Ca2+ activity is required for injury-induced migration of microglia

Objectives: Microglia are the resident immune cells in the brain. Brain injury can activate the microglia and induce its directional migration towards injury sites for exerting immune functions. While extracellular ATP released from the injury site mediates the directionality of activated microglia's migration, what endows activated microglia with migration capability remains largely unexplored. Methods: In the present study, we used the larval zebrafish as an in vivo model to visualize the dynamics of both morphology and Ca2+ activity of microglia during its migration evoked by local brain injury. Results: We found that, in response to local injury, activated microglia exhibited an immediate Ca2+ transient and later elevated Ca2+ bursts frequency during its migration towards the local injury site (P < 0.01). Furthermore, suppression of Ca2+ activities significantly retarded microglial migration (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Thus, our study suggests that intracellular Ca2+ activity is required for activated microglia's migration.

A cross-species analysis of systemic mediators of repair and complex tissue regeneration

Regeneration is an elegant and complex process informed by both local and long-range signals. Many current studies on regeneration are largely limited to investigations of local modulators within a canonical cohort of model organisms. Enhanced genetic tools increasingly enable precise temporal and spatial perturbations within these model regenerators, and these have primarily been applied to cells within the local injury site. Meanwhile, many aspects of broader spatial regulators of regeneration have not yet been examined with the same level of scrutiny. Recent studies have shed important insight into the significant effects of environmental cues and circulating factors on the regenerative process. These observations highlight that consideration of more systemic and possibly more broadly acting cues will also be critical to fully understand complex tissue regeneration. In this review, we explore the ways in which systemic cues and circulating factors affect the initiation of regeneration, the regenerative process, and its outcome. As this is a broad topic, we conceptually divide the factors based on their initial input as either external cues (for example, starvation and light/dark cycle) or internal cues (for example, hormones); however, all of these inputs ultimately lead to internal responses. We consider studies performed in a diverse set of organisms, including vertebrates and invertebrates. Through analysis of systemic mediators of regeneration, we argue that increased investigation of these “systemic factors” could reveal novel insights that may pave the way for a diverse set of therapeutic avenues.

Hypertriglyceridemia with total parenteral nutrition versus enteral nutrition in patients with acute pancreatitis

Background Acute pancreatitis (AP) is an inflammatory condition of the pancreas that can cause local injury, systemic inflammatory response syndrome, and organ failure. Worldwide, AP is a common gastrointestinal condition and there is evidence that the incidence has been rising in recent years. AP is associated with substantial suffering, morbidity, and cost to the health care system. Objective Our study aims to compare between the effect of enteral (EN) and parenteral nutrition on serum triglycerides in patient with acute pancreatitis in intensive care unit of Ain Shams University (ICU). We found that enteral route is more safe than parenteral nutrition regarding serum triglycerides. Patients and Methods An informed written consent was obtained from patients and /or relatives who were included in this study. All patients were adults, more than 18 years old, admitted to ICU of Ain Shams University Hospital, either have acute pancreatitis on admission or acquired acute pancreatitis in ICU due to different causes in period of six months of approval of the protocol. Patients were divided into two groups: 30 patients started total parenteral nutrition TPN ) one day after admission consisting of 70% carbohydrate (in the form of dextrose 25%) and 30% fat (smoflipid 250 ml, 2 gm per ml). The other 30 patients started enteral nutrition rich in carbohydrates with low fat content one day after admission (peptamen) 6 scoops in 200 ml water every 2 hours, stopped from 12 am to 8 am. Serum triglyceride level was measured at first day of admission, then 3 days after admission, then one week after admission. Results Our study showed that TPN was associated with more increase of serum triglycerides level from first day of admission to 3 days after admission when compared with enteral nutrition, there is also increase in serum triglycerides from 3days to one week after admission, comparing the three periods together, there is increase in serum triglycerides with TPN group more than in enteral group. Conclusion The study showed that TPN was associated with higher mortality rate than EN, also there was an increase in serum triglycerides with TPN more than EN; suggesting that, enteral nutrition is a safer mode of nutrition in patients with acute pancreatitis.

Treatment of Nodular Fasciitis on the Front Surface of the Neck

Nodular fasciitis (NF) is a benign reactive or inflammatory condition of mesenchymal fibroblasts. Rapid growth and histological features make nodular fasciitis a mimicker of malignancies such as sarcomas, however, nodular fasciitis is a benign lesion and does not metastasize. Although the etiology of nodular fasciitis is uncertain, histopathologically, it bears a close resemblance to organizing granulation tissue, and myofibroblastic proliferation may be initiated by a local injury or local inflammatory process, which supports a reactive proliferation theory triggered by trauma. Surgical excision is recommended for diagnosis and treatment to exclude malignancy. We are hereby reporting a case of nodular fasciitis on the front surface of the neck, 86 years old patient. Tumor grew rapidly and reached 9-10 cm., and which was clinically suspected as a malignancy located. An ultrasound examination was performed. Based on the clinical and ultrasound data, it was decided to perform an extended biopsy to establish the final diagnosis it. Tumor has been removed as a solid mass. The material was sent for histopathological examination. Based on the history, clinical picture, and histopathological examination, the lesion was diagnosed as nodular fasciitis. After surgery patient expressed satisfaction with the result of treatment. In cases of nodular fasciitis, proactive efforts are needed to perform histopathologic evaluation and treatment because nodular fasciitis tends to grow rapidly.

Acute Surgical Injury Alters the Tensile Properties of Thoracolumbar Fascia in a Porcine Model

Recent work utilizing ultrasound imaging demonstrated that individuals with low back pain (LBP) have increased thickness and decreased mobility of the thoracolumbar fascia (TLF), an indication that the TLF may play a role in LBP. This study used a porcine injury model (microsurgically induced local injury)—shown to produce similar results to those observed in humans with LBP—to test the hypothesis that TLF mechanical properties may also be altered in patients with LBP. Perimuscular TLF tissue was harvested from the noninjured side of vertebral level L3-4 in pigs randomized into either control (n = 5) or injured (n = 5) groups. All samples were tested with a displacement-controlled biaxial testing system using the following protocol: cyclic loading/unloading and stress relaxation tests at 25%, 35%, and then 45% of their resting length. Tissue anisotropy was also explored by comparing responses to loading in longitudinal and transverse orientations. Tissues from injured pigs were found to have greater stretch–stretch ratio moduli (measure of tissue stiffness), less energy dissipation, and less stress decay compared to tissues from control pigs. Responses across these variables also depended on loading orientation. Clinical significance: these findings suggest that a focal TLF injury can produce impairments in tissue mechanical properties away from the injured area itself. This could contribute to some of the functional abnormalities observed in human LBP.