Background Vascular endothelial damage associated with endothelial progenitor cell dysfunction is considered as an initiating step of hypertension and target organ damage, in which oxidative stress plays a key role. High-intensity intermittent exercise is an effective prevention and treatment method of various chronic diseases; however, little attention has been paid to its effects and mechanisms on endothelial progenitor cells. Objective To observe the effect of high-intensity intermittent exercise on the function of endothelial progenitor cells in patients with hypertension and explore the mechanism of oxidative stress. Methods A total of 60 patients with essential hypertension were randomly divided into a control group and an exercise group. The control group received conventional drug treatment (including diuretics, calcium blockers, and beta-blockers), and the exercise group performed high-intensity intermittent exercise for 8 weeks (3 times·week⁻¹) in addition to the treatment plan of the control group. Before and after intervention, brachial artery flow-mediated vasodilation (FMD) was used to evaluate vascular endothelial function; venous blood was sampled to perfrom circulating endothelial progenitor cell counts; endothelial progenitor cells were cultured in vitro, and the modified Boyden chamber assay and Matrigel lumen formation assay were used to detect their migration and tube formation ability, superoxide fluorescent anion probe method to detect reactive oxygen species levels, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining method to detect cell apoptosis, Western blotting to determine protein expression of reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase 2, NADPH oxidase 4, and superoxide dismutase. Results Four patients (13.3%) in the control group and 2 patients (6.7%) in the exercise group dropped out; the completion rate of the exercise group's training plan was 94.9%. Compared with the before-intervention indicators, blood pressure decreased, brachial artery FMD increased, number of circulating endothelial progenitor cells increased, their migration and tube formation ability were enhanced, reactive oxygen species levels and cell apoptosis rate were reduced, NADPH oxidase 2 and NADPH oxidase 4 protein expressions were down-regulated, and superoxide dismutase protein expression was up-regulated in the after-intervention exercise group, and the differences were all statistically significant (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the above indicators in the control group between before and after intervention (P > 0.05). Conclusion High-intensity intermittent exercise regulates oxidative stress mediated by NADPH oxidase, improves endothelial progenitor cell function, and restores vascular endothelial disorders in patients with essential hypertension.

BACKGROUND:Stem cell therapy has broad prospects in improving cardiac remodeling after myocardial infarction;however,alteration in the myocardial microenvironment affects the therapeutic efficacy of stem cells.Exercise preconditioning is similar to ischemic preconditioning and can have a protective effect on the myocardium.However,little attention has been paid to the effects and mechanisms of the combined effects of exercise preconditioning and stem cell transplantation. OBJECTIVE:To observe the effect of exercise preconditioning on bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell transplantation in rats with myocardial infarction and to explore the mechanism of local inflammatory microenvironment. METHODS:Eighty female SD rats were randomly divided into sham operation group,model group,transplantation group,and combination group,with 20 rats in each group.The rat model of myocardial infarction was made by ligating the left anterior descending branch of coronary artery.The sham operation group was only threaded without ligature.The transplantation and combination groups were injected with bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells of male rats into the myocardium after modeling.In addition,the combination group also required 8 weeks of treadmill exercise(i.e.,exercise preconditioning)before modeling.Four weeks after stem cell transplantation,exercise performance was measured by incremental exercise exhaustion test;cardiac structure and function were measured by echocardiography;left ventricular hemodynamics was measured by pressure-volume catheterization,and myocardial histopathology was observed by in situ staining and myocardial collagen volume fraction was obtained.Quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction was used to detect left ventricular pro-inflammatory factor(interleukin-1β,interleukin-6,tumor necrosis factor-α),anti-inflammatory factor(interleukin-10),sex-determining region of Y chromosome,and fetal genes(atrial natriuretic peptide,brain natriuretic peptide,β-myosin heavy chain)mRNA expression level at 1,7 days and 4 weeks after stem cell transplantation. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)Four weeks after stem cell transplantation:compared with sham operation group,exercise performance,and left ventricular ejection fraction were reduced(P<0.05);myocardial infarction area,cardiomyocyte cross-sectional area,and collagen volume fraction were increased(P<0.05);the mRNA expression of fetal genes and pro-inflammatory factors were up-regulated(P<0.05),and the mRNA expression of interleukin-10 was down-regulated(P<0.05)in the model group.Compared with the model group,exercise performance and left ventricular ejection fraction were increased(P<0.05);myocardial infarction area,cardiomyocyte cross-sectional area,and collagen volume fraction were decreased(P<0.05);mRNA expression of fetal genes and pro-inflammatory factors was down-regulated(P<0.05),and that of interleukin-10 had no significant change(P>0.05)in the transplantation group.Compared with the transplantation group,all the above indicators in the combination group were further improved(P<0.05).(2)One day and 7 days after stem cell transplantation,compared with the transplantation group,the mRNA expression of sex-determining region of Y chromosome in the combination group increased(P<0.05).(3)Correlation analysis showed that interleukin-1β,interleukin-6(except on the 1st day after transplantation),and tumor necrosis factor-α were negatively correlated with the mRNA expression of sex-determining region of Y chromosome(P<0.05),while interleukin-10 was positively correlated with that of sex-determining region of Y chromosome(P<0.05).These findings suggest that exercise preconditioning can enhance the effect of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell transplantation in rats with myocardial infarction,which is characterized by suppression of cardiac remodeling and further amelioration of cardiac function.The mechanism is related to the improvement of the myocardial inflammatory microenvironment to promote bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell retention and survival.

Objective: To identify biomolecular markers closely related to the occurrence of kidney renal clear cell carcinoma (KIRC) and verify their expression levels in clinical samples. Methods: Stage Ⅰ KIRC mRNA sequencing data were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA).Principal component analysis (PCA) was used for dimensionality reduction to screen differentially expressed genes (DEGs)，which then underwent GO and KEGG analyses.Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) was used to screen genes significantly related to KIRC，and a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed to screen hub genes.The diagnostic value of hub genes was evaluated with receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve，and their prognostic value was analyzed using survival curve plots.The correlation between the mRNA expressions of hub genes and the pathological stages of KIRC was analyzed.Clinical samples of 20 patients with stage Ⅰ KIRC treated in our hospital were included，and the expressions of the hub genes in cancerous and adjacent tissues were detected with reverse transcription real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR)，Western blotting，and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results: A total of 8223 DEGs were screened out，including 4092 up-regulated ones and 4131 down-regulated ones.GO analysis showed that DEGs were related to bioadhesion，plasma membrane composition，and transporter activity.KEGG analysis showed that DEGs were related to pathways such as cell adhesion molecules，cytokine-cytokine receptor interactions，and interactions between viral proteins and cytokines and cytokine receptors.WGCNA analysis obtained 171 genes that were significantly related to stage Ⅰ KIRC.The hub gene，lymphocyte cytosolic protein 2 (LCP2)，screened out by the PPI network，was significantly related to stage Ⅰ KIRC.The area under the ROC curve was 0.96.The expression level was negatively correlated with the overall survival rate of patients.The expression of LCP2 was related to the stage and lymph node metastasis.Clinical verification showed that the mRNA and protein relative expressions of LCP2 in KIRC tissues were significantly higher than those in adjacent tissues (P<0.000 1). Conclusion: LCP2 is significantly up-regulated in stage Ⅰ KIRC tissues and can be used as a potential biomarker for the early diagnosis and treatment of KIRC.

