Medical Molecular Morphology最新文献

A 29-year-old Japanese woman was admitted to our hospital with fever, cardiogenic shock, and cardiac arrest and died 18 h after admission. The patient was diagnosed with systemic capillary leak syndrome associated with coronavirus disease 2019. Electron microscopy of the biopsied right-ventricular myocardium revealed extensive interstitial leakage of blood cells and plasma, damaged capillaries, and reticular vessel drainage into the Thebesian vein. These findings indicate that severe capillary leak and lumen occlusion due to damaged capillaries are the main features of systemic capillary leak syndrome.

This study aims to investigate the function of miR-424 and miR-503, identified as putative regulatory miRNAs of FOXO1, a key factor for decidualization. The expression of both miR-424 and miR-503 in human endometrial stromal cells (HESCs) were measured before and after decidualization. Then, HESCs were transfected with both miR-424 and miR-503 before decidualization. Quantitative reverse transcription PCR, actin staining analysis, migration assay, fluorescence immunostaining, and luciferase assay were performed. MiR-424 and miR-503 expression was decreased after decidualization. Overexpression of both miR-424 and miR-503 inhibited major decidual maker genes, including FOXO1, PRL, IGFBP1, WNT4, and SCARA5, and altered F-actin's subcellular distribution from the periphery to all over the cytoplasm, concomitantly increasing cell mobility. Moreover, immunohistochemical analysis revealed overexpression of both miRNAs resulted in FOXO1 protein accumulation in the cytoplasm. Knocking down FOXO1 decreased SCARA5 expression, revealing SCARA5 is a downstream target of FOXO1. In addition, a luciferase reporter assay confirmed that the 3'-untranslated region of FOXO1 mRNA is targeted by miR-424. These results suggest that both miRNAs may play an important role in endometrial decidualization by regulating transcriptional activity of FOXO1, which alters decidualization-related gene expression such as SCARA5.Abstract: Journal standard instruction requires an unstructured abstract; hence structured abstract changed to unstructured.Thank you for the correction. I approve this change.

Gastrointestinal tumors significantly contribute to cancer-related mortality worldwide. Early detection coupled with effective treatment significantly improves overall survival. Immunoglobulin G (IgG) N-glycosylation, a crucial post-translational modification, undergoes alterations in glycan structures. IgG N-glycosylation is associated with numerous physiological and pathological processes in the human body. Aberrant changes of IgG N-glycosylation play a key role in cancers given the involvement of glycans in cancer progression and immune modulation. These changes affect the binding of the Fc region of IgG to its receptor, in turn, affect the corresponding downstream effects, which are crucial in cancer immuno-surveillance and immune escape. This review aims to explore the latest advancements in understanding IgG N-glycosylation in gastrointestinal cancers, emphasizing its potential as a diagnostic biomarker and therapeutic target. The application of IgG N-glycosylation in clinical oncology could enhance early detection, improve therapeutic efficacy, and enable better monitoring of disease progression and recurrence. Furthermore, we summarized the research progression to provide novel insights into the potential regulatory mechanism of IgG N-glycosylation in gastrointestinal tumors. In all, IgG N-glycosylation holds significant promise for advancing cancer diagnosis and treatment. Further studies are required to fully elucidate its mechanisms and optimize its use in clinical practice.

Mucoepidermoid carcinoma in the lung is uncommon, while the occurrence of a collision tumor consisting of primary mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC) and typical adenocarcinoma is extremely rare. We report a case of a 70-year-old female with the presence of a nodule in her right lung. The pathological examination revealed a primary collision tumor consisting of invasive adenocarcinoma and mucoepidermoid carcinoma. Manual microdissection was performed to selectively isolate the MEC and adenocarcinoma components, followed by exome sequencing which unveiled identical mutations in both components, suggesting their monoclonal origins with divergent differentiation. Clinical awareness and recognition of such collision tumors are crucial, as they will determine appropriate treatment strategies based on the individual biological aggressiveness of each tumor component.

Background: With the extensive application of flap surgery in clinical practice, it has been a matter of great concern to improve the survival rate of flap surgery for a long time. This study compared and explored the effect of the three generations of platelet concentrates (PCs), including platelet-rich plasma (PRP), platelet-rich fibrin (PRF), and concentrated growth factor (CGF), on flap survival.

Methods: After PRP, PRF, and CGF gels were observed by scanning electron microscope (SEM), their vascularizing effect were assessed by infrared thermal imager, flap survival experiment, arterial perfusion angiography, and immunohistochemical staining in a rat dorsal cross-region perforator flap model.

Results: The fibrin of PRP gel showed irregular clumps and loose structure, while that of PRF and CGF gels formed 3D network structure with orderly arrangement and compact structure. In animal models, the use of all the three PCs can increase the number of vessels and the amount of blood perfusion in choke zones (all P < 0.05), thus improving the flap survival rate. Moreover, the effects of CGF and PRF were obviously better than those of PRP (all P < 0.05), but there was no significant difference between CGF and PRF (P > 0.05).

Conclusions: PRP, PRF, and CGF all have a good effect on promoting vascularization, and can significantly improve the survival rate of dorsal cross-region perforator flap in rat model. Besides, PRF and CGF have greater potential in promoting vascularization than PRP.

The placenta is the most critical organ during pregnancy and its developmental status directly impacts fetal health. Placental dysfunction is associated with various pregnancy complications, including preterm birth, fetal growth restriction, and premature rupture of membranes (PROM). This study aimed to elucidate the expression changes of Bax and Bcl-2 and their association with pregnancy-related complications, providing new insights into placental dysfunction during pregnancy and offering a theoretical foundation for clinical diagnosis and prevention. The placental samples from 118 late pregnant women were retrospectively analyzed. They were assigned into pre-term, term, post-term, PROM, and non-PROM groups based on gestational age and the occurrence of PROM. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining was performed to gauge the Bax and Bcl-2 expressions in placenta. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was subsequently conducted to assess their associated with efficacy for PROM. The weight and volume of placentas in the pre-term group were sharply smaller to those in the term and post-term groups, with no apparent fibrosis or calcification observed. The term and post-term groups exhibited marked elevated Bax expression in the parturient group in contrast to the non-parturient group (P < 0.05), while there existed no substantial significance in Bcl-2 expression. The area under the curve (AUC) for Bax and Bcl-2 was 0.975 and 0.596, respectively, with a combined associated with value of 0.978, higher to single predictions. Bax and Bcl-2 expressions in late pregnancy placentas were associated with the onset of parturient status and PROM and their combined prediction exhibited accurate PROM predicted. These findings offered a new perspective for understanding the physiological and pathological changes of the placenta during pregnancy.

Placenta accreta spectrum (PAS) is a serious disease leading to complications and maternal death. The objective of the study was to characterize the placental villi and blood vessels of PAS villi histopathologically. We investigated 10 cases of PAS (five cases of placenta increta, two cases of placenta accreta, and three cases of placenta percreta) histologically. Immunohistochemical staining using anti-CD68 or anti-CD163 antibodies was performed to detect and count Hofbauer cells. Immunohistochemical staining with an anti-CD34 antibody was used to detect vascular endothelial cells, and the number and area of vessels were analyzed. The numbers of CD68-positive or CD163-positive Hofbauer cells were larger in PAS cases compared with control cases. The vascular area in villi was smaller in PAS cases compared with control cases. The number of blood vessels in villi was slightly higher in PAS cases than in control cases. The numbers of Hofbauer cells and vessels in villi were larger in PAS cases compared with control cases, whereas the area of vessels in villi was smaller in PAS cases compared with control cases. Although their biological meaning is elusive, these findings provide novel insights into the pathogenesis of PAS, particularly regarding the role of Hofbauer cells in immune-suppressive role and angiogenesis and the alterations in vascular structure and hemodynamics in the chorionic villi.

Dry eye is a multifactorial ocular surface disease that may be accompanied by visual impairment and ocular surface damage. Thrombospondin 1 (THBS1) was found to be highly expressed in corneal epithelial cells of dry eye mouse models. Our research aimed at exploring the role and regulatory mechanism of THBS1 in dry eye mouse models. Both eyes of mice with benzalkonium chloride (BAC)-induced dry eye were subconjunctivally injected with the recombinant adeno-associated virus (AAV) vector containing the THBS1 silencing plasmid. Under a slit lamp biomicroscope, the conjunctival irritation including edema, hyperemia, and secretion was scored. Fluorescein staining was performed to evaluate corneal epithelial damage. The conjunctiva tissues were obtained for ELISA, RT-qPCR, histological staining, and western blotting. Dry eye model mice exhibited severe ocular surface damage, reduced tear secretion, conjunctival goblet cell loss, increased conjunctival inflammation, elevated THBS1 expression, and the TGF-β/NLRP3 inflammasome pathway activation. THBS1 silencing ameliorated ocular surface damage, increased tear secretion, attenuated conjunctival goblet cell loss, mitigated conjunctival inflammation, and repressed the TGF-β/NLRP3 inflammasome pathway activation in dry eye mice. THBS1 silencing protects mice against dry eye by inhibiting TGF-β/NLRP3 inflammasome-mediated inflammatory response.

Primary squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the renal parenchyma is exceedingly rare, with only seven cases reported to date. We report a 72-year-old woman with recurrent cystitis, gross hematuria, and a right renal mass. Imaging studies revealed a necrotic lesion in the renal parenchyma, initially suggestive of an abscess. Despite percutaneous drainage and antibiotic therapy, there was no clinical improvement. Trans-urinary tract fine-needle aspiration (FNA) provided preoperative cytologic evidence of malignancy with features consistent with SCC, and histopathologic examination of the nephrectomy specimen, supported by immunohistochemistry, confirmed primary renal parenchymal SCC. The patient subsequently underwent radical nephrectomy, and histopathological examination confirmed a primary SCC of the renal parenchyma without renal pelvic involvement. Although surgical treatment was performed promptly, metastatic spread to lymph nodes, vertebrae, and lungs was detected within months, and the patient died 18 months postoperatively. This case highlights the importance of considering SCC in the differential diagnosis of abscess-like renal lesions, particularly when they fail to respond to antibiotics. In selected patients, trans-urinary tract FNA offers a rapid, minimally invasive means to obtain cytologic material, which can prevent delays and facilitate timely management, potentially improving outcomes in similarly challenging cases. Additional studies will clarify diagnostic and therapeutic strategies.