Objective To investigate the renal function recovery and perioperative risk factors for chronic kidney disease in patients after acute Stanford type A aortic dissection (ATAAD) repair. Methods A retrospective study was conducted on patients who underwent ATAAD repair at the Xiamen Cardiovascular Hospital, Xiamen University from 2020 to 2021, and their clinical data were analyzed. Results A total of 255 patients were included, with 200 males and 55 females, and an average age of (52.80±12.46) years. The incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI) after ATAAD repair was 43.9%. Dissection involving the renal artery [OR=2.144, 95%CI (1.234, 3.765), P=0.007], intraoperative urine output [OR=0.761, 95%CI (0.625, 0.911), P=0.004], and intraoperative red blood cell transfusion [OR=1.288, 95%CI (1.088, 1.543), P=0.004] were significantly associated with early AKI after ATAAD repair. Long-term renal function follow-up data were available for 232 patients, among whom 40 (17.2%) patients developed chronic kidney disease (CKD). Independent predictors for CKD included lower body mass index [OR=0.827, 95%CI (0.723, 0.931), P=0.003], preoperative cardiac tamponade [OR=5.344, 95%CI (1.65, 17.958), P=0.005], preoperative renal hypoperfusion syndrome [OR=12.629, 95%CI (5.003, 35.373), P<0.001], postoperative peak serum creatinine time>3 d [OR=7.566, 95%CI (2.799, 22.731), P<0.001], and AKI grade [grade 1: OR=4.418, 95%CI (1.339, 15.361), P=0.016; grade 2: OR=8.345, 95%CI (1.762, 40.499), P=0.007; grade 3: OR=9.463, 95%CI (2.602, 37.693), P<0.001]. Conclusion AKI related to ATAAD repair can recover in the early postoperative period, but both the duration and severity of AKI will affect long-term renal function. In addition, patients' nutritional status, preoperative cardiac tamponade, and renal hypoperfusion syndrome are also independent risk factors for long-term renal dysfunction.

ObjectiveThis study aims to investigate the molecular mechanism by which Guizhi Fulingwan （GFW） inhibits ferroptosis in endometriosis （EMT） through the regulation of the hypoxia inducible factor-1α/heme oxygenase 1 （HIF-1α/HO-1） signaling pathway. MethodsMachine learning was employed to identify ferroptosis-related biomarkers associated with EMT. Network pharmacology was utilized to identify the active components of GFW and its potential therapeutic targets against EMT， including core targets. Functional enrichment analysis was conducted to explore the biological processes， molecular functions， cellular components， and signaling pathways associated with the potential targets. An EMT rat model was established via autologous transplantation. Thirty female Sprague-Dawley （SD） rats were randomly divided into five groups： sham-operated， model， positive control （dienogest at 0.2 mg·kg^-1）， low-dose GFW （2.5 g·kg^-1）， and high-dose GFW （5 g·kg^-1）. After modeling， the rats received their respective treatment by oral gavage for 28 consecutive days， while the sham and model groups received equal volumes of distilled water. Serum and ectopic endometrial tissues were collected. Hematoxylin and eosin （HE） staining was employed to evaluate morphological alterations in ectopic lesions. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） and Western blot were conducted to assess mRNA and protein expression of HIF-1α， HO-1， glutathione peroxidase 4 （GPX4）， spermidine/spermine N1-acetyltransferase （SAT1）， and prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2 （PTGS2）. Tissue levels of malondialdehyde （MDA）， glutathione （GSH）， and ferrous iron （Fe²⁺） were quantified using commercial assay kits. Serum levels of interleukin-6 （IL-6） and transforming growth factor-β₁ （TGF-β₁） were measured via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. ResultsFive ferroptosis-related biomarkers in EMT were identified： ALOX12， CHAC1， SAT1， AST1， and HO-1. Network pharmacology analysis revealed 42 active components of GFW and 192 potential therapeutic target genes related to EMT treatment， with FOS， JUN， HO-1 identified as core targets. Functional enrichment analysis indicated that the potential targets were primarily involved in oxidative stress response and reactive oxygen species metabolism and were enriched in the HIF-1 signaling pathway. Compared to the sham-operated group， the model group exhibited significant increases in both mRNA and protein expression of HIF-1α， HO-1， and PTGS2， as well as elevated tissue levels of Fe²⁺ and MDA. Conversely， GSH levels and the expression of GPX4 and SAT1 were markedly reduced， and serum levels of IL-6 and TGF-β₁ levels were significantly higher （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， all GFW-treated groups showed significant downregulation of HIF-1α and HO-1， reduced Fe²⁺ levels， and downregulated expression of MDA， PTGS2， IL-6， and TGF-β₁. Meanwhile， GSH， GPX4， and SAT1 expression levels were significantly increased （P<0.05， P<0.01）， effectively ameliorating iron overload and oxidative stress， thereby demonstrating therapeutic efficacy in EMT， with the high-dose GFW demonstrating the most pronounced therapeutic effects. ConclusionGFW exerts therapeutic effects on endometriosis by regulating the HIF-1α/HO-1 signaling pathway to rectify iron metabolism disorders and attenuate free iron-induced oxidative damage. It upregulates the antioxidative defense system to inhibit lipid peroxidation cascades and modulates inflammatory cytokine networks. These effects collectively disrupt the pathological interaction between ferroptosis and chronic inflammation， providing a novel theoretical foundation for the clinical application of GFW in EMT treatment.

