Objective To explore the effects of aging on NO cGMP pathway and sexual hormone in penile tissue of different age rats. Methods The nitric oxide(NO) and cyclic guanosine monophosphate(cGMP) contents, nitric oxide synthase(NOS) activity in penile tissue and testosterone(T) and luteinizing hormone(LH) contents in blood of rats of different ages(2, 8, 16 and 24 months) were detected. Results With age increasing, ① The NO content of penile tissue firstly rose(8 months, the highest ) then dropped (24 months, the lowest), being the same as the variation of NOS( P

Objective To evaluate the effect of intercostal nerve cryoanalgesia for post-thoracotomy pain control and the chronic discomfort of the incision.Methods A prospective analysis was carried out in 200 patients after standard posterolateral thoracotomy.Then the patients were randomly divided into five groups after gender stratification,each group with 40 patients.Group A was the control group,which was received no advanced method to prevent the pain after operation,only with Pethidine injected while patient require.Group B was PCIA group.Group C was PCEA group.Group D was cryoanalgesia group.Group E was cryoanalgesia and PCEA group.VAS score was used in the consecutive 7 days after operation.And we recorded the doses of pethidine injected in the 7 days,as well as the complications and the side effects.On the third and sixth month,patients were followed up by telephone or clinic review for their pain control and discomfort of the incision.Results The VAS score and the average doses of using Pethidine were lower in group D and group E than that in other groups.Group D had a lower ratio of nausea,vomiting,pruritus and lethargy than any other group.Group A,group D and group E had a higher ratio of pain of incision and other adverse reactions than group B and group C.Conclusion Intercostal nerve cryoanalgesia could effectively relief the postoperative pain,reduce the ratio of traumatic stress reaction and side effect.Cryoanalgesia may be a factor that could add the chronic discomfort of the incision.

Objective To evaluate the efficacy and safety of consolidation chemotherapy after thoracic radical concurrent chemoradiotherapy for patients with oligometastatic non?small cell lung cancer ( NSCLC) . Methods Sixty?six NSCLC patients with more than five metastases from 2008 to 2013 were enrolled, and image?guided radiotherapy with conventionally fractionated or hypofractionated doses were performed for these patients. Platinum?based doublets chemotherapy was applied for both concurrent chemoradiotherapy and consolidation chemotherapy. Short?term outcome, adverse reactions, and survival rate were assessed for the patients after treatment. Results Sixty?four patients completed the treatment. The median biologically equivalent dose for planning target volume of thoracic primary tumor lesions was 72 Gy, with a median number of chemotherapy cycles of 4. The objective response rate for thoracic lesions was 70%. The follow?up rate was 97%. The 1?, 2?, and 3?year overall survival ( OS) rates were 72%, 53%, and 31%, respectively, with a median OS time of 25 months;the 1?, 2?, and 3?year progression?free survival ( PFS) rates were 56%, 26%, and 7%, respectively, with a median PFS time of 14 months. The incidence of grade 2?3 acute radiation pneumonitis and radiation esophagitis was 1% and 17%, respectively, and the incidence of grade 3?4 decreases in leukocytes, hemoglobin, and platelet count was 39%, 11%, and 16%, respectively. Conclusions Radical radiotherapy combined with concurrent and consolidation chemotherapy for oligometastatic NSCLC can achieve good short?term outcome and long?term survival, with tolerable adverse effects.

Objective:To assess the predictive value of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) PET/CT imaging and relevant factors in the prognosis of patients with classic Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL) before or after autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT). Methods:From January 2008 to June 2017, 55 cHL patients (28 males, 27 females; age: (28.8±9.6) years) confirmed by pathology in Shanghai General Hospital were retrospectively included. 18F-FDG PET/CT imaging was performed before ASCT in 43 cases and after ASCT in 34 cases (22 patients underwent the imaging both before and after ASCT). Patients were divided into positive group (≥4) and negative group (<4) according to 18F-FDG PET/CT imaging results using Deauville 5-point scale. The predictive value of relevant factors in the prognosis was evaluated with progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) using Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and log-rank test. Hazard ratio ( HR) was calculated by Cox regression model. Results:Of 55 cHL patients, 29 (53%) had a progression of disease after a median follow-up of 8 months, and 11 (20%) patients died after a median follow-up of 29.5 months, with the 3-year PFS rate of 46.4% and OS rate of 84.5%. Significant differences of PFS rate were found between patients with or without B symptoms, between patients with or without large mediastinal mass, between patients with international prognostic score (IPS) of 0-2 and those with IPS of 3-7, among patients with different effect of salvage chemotherapy (complete remission (CR), partial remission (PR) + stable disease (SD), progressive disease (PD)), and between patients with negative or positive PET/CT imaging results before or after ASCT ( χ2 values: 5.52-20.01, HR: 2.21(95% CI: 1.56-3.12)-5.51(95% CI: 1.86-16.33), all P<0.05). B symptoms and large mediastinal mass were also prognostic factors for OS rate ( HR: 5.28(95% CI: 1.14-24.51) and 4.27(95% CI: 1.24-14.79), both P<0.05). The combination of 18F-FDG PET/CT imaging before and after ASCT was statistically significant for predicting PFS ( χ2=11.28, P<0.01). Multivariate survival analysis showed that the risk of progression in patients with positive PET/CT results after ASCT was significantly higher than those with negative results ( HR=6.20, P<0.01), and the risk of death in patients with B symptoms was significantly higher than those without B symptoms ( HR=5.28, P<0.05). Conclusion:18F-FDG PET/CT imaging results after ASCT have important values for predicting PFS in cHL patients after ASCT, and B symptoms can be used as an important prognostic indicator of OS after ASCT.

