Methicillin-Resistant -Induced Discitis Following Acupuncture: A Case Report.

This report describes a case of lumbar disc infection potentially induced by acupuncture in a 43-year-old male with a history of back pain. After acupuncture treatment at another hospital, the patient experienced worsened pain. Physical examination revealed tenderness at the upper lumbar intervertebral space and paravertebral percussion pain.

The mediating effect of self-efficacy on family functioning and psychological resilience in prostate cancer patients.

Aims: Prostate cancer patients face impaired body image and psychological distress during the diagnosis and treatment of the disease, which leads to changes in mood, cognition and behavior. Psychological resilience has been shown to buffer shocks and stresses from the disease. Therefore, this study investigates the relationship between family functioning and psychological resilience in prostate cancer patients and the mediating role of self-efficacy between family functioning and psychological resilience to provide a relevant theoretical basis for improving patients' psychological status by providing relevant theoretical basis.

AKR1C2 genetic variants mediate tobacco carcinogens metabolism involving bladder cancer susceptibility.

Tobacco carcinogens metabolism-related genes (TCMGs) could generate reactive metabolites of tobacco carcinogens, which subsequently contributed to multiple diseases. However, the association between genetic variants in TCMGs and bladder cancer susceptibility remains unclear. In this study, we derived TCMGs from metabolic pathways of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and tobacco-specific nitrosamines, and then explored genetic associations between TCMGs and bladder cancer risk in two populations: a Chinese population of 580 cases and 1101 controls, and a European population of 5930 cases and 5468 controls, along with interaction and joint analyses.

The ATR inhibitor VE-821 increases the sensitivity of gastric cancer cells to cisplatin.

Background: Chemoresistance is a common event after cancer chemotherapy, including gastric cancer (GC). Cisplatin has been reported to induce the DNA damage response (DDR), thus leading to chemoresistance. VE-821, a specific inhibitor of ATR, has been proven to suppress a variety of solid malignancies effectively.

Rapid simultaneous determination of thirteen aristolochic acids analogs in Aristolochiaceae plants by Ultra-High-Performance liquid Chromatography- tandem mass spectrometry in dynamic multiple reaction monitoring mode.

Asarum and Aristolochia are two large genera of Aristolochiaceae plants containing typical toxicant aristolochic acid analogs(AAAs), AAAs can be deemed as toxicity markers of Aristolochiaceae plants. Based on the least AAAs in dry roots and rhizomes of Asarum heterotropoides, Asarum sieboldii Miq and Asarum sieboldii var, all of which are enrolled in the Chinese pharmacopeia up to now. AAAs distribution in Aristolochiaceae plants, especially Asarum L.

Clinicopathological and predictive value of MAIT cells in non-small cell lung cancer for immunotherapy.

Background: Immune-checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) remain ineffective in a large group of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. Mucosal-associated invariant T (MAIT) cells, a population of unconventional innate-like T lymphocytes abundant in the human body, play important roles in human malignancies. Little is known about the immune characteristics of MAIT cells in NSCLC and correlation with prognosis and response rate of ICIs treatment.

Exosomal miR-93-5p from cancer-associated fibroblasts confers malignant phenotypes on bladder cancer cells by targeting PAFAH1B1.

Background: Dysregulation of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) still greatly challenges the treatments for bladder cancer (BC), where exosomal miRNAs derived from CAFs are one of the essential effectors for tumor progression. miR-93-5p is reported to be upregulated in BC, however, it is barely investigated in BC-derived CAFs.

Method: The CAF markers were immunofluorescent-labeled and examined by western blotting assay in CAFs and normal fibroblasts (NFs).

CircRNA3616 knockdown attenuates inflammation and apoptosis in spinal cord injury by inhibiting TLR4/NF-κB activity via sponging miR-137.

Purpose: The present work focused on exploring the role of circRNA3616 in neuronal inflammation and apoptosis in spinal cord injury (SCI).

Methods: The SCI mouse model and circRNA3616 knockdown SCI mouse model were established. This work focused on assessing the mouse locomotor function using Basso Mouse Scale (BMS) and BMS subscore.

Imaging diagnosis and research progress of carotid plaque vulnerability.

Ischemic stroke (IS) exhibits a high disability rate, mortality, and recurrence rate, imposing a serious threat to human survival and health. Its occurrence is affected by various factors. Although the previous research has demonstrated that the occurrence of IS is mainly associated with lumen stenosis caused by carotid atherosclerotic plaque (AP), recent studies have revealed that many patients will still suffer from IS even with mild carotid artery lumen stenosis.

Genetic variants in choline metabolism pathway are associated with the risk of bladder cancer in the Chinese population.

