Objective:To explore the clinical significance of chromosome microarray analysis (CMA) in the prenatal detection of DMD gene variants in fetuses without family history during prenatal diagnosis.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on amniotic fluid samples from 12 629 pregnant women who underwent CMA prenatal diagnosis due to high-risk factors at Women and Children′s Hospital Affiliated to Qingdao University between January 2019 and December 2024. Samples with CMA-indicated DMD gene variants were further verified by multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA).Results:(1) Among 12 629 amniotic fluid samples, CMA detected 11 samples with DMD gene deletions or duplications (6 male and 5 female fetuses), which were confirmed by MLPA. (2) All 11 samples with DMD gene variants had no family history of genetic diseases, including 5 deletions and 6 duplications. All of the 5 DMD gene deletions occurred in male fetuses and were all pathogenic, and the pregnant women chose to terminate the pregnancies. Among the 6 DMD gene duplications cases, 1 male fetus was diagnosed as pathogenic and had pregnancy termination; the other 5 duplication cases were female fetuses, in which 1 were pathogenic and 4 were likely pathogenic. They continued pregnancy until delivery, and follow-up showed no DMD-related symptoms. (3) Pedigree analysis revealed that among the 11 samples with DMD gene variants, 3 were de novo mutations, 7 were inherited from mothers, and 1 had an unknown origin.Conclusions:For fetuses without pseudohypertrophic muscalar dystrophy family history but requiring invasive prenatal diagnosis for other reasons, CMA helps to increase the detection of DMD gene variants in fetuses. Testing pregnant women for DMD pathogenic gene carriers could effectively prevent the birth of pseudohypertrophic muscalar dystrophy children.

Cleft lip and palate (CLP) are common congenital craniofacial developmental disorders with a high incidence rate among newborns. Due to the influence of the cleft, an increased frequency of anomalies occurs in cleft-adjacent teeth. This review summarizes the abnormality of tooth development and malposition characteristics of the central incisors, lateral incisors, and canines adjacent to the alveolar cleft in CLP patients and treatment progress in order to provide information for related clinical treatment and research. The literature reveals that central incisors, lateral incisors, and canines adjacent to the alveolar cleft exhibit various types and degrees of abnormalities. The alveolar cleft-adjacent central incisors show significantly smaller mesiodistal diameters, root lengths, and root volumes compared to the non-alveolar cleft side, while the crown-to-root ratio is larger. Further, they are inclined distally and lingually compared to the non-alveolar cleft side. The alveolar cleft-adjacent lateral incisor is the most common missing or impacted tooth and is often affected by microdontia. The total length and root length of the alveolar cleft-adjacent canines are significantly smaller, while the crown-to-root ratio is larger on the alveolar cleft side. In addition, they are inclined mesially and buccally compared to the non-alveolar cleft side. Further, they are higher positioned and located closer to the midline. For developmental anomalies, impacted central incisors can be addressed by orthodontic space preparation to facilitate eruption or surgical crown exposure and orthodontic traction. Treatment of missing lateral incisors can involve orthodontic closure of the gap or preservation of the space for subsequent prosthetic restoration. When lateral incisors present with developmental defects, such as microdontia, peg-shaped teeth, or invaginated teeth, a comprehensive decision is necessary to determine whether to retain and restore or extract the malformed lateral incisors. Treatment of impacted canines after bone grafting involves either extraction or traction to facilitate the eruption of the impacted tooth. For malposition, presurgical orthodontic treatment can correct teeth with excessive inclination or rotation on the cleft side to improve the effectiveness of bone grafting surgery. Postsurgical orthodontic treatment can enhance the stability of bone grafting surgery. Although numerous studies have explored the dental characteristics of patients with CLP, the lack of applicability and specificity still need to be elucidated, thus indicating the need for further research.

