A rare inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor appearing both inside and outside the heart.

Background: Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor (IMT) is an uncommon cardiac tumor that primarily affects infants, children, and young adults. While complete surgical resection generally leads to a favorable prognosis, accurate diagnostic tests remain limited.

Case Presentation: We describe the case of a 26-year-old female who had a dual tumor inside and outside the heart and was misdiagnosed by echocardiography and MRI.

FOXO3-Activated circFGFBP1 Inhibits Extracellular Matrix Degradation and Nucleus Pulposus Cell Death via miR-9-5p/BMP2 Axis in Intervertebral Disc Degeneration In Vivo and In Vitro.

(1) Background: intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD) defined as the degenerative changes in intervertebral disc is characterized by extracellular matrix (ECM) degradation and death in nucleus pulposus (NP) cells. (2) Methods: The model of IVDD was established in male Sprague Dawley rats using a puncture of a 21-gauge needle at the endplates located in the L4/5 intervertebral disc. Primary NP cells were stimulated by 10 ng/mL IL-1β for 24 h to mimic IVDD impairment in vitro.

Exosomal miR-103-3p from LPS-activated THP-1 macrophage contributes to the activation of hepatic stellate cells.

Hepatic fibrosis occurs during chronic hepatic injury and is involved in hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) activated by several types of immune cells. Among the immune cells, hepatic macrophages and their crosstalk with HSCs play a vital role in all stages of hepatic fibrosis. Exosomes, which are 30-150 nm lipid bilayer vehicles, can transfer specific lipid, nucleic acids, proteins, and other bioactive molecules.

Kinetic magnetic resonance imaging analysis of thoracolumbar segmental mobility in patients without significant spondylosis.

To observe thoracolumbar segmental mobility using kinetic magnetic resonance imaging (kMRI) in patients with minimal thoracolumbar spondylosis and establish normal values for translational and angular segmental motion as well as the relative contribution of each segment to total thoracolumbar segmental motion in order to obtain a more complete understanding of this segmental motion in healthy and pathological conditions.Mid-sagittal images obtained by weight-bearing, multi-position kMRI in patients with symptomatic low back pain or radiculopathy were reviewed. The translational motion and angular variation of each segment from T10-L2 were calculated using MRAnalyzer Automated software.

Bone morphogenetic protein 2 alleviated intervertebral disc degeneration through mediating the degradation of ECM and apoptosis of nucleus pulposus cells via the PI3K/Akt pathway.

The present study aimed to explore the underlying mechanisms of bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP2) in alleviating intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD). A rat puncture IDD model was constructed, and the rats were randomly divided into six groups: Control; IDD (model); IDD+PBS [containing 1010 adeno‑associated virus serotype 2 (AAV)]; and IDD + AAV2‑BMP2 (106, 108 and 1010). IL‑1β was used to treat primary nucleus pulposus (NP) cells to mimic IDD in vitro.