BACKGROUND: The contraction behaviors of cardiomyocytes (CMs), especially contraction synchrony, are crucial factors reflecting their maturity and response to drugs. A wider field of view helps to observe more pronounced synchrony differences, but the accompanied greater computational load, requiring more computing power or longer computational time. METHODS: We proposed a method that directly correlates variations in optical field brightness with cardiac tissue contraction status (CVB method), based on principles from physics and photometry, for rapid video analysis in wide field of view to obtain contraction parameters, such as period and contraction propagation direction and speed. RESULTS: Through video analysis of human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived CMs labeled with green fluorescent protein (GFP) cultured on aligned and random nanofiber scaffolds, the CVB method was demonstrated to obtain contraction parameters and quantify the direction and speed of contraction within regions of interest (ROIs) in wide field of view. The CVB method required less computation time compared to one of the contour tracking methods, the LucasKanade (LK) optical flow method, and provided better stability and accuracy in the results. CONCLUSION This method has a smaller computational load, is less affected by motion blur and out-of-focus conditions, and provides a potential tool for accurate and rapid analysis of cardiac tissue contraction synchrony in wide field of view without the need for more powerful hardware.

BACKGROUND: The contraction behaviors of cardiomyocytes (CMs), especially contraction synchrony, are crucial factors reflecting their maturity and response to drugs. A wider field of view helps to observe more pronounced synchrony differences, but the accompanied greater computational load, requiring more computing power or longer computational time. METHODS: We proposed a method that directly correlates variations in optical field brightness with cardiac tissue contraction status (CVB method), based on principles from physics and photometry, for rapid video analysis in wide field of view to obtain contraction parameters, such as period and contraction propagation direction and speed. RESULTS: Through video analysis of human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived CMs labeled with green fluorescent protein (GFP) cultured on aligned and random nanofiber scaffolds, the CVB method was demonstrated to obtain contraction parameters and quantify the direction and speed of contraction within regions of interest (ROIs) in wide field of view. The CVB method required less computation time compared to one of the contour tracking methods, the LucasKanade (LK) optical flow method, and provided better stability and accuracy in the results. CONCLUSION This method has a smaller computational load, is less affected by motion blur and out-of-focus conditions, and provides a potential tool for accurate and rapid analysis of cardiac tissue contraction synchrony in wide field of view without the need for more powerful hardware.

BACKGROUND: The contraction behaviors of cardiomyocytes (CMs), especially contraction synchrony, are crucial factors reflecting their maturity and response to drugs. A wider field of view helps to observe more pronounced synchrony differences, but the accompanied greater computational load, requiring more computing power or longer computational time. METHODS: We proposed a method that directly correlates variations in optical field brightness with cardiac tissue contraction status (CVB method), based on principles from physics and photometry, for rapid video analysis in wide field of view to obtain contraction parameters, such as period and contraction propagation direction and speed. RESULTS: Through video analysis of human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived CMs labeled with green fluorescent protein (GFP) cultured on aligned and random nanofiber scaffolds, the CVB method was demonstrated to obtain contraction parameters and quantify the direction and speed of contraction within regions of interest (ROIs) in wide field of view. The CVB method required less computation time compared to one of the contour tracking methods, the LucasKanade (LK) optical flow method, and provided better stability and accuracy in the results. CONCLUSION This method has a smaller computational load, is less affected by motion blur and out-of-focus conditions, and provides a potential tool for accurate and rapid analysis of cardiac tissue contraction synchrony in wide field of view without the need for more powerful hardware.

BACKGROUND: The contraction behaviors of cardiomyocytes (CMs), especially contraction synchrony, are crucial factors reflecting their maturity and response to drugs. A wider field of view helps to observe more pronounced synchrony differences, but the accompanied greater computational load, requiring more computing power or longer computational time. METHODS: We proposed a method that directly correlates variations in optical field brightness with cardiac tissue contraction status (CVB method), based on principles from physics and photometry, for rapid video analysis in wide field of view to obtain contraction parameters, such as period and contraction propagation direction and speed. RESULTS: Through video analysis of human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived CMs labeled with green fluorescent protein (GFP) cultured on aligned and random nanofiber scaffolds, the CVB method was demonstrated to obtain contraction parameters and quantify the direction and speed of contraction within regions of interest (ROIs) in wide field of view. The CVB method required less computation time compared to one of the contour tracking methods, the LucasKanade (LK) optical flow method, and provided better stability and accuracy in the results. CONCLUSION This method has a smaller computational load, is less affected by motion blur and out-of-focus conditions, and provides a potential tool for accurate and rapid analysis of cardiac tissue contraction synchrony in wide field of view without the need for more powerful hardware.

