OBJECTIVE: To investigate the role of telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) in alleviating doxorubicin (DOX)-induced cardiotoxicity. METHODS: (1) Cell experiments: rat H9c2 cardiomyocytes were divided into control group (CON group), null adenovirus transfection group (NC group), TERT overexpression adenovirus transfection group (TERT group), DOX group (treated with 1 μmol/L DOX for 12 hours), DOX+NC group, and DOX+TERT group (null adenovirus or TERT overexpression adenovirus were transfected for 24 hours and then treated with 1 μmol/L DOX for 12 hours). The mRNA expression of TERT in cardiomyocytes was detected by real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). The level of mitochondrial membrane potential was detected by immunofluorescence. The expression levels of intracellular Bax, Bcl-2, microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LC3) and p62 were detected by Western blotting. (2) Animal experiments: male C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into a sham operation group (Sham group), DOX group (acute cardiotoxicity model was constructed by intraperitoneal injection of DOX 15 mg/kg), DOX+NC group and DOX+TERT group (modeled after transfection with airborne adenovirus or TERT overexpression adenovirus for 7 days). After 7 days of modeling, the area of myocardial fibrosis was detected by Sirius scarlet staining, and cardiac function was detected by echocardiography. RESULTS: (1) Cellular experiments: the mRNA expression level of TERT was significantly higher in the TERT group compared with the CON and NC groups. Compared with the CON group, the TERT mRNA expression level of cardiomyocytes in the DOX group and the DOX+NC group were significantly lower, the level of mitochondrial membrane potential was significantly lower, the protein expressions of Bax and LC3 were significantly increased, and the protein expressions of Bcl-2 and p62 were significantly decreased. No significant differences were found between the DOX group and DOX+NC group. Compared with the DOX group and DOX+NC group, the TERT mRNA expression level was increased in the DOX+TERT group (relative expression: 1.02±0.10 vs. 0.61±0.05, 0.54±0.03, both P < 0.05), the level of mitochondrial membrane potential was significantly increased (1.14±0.05 vs. 0.96±0.01, 0.96±0.01, both P < 0.05), the protein expressions of Bax and LC3 were significantly decreased, and the protein expressions of Bcl-2 and p62 were significantly increased (Bax/β-actin: 0.88±0.01 vs. 1.31±0.02, 1.26±0.01; LC3-II/I: 2.16±0.05 vs. 2.64±0.06, 2.58±0.02; Bcl-2/β-actin: 0.65±0.01 vs. 0.40±0.01, 0.41±0.01; p62/β-actin: 0.45±0.01 vs. 0.23±0.02, 0.29±0.01; all P < 0.05). (2) Animal experiments: compared with the Sham group, the percentage of myocardial fibrosis area was significantly increased and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and fractional shortening (FS) were significantly decreased in the DOX group and DOX+NC group. Compared with the DOX group and DOX+NC group, the percentage of myocardial fibrotic area was significantly decreased in the DOX+TERT group (%: 2.33±0.06 vs. 3.76±0.07, 3.87±0.06, both P < 0.05), and the LVEF and FS were significantly increased [LVEF (%): 67.00±1.14 vs. 54.60±1.57, 53.40±2.18; FS (%): 38.60±0.51 vs. 30.60±1.10, 30.00±0.71; all P < 0.05]. CONCLUSION Up-regulation of TERT expression can inhibit DOX-induced cardiomyocyte autophagy and apoptosis, attenuate DOX-induced myocardial fibrosis in mice, improve cardiac function, and thus alleviate DOX-induced cardiotoxicity.
Animals ; Doxorubicin/toxicity* ; Telomerase/metabolism* ; Myocytes, Cardiac/metabolism* ; Rats ; Male ; Cardiotoxicity ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Mice ; Membrane Potential, Mitochondrial ; Adenoviridae ; bcl-2-Associated X Protein/metabolism* ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2/metabolism* ; Transfection ; Apoptosis

Assisted reproductive technology （ART） can address the issues faced by infertile couples and help families achieve their desine to have children. Starting from both theoretical and practical basis， this paper introduced a discussion on the legitimacy of ART application for single women. The challenges encountered by single women in ART application were objectively analyzed， including untimely legislation， unclear applicable subjects， the commodification of sperm and eggs， inadequate institutional guarantees， and insufficient safeguarding of offspring’s rights and interests， etc. This paper proposed solutions to the problems encountered by single women in ART application， including adhering to the relevant principles， strengthening legislative norms， clarifying the applicable subjects， providing institutional guarantees， safeguarding the offspring’s rights and interests， and seeking a balance between ethics and law. It aimed to provide references for related wrok， assisting single women in achieving a balance between ethics and law in ART application and protecting the reproductive rights of single women to the greatest extent.