Choline metabolism alteration is considered as a metabolic hallmark in cancer, reflecting the complex interactions between carcinogenic signaling pathways and cancer metabolism, but little is known about whether genetic variants in the metabolism pathway contribute to the susceptibility of bladder cancer. Herein, a case-control study comprising 580 patients and 1,101 controls was carried out to analyze the association of bladder cancer with genetic variants on candidate genes involved in the choline metabolism pathway using unconditional logistic regression. Gene expression data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database were applied for differential gene expression analysis.

p75 Interacts with the Zinc Finger Protein Glis2 and Participates in Neuronal Apoptosis Following Intracerebral Hemorrhage.

Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is a serious condition with a particularly high mortality rate. Gli-similar 2 (Glis2) has been reported to play an important role in the pathogenesis of ICH; however, its underlying mechanisms and biological significance remains unclear. In the present study, a specific interaction between Glis2 and p75, a member of the tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily, was identified both in vivo and in vitro.

Mesenchymal Stem Cell-Derived Exosomes Improved Cerebral Infarction via Transferring miR-23a-3p to Activate Microglia.

Mesenchymal stem cells-derived exosome (MSCs-exo) is a potential method for cerebral infarction (CI) treatment. Here, western blot and qRT-PCR were carried out to measure the expression of proteins and genes, respectively. Modified neurological severity score and TTC staining were used to evaluate the brain injury of middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) rats.

Concurrent use of anlotinib overcomes acquired resistance to EGFR-TKI in patients with advanced EGFR-mutant non-small cell lung cancer.

Background: Acquired resistance development is a major challenge in the epidermal growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR-TKI) treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Here, we investigated the potential effects of the concurrent use of anlotinib and EGFR-TKI to overcome acquired resistance.

Methods: We conducted a preclinical study to evaluate the antitumor effects of gefitinib + anlotinib in gefitinib-resistant lung adenocarcinoma models in vitro and in vivo.

Coexistent Mitral Stenosis and left Circumflex Coronary Artery to left Atrial Fistula in a Patient with Severe Pulmonary Hypertension.

Coronary artery to left atrial fistula is rare in patients with mitral stenosis. We report an interesting case of a patient with concomitant mitral valve stenosis and coronary fistulae, originating from the left circumflex artery and drained into the left atrium with two terminal orifices.

Efficacy and safety of radiofrequency in the treatment of trigeminal neuralgia: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

To assess the effectiveness of radiofrequency (RF) versus other percutaneous strategies (balloon compression, glycerol rhizotomy [GR], and microvascular decompression [MVD]) in patients with trigeminal neuralgia. We systematically searched the electronic databases of PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library to identify eligible studies throughout October 2020. The odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) was applied to assess effect estimates using the random-effects model.

LncRNA XIST upregulates TRIM25 via negatively regulating miR-192 in hepatitis B virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background: Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) XIST has been implicated in the progression of a variety of tumor diseases. The purpose of this study was to explore the molecular role of lncRNA XIST in human hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Methods: The expression levels of lncRNA XIST, miR-192 and TRIM25 in HBV-related HCC tissues and HepG2.

MiR-129-5p Promotes Radio-sensitivity of NSCLC Cells by Targeting SOX4 and RUNX1.

Background: Dysregulation of microRNAs (miRNAs) figures prominently in the radio- sensitivity of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). MiR-129-5p can block the development of a variety of tumors. However, whether miR-129-5p modulates radio-sensitivity of NSCLC cells remains unknown.

Inhibition of CXCR4 ameliorates hypoxia-induced pulmonary arterial hypertension in rats.

Pulmonary vascular remodeling due to aberrant proliferation and migration of pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (PASMCs) is the main characteristic of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). CXCR4 is a specific stem cell surface receptor of cytokine CXCL12 which could regulate homing of hematopoietic progenitor cells and their mobilization. There is evidence that bone marrow-derived CXCR4 proangiogenic cell accumulation take an important part in the development of pulmonary arterial hypertension; however, the underlying mechanisms still remain unknown.

CGRP protects bladder smooth muscle cells stimulated by high glucose through inhibiting p38 MAPK pathway in vitro.

This study aimed to explore the effect of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) on bladder smooth muscle cells (BSMCs) under high glucose (HG) treatment in vitro. BSMCs from Sprague-Dawley rat bladders were cultured and passaged in vitro. The third-generation cells were cultured and divided into control group, HG group, HG + CGRP group, HG + CGRP + asiatic acid (AA, p-p38 activator) group, CGRP group, AA group, HG + CGRP + CGRP-8-37 (CGRP receptor antagonist) group and HG + LY2228820 (p38 MAPK inhibitor) group.

Plasma Exosome-Derived Sentrin SUMO-Specific Protease 1: A Prognostic Biomarker in Patients With Osteosarcoma.

Background: The exosomes contain many important proteins that can be used for early tumor diagnosis or patient prognosis analysis. In this study, we investigated plasma exosome-derived sentrin SUMO-specific protease 1 (SENP1) levels as a prognostic biomarker in patients with osteosarcoma.

Methods: The expression of SENP1 protein in osteosarcoma tissues and adjacent tissues was detected by immunohistochemistry (IHC).