Nigella sativa L. seeds have been traditionally utilized in Chinese folk medicine for centuries to treat vitiligo. This study revealed that the ethanolic extract of Nigella sativa L. (HZC) enhances melanogenesis and mitigates oxidative stress-induced cellular senescence and dysfunction in melanocytes. In accordance with established protocols, the ethanol fraction from Nigella sativa L. seeds was extracted, concentrated, and lyophilized to evaluate its herbal effects via 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assays, tyrosinase activity evaluation, measurement of cellular melanin contents, scratch assays, senescence-associated β-galactosidase (SA-β-gal) staining, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and Western blot analysis for expression profiling of experimentally relevant proteins. The results indicated that HZC significantly enhanced tyrosinase activity and melanin content while notably increasing the protein expression levels of Tyr, Mitf, and gp100 in B16F10 cells. Furthermore, HZC effectively mitigated oxidative stress-induced cellular senescence, improved melanocyte condition, and rectified various functional impairments associated with melanocyte dysfunction. These findings suggest that HZC increases melanin synthesis in melanocytes through the activation of the MAPK, PKA, and Wnt signaling pathways. In addition, HZC attenuates oxidative damage induced by H₂O₂ therapy by activating the nuclear factor E2-related factor 2-antioxidant response element (Nrf2-ARE) pathway and enhancing the activity of downstream antioxidant enzymes, thus preventing premature senescence and dysfunction in melanocytes.
Oxidative Stress/drug effects* ; Melanocytes/cytology* ; Cellular Senescence/drug effects* ; Nigella sativa/chemistry* ; Plant Extracts/pharmacology* ; Seeds/chemistry* ; Mice ; Animals ; Melanins/metabolism* ; Monophenol Monooxygenase/metabolism* ; Humans

Aim To investigate the effect of irisin on endothelial inflammation and atherosclerosis(As)in mice.Methods ApoE-/-mice were randomly divided into control group,As model group,and irisin group(treated with irisin based on the As model),with 10 mice in each group.The carotid tissues were stained using pathological techniques and immunofluorescence.Human aortic endothelial cells(HAEC)were cultured in vitro,treated with irisin,and stimulated with cholesterol crystal(CC).The protein levels of vascular cell adhesion molecule-1(VCAM-1)and intercellular cell adhesion molecule-1(ICAM-1)were then detected by Western blot.The expression of inflammatory cytokines interleukin-1β(IL-1β),interleukin-6(IL-6)and chemokine(C-C motif)ligand 2(CCL2)were detected by RT-qPCR.The ad-hesion of monocytes was assessed using cell adhesion assay.Results The carotid plaque area in the mice of As model group was significantly increased compared with that in control group(P＜0.05).In contrast,the plaque area was re-duced in the irisin group compared with the As model group(P＜0.05).Compared with the control group,the expression of VCAM-1,the number of CD68+macrophages,and the deposition of CC were increased in the carotid arteries of the As model group(P＜0.05),while irisin could reduce the expression of VCAM-1,the number of CD68+macrophages,and the deposition of CC(P＜0.05).At the in vitro level,the expression of VCAM-1 and ICAM-1,as well as the adhesion of monocytes in CC-stimulated HAEC,were increased(P＜0.05).However,irisin could inhibit the increased expression of VCAM-1 and ICAM-1(P＜0.05),as well as the adhesion of monocytes induced by CC(P＜0.05).The mRNA levels of IL-1β,IL-6 and CCL2 in HAEC of CC stimulated group were increased(P＜0.05),while irisin could inhibit the mRNA expressions of IL-1β,IL-6 and CCL2 induced by CC(P＜0.05).Conclusion Irisin can inhibit vascular inflamma-tion,thereby reducing the occurrence and progression of atherosclerosis.

Scholarly articles published in the Web of Science database from January 1,2004 to November 10,2024 in the field of medical device utilization management were collected.CiteSpace-based bibliometric analysis of the included literature was performed in terms of the year of publication,region of publication,highly cited literature and highly cited journals and keywords.The Internet of Things(IoT),cloud computing and wearable devices were identified as the current research hotspots in the field of medical device utilization management.References were provided for further research related to medical device utilization management.[Chinese Medical Equipment Journal,2025,46(7):63-67]

