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Patients with subdural hygroma (SDG) are at increased risk of developing chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH). However, the factors that increase the risk of conversion are not fully understood. This study was to assess the risk factors of SDG conversion to CSDH.We reviewed the literature and retrospectively studied a series of cases in which CSDH was preceded by SDG to understand the natural history. We reviewed 45 cases of SDG from our hospital between 2015 and 2018. The cases were divided into two groups according to whether SDG converted into CSDH. Data were collected clinical presentation, imaging findingsUnivariate analysis showed that the SDG thickness (Bilateral SDG and SDG thickness were independent risk factors for SDG progression into CSDH. An SDG thickness11.37 mm had a high risk of SDG conversion.

Objective Basal ganglia hemorrhage can damage the internal capsule and lead to high rates of disability and mortality. The distal transsylvian approach is a validated approach in the treatment of basal ganglia hemorrhage. However, this approach is difficult and prone to complications. The present study was performed to investigate the surgical techniques and prevention of complications of basal ganglia hemorrhage through the distal transsylvian approach. Patients and methods From January 2015 to January 2018, the authors treated 40 cases of basal ganglia hemorrhage using the distal transsylvian approach. The surgical video recordings and the patients' clinical data were retrospectively analyzed. The authors discussed the surgical techniques and prevention of complications through the distal transsylvian approach. Results Thirty-eight cases of basal ganglia hemorrhage were successfully treated through the distal transsylvian approach. The other 2 cases were converted to the transcortical transtemporal approach. In the early cases, complications occurred in 3 stages: sylvian fissure dissection, insula lobectomy, and hematoma removal. In the subsequent cases, the authors implemented appropriate surgical techniques to prevent complications. Conclusion Basal ganglia hemorrhage can be treated through the distal transsylvian approach, but not in all patients. The distal transsylvian approach is highly technical and more problematic than the transcortical transtemporal approach. Mastering certain operative skills can reduce the surgical complications.

Background Brainstem hemorrhage is an acute and severe neurosurgical disease. Cerebral hemorrhage is surgically treated via hematoma puncture drainage because of its minimally invasive nature. However, the placement of puncture must be extremely accurate due to the special anatomical location of the brainstem and its physiological functions. The present study aimed to evaluate whether the application of a three-dimensional (3D)-printed navigation mold achieved good outcomes in the surgical treatment of brainstem hemorrhage. Material and methods The present study included seven patients (three men and four women aged 40-56 y) who underwent 3D print–assisted hematoma puncture drainage between June 2016 and March 2018 at Binzhou Medical University Hospital. The amount of brainstem hemorrhage was 15-47 mL. We analyzed the basic surgical conditions, deviation distance, and postoperative clinical improvement. Results In all cases, the operation was completed successfully; no patient died or contracted an infection intraoperatively. The end of the puncture tube was located in the hematoma cavity in all cases. The deviation distance ranged from 2.5 to 7.2, and this distance gradually reduced with improvements in the technique. The hematoma drainage achieved satisfactory postoperative outcomes, with improvements in symptoms such as respiratory failure and hyperthermia. Conclusions Use of a 3D-printed navigation mold for puncture drainage of brainstem hemorrhage realized the purpose of individualized and precision medicine, which is important in maintaining the vital signs of patients with severe brainstem hemorrhage.

In this study, we aim to evaluate Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) expression in human glioma tumors and the correlation between its expression with degrees of malignancy and autophagy, development of tumors.Immunohistochemistry and Western blot were carried out to determine the expression of LC3, Beclin1 and TLR2 in 74 glioma specimens. We analyzed the prognosis of 551 glioma patients through the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). To determine the effect of TLR2 in glioma, we manipulated TLR2 expression using TLR2 plasmid transfer technique in U87 human glioma cell.TLR2 expression in high-grade was significantly higher than that in low-grade glioma group (P 0.05). TLR2 was positively correlated with tumor grade (P 0.05). Spearman correlation showed that the expression of TLR2 was positively correlated with the numbers of LC3 and Beclin1 (P 0.05). The patients with high TLR2 expression had a poorer outcome compared with the patients with low TLR2 in low-grade glioma (P 0.05). TLR2 overexpression enhances glioma cell activity and accelerates cell cycle progression. In addition, treatment with TLR2 overexpression increases the conversion rate of LC3-I to LC3-II and enhances the level of phosphorylated p38.TLR2 promotes development and progression of human glioma via enhancing autophagy.

