OBJECTIVES: To investigate the impact of prenatal fear stress on placental amino acid transport and emotion and cognition development in offspring rats. METHODS: Thirty pregnant Wistar rats were randomized equally into control and fear stress (induced using an observational foot shock model) groups. In each group, placental and serum samples were collected from 6 dams on gestational day 20, and the remaining rats delivered naturally and the offspring rats were raised under the same conditions until 8 weeks of age. Emotional and cognitive outcomes of the offspring rats were assessed with behavioral tests, and placental structure was examined using HE staining. Bioinformatics analysis was used to identify differentially expressed placental transporter genes under fear stress. The expressions of system A and system L amino acid transporters, along with other specialized transporters, were detected using qRT-PCR and Western blotting. Fetal serum amino acid concentrations were determined by HPLC. The correlations between fetal amino acid levels and behavioral outcomes of the offspring rats were analyzed. RESULTS: The dams with fear stress showed reduced open-field activity and increased freezing behavior with significantly decreased placental weight, fetal weight, and fetal-to-placental ratio. Bioinformatics analysis revealed 28 differentially expressed transporter genes involved mainly in amino acid transport. In the fear stress group, fetal serum amino acid levels were significantly lowered and Slc38a1, Slc43a1, Slc43a2, Slc7a8, Slc6a6, Slc1a1 and Slc6a9 mRNA and protein expressions were all downregulated. The offspring rats in fear stress group exhibited decreased novel object preference and spontaneous alternation with reduced open arm exploration and increased immobility in emotional tests. Lower early-life amino acid levels was found to correlate with impaired adult cognition. CONCLUSIONS Prenatal fear stress in rats impairs placental amino acid transporter expression and reduces fetal serum amino acid levels, potentially contributing to long-term cognitive deficits in the offspring rats.
Animals ; Female ; Pregnancy ; Placenta/metabolism* ; Fear ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Cognition ; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects ; Stress, Psychological ; Amino Acids/blood* ; Amino Acid Transport Systems/metabolism*

Objective To investigate the mechanism of glycogen synthase kinase-3β（GSK-3β） participating in stroke-induced inflammatory brain injury through endoplasmic reticulum-mitochondria coupling， and to provide a theoretical reference and potential targets for precise treatment. Methods A rat model of middle cerebral artery occlusion was established， and the rats were divided into sham-operation group， model group， and GSK-3β inhibitor（TDZD-8） intervention group. Neurological function score was used to evaluate the degree of brain injury； TTC staining was used to evaluate cerebral infarct area； electron microscopy was used to observe mitochondrial ultrastructure； mitochondrial calcium concentration was measured； ELISA was used to measure the levels of inflammatory factors[tumor necrosis factor-α（TNF-α）and interleukin-1β（IL-1β）]， and Western blot was used to measure the expression levels of related proteins. Results Compared with the sham-operation group， the model group had significant neurological function impairment， an increase in cerebral infarct area， and significant increases in the expression levels of inflammatory factors and GSK-3β，with enhanced endoplasmic reticulum-mitochondria coupling and mitochondrial calcium overload. TDZD-8 significantly improved the above indicators and reduced the levels of inflammatory factors and cerebral infarct area. Conclusion Abnormal activation of GSK-3β damages brain tissue by regulating endoplasmic reticulum-mitochondria coupling and promotes mitochondrial calcium overload and inflammatory response. Inhibiting GSK-3β activity can effectively improve stroke-induced inflammatory brain injury， which provides a new pathway and a molecular target for developing precise treatment strategies.
Stroke

