In view of the few studies on the influence of Armillaria spp. infection on the content of the chemical components in different parts of Polyporus umbellatus sclerotia, this study determined the biomass of P. umbellatus sclerotia and the contents of ergosterol, polyporusterone A, polyporusterone B and polysaccharide in the separated cavity wall of the sclerotia and the uninfected part of the sclerotia in different harvesting years under the conditions of A. gallica and A. mellea infection respectively. According to the difference of content and dynamic changes of the polysaccharide and the steroid substances, the superior Armillaria sp. was screened to obtain the best harvest years of P. umbellatus. Using HPLC and UV-VIS spectrophotometry methods, the contents of ergosterol, polyporusterone A, polyporusterone B and polysaccharide in P. umbellatus sclerotia infected by the two Armillaria spp. in different years were determined. In addition, the differentially expressed genes related to P. umbellatus polysaccharide synthesis were screened according to the transcriptomic data of different parts of P. umbellatus after A. mellea infection. With the increase of years, the biomass of sclerotia infected by different Armillaria spp. had significant differences, and there were significant differences in the four components of sclerotia. The four components of the separated cavity wall of the sclerotia were significantly higher than those of the uninfected part. The best harvest time was the third year after cultivation. Transcriptomic analysis showed that the infection of Armillaria spp. could significantly promote polysaccharide synthesis, which provided a basis for polysaccharide content determination at the molecular level. The study clarified the influence of different Armillaria spp. infection on the accumulation of chemical components of P. umbellatus sclerotia, laying a foundation for exploring the symbiosis mechanism and provided a scientific clue for screening superior Armillaria sp. and guiding the artificial cultivation of P. umbellatus sclerotia.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the accuracy of human-computer interaction software in identifying and locating type C1 distal radius fractures. METHODS: Based on relevant inclusion and exclusion criteria, 14 cases of type C1 distal radius fractures between September 2023 and March 2024 were retrospectively analyzed, comprising 3 males and 11 females(aged from 27 to 82 years). The data were assigned randomized identifiers. A senior orthopedic physician reviewed the films and measured the ulnar deviation angle, radial height, palmar inclination angle, intra-articular step, and intra-articular gap for each case on the hospital's imaging system. Based on the reduction standard for distal radius fractures, cases were divided into reduction group and non-reduction group. Then, the data were sequentially imported into a human-computer interaction intelligent software, where a junior orthopedic physician analyzed the same radiological parameters, categorized cases, and measured fracture details. The categorization results from the software were consistent with manual classifications (6 reduction cases and 8 non-reduction cases). For non-reduction cases, the software performed further analyses, including bone segmentation and fracture recognition, generating 8 diagnostic reports containing fracture recognition information. For the 6 reduction cases, the senior and junior orthopedic physicians independently analyzed the data on the hospital's imaging system and the AI software, respectively. Bone segments requiring reduction were identified, verified by two senior physicians, and measured for displacement and rotation along the X (inward and outward), Z (front and back), and Y (up and down) axes. The AI software generated comprehensive diagnostic reports for these cases, which included all measurements and fracture recognition details. RESULTS: Both the manual and AI software methods consistently categorized the 14 cases into 6 reduction and 8 non-reduction groups, with identical data distributions. A paired sample t-test revealed no statistically significant differences (P>0.05) between the manual and software-based measurements for ulnar deviation angle, radial ulnar bone height, palmar inclination angle, intra-articular step, and joint space. In fracture recognition, the AI software correctly identified 10 C-type fractures and 4 B-type fractures. For the 6 reduction cases, a total of 24 bone fragments were analyzed across both methods. After verification, it was found that the bone fragments identified by the two methods were consistent. A paired sample t-tests revealed that the identified bone fragments and measured displacement and rotation angles along the X, Y, and Z axes were consistent between the two methods. No statistically significant differences(P>0.05) were found between manual and software measurements for these parameters. CONCLUSION Human-computer interaction software employing AI technology demonstrated comparable accuracy to manual measurement in identifying and locating type C1 distal radius fractures on CT imaging.
