Objective To investigate the loci in the STRtyper-21G kit that are prone to tolerance mismatches when compared with the GlobalFilerTM kit and the PowerPlex? 21 kit,and to analyze the underlying causes.Methods A total of 5,870 database comparison reports involving STRtyper-21G profiles and other autosomal STR kits were examined for identity alignment.Samples showing mismatched loci were re-tested using the STRtyper-21G,GlobalFilerTM,and PowerPlex? 21 kits.For loci with mismatches,primers were redesigned and sequencing was performed.Results Eight mismatched samples(8/5 870)were identified,involving the loci D18S51,D8S1179,and D2S1338.Sequencing revealed that the allele dropout at D18S51 was due to a G→A mutation at the 79th base upstream of the core sequence;at D8S1179,a C→A mutation at the 4th base upstream;and at D2S1338,a C→T mutation at the 22nd base downstream.Conclusion All mismatches were attributable to mutations in primer binding regions.These findings provide reference for interpreting mismatch results in the STRtyper-21G database.When mismatches occur at these loci and the profiles are homozygous,exclusion conclusions should be made with caution.

AIM: To observe the characteristics of best corrected visual acuity(BCVA), microperimetry(MP), multifocal electroretinogram(mfERG), and optical coherence tomography angiography(OCTA)parameters in patients with idiopathic epiretinal membrane(IERM), and conduct a comparative study and correlation analysis on these parameters.METHODS:This was a cross-sectional study. A total of 56 patients(56 eyes)diagnosed with IERM who visited our hospital between February 2021 and November 2024 were collected as IERM group, and 33 healthy individuals(33 eyes)undergoing physical examinations were included as control group. Parameters were compared between the IERM group and the control group, as well as among IERM subgroups at different stages. Additionally, correlations among visual function parameters and between these visual function parameters and vascular structural OCTA parameters were analyzed.RESULTS: The general data of patients in the control group and IERM group were comparable. In the IERM group, BCVA, retinal sensitivity(RS), P1 wave amplitude in ring 1, superficial capillary plexus parafoveal vessel density(SCPpfvd), deep capillary plexus parafoveal vessel density(DCPpfvd), and the foveal avascular zone(FAZ)area were significantly lower than the control group(all P<0.01). In contrast, central retinal thickness(CRT), superficial capillary plexus foveal vessel density(SCPfvd), and deep capillary plexus foveal vessel density(DCPfvd)were significantly increased(all P<0.001). When comparing different stages of IERM, significant differences were observed in BCVA, CRT, RS, SCPfvd, and FAZ(all P<0.01). In eyes affected by IERM, BCVA(LogMAR)was negatively correlated with RS; P1 wave amplitude in ring 1 positively correlated with P1 wave implicit time in ring 1; SCPfvd positively correlated with BCVA(LogMAR)and negatively correlated with RS; DCPfvd negatively correlated with P1 wave implicit time in ring 1; and DCPpfvd positively correlated with RS(all P<0.05).CONCLUSION: Eyes with IERM exhibit abnormalities in visual function parameters and vascular structure, with varying degrees of alteration in BCVA, CRT, RS, SCPfvd, and FAZ across different stages. Comprehensive evaluation of BCVA, MP, mfERG, and OCTA contributes to a deeper understanding of the nature of IERM and aids in formulating appropriate diagnosis and treatment plans.

This study investigated the role of the nuclear factor of activated T cells c3 (NFATc3) in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) during aortic aneurysm and dissection (AAD) progression and the underlying molecular mechanisms. Cytoplasmic and nuclear NFATc3 levels were elevated in human and mouse AAD. VSMC-NFATc3 deletion reduced thoracic AAD (TAAD) and abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) progression in mice, contrary to VSMC-NFATc3 overexpression. VSMC-NFATc3 deletion reduced extracellular matrix (ECM) degradation and maintained the VSMC contractile phenotype. Nuclear NFATc3 targeted and transcriptionally upregulated matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP9) and MMP2, promoting ECM degradation and AAD development. NFATc3 promoted VSMC phenotypic switching by binding to eukaryotic elongation factor 2 (eEF2) and inhibiting its phosphorylation in the VSMC cytoplasm. Restoring eEF2 reversed the beneficial effects in VSMC-specific NFATc3-knockout mice. Cabamiquine-targets eEF2 and inhibits protein synthesis-inhibited AAD development and progression in VSMC-NFATc3-overexpressing mice. VSMC-NFATc3 promoted VSMC switch and ECM degradation while exacerbating AAD development, making it a novel potential therapeutic target for preventing and treating AAD.