ObjectiveTo explore the quantity-quality transfer process of medicinal materials， decoction pieces and standard decoction of Haliotidis Concha（Haliotis discus hannai） by analyzing the physical phase and compositional changes， so as to provide references for the effective control of its quality. MethodsA total of 20 batches of Haliotidis Concha（H. discus hannai） from different habitats were collected and prepared into corresponding calcined products and standard decoction， and the content of CaCO₃ of the three samples were determined and the extract yield and transfer rate of CaCO₃ were calculated. The changes in elemental composition and their relative contents were investigated by X-ray fluorescence spectrometry（XRF）， X-ray diffraction（XRD） was used to study the changes in the phase compositions of the three samples and to establish their respective XRD specific chromatogram. Fourier transform infrared spectrometry（FTIR） was used to study the changes in the chemical composition and content changes of the three samples and to establish their respective FTIR specific chromatogram， while combining hierarchical cluster analysis（HCA）， principal component analysis（PCA） and orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis（OPLS-DA） to find the common and differential characteristics， in order to explore the quantity-quality transfer relationship in the preparation process of standard decoction of Haliotidis Concha（H. discus hannai）. ResultsThe CaCO₃ contents of the 20 batches of medicinal materials， decoction pieces and standard decoction of Haliotidis Concha（H. discus hannai） were 93.87%-98.95%， 96.02%-99.97% and 38.29%-51.96%， respectively， and the extract yield of standard decoction was 1.71%-2.37%， and the CaCO₃ transfer rate of decoction pieces-standard decoction was 0.68%-1.27%. XRF results showed that the elemental species and their relative contents contained in Haliotidis Concha and its calcined products had a high degree of similarity， and although there was no obvious difference in the elemental species contained in decoction pieces and standard decoction， the difference in the relative contents was obvious， which was mainly reflected in the decrease of the relative content of element Ca and the increase of the relative content of element Na. XRD results showed that Haliotidis Concha mainly contained CaCO₃ of aragonite and calcite， while calcined Haliotidis Concha only contained CaCO₃ of calcite， and standard decoction mainly contained CaCO₃ of calcite and Na₂CO₃ of natrite. FTIR results showed that there were internal vibrations of O-H， C-H， C=O， HCO₃^- and CO₃^2- groups in Haliotidis Concha， while O-H， HCO₃^- and CO₃^2- groups existed in the calcined products and standard decoction. ConclusionThe changes of Haliotidis Concha and calcined Haliotidis Concha are mainly the increase of CaCO₃ content， the transformation of CaCO₃ aragonite crystal form to calcite crystal form and the absence of organic components after calcination， and the changes of calcined products and standard decoction are mainly the decrease of CaCO₃ content and the increase of Na₂CO₃ relative content. The method established in the study is applicable to the quality control of the shellfish medicines-decoction pieces- standard decoction， which provides a new idea for the study of quality control of dispensing granules of shellfish medicines.

ObjectiveTo explore the quantity-quality transfer process of medicinal materials， decoction pieces and standard decoction of Haliotidis Concha（Haliotis discus hannai） by analyzing the physical phase and compositional changes， so as to provide references for the effective control of its quality. MethodsA total of 20 batches of Haliotidis Concha（H. discus hannai） from different habitats were collected and prepared into corresponding calcined products and standard decoction， and the content of CaCO₃ of the three samples were determined and the extract yield and transfer rate of CaCO₃ were calculated. The changes in elemental composition and their relative contents were investigated by X-ray fluorescence spectrometry（XRF）， X-ray diffraction（XRD） was used to study the changes in the phase compositions of the three samples and to establish their respective XRD specific chromatogram. Fourier transform infrared