Objective To explore the construction of heart preservation model of empty beating donor based on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). Methods From January 2022 to August 2023, 20 Guangxi Bama miniature pigs weighing 25-30 kg were selected, half male and half female. Under general anesthesia and heparinization, a midline thoracotomy was performed. The pericardium was cut after freeing the anterior and posterior vena cavae, and a perfusion needle was inserted near the brachiocephalic artery in the ascending aorta, connected to a blood collection bag to collect 500-600 mL of blood. The anterior and posterior vena cavae were ligated, the aorta was blocked and perfused with HTK solution to stop the heart beating. The superior and inferior vena cavae were cut off, the right pulmonary vein was decompressed, the aorta and left and right pulmonary arteries and veins were cut off, and the whole heart was removed. An ECMO device was used to continuously perfuse a cardioprotective solution mainly composed of oxygenated warm blood, maintaining the isolated pig heart beating for 8 hours, monitoring (once/hour) ECMO perfusion parameters, blood gas indicators, perfusate electrolytes, inflammatory factors, myocardial enzymes, myoglobin, and troponin levels. Myocardial tissue was taken for hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining to observe myocardial cell damage and evaluate the quality of heart preservation. Results Among the 20 isolated beating pig hearts, 17 successfully resumed beating, 3 experienced ventricular fibrillation, resuscitated after intracardiac electrical defibrillation, and all 20 pig hearts successfully beat for 8 hours. There was no statistical difference in ECMO perfusion parameters, blood gas indicators, perfusate electrolytes, and inflammatory factors at each time point (P>0.05). There were statistical increases in myocardial enzymes, myoglobin, and troponin levels (P<0.05). HE staining results suggested that there was no severe myocardial damage. Conclusion ECMO technology can be used for pig heart preservation with good results, and this study provides experimental evidence for improving heart preservation research in clinical heart transplantation.

BACKGROUND:Ferroptosis is a mode of programmed cell death distinct from apoptosis,necrosis,and other novel cellular deaths,which occurs mainly due to accumulated lipid peroxidation.Ferroptosis has been shown to be involved in the pathological process following subarachnoid hemorrhage.Baicalein,serving as an adept sequestered of iron,evinces its prowess by quelling lipid peroxidative cascades.Nonetheless,the enigma lingers as to whether baicalein possesses the capacity to ameliorate neuronal ferroptosis,elicited in the wake of early brain injury after subarachnoid hemorrhage. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the effect and mechanism of baicalein on neuronal ferroptosis after subarachnoid hemorrhage. METHODS:Primary neuronal cells were extracted from C57BL/6L fetal mice at 16-17 days of gestation.Hemoglobin was used to stimulate primary neuronal cells to simulate an in vitro subarachnoid hemorrhage model.The viability of primary neuronal cells treated with baicalein at concentrations of 5,15,25,50,and 100 μmol/L for 24 hours was detected by CCK-8 assay to determine the optimal concentration of baicalein.Primary neuronal cells were divided into control group,hemoglobin group,and hemoglobin+baicalein group.The levels of reactive oxygen species and malondialdehyde in cells were detected by kits.The mRNA expressions of ferroptosis-related markers PTGS2,SLC7A11,and glutathione peroxidase 4 were detected by RT-PCR.The primary neuronal cells were further divided into control group,SLC7A11 inhibitor Erastin group,hemoglobin group,hemoglobin+baicalein group,and hemoglobin+baicalein+Erastin group.The expression of the ferroptosis related markers SLC7A11 and glutathione peroxidase 4 was detected by western blot assay. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)Baicalein(25 μmol/L)was selected as the following experimental concentration.(2)Compared with the hemoglobin group,the level of malondialdehyde and the level of reactive oxygen species were significantly decreased(P<0.05)in the hemoglobin+baicalein group.(3)Compared with the hemoglobin group,the mRNA expression of PTGS2 significantly decreased,and the mRNA expression of SLC7A11 and glutathione peroxidase 4 significantly increased(P<0.000 1)in the hemoglobin+baicalein group.(4)SLC7A11 inhibitor Erastin could reverse the baicalin-improved ferroptosis effect to a certain extent(P<0.05).(5)The results showed that baicalein could alleviate the ferroptosis of neuronal cells after subarachnoid hemorrhage through the SLC7A11/GPX4 pathway.

