Radiotherapy is a primary treatment for lung cancer, especially for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Compared with conventional fractionated radiotherapy, hypofractionated radiotherapy (HFRT) is a powerful method in NSCLC treatment because of its convenience and excellent clinical efficacy. Although HFRT has been significantly developed for treating NSCLC, radiation resistance with an unknown molecular mechanism is still observed in tumors. The PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway significantly affects resistance to conventional fractionated radiotherapy. However, whether this pathway induces radiation resistance to HFRT remains unclear. The underlying molecular mechanisms between HFRT and the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signal pathway may be used as targets in radiation sensitivity or in the modification of radiation resistance in NSCLC patients. New predictive biomarkers can also be expected in the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway when the clinical specimen is screened using HFRT.

ObjectiveTo investigate Mycoplasma pneumoniae （MP） infection and macrolide resistance of hospitalized children in Ningbo Area in 2019‒2021. MethodsA total of 6 782 respiratory throat swab specimens were collected from hospitalized pediatric patients with pneumoniae， admitted in Ningbo Women and Children's Hospital from January， 2019 to December 2021. MP and its mutations in 23S rRNA were detected by real-time polymerase chain reaction. ResultsAmong 6 782 respiratory throat swab specimens from 2019‒2021， 1 290 cases （19.02%） were MP positive， and the positive rate decreased year by year （P<0.05）. The positive rate in 2019 was 28.12%， higher than that in 2020 （7.16%） and 2021 （5.16%） （all P<0.017）. The mutation of 23S rRNA occurred in 947 cases， with a mutation rate of 73.41%. The mutation rate in 2020 was 84.04%， higher than that in 2019 （73.01%） and 2021 （66.23%）. The differences of positive rate and mutation rate in different seasons were significant （P<0.05） （all P<0.008）. The positive rate was the highest in summer （25.00%）， and the mutation rate was the highest in winter （78.89%）. The positive rate of female children was 20.52%， higher than that of male children （17.82%） （P<0.05）， and the mutation rates of female and male children were 74.93% and 71.77% （P>0.05）， respectively. The difference of positive rate among the different age was significant （P<0.05）. The positive rates in the 5‒ and 8‒ years groups were 27.24% and 26.38%， higher than those in the 1‒ and 2‒ years groups， respectively. The difference of mutation rate among the four groups in age was not significant （P>0.05）. ConclusionThe infection rate of MP in children decreases in Ningbo Area from 2019 to 2021. MP infection may be related with gender， seasonal distribution， age， and the resistance rate of MP to macrolide is high.

Instability of the cervical spine disease requires surgery to restore stability. In the past, surgical methods were divided into two kinds of anterior and posterior. But each has its own disadvantages:anterior vertebral screw has a higher failure rate, sometimes need a second operation; and posterior pedicle screw, lateral mass screw and facet joint screw may make greater trauma, lead to longer hospitalization. For general instable cervical spine disease, according to the location of the disease, only with the anterior or posterior approach can achieve a stable effect. However, it often fails to achieve the desired stability with only anterior or posterior approach for the three column injury of single segment, the disease need for multi-segment corpectomy and discectomy. Meanwhile, combined with the anterior and posterior have more obvious disadvantages:such as prolonged operation time, greater surgical injury, increased risk of infection and so on.In recent years, anterior transpedicular screw (ATPS) as a new technique was used for cervical spine fixation. Its laboratory and clinical studies have been conducted about biomechanical properties, morphological feasibility, pull-out strength, radiological features and new technology for inserting screws. Because of its strong stability, perfect mechanical properties and the satisfactory results of patients, which has been recognized by many scholars. Although this technique has been used in clinical practice, Its long-term clinical effect needs to be further clarified. Even so, the innovative proposal will provide a new thread for the majority of doctors and colleagues in treating unstable cervical disease.

