Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) are multifunctional growth factors of the transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) superfamily. They regulate steroid secretion from mammalian granulosa cells, promote granulosa cell survival and proliferation, and inhibit follicular atresia, luteinization, and granulosa cell apoptosis, thereby promoting the development and maturation of mammalian follicles. At the same time, BMPs play an important role in embryonic morphogenesis, induction of uterine receptivity, and blastocyst attachment. This paper describes the effects of BMPs on mammalian follicular and embryonic development and the roles of BMPs in female reproduction, focusing on the process in which BMPs promote follicular maturation by regulating steroid secretion from granulosa cells during mammalian oocyte maturation. This review aims to provide a reference for further research on mammalian oocyte culture and improvement of reproductive efficiency in female animals.
Animals ; Embryonic Development/drug effects* ; Female ; Bone Morphogenetic Proteins/pharmacology* ; Reproduction/physiology* ; Humans ; Granulosa Cells/cytology* ; Oocytes

Objective To observe the value of extracellular volume(ECV)and relative electron density(RED)based on dual-layer detector spectral CT(DLCT)for identifying colon cancer invasion into serous membrane.Methods Sixty-two patients with pathologically confirmed colon cancer with blurred pericolonic fat gap on CT images were retrospectively collected,including 18 cases of T4a stage tumors with serous membrane invasion and 44 cases of T2-T3 stage without serous membrane invasion.The arterial,venous and delayed phase DLCT images under 40 keV showing the largest diameter of colon cancers were analyzed.The iodine concentration(IC)and RED of the pericolonic fat around tumor-bearing and tumor-free intestines,as well as of the abdominal aorta or the common or external iliac artery were measured,while normalized IC(NIC)and difference of RED(REDdiff)of pericolonic fat around tumor-bearing and tumor-free intestines in each phase and ECV in delayed phase were calculated.The above parameters were compared between tumors with different stages,and for those with significant differences,the receiver operating characteristic curves were drawn,and the areas under the curve(AUC)were calculated to evaluate and compare the efficacies for identifying invasion of serous membrane in T4a stage colon cancer.Results Compared with T2-T3 stage colon cancers,T4a stage colon cancers were found more often occurred in patients aged ＜50 with higher proportion of lymph node metastases(both P＜0.05),also higher values of NIC and REDdiff on images in different phases,as well as ECV in delayed phase images(all P＜0.05).The AUC of arterial,venous and delayed phase NIC for differentiating T2-T3 and T4a stage colon cancers ranged from 0.868 to 0.902,while of REDdiff ranged from 0.848 to 0.903,all without significant difference(all P＞0.05).The AUC of delayed phase ECV was 0.948,not significant different with that of delayed phase NIC and REDdiff,arterial phase NIC nor venous phase REDdiff(all P＞0.05).Conclusion Based on DLCT,ECV and RED could be used to identifying serous membrane invasion of colon cancer when blurred pericolonic fat gaps were noticed.

