Objective To investigate the changes of diameter of the main trunk of the extracranial segment of the facial nerve,local hemodynamics and facial muscle thickness in patients with peripheral facial palsy(PFP)at acute stage by high frequency ultrasound(HFUS).Methods Sixty patients with acute PFP were enrolled as the PFP group,and 30 healthy people were selected as the control group.The following facial param-eters were scanned and recorded using HFUS:diameter of the main trunk of the extracranial segment of the facial nerve(FN-d),facial artery diameter(FA-d),facial artery systolic velocity(FA-Vs),facial artery diastolic velocity(FA-Vd),facial artery resistance index(FA-RI),frontalis muscle thickness(FM-t),depressor anguli oris muscle thickness(DAO-t),and depressor labii inferioris muscle thickness(DLI-t).The feasibility of facial param-eters in the diagnosis of acute-phase peripheral facial palsy(PFP)was evaluated,with intra-group and inter-group variability comparisons performed.Pearson correlation analysis was conducted to evaluate the relationship between acute-phase facial parameters and House-Brackmann(H-B)scale scores in PFP patients.Results(1)The H-B score of the PFP group was significantly lower than that of the control group,and the difference was statistically significant(P＜0.05).(2)The reliability of repeated measurements of facial parameters by different testers is good(ICC＞0.75).(3)The FN-d and FA-RI values on the affected side of PFP group were higher than those on the healthy side and control group,and FA-Vs,FA-Vd,DAO-t and DLI-t values were lower than those on the healthy side and control group,with statistical significance(P＜0.05).(4)The FN-d and FA-RI values of the affected side in the PFP group were negatively correlated with the H-S scale score(r=-0.847,P＜0.05;r=-0.863,P＜0.05);FA Vs,FA Vd,DAO-t,DLI-t are positively correlated with H-S scale scores(r=0.808,P＜0.05;r=0.757,P＜0.05;r=0.836,P＜0.05;r=0.694,P＜0.05).Conclusions HFUS can effectively detect the characteristic changes such as the increase in the diameter of the extrcranial facial nerve trunk,local microcircula-tion disturbance and facial muscle atrophy in patients with PFP in the acute stage,and the increase and decrease of FN-d,FA Vs,FA Vd,FA-RI,DAO-t,and DLI-t can accurately reflect the improvement or progress of PFP,which has important guiding significance for clinical disease monitoring and efficacy evaluation.

Objective To investigate the changes of diameter of the main trunk of the extracranial segment of the facial nerve,local hemodynamics and facial muscle thickness in patients with peripheral facial palsy(PFP)at acute stage by high frequency ultrasound(HFUS).Methods Sixty patients with acute PFP were enrolled as the PFP group,and 30 healthy people were selected as the control group.The following facial param-eters were scanned and recorded using HFUS:diameter of the main trunk of the extracranial segment of the facial nerve(FN-d),facial artery diameter(FA-d),facial artery systolic velocity(FA-Vs),facial artery diastolic velocity(FA-Vd),facial artery resistance index(FA-RI),frontalis muscle thickness(FM-t),depressor anguli oris muscle thickness(DAO-t),and depressor labii inferioris muscle thickness(DLI-t).The feasibility of facial param-eters in the diagnosis of acute-phase peripheral facial palsy(PFP)was evaluated,with intra-group and inter-group variability comparisons performed.Pearson correlation analysis was conducted to evaluate the relationship between acute-phase facial parameters and House-Brackmann(H-B)scale scores in PFP patients.Results(1)The H-B score of the PFP group was significantly lower than that of the control group,and the difference was statistically significant(P＜0.05).(2)The reliability of repeated measurements of facial parameters by different testers is good(ICC＞0.75).(3)The FN-d and FA-RI values on the affected side of PFP group were higher than those on the healthy side and control group,and FA-Vs,FA-Vd,DAO-t and DLI-t values were lower than those on the healthy side and control group,with statistical significance(P＜0.05).(4)The FN-d and FA-RI values of the affected side in the PFP group were negatively correlated with the H-S scale score(r=-0.847,P＜0.05;r=-0.863,P＜0.05);FA Vs,FA Vd,DAO-t,DLI-t are positively correlated with H-S scale scores(r=0.808,P＜0.05;r=0.757,P＜0.05;r=0.836,P＜0.05;r=0.694,P＜0.05).Conclusions HFUS can effectively detect the characteristic changes such as the increase in the diameter of the extrcranial facial nerve trunk,local microcircula-tion disturbance and facial muscle atrophy in patients with PFP in the acute stage,and the increase and decrease of FN-d,FA Vs,FA Vd,FA-RI,DAO-t,and DLI-t can accurately reflect the improvement or progress of PFP,which has important guiding significance for clinical disease monitoring and efficacy evaluation.

Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma(ATC)is the most aggressive malignancy with poor prognosis.The pathogenesis of ATC is complex,and there is no effective treatment at present.In recent years,with the deep understanding of the genetic(such as BRAF V600E,TP53,TERT,PIK3CA mutations,etc.)and epigenetic(such as histone methylation,histone deacetylation,microRNA regulatory pathways,etc.)changes driving ATC,molecular targeted therapy has brought new hope to ATC patients.This article reviews the molecular mechanisms of ATC and the latest achievements in targeted therapy and other therapies.

Objective:To investigate the expression of HBB in anaplastic thyroid cancer(ATC)cells and its regulatory effect on proliferation,invasion,migration and apoptosis of ATC cells and its potential mechanism.Methods:The expression of HBB in thyroid cancer and paracancerous tissues was analyzed through TIMER database.The correlation between the expression of HBB and the overall survival time of thyroid cancer patients was analyzed through KM-plotter database.The expression of HBB mRNA in ATC cells was detected by RT-qPCR.The HBB knockout or overexpression plasmid was transfected into ATC cells.The expression of HBB protein was detected by Western blot.The proliferation activity was detected by CCK-8 assay.The migration and invasion ability was detected by Transwell assay.The apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry.The expression of β-catenin was detected by Western blot.Results:The expression of HBB was low in thyroid cancer,and the overall survival time of patients with high expression of HBB was high.The expression of HBB protein was down-regulated in ATC cells.Knockout of HBB increased the ability of proliferation,migration and invasion of ATC cells and the expression of β-catenin protein,and inhibited apoptosis.However,overexpression of HBB decreased the ability of proliferation,migration and invasion of ATC cells and the expression of β-catenin protein,and promoted apoptosis.Conclusions:High HBB expression is associated with higher overall survival in patients with thyroid cancer.It may inhibit the proliferation,migration and invasion of ATC cells and promote apoptosis through Wnt/β-catenin signal pathway.

Objective To investigate the anatomical features of aortic arch lesions in the Chinese population in order to provide anatomical reference for the development of domestic arch en-dografts.Methods Clinical data of 83 patients with aortic arch lesions were collected from a first prospective multi-center study of WeFlow-Arch stent system,which was carried out between June 1,2021 and January 1,2024 in 17 centers across China.According to their pathologic types,they were divided into an aneurysm group(67 patients)and an ulcer group(16 patients).Preoperative computed tomography angiography images were analyzed using three-dimensional reconstruction techniques to quantify the anatomical characteristics of the aorta.The resulting data were subse-quently compared to assess the anatomical suitability of the Zenith and Relay stents for use in Chinese patients.Results The anatomical feasibility of Zenith stent and Relay stent was 39.8％and 63.9％,respectively in this investigation.No significant differences were observed between the two groups in terms of anatomical features,including arch type,aortic diameter and length,di-mensions,orientation,and angulation of arch branch vessels,as well as diameters of the left and right femoral arteries,and proximal and total aortic tortuosity indices(P＞0.05).The tortuosity index of the ascending aorta was lower in the aneurysm group than the ulcer group(1.17±0.06 vs 1.22±0.08,P=0.010),but the index within the coverage region of the stent was higher in the aneurysm group than the ulcer group(2.97±0.46 vs 2.66±0.36,P=0.020).Conclusion There are significant variations in the tortuosity indexes of the ascending aorta and the coverage region of the stent among the patients with different aortic arch lesions,and thus,attention should be paid to the variations due to their prognostic implications.The anatomical suitability of foreign de-vices is not good enough for Chinese patients,so it is of great significance for developing en-dografts specifically designed for the patients of our own country.