Objective:To explore the clinical significance of chromosome microarray analysis (CMA) in the prenatal detection of DMD gene variants in fetuses without family history during prenatal diagnosis.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on amniotic fluid samples from 12 629 pregnant women who underwent CMA prenatal diagnosis due to high-risk factors at Women and Children′s Hospital Affiliated to Qingdao University between January 2019 and December 2024. Samples with CMA-indicated DMD gene variants were further verified by multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA).Results:(1) Among 12 629 amniotic fluid samples, CMA detected 11 samples with DMD gene deletions or duplications (6 male and 5 female fetuses), which were confirmed by MLPA. (2) All 11 samples with DMD gene variants had no family history of genetic diseases, including 5 deletions and 6 duplications. All of the 5 DMD gene deletions occurred in male fetuses and were all pathogenic, and the pregnant women chose to terminate the pregnancies. Among the 6 DMD gene duplications cases, 1 male fetus was diagnosed as pathogenic and had pregnancy termination; the other 5 duplication cases were female fetuses, in which 1 were pathogenic and 4 were likely pathogenic. They continued pregnancy until delivery, and follow-up showed no DMD-related symptoms. (3) Pedigree analysis revealed that among the 11 samples with DMD gene variants, 3 were de novo mutations, 7 were inherited from mothers, and 1 had an unknown origin.Conclusions:For fetuses without pseudohypertrophic muscalar dystrophy family history but requiring invasive prenatal diagnosis for other reasons, CMA helps to increase the detection of DMD gene variants in fetuses. Testing pregnant women for DMD pathogenic gene carriers could effectively prevent the birth of pseudohypertrophic muscalar dystrophy children.

The anti-inflammatory phytochemical investigation of the leaves of Illicium dunnianum (I. dunnianum) resulted in the isolation of five pairs of new lignans (1-5), and 7 known analogs (6-12). The separation of enantiomer mixtures 1-5 to 1a/1b-5a/5b was achieved using a chiral column with acetonitrile-water mixtures as eluents. The planar structures of 1-2 were previously undescribed, and the chiral separation and absolute configurations of 3-5 were reported for the first time. Their structures were determined through comprehensive spectroscopic data analysis [nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), high-resolution electrospray ionization mass (HR-ESI-MS), infrared (IR), and ultraviolet (UV)] and quantum chemistry calculations (ECD). The new isolates were evaluated by measuring their inhibitory effect on NO in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated BV-2 cells. Compounds 1a, 3a, 3b, and 5a demonstrated partial inhibition of NO production in a concentration-dependent manner. Western blot and real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays revealed that 1a down-regulated the messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) levels of tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), COX-2, and iNOS and the protein expressions of COX-2 and iNOS. This research provides guidance and evidence for the further development and utilization of I. dunnianum.
Lignans/isolation & purification* ; Plant Leaves/chemistry* ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents/isolation & purification* ; Mice ; Animals ; Molecular Structure ; Plant Extracts/pharmacology* ; Illicium/chemistry* ; Cyclooxygenase 2/immunology* ; Interleukin-6/immunology* ; Nitric Oxide/metabolism* ; Cell Line ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/immunology* ; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II/immunology* ; Lipopolysaccharides

