Background/Aims: Metabolic dysfunction–associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is a chronic liver disease characterized by hepatic steatosis. Ubiquitin-specific protease 29 (USP29) plays pivotal roles in hepatic ischemiareperfusion injury and hepatocellular carcinoma, but its role in MASLD remains unexplored. Therefore, the aim of this study was to reveal the effects and underlying mechanisms of USP29 in MASLD progression. Methods: USP29 expression was assessed in liver samples from MASLD patients and mice. The role and molecular mechanism of USP29 in MASLD were assessed in high-fat diet-fed and high-fat/high-cholesterol diet-fed mice and palmitic acid and oleic acid treated hepatocytes. Results: USP29 protein levels were significantly reduced in mice and humans with MASLD. Hepatic steatosis, inflammation and fibrosis were significantly exacerbated by USP29 deletion and relieved by USP29 overexpression. Mechanistically, USP29 significantly activated the expression of genes related to fatty acid β-oxidation (FAO) under metabolic stimulation, directly interacted with long-chain acyl-CoA synthase 5 (ACSL5) and repressed ACSL5 degradation by increasing ACSL5 K48-linked deubiquitination. Moreover, the effect of USP29 on hepatocyte lipid accumulation and MASLD was dependent on ACSL5. Conclusions USP29 functions as a novel negative regulator of MASLD by stabilizing ACSL5 to promote FAO. The activation of the USP29-ACSL5 axis may represent a potential therapeutic strategy for MASLD.

Background/Aims: Metabolic dysfunction–associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is a chronic liver disease characterized by hepatic steatosis. Ubiquitin-specific protease 29 (USP29) plays pivotal roles in hepatic ischemiareperfusion injury and hepatocellular carcinoma, but its role in MASLD remains unexplored. Therefore, the aim of this study was to reveal the effects and underlying mechanisms of USP29 in MASLD progression. Methods: USP29 expression was assessed in liver samples from MASLD patients and mice. The role and molecular mechanism of USP29 in MASLD were assessed in high-fat diet-fed and high-fat/high-cholesterol diet-fed mice and palmitic acid and oleic acid treated hepatocytes. Results: USP29 protein levels were significantly reduced in mice and humans with MASLD. Hepatic steatosis, inflammation and fibrosis were significantly exacerbated by USP29 deletion and relieved by USP29 overexpression. Mechanistically, USP29 significantly activated the expression of genes related to fatty acid β-oxidation (FAO) under metabolic stimulation, directly interacted with long-chain acyl-CoA synthase 5 (ACSL5) and repressed ACSL5 degradation by increasing ACSL5 K48-linked deubiquitination. Moreover, the effect of USP29 on hepatocyte lipid accumulation and MASLD was dependent on ACSL5. Conclusions USP29 functions as a novel negative regulator of MASLD by stabilizing ACSL5 to promote FAO. The activation of the USP29-ACSL5 axis may represent a potential therapeutic strategy for MASLD.

Background/Aims: Metabolic dysfunction–associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is a chronic liver disease characterized by hepatic steatosis. Ubiquitin-specific protease 29 (USP29) plays pivotal roles in hepatic ischemiareperfusion injury and hepatocellular carcinoma, but its role in MASLD remains unexplored. Therefore, the aim of this study was to reveal the effects and underlying mechanisms of USP29 in MASLD progression. Methods: USP29 expression was assessed in liver samples from MASLD patients and mice. The role and molecular mechanism of USP29 in MASLD were assessed in high-fat diet-fed and high-fat/high-cholesterol diet-fed mice and palmitic acid and oleic acid treated hepatocytes. Results: USP29 protein levels were significantly reduced in mice and humans with MASLD. Hepatic steatosis, inflammation and fibrosis were significantly exacerbated by USP29 deletion and relieved by USP29 overexpression. Mechanistically, USP29 significantly activated the expression of genes related to fatty acid β-oxidation (FAO) under metabolic stimulation, directly interacted with long-chain acyl-CoA synthase 5 (ACSL5) and repressed ACSL5 degradation by increasing ACSL5 K48-linked deubiquitination. Moreover, the effect of USP29 on hepatocyte lipid accumulation and MASLD was dependent on ACSL5. Conclusions USP29 functions as a novel negative regulator of MASLD by stabilizing ACSL5 to promote FAO. The activation of the USP29-ACSL5 axis may represent a potential therapeutic strategy for MASLD.