Objective To explore the effects of the long non-coding RNA(lncRNA)NK2 homeobox 1-antisense RNA 1(NK2-1-AS1),which mediates the microRNA(miR)-96-5p/PR domain-containing protein 16(PRDM16)axis,on anaplastic thyroid cancer(ATC)cell proliferation,migration,and invasion in vitro and transplanted tumor growth in vivo.Methods The differentially expressed lncRNA NKX2-1-AS1 in ATC tissues and cells,its target miRNA miR-96-5p,and its downstream target gene PRDM16 were screened using a bioinformatics analysis.The dual-luciferase reporter assay validated the relationship between NKX2-1-AS1 and miR-96-5p as well as the connection between miR-96-5p and PRDM16.Western blotting was performed to detect the effect of miR-96-5p overexpression on PRDM16 in CAL-62 cells overexpressed with NKX2-1-AS1.Plate clone formation,scratch,and Transwell assays were used to detect the effects of PRDM16knockdown on the proliferation,migration,and invasion of CAL-62 cells overexpressing NKX2-1-AS1.CAL-62 cells were injected subcutaneously into nude mice and the effect was observed of PRDM16knockdown on the growth of transplanted tumors of CAL-62 cells overexpressing NKX2-1-AS1.Results The bioinformatics analysis revealed that the NK2-1-AS1/miR-96-5p/PRDM16 axis was involved in regulating ATC development.The dual-luciferase reporter assay demonstrated that NKX2-1-AS1 bound to miR-96-5p and miR-96-5p bound to PRDM16.NKX2-1-AS1 overexpression upregulated PRDM16 protein expression in CAL-62 cells,while miR-96-5p overexpression reversed this phenomenon.NKX2-1-AS1 overexpression inhibited CAL-62 cellular proliferation,migration,and invasion in vitro and transplanted tumor growth in vivo,while knocking down PRDM16 reversed these phenomena.Conclusion NK2-1-AS1 may compete with miR-96-5p as an endogenous RNA to bind to its downstream target gene,PRDM16,and upregulate its expression,thus inhibiting ATC cell proliferation,migration,and invasion in vitro and transplanted tumor growth in vivo.

Objective To explore the effect of transcription factor E2F7 on the proliferation,migration,invasion,and tumor growth of anaplastic thyroid cancer(ATC)cells in vitro and to elucidate the underlying mechanisms.Methods Lentivirus transfection was used for a stable E2F7 knockdown in CAL-62 cells,and real-time PCR was used to detect E2F7 expression in these cells to verify the trans-fection efficiency.CAL-62 cells were divided into sh-NC and sh-E2F7 groups,and cell proliferation was measured using the CCK-8 assay,whereas cell migration and invasion abilities were measured using the Transwell assay.CAL-62 cells were subcutaneously injected into nude mice to observe tumor growth.The EPD website predicted an E2F7 binding site on the CXCL5 promoter,and the dual-lucif-erase reporter gene assay measured the effect of E2F7 knockdown on the luciferase activity of the CXCL5 promoter.The impact of E2F7 knockdown on CXCL5 levels in CAL-62 cells was assessed through real-time PCR and ELISA.Further,CAL-62 cells were divided into sh-E2F7+vector and sh-E2F7+CXCL5 groups to study the effects of CXCL5 overexpression on cell proliferation,migration,invasion,and the CXCR2/ERK signaling pathway following E2F7 knockdown.Results E2F7 knockdown inhibited CAL-62 cell proliferation,migra-tion,and invasion in vitro and tumor growth in vivo.The CXCL5 promoter has an E2F7 binding site,and E2F7 knockdown reduced the luciferase activity of the CXCL5 promoter.CXCL5 overexpression reversed the inhibitory effect of E2F7 knockdown on cell proliferation,migration,invasion,and the CXCR2/ERK signaling pathway in CAL-62 cells.Conclusion E2F7 promotes ATC cell proliferation,migra-tion,invasion,and tumor growth in vitro by activating the CXCL5/CXCR2/ERK signaling pathway mediated by CXCL5 transcription.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the modulating effect of neotropics on form deprivation myopia(FDM)in guinea pigs.METHODS Tricolour guinea pigs were randomly divided into normal control group,FDM model group,FDM+saline group,FDM+atropine group,and FDM+neotropine group,with eight animals in each group.Except for the normal control group,the right eyes of the guinea pigs were covered for 14 d to establish a guinea pig FDM model.The drug administration groups were injected with 10 μL of saline,1%atropine,or 1%neotropine into the vitreous cavity once every other day.The changes in the refractive error and axial length of both eyes were recorded for 1 d before the intervention and for 14 d after the intervention.Then,the eyeballs of guinea pigs were taken from the right eyes.HE staining was used to evaluate the histopathological structure of the sclera while sirius red staining was used to detect the collagen protein content in the sclera.RT-qPCR was used to detect the mRNA expressions of transforming growth factor-β1(TGF-β1),matrix metalloproteinase(MMP-2)and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase(TIMP-2)in guinea pigs'sclera.The protein expression levels of collagen type Ⅰ(Col-Ⅰ)and TGF-β1 in guinea pig sclera were detected by Western blotting while those of MMP-2,TIMP-2 and Ki-67 were detected by immunohistochemical staining.RESULTS Compared with the nor-mal control group,eyes of guinea pig in the FDM model group showed a significantly lower refractive error(P<0.01),significant elongation of the ocular axis(P<0.01),scattered distribution of scleral fibre bundles,sparse collagen cells,reduced scleral thickness(P<0.01),and a significantly lower collagen protein content(P<0.01).The mRNA and protein expressions of TIMP-2 and TGF-β1 were lower(P<0.05,P<0.01),and MMP-2 was higher(P<0.01)in scleral tissue.The protein expression level of Col-Ⅰwas lower(P<0.05)while that of Ki-67 was elevated(P<0.01)in scleral tissue.Compared with the FDM model group,there were no significant changes in any of the indexes in the FDM+saline group.The refractive error of the right eyes of guinea pigs in the FDM+neotropium group and the FDM+atropium group were significantly higher(P<0.05),the length of the ocular axis was significantly shorter(P<0.05),the collagen fibres were arranged more tightly,the fibre bundles were distributed more orderly,the distribution of the collagen cells was more uniform,and the thickness of the sclera was significantly increased(P<0.01).Collagen protein contents were significantly higher(P<0.05,P<0.01),the mRNA and protein expressions of TIMP-2 and TGF-β1 were significantly higher(P<0.01),MMP-2 mRNA and protein expressions were significantly lower(P<0.05,P<0.01).The protein expression level of Col-Ⅰwas higher(P<0.05,P<0.01),and that of Ki-67 was lower(P<0.05,P<0.01)in scleral tissue.CONCLU-SION The muscarinic antagonist neotropine inhibits the development of myopia in guinea pigs in the FDM model by reversing both the down-regulation of TGF-β1 and the up-regulation of MMP-2 in scleral tissues and inhibiting the remodeling of the scleral extracellular matrix.