Objective:To investigate the clinical efficacy of haploidentical high-dose in vitro non-T-cell-depleted peripheral blood hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (haplo-HDPSCT) in treating adult patients with Ph + acute lymphoblastic leukemia (Ph + ALL) . Method:This retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical efficacy of 25 adult patients with Ph + ALL who underwent haplo-HDPSCT from July 2011 to June 2022 at our hospital. Results:This study included 25 patients with a median age of 27 (16-61) years, consisting of 12 males and 13 females. CR1 and ≥CR2 before transplantation were found in 23 and 2 cases, positive and negative minimal residual lesions were observed in 8 and 17 cases, and myeloablative conditioning and reduced-intensity conditioning were reported in 21 and 4 cases, respectively. Hematopoietic function was restored in all 25 patients after stem cell infusion. Of the 25 patients who underwent transplantation, 16 developed acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD). The cumulative incidence rates of Ⅱ-Ⅳ and Ⅲ-Ⅳ aGVHD were (40.4±11.3) % and (4.8±4.6) %, respectively. Four patients experienced relapse after transplantation, the cumulative relapse rates at 1 and 2 years after transplantation were (4.0±3.9) % and (14.5±7.9) %, respectively. The 2-year overall survival rate after transplantation was (81.3±8.5) % and the disease-free survival rate was (77.1±9.1) %.Conclusion:This study reveals that the unique haplo-HDPSCT protocol achieves good clinical efficacy in Ph + ALL treatment.

Objective:To investigate effects of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes(hUCMSCs-Exo)on bisphenol AF(BPAF)-induced oxidative damage and inflammatory factor release from endometrial stromal cells(hESCs).Methods:hESCs were divided into Control group,BPAF group(25 μmol/L BPAF treatment),BPAF+Exo group(25 μmol/L BPAF+hUCMSCs-Exo treatment),BPAF+Exo+LY group(25 μmol/L BPAF+hUCMSCs-Exo+10 μmol/L LY294002 treatment).Cell prolifera-tion was detected by MTT assay;apoptosis,intracellular ROS level,and mitochondrial membrane potential level were detected by flow cytometry;protein expressions of Bcl-2,Bax,Cleaved-caspase-3 and PI3K/AKT signaling pathway were detected by Western blot;mRNA expressions of inflammatory factors TNF-α,IL-6 and IL-1β were detected by RT-qPCR.Results:Compared with Control group,hESCs survival rate was gradually decreased(P<0.01),apoptosis rate was gradually increased with the increased concentration of BPAF(≥25 μmol/L).Compared with Control group,BPAF group showed increased ROS level,decreased mitochondrial membrane potential level,increased Bax and Cleaved-caspase-3 protein expressions,and decreased Bcl-2,p-PI3K and p-AKT protein expressions.Compared with BPAF group,cell survival rate of BPAF+Exo group was increased(P<0.01),ROS level decreased,mitochondrial membrane potential level increased,expressions of Bax and Cleaved-caspase-3 proteins decreased,and expressions of Bcl-2,p-PI3K and p-AKT increased.Compared with BPAF+Exo group,expressions of Bax and Cleaved-caspase-3 protein in cells of BPAF+Exo+LY group were increased,while expressions of Bcl-2,p-PI3K and p-AKT protein were decreased.Expressions of inflammatory factors TNF-α,IL-6 and IL-1β mRNA were significantly up-regulated in BPAF group compared with Control group(P<0.01),and expressions of inflammatory factors mRNA were significantly down-regulated in BPAF+Exo group compared with BPAF group(P<0.05).Conclu-sion:BPAF(≥25 μmol/L)inhibits proliferation of hESCs and promoted apoptosis.hUCMSCs-Exo inhibits BPAF-induced oxidative dam-age and inflammatory factors expressions in hESCs through PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.

AIM:To investigated the mechanism of action of Yiqi tongfu xiere prescription(YTX)in treating mice with lipopolysaccharide(LPS)-in-duced acute lung injury(ALI).METHODS:According to the random number table,24 C57BL/6 mice were divided into 4 groups:control group(Control),model group(LPS),low dose group(YTX-L)and high dose group(YTX-H).Except for the control group,the mice models of acute lung injury were established by intratracheal instillation of LPS solu-tion(5 mg/kg).The low and high dose treatment groups were given intragastric administration con-tinuously for 14 days.After 24 hours,the lung tis-sue,bronchoalveolar lavage fluid(BALF)and serum of the four groups were taken for follow-up detec-tion.The degree of pulmonary edema was evaluat-ed by wet weight coefficient(wet to dry ratio,W/D)of lung tissue.The degree of alveolar inflamma-tion and pulmonary fibrosis were evaluated by HE and Masson staining,and the contents of BALF and serum inflammatory cytokines IL-1β and IL-6 were detected by ELISA.The protein expressions of α-SMA,FN,Col-Ⅰ and Col-Ⅲ were measured by West-ern blot.Determination of α-SMA,FN,Col-Ⅰ,MAPK,NF-κB mRNA expression by RT-PCR method.RE-SULTS:Compared with LPS group,the contents of BALF,IL-1β and IL-6 in serum,Wmax D ratio,lung pathology,serum α-SMA,FN,Col-Ⅰ,Col-Ⅲ protein expression and α-SMA,FN,Col-Ⅰ,MAPK,NF-κB mRNA expression in treatment group were signifi-cantly lower than those in control group.CONCLU-SION:YTX can significantly reduce the levels of pul-monary fibrosis markers such as α-SMA,FN,Col-Ⅰand Col-Ⅲ by inhibiting the activation of MAPK/NF-κB signal pathway,and improve alveolar inflamma-tion and pulmonary fibrosis in mice with lung inju-ry,suggesting that YTX can treat acute lung injury and provide a theoretical basis for the clinical use of YTX.

