ObjectiveTo investigate the effects of 7-dehydrocholesterol reductase （DHCR7） in promoting proliferation， migration， and invasion of lung adenocarcinoma cells and the underlying signaling mechanisms. MethodsThe expression level of DHCR7 in lung adenocarcinoma and its prognosis were analyzed by using public databases. DHCR7 protein expression levels in the lung adenocarcinoma cell lines H1299 and A549 were assessed by Western blot， using the normal lung epithelial cell line BEAS-2B as a control. Small interfering RNA （siRNA） was used to knock down DHCR7 expression in H1299 and A549 cells. Assays including colony formation， CCK-8， wound healing， and Transwell experiments were conducted to assess the proliferation， migration， and invasion of the knockdown cells. Next， Western blot was employed to assess the phosphorylation levels of key signaling molecules in the phosphoinositide 3-kinase/protein kinase B （PI3K/AKT）， janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 （JAK/STAT3），mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase pathway （MAPK/ERK） （p-AKT， p-STAT3， p-ERK）. ResultsBioinformatics results indicated that both DHCR7 mRNA and protein were highly expressed in lung adenocarcinoma compared with normal tissues adjacent to cancer. Furthermore， higher DHCR7 mRNA level was associated with poor prognosis （P<0.001）. The expression levels of DHCR7 were significantly higher in both H1299 and A549 cells than that in BEAS-2B cells （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Compared with si-control， the proliferation， migration， and invasion abilities of si-DHCR7 H1299 and A549 cells significantly decreased. Among the phosphorylated signaling molecules detected， p-ERK was significantly downregulated （P<0.000 1， P<0.01） whereas p-AKT and p-STAT3 levels were not significantly changed. ConclusionDHCR7 has prominent effects in promoting the proliferation， migration， and invasion of lung adenocarcinoma cells， and the underlying mechanisms are related to the MAPK/ERK signaling pathway.

Objective: To investigate the factors influencing follow-up visit behavior among patients with chronic periodontitis after supragingival scaling, and to provide evidence for early identification of high-risk dropouts and improvement of treatment continuity. Methods: This study was approved by the Institutional Medical Ethics Committee, and written informed consent was obtained from all participants. A retrospective analysis was conducted on 572 patients with chronic periodontitis who received supragingival scaling at the Outpatient Department of The Affiliated Stomatological Hospital of Nanjing University School of Medicine from July 2022 to July 2023 and required subsequent periodontal sequential therapy. Data regarding sex, age, monthly income, education level, oral health literacy, reason for visit, and satisfaction with care were collected. Patients were divided into a follow-up group and a dropout group based on whether they adhered to the scheduled appointments within 12 months. Chi-square tests and independent samples t-tests were used for univariate comparisons between the groups. Variables with P<0.05 in the univariate analysis (gender, education level, monthly income, reason for visit, oral health literacy, and satisfaction with care), along with age (as a covariate), were included in a multivariate logistic regression model to analyze the factors influencing follow-up behavior. Results: Among the 572 patients, 239 attended follow-up visits, while 333 dropped out, resulting in a dropout rate of 58.22%. Univariate analysis revealed statistically significant differences between the two groups in terms of gender, education level, monthly income, reason for visit, oral health literacy, and satisfaction with care (P<0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that patients referred for treatment had significantly lower compliance (OR=0.241, 95% CI: 0.154-0.377, P<0.001). Conversely, higher oral health literacy scores (OR=1.159, 95% CI: 1.056-1.272, P=0.002) and higher satisfaction with care (OR=4.090, 95% CI: 1.732-9.656, P=0.001) were associated with better follow-up adherence. Conclusion Follow-up behavior in patients with chronic periodontitis after supragingival scaling is primarily influenced by the reason for visit, oral health literacy, and satisfaction with care. These factors can serve as intervention targets to reduce dropout rates in clinical practice.

Metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) and osteoporosis (OP) are two very common metabolic diseases. A growing body of experimental evidence supports a pathophysiological link between MAFLD and OP. MAFLD is often associated with the development of OP. Rutaecarpine (RUT) is one of the main active components of Chinese medicine Euodiae Fructus. Our previous studies have demonstrated that RUT has lipid-lowering, anti-inflammatory and anti-atherosclerotic effects, and can improve the OP of rats. However, whether RUT can improve both fatty liver and OP symptoms of MAFLD mice at the same time remains to be investigated. In this study, we used C57BL/6 mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD) for 4 months to construct a MAFLD model, and gave the mice a low dose (5 mg·kg^-1) and a high dose (15 mg·kg^-1) of RUT by gavage for 4 weeks. The effects of RUT on liver steatosis and bone metabolism were then evaluated at the end of the experiment [this experiment was approved by the Experimental Animal Ethics Committee of Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (approval number: IMB-20190124D₃03)]. The results showed that RUT treatment significantly reduced hepatic steatosis and lipid accumulation, and significantly reduced bone loss and promoted bone formation. In summary, this study shows that RUT has an effect of improving fatty liver and OP in MAFLD mice.

