ObjectiveTo investigate the association between endothelin receptor type A gene （EDNRA） and congenital bilateral absence of the vas deferens （CBAVD）. MethodsThis case-control study consisted of 124 subjects with CBAVD and 100 fertile controls.Two single nucleotide polymorphisms （SNPs： rs5335 and rs1801708） in the EDNRA gene were genotyped via PCR， PCR-RFLP analysis， and direct sequencing. ResultsNo significant differences existed between EDNRA polymorphisms and CBAVD phenotype （rs1801708： P=0.220 2， 0.163 2； rs5335： P=0.805 8， 0.818 6）. However， the rs1801708-rs5335 haplotype AG was notably associated with an increased risk of CBAVD （P=0.008 6， OR=2.178， 95% CI： 1.207-3.929）. A significantly protective effect of rs1801708-rs5335 haplotype GG on CBAVD （P=0.038 5， OR= 0.671， 95% CI： 0.460-0.980） was observed. After Bonferroni correction， the result for haplotype A-G remained significant （P =0.008 6<0.012 5）， while haplotype G-G was not significant. ConclusionThe rs1801708-rs5335 AG haplotype of EDNRA is a potential risk factor for CBAVD development in Han Chinese.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the efficacy and possible mechanism of Wei's Huoxue Tongluo Formula （韦氏活血通络方，WHTF） in treating atrophic-stage non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy （NAION） with qi deficiency and blood stasis. MethodsA total of 82 atrophic-stage NAION patients with qi deficiency and blood stasis were randomly divided into a treatment group and a control group， with 41 cases in each group. The treatment group was given oral administration of WHTF twice a day plus acupoint injection of distilled water 2 ml at Taiyang （EX-HN5） once daily， while the control group received injection of compound anisodine injection 2 ml at Taiyang （EX-HN5） once daily and oral administration of WHTF placebo twice a day. Both groups received treatment for a course of 14 days. The best-corrected visual acuity （BCVA）， optic disc perfusion density （PD）， flux index （FI）， macular superficial PD， vascular density （VD）， and traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） syndrome scores were compared between groups before treatment and on day 7 and day 14 of treatment. Additionally， mean defect （MD） and mean sensitivity （MS） of visual fields were measured before treatment and on day 14， along with safety evaluation. ResultsAfter treatment， both groups showed significant improvement in BCVA， visual field MD and MS， and TCM syndrome scores （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. On day 14 of treatment， the TCM syndrome score in the treatment group was significantly lower than that in the control group （P＜0.05）. There was no significant improvement in optic disc PD and FI， and macular superficial PD and VD after treatment in either group （P＞0.05） except that on day 7 the macular superficial foveal PD in the control group was significantly better than that in the treatment group （P＜0.05）. During the treatment period， no serious adverse events occurred in either group. ConclusionWHTF can improve the visual function indicators including visual acuity and visual field， as well as TCM syndrome scores in atrophic-stage NAION patients with qi deficiency and blood stasis. It shows clinical safety， although it does not appear to have a significant effect on optic disc or macular blood flow.

Objective To construct mice hepatocellular carcinoma models with different tumor immune microenvironments(TIME)and explore the differences.Methods H22 and hepa1-6 were used to construct subcutaneous transplantation tumor model of C57 mice as homologous hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines(denoted as H22 group and hepal-6 group,each n=8),and the differences of TIME were evaluated.Immunohistochemistry was used to detect and quantify the infiltration of T cells,CD4+T cells,CD8+T cells,regulatory T cells and B cells in TIME.Flow cytometry was performed to detect the differences of composition of immune cell subpopulations in peripheral blood and tumor parenchyma.Gene expression profile characteristics of tumor tissue were analyzed based on high-throughput transcriptome sequencing technology,and enrichment analyses of immune-related signaling pathways were evaluated combined with gene ontology(GO)and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes(KEGG).Results H22 group showed cold and hepa1-6 group showed hot TIME characteristics.The number of T cells,CD4+T cells and CD8+T cells in tumor tissue of H22 group were all lower,while the proportion of T cells,CD4+T cells and CD8+T cells in peripheral blood were all higher than those of hepa1-6 group(all P＜0.05).Compared with H22 group,up-regulated genes of tumor tissue in hepa1-6 group expressed significantly enriched in tumor immune activation-related signaling pathways.Conclusion H22 and hepa1-6 hepatocellular carcinoma models showed distinct TIME characteristics of cold and hot tumors,respectively,and the amount of immune cells in tumor tissue of the former were significantly lower than those in the latter.