Objective:To construct a nomogram model for predicting the risk factors of gastrointestinal bleeding following laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy (LPD) based on relevant risk factors and evaluate its predictive value.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on 466 patients with periampullary space occupying lesion who underwent LPD at the Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, the Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, from January 2021 to December 2024. Among them, there were 284 males and 182 females, aged (59.9±10.7) years. Patients were randomly divided into a training cohort ( n=326) and a validation cohort ( n=140) using a random number table (7: 3 ratio). Based on whether patients suffered gastrointestinal bleeding, the training cohort was further stratified into a gastrointestinal bleeding group ( n=23) and control group ( n=303). Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify independent risk factors for gastrointestinal bleeding. A nomogram was constructed based on multivariate results, and its predictive performance was evaluated by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, calibration curves, and decision curve analysis (DCA). Results:Compared to the control group, the gastrointestinal bleeding group exhibited significantly higher age, higher rates of postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF) and intra-abdominal infection, along with lower body mass index, and lower levels of fibrinogen and albumin (all P<0.05). Multivariate analysis identified age ( OR=1.065, 95% CI: 1.002-1.132), fibrinogen ( OR=0.486, 95% CI: 0.243-0.969), albumin ( OR=0.840, 95% CI: 0.741-0.953), POPF ( OR=4.299, 95% CI: 1.348-13.716), and postoperative intra-abdominal infection ( OR=6.352, 95% CI: 1.476-27.341) as independent predictors of gastrointestinal bleeding (all P<0.05). The nomogram demonstrated robust discrimination, with an AUC of 0.861 (95% CI: 0.784-0.939), sensitivity of 82.6%, and specificity of 82.2% in the training cohort. In the validation cohort, the AUC was 0.824 (95% CI: 0.675-0.973), with sensitivity and specificity of 80.0% and 83.8%, respectively. Calibration curves indicated excellent agreement between predicted and observed outcomes. DCA revealed superior net clinical benefit of the nomogram over " treat-all" or " treat-none" strategies within threshold probabilities of 0-0.9 (training) and 0-0.75 (validation). Conclusion:The nomogram based on age, fibrinogen, albumin, POPF, and intra-abdominal infection provides accurate prediction of gastrointestinal bleeding after LPD and demonstrates high clinical utility for risk stratification and decision-making in periampullary space occupying lesion patients.

