Optogenetics is a novel technique which combines optics with genetics.Using genetic means,a selected opsin protein is ectopically expressed in target neurons,which are then stimulated by light to moderate the neuronal circuit,as a consequence to regulate the animal's behaviors.Retinal degeneration like retinitis pigmentosa and aged macular degeneration causes visual impairment and eventual blindness.Optogenetics techniques have opened the door to creating artificial photoreceptors in the remaining retinal circuits of retinal degeneration retinas via gene therapy.However,there are still limitations in optogenetics technique,for example,potential risk in virus infection,the choice of target cells and the low visual resolution of the experiment animal.It has been reported that vision was successfully restored to a certain extent in animal model using optogenetics technique.With higher photosensitivity of opsin protein,longer activation kinetics and higher transfection efficiency of virus vector,optogenetics techniques' application in ophthalmology will be improved.

Objective To explore the independent risk factors of the prolonged time of retention ICU after type A aortic dissection operation,to establish a corresponding perioperative risk assessment system.Methods A total of 509 consecutive patients with type A aortic dissection were enrolled in the study from September 2011 to May 2016,among which,418 patients received emergency operation.The prolonged retention time of ICU was considered as endpoint event.A perioperative assessment system was established through the analysis of related risk factors of the most common complications after type A aortic dissection operation.The possible risk factors of prolonged retention time of ICU were introduced into a single factor analysis.The meaningful variables in the single factor analysis were introduced into logistic regression analysis.The independent risk factors which were obtained from logistic regression analysis were used to establish risk prediction modeL,and the ROC curve and Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness of fit test were used to evaluate the model.Results The perioperative mortality rate was 8.64％,the prolonged retention time of ICU was 5.06 days,and 98 cases exceeded 7 days.The results of logistic regression analysis showed that age,the history of stroke,obesity,emergency operation,cardiopulmonary bypass time,deep hypothermic circulatory arrest time,renal inadequacy,massive transfusion,hypoxemia,and pulmonary infection were the independent risk factors for prolonged retention time of ICU.Accordingly,a mathematical model was established.The area under ROC cure for prediction model(AUC) =0.761,Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness of fit test P =0.512.Conclusion The logistic model estabhshed in this study can successfully predict ICU retention time after type A aortic dissection operation,and the efficacy was predicted satisfactorily.

Objective:The unilateral (left) ureteral obstruction (UUO) model was established in mice to explore the changes of renal injury with time and the related mechanisms.Methods:Fifty mice were randomly divided into two groups: sham group and UUO group (UUO model was made by unilateral ureteral ligation). The biochemical indexes, left kidney weight/final weight (LR/BW) and right kidney weight/final weight (RR/BW) of the two groups at different time points were observed, and the left kidney weight/right kidney weight ratio (LR/RR) was calculated. Hematoxylin-eosin (HE), Masson and periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) staining were used to detect the pathological changes of the kidney in mice. Immunofluorescence staining was used to observe the loss of peritubular capillaries (PTC), proliferation of renal parenchymal cells (Ki67 + cells), macrophages (CD68 + markers), infiltration of fibroblasts and expression of Wnt/β-catenin in the kidney of mice. Results:The weight of mice in UUO group decreased rapidly [(18.2±1.1)g vs (22.4±1.2)g] on the third day of modeling, then slowly increased until the 28th day, and significantly decreased [(17.5±0.8)g] on the 60th day; LR/RR and LR/BW increased significantly in the third day, and then decreased gradually; Renal function of mice in UUO group deteriorated significantly on the 60th day [serum creatinine (0.89±0.09)mg/dl, urea nitrogen (41.26±5.65)mg/dl]. In UUO group, renal tubulointerstitial fibrosis and glomerulosclerosis were observed under light microscope in the obstructed kidney; with the passage of time, PTC loss gradually increased; macrophages increased significantly in the left renal parenchyma at first, but began to decrease 28 days later; the number of fibroblasts increased significantly in the first 14 days of the obstructed side (left side) kidney, and then decreased to the normal level; There was no significant difference in the cell number of the non obstructive kidney between UUO group and sham group; The immunofluorescence intensity expression of Wnt/β- catenin of obstructive side (left side) in UUO group was significantly up-regulated in the first 14 days after renal injury, and decreased after 28 days.Conclusions:The development of UUO renal fibrosis involves many changes, including PTC loss, macrophage infiltration, fibroblast activation and expression, but these changes weaken with time.

