OBJECTIVE To investigate the expression and clinical significance of microRNA-223(miR-223),mono-cyte chemoattractant protein-1(MCP-1),and basic fibroblast growth factor(bFGF)in patients with colostomy infection after rectal cancer surgery.METHODS One hundred patients with rectal cancer who underwent surgery in Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital between Jun.2022 and Jun.2024 were chosen retrospectively and divided in-to an infection group(n=27)and a non-infection group(n=73)based on whether colostomy infection occurred within seven days after surgery.The etiological features of postoperative hospital-acquired infection were analyzed,and the differences in serum miR-223,bFGF,and MCP-1 levels between the infected and non-infected groups were detected.The receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was used to analyze the predictive values of ser-um miR-223,bFGF,and MCP-1 for postoperative colostomy infection.RESULTS A total of 30 pathogenic strains were isolated from 27 patients in the infection group,including 17 gram-negative bacteria(56.67%),11 gram-positive bacteria(36.67%),and 2 fungi(6.67%),with Escherichia coli being the most common.The serum lev-els of miR-223 and MCP-1 were higher in the infected group than those in the non-infected group,while bFGF was lower in the infected group(P<0.05).The ROC curve analysis showed that the area under the curve(AUC)for the combined detection of serum miR-223,bFGF,and MCP-1 was 0.944,with the sensitivity of 88.88%and spe-cificity of 94.52%.CONCLUSIONS Postoperative colostomy infection in rectal cancer patients is primarily caused by E.coli and is associated with changes in serum miR-223,bFGF and MCP-1 levels.Abnormally high expression of miR-223 and MCP-1 and abnormally low expression of bFGF can predict postoperative colostomy infection in rectal cancer,which can provide an important basis for clinical diagnosis of postoperative infections in the rectal cancer patients.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the expression and clinical significance of microRNA-223(miR-223),mono-cyte chemoattractant protein-1(MCP-1),and basic fibroblast growth factor(bFGF)in patients with colostomy infection after rectal cancer surgery.METHODS One hundred patients with rectal cancer who underwent surgery in Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital between Jun.2022 and Jun.2024 were chosen retrospectively and divided in-to an infection group(n=27)and a non-infection group(n=73)based on whether colostomy infection occurred within seven days after surgery.The etiological features of postoperative hospital-acquired infection were analyzed,and the differences in serum miR-223,bFGF,and MCP-1 levels between the infected and non-infected groups were detected.The receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was used to analyze the predictive values of ser-um miR-223,bFGF,and MCP-1 for postoperative colostomy infection.RESULTS A total of 30 pathogenic strains were isolated from 27 patients in the infection group,including 17 gram-negative bacteria(56.67%),11 gram-positive bacteria(36.67%),and 2 fungi(6.67%),with Escherichia coli being the most common.The serum lev-els of miR-223 and MCP-1 were higher in the infected group than those in the non-infected group,while bFGF was lower in the infected group(P<0.05).The ROC curve analysis showed that the area under the curve(AUC)for the combined detection of serum miR-223,bFGF,and MCP-1 was 0.944,with the sensitivity of 88.88%and spe-cificity of 94.52%.CONCLUSIONS Postoperative colostomy infection in rectal cancer patients is primarily caused by E.coli and is associated with changes in serum miR-223,bFGF and MCP-1 levels.Abnormally high expression of miR-223 and MCP-1 and abnormally low expression of bFGF can predict postoperative colostomy infection in rectal cancer,which can provide an important basis for clinical diagnosis of postoperative infections in the rectal cancer patients.

