Objective:To observe the efficacy and safety of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) therapy in children with steroid dependent nephrotic syndrome (SDNS)/frequently relapsed nephrotic syndrome (FRNS).Methods:The clinical data of children with SDNS/FRNS who received treatment with prednisone acetate tablets were retrospectively collected from June 2019 to June 2023 in the Nephrology Department of Xi′an Children′s Hospital. The children were divided into glucocorticoid+ACTH group and glucocorticoid group, according to whether ACTH was used or not. The differences in cortisol, total cholesterol and 24 hour urinary protein quantity between 2 groups of children at baseline and follow-up endpoints were compared, and the effectiveness (the proportion of no recurrence and discontinuation of glucocorticoid) and occurrence of adverse reactions were evaluated.Results:A total of 39 patients with SDNS/FRNS were included in this study, with 21 cases in the glucocorticoid+ACTH group and 18 cases in the glucocorticoid group. Among the 39 children, there were 33 cases of SDNS and 6 cases of FRNS, respectively. The proportion of baseline low cortisol levels was 76.9% (30/39). The proportion of cortisol levels returning to normal after ACTH treatment in the glucocorticoid+ACTH group was 76.2% (16/21). The baseline and follow-up endpoint for cortisol levels in the glucocorticoid+ACTH group were 28.0(19.8, 51.5) μg/L and 79.9(58.9, 113.0) μg/L, respectively. The baseline and follow-up endpoint for cortisol levels in the glucocorticoid group were 21.0(15.8, 37.4) μg/L and 25.3(18.2, 51.4) μg/L, respectively. In the 2 groups of cortisol levels, there was statistically significant difference in the interaction effect between time and group ( Wald χ2=11.595, P=0.001), there was a statistically significant difference at the follow-up endpoint between the 2 groups ( Wald χ2=19.462, P<0.001), and the difference was statistically significant in the time effect of the glucocorticoid+ACTH group ( Wald χ2=21.100, P<0.001). The baseline and follow-up endpoint for total cholesterol in the glucocorticoid+ACTH group were 4.95(4.23, 5.26) mmol/L and 4.38(4.04, 5.24) mmol/L, respectively. The baseline and follow-up endpoint for total cholesterol in the glucocorticoid group were 4.80 (4.17, 5.28) mmol/L and 5.74 (5.04, 6.88) mmol/L, respectively. In the 2 groups of total cholesterol, there was statistically significant difference in the interaction effect between time and group ( Wald χ 2=9.842, P=0.002), there was statistically significant difference at the follow-up endpoint between the 2 groups ( Wald χ 2=12.187, P<0.001), the difference was statistically significant between the 2 groups in the time effect at baseline and the follow-up endpoint (glucocorticoid+ACTH group: Wald χ 2=6.488, glucocorticoid group: Wald χ2=7.112; all P<0.05). The baseline and follow-up endpoint for 24 hour urinary protein quantity in the glucocorticoid+ACTH group were 115 (105, 128) mg/d and 121 (113, 128) mg/d, respectively. The baseline and follow-up endpoint for 24 hour urinary protein quantity in the glucocorticoid group were 118 (113, 125) mg/d and 138 (119, 2 100) mg/d, respectively. In the 2 groups of 24 hour urinary protein quantity, there was statistically significant difference in the interaction effect between time and group ( Wald χ2=7.743, P=0.005), there was statistically significant difference at the follow-up endpoint between the 2 groups ( Wald χ2=7.779, P=0.005), and the difference was statistically significant in the time effect of the glucocorticoid group ( Wald χ2=13.331, P<0.001). The proportion of no recurrence (17/21) and discontinuation of oral glucocorticoid (16/21) in the glucocorticoid+ACTH group were higher than those in the glucocorticoid group (the proportion were both 6/18), and the differences between the 2 groups were statistically significant (the chi square values were 9.084 and 7.240, respectively; all P<0.01). No adverse reactions occurred in the glucocorticoid group. The incidence of adverse reactions in the glucocorticoid+ACTH group was 14.3% (3/21), of which 2 cases developed generalized urticaria and 1 case developed hypertension. Conclusions:ACTH has a good efficacy and safety in children with SDNS/FRNS. The results of this study need to be further validated by increasing the sample size and conducting multicenter studies.