Objective:To discuss the changes of serum levels of Klotho and fibroblast growth factor 23(FGF23)in the small for gestational age(SGA)infants after birth,and to clarify their relationships with growth and development.Methods:A total of 35 SGA and 53 appropriate for the gestational age(AGA)infants were selected and divided into SGA group(n=35)and AGA group(n=53),including 51 infants in premature group,among them 20 infants in preterm SGA group and 31 infants in preterm AGA group;among them 37 infants in full-term group,15 infants in full-term SGA group and 22 infants in full-term AGA group.The clinical materials of the infants in various groups were collected.The levels of Klotho and FGF23 in serum and clinical biochemical markers of the infants on the 7th and 14th days after birth were detected.The relationships between the levels of Klotho and FGF23 in serum on the 7th and 14th days postnatally and newborn growth indicators such as body weight,body length,head circumference,chest circumference,and Kopu index,as well as their correlations with calcium and phosphorus metabolism were analyzed.Results:Compared with AGA group,the body weight,body length,head circumference,chest circumference,and Kopu index of the infants in SGA group were decreased(P<0.05).On the 7th and 14th days after birth,compared with preterm group,the serum levels of Klotho and FGF23 of the infants in full-term group were significantly increased(P<0.01).Compared with the 7th day after birth,the levels of serum Klotho of the infants in preterm and full-term groups on the 14th day were significantly increased(P<0.01),and the levels of FGF23 in serum were decreased(P<0.01).Compared with AGA group,the levels of serum Klotho and FGF23 of the infants in SGA group on the 7th and 14th days after birth were significantly decreased(P<0.05 or P<0.01).Compared with the 7th day after birth,the levels of serum Klotho of the infants in both AGA and SGA groups on the 14th days after birth were significantly increased(P<0.01),and the FGF23 levels were decreased(P<0.05 or P<0.01).Compared with preterm AGA group,the levels of Klotho and FGF23 in serum of the infants in preterm SGA group on the 7th and 14th days after birth were significantly decreased(P<0.05 or P<0.01).Compared with full-term AGA group,the levels of Klotho and FGF23 in serum of the infants in full-term SGA group on the 7th and 14th days after birth were significantly decreased(P<0.05 or P<0.01).In SGA group,the serum levels of Klotho and FGF23 on the 7th day after birth were positively correlated with the gestational age,body weight,body length,head circumference,chest circumference,and Kopu index(P<0.05 or P<0.01);there was a positive correlation between the serum level of Klotho and the serum level of FGF23(P<0.05).In terms of calcium-phosphorus metabolism,in SGA group,the serum level of Klotho on the 7th day after birth was positively correlated with serum phosphorus level(P<0.01),and the level of serum FGF23 on the 7th day after birth was positively correlated with serum calcium and phosphorus levels(P<0.05 or P<0.01).Conclusion:Klotho and FGF23 proteins are closely associated with growth and development and phosphate metabolism of the infants.The expression levels of Klotho and FGF23 in serum of the SGA infants postnatally are lower,but the secretion of Klotho is increased with the gradul improvement of each organ,and the decrease of FGF23 may be the adaptive response.

Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), the predominant polyphenol in green tea, exerts a spectrum of physiological activities, including antioxidant, anticancer, and anti-inflammatory effects. Emerging research underscores the significance of EGCG in modulating oocyte aging. EGCG can enhance antioxidant defenses, improve mitochondrial functions, and inhibit apoptotic pathways, thereby retarding the aging of oocytes. This review delineates the main molecular features of EGCG and expounds its regulatory mechanisms concerning oocyte aging, enriching the knowledge on the role of EGCG in the amelioration of oocyte aging.
Catechin/pharmacology* ; Oocytes/metabolism* ; Humans ; Animals ; Antioxidants/pharmacology* ; Female ; Cellular Senescence/drug effects* ; Tea/chemistry* ; Apoptosis/drug effects*

Objective:To investigate the risk factors of recurrence of febrile seizures within 24 hours, so as to provide clinical evidence for early identification of children with risk factors and taking interventions.Methods:A total of 384 children with febrile seizures admitted to the Department of Pediatrics at Hebei General Hospital from June 2019 to June 2021 were selected as the study subjects, and were divided into single seizure group and recurrent seizures group.The clinical data of two groups and the risk factors of recurrent seizures were analyzed retrospectively.Results:A total of 384 children, aging from six months to five years, were diagnosed with febrile seizures.There were 296 cases in the single seizure group and 88 cases in the recurrent seizures group.First seizure, the age of the first sezures, temperature, duration of seizure ≥15 minutes, positive family history and C-reactive protein levels showed statistically significant differences between two groups(all P<0.05). Logistic regression analysis showed that non-first seizure( OR=2.085, 95% CI 1.232-3.529, P=0.006), the age of first seizure( OR=0.970, 95% CI 0.948-0.993, P=0.010), duration of seizure ≥15 minutes( OR=3.587, 95% CI 1.497-8.596, P=0.004) and positive family history( OR=1.892, 95% CI 1.126-3.180, P=0.016) were risk factors of recurrence of febrile seizures within 24 hours.The ROC curve analysis showed that the combination of four risk factors had a higher predictive value, and the area under curve was 0.974. Conclusion:Non-first seizure, the age of first seizure, cluration of seizure ≥15 minutes and positive family history are the risk factors of recurrence of febrile seizures within 24 hours.Children with four risk factors are more likely to have recurrent seizure, and could be used as an indicator for individualized prediction.