Objective:Through the meta-analysis of activation likelihood estimation (ALE), the functional magnetic resonance imaging research evidence of acupuncture in the treatment of depression was systematically integrated to analyze the effect of acupuncture on brain activity in patients with depression and systematically reveal its potential neural mechanism.Methods:The literatures which used functional magnetic resonance imaging to explore brain image changes of patients with depression after receiving acupuncture intervention were retrieved from CNKI, VIP database, Wanfang database, PubMed, Embase, EBSCO host MEDLINE and Web of Science database. The retrieval time is from the establishment of the database to March 2025. Data processing was performed using the ALE method by the Ginger ALE 2.3 software. The coordinates of the subjects included in the study were extracted, and the brain regions with abnormal spontaneous brain activity in patients with depression were integrated and analyzed.Results:A total of 28 articles involving 770 subjects were included. Depressed patients receiving acupuncture exhibited increased brain activity in the bilateral medial frontal gyrus and bilateral anterior cingulate cortex. Exploratory analysis revealed that depressed patients receiving acupuncture exhibited reduced activation in the left posterior cerebellar lobe (MNI: x, y, z = -6, -68, -21; x, y, z = -9, -81, -9) compared to healthy controls (voxel sum=5 824 mm 3,P<0.05). Conclusion:Patients with depression who received acupuncture intervention exhibited relatively consistent activation in brain regions compared to depressed patients who did not receive acupuncture and healthy individuals. Compared to healthy individuals, patients with depression who received acupuncture showed reduced activation in the left posterior cerebellum. It is suggested that acupuncture intervention may play a therapeutic role by regulating the functional state of emotion-related brain regions and brain networks.

Objective:To investigate the clinical significance of constructing a nomogram based on a combined model of clinical-pathological-imaging data for predicting postoperative recurrence/metastasis of breast cancer.Meth-ods:A retrospective study was conducted on 194 breast cancer patients who were admitted to the department of breast and thyroid surgery from June 2019 to June 2022.unvariate and multivariate Logistic regression analyses were used to screen independent predictors of postoperative recurrence/metastasis of breast cancer,and a model was con-structed based on the independent predictors.Another 83 breast cancer patients from July 2022 to February 2023 were taken as the validation set to verify the model with the ratio of 7∶3(training set∶validation set).Results:The postopera-tive recurrence/metastasis rate of breast cancer was 29.90％.Ki-67 expression level ≥20％,tumor location in the inner upper quadrant and outer upper quadrant,lesion size ≥20 mm,multiple lesions,and BI-RADS grade of 5 were indepen-dent risk factors for postoperative recurrence/metastasis of breast cancer(P＜0.05).PR positive expression was an inde-pendent protective factor for postoperative recurrence/metastasis of breast cancer(P＜0.05).The diagnostic performance of the combined clinical-pathological-imaging model(AUC:0.900)was superior to that of the clinical-pathological pa-rameters(AUC:0.655)and the MRI parameter model(AUC:0.857).In its nomogram model constructed based on a com-bined clinical-pathological-imaging model to predict breast cancer recurrence/metastasis after surgery,the AUC in the training set was 0.900(95％CI:0.859～0.942)with good discrimination,the maximum Yoden value was 0.710,the sensi-tivity was 0.931,and the specificity was 0.779,and the AUC in the validation set was 0.820(95％C/:0.712～0.928),well differentiated,with a maximum Yoden value of 0.554,a sensitivity of 0.630,and a specificity of 0.914.The theoretical and actual values of the calibration curves of the two sets were in good agreement,and the decision curve indicated the net benefit of the breast cancer recurrence-metastasis prediction model after surgery,which showed good predictive ability.Conclusion:The nomogram constructed based on the combined model of clinical-pathological-imaging data has good predictive ability,accuracy,and clinical applicability,which is helpful for clinicians to evaluate the risk of postoperative re-currence/metastasis of breast cancer.