Background The major histocompatibility complex class I chain-related molecule A (MICA) is one of the natural killer group 2D ligands. Soluble major histocompatibility complex class I chain-related molecule A (sMICA) mediates tumor immune escape, but the mechanism is not fully understood. In this study, we examined the expression of phospho-p38, matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9), and MICA and their relationships among each other in pituitary adenoma tissues to provide a histologic basis for the mechanism of pituitary adenoma immune escape. Methods We applied immunohistochemistry, real-time quantitative reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction, and Western blot to detect phospho-p38, MMP-9, and MICA expression at the mRNA and protein levels in pituitary adenoma tissues. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to examine the expression levels of MMP-9 and sMICA in peripheral blood serum from patients with pituitary adenoma. Results We found that p38, MICA, and MMP-9 mRNA levels were greater in pituitary adenomas than in normal tissues. The phospho-p38, MMP-9, and MICA proteins were overexpressed in pituitary adenomas, and the expression of MMP-9 and MICA were positively correlated with the expression of phospho-p38. In addition, the serum levels of sMICA and MMP-9 proteins in pituitary adenoma patients were significantly greater than those in normal controls. Conclusions These findings suggest that activation of the p38/mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway may increase MICA expression and induce MMP-9 expression. MMP-9 is involved in the shedding of sMICA from MICA to promote tumor immune escape. Furthermore, p38/mitogen-activated protein kinase could potentially represent a novel target for inhibiting pituitary adenoma immune escape.

Aneurysms of the anterior inferior cerebellar artery (AICA) are a rare entity. Purely intrameatal aneurysms are even rarer. The author reported 2 ruptured intrameatal aneurysms that were treated by fully endoscope-controlled clipping. Retrosigmoid craniotomy was performed and the aneurysm was clipped definitely intraoperative without postoperative deficits except hearing loss and slight facial nerve paresis. Follow-up angiography demonstrated exclusion of the aneurysm, confirming preservation of the distal aneurysms of the anterior inferior cerebellar artery. Endoscopic enhancement of the visual field provided by the endoscope may be a safe and effective application to increase the quality of treatment for intrameatal aneurysm, especially for deep aneurysm.

Background: Hypertensive intracerebral hemorrhage (HICH) is an acute, severe neurosurgical disease. Puncture drainage of the hematoma has gradually been accepted as a surgical treatment for HICH because of its minimally invasive nature. The precision of the puncture is extremely high because of particular physiological functions. This study was performed to explore the effect of a navigation mold created by three-dimensional printing (3DP) technology in the surgical treatment of HICH.Material and methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of all consecutive patients with ICH treated with minimally invasive surgery using 3DP navigation or craniotomy to remove the hematoma through a small bone window at the Binzhou Medical University Hospital from June 2017 to March 2019. In total, 61 patients were treated with minimally invasive surgery using 3DP navigation (3DP group), and 67 patients were treated with craniotomy to remove the hematoma through a small bone window (craniotomy group). A comparative study of the two groups was conducted to assess the preoperative and postoperative conditions.Results: The duration of the surgery was significantly longer in the craniotomy group than in the 3DP group (3.27 ± 1.14 h vs. 1.52 ± 0.23 h). Postoperative complication rates were significantly lower in the 3DP group than in the craniotomy group (18.0 vs. 34.3%). Moreover, the rate of patients with a Glasgow Outcome Scale score ≥4 points was not statistically significantly different in the two groups.Conclusion: Minimally invasive surgery assisted by 3DP navigation to treat patients with HICH appears to be safe and effective. The 3DP technique may improve the individualization and accuracy of the surgery.

