Background Cooking oil fumes are closely related to immune response, and adipose tissue also plays an important role in immune regulation. At present, the biological effect and mechanism of inflammation of adipose tissue induced by oil fume exposure are not clear yet. Objective To investigate the inflammatory effect of different exposure duration of cooking fumes on adipose tissue in mice and explore the role of Nod-like receptor pyrin domain 3 (NLRP3)/cysteinyl aspartate specific proteinase 1 (Caspase 1)/interleukin (IL)-1β signaling pathway. Methods Forty 8-week-old female C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into 3-day control group (CON₃ group), 7-day control group (CON₇ group), 3-day oil fume exposure group (COF₃ group), and 7-day oil fume exposure group (COF₇ group), with 10 mice in each group. The mice were exposed to oil fumes in a cooking oil fume formation and exposure equipment (COFFEE) for 20 min, followed by a 10-min pause, 1 h a day for consecutive 3 d or 7 d. General condition of mice was observed and body weight was measured every day. After exposure, blood was sampled from the eyeball. Serum levels of IL-6, IL-27, and IL-1β were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The adipose tissue of mice was collected and observed after hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining. The percentages of CD4⁺ and CD8⁺T cells in adipose tissue were detected by flow cytometry. Real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) was used to detect the expression levels of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), NLRP3, Caspase 1, and IL-1β in adipose tissue. Western blot was used to detect the expression levels of NLRP3, Caspase 1, and IL-1β in adipose. Results Compared with the corresponding control group, serum IL-6, IL-27, and IL-1β contents in the COF₃ group and the COF₇ group were significantly increased (P<0.05) except IL-6 in the COF₃ group, and the levels in the COF₇ group were significantly higher than those in the COF₃ group (P<0.05). Vacuolar lipid droplets in adipocytes decreased, cytoplasm shrank, and inflammatory cells infiltrated in the COF₇ group after HE staining. The flow cytometry results showed that the proportions of CD4⁺ and CD8⁺T cells in adipocytes of the COF₃ group and the COF₇ group were increased compared to the corresponding control group, with a significant increase in the COF₇ group (P<0.05), and the CD4⁺/CD8⁺T ratio also significantly increased progressively in the two groups (P<0.05). The results of RT-qPCR showed that compared with the corresponding control group, the mRNA expression levels of NF-κB, NLRP3, Caspase 1, and IL-1β in adipose tissue of mice in the COF₃ group and the COF₇ group were significantly increased (P<0.05, P<0.01). The mRNA expression levels of mice in each exposure group gradually increased over time. The Western blot results showed that compared with the corresponding control group, the protein expressions of NLRP3 and Caspase 1 in the COF₃ group were significantly increased (P<0.01), and the expression of IL-1β protein also increased but without statistical significance. The protein expressions of NLRP3, Caspase 1, and IL-1β in the COF₇ group were significantly higher than those in the CON₇ group (P<0.05, P<0.01). Conclusion Acute exposure to cooking oil fumes can induce significant inflammatory response in adipose tissue, and the effect gradually increases with the extension of exposure time. The mechanism of action may be related to the activation of NLRP3 inflammasome signaling pathway.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of Bushen Huoxue Fang on the proliferation of rat cardiac fibroblasts and collagen production in the cells.

METHODSRat cardiac fibroblasts were isolated and cultured in DMEM containing 10% (group A) or 20% (group B) or no (group C) serum from rats treated with Bushen Huoxue Fang, with cells cultured in DMEM containing 10% FBS as the control (group D). After 72 h of cell culture, the proliferation of the fibroblasts was detected using CCK-8 kit, and collagen mRNA and protein expressions were examined using RT-PCR and Western blotting, respectively.

RESULTSCompared with that in groups C and D, the cell proliferation decreased significantly in groups A and B, and especially in the latter (P<0.05). RT-PCR demonstrated significant reductions of the mRNAs of type 1 and 3 collagens in groups A and B (P<0.05), and their protein levels were also significantly lowered (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONBushen Huoxue Fang can effectively inhibit the proliferation of rat cardiac fibroblasts and reduced collagen type 1 and 3 productions in the cells in vitro.