Objective To explore the applicative value of blue Laser imaging combined with magnifying endoscope(BLI+ME)system for the lesion of esophagogastric junction(EGJ).Methods Retrospective study endoscopic and pathological reported during February 2022 to February 2024.6 803 patients who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria were enrolled.They were divided into BLI+ME group(2 931 cases)and white light imaging group(WLI group,3 872 cases)according to the different gastroscopy types used in the examination.Finally,the EGJ biopsy rate,positive biopsy rate,detection rate of various lesions and early diagnosis rate between the two groups were compared.Results The biopsy rate of the BLI+ME group was 27.60%,the positive biopsy rate was 68.73%,and the detection rate of all the lesions was 20.74%,the detection rate of non-cancerous lesions was 20.30%,the detection rate of early cancer was 0.10%,the detection rate of non-cancerous lesions above the dentate line was 5.53%,the detection rate of non-cancerous lesions below the dentate line was 14.77%,the detection rate of cancerous lesions below the dentate line was 0.27%,significantly higher than those of the WLI group,which the biopsy rate was 17.74%,the positive biopsy rate was 60.26%,and the detection rate of all the lesions was 11.90%,the detection rate of non-cancerous lesions was 11.67%,the detection rate of early cancer was 0.00%,the detection rate of non-cancerous lesions above the dentate line was 3.49%,the detection rate of non-cancerous lesions below the dentate line was 8.19%,the detection rate of cancerous lesions below the dentate line was 0.05%,the differences were statistically significant(P＜0.05).Conclusion The BLI+ME system can enhance the biopsy rate,positive biopsy rate,the detection rate of all the lesions,early cancer detection rate,non-cancerous lesions detection rate above and below the dentate line,and cancerous lesions detection rate below the dentate line at the EGJ.It is helpful to improve the early diagnosis rate and early treatment rate of EGJ.It is worthy of clinical application.

Objective To explore the applicative value of blue Laser imaging combined with magnifying endoscope(BLI+ME)system for the lesion of esophagogastric junction(EGJ).Methods Retrospective study endoscopic and pathological reported during February 2022 to February 2024.6 803 patients who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria were enrolled.They were divided into BLI+ME group(2 931 cases)and white light imaging group(WLI group,3 872 cases)according to the different gastroscopy types used in the examination.Finally,the EGJ biopsy rate,positive biopsy rate,detection rate of various lesions and early diagnosis rate between the two groups were compared.Results The biopsy rate of the BLI+ME group was 27.60%,the positive biopsy rate was 68.73%,and the detection rate of all the lesions was 20.74%,the detection rate of non-cancerous lesions was 20.30%,the detection rate of early cancer was 0.10%,the detection rate of non-cancerous lesions above the dentate line was 5.53%,the detection rate of non-cancerous lesions below the dentate line was 14.77%,the detection rate of cancerous lesions below the dentate line was 0.27%,significantly higher than those of the WLI group,which the biopsy rate was 17.74%,the positive biopsy rate was 60.26%,and the detection rate of all the lesions was 11.90%,the detection rate of non-cancerous lesions was 11.67%,the detection rate of early cancer was 0.00%,the detection rate of non-cancerous lesions above the dentate line was 3.49%,the detection rate of non-cancerous lesions below the dentate line was 8.19%,the detection rate of cancerous lesions below the dentate line was 0.05%,the differences were statistically significant(P＜0.05).Conclusion The BLI+ME system can enhance the biopsy rate,positive biopsy rate,the detection rate of all the lesions,early cancer detection rate,non-cancerous lesions detection rate above and below the dentate line,and cancerous lesions detection rate below the dentate line at the EGJ.It is helpful to improve the early diagnosis rate and early treatment rate of EGJ.It is worthy of clinical application.

Objective: To comprehensively assess the current status of extrauterine growth restriction (EUGR) in very preterm infants (VPI) and its associated factors in Chinese neonatal intensive care units (NICU). Methods: In this cohort study, 6 179 preterm infants born at <32 weeks' gestation were included, who were admitted to 57 hospitals in the China Neonatal Network in 2019 and hospitalized for ≥7 days. EUGR was evaluated by a cross-sectional definition (weight at discharge<10^th percentile for postmenstrual age), a longitudinal definition (decline in weight Z score>1 from birth to discharge), and weight growth velocity. The comparison between infants with and without EUGR was conducted by t-test, Mann-Whitney U test or χ² test as appropriate. Multivariable Logistic regression models were used to evaluate associations between EUGR with different definitions and maternal and neonatal factors, clinical practices, and neonatal morbidities. Results: A total of 6 179 VPI were enrolled in the study, with a gestational age of (29.8±1.5) weeks and birth weight of (1 365±304) g; 56.2% (3 474) of them were male. Among them, 48.4% (2 992 VPI) were cross-sectional EUGR and 74.9% (4 628 VPI) were longitudinal EUGR. Z score of weight was (0.13±0.78) at birth and decrease to (-1.35±0.99) at discharge. The weight growth velocity was 10.13 (8.42, 11.66) g/(kg·d). Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that among the influential factors that could be intervened after birth, late attainment of full enteral feeds (OR_adjust=1.01, 95%CI 1.01-1.02, P<0.001; OR_adjust=1.01, 95%CI 1.01-1.02, P<0.001), necrotizing enterocolitis≥Ⅱstage (OR_adjust=2.64, 95%CI 1.60-4.35, P<0.001; OR_adjust=1.62, 95%CI 1.10-2.40, P<0.001) and patent ductus arteriosus (OR_adjust=1.94, 95%CI 1.50-2.51, P<0.001; OR_adjust=1.63, 95%CI 1.29-2.06, P<0.001) were all associated with increased risks of both cross-sectional and longitudinal EUGR. In addition, late initiation of enteral feeds (OR_adjust=1.06, 95%CI 1.02-1.09, P=0.020) and respiratory distress syndrome (OR_adjust=1.45, 95%CI 1.24-1.69, P<0.001) were all associated with cross-sectional EUGR. Breast milk feeding (OR_adjust=1.33, 95%CI 1.05-1.68, P<0.001) was associated with a higher risk of longitudinal EUGR. Conclusions: The incidence of EUGR in VPI in China is high. Some modifiable risk factors provide priorities to improve postnatal growth for VPI. Nutritional management of VPI and the efforts to decrease the incidence of complications are still the focus of clinical management in China.
Female ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Male ; Cohort Studies ; East Asian People ; Infant, Premature ; Infant, Premature, Diseases ; Infant, Very Low Birth Weight ; Intensive Care Units, Neonatal

In the current clinical diagnosis, medical images have become an important basis for diagnosis, and different modes of medical images provide different tissue information and functional information. Single-mode images can only provide single diagnostic information, by which difficult and complicated diseases cannot be diagnosed, and comprehensive and accurate diagnostic results can be obtained only with the help of multiple diagnostic information. The multimodal fusion technology fuses multiple modes of medical images into single-mode images, and thus the single-mode images contain complementary information between multiple modes of images, so that sufficient information for clinical diagnosis can be obtained in a single image. In this paper, the multimodal medical image fusion methods are sorted into two types, namely the traditional fusion method and the fusion method based on deep learning.

This study investigated the effect of Lianmei Qiwu Decoction(LMQWD) on the improvement of cardiac autonomic nerve remodeling in the diabetic rat model induced by the high-fat diet and explored the underlying mechanism of LMQWD through the AMP-activated protein kinase(AMPK)/tropomyosin receptor kinase A(TrkA)/transient receptor potential melastatin 7(TRPM7) signaling pathway. The diabetic rats were randomly divided into a model group, an LMQWD group, an AMPK agonist group, an unloaded TRPM7 adenovirus group(TRPM7-N), an overexpressed TRPM7 adenovirus group(TRPM7), an LMQWD + unloaded TRPM7 adenovirus group(LMQWD+TRPM7-N), an LMQWD + overexpressed TRPM7 adenovirus group(LMQWD+TRPM7), and a TRPM7 channel inhibitor group(TRPM7 inhibitor). After four weeks of treatment, programmed electrical stimulation(PES) was employed to detect the arrhythmia susceptibility of rats. The myocardial cell structure and myocardial tissue fibrosis of myocardial and ganglion samples in diabetic rats were observed by hematoxylin-eosin(HE) staining and Masson staining. The immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence, real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR), and Western blot were adopted to detect the distribution and expression of TRPM7, tyrosine hydroxylase(TH), choline acetyltransferase(ChAT), growth associated protein-43(GAP-43), nerve growth factor(NGF), p-AMPK/AMPK, and other genes and related neural markers. The results showed that LMQWD could significantly reduce the arrhythmia susceptibility and the degree of fibrosis in myocardial tissues, decrease the levels of TH, ChAT, and GAP-43 in the myocardium and ganglion, increase NGF, inhibit the expression of TRPM7, and up-regulate p-AMPK/AMPK and p-TrkA/TrkA levels. This study indicated that LMQWD could attenuate cardiac autonomic nerve remodeling in the diabetic state, and its mechanism was associated with the activation of AMPK, further phosphorylation of TrkA, and inhibition of TRPM7 expression.
Rats ; Animals ; AMP-Activated Protein Kinases/metabolism* ; Nerve Growth Factor/metabolism* ; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental/drug therapy* ; TRPM Cation Channels/metabolism* ; GAP-43 Protein/metabolism* ; Signal Transduction ; Diabetic Neuropathies/genetics* ; Fibrosis

