Objective To investigate the clinical application of 99mTc-DTPA renography in evaluating the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) in living donor kidney transplantation and to assess the dependence of GFR on age and gender in living kidney donors. Methods There were 212 consecutive potential donors in the study. The potential donor evaluation process included as follows: general health status, liver and kidney ultrasound, hepatitis virus infection and HLA-DR matching. If the results met the general requirements for the donor selection criteria, the GFR was measured using the 99mTc-IDTPA renography according to standard procedure (gates method). The GFR ≥ 1.33 ml/s was considered normal, ＜ 1.17 ml/s was defined as the lower limit for donor GFR, and 1.17 ml/s ≤GFR ＜ 1.33 ml/s further underwent measurement of creatinine clearance (CCr). If the CCr was normal, the GFR was considered normal, and otherwise, potential donors gave up kidney donation.All the donors meeting the donor selection criteria were divided into four age groups. On the other hand, the total donors were divided into the groups aged ＞ 55 years and aged ≤ 55 years. The impact of gender and age on GFR was evaluated preoperation due to age-related changes and gender using Kendall's tau-b correlation coefficient. Results In 212 potential donors, 137 cases had a GFR ≥ 1.33ml/s, 55 cases 1.17 ml/s ≤ GFR ＜ 1.33 ml/s and 20 cases GFR ＜ 1.17 ml/s. Thirty-one cases of potential donors with 1.17 ml/s ≤ GFR ＜ 1.33 ml/s gave up kidney donation due to abnormal CCr or other security considerations. 161 (56 females, 105 males) were qualified as successful donors, and the donor age was 42. 91 ± 11.90 years (range 20 to 62 years). The preoperative total GFR (ml/s) in living kidney donors was calculated as 1.51 ± 0.22 for males, it was 1.45 ± 0.18 for females respectively (P＞0.05). Among the four age groups, there was no significant difference in GFR (P＞0.05). The GFR in the donors aged ＞ 55 years and aged ≤ 55 years was 1.48 ± 0.22 and 1.49 ±0.17 respectively (P＞0.05). Correlation analysis revealed that the GFR in all the donors was not related with age (r = -0. 033, P = 0. 69). Also, there was no correlation between age and GFR in men and women(r= -0.053, P=0.571; r= -0.019, P=0.754). Conclusion 99mTc-DTPA renography is reliable and reproducible for the determination of GFR in living kidney donors. In view of acute donor shortage and if properly screened, kidneys with 1.17 ml/s≤ GFR ＜ 1.33 ml/s can be used without increasing the risk to donor. The GFR is not correlated with the age and gender.

Objective:To determine the median effective concentration (EC 50) of ropivacaine producing sensory-motor separation when used for femoral nerve block performed under ultrasound guidance. Methods:American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status Ⅰ-Ⅲ patients of both sexes, aged 18-64 yr, with body mass index of 18-30 kg/m 2, scheduled for elective arthroscopic knee surgery under general anesthesia, were enrolled in this study. Femoral nerve block was performed under ultrasound guidance.After successful location, ropivacaine 22 ml was injected with the initial concentration of 0.50%, and the ratio between the two consecutive concentrations was 1.1.The EC 50 of ropivacaine was determined by up-and-down sequential method.The positive response was considered as sensory block without motor block.The negative response was considered as sensory and motor block.When a negative response was found, the concentration was decreased in the next patient.When a positive response occurred, the concentration was increased in the next patient.Probit analysis was used to calculate the EC 50 and 95% confidence interval of ropivacaine producing sensory-motor separation when used for femoral nerve block which was performed under ultrasound guidance. Results:The EC 50 of ropivacaine producing sensory-motor separation was 0.186%, and the 95% confidence interval was 0.155%-0.205% when used for ultrasound-guided femoral nerve block. Conclusion:The EC 50 of ropivacaine producing sensory-motor separation is 0.186% when used for femoral nerve block performed under ultrasound guidance.

Objective:To investigate the effect of ionizing radiation on the ferroptosis of skin cells and the potential therapeutic strategy of ferroptosis inhibitor Ferrostatin-1 (Fer-1) on irradiated skin cells.Methods:HaCaT cells were pre-treated with Fer-1 before X-ray irradiation. After irradiation, CCK-8 assay and LDH release assay were used to detect cell viability and cell death, flow cytometry was used to detect the lipid peroxidation levels, crystal violet staining assay was used to detect colony forming ability, and the expressions of ferroptosis related proteins ACSL4 and GPX4 were detected by Western blot.Results:The cell viability of HaCaT cells was significantly decreased ( t=5.63, 8.74, P<0.05) and the release of LDH was significantly increased ( t=3.98, 5.08, 9.27, P<0.05) after different doses of X-ray irradiation. The cell viability was improved ( t=5.79, P<0.05) and the release of LDH was reduced ( t=12.36, 11.96, 18.13, 9.96, P<0.05) after the pre-treatment with Fer-1. The lipid peroxidation levels of HaCaT cells were significantly increased ( t=9.59, P<0.05) and the clonogenic survival ability were reduced ( t=4.26, P<0.05) after 10 Gy X-ray irradiation, while Fer-1 pre-treatment reduced ( t=6.48, 17.04, P<0.05) the increase of lipid peroxidation level induced by X-ray irradiation and also effectively restore ( t=3.96, P<0.05) the clonogenic survival ability. The expressions of ACSL4 and GPX4 were decreased after 10 Gy X-ray irradiation, while they recovered to normal level ( t=5.23, 7.16, 4.78, 8.29, 6.43, P<0.05) after the pre-treatment with Fer-1. Conclusions:Ferroptosis inhibitor Fer-1 alleviates the progress of radiation-induced skin injury by inhibiting ferroptosis after ionizing radiation at the cellular level, which provides a potential strategy for the protection of radiation injury.