BACKGROUND: Congenital heart disease (CHD) is a leading cause of birth defect-related mortality. However, more recent CHD mortality data for China are lacking. Additionally, limited studies have evaluated sex, rural-urban, and region-specific disparities of CHD mortality in China. METHODS: We designed a population-based study using data from the Dataset of National Mortality Surveillance in China between 2008 and 2021. We calculated age-adjusted CHD mortality using the sixth census data of China in 2010 as the standard population. We assessed the temporal trends in CHD mortality by age, sex, area, and region from 2008 to 2021 using the joinpoint regression model. RESULTS: From 2008 to 2021, 33,534 deaths were attributed to CHD. The period witnessed a two-fold decrease in the age-adjusted CHD mortality from 1.61 to 0.76 per 100,000 persons (average annual percent change [AAPC] = -5.90%). Females tended to have lower age-adjusted CHD mortality than males, but with a similar decline rate from 2008 to 2021 (females: AAPC = -6.15%; males: AAPC = -5.84%). Similar AAPC values were observed among people living in urban (AAPC = -6.64%) and rural (AAPC = -6.12%) areas. Eastern regions experienced a more pronounced decrease in the age-adjusted CHD mortality (AAPC = -7.86%) than central (AAPC = -5.83%) and western regions (AAPC = -3.71%) between 2008 and 2021. Approximately half of the deaths (46.19%) due to CHD occurred during infancy. The CHD mortality rates in 2021 were lower than those in 2008 for people aged 0-39 years, with the largest decrease observed among children aged 1-4 years (AAPC = -8.26%), followed by infants (AAPC = -7.01%). CONCLUSIONS CHD mortality in China has dramatically decreased from 2008 to 2021. The slower decrease in CHD mortality in the central and western regions than in the eastern regions suggested that public health policymakers should pay more attention to health resources and health education for central and western regions.
Humans ; Heart Defects, Congenital/mortality* ; Male ; Female ; China/epidemiology* ; Infant ; Child, Preschool ; Adult ; Child ; Adolescent ; Infant, Newborn ; Middle Aged ; Young Adult ; Aged ; Rural Population

OBJECTIVE: To review the research progress on the lower limb biomechanical characteristics of patients with discoid lateral meniscus (DLM) injury after surgery. METHODS: By searching relevant domestic and international research literature on DLM, the postoperative characteristics of knee joint movement biomechanics, tibiofemoral joint stress distribution, lower extremity force line, and patellofemoral joint changes in patients with DLM injury were summarized. RESULTS: Surgical treatment can lead to varying degrees of changes in the lower limb biomechanical characteristics of patients with DLM injury. Specifically, the kinematic biomechanics of the knee joint can significantly improve, but there are still problems such as extension deficits in the affected knee joint. The peak stress of the tibiofemoral joint decreases with the increase of the residual meniscus volume, and the degree of change is closely related to the residual meniscus volume. Preserving a larger volume of the meniscus, especially the anterior horn volume, helps to reduce stress concentration. The lower extremity force line will deviate outward after surgery, and the more meniscus is removed during surgery, the greater the change in the lower extremity force line after surgery. There are conditions such as cartilage degeneration, position and angle changes in the patellofemoral joint after surgery. CONCLUSION The changes in the lower limb biomechanical characteristics after DLM injury are closely related to the choice of surgical methods and rehabilitation programs. However, the mechanisms of biomechanical changes in multiple lower limb joints and individual differences still need to be further studied and clarified.
Humans ; Biomechanical Phenomena ; Tibial Meniscus Injuries/physiopathology* ; Menisci, Tibial/physiopathology* ; Knee Joint/surgery* ; Lower Extremity/physiopathology* ; Patellofemoral Joint/physiopathology* ; Range of Motion, Articular ; Knee Injuries/physiopathology*

