ObjectiveTo detect the proportion of splenic follicular helper T （Tfh） cells and their functionally related cytokine expression levels in the incomplete embryo implantation disorder （EID） model mice， and to explore the immunological mechanism of Tfh in infertility caused by embryo implantation disorder. MethodsSixteen female Kunming mice were randomly divided into two groups， with eight mice in each group. On day 4 of pregnancy， an incomplete EID mouse model was established by oral gavage of mifepristone suspension， while an equal volume of saline was administered to the control group. On day 8 of pregnancy， the mice were euthanized. Flow cytometry was used to detect the levels of Tfh cells in the spleen lymphocytes of both incomplete EID mice and normal control mice. qRT-PCR was performed to measure the mRNA levels of B-cell lymphoma 6 （Bcl-6） and C-X-C chemokine receptor type 5 protein （CXCR5） in the spleen lymphocytes of both groups. Western blot was employed to assess the protein expression levels of Bcl-6 and CXCR5 in the spleen lymphocytes of both groups. Serum levels of interleukin-4 （IL-4）， IL-6， and IL-21 were measured by ELISA. Immunohistochemistry （IHC） was used to observe the expression levels of progesterone receptor （PR）， Bcl-6， and CXCR5 proteins in the uterine endometrial tissue of mice in both groups. ResultsIncomplete-type EID mice had a reduced number of embryo implantation points and reduced endometrial PR expression. Flow assay results showed that the proportion of CD4⁺CXCR5⁺Tfh cells in splenic lymphocytes of incomplete-type EID mice was significantly higher than that of normal controls （P<0.05）. Compared with the normal control group， Bcl-6 and CXCR5 mRNA levels and protein levels were elevated in splenic lymphocytes of incomplete EID mice， with statistically significant differences （P<0.05）； serum IL-4， IL-6， and IL-21 levels were elevated in incomplete EID mice， and Bcl-6 and CXCR5 proteins in the endometrium were significantly elevated （P<0.05）. ConclusionThe increase of Tfh cells and their associated cytokines Bcl-6 and CXCR5 is associated with the development of incomplete EID， and may be involved in the development of female immune infertility.

Working memory is an executive memory process that includes encoding, maintenance, and retrieval. These processes can be modulated by transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) with sinusoidal waves. However, little is known about the impact of the rate of current change on working memory. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effects of two types of tACS with different rates of current change on working memory performance and brain activity. We applied a randomized, single-blind design and divided 81 young participants who received triangular wave tACS, sinusoidal wave tACS, or sham stimulation into three groups. Participants performed n-back tasks, and electroencephalograms were recorded before, during, and after active or sham stimulation. Compared to the baseline, working memory performance (accuracy and response time) improved after stimulation under all stimulation conditions. According to drift-diffusion model analysis, triangular wave tACS significantly increased the efficiency of non-target information processing. In addition, compared with sham conditions, triangular wave tACS reduced alpha power oscillations in the occipital lobe throughout the encoding period, while sinusoidal wave tACS increased theta power in the central frontal region only during the later encoding period. The brain network connectivity results showed that triangular wave tACS improved the clustering coefficient, local efficiency, and node degree intensity in the early encoding stage, and these parameters were positively correlated with the non-target drift rate and decision starting point. Our findings on how tACS modulates working memory indicate that triangular wave tACS significantly enhances brain network connectivity during the early encoding stage, demonstrating an improvement in the efficiency of working memory processing. In contrast, sinusoidal wave tACS increased the theta power during the later encoding stage, suggesting its potential critical role in late-stage information processing. These findings provide valuable insights into the potential mechanisms by which tACS modulates working memory.
Humans ; Memory, Short-Term/physiology* ; Male ; Female ; Young Adult ; Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation/methods* ; Brain/physiology* ; Adult ; Electroencephalography ; Single-Blind Method

