Objective To investigate how vismodegib(Vis)influences the pathogenesis of basal cell carcinoma(BCC)via a chromatin remodeling factor,bromodomain containing protein 9(BRD9),and to analyze the expression profile of BRD9 in BCC and its relationship with the immune checkpoint,programmed cell death-1 ligand 1(PD-L1)and the Hedgehog(Hh)signaling pathway.Methods ① A UVB-induced BCC model was established in SKH-1 hairless background Ptch1+/-;LacZ reporter mice.Then the mice were treated with Vis,and those without treatment served as control.X-gal staining,immunohistochemistry(IHC)staining,immunofluorescence(IF)assay,and Western blotting were used to assess the expression and localization of BRD9 and PD-L1 in tumor tissues and to evaluate immune-cell infiltration.② In vitro,mouse BCC cell line ASZ001(ASZ cells)were treated with Vis or a BRD9 degrader(dBRD9),and BRD9-overexpressing cells were generated.Cell viability and the protein and mRNA levels of BRD9,PD-L1,Gli1,and cyclin D1(Ccnd1)were measured.ChIP-qPCR was performed to examine BRD9 and H3K27ac enrichment at the PD-L1 promoter,including the promoter-proximal site(P1)and an upstream active segment(P2).Results ① At the tissue level,BRD9 was highly expressed in BCC,and co-localization of BRD9 and PD-L1 was observed within tumor regions,with evident immune-cell infiltration.Vis markedly suppressed UVB-induced BCC formation,reduced the probability of large-volume tumors(by probability-density analysis),decreased the X-gal-positive lesion area(P<0.000 1),down-regulated BRD9(P=0.024 9),and attenuated immune-cell infiltration.② At the cellular level,Vis treatment reduced cell viability and down-regulated BRD9,Gli1,and Ccnd1 in ASZ cells(P<0.000 1).dBRD9 inhibited ASZ cell viability in a dose-dependent manner and decreased PD-L1,Gli1,and Ccnd1(P<0.000 1),whereas its overexpression increased the expression of these molecules(P<0.000 1).In ASZ cells,BRD9 and H3K27ac were enriched at the PD-L1 promoter P1/P2 regions.Treatment with dBRD9 or Vis reduced BRD9 and H3K27ac enrichment at P1/P2 regions(P<0.000 1).Conclusion In BCC,BRD9 maintains chromatin activation at the proximal PD-L1 promoter and modulates Hh/Gli1 signaling,thereby promoting immune evasion.Vis remodels the tumor immune microenvironment by inhibiting the Hh-BRD9-PD-L1 axis.

Objective:To evaluate the role of the TANK-binding kinase 1 (TBK1)/receptor-interacting protein kinase 1 (RIPK1) signaling pathway in postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) in aged mice.Methods:Fifty SPF healthy male C57BL/6 mice, aged 18 months, weighing 20-25 g, were divided into 5 groups ( n=10 each) using a table of random numbers: control group (group C), POCD group, dimethyl sulfoxide group, GSK group and GSK+ Nec-1 group. A mouse model of POCD was established by the closed reduction internal fixation of the left tibial fracture in anesthetized animals. Dimethyl sulfoxide, TBK1 inhibitor GSK8612 and RIPK1 inhibitor Nec-1 (0.5 μl/side) were stereotactically injected into the hippocampal CA1 region at 30 min before operation. Cognitive function was assessed using the contextual fear conditioning test before operation and at 3 days after operation. The mice were then anesthetized and sacrificed, and the hippocampal tissues were obtained for determination of the expression of TBK1, RIPK1, interleukin-lbeta (IL-1β), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), activator protein 1 (AP-1) and Nestin (by Western blot), the expression of Bcl-2, Bax and caspase-3 mRNA (by fluorescent quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction) and for examination of TBK1/RIPK1 molecular interactions and neural stem cell proliferation in the hippocampal dentate gyrus (DG) region (by immunofluorescent staining). Results:Compared with C group, the percentage of freezing time was significantly decreased at 3 days after operation, the expression of Bax mRNA, caspase-3 mRNA, RIPK1, IL-1β, TNF-α and AP-1 was up-regulated, the expression of TBK1, Bcl-2 mRNA and Nestin was down-regulated, and the proliferation of neural stem cells in the hippocampal DG region was decreased in POCD group ( P<0.05 or 0.01). Compared with POCD group, the percentage of freezing time was significantly decreased at 3 days after operation, the expression of Bax mRNA, caspase-3 mRNA, IL-1β, TNF-α and AP-1 was up-regulated, the expression of TBK1, Bcl-2 mRNA and Nestin was down-regulated, and the proliferation of neural stem cells in the hippocampal DG region was decreased in GSK group ( P<0.05 or 0.01). Compared with GSK group, the percentage of freezing time was significantly increased at 3 days after operation, the expression of Bax mRNA, caspase-3 mRNA, IL-1β, TNF-α and AP-1 was down-regulated, the expression of TBK1, Bcl-2 mRNA and Nestin was up-regulated, and the proliferation of neural stem cells in the hippocampal DG region was increased in GSK+ Nec-1 group ( P<0.05 or 0.01). Conclusions:The TBK1/RIPK1 signaling pathway is involved in the pathogenesis of POCD in aged mice.