Objective The aim is to utilize CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing technology to construct Dmd gene mutant mice with a point mutation in exon 23 of the Dmd gene. Subsequently, the phenotypic changes of the mice in muscles and immune systems are analyzed and verified, providing an evaluation model for Duchenne muscular dystrophy and other related diseases.MethodsBased on the sequence characteristics of exon 23 of the Dmd gene, small guide RNA (sgRNA) was designed and synthesized. Cas9 mRNA, sgRNA fragments, and oligo donor DNA were microinjected into fertilized eggs of C57BL/6J mice. After transferring the fertilized eggs to surrogate mice, F0 generation mice were born. After mating with F0 generation mice, offspring mice were obtained, and Dmd gene positive mutant (Dmd^Mu/+) mice were obtained after genotype identification. Male hemizygous Dmd^Mu/+(Dmd^Mu/Y) mice were selected for phenotype validation. The body weight of live 3- and 9-month-old mice were recorded. Muscle tension was evaluated through the grid test. Hearts and semitendinosus muscles were collected, and the histopathological changes were observed using HE staining. Further, the expression of Dmd protein in muscle tissue of 9-month-old mice was analyzed by Western blotting.An acute inflammation model was established in Dmd^Mu/Y mice using lipopolysaccharide induction. Peripheral blood from the submandibular vein was collected, and the changes in the proportion of neutrophils and monocytes were detected by flow cytometry.Results The results of genome sequencing and Western blotting confirmed the successful construction of Dmd gene point mutant mice (Dmd^Mu/+ mice). Dmd protein expression was not detected in skeletal muscle and myocardium of Dmd^Mu/+ mice, and it was significantly reduced compared to wild-type C57BL/6J mice (P<0.05). Compared with wild-type mice of the same background, Dmd^Mu/Y mice at 3 and 9 months of age showed significant weight loss (P<0.01) and decreased muscle tension (P<0.05). 9-month-old Dmd^Mu/Y mice exhibited significant pathological changes in skeletal muscle and myocardium, including widening of intermuscular space. Under normal condition, compared with wild-type mice, the proportion of neutrophils and monocytes in the peripheral blood of 3-month-old Dmd^Mu/Y mice was significantly lower than that of wild-type mice (P<0.01). After lipopolysaccharide stimulation, the proportion of neutrophils in peripheral blood of 3-month-old Dmd^Mu/Y mice remained significantly lower compared to that of wild-type mice (P<0.01). The proportion of neutrophils in peripheral blood of 9-month-old Dmd^Mu/Y mice significantly decreased after lipopolysaccharide induction (P<0.01), with a trend of change observed in monocytes between groups.Conclusion The successful construction of the Dmd gene mutant mouse model has confirmed the vital function of Dmd gene in maintaining normal muscle tissue morphology and muscle tone. It preliminarily indicated that Dmd gene deletion could significantly reduce the proportion of neutrophils in peripheral blood, offering a new perspective for the study of immune system alterations in Duchenne muscular dystrophy patients.

OBJECTIVE To study the effects of transferrin-targeting peptide T7 （7pep） on intracellular transportation of polyethylene glycol-polycaprolactone （PEG-PCL） micelles in human cervical cancer HeLa cells. METHODS Using coumarin-6 （C6） as fluorescent indicator probe， both coumarin-6 （C6）-loaded PEG-PCL （PEG-PCL-C6） micelles and 7pep-modified PEG- PCL （7pep-PEG-PCL-C6） micelles were prepared by film-dispersion method. The particle size， polydispersity index and appearance morphology were compared between two types of micelles； the real-time uptake of two types of micelles by HeLa cells was compared， and the colocalization of two types of micelles with early endosomes （EE）， endocytic recycling compartments （ERC） and late endosomes （LE） after entry into the cells was observed. RESULTS The particle sizes of PEG-PCL-C6 and 7pep-PEG-PCL- C6 micelles were（75.0±2.3）and（82.0±1.5）nm； the polymer dispersity indexes were 0.17±0.20 and 0.17±0.32， respectively， with a regular spherical appearance. The colocalization results showed that entry speed and amount of 7pep-PEG-PCL-C6 micelles were significantly faster/more than those of PEG-PCL-C6 micelles. 7pep-PEG-PCL-C6 micelles entered EE faster than PEG-PCL-C6 micelles， while PEG-PCL-C6 micelles entered ERC at a faster rate than 7pep-PEG-PCL-C6 micelles， and both PEG-PCL-C6 micelles and 7pep-PEG-PCL-C6 micelles tended to accumulate gradually in LE； Pearson coefficient， signal overlap ratio， and colocalization ratio of 7pep-PEG-PCL-C6 micelles with LE were significantly lower 60 minutes after entering the cell than those 30 minutes after entering the cell （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. CONCLUSIONS Targeting 7pep modification can increase the entry speed and amount of PEG-PCL-C6 micelles， and also alter their intracellular transportation behavior.

BACKGROUND:Acellular vascular scaffolds can mimic the microstructure and function of native blood vessels,but some extracellular matrix loss occurs during their preparation,which affects their hemocompatibility.Therefore,it is necessary to modify them to improve their hemocompatibility. OBJECTIVE:To assess the hemocompatibility of acellular vascular scaffold prepared by Triton-x100/heparin sodium treatment. METHODS:The abdominal aorta was taken from SD rats and randomly divided into control and experimental groups.The control group was treated with Triton-x100 for 48 hours.The experimental group was treated with Triton-x100 for 48 hours and then treated with heparin sodium.The morphology and hydrophilicity of the two groups of acellular vascular scaffolds were detected.The hemocompatibility of the two groups of acellular vascular scaffold was evaluated by recalcification coagulation time test,platelet adhesion test,dynamic coagulation time test,hemolysis test,and complement activation test. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)Scanning electron microscopy showed that the surface of the two groups of vascular scaffolds was relatively intact,and a large number of fiber filaments appeared on the surface of the scaffolds after decellularity treatment,and the surface microstructure changed significantly.The water contact angle of the two groups of vascular scaffolds was smaller than that of natural vessels(P<0.000 1).There was no significant difference in water contact angle between the two groups(P>0.05).(2)The coagulation time of vascular scaffold was longer in the experimental group than in the control group(P<0.05).The number of platelets attached to the scaffold membrane was less in the experimental group than that in the control group(P<0.000 1).The coagulation index was greater in the experimental group than that in the control group(P<0.01),and the complement level was lower in the experimental group than that in the control group(P<0.001).The hemolysis rate of the two groups was lower than 5%of the national standard.(3)To conclude,acellular scaffold treated with Triton-x100/heparin sodium has excellent hemocompatibility.