Objective To discuss the clinical value of real-time myocardial contrast echocardiography ( RT-MCE) on quantitative assessing myocardial perfusion in patients with coronary slow flow ( CSF ) . Methods CSF group contained 14 patients with CSF and 15 cases with normal coronary angiography ( CAG) were involved as control group . The 2D echocardiography and RT-MCE images from standard 3 apical views ( 4-chamber ,2-chamber ,and long-axis) were acquired . All images were digitally stored on hard disks for offline analysis by QLab software . The RT-MCE parameters included myocardial blood volume ( A) , myocardial blood veloity ( β) ,myocardial blood flow ( MBF) were used to predict the impairment of myocardial perfusion in the two groups . Results In CSF group ,the value of β and MBF in abnormal segments were significantly lower than those in normal segments ( P < 0 .001) . There was no significant difference of A between the abnormal segments and the normal segments in CSF group ( P > 0 .05 ) . Compared to the control group ,the value of β and MBF were significantly lower in abnormal segments of CSF group( P < 0 .001) . Comparing the normal segments of two groups ,there was no significant difference in the values of A ,β and MBF ( P > 0 .05) . ROC curve analysis showed the AUC of β was the biggest ( AUC = 0 .867 , P < 0 .001 ) , and when the cut-off value was 1 .34 , the impairment of myocardial microcirculation was best predicted ( sensitivity ,79 .6％ ;specificity ,77 .4％ ) . Conclusions The myocardial perfusion in patients with CSF can be appraised by RT-MCE quantitatively . The value of β can identify the early impairment of myocardial microcirculation perfusion in patients with CSF and has the promising prospect of clinical diagnosis .

Objective:To investigate the influence of indoxyl sulfate(IS), a typical protein-bound uremic toxin, on left atrial (LA) functional strains using three-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography (3DSTE).Methods:From May 2019 to January 2020, 128 individuals were consecutively enrolled, including 37 healthy controls and 91 patients, who received maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) in the blood purification center of Zhongshan Hospital affiliated to Fudan University. Conventional echocardiographic parameters and 3DSTE datas of LA were obtained on interdialytic days.LA reservoir, conduit and contraction strains (LASr, LAScd and LASct) were calculated and compared. IS concentration in plasma was assessed by high-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry in the MHD cohort.According to the IS concentration, the MHD group was divided into high and low IS (HI and LI) groups. The LA data were also compared between the two groups and linear regression analysis was used to identify independent impact factors of LA strains.Results:Compared to the control group, MHD group had markedly enlarged LA volumes( P<0.05). With regard to the LA phasic strains, both of LASr and LAScd were decreased( P<0.05), while LASct remained unchanged( P>0.05). Compared to the LI group, LASr, LAScd and LASct of the HI group were significantly decreased(all P<0.05). Correlation analysis showed IS concentration correlated well with LASr( rs=-0.674, P<0.001), LAScd( rs=0.454, P<0.001) and LASct( rs=0.376, P<0.001). After adjustment of age, systolic blood pressure, left ventricular mass index(LVMI), and pulmonary systolic pressure, IS concentration remained independently associated with LASr (β=-0.206, 95% CI=-0.353--0.059, P=0.007). Conclusions:In MHD patients, LA is enlarged, and its reservoir function and conduit function are impaired.LA strains derived from 3DSTE are independently related to the IS concentration in plasma, which can be used for the monitoring and evaluation of IS induced cardiac injury.

Objective:To evaluate the hemodynamic changes and short-term (one year) outcomes after superficial temporal artery(STA)-middle cerebral artery (MCA) bypass by vascular ultrasonography.Methods:Operation group included a total of 41 hemispheres of 38 patients who underwent STA-MCA bypass for severe stenosis or occlusion of MCA or severe stenosis or occlusion of internal carotid artery(ICA), or Moyamoya disease at Xuanwu Hospital between August 2017 and June 2020. The following examinations were performed in all patients: cranial MRI, CT perfusion imaging, and cerebral angiography. All of the patients were retrospectively followed up for one year postsurgery. Normal group included a total of 40 hemispheres of 20 healthy people who had been examined by vascular ultrasonography of carotid artery and intracranial artery. Inner diameter, peak systolic velocity (PSV), end-diastolic velocity (EDV), mean velocity (MV), resistance index (RI), pulsatility index (PI) and flow of STA, PSV, EDV, MV, PI, RI of external carotid artery (ECA) and PSV, EDV, MV, PI, RI of MCA at 1 week, 6 months and 12 months after STA-MCA bypass of operation group were compared with normal group.Results:①Inner diameter, PSV, MV and flow of STA were increased significantly in operation group at 1 week, 6 and 12 months than normal group (all P<0.05). The flow of STA was decreased significantly from 1 week to 12 months after operation (all P<0.05), but Inner diameter, PSV and MV were only decreased gradually from 1 week to 12 months after operation (all P>0.05). ②STA/ECA PI and RI decreased significantly after operation compared with normal group (all P<0.01). Conclusions:Vascular ultrasonography is a non-invasive examination which can objectively evaluate the extracranial and intracranial hemodynamic changes after STA-MCA bypass, and provide reference effectiveness of the operation. The flow of STA has decreased gradually from 1 week to 12 months after operation to achieve the homeostasis, but it is still higher than normal.STA/ECA PI and RI can be a steady indirect pointer to show the fluency of bypass.