Objective To observe the influence of Yishen Huoxue prescription on expressions of vascular endothelial growth factor-2 (VEGF-2) and Notch4 in rats with unilateral ureter obstruction (UUO).Methods Ninety-six male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into sham operation group, UUO model group, losartan group, and Yishen Huoxue group, with 24 rats in each group. The rat models of renal fibrosis were reproduced by using UUO method, and they were treated by Yishen Huoxue herb prescription or losartan intra-gastric administration respectively for therapeutic interference. In the sham operation group, simply the unilateral ureter was separated from the near-by tissues and then the abdomen incision was stitched. The blood was collected on 7, 14 and 21 days after operation for determination of blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and serum creatinine (SCr). Kidney tissues specimens were harvested, and microvessed desity (MVD), the protein expression levels of VEGF-2 and Notch4 in the kidney were detected. Results Compared with UUO model group, BUN and SCr in both treatment groups were significantly decreased with significant difference (allP < 0.01). BUN and SCr in Yishen Huoxue group were slightly lower than those in losartan group without significant difference (bothP >0.05). The expression levels of VEGF-2 and Notch4 in sham operation group at each time point were in normal range; with the time extension, the expressions of VEGF-2 and Notch 4 protein were slightly increased, and the descent degree of MVD in kidney was aggravated gradually in UUO model group. The VEGF-2 and Notch4 protein expressions in kidney tissues of the two treatment groups were significantly increased compared with those in model group, the expression of VEGF-2 (A value) reached the highest level on the 14th day after operation (VEGF-2 levels in sham operation, model, Yishen Huoxue Herb prescription and losartan groups were 0.18±0.09, 4.73±0.72, 7.27±1.35, 8.11±1.64 on the 14th day, and they were 0.19±0.07, 4.05±0.88, 7.10±1.12,7.79±1.53 on 21th day, respectively), later representing a tendency of slight decrease, and Notch4 protein expression (A value) peaked on the 21st day (0.62±0.35, 9.08±1.52, 14.48±3.14, 15.54±3.38 in above four groups, allP < 0.05). The degrees of decrease in renal MVD (microvessel/mm2) in the both treament groups was significantly less than that in model group (45.20±6.25, 25.34±4.67, 30.23±4.20, 32.26±4.36 on the 7th day, 46.07±6.22, 20.06±3.98, 26.88±4.36, 26.95±4.11 on the 14th day, 45.18±6.10, 17.79±3.72, 21.71±4.25, 21.68±4.41 on the 21st day in above four groups,P < 0.05 orP < 0.01). There were no statistically significant differences in the above values between Yishen Huoxue herb group and losartan group.Conclusion Traditional Chinese medicine benefiting qi for activating blood circulation therapy (Yishen Huoxue herb prescription) has obvious improving effect on the microvascular injury in the process of renal fibrosis that possibly is related closely to the drug regulation on VEGF/Notch signaling cascade.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effects of glucose on the growth of algae, the content of fucoxanthin, and expressions of genes related to biosynthesis of fucoxanthin. METHODS: The cell growth of algae induced by glucose was researched by using spectrophotometric method. The content of fucoxanthin was measured by HPLC. The expressions of the genes which were related to biosynthesis of fucoxanthin were detected by using quantitative PCR. RESULTS: At the end of the platform period, the density of cells treated by glucose was higher than that of the control group. The growth of P. tricornutum was promoted by glucose. The result of HPLC analysis showed that fucoxanthin content in the algae treated by different concentrations of glucose was decreased than that in the control group. When the concentration of glucose reached 50 mg·L-1, the content of fucoxanthin was the lowest (0.26 mg·g-1 DW), which was 67.5% lower than the control, indicating that glucose inhibited the biosynthesis of fucoxanthin in P. tricornutum. RT-qPCR result showed that the expression of genes related to the biosynthesis pathway of fucoxanthin, i.e., zep, pys, zds, Icyb, crtiso, and pds, were all lower than those of the control when the concentration of glucose was in the range from 10 to 50 mg·L-1. This result was consistent with the change of fucoxanthin content. CONCLUSION: This result further illustrates that glucose may inhibit the biosynthesis of fucoxanthin in P. tricornutum by down-regulating the expression of related genes.

