OBJECTIVES: To investigate the effects of quercetin on cuproptosis and L-type calcium currents in the myocardium of diabetic rats. METHODS: Forty SD rats were randomized into control group and diabetic model groups. The rat models of diabetes mellitus (DM) induced by high-fat and high-sugar diet combined with streptozotocin (STZ) injection were further divided into DM model group, quercetin treatment group, and empagliflozin treatment group (n=10). Blood glucose and body weight were measured every other week, and cardiac function of the rats was evaluated using echocardiography. HE staining, Sirius red staining, and wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) analysis were used to observe the changes in myocardial histomorphology, and serum copper levels and myocardial FDX1 expression were detected. In cultured rat cardiomyocyte H9c2 cells with high-glucose exposure, the effects of quercetin and elesclomol, alone or in combination, on intracellular CK-MB and LDH levels and FDX1 expression were assessed, and the changes in L-type calcium currents were analyzed using patch-clamp technique. RESULTS: The diabetic rats exhibited elevated blood glucose, reduced body weight, impaired left ventricular function, increased serum copper levels and myocardial FDX1 expression, decreased L-type calcium currents, and prolonged action potential duration. Quercetin and empagliflozin treatment significantly lowered blood glucose, improved body weight, and restored cardiac function of the diabetic rats, and compared with empagliflozin, quercetin more effectively reduced serum copper levels, downregulated FDX1 expression, and enhanced myocardial L-type calcium currents in diabetic rats. In H9c2 cells, high glucose exposure significantly increased myocardial expressions of FDX1, CK-MB and LDH, which were effectively lowered by quercetin treatment; Elesclomol further elevated FDX1, CK-MB and LDH levels in the exposed cells, and these changes were not significantly affected by the application of quercetin. CONCLUSIONS Quercetin ameliorates myocardial injury in diabetic rats possibly by suppressing myocardial cuproptosis signaling and restoring L-type calcium channel activity.
Animals ; Quercetin/pharmacology* ; Calcium Channels, L-Type/metabolism* ; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental/metabolism* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Rats ; Myocytes, Cardiac/drug effects* ; Myocardium/pathology* ; Male

Objective:To describe the detail sampling design,weighting,instruments,filed procedures and quality control methods of the epidemiological survey on dementia among community residents in Tongliao City.Methods:A three-stage disproportionate probability sampling design was used to investigate the inhabitants aged 65 years and over in Tongliao City,Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.The 10/66 Dementia Research Group(10/66 DRG)assessment instruments were used to diagnose dementia,using computer-assisted personal interview mode in the selected older people.Comprehensive quality control methods were implemented throughout the field-work.Results:A total of 166 villages or communities were sampled from nine counties or districts in Tongliao Cit-y.Totally 4 345 older people were interviewed with 96.2％response rate.By calculating sampling design weights,non-response adjustment weights and post-stratification adjustment weights,these weights were multiplied and per-formed trimming adjustment and standardization adjustment to generate final weights.The 171 interviewers were well-trained and qualified to carry out filed interview.Quality control methods included computer data check,audio record check,and telephone check in order to ensure the quality of the survey.Conclusion:This survey is imple-mented using a rigorous sampling design and timely quality control methods,and uses the 10/66 DRG assessment instruments with satisfactory international validity and reliability as survey instruments,which has international cross-cultural comparability.It provides a valid and feasible methodology of epidemiological survey on dementia for further studies in different regions in China.

Objective To investigate the prenatal diagnosis and perinatal outcomes between anterior pla-centa accreta and non-anterior placenta.Methods A retrospective analysis was done for 560 pregnant women who were diagnosed with placenta accreta and delivered in the Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical Uni-versity.According to the location of the placenta,the group was dividing into anterior placenta accreta group(319 cases)and non-anterior placenta accreta group(241 cases).The general characteristics,maternal and infant out-comes of the two groups were analyzed.The non-anterior placenta accrete group(241 cases)then were dividing into two groups according to the time of clear diagnosis.Those who were firstly diagnosed with placenta accrete dur-ing or after the operation was the intrapartum diagnosis group(missed diagnosis)(70 cases),and those who were diagnosed with clear placenta accreta before the delivery was prenatal diagnosis group(171 cases).The general characteristics,maternal and infant outcomes of the two groups were also analyzed.Results There were statisti-cally significant differences in the parity,history of cesarean section,delivery mode,degree of placenta accreta,missed diagnosis rate,neonatal birth weight,and hysterectomy rate between the non-anterior placenta accrete group and the anterior placenta accreta group.In the case of prenatal diagnosis of different degrees of placenta accreta,the prenatal diagnosis rate of placental adhesion in the non-anterior placenta accreta group was lower than that of the anterior placenta accreta group,which was statistically significant.In the non-anterior placenta accrete group,there were statistically significant differences in the age,cesarean section history,placenta previa status,mode of delivery,degree of implantation,24-hour bleeding volume,blood transfusions,NICU transfer rate,uterine loss rate between the intrapartum diagnosis group(missed diagnosis)and the prenatal diagnosis group.Conclusions The high-risk factors of patients with non-anterior placenta accreta are different from those of patients with anterior placenta accreta.Multiple births and a history of cesarean section are high-risk factors for anterior placenta accreta patients.Non-anterior placenta accreta are more likely to be missed diagnosed,especially the placental adhesion.For pregnant women with non-anterior placenta accreta missed diagnosis,there is a high rate of adverse birth out-comes,especially in the rate of neonatal transfer to the NICU.