spectrometry（FTIR） was used to study the changes in the chemical composition and content changes of the three samples and to establish their respective FTIR specific chromatogram， while combining hierarchical cluster analysis（HCA）， principal component analysis（PCA） and orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis（OPLS-DA） to find the common and differential characteristics， in order to explore the quantity-quality transfer relationship in the preparation process of standard decoction of Haliotidis Concha（H. discus hannai）. ResultsThe CaCO₃ contents of the 20 batches of medicinal materials， decoction pieces and standard decoction of Haliotidis Concha（H. discus hannai） were 93.87%-98.95%， 96.02%-99.97% and 38.29%-51.96%， respectively， and the extract yield of standard decoction was 1.71%-2.37%， and the CaCO₃ transfer rate of decoction pieces-standard decoction was 0.68%-1.27%. XRF results showed that the elemental species and their relative contents contained in Haliotidis Concha and its calcined products had a high degree of similarity， and although there was no obvious difference in the elemental species contained in decoction pieces and standard decoction， the difference in the relative contents was obvious， which was mainly reflected in the decrease of the relative content of element Ca and the increase of the relative content of element Na. XRD results showed that Haliotidis Concha mainly contained CaCO₃ of aragonite and calcite， while calcined Haliotidis Concha only contained CaCO₃ of calcite， and standard decoction mainly contained CaCO₃ of calcite and Na₂CO₃ of natrite. FTIR results showed that there were internal vibrations of O-H， C-H， C=O， HCO₃^- and CO₃^2- groups in Haliotidis Concha， while O-H， HCO₃^- and CO₃^2- groups existed in the calcined products and standard decoction. ConclusionThe changes of Haliotidis Concha and calcined Haliotidis Concha are mainly the increase of CaCO₃ content， the transformation of CaCO₃ aragonite crystal form to calcite crystal form and the absence of organic components after calcination， and the changes of calcined products and standard decoction are mainly the decrease of CaCO₃ content and the increase of Na₂CO₃ relative content. The method established in the study is applicable to the quality control of the shellfish medicines-decoction pieces- standard decoction， which provides a new idea for the study of quality control of dispensing granules of shellfish medicines.

Objective:To analyze the therapeutic efficacy and long-term outcomes of wire-assisted dynamic traction with corrective device for congenital nipple inversion.Methods:A retrospective study was conducted on 22 female patients (42 nipples) with congenital nipple inversion treated at the Department of Plastic Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital from January to December 2017. The patients′ age was 18-54 (27.6±1.9) years. All patients underwent wire-assisted dynamic traction correction. Postoperative indicators including numerical rating scale (NRS) pain scores, nipple skin microcirculatory disorders, and traction duration were recorded. Follow-up assessments via telephone interviews were completed by September 20, 2022; mean follow-up time was (63.68±3.73) months. Evaluating questions included nipple retraction, fertility status and breastfeeding outcomes.Results:Pain in the operative area was non-radiating, and the pain level decreased over time. Mean NRS were (5.4±1.5) scores on surgery day, decreasing to (4.4±1.2) scores at postoperative day 1 and (3.3±1.7) scores at day 2. Microcirculatory assessments revealed Grade 0-I (intact skin) in 78.6% (33/42), Grade II (skin ulceration) in 14.3% (6/42), and Grade III (partial necrosis) in 7.1% (3/42) of the nipples, with no Grade IV necrosis observed. Successful device placement was achieved in all cases (42/42), with traction duration ranging 6-15 (9.6±0.6) months. Follow-up data from 12 patients (23 nipples) showed mild retraction in 3 nipples. Three patients subsequently delivered infants and successfully achieved breastfeeding.Conclusion:The wire-assisted dynamic traction method with corrective device demonstrates satisfactory therapeutic outcomes for congenital nipple inversion patients with favorable long-term maintenance and breastfeeding compatibility.

