Lipocalin-2 (LCN2), a member of the human lipocalin family, has been demonstrated to be closely associated with diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and renal disorders. Recent studies have indicated that LCN2 plays a significant regulatory role in the pathogenesis and progression of various neurological diseases by mediating pathways such as inflammation, oxidative stress, and ferroptosis. This article reviews the research advancements on the mechanism of LCN2 in neurological disorders, including cerebrovascular diseases, cognitive impairment disorders, Parkinson's disease, depression, and anxiety disorders, aiming to enhance clinical understanding.

OBJECTIVES: In the early stage of central cervical disc herniation, clinical symptoms may be mild. However, as the spinal cord becomes compressed by herniated nucleus pulposus tissue, progressive edema and degeneration may occur, resulting in more severe clinical manifestations, including limb weakness, bladder and bowel dysfunction, spastic paraplegia of the lower extremities, and even respiratory difficulty. The spinal endoscopic Key-hole technique is widely applied in treating radiculopathic cervical spondylosis and has demonstrated good clinical outcomes. This study aims to analyze and summarize the technical points and therapeutic efficacy of the far lateral Key-hole technique in the treatment of central cervical disc herniation, providing reference for clinical application. METHODS: Eight patients with central cervical disc herniation treated with the far lateral Key-hole technique were included as the experimental group. Another 8 patients who underwent single-level anterior cervical diskectomy and fusion (ACDF) during the same period were selected as the control group. Data collected included gender, age, intraoperative blood loss, incision length, and length of hospitalization. Pain severity was evaluated using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS); cervical function was assessed using the Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) score; and cervical disability was measured by the neck disability index (NDI). Radiological outcomes were assessed using disc height index (DHI), cervical Cobb angle, and operative segment Cobb angle. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, the experimental group had significantly less intraoperative blood loss, shorter incision length, and shorter hospital stay (all P<0.05), while there was no significant difference in operation time (P>0.05). Postoperative VAS and NDI scores in both groups were significantly lower than preoperative values, and JOA scores significantly improved (P<0.05). No significant differences were noted between the two groups preoperatively (P>0.05). Postoperatively, the experimental group showed significantly lower VAS and NDI scores and higher JOA scores than the control group (P<0.05). There was no statistical significance in DHI before and after surgery in the experimental group (P>0.05), while the DHI increased significantly postoperatively in the control group (P<0.05). Postoperative DHI in the experimental group was significantly lower than in the control group (P<0.05). No significant differences were observed in the cervical Cobb angle either within or between groups (all P>0.05). The operative segment Cobb angle increased significantly after surgery in the control group (P<0.05), while no other operative segment angle changes were statistically significant (all P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS The far lateral Key-hole technique offers advantages in treating central cervical disc herniation, including reduced intraoperative bleeding, smaller incision length, shorter hospitalization, and improved postoperative pain relief. Additionally, the technique does not affect cervical physiological curvature or stability in the short term, making it suitable for clinical application.
Humans ; Intervertebral Disc Displacement/surgery* ; Cervical Vertebrae/surgery* ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Adult ; Diskectomy/methods* ; Treatment Outcome ; Spinal Fusion/methods* ; Endoscopy/methods*

N⁶-methyladenosine (m⁶A) modification plays a critical role in cell cycle regulation, while the mechanism of m⁶A in regulating mitosis remains underexplored. Here, we found that the total m⁶A modification level in cells increased during mitosis by the liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry and m⁶A dot blot assays. Silencing methyltransferase-like 3 (METTL3) or METTL14 results in delayed mitosis, abnormal spindle assembly, and chromosome segregation defects by the immunofluorescence. By analyzing transcriptome-wide m⁶A targets in HeLa cells, we identified polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1) as a key gene modified by m⁶A in regulating mitosis. Specifically, through immunoblotting and RNA pulldown, m⁶A modification inhibits PLK1 translation via YTH N⁶-methyladenosine RNA binding protein 1, thus mediating cell cycle homeostasis. Demethylation of PLK1 mRNA leads to significant mitotic abnormalities. These findings highlight the critical role of m⁶A in regulating mitosis and the potential of m⁶A as a therapeutic target in proliferative diseases such as cancer.
Humans ; Polo-Like Kinase 1 ; Cell Cycle Proteins/metabolism* ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins/metabolism* ; Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases/metabolism* ; Mitosis/physiology* ; HeLa Cells ; Adenosine/genetics* ; Methyltransferases/metabolism* ; RNA, Messenger/metabolism* ; RNA-Binding Proteins/metabolism*