Objective:To analyze the clinical characteristics and cytokines expression characteristics in infants with mild and severe respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection.Methods:From May 2023 to December 2023, plasma samples and clinical information were collected from 16 infants with RSV infection and 14 control infants. Cytek Aurora flow cytometry (Cytek, America) and Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) were used to detect the expression levels of 25 cytokines after mild and severe RSV infection.Results:Cough and nasal obstruction were the main clinical manifestations in infants with mild RSV infection, accompanied by polypnea, wheezing and other symptoms. The main symptoms of severe RSV infection were cough and rales, accompanied by fever and polypnea. In comparison with the control group, the expression levels of IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-9, IL-13, IL-22, TNF-α, IFN-α, IFN-β, MIP-1β, I-TAC, ENA-78, GROα, Eotaxin, and MCP-1 in the RSV infection group all exhibited an upregulation trend. Both IP-10 and MIP-3α demonstrated a downward trend in the RSV infection group; however, there was no statistically significant difference ( P>0.05). The levels of IL-10, IFN-γ, MIP-1α, and IL-8 in the RSV infection group were significantly higher than those in the control group, whereas the levels of MIG, TARC, and RANTES in the RSV infection group were significantly lower than those in the control group ( P<0.05). The levels of IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-9, IL-10, IL-13, IL-22, IFN-β, IFN-γ, TNF-α, IL-8, I-TAC, MIP-1β, Eotaxin, and MCP-1 in the mild RSV infection group were significantly higher than those in the severe RSV infection group ( P>0.05). Among these, the levels of MIG, RANTES, TARC, MIP-3α, and ENA-78 in the mild infection group were all lower than those in the severe infection group. The expressions of ENA-78 and MIP-1α in the severe infection group were significantly higher than those in the mild infection group and also higher than those in the control group. There was no significant difference in IP-10 and GROα between the mild and severe RSV infection groups ( P>0.05). Conclusions:The differences in clinical features and cytokines between infants with mild and severe RSV infection provide important data support for the prevention and treatment of RSV infection in infants.

Objective To establish a portable gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) method for determining carbon disulfide in workplace air. Methods Samples were collected using the built-in Tenax GR adsorption tube in the portable GC-MS, followed by thermal desorption. The analytes were separated on a DB-1 chromatographic column and detected by a 3D ion trap mass spectrometer, with 1,3,5-tris(trifluoromethyl)benzene used as the internal standard. Qualitative analysis was based on retention time and characteristic ions, and quantitative analysis was performed using the internal standard method. Results The method showed a linear range of 0.034-0.340 mg/m³ with a correlation coefficient of 0.999 4 using the adsorption tube enrichment mode. The detection limit was 0.007 mg/m³, and the lower limit of quantification was 0.022 mg/m³. The average recovery ranged from 97.5% to 104.0%. The within-run and between-run relative standard deviation was 2.7%-10.4% and 8.8%-14.8%, respectively. Conclusion A rapid, green, highly sensitive, and interference-resistant on-site detection method was established. As a supplement to existing national standard methods, this method is suitable for real-time monitoring of carbon disulfide in workplace air and for occupational exposure risk assessment.