Objective:To explore the correlation between clinical phenotypes and genotypes among 46 children with SCN1A-related developmental epileptic encephalopathy (DEE). Methods:Clinical data of 46 children with DEE and SCN1A variants identified at the Guangzhou Women and Children′s Medical Center between January 2018 and June 2022 were collected. The children were grouped based on their age of onset, clinical manifestations, neurodevelopmental status, and results of genetic testing. The correlation between SCN1A genotypes and clinical phenotypes was analyzed. Results:Among the 46 patients, 2 children (4.35%) had developed the symptoms before 3 months of age, 42 (91.30%) were between 3 to 9 months, and 2 cases (4.35%) were after 10 months. Two cases (4.35%) presented with epilepsy of infancy with migrating focal seizures (EIMFS), while 44 (95.7%) had presented with Dravet syndrome (DS), including 28 cases (63.6%) with focal onset (DS-F), 13 cases (29.5%) with myoclonic type (DS-M), 1 case (2.27%) with generalized type (DS-G), and 2 cases (4.55%) with status epilepticus type (DS-SE). Both of the two EIMFS children had severe developmental delay, and among the DS patients, 7 cases had normal development, while the remaining had developmental delay. A total of 44 variants were identified through genetic sequencing, which included 16 missense variants and 28 truncating variants. All EIMFS children had carried the c. 677C>T (p.Thr226Met) missense variant. In the DS group, there was a significant difference in the age of onset between the missense variants group and the truncating variants group ( P < 0.05). Missense variants were more common in D1 (7/15, 46.7%) and pore regions (8/15, 53.3%), while truncating variants were more common in D1 (12/28, 42.9%). Children with variants outside the pore region were more likely to develop myoclonic seizures. Conclusion:The clinical phenotypes of DEE are diverse. There is a difference in the age of onset between individuals with truncating and missense variants in the SCN1A gene. Missense variants outside the pore region are associated with a higher incidence of myoclonic seizures.

Background::There is a need for effective and safe therapies for psoriasis that provide sustained benefits. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy and safety of tildrakizumab, an anti-interleukin-23p19 monoclonal antibody, for treating moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis in Chinese patients.Methods::In this multi-center, double-blind, phase III trial, patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis were enrolled and randomly assigned (1:1) to receive subcutaneous tildrakizumab 100 mg or placebo at weeks 0 and 4. Patients initially assigned to placebo were switched to receive tildrakizumab at weeks 12, 16, and every 12 weeks thereafter. Patients in the tildrakizumab group continued with tildrakizumab at week 16, and every 12 weeks until week 52. The primary endpoint was the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI 75) response rate at week 12.Results::At week 12, tildrakizumab demonstrated significantly higher PASI 75 response rates (66.4% [73/110] vs. 12.7% [14/110]; difference, 51.4% [95% confidence interval (CI), 40.72, 62.13]; P <0.001) and Physician’s Global Assessment (60.9% [67/110] vs. 10.0% [11/110]; difference, 49.1% [95% CI, 38.64, 59.62]; P <0.001) compared to placebo. PASI 75 response continued to improve over time in both tildrakizumab and placebo-switching to tildrakizumab groups, reaching maximal efficacy after 28 weeks (86.8% [92/106] vs. 82.4% [89/108]) and maintained up to 52 weeks (91.3% [95/104] vs. 87.4% [90/103]). Most treatment-emergent adverse events were mild and not related to tildrakizumab. Conclusion::Tildrakizumab demonstrated durable efficacy through week 52 and was well tolerated in Chinese patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis.Trial registration::ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT05108766.