Objective:To analyze the differential genes and related signaling pathways of microglia subpopulations in Parkinson's disease (PD) -like mouse brains induced by paraquat (PQ) based on single-cell RNA sequencing, and provide clues to elucidate the mechanism of PQ-induced PD-like changes in the brain of animals.Methods:In September 2021, six male 6-week-old C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into control group and experimental group (three mice in each group) . The mice were injected with saline, 10.0 mg/kg PQ intraperitoneally, once every three days, and 10 consecutive injections were used for modeling. After infection, the brains of mice were taken and 10×Genomics single-cell RNA sequencing was performed. Microglia subpopulations were screened based on gene expression characteristics, and Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses were performed. The differential genes of microglia subpopulations between the experimental group and control group were further screened, and functional enrichment analysis was performed using bioinformatics tools. Mouse microglia (BV2 cells) were treated with 0, 60, 90 μmol/L PQ solution, respectively. And real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR experiments were conducted to validate the expressions of differential genes hexokinase 2 (Hk2) , ATPase H+ Transporting V0 Subunit B (Atp6v0b) and Neuregulin 1 (Nrg1) .Results:Cluster 7 and Cluster 20 were identified as microglia subpopulations based on the signature genes inositol polyphosphate-5-phosphatase d, Inpp5d (Inpp5d) and transforming growth factor beta receptor 1 (Tgfbr1) , and they reflected the microglia-activated M2 phenotype. The bioinformatics analysis showed that the characteristic genes of identified microglia subpopulations were enriched in endocytosis. In terms of molecular function, it mainly enriched in transmembrane receptor protein kinase activity and cytokine binding. The up-regulated genes of Cluster 7 were mainly enriched in lysosomal pathway, endocytosis pathway, and down-regulated genes were mainly enriched in neurodegenerative disease and other signaling pathways. The up-regulated genes of Cluster 20 were mainly enriched in signaling pathways related to PD, and down-regulated genes were mainly enriched in cyclic adenosine 3', 5'-monophosphate (cAMP) signaling pathways, neurological development, synaptic function and other signaling pathways. The results of real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR showed that the expressions of Hk2 mRNA and Atp6v0b mRNA increased and the expression of Nrg1 mRNA decreased in the 90 μmol/L PQ-treated BV2 cells compared with the 0 μmol/L, and the differences were statistically significant ( P<0.05) . Conclusion:Microglia are activated in the PQ-induced PD-like mouse model and polarized toward the M2 phenotype. And their functions are associated with lysosomal (endocytosis) , synaptic functions and the regulation of PD-related pathways.

Objective:To analyze the differential genes and related signaling pathways of microglia subpopulations in Parkinson's disease (PD) -like mouse brains induced by paraquat (PQ) based on single-cell RNA sequencing, and provide clues to elucidate the mechanism of PQ-induced PD-like changes in the brain of animals.Methods:In September 2021, six male 6-week-old C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into control group and experimental group (three mice in each group) . The mice were injected with saline, 10.0 mg/kg PQ intraperitoneally, once every three days, and 10 consecutive injections were used for modeling. After infection, the brains of mice were taken and 10×Genomics single-cell RNA sequencing was performed. Microglia subpopulations were screened based on gene expression characteristics, and Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses were performed. The differential genes of microglia subpopulations between the experimental group and control group were further screened, and functional enrichment analysis was performed using bioinformatics tools. Mouse microglia (BV2 cells) were treated with 0, 60, 90 μmol/L PQ solution, respectively. And real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR experiments were conducted to validate the expressions of differential genes hexokinase 2 (Hk2) , ATPase H+ Transporting V0 Subunit B (Atp6v0b) and Neuregulin 1 (Nrg1) .Results:Cluster 7 and Cluster 20 were identified as microglia subpopulations based on the signature genes inositol polyphosphate-5-phosphatase d, Inpp5d (Inpp5d) and transforming growth factor beta receptor 1 (Tgfbr1) , and they reflected the microglia-activated M2 phenotype. The bioinformatics analysis showed that the characteristic genes of identified microglia subpopulations were enriched in endocytosis. In terms of molecular function, it mainly enriched in transmembrane receptor protein kinase activity and cytokine binding. The up-regulated genes of Cluster 7 were mainly enriched in lysosomal pathway, endocytosis pathway, and down-regulated genes were mainly enriched in neurodegenerative disease and other signaling pathways. The up-regulated genes of Cluster 20 were mainly enriched in signaling pathways related to PD, and down-regulated genes were mainly enriched in cyclic adenosine 3', 5'-monophosphate (cAMP) signaling pathways, neurological development, synaptic function and other signaling pathways. The results of real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR showed that the expressions of Hk2 mRNA and Atp6v0b mRNA increased and the expression of Nrg1 mRNA decreased in the 90 μmol/L PQ-treated BV2 cells compared with the 0 μmol/L, and the differences were statistically significant ( P<0.05) . Conclusion:Microglia are activated in the PQ-induced PD-like mouse model and polarized toward the M2 phenotype. And their functions are associated with lysosomal (endocytosis) , synaptic functions and the regulation of PD-related pathways.

