Objective The aim of this study is to detect the expression of purinergic 2X7 receptor(P2X7R)and the NLRP3 inflammasome in benign prostatic hyperplasia(BPH)tissues and to analyze the clinical correlations.Methods Twelve patients undergoing surgery for BPH were enrolled.Based on the presence or absence of inflammatory cell infiltration in HE-stained tissue sections,the patients were divided into inflammation group and non-inflammation group.Preoperative routine ex-aminations excluded surgical contraindications,and International Prostate Symptom Score(IPSS)questionnaires,urinary flow rate measurements,expressed prostatic secretions(EPS)analysis,and prostate-specific antigen(PSA)tests were conducted.Prostate tissues obtained during surgery were subjected to HE staining,immunofluorescence/Western blot to detect the expression of NLRP3,P2X7R,Caspase-1,Cleaved-Caspase-1,IL-1 β,and TNF-α,and immunofluorescence to assess lymphocyte infiltra-tion.SPSS 26.0 software was used to analyze correlations between the expression levels of NLRP3 and P2X7R in prostate tissues and indicators including Caspase-1,Cleaved-Caspase-1,IL-1 β,TNF-α,lymphocyte count,IPSS score,urinary flow rate,EPS,and PSA.Results In BPH tissues,the expression levels of NLRP3 and P2X7R were positively correlated(P＜0.05).The ex-pression levels of NLRP3 and P2X7R were positively correlated with Caspase-1,Cleaved-Caspase-1,IL-1 β,TNF-α,and lym-phocyte count(P＜0.05).NLRP3 and P2X7R expression levels were positively correlated with white blood cell count in EPS,but showed no correlation with IPSS score,lecithin body count in EPS,maximum urinary flow rate and PSA(P＜0.05).Conclusion P2X7R and NLRP3 in prostate tissues exacerbate local inflammatory responses,which may be an important mecha-nism in BPH development.However,they are not correlated with IPSS score,lecithin body count in EPS,maximum urinary flow rate and PSA.

This paper elaborated the structural principles,structures and working principles of the A5 type passive training system for hand function through discussed the clinical application of passive training system for hand function in the rehabilitation of patients with stroke.It analyzed a series of occurring common faults during system operation,such as system errors caused by missing components,improper sensitivity settings for spasticity,abnormal connections for equipment,motor failures,jam and pause of robotic hand,and faults of lifting table,and conducted fault analysis for them.After that,this paper proposed corresponding handling strategies and solutions for faults,which included software configuration,calibration and detection of robotic hand sensors,repair of connection fault,and regular maintenance and replacement of system's components.It provided theoretical basis for the maintenance and optimization of the passive training system for hand function.Thus,it can rapid remove troubles,and reduce the equipment's failure rate of passive training system for hand function,and improve the equipment's normal utilization rate,and ensure favorable performance of equipment in long-term use.

Objective To evaluate the risk of right heart failure after heart transplantation by establishing nomogram based on preoperative pulmonary artery pressure.Methods A total of 184 patients undergoing heart transplantation were retrospectively collected and divided into the training group(126 cases)and the verification group(58 cases).Patients in the training set were divided into the right heart failure group(60 cases)and the non-right heart failure group(66 cases)according to whether right heart failure occurred after operation.The differences of clinical data between the two groups were compared,and the influencing factors of right heart failure occurred after operation in the training set were screened by Lasso-Logistic regression.According to the screened influencing factors,nomograms were drawn,and the predictive efficiency of the model was evaluated by using the receiver's operating characteristic(ROC)curve,calibration curve,receiver's operating characteristic(ROC)curve and clinical decision curve.Further vertification of the clinical application effect of centralized evaluation model was conducted.Results The Lasso-Logistic regression analysis identified the following independent risk factors for right heart failure after heart transplantation:elevated total bilirubin(OR=2.649,95％CI:1.339-5.239),increased mean pulmonary artery pressure(OR=3.082,95％CI:1.608-5.910),elevated pulmonary artery resistance(OR=3.171,95％CI:1.710-5.879),and widened right ventricular outflow tract diameter(OR=2.681,95％CI:1.361-5.281),all of which demonstrated statistical significance(P＜0.05).The nomogram model was constructed accordingly.The AUC of the nomogram model was 0.846(95％CI:0.813-0.947).The calibration curve demonstrated good fit via the goodness-of-fit test(Hosmer-Lemeshow x2=0.862,P=0.361).Clinical decision curve analysis revealed that the net benefit rate remained＞0 when the high-risk threshold probability ranged from 1％to 95％,indicating favorable clinical utility of this nomogram model.Based on the model predictions,among 58 heart transplant patients in the validation cohort,34 were classified as high-risk for right heart failure and 24 as low-risk.Actual diagnosis results showed 29 cases with right heart failure and 29 without.The Kappa coefficient reached 0.483(95％CI:0.261-0.705),demonstrating high consistency between model predictions and actual clinical outcomes.Conclusion Preoperative pulmonary systolic pressure increase is an independent risk factor for right heart failure after heart transplantation.A nomogram prediction model for right heart failure after heart transplantation is established by combining other clinical risk factors,and it has good prediction efficiency.