BACKGROUND:Hydrogels have become a research hotspot due to their unique advantages in the biomedical field due to their superior mechanical and biological properties.At present,related research involves tissue engineering,wound dressing and so on. OBJECTIVE:To review the advantages and properties of hydrogels and the research progress of their application in the repair of oral and maxillofacial defects,discuss the current limitations and challenges of hydrogels in application and promotion,and provide new ideas for future research directions. METHODS:Relevant literature was searched in PubMed,CNKI,and WanFang database by computer.The search terms were"hydrogel,oral and maxillofacial defects,mechanical properties,tissue engineering,wound dressing"in Chinese and"hydrogel,oral and maxillofacial defects,mechanical properties,guided tissue regeneration,wound dressing"in English.Preliminary screening was carried out by reading titles and abstracts,and articles not related to the topic of the article were excluded.According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria,108 articles were finally included for the result analysis. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)The hydrogel has good biological activity,mechanical controllability,and stimulation response.(2)Polymer,metal,and ceramic hydrogel composites have appropriate mechanical properties,biodegradability,and controlled release rate,which are suitable for maxillofacial bone tissue engineering.(3)Fibrin-based hydrogel could fill the hollow nerve conduit through the nerve defect area and promote the regeneration and growth of axons to restore the function of maxillofacial nerve.(4)Controlling the interaction between nanomaterials and hydrogels can improve the formation of muscle fiber oriented structure to promote maxillofacial muscle tissue regeneration.(5)Polysaccharide hydrogel has gradually become the first choice for repairing irregular periodontal defects due to its ability to control drug delivery,carry bioactive molecules,and combine with other materials to produce the best scaffold matching the extracellular matrix.(6)Calcium phosphate or calcium carbonate-based hydrogels can be used to fill irregular or fine tissue defects and remineralize hard tissues.The self-assembled hydrogels are simple to prepare and have good biological activity.(7)Salivary gland-derived extracellular matrix-like gel is expected to participate in the treatment of many salivary gland diseases.(8)Hydrogels can be used as wound dressings in combination with biological adhesives,acellular biomaterials,antimicrobials,antioxidants,or stem cells to treat various wounds.(9)Fibrin-based hydrogel has the most potential in the repair of oral and maxillofacial defects.It has excellent biocompatibility,flexibility,and plasticity.It can combine with cells,extracellular matrix proteins,and various growth factors,and promote the osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells,axon regeneration and growth,angiogenesis,myotube differentiation,salivary gland tissue regeneration,and periodontal tissue regeneration.It has a broad prospect in the repair of oral and maxillofacial defects.However,its therapeutic effect depends on the function of the substance carried.The complex preparation process,its safety and long-term efficacy,and the special anatomical oral and maxillofacial structure is the problem that hinders its promotion,which also provides directions for future research.

BACKGROUND: The contraction behaviors of cardiomyocytes (CMs), especially contraction synchrony, are crucial factors reflecting their maturity and response to drugs. A wider field of view helps to observe more pronounced synchrony differences, but the accompanied greater computational load, requiring more computing power or longer computational time. METHODS: We proposed a method that directly correlates variations in optical field brightness with cardiac tissue contraction status (CVB method), based on principles from physics and photometry, for rapid video analysis in wide field of view to obtain contraction parameters, such as period and contraction propagation direction and speed. RESULTS: Through video analysis of human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived CMs labeled with green fluorescent protein (GFP) cultured on aligned and random nanofiber scaffolds, the CVB method was demonstrated to obtain contraction parameters and quantify the direction and speed of contraction within regions of interest (ROIs) in wide field of view. The CVB method required less computation time compared to one of the contour tracking methods, the LucasKanade (LK) optical flow method, and provided better stability and accuracy in the results. CONCLUSION This method has a smaller computational load, is less affected by motion blur and out-of-focus conditions, and provides a potential tool for accurate and rapid analysis of cardiac tissue contraction synchrony in wide field of view without the need for more powerful hardware.

