BACKGROUND: The main cause of restenosis after percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) is the excessive proliferation and migration of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). Lin28a has been reported to play critical regulatory roles in this process. However, whether CCAAT/enhancer-binding proteins β (C/EBPβ) binds to the Lin28a promoter and drives the progression of restenosis has not been clarified. Therefore, in the present study, we aim to clarify the role of C/EBPβ-Lin28a axis in restenosis. METHODS: Restenosis and atherosclerosis rat models of type 2 diabetes ( n   =  20, for each group) were established by subjecting to PTA. Subsequently, the difference in DNA methylation status and expression of C/EBPβ between the two groups were assessed. EdU, Transwell, and rescue assays were performed to assess the effect of C/EBPβ on the proliferation and migration of VSMCs. DNA methylation status was further assessed using Methyltarget sequencing. The interaction between Lin28a and ten-eleven translocation 1 (TET1) was analysed using co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP) assay. Student's t -test and one-way analysis of variance were used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: C/EBPβ expression was upregulated and accompanied by hypomethylation of its promoter in restenosis when compared with atherosclerosis. In vitroC/EBPβ overexpression facilitated the proliferation and migration of VSMCs and was associated with increased Lin28a expression. Conversely, C/EBPβ knockdown resulted in the opposite effects. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assays further demonstrated that C/EBPβ could directly bind to Lin28a promoter. Increased C/EBPβ expression and enhanced proliferation and migration of VSMCs were observed after decitabine treatment. Further, mechanical stretch promoted C/EBPβ and Lin28a expression accompanied by C/EBPβ hypomethylation. Additionally, Lin28a overexpression reduced C/EBPβ methylation via recruiting TET1 and enhanced C/EBPβ-mediated proliferation and migration of VSMCs. The opposite was noted in Lin28a knockdown cells. CONCLUSION Our findings suggest that the C/EBPβ-Lin28a axis is a driver of restenosis progression, and presents a promising therapeutic target for restenosis.
Animals ; Cell Proliferation/genetics* ; Cell Movement/genetics* ; Muscle, Smooth, Vascular/metabolism* ; Rats ; DNA Methylation/physiology* ; CCAAT-Enhancer-Binding Protein-beta/genetics* ; Male ; Myocytes, Smooth Muscle/cytology* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; RNA-Binding Proteins/genetics* ; Cells, Cultured ; Coronary Restenosis/metabolism*

OBJECTIVE: By analyzing the differential miRNA in seminal plasma between individuals with normal and abnormal sperm DNA fragmentation index（DFI）, we aim to identify miRNA that may impact sperm DNA integrity and target genes, and attempt to analyze their potential mechanisms of action. METHODS: A total of 161 study subjects were collected and divided into normal control group, DFI-medium group and DFI-abnormal group based on the DFI detection values. Differential miRNA were identified through miRNA chip analysis. Through bioinformatics analysis and target gene prediction, miRNA related to DFI and specific target genes were identified. The relative expression levels of differential miRNA and target genes in each group were compared to explore the impact of their differential expression on DFI. RESULTS: Through miRNA chip analysis, a total of 11 differential miRNA were detected. Bioinformatics analysis suggested that miR-26a-5p may be associated with reduced sperm DNA integrity. And gene prediction indicated that PTEN was a specific target gene of miR-26a-5p. Compared to the normal control group, the relative expression levels of miR-26a-5p in both the DFI-medium group and the DFI-abnormal group showed a decrease, while the relative expression levels of PTEN showed an increase. The relative expression levels of miR-26a-5p in all groups were negatively correlated with DFI values, while the relative expression levels of PTEN showed a positive correlation with DFI values in the DFI-medium group and the DFI-abnormal group. The AUC of miR-26a-5p in the DFI-medium group was 0.740 (P<0.05), with a sensitivity of 73.6% and a specificity of 71.5%; the AUC of PTEN was 0.797 (P<0.05), with a sensitivity of 76.5% and a specificity of 78.4%. In the DFI-abnormal group, the AUC of miR-26a-5p was 0.848 (P<0.05), with a sensitivity of 81.3% and a specificity of 78.1%. While the AUC of PTEN was 0.763 (P<0.05), with a sensitivity of 77.2% and a specificity of 80.2%. CONCLUSION miR-26a-5p affects the integrity of sperm DNA by regulating the expression of PTEN negatively. The relative expression levels of seminal plasma miR-26a-5p and PTEN have good diagnostic value for sperm DNA integrity damage, which can help in the etiological diagnosis and prognosis analysis of abnormal DFI. This provides a diagnostic and treatment approach for the study and diagnosis of DFI abnormalities without clear etiology.
Male ; Humans ; MicroRNAs/genetics* ; PTEN Phosphohydrolase/genetics* ; Spermatozoa ; Semen/metabolism* ; DNA Fragmentation