This study established the mouse podocyte clone-5 (MPC5) with Smad3 knockout and studied the effect of transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-β1) on the dedifferentiation of the MPC5 cells with Smad3 knockout, aiming to provide a cell tool for studying the role of Smad3 in mouse podocytes. The single-guide RNA (sgRNA) sequence targeting Smad3 was designed according to the principles of CRISPR/Cas9 design. The pX458-Smad3 vector was constructed and introduced into competent cells, and then the vector was extracted and used to transfect MPC5 cells. The successfully transfected cells were sorted by a flow cytometer. After single-cell clone expansion, PCR amplification of sequences adjacent to the edition site of Smad3 and sequencing were performed to identify potential cells with gene knockout. Western blotting was employed to verify the knockout efficiency of Smad3. Finally, the effect of Smad3 knockout on TGF-β1-induced dedifferentiation of MPC5 cells was analyzed by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reacting (RT-PCR), Western blotting, and the immunofluorescence method. The sgRNA was designed to target the fifth exon of Smad3. EGFP expression was observed 24 h after transfection of the pX458-Smad3 plasmid into MPC5 cells, with the transfection efficiency of 0.1% as determined by flow cytometry. From the transfected cells, 21 cell clones were obtained through flow cytometric sorting and single-cell clone expansion. PCR amplification and sequencing of the region around the sgRNA target site in Smad3 identified two cell clones with biallelic frameshift mutations. Western blotting results confirmed the absence of Smad3 expression in these clones, indicating successful establishment of the MPC5 cell line with Smad3 knockout. In normal MPC5 cells, TGF-β1 stimulation promoted the expression of fibrosis-related genes fibronectin and Col1a1 (collagen I) and inhibited the expression of the podocyte marker proteins synaptopodin and podocin, which suggested epithelial-mesenchymal transition and podocyte injury. However, in the two MPC5 cell lines with Smad3 knockout, TGF-β1-induced expression of epithelial-mesenchymal transition markers was significantly suppressed. The MPC5 cell lines with Smad3 knockout that were constructed by CRISPR/Cas9 provide a valuable cell model for functional studies of Smad3 protein and highlight the critical role of Smad3 in cell dedifferentiation.
Animals ; Smad3 Protein/genetics* ; CRISPR-Cas Systems/genetics* ; Mice ; Podocytes/metabolism* ; Transforming Growth Factor beta1/pharmacology* ; Cell Line ; Gene Knockout Techniques ; RNA, Guide, CRISPR-Cas Systems/genetics*

Objective To evaluate the risk of right heart failure after heart transplantation by establishing nomogram based on preoperative pulmonary artery pressure.Methods A total of 184 patients undergoing heart transplantation were retrospectively collected and divided into the training group(126 cases)and the verification group(58 cases).Patients in the training set were divided into the right heart failure group(60 cases)and the non-right heart failure group(66 cases)according to whether right heart failure occurred after operation.The differences of clinical data between the two groups were compared,and the influencing factors of right heart failure occurred after operation in the training set were screened by Lasso-Logistic regression.According to the screened influencing factors,nomograms were drawn,and the predictive efficiency of the model was evaluated by using the receiver's operating characteristic(ROC)curve,calibration curve,receiver's operating characteristic(ROC)curve and clinical decision curve.Further vertification of the clinical application effect of centralized evaluation model was conducted.Results The Lasso-Logistic regression analysis identified the following independent risk factors for right heart failure after heart transplantation:elevated total bilirubin(OR=2.649,95％CI:1.339-5.239),increased mean pulmonary artery pressure(OR=3.082,95％CI:1.608-5.910),elevated pulmonary artery resistance(OR=3.171,95％CI:1.710-5.879),and widened right ventricular outflow tract diameter(OR=2.681,95％CI:1.361-5.281),all of which demonstrated statistical significance(P＜0.05).The nomogram model was constructed accordingly.The AUC of the nomogram model was 0.846(95％CI:0.813-0.947).The calibration curve demonstrated good fit via the goodness-of-fit test(Hosmer-Lemeshow x2=0.862,P=0.361).Clinical decision curve analysis revealed that the net benefit rate remained＞0 when the high-risk threshold probability ranged from 1％to 95％,indicating favorable clinical utility of this nomogram model.Based on the model predictions,among 58 heart transplant patients in the validation cohort,34 were classified as high-risk for right heart failure and 24 as low-risk.Actual diagnosis results showed 29 cases with right heart failure and 29 without.The Kappa coefficient reached 0.483(95％CI:0.261-0.705),demonstrating high consistency between model predictions and actual clinical outcomes.Conclusion Preoperative pulmonary systolic pressure increase is an independent risk factor for right heart failure after heart transplantation.A nomogram prediction model for right heart failure after heart transplantation is established by combining other clinical risk factors,and it has good prediction efficiency.