Objective:To explore the relationship between spindle and kinetochore-associated protein 3(SKA3), dual-specificity phosphatase 26(DUSP26), and prognosis in elderly patients with non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC).Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on case samples from elderly patients with NSCLC at Xinxiang Central Hospital between January 2020 and May 2023.During surgery, specimens of cancerous and adjacent non-cancerous tissues were collected.The expressions of SKA3 and DUSP26 in these tissues were assessed using immunohistochemistry, and their correlations with clinicopathological characteristics were analyzed.The relationship between SKA3 and DUSP26 in cancer tissues was examined using the Spearman correlation coefficient.After one year of follow-up, the association between SKA3 and DUSP26 expressions in cancer tissues and patient prognosis was evaluated using Kaplan-Meier curves, and prognostic factors were analyzed using the Cox proportional hazards model.Results:In this cohort of 145 elderly patients aged 65 to 85 years(mean age: 72.61±3.87), including 91 males, we observed that the positive expression rates of SKA3 and DUSP26 in cancer tissues were 66.21%(96/145)and 71.03%(103/145), respectively.These rates were significantly higher than those found in para-carcinoma tissues, which were 16.55%(24/145)and 13.79%(20/145), with a P-value of <0.05.Spearman correlation analysis revealed a positive correlation between SKA3 and DUSP26 expression in cancer tissues( r=0.571, P<0.001).Moreover, the proportions of low differentiation, clinical staging at stages Ⅰ-Ⅱ, and lymph node metastasis were significantly higher in the SKA3-positive group compared to the SKA3-negative group( P<0.05), and similarly, these proportions were higher in the DUSP26-positive group than in the DUSP26-negative group( P<0.05).Kaplan-Meier survival analysis indicated that after one year of follow-up, the cumulative survival rates for patients with positive expressions of SKA3 and DUSP26 were 61.46%(59/96)and 58.25%(60/103), respectively, which were significantly lower than those with negative expressions[87.76%(43/49)and 92.86%(39/42), P<0.05].Cox regression analysis identified low differentiation( HR=1.817, 95% CI: 1.294-2.550), clinical staging at stage Ⅲ( HR=1.939, 95% CI: 1.315-2.858), lymph node metastasis( HR=1.898, 95% CI: 1.350-2.670), as well as positive expressions of SKA3( HR=2.071, 95% CI: 1.317-3.257)and DUSP26( HR=2.136, 95% CI: 1.402-3.256)as significant risk factors for prognosis( P<0.05). Conclusions:The expression rates of SKA3 and DUSP26 in cancer tissues are significantly elevated in elderly patients with NSCLC.Furthermore, these two biomarkers are correlated with the degree of differentiation, clinical staging, and lymph node metastasis, indicating their potential utility in evaluating the prognosis of elderly NSCLC patients.

Objective:To observe and analyze the clinical phenotype and genetic characteristics of COL2A1 and COL11A1 de novo mutation (DNM) related Stickler syndrome type Ⅰ and Ⅱ patients. Methods:A family-based cohort study. From December 2023 to November 2024, 4 patients (all probands) with Stickler syndrome diagnosed by clinical and genetic testing in Department of Ophthalmology of People's Hospital of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region and their parents (8 cases) were included in the study. The patients came from 4 unrelated families. A detailed medical history was taken, and the patients underwent best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), refraction, and fundus color photography examinations. Systemic examinations included the oral and facial regions, skeletal, joints, and hearing. Peripheral venous blood samples were collected from the patients and their parents, and genomic DNA was extracted. Whole-exome sequencing was used to screen for pathogenic genes and their loci, which were then validated by Sanger sequencing and combined with segregation analysis in the families to identify candidate gene mutation sites. The candidate variants were assessed for pathogenicity according to the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG) criteria and guidelines for the classification of genetic variants. Additionally, cross-species conservation analysis was performed to determine the evolutionary conservation of wild-type amino acids, and protein three-dimensional modeling techniques were used to characterize the spatial conformational changes of the variant proteins and the alterations in their local hydrogen bond networks.Results:Among the 4 patients, there were 2 males and 2 females; their ages ranged from 3 to 12 years. There were 2 cases of Stickler syndrome type Ⅰ (proband of families 1 and 2) and 2 cases of type Ⅱ (proband of families 3 and 4). The diopters ranged from -8.00 to-18.00 D. BCVA ranged from no