Objective To investigate whether ginsenoside Rg3 can ameliorate glomerular endothelial injury in diabetic nephropathy(DN)mice through Ras homologous gene family member A(Rho A)/Rho-associated coiled-coil forming protein kinase,(ROCK1)/NLR family pyrin domain protein 3(NLRP3)pathway.Methods Forty mice were randomly divided into 4 groups:control group,DN group,ginsenoside(ginsenoside Rg3)group and RhoA/ROCK pathway inhibition(FD)group,with 10 mice in each group.Fasting blood glucose(FBG)was measured by glucose meter.The levels of urinary protein,urea nitrogen(BUN)and serum creatinine(SCr)were detected by ELISA.PAS staining was used to detect glomerular morphology and structure and to evaluate glomerular injury index(GDI).The expression of platelet-endothelial cell adhesion molecule(PECAM-1 or CD31),von Willefibrilia factor(vWF),RhoA,ROCK and NLRP3 protein related to pyrodeath were detected by immunofluorescence staining.Western blotting detected the expression of intercellular adhesion molecule-1(ICAM-1),vascular cell adhesion molecule-1(VCAM-1),the inflammatory factor interleukin-1β(IL-1β)and IL-18 protein in the glomerulus.Results Compared with the control group,the levels of FPG,urinary protein,BUN and SCr in DN group were increased,and the differences were statistically significant(t=17.59～43.81,all P<0.05).The glomerular structure was significantly damaged and GDI was increased(t=20.73,P<0.05).The expressions of CD31,RhoA,ROCK and NLRP3 in glomeruli were increased,while the expression of vWF was decreased.The expressions of ICAM-1,VCAM-1,IL-1β and IL-18 in renal tissues were increased,and the differences were statistically significant(t=27.95～40.10,all P<0.05).Compared with the DN group,the levels of FPG,urinary protein,BUN and SCr in ginsenoside group were decreased,and the differences were statistically significant(t=14.87～20.33,all P<0.05).The damage of glomerular structure was improved and GDI was decreased(t=19.80,P<0.05),the expression of CD31,RhoA,ROCK and NLRP3 in glomerular was decreased,and the expression of vWF was increased.The expressions of ICAM-1,VCAM-1,IL-1β and IL-18 in renal tissues of FD group were decreased,and the differences were statistically significant(t=12.62～39.68,all P<0.05).Conclusion Ginsenosides Rg3 can improve the level of glomerular endothelial injury and pyroptosis in DN mice by down-regulating RhoA/ROCK/NLRP3 pathway.