This paper elaborated the structural principles,structures and working principles of the A5 type passive training system for hand function through discussed the clinical application of passive training system for hand function in the rehabilitation of patients with stroke.It analyzed a series of occurring common faults during system operation,such as system errors caused by missing components,improper sensitivity settings for spasticity,abnormal connections for equipment,motor failures,jam and pause of robotic hand,and faults of lifting table,and conducted fault analysis for them.After that,this paper proposed corresponding handling strategies and solutions for faults,which included software configuration,calibration and detection of robotic hand sensors,repair of connection fault,and regular maintenance and replacement of system's components.It provided theoretical basis for the maintenance and optimization of the passive training system for hand function.Thus,it can rapid remove troubles,and reduce the equipment's failure rate of passive training system for hand function,and improve the equipment's normal utilization rate,and ensure favorable performance of equipment in long-term use.

Objective The aim of this study is to detect the expression of purinergic 2X7 receptor(P2X7R)and the NLRP3 inflammasome in benign prostatic hyperplasia(BPH)tissues and to analyze the clinical correlations.Methods Twelve patients undergoing surgery for BPH were enrolled.Based on the presence or absence of inflammatory cell infiltration in HE-stained tissue sections,the patients were divided into inflammation group and non-inflammation group.Preoperative routine ex-aminations excluded surgical contraindications,and International Prostate Symptom Score(IPSS)questionnaires,urinary flow rate measurements,expressed prostatic secretions(EPS)analysis,and prostate-specific antigen(PSA)tests were conducted.Prostate tissues obtained during surgery were subjected to HE staining,immunofluorescence/Western blot to detect the expression of NLRP3,P2X7R,Caspase-1,Cleaved-Caspase-1,IL-1 β,and TNF-α,and immunofluorescence to assess lymphocyte infiltra-tion.SPSS 26.0 software was used to analyze correlations between the expression levels of NLRP3 and P2X7R in prostate tissues and indicators including Caspase-1,Cleaved-Caspase-1,IL-1 β,TNF-α,lymphocyte count,IPSS score,urinary flow rate,EPS,and PSA.Results In BPH tissues,the expression levels of NLRP3 and P2X7R were positively correlated(P＜0.05).The ex-pression levels of NLRP3 and P2X7R were positively correlated with Caspase-1,Cleaved-Caspase-1,IL-1 β,TNF-α,and lym-phocyte count(P＜0.05).NLRP3 and P2X7R expression levels were positively correlated with white blood cell count in EPS,but showed no correlation with IPSS score,lecithin body count in EPS,maximum urinary flow rate and PSA(P＜0.05).Conclusion P2X7R and NLRP3 in prostate tissues exacerbate local inflammatory responses,which may be an important mecha-nism in BPH development.However,they are not correlated with IPSS score,lecithin body count in EPS,maximum urinary flow rate and PSA.