Objective:To investigate the bone augmentation effects of domestic decellularized porcine small intestinal submucosa (PSIS) absorbable biomembrane and domestic bovine pericardium tissue (BPT) absorbable biomembrane in guided bone regeneration (GBR) for single-tooth implantation in diabetic patients.Methods:A prospective case-control study was conducted with 48 diabetic patients who received single-tooth implant restoration at the Department of Prosthodontics, School of Stomatology. The Fourth Military Medical University, between January 2023 and January 2024. Patients were randomly assigned to the study group (PSIS group) and the control group (BPT group) using a random number table, with 24 patients in each group. GBR was performed simultaneously with the implant surgery. Cone-beam CT was used to compare the buccal-side horizontal bone gain at 6 months post-operation between the two groups. Wound healing was evaluated at 1 and 4 weeks post-operation using wound healing scores.Results:At 6 months post-operation, the buccal-side horizontal bone gain at 2 mm below the implant abutment in the study group [69.1 (55.2, 82.4) mm] and the control group [71.4 (59.8, 77.0) mm] showed no statistically significant difference ( Z=-0.25, P=0.805). The wound healing scores at 1 and 4 weeks post-operation in the study group did not differ significantly from those in the control group at the same time points (1 week: Z=-0.49, P=0.627; 4 weeks: Z=-0.61, P=0.539). Conclusions:The use of two types of domestic absorbable collagen membranes for GBR in single-tooth implantation in diabetic patients showed comparable buccal-side horizontal bone gain effects at 6 months post-operation and similar clinical outcomes for wound healing at 1 and 4 weeks post-operation in both groups. The GBR effects of PSIS and BPT are similar.

Objective:To evaluate the therapeutic value of radiotherapy in combined immunotherapy and chemotherapy as first-line treatment for patients with oligometastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on data from 195 NSCLC patients who lacked epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) or anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) mutations and were treated at the Anyang Tumor Hospital and the Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University from January 2019 to December 2021. These patients consisted of 166 male and 29 female cases, aged from 28 to 85 years, with an average age of (61.4 ± 9.3) years. These patients were divided into two groups, with each group receiving the radiotherapy and combined immunotherapy and chemotherapy (the radiotherapy and combination group, n = 60) and combined immunotherapy and chemotherapy only (the combination group, n = 135). Then, propensity score matching (PSM) was performed to analyze the differences in prognosis between both groups before and after PSM, as well as the short-term efficacy and adverse reactions after PSM. Results:For the 195 NSCLC patients, the median follow-up time was 31.8 months, with median overall survival (OS) and median progression-free survival (PFS) recorded at 23.8 months and 9.2 months, respectively. The radiotherapy and combination group exhibited enhanced 1-, 2-, and 3-year survival rates of 78.5%, 55.9%, and 45.1%, respectively, significantly higher than the combination group (48.3%, 35.6%, and 26.6%, respectively, χ2 = 14.65, P < 0.001). Similarly, the radiotherapy and combination group displayed 1-, 2-, and 3-year PFS rates of 51.9%, 29.5%, and 22.7%, respectively, exceeding those of the combination group (30.0%, 24.5%, and 16.9%, respectively, χ2=6.09, P=0.014). After PSM, the radiotherapy and combination group manifested an objective response rate (ORR) of 60.0% (33/55) and a disease control rate (DCR) of 89.1% (49/55), which were 16.4% (9/55) and 56.4% (31/55), respectively for the combination group. These results suggested that the radiotherapy and combination group demonstrated significantly higher ORR and DCR ( χ2 = 22.18, 14.85, P<0.001). After PSM, the radiotherapy and combination group yielded 1-, 2-, and 3-year survival rates of 70.9%, 52.3%, and 41.9%, respectively, significantly than the combination group (43.6%, 29.8%, and 27.1%, respectively, χ2=8.95, P=0.003). The radiotherapy and combination group exhibited 1-, 2-, and 3-year PFS rates of 47.3%, 27.3%, and 18.7%, respectively, significantly higher than the combination group (23.6%, 17.6%, and 15.4%, respectively, χ2 = 6.71, P = 0.010). Multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed that independent factors affecting OS included clinical stage, treatment regimen, number of immunotherapy cycles, and treatment efficacy ( HR = 1.88, 2.11, 0.23, 1.79, P < 0.05). Similarly, independent factors affecting PFS consisted of treatment regimen, number of immunotherapy cycles, and treatment efficacy ( HR = 1.62, 0.37, 3.42, P <0.05). There were no statistical differences in the incidence of grade ≥ 2 bone marrow suppression (18.2% vs. 12.7%) and grade ≥ 2 pneumonia (21.8% vs. 14.5%) between both groups ( P>0.05). Conclusions:Introducing radiotherapy into combined immunotherapy and chemotherapy as first-line treatment for oligometastatic NSCLC can optimize both local and systemic disease control and significantly improve patient prognosis without increasing treatment-related adverse reactions.