Humans ; Male ; Female ; Radius Fractures/surgery* ; Middle Aged ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed/methods* ; Retrospective Studies ; Software ; Wrist Fractures

The patient was a boy aged 1 year and 9 months who presented with 46,XY disorder of sex development (DSD), with severe undermasculinization of the external genitalia. Laboratory tests and ultrasound examinations showed normal functions of Leydig cells and Sertoli cells in the testes. Genetic testing revealed a novel pathogenic heterozygous variant, c.1186dupA (p.T396Nfs*17), in the PPP1R12A gene. Thirteen cases of PPP1R12A gene variants have been reported previously. These variants may cause isolated involvement of the genitourinary or neurological systems, or affect other systems/organs including the digestive tract, eyes, heart, etc. Patients with DSD typically present with a 46,XY karyotype and variable degrees of undermasculinization involving the external genitalia, gonads, and reproductive tract. This article reports a child with 46,XY DSD accompanied by growth retardation caused by a heterozygous variant in the PPP1R12A gene, which expands the clinical disease spectrum associated with PPP1R12A gene variants.
Humans ; Male ; Infant ; Disorder of Sex Development, 46,XY/etiology* ; Protein Phosphatase 1/genetics*

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the genetic causal relationship of leukocyte telomere length (LTL) with prostatitis, orchitis and epididymitis by two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR). METHODS: Using LTL as the exposure factor and prostatitis, orchitis and epididymitis as outcome factors, we mined the Database of Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS). Then, we analyzed the causal relationship of LTL with prostatitis, orchitis and epididymitis by Mendelian randomization using inverse variance weighting (IVW) as the main method and weighted median and MR-Egger regression as auxiliary methods, determined the horizontal multiplicity by MR-Egger intercept test, and conducted sensitivity analysis using the leaving-one-out method. RESULTS: A total of 121 related single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were identified in this study. IVW showed LTL to be a risk factor for prostatitis (OR = 1.383, 95% CI: 1.044－1.832, P = 0.024), and for orchitis and epididymitis as well (OR = 1.770, 95% CI: 1.275－2.456, P = 0.000 6). CONCLUSION Genetic evidence from Mendelian randomized analysis indicates that shortening of LTL reduces the risk of prostatitis, orchitis and epididymitis.
Humans ; Male ; Mendelian Randomization Analysis ; Epididymitis/genetics* ; Prostatitis/genetics* ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Leukocytes ; Orchitis/genetics* ; Genome-Wide Association Study ; Telomere ; Risk Factors

Chronic visceral pain is a persistent and debilitating condition arising from dysfunction or sensitization of the visceral organs and their associated nervous pathways. Increasing evidence suggests that imbalances in central nervous system function play an essential role in the progression of visceral pain, but the exact mechanisms underlying the neural circuitry and molecular targets remain largely unexplored. In the present study, the ventral tegmental area (VTA) was shown to mediate visceral pain in mice. Visceral pain stimulation increased c-Fos expression and Ca²⁺ activity of glutamatergic VTA neurons, and optogenetic modulation of glutamatergic VTA neurons altered visceral pain. In particular, the upregulation of NMDA receptor 2A (NR2A) subunits within the VTA resulted in visceral pain in mice. Administration of a selective NR2A inhibitor decreased the number of visceral pain-induced c-Fos positive neurons and attenuated visceral pain. Pharmacology combined with chemogenetics further demonstrated that glutamatergic VTA neurons regulated visceral pain behaviors based on NR2A. In summary, our findings demonstrated that the upregulation of NR2A in glutamatergic VTA neurons plays a critical role in visceral pain. These insights provide a foundation for further comprehension of the neural circuits and molecular targets involved in chronic visceral pain and may pave the way for targeted therapies in chronic visceral pain.