The incidence of cardiovascular diseases(CVD)has been increasing year by year,with atherosclerosis(As)being the leading cause in terms of both incidnce and mortality for CVD in China.Traditional theories suggest that the pathogenesis of atherosclerotic CVD is associated with endothelial dysfunction and inflammatory responses caused by the accumulation of oxidized low density lipoprotein(ox-LDL).However,recent studies have demonstrated that perivascular adipose tissue(PVAT)can positively influence the occurrence and development of CVD through the vascular adventitia pathway.This article reviews the connection between PVAT and CVD,effective pathways for promoting CVD improve-ment,and the regulatory role of AMP-activated protein kinase(AMPK)on PVAT,aiming to explore effective intervention targets for CVD.

Objective To explore the protective effects of pretreatment with the Mongolian medicine Jiruhen Gurigumu-7(JG-7)and Guangzao Sanwei Tang(GZ-3)on myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury(MIRI)in mice.Methods 60 male C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into sham operation(Sham)group,model(Model)group,compound danshen drip pill(CDDP)positive control group,JG-7 group,GZ-3 group,and 12 mice in each group to establish the MIRI model,and the H9C2 cells were randomly divided into Control(normoxic)group,H/R(hypoxia 6 h reoxygenation 14 h)group,H/R+JG-7 group,H/R+GZ-3 group.The mice in each group were tested for cardiac function indexes after 30 min of ischemia,24 h and 7 d of reperfusion,TTC staining to detect infarct area after 24 h of MIRI,HE staining to detect myocardial tissue structure and cellular morphology after 24 h of MIRI,TUNEL apoptosis kit to detect apoptosis of myocardial cells after 24 h of MIRI,Masson staining to detect myocardial fibrosis after 7 d of MIRI.Blood was taken from the abdominal aorta,serum was separated,and the indexes after oxidative stress of MIRI were detected in each group of mice,and the survival rate of H9C2 cells after H/R was detected in each group by CCK-8 method.Results The results of TTC showed that JG-7 and GZ-3 reduced the infarct area after 24 h of MIRI in mice.ELISA and kit assays proved that JG-7 and GZ-3 reduced creatine phosphokinase isoenzyme(Creatinekinase-MB,CK-MB),Lactic dehydrogenase(LDH),malondialdehyde(MDA)levels,and increased superoxide dismutase(SOD)levels.HE staining showed that JG-7 and GZ-3 improved myocardial pathology after MIRI 24 h.The results of TUNEL apoptosis assay showed that JG-7 and GZ-3 improved apoptosis in myocardial tissues 24 h after MIRI.Masson staining results showed that JG-7 and GZ-3 could reduce the area of myocardial tissue fibrosis after MIRI 7 d.CCK-8 assay results showed that JG-7 and GZ-3 could improve the cell survival rate after H/R in H9C2 cells.Conclusion Pre-treatment with Mongolian medicine Jiruhen Gurigumu-7 and Guangzao Sanwei Tang can reduce the damage caused after ischemia-reperfusion(I/R),decrease the area of myocardial infarction and fibrosis after I/R in mice,and protect the heart.

Objective To analyze the factors influencing iodine nutritional status in pregnant women dur-ing pregnancy,based on thyroid function and thyroid autoantibody levels,and to explore the association between iodine nutritional abnormalities and pregnancy outcomes.Methods A total of 838 pregnant women who underwent routine prenatal checkups at Qinghai Provincial People's Hospital between January 2021 and June 2023 were pro-spectively enrolled in this study.All participants were followed until delivery.Seven cases were lost to follow-up,resulting in a final sample size of 831 participants.Among them,276 were in the first trimester,384 in the second trimester,and 171 in the third trimester.Data on urinary iodine concentration(UIC),urinary creatinine(UCr),thyroid function indicators,and thyroid autoantibodies were collected.Based on their iodine nutritional status,the participants were categorized into either the iodine-sufficient group or the iodine-abnormal group(including iodine-deficient,iodine-hyper-sufficient,and iodine-excessive subgroups).This study analyzed the iodine nutritional sta-tus of pregnant women during different gestational periods,compared thyroid function indices,prevalence of thy-roid diseases,and the positivity rates of thyroid peroxidase antibody(TPOAb),thyroglobulin antibody(TGAb),and thyroid-stimulating hormone receptor antibody(TRAb)among different iodine status groups.Additionally,ad-verse pregnancy outcomes were compared across groups.Multivariate logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify risk factors associated with iodine abnormalities during pregnancy,and a predictive model was developed to assess its potential predictive value.Results Among the 831 pregnant women included in the study,373 cases(44.89％)exhibited iodine sufficiency,while 458 cases(55.11％)presented with iodine abnormalities,including 282 cases of iodine deficiency,144 cases of iodine hypersufficiency,and 32 cases of iodine excess.No statistically significant differences were observed in the iodine nutritional status across different trimesters(P>0.05).The se-rum level of thyroid-stimulating hormone(TSH)was significantly higher in the iodine abnormal group compared to the iodine sufficient group(P<0.05).Additionally,the iodine abnormal group demonstrated higher positivity rates of TPOAb alone,TGAb,and TRAb,as well as increased incidence of thyroid dysfunction and total adverse pregnancy outcomes compared to the iodine sufficient group(all P<0.05).These adverse indicators were also sig-nificantly elevated in the iodine-deficient,iodine super-sufficient,and iodine overdose subgroups compared to the iodine sufficient group(P<0.05).Elevated serum TSH levels and the presence of TPOAb,TGAb,and TRAb were identified as risk factors for iodine abnormalities during pregnancy(P<0.05).The predictive model con-structed for identifying iodine abnormalities in pregnant women demonstrated an area under the curve(AUC)of 0.876,with a sensitivity of 72.27％and a specificity of 89.01％.Conclusions The prevalence of iodine nutritional abnormalities among pregnant women during pregnancy was high,with most cases presenting iodine deficiency.These abnormalities were associated with thyroid function,thyroid autoimmunity,and pregnancy outcomes,but showed no significant correlation with gestational age.Furthermore,the prediction model developed based on iden-tified risk factors demonstrated effective performance in predicting iodine nutritional abnormalities during preg-nancy.