Aromatherapy refers to the method of using the aromatic components of plants in appropriate forms to act on the entire body or a specific area to prevent and treat diseases. Essential oils used in aromatherapy are hydrophobic liquids containing volatile aromatic molecules， such as limonene， linalool， linalool acetate， geraniol， and citronellol. These chemicals have been extensively studied and shown to have a variety of functions， including reducing anxiety， relieving depression， promoting sleep， and providing pain relief. Terpenoids are a class of organic molecules with relatively low lipid solubility. After being inhaled， they can pass through the nasal mucosa for transfer or penetrate the skin and enter the bloodstream upon local application. Some of these substances also have the ability to cross the blood-brain barrier， thereby exerting effects on the central nervous system. Currently， the academic community generally agrees that products such as essential oils and aromatherapy from aromatic plants have certain health benefits. However， the process of extracting a single component from it and successfully developing it into a drug still faces many challenges. Its safety and efficacy still need to be further verified through more rigorous and systematic experiments. This article systematically elaborated on the efficacy of aromatic substances， including plant extracts and natural small molecule compounds， in antibacterial and antiviral fields and the regulation of nervous system activity. As a result， a deeper understanding of aromatherapy was achieved. At the same time， the potential of these aromatic substances for drug development was thoroughly explored， providing important references and insights for possible future drug research and application.

BACKGROUND: Spicy food consumption has been reported to be inversely associated with mortality from multiple diseases. However, the effect of spicy food intake on the incidence of vascular diseases in the Chinese population remains unclear. This study was conducted to explore this association. METHODS: This study was performed using the large-scale China Kadoorie Biobank (CKB) prospective cohort of 486,335 participants. The primary outcomes were vascular disease, ischemic heart disease (IHD), major coronary events (MCEs), cerebrovascular disease, stroke, and non-stroke cerebrovascular disease. A Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to assess the association between spicy food consumption and incident vascular diseases. Subgroup analysis was also performed to evaluate the heterogeneity of the association between spicy food consumption and the risk of vascular disease stratified by several basic characteristics. In addition, the joint effects of spicy food consumption and the healthy lifestyle score on the risk of vascular disease were also evaluated, and sensitivity analyses were performed to assess the reliability of the association results. RESULTS: During a median follow-up time of 12.1 years, a total of 136,125 patients with vascular disease, 46,689 patients with IHD, 10,097 patients with MCEs, 80,114 patients with cerebrovascular disease, 56,726 patients with stroke, and 40,098 patients with non-stroke cerebrovascular disease were identified. Participants who consumed spicy food 1-2 days/week (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.95, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] = [0.93, 0.97], P <0.001), 3-5 days/week (HR = 0.96, 95% CI = [0.94, 0.99], P = 0.003), and 6-7 days/week (HR = 0.97, 95% CI = [0.95, 0.99], P = 0.002) had a significantly lower risk of vascular disease than those who consumed spicy food less than once a week ( Ptrend <0.001), especially in those who were younger and living in rural areas. Notably, the disease-based subgroup analysis indicated that the inverse associations remained in IHD ( Ptrend = 0.011) and MCEs ( Ptrend = 0.002) risk. Intriguingly, there was an interaction effect between spicy food consumption and the healthy lifestyle score on the risk of IHD ( Pinteraction = 0.037). CONCLUSIONS Our findings support an inverse association between spicy food consumption and vascular disease in the Chinese population, which may provide additional dietary guidance for the prevention of vascular diseases.
Humans ; Male ; Female ; Prospective Studies ; Middle Aged ; Aged ; Vascular Diseases/etiology* ; Risk Factors ; China/epidemiology* ; Adult ; Proportional Hazards Models ; Cerebrovascular Disorders/epidemiology* ; East Asian People