Objective To explore the preliminary application of three-dimensional (3D) printing technique in preoperative localization of meningiomas in primary hospitals. Patients and methods The enrolled subjects were 13 patients in the Department of Neurosurgery, Affiliated Hospital of Binzhou Medical College, Shandong Province between December 2018 and June 2020, including CT or MRI data from eight cases of brain meningiomas and five cases of cerebrospinal meningiomas. The Mimics 17.0 software package was applied to reconstruct the 3D images and print out the 3D guide. The authors placed the 3D printed guide on the surgical area for preoperative tumor location. Results The 3D printed guides for all patients were successfully designed and printed out. Simpson grade I resection was performed on all tumors. No significant hematoma, brain edema, or neurological symptoms were observed in the postoperative patients, and the surgical results were good. Conclusions The authors can use 3D printing technology for precise preoperative localization of meningiomas. Grassroots hospitals can also use this technique because of its economic, accurate, and personalized characteristics.

Background: Traumatic brain injury is a common condition in neurosurgery. Traditional methods of treatment include conservative treatment and surgical evacuation using burr-holes or craniotomy; however, studies have reported problems such as high re-expansion rates after conservative treatment of epidural hematoma and high postoperative recurrence rates of subdural hematoma. Solutions to these problems are lacking, and research into new treatment methods is ongoing. Among the potential new treatments, middle meningeal arterial embolization is an option. This study involved patients with acute epidural hematoma and chronic subdural hematoma. The purpose was to evaluate the use and effects of absolute alcohol to embolize the middle meningeal artery to treat intracranial hematoma. Material and Methods: A retrospective description study was 12 cases of intracranial hematoma who treated with absolute alcohol interventional therapy from our hospital between June 2018 and October 2019. Five patients with acute epidural hematoma and seven patients with chronic subdural hematoma were treated using absolute alcohol to embolize the middle meningeal artery. Patients' clinical data, imaging results, surgical results, and prognosis were recorded and analyzed. Results: All patients underwent absolute alcohol embolization of the middle meningeal artery, in combination with burr-hole drainage. All imaging data were confirmed preoperatively. We successfully used absolute alcohol to embolize the middle meningeal artery intraoperatively and confirmed these results by postoperative angiography. All patients achieved symptomatic relief without complications, and no recurrence or re-expansion was seen with follow-up computed tomography. Our study has been registered in the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (http://www.chictr.org.cn, ChiCTR1800018714). Conclusion: The use of absolute alcohol to embolize the middle meningeal artery could be used as an attempt to treat acute epidural hematoma and chronic subdural hematoma.

The main treatment for chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH) is surgical drilling and drainage. Meanwhile, the most accepted treatment strategy for bilateral CSDHs (bCSDHs) is unilateral evacuation only on the larger or symptomatic side because the contralateral hematoma is generally either small or asymptomatic. However, the probability of recurrence is high. To effectively reduce this recurrence rate, embolization has been proposed. Because middle meningeal artery embolization may effectively block the blood supply of the CSDH, its combination with drilling and drainage could be an effective treatment strategy for addressing unilateral CSDH (uCSDH). In addition, the recurrence mechanism of bCSDH may be not completely same as that of the uCSDH. Hence, the authors need find a more effective treatment for it.

Introduction: Acinetobacter baumannii nosocomial infections, especially those due to multi-drug resistant strains, are increasingly detected. We want to find the effective treatment measures about multi-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii infections through this research.Methodology: The clinical features and the outcomes of twelve cases of nosocomial Acinetobacter baumannii meningitis treated with ampicillin sulbactam and intrathecal use of amikacin are reported in primary hospital. All the patients had fever, neck stiffness or meningeal signs, and a low consciousness level, and in their cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), pleocytosis, a low glucose level, and an elevated protein level were noted. For all CSF isolates were resistant to at least two antibiotics used in empirical therapy (third and fourth generation cephalosporins, carbapenems or piperacillin/tazobactam). Four cases sputum culture prompted the growth of Acinetobacter baumannii. Two CSF isolates were intermediate resistant to ampicillin sulbac...