Metastasis remains the primary cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) represent critical targets for metastasis prevention and treatment. Traditional Chinese medicine may prevent lung cancer metastasis through long-term intervention in CTC activity. Tiao-Shen-Zhi-Ai Formular (TSZAF) represents a Chinese medicine compound prescription utilized clinically for lung cancer treatment. This study combined three principal active ingredients from TSZAF into a novel TSZAF monomer combination (TSZAF mc) to investigate its anti-metastatic effects and mechanisms. TSZAF mc demonstrated significant inhibition of proliferation, migration, and invasion in CTC-TJH-01 and LLC cells, while inducing cellular apoptosis in vitro. Moreover, TSZAF mc substantially inhibited LLC cell growth and metastasis in vivo. Mechanistically, TAZSF mc significantly suppressed the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway and CXCL5 expression in lung cancer cells and tissues. Additionally, TAZSF mc notably reduced neutrophil infiltration in metastatic lesions. These findings indicate that TSZAF mc inhibits lung cancer growth and metastasis by suppressing the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway and reducing CXCL5 secretion, thereby decreasing neutrophil recruitment and infiltration. TSZAF mc demonstrates potential as an effective therapeutic agent for lung cancer metastasis.
Lung Neoplasms/genetics* ; Wnt Signaling Pathway/drug effects* ; Animals ; Humans ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology* ; Mice ; Neoplasm Metastasis/prevention & control* ; Cell Proliferation/drug effects* ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Neutrophil Infiltration/drug effects* ; Down-Regulation/drug effects* ; Cell Movement/drug effects* ; beta Catenin/genetics* ; Apoptosis/drug effects* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Male ; Neoplastic Cells, Circulating/drug effects*

Objective To investigate the inhibitory effect of epigallocatechin gallate(EGCG)on oxidative damage to the retina in a rat model of dry age-related macular degeneration(AMD)induced by sodium iodate.Methods A total of 36 male specific pathogen-free Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into the blank control group,sodium iodate group and sodium iodate+EGCG group,with 12 rats in each group.Rats in the sodium iodate group and the sodium io-date+EGCG group were given 50 mg-kg·1 sodium iodate by tail vein injection by weight to build dry AMD models,while rats in the blank control group were administered with an equal volume of normal saline.Following the modeling proce-dure,rats in the sodium iodate+EGCG group received an intravitreal injection of 4 μL EGCG(0.5 g·L-1)into their right eyes,while the right eyes of rats in both the blank control and sodium iodate groups were treated with the same volume of normal saline.After 21 days,the rats were sacrificed,and ocular samples were collected for detection.Histopathological changes of the retinal tissues in each group were examined using hematoxylin and eosin(HE)staining.Additionally,the levels of superoxide dismutase(SOD),glutathione peroxidase(GSH-Px),and malondialdehyde(MDA)in the retinal tis-sues were quantified.Western blot analysis was conducted to assess the protein expression levels of nuclear factor ery-throid-2-related factor 2(Nrf2),NADPH quinone oxidoreductase 1(NQO1),and heme oxygenase-1(HO-1)in the retinas.Furthermore,real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction was performed to evaluate the relative messenger ribonucleic acid(mRNA)expression levels of Nrf2,NQO1 and HO-1 in the retinas of the rats.Results HE staining revealed that,in comparison to the blank control group,the entire retinal layer in the sodium iodate group exhibited injury,characterized by noticeable injury of the retinal pigment epithelial cells and disordered outer nuclear layer with wavy transformation.The so-dium iodate+EGCG group demonstrated ameliorated retinal injury across all layers compared to the sodium iodate group.Compared to the blank control group,the levels of SOD and GSH-Px were significantly reduced(both P＜0.01),while the level of MDA was significantly elevated(P＜0.01)in the sodium iodate group.Compared with the sodium iodate group,the sodium iodate+EGCG group showed a significant increase in the levels of SOD and GSH-Px(both P＜0.01),along-side a substantial decrease in the content of MDA(P＜0.01).Western blot analyses demonstrated that compared with the blank control group,the protein expression levels of Nrf2,NQO1 and HO-1 were significantly elevated in the sodium iodate group(all P＜0.01);compared with the sodium iodate group,the sodium iodate+EGCG group exhibited relatively higher protein expression levels of Nrf2,NQO1 and HO-1(all P＜0.05).The results from real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction indicated that the relative mRNA expression levels of Nrf2,NQO1 and HO-1 in the retinas of rats in the sodium io-date group were significantly greater than those in the blank control group(all P＜0.05);compared with the sodium iodate group,the sodium iodate+EGCG group showed a significant increase in the relative mRNA expression levels of Nrf2,NQO1 and HO-1(all P＜0.05).Conclusion EGCG can improve the capacity to scavenge oxygen free radicals by promo-ting the upregulation of Nrf2 expression.This activation subsequently enhances the expression of downstream products such as NQO1 and HO-1,leading to increased levels of SOD and GSH-Px while simultaneously reducing the MDA level.Consequently,this process inhibits oxidative damage to the retina in rats with dry AMD induced by sodium iodate.