Objective To explore the effect of dexmedetomidine on the proliferation,invasion and cell cycle of gallbladder cancer cells by regulating the C-C chemokine ligand 2(CCL2)-C-C chemokine receptor 2(CCR2)pathway.Methods GBC-SD cells were devided into the control group,the low concentration dexmedetomidine group(2 μmol/L),the high concentration dexmedetomidine group(4 μmol/L)and the high concentration dexmedetomidine+CCL2 group(4 μmol/L dexmedetomidine and 10 μg/L CCL2 protein).The clone formation experiment and Edu experiment were performed to measure cell proliferation.Transwell experiment was performed to measure cell invasion and migration.Flow cytometry was performed to measure cell cycle and apoptosis.Western blot assay was used to measure the proliferating cell nuclear antigen(PCNA),Cyclin D1,matrix metalloproteinase(MMP)-2,MMP-9,Bcl-2 associated X protein(Bax),cysteine-dependent aspartate-specific protease-3(Caspase-3),CCL2 and CCR2 proteins.The nude mouse transplant tumor experiment was used to determine the growth of gallbladder cancer transplant tumors.Results After treatment with low and high concentrations of dexmedetomidine,the number of cell clone formed,the positive rate of Edu,the numbers of invasions and migrations,the expression levels of PCNA,CyclinD1,MMP-2,MMP-9,CCL2 and CCR2 proteins,the proportions of G2/M and S phase cells decreased,the proportion of G0/G1 phase cells,apoptosis rate and expression levels of Bax and Caspase-3 proteins increased,and the effect of high-concentration dexmedetomidine was more significant(P＜0.05).The inhibitory effects of dexmedetomidine on the proliferation,invasion,migration and cell cycle of gallbladder cancer cells,as well as its promoting effect on cell apoptosis could be reversed by CCL2 protein(P＜0.05).In vivo experiments showed that dexmedetomidine could reduce tumor mass,tumor volume of nude mice and expression levels of CCL2 and CCR2 proteins(P＜0.05).Conclusion Dexmedetomidine inhibits the proliferation and invasion of gallbladder cancer cells,and blocks the cell cycle in the G0/G1 phase by suppressing the CCL2-CCR2 pathway.

Objective:To develop a treatment-related quality of life scale for Chinese patients with multiple myeloma (MM) and to test its reliability and validity.Methods:The initial scale was constructed through a literature search, Delphi expert correspondence, and cognitive testing. This study conducted a preliminary survey of 379 patients with MM and a formal survey of 865 patients from the hematology departments of 155 hospitals nationwide from February 2024 to March 2024. The final scale was obtained after conducting item analysis and reliability and validity tests on the initial scale.Results:The constructed scale contains 36 items covering six domains: physiological, psychological, social, treatment side effects, general health, and others. In the preliminary survey, the Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of each item ranged from 0.597 to 0.939, and the test-retest reliability was 0.747 ( P<0.001). Exploratory factor analysis extracted eight common factors with a cumulative variance contribution of 60.058%. In the formal survey, the Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of each item ranged from 0.484 to 0.930, and the test-retest reliability was 0.835 ( P<0.001). Confirmatory factor analysis revealed a comparative fit index of 0.750, a root-mean-square error of approximation of 0.090, and a root-mean-square residual of 0.067. Conclusion:The treatment-related quality of life scale for Chinese patients with MM designed in this study exhibited good reliability and validity, reflecting the impact of treatment on the quality of life of patients. This scale can provide a reference to clinicians for assessing the disease status of patients.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1016/j.apsb.2022.05.019.].