Background Bromocriptine (BRC) is effective in patients with prolactinoma. However, the cytotoxic mechanism of BRC remains unknown. Methods Slices for immunohistochemical pathology were randomly selected from 37 paraffin-embedded prolactinoma tissue sections. LC3 was detected by immunohistochemistry. GH3 and MMQ cells were treated by BRC and/or rapamycin (RAPA). Cell viability and the cell cycle were measured by CCK-8 and flow cytometry, respectively. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay measured prolactin secretion. Protein expression was detected by Western blot or immunofluorescence. Results LC3 was significantly expressed in prolactinoma in which patients were treated exclusively with BRC. LC3 expression was negative in normal tissues and prolactinoma in which patients were not treated with BRC. Treatment with 60 μM BRC for 24 hours induced cell death in MMQ cells by up to 50%. However, 110 μM BRC was required to produce a similar effect in GH3 cells. The cell cycle was arrested at the G 0 -G 1 phase and S phase. As the concentration and time increased, the conversion ratio of LC3-I to LC3-II increased and prolactin secretion decreased. In addition, Bcl-2 and BAX expression was decreased. The cell viability, prolactin level, and G 0 -G 1 cells are similar in MMQ cells treated with RAPA and a low concentration of BRC and MMQ cells treated with a high concentration of BRC. Compared with the effects of a high concentration of BRC, treatment with RAPA and a low concentration of BRC effectively increase the conversion rate of LC3-I to LC3-II. Conclusion BRC-treated pituitary adenoma cells mainly underwent autophagic cell death rather than apoptosis.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship of brain microvascular endothelial cell (BMECs) function and the exosomal miR-630 expression after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). We evaluated the effects of blood cerebrospinal fluid (BCSF) on proliferation of BMECs by MTT at 0, 1, 3, 7 and 12 days and performed cell cycle analysis after BCSF treatment for 48 h. The expression of endothelial adhesion molecules (ICAM-1, VCAM-1 and ZO-1) were detected by qRT-PCR and immunofluorescent staining after BCSF treatment. NO produced by BMECs was also evaluated by Griess assay. The expression of exosomal miR-630 was analyzed by qRT-PCR in BCSF treated cell cultu normal cell culture medium andre medium. We further compared the exosomal miR-630 of clinical patients between aSAH and normal hydrocephalus. The adhesion molecules expression was further detected after co-incubation with exosomes transfected by miR-630 mimics. We found that BCSF significantly reduced the cell vitality in a time-dependent manner (p p

Despite the great success achieved by the exploitation of heterosis in rice, the genetic basis of heterosis is still not well understood. We adopted an advanced-backcross breeding strategy to dissect the genetic basis of heterosis for yield and eight related traits. Four testcross (TC) populations with 228 testcross F 1 combinations were developed by crossing 57 introgression lines with four types of widely used male sterile lines using a North Carolina II mating design. Analysis of variance indicated that the effects of testcross F 1 combinations and their parents were significant or highly significant for most of the traits in both years, and all interaction effects with year were significant for most of the traits. Positive midparent heterosis (H MP ) was observed for most traits in the four TC populations in the two years. The relative H MP levels for most traits varied from highly negative to highly positive. Sixty-two dominant-effect QTL were identified for H MP of the nine traits in the four TC populations in the two years. Of these, 22 QTL were also identified for the performance of testcross F 1 . Most dominant-effect QTL could individually explain more than 10% of the phenotypic variation. Four QTL clusters were observed including the region surrounding the RM9–RM297 region on chromosome 1, the RM110–RM279–RM8–RM5699–RM452 region on chromosome 2, the RM5463 locus on chromosome 6 and the RM1146–RM147 region on chromosome 10. The identified QTL for heterosis provide valuable information for dissecting the genetic basis of heterosis.

