The vascular endothelial glycocalyx is a dense, bush-like structure that is synthesized and secreted by endothelial cells and evenly distributed on the surface of vascular endothelial cells. The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is mainly composed of pericytes endothelial cells, glycocalyx, basement membranes, and astrocytes. The glycocalyx in the BBB plays an indispensable role in many important physiological functions, including vascular permeability, inflammation, blood coagulation, and the synthesis of nitric oxide. Damage to the fragile glycocalyx can lead to increased permeability of the BBB, tissue edema, glial cell activation, up-regulation of inflammatory chemokines expression, and ultimately brain tissue damage, leading to increased mortality. This article reviews the important role that glycocalyx plays in the physiological function of the BBB. The review may provide some basis for the research direction of neurological diseases and a theoretical basis for the diagnosis and treatment of neurological diseases.

Gene expression profiles were useful for simultaneously analyzing the expression levels of thousands of genes. Reduced expression of OLFM4 in gastric cancer is associated significantly with lymph node and distant metastases and with poor prognosis. OLFM4 may prove to be an important molecular marker for predicting the carcinogenesis, development, progression, and metastasis of gastric cancer.

Bronchogenic cysts are primitive, foregut-derived developmental anomalies with bronchial-type, pseudostratified cylindrical epithelium. They are usually discovered in the thorax. The occurrence of such cysts in the retroperitoneum is extremely rare. Imaging techniques are generally effective in the detection of retroperitoneal bronchogenic cyst. Here, we report two cases (a 27-year-old man and a 33-year-old man) who had no clinical symptoms and were found by chance to have masses in the adrenal gland area during routine physical examination. We found that they had some similar computed tomography imaging features, including complete adrenal structure, cystic fusiform mass in adrenal region, and inclusion of calcifications in the lesions. However, accurate preoperative diagnosis remains difficult and only histology can provide a definitive diagnosis. Surgery remains the treatment of choice.