Objective:To investigate the correlation between complement C3 and urine protein level and proteinuria remission status in patients with primary membranous nephropathy (PMN), and better guide individualized clinical treatment.Methods:It was a single-center retrospective study. The clinical data of PMN patients who underwent renal biopsy in the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University from January 2017 to June 2022 were collected. Patients with 24 h urinary protein ≥ 3.5 g were followed up after receiving standard treatment, and the last outpatient or inpatient review was used as the end point of follow-up. 24 h urine protein was collected to evaluate the remission status of proteinuria. Kaplan-Meier method was used to analyze the correlation between serum and renal complements and proteinuria remission. Cox regression analysis method was used to analyze the correlation between serum C3 level and renal tissue C3 deposition and proteinuria remission.Results:This study included 507 PMN patients with 312 (61.54%) males, aged 54 (43, 64) years old. Compared with 24 h urinary protein < 3.5 g group, proportion of males ( χ2=22.479, P<0.001), age ( Z=-2.521, P=0.012), systolic blood pressure ( Z=-4.148, P<0.001), diastolic blood pressure ( Z=-4.084, P<0.001), serum anti-phospholipase A2 receptor (PLA2R) antibody titer ( Z=-7.019, P<0.001), total cholesterol ( Z=-8.796, P<0.001), triglyceride ( Z=-6.158, P<0.001), low density lipoprotein cholesterol ( Z=-8.716, P<0.001), serum creatinine ( Z=-7.368, P<0.001), serum C3 ( Z=-3.663, P<0.001), serum C4 ( Z=-6.560, P<0.001), proportion of glucocorticoid use ( χ2=116.417, P<0.001) and proportion of immunosuppressant use ( χ2=53.839, P<0.001) were all higher, while serum albumin ( Z=12.518, P<0.001), estimated glomerular filtration rate ( Z=6.345, P<0.001) and serum IgG ( Z=7.321, P<0.001) were all lower in 24 h urinary protein ≥3.5 g group. There were 268 patients included in the follow-up cohort with baseline 24 h urinary protein of 7.15 (5.14, 10.24) g, serum anti-PLA2R antibody titer of 61.44 (14.35, 193.24) RU/ml, serum C3 of 1.005 (0.864, 1.150) g/L, and serum C4 of 0.260 (0.214, 0.317) g/L. Kaplan-Meier survival curve showed that the incomplete remission rate of proteinuria in serum C3 > 1.005 g/L group was lower than that in serum C3 ≤ 1.005 g/L group (log-rank χ2=4.757, P=0.029). There was no significant difference in the incomplete remission rate of proteinuria between serum C4 ≤ 0.260 g/L group and serum C4 > 0.260 g/L group (log-rank χ2=3.543, P=0.060). Renal C1q (log-rank χ2=0.167, P=0.683) and C4 (log-rank χ2=1.927, P=0.165) deposition had no significant effects on proteinuria remission in PMN patients. The incomplete remission rate of proteinuria in patients with renal C3 deposition was higher than that in patients without renal C3 deposition (log-rank χ2=7.018, P=0.008). Univariate Cox regression analysis showed that serum C3 level and C3 deposition in renal tissues were influencing factors of incomplete remission of proteinuria (both P<0.05), while adjusting for gender, age, mean arterial pressure, serum anti-PLA2R antibody, serum albumin and 24 h urinary protein, serum C3 ≤ 1.005 g/L ( HR=1.374, 95% CI 1.021-1.849, P=0.036), C3 deposition in renal tissues ( HR=1.949, 95% CI 1.098-3.460, P=0.023), and serum C3 ≤ 1.005 g/L combined with C3 deposition in renal tissues ( HR=1.472, 95% CI 1.093-1.983, P=0.011) were independent influencing factors of incomplete remission of proteinuria. Conclusions:The serum C3 level and C3 deposition in renal tissues are closely related to urinary protein level and proteinuria remission status in PMN patients. The patients with higher urinary protein have higher serum C3. For patients with massive proteinuria, serum C3 ≤ 1.005 g/L, C3 deposition in renal tissues, serum C3 ≤ 1.005 g/L combined with C3 deposition in renal tissues are independent risk factors of incomplete remission of proteinuria.