Aim To investigate the effect of irisin on endothelial inflammation and atherosclerosis(As)in mice.Methods ApoE-/-mice were randomly divided into control group,As model group,and irisin group(treated with irisin based on the As model),with 10 mice in each group.The carotid tissues were stained using pathological techniques and immunofluorescence.Human aortic endothelial cells(HAEC)were cultured in vitro,treated with irisin,and stimulated with cholesterol crystal(CC).The protein levels of vascular cell adhesion molecule-1(VCAM-1)and intercellular cell adhesion molecule-1(ICAM-1)were then detected by Western blot.The expression of inflammatory cytokines interleukin-1β(IL-1β),interleukin-6(IL-6)and chemokine(C-C motif)ligand 2(CCL2)were detected by RT-qPCR.The ad-hesion of monocytes was assessed using cell adhesion assay.Results The carotid plaque area in the mice of As model group was significantly increased compared with that in control group(P＜0.05).In contrast,the plaque area was re-duced in the irisin group compared with the As model group(P＜0.05).Compared with the control group,the expression of VCAM-1,the number of CD68+macrophages,and the deposition of CC were increased in the carotid arteries of the As model group(P＜0.05),while irisin could reduce the expression of VCAM-1,the number of CD68+macrophages,and the deposition of CC(P＜0.05).At the in vitro level,the expression of VCAM-1 and ICAM-1,as well as the adhesion of monocytes in CC-stimulated HAEC,were increased(P＜0.05).However,irisin could inhibit the increased expression of VCAM-1 and ICAM-1(P＜0.05),as well as the adhesion of monocytes induced by CC(P＜0.05).The mRNA levels of IL-1β,IL-6 and CCL2 in HAEC of CC stimulated group were increased(P＜0.05),while irisin could inhibit the mRNA expressions of IL-1β,IL-6 and CCL2 induced by CC(P＜0.05).Conclusion Irisin can inhibit vascular inflamma-tion,thereby reducing the occurrence and progression of atherosclerosis.

Scholarly articles published in the Web of Science database from January 1,2004 to November 10,2024 in the field of medical device utilization management were collected.CiteSpace-based bibliometric analysis of the included literature was performed in terms of the year of publication,region of publication,highly cited literature and highly cited journals and keywords.The Internet of Things(IoT),cloud computing and wearable devices were identified as the current research hotspots in the field of medical device utilization management.References were provided for further research related to medical device utilization management.[Chinese Medical Equipment Journal,2025,46(7):63-67]

Objective This study aimed to explore the diagnostic concordance of fractional flow reserve(FFR)and quantitative flow ratio(QFR)and the characteristics affecting this concordance.Methods Patients with non-acute myocardial infarction admitted to the Department of Cardiology,Peking University Third Hospital between January 2019 and December 2021 were enrolled.The patients were divided into four groups:FFR+/QFR+and FFR-/QFR-,FFR+/QFR-and FFR-/QFR+with FFR or QFR≤0.80 as positive and＞0.80 as negative.Using FFR as the gold standard,the diagnostic value of QFR was analyzed,and differences in clinical features and pathological characteristics among the groups were compared.Results A total of 236 patients were included.The mean age was(64.48±9.63)years,and 67.8％were male.All patients had 30％-70％coronary stenosis.The consistency rate of QFR and FFR was 78.0％(n=184),and the Person correlation coefficient was 0.557(P＜0.001).Among FFR+patients,the minimum lumen diameter was larger[(1.56±0.34)mm vs.(1.39±0.31)mm,P=0.019],lesion length was shorter[(21.37±11.73)mm vs.(36.86±18.09)mm,P＜0.001],and coronary angiography-based index of microcirculartory resistance(AMR)was higher[(277.50±28.87)mmHg·s/m vs.(178.02±49.13)mmHg·s/m,P＜0.001]in the disconcordance group.Multivariate regression analysis suggested that AMR[OR 0.93,95％CI 0.88-0.99,P=0.030]and lesion length[OR 1.27,95％CI 1.01-1.60,P=0.045]were independent predictors of disconcordance.In the FFR-group,the lesion length was longer[(33.08±16.05)mm vs.(21.40±13.36)mm,P=0.020],and AMR[(169.66±24.01)mmHg·s/m vs.(265.95±44.78)mmHg·s/m,P＜0.001]and low-density lipoprotein-C[1.57(1.10,1.97)mmol/L vs.2.15(1.79,2.74)mmol/L,P=0.031]were lower in the disconcordance group.No statistically significant variables were identified by multivariate regression.Conclusions QFR had high diagnostic value compared with FFR.In the FFR+group,AMR and lesion length may have affected the diagnostic consistency of QFR and FFR.The study provided more evidence for the clinical application of QFR.

