Seven preoperative factors have strong predictive value for postoperative pneumonia in patients undergoing thoracoscopic lung cancer surgery.

Background: Postoperative pneumonia (POP) is a hospital acquired pneumonia that occurs >48 hours after tracheal intubation. The diagnosis of POP should be based on clinical and radiological findings within 30 days after surgery. It is a common complication after thoracoscopic surgery for lung cancer patients.

β-Amyrin ameliorates pulmonary fibrosis by inhibiting inflammatory response and oxidative stress in mice.

The study aimed to determine efficacy and mechanisms of β-Amyrin on pulmonary fibrosis. Use bleomycin (BLM) to induce the marine model of pulmonary fibrosis. β-Amyrin (20, 40, 80 mg/kg) was once treated via intragastrical administration for five consecutive days when after BLM stimulation.

Utilities and placement skills of the incision protective sleeve in video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS).

Background: The incision protective sleeve can protect incisions and help to establish an operating port and thus has been widely applied in thoracic surgeries. However, its other utilities are often neglected. This article explores the additional functions and placement techniques of incision protective sleeves in video-assisted transthoracic surgery (VATS).

Albiflorin alleviates ovalbumin (OVA)-induced pulmonary inflammation in asthmatic mice.

In the present study, the effects of albiflorin (ALB) on the pulmonary inflammation induced by ovalbumin (OVA) in an asthmatic mouse model were investigated. Airway hyperreactivity (AHR) in asthmatic mice was detected using the acetylcholine stimulation test. Eosinophilia cells in the serum of asthmatic mice were counted.

A meta-analysis of levetiracetam for randomized placebo-controlled trials in patients with refractory epilepsy.

Objective: The objective of this study was to investigate the efficacy and safety profile of levetiracetam as add-on therapy in patients with refractory epilepsy.

Methods: Web of Science, MEDLINE (Ovid and PubMed), Cochrane Library, EMBASE, and Google Scholar were systematically searched to identify potential eligible randomized controlled trials by two reviewers independently. Pooled estimates of risk ratios (RRs) for 50%, 75%, and 100% reduction from baseline were calculated using the fixed-effect model or random-effect model.

Identification of novel lncRNAs involved in the pathogenesis of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

This study aimed to explore novel long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and the underlying mechanisms involved in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (cALL). The GSE67684 dataset was downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and lncRNAs (DELs) between Days 0, 8, 15 and 33 were isolated using random variance model corrective analysis of variance.

Computational design of peptide ligands to target the intermolecular interaction between viral envelope protein and pediatric receptor.

The recognition and binding of viral envelope protein to pediatric receptor subverts the membrane-trafficking apparatus to mediate virion export in young children. Here, we described a successful computational design of peptide ligands to target the intermolecular interaction between the virus large envelope protein (LHB) and adaptin receptor (ADT). Based on the crystal structure of ADT in complex with an oligopeptide segment corresponding to the core binding site of LHB, a sequence-specific amino acid preference profile was determined systematically for the ADT-binding peptides using structural bioinformatics approach.

Fluoxetine, an Antidepressant Drug, Inhibited Cigarette Smoke-Induced Pulmonary Inflammation and Apoptosis in Rats.

The present study was designed to evaluate the anti-inflammatory effect of fluoxetine (Flu) against cigarette smoke (CS)-induced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in rats. Forty male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly assigned to five groups: control group, CS group, dexamethasone (2 mg/kg) group, and flu (2 mg/kg). H&E staining demonstrated that Flu inhibited CS-induced pathological injury.

MiR-455 enhances adipogenic differentiation of 3T3-L1 cells through targeting uncoupling protein-1.

Accumulating evidence suggests that microRNAs (miRNAs) play an important role in regulating the pathways in adipose tissue that control processes such as adipogenesis, insulin resistance, and inflammation. Adipogenic differentiation of preadipocytes is a complex process regulated by various factors including miRNAs and cytokines. MiR-455 is a well-known miRNA that enhances adipogenesis.

Astragaloside IV ameliorates necrotizing enterocolitis by attenuating oxidative stress and suppressing inflammation via the vitamin D3-upregulated protein 1/NF-κB signaling pathway.

Astragaloside IV (AS-IV) is a flavonoid from the plant (Fisch) Bge that has a wide range of therapeutic effects. The aim of the present study was to examine the effect of AS-IV on rats with necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) under oxidative stress and inflammation. Newborn Sprague-Dawley rats were induced with NEC by asphyxia and hypothermia applied on 3 consecutive days.

Suppression of P2X7/NF-κB pathways by Schisandrin B contributes to attenuation of lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammatory responses in acute lung injury.

The aim of the present study was to assess the effects and mechanisms of Schisandrin B (SchB) on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced acute lung injury (ALI). ALI was induced in mice by intratracheal instillation of LPS (1 mg/kg), and SchB (25, 50, and 75 mg/kg) was injected 1 h before LPS challenge by gavage. After 12 h, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) samples and lung tissues were collected.