Objective:To investigate the clinical and genetic characteristics of Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS).Methods:The clinical data and genetic characteristics of 2 children with PWS diagnosed in Hebei Provincial People's Hospital were retrospectively analyzed, and the relevant literature was reviewed.Results:Case 1, male, aged 6 years and 3 months, was presented to the hospital because of short stature, mild mental retardation, dysarthria, scoliosis, cryptorchidism, micropenis, long skull, narrow face, almond eyes, small mouth, thin upper lip, downward corners of the mouth, fair skin. He had hypotonia and feeding difficulties in infancy, and gradually became hyperappetitive. Bilateral cryptorchidism surgery was performed at 1.5 years old, but the effect was not good. Case 2, male, aged 4 years, presented to the hospital mainly due to obesity, hyperappetite, excessive weight gain, backward language and cognitive function, dysarthria, and scoliosis.The infant had feeding difficulties in the early stage, and bilateral cryptorchidism surgery at the age of 2 was not effective.Methylation specific polymerase chain reaction and methylation specific multilink probe amplification were used to detect the loss of the parent fragment in the key region (15q11-13) of PWS, which confirmed Prader-Willi syndrome.Conclusion:PWS is a rare hereditary disease with complex and diverse clinical manifestations and different characteristics in different age groups. It is highly susceptible to unexplained hypotonia and feeding difficulties in infancy. Children with short stature and obesity should be alert to the disease, which can be clearly diagnosed by molecular genetic techniques.

Objective: To observe the effect of moxibustion on the colonic mucosal barrier of rats with ulcerative colitis (UC) induced by dextran sulfate sodium (DSS). Methods: Forty male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into a normal group and a modeling group, with 20 rats in each group. Rats in the modeling group were subjected to preparing experimental UC models by drinking 4％ DSS for seven consecutive days. Two modeled rats and two normal rats were randomly selected for model identification. After the success of UC model was confirmed, the remaining 18 modeled rats were randomly divided into three groups, a model group, a model + herbal cake-partitioned moxibustion group, and a model + mild moxibustion group, with six rats in each group; the remaining normal rats were randomly divided into three groups, a normal group, a normal + herbal cake-partitioned moxibustion group, and a normal + mild moxibustion group, with six rats in each group. After 7 d of intervention with the herbal cake-partitioned moxibustion or the mild moxibustion, hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining technique was used to observe the pathological changes of colon tissue under a light microscope; Western blotting and/or immunohistochemical techniques were used to detect the protein expression levels of Occludin, Claudin, junction adhesion molecular 1 (JAM1), mucin 2 (MUC2), and transforming growth factor beta1 (TGF-β1) in rat colon tissue. Results: Compared with the normal group, the colon tissue was severely damaged, the pathological score was significantly increased, and the protein expression levels of Occludin, Claudin, JAM1, MUC2, and TGF-β1 were significantly decreased in the model group (P<0.01); while there were no significant differences in the colonic histopathological score, protein expression levels of Occludin, Claudin, JAM1, MUC2, and TGF-β1 in the normal + herbal cake-partitioned moxibustion group and the normal + mild moxibustion group (P>0.05). Compared with the model group, the model + herbal cake-partitioned moxibustion group and the model + mild moxibustion group showed repaired colon tissue, ulcer healing, significantly reduced pathological score, and significantly increased protein expression levels of JAM1, MUC2, and TGF-β1 (P<0.05); the Occludin protein expression level in the colon tissue of the model + mild moxibustion group was increased (P<0.01). Conclusion: Neither herbal cake-partitioned moxibustion nor mild moxibustion influences the colonic histopathology and intestinal mucosal barrier-related protein expression in the normal rats; both herbal cake-partitioned moxibustion and mild moxibustion can up-regulate the protein expression levels of JAM1, MUC2, and TGF-β1 in the colon tissue of UC rats. Mild moxibustion can up-regulate Occludin protein expression. This may be a mechanism of moxibustion in reducing colonic mucosa inflammation in UC.