Objective:To study the clinicopathological features of Sjogren′s syndrome (SS) with liver injury and to improve the understanding of this disease.Methods:Forty-nine patients with SS complicated with liver injury were collected from Beijing Ditan Hospital, Capital Medical University from October 2008 to January 2022. All patients underwent ultrasound-guided liver biopsy, and all specimens were stained with HE. The histopathologic characteristics were observed and the pathologic indexes were graded. Immunohistochemical stains for CK7, CK19, CD38, MUM1 and CD10 were performed by EnVision method; and special histochemical stains for reticulin, Masson′s trichrome, Rhodanine, Prussian blue, periodic acid Schiff (PAS) and D-PAS stains were conducted .Results:The age of patients ranged from 31 to 66 years, including 3 males and 46 females. SS combined with drug-induced liver injury was the most common (22 cases, 44.9%), followed by autoimmune liver disease (13 cases, 26.5%, including primary biliary cholangitis in eight cases, autoimmune hepatitis in 3 cases, and PBC-AIH overlap syndrome in 2 cases), non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD, 9 cases, 18.4%) and other lesions (5 cases, 10.2%; including 3 cases of nonspecific liver inflammation, 1 case of liver amyloidosis, and 1 case of porto-sinusoidal vascular disease). Among them, 28 cases (57.1%) were associated with obvious interlobular bile duct injury, mainly in SS combined with PBC group and drug-induced liver injury group. Twenty-three cases (46.9%) were associated with hepatocyte steatosis of varying degrees. In SS with autoimmune liver disease group, ISHAK score, degree of fibrosis bile duct injury, bile duct remodeling, lymphocyte infiltration of portal area, and plasma cell infiltration, MUM1 and CD38 expression; serum ALP and GGT, IgM; elevated globulin; positive AMA, proportion of AMA-M2 positive and IgM positive were all significantly higher than those in other groups(all P<0.05). Serum ALT, direct bilirubin and SSA positive ratio in SS combined with drug liver group were significantly higher than those in other groups(all P<0.05). The serum total cholesterol level in SS combined with PBC group ( P=0.006) and NALFD group ( P=0.011) were significantly higher than those in other groups ( P<0.05). Conclusions:The pathologic manifestations of SS patients with liver injury are varied. The inflammatory lesions of SS patients with autoimmune liver disease are the most serious, and the inflammatory lesions of SS patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and non-specific inflammation are mild. Comprehensive analysis of liver histopathologic changes and laboratory findings is helpful for the diagnosis of SS complicated with different types of liver injury.

AIM: To investigate the efficacy and safety of ZKY001 eye drops with different concentrations in the treatment of corneal epithelial defects(CED)after primary pterygium excision.METHODS: This was a multicenter, randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled phase II clinical trial. From March 15, 2022 to November 14, 2022, patients with primary pterygium who had undergone surgery were recruited from 12 tertiary hospitals across China. Using block randomization, 178 patients(178 eyes)were randomly assigned to 3 groups in a 1:1:1 ratio: 0.002% ZKY001 group(n=59), 0.004% ZKY001 group(n=59), and placebo group(n=60, receiving ZKY001 sham eye drops). Subjects in each group received 1 drop of the study drug 4 times per day for 4 d. The percentage of CED area recovery from baseline, the first complete healing time of CED area, the number of first complete healing cases of CED, and changes in visual analogue scale(VAS)scores for eye discomfort including eye pain, foreign body sensation, tearing and photophobia were observed.RESULTS: In terms of improvement in CED, there were no statistically significant differences among the three groups including the first healing time of CED, the percentage improvement in CED area compared to baseline, and the percentage of first healing cases at different follow-up visits(all P>0.05). Numerically, the first healing time of CED was shorter in the test groups compared to the placebo group(67.87±21.688 h for the 0.002% ZKY001 group, 61.48±22.091 h for the 0.004% ZKY001 group, and 68.85±20.851 h for the placebo group). On D1 morning, the percentage improvement in CED area compared to baseline was maximally different from the placebo group, and the numerical difference advantage was maintained at subsequent follow-up visits. The number of first healing cases in the CED area at different follow-up visits was higher in the test groups than the placebo group. In terms of improvement in ocular discomfort, the total VAS scores were lower in the test groups compared to the placebo group, mainly due to reductions in foreign body sensation and pain scores. At D3, the 0.004% ZKY001 group showed statistically significant improvement in foreign body sensation(P<0.017). In terms of safety, the overall incidence of adverse events was low(9.0%)and similar among groups.CONCLUSION: The use of ZKY001 eyedrops after primary pterygium surgery can safely improve the CED repair, and alleviate postoperative symptoms caused by CED.

