Parasubthalamic calretinin neurons modulate wakefulness associated with exploration in male mice.

The parasubthalamic nucleus (PSTN) is considered to be involved in motivation, feeding and hunting, all of which are highly depending on wakefulness. However, the roles and underlying neural circuits of the PSTN in wakefulness remain unclear. Neurons expressing calretinin (CR) account for the majority of PSTN neurons.

Protective effects of progesterone on pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells stimulated with Interleukin 6 via blocking the shuttling and transcriptional function of STAT3.

Background: Sex hormone paradox is a crucial but unresolved issue in the field of pulmonary artery hypertension (PAH), and is thought to be related to different pathogenic factors. Inflammation is one of pathological mechanisms of PAH development. However, effects of sex hormones on the pulmonary vasculature under the condition of inflammation are still elusive.

Serum cartilage oligomeric matrix protein is decreased in patients with pulmonary hypertension: a potential protective factor.

Cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP) was a protective factor in the cardiovascular system. Previous studies showed that hypoxia led to decreased COMP in rat models of pulmonary hypertension. However, the expression pattern of COMP in the pulmonary hypertension population was unclear.

Predictors of acute cardiovascular events following acute exacerbation period for patients with COPD: a nested case-control study.

Background: It has been noted that there is an increase in the incidence of acute cardiovascular events (CVEs) in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) during an acute exacerbation (AE), thereby causing increased inpatient mortality. Thus, we have tried to identify predictors of acute CVEs in patients with AECOPD via a nested case-control study.

Methods: A total of 496 cases hospitalized for AECOPD were included in this study, and followed-up for up to 6 months after discharge.

Stool-based Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra assay as a tool for detecting pulmonary tuberculosis in children with abnormal chest imaging: A prospective cohort study.

Objectives: To evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of stool-based Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra assay versus other assays for the detection of paediatric pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB).

Methods: A prospective head-to-head comparative study was conducted from Dec 2017 to May 2019 in Shanghai Public Health Clinical Centre. Samples were collected from children (< 15 years) with abnormal chest imaging (X-ray or CT scan) results for the following tests: Ultra on stool sample (Ultra-Stool), Ultra on respiratory tract sample (Ultra-RTS), Xpert MTB/RIF assay (Xpert) on RTS (Xpert-RTS), acid-fast bacilli smear on RTS (AFB-RTS), and Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) culture on RTS (Culture-RTS).

High flow nasal cannula versus conventional oxygen therapy in postoperative patients at high risk for pulmonary complications: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: The effects of high flow nasal cannula (HFNC) on postoperative patients at high risk for pulmonary complications(PC) are controversial. We aimed to further determine the effectiveness of HFNC in postoperative patients at high risk for PC by comparison to conventional oxygen therapy (COT).

Methods: We performed a comprehensive search that compared HFNC with COT in postoperative patients at high risk for PC.

Diagnostic accuracy of the Berlin questionnaire and therapeutic effect of nasal continuous positive airway pressure in OSAHS patients with glucose metabolic dysfunction.

Purpose: Obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) is associated with alterations in glucose metabolism. The Berlin questionnaire (BQ) is effective in identifying subjects with high risk of OSAHS. However, its validity in patients with glucose metabolic dysfunction remains unclear.

Whole-Brain Monosynaptic Inputs to Hypoglossal Motor Neurons in Mice.

Hypoglossal motor neurons (HMNs) innervate tongue muscles and play key roles in a variety of physiological functions, including swallowing, mastication, suckling, vocalization, and respiration. Dysfunction of HMNs is associated with several diseases, such as obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and sudden infant death syndrome. OSA is a serious breathing disorder associated with the activity of HMNs during different sleep-wake states.

Heterozygous SOD2 deletion deteriorated chronic intermittent hypoxia-induced lung inflammation and vascular remodeling through mtROS-NLRP3 signaling pathway.

Oxidative stress caused by chronic intermittent hypoxia (CIH) is the hallmark of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Among the first line of defense against oxidative stress is the dismutation of superoxide radicals, which in the mitochondria is carried out by manganese superoxide dismutase (SOD2). In this study, wild-type (WT) and SOD2-heterozygous knockout (SOD2) mice were exposed to CIH or normoxic (Nor) conditions.