Objective: “Food addiction” may be one of the drivers of the obesity epidemic. Bariatric surgery-induced weight loss can significantly alleviate food addiction in overweight or obese people. Appetite regulation is part of the feedback control system for energy balance. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of mobile application-based dietary intervention on weight-loss and food addiction in overweight and obese adults. Methods: A total of 101 overweight or obese people aged over 18 years, who were admitted to the obese multidisciplinary clinic of Ningbo First Hospital from August 2015 to January 2018 were enrolled. All subjects received health education and dietary guidance, and submitted their diet log through the weight management application of their smartphone. Over 12 weeks, a dietitian guided and corrected the subjects who did not meet the diet standards. Interviews, physical examinations, laboratory tests, and the Yale Food Addiction Scale Questionnaire survey were administered before and after the intervention (12 weeks) comparing subjects’ weight, food addiction symptom count, and the proportion of food addiction before and after intervention. Statistical analysis of body composition measurements, blood biochemical parameters, and symptom count scores was performed using paired data t-test, McNemar chi-square test, and Fisher’s exact test. Results: A total of 101 overweight and obese subjects were enrolled, including 31 males and 70 females, with an average age of (30.4±7.3) years, mean body mass index of (32.76±4.46) kg/m², and average body weight of (89.95±17.12) kg. The proportion of food addiction was 26.73%. After 12 weeks of dietary intervention with the mobile application, the number of people with food addiction decreased from 27 to 14, the proportion of food addiction decreased by 12.87%, the proportion of symptom counts ≥3 decreased from 41.58% to 19.80%.（χ²=5.17， 11.26, all P <0.01), and the symptom count decreased from 2.25 ±1.61 to 1.50±1.31 (t=3.64, P<0.001). Simultaneously, body weight, BMI, and waist circumference decreased by (6.54±1.03) kg, (2.35±0.36) kg/m², and (6.50±0.86) cm (t=6.36, 5.62 and 3.78, all P<0.001), respectively, compared with those before the intervention. Metabolic indicators such as fasting glucose, insulin resistance index, and LDL-C cholesterol also significantly improved, with a decrease of (0.38±0.10) mmol/L, 1.83±0.46, (0.22±0.75) mmol/L (t=3.67, 3.59, 2.97, all P<0.01). Conclusion The smartphone application-based dietary intervention can effectively improve blood glucose and lipid levels in overweight and obese people, reduce visceral fat accumulation and reduce insulin resistance, and improve the food addiction status of overweight and obese people.

ObjectiveTo investigate the application value of Toshiba 320-row dynamic volumetric CT angiography in the diagnosis of venous erectile dysfunction (VED).

METHODSWe enrolled in this study 33 patients diagnosed with ED by audiovisual sexual stimulation screening in the outpatient department. Penile erection was induced in the patients by injection of 2 mg phentolamine plus 30 mg papaverine into the corpus cavernosum, followed by that of contrast agent of iobitridol through the vein and corpus cavernosum successively. Then 320-row dynamic volumetric CT angiography was performed and the images of the corpus cavernosum in the arterial and venous phases were collected and processed.

RESULTSDifferent degrees of abnormal venous drainage were observed in 29 of the patients, including 7 cases (24.1%) of back deep venous leakage, 6 cases (20.7%) of foot venous leakage, 3 cases (10.3%) of dorsal superficial venous leakage, 1 case (3.5%) of intervertebral venous leakage, 2 cases (6.9%) of cavernous venous leakage, and 10 cases (34.5%) of mixed venous leakage. Ten of the patients underwent surgery, dorsal deep penile vein ligation in 2 cases, dorsal deep vein embedding plus foot vein ligation in 4, and foot vein ligation in the other 4. Eight of the patients were followed up for 3－12 months post-operatively, during which 2 achieved obvious erectile improvement, while the other 6 gained normal penile erection.

CONCLUSIONSToshiba 320-row dynamic volumetric CT angiography is a reliable method for the diagnosis of VED, which displays the precise location of venous leakage for clinical treatment, with the advantages of clearer images, lower doses of contrast agent and radiation, and faster examination than X-ray penile angiography.