ObjectiveTo investigate the effects of Linggui Zhugantang （LGZGT）-containing serum on primary astrocytes （AS） induced by β amyloid 1-42 （Aβ_1-42） in a rat model of Alzheimer's disease （AD） and explore the phagocytic and degradative effects of LGZGT on Aβ. MethodAn AD model was established by inducing AS with Aβ_1-42. The cells were divided into normal group， model group， LGZGT low-， medium-， and high-dose （LGZGT-L， LGZGT-M， and LGZGT-H） groups， and donepezil hydrochloride group. The model group was treated with Aβ_1-42 at a final concentration of 10 μmol∙L^-1. The LGZGT-L， LGZGT-M， and LGZGT-H groups were treated with 10% serum containing LGZGT on the basis of the model group. Cell viability was assessed using a cell counting kit-8 （CCK-8）， lactate dehydrogenase （LDH） activity was measured using an LDH assay kit， and cell morphology was observed using an inverted microscope. The expression of Aβ-related degradation enzymes insulin-degrading enzyme （IDE） and cathepsin D （CTSD） was detected using Western blot， and the fluorescence intensity of cathepsin B （CTSB） was measured using immunofluorescence. The content of Aβ_1-42 in cells was determined using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. ResultCompared with the normal group， the viability of AS in all groups decreased， and Aβ_1-42 at different concentrations had inhibitory effects on AS proliferation. After administration， compared with the normal group， the cell survival rate of the model group decreased significantly （P<0.05）. Compared with the model group， the cell survival rates of the LGZGT-H group and donepezil hydrochloride group increased significantly （P<0.05）. The LDH activity of cells in the model group was significantly increased compared with that in the normal group （P<0.05）， and cell bodies were swollen and enlarged with increased protrusions and elongation， suggesting more obvious cell damage. Compared with the model group， the LDH activity of cells in the donepezil hydrochloride， LGZGT-L， LGZGT-M， and LGZGT-H groups decreased significantly （P<0.05）. After administration， the cell swelling in the LGZGT-M， LGZGT-H， and donepezil hydrochloride groups improved， cell protrusions shortened， and cell clustering decreased. Compared with the normal group， the expression of IDE and CTSD in the model group decreased significantly （P<0.05）. Compared with the model group， the expression of IDE increased significantly in the LGZGT-M and LGZGT-H groups （P<0.05）. Compared with the model group， the expression of CTSD increased significantly in the LGZGT-L， LGZGT-M， LGZGT-H， and donepezil hydrochloride groups （P<0.05）. The average fluorescence intensity of CTSB in the model group was significantly lower than that in the normal group （P<0.05）. Compared with the model group， the average fluorescence intensity of CTSD in the LGZGT-L， LGZGT-M， LGZGT-H， and donepezil hydrochloride groups increased significantly （P<0.05）. The intracellular content of Aβ_1-42 in cells in the model group was significantly higher than that in the normal group （P<0.05）. After administration， compared with the model group， the intracellular content of Aβ_1-42 in cells in the LGZGT-L， LGZGT-M， LGZGT-H， and donepezil hydrochloride groups decreased significantly （P<0.05）， and LGZGT-containing serum reduced Aβ_1-42 in a dose-dependent manner （P<0.05）. ConclusionLGZGT has a protective effect on Aβ_1-42-induced AS and can promote the degradation of Aβ. Its mechanism may be related to reducing Aβ toxicity， enhancing cell viability， promoting the expression of IDE， CTSD， and CTSB， and restoring lysosomal function.

Objective:To explore the discharge readiness and influencing factors of patients with multimorbidity, and to formulate corresponding strategies to guide clinical work.Methods:In a cross-sectional study, 183 patients were surveyed by convenience sample method for Department of General Practice, the Third Hospital of Peking University February in to December 2022. Multiple linear regression was used to analyze the factors affecting discharge readiness.Results:All 183 coexisting patients, 95 males, 88 females, mean age (67.34 ± 10.36) years old. Mean discharge readiness was (109.83 ± 18.40). 54.9% of the factors for patients with multiple chronic diseases came from the perception of self-care disorder, hospitalization, stay, and preparation for discharge ( R2=0.549, P<0.05). Conclusions:The discharge readiness of patients with multiple chronic diseases in general medicine is at a high level, and clinical nursing staff should give early intervention to the patients who perceive self-care barriers, need to stay with them, have multiple hospitalization, and are not ready for discharge, so as to ensure that the patients are in a good state of discharge readiness.

Objective To construct,implement and evaluate the effectiveness of the virtual simulation technology-based prenatal health education course.Methods The curriculum included 4 parts:"warm delivery room and easy delivery","medicated analgesic delivery","non-medicated analgesic delivery"and"early maternal and infant health care".From May to September 2022,100 primiparas in an obstetrics and gynecology hospital in Zhejiang Province were investigated by convenient sampling method.Random number table method was used to divide the participants into an experimental group and a control group,with 50 participants per group.The control group received conventional health education,while the experimental group received an augmented virtual reality technology-based prenatal health education course during the late stages of pregnancy on this basis.We conducted a post-intervention comparative analysis of antenatal anxiety levels,fear of childbirth,and birth outcomes between the 2 groups.Furthermore,a post-intervention satisfaction survey was administered to the experimental group.Results After intervention,the antenatal anxiety of the experimental group was lower than that of the control group(x2=4.943,P=0.026),and the decrease in fear of childbirth scores was higher than that of the control group(t=3.200,P=0.002).The experimental group was highly satisfied with all of the 4 dimensions of the course,and the overall evaluation was(31.8±3.23)points.However,there were no significant differences in vaginal delivery rate,postpartum bleeding volume,postpartum hemorrhage incidence,perineal injury degree and duration of each labor stage between the 2 groups(P＞0.05).Conclusion The virtual reality technology-based prenatal health education course was effective in improving the antenatal anxiety and fear of childbirth of primipara,and the use satisfaction is high.