ObjectiveTo study the effect and mechanism of fibrinogen （Fib） overexpression on mitochondrial quality control system in the rat model of coronary heart disease with the syndrome of blood stasis. MethodsForty male SD rats were randomly assigned into normal， model， Fib， and empty vector （AAV） groups， with 10 rats in each group. The model， Fib， and AAV groups were fed with a high-fat diet adaptively and administrated with 3×10⁶ U·kg^-1 vitamin D3 powder by gavage after 7 days and 2×10⁶ U·kg^-1 vitamin D3 solution after 14 days. After being fed with a high-fat diet for 7 weeks， rats in each group received subcutaneous injection of isoproterenol （5 mg·kg^-1） for 3 days. During the modeling period， rats in the normal group were fed with ordinary feed without any special treatment. The changes in blood lipid and hemorheological indexes of rats in each group were measured. The aorta tissue was stained with hematoxylin-eosin （HE）， and the standard lead Ⅱ electrocardiograms （ECGs） of rats in each group were recorded. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） and real-time PCR were employed to verify the overexpression levels of Fib in the liver and plasma. Western blotting was employed to determine the protein levels of mitofusin 2 （Mfn2）， optic atrophy protein 1 （OPA1）， dynamin-related protein 1 （Drp1）， phosphorylated adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase （p-AMPK）/adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase （AMPK）， peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ-coactivator-1α （PGC-1α）， PTEN-induced putative kinase 1， and Parkin. Real-time PCR was employed to determine the mRNA levels of AMPK and PGC-1α in the myocardial tissue. The changes in levels of adenosine triphosphate （ATP） and adenosine monophosphate （AMP） in the myocardial tissue were determined by ELISA. ResultsCompared with the normal group， the other three groups showed elevated levels of total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol （P<0.01） and no significant changes in levels of triglyceride and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Compared with the model group， the Fib and AAV groups showed risen levels of total cholesterol （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Compared with the normal group， the model and Fib groups presented increases in low shear viscosity and middle shear viscosity （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and the Fib group showcased an increase in high shear viscosity （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the Fib group showed increases in low shear viscosity， middle shear viscosity， and high shear viscosity （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Compared with the Fib group， the AAV group demonstrated decreases in low shear viscosity， middle shear viscosity， and high shear viscosity （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The normal group had an complete aortic structure with well arrangement of elastic fibers. In the model group， the vascular wall became thickened and the intima was rough with inflammatory infiltration. In the Fib group， the intima calcification formed a cavity structure and the intima was abnormally proliferated， while in the AAV group， the intima smooth muscle was slightly proliferated with local calcification. The ECG of the normal group indicated sinus rhythm， and that of the model group presented ST segment oblique elevation （>0.1 mV）. The ECG of the Fib group presented characteristic ST segment arch back elevation with T-wave towering， and that of the AAV group presented ST segment oblique elevation. Compared with the normal group， the model and Fib groups showed elevations in levels of liver Fib， plasma Fib， and liver Fibα mRNA （P<0.01）， and the AAV group had risen levels of Fib and Fibα mRNA （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the Fib group presented risen levels of liver Fib and Fibα mRNA （P<0.01）. Compared with the Fib group， the AAV group presented decreases in levels of liver Fib， plasma Fib， and liver Fibα mRNA （P<0.01）. Compared with the normal group， the other three groups had down-regulated protein and mRNA levels of Mfn2， OPA1， PINK1， Parkin， p-AMPK/AMPK， and PGC-1α （P<0.05， P<0.01） and up-regulated protein levels of Drp1 （P<0.01）. Compared with those in the model group， the mRNA and protein levels of Mfn2， OPA1， PINK1， Parkin， p-AMPK/AMPK， and PGC-1α were all down-regulated （P<0.05， P<0.01） and the protein level of Drp1 was up-regulated （P<0.01） in the Fib group. Compared with the Fib group， the AAV group showed differences in protein levels of OPA1， PGC-1α， Parkin， and Drp1 （P<0.05， P<0.01） and an increasing trend in the mRNA levels of AMPK and PGC-1α with no significant difference. Compared with the normal group， the other three groups had elevated levels of ATP in the myocardial tissue （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the Fib group showed elevated levels of ATP and AMP （P<0.01）. Compared with the Fib group， the AAV group exhibited lowered levels of ATP and AMP （P<0.01）. ConclusionFib can achieve the overexpression effect in the rat model of coronary heart disease with the syndrome of blood stasis. At the same time， the overexpression of Fib can induce the damage of the mitochondrial quality control system in the myocardial tissue， inhibit mitochondrial dynamics and mitochondrial biosynthesis， and down-regulate mitochondrial autophagy， thereby aggravating myocardial injury in the rat model.