Adult ; Arteries ; diagnostic imaging ; Computed Tomography Angiography ; Contrast Media ; Drug Combinations ; Erectile Dysfunction ; diagnostic imaging ; Humans ; Injections ; Iohexol ; analogs & derivatives ; Ligation ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Papaverine ; administration & dosage ; Penile Erection ; Penis ; diagnostic imaging ; physiopathology ; Phentolamine ; administration & dosage ; Veins ; diagnostic imaging ; surgery

Methamphetamine (METH) is a powerful stimulant drug that can cause addiction and serious health problems. It is one of the most widely abused drugs in the world. However, the mechanisms of how METH affects the brain and leads to addiction are still unclear, and there are no effective treatments for METH addiction in clinical practice. Therefore, it is important to explore the new addiction mechanisms and treatment strategies of METH. METH addiction is a complex and chronic brain disorder that involves multiple brain regions and neurotransmitter systems. Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers that transmit signals between neurons (nerve cells) in the brain. Some of the main neurotransmitters involved in METH addiction are dopamine (DA), glutamate (Glu), norepinephrine (NE), and serotonin (SNRIS). These neurotransmitters regulate various aspects of brain function, such as reward, reinforcement, motivation, cognition, emotion, and behavior. When a person takes METH, it causes a surge of these neurotransmitters in the brain, especially in the prefrontal cortex (mPFC), ventral tegmental area (VTA), and nucleus accumbens (NAc). These brain regions form a circuit called the mesocorticolimbic system, which is responsible for mediating the rewarding and reinforcing effects of drugs and natural stimuli. The increased levels of neurotransmitters in this circuit make the person feel euphoric, alert, confident, and energetic. However, repeated or chronic use of METH can also cause negative effects, such as anxiety, paranoia, psychosis, depression, and cognitive impairment. The effects of METH on the brain are not only due to the changes in neurotransmitter levels, but also to the changes in gene expression. Gene expression is the process by which genes are turned on or off to produce proteins that perform various functions in the cells. Gene expression can be influenced by environmental factors, such as drugs, stress, diet, etc. One way that environmental factors can affect gene expression is through epigenetic mechanisms. Epigenetics is a branch of genetics that studies the heritable changes in gene expression that are not caused by changes in DNA sequence. Epigenetic mechanisms include histone modifications, DNA methylation, and non-coding RNA regulation. These mechanisms can modulate the chromatin structure and accessibility, thereby affecting the transcriptional activity of genes. Chromatin is a complex of DNA and proteins that forms the chromosomes in the nucleus of the cell. The chromatin structure can be altered by adding or removing chemical groups to histones (proteins that wrap around DNA) or DNA itself. These chemical groups can either activate or repress gene expression by changing the affinity of transcription factors (proteins that bind to DNA and initiate transcription) or other regulatory molecules. Non-coding RNAs are RNA molecules that do not code for proteins but can regulate gene expression by interacting with DNA, RNA, or proteins. Epigenetic mechanisms provide a link between environmental stimuli and gene expression, and play an important role in various physiological and pathological processes, including drug addiction. Recent studies have shown that epigenetic mechanisms are involved in the regulation of neurotransmitter systems and neural plasticity in response to METH exposure. Neural plasticity is the ability of neurons to change their structure and function in response to experience or injury. Neural plasticity is essential for learning, memory, adaptation, and recovery. The expression of some genes related to METH addiction is altered by epigenetic modifications, such as histone acetylation, methylation, ubiquitination, and non-coding RNA regulation. These epigenetic changes may affect the synaptic function and morphology, neuronal connectivity, and circuitry formation in the brain regions implicated in METH addiction. Moreover, some epigenetic modifications may persist for a long time after METH withdrawal, suggesting that they may contribute to the development and maintenance of METH addiction. In this article, we review the current literature on the epigenetic mechanisms of METH addiction. We will first introduce METH and its pharmacological effects, and then discuss the epigenetic regulation of neurotransmitter systems and neural plasticity by METH. We will focus on the changes of histone, DNA, and RNA during METH addiction, and the possible causes and consequences of their relationship with METH addiction. We will also provide some perspectives on the potential applications of epigenetic interventions for METH addiction treatment.