Objective To investigate the anatomical features of aortic arch lesions in the Chinese population in order to provide anatomical reference for the development of domestic arch en-dografts.Methods Clinical data of 83 patients with aortic arch lesions were collected from a first prospective multi-center study of WeFlow-Arch stent system,which was carried out between June 1,2021 and January 1,2024 in 17 centers across China.According to their pathologic types,they were divided into an aneurysm group(67 patients)and an ulcer group(16 patients).Preoperative computed tomography angiography images were analyzed using three-dimensional reconstruction techniques to quantify the anatomical characteristics of the aorta.The resulting data were subse-quently compared to assess the anatomical suitability of the Zenith and Relay stents for use in Chinese patients.Results The anatomical feasibility of Zenith stent and Relay stent was 39.8％and 63.9％,respectively in this investigation.No significant differences were observed between the two groups in terms of anatomical features,including arch type,aortic diameter and length,di-mensions,orientation,and angulation of arch branch vessels,as well as diameters of the left and right femoral arteries,and proximal and total aortic tortuosity indices(P＞0.05).The tortuosity index of the ascending aorta was lower in the aneurysm group than the ulcer group(1.17±0.06 vs 1.22±0.08,P=0.010),but the index within the coverage region of the stent was higher in the aneurysm group than the ulcer group(2.97±0.46 vs 2.66±0.36,P=0.020).Conclusion There are significant variations in the tortuosity indexes of the ascending aorta and the coverage region of the stent among the patients with different aortic arch lesions,and thus,attention should be paid to the variations due to their prognostic implications.The anatomical suitability of foreign de-vices is not good enough for Chinese patients,so it is of great significance for developing en-dografts specifically designed for the patients of our own country.

Objective:To summarize the surgical experience of carotid body tumor (CBT)and analyze the risk factors.Methods:The clinical and follow-up data of 133 patients with carotid body tumor undergoing surgery at the First Medical Center of PLA General Hospital from Nov 2005 to Apr 2019 were retrospectively analyzed.Results:All of 142 tumors were successfully resected. No patients died perioperatively. Thirty-three (23.2%) cases underwent simple tumor resection, 82 (57.8%) cases underuent tumor resection combined with external carotid artery ligation, 13 (9.2%) cases did internal carotid artery reconstruction, 10 (7.0%) cases had total or external carotid artery repairment, and 4 (2.8%) cases underwent total or internal carotid artery ligation. There were 53 complications, including 43 cases of cranial nerve injury, with an average operating time of 161min (60-500 min), an average blood loss of 308 ml (20-3 000 ml). The follow-up time ranged from 1 to 162 months. No death occurred during the follow-up period.Conclusions:Tumor size and Shamblin typing are surgical risk factors. Most of ShamblinⅠtype tumor can do simple resection, but type Ⅱ and Ⅲ often need to ligate the external carotid artery. Use of great saphenous vein has a favorable long-term patency rate.