Objective:To explore the safety and feasibility of laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy (LPD) combined with portal vein system resection and reconstruction.Methods:The clinical data of 26 patients with pancreatic head cancer or distal bile duct malignant tumors who underwent reconstructive LPD combined with portal vein resection in the Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery of the Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University from January 2016 to December 2023 were retrospectively analyzed, including 13 males and 13 females, aged 63.0 (57.2, 66.0) years. The clinical data of the patients, including the operation time, intraoperative blood loss and blood transfusion, blood flow interruption time, postoperative complications, intensive care unit (ICU) admission time, and hospital stay were recorded.Results:All 26 patients had completed the operation successfully. The operation time was (483.65±118.00) min, the intraoperative blood loss was 1 100 (625, 2 750) ml, the intraoperative blood transfusion was 600 (438, 1 050) ml, and the portal vein system blockade time was (35.00±6.00) min. There were 5 cases (19.2%, 5/26) with laparotomy, 5 cases (19.2%%, 5/26) with repair after partial resection of the portal vein system, 12 cases (46.1%, 12/26) with end-to-end anastomosis of the portal venous system, and 9 cases (34.6%, 9/26) with artificial vascular replacement. There was 1 case of grade B pancreatic fistula (3.8%, 1/26), 3 cases of bile leakage (11.5%, 3/26), 1 case of gastric paralysis (3.8%, 1/26), 3 cases of intestinal obstruction (11.5%, 3/26), 2 cases of abdominal infection (7.7%, 2/26), 2 cases of postoperative bleeding (7.7%, 2/26), 1 case of secondary surgery (3.8%, 1/26), and 1 case of perioperative death (3.8%, 1/26). The postoperative hospital stay was 14.00 (12.00, 20.75) d, the ICU length of stay was 3.0 (1.0, 6.5) d, the tumor length diameter was 4.00 (3.00, 5.38) cm, and the number of positive lymph nodes was 1.0(0.5, 3.5).Conclusion:LPD reconstructed with portal system resection is a safe and effective treatment of patients with pancreatic head cancer or distal bile duct malignancy.

Objective:To compare minimally invasive surgery with traditional open surgery, analyze the current application status of health economic evaluations in the treatment of digestive tract cancers, such as esophageal cancer, gastric cancer, and colorectal cancer by minimally invasive surgery and provide evidence for the rational selection of clinical treatment, alleviation of disease-related economic burdens, and rational allocation of healthcare resources.Methods:By using five databases, i.e. China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang data, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, PubMed, and Embase, a database was established to retrieve all the papers about health economic studies of minimally invasive surgery for esophageal cancer, gastric cancer, and colorectal cancer published until December 31, 2023. Literature was analyzed by using software NoteExpress 3.8, and data were processed using Excel 2021. The quality of included papers was evaluated using the CHEERS 2022 checklist, and Meta-analysis was conducted by using software Stata 17.0.Results:A total of 10 919 relevant papers were retrieved, and 59 studies were included. Only 14 studies (23.7%) used standard health economic evaluation methods. Meta-analysis results revealed no significant differences in direct medical expenditure and total expenditure between minimally invasive surgery and open surgery. However, the expenditure for minimally invasive surgery exhibited a significant increase [mean difference ( MD)=5 973.12 yuan, P<0.001], while hospital stay and indirect expenditure significantly decreased ( MD: -4.85 days and -733.79 yuan, P<0.001). In China, for gastric cancer, the direct medical expenditure of endoscopic surgery was lower than that of open surgery ( MD=-33 000.00 yuan) with no significant difference ( P<0.001). In colorectal cancer cases, the direct medical and surgical expenditures for laparoscopic surgery were higher than those for open surgery ( MD: 4 277.94 yuan and 4 267.80 yuan, P<0.001), while the indirect and total medical expenditures decreased ( MD: -768.34 yuan and -159.10 yuan). Hospital stays in patients who had minimally invasive surgery for all three types of cancer were shorter than those who had open surgery ( P<0.001). Conclusions:In the treatment of gastrointestinal cancer, compared with open surgery, minimally invasive surgery shows higher expenditure, but has advantages, such as shorter hospital stay and lower indirect expenditure, and there were no significant differences in direct medical and total expenditures between the two approaches. When conducting health economic evaluation, factors such as postoperative complications, hospital stay, and patient's economic status should be considered for their impact on total medical expenditure. It is necessary to pay attention to the application of health economic evaluations in healthcare decision-making.