Young Seedling Stripe1 (YSS1) was characterized as an important regulator of plastid-encoded plastid RNA polymerase (PEP) activity essential for chloroplast development at rice seedling stage. Chloroplast development is coordinately regulated by plastid- and nuclear-encoding genes. Although a few regulators have been reported to be involved in chloroplast development, new factors remain to be identified, given the complexity of this process. Here, we report the characterization of a temperature-sensitive young seedling stripe1 (yss1) rice mutant, which develops striated leaves at the seedling stage, particularly in leaf 3, but produces wild-type leaves in leaf 5 and onwards. The chlorotic leaves have decreased chlorophyll (Chls) accumulation and impaired chloroplast structure. Positional cloning combined with sequencing demonstrated that aberrant splicing of the 8th intron in YSS1 gene, due to a single nucleotide deletion around splicing donor site, leads to decreased expression of YSS1 and accumulation of an 8th intron-retained yss1 transcript. Furthermore, complementation test revealed that downregulation of YSS1 but not accumulation of yss1 transcript confers yss1 mutant phenotype. YSS1 encodes a chloroplast nucleoid-localized protein belonging to the DUF3727 superfamily. Expression analysis showed that YSS1 gene is more expressed in newly expanded leaves, and distinctly up-regulated as temperatures increase and by light stimulus. PEP- and nuclear-encoded phage-type RNA polymerase (NEP)-dependent genes are separately down-regulated and up-regulated in yss1 mutant, indicating that PEP activity may be impaired. Furthermore, levels of chloroplast proteins are mostly reduced in yss1 seedlings. Together, our findings identify YSS1 as a novel regulator of PEP activity essential for chloroplast development at rice seedling stage.

The current case study aimed to explore the efficacy of a low-dose bevacizumab regimen in inhibiting tumor growth and minimizing adverse effects. A 55-year-old man with neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2) suffered bilateral vestibular schwannomas (VS) measuring 5.25 and 2.54 cm3 on the left and right, respectively. His capacity for bilateral language recognition was impaired. However, the patient refused microsurgical tumor resection and gamma knife therapy. Low-dose bevacizumab regimen (3.3-2.2 mg/kg every 2-4 weeks) was administered by intravenous injection for ~1.5 years to inhibit tumor growth and avoid further deterioration of hearing. Compared with baseline measurements prior to treatment, the bilateral VS regressed to 3.59 cm3 (68%) and 2.08 cm3 (82%) on the left and right, respectively. No hearing improvement was detected; however, the patient subjectively experienced a significant hearing improvement as his ability to communicate with people and distinguish voices was restored. No adverse effects were observed. Bevacizumab provides an alternative treatment option for those who refuse surgical intervention. Given the adverse effects commonly induced by bevacizumab, the use of a low-dose regimen would appear to be promising with regard to tumor regression and hearing preservation for patients with VS in NF2. However, the minimum dose required to sustain a response to bevacizumab in NF2 patients remains unknown. Finding the minimum effective dose sufficient to sustain hearing and/or volumetric response for individual patients is required.

Many studies have pinpointed that fructose could be utilized as a carbon source in some cancers, and we also defined that glioma cells could utilize fructose to maintain themselves survival and proliferation depending on GLUT5 expression recently. However, ketohexokinase (KHK), as a key enzyme involved in fructose catabolism, drew less attention in cancers, especially in glioma. In the present study, we first analyzed the expression levels of KHK in glioma tissues and the correlations of KHK expression with clinicopathological variables of patients with glioma. Meanwhile, we detected the effect of silencing KHK on the biological functions of glioma cells in fructose medium. From the results, we found that KHK was expressed at significantly higher level in glioma tissues than in non-tumor brain, and KHK expression was significantly correlated with tumor malignancy and poor survival of glioma patients (p 0.01). Functionally, knockdown of KHK could significantly inhibit cell proliferation and migration of glioma cells in fructose medium. Furthermore, we investigated the KHK expression level after long-time treatment with fructose, and detected the change of cell biological behaviour, then we found that the expression level of KHK was significantly increased and these cells showed more malignant properties. Taken together, our results suggest that high fructose diet and KHK overexpression are correlated with glioma malignant progression and patients' poor survival, and we believe this hypothesis would open the door for novel therapeutic agents and mentalities for glioma.