Signaling mechanism underlying the histamine-modulated action of hypoglossal motoneurons.

Histamine, an important modulator of the arousal states of the central nervous system, has been reported to contribute an excitatory drive at the hypoglossal motor nucleus to the genioglossus (GG) muscle, which is involved in the pathogenesis of obstructive sleep apnea. However, the effect of histamine on hypoglossal motoneurons (HMNs) and the underlying signaling mechanisms have remained elusive. Here, whole-cell patch-clamp recordings were conducted using neonatal rat brain sections, which showed that histamine excited HMNs with an inward current under voltage-clamp and a depolarization membrane potential under current-clamp via histamine H1 receptors (H1Rs).

A novel method for sensitive determination of subclinical right ventricular systolic dysfunction in patients with obstructive sleep apnea.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate right ventricular (RV) regional systolic function and dyssynchrony in patients with newly diagnosed obstructive sleep apnea using real-time three-dimensional (3D) echocardiography.

Methods: Eighty-two subjects without hypertension, diabetes mellitus or any cardiac or pulmonary disease referred for evaluation of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) had overnight polysomnography and complete echocardiographic assessment. According to the apnea hypopnea index (AHI), subjects were divided into four groups: group 1: control subjects (AHI < 5, n = 19), group 2: patients with mild OSA (AHI: 5-14, n = 21), group 3: moderate OSA (AHI: 15-30, n = 18), group 4: severe OSA (AHI > 30, n = 24).

A Novel Method for Sensitive Determination of Subclinical Left-Ventricular Systolic Dysfunction in Subjects With Obstructive Sleep Apnea.

Background: This study was to evaluate the subclinical left-ventricular (LV) systolic dysfunction with 2-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography in subjects with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) with normal left ventricular ejection fraction and without any confounding disease that can cause myocardial dysfunction.

Methods: Nineteen healthy individuals and 60 subjects with OSA were included in this study. According to the severity of disease, OSA subjects were examined in 3 groups: mild, moderate, and severe OSA.

Fasting activated histaminergic neurons and enhanced arousal effect of caffeine in mice.

Caffeine, a popular psychoactive compound, promotes wakefulness via blocking adenosine A2A receptors in the shell of the nucleus accumbens, which projects to the arousal histaminergic tuberomammillary nucleus (TMN). The TMN controls several behaviors such as wakefulness and feeding. Fasting has been reported to activate the TMN histaminergic neurons to increase arousal.

Obstructive sleep apnoea associated with syringomyelia.

Coexistence of obstructive sleep apnoea and syringomyelia is quite rare. This article discusses three cases of coexisting obstructive sleep apnoea and syringomyelia and looks at the possible mutual influences between the two diseases.

The evaluation of efficacy and safety of sunitinib on EGFR-TKI pretreated advanced non-small cell lung cancer patients in China.

Background: Sunitinib is an oral multitargeted tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) exhibiting antiagiogenic and antitumor effects.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and potential toxicity of sunitinib therapy in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients in China.

Methods: From January 2009 to August 2011, 30 patients with stage IV NSCLC, who were pretreated with the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-TKIs and then received sunitinib, were retrospectively reviewed.

Effect of noninvasive positive pressure ventilation on weaning success in patients receiving invasive mechanical ventilation: a meta-analysis.

Background: Noninvasive positive pressure ventilation (NIPPV) has been proposed to shorten the duration of mechanical ventilation in intubated patients, especially those who fail initial weaning from invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV). However, there are also some discrepancies in terms of weaning success or failure, incidence of re-intubation, complications observed during study and patient outcomes. The primary objective of this update was to specifically investigate the role of NIPPV on facilitating weaning and avoiding re-intubation in patients intubated for different etiologies of acute respiratory failure, by comparing with conventional invasive weaning approach.

[A retrospective study on the treatment of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease by face mask mechanical ventilation].

Objective: To assess the effect and the influencing factors in face mask mechanical ventilation (FMMV) for the treatment of COPD with respiratory failure (RF), and to compare the efficacy and efficiency of FMMV with endotracheal intubation mechanical ventilation (ETMV).

Methods: From 1991 to 2001, 4 ventilating periods were named initial, middle, late, and extending stage according to ventilators, face masks and mechanical ventilating methods. The results of FMMV in the 4 periods were compared.