Objective:To investigate the correlation between serum Neuropilin 1 (NRP1) level and postoperative recurrence in patients with adenomyosis.Methods:From Mar. 2019 to Mar. 2021, 80 patients with adenomyosis admitted to our hospital were regarded as the test group; 80 healthy women who came to our hospital for physical examination were as the reference group. Patients with adenomyosis were followed up for 24 months after surgery and were separated into a non recurrence group (62 cases) and recurrence group (18 cases) based on whether there was recurrence after surgery. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was applied to detect NRP1 level in the serum of the study subjects. Spearman method was applied to analyze the correlation between serum NRP1 level and visual analogue dysmenorrhea score (VAS) and menstrual blood loss (PBAC) scores in patients with adenomyosis. Multivariate Logistic regression was applied to analyze the influencing factors of postoperative recurrence in patients with adenomyosis. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was applied to analyze the predictive value of serum NRP1 level for postoperative recurrence in patients with adenomyosis.Results:Compared with the reference group, the serum NRP1 level of patients with adenomyosis in the test group was obviously increased ( P<0.05). Compared with the non recurrence group, the recurrence group showed a obvious increase in serum NRP1 level, uterine volume, dysmenorrhea VAS score, and PBAC score ( P<0.05). Spearman’s method showed a positive correlation between serum NRP1 level and dysmenorrhea VAS score in patients with adenomyosis ( r=0.604, P<0.001) ; the serum NRP1 level in patients with adenomyosis was positively correlated with PBAC score ( r=0.586, P<0.001) ; the serum NRP1 level in patients with adenomyosis was positively correlated with uterine volume ( r=0.527, P<0.001). The results of multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that serum NRP1 level, uterine volume, dysmenorrhea VAS score, and PBAC score were risk factors for postoperative recurrence in patients with adenomyosis ( P<0.05). The ROC curve showed that the AUC of serum NRP1 level in predicting postoperative recurrence in patients with adenomyosis was 0.903, which had certain clinical value. Conclusion:The serum NRP1 level in patients with adenomyosis obviously increases, which is closely related to postoperative recurrence in patients with adenomyosis.

Objective:To investigate the correlation between serum Neuropilin 1 (NRP1) level and postoperative recurrence in patients with adenomyosis.Methods:From Mar. 2019 to Mar. 2021, 80 patients with adenomyosis admitted to our hospital were regarded as the test group; 80 healthy women who came to our hospital for physical examination were as the reference group. Patients with adenomyosis were followed up for 24 months after surgery and were separated into a non recurrence group (62 cases) and recurrence group (18 cases) based on whether there was recurrence after surgery. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was applied to detect NRP1 level in the serum of the study subjects. Spearman method was applied to analyze the correlation between serum NRP1 level and visual analogue dysmenorrhea score (VAS) and menstrual blood loss (PBAC) scores in patients with adenomyosis. Multivariate Logistic regression was applied to analyze the influencing factors of postoperative recurrence in patients with adenomyosis. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was applied to analyze the predictive value of serum NRP1 level for postoperative recurrence in patients with adenomyosis.Results:Compared with the reference group, the serum NRP1 level of patients with adenomyosis in the test group was obviously increased ( P<0.05). Compared with the non recurrence group, the recurrence group showed a obvious increase in serum NRP1 level, uterine volume, dysmenorrhea VAS score, and PBAC score ( P<0.05). Spearman’s method showed a positive correlation between serum NRP1 level and dysmenorrhea VAS score in patients with adenomyosis ( r=0.604, P<0.001) ; the serum NRP1 level in patients with adenomyosis was positively correlated with PBAC score ( r=0.586, P<0.001) ; the serum NRP1 level in patients with adenomyosis was positively correlated with uterine volume ( r=0.527, P<0.001). The results of multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that serum NRP1 level, uterine volume, dysmenorrhea VAS score, and PBAC score were risk factors for postoperative recurrence in patients with adenomyosis ( P<0.05). The ROC curve showed that the AUC of serum NRP1 level in predicting postoperative recurrence in patients with adenomyosis was 0.903, which had certain clinical value. Conclusion:The serum NRP1 level in patients with adenomyosis obviously increases, which is closely related to postoperative recurrence in patients with adenomyosis.