The incidence of cardiovascular diseases(CVD)has been increasing year by year,with atherosclerosis(As)being the leading cause in terms of both incidnce and mortality for CVD in China.Traditional theories suggest that the pathogenesis of atherosclerotic CVD is associated with endothelial dysfunction and inflammatory responses caused by the accumulation of oxidized low density lipoprotein(ox-LDL).However,recent studies have demonstrated that perivascular adipose tissue(PVAT)can positively influence the occurrence and development of CVD through the vascular adventitia pathway.This article reviews the connection between PVAT and CVD,effective pathways for promoting CVD improve-ment,and the regulatory role of AMP-activated protein kinase(AMPK)on PVAT,aiming to explore effective intervention targets for CVD.

Objective To investigate the effect of the rs3765467 polymorphism of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor(GLP-1R)gene on the efficacy of Liraglutide(Lir)in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM)and metabolic associated fatty liver disease(MAFLD).Methods A total of 281 patients with T2DM from May 2022 to May 2023 were selected,including 125 patients with simple T2DM(T2DM group)and 156 patients with T2DM combined with MAFLD(T2DM+MAFLD group).120 healthy individuals during the same period were selected as the control(NC)group.The related indexes of glucose and lipid metabolism were detected.The polymorphism of GLP-1R gene rs3765467 was detected.Results BMI,FPG,HbA1c,HOMA-IR and TG in each group increased in turn(P<0.05),while the distribution frequency of genotype GG and allele G decreased in turn(P<0.05).TC and LDL-C in T2DM and T2DM+MAFLD groups were higher than those in NC group(P<0.05).TC and TG levels in genotype GA/AA patients were significantly higher than those in genotype GG patients(P<0.05).Compared with before treatment,the levels of BMI,FPG,HbA1c,HOMA-IR,TC,TG and LDL-C in T2DM patients with MAFLD were significantly decreased after Lir treatment(P<0.05).There was no significant difference in BMI and related indexes of glucose and lipid metabolism in GG and GA/AA patients before and after Lir treatment(P>0.05).Conclusions The distribution frequency of GG and G allele at rs3765467 of GLP-1R gene is reduced in T2DM patients with MAFLD.The carrying of allele A was associated with increased TC and TG levels,but did not affect the efficacy of Lir in reducing weight and improving glycolipid metabolism.