Animals ; Animals, Newborn ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Cells, Cultured ; Collagen Type I ; biosynthesis ; Collagen Type III ; biosynthesis ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Fibroblasts ; cytology ; metabolism ; Fibrosis ; prevention & control ; Myocardium ; cytology ; metabolism ; pathology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

Objective To evaluate the safety and efficacy of flexible ureteroscopy lithotripsy (FURL) for the treatment of renal stone in solitary kidney patients.Methods The clinical data of 46 patients of solitary kidney,who were treated with FURL from March 2015 to May 2018 in our hospital,were analyzed retrospectively.There were 34 males and 12 females,aged (48.6 ± 9.6) years.Maximum diameter of stone was (15.3 ±4.8) mm,and 29 cases in left kidney and 17 cases in right.34 cases were non-renal calcaneal calculi,12 cases were subrenal calyceal stones.There were 3 cases of congenital solitary kidney,31 cases of functional solitary kidney (contralateral kidney GFR ＜ 10 ml/min) and 12 cases of acquired solitary kidney (7 cases of renal calculi,4 cases of tumor,1 case of tuberculosis).The mean reoperative serum creatinine was (116.38 ± 25.77)μmol/L.All patients were treated with general anesthesia,lithotomy,soft ureteroscopy combined with holmium laser lithotripsy,and assisted lithotripsy.All operations were performed by the same surgeon.The data of operation time,hospital stay,blood loss,renal function before and after operation,postoperative complications and stone clearance rate were recorded.Results In this study,46 cases of the operation were successfully completed.The mean operation time was (58.6 ±16.4) min,the average hospitalization time was (5.6 ± 1.4) days.The mean hemoglobin was decreased (1.4 ± 0.9) g/L.The mean operative time was (58.6 ± 16.4) min.The average postoperative hospitalization time was (5.6 ± 1.4) days.The Postoperative hematuria occurred in 32 cases,low back pain in 3 cases and fever in I case.Stone-free reached in 39 of 46 patients,the stone-free rate(SFR)of primary operation was 84.8％ (39/46).There were 7 cases of residual calculi,five patients were treated with secondary FURL,2 patients were required conservative treatment.The SFR was 95.7％ (44/46) after the second stage operation.The mean serum creatinine was (112.29 ± 20.62) μ mol/L on the first day after operation,which was not different statistically with that before operation (P =0.177).The mean serum creatinine was (81.54 ± 10.75) μmol/L one month after operation,which was significantly lower than preoperative and 1 day postoperative (P ＜ 0.05).Conclusions FURL could be a safe and effective treatment for renal stone in solitary kidney patients.It has a definite stone-free effect,low incidence of complications.