Objective:To investigate the method and clinical efficacy of simultaneous correction of sunken upper eyelid during double eyelid plasty.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on patients with single eyelids and sunken upper eyelid treated at the Department of Plastic Surgery, the First People’s Hospital of Zhengzhou, from October 2022 to February 2024. All patients underwent incisional double eyelid plasty with individualized correction based on depression severity. For mild depression, a combination of pretarsal orbicularis oculi muscle flap folding and orbital septum fat flap transposition was performed for correction. For moderate depression, additional autologous stromal vascular fraction (SVF)-gel grafting would be performed if residual depression persisted after the aforementioned approach. For severe depression, if the orbital fat was sufficient, the orbicularis oculi muscle flap folding, orbital fat flap repositioning and autologous SVF-gel transplantation were used. If there was insufficient orbital fat, the correction involved the use of a orbicularis oculi muscle flap and SVF-gel transplantation. Postoperative follow-up was conducted regularly, and related complications were statistically analyzed. Six months after the surgery, two blinded plastic surgeons evaluated outcomes via visual analog scale (VAS), including five aspects: symmetry of palpebral folds(including width and curvature of the double eyelid fold), fold contour, depression improvement, scar quality, overall eyelid aesthetics. Each aspect was rated on a scale from 1 to 10, with higher scores indicating better outcomes. Patient satisfaction was scored separately (1-5 per item), with higher scores indicating greater satisfaction.Results:A total of 64 patients were enrolled, including 4 males and 60 females; the age ranged from 19 to 66 years[ (32.0±9.7) years]. The degree of sunken upper eyelid was mild in 33 cases, moderate in 19 cases and severe in 12 cases. All patients underwent double eyelid plasty and orbicularis oculi flap folding. Based on this, 45 cases (33 mild and 12 moderate cases) underwent orbital septum fat flap transposition, 11 severe cases underwent SVF-gel grafting, and 8 cases (7 moderate and 1 severe cases) required combined approaches to correct depression. During the procedure, 19 cases (38 sides) received (1.8±0.8) ml of SVF-gel injection. Among these cases, one case with severe sunken upper eyelid who did not receive orbital fat transfer was injected with high density fat (left side: 0.6 ml, right side: 0.8 ml) due to insufficient SVF-gel volume. Two cases with severe sunken upper eyelid who only had autologous SVF-gel transplantation did not fully correct the depression within 3 months post-surgery received a second SVF-gel injection[(1.0±0.1) ml]. Follow-up was conducted for 6 to 12 months after surgery. All patients experienced varying degrees of eyelid edema, which typically lasted 2 to 3 months. Ecchymosis (34 sides), conjunctival congestion (3 sides), and temporary ptosis (5 sides) all resolved within 2 weeks. Pigmentation (14 sides) and scar hyperplasia (3 sides) disappeared or stabilized within 6 months. No patients developed complications such as incision infection, hematoma, fat liquefaction, local skin unevenness, or induration. The surgeons’ VAS scores of the above five indicators were all > 8 points, and the satisfaction scores of patients for the five indicators were all > 4 points. In both scoring, the improvement of sunken upper eyelid scored the highest, which were (9.2 ± 0.9) points and (4.8 ± 0.6) points respectively.Conclusion:For patients with single eyelids and varying degrees of sunken upper eyelid, performing double eyelid plasty and orbicularis oculi muscle flap folding, individualized correction is achieved through autologous fat redistribution techniques, based on the severity of the sunken upper eyelid and the amount of orbital fat. This single procedure can restore upper eyelid volume and rejuvenate the appearance, resulting in a natural and aesthetically pleasing double eyelid with minimal complications and high patient satisfaction.