Objective To explore the protective effects of pretreatment with the Mongolian medicine Jiruhen Gurigumu-7(JG-7)and Guangzao Sanwei Tang(GZ-3)on myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury(MIRI)in mice.Methods 60 male C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into sham operation(Sham)group,model(Model)group,compound danshen drip pill(CDDP)positive control group,JG-7 group,GZ-3 group,and 12 mice in each group to establish the MIRI model,and the H9C2 cells were randomly divided into Control(normoxic)group,H/R(hypoxia 6 h reoxygenation 14 h)group,H/R+JG-7 group,H/R+GZ-3 group.The mice in each group were tested for cardiac function indexes after 30 min of ischemia,24 h and 7 d of reperfusion,TTC staining to detect infarct area after 24 h of MIRI,HE staining to detect myocardial tissue structure and cellular morphology after 24 h of MIRI,TUNEL apoptosis kit to detect apoptosis of myocardial cells after 24 h of MIRI,Masson staining to detect myocardial fibrosis after 7 d of MIRI.Blood was taken from the abdominal aorta,serum was separated,and the indexes after oxidative stress of MIRI were detected in each group of mice,and the survival rate of H9C2 cells after H/R was detected in each group by CCK-8 method.Results The results of TTC showed that JG-7 and GZ-3 reduced the infarct area after 24 h of MIRI in mice.ELISA and kit assays proved that JG-7 and GZ-3 reduced creatine phosphokinase isoenzyme(Creatinekinase-MB,CK-MB),Lactic dehydrogenase(LDH),malondialdehyde(MDA)levels,and increased superoxide dismutase(SOD)levels.HE staining showed that JG-7 and GZ-3 improved myocardial pathology after MIRI 24 h.The results of TUNEL apoptosis assay showed that JG-7 and GZ-3 improved apoptosis in myocardial tissues 24 h after MIRI.Masson staining results showed that JG-7 and GZ-3 could reduce the area of myocardial tissue fibrosis after MIRI 7 d.CCK-8 assay results showed that JG-7 and GZ-3 could improve the cell survival rate after H/R in H9C2 cells.Conclusion Pre-treatment with Mongolian medicine Jiruhen Gurigumu-7 and Guangzao Sanwei Tang can reduce the damage caused after ischemia-reperfusion(I/R),decrease the area of myocardial infarction and fibrosis after I/R in mice,and protect the heart.

Objective To analyze the factors influencing iodine nutritional status in pregnant women dur-ing pregnancy,based on thyroid function and thyroid autoantibody levels,and to explore the association between iodine nutritional abnormalities and pregnancy outcomes.Methods A total of 838 pregnant women who underwent routine prenatal checkups at Qinghai Provincial People's Hospital between January 2021 and June 2023 were pro-spectively enrolled in this study.All participants were followed until delivery.Seven cases were lost to follow-up,resulting in a final sample size of 831 participants.Among them,276 were in the first trimester,384 in the second trimester,and 171 in the third trimester.Data on urinary iodine concentration(UIC),urinary creatinine(UCr),thyroid function indicators,and thyroid autoantibodies were collected.Based on their iodine nutritional status,the participants were categorized into either the iodine-sufficient group or the iodine-abnormal group(including iodine-deficient,iodine-hyper-sufficient,and iodine-excessive subgroups).This study analyzed the iodine nutritional sta-tus of pregnant women during different gestational periods,compared thyroid function indices,prevalence of thy-roid diseases,and the positivity rates of thyroid peroxidase antibody(TPOAb),thyroglobulin antibody(TGAb),and thyroid-stimulating hormone receptor antibody(TRAb)among different iodine status groups.Additionally,ad-verse pregnancy outcomes were compared across groups.Multivariate logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify risk factors associated with iodine abnormalities during pregnancy,and a predictive model was developed to assess its potential predictive value.Results Among the 831 pregnant women included in the study,373 cases(44.89％)exhibited iodine sufficiency,while 458 cases(55.11％)presented with iodine abnormalities,including 282 cases of iodine deficiency,144 cases of iodine hypersufficiency,and 32 cases of iodine excess.No statistically significant differences were observed in the iodine nutritional status across different trimesters(P>0.05).The se-rum level of thyroid-stimulating hormone(TSH)was significantly higher in the iodine abnormal group compared to the iodine sufficient group(P<0.05).Additionally,the iodine abnormal group demonstrated higher positivity rates of TPOAb alone,TGAb,and TRAb,as well as increased incidence of thyroid dysfunction and total adverse pregnancy outcomes compared to the iodine sufficient group(all P<0.05).These adverse indicators were also sig-nificantly elevated in the iodine-deficient,iodine super-sufficient,and iodine overdose subgroups compared to the iodine sufficient group(P<0.05).Elevated serum TSH levels and the presence of TPOAb,TGAb,and TRAb were identified as risk factors for iodine abnormalities during pregnancy(P<0.05).The predictive model con-structed for identifying iodine abnormalities in pregnant women demonstrated an area under the curve(AUC)of 0.876,with a sensitivity of 72.27％and a specificity of 89.01％.Conclusions The prevalence of iodine nutritional abnormalities among pregnant women during pregnancy was high,with most cases presenting iodine deficiency.These abnormalities were associated with thyroid function,thyroid autoimmunity,and pregnancy outcomes,but showed no significant correlation with gestational age.Furthermore,the prediction model developed based on iden-tified risk factors demonstrated effective performance in predicting iodine nutritional abnormalities during preg-nancy.