Objective:To study the effects of the alternate rapid maxillary expansion and constriction(Alt-RAMEC)with maxillary protraction on different parts of upper airway by CBCT.Methods:20 Angle Class Ⅲ patients aged 9-12 years were included,and CBCT images were taken before treatment and after Alt-RAMEC with maxillary protraction,the total volume of the upper airway,the volume of each part of the nasopharynx,palatopharynx,linguopharynx and laryngopharynx,the cross-sectional area of the division in-terface,and the minimum cross-sectional area were measured after 3D reconstruction using Dolphin software,the data were analyzed using SPSS 26.0 software.Results:The total upper airway volume,nasopharyngeal volume,and palatopharyngeal volume were in-creased by the average of 1 385.39 mm3(P=0.013),546.74 mm3(P=0.011)and 768.03 mm3(P=0.035)respectively after Alt-RAMEC with maxillary protraction treatment;the area of the nasopharyngeal and palatopharyngeal division interface increased by 73.79 mm2(P=0.002),the cross-sectional diameter by 1.41 mm(P=0.037),and sagittal diameter by 1.52 mm(P=0.022)respectively;however,there was no statistically significant change in the volume,minimum cross-sectional area,partition area,and partition transverse and sagittal diameters of the linguopharynx and laryngopharynx(P＞0.05).Conclusion:Alt-RAMEC with maxil-lary protraction can significantly increase nasopharyngeal and palatopharyngeal volumes,with no significant effect on the linguopharyn-geal and laryngopharyngeal segments of the airway.

Objective The aim of this study was to analyze the incidence and mortality of esophageal cancer in Yunnan province in 2020,as well as the changing trends from 2012 to 2020,in order to provide the data basis for the prevention and control strategies of esophageal cancer in Yunnan province.Methods The incidence and mortality data of esophageal cancer in tumor regis-tration areas of Yunnan province from 2012 to 2020 were collected and analyzed.The crude incidence,crude mortality,age-standard-ized incidence rate by Chinese standard population(ASIRC),age-standardized mortality rate by Chinese standard population(ASMRC),age-standardized incidence rate by World standard population(ASIRW)and age-standardized mortality rate by World standard population(ASMRW),0-74 years old cumulative rate and other indicators of esophageal cancer in Yunnan province in 2020 were calculated by gender and age,and the annual incidence and mortality trends of esophageal cancer in Yunnan province from 2012 to 2020 were analyzed by using the Joinpoint regression model.Results In 2020,the crude incidence of esophageal cancer in Yunnan province was 5.84/100,000,including 10.19/100,000 men and 1.28/100,000 women.ASIRC was 3.85/100,000,and ASIRW was 3.88/100,000.The incidence of esophageal cancer was at a low level before the age of 45,rising rapidly after the age of 45,and reached the peak in the 75-79 age group.The crude mortality of esophageal cancer was 5.08/100,000,with a male mortality of 9.02/100,000 and a female mortality of 0.95/100,000.ASMRC was 3.31/100,000,and ASMRW was 3.35/100,000.The mortality of e-sophageal cancer was at a low level before the age of 50,but rapidly increased after the age of 50,reaching its peak in the 75-79 age group.The incidence and mortality of men in all age groups were higher than those of women.From 2012 to 2020,the crude incidence(APC=8.14%,P<0.05),ASIRW(APC=7.65%,P<0.05),crude mortality(APC=8.99%,P<0.05),and ASMRW(APC=9.20%,P<0.05)of esophageal cancer all showed an upward trend.Conclusion The incidence and mortality of esophageal cancer in Yunnan province are on the rise.The incidence and mortality of men are higher than those of women.Age is an important factor affect-ing the occurrence and development of esophageal cancer.Men and the elderly should be the focus of daily intervention.