Objective To investigate the effect of human umbilical vein endothelial cells(HUVECs)on the proliferation and stem-ness of human dental pulp stem cells(hDPSCs)silencing with integrin α6(ITGA6).Methods ITGA6 silencing lentivirus was used to interfere the ITGA6 expression of hDPSCs,and its silencing efficiency was detected.Then HUVECs were added to the chambers to co-culture,and the experiments were divided into four groups(sh-NC,sh-ITGA6,sh-NC+HUVECs and sh-ITGA6+HUVECs).hDP-SCs in the sh-NC and sh-ITGA6 groups were transfected with sh-NC and sh-ITGA6 respectively.hDPSCs transfected with sh-NC and sh-ITGA6 were co-cultured with HUVECs in the sh-NC+HUVECs group and sh-ITGA6+HUVECs group respectively.The proliferation capacity of hDPSCs of each group was examined by CCK-8 and EdU on day 7.Immunofluorescence detected the expression of Stro-1,and Real-time PCR was used to detect the expression of Oct4 and Nanog.Results ①Fluorescence microscopy showed that the trans-fection efficiency was about 80％.Real-time PCR and Western blot results showed that sh-ITGA6 lentivirus effectively interfered with ITGA6 expression in hDPSCs.②CCK-8 results showed that on day 5 of co-culture,the proliferation ability of the sh-ITGA6+HUVECs group was superior to that of the sh-ITGA6 group(P＜0.05);on day 7,the proliferation ability of the sh-NC+HUVECs and sh-ITGA6+HUVECs group was superior to that of the sh-NC and sh-ITGA6 group(P＜0.05).EdU results showed that the DNA synthesis ability of hDPSCs in the co-culture group was significantly stronger than that in the single-culture group(P＜0.05).③Immunofluorescence stai-ning revealed that the expression of Stro-1 in the co-culture group was significantly stronger than that in the single-culture group.④Re-al-time PCR results showed that the expression of Oct4 in the co-culture group was higher than that in the single-culture group(P＜0.05);the expression of Nanog in hDPSCs with sh-ITGA6 was elevated by the addition of HUVECs co-culture(P＜0.05).Conclusion HUVECs significantly enhance the proliferation and stemness of hDPSCs silencing integrin α6.

Objective To explore the effect of dexmedetomidine on the proliferation,invasion and cell cycle of gallbladder cancer cells by regulating the C-C chemokine ligand 2(CCL2)-C-C chemokine receptor 2(CCR2)pathway.Methods GBC-SD cells were devided into the control group,the low concentration dexmedetomidine group(2 μmol/L),the high concentration dexmedetomidine group(4 μmol/L)and the high concentration dexmedetomidine+CCL2 group(4 μmol/L dexmedetomidine and 10 μg/L CCL2 protein).The clone formation experiment and Edu experiment were performed to measure cell proliferation.Transwell experiment was performed to measure cell invasion and migration.Flow cytometry was performed to measure cell cycle and apoptosis.Western blot assay was used to measure the proliferating cell nuclear antigen(PCNA),Cyclin D1,matrix metalloproteinase(MMP)-2,MMP-9,Bcl-2 associated X protein(Bax),cysteine-dependent aspartate-specific protease-3(Caspase-3),CCL2 and CCR2 proteins.The nude mouse transplant tumor experiment was used to determine the growth of gallbladder cancer transplant tumors.Results After treatment with low and high concentrations of dexmedetomidine,the number of cell clone formed,the positive rate of Edu,the numbers of invasions and migrations,the expression levels of PCNA,CyclinD1,MMP-2,MMP-9,CCL2 and CCR2 proteins,the proportions of G2/M and S phase cells decreased,the proportion of G0/G1 phase cells,apoptosis rate and expression levels of Bax and Caspase-3 proteins increased,and the effect of high-concentration dexmedetomidine was more significant(P＜0.05).The inhibitory effects of dexmedetomidine on the proliferation,invasion,migration and cell cycle of gallbladder cancer cells,as well as its promoting effect on cell apoptosis could be reversed by CCL2 protein(P＜0.05).In vivo experiments showed that dexmedetomidine could reduce tumor mass,tumor volume of nude mice and expression levels of CCL2 and CCR2 proteins(P＜0.05).Conclusion Dexmedetomidine inhibits the proliferation and invasion of gallbladder cancer cells,and blocks the cell cycle in the G0/G1 phase by suppressing the CCL2-CCR2 pathway.