Objective To explore the changes and influencing factors in patients' gastrointestinal symptoms and food tolerance before and after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy(LSG),and to provide a reference for the development of targeted gastrointestinal symptoms management program.Methods A convenience sampling method was used to select 125 patients who underwent LSG in the bariatric and metabolic surgery department of a tertiary-level hospital in Xuzhou City from June to November 2023 for a prospective observational study.The general information questionnaire,food tolerance questionnaire and Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale(GSRS)were used to investigate at preoperative,3 months after surgery,and 6 months after surgery.Two-factor repeated measures variance analysis and generalized linear mixed model(GLMM)was used to analyze the influencing factors of gastrointestinal symptoms.Results 116 valid questionnaires were collected,and the GSRS scores of LSG patients at 3 time points were 21.67±5.80,23.28±4.33,and 21.22±3.18 respectively;the incidence rates of food intolerance were 0,32.75％,and 28.45％respectively.The patients' symptoms of bowel sounds,dysphagia,constipation,and dry stool were worse after surgery than before surgery(all P＜0.05),and the symptoms of bad breath,diarrhea,loose stools,and the need to defecate immediately were alleviated compared with symptoms before surgery(all P＜0.05).GLMM results showed that short meal times,poor food tolerance,and high school/technical secondary school education were risk factors for increasing gastrointestinal symptoms(all P＜0.05).Conclusion LSG could increase the prevalence of gastrointestinal symptoms such as dysphagia,dyspepsia,constipation and food intolerance.Medical staff should pay attention to the assessment of gastrointestinal symptoms in LSG patients,especially for patients with short meal time and poor food tolerance,strengthen postoperative follow-up,build targeted treatment and care plan,and prevent and reduce such uncomfortable symptoms.

Objective To investigate effect of cassava RS3 resistant starch(Ce-RS3)on serum homocysteine(Hcy)level in patients with atherosclerotic cerebral infarction(ACI)during the recovery period.Methods A total of 55 patients with ACI at the First Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine from October 2023 to October 2024 were selected as subjects.They were devieded into observation group(n=28)and control group(n=27)using a random number table.The control group received atorvastatin calcium,phospholipids,and aspirin,while the observation group received atorvastatin calcium,phospholipids,aspirin,and Ce-RS3.After 12 weeks of treatment,homocysteine(Hcy)levels,carotid plaque diameter,National Institutes of Health stroke scale(NIHSS)scores,Barthel index(BI)scores,and traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)syndrome scores were compared between two groups.Results After treatment,the serum Hcy levels decreased and carotid plaque size reduced in both groups,with the NIHSS scores and TCM syndrome scores also decreased,and observation group was lower than control group(P＜0.05).After treatment,the BI score increased,with observation group higher than control group(P＜0.05).Conclusion The use of Ce-RS3 in the recovery phase of patients with ACI can effectively improve neurological function and enhance treatment efficacy.

Objective:To investigate the clinical phenotypes and genetic variant characteristics in children with epilepsy.Methods:A total of 91 children with epilepsy admitted to the Women′s and Children′s Hospital Affiliated to Ningbo University from July 2021 to October 2022 were selected as the study subjects. Peripheral blood samples were collected from the children for whole exome sequencing. Candidate genetic variants were validated by Sanger sequencing and copy number variation sequencing (CNV-seq). The clinical phenotypes and treatment outcomes of the children with epilepsy were followed up, and an analysis of the relationship between genotype and phenotype was conducted. This study was approved by the Women′s and Children′s Hospital Affiliated to Ningbo University (Ethics No.: EC2020-048).Results:Among the 91 children with epilepsy, 21 cases (23.08%, 21/91) were found to carry pathogenic or likely pathogenic variants. Of these, 18 cases had involved single base variant or insertional deletion, while 3 cases involved copy number variations. The gene with the highest detection rate was PRRT2 (38.10%, 8/21). Among the children with genetic variants, 47.62% (10/21) had onset during infancy, with 8 diagnosed with Benign familial infantile epilepsy (BFIE), 8 with Developmental epileptic encephalopathy (DEE), and 3 with Epileptic encephalopathy (EE). One case of Dravet syndrome (DS) and one case of Infantile spasms (IS) were also noted. The clinical manifestations of children were diverse and primarily included generalized tonic-clonic seizures and focal seizures. Among them, 52.38% (11/21) had exhibited cluster seizures, 23.81% (5/21) showed fever sensitivity, and 14.29% (3/21) experienced status epilepticus. After pharmacological treatment, 42.86% (9/21) of children had achieved complete seizure control, while 61.90% (13/21) had intellectual disability and 19.05% (4/21) had co-morbid autism spectrum disorder. Conclusion:Pathogenic or likely pathogenic variants were identified in 23.08% of the pediatric epilepsy cases, with the PRRT2 gene being the most frequently involved. Among children carrying genetic variants, 47.62% had seizure onset during infancy. Genetic factors are an important cause of epilepsy, and early genetic testing may facilitate precise diagnosis, treatment, and prognostic evaluation.