Objective To investigate the effect and mechanism of melatonin in alleviating hypoxia-induced apoptosis in ovarian gra-nulosa cells.Methods Rat ovarian granulosa cells were isolated and divided into normoxic,hypoxic,and melatonin groups.Hypoxia-induced injury models were established in the hypoxic and melatonin groups,and granulosa cells in the melatonin group were treated with melatonin.A total of 24 rats were randomized into the control,model,and intervention groups(n=8 per group).Rat models of declining ovarian function induced by long-term hypoxia were established in the model and intervention groups.The rats in the intervention group were intraperitoneally injected with melatonin.Cell proliferation was measured using a CCK-8 assay,and lactate secretion and HIF-1αprotein with a specific kit,respectively.The levels of estradiol and progesterone in the cell supernatant and rat serum were detected using ELISA.Granulosa cell apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry,ovarian morphology by HE staining,and Bax and caspase-3 expression by Western blotting.Results Compared with the normoxic group,the hypoxic group exhibited decreased granulosa cell proliferation,increased apoptosis,elevated lactate and HIF-1α levels,and reduced estradiol and progesterone levels(P＜0.05).Compared with hypoxic group,these changes were significantly reversed in the molatonin group(P＜0.05).Compared with the control group,the model group showed increased lactate,HIF-1α,Bax,and caspase-3 levels,decreased estradiol and progesterone levels,and reduced follicles.Compared with the model group,all the indicators were ameliorated in the intervention group(P＜0.05).Conclusion Melatonin alleviated hypoxia-induced granulosa cell apoptosis and promoted the recovery of ovarian function.

Objective To investigate the impacts of ultrasound-guided stellate ganglion block(SGB)on hemodynamics and postoperative cognitive function in patients undergoing shoulder arthroscopic surgery.Methods From January 2024 to June 2024,120 patients undergoing shoulder arthroscopic surgery in our hospital were randomly assigned into general anesthesia group(n=60,implementing general anesthesia)and assisted SGB group(n=60,implementing ultrasound-guided SGB combined with general anesthesia).The intraoperative hemodynamics,postoperative stress status[serum cortisol(Cor)and interleukin-6(IL-6)],postoperative pain level[evaluated by visual analogue scale(VAS)score],postoperative biomarkers[serum matrix metalloproteinase-9(MMP-9)and neurospecific protein S-100β(S-100β)],and postoperative cognitive function[evaluated using the mini-mental state examination(MMSE)]were compared between the two groups.Results There was no statistically significant difference in intraoperative blood loss and surgical time between the two groups of patients(P>0.05).After induction of anesthesia(T1),the mean arterial pressure(MAP)and heart rate(HR)of the two groups of patients were significantly lower than when they entered the operating room(T0),the differences were statistically significant(P<0.05).The MAP and HR during the beginning of the surgery(T2),30 min after the start of the surgery(T3),and at the end of the surgery(T4)were higher than those at T0,the differences were statistically significant(P<0.05).While the MAP and HR in the assisted SGB group during T1,T2,T3 and T4 time points were lower than those in the general anesthesia group,the differences were statistically significant(P<0.05).The VAS scores of the assisted SGB group were significantly lower than those of the general anesthesia group at 12 and 24 h after surgery,and the differences were statistically significant(P<0.05).The levels of serum Cor and IL-6 in the two groups at 12 and 24 h after surgery were higher than those at 1 d before surgery,but the levels of serum Cor and IL-6 in the assisted SGB group were lower than those in the general anesthesia group,the differences were statistically significant(P<0.05).The levels of serum MMP-9 and S-100β in the two groups at 24 and 72 h after surgery were higher than those at 1 d before surgery(P<0.05),but the levels of serum MMP-9 and S-100β in the assisted SGB group were lower than those in the general anesthesia group,the differences were statistically significant(P<0.05).The MMSE score of the two groups at 3 and 5 d after surgery were lower than those at 1 d before surgery,but the MMSE score of the assisted SGB group was higher than that of the general anesthesia group,the difference was statistically significant(P<0.05).Conclusion The implementation of ultrasound-guided SGB during shoulder arthroscopic surgery can maintain intraoperative hemodynamic stability,obviously alleviate postoperative stress and pain,obviously reduce serum MMP-9 and serum S-100β levels,and help alleviate postoperative cognitive dysfunction.It is worthy clinical application.

Purpose To investigate the clinicopathological characteristics of the gastric oxyntic gland adenoma(GOGA).Methods We collected 18 samples of GOGA,histopathological features and immunohistochemical staining were assessed.Main features of pathological diagnosis,treatment methods and follow-up were retrospectively analyzed.Results There were 18 patients,including 9 females and 9 males,aged from 36 to 86 years old.The endoscopic im-age showed a flat lesion with whitish in color or a polypoid protrusions.The size ranged from 0.3 cm to 0.8 cm.Hema-toxylin and eosin staining showed irregular glandular structures in the mucosal lamina propria,with branched and anas-tomosed patterns.The tumour demonstrating composed of chief cells hyperplasia with mild nuclear atypia.All lesions were confined to the mucous lamina propria.There was no atrophic within the peripheral gastic mucosa.Immunohisto-chemical examination showed positive for Pepsinogen-Ⅰ and MUC6.Gene mutation were analyzed in 2 cases using next generation sequence technology,and no KRAS and GNAS mutation had been detected.Endoscopic surgical treatment was performed in 11 cases,and biopsy forceps removal was carried out in 7 cases.No recurrence or metastasis was ob-served during the follow-up period of 1 to 58 months.Conclusion GOGA is a rare lesion,and appears to behave bio-logically benign.A full understanding of its histological morphology and biological behavior can improve the diagnostic ability of clinincans,and facilitate further research in the future.