Objective:To observe the efficacy and safety of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) therapy in children with steroid dependent nephrotic syndrome (SDNS)/frequently relapsed nephrotic syndrome (FRNS).Methods:The clinical data of children with SDNS/FRNS who received treatment with prednisone acetate tablets were retrospectively collected from June 2019 to June 2023 in the Nephrology Department of Xi′an Children′s Hospital. The children were divided into glucocorticoid+ACTH group and glucocorticoid group, according to whether ACTH was used or not. The differences in cortisol, total cholesterol and 24 hour urinary protein quantity between 2 groups of children at baseline and follow-up endpoints were compared, and the effectiveness (the proportion of no recurrence and discontinuation of glucocorticoid) and occurrence of adverse reactions were evaluated.Results:A total of 39 patients with SDNS/FRNS were included in this study, with 21 cases in the glucocorticoid+ACTH group and 18 cases in the glucocorticoid group. Among the 39 children, there were 33 cases of SDNS and 6 cases of FRNS, respectively. The proportion of baseline low cortisol levels was 76.9% (30/39). The proportion of cortisol levels returning to normal after ACTH treatment in the glucocorticoid+ACTH group was 76.2% (16/21). The baseline and follow-up endpoint for cortisol levels in the glucocorticoid+ACTH group were 28.0(19.8, 51.5) μg/L and 79.9(58.9, 113.0) μg/L, respectively. The baseline and follow-up endpoint for cortisol levels in the glucocorticoid group were 21.0(15.8, 37.4) μg/L and 25.3(18.2, 51.4) μg/L, respectively. In the 2 groups of cortisol levels, there was statistically significant difference in the interaction effect between time and group ( Wald χ2=11.595, P=0.001), there was a statistically significant difference at the follow-up endpoint between the 2 groups ( Wald χ2=19.462, P<0.001), and the difference was statistically significant in the time effect of the glucocorticoid+ACTH group ( Wald χ2=21.100, P<0.001). The baseline and follow-up endpoint for total cholesterol in the glucocorticoid+ACTH group were 4.95(4.23, 5.26) mmol/L and 4.38(4.04, 5.24) mmol/L, respectively. The baseline and follow-up endpoint for total cholesterol in the glucocorticoid group were 4.80 (4.17, 5.28) mmol/L and 5.74 (5.04, 6.88) mmol/L, respectively. In the 2 groups of total cholesterol, there was statistically significant difference in the interaction effect between time and group ( Wald χ 2=9.842, P=0.002), there was statistically significant difference at the follow-up endpoint between the 2 groups ( Wald χ 2=12.187, P<0.001), the difference was statistically significant between the 2 groups in the time effect at baseline and the follow-up endpoint (glucocorticoid+ACTH group: Wald χ 2=6.488, glucocorticoid group: Wald χ2=7.112; all P<0.05). The baseline and follow-up endpoint for 24 hour urinary protein quantity in the glucocorticoid+ACTH group were 115 (105, 128) mg/d and 121 (113, 128) mg/d, respectively. The baseline and follow-up endpoint for 24 hour urinary protein quantity in the glucocorticoid group were 118 (113, 125) mg/d and 138 (119, 2 100) mg/d, respectively. In the 2 groups of 24 hour urinary protein quantity, there was statistically significant difference in the interaction effect between time and group ( Wald χ2=7.743, P=0.005), there was statistically significant difference at the follow-up endpoint between the 2 groups ( Wald χ2=7.779, P=0.005), and the difference was statistically significant in the time effect of the glucocorticoid group ( Wald χ2=13.331, P<0.001). The proportion of no recurrence (17/21) and discontinuation of oral glucocorticoid (16/21) in the glucocorticoid+ACTH group were higher than those in the glucocorticoid group (the proportion were both 6/18), and the differences between the 2 groups were statistically significant (the chi square values were 9.084 and 7.240, respectively; all P<0.01). No adverse reactions occurred in the glucocorticoid group. The incidence of adverse reactions in the glucocorticoid+ACTH group was 14.3% (3/21), of which 2 cases developed generalized urticaria and 1 case developed hypertension. Conclusions:ACTH has a good efficacy and safety in children with SDNS/FRNS. The results of this study need to be further validated by increasing the sample size and conducting multicenter studies.