Objective To prepare decellularized scaffolds from rabbit cartilage at various concentrations and assess their physicochemical properties and compatibility with stem cells to provide an experimental basis for cartilage repair.Methods Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells(BMSCs)were cultured using the Percoll density gradient separation method,and this was followed by flow cytometric analysis and testing of their osteogenic and chondrogenic differentiation capabilities.Cartilage pieces were excised from rabbit knees and hip joints and subjected to physical crushing,repeated freeze-thaw cycles,and mixed enzymatic digestion for decellularization.To compare and observe the physicochemical properties of the decellularized scaffolds at different concentrations,three groups of scaffolds(labelwd A,B,and C)were designed with concentrations of 100％,50％and 30％,with three replicates each.Third-generation PKH26-labeled BMSCs were seeded onto optimally concentrated scaffolds and cultured for 1 week to observe cell growth.Results Flow cytometry detected BMSC surface antigens with positive expression of CD44 and CD90 and negative expression of CD45.Osteogenic induction stained with alizarin red showed red calcific nodules,and chondrogenic induction stained with alcian blue showed blue cartilaginous nodules.No apparent cell morphology was observed in the three groups of scaffolds stained with hematoxylin-eosin,and toluidine blue.There was a significant difference in DNA concentration between decellularized samples and non-decellularized scaffolds(P＜0.05).The content of glycosaminoglycans was slightly lower than the normal values.Significant differences were observed between the three groups of scaffolds in terms of pore size,water absorption,porosity,tensile strength,and Young's modulus(P＜0.05).After co-cultivation of stem cells with the scaffolds,cell adhesion was found to be good.Conclusions Percoll density gradient separation can obtain high-purity rabbit BMSCs,and the mixed decellularization method is superior.Group B scaffolds were the most suitable for tissue-engineered cartilage repair.BMSCs cultured in vitro grew well on Group B scaffolds.

Objective:To analyze and compare the health education efforts of respiratory infectious diseases at home and abroad.Methods:The literature related to health education and popular science of respiratory infectious diseases included in the databases of China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) and Web of Science (WOS) from January 1, 2003 to December 31, 2023 was searched. A total of 4 686 articles were retrieved in CNKI, 1 540 articles unrelated to the theme were excluded, and 3 146 Chinese articles were obtained. In the WOS database, 7 724 articles were retrieved, 3 685 articles about the clinical mechanism of diseases, pharmacology, and other research topics were excluded, and 4 039 English articles were obtained. The information of annual publications, institutions, authors and keywords was analyzed by using CiteSpace visualization software, and the publication status, research hotspots and development trends of health education related to respiratory infectious diseases at home and abroad were analyzed.Results:Since 2003, the number of publications in health education on respiratory infectious diseases at home and abroad had shown a fluctuating growth trend, and in 2020, the field showed a sharp growth trend at home and abroad. There was no core author group in this field in China, and the network density of domestic authors was 0.006 5, and the network density of foreign authors was 0.009 6. The domestic institutions were mainly the Center for Disease Control and Prevention and medical institutions, including Guangzhou Chest Hospital (29 articles) and the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (10 articles); Foreign research institutions were mainly higher education institutions, including the University of London (91 articles) and Harvard University (67 articles). The network density of domestic was 0.001 3, and the network density of foreign publishing institutions was 0.026 3, the network density was greater than that of Chinese publishing institutions. The emergence of "COVID-19" "Avian influenza" "Knowledge, Attitude, Practice" and "mental health" in China had strong burst (burst intensity: 46.41, 12.12, 10.33, 8.5); "Coronavirus" "coverage" "Avian influenza" and "COVID-19 vaccine" in foreign countries had strong burst (burst intensity: 14.34, 11.06, 10.73, 10.02).Conclusions:At present, the health education of respiratory infectious diseases at home and abroad has received great attention. But the cooperation between domestic authors and research institutions is loose, and the close collaboration needs to be strengthened. There are differences in the research focus of health education on respiratory infectious diseases at home and abroad.