Animals ; Male ; Visceral Pain/metabolism* ; Up-Regulation/physiology* ; Ventral Tegmental Area/metabolism* ; Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate/antagonists & inhibitors* ; Neurons/drug effects* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Mice ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos/metabolism* ; Chronic Pain/metabolism* ; Glutamic Acid/metabolism*

Objective:To examine the perioperative safety of laparoscopic cholecystectomy in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive patients undergoing antiretroviral therapy.Methods:A retrospective cohort study method was employed to collect clinical data from 388 patients with gallstones who were admitted to Department of General Surgery of the Provincial Hospital of Anhui Medical University between January 2020 and December 2023. The cohort comprised 135 males and 253 females. For the purpose of analysis, the participants were divided into HIV-positive group ( n=25) and HIV-negative group ( n=363). The distinction between the two groups was based on whether the participants were co-infected with HIV. The clinical and pathological data pertaining to the two groups of patients, along with the intraoperative and postoperative data, were collated. The propensity score matching method was employed to control for confounding bias, and the data on anaesthesia methods, intraoperative blood loss, duration of surgery, necessity for conversion to laparotomy, postoperative complications, postoperative drainage volume, postoperative hospital stay, and total treatment costs were compared between the two groups. Measurement data with normal distribution were expressed as mean±standard deviation ( ± s) and compared using the t-test. Measurement data with skewed distribution were expressed as M( Q1, Q3) and compared using the rank-sum test. The Fisher exact probability method or the chi-square test was employed for the comparison of count data. Results:The two groups of general data were found to be statistically significant in terms of gender, preoperative red blood cells, neutrophils, alanine aminotransferase, and indirect bilirubin exhibited statistically significant differences( P<0.05). Following propensity score matching, a total of 59 cases were identified. Of these, 25 cases were observed in the HIV-positive group, while 34 cases were observed in the HIV-negative group. No statistically significant differences were observed between the two groups with respect to the general data ( P>0.05). No statistically significant difference was observed between the two groups in terms of anaesthesia method, intraoperative blood loss, duration of surgery, need for conversion to laparotomy, postoperative complication rate, postoperative drainage volume and postoperative hospital stay ( P>0.05). The total length of hospital stay and total hospital expenses in the HIV-positive group were 5.0 (3.0, 7.0) days and (14 829.3±4 852.8) yuan, respectively. HIV-negative group were 3.0 (2.0, 4.8) days and (10 762.3±1 850.3) yuan, respectively. The HIV-negative group had a significantly shorter hospital stay and lower hospital expenses, these differences were statistically significant ( P<0.05). There was no occupational exposure of medical personnel in the perioperative period among those with HIV. Conclusions:Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is a safe and feasible procedure for HIV-positive patients who are receiving antiretroviral therapy. Adherence to established protocols by healthcare personnel can mitigate the risk of occupational exposure.

Objective To investigate the effect of Xiao Chaihu Decoction and Xiangsha Liujunzi Decoction on the changes of gastric mucosal pathological score and gastrointestinal hormones in patients with chronic atrophic gastritis(CAG)of liver stagnation and spleen deficiency type.Methods A total of 156 cases of CAG patients with liver stagnation and spleen deficiency syndrome were randomly divided into a control group and an observation group,78 cases in each group.The control group was treated with conventional western medicine,and the observation group was treated with Xiao Chaihu Decoction and Xiangsha Liujunzi Decoction on the basis of treatment for the control group.The course of treatment covered four weeks.The changes in the scores of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)symptoms such as epigastric distention and pain,poor appetite,loose stools,limb weakness,belching and acid regurgitation,gastric mucosal pathological scores and serum levels of gastrointestinal hormones of motilin(MTL)and gastrin(GAS)in the two groups were observed before and after treatment.The negative conversion rate of Helicobacter pylori(Hp)in the two groups was compared,and the clinical efficacy and safety of the two groups were evaluated.Results(1)After four weeks of treatment,the total effective rate of the observation group was 93.59％(73/78),which was significantly higher than 82.05％(64/78)of the control group,and the difference between the two groups was statistically significant(P＜0.05).