Objective:To study the association between subtypes of hypertension and risk for all-cause mortality and cardio-cerebrovascular mortalities in the elderly in communities of Beijing.Methods:The data were collected from the Beijing Healthy Aging Cohort Study. The elderly in 5 urban areas (former Xicheng, former Xuanwu, Fangshan, Haidian and Tongzhou) and 4 rural areas (Yanqing, Miyun, Huairou and Daxing) in Beijing were selected as the study subjects by multi-stage stratified cluster random sampling. The baseline survey was conducted from July 2009 to September 2015. The follow-up was conducted until March 31, 2021, and a total of 6 326 participants were enrolled. Cox proportional hazard regression model was used to analyze the association of SBP, DBP, normal blood pressure, high normal blood pressure, simple systolic hypertension, simple diastolic hypertension and systolic diastolic hypertension with all-cause mortality and cardio-cerebrovascular mortality.Results:By March 31, 2021, the median follow-up time was 6.30 years, the all-cause mortality density was 201.67/10 000 person-years, and the cardio-cerebrovascular mortality density was 90.20/10 000 person-years. Multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression model analysis showed that the risk for all-cause mortality increased by 5.6% ( HR=1.056, 95% CI: 1.020-1.092), and the risk for cardio-cerebrovasculvar mortality increased by 12.5% ( HR=1.125, 95% CI: 1.071-1.182) for every 10 mmHg increase in SBP. The risk for all-cause mortality increased by 8.6% ( HR=1.086, 95% CI: 1.023-1.152), and the risk for cardio-cerebrovascular mortality increased by 19.9% ( HR=1.199, 95% CI: 1.101-1.306) for every 10 mmHg increase in DBP. Compared with the normal blood pressure group, the risk for all-cause mortality increased by 64.8% ( HR=1.648, 95% CI: 1.049-2.591) and the risk for cardio- cerebrovascular mortality increased by 112.8% ( HR=2.128, 95% CI: 1.069-4.233) in the simple diastolic hypertension group. The risk for all-cause mortality increased by 34.4% ( HR=1.344, 95% CI: 1.023-1.467) and the risk for cardio-cerebrovascular mortality increased by 111.3% ( HR=2.113, 95% CI: 1.384-3.225) in the systolic-diastolic hypertension group. Conclusions:In the elderly in communities of Beijing, beside systolic-diastolic hypertension. It is necessary to pay close attention to the simple diastolic hypertension, which has lower prevalence, and give targeted prevention and treatment.

Objective:To investigate the association of urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR) in normal range and cardiovascular health (CVH) score with cardio-cerebroascular and all-cause mortality in urban elderly residents in Beijing.Methods:Based on Beijing Healthy Aging Cohort Study, data from 1 817 elderly participants with normal UACR were analyzed, and UACR was used as both continuous and categorical variable. "Life's Essential 8" was used to develop a CVH score. Statistical analysis was performed by using software SPSS 26.0 and R 4.2.1, including two independent samples t-test, χ2 test and non-parametric test. Multivariable Cox proportional hazard regression models stratified by CVH score and the restricted cubic spline were used to analyse the association of UACR with the risk for cardio-cerebrovascular and all-cause mortality. Results:By March 31, 2021, the median follow-up time M ( Q1, Q3) was 11.28 (10.84, 11.36) years, a total of 308 deaths were recorded during follow-up, and the mortality density was 163.87/10 000 person-years. The age of the participants was (71.4±6.6) years, and 1 070 participants were women. The results showed that the risk for both cardio-cerebrovascular disease and all-cause mortality decreased with the decrease of UACR in the low CVH score group ( HR=0.500, 95% CI: 0.341-0.734; HR=0.793, 95% CI: 0.647-0.971), and in the high CVH score group, there was a decreasing trend in the risk for cardio-cerebrovascular mortality with the decrease of UACR ( HR=0.665, 95% CI: 0.447-0.990). Compared with the participants with low CVH score and higher UACR, the risk for cardio-cerebrovascular and all-cause mortality decreased by 68.9% and 45.6%, respectively, in the participants with high CVH score and lower UACR ( HR=0.311, 95% CI: 0.131-0.739; HR=0.544, 95% CI: 0.360-0.822), and the risk for all-cause mortality decreased by 26.7% in the participants with high CVH score and higher UACR ( HR=0.733, 95% CI: 0.542-0.993). Conclusions:In urban elderly residents in Beijing, higher UACR were associated with a significantly increased risk for cardio-cerebrovascular and all-cause mortality, and in the low-CVH score group, decreased UACR was protective factor against cardio-cerebrovascular and all-cause mortality. The combined effect of cardiovascular health status and normal UACR had a greater protection against the risk for cardio-cerebrovascular and all-cause mortality.