Aiming at the classification and lesion localization of giga-pixel pathology whole slide images of breast cancer,a bidirectional gated recurrent unit attention based multi-instance learning(ABMIL-BiGRU)model is proposed for interpretable prediction of H&E stained breast cancer lymph node metastasis images.The method uses two orthogonal bidirectional gated recurrent units to establish the long-short distance dependencies between the features in the row and column directions of the image block,thereby embedding the spatial position and context information of the image block,and then quantifies the attention score of each feature representation through attention multi-instance pooling,thereby achieving whole slide image-level feature aggregation and generating interpretable heat maps.The results show that ABMIL-BiGRU model has an average accuracy of 0.918 6 and an AUCof 0.9467 on the breast cancer metastasis dataset,realizing high-precision prediction of whole slide images and localization of regions of interest,and also providing human-interpretable features at the image block level.The proposed model solves the"accuracy-interpretability trade-off"problem to a certain extent,and its superior performance provides a new paradigm for the clinical application of computer-aided diagnosis and intelligent systems.

Radiotherapy is main method in treating cervical cancer,and the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence(AI)technique is providing entirely new solutions for radiotherapy for cervical cancer.The AI means that is represented by deep learning is deeply integrating into the whole process of diagnosis,treatment and management for cervical cancer,which can promote intelligent and precise development of radiotherapy workflows.Currently,the applied cores of AI in radiotherapy for cervical cancer include image registration,target delineation,optimization of radiotherapy planning and risk assessment,which can significantly enhance efficiency and precision of treatment.But,AI is facing some challenges in clinical applications include data quality,and algorithm's robustness and interpretability at the same time.Depended on the above analyses,this paper systematically reviewed the frontier applications and progress in practice of AI in radiotherapy for cervical cancer,which especially analyzed technical advantages and limitations of AI in key link,and explored its development path and coping strategy in clinical promotion and standard application in future.It is purpose to provide theoretical references for clinical practice of precise and accurate radiotherapy for cervical cancer.

Objective:To evaluate the role of the TANK-binding kinase 1 (TBK1)/receptor-interacting protein kinase 1 (RIPK1) signaling pathway in postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) in aged mice.Methods:Fifty SPF healthy male C57BL/6 mice, aged 18 months, weighing 20-25 g, were divided into 5 groups ( n=10 each) using a table of random numbers: control group (group C), POCD group, dimethyl sulfoxide group, GSK group and GSK+ Nec-1 group. A mouse model of POCD was established by the closed reduction internal fixation of the left tibial fracture in anesthetized animals. Dimethyl sulfoxide, TBK1 inhibitor GSK8612 and RIPK1 inhibitor Nec-1 (0.5 μl/side) were stereotactically injected into the hippocampal CA1 region at 30 min before operation. Cognitive function was assessed using the contextual fear conditioning test before operation and at 3 days after operation. The mice were then anesthetized and sacrificed, and the hippocampal tissues were obtained for determination of the expression of TBK1, RIPK1, interleukin-lbeta (IL-1β), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), activator protein 1 (AP-1) and Nestin (by Western blot), the expression of Bcl-2, Bax and caspase-3 mRNA (by fluorescent quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction) and for examination of TBK1/RIPK1 molecular interactions and neural stem cell proliferation in the hippocampal dentate gyrus (DG) region (by immunofluorescent staining). Results:Compared with C group, the percentage of freezing time was significantly decreased at 3 days after operation, the expression of Bax mRNA, caspase-3 mRNA, RIPK1, IL-1β, TNF-α and AP-1 was up-regulated, the expression of TBK1, Bcl-2 mRNA and Nestin was down-regulated, and the proliferation of neural stem cells in the hippocampal DG region was decreased in POCD group ( P<0.05 or 0.01). Compared with POCD group, the percentage of freezing time was significantly decreased at 3 days after operation, the expression of Bax mRNA, caspase-3 mRNA, IL-1β, TNF-α and AP-1 was up-regulated, the expression of TBK1, Bcl-2 mRNA and Nestin was down-regulated, and the proliferation of neural stem cells in the hippocampal DG region was decreased in GSK group ( P<0.05 or 0.01). Compared with GSK group, the percentage of freezing time was significantly increased at 3 days after operation, the expression of Bax mRNA, caspase-3 mRNA, IL-1β, TNF-α and AP-1 was down-regulated, the expression of TBK1, Bcl-2 mRNA and Nestin was up-regulated, and the proliferation of neural stem cells in the hippocampal DG region was increased in GSK+ Nec-1 group ( P<0.05 or 0.01). Conclusions:The TBK1/RIPK1 signaling pathway is involved in the pathogenesis of POCD in aged mice.