Objective To investigate the therapeutic effect and underlying mechanism of Qishishenshu Capsule on renal fibrosis in mice with early diabetic nephropathy(DN).Methods A DN mouse model was established by multiple injections of streptozotocin.The mice were randomly divided into a normal group(NC),model group(DN),and Qishi group(QS)(0.9 g/(kg·d)),with eight mice in each group.Mice were gavaged continuously for 4 weeks,and fasting blood glucose(FBG)was measured weekly.Four weeks later,urinary albumin/creatinine(UACR),serum creatinine,and blood urea nitrogen were measured.Hematoxylin-eosin,periodicacid-Schiff,and Sirius red staining were used to analyze renal pathological changes.Real-time fluorescence quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction was used to detect the mRNA levels of fibronectin(FN),collagen type Ⅰ alpha 1(Col1a1),and α-smooth muscle actin(α-SMA).Immunohistochemistry and Western blot were performed to detect FN,collagen type Ⅰ(Collagen Ⅰ),collagen typeⅢ(Collagen Ⅲ),α-SMA,Podocin,Nephrin,and transforming growth factor-β1/SMAD family member2/3(TGF-β1/Smad2/3)pathway-related proteins.Results Compared with mice in the NC group,those in the DN group showed significantly higher levels of FBG and UACR(P＜0.001),and mesangial hyperplasia,basement membrane thickening,and collagen deposition in the renal tissue.The mRNA levels of FN,Col1a1,and α-SMA were increased(P＜0.05).Protein levels of Podocin and Nephrin were decreased(P＜0.05).The levels of FN,Collagen I,Collagen Ⅲ,α-SMA,and TGF-β1/Smad2/3 pathway proteins were increased(P＜0.05).Compared with the DN group,the QS group's level of UACR was decreased(P＜0.05),their renal pathological injury was alleviated,and mRNA levels of FN,Collagen Ⅰ,andα-SMA were attenuated(P＜0.05);whereas their protein levels of Podocin and Nephrin were elevated(P＜0.05).The levels of FN,Collagen Ⅰ,Collagen Ⅲ,α-SMA,and TGF-β1/Smad2/3 pathway proteins were also decreased(P＜0.05).Conclusions Qishishenshu Capsule improved renal fibrosis in DN mice,probably through the inhibition of the TGF-β1/Smad2/3 signaling pathway.

Objective To investigate the correlation between serum Angiopoietin-like protein 4(ANGPTL4)and soluble bone marrow cell-like transcription factor-1(sTLT-1)levels and cognitive function and prognosis in elderly patients with vascular dementia(VD).Methods A total of 92 elderly patients with vascular dementia admitted to Hebei Yanda Hospital from June 2020 to June 2022 were selected as the study group.They were divided into mild(n=30),moderate(n=36)and severe groups(n=26)according to the minimum mental state examination(MMSE)score,and 92 patients with healthy physical examination during the same period were selected as the control group.According to the prognosis of patients,the cognitive dysfunction was divided into grade Ⅰ～Ⅱ and grade Ⅲ.ELISA method was used to detect the levels of serum ANGPTL4 and sTLT-1.Pearson and Spearman methods were used to analyze the correlation between serum ANGPTL4 and sTLT-1 and MOCA scores.Logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the influencing factors of the prognostic grade Ⅲ of elderly patients with vascular dementia.The receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was plotted to analyze the predictive value of serum ANGPTL4 and sTLT-1 levels in the prognostic grade Ⅲ in elderly patients with vascular dementia.Results The serum ANGPTL4 level(987.57±53.25 pg/ml)in the study group was lower than that in the control group(1 108.35±62.13 pg/ml),and the serum sTLT-1(68.01±5.15 pg/ml)level was higher than that in the control group(50.12±4.57 pg/ml),with significant differences(t=14.158,24.922,all P＜0.05).Serum ANGPTL4 levels and MOCA scores were decreased sequentially in the mild,moderate and severe groups(F=33.495,66.617),while serum sTLT-1 level was increased sequentially(F=66.718),and the differences were statistically significant(all P＜0.05),respective.Pearson analysis showed that serum ANGPTL4 was negatively correlated with sTLT-1(r=-0.621,P＜0.05).Spearman analysis showed serum levels of ANGPTL4 and sTLT-1 were positively and negatively correlated with MoCA scores,respectively(r=0.545,-0.557,all P＜0.05).The serum ANGPTL4 level(953.45±51.16 pg/ml)in the prognostic patients of grade Ⅲ was lower than that of grade Ⅰ～Ⅱ(1 005.76±54.27 pg/ml),and the serum level of sTLT-1(73.14±5.40 pg/ml)was higher than that of grade Ⅰ～Ⅱ(65.28±5.02 pg/ml),with significant differences(t=4.490,6.967,all P＜0.05).Logistic regression analysis showed low expression of ANGPTL4[OR(95％CI):5.089(1.833～14.129)]and high expression of sTLT-1[OR(95％CI):4.258(1.739～10.428)]were risk factors affecting the prognosis of elderly patients with vascular dementia(P＜0.05).According to the ROC curve,the combined prediction of two for the grade Ⅲ prognosis of elderly vascular dementia patients was better than the individual prediction of ANGPTL4 and sTLT-1(Z=2.135,3.268,all P＜0.05).Conclusion Serum ANGPTL4 level was decreased but sTLT-1 level was increased in elderly patients with vascular dementia,and ANGPTL4 and sTLT-1 were closely related to cognitive function and prognosis.