Objectives::The aim of this multicenter, prospective, single-arm pilot study (ClinicalTrials.gov number: NCT05040074) was to observe the procedural and 30-day results of the novel transcatheter mitral valve repair system, SQ-Kyrin ?-M Clip (Shenqi Medical, Shanghai, China), in patients with severe mitral regurgitation (MR). Methods::The heart team considered patients from 5 centers in China with clinically significant functional mitral regurgitation ≥3+ despite optimal medical therapy or degenerative mitral regurgitation ≥3+ with high surgical risk as candidates for transcatheter repair. All patients received transcatheter edge-to-edge mitral valve repair under general anesthesia. The primary outcome was technical success, which included all of the following measured at the exit from the catheterization laboratory: (1) absence of procedural mortality; (2) successful access, delivery, and retrieval of the device delivery system; (3) successful deployment and correct positioning of the first intended device; and (4) no emergency surgery or reintervention related to the device or access procedure. The secondary outcomes included all-cause mortality, serious adverse events, device success, and procedural success 30 d after the intervention.Results::From June 2021 to December 2021, 18 patients were enrolled in this study with age (75.7 ± 7.4) years. Fifteen patients had MR 4+, while 3 had MR 3+. Technical success was achieved in all patients, including 6 degenerative mitral regurgitation and 12 functional mitral regurgitation patients. There was no all-cause mortality at 30 d. One patient had single leaflet device attachment within 30 d, which was regarded as a serious adverse event, and the patient was successfully treated with reintervention by implanting another clip. Another patient’s transmitral gradient was 6 mmHg (>5 mmHg), with an effective orifice area of 2.57 cm 2 after the procedure. Sixteen patients had device success and procedural success at 30 d postoperation. Fourteen patients had MR 1+, 3 had MR 2+, and only 1 patient had MR 3 + 30 d after the procedure. Conclusions::The results of this feasibility study showed the efficacy and safety of the SQ-Kyrin ?-M device in the Chinese population with severe MR, laying a solid foundation for a subsequent large-scale confirmatory study.

Objectives::The aim of this multicenter, prospective, single-arm pilot study (ClinicalTrials.gov number: NCT05040074) was to observe the procedural and 30-day results of the novel transcatheter mitral valve repair system, SQ-Kyrin ?-M Clip (Shenqi Medical, Shanghai, China), in patients with severe mitral regurgitation (MR). Methods::The heart team considered patients from 5 centers in China with clinically significant functional mitral regurgitation ≥3+ despite optimal medical therapy or degenerative mitral regurgitation ≥3+ with high surgical risk as candidates for transcatheter repair. All patients received transcatheter edge-to-edge mitral valve repair under general anesthesia. The primary outcome was technical success, which included all of the following measured at the exit from the catheterization laboratory: (1) absence of procedural mortality; (2) successful access, delivery, and retrieval of the device delivery system; (3) successful deployment and correct positioning of the first intended device; and (4) no emergency surgery or reintervention related to the device or access procedure. The secondary outcomes included all-cause mortality, serious adverse events, device success, and procedural success 30 d after the intervention.Results::From June 2021 to December 2021, 18 patients were enrolled in this study with age (75.7 ± 7.4) years. Fifteen patients had MR 4+, while 3 had MR 3+. Technical success was achieved in all patients, including 6 degenerative mitral regurgitation and 12 functional mitral regurgitation patients. There was no all-cause mortality at 30 d. One patient had single leaflet device attachment within 30 d, which was regarded as a serious adverse event, and the patient was successfully treated with reintervention by implanting another clip. Another patient’s transmitral gradient was 6 mmHg (>5 mmHg), with an effective orifice area of 2.57 cm 2 after the procedure. Sixteen patients had device success and procedural success at 30 d postoperation. Fourteen patients had MR 1+, 3 had MR 2+, and only 1 patient had MR 3 + 30 d after the procedure. Conclusions::The results of this feasibility study showed the efficacy and safety of the SQ-Kyrin ?-M device in the Chinese population with severe MR, laying a solid foundation for a subsequent large-scale confirmatory study.

Radiomics refers to the use of multiple techniques to extract high-throughput quantitative features from medical images to improve the accuracy of imaging diagnosis and prognosis prediction, and to guide clinical decision making. In recent years, more and more studies have begun to explore the application of radiomics in the diagnosis and treatment of renal cell carcinoma (RCC), expanding its guiding role in the clinical practice of RCC. In the field of RCC, radiomics is mainly used in the diagnosis and differential diagnosis of RCC, predicting the pathological characteristics, the efficacy and prognosis, and molecular biomarkers of RCC gene mutations. This article briefly introduces the basic process of radiomics, and focuses on a review of the clinical application status and research progress of radiomics in RCC.

Radiomics refers to the use of multiple techniques to extract high-throughput quantitative features from medical images to improve the accuracy of imaging diagnosis and prognosis prediction, and to guide clinical decision making. In recent years, more and more studies have begun to explore the application of radiomics in the diagnosis and treatment of renal cell carcinoma (RCC), expanding its guiding role in the clinical practice of RCC. In the field of RCC, radiomics is mainly used in the diagnosis and differential diagnosis of RCC, predicting the pathological characteristics, the efficacy and prognosis, and molecular biomarkers of RCC gene mutations. This article briefly introduces the basic process of radiomics, and focuses on a review of the clinical application status and research progress of radiomics in RCC.