Objective:To provide preimplantation genetic testing (PGT) for a patient with Incontinentia pigmenti (IP) due to IKBKG gene variant but without family samples through construction of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)-based haplotype by Long-read sequencing (LRS) technology. Methods:A female IP patient with a heterozygous IKBKG c. 1167dup variant but without family genetic data who sought genetic counseling at Women and Children′s Hospital of Ningbo University in November 2021 was selected as the study subject. The IKBKG gene has a highly homologous pseudogene IKBKGP1. Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood samples from the couple, and LRS was used to obtain informative SNP loci flanking the variant locus, enabling the construction of SNP haplotype with a long segment spanning from the non-homologous region of IKBKG to the variant site. Trophoblast cells were biopsied from blastocysts fertilized through intracytoplasmic sperm injection, and next-generation sequencing (NGS) was used to determine the SNP information of the embryos. Linkage analysis with the parental SNP haplotypes was conducted to detect the carrier status of the embryos and exclude chromosomal aneuploidies. Sanger sequencing was carried out to validate the result. A euploid embryo without the pathogenic variant was selected for transfer. Prenatal diagnosis was carried out by amniocentesis at mid-trimester to verify the result of PGT, and follow-up was conducted after the baby was born. This study has been approved by the Ethics Committee of the Women and Children′s Hospital of Ningbo University (Ethics No. EC2023-094). Results:In total seven blastocysts were tested, and PGT results indicated that two embryos were euploid and did not carry the pathogenic variant. One euploid embryo was transferred, which resulted in a singleton pregnancy. Amniocentesis at 24 weeks of gestation confirmed that the status of fetal IKBKG gene, and its chromosomal status was consistent with the PGT results. A healthy male infant was born at 38 + 6 weeks of gestation. Conclusion:For IP patients with de novo mutation or without family samples, PGT with LRS can directly construct the SNP-based haplotype while avoiding interference from pseudogenes, providing an effective strategy for PGT.

Objective·To explore the potential role of SUMO-specific protease 1(SENP1)in ferroptosis.Methods·The Cancer Genome Atlas(TCGA)database was used to analyze the correlation between the expression levels of SENP1 and the ferroptosis-related genes,acyl-CoA synthetase long chain family member 4(ACSL4)and glutathione peroxidase 4(GPX4).Ferroptosis in human fibrosarcoma HT1080 cells,murine fibrosarcoma MCA-205 cells,and human embryonic kidney 293T cells was induced by RAS-selective lethal 3(RSL3).Quantitative real-time PCR(RT-qPCR)and Western blotting were used to detect the expression of SENP1.In 293T cells,immunoprecipitation-mass spectrometry was used to investigate the interacting proteins of SENP1 in the process of ferroptosis.The Flag-SENP1 plasmid was transiently transfected into 293T cells,and the overexpression efficiency of SENP1,along with the expression levels of ferroptosis-related genes ACSL4 and GPX4,was assessed by RT-qPCR and Western blotting.Results·TCGA database analysis showed that the expression of SENP1 was positively correlated with ACSL4 and negatively correlated with GPX4 in most tumor tissues.RT-qPCR and Western blotting showed that the expression level of SENP1 was significantly down-regulated in RSL3-treated HT1080,MCA-205,and 293T cells.Immunoprecipitation-mass spectrometry showed that SENP1 enriched SUMO molecules in the process of ferroptosis.Western blotting showed that the level of ACSL4 protein increased after SENP1 overexpression,and there was no significant change in the level of GPX4 protein.RT-qPCR showed that after SENP1 overexpression,there was no significant change in the mRNA levels of ACSL4 and GPX4.Conclusion·SENP1 gene expression is downregulated during ferroptosis,and may regulate the stability of ferroptosis-related protein ACSL4.