(2)After treatment,the scores of TCM symptoms such as epigastric distention and pain,poor appetite,loose stool,limb weakness,belching and acid regurgitation in the two groups were significantly decreased compared with those before treatment(P＜0.05),and the decrease in the observation group was significantly superior to that in the control group(P＜0.05).(3)After treatment,the pathological scores of gastric mucosa in the two groups were significantly decreased when compared with those before treatment(P＜0.05),and the decrease in the observation group was more significant than that in the control group(P＜0.01).(4)After four weeks of treatment,the negative conversion rate of Hp in the observation group was 91.03％(71/78),which was significantly higher than that in the control group(75.64％,59/78),and the difference between the two groups was statistically significant(P＜0.05).(5)After treatment,the level of serum GAS in the two groups was significantly decreased(P＜0.05)and the serum MTL level was significantly increased compared with that before treatment(P＜0.05);the decrease of serum GAS level and the increase of serum MTL level in the observation group were significantly superior to those in the control group(P＜0.05).(6)There were no obvious abnormalities in the routine test of blood,urine,stool,kidney function,and liver function,electrocardiograph and other safety indicators during the treatment of the two groups of patients,no adverse reactions such as dizziness,rash and chest distress occurred either,with high safety.Conclusion Xiao Chaihu Decoction combined with Xiangsha Liujunzi Decoction exerts a significant therapeutic effect on GAS of liver stagnation and spleen deficiency type,which can effectively relieve the clinical symptoms,improve the pathological changes of gastric mucosa and promote Hp negative conversion.The therapeutic mechanism may be related to the regulation of gastrointestinal hormone levels.

Objective:To evaluate the role of neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS)-nitric oxide synthase 1 adaptor protein (NOS1AP) coupling in remifentanil-induced hyperalgesia in rats.Methods:Forty clean-grade healthy adult male Sprague-Dawley rats, weighing 240-260 g, aged 2-3 months, were divided into 4 groups ( n=10 each) using a random number table method: control group (group C), remifentanil group (group R), nNOS-NOS1AP inhibitor ZLc002 group (group C+ Z) and remifentanil + ZLc002 group (group R+ Z). Normal saline was intravenously infused at a rate of 0.1 ml·kg -1·min -1 for 60 min in C group. Remifentanil was intravenously infused at a rate of 1.0 μg·kg -1·min -1 for 60 min in R group. ZLc002 10 mg/kg was intraperitoneally injected for 3 consecutive days, and then normal saline 0.1 ml·kg -1·min -1 and remifentanil 1.0 μg·kg -1·min -1 were intravenously infused for 60 min in C+ Z group and R+ Z group. The mechanical paw withdrawal threshold (MWT) and thermal paw withdrawal latency (TWL) were measured at 24 h before intravenous infusion and 6, 24 and 48 h after intravenous infusion (T 0-3). All the rats were sacrificed after the last measurement of pain thresholds, and the L 4-6 segments of the spinal cord were removed for determination of the expression of nNOS, NOS1AP and Dexamethasone-induced Ras-related protein 1 (Dexras1) protein and mRNA using the real-time polymerase chain reaction. Nitrosylated proteins were extracted by biotin conversion for determination of the expression of nNOS, NOS1AP and total and nitrosylated Dexras1 (by Western blot) and co-expression of nNOS-NOS1AP (by co-immunoprecipitation). The content of NO in the spinal cord was measured. Results:Compared with group C, the MWT was significantly decreased, and the TWL was shortened at T 1-3, the expression of nNOS and NOS1AP protein and mRNA was up-regulated, the co-expression of nNOS-NOS1AP and NO production were increased, and the expression of nitrosylated Dexras1 was up-regulated in group R ( P<0.05), and no significant change was found in each aforementioned parameter in group C+ Z ( P>0.05). Compared with group R, the MWT was significantly increased, and the TWL was prolonged at T 1-3, the co-expression of nNOS-NOS1AP and NO production were decreased, the expression of nitrosylated Dexras1 was down-regulated ( P<0.05), and no significant change was found in the expression of nNOS and NOS1AP protein and mRNA in group R+ Z ( P>0.05). There were no significant differences in total Dexras1 protein and mRNA expression among the four groups ( P>0.05). Conclusions:The mechanism by which remifentanil induces hyperalgesia may be related to up-regulating the expression of nNOS and NOS1AP in the spinal cord, promoting interaction between nNOS and NOS1AP and mediating NO generation and Dexras1 nitrosylation modification in rats.