Aim To explore the mechanism of the syn-ergistic effect of the ferroptosis inducer erastin com-bined with shikonin in promoting ferroptosis in human hypertrophic scar fibroblasts(HSFBs).Methods Hypertrophic scar tissues provided by the General Hos-pital of Ningxia Medical University were collected,and HSFBs were extracted.HSFBs were identified by HE staining and immunofluorescence.The inhibitory rates of Era and SHK on HSFBs at different concentrations were detected by CCK-8 assay,and the IC50 value was calculated.CompuSyn software was used to calculate the co-use index(CI).Control group,Erastin(Era)group,shikonin(SHK)group and Era+SHK group were set up,and the number and morphological chan-ges of cells were observed after 24 hours of interven-tion.The ability of cell migration and invasion was de-tected by scratch test and Transwell test.The changes of malondialdehyde(MDA),total iron ion and reactive oxygen species(ROS)were detected by corresponding biochemical kits.The expressions of collagen I,α-SMA and GOT1,SLC7A11,GPX4 and FTH1 were detected by Western blot.Results The IC50 value of Era and SHK of primary HSFBs was 2.22 μmol·L-1 and 3.94μmol·L-1 respectively,which was used as the single drug concentration for subsequent experiments.The CompuSyn software was employed to calculate the CI value when the two drugs were used in combination,and the concentrations corresponding to CI=0.39597(Era:1.2 μmol·L-1+SHK:1.5 μmol·L-1)were selected as subsequent combination concentrations(Because when CI was equal to 0.395 97,the concen-tration of each drug was lower than the concentration of single drug,and the inhibition rate of combined drug was greater than 50％).Compared with the monother-apy group,the number of HSFBs in the SHK+Era group was significantly reduced,cell membrane showed breakage and vesiculation,cell wrinkling became smal-ler,and cytoplasm was concentrated.The migration and invasion ability of HSFBs in the SHK+Era group were obviously weakened(P＜0.05),and the expres-sion of fibrosis-related proteins collagen Ⅰ and α-SMA was reduced(P＜0.05);the contents of MDA,total i-ron ions,and ROS in HSFBs of the SHK+Era group increased(P＜0.05),and the protein expression lev-els of SLC7A11,GOT1,GPX4,and FTH1 further de-creased(P＜0.05).Conclusions Erastin in combi-nation with shikonin can synergistically inhibit the pro-liferation,migration and fibrosis levels of HSFBs.The mechanism may be that erastin enhances the inhibition of shikotin on GOT1,increases the levels of cellular i-ron ions,ROS,and lipid peroxides,thereby promoting ferroptosis in HSFBs.

Purpose To characterize the clinicopathological features of gastrointestinal mesenchymal tumors(GMTs)resected via endoscopic techniques.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on 495 cases of endo-scopically resected GMTs.Clinical information,histomorphological findings,immunohistochemical profiles,and mo-lecular characteristics were reviewed.Results The cohort included 495 patients aged 20-78 years(median:53 years).The majority of tumors were located in the stomach(58.8％)and esophagus(36.8％).Histologically,most tumors consisted of spindle cells,with a minority composed of epithelioid cells;fibrocollagenous or myxoid stroma was occasionally observed.Immunohistochemically,leiomyomas showed diffuse positivity for α-SMA(98.8％)and desmin(99.3％),gastrointestinal stromal tumors(GISTs)expressed CD117(99.4％),DOG1(97.6％),and CD34(97.0％),and schwannomas were positive for S-100(93.7％).The predominant tumor types were leiomyomas(54.1％)and GISTs(33.7％),while the remaining 12.2％comprised other rare types.Various endoscopic resection techniques were employed based on the tumors' anatomical depth,including endoscopic submucosal dissection(ESD,40.5％),submucosal tunneling endoscopic resection(STER,17.1％),endoscopic mucosal resection(EMR,16.5％),endoscopic full-thickness resection(EFTR,13.9％),and endoscopic submucosal excavation(ESE,12.0％).EMR and ESD were primarily used for superficial lesions,while deeper tumors with were more often treated with STER,EFTR,and ESE.The rate of negative resection margins was lower in GISTs(72.2％)and other tumors with indistinct margins,compared to leiomyomas(92.6％)and those with well-defined boundaries.Conclusion Leiomyomas and GISTs are the most common gastrointestinal mesenchymal tumors resected via endoscopy.A variety of resection techniques are applicable depending on tumor location and depth.Accurate pathological diagnosis should be based on HE morphology,supplemented by endoscopic findings,margin status,immunohistochemistry,and necessary molecular tests.