Objective:To investigate the clinical and genetic variation characteristics of a child with autosomal dominant lateral temporal lobe epilepsy caused by de novo variation of the MICAL1 gene. Methods:Clinical data of the patient with autosomal dominant lateral temporal lobe epilepsy caused by MICAL1 gene variation diagnosed in Children′s Hospital of Soochow University in August 2019 were collected. The whole exome sequencing was performed on the core members of the family, and the characteristics of gene variations were analyzed. Results:The proband, a 10 years and 5 months old boy, was admitted to the hospital because of "intermittent convulsions for 7 years". The clinical manifestations included focal or generalized tonic-clonic seizures and hearing aura, with normal language and intellectual development. No abnormalities were found in the T 1 and fluid attenuated inversion recovery sequences of the cranial 3.0 T magnetic resonance imaging and 3D thin-slice magnetic resonance imaging.Long-range video electroencephalogram showed the distribution of spinous and slow spinous waves in the left frontal and temporal areas. The results of whole exome gene sequencing in the core family members showed heterozygous de novo missense variation in the MICAL1 gene of the proband (NM_022765): c.763G>T(exon6)(p.Val255Leu) that had not been reported. According to American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics and Association for Molecular Pathology guidelines (2015), the mutation was considered potentially pathogenic. The application of antiepileptic drugs was effective in controlling epileptic seizures. Conclusions:Auditory symptoms are main clinical manifestations for the child with autosomal dominant lateral temporal lobe epilepsy. Antiepileptic drugs can effectively control epileptic seizures of the child, and the MICAL1 gene c.763G>T (p.Val255Leu) mutation is the genetic cause of the proband.

Objective:To summarize the clinical characteristics of 5 children with developmental epileptic encephalopathy type 17 (DEE17) caused by GNAO1 gene variants confirmed by whole-exome sequencing and analyze the features of their genetic variants. Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 5 children diagnosed with GNAO1-related DEE17 in the Department of Neurology, Children′s Hospital of Soochow University from January 2019 to October 2024. Their clinical features, genetic testing results, neuroimaging findings, electroencephalogram (EEG) results, and treatment regimens were summarized. Follow-up was performed via telephone or outpatient visits. Results:Among the 5 diagnosed children (3 males, 2 females), the age of onset ranged from 2 days to 2 years, and the age at diagnosis ranged from 2 days to 6 years. Four children presented with seizures in the neonatal or infantile period, manifesting as hypotonia, developmental delay, and seizure types including generalized tonic-clonic, myoclonic, and epileptic spasms. One child had a later onset at 2 years, presenting with language delay, intellectual disability, and involuntary movements, followed by seizures at 6 years, including focal and generalized tonic-clonic seizures. Genetic testing revealed de novo heterozygous missense variants in GNAO1 in all 5 cases: c.119G>C (p.G40A), c.808A>C (p.N270H), c.808A>G (p.N270D), c.118G>C (p.G40R), and c.17G>T (p.S6I). Among these variants, c.119G>C and c.17G>T were previously unreported pathogenic variants. Neuroimaging showed nonspecific changes in 3 children (widened frontal-temporal subarachnoid space, delayed myelination) and abnormal white matter signals in 2 cases. Long-term video-EEG revealed abnormal discharges and background slowing in all cases: multifocal discharges in 4 cases and focal epileptiform discharges (left mid-temporal) in 1 case. Clinical seizures were captured in 3 cases: 1 with a burst-suppression pattern and 2 with hypsarrhythmia. All patients received 3 or more antiseizure medications. Four cases (cases 1-4) responded well to topiramate combination therapy, with 2 cases (cases 1, 2) achieving complete seizure freedom and 2 cases (cases 3, 4) experiencing more than a 50% reduction in seizures. One child (case 3) achieved seizure control with an adjunctive ketogenic diet. The late-onset case (case 5) required a combination of levetiracetam, oxcarbazepine, and valproate for seizure management. Conclusions:GNAO1 variants can lead to DEE17 with diverse seizure types, often requiring multiple antiseizure medications, among which topiramate is effective. Early-onset cases typically present with seizures and developmental delay, while late-onset cases may exhibit language delay, intellectual disability, movement disorders, and refractory epilepsy. Genetic testing should be performed early for timely diagnosis.

Background and aims:Noninvasive assessments play a crucial role in ruling out high-risk esophageal varices(HREV)in cirrhotic patients.However,the value of sound touch elastography(STE)in predicting HREV has not been comprehensively investigated.Therefore,this study aimed to establish prediction models based on liver and spleen stiffness measurements obtained by STE and provide assessment strategies and cutoff values tailored for different clinical situations.Methods:This prospective study included cirrhotic patients who underwent esophagogastroduodeno-scopy(EGD).Liver and spleen stiffness measurements by STE were performed within six months of EGD examination.Various prediction models and their corresponding cutoff values were established for different clinical situations,incorporating spleen diameter and laboratory parameters.Results:A total of 154 cirrhotic patients were included in the study and stratified into training(n=119)and validation(n=35)sets.Multivariable analysis revealed platelet,spleen diameter and spleen stiffness measurement as independent predictors of HREV.The model incorporating spleen stiffness measurement,platelet,and spleen diameter demonstrated superior performance in predicting HREV,yielding an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve(AUC)of 0.878 and 0.853 in the training set and validation set,respectively.Application of this model for screening cirrhotic patients could avoid EGDs in 39.7％(27/68)and 35.3％(6/17)of patients in the training and validation sets,respectively.Conclusions:Liver and spleen stiffness measurements obtained through STE are valuable for predicting HREV in cirrhotic patients.The developed prediction models and their corresponding cutoff values provide tailored solutions for various clinical situations,thereby effectively reducing the need for un-necessary endoscopies.