Objective:To evaluate the role of Ras homolog gene family member A (RhoA) in hydrogen-induced alleviation of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-caused damage to pulmonary microvascular endothelial cell(PMVEC) barrier function in mice.Methods:PMVECs were cultured in DMEM/F12 medium containing 10% fetal bovine serum and 1% penicillin/streptomycin until 4-6 passage. These cells were divided into 6 groups ( n=36 each) using a random number table method: control group (group A), hydrogen-rich medium group (group B), LPS group (group C), LPS + hydrogen-rich medium group (group D), LPS + RhoA inhibitor C3 enzyme group (group E) and LPS + hydrogen-rich medium + RhoA agonist U-46619 group (group F). Cells were cultured within normal medium in group A, group C and group E and within hydrogen-rich medium in group B, group D and group F. LPS at a final concentration of 1 μg/ml was simultaneously added in group C, group D, group E and group F. C3 enzyme at a final concentration of 3 μg/ml was added at 2 h before addition of LPS in group E. U-46619 at a final concentration of 10 mg/ml was added at 3 h before addition of LPS in group F. The expression of vascular endothelial (VE)-cadherin and occludin was determined by Western blot at 6, 12 and 24 h after incubation with LPS. At 24 h after incubation with LPS, the release rate of LDH was measured by LDH method, cell viability was measured by MTT method, and the activity of RhoA was determined by GST pull-down method. Results:Compared with group A, the expression of VE-cadherin and occludin was significantly down-regulated at 6, 12 and 24 h of incubation, the cell viability was decreased at 24 h of incubation, and the release rate of LDH and activity of RhoA were increased in group C ( P<0.05). Compared with group C, the expression of VE-cadherin and occludin was significantly up-regulated at 6, 12 and 24 h of incubation, the cell viability was increased at 24 h of incubation, and the release rate of LDH and activity of RhoA were decreased in group D ( P<0.05). Compared with group C, the expression of VE-cadherin and occludin was significantly up-regulated at 6, 12 and 24 h of incubation, the cell viability was increased at 24 h of incubation, and the release rate of LDH and activity of RhoA were decreased in group E ( P<0.05). Compared with group D, the expression of VE-cadherin and occludin was significantly down-regulated at 6, 12 and 24 h of incubation, the cell viability was decreased at 24 h of incubation, and the release rate of LDH and activity of RhoA were increased in group F ( P<0.05). Conclusions:RhoA is involved in hydrogen-induced alleviation of LPS-caused damage to PMVEC barrier function in mice.

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) combined with lower cervical fracture is often categorized into unstable fracture, with a high incidence of neurological injury and a high rate of disability and morbidity. As factors such as shoulder occlusion may affect the accuracy of X-ray imaging diagnosis, it is often easily misdiagnosed at the primary diagnosis. Non-operative treatment has complications such as bone nonunion and the possibility of secondary neurological damage, while the timing, access and choice of surgical treatment are still controversial. Currently, there are no clinical practice guidelines for the treatment of AS combined with lower cervical fracture with or without dislocation. To this end, the Spinal Trauma Group of Orthopedics Branch of Chinese Medical Doctor Association organized experts to formulate Clinical guidelines for the treatment of ankylosing spondylitis combined with lower cervical fracture in adults ( version 2024) in accordance with the principles of evidence-based medicine, scientificity and practicality, in which 11 recommendations were put forward in terms of the diagnosis, imaging evaluation, typing and treatment, etc, to provide guidance for the diagnosis and treatment of AS combined with lower cervical fracture.