BACKGROUND: The correlation between geriatric nutritional risk index (GNRI) and the prognosis of patients with osteoporosis or osteopenia has not been studied. This study aims to explore the relationship between GNRI and the cardiovascular disease (CVD) and all-cause mortality rates in elderly patients with osteoporosis or osteopenia. METHODS: This study included 4756 patients with osteoporosis and osteopenia from five cycles of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). We used multivariable Cox regression and subgroup analyses to investigate the correlation between GNRI and mortality rates. The restricted cubic spline analysis was used to assess the dose-response relationship between GNRI and mortality risk. Mediation analysis was conducted to examine the mediating effect of chronic kidney disease on the relationship between nutritional risk and mortality. RESULTS: During a median follow-up period of 114 months, a total of 1241 deaths (26.09%) occurred, including 300 deaths due to CVD (6.31%). In the fully adjusted Model 3, compared to the no-risk group, the risk group showed significantly increased all-cause mortality risk (HR = 2.05, 95% CI: 1.74-2.40) and CVD mortality risk (HR = 1.88, 95% CI: 1.30-2.71). The restricted cubic spline analysis indicated a non-linear association between GNRI and all-cause mortality risk as well as CVD mortality risk. The mediation analysis results indicated that chronic kidney disease mediates 16.9% of the effect of nutritional risk on all-cause mortality and 25.3% on CVD mortality risk. CONCLUSIONS GNRI can serve as a predictive factor for all-cause and CVD mortality rates in elderly patients with osteoporosis or osteopenia.

With the increasing proportion of human papilloma virus(HPV)infection in the pathogenic factors of oro-pharyngeal cancer,a series of changes have occurred in the surgical treatment.While the treatment mode has been im-proved,there are still many problems,including the inconsistency between diagnosis and treatment modes,the lack of popularization of reconstruction technology,the imperfect post-treatment rehabilitation system,and the lack of effective preventive measures.Especially in terms of treatment mode for early oropharyngeal cancer,there is no unified conclu-sion whether it is surgery alone or radiotherapy alone,and whether robotic minimally invasive surgery has better func-tional protection than radiotherapy.For advanced oropharyngeal cancer,there is greater controversy over the treatment mode.It is still unclear whether to adopt a non-surgical treatment mode of synchronous chemoradiotherapy or induction chemotherapy combined with synchronous chemoradiotherapy,or a treatment mode of surgery combined with postopera-tive chemoradiotherapy.In order to standardize the surgical treatment of oropharyngeal cancer in China and clarify the indications for surgical treatment of oropharyngeal cancer,this expert consensus,based on the characteristics and treat-ment status of oropharyngeal cancer in China and combined with the international latest theories and practices,forms consensus opinions in multiple aspects of preoperative evaluation,surgical indication determination,primary tumor re-section,neck lymph node dissection,postoperative defect repair,postoperative complication management prognosis and follow-up of oropharyngeal cancer patients.The key points include:① Before the treatment of oropharyngeal cancer,the expression of P16 protein should be detected to clarify HPV status;② Perform enhanced magnetic resonance imaging of the maxillofacial region before surgery to evaluate the invasion of oropharyngeal cancer and guide precise surgical resec-tion of oropharyngeal cancer.Evaluating mouth opening and airway status is crucial for surgical approach decisions and postoperative risk prediction;③ For oropharyngeal cancer patients who have to undergo major surgery and cannot eat for one to two months,it is recommended to undergo percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy before surgery to effectively improve their nutritional intake during treatment;④ Early-stage oropharyngeal cancer patients may opt for either sur-gery alone or radiation therapy alone.For intermediate and advanced stages,HPV-related oropharyngeal cancer general-ly prioritizes radiation therapy,with concurrent chemotherapy considered based on tumor staging.Surgical treatment is recommended as the first choice for HPV unrelated oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma(including primary and re-current)and recurrent HPV related oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma after radiotherapy and chemotherapy;⑤ For primary exogenous T1-2 oropharyngeal cancer,direct surgery through the oral approach or da Vinci robotic sur-gery is preferred.For T3-4 patients with advanced oropharyngeal cancer,it is recommended to use temporary mandibu-lectomy approach and lateral pharyngotomy approach for surgery as appropriate;⑥ For cT1-2N0 oropharyngeal cancer patients with tumor invasion depth＞3 mm and cT3-4N0 HPV unrelated oropharyngeal cancer patients,selective neck dissection of levels ⅠB to Ⅳ is recommended.For cN+HPV unrelated oropharyngeal cancer patients,therapeutic neck dissection in regions Ⅰ-Ⅴ is advised;⑦ If PET-CT scan at 12 or more weeks after completion of radiation shows intense FDG uptake in any node,or imaging suggests continuous enlargement of lymph nodes,the patient should undergo neck dissection;⑧ For patients with suspected extracapsular invasion preoperatively,lymph node dissection should include removal of surrounding muscle and adipose connective tissue;⑨ The reconstruction of oropharyngeal cancer defects should follow the principle of reconstruction steps,with priority given to adjacent flaps,followed by distal pedicled flaps,and finally free flaps.The anterolateral thigh flap with abundant tissue can be used as the preferred flap for large-scale postoperative defects.