Objective To explore the effects of cerium-doped mesoporous bioactive glass nanoparticles(Ce-MBGNs)as reactive oxy-gen species(ROS)-responsive nanocarriers on inflammation in pulp and their potential to promote odontogenic differentiation of dental pulp stem cells(DPSCs).Methods The cytotoxicity of Ce-MBGNs was assessed by CCK-8.The expression of mRNA of osteogenic/odontogenic differentiation in DPSCs and that of inflammatory factor in RAW264.7 cells were detected by RT-qPCR.Alkaline phospha-tase and Alizarin Red S staining were utilized to investigate their ability to promote dentin mineralization.The ability of Ce-MBGNs to scavenge ROS was evaluated by immunofluorescence and JC-1 staining was used to assess the membrane potential(MMP)of mitochon-drial.Results Ce-MBGNs exhibited good biocompatibility and significantly increased the expression of osteogenic/odontogenic-related genes in DPSCs,promoting mineralization.Additionally,Ce-MBGNs effectively scavenged intracellular ROS,maintained MMP,inhib-ited the expression of pro-inflammatory factors,and promoted the expression of anti-inflammatory factors.Conclusion Ce-MBGNs can protect DPSCs from oxidative damage by maintaining the MMP of mitochondrial and controlling inflammation,and promote their odonto-blastic differentiation,providing a theoretical basis for the development of novel therapeutic agents for oral treatment.

Objective:To explore the clinical features, histopathological morphology, and differential diagnosis of lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma with abnormal expression of follicular dendritic cell markers.Methods:From 2020 to 2021, 4 cases of lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma with abnormal expression of follicular dendritic cell markers diagnosed in Fujian Cancer Hospital (2 cases) and the Second Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University (2 cases) were collected. Different ancillary procedures such as HE, special stains, immunohistochemistry, and in situ hybridization techniques were used to assess the histopathological features and immunophenotypes. The clinical data were collected and literature was reviewed.Results:All 4 cases of lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma with abnormal expression of follicular dendritic cell markers were male. They were 32, 45, 67 and 39 years old, respectively. The main clinical manifestations were bloody phlegm, abdominal pain, fatigue and anorexia. The clinical stages at diagnosis were stage Ⅳ (3 cases) and stage Ⅱ (1 case). Cases 2 and 3 had two pathological examinations at different sites, with a total of six pathological examinations. The histomorphology showed singly scattered or nests of tumor cells in a background of abundant small lymphocytes. The tumor cells were enlarged and pleomorphic, some appeared polygonal with inconspicuous cell borders, and they were arranged in a syncytial pattern. There were megakaryocytes, multinucleated tumor cells, and a few spindle-shaped cells seen. Atypical mitosis was commonly noted. By immunohistochemistry, the tumor cells were positive for CKpan(5/6), CK8/18(4/4), CAM5.2(2/5), CK-H(0/4), CK-L(3/4), EMA(4/5), CK5/6(3/6), p63(1/6), p40(1/6), E-cadherin (4/6), SSTR2(6/6), PD-L1(5/5), LCA(0/6), vimentin(5/6), CD2 (6/6), CD23(6/6), CD35(5/6), CXCL-13(4/5) and D2-40(1/5). The Ki-67 proliferative index was 60%-95%. In situ hybridization for EBER were all positive (6/6). Special stain for reticulin showed positive staining surrounding nests of tumor cells.Conclusions:The expression of follicular dendritic cell markers in lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma is very rare, which may be related to EBV infection. Occasionally, it can overlap with follicular dendritic cell sarcoma by morphology and immunophenotype, which can lead to misdiagnosis. Only by combining clinical information, morphological characteristics and immunophenotype can an appropriate diagnosis be made.