Objective:To investigate therapeutic effect of reinfusion of tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte(TIL)with clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/CRISPR-associated 9(CRISPR/CAS9)knockout programmed death-1(PD-1)on colon cancer in mice.Methods:Subcutaneous injection of CT26 was used to establish mouse colon cancer model.TIL was extracted from tumor tissue of three model mice,and peripheral blood lymphocytes were extracted.PD-1 gene was knocked out of TIL.Reinfusion experiments were divided into control group(Control),lymphocyte group(Lym),tumor-bearing mouse TIL group(TIL),lentivirus empty empty group(pVSV-G-PX458-NC)and PX458-PD-1-sgRNA1 group(PD-1-sgRNA1),with 10 mice in each group.Tumor tissue quality and tumor inhibition rate were detected in each group.TUNEL was used to detect cell apoptosis in tumor tissues of mice.ELISA was used to detect contents of TNF-α and IFN-γ in tumor tissues of mice.Immunohistochemistry was used to detect expressions of CD4+T and CD8+T cells in tumor tissue.Immunofluorescence was used to detect expressions of proliferating cell nuclear antigen-67(Ki-67)and vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF).Western blot was used to detect expressions of PD-1 and its ligand PD-L1 in tumor tissues.Results:PD-1-sgRNA1 could significantly inhibit growth of mouse tumor cells in vivo,inhibit expressions of Ki-67 and VEGF in tumor tissues,as well as expressions of PD-1 and PD-L1,elevate apoptosis rate,contents of TNF-α and IFN-γ in tumor tissues,and expressions of CD4+T and CD8+T cells(all P<0.05).Conclusion:Reinfusion of TIL with CRISPR/CAS9 knockout PD-1 can significantly inhibit expressions of Ki-67 and VEGF in colon cancer mice,enhance infiltration of CD4+T and CD8+T cells,induce tumor cell apoptosis and inhibit tumor growth.

Background and Aims:Postoperative intra-abdominal infection(PIAI)is a common postoperative complication in abdominal surgery and a challenging issue worldwide,with a treatment failure rate of 68.3％and an in-hospital mortality rate as high as 40.8％.The key to managing this condition is early control of the infection source,debridement and adequate drainage.Delayed control of the infection source is an independent risk factor for predicting treatment failure.Many PIAI lesions are located deep within the abdominal cavity,lacking optimal routes for percutaneous drainage,and the risks and difficulties of reoperation are significant.Thus,controlling the infection source in PIAI is a difficult task.Here,the authors report the management of 4 PIAI patients treated with nephroscopic debridement and catheter irrigation and drainage via the sinus tract,aiming to provide clinical insights and references. Methods:The clinical data of 4 patients undergoing nephroscopic debridement,catheter irrigation and drainage for PIAI from October 2020 to September 2022 in the Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guilin Medical University were retrospectively analyzed.Key techniques of nephroscopic management of PIAI were summarized and contextualized with relevant literature. Results:The 4 PIAI cases included a right-sided retroperitoneal abscess after catheter drainage for severe acute pancreatitis,a hepatic abscess at the liver raw surface after right hemihepatectomy,bile leakage and secondary duodenal fistula after laparoscopic choledocholithotomy and T-tube drainage,and a pancreatic abscess at the pancreatic raw surface after distal pancreatectomy with splenectomy.All patients underwent nephroscopic debridement and catheter irrigation and drainage via the sinus tract:guidewires were inserted into the drainage sinus tract,followed by a minimally invasive expansion drainage kit and nephroscopy;pus was irrigated out,and pus moss was clamped out with foreign body forceps under nephroscopy.Then,irrigation drainage tubes were placed under the guidance of the guidewire,and continuous irrigation and drainage were performed.The 4 patients underwent a total of 5 nephroscopic debridement and catheter irrigation and drainage procedures,with one case requiring two operations.The preoperative catheterization time ranged from 14 to 58 d,with an average of 38.4 d.One patient concurrently underwent choledochoscopy for stone extraction and biliary drainage via the T-tube sinus tract.The operative time ranged from 30 to 115 min,with an average of 67.4 min.Aside from one case of minor intraoperative bleeding,which stopped after injecting diluted norepinephrine solution into the sheath and blocking the sheath,there were no surgical complications in the other three cases.The postoperative drainage tube duration ranged from 7 to 30 d,with an average of 20.75 d.After treatment,all PIAI lesions disappeared,and no recurrence was observed during follow-up,which ranged from 16 to 40 months. Conclusion:Nephroscopic debridement and catheter irrigation and drainage via the sinus tract for PIAI is simple,feasible,and safe,allowing for direct visualization to avoid organ damage.It is effective in removing pus and necrotic tissue,replacing drainage tubes,and can be repeatedly performed with high efficiency and remarkable results.This method is particularly suitable for patients with postoperative abdominal drainage tube obstruction combined with encapsulated intra-abdominal fluid collections.