OBJECTIVE: Current mainstream PET scattering correction methods are introduced and evaluated horizontally, and finally, the existing problems and development direction of scattering correction are discussed. METHODS: Based on NeuWise Pro PET/CT products of Neusoft Medical System Co. Ltd. , the simulation experiment is carried out to evaluate the influence of radionuclide distribution out of FOV (field of view) on the scattering estimation accuracy of each method. RESULTS: The scattering events produced by radionuclide out of FOV have an obvious impact on the spatial distribution of scattering, which should be considered in the model. The scattering estimation accuracy of Monte Carlo method is higher than single scatter simulation (SSS). CONCLUSIONS Clinically, if the activity of the adjacent parts out of the FOV is high, such as brain, liver, kidney and bladder, it is likely to lead to the deviation of scattering estimation. Considering the Monte Carlo scattering estimation of the distribution of radionuclide out of FOV, it's helpful to improve the accuracy of scattering distribution estimation.
Positron Emission Tomography Computed Tomography ; Scattering, Radiation ; Computer Simulation ; Brain ; Monte Carlo Method ; Phantoms, Imaging ; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted

Aristolochic acid (AA), extracted from Aristolochiaceae plants, plays an essential role in traditional herbal medicines and is used for different diseases. However, AA has been found to be nephrotoxic and is known to cause aristolochic acid nephropathy (AAN).AA-induced acute kidney injury (AKI) is a syndrome in AAN with a high morbidity that manifests mitochondrial damage as a key part of its pathological progression. Melatonin primarily serves as a mitochondria-targeted antioxidant. However, its mitochondrial protective role in AA-induced AKI is barely reported. In this study, mice were administrated 2.5 mg/kg AA to induce AKI. Melatonin reduced the increase in Upro and Scr and attenuated the necrosis and atrophy of renal proximal tubules in mice exposed to AA. Melatonin suppressed ROS generation, MDA levels and iNOS expression and increased SOD activities in vivo and in vitro. Intriguingly, the in vivo study revealed that melatonin decreased mitochondrial fragmentation in renal proximal tubular cells and increased ATP levels in kidney tissues in response to AA. In vitro, melatonin restored the mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) in NRK-52E and HK-2 cells and led to an elevation in ATP levels. Confocal immunofluorescence data showed that puncta containing Mito-tracker and GFP-LC3A/B were reduced, thereby impeding the mitophagy of tubular epithelial cells. Furthermore, melatonin decreased LC3A/B-II expression and increased p62 expression. The apoptosis of tubular epithelial cells induced by AA was decreased. Therefore, our findings revealed that melatonin could prevent AA-induced AKI by attenuating mitochondrial damage, which may provide a potential therapeutic method for renal AA toxicity.

Objective:To investigate the diagnostic and prognostic value of D-dimer level in patients with hepatitis B-related acute-on-chronic liver failure (HBV-ACLF).Methods:A total of 142 cases diagnosed with ACLF were randomly selected as research objects in the open cohort using the Chinese Group on the Study of Severe Hepatitis B-ACLF (COSSH-ACLF). Plasma D-dimer levels were compared between patients with ACLF and non-ACLF and patients with different ACLF grades. Survival and death group D-dimer levels were compared with the end points of 28 days and 90 days, respectively. The correlation between D-dimer and other laboratory indicators and prognostic scores were investigated. Area under receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) was used to evaluate the D-dimer value for predicting the prognosis of ACLF patients. 125 external ACLF cases were used for validation. A Student t test or Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare continuous measurement data between two groups. Kruskal-Wallis test was used to compare continuous measurement data between multiple groups.Results:Plasma D-dimer levels in the ACLF [2 588.5 (1 142.8, 5 472.8) μg/L] ] and non-ACLF group [1 385.5 (612.0, 3 840.3) μg/L] had a significant difference ( P<0.001). ACLF-3 patients had significantly higher D-dimer levels than ACLF-1/2 patients (ACLF-3 vs. ACLF-1, P<0.001; ACLF-3 vs. ACLF-2, P<0.05). Patients who died at 28/90 days had significantly higher D-dimer levels than those whom survived ( P<0.001). There was a significant positive correlation between D-dimer level with prothrombin time (PT), international normalized ratio (INR), high-density lipoprotein C, as well as various prognostic scores (COSSH-ACLFs, CLIF-C ACLFs, CLIF-OFs, MELDs). AUROC of D-dimer in predicting the prognosis of ACLF patients at 28 days and 90 days was 0.751 (95% CI: 0.649-0.852) and 0.787 (95% CI: 0.695-0.878), respectively, which did not differ significantly compared with the predictive ability of other scores ( P<0.05), and similar results were confirmed by an external validation group of 125 cases. Conclusion:D-dimer level is significantly higher in patients with ACLF, so it is an independent predictor of prognosis at 28 and 90 days.