Skeletal muscle dysfunction is a common extrapulmonary comorbidity of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and is associated with decreased quality-of-life and survival in patients. The autophagy lysosome pathway is one of the proteolytic systems that significantly affect skeletal muscle structure and function. Intriguingly, both promoting and inhibiting autophagy have been observed to improve COPD skeletal muscle dysfunction, yet the mechanism is unclear. This paper first reviewed the effects of macroautophagy and mitophagy on the structure and function of skeletal muscle in COPD, and then explored the mechanism of autophagy mediating the dysfunction of skeletal muscle in COPD. The results showed that macroautophagy- and mitophagy-related proteins were significantly increased in COPD skeletal muscle. Promoting macroautophagy in COPD improves myogenesis and replication capacity of muscle satellite cells, while inhibiting macroautophagy in COPD myotubes increases their diameters. Mitophagy helps to maintain mitochondrial homeostasis by removing impaired mitochondria in COPD. Autophagy is a promising target for improving COPD skeletal muscle dysfunction, and further research should be conducted to elucidate the specific mechanisms by which autophagy mediates COPD skeletal muscle dysfunction, with the aim of enhancing our understanding in this field.
Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive/physiopathology* ; Autophagy/physiology* ; Humans ; Muscle, Skeletal/pathology* ; Mitophagy ; Animals ; Mitochondria/metabolism* ; Lysosomes

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the structural changes of rat thoracic aorta and changes in expression levels of Bmal1 and cyclins in thoracic aorta endothelial cells following heat stress. METHODS: Twenty male SD rats were randomized equally into control group and heat stress group. After exposure to 32 ℃ for 2 weeks in the latter group, the rats were examined for histopathological changes and Bmal1 expression in the thoracic aorta using HE staining and immunohistochemistry. In the cell experiments, cultured rat thoracic aortic endothelial cells (RTAECs) were incubated at 40 ℃ for 12 h with or without prior transfection with a Bmal1-specific small interfering RNA (si-Bmal1) or a negative sequence. In both rat thoracic aorta and RTAECs, the expressions of Bmal1, the cell cycle proteins CDK1, CDK4, CDK6, and cyclin B1, and apoptosis-related proteins Bax and Bcl-2 were detected using Western blotting. TUNEL staining was used to detect cell apoptosis in rat thoracic aorta, and the changes in cell cycle distribution and apoptosis in RTAECs were analyzed with flow cytometry. RESULTS: Compared with the control rats, the rats exposed to heat stress showed significantly increased blood pressures and lowered heart rate with elastic fiber disruption and increased expressions of Bmal1, cyclin B1 and CDK1 in the thoracic aorta (P<0.05). In cultured RTAECs, heat stress caused significant increase of Bmal1, cyclin B1 and CDK1 protein expression levels, which were obviously lowered in cells with prior si-Bmal1 transfection. Bmal1 knockdown also inhibited heat stress-induced increase of apoptosis in RTAECs as evidenced by decreased expression of Bax and increased expression of Bcl-2. CONCLUSIONS Heat stress upregulates Bmal1 expression and causes alterations in expressions of cyclins to trigger apoptosis of rat thoracic aorta endothelial cells, which can be partly alleviated by suppressing Bmal1 expression.
Animals ; ARNTL Transcription Factors/genetics* ; Male ; Aorta, Thoracic/metabolism* ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Endothelial Cells/metabolism* ; Apoptosis ; Cells, Cultured ; Heat-Shock Response ; Cyclin B1/metabolism* ; CDC2 Protein Kinase/metabolism* ; Cyclins/metabolism* ; RNA, Small Interfering ; bcl-2-Associated X Protein/metabolism*

Cemental tear is a rare and indetectable condition unless obvious clinical signs present with the involvement of surrounding periodontal and periapical tissues. Due to its clinical manifestations similar to common dental issues, such as vertical root fracture, primary endodontic diseases, and periodontal diseases, as well as the low awareness of cemental tear for clinicians, misdiagnosis often occurs. The critical principle for cemental tear treatment is to remove torn fragments, and overlooking fragments leads to futile therapy, which could deteriorate the conditions of the affected teeth. Therefore, accurate diagnosis and subsequent appropriate interventions are vital for managing cemental tear. Novel diagnostic tools, including cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT), microscopes, and enamel matrix derivatives, have improved early detection and management, enhancing tooth retention. The implementation of standardized diagnostic criteria and treatment protocols, combined with improved clinical awareness among dental professionals, serves to mitigate risks of diagnostic errors and suboptimal therapeutic interventions. This expert consensus reviewed the epidemiology, pathogenesis, potential predisposing factors, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, differential diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of cemental tear, aiming to provide a clinical guideline and facilitate clinicians to have a better understanding of cemental tear.
Humans ; Dental Cementum/injuries* ; Consensus ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Cone-Beam Computed Tomography ; Tooth Fractures/therapy*