ObjectiveTo analyze the metabolomic characteristics of platelets in fibrinogen（FIB） overexpression rats of coronary heart disease with blood stasis syndrome（CHD-BSS）， explore potential biomarkers， and investigate the mechanism of FIB overexpression on CHD-BSS. MethodsSD rats were randomly divided into BSS group and BSS+FIB overexpression group（BSS+FIB group）， with 10 rats in each group. Both the BSS+FIB group and the BSS group were fed a high-fat diet combined with oral administration of vitamin D₃ and subcutaneous injection of isoproterenol， but rats in the BSS+FIB group were overexpressed with FIB during the initial modeling stage by transfection with adeno-associated virus（AAV）. The overexpression level of FIB in rat liver and plasma samples was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay（ELISA） and real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction（Real time PCR）， as well as the expression level of liver FIB A（FGA） mRNA. The characteristics of metabolites in rat platelet samples were analyzed by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-electrostatic field orbital trap high-resolution mass spectrometry（UPLC-Q-Exactive Orbitrap-MS）， and the differential metabolites between groups were screened by principal component analysis（PCA） and orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis（OPLS-DA）， and the enriched pathways were analyzed. The accuracy of potential biomarkers in the diagnosis of CHD-BSS was evaluated by receiver operating characteristic（ROC） curve. The expression of autophagy related proteins phosphorylated adenosine monophosphate（AMP） activated protein kinase（p-AMPK）/AMPK， phosphorylated mammalian target of rapamycin（p-mTOR）/mTOR， microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3（LC3） Ⅱ/Ⅰ and p62 in platelets were detected by Western blot. ResultsCompared with the BSS group， the expression levels of FIB in liver and plasma samples of the BSS+FIB group were significantly increased（P<0.05， P<0.01）， and the expression level of FIB mRNA in the liver was remarkably increased（P<0.01）， indicating successful overexpression of FIB. Platelet metabolomics results showed significant differences in metabolic profiles between the BSS+FIB group and the BSS group， and a total of 25 significantly enriched metabolic pathways and 8 metabolites involved in these metabolic pathways， among which uric acid， guanosine and ribose 1-phosphate levels were up-regulated， while adenosine diphosphate（ADP）， AMP， guanosine diphosphate（GDP）， adenylosuccinate and norepinephrine levels were down-regulated. The diagnostic ability analysis of differential metabolites showed that all 8 differential metabolites had good diagnostic ability， with an area under the curve（AUC）>0.85. Western blot results showed that compared with the BSS group， the expression levels of p-mTOR/mTOR and p62 proteins in platelets of the BSS+FIB group was significantly reduced（P<0.01）， while the expression levels of p-AMPK/AMPK and LC3Ⅱ/Ⅰ proteins were increased， but the difference was not statistically significant. ConclusionOverexpression of FIB can change the metabolic characteristics of CHD-BSS rat model， involving multiple aspects such as vascular endothelial injury， platelet activation and myocardial function damage. Among them， overexpression of FIB may enhance the occurrence of platelet autophagy， thereby inducing platelet activation and promoting thrombus formation.

