Objective We aimed to use 1H-MRS to characterize metabolite concentrations in the bilateral hippo?campus in GPI patient. Methods Metabolite ratios in the bilateral hippocampus were compared between patients with GPI (n=52) and Normal Control (NC) (n=38). Clinical neurological tests were measured in all subjects and were correlat?ed to the metabolite concentrations. Results The GPI patients showed significantly lower concentrations of N-acetylas?partate(NAA)/creatine(Cr) ratios in the bilateral hippocampus region compared to the NC subjects. There was significant?ly difference in the NAA/Cr ratios between the mild GPI dementia and the severe GPI dementia groups on the left hippo?campus region. We found that the NAA/Cr ratios concentrations were positively correlated with Mini Mental state Exami?nation (MMSE) and Montreal Cognitive Assessment scale (MoCA) scores in the left hippocampus region and the mI/Cr ra?tios concentrations were positively correlated. Conclusions GPI Patients have neuronal dysfunction in the bilateral hippo?campus. The severity of cognitive impairments is associated with the severity of the damage in the left side.

Objective:To investigate the status of anticipatory grief among the main caregivers of maintenance hemodialysis patients, and to analyze its influencing factors.Methods:From April 2021 to July 2021, the main caregivers of 180 patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis in Xiangdong Hospital Affiliated to Hunan Normal University and Liling Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital in Hunan Province, were selected by convenience sampling method for the research object. The survey was carried out using the General Information Questionnaire, the Anticipatory Grief Scale and the Zarit Caregiver Burden Interview, multiple linear regression was used to analyze the influencing factors of anticipatory grief in the main caregivers of maintenance hemodialysis patients.Results:The total score of Anticipatory Grief Scale in the main caregivers of maintenance hemodialysis patients was 84.43±12.02, and the total score of Zarit Caregiver Burden Interview was 24.92 ± 7.98, which were positively correlated ( r = 0.557, P<0.01).In the multiple linear regression analysis, the caregiver ′s education level, age, gender, care burden and per capita monthly income and the patient ′s age were the influencing factors of anticipatory grief for the main caregivers of maintenance hemodialysis patients ( t values were -5.54-8.75, all P<0.05), which could explain 54.1% of the total variance. Conclusions:The anticipatory grief of the main caregivers of maintenance hemodialysis patients is at a relatively serious level. Medical care should pay more attention to the caregivers and their sadness in their communication, so as to detect problems in time, so as to take targeted measures to the current situation, which is effective to improve their level of grief and improve the quality of care.

Objective To analyze and estimate, the treatment of patients with histologically confirmed subependymal giant-cell astroeytoma (SEGCA). Methods The data from 23 patients with SEG-CA who were diagnosed between February 1995 and February 2008 were retrospectively evaluated. Various combinations of surgery and radiotherapy had been used for treatment. Results Total resection was 16 cases, subtotal resection was 7 cases, radiotherapy was 17 cases. The average follow-up time was 53 months.One postoperative SEGCA recurrence. Epilepsy was totally disappeared in 17.6% (3/17), partly disappeared in 47.1%(8/17). All cases survived. Conclusions The key of treatment is total resection. The significance of radiotherapy is not sure. The overall prognosis of SEGCA is favorable.

Objective To examine the diagnosis and outcomes in the treatment of the patients with histologically confirmed central neurocytoma (CNC). Methods The data from 71 patients with CNC who were diagnosed between March 2003 and December 2007 were retrospectively evaluated. Various combinations of surgery, and radiotherapy had been used for treatment. Results The average bulk of tumors was 40 cm3. The median follow-up was 22 months. The 22 months overall survival and local control rate was 95.8%(68/71) and 95.6%(65/68), respectively. Conclusions The overall prognosis is favorable although the follow-up is not very long. Surgery and postoperative radiotherapy can significantly improve local control.

Obesity has become one of the most serious issues threatening the health of humankind, and we conducted this study to examine whether and how celastrol protects against obesity.