OBJECTIVETo compare the clinical effects of injured vertebra pedicle instrumentation and injured vertebra bone grafting in treating thoracolumbar fractures.

METHODSA retrospective study was performed on 48 patients with single thoracolumbar fractures (type A3) from August 2008 to August 2010. Twenty-four patients were treated with injured vertebra pedicle instrumentation (group A) and 24 were treated with injured vertebra bone grafting (group B). There were 14 males and 10 females with an average age of (44.0 +/- 7.4) years old (34 to 56) in group A and there were 13 males and 11 females with an average age of (42.5 +/- 7.1) years(ranged, 31 to 54) in group B. Operation time, volume of blood loss, complications and the relative parameter of imageology were compared between two groups.

RESULTSThere was no significant difference in gender,age, position of injury, volume of blood loss between two groups. Operation time of group A was shorter than that of group B. Cobb angle and injured vertebral height obviously improved at the immediately postoperatively between two groups; there was no significant difference in group A between the immediately and three months postoperatively, but there was significant difference in group B; there was no significant difference between three months and one year postoperatively in two groups. The failure rate of group B was significantly higher than that of group A.

CONCLUSIONPedicle screw fixation in the injured vertebrae has advantage of short operation time,can obtain satisfactory effects and is better than injured vertebra bone grafting in maintaining the reduction in treating single thoracolumbar fractures.

Adult ; Aged ; Bone Transplantation ; Case-Control Studies ; Female ; Fracture Fixation, Internal ; Humans ; Lumbar Vertebrae ; injuries ; surgery ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Spinal Fractures ; surgery ; Thoracic Vertebrae ; injuries ; surgery

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of simvastatin on atherosclerosis and central aortic pressure in ApoE-knockout (ApoE-/-) mice.

METHODSTen 5-week-old male ApoE-/- mice and 5 C57 mice were fed with high-lipid diet for 3 weeks, and then C57 mice (WT group) and 5 ApoE-/- mice (ApoE-/- group) were given 1% carboxymethyl cellulose solution (8 ml·kg-1·d-1), and another 5 ApoE-/- mice (ApoE-/-/S group) were given simvastatin solution (50 mg·kg-1·d-1) by gavege for 3 weeks. The areas of atherosclerotic lesion in aortic root, central aortic pressure and serum lipid levels were examined.

RESULTSNo atherosclerotic plaques were observed in WT group. Compared with ApoE-/- group, simvastatin significantly decreased atherosclerotic lesion area in aortic root (89 818.05±16 980.93 μm2 vs 34 937.01±13 280.65 μm2, P<0.05). The systolic pressure (SP), mean arterial pressure (MAP), pulse pressure (PP) and diastolic pressure (DP) of central aortic pressure were significantly increased in ApoE-/- group compared with those in WT group (P<0.05). Compared to ApoE-/- group, the SP, MAP and PP of central aortic pressure were significantly reduced in ApoE-/-/S group (P<0.05). SP and MAP of central aortic pressure were positively correlated with atherosclerotic lesion area (SP: r=0.7152, P=0.0461; PP: r=0.7594， P=0.0288). Compared with WT group, serum triglyceride, total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein levels were markedly increased in ApoE-/- group (P<0.05). Serum high-density lipoprotein level was decreased in ApoE-/- group compared with WT group. No differences in serum triglyceride, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein and high-density lipoprotein levels were found between ApoE-/- group and ApoE-/-/S group.

CONCLUSIONSimvastatin can attenuate atherosclerosis of aorta in ApoE-/- mice, which is associated with the reduced central aortic systolic pressure but not with the serum lipids levels.

Animals ; Apolipoproteins E ; genetics ; Arterial Pressure ; drug effects ; Atherosclerosis ; drug therapy ; genetics ; physiopathology ; Cholesterol ; blood ; Disease Models, Animal ; Lipoproteins, HDL ; blood ; Lipoproteins, LDL ; blood ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Knockout ; Simvastatin ; pharmacology ; Triglycerides ; blood