Objective:To summarize the genetic characteristics of a case of spinal muscular atrophy type 1c.Methods:The case data of a child with spinal muscular atrophy type 1c was retrospectively analyzed, and the genetic analysis and literature review were carried out.Results:The patient, male, started at the age of 2 months, and showed gross motor development backwardness and low muscular tension. Multiplex connection probe amplification technique showed that the child had homozygous deletion mutation in exon 7-8 of SMN1 gene, and there was duplicate mutation in exon 7-8 of SMN2 gene. The number of copies of exon 7/8 was 3/3. His father was a heterozygous deletion carrier of SMN1 gene, and there was homozygous mutation in exon 8 of SMN2 gene. The number of copies of exon 7/8 was 2/3. His mother did not find abnormal exons of SMN1 gene, and the number of copies of exon 7/8 of SMN2 gene was 1/1.Conclusion:Spinal muscular atrophy lacks specific manifestations in the early stage, and the diagnosis mainly depends on genetic testing. Clinicians need to be vigilant, strengthen the early understanding of the disease, and improve the prognosis.

Objective:To explore the related factors of pleural effusion in children with Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia.Methods:The children with Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia hospitalized in the Department of Pediatrics at Hebei General Hospital from October 2016 to February 2020 were divided into pleural effusion group and non-pleural effusion group according to the occurrence of pleural effusion.The general conditions and related examination results of two groups were compared, and the related indexes were further analyzed by multi-factor Logistic regression analysis, and the receiver operating characteristic curve was drawn to evaluate the predictive ability of Logistic regression model.Results:All of 174 children, there were 34 cases in pleural effusion group and 140 cases in non-pleural effusion group.There was no significant difference in sex and age between two groups( P<0.05). Univariate analysis showed significant differences in the presence or absence of mediastinal lymphadenopathy, C-reactive protein, procalcitonin, lactate dehydrogenase, serum ferritin and D-dimer between two groups( P<0.05). Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that mediastinal lymphadenopathy, lactate dehydrogenase level(>400 U/L), serum ferritin level(>100 ng/mL) and D-dimer level(>1.65 mg/L) were independent risk factors for pleural effusion in children with Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia( OR=3.850, 4.393, 4.930, 6.790, P<0.05). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of Logistic regression model was 0.847, with medium to high diagnostic accuracy( P<0.001). Conclusion:When the children with Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia have mediastinal lymphadenopathy, lactate dehydrogenase level >400 U/L, serum ferritin level >100 μg/L, D-dimer level >1.65 mg/L, we should be highly alert to the occurrence of pleural effusion.

Objective:To discuss the clinical results of treatment for congenital muscular torticollis with different injection points of botulinum toxin type A and traditional conservative method, and to expound the safety and effectiveness of this way.Methods:From January 2018 to December 2018, 60 cases aged from one month to six months with congenital muscular torticollis who visited the outpatient clinic of plastic surgery in Children＇s Hospital of Quanzhou, a teaching hospital of FuJian Medical University, and there were 38 males and 22 females. The treatment groups were divided into two groups according to random number method that were treated with botulinum toxin type A: the single point group was given one point injection, and the three-point group was injected with three points, while the control group was treated with traditional conservative treatment (mainly manual stretching exercises). The number of cases in each group was 20.Results:The differences of muscle thickness and muscle length were repeatedly measured at different time points in the same group and variance analysis conducted. The results showed that there were statistical significances among the two indicators at different time points in each group ( P<0.05). Least significant difference (LSD) was further adopted for pairwise comparison between indicators at different time points in each group and the differences were statistically significant ( P<0.05). In the comparison of treatment effect of different groups after twelve months follow-up, the cure rate was 85% (17 cases) in the single point group, 95 % (19 cases) in the three-point group, and 80 % (16 cases) in the control group, there was no significant difference among three groups ( P>0.05). Conclusions:Local injection of botulinum toxin type A is a safe and effective treatment option for congenital muscular torticollis, which can achieve the same clinical effect as traditional conservative treatment.