Objective:To analyze the epidemic situation of plague among animals in the foci of Meriones unguiculatus in Inner Mongolia Plateau, and to find out key influencing factors affecting the epidemic of the plague, and to provide theoretical basis for the prediction, early warning and risk assessment of the plague. Methods:The monitoring data including gerbils density, gerbils body flea index, plague epidemic intensity, etc., as well as environmental data including temperature, precipitation and El Ni?o activity (Southern Oscillation Index, SOI) from 19 banners (counties, cities and districts) in Ulanqab Plateau area, the foci of Meriones unguiculatus in Inner Mongolia Plateau were selected. The methods of correlation analysis, structural equation model and rank correlation were used to analyze the epidemic and key influencing factors of plague among animals in the foci. Results:The plague epidemic cycle in the foci of Meriones unguiculatus in Inner Mongolia Plateau was 5 to 10 years. The correlation analysis results showed that all the factors had influence on each other. Structural equation model screened out that the main influencing factors of plague epidemic were SOI, gerbils density and temperature. SOI had a negative effect on plague epidemic intensity (-0.022) and temperature (-0.029), while gerbils density had a positive effect on plague epidemic intensity (0.014), and temperature had a negative effect on plague epidemic intensity (-0.065). In rank correlation, when the gerbils density was at a high value, the probability of high plague epidemic intensity in that year was 4/9; when SOI was at a low value, the probability was 5/9; when the temperature was at a low value, the probability was 5/9. When the plague epidemic intensity was at a high value in that year, the probability of the plague epidemic intensity being high in the following year was 5/8; when the gerbils density was at a high value in that year, the probability was 4/9; when SOI was at a low value in that year, the probability was 4/9. Conclusion:Climate and biological factors can affect prevalence of plague, and countermeasures should be taken in advance to prevent plague outbreaks when El Ni?o phenomenon, low temperature, high density of gerbils, and high previous-year prevalence of plague appear.

Objective:To explore the influencing factors of left ventricular thrombus (LVT) in patients with non-ischemic heart failure (NIHF) and to construct a nomogram prediction model for NIHF patients with LVT.Methods:This study was a case-control study. A total of 2 592 patients with NIHF hospitalized in Beijing Anzhen Hospital affiliated to Capital Medical University from January 2018 to July 2022 were selected. Fifty-one patients with LVT identified by echocardiography and cardiac magnetic resonance were classified into LVT group. One hundred and sixty patients were selected as the non-LVT group using a 1∶3 propensity score matching based on age and gender. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to explore the influencing factors of LVT in patients with NIHF. A nomogram prediction model was constructed, and the area under (AUC) the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was calculated to evaluate the predictive effect of the model.Results:A total of 211 patients were enrolled, with a median age of 40 years old and 160 males (76%). Compared with non-LVT group, LVT group had lower systolic blood pressure ((112±20) mmHg vs. (120±19) mmHg; 1 mmHg=0.133 kPa), lower left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF; (27±12)% vs. (39±14)% ), lower proportion of patients with history of hypertension (28% (14/51) vs. 44% (70/160)) and atrial fibrillation (8% (4/51)vs.39% (62/160)), higher proportion of patients with New York Heart Association functional class Ⅲ to Ⅳ (class Ⅲ: 59% (30/51) vs. 41% (66/160); class Ⅳ: 28% (14/51) vs. 19% (31/160)), and larger left ventricular end-systolic diameter (LVESD; (56±14) mm vs. (50±15) mm). The levels of hemoglobin ((152±23) g/L vs. (142±30) g/L), D-dimer (508 (300, 1 105) μg/L vs. 158 (68, 379) μg/L), and N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (3 429 (2 462, 4 734) ng/L vs. 1 288 (422, 2 544) ng/L) were higher in LVT group than in non-LVT group ( P all<0.05). LVT group had a higher proportion of patients using beta-blockers (92% (47/51) vs. 78% (124/160)), angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers or angiotensin receptor neprilysin inhibitors (88% (45/51) vs. 72% (115/160)), and anticoagulant drugs (98% (50/51) vs. 32% (51/160)) than non-LVT group (all P <0.05). Multivariate logistic regression showed that reduced LVEF ( OR=1.08, 95% CI 1.02-1.15, P=0.008), decreased LVESD ( OR=1.07, 95% CI 1.01-1.12, P=0.013), and increased D-dimer levels ( OR=5.40, 95% CI 1.98-14.74, P=0.001) were independent influencing factors for LVT in patients with NIHF. The ROC curve showed that the AUC of the nomogram for predicting LVT in patients with NIHF was 0.793 (95% CI 0.710-0.876, P<0.001). Conclusion:Reduced LVEF, decreased LVESD, and elevated D-dimer are associated with LVT in NIHF patients. The predictive model developed based on the above indicators has certain value in predicting LVT in NIHF patients.

