Objective: To analyze the school tuberculosis (TB) outbreaks and preventive treatment in Hefei from 2022 to 2024, so as to provide reference for TB prevention and control in schools. Methods: Data were collected on all school based TB outbreaks occurring during 2022-2024 in Hefei, defined as ≥2 epidemiologically linked TB cases within the same school during a single semester. Statistical analyses were performed using the Chi square test. Results: Close contacts exhibited significantly higher TB incidence (2.88%) and latent mycobacterium tuberculosis infection (LTBI) rates (13.80%) in the school TB outbreaks, compared to non close contacts (0.12% and 2.63%, respectively). Among close contacts, secondary school students showed lower TB incidence (0.48%) and LTBI prevalence (3.42%) than both primary school or younger children (0.68%, 6.95%) and college students ( 0.78% , 6.50%), with statistically significant differences ( χ 2=360.91, 6.37; 791.71, 102.03, all P <0.05). The proportion of LTBI individuals recommended for preventive therapy was higher in primary school or younger groups (98.59%) than in secondary (95.25%) or college students (86.34%) ( χ 2=25.86, P <0.01). However, among those recommended, close contacts had higher uptake (85.82%) and completion rates (87.25%) of preventive therapy than non close contacts (69.63% and 70.57%); similarly, secondary school students demonstrated higher uptake (91.21%) and completion rates (86.45%) compared to primary school or younger (88.57%, 83.87%) and college students (57.28%, 64.08%) ( χ 2=30.52, 26.72; 125.17, 38.84, all P <0.01). Subsequent TB incidence among LTBI close contacts (13.30%) and among those who did not complete preventive therapy (22.73%) were significantly higher than among non close contacts (2.80%, 2.41%), respectively ( χ 2=32.19, 13.87, both P <0.05). Conclusions In school TB outbreaks, close contacts face higher LTBI prevalence and subsequent TB risk than non close contacts. College students show notably low adherence to preventive therapy. It is necessary to take targeted measures to improve the compliance of preventive measures among students.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the phenotype and genotype of a neonate with Osteo-oto-hepato-enteric syndrome (O2HE) and review the literature. METHODS: A female neonate diagnosed with O2HE syndrome on December 13, 2024 at the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University was selected as the study subject, and her clinical characteristics were analyzed, and pathogenic variants were explored by whole exome sequencing (WES). This study was approved by the Medical Ethics Committee of the Hospital (Ethics No.: 2025-KY-1038). RESULTS: The proband, a female infant, was delivered by Cesarean section at 36⁺¹ weeks of gestation. Five days after birth, she had developed severe diarrhea, mild cholestasis, sensorineural hearing loss, and growth retardation. WES revealed that she has harbored novel compound heterozygous variants c.512delA (p.Lys171Serfs*64) and c.698C>A (p.Thr233Asn) of the UNC45A gene, which were inherited from her mother and father, respectively. A total of 8 English papers were retrieved, which involved 16 patients from 14 families. Combined with our case, the 17 patients included 13 (76.5%) females and 4 (23.5%) males. Four patients (23.5%) had consanguineous parents. One case was excluded from further genetic analysis due to co-morbidity with other genetic variants. The primary clinical features included diarrhea (87.5%), cholestasis (81.3%), sensorineural hearing loss (31.3%), bone fragility (37.5%), and developmental delay (50.0%). Bi-allelic compound heterozygous mutations were identified in 12 patients (75.0%), and homozygous variants in 4 (25.0%). These included missense, nonsense, frameshift and deletional variants. The c.710T>C (p.Leu237Pro) variant was identified for 5 times, 3 of which were in homozygote forms. CONCLUSION O2HE syndrome should be suspected in cases with diarrhea, cholestasis, and hearing abnormalities during early postnatal period. Genetic testing facilitate early identification, genetic diagnosis and treatment.
Humans ; Female ; Infant, Newborn ; Male ; Mutation ; Hearing Loss, Sensorineural/genetics* ; Diarrhea, Infantile/genetics* ; Exome Sequencing ; Phenotype ; Fetal Growth Retardation ; Hair Diseases ; Facies

ObjectiveTo investigate the effects of Jianpi Qinghua granules on blood glucose fluctuations in patients with newly diagnosed overweight/obese type 2 diabetes mellitus （T2DM） and Qi-Yin deficiency syndrome from the perspective of skeletal muscle mass and function， while providing new insights for the treatment of diabetes. MethodsThis study employed a randomized， double-blind， placebo-controlled design. A total of 110 newly diagnosed overweight/obese T2DM patients meeting the inclusion criteria were randomly assigned to either the traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） group （54 cases） or the control group （56 cases）. Patients in the TCM group received Jianpi Qinghua Granules， while those in the control group received a placebo. Both groups underwent dietary and exercise guidance. After 12 weeks of intervention， blood glucose fluctuations were assessed using the following parameters： time in the target blood glucose range （TIR）， mean daily blood glucose （MBG）， standard deviation of mean daily blood glucose （SDBG）， mean amplitude of glycemic excursions （MAGE）， coefficient of variation of blood glucose （CV）， glycated hemoglobin （HbA1c） achievement rate， fasting plasma glucose （FPG）， and 2 hour postprandial glucose （2 hPG）. Skeletal muscle mass was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry （DXA）， while skeletal muscle function was evaluated using a handheld dynamometer for distal muscle strength and a 5-time sit-to-stand test for lower limb function. Additionally， pancreatic islet function and TCM syndrome scores were analyzed. ResultsNo significant differences were observed in baseline data between the two groups before intervention， ensuring comparability. After treatment， compared to the control group， the TCM group showed a significant increase in TIR （P<0.01）. While the SDBG and CV decreased， and MBG and MAGE increased in the TCM group， these differences were not statistically significant. Notably， the TCM group exhibited significant reductions in 2 hPG （P<0.01） and HbA1c （P<0.05）， though the decrease in FPG was not statistically significant. The HbA1c achievement rate in the TCM group was significantly higher than that in the control group （χ²=45.498， P<0.01）. In terms of skeletal muscle mass and function， the TCM group demonstrated a significant increase in handgrip strength （P<0.01） and a significant reduction in the 5-time sit-to-stand duration （P<0.05）. However， although body fat percentage increased， leading to a decrease in skeletal muscle mass and the ratio of skeletal muscle to fat， these changes were not statistically significant. For pancreatic islet function， the TCM group showed significant reductions in fasting insulin （FINS） and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance （HOMA-IR） （P<0.01）. Additionally， the TCM syndrome score in the TCM group was significantly reduced （P<0.01）. ConclusionJianpi Qinghua granules may reduce blood glucose fluctuations in newly diagnosed overweight/obese T2DM patients with Qi-Yin deficiency syndrome by enhancing skeletal muscle function， improving pancreatic islet function， and ameliorating related TCM syndromes.

ObjectiveTo explore the effect of serum containing Zhenwutang on myocardial mast cell apoptosis induced by angiotensin Ⅱ （AngⅡ） and the mechanism of the correlation between apoptosis and mitochondrial autophagy. MethodsIn this experiment， AngⅡ and serum containing Zhenwutang with different concentrations were used to interfere with H9C2 cardiomyocytes for 24 h， and the survival rate of H9C2 cardiomyocytes was detected by cell counting kit-8 （CCK-8） to screen the optimal concentration for the experiment. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） was used to detect the content of B-type natriuretic peptide （BNP） in cell culture supernatant， and immunofluorescence was used to detect the cell surface area to verify the construction of the myocardial mast cell model. Subsequently， the experiment was divided into a blank group （20% blank serum）， a model group （20% blank serum + 5×10^-5 mol·L^-1 AngⅡ）， low-， medium-， and high-dose （5%， 10% and 20%） serum containing Zhenwutang groups， an autophagy inhibitor group （1×10^-4 mol·L^-1 3-MA）， and autophagy inducer group （1×10^-7 mol·L^-1 rapamycin）. The apoptosis level of H9C2 cells and the changes of mitochondrial membrane potential were detected by flow cytometry. The lysosomal probe （Lyso Tracker） and mitochondrial probe （Mito Tracker） co-localization was employed to detect autophagy. Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） was used to detect Caspase-3， Caspase-9， B-cell lymphoma 2 （Bcl-2）， Bcl-2-related X protein （Bax）， and cytochrome C （Cyt C） in apoptosis-related pathways and the relative mRNA expression of ubiquitin ligase （Parkin）， phosphatase and tensin homolog （PTEN）-induced kinase 1 （PINK1）， and p62 protein in mitochondrial autophagy-related pathways. Western blot was used to detect cleaved Caspase-3， cleaved Caspase-9， Bax， Bcl-2， and Cyt C in apoptosis-related pathways， phosphorylated ubiquitin ligase （p-Parkin）， phosphorylated PTEN-induced kinase 1 （p-PINK1）， p62， and Bcl-2 homology domain protein Beclin1 in mitochondrial autophagy-related pathways， and the change of microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 （LC3） Ⅱ/Ⅰ ratio. ResultsCCK-8 showed that when the concentration of AngⅡ was 5×10^-5 mol·L^-1， the cell activity was the lowest， and there was no cytotoxicity. At this concentration， the surface area of cardiomyocytes was significantly increased （P<0.01）， and the content of BNP in the supernatant of culture medium was significantly increased （P<0.05）. Therefore， AngⅡ with a concentration of 5×10^-5 mol·L^-1 was selected for the subsequent modeling of myocardial mast cells. Compared with the blank group， the model group and the autophagy inhibitor 3-MA group had a significantly increased apoptosis rate （P<0.01） and significantly decreased mitochondrial membrane potential （P<0.01）. The results of immunofluorescence co-localization showed that compared with the blank group， the model group had a significantly decreased number of red and green fluorescence spots. The results of Real-time PCR showed that compared with that in the blank group， the relative mRNA expression of Bax， Caspase-3， Caspase-9， Cyt C， and p62 in the model group was significantly up-regulated （P<0.01）， while the relative mRNA expression of Bcl-2， Parkin， and PINK1 was significantly down-regulated （P<0.01）. In addition， the relative protein expression of Bax， cleaved Caspase-3， cleaved Caspase-9， Cyt C， and p62 was significantly up-regulated （P<0.01）. The LC3Ⅱ/Ⅰ was significantly decreased， and the relative protein expression of Bcl-2， p-Parkin， p-PINK1， and Beclin1 was significantly down-regulated （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the serum containing Zhenwutang groups and the autophagy inducer group had significantly decreased apoptosis rate （P<0.01）， and the decrease ratio of mitochondrial membrane potential is significantly lowered （P<0.01） in a dose-dependent manner. Additionally， both red and green fluorescence spots became more in these groups. In the 3-MA group， the number of red and green fluorescence spots decreased significantly. The relative mRNA expression of Bax， Caspase-3， Caspase-9， Cyt C， and p62 was significantly down-regulated （P<0.05， P<0.01）， while that of Bcl-2， Parkin， and PINK1 was significantly up-regulated （P<0.01）. In the serum containing Zhenwutang groups， the relative protein expression levels of Bax， cleaved Caspase-3， cleaved Caspase-9， Cyt C， and p62 were significantly down-regulated （P<0.05，P<0.01）. The LC3Ⅱ/Ⅰ was significantly increased， and the relative protein expression levels of Bcl-2， p-Parkin， p-PINK1， and Beclin1 were significantly up-regulated （P<0.01）. ConclusionThe serum containing Zhenwutang can reduce the apoptosis of myocardial mast cells and increase mitochondrial autophagy. This is related to the inhibition of intracellular Bax/Bcl-2/Caspase-3 apoptosis pathway and regulation of Parkin/PINK1 mitochondrial autophagy pathway.

Objective: To explore the longitudinal associations between dietary macronutrients and lung function in schoolaged children, so as to provide the nutritional research evidence for promoting children s lung health. Methods: In November 2021, two primary schools located in Chengdu, Sichuan Province were selected from the Southwest China Childhood Nutrition and Growth (SCCNG) cohort by a stratified cluster random sampling method, enrolling a total of 1 112 school aged children aged 8 to 13 years. At baseline, the dietary and sociodemographic characteristics of the children were assessed. One year later, the forced vital capacity (FVC) of the children was measured and converted into Z scores (FVC- Z ), while the vital capacity index (VCI) was also calculated. Generalized linear regression analysis was employed to examine the associations between dietary macronutrients and lung function, considering interactions with gender and age, followed by stratified analysis. Results: After adjusting for confounding factors, the analysis results of the generalized linear regression model showed that the carbohydrate energy ratio was negatively correlated with FVC- Z ( β =-0.02) and VCI ( β =-0.16), while the fat energy ratio showed a positive correlation with FVC- Z ( β =0.03) and VCI ( β =0.23) ( P <0.05). The protein energy ratio was positively correlated with FVC- Z ( β =0.09) and VCI ( β =0.60) specifically in girls ( P <0.05). Additionally, there was an interaction effect of age on the associations between macronutrients and lung function ( P <0.01); in children aged 8-9 and 10-11, the carbohydrate energy supply ratio was negatively correlated with FVC- Z ( β =-0.04, -0.03) and VCI ( β =-0.29, -0.21), and fat energy supply ratio was positively correlated with FVC- Z ( β =0.07, 0.05) and VCI ( β =0.46, 0.32) ( P <0.05). Conclusions There are age and sex differences in the association of dietary macronutrients with lung function, with a low carbohydrate, high fat diet promoting lung function in children. Additionally, protein intake appears to have a positive influence on the lung function of girls. The early school age period may represent a critical window for dietary interventions aimed at promoting lung health.

Objective: To analyze the effects of health literacy on overweight and obesity among primary school students and their parents in terms of salt, oil and sugar reduction (referred to as the "three reductions"), so as to provide a theoretical basis for the development of obesity control measures. Methods: From March to April 2024, a total of 1 022 fourthgrade primary school students and 913 parents were surveyed in 24 classes in six counties in Shandong Province using multistage cluster random sampling, and physical measurements of primary school students were conducted. Pearsons correlation analysis and ordered multivariate Logistic regression were used to investigate the associations between health literacy of primary school students and their parents with overweight and obesity among children. Results: The detection rates of overweight and obesity primary school students in Shandong Province were 14.87% and 24.66%, respectively, with significant sex difference in obesity rate (29.46% for boys and 19.76% for girls) (χ2=12.93, P<0.01). In addition to students reducing oil scores, parental reducing salt,reducing oil,reducing sugar, comprehensive health literacy scores and students reducing salt,reducing sugar and comprehensive health literacy scores showed a negative relationship with students overweight and obesity (r=-0.10, -0.08, -0.07, -0.10, -0.04, -0.07, -0.03, P<0.05). The overweight and obesity rates among primary school students with high parental reducing salt,reducing oil,reducing sugar and composite health literacy scores were lower (OR=0.69, 0.69, 0.71, 0.63, P<0.05); and the overweight and obesity rate among students with high parental and low parental and high and low parental health literacy scores were lower (OR=0.68, 0.57, P<0.05). Conclusion Improving health literacy regarding "three reductions" for parents and children, especially parents, can effectively reduce the risk of childhood overweight and obesity.

Objective: To analyze the incidence of statutory and keymonitored infectious diseases among school students in Beijing from 2016 to 2020, so as to provide a reference for developing the prevention and control of infectious diseases in schools. Methods: A descriptive statistical analysis was conducted on student cases aged 6-22 years in Beijing from 2016 to 2020 selected from the China Disease Surveillance Information Reporting Management System. Rate comparisons were performed using the 2 test and trend 2 test. Results: From 2016 to 2020, the overall incidence of statutory and keymonitored infectious diseases among students in Beijing showed an upward trend (χ2trend=582.42), the incidence rates of Category B and other infectious diseases exhibited a downward trend (χ2trend=82.71, 18.34), while Category C infectious diseases demonstrated a significant upward trend (χ2trend=911.75) (P<0.01). Among Category B infectious diseases, scarlet fever, bacillary dysentery, tuberculosis, and HIV/AIDS were predominant, with annual average incidence rates of 61.33/100 000, 35.38/100 000, 13.88/100 000, and 3.78/100 000, respectively. Except for HIV/AIDS, the reported incidence rates of other infectious diseases showed a declining trend. Among Category C infectious diseases, influenza, other infectious diarrhea, hand-foot-mouth disease, and mumps were predominant, with annual average incidence rates of 956.13/100 000, 114.39/100 000, 111.37/100 000, and 28.24/100 000, respectively. Influenza showed a significant upward trend (χ2trend=1 508.30), while the other infectious diarrhea, hand-foot-mouth disease, and mumps exhibited a downward trend (χ2trend=13.84, 25.78, 6.13) (P<0.05). Among other infectious diseases, varicella was predominant (χ2trend=17.47, P<0.05). Scarlet fever, influenza, hand-foot-mouth disease, and mumps had higher incidence rates among primary and middle school students; other infectious diarrhea and varicella were more prevalent among high school students; tuberculosis and bacillary dysentery were more common among high school and college students; and HIV/AIDS had higher incidence rates among college and high school students. Conclusion From 2016 to 2020, the incidence of Category B infectious diseases among students in Beijing showed a declining trend, while influenza, a Category C infectious disease, exhibited a significant upward trend.

Objective To investigate the changes in eosinophil counts and the activation of microglial cells in the brain tissues of mice at different stages of Angiostrongylus cantonensis infection, and to examine the role of microglia in regulating the progression of angiostrongyliasis and unravel the possible molecular mechanisms. Methods Fifty BALB/c mice were randomly divided into the control group and the 7-d, 14-d, 21-day and 25-d infection groups, of 10 mice in each group. All mice in infection groups were infected with 30 stage III A. cantonensis larvae by gavage, and animals in the control group was given an equal amount of physiological saline. Five mice were collected from each of infection groups on days 7, 14, 21 d and 25 d post-infection, and 5 mice were collected from the control group on the day of oral gavage. The general and focal functional impairment was scored using the Clark scoring method to assess the degree of mouse neurological impairment. Five mice from each of infection groups were sacrificed on days 7, 14, 21 d and 25 d post-infection, and 5 mice from the control group were sacrificed on the day of oral gavage. Mouse brain tissues were sampled, and the pathological changes of brain tissues were dynamically observed using hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining. Immunofluorescence staining with eosinophilic cationic protein (ECP) and ionized calcium binding adaptor molecule 1 (Iba1) was used to assess the degree of eosinophil infiltration and the counts of microglial cells in mouse brain tissues in each group, and the morphological parameters of microglial cells (skeleton analysis and fractal analysis) were quantified by using Image J software to determine the morphological changes of microglial cells. In addition, the expression of M1 microglia markers Fcγ receptor III (Fcgr3), Fcγ receptor IIb (Fcgr2b) and CD86 antigen (Cd86), M2 microglia markers Arginase 1 (Arg1), macrophage mannose receptor C-type 1 (Mrc1), chitinase-like 3 (Chil3), and phagocytosis genes myeloid cell triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2 (Trem2), CD68 antigen (Cd68), and apolipoprotein E (Apoe) was quantified using real-time quantitative reverse transcription PCR (RT-qPCR) assay in the mouse cerebral cortex of mice post-infection. Results A large number of A. cantonensis larvae were seen on the mouse meninges surface post-infection, and many neuronal nuclei were crumpled and deeply stained, with a large number of bleeding points in the meninges. The median Clark scores of mouse general functional impairment were 0 (interquartile range, 0), 0 (interquartile range, 0.5), 6 (interquartile range, 1.0), 14 (interquartile range, 8.5) points and 20 (interquartile range, 9.0) points in the control group and the 7-d, 14-d, 21-d and 25-d groups, respectively (H = 22.45, P < 0.01), and the median Clark scores of mouse focal functional impairment were 0 (interquartile range, 0), 2 (interquartile range, 2.5), 7 (interquartile range, 3.0), 18 (interquartile range, 5.0) points and 25 (interquartile range, 6.5) points in the control group and the 7-d, 14-d, 21-d and 25-d groups, respectively (H = 22.72, P < 0.01). The mean scores of mice general and focal functional impairment were all higher in the infection groups than in the control group (all P values < 0.05). Immunofluorescence staining showed a significant difference in the eosinophil counts in mouse brain tissues among the five groups (F = 40.05, P < 0.000 1), and the eosinophil counts were significantly higher in mouse brain tissues in the 14-d (3.08 ± 0.78) and 21-d infection groups (5.97 ± 1.37) than in the control group (1.00 ± 0.28) (both P values < 0.05). Semi-quantitative analysis of microglia immunofluorescence showed a significant difference in the counts of microglial cells among the five groups (F = 17.66, P < 0.000 1), and higher Iba1 levels were detected in mouse brain tissues in 14-d (5.75 ± 1.28), 21-d (6.23 ± 1.89) and 25-d infection groups (3.70 ± 1.30) than in the control group (1.00 ± 0.30) (all P values < 0.05). Skeleton and fractal analyses showed that the branch length [(162.04 ± 34.10) μm vs. (395.37 ± 64.11) μm; t = 5.566, P < 0.05] and fractal dimension of microglial cells (1.30 ± 0.01 vs. 1.41 ± 0.03; t = 5.266, P < 0.05) were reduced in mouse brain tissues in the 21-d infection group relative to the control group. In addition, there were significant differences among the 5 groups in terms of M1 and M2 microglia markers Fcgr3 (F = 48.34, P < 0.05), Fcgr2b (F = 55.46, P < 0.05), Cd86 (F = 24.44, P < 0.05), Arg1 (F = 31.18, P < 0.05), Mrc1 (F = 15.42, P < 0.05) and Chil3 (F = 24.41, P < 0.05), as well as phagocytosis markers Trem2 (F = 21.19, P < 0.05), Cd68 (F = 43.95, P < 0.05) and Apoe (F = 7.12, P < 0.05) in mice brain tissues. Conclusions A. cantonensis infections may induce severe pathological injuries in mouse brain tissues that are characterized by massive eosinophil infiltration and persistent activation of microglia cells, thereby resulting in progressive deterioration of neurological functions.

BACKGROUND:Degenerative scoliosis is defined as a condition that occurs in adulthood with a coronal cobb angle of the spine>10° accompanied by sagittal deformity and rotational subluxation,which often produces symptoms of spinal cord and nerve compression,such as lumbar pain,lower limb pain,numbness,weakness,and neurogenic claudication.The finite element method is a mechanical analysis technique for computer modelling,which can be used for spinal mechanics research by building digital models that can realistically restore the human spine model and design modifications. OBJECTIVE:To review the application of finite element method in the etiology and treatment of degenerative scoliosis. METHODS:The literature databases CNKI,PubMed,and Web of Science were searched for articles on the application of finite element method in degenerative scoliosis published before October 2023.Search terms were"finite element analysis,biomechanics,stress analysis,degenerative scoliosis,adult spinal deformity"in Chinese and English.Fifty-four papers were finally included. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)The biomechanical findings from the degenerative scoliosis model constructed using the finite element method were identical to those from the in vivo experimental studies,which proves that the finite element method has a high practical value in degenerative scoliosis.(2)The study of the etiology and treatment of degenerative scoliosis by the finite element method is conducive to the prevention of the occurrence of the scoliosis,slowing down the progress of the scoliosis,the development of a more appropriate treatment plan,the reduction of complications,and the promotion of the patients'surgical operation.(3)The finite element method has gradually evolved from a single bony structure to the inclusion of soft tissues such as muscle ligaments,and the small sample content is increasingly unable to meet the research needs.(4)The finite element method has much room for exploration in degenerative scoliosis.

BACKGROUND:Traditional methods of urinary tract reconstruction are limited by donor scarcity,high complication rates,and suboptimal functional recovery.Tissue engineering strategies offer new directions in this field.Since the urinary tract is mainly composed of muscle tissue,the key is to find suitable seed cells and efficiently induce them to differentiate into smooth muscle cells.Comparative studies on the efficacy of different smooth muscle cell induction regimens are still lacking. OBJECTIVE:To isolate,culture,and identify human urine-derived stem cells,and to compare the effects of two different induction protocols. METHODS:Human urine-derived stem cells were isolated from urine samples of 11 healthy adult volunteers by multiple centrifugations.Surface markers were identified by flow cytometry.The multi-directional differentiation potential of human urine-derived stem cells was verified through osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation.Differentiation was induced by transforming growth factor-β1 or transforming growth factor-β1 combined with platelet derived growth factor for 14 days.Immunofluorescence staining and western blot assay were employed to compare the expression differences of smooth muscle-specific proteins(α-SMA and SM22). RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)Urine-derived stem cells were successfully isolated from the eight urine samples of healthy people.These cells exhibit a"rice grain"-like morphology and possess a robust proliferative capacity.(2)Urine-derived stem cells exhibited high expression of mesenchymal stem cell surface markers(CD73,CD90,and CD44)and extremely low expression of hematopoietic stem cell surface markers(CD34 and CD45).These cells did not express CD19,CD105,and HLA-DR.(3)After osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation,the formation of calcium nodules and lipid droplets was observed,with positive staining results from Alizarin Red S and Oil Red O staining.(4)After 14 days of smooth muscle induction culture,immunofluorescence staining revealed that the smooth muscle differentiation rate of urine-derived stem cells treated with a combination of transforming growth factor-β1 and platelet derived growth factor was significantly higher compared to those treated with transforming growth factor-β1 alone(P<0.005).(5)After 14 days of smooth muscle induction culture,western blot assay further demonstrated that the expression levels of α-SMA and SM22 in the transforming growth factor-β1/platelet derived growth factor group were significantly elevated compared to those in the transforming growth factor-β1 only group(P<0.005).These findings confirm that urine-derived stem cells can be non-invasively isolated using multiple rounds of centrifugation.Compared with transforming growth factor-β1 alone,the combination of transforming growth factor-β1 and platelet derived growth factor can improve the efficiency of inducing urine-derived stem cells to differentiate into smooth muscle cells.