Objective:To investigate the typing and clinical value of posterior group renal calyces.Methods:From April 2020 to June 2021, 640 patients (320 men and 320 women) who underwent CTU examination in our hospital with kidneys on both sides and normal or only mild hydronephrosis in the collecting system were analyzed. A total of 1 280 renal CTU three-dimensional reconstructed images were counted.The patients aged 52.4±11.9 years. The patients' CTU images were reconstructed in three dimensions using the spine as a marker to rotate the collecting system images in stereoscopic space to simulate a prone position. A two-person review was taken to observe the imaging morphology of the renal calyces in the prone position, and the 640 renal calyces in the posterior group of the left and right sides were counted for staging. Based on the morphology of the renal calyces and the influence on the establishment of surgical access, the posterior group of renal calyces was divided into 3 major types. Pot-belly type: the renal pelvis is shaped like a pot-belly, and the renal pelvis is directly connected to the cup-shaped minor calyces without a distinct major renal calyces. Classically branched: 2 or more major renal calyces are branched and converge to form the renal pelvis. Elongated branched: the major calyces are branched, with at least one major calyces having an axis length ≥0.9cm and a neck width ≤0.3cm.The classic branching type is divided into three types, a, b, and c, including seven subtypes, based on the relationship of the posterior group of the minor calyces to the major calyces. Type a is derived from group 1 major calyces only, type b is derived from group 2 major calyces at the same time, and type c is derived from the upper, middle and lower groups of major calyces at the same time. Type a contains 3 subtypes.Type a1 is derived from the upper group of major calyces only, type a2 is derived from the middle group of major calyces only, and type a3 is derived from the lower group of major calyces only. Type b is also divided into 3 subtypes. Type b1 is derived from the upper and middle groups of major calyces at the same time, type b2 is derived from the middle and lower groups of major calyces at the same time, and type b3 for the upper and lower renal major calyces. Type c had no corresponding subtype.Results:Statistical findings revealed that all kidneys had posterior group calyces. The morphological typing of the posterior group of calyces was 8.83% (113/1 280) for the pot-bellied type, which had the highest occurrence of 2 minor calyces (5.63%, 72/1 280). 71.25% (912/1 280) had the classically branched type, which had the highest occurrence of 3 minor calyces (31.17%, 399/1 280). 19.92% (255/1 280) had the elongated branched type, with the highest percentage of 3 occurring in the calyces (9.92%, 127/1 280). The anatomical typing of the classical branching type occurred in 20.50% (187/912) for type a, 66.45% (606/912) for type b, and 13.05% (119 /912) for type c. The percentage of occurrence of type a1/a2/a3 was 4.06% (37/ 912), 6.14% (56/ 912), and 10.31% (94/912). b1/b2/b3 types occurred in 2.03% (21/912), 7.46% (68/912), and 56.69% (517/912), respectively.Conclusions:The posterior group of calyces is structurally complex and extremely variable. In this study, the posterior group calyces were found to be present in all patients, and the posterior group calyces were morphologically divided into 3 types, with the highest percentage of occurrence of the classical branching type and the highest percentage of 3 posterior group minor calyces. The classical branching anatomical typing was highest in type b with the highest percentage of type b3, which combined with stone distribution, made it easy to choose the puncture location. The typing of the posterior group of calyces can provide an anatomical basis for PCNL puncture from the posterior group.

Objective:The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of prostatistic urethral lift (PUL) in treating benign prostate hyperplasia(BPH) through systematic review and Meta-analysis.Methods:A systematic literature search on CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library and Chinese Clinical Trial Registry to identify the relevant studies and data before September 2021. Information was extracted from each eligible article. All statistical analyses of this Meta-analyses were performed with Review Manager 5.3 and Stata 15.0 software to conduct a Meta-analysis of the symptom improvement of BPH patients before and 3 months and 12 months after PUL. The main evaluation indicators included: International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), maximum urinary flow rate (Q max), post-void residual (PVR), and Quality of Life Scale (QOL), Sexual Health Inventory for Men (SHIM). The complication rate of PUL was systematically evaluated. Results:A total of 12 clinical studies were included, and 850 patients accepted the PUL. The results showed that IPSS decreased significantly at both 3 and 24 months after PUL surgery ( MD = -11.77, 95% CI -12.47—-11.07, P<0.05; MD = -9.71, 95% CI-10.76—-8.66, P<0.05), Q max (ml/s) increased to a certain degree ( MD = 3.87, 95% CI 3.37—4.37, P<0.05; MD = 3.68, 95% CI 2.97—4.40, P<0.05), QOL decreased significantly ( MD=-2.57, 95% CI -2.76—-2.38, P<0.05; MD = -2.14, 95% CI -2.38—-2.91, P<0.05), SHIM score was unaffected ( P>0.05), compared with preoperative baseline data. PUL could be performed under local anesthesia, the main perioperative complications reported in the included studies were dysuria (17%±6%), hematuria (14%±5%) and pelvic pain (8%±6%), all of which were transient. Conclusions:PUL in the treatment of BPH has significant short-term and long-term efficacy with low surgical risk and complication rate, and can preserve normal ejaculation function. It is a safe and effective minimally invasive surgery, which can be used for BPH patients with intolerance to general anesthesia surgery or normal sexual function demand.

Objective: To analyze the anatomical structure and distribution of the fused renal pyramid (FRP) in cadaveric kidney, and discuss its appearances by CT and ultrasonic examinations. Methods: From June 2018 to September 2018, 108 cadaveric kidneys were proceeded for regional anatomy. The distribution and anatomical manifestations of FRP was recorded. The renal pyramid was sliced and HE stained to explore the vascular distribution in FRP. From October 2018 to January 2019, ultrasound imaging data of 112 patients with 224 kidneys were collected, including 60 males and 52 females, age (39.0±15.1), ranging from 16 to 73 years old. The renal imaging data of 89 patients and 178 patients with enhanced renal CT were collected, including 48 males and 41 females. Age (45.4±13.6), ranging from 23 to 69 years old. The imaging findings of FRP in ultrasound and enhanced CT was summarized. Results: In cadaver kidneys, the proportion of FRP in upper and lower calyces was 68.6% (74/108) and 64.8% (70/108), respectively, higher than that in middle calyces 34.3% (37/108). In the middle group, the incidence of mild fusion was 39.0% (16/41) and severe fusion was 48.8% (20/41). The incidence of fusion of two renal pyramidal structures was 90.2% (37/41). HE staining showed that the boundary between the artery in FRP and the surrounding renal pyramidal was unclear, and the protection of connective tissue was lacking. In Ultrasound, the FRP presented as a large trapezoidal hypo-echoic area with red and blue color signals in doppler mode. In ultrasound, the incidence of FRP was 18.8% (42/224). In enhanced CT, the FRP presented as enhanced cord-like high density shade in large low density area in cortex phase. In enhanced CT, the incidence of FRP 27.5%(49/178). Conclusions The FRP is a common structure in human kidney. The arteries localize within the FRP and are absence of sufficient connective tissue protection which are different from normal arteries. Ultrasound and enhanced CT have recognition ability for FRP.

Background It is unclear if there is any combined effect of air pollutants and non-optimal temperature on metabolic syndrome, or any molecular mechanisms of related signaling pathways in the process, which requires urgent systematic research. Objective To observe the effects of combined exposure to PM_2.5 and non-optimal temperature on metabolic damage at gene and protein levels in mice, and elucidate the role of related signaling pathway in crucial organs. Methods A total of 60 six-week-old male C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into six groups: a normal temperature-filter air group (T_N-FA), a normal temperature-concentrated PM_2.5 group (T_N-PM), a heat-filter air group (T_H-FA), a heat-concentrated PM_2.5 group (T_H-PM), a cold-filter air group (T_C-FA), and a cold-concentrated PM_2.5 group (T_C-PM). The Shanghai Meteorological and Environmental Animal Exposure System (Shanghai-METAS) was used to provide combined exposure settings of air types [concentrated PM_2.5 and filter air (FA)] and temperatures [normal (22°C), cold (4°C), and heat (30°C)] for 4 weeks. Skeletal muscle and white adipose tissue (WAT) of the mice were sampled at the end of exposure, and transcriptomics and Western blot (WB) assay were adopted to observe selected gene and protein expression levels in the samples respectively. Results The transcriptomics results indicated that the PM_2.5 exposure enhanced the number of differentially expressed genes. Specifically, 4820 genes were differentially expressed in the T_N-PM mice compared to the T_N-FA mice at normal temperature, and 1143 genes were differentially expressed in the Tc-PM mice compared to the Tc-FA mice in the cold environment. The phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B (PI3K/AKT) signaling pathway and the endoplasmic reticulum protein processing pathway were identified as the most significant pathways in metabolic injury resulting from combined exposure to PM_2.5 and non-optimal temperature exposure. The WB results showed that exposure to PM_2.5 in the normal temperature and the cold environments led to a significant increase in the expression of p-AKT in WAT (P<0.01, P<0.05) and a significant decrease in the expression of GLUT4 (P<0.05, P<0.01). In skeletal muscle, exposure to PM_2.5 led to a significant decrease in GLUT4 (P<0.05) in all environments, with a consistent trend of change as observed in WAT. Conclusion Cold/heat exposure might promote PM_2.5-induced metabolic disorder through suppression of the AKT/GLUT4 pathway, aggravating metabolic damage.