【Objective】 To explore the application value of ¹⁸F-PSMA PET/CT on the detection of metastatic lesions of prostate cancer with serum total prostate specific antigen (tPSA) ≤20 ng/mL and the predictive variables affecting the imaging results, and to establish a predictive nomogram for the metastasis of prostate cancer. 【Methods】 The imaging, pathological, serum and clinical data of 175 pathologically confirmed prostate cancer patients who underwent ¹⁸F-PSMA PET/CT examination during Jan.2020 and Oct.2021 were retrospectively collected.The patients were divided into metastatic group and non-metastatic group according to PET/CT imaging results, and the positive detection rate of metastatic lesions was calculated.The independent influencing factors of ¹⁸F-PSMA PET/CT in the positive detection of metastatic lesions were determined with univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses.The predictive nomogram was established. 【Results】 Of the 175 patients, metastatic lesions were detected in 78 cases and not detected in 97 cases, with a detection rate of 44.6% (78/175).There were statistically significant differences between the metastatic group and the non-metastatic group in urinary tract symptoms, androgen deprivation treatment (ADT) at the time of PET/CT examination and the risk level of Gleason score (GS) (P<0.05).Univariate logistic regression showed that urinary tract symptoms(OR=3.64, P<0.001), GS risk (OR=3.96, P<0.001) and concurrent ADT treatment (OR=3.71, P<0.001) were associated with the positive detection rate of metastatic lesions.Multivariate Logistic regression showed that urinary tract symptoms (OR=3.19, P=0.002), GS high-risk group (OR=2.95, P=0.005) and concurrent ADT treatment (OR=3.27, P=0.001) were independent predictors of positive detection rate. 【Conclusion】 The probability of metastasis in newly diagnosed prostate cancer patients with tPSA≤20 ng/mL is high.¹⁸F-PSMA PET/CT is of high value for the early detection of metastasis.Urinary tract symptoms, GS high-risk group and concurrent ADT treatment are independent predictors of metastatic lesions.The predictive nomogram can help assist clinical optimization of imaging examination path.

Objective:To investigate the relationship between serum thyroid hormone levels in the normal range and body weight, blood glucose, blood lipids, and other obesity-related indexes in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.Methods:Seventy obese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and ninety-two patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus with normal weight who were treated in the Nangang Branch of Heilongjiang Provincial Hospital from May 2020 to May 2021 were included in this study. Thyroid-stimulating hormone level was in the normal range (0.35-4.94 mU/L) in all participants. Serum levels of free triiodothyronine, free thyroxine, thyroid-stimulating hormone, thyroid peroxidase antibody, thyroglobulin antibody, triglyceride, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, fasting blood glucose, glycosylated hemoglobin, fasting C peptide, fasting insulin, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and serum uric acid were measured in all participants.Results:Free triiodothyronine level was positively correlated with fasting blood glucose and glycosylated hemoglobin levels ( r = 0.19, P = 0.021; r = 0.21, P = 0.017). Free thyroxine level was positively correlated with serum glycosylated hemoglobin level ( r = 0.25, P = 0.009) and negatively correlated with total cholesterol ( r = -0.17, P = 0.029). Thyroid-stimulating hormone level was positively correlated with body mass index as well as total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels ( r = 0.33, P < 0.001; r = 0.33, P < 0.001; r = 0.32, P < 0.001). Conclusion:Thyroid hormones in the normal range play an important role in the regulation of body weight, blood glucose, and blood lipids in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Blood glucose level increases markedly in patients with relatively high free triiodothyronine and free thyroxine levels. The risks of obesity and dyslipidemia increase in patients with relatively high serum thyroid-stimulating hormone levels