Objective:To evaluate the effect of autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (ASCT) on the treatment of relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM) with chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR-T) therapy.Methods:A retrospective cohort study. The clinical data of 168 patients with RRMM who underwent CAR-T therapy at the Department of Hematology, Xuzhou Medical University Hospital from 3 January 2020 to 13 September 2022 were analyzed. Patients were classified into a transplantation group (TG; n=47) and non-transplantation group (NTG; n=121) based on whether or not they had undergone ASCT previously. The objective response rate (ORR), progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS) and the levels of CD3, CD4, CD8, CD19, CD56 and natural killer (NK) cells before CAR-T infusion were analyzed by χ2 test, Kaplan-Meier method and independent sample t-test. Results:Among 168 patients with RRMM, 98 (58.3%) were male. The median age of onset was 57 (range 30-70) years. After CAR-T therapy, the ORR of patients was 89.3% (92/103) in the NTG and 72.9% (27/73) in the TG. The ORR of the NTG was better than that of the TG ( χ2=5.71, P=0.017). After 1 year of CAR-T therapy, the ORR of the NTG was 78.1% (75/96), and that of the TG was 59.4% (19/32). The ORR of the NTG was better than that of the TG ( χ2=4.32, P=0.038). The median OS and PFS in the NTG were significantly longer than those in the TG (OS, 30 vs. 20 months; PFS, 26 vs. 12 months; both P<0.05). The CD4 level before CAR-T infusion in the TG was significantly lower than that in the NTG (25.65±13.56 vs. 32.64±17.21; t=-2.15, P=0.034), and there were no significant differences in the counts of CD3, CD8, CD19, CD56, and NK cells between the TG and NTG (all P>0.05). Conclusion:Among patients suffering from RRMM who received CAR-T therapy, patients who did not receive ASCT had significantly better outcomes than those who had received ASCT previously, which may have been related to the CD4 level before receiving CAR-T therapy.

Objective To evaluate both the causal relationship between plasma metabolites and the risk of knee osteoarthritis(KOA)and the potential mediating or masking effect of immune cells using Mendelian randomization(MR)systems.Methods The GWAS data on 1400 plasma metabolites,731 immune cell traits and KOA was retrieved from the genome-wide association study(GWAS)database.Two-way MR analysis was used to evaluate the causal relationship between plasma metabolism and KOA.Two-step mediation MR analysis was conducted to evaluate immune cell traits that might have mediating or masking effects.Results After sensitivity analysis and screening,65 plasma metabolites and 35 immune cell traits were found to have causal relationships with KOA(P＜0.05).Mediation analysis found that CD45RA+CD28-CD8br％CD8br had a mediating effect in the causal relationship between three metabolites(2-hydroxyhi-ppurate,X-07765,X-23739)and the risk of KOA.2-hydroxyhippurate(salicylic acid)exerted a masking effect,and the effect ratio was 0.0412.Conclusion A variety of plasma metabolites and immune cell traits are causally related to KOA,which should not be regarded as a simple degenerative joint disease.The protective effect of salicylic acid against KOA may be weakened by its role in inducing the differentiation of Treg cells,which is worthy of more studies.

Background::Although overnight fasting is recommended prior to endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP), the benefits and safety of high-carbohydrate fluid diet (CFD) intake 2 h before ERCP remain unclear. This study aimed to analyze whether high-CFD intake 2 h before ERCP can be safe and accelerate patients’ recovery.Methods::This prospective, multicenter, randomized controlled trial involved 15 tertiary ERCP centers. A total of 1330 patients were randomized into CFD group ( n = 665) and fasting group ( n = 665). The CFD group received 400 mL of maltodextrin orally 2 h before ERCP, while the control group abstained from food/water overnight (>6 h) before ERCP. All ERCP procedures were performed using deep sedation with intravenous propofol. The investigators were blinded but not the patients. The primary outcomes included postoperative fatigue and abdominal pain score, and the secondary outcomes included complications and changes in metabolic indicators. The outcomes were analyzed according to a modified intention-to-treat principle. Results::The post-ERCP fatigue scores were significantly lower at 4 h (4.1 ± 2.6 vs. 4.8 ± 2.8, t = 4.23, P <0.001) and 20 h (2.4 ± 2.1 vs. 3.4 ± 2.4, t= 7.94, P <0.001) in the CFD group, with least-squares mean differences of 0.48 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.26–0.71, P <0.001) and 0.76 (95% CI: 0.57–0.95, P <0.001), respectively. The 4-h pain scores (2.1 ± 1.7 vs. 2.2 ± 1.7, t = 2.60, P = 0.009, with a least-squares mean difference of 0.21 [95% CI: 0.05–0.37]) and positive urine ketone levels (7.7% [39/509] vs. 15.4% [82/533], χ2 = 15.13, P <0.001) were lower in the CFD group. The CFD group had significantly less cholangitis (2.1% [13/634] vs. 4.0% [26/658], χ2 = 3.99, P = 0.046) but not pancreatitis (5.5% [35/634] vs. 6.5% [43/658], χ2 = 0.59, P = 0.444). Subgroup analysis revealed that CFD reduced the incidence of complications in patients with native papilla (odds ratio [OR]: 0.61, 95% CI: 0.39–0.95, P = 0.028) in the multivariable models. Conclusion::Ingesting 400 mL of CFD 2 h before ERCP is safe, with a reduction in post-ERCP fatigue, abdominal pain, and cholangitis during recovery.Trail Registration::ClinicalTrials.gov, No. NCT03075280.