light perception to 0.6 -. There were 2 cases each of vitreous membrane-like and "bead-like" opacity. Three cases showed peripapillary atrophy arcs and leopard pattern changes in the retina; one case had bilateral retinal detachment with a large macular hole in the left eye, which had previously been treated with vitrectomy surgery. One case had bilateral sensorineural hearing loss. There were 3 cases of simple micrognathia; one case had a flat nasal bridge, short nose, midface depression, and micrognathia. Two cases had excessive elbow joint extension. The phenotypes of the parents of the 4 patients were normal. Genetic testing results revealed that the probands of families 1 and 2 carried COL2A1 gene c.85+1G>C (M1) splice site variant and c.3950_3951insA (p.M1317Ifs*48) (M2) frameshift variant, respectively; the probands of families 3 and 4 carried COL11A1 gene (NM_001854.4) c.2549 G>T (p.G850V) (M3) missense variant and c.3816+6T>C (M4) splice site variant, respectively. The parents did not carry the related gene variants. Among them, M2, M3, and M4 are newly reported DNM. According to the ACMG guidelines, they were all considered likely pathogenic. The cross-species conservation analysis results showed that the wild-type amino acid of the COL11A1 gene M3 missense variant was highly conserved across multiple different species. Protein local structure modeling analysis revealed that the COL2A1 gene M2 frameshift variant and the COL11A1 gene M3 missense variant significantly altered the tertiary structure conformation of the protein, leading to abnormal spatial arrangement and hydrogen bond network in the key functional domains Conclusion:The COL2A1 gene M1 splice site variant, M2 frameshift variant, and the COL11A1 gene M3 missense variant, M4 splice site variant are respectively the potential pathogenic genes for families 1, 2, and families 3, 4; leading to the onset of Stickler syndrome type Ⅰ in families 1 and 2, and type Ⅱ in families 3 and 4.

Objective:To explore the relationship between spindle and kinetochore-associated protein 3(SKA3), dual-specificity phosphatase 26(DUSP26), and prognosis in elderly patients with non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC).Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on case samples from elderly patients with NSCLC at Xinxiang Central Hospital between January 2020 and May 2023.During surgery, specimens of cancerous and adjacent non-cancerous tissues were collected.The expressions of SKA3 and DUSP26 in these tissues were assessed using immunohistochemistry, and their correlations with clinicopathological characteristics were analyzed.The relationship between SKA3 and DUSP26 in cancer tissues was examined using the Spearman correlation coefficient.After one year of follow-up, the association between SKA3 and DUSP26 expressions in cancer tissues and patient prognosis was evaluated using Kaplan-Meier curves, and prognostic factors were analyzed using the Cox proportional hazards model.Results:In this cohort of 145 elderly patients aged 65 to 85 years(mean age: 72.61±3.87), including 91 males, we observed that the positive expression rates of SKA3 and DUSP26 in cancer tissues were 66.21%(96/145)and 71.03%(103/145), respectively.These rates were significantly higher than those found in para-carcinoma tissues, which were 16.55%(24/145)and 13.79%(20/145), with a P-value of <0.05.Spearman correlation analysis revealed a positive correlation between SKA3 and DUSP26 expression in cancer tissues( r=0.571, P<0.001).Moreover, the proportions of low differentiation, clinical staging at stages Ⅰ-Ⅱ, and lymph node metastasis were significantly higher in the SKA3-positive group compared to the SKA3-negative group( P<0.05), and similarly, these proportions were higher in the DUSP26-positive group than in the DUSP26-negative group( P<0.05).Kaplan-Meier survival analysis indicated that after one year of follow-up, the cumulative survival rates for patients with positive expressions of SKA3 and DUSP26 were 61.46%(59/96)and 58.25%(60/103), respectively, which were significantly lower than those with negative expressions[87.76%(43/49)and 92.86%(39/42), P<0.05].Cox regression analysis identified low differentiation( HR=1.817, 95% CI: 1.294-2.550), clinical staging at stage Ⅲ( HR=1.939, 95% CI: 1.315-2.858), lymph node metastasis( HR=1.898, 95% CI: 1.350-2.670), as well as positive expressions of SKA3( HR=2.071, 95% CI: 1.317-3.257)and DUSP26( HR=2.136, 95% CI: 1.402-3.256)as significant risk factors for prognosis( P<0.05). Conclusions:The expression rates of SKA3 and DUSP26 in cancer tissues are significantly elevated in elderly patients with NSCLC.Furthermore, these two biomarkers are correlated with the degree of differentiation, clinical staging, and lymph node metastasis, indicating their potential utility in evaluating the prognosis of elderly NSCLC patients.