AIM:To establish a severe pneumonia mouse model induced by bacterial infection.METHODS:A total of 102 male SPF C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into a control group and a model group.Klebsiella pneu-moniae was administered via tracheal instillation at a concentration of 5×109 CFU.Mice were euthanized on days 1,2,4,8,and 14 post-infection to assess general condition,body weight,mortality,white blood cell and neutrophil counts,in-flammatory markers,and pathological changes in lung,heart,liver,spleen,kidney,and intestinal tissues.RESULTS:Mice in the model group exhibited symptoms such as dyspnea and huddling from 6 hours to 4 days post-infection,which progressively worsened,accompanied by continuous weight loss(P<0.01).These symptoms gradually resolved between days 5 and 14.Arterial oxygen saturation in the model group dropped to 80.7%from days 1 to 8(P<0.01)but returned to normal from days 9 to 14.A total of 23 model mice died between days 1 and 9,with no deaths thereafter,resulting in a mortality rate of 31.9%(P<0.01).Pathological examination revealed inflammatory cell infiltration,congestion,and ede-ma in lung tissue from days 1 to 2,with continued inflammatory cell infiltration,alveolar structural disorganization from days 4 to 8,and alveolar rupture and fusion by day 14(P<0.05 or P<0.01).Additionally,model mice showed significant increases in neutrophil count,white blood cell count,protein content in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid,total cell count,neutrophil ratio,and levels of inflammatory factors tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α),interleukin-1β(IL-1β)and IL-6 in peripheral blood from days 1 to 8(P<0.05 or P<0.01).No significant pathological changes were observed in heart and liver tissues,while spleen,kidney,and intestinal tissues exhibited notable pathological changes:indistinct boundaries be-tween red and white pulp in the spleen,significant congestion and edema around renal glomeruli,renal tubules,and col-lecting ducts,and extensive inflammatory cell infiltration in the colonic mucosa.CONCLUSION:Tracheal instillation of 5×109 CFU Klebsiella pneumoniae induces severe pathological changes in the lungs of mice,offering a robust model for studying the pathogenesis and treatment of severe pneumonia.

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is involved in both physiological and pathological processes. EMT plays an essential role in the invasion, migration and metastasis of tumours. Autophagy has been shown to regulate EMT in a variety of cancers but not in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Herein, we investigated whether autophagy also regulates EMT in HNSCC. Analyses of clinical data from three public databases revealed that higher expression of fibronectin-1 (FN1) correlated with poorer prognosis and higher tumour pathological grade in HNSCC. Data from SCC-25 cells demonstrated that rapamycin and Earle's balanced salt solution (EBSS) promoted autophagy, leading to increased FN1 degradation, while 3-methyladenine (3-MA), bafilomycin A1 (Baf A1) and chloroquine (CQ) inhibited autophagy, leading to decreased FN1 degradation. On the other hand, autophagic flux was blocked in BECN1 mutant HNSCC Cal-27 cells, and rapamycin did not promote autophagy in Cal-27 cells; also in addition, FN1 degradation was inhibited. Further, we identified FN1 degradation through the lysosome-dependent degradation pathway using the proteasome inhibitor MG132. Data from immunoprecipitation assays also showed that p62/SQSTM1 participated as an autophagy adapter in the autophagy-lysosome pathway of FN1 degradation. Finally, data from immunoprecipitation assays demonstrated that the interaction between p62 and FN1 was abolished in p62 mutant MCF-7 and A2780 cell lines. These results indicate that autophagy significantly promotes the degradation of FN1. Collectively, our findings clearly suggest that FN1, as a marker of EMT, has adverse effects on HNSCC and elucidate the autophagy-lysosome degradation mechanism of FN1.
Autophagy ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Female ; Fibronectins ; Humans ; Lysosomes/metabolism* ; Ovarian Neoplasms ; Sequestosome-1 Protein/metabolism* ; Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck