Objective To analyze the imaging features of cerebral small vessel disease in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus by multimodal MRI.Methods The clinical data of 160 patients with cerebral small vessel disease admitted to our hospital from January to December 2020 were retrospectively analyzed.According to whether they were complicated with type 2 diabetes mellitus,they were divided into the diabetic group and the non-diabetic group,with 80 cases in each group.Both groups underwent multimodal MRI scans.And the severity of lacunar infarction,the severity of subcortical and periventricular white matter lesions,white matter integral and cerebral microbleeds of patients in the two groups were compared.Results The severity of lacunar infarction(χ2=34.076,P=0.001),subcortical white matter lesions(χ2=25.000,P=0.001),periventricular white matter lesions(χ2=22.895,P=0.001)and white matter integral(t=12.370,P=0.001)of patients in the diabetic group were significantly higher than those in the non-diabetic group.No cerebral microbleeds were detected in either group of patients.Conclusion Patients with cerebral small vessel disease and type 2 diabetes mellitus show characteristic multimodal MRI changes.The increase in the number of lacunar infarction lesions and the aggravation of white matter lesions can be used as the characteristic imaging basis for the diagnosis of type 2 diabetes mellitus related cerebral small vessel disease.

Objective To compare the hemodynamic effects of anesthesia induction with remimazolam tosylate and etomidate in elderly frail patients.Methods This study was a single-center,prospective,randomized,single-blind trial.From January to April 2024,96 elderly frail patients undergoing elective surgery in Fuyang People's Hospital were recruited.After excluding 6 cases(3 refused to participate,1 had tracheal intubation time＞30 s,and 2 had missing data),90 patients were finally included.They were randomly divided into remimazolam tosylate group(intravenous injection of 0.2 mg/kg remimazolam tosylate for anesthesia induction,n=45)and etomidate group(intravenous injection of 0.3 mg/kg etomidate for anesthesia induction,n=45)by the random number table method.The area under the curve for mean arterial pressure(MAP)below or above baseline values(AUCMAP-and AUCMAP+),the heart rate(HR)below or above baseline values by 10％(AUCHR-and AUCHR+)within 10 minutes of anesthesia induction,the time to loss of consciousness,the time from the start of anesthesia induction to a bispectral index(BIS)＜60,the incidence of drug-related adverse reactions,the incidence of cardiovascular adverse events,and the usage of vasoactive drug administrations were compared between the two groups.Results Compared with the etomidate group,the AUCMAP-(145.10±35.75 vs.178.52±39.78)and AUCHR-[43.20(26.58,56.35)vs.54.99(43.01,65.85)]in remimazolam tosylate group were significantly reduced(P＜0.001,P=0.001).The time to loss of consciousness and the time from the start of anesthesia induction to BIS＜60 were prolonged(P＜0.001).The incidence of drug-related adverse reactions was significantly decreased(P＜0.05),and the number of norepinephrine administrations was significantly reduced(P＜0.05)in remimazolam tosylate group.However,there were no statistically significant differences in AUCMAP+,AUCHR+,the incidence of cardiovascular adverse events,and the usages of atropine,urapidil,and esmolol between the two groups(P＞0.05).Conclusion The use of remimazolam tosylate during anesthesia induction in elderly frail patients can provide more stable hemodynamic parameters and results in fewer adverse reactions than etomidate.

A mounting body of research suggests that circRNAs significantly contribute to the develop-ment of myocardial fibrosis.The microarray results of human circular RNA expression profile indicated that circHERC4_041 expression increased in the myocardium of patients with heart failure,RT-qPCR a-nalysis confirmed that the myocardial expression level of circHERC4_041 in individuals with heart failure were considerably elevated compared to that in healthy organ donors.Fluorescence in situ hybridization(FISH)confirmed that circHERC4_041 was abundant in the cytoplasm of human cardiomyocyte AC16.Overexpression of circHERC4_041 in mouse myocardial fibroblasts(mCFs)mediated by adenovirus in-hibited the expression of fibrosis-related proteins in mCFs.Experiments involving cell proliferation,wound healing,and Transwell assays demonstrated that overexpression of circHERC4_041 suppressed the growth and mobility of mCFs(P＜0.001).Sequence analysis results suggested that circHERC4_041 con-tains potential ribosome entry sequence(IRES)and open reading frame(ORF).Western blot confirmed that circHERC4_041 could translate the 516 amino acid HERC4-516aa protein,which was mainly located in the cytoplasm of the cell.Cell functional experiments confirmed that circHERC4_041 inhibited the fi-brotic phenotype of mCFs by specifically translating HERC4-516aa(P＜0.05).The specific interaction between HERC4-516aa and transglutaminase 2(TGM2)was confirmed by IP-MS screening and Co-IP i-dentification.Further results found that the degradation of TGM2 was promoted through proteasome path-way.The overexpression of TGM2 in mCFs facilitated by adenoviral vectors could counteract the suppres-sive effects of HERC4-516aa on the fibrotic phenotype of mCFs.Therefore,this study confirmed that the HERC4-516aa protein translated by circHERC4_041 can specifically bind to TGM2 to inhibit the fibrotic phenotype of myocardial fibroblasts.

Objective To analyze the imaging features of cerebral small vessel disease in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus by multimodal MRI.Methods The clinical data of 160 patients with cerebral small vessel disease admitted to our hospital from January to December 2020 were retrospectively analyzed.According to whether they were complicated with type 2 diabetes mellitus,they were divided into the diabetic group and the non-diabetic group,with 80 cases in each group.Both groups underwent multimodal MRI scans.And the severity of lacunar infarction,the severity of subcortical and periventricular white matter lesions,white matter integral and cerebral microbleeds of patients in the two groups were compared.Results The severity of lacunar infarction(χ2=34.076,P=0.001),subcortical white matter lesions(χ2=25.000,P=0.001),periventricular white matter lesions(χ2=22.895,P=0.001)and white matter integral(t=12.370,P=0.001)of patients in the diabetic group were significantly higher than those in the non-diabetic group.No cerebral microbleeds were detected in either group of patients.Conclusion Patients with cerebral small vessel disease and type 2 diabetes mellitus show characteristic multimodal MRI changes.The increase in the number of lacunar infarction lesions and the aggravation of white matter lesions can be used as the characteristic imaging basis for the diagnosis of type 2 diabetes mellitus related cerebral small vessel disease.

A mounting body of research suggests that circRNAs significantly contribute to the develop-ment of myocardial fibrosis.The microarray results of human circular RNA expression profile indicated that circHERC4_041 expression increased in the myocardium of patients with heart failure,RT-qPCR a-nalysis confirmed that the myocardial expression level of circHERC4_041 in individuals with heart failure were considerably elevated compared to that in healthy organ donors.Fluorescence in situ hybridization(FISH)confirmed that circHERC4_041 was abundant in the cytoplasm of human cardiomyocyte AC16.Overexpression of circHERC4_041 in mouse myocardial fibroblasts(mCFs)mediated by adenovirus in-hibited the expression of fibrosis-related proteins in mCFs.Experiments involving cell proliferation,wound healing,and Transwell assays demonstrated that overexpression of circHERC4_041 suppressed the growth and mobility of mCFs(P＜0.001).Sequence analysis results suggested that circHERC4_041 con-tains potential ribosome entry sequence(IRES)and open reading frame(ORF).Western blot confirmed that circHERC4_041 could translate the 516 amino acid HERC4-516aa protein,which was mainly located in the cytoplasm of the cell.Cell functional experiments confirmed that circHERC4_041 inhibited the fi-brotic phenotype of mCFs by specifically translating HERC4-516aa(P＜0.05).The specific interaction between HERC4-516aa and transglutaminase 2(TGM2)was confirmed by IP-MS screening and Co-IP i-dentification.Further results found that the degradation of TGM2 was promoted through proteasome path-way.The overexpression of TGM2 in mCFs facilitated by adenoviral vectors could counteract the suppres-sive effects of HERC4-516aa on the fibrotic phenotype of mCFs.Therefore,this study confirmed that the HERC4-516aa protein translated by circHERC4_041 can specifically bind to TGM2 to inhibit the fibrotic phenotype of myocardial fibroblasts.

BACKGROUND:The repair and clinical outcome of bone defects remains a hot and difficult area of clinical research,which is a common problem that plagues clinicians.Constructing suitable,reproducible and infinitely close to clinical animal experimental models and their scientific evaluation are essential for further clinical treatment of related diseases. OBJECTIVE:To retrospectively analyze the preparation methods and characteristics of common animal models of femoral bone defects and to assess their strengths and weaknesses,thereby providing some reference for relevant researchers to select appropriate animal models of femoral bone defects. METHODS:PubMed,Web of Science,Medline,and CNKI were retrieved for relevant literature published from January 1,2000 to August 1,2022.The keywords were"bone defect,bone,bones,defect,defects,defective,animal model,animal,model,laboratory,laboratory animal,animal laboratory"in English and"bone defect,animal model,experiment"in Chinese. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Twenty-seven randomized controlled animal experiments involving rats,mice,New Zealand rabbits,and sheep were included,analyzed and assessed.The most common types of bone defects were cylindrical bone defects and segmental osteotomy bone defects,generally found in the middle and distal femur.These models are mostly used to evaluate the effects of bone repair materials,drugs,drug-loaded active substances and physical therapy on bone defect repair and explore defect healing mechanisms,particularly the weight-bearing bone defect repair mechanism.Different defect kinds and femoral bone defect ranges have been found in different animal experiments.Researchers can select the suitable animal model and bone defect type based on the goal of the experiment and then set an acceptable bone defect value.Current studies have shown that cylindrical and segmental osteotomy-induced bone defects,mainly in the distal and middle femur,are mostly used in the animal models of femoral bone defects and that the surgical methods and postoperative management are more mature and operable to provide mature experimental animal models.In terms of cylindrical bone defects,rats and New Zealand rabbits are more suitable,whereas segmental osteotomy has no special requirements and all types of animals can meet the experimental requirements.

Activation of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2(Nrf2)by Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1(Keap1)alkylation plays a central role in anti-inflammatory therapy.However,activators of Nrf2 through alkylation of Keap1-Kelch domain have not been identified.Deoxynyboquinone(DNQ)is a natural small molecule discovered from marine actinomycetes.The current study was designed to investigate the anti-inflammatory effects and molecular mechanisms of DNQ via alkylation of Keap1.DNQ exhibited signif-icant anti-inflammatory properties both in vitro and in vivo.The pharmacophore responsible for the anti-inflammatory properties of DNQ was determined to be the α,β-unsaturated amides moieties by a chemical reaction between DNQ and N-acetylcysteine.DNQ exerted anti-inflammatory effects through activation of Nrf2/ARE pathway.Keap1 was demonstrated to be the direct target of DNQ and bound with DNQ through conjugate addition reaction involving alkylation.The specific alkylation site of DNQ on Keap1 for Nrf2 activation was elucidated with a synthesized probe in conjunction with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.DNQ triggered the ubiquitination and subsequent degra-dation of Keap1 by alkylation of the cysteine residue 489(Cys489)on Keap1-Kelch domain,ultimately enabling the activation of Nrf2.Our findings revealed that DNQ exhibited potent anti-inflammatory capacity through α,β-unsaturated amides moieties active group which specifically activated Nrf2 signal pathway via alkylation/ubiquitination of Keap1-Kelch domain,suggesting the potential values of targeting Cys489 on Keap1-Kelch domain by DNQ-like small molecules in inflammatory therapies.

Objective To investigate renal expression level of STING in mice with renal ischemia-reperfusion injury(IRI)and its regulatory role in IRI.Methods C57BL/6 mice were divided into sham operation group,IRI(induced by clamping the renal artery)model group,IRI+DMSO treatment group,and IRI+SN-011 treatment group.Serum creatinine and blood urea nitrogen of the mice were analyzed,and pathological changes in the renal tissue were assessed with PAS staining.RT-qPCR,ELISA,Western blotting,and immunohistochemistry were used to detect the expression levels of STING,KIM-1,Bcl-2,Bax,caspase-3,TLR4,P65,NLRP3,caspase-1,CD68,MPO,IL-1β,IL-6,and TNF-α in the renal tissues.In the cell experiment,HK-2 cells exposed to hypoxia-reoxygenation(H/R)were treated with DMSO or SN-011,and cellular STING expression levels and cell apoptosis were analyzed using RT-qPCR,Western blotting or flow cytometry.Results In C57BL/6 mice,renal IRI induced obvious renal tissue damage,elevation of serum creatinine and blood urea nitrogen levels and renal expression levels of KIM-1,STING,TLR4,P65,NLRP3,caspase-1,caspase-3,Bax,CD68,MPO,IL-1β,IL-6,and TNF-α,and reduction of Bcl-2 expression level.Treatment of the mouse models with SN-011 for inhibiting STING expression significantly alleviated these changes.In HK-2 cells,H/R exposure caused significant elevation of cellular STING expression and obviously increased cell apoptosis rate,which was significantly lowered by treatment with SN-011.Conclusion Renal STING expression is elevated in mice with renal IRI to exacerbate renal injury by regulating the TLR4/NF-κB/NLRP3 pathway and promoting inflammation and apoptosis in the renal tissues.

Objective To investigate renal expression level of STING in mice with renal ischemia-reperfusion injury(IRI)and its regulatory role in IRI.Methods C57BL/6 mice were divided into sham operation group,IRI(induced by clamping the renal artery)model group,IRI+DMSO treatment group,and IRI+SN-011 treatment group.Serum creatinine and blood urea nitrogen of the mice were analyzed,and pathological changes in the renal tissue were assessed with PAS staining.RT-qPCR,ELISA,Western blotting,and immunohistochemistry were used to detect the expression levels of STING,KIM-1,Bcl-2,Bax,caspase-3,TLR4,P65,NLRP3,caspase-1,CD68,MPO,IL-1β,IL-6,and TNF-α in the renal tissues.In the cell experiment,HK-2 cells exposed to hypoxia-reoxygenation(H/R)were treated with DMSO or SN-011,and cellular STING expression levels and cell apoptosis were analyzed using RT-qPCR,Western blotting or flow cytometry.Results In C57BL/6 mice,renal IRI induced obvious renal tissue damage,elevation of serum creatinine and blood urea nitrogen levels and renal expression levels of KIM-1,STING,TLR4,P65,NLRP3,caspase-1,caspase-3,Bax,CD68,MPO,IL-1β,IL-6,and TNF-α,and reduction of Bcl-2 expression level.Treatment of the mouse models with SN-011 for inhibiting STING expression significantly alleviated these changes.In HK-2 cells,H/R exposure caused significant elevation of cellular STING expression and obviously increased cell apoptosis rate,which was significantly lowered by treatment with SN-011.Conclusion Renal STING expression is elevated in mice with renal IRI to exacerbate renal injury by regulating the TLR4/NF-κB/NLRP3 pathway and promoting inflammation and apoptosis in the renal tissues.

Objective To investigate the effect of Polyetheretherketone(PEEK)rod semi-rigid pedicle screw fixation sys-tem in lumbar spine non-fusion surgery.Methods A total of 74 patients with tow-level lumbar degenerative diseases who un-derwent surgery from March 2017 to December 2019 were divided into PEEK rod group and titanium rod group.In the PEEK rod group,there were 34 patients,including 13 males and 21 females,aged from 51 to 79 years old with an average of(62.4±6.8)years old;There were 1 patient of L1-L3 segments,7 patients of L2-L4 segments,20 patients of L3-L5 segments and 6 pa-tients of L4-S1 segments.In the titanium rod group,there were 40 patients,including 17 males and 23 females,aged from 52 to 81 years old with an average of(65.2±7.3)years old;There were 3 patient of L1-L3 segments,11 patients of L2-L4 segments,19 patients of L3-L5 segments and 7 patients of L4-S1 segments.The general conditions of operation,such as operation time,intraoperative blood loss,postoperative drainage was recorded.The visual analogue scale(VAS)for low back pain and Os-westry disability index(ODI)were compared in preoperatively and postoperatively(3 months,12 months and last follow-up)between two groups.The change of range of motion(ROM)was observed by flexion and extension x-ray of lumbar Results All patients successfully completed the operation.The follow-up time ranged from 22 to 34 months with an average of(26.8±5.6)months.The operative time(142.2±44.7)min and intraoperative blood loss(166.5±67.4)ml in PEEK group were lower than those in titanium group[(160.7±57.3)min、(212.8±85.4)ml](P＜0.05).There was no significant differences in postoperative drainage between the two groups(P＞0.05).At the final follow-up visit,in PEEK group and titanium group VAS of low back pain[(0.8±0.4)points vs(1.0±0.5)points],VAS for leg pain[(0.7±0.4)points vs(0.8±0.5)points]and ODI[(9.8±1.6)％vs(12.1±1.5)％]were compared with preoperative[(5.8±1.1)points vs(6.0±1.1)points],[(7.2±1.7)points vs(7.0±1.6)points],[(68.5±8.9)％vs(66.3±8.2)％]were significantly different(P＜0.05).There was no significant difference in VAS scores between the two groups at each postoperative time point(P＞0.05).At 3 months after surgery,there was no difference in ODI between the two groups(P＞0.05).There were significant differences in ODI between PEEK group and titanium rod group at 12 months[(15.5±2.1)％vs(18.4±2.4)％]and at the last follow-up[(9.8±1.6)％vs(12.1±1.5)％](P＜0.05).The total range of motion(ROM)of lumbar decreased in both groups after surgery.At 12 months after surgery and the last follow-up,the PEEK group compared with the titanium rod group,the total range of motion of lumbar was statistically significant(P＜0.05).The range of motion(ROM)of the fixed segments decreased in both groups after surgery.The ROM of the fixed segments in PEEK group decreased from(9.5±4.6)° to(4.1±1.9)° at the last follow-up(P＜0.05),which in the titanium rod group was de-creased from(9.8±4.3)°to(0.9±0.5)° at the last follow-up(P＜0.05).The range of motion(ROM)of upper adjacent segment increased in both groups,there was statistical significance in the ROM of upper adjacent segment between the two groups at 12 months after surgery and the last follow-up,(P＜0.05).There was no screw loosening and broken rods in both groups during the follow-up period.Conclusion The PEEK rod semi-rigid pedicle screw internal fixation system used in lumbar non-fusion surgery can retain part of the mobility of the fixed segment,showing comparable short-term clinical efficacy to titanium rod fu-sion.PEEK rod semi-rigid pedicle screw internal fixation system is a feasible choice for the treatment of lumbar spine degener-ative diseases,and its long-term efficacy needs further follow-up observation.