Clinical significance of changes in interleukin-6 (IL-6), C-reactive protein (CRP) and S100 in serum and NO was investigated in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) and its prognosis. A total of 43 SAH patients and 23 healthy subjects were selected and divided into cerebral vasospasm (CVS) group and non-CVS group, and favorable prognosis group and unfavorable prognosis group according to Hunt-Hess grade. The levels of IL-6, CRP, S100 and NO in CSF were detected, respectively, followed by statistical analysis of correlation. The higher the Hunt grade was, the higher the factor expression was; the expression levels of IL-6, CRP, S100 and NO in CSF were gradually increased in CVS group and unfavorable prognosis group, and the differences were significant compared with those in the control group. There was a positive correlation between the expression levels of each of the two factors among IL-6, CRP, S100 and NO in CSF, and the differences were statistically significant (P

This study firstly used a rat traumatic brain injury model to compare the therapeutic effects of different intravenous infusion speed of 7.5% hypertonic saline (HS). Then the authors applied different delivery rate of 7.5% HS to two groups of patients to figure out the optimal infusion rates. A total of 100 rats were randomly divided into control group, group A (7.5% HS 6 mL/h), group B (7.5% HS 3 mL/h), and group C (7.5% HS 2 mL/h). All rats were established for the brain injury model. A total of 30 patients were selected and randomly divided into group A (250 mL/h) and group B (125 mL/h), with 15 cases in each group. Urine amount was recorded per hour; furthermore, blood was extracted from the patients to measure the levels of AQP4, NKCC1, tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-a), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), and interleukin-6 (IL-6). Compared with other groups, the expression levels of NKCC1 and AQP4 mRNA in group A was the lowest (P 0.05). NKCC1 and AQP4 protein expression levels were the lowest in all the groups (P 0.05). On the aspect of patients, group A displayed more significant difference compared with B group in terms of AQP4, NKCC1, TNF-a, IL-1β, and IL-6 (P 0.05). In the two groups, a significant difference was noted in the urine amount at 4 h after administration (P 0.05). In our study, infusion of hypertonic saline (250 mL/h) at the optimal rate of 7.5% HS decreased the intracranial pressure, brain tissue edema, and inflammatory cytokine expression; moreover, it can promote brain tissue protection.

Chloroplast development and chlorophyll (Chl) biosynthesis in plants are regulated by many genes, but the underlying molecular mechanisms remain largely elusive. We isolated a rice mutant named yss2 (young seedling stripe2) with a striated seedling phenotype beginning from leaf 2 of delayed plant growth. The mutant developed normal green leaves from leaf 5, but reduced tillering and chlorotic leaves and panicles appeared later. Chlorotic yss2 seedlings have decreased pigment contents and impaired chloroplast development. Genetic analysis showed that the mutant phenotype was due to a single recessive gene. Positional cloning and sequence analysis identified a single nucleotide substitution in YSS2 gene causing an amino acid change from Gly to Asp. The YSS2 allele encodes a NDPK2 (nucleoside diphosphate kinase 2) protein showing high similarity to other types of NDPKs. Real-time RT-PCR analysis demonstrated that YSS2 transcripts accumulated highly in L4 sections at the early leaf development stage. Expression levels of genes associated with Chl biosynthesis and photosynthesis in yss2 were mostly decreased, but genes involved in chloroplast biogenesis were up-regulated compared to the wild type. The YSS2 protein was associated with punctate structures in the chloroplasts of rice protoplasts. Our overall data suggest that YSS2 has important roles in chloroplast biogenesis.