AIM: To investigate the role of pyroptosis in the development of diabetic retinopathy(DR)and to explore the regulatory mechanism by which circular RNA(circRNA)and its targeted microRNA(miRNA)mediate pyroptosis in DR, providing new therapeutic targets and strategies for the prevention and treatment of DR.METHODS: A streptozotocin(STZ)-induced model of type 1 diabetes in SD rats was established. The expression of circRNA_0076631, miR-214, and pyroptosis-related factors were measured in retinal tissues. CCK-8 and tube formation assays were used to detect the effect of different concentration of glucose on cell proliferation and angiogenic abilities of human retinal microvascular endothelial cells(HRMECs). The expression levels of circRNA_0076631, miR-214, and pyroptosis-related markers were evaluated through qRT-PCR and Western blot analysis, with additional experiments conducted following circRNA_0076631 knockdown to assess its effect on pyroptosis markers. Previous bioinformatics analysis and luciferase reporter assays identified a shared binding site among circRNA_0076631, miR-214, and caspase-1. To clarify the interaction between these molecules, co-transfection experiments using circRNA_0076631 inhibitors(ASO-circRNA_0076631), miR-214 overexpression transfection reagent, and miR-214 inhibitors(AMO-miR-214)were conducted to elucidate the regulatory pathway involved in DR.RESULTS: Both the diabetic rat model and D-glucose-treated HRMECs showed significantly elevated expression of circRNA_0076631 and pyroptosis-related factors(NLRP3, caspase-1, and IL-1β), while miR-214 expression was reduced(all P<0.05). The mRNA expression of pyroptosis-related factors caspase-1 was reduced after the overexpression of miR-214, and it was upregulated after the inhibition of miR-214(all P<0.05). Knockdown of circRNA_0076631 reduced the mRNA expression of pyroptosis markers caspase-1(P<0.05). Co-transfection experiments revealed that the inhibition circRNA_0076631 suppressed pyroptosis(all P<0.05), but this suppression was reversed upon co-transfection with miR-214 inhibitors, leading to increased mRNA expression of the pyroptosis marker caspase-1(all P<0.05).CONCLUSION: The circRNA_0076631 and pyroptosis play critical roles in the pathogenesis of DR, and circRNA_0076631 may regulate pyroptosis by modulating miR-214, which in turn influences the expression of caspase-1 in the pyroptosis signaling pathway, thereby contributing to DR progression. The circRNA_0076631 may serve as a novel therapeutic target, providing new insights for the prevention and treatment of DR.

AIM: To investigate the role of pyroptosis in the development of diabetic retinopathy(DR)and to explore the regulatory mechanism by which circular RNA(circRNA)and its targeted microRNA(miRNA)mediate pyroptosis in DR, providing new therapeutic targets and strategies for the prevention and treatment of DR.METHODS: A streptozotocin(STZ)-induced model of type 1 diabetes in SD rats was established. The expression of circRNA_0076631, miR-214, and pyroptosis-related factors were measured in retinal tissues. CCK-8 and tube formation assays were used to detect the effect of different concentration of glucose on cell proliferation and angiogenic abilities of human retinal microvascular endothelial cells(HRMECs). The expression levels of circRNA_0076631, miR-214, and pyroptosis-related markers were evaluated through qRT-PCR and Western blot analysis, with additional experiments conducted following circRNA_0076631 knockdown to assess its effect on pyroptosis markers. Previous bioinformatics analysis and luciferase reporter assays identified a shared binding site among circRNA_0076631, miR-214, and caspase-1. To clarify the interaction between these molecules, co-transfection experiments using circRNA_0076631 inhibitors(ASO-circRNA_0076631), miR-214 overexpression transfection reagent, and miR-214 inhibitors(AMO-miR-214)were conducted to elucidate the regulatory pathway involved in DR.RESULTS: Both the diabetic rat model and D-glucose-treated HRMECs showed significantly elevated expression of circRNA_0076631 and pyroptosis-related factors(NLRP3, caspase-1, and IL-1β), while miR-214 expression was reduced(all P<0.05). The mRNA expression of pyroptosis-related factors caspase-1 was reduced after the overexpression of miR-214, and it was upregulated after the inhibition of miR-214(all P<0.05). Knockdown of circRNA_0076631 reduced the mRNA expression of pyroptosis markers caspase-1(P<0.05). Co-transfection experiments revealed that the inhibition circRNA_0076631 suppressed pyroptosis(all P<0.05), but this suppression was reversed upon co-transfection with miR-214 inhibitors, leading to increased mRNA expression of the pyroptosis marker caspase-1(all P<0.05).CONCLUSION: The circRNA_0076631 and pyroptosis play critical roles in the pathogenesis of DR, and circRNA_0076631 may regulate pyroptosis by modulating miR-214, which in turn influences the expression of caspase-1 in the pyroptosis signaling pathway, thereby contributing to DR progression. The circRNA_0076631 may serve as a novel therapeutic target, providing new insights for the prevention and treatment of DR.