Organ transplantation is the most effective treatment for all categories of end-stage organ diseases. To resolve the shortage of donors in organ transplantation, widespread attention has been diverted to xenotransplantation. At present, clinicians mainly highlight the problems related to xenotransplantation rejection and viral infection. The physiology of xenotransplantation has been rarely studied. Kidney performs endocrine function by producing erythropoietin (EPO), renin and activating vitamin D. Although these pathways are usually well preserved in allogeneic transplantation, species-specific differences, especially those between pigs and non-human primates, may still affect the physiological function of transplant organs. In this article, the changes of EPO, renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) and active vitamin D₃ of pig and human after xenotransplantation were illustrated, aiming to provide reference for subclinical research of xenotransplantation.

OBJECTIVE: Angiopoietin-1 (Ang1) is a potent angiogenic factor that can increase synovial angiogenesis and also enhance osteoblast maturation and bone formation. However, its role in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has not been well documented. Thus, we investigated roles of Ang1 in collagen-induced arthritis (CIA). METHODS: A recombinant adenovirus carrying the gene that encodes either cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (AdCOMP)-Ang1 (a modified form of Ang1) or LacZ (AdLacZ) was injected intravenously into CIA mice. Clinical, radiological, histopathological, and immunofluorescent analyses were performed. Serum levels of receptor activators of nuclear factor kappaB ligand (RANKL) and osteoprotegerin (OPG) and expression of osteoblast maturation genes were analyzed. RESULTS: AdCOMP-Ang1-injected mice developed more severe inflammation than the AdLacZ-injected mice. However, there were no significant differences in cartilage damage and bone erosion. More PECAM-1-positive blood vessels were seen in the synovium of the AdCOMP-Ang1-injected mice than in those injected with AdLacZ. Interestingly, a lower number of TRAP-positive osteoclasts were observed in AdCOMP-Ang1-injected CIA mice than in the AdLacZ group when comparing sections obtained from joints showing similar synovial proliferation. The serum OPG/RANKL ratio and expression of osteoblast maturation genes, such as runt-related transcription factor 2, bone sialoprotein, type 1 collagen, osteopontin, and osterix, were significantly upregulated in the AdCOMP-Ang1 group. CONCLUSION: COMP-Ang1 facilitates arthritis onset and increases synovial inflammation, but enhances osteoblast maturation, which in turn inhibits osteoclastogenesis by increasing the OPG/RANKL ratio in CIA. Our results suggest that careful investigation is necessary to delineate the possible therapeutic use of COMP-Ang1 as an adjunctive agent, in combination with anti-inflammatory therapies, for the prevention of bone destruction in RA.
Adenoviridae ; Angiogenesis Inducing Agents ; Angiopoietin-1 ; Animals ; Arthritis ; Arthritis, Experimental ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; Blood Vessels ; Cartilage ; Collagen Type I ; Extracellular Matrix Proteins ; Glycoproteins ; Inflammation ; Integrin-Binding Sialoprotein ; Joints ; Lifting ; Mice ; Osteoblasts ; Osteoclasts ; Osteogenesis ; Osteopontin ; Osteoprotegerin ; Synovial Membrane ; Transcription Factors

Organ transplantation is the most effective treatment for various types of end-stage diseases. To resolve the problem of donor shortage in organ transplantation, the possibility of xenotransplantation has been gradually explored by surgeons. Pig is one of the common donor sources for xenotransplantation. As a bridge between two species, the viruses carried by pig organs may be transmitted between species and cause the risk of zoonosis. Porcine endogenous retrovirus (PERV) is integrated into the genome, which is a category of retrovirus featuring cross-species transmission. In this article, the influencing factors of transmission characteristics of PERV, the transmission risk of PERV and its recombinant virus, and the detection and transmission risk assessment of PERV in xenotransplantation test were reviewed, aiming to provide reference for alleviating severe shortage of donor organs and driving the advancement of xenotransplantation technologies.