Objectives:This study aimed to explore the association between perceived mental stress (MS), lymphocyte subset variations, and coronary lesion severity in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD).Methods:Patients with CAD were enrolled in this study from September 2023 to May 2024. Perceived Stress Scale-14 (PSS-14) was used to evaluate MS during the last 1 month. Lymphocyte subsets were analyzed, including the percentage and absolute counts of CD3 +, CD3 +CD4 +, CD3 +CD8 +, CD3 -CD19 +, CD3 -CD56 +16 +, and the Th/Ts ratio. Statistical analysis was conducted using SPSS 24.0. Results:This study recruited patients with 323 CAD, with an average age of 61 (56, 68) years, including 203 males and 120 females. According to the PSS-14, a score of 14-42 and 43-70 were categorized as normal and increased MS, respectively. Patients with CAD with increased MS had significantly higher Gensini scores than those with normal MS [37(19,64) vs. 28(12,50), Z=-2.19, P=0.029]. Male CAD patients with increased MS exhibited significantly higher Gensini scores [39(20, 58) vs. 26(12, 45), Z=-2.37, P=0.018], levels of CD3 +CD8 +%[28.3%(23.6%,36.6%) vs. 25.9%(21.0%,32.4%), Z=-2.05, P=0.041], and CD3 +CD8 +absolute value [485 (346, 675) vs. 396 (309, 510) cells/μl, Z=-2.55, P=0.011] than those with normal MS. In male patients with CAD, a positive correlation was observed between Gensini scores (correlation coefficient: 0.181, P=0.011), PSS-14 scores, and CD3 +CD8 +absolute value (correlation coefficient: 0.162, P=0.038). Conclusion:This study reveals a positive correlation between MS and coronary stenosis severity, with notable sex differences. In male patients with CAD, higher levels of MS are associated with more severe coronary stenosis. The potential underlying mechanism may involve the regulation of lymphocyte subsets .

Background:Colorectal cancer(CRC)is a major cause of cancer death worldwide,and about 30%to 35%of CRC arises from the serrated pathway.Aims:To analyze the clinicopathological and histomorphological characteristics of colorectal superficially serrated adenoma(SuSA),and to investigate the malignant transformation potential of SuSA and further elucidate the role of RSPO2 and RSPO3 in its carcinogenic mechanism.Methods:A total of 169 serrated colorectal lesions confirmed pathologically and fulfilling the inclusion criteria were collected from Shanxi Bethune Hospital from February 2019 to May 2023.Among them,there were 84 cases of SuSA,23 sessile serrated lesions(SSL),32 traditional serrated adenomas(TSA),and 30 hyperplastic polyps(HP).Thirty-nine cases of tubular adenoma(TA),32 CRC,and 33 normal colorectal mucosal tissues were served as controls.The clinicopathological and histomorphological parameters were collected and recorded.Immunohistochemical staining was used to detect the protein expressions of RSPO2,RSPO3,p53,MLH1 and β-catenin.Results:Patients with SuSA were male predominance,with a mean age of 51.89 years.The average diameter of the lesions was 0.20 cm,predominantly located in the left colon and rectum,and frequently complicated with other polyps/adenomas.The histomorphological features of SuSA were as follows:the glandular necks and crypt bases exhibited straight tubular structure with low-grade dysplasia;the superficial layer demonstrated a serrated architecture,with or without dysplasia,and contained a variable number of goblet cells.Immunohistochemically,there were no statistically significant differences in RSPO2,RSPO3,and p53 expressions between SuSA and TSA(all P>0.05).A strong positive correlation was observed between RSPO2 and RSPO3 in colorectal lesions,excluding HP.Expressions of MLH1 and β-catenin showed no statistically significant differences between SuSA and other colorectal lesions(all P>0.05).Conclusions:SuSAs are more common in males,occur mostly in the left colon and rectum,and are often associated with other polyps/adenomas.They might be precursors of KRAS-mutated TSA and microsatellite stable CRC with high malignant potential.RSPO2 and RSPO3 might play an important role in the carcinogenesis of SuSA.