Objective:To observe and analyze the clinical phenotype and genetic characteristics of COL2A1 and COL11A1 de novo mutation (DNM) related Stickler syndrome type Ⅰ and Ⅱ patients. Methods:A family-based cohort study. From December 2023 to November 2024, 4 patients (all probands) with Stickler syndrome diagnosed by clinical and genetic testing in Department of Ophthalmology of People's Hospital of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region and their parents (8 cases) were included in the study. The patients came from 4 unrelated families. A detailed medical history was taken, and the patients underwent best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), refraction, and fundus color photography examinations. Systemic examinations included the oral and facial regions, skeletal, joints, and hearing. Peripheral venous blood samples were collected from the patients and their parents, and genomic DNA was extracted. Whole-exome sequencing was used to screen for pathogenic genes and their loci, which were then validated by Sanger sequencing and combined with segregation analysis in the families to identify candidate gene mutation sites. The candidate variants were assessed for pathogenicity according to the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG) criteria and guidelines for the classification of genetic variants. Additionally, cross-species conservation analysis was performed to determine the evolutionary conservation of wild-type amino acids, and protein three-dimensional modeling techniques were used to characterize the spatial conformational changes of the variant proteins and the alterations in their local hydrogen bond networks.Results:Among the 4 patients, there were 2 males and 2 females; their ages ranged from 3 to 12 years. There were 2 cases of Stickler syndrome type Ⅰ (proband of families 1 and 2) and 2 cases of type Ⅱ (proband of families 3 and 4). The diopters ranged from -8.00 to-18.00 D. BCVA ranged from no light perception to 0.6 -. There were 2 cases each of vitreous membrane-like and "bead-like" opacity. Three cases showed peripapillary atrophy arcs and leopard pattern changes in the retina; one case had bilateral retinal detachment with a large macular hole in the left eye, which had previously been treated with vitrectomy surgery. One case had bilateral sensorineural hearing loss. There were 3 cases of simple micrognathia; one case had a flat nasal bridge, short nose, midface depression, and micrognathia. Two cases had excessive elbow joint extension. The phenotypes of the parents of the 4 patients were normal. Genetic testing results revealed that the probands of families 1 and 2 carried COL2A1 gene c.85+1G>C (M1) splice site variant and c.3950_3951insA (p.M1317Ifs*48) (M2) frameshift variant, respectively; the probands of families 3 and 4 carried COL11A1 gene (NM_001854.4) c.2549 G>T (p.G850V) (M3) missense variant and c.3816+6T>C (M4) splice site variant, respectively. The parents did not carry the related gene variants. Among them, M2, M3, and M4 are newly reported DNM. According to the ACMG guidelines, they were all considered likely pathogenic. The cross-species conservation analysis results showed that the wild-type amino acid of the COL11A1 gene M3 missense variant was highly conserved across multiple different species. Protein local structure modeling analysis revealed that the COL2A1 gene M2 frameshift variant and the COL11A1 gene M3 missense variant significantly altered the tertiary structure conformation of the protein, leading to abnormal spatial arrangement and hydrogen bond network in the key functional domains Conclusion:The COL2A1 gene M1 splice site variant, M2 frameshift variant, and the COL11A1 gene M3 missense variant, M4 splice site variant are respectively the potential pathogenic genes for families 1, 2, and families 3, 4; leading to the onset of Stickler syndrome type Ⅰ in families 1 and 2, and type Ⅱ in families 3 and 4.

Purpose: Patients with advanced biliary tract cancer (BTC) have a poor survival. We aim to evaluate the efficacy and safety of nab-paclitaxel plus gemcitabine and cisplatin regimen in Chinese advanced BTC patients. Materials and Methods: Eligible patients with locally advanced or metastatic BTC administrated intravenous 100 mg/m2 nab-paclitaxel, 800 mg/m2 gemcitabine, and 25 mg/m2 cisplatin every 3 weeks. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS). The secondary endpoints included overall survival (OS) and adverse events, while exploratory endpoint was the association of biomarkers with efficacy. Results: After the median follow-up of 25.0 months, the median PFS and OS of 34 enrolled patients were 7.1 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 5.4 to 13.7) and 16.4 months (95% CI, 10.9 to 23.6), respectively. The most common treatment-related adverse events at ≥ 3 grade were neutropenia (26.5%) and leukopenia (26.5%). Survival analyses demonstrated that carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) levels could monitor patients’ survival outcomes. A significant increase in the number of infiltrating CD4+ cells (p=0.008) and a decrease in programmed death-1–positive (PD-1+) cells (p=0.032) were observed in the response patients. Conclusion In advanced BTC patients, nab-paclitaxel plus gemcitabine and cisplatin regimen showed therapeutic potential. Potential prognostic factors of CEA levels, number of CD4+ cells and PD-1+ cells may help us maximize the efficacy benefit.

In order to promote the development of hair transplantation, particularly the establishment of standards, the Hair Transplantation Expert Group of Plastic and Aesthetic National Medical Quality Control Center invited experts in the field of hair transplantation across China and formed a draft of the Expert Consensus on Standard Terminology for Hair Transplantation based on the collation of relevant literature and monographs. By combining Delphi methodology and consensus meetings, the expert group conducted several rounds of consultations on issues such as follicular unit anatomy, harvesting, dissection, and implantation, ultimately presenting 54 terminologies. This consensus considers the original Chinese and English meanings as well as the professional characteristics of terms used in hair transplantation, highlights the unique features and advantages of hair transplantation, and preserves its essence while promoting innovation, with the hope of providing valuable reference for clinical researchers engaged in hair transplantation both domestically and internationally, and better facilitating the standardization and advancement of the field.

Purpose To observation the relationship be-tween the β-catenin/Slug signal specific inhibitor FH535 and EMT,and to explore the role of LPCAT1 in regulating the inva-sion,metastasis,and growth of cervical cancer cells.Methods Hela cells were transfected with sh-NC and sh-LPCAT1,and SiHa cells were transfected with Vector group and LPCAT1 over-expression plasmid.SiHa cells were divided into control group(Con),LPCAT1 group,LPCAT1+FH535 group and FH535 group.The proliferation of cervical cancer cells was detected by CCK-8 analysis and colony formation test.The metastasis and invasion ability of cervical cancer cells were detected by wound healing test and Transwell test.Western blot was used to analyze the expression of LPCAT1,β-catenin/Slug signaling pathway and EMT-related proteins in cells.Results Compared with Vector group,the cell viability,colony number,migration and invasion number of SiHa cells in LPCAT1 group increased signif-icantly(P＜0.05).Compared with sh-NC group,the cell via-bility,colony number,migration and invasion number of Hela cells in sh-LPCAT1 group decreased significantly(P＜0.05).Compared with LPCAT1 group,the levels of Wnt4(1.18±0.05 vs 0.80±0.06),β-catenin(1.05±0.08 vs 0.77±0.05),Slug(1.13±0.06 vs 0.28±0.02),Cyclin D1(0.99±0.06 vs 0.44±0.02),N-cadherin(0.91±0.07 vs 0.46±0.03)and vimentin(0.95±0.06 vs 0.49±0.03)in SiHa cells in LPCAT1+FH535 group decreased significantly(P＜0.05),and the level of E-cadherin(0.44±0.03 vs 0.58±0.03)in-creased significantly(P＜0.05).In addition,compared with LPCAT1 group,the number of colonies(224±15 vs 146±11),migration(85±3vs51±4)and invasive(166±10 vs 90±5)cells of SiHa cells in LPCAT1+FH535 group decreased signifi-cantly(P＜0.05).Conclusion The increase of LPCAT1 ex-pression may promote the metastasis and progress of CC by acti-vating β-catenin/Slug signaling pathway,and LPCAT1 may be a potential marker for predicting CC metastasis.