Objective:To investigate the influencing factors of non-remission of proteinuria in patients with nephrotic syndrome (NS) and idiopathic membranous nephropathy (IMN).Methods:The study was a retrospective observational study. The clinical data of patients with NS who were diagnosed as IMN by renal biopsy and serum albumin recovered normal after six months of treatment were collected from Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University from June 1, 2010 to January 31, 2022. Patients were divided into proteinuria remission group and non-proteinuria remission group according to whether urinary protein < 3.5 g/24 h and decreased 50% from the onset. The differences of clinical and pathological characteristics between the two groups at baseline were compared. The logistic regression model was used to analyze the influencing factors of non-remission of proteinuria.Results:Ninety-five NS patients with renal pathology of IMN were included in this study, with age of 57(43, 65) years old and 50 males (52.6%). There were 75 patients in the proteinuria remission group and 20 patients in the non-proteinuria remission group. Compared with the proteinuria remission group, the non-proteinuria remission group had higher baseline body mass index [(26.83±4.03) kg/m 2vs. (24.68±3.97) m 2, t=-2.149, P=0.034] and proportion of overweight (85.0% vs. 58.7%, χ2=4.765, P=0.029), and larger waist circumference [88.5(85.3, 101.5) cm vs. 87.0(77.5, 92.0) cm, Z=2.362, P=0.018]. Renal pathological results showed that the proportions of diabetes nephropathy (10.0% vs. 0, P=0.043) and glomerular hypertrophy (45.0% vs. 20.0%, χ2=5.227, P=0.022) were higher, and the average diameter of hypertrophic glomeruli was longer [(197.96±6.37) μm vs. (193.51±8.50) μm, t=2.029, P=0.041] in the proteinuria remission group than those in the non-proteinuria remission group. Multivariate logistic regression analysis results showed that waist circumference was an independent influencing factor of non-proteinuria remission in patients with IMN under waist circumference > 90 cm in men and >85 cm in women ( OR=1.083, 95% CI 1.005-1.168, P=0.037). Conclusion:Abdominal obesity is an independent risk factor of non-remission of proteinuria in NS patients with IMN after early treatment.

Objective:To evaluate the presentation of small arteries in abdominal contrast-enhanced CT late-arterial images using the deep learning image reconstruction (DLIR) combined with low tube voltage (kV) technique relative to the adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction V (ASiR-V) algorithm.Methods:Patients who were admitted to Peking University People′s Hospital from December 2021 to January 2022 and needed to be screened for abdominal diseases and receive abdominal and pelvic contrast-enhanced CT scan were prospectively collected. The patients were divided into low-voltage (LV) with 80 kV and high-voltage (HV) with 120 kV groups. According to two different reconstruction algorithms, each group was further divided into DLIR-H (D) subgroup and ASiR-V 50% (A) subgroup. The automatic tube current adjustment technique was used for CT enhanced scanning of patients, and the noise index value was uniformly set to 9. Subjective and objective evaluations were performed on the late-arterial images with a constructed slice thickness of 0.625 mm, and the radiation doses were recorded.Results:A total of 168 patients were included, including 76 males and 92 females, aged 18-85 (53±15) years old, body mass index (24±3) kg/m 2; 91 patients in the LV group and 77 in the HV group. The CT values of the aorta and common hepatic artery in the LV group were significantly higher than those in the HV group ( t=-14.20, P<0.001; t=-0.95, P<0.001). When the tube voltage was the same, the late-arterial image noise in subgroup D was significantly lower than that in subgroup A, and the signal to noise ratio (SNR) and contrast to noise ratio (CNR) of the liver, aorta and common hepatic artery were significantly higher than those in subgroup A (all P<0.001). The SNR and CNR of the aorta and common hepatic artery in the LV-D subgroup were significantly better than those in the LV-A, HV-D, and HV-A subgroups (all P<0.001). In the subjective evaluation of abdominal vascular display, the special resolution of the common hepatic artery, inferior mesenteric artery and the edge of the ascending branch of the left colic artery, and the contrast of the ascending branch of the left colic artery in the LV-D subgroup were significantly better than those of the LV-A, HV-D, and HV-A subgroups ( P<0.05). Moreover, the presentation rate of margin artery of splenic region (54.9%, 50/91) in the LV-D subgroup was significantly higher than those in the HV-D subgroup (24.7%, 19/77) and HV-A subgroup (32.5%, 25/77) (adjusted P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the radiation doses between LV and HV groups [(4.91±1.97) mSv vs (5.43±1.78) mSv, P>0.05]. Conclusion:The contrast-enhanced CT scan of abdomen with low tube voltage combined with DLIR algorithm can effectively improve the display level of the ascending vessel of left colonic artery from the inferior mesenteric artery and the margin artery, which brings more possibilities for the evaluation of similar small blood vessels.

Age-related laryngeal dysfunction seriously affects swallowing, speech and respiratory function of the elderly and decreases their quality of life.This review summarizes the methods for assessing swallowing, voice and respiratory function associated with laryngeal dysfunction in the elderly, aiming to improve the standards and systems for laryngeal dysfunction assessment in the elderly and to achieve timely detection and treatment of laryngeal dysfunction in the elderly and reduce its negative effects.