"Stagnation" is an important pathological state in the development and progression of malignant tumors. However， its intrinsic connection with different stages of tumor evolution has not been clearly elucidated in previous studies. Drawing on clinical practice， this paper proposes the theory of stagnant toxin， emphasizing stage-specific pathogenesis and differentiated treatment strategies for tumors based on the varying manifestations of stagnation at each phase. The theory interprets the pathogenesis of stagnant toxin across the stages of tumor development through the five elements "wood， fire， earth， metal， and water" corresponding respectively to wood stagnation in the precancerous stage， metal stagnation in the postoperative phase， fire stagnation during adjuvant therapy， earth stagnation in the progressive stage， and water stagnation in the advanced stage. Each type of stagnation reflects a distinct pathogenic mechanism， such as wood stagnation giving rise to disease， metal stagnation inducing residual symptoms， fire stagnation resulting in ulceration， earth stagnation spreading toxin transmission， and water stagnation leading to critical deterioration. Accordingly， the treatment principles include guiding wood stagnation with counterflow， dispersing metal stagnation to harmonize symptoms， venting fire stagnation to regress ulcers， depleting earth stagnation to block progression， and controlling water stagnation to preserve vitality. This theoretical framework offers a traditional Chinese medicine perspective for understanding and treating malignant tumors based on the concept of stagnant toxin.

Lung cancer （LC） is a significant global public health issue， with both its incidence and mortality rates ranking among the highest worldwide. The age-standardized incidence and mortality rates are increasing annually， posing a serious threat to the life and health of LC patients. Radical surgical resection is the primary treatment for malignant lung tumors. However， postoperative multidimensional functional impairments， including respiratory， mucosal， and psychological functions， are common. These impairments not only reduce patients' quality of life and affect their treatment tolerance and duration， but also negatively correlate with prognosis， facilitating disease recurrence and metastasis. At present， postoperative functional dysfunction after LC surgery remains a key clinical challenge that urgently needs to be addressed. There is a lack of standardized and regulated postoperative rehabilitation treatment management and traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） differentiation and treatment strategies for LC. Focusing on the core underlying pathogenesis of "Qi sinking" after LC surgery， and guided by the classical TCM theory of "lungs governing Qi"， this study， based on the core concept of the "five perspectives on treatment" theory， innovatively proposes the respiratory dysfunction as the core pathogenesis of "Qi sinking in the chest" during the rapid rehabilitation phase， mucosal dysfunction as the core pathogenesis of "Yin deficiency and Qi sinking" during the postoperative adjuvant treatment phase， and the psychological dysfunction as the core pathogenesis of "Qi sinking with emotional constraint" during the consolidation phase. Accordingly， stage-specific dynamic functional protection strategies are constructed. In the rapid rehabilitation phase， the strategy emphasizes tonifying Qi and uplifting sinking Qi， with differentiation and treatment based on the principle of ''descending before ascending''. In the adjuvant treatment phase， the approach focuses on nourishing Yin and uplifting Qi， with prescription combinations that integrate unblocking and tonification. In the consolidation phase， the strategy aims to resolve constraint and uplift Qi， with clinical treatment emphasizing a combination of dynamic and static methods. At each stage of functional rehabilitation， clinical differentiation and treatment should support healthy Qi and eliminate pathogenic factors simultaneously. This study is the first to propose the concept of postoperative functional protection in TCM， offering a new approach for TCM differentiation and treatment in the full-cycle， stage-based， and dynamic protection of postoperative function in LC patients. It is expected to contribute to the construction and development of an integrated TCM-Western medicine comprehensive program for cancer prevention and treatment in China.