Objective To investigate the safety and efficacy of novel bioabsorbable vascular scaffold(BVS)in the treatment of patients with complex coronary artery disease.Methods This was a retrospective,matched,single-center observational study.45 patients with coronary atherosclerotic cardiopathy received BVS treatment in the cardiovascular medicine department Department of the Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University from June 2020 to June 2021(BVS),and 45 patients treated with drug-eluting stents(DES)group were selected according to matching study requirements during the same period.Baseline,surgical,and follow-up data were compared between the two groups to evaluate safety and efficacy.The main measures of safety were:surgical time,intraoperative adverse events,etc.,and the end point of efficacy was target lesion failure(TLF),including cardiac death,target vessel myocardial infarction,and ischa-driven target lesion revascularization.Results A total of 90 patients were enrolled in this study,all of whom were followed up for at least 3 years.There were 20 cases of bifurcation lesions and 25 cases of diffuse long lesions in the two groups,and 50 cases of imaging were reviewed among the 90 patients.The proportion of stable coronary heart disease,history of diabetes,history of hypertension,history of smoking,pre-dilated balloon pressure and postoperative diastolic blood pressure in BVS group was higher than that in DES group,and the proportion of family history was lower than that in DES group(all P＜0.05).There were no statistically significant differences in the rates of cardiac death,target vessel myocardial infarction,and ischemia-driven revascularization of target lesions between the two groups(all P＞0.05).Binary Logistic regression model analysis showed that the diameter stenosis ratio of target lesions was an independent risk factor for intrastent restenosis(OR 2.786,95％CI 1.096-7.081,P=0.031).Conclusions Compared with traditional DES,BVS implantation has consistent safety and efficacy in the treatment of complex coronary artery disease within 3 years.The diameter stenosis ratio of target lesions was an independent risk factor for intrastent restenosis.

Objective To design a modularization-based ultrasound biomicroscopy to solve the problems of the existing ultra-sound biomicroscopy in large size,display terminal and scanning probe manipulation inflexibility.Methods The modulariza-tion-based ultrasound biomicroscopy was composed of an acquisition module and an upper computer module.The acquisition module was made up of a scanning probe module,a host module and a power adapter module,in which the scan-ning probe module adopted a small-angle sector scanning scheme and consisted of an ultrasonic transducer,a preamplification circuit and a motor drive device,the host module included a field programmable gate array(FPGA)control unit,an ultrasonic emission circuit,a motor drive circuit,a gain adjustment circuit,a postamplification circuit and a USB communication interface.The upper computer module was compatible with Android and Windows platforms,which had the program developed with Java language and Eclipse(V4.5)platform for Android platform and Microsoft Visual Studio 2015 and MFC platform for Windows platform.Results The ultrasound biomicroscopy developed had the lateral and axial resolutions reaching 50 μm and could display skin and eye images clearly.Conclusion The ultrasound biomicroscopy developed behaves well in performance,portability and manipulation inflexibility,and thus can be used for clinical high-definition image acquisition.[Chinese Medical Equipment Journal,2023,44(9):19-23]

About 8 dental schools were founded by Chinese dentists during modern times (1909-1949) in China. Only one still worked after the founding of the People's Republic of China, which was one of the three dental schools founded by dentist Situ Bo. There were no systematic researches on Situ Bo's participation in dentistry education. This paper analyzes the founder's experience in dentistry and in the two schools he founded at the beginning, focusing on the background and process of the schools' construction, management, teaching, teachers and students training, etc. The results show that the establishment of the first two dental schools have laid important foundation for the establishment and development of Shanghai Dental College by the reserve of trained professional teachers and accumulated valuable experience in running schools. The systematic review of this history will help us better understand the establishment and development of Shanghai Dental College and the efforts in dentistry education made by dentists growed up in modern China, as well as the early development process of stomatology.