Objective:To reassess the pathogenicity of copy number variants (CNVs) involving chromosomal microdeletions and microduplications classified as variants of uncertain significance (VUS).Methods:This retrospective study analyzed 1 882 pregnant women who underwent invasive prenatal diagnosis for chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA) at the First Medical Center, Chinese PLA General Hospital between January 1, 2018, and December 31, 2022. The results were classified according to the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics guidelines, with 82 fetuses rated as VUS selected for the study. We analyzed invasive prenatal diagnostic indications, followed up on fetal ultrasound findings, parental origin identification results, and pregnancy outcomes, and reclassified VUS CNVs based on the latest evidence. Descriptive statistical analysis was applied to the data.Results:(1) Among the 82 fetuses with VUS CNVs, prenatal diagnostic indications included fetal structural abnormalities detected by ultrasound (21 cases, 25.6%), abnormal non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) results (12 cases, 14.6%), high-risk serum screening (seven cases, 8.5%), advanced maternal age (≥35 years at expected delivery, 28 cases, 34.1%), and other indications (14 cases, 17.1%). Sixteen cases (19.5%) exhibited abnormal phenotypes, with seven pregnancies terminated due to severe structural abnormalities detected by prenatal ultrasound. Seventy-five live births were followed up for 25 (13-66) months. (2) Among the 82 cases, five fetuses had two VUS CNVs detected by CMA, while the remaining 77 had only one, totaling 87 VUS CNVs. Of these, 63 (72.4%) were chromosomal microduplications and 24 (27.6%) were chromosomal microdeletions. The size of the CNV segments ranged from 0.85 (0.05-5.61) Mb, with 82 segments less than 2 Mb. Parental origin identification was refused by 44 cases (53.7%), while 38 (46.3%) underwent the test, revealing eight (21.0%) de novo variants and 30 (78.9%) inherited from either parent (12 maternal and 18 paternal). (3) Among the 87 VUS CNVs, the ratings of 11 CNVs (12.6%) changed after re-evaluation. This included one 4p16.2 microdeletion and two 15q11.2 microdeletions being upgraded to pathogenic, one 16p13.11 microduplication being upgraded to likely pathogenic, one Xp22.31 microduplication and two 2q13 microdeletions being downgraded to likely benign, and four Xp22.31 microduplications being downgraded to benign. (4) Among the 16 fetuses with abnormal phenotypes, seven with prenatal abnormalities terminated pregnancies, including six with structural abnormalities and one with severe fetal growth restriction. After re-evaluation, one case was upgraded to pathogenic, while six remained VUS. Nine live births with postnatal abnormal phenotypes showed no change in classification after re-evaluation. Among the 66 cases (80.5%) without abnormal phenotypes, 10 had their classifications changed after re-evaluation. Conclusions:Fetuses with VUS CNVs often exhibit no significant abnormal phenotypes and have a relatively favorable prognosis, however, further floow-up is still needed. Parental origin identification can provide valuable insights for genetic counseling.

Deutetrabenazine(DTBZ)is a selective oral small molecule inhibitor of vesicular monoamine transporter 2(VMAT2).Its pharmacological action works by inhibiting VMAT2,thereby reducing the release of presynaptic dopamine and alleviating tardive dyskinesia symptoms caused by long-term use of dopamine receptor antagonists.Compared with tetrabenazine,DTBZ has longer half-life,lower peak plasma concentration,and smaller plasma concentration fluctuations.Clinical studies demonstrate that DTBZ significantly improves abnormal involuntary movement in patients with tardive dyskinesia and has a favourable safety profile.Based on available clinical evidence and practical experience,this paper discuss the common questions about DTBZ including the suitable population,dose,duration of treatment,combination administration with antipsychotics,efficacy assessment and application in special populations.This article aimed to provide guidance and recommendations on clinical application of DTBZ for clinicians.

Objective:To explore the application effect of high-fidelity intelligent simulator combined with scenario simulation for emergency response training in the Department of Radiology, and to improve the emergency preparedness of medical, nursing, and technical staff in managing contrast agent adverse reactions.Methods:From January to July 2024, 132 medical, nursing, and technical staff from the Department of Radiology of a tertiary hospital in Chengdu City, China were selected as the training subjects. The high-fidelity intelligent simulator combined with scenario simulation teaching mode was used to conduct emergency response training for the participants. The differences in theoretical knowledge and post competence regarding contrast agent adverse reactions among the staff were compared before and after the training. A self-made questionnaire was used to investigate their needs and satisfaction of the emergency response training. SPSS 26.0 was used for data analysis. The differences in theoretical knowledge and post competence scores before and after training were compared using the paired samples t test. Results:After the training, the average score of theoretical knowledge examination increased from (84.32±10.19) points to (90.34±7.87) points, and the difference was statistically significant ( P<0.001). After the training, the scores of knowledge reserve, operational skills, situational decision-making ability, professional literacy, comprehensive literacy, and overall post competency were all significantly higher than those before the training ( P<0.05). The satisfaction score of emergency response training was (4.17±0.25) points. Conclusions:High-fidelity intelligent simulator combined with scenario simulation training improved the emergency preparedness and teamwork of radiology staff in clinical emergencies. The training received high recognition and satisfaction from the participants, which is of great significance for clinical emergency response and patient safety.