The purpose of this study was to establish a rat model of a brain injury with tracheotomy and compared the wetting effects of different airway humidification liquids, afterward, the best airway humidification liquid was selected for the clinical trial, thus providing a theoretical basis for selecting a proper airway humidification liquid in a clinical setting. Rats were divided into a sham group, group A (0.9% NaCl), group B (0.45% NaCl), group C (0.9% NaCl+ambroxol) and group D (0.9% NaCl+Pulmicort). An established rat model of traumatic brain injury with tracheotomy was used. Brain tissue samples were taken to determine water content, while lung tissue samples were taken to determine wet/dry weight ratio (W/D), histological changes and expression levels of SP-A mRNA and SP-A protein. 30 patients with brain injury and tracheotomy were selected and divided into two groups based on the airway humidification liquid instilled in the trachea tube, 0.45% NaCl and 0.9% NaCl+ambroxol. Blood was then extracted from the patients to measure the levels of SP-A, interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-8 (IL-8) and tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α). The difference between group C and other groups in lung W/D and expression levels of SP-A mRNA and SP-A protein was significant (P

Pituitary tumors are the most common type of cancer within the central nervous system. In the present study, the expression levels of mucin 1 (Muc1) were examined in invasive and non‑invasive pituitary tumor samples, and the results of immunohistochemical staining and Western blot analysis demonstrated marked positive expression of Muc1. In addition, Muc1 + polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid (poly I:C) was found to stimulate the expression levels of the surface molecules cluster of differentiation (CD)40, CD83 and CD80, and HLA‑DRm and decreased the expression of CD14 in the dendritic cells, determined using fluorescence‑activated cell sorting. The secretions of interleukin (IL)‑6, tumor necrosis factor‑α and IL‑1β cytokines were also significantly induced, in a dose‑dependent manner. In in vivo experiments, a higher percentage of CD3+CD4+ T lymphocytes was detected, and the levels of interferon‑γ and IL‑2 in the splenocytes were also upregulated. Furthermore, the combination treatment of Muc1 with poly I:C increased anti‑Muc1 IgM and anti‑Muc1 IgG titers, and altered the balance of IgG2a and IgG1, all of which increased the T helper (Th)1 polarized immune response. Thus, the tumor antigen, Muc1, with poly I:C may produce potent protective effects, which polarize immune responses towards Th1, and elicit antitumor immunity to inhibit the progression of pituitary tumors.

Background Rice is a staple food crop in the world. With the increase in world population and economic development, farmers need to produce more rice in limited field. However, the rice production is frequently affected by biotic and abiotic stresses. The use of natural disease resistance and stress tolerance through genetic breeding is the most efficient and economical way to combat or acclimate to these stresses. In addition, rice with aromatic fragrance can significantly increase market value for its good grain quality. Mianhui 725 (MH725) is an elite restorer line that has been widely used to produce three-line hybrid rice in China. We previously introduced rice bacterial blight resistance genes Xa4 and Xa21 into MH725 and obtained an introgression rice line Wanhui 421 (WH421), which theoretically possesses 96.9% genetic background of MH725. Results Here we report the introduction and pyramiding of disease resistance genes Xa27 and Pi9, submergence tolerance gene Sub1A and aromatic fragrance gene badh2.1 in WH421 through backcrossing and marker-assisted selection. The newly developed introgression rice line was designated as Wanhui 6725 (WH6725), which theoretically possesses 95.0% genetic background of MH725. WH6725 and its hybrid rice conferred disease resistance to both blast and bacterial blight diseases and showed tolerance to submergence for over 14 days without significant loss of viability. Compared with non-aromatic rice MH725, WH6725 has strong aromatic fragrance. The major important agronomic traits and grain quality of WH6725 and its hybrid rice obtained in field trials were similar to those of MH725 and the control hybrid rice, indicating that WH6725 is as good as MH725 when it is used as a restorer line for three-line hybrid rice production. Conclusion We have successfully developed a new restorer line WH6725 with disease resistance to rice blast and bacterial blight, tolerance to submergence and aromatic fragrance, which can be used to replace MH725 for hybrid rice production.