Purpose: To analyze the gene mutation, immune infiltration and tumor growth of primary tumor and distant tumor under different treatment modes. Materials and Methods: Twenty B16 murine melanoma cells were injected subcutaneously into the of both sides of the thigh, simulating a primary tumor and a secondary tumor impacted by the abscopal effect, respectively. They were divided into blank control group, immunotherapy group, radiotherapy group, and radiotherapy combined immunotherapy group. During this period, tumor volume was measured, and RNA sequencing was performed on tumor samples after the test. R software was used to analyze differentially expressed genes, functional enrichment, and immune infiltration. Results: We found that any treatment mode could cause changes in differentially expressed genes, especially the combination treatment. The different therapeutic effects might be caused by gene expression. In addition, the proportions of infiltrating immune cells in the irradiated and abscopal tumors were different. In the combination treatment group, T-cell infiltration in the irradiated site was the most obvious. In the immunotherapy group, CD8+ T-cell infiltration in the abscopal tumor site was obvious, but immunotherapy alone might have a poor prognosis. Whether the irradiated or abscopal tumor was evaluated, radiotherapy combined with anti-programmed cell death protein 1 (anti-PD-1) therapy produced the most obvious tumor control and might have a positive impact on prognosis. Conclusion Combination therapy not only improves the immune microenvironment but may also have a positive impact on prognosis.

Radiation enteritis is a kind of intestinal radiation injury in patients with pelvic and retroperitoneal malignancies after radiotherapy, and its occurrence and development process are very complicated. At present, studies have confirmed that intestinal microecological imbalance is an important factor in the formation of this disease. Abdominal radiation causes changes in the composition of the flora and a decrease in its diversity, which is mainly manifested by a decrease in beneficial bacterial species such as Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria. Intestinal dysbacteriosis aggravates radiation enteritis, weakens the function of the intestinal epithelial barrier, and promotes the expression of inflammatory factors, thereby aggravating the occurrence of enteritis. Given the role of the microbiome in radiation enteritis, we suggest that the gut microbiota may be a potential biomarker for the disease. Treatment methods such as probiotics, antibiotics, and fecal microbiota transplantation are ways to correct the microbiota and may be an effective way to prevent and treat radiation enteritis. Based on a review of the relevant literature, this paper reviews the mechanism and treatment of intestinal microbes in radiation enteritis.

Objective To investigate the dosimetric effect of truncated regions in computed tomography (CT) images on the targets and organs at risk in volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) for middle thoracic esophageal cancer. Methods CT images of 15 patients with middle thoracic esophageal cancer were selected. Circle masks were used to make the volume of the truncated region account for 10%, 20%, 30%, and 40% of the arm volume, and the corresponding truncated CT images were obtained. The real CT was denoted as CT0. Two radiotherapy plans were made on CT0. One plan was VMAT_1F with full arcs, and the other one was VMAT_3F with arm avoidance. The plans were transplanted to four truncated CT, respectively, and the dosimetric differences between different plans were compared using Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Results Compared with VMAT_1F in CT0, D_mean and V₅ of the lung decreased in VMAT_3F, but D_max of the spinal cord, D_mean of the heart, and V₂₀ of the lung increased. In VMAT_3F, there was no statistically significant difference between the dosimetric parameters in the four truncated CT and those in CT0 (all P > 0.05). In VMAT_1F, except for homogeneity index and D_max of the spinal cord, the dosimetric parameters in four truncated CT were significantly different from those in CT0 (P < 0.05). The dosimetric difference increased with the increase in truncated region-to-volume ratio. Conclusion Complete CT data should be collected in clinical practice, and the radiation field avoiding the truncated regionshould be set if necessary to reduce the influence of the truncated region on dosimetry.