Objective: To compare the effects of aerobic exercise, resistance training, and a combination of aerobic exercise and resistance training (combined exercise) with dietary restrictions on inflammatory factors and gut microbiota in obese children, so as to provide the reference for improving the health level of obese children. Methods: From August to September 2022, a total of 70 obese children aged 10-12 from the Affiliated Experimental Primary School of Minjiang Normal University were recruited through online notifications and WeChat distribution through parent groups. Participants were divided into dietary restriction (DR, n=18) group, aerobic exercise combined with dietary restriction (AE+DR, n=18) group, resistance training combined with dietary restriction (RT+DR, n=17) group and combined exercise combined with dietary restriction (ART+DR, n=17) group,through random number table method. From September to November 2022, each group received different interventions.The daily dietary intake of calories in the DR group was determined according to resting energy consumption. The AE+DR group intervention mainly included skipping rope, aerobics exercises, jogging and sports games, and were maintained for each session lasting 50 minutes. For RT+DR group, the exercise intensity of resistance training was (65%-85%) maximum strength, with a total of 10 actions. The ART+DR group included resistance training (20 minutes), aerobic exercise (20 minutes), preparation and relaxation phases for 5 minutes each. The DR and exercise intervention was administered for 8 weeks (4 times a week for Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday). Before and after different intervention methods, serum inflammatory factors were detected by enzymelinked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and intestinal flora was calculated by plate colony counting method. Results: Compared to those before intervention, the levels of serum TNF-α, IL-6 and CRP, and the contents of enterococcus and escherichia coli in the faeces significantly decreased, while the contents of lactobacillus and bifidobacterium in the faeces significantly increased after intervention (t=7.19，7.15，4.57，5.42，5.15，-3.51，-7.30；5.14，3.64，3.02，3.27，5.00，-3.09，-3.75；7.10，10.86，7.74，10.92，9.26，-6.63，-6.33，P<0.05) in AE+DR, RT+DR and ART+DR groups. The levels of serum TNF-α and CRP and enterococcus decreased significantly, and the contents of lactobacillus and bifidobacterium in the faeces increased significantly after intervention (t=2.74, 2.22, 2.14, -2.21, -2.81, P<0.05) in the DR Group. After 8 weeks of intervention with different methods, the change differences of enterococcus, escherichia coli, lactobacillus, bifidobacterium in the faeces, and serum TNF-α, IL-6 and CRP levels were statistically significantin the four groups of obese children (H=22.22, 23.75, 13.44, 28.33, 18.02, 33.64, 25.14, P<0.01). In addition, the decreases of enterococcus in the faeces and serum TNF-α, IL-6, CRP levels, and the increases of lactobacillus in the faeces were significantly higher than those in the other three groups. Conclusions Dietary restriction alone or combined with different exercises bring beneficial changes in the inflammatory factors and gut microbiota indicators in obese children. Combined exercise,as well as aerobic exercise combined with dietary restrictions are more reasonable and effective in obese children.

Objective To explore the effects of fecal microbiota transplantation(FMT)on oxalate metabolism and renal protection in rats fed a high oxalate diet.Methods Twenty-four male SD rats were randomly divided into four groups:SC,SC+FMT,OD+PBS and OD+FMT.The SC group was set as the control group and was fed standard rat chow.The OD+PBS group and OD+FMT group were fed a diet containing 5%oxalate.Starting from day 14,the OD+PBS group,OD+FMT group and SC+FMT group received intragastric administration of PBS solution or filtered faecal microbiota solution from guinea pigs for 7 consecutive days.The 24-hour urine,feces,and venous serum of the rats were collected from the rats of all groups to determine the gut microbiota and biochemical markers.Real-time quantitative PCR and immunohistochemistry were conducted on the rat kidneys to detect the expression of renin,ACE,and OPN.Results The fecal microbiota transplantation altered the gut microbiota of rats.The gut microbiota of the SC+FMT group deviated from that of the SC group and showed increased similarity to that of the guinea pigs.Compared to the OD+PBS group,the OD+FMT group exhibited significant reductions in the urinary oxalate,urinary urea,uric acid,urinary creatinine,serum urea nitrogen/creati-nine,and serum uric acid.Furthermore,after FMT treatment,the OD+FMT group exhibited reduced upregulation of renin mRNA expression and restored downregulation of OPN mRNA expression compared to the OD+PBS group;similar results were obtained from immunohistochemistry.Conclusion Fecal microbiome trans-plantation activated the microbial network in the rat gut,particularly the oxalate-degrading bacteria represented by Muribaculaceae.The kidney injury induced by high oxalate was partially restored by the microbiota network's degradation of oxalate,indicating the protective effect of fecal microbiota transplantation on the rat kidneys.