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation (TEAS) on postoperative pain in patients undergoing modified radical mastectomy for breast cancer. METHODS: A total of 140 female patients scheduled for unilateral modified radical mastectomy for breast cancer undergoing general anesthesia were randomized into a TEAS group (70 cases) and a sham TEAS group (70 cases, 2 cases dropped out). Patients in both groups received TEAS or sham TEAS at bilateral Neiguan (PC6), Zusanli (ST36), and Danzhong (CV17), respectively, from 30 min before anesthesia induction until the end of surgery, and on 1st, 2nd, and 3rd days after surgery for 30 min a time, once a day. On 1st, 2nd, and 3rd days after surgery, the pain visual analogue scale (VAS) score was observed; on 3, 6, 12 months after surgery, the incidence rate of chronic pain was observed; before surgery, and on 1st, 3rd, and 7th days after surgery, the serum levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-10 were detected; the number of analgesia pump press, rescue analgesia, and the occurrence of adverse reaction after surgery were recorded in the two groups. RESULTS: In the TEAS group, the VAS scores on 1st and 2nd days after surgery, and the incidence rates of chronic pain on 3 and 6 months after surgery were lower than those in the sham TEAS group (P<0.05). On 1st, 3rd, and 7th days after surgery, the serum levels of TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-10 were increased compared with those before surgery in both groups (P<0.05, P<0.01); the above indexes in the TEAS group were lower than those in the sham TEAS group (P<0.05). The number of analgesia pump press and the incidence rate of rescue analgesia after surgery in the TEAS group were lower than those in the sham TEAS group (P<0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in the incidence of adverse reactions after surgery between the two groups (P>0.05). CONCLUSION TEAS can effectively improve both the postoperative acute pain and chronic pain in patients undergoing modified radical mastectomy for breast cancer, the mechanism may relate to inhibiting the inflammatory reaction.
Humans ; Female ; Acupuncture Points ; Pain, Postoperative/blood* ; Middle Aged ; Breast Neoplasms/surgery* ; Adult ; Transcutaneous Electric Nerve Stimulation ; Mastectomy, Modified Radical/adverse effects* ; Interleukin-6/blood* ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/blood* ; Interleukin-10/blood* ; Aged

Objective: To evaluate the suitability of the existing hemolysis rate standards for locally processed red blood cell components by retrospectively analyzing 5-year hemolysis rate data at the end of storage. Methods: A total of 720 blood samples of three types of red blood cell components from our blood station from January 2019 to December 2023 were collected. Parameters included hemoglobin concentration (Hb), hematocrit (Hct), and free hemoglobin concentration (fHb). Hemolysis rate were taken as the control standard of 0.8% in accordance with the national standard. The hemolysis rates were compared against the national standard threshold of 0.8% (GB18469-2012), and annual trends of the detection parameters were observed. Results: The hemolysis rates (x-+s,%) of leukocyte-depleted whole blood at the end of storage were (0.038±0.023 8) in 2019, (0.049±0.039 5) in 2020, (0.043±0.040 7) in 2021, (0.049±0.030 7) in 2022, and (0.058±0.054 8) in 2023, respectively; The hemolysis rates (x-+s" />,%) of leukocyte-depleted suspended red blood cells at the end of storage were (0.093±0.050 2) in 2019, (0.086±0.049 5) in 2020, (0.123±0.072 3) in 2021, (0.122±0.052 1) in 2022, and (0.106±0.058 6) in 2023, respectively; The hemolysis rates (x-+s,%) of washed red blood cells at the end of storage were (0.127±0.038 2) in 2019, (0.150±0.066 5) in 2020, (0.121±0.052 2) in 2021, (0.124±0.038 9) in 2022, and (0.128±0.044 3) in 2023, respectively. Conclusion: Hemolysis rates at the end of blood storage of three red blood cell components were significantly lower than the limits specified in Quality Requirements for Whole Blood and Components (GB18469-2012), as well as standards from the EU, AABB and the United States. The results demonstrate excellent product quality control. A regional internal control standard of <0.2% is proposed for hemolysis rates at the end of storage.