Objective: This cross-sectional investigation aimed to determine the incidence, clinical characteristics, prognosis, and related risk factors of olfactory and gustatory dysfunctions related to infection with the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron strain in mainland China. Methods: Data of patients with SARS-CoV-2 from December 28, 2022, to February 21, 2023, were collected through online and offline questionnaires from 45 tertiary hospitals and one center for disease control and prevention in mainland China. The questionnaire included demographic information, previous health history, smoking and alcohol drinking, SARS-CoV-2 vaccination, olfactory and gustatory function before and after infection, other symptoms after infection, as well as the duration and improvement of olfactory and gustatory dysfunction. The self-reported olfactory and gustatory functions of patients were evaluated using the Olfactory VAS scale and Gustatory VAS scale. Results: A total of 35 566 valid questionnaires were obtained, revealing a high incidence of olfactory and taste dysfunctions related to infection with the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron strain (67.75%). Females(χ2=367.013, P<0.001) and young people(χ2=120.210, P<0.001) were more likely to develop these dysfunctions. Gender(OR=1.564, 95%CI: 1.487-1.645), SARS-CoV-2 vaccination status (OR=1.334, 95%CI: 1.164-1.530), oral health status (OR=0.881, 95%CI: 0.839-0.926), smoking history (OR=1.152, 95%CI=1.080-1.229), and drinking history (OR=0.854, 95%CI: 0.785-0.928) were correlated with the occurrence of olfactory and taste dysfunctions related to SARS-CoV-2(above P<0.001). 44.62% (4 391/9 840) of the patients who had not recovered their sense of smell and taste also suffered from nasal congestion, runny nose, and 32.62% (3 210/9 840) suffered from dry mouth and sore throat. The improvement of olfactory and taste functions was correlated with the persistence of accompanying symptoms(χ2=10.873, P=0.001). The average score of olfactory and taste VAS scale was 8.41 and 8.51 respectively before SARS-CoV-2 infection, but decreased to3.69 and 4.29 respectively after SARS-CoV-2 infection, and recovered to 5.83and 6.55 respectively at the time of the survey. The median duration of olfactory and gustatory dysfunctions was 15 days and 12 days, respectively, with 0.5% (121/24 096) of patients experiencing these dysfunctions for more than 28 days. The overall self-reported improvement rate of smell and taste dysfunctions was 59.16% (14 256/24 096). Gender(OR=0.893, 95%CI: 0.839-0.951), SARS-CoV-2 vaccination status (OR=1.334, 95%CI: 1.164-1.530), history of head and facial trauma(OR=1.180, 95%CI: 1.036-1.344, P=0.013), nose (OR=1.104, 95%CI: 1.042-1.171, P=0.001) and oral (OR=1.162, 95%CI: 1.096-1.233) health status, smoking history(OR=0.765, 95%CI: 0.709-0.825), and the persistence of accompanying symptoms (OR=0.359, 95%CI: 0.332-0.388) were correlated with the recovery of olfactory and taste dysfunctions related to SARS-CoV-2 (above P<0.001 except for the indicated values). Conclusion: The incidence of olfactory and taste dysfunctions related to infection with the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron strain is high in mainland China, with females and young people more likely to develop these dysfunctions. Active and effective intervention measures may be required for cases that persist for a long time. The recovery of olfactory and taste functions is influenced by several factors, including gender, SARS-CoV-2 vaccination status, history of head and facial trauma, nasal and oral health status, smoking history, and persistence of accompanying symptoms.
Female ; Humans ; Adolescent ; SARS-CoV-2 ; Smell ; COVID-19/complications* ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; COVID-19 Vaccines ; Incidence ; Olfaction Disorders/etiology* ; Taste Disorders/etiology* ; Prognosis

This study explores the effect of apigenin(APG), oxymatrine(OMT), and