Objective:To investigate the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of pulse oximetry among pediatric healthcare providers in China and analyze the factor influencing the KAP.Methods:A self-developed questionnaire was used for an online research on the KAP of 11 849 pediatric healthcare providers from 31 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities of China from March 11 to 14, 2022.The factors influencing the KAP of pulse oximetry among pediatric healthcare providers were examined by Logistic regression. Results:The scores of KAP, of pulse oximetry were 5.57±0.96, 11.24±1.25 and 11.19±4.54, respectively.The corresponding scoring rates were 69.61%, 74.95%, and 55.99%, respectively. Logistic regression results showed that the gender and working years of pediatric healthcare providers, the region they were located, and whether their medical institution was equipped with pulse oximeters were the main factors affecting the knowledge score (all P<0.05). Main factors influencing the attitude score of pediatric healthcare providers included their knowledge score, gender, educational background, working years, region, medical institution level, and whether the medical institution was equipped with pulse oximeters (all P<0.05). For the practice score, the main influencing factors were the knowledge score, gender, age, and whether the medi-cal institution was equipped with pulse oximeters (all P<0.05). Conclusions:Chinese pediatric healthcare providers need to further improve their knowledge about and attitudes towards pulse oximetry.Pulse oximeters are evidently under-used.It is urgent to formulate policies or guidelines, strengthen education and training, improve knowledge and attitudes, equip more institutions with pulse oximeters, and popularize their application in medical institutions.

Objective To explore the safety of minimally invasive esophagectomy (MIE) with three-field lymphadenectomy (3-FL) for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) by comparing the short-term outcomes between the 3-FL and the two-field lymphadenectomy (2-FL) in MIE. Methods The clinical data of patients with ESCC who underwent minimally invasive McKeown esophagectomy in our hospital from July 2015 to March 2022 were collected retrospectively. Patients were divided into a 3-FL group and a 2-FL group according to lymph node dissection method. And the clinical outcomes and postoperative complications were compared between the two groups. Results A total of 257 patients with ESCC were included in this study. There were 211 males and 46 females with an average age of 62.2±8.1 years. There were 109 patients in the 3-FL group and 148 patients in the 2-FL group. The operation time of the 3-FL group was about 20 minutes longer than that of the 2-FL group (P<0.001). There was no statistical difference between the two groups in the intraoperatve blood loss (P=0.376). More lymph nodes (P<0.001) and also more positive lymph nodes (P=0.003) were obtained in the 3-FL group than in the 2-FL group, and there was a statistical difference in the pathological N stage between the two groups (P<0.001). But there was no statistical difference in the incidence of anastomotic leak (P=0.667), chyle leak (P=0.421), recurrent laryngeal nerve injury (P=0.081), pulmonary complications (P=0.601), pneumonia (P=0.061), cardiac complications (P=0.383), overall complications (P=0.147) or Clavien-Dindo grading (P=0.152) between the two groups. Conclusion MIE 3-FL can improve the efficiency of lymph node dissection and the accuracy of tumor lymph node staging, but it does not increase the postoperative complications, which is worthy of clinical application.

Currently, there is still no effective curative treatment for the development of late-stage liver fibrosis. Here, we have illustrated that TB001, a dual glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor/glucagon receptor (GLP-1R/GCGR) agonist with higher affinity towards GCGR, could retard the progression of liver fibrosis in various rodent models, with remarkable potency, selectivity, extended half-life and low toxicity. Four types of liver fibrosis animal models which were induced by CCl₄, α-naphthyl-isothiocyanate (ANIT), bile duct ligation (BDL) and Schistosoma japonicum were used in our study. We found that TB001 treatment dose-dependently significantly attenuated liver injury and collagen accumulation in these animal models. In addition to decreased levels of extracellular matrix (ECM) accumulation during hepatic injury, activation of hepatic stellate cells was also inhibited via suppression of TGF-β expression as well as downstream Smad signaling pathways particularly in CCl₄-and S. japonicum-induced liver fibrosis. Moreover, TB001 attenuated liver fibrosis through blocking downstream activation of pro-inflammatory nuclear factor kappa B/NF-kappa-B inhibitor alpha (NFκB/IKBα) pathways as well as c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK)-dependent induction of hepatocyte apoptosis. Furthermore, GLP-1R and/or GCGR knock-down results represented GCGR played an important role in ameliorating CCl₄-induced hepatic fibrosis. Therefore, TB001 can be used as a promising therapeutic candidate for the treatment of multiple causes of hepatic fibrosis demonstrated by our extensive pre-clinical evaluation of TB001.