Objective To investigate the effect of human umbilical vein endothelial cells(HUVECs)on the proliferation and stem-ness of human dental pulp stem cells(hDPSCs)silencing with integrin α6(ITGA6).Methods ITGA6 silencing lentivirus was used to interfere the ITGA6 expression of hDPSCs,and its silencing efficiency was detected.Then HUVECs were added to the chambers to co-culture,and the experiments were divided into four groups(sh-NC,sh-ITGA6,sh-NC+HUVECs and sh-ITGA6+HUVECs).hDP-SCs in the sh-NC and sh-ITGA6 groups were transfected with sh-NC and sh-ITGA6 respectively.hDPSCs transfected with sh-NC and sh-ITGA6 were co-cultured with HUVECs in the sh-NC+HUVECs group and sh-ITGA6+HUVECs group respectively.The proliferation capacity of hDPSCs of each group was examined by CCK-8 and EdU on day 7.Immunofluorescence detected the expression of Stro-1,and Real-time PCR was used to detect the expression of Oct4 and Nanog.Results ①Fluorescence microscopy showed that the trans-fection efficiency was about 80％.Real-time PCR and Western blot results showed that sh-ITGA6 lentivirus effectively interfered with ITGA6 expression in hDPSCs.②CCK-8 results showed that on day 5 of co-culture,the proliferation ability of the sh-ITGA6+HUVECs group was superior to that of the sh-ITGA6 group(P＜0.05);on day 7,the proliferation ability of the sh-NC+HUVECs and sh-ITGA6+HUVECs group was superior to that of the sh-NC and sh-ITGA6 group(P＜0.05).EdU results showed that the DNA synthesis ability of hDPSCs in the co-culture group was significantly stronger than that in the single-culture group(P＜0.05).③Immunofluorescence stai-ning revealed that the expression of Stro-1 in the co-culture group was significantly stronger than that in the single-culture group.④Re-al-time PCR results showed that the expression of Oct4 in the co-culture group was higher than that in the single-culture group(P＜0.05);the expression of Nanog in hDPSCs with sh-ITGA6 was elevated by the addition of HUVECs co-culture(P＜0.05).Conclusion HUVECs significantly enhance the proliferation and stemness of hDPSCs silencing integrin α6.

Objective:To develop a treatment-related quality of life scale for Chinese patients with multiple myeloma (MM) and to test its reliability and validity.Methods:The initial scale was constructed through a literature search, Delphi expert correspondence, and cognitive testing. This study conducted a preliminary survey of 379 patients with MM and a formal survey of 865 patients from the hematology departments of 155 hospitals nationwide from February 2024 to March 2024. The final scale was obtained after conducting item analysis and reliability and validity tests on the initial scale.Results:The constructed scale contains 36 items covering six domains: physiological, psychological, social, treatment side effects, general health, and others. In the preliminary survey, the Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of each item ranged from 0.597 to 0.939, and the test-retest reliability was 0.747 ( P<0.001). Exploratory factor analysis extracted eight common factors with a cumulative variance contribution of 60.058%. In the formal survey, the Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of each item ranged from 0.484 to 0.930, and the test-retest reliability was 0.835 ( P<0.001). Confirmatory factor analysis revealed a comparative fit index of 0.750, a root-mean-square error of approximation of 0.090, and a root-mean-square residual of 0.067. Conclusion:The treatment-related quality of life scale for Chinese patients with MM designed in this study exhibited good reliability and validity, reflecting the impact of treatment on the quality of life of patients. This scale can provide a reference to clinicians for assessing the disease status of patients.

Objective To investigate the effect of sufentanil(ST)on lipopolysaccharide-induced acute lung injury(ALI)in rats by regulating the cyclic guanosine monophosphate-adenosine monophosphate synthase(cGAS)/stimulator of interferon gene(STING)signaling pathway.Methods Male SD rats were induced by lipopolysaccharide to construct an ALI model.The successfully modeled rats were randomly separated into ALI group,L-ST group,H-ST group,and H-ST+DMXAA group,with 6 rats in each group.Among them,the L-ST group and H-ST group were intraperitoneally injected with 2.5 μg/ml and 5 μg/ml ST after successful modeling immediately.The H-ST+DMXAA group was given 25 mg/kg DMXAA by gavage on the basis of intraperitoneal injection of 5 μg/ml ST.Six healthy and normal temperature rats were randomly selected as the control group,and an equal amount of physiological saline was injected intraperitoneally.The reagent kit was used to detect the SOD enzyme activity and MDA content in serum;ELISA was used to detect the levels of inflammatory factors such as interleukin-10(IL-10),tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α),and IL-6 in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid(BALF);cell staining was used to detect the total number of cells and neutrophils in BALF;the wet to dry mass ratio of lung tissue was calculated;HE staining was used to observe pathological changes in lung tissue,while Western blot was applied to detect the expression of cGAS and STING proteins in lung tissue.Results After L-ST and H-ST treatment,the SOD enzyme activity and IL-10 level increased sequentially,the MDA,TNF-α,IL-6,W/D value,total number of cells and neutrophils,cGAS,and STING protein expression decreased sequentially(P<0.05),while lung tissue injury was effectively alleviated.DMXAA reversed the influence of H-ST on the above indexes(P<0.05).Conclusion ST may inhibit the cGAS-STING pathway,reduce inflammation and oxidative stress responses,and thereby alleviates lipopolysaccharide induced ALI in rats.