The mesencephalic astrocyte-derived neurotrophic factor (MANF) has been recently identified as a neurotrophic factor, but its role in hepatic fibrosis is unknown. Here, we found that MANF was upregulated in the fibrotic liver tissues of the patients with chronic liver diseases and of mice treated with CCl₄. MANF deficiency in either hepatocytes or hepatic mono-macrophages, particularly in hepatic mono-macrophages, clearly exacerbated hepatic fibrosis. Myeloid-specific MANF knockout increased the population of hepatic Ly6C^high macrophages and promoted HSCs activation. Furthermore, MANF-sufficient macrophages (from WT mice) transfusion ameliorated CCl₄-induced hepatic fibrosis in myeloid cells-specific MANF knockout (MKO) mice. Mechanistically, MANF interacted with S100A8 to competitively block S100A8/A9 heterodimer formation and inhibited S100A8/A9-mediated TLR4-NF-κB signal activation. Pharmacologically, systemic administration of recombinant human MANF significantly alleviated CCl₄-induced hepatic fibrosis in both WT and hepatocytes-specific MANF knockout (HKO) mice. This study reveals a mechanism by which MANF targets S100A8/A9-TLR4 as a "brake" on the upstream of NF-κB pathway, which exerts an impact on macrophage differentiation and shed light on hepatic fibrosis treatment.

OBJECTIVES: To explore the mechanism of transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) induce renal fibrosis. METHODS: Renal fibroblast NRK-49F cells treated with and without TGF-β1 were subjected to RNA-seq analysis. DESeq2 was used for analysis. Differentially expressed genes were screened with the criteria of false discovery rate<0.05 and l o g 2 F C >1. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses were performed for differentially expressed genes. Genes encoding transcription factors were further screened for differential expression genes. Then, the expression of these genes during renal fibrosis was verified using unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO)-induced mouse renal fibrosis model and a public gene expression dataset (GSE104954). RESULTS: After TGF-β1 treatment for 6, 12 and 24 h, 552, 1209 and 1028 differentially expressed genes were identified, respectively. GO analysis indicated that these genes were significantly enriched in development, cell death, and cell migration. KEGG pathway analysis showed that in the early stage of TGF-β1 induction (TGF-β1 treatment for 6 h), the changes in Hippo, TGF-β and Wnt signaling pathways were observed, while in the late stage of TGF-β1 induction (TGF-β1 treatment for 24 h), the changes of extracellular matrix-receptor interaction, focal adhesion and adherens junction were mainly enriched. Among the 291 up-regulated differentially expressed genes treated with TGF-β1 for 6 h, 13 genes (Snai1, Irf8, Bhlhe40, Junb, Arid5a, Vdr, Lef1, Ahr, Foxo1, Myc, Tcf7, Foxc2, Glis1) encoded transcription factors. Validation in a cell model showed that TGF-β1 induced expression of 9 transcription factors (encoded by Snai1, Irf8, Bhlhe40, Junb, Arid5a, Vdr, Lef1, Myc, Tcf7), while the expression levels of the other 4 genes did not significantly change after TGF-β1 treatment. Validation results in UUO-induced mouse renal fibrosis model showed that Snai1, Irf8, Bhlhe40, Junb, Arid5a, Myc and Tcf7 were up-regulated after UUO, Vdr was down-regulated and there was no significant change in Lef1. Validation based on the GSE104954 dataset showed that IRF8 was significantly overexpressed in the renal tubulointerstitium of patients with diabetic nephropathy or IgA nephropathy, MYC was highly expressed in diabetic nephropathy, and the expressions of the other 7 genes were not significantly different compared with the control group. CONCLUSIONS TGF-β1 induces differentially expressed genes in renal fibroblasts, among which Irf8 and Myc were identified as potential targets of chronic kidney disease and renal fibrosis.
Mice ; Animals ; Humans ; Transforming Growth Factor beta1/metabolism* ; Diabetic Nephropathies/pathology* ; Transcriptome ; Signal Transduction ; Kidney ; Ureteral Obstruction/pathology* ; Fibrosis ; Interferon Regulatory Factors ; Transforming Growth Factor beta/metabolism* ; DNA-Binding Proteins/metabolism* ; Transcription Factors/metabolism*