the middle segment bronchus. Transbronchial needle aspiration (TBNA) of the right hilar lymph node, as well as endobronchial biopsy, was performed. The patient was diagnosed with primary pulmonary DLBCL by subsequent histopathological and immunohistochemical analysis of biopsy specimens collected via TBNA. Following the final diagnosis, standard treatment with CHOP chemotherapy resulted in significant clinical and radiological response and the patient remained in remission 8 months later. These results indicate that TBNA may be an effective method for the diagnosis of primary pulmonary DLBCL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A prolonged second stage of vaginal delivery increases the risk of shoulder dystocia, unnecessary episiotomies and cesarean sections. However, no standardized method has been proposed to tackle this issue. The effects of pelvic floor myofascial manipulation intervention during the second stage of labor in primiparas and its prognostic value in neonatal postpartum outcomes remain unknown. In the present study, a total of 60 primiparas who were expecting a vaginal delivery in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical College (Haikou, China) between October 2021 and January 2022 were selected. These women were randomly assigned to a control group (standard intrapartum care) or an experimental group (pelvic floor myofascial manipulation for 15-20 min during the second stage of labor along with standard intrapartum care) using a random number table, with 28 patients in each group. There was no significant difference in age, gestational time or body mass index between the two groups before delivery, indicating that the baseline data were comparable. The second stage of labor duration, forced breath-holding time and postpartum hemorrhage volume in the experimental group were significantly lower than those in the control group. The pain visual analog scale scores, fatigue scores and neonatal Apgar scores in the experimental group were also significantly lower than those in the control group. The rate of episiotomy in the experimental group was lower than that in the control group, but the difference was not statistically significant. In conclusion, pelvic floor myofascial manipulation intervention during the second stage of labor for primiparas with vaginal delivery can reduce the duration of the second stage of labor, the amount of bleeding during labor and the pain during labor. Meanwhile, it has the potential to improve neonatal outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although accumulating evidence has suggested that microRNAs (miRNAs) have a serious impact on cognitive function and are associated with the etiology of several neuropsychiatric disorders, their expression in sevoflurane-induced neurotoxicity in the developing brain has not been characterized. In the present study, the miRNAs expression pattern in neonatal hippocampus samples (24 h after sevoflurane exposure) was investigated and 9 miRNAs were selected, which were associated with brain development and cognition in order to perform a bioinformatic analysis. Previous microfluidic chip assay had detected 29 upregulated and 24 downregulated miRNAs in the neonatal rat hippocampus, of which 7 selected deregulated miRNAs were identified by the quantitative polymerase chain reaction. A total of 85 targets of selected deregulated miRNAs were analyzed using bioinformatics and the main enriched metabolic pathways, mitogen-activated protein kinase and Wnt pathways may have been involved in molecular mechanisms with regard to neuronal cell body, dendrite and synapse. The observations of the present study provided a novel understanding regarding the regulatory mechanism of miRNAs underlying sevoflurane-induced neurotoxicity, therefore benefitting the improvement of the prevention and treatment strategies of volatile anesthetics related neurotoxicity [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Primary pulmonary synovial sarcoma is a rare lesion that occurs in 0.5% cases of lung malignancies. Chest computed tomography (CT) reveals a heterogeneously enhancing mass in the lobe or hilum of the lungs, frequently calcified and with pleural invasion. Involvement of the mediastinum in the course of primary pulmonary synovial sarcoma, in particular detection of a large mass in the mediastinum as the sole initial imaging manifestation, is extremely rare, which may contribute to a delayed diagnosis or misdiagnosis. The present case report describes an extremely rare case of a patient with primary pulmonary synovial sarcoma presenting with a large mass in the left upper mediastinum. A 59-year-old patient was admitted to the Department of Respiratory Medicine of Taizhou People's Hospital in May 2014, complaining of a persistent cough and blood sputum for 2 weeks. Following admission, a chest CT showed a large mass in the left upper mediastinum. Thoracoscopy was performed and revealed that the left pulmonary artery was engulfed by the mass, and thus surgical resection of the tumor was abandoned. The patient was definitively diagnosed with primary pulmonary synovial sarcoma following the histopathological and immunohistochemical analysis of biopsy specimens obtained via thoracoscopy. Following the final diagnosis, the patient was transferred to the Department of Oncology for chemotherapy treatments with ifosfamide and doxorubicin. Unfortunately, no partial regression was achieved after two rounds of chemotherapy, and the patient was lost to follow-up 3 months after the diagnosis was confirmed. The present case may promote the consideration of primary pulmonary synovial sarcoma in the differential diagnosis of patients who present with a large mass in the mediastinum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a rare type of malignant hematological neoplasm. Although primarily involving the bone marrow, MM has a significant risk of metastasizing to other organs and may present with various clinical symptoms. However, the involvement of the respiratory system in the course of MM is extremely uncommon, particularly presenting with bilateral pleural effusion as the sole initial manifestation, which may result in a delayed diagnosis of MM. The present study describes the extremely rare case of a patient with MM presenting with myelomatous pleural effusion (MPE). The 78-year-old patient was admitted to the Department of Respiratory Medicine, Taizhou People's Hospital (Taizhou, China) in March 2014, complaining of persistent dyspnea. Following admission, chest computed tomography scans revealed bilateral pleural effusion and a small amount of pericardial effusion, but no evident mass lesion. Thoracentesis was performed and the resulting pleural effusion was exudative and slightly bloody. In the following cytological examination, myeloma cells were identified in the pleural effusion. The patient was diagnosed definitively with MM following a histopathological study of the bone marrow aspiration. Therefore, the observations of the present case report may promote the consideration of MM in the differential diagnosis of patients with unexplained and refractory pleural effusion. The present study also reviewed the literature with regard to the association between MM and pleural effusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]