Objective:To search for potential synergistic drugs that can enhance the inhibitory effect of lenvatinib on the proliferation of hepatocellular carcinoma cells by compound screening and explore the underlying molecular mechanisms.Methods:The impact of lenvatinib on the proliferation of Huh7 cells was detected using CCK-8 assay and long-term cell proliferation assays.The potential synergistic drugs for lenvatinib in Huh7 cells was screened using an FDA-approved compound library.Subsequently,the inhibitory effect of lenvatinib combined with zinc pyrithione on the proliferation of Huh7 cells was assessed using CCK-8 assay and long-term cell proliferation assay.Furthermore,RNA-sequencing was utilized to investigate the changes in gene expression profiles following the combined action of zinc pyrithione and lenvatinib,exploring the potential molecular mechanisms.The impact of combination therapy on signaling pathways was investigated through Gene Set Enrichment Analysis(GSEA)and Gene Ontology Analysis(GO).Results:Lenvatinib exerts dose-dependent inhibition on the proliferation of Huh7 in vitro(IC50 value=0.190 μmol/L).Screening of compound libraries identified zinc pyrithione as a compound that synergistically promotes the inhibition of Huh7 cell proliferation by lenvatinib.This result was further validated through CCK-8 assay(P<0.05)and long-term cell proliferation experiments.Compared to treatment with lenvatinib alone,the combination treatment of zinc pyrithione and lenvatinib upregulated signaling pathways related to oxidative stress response,apoptosis,and cellular responses to copper ions in Huh7 cells,with Gene Set Enrichment Analysis(GSEA)showing significant enrichment of the oxidative phosphorylation pathway.Conclusion:Lenvatinib can inhibit the proliferation of Huh7 cells in vitro,while Zinc Pyrithione can synergize with lenvatinib to exert a more significant inhibitory effect on the Huh7 cells.The molecular mechanism of this synergistic effect may involve generation of a large amount of reactive oxygen species(ROS)to induce apoptosis of liver cancer cells through oxidative stress response,as well as promoting the death of hepatocellular carcinoma cells by disrupting copper homeostasis.

Objective:To search for potential synergistic drugs that can enhance the inhibitory effect of lenvatinib on the proliferation of hepatocellular carcinoma cells by compound screening and explore the underlying molecular mechanisms.Methods:The impact of lenvatinib on the proliferation of Huh7 cells was detected using CCK-8 assay and long-term cell proliferation assays.The potential synergistic drugs for lenvatinib in Huh7 cells was screened using an FDA-approved compound library.Subsequently,the inhibitory effect of lenvatinib combined with zinc pyrithione on the proliferation of Huh7 cells was assessed using CCK-8 assay and long-term cell proliferation assay.Furthermore,RNA-sequencing was utilized to investigate the changes in gene expression profiles following the combined action of zinc pyrithione and lenvatinib,exploring the potential molecular mechanisms.The impact of combination therapy on signaling pathways was investigated through Gene Set Enrichment Analysis(GSEA)and Gene Ontology Analysis(GO).Results:Lenvatinib exerts dose-dependent inhibition on the proliferation of Huh7 in vitro(IC50 value=0.190 μmol/L).Screening of compound libraries identified zinc pyrithione as a compound that synergistically promotes the inhibition of Huh7 cell proliferation by lenvatinib.This result was further validated through CCK-8 assay(P<0.05)and long-term cell proliferation experiments.Compared to treatment with lenvatinib alone,the combination treatment of zinc pyrithione and lenvatinib upregulated signaling pathways related to oxidative stress response,apoptosis,and cellular responses to copper ions in Huh7 cells,with Gene Set Enrichment Analysis(GSEA)showing significant enrichment of the oxidative phosphorylation pathway.Conclusion:Lenvatinib can inhibit the proliferation of Huh7 cells in vitro,while Zinc Pyrithione can synergize with lenvatinib to exert a more significant inhibitory effect on the Huh7 cells.The molecular mechanism of this synergistic effect may involve generation of a large amount of reactive oxygen species(ROS)to induce apoptosis of liver cancer cells through oxidative stress response,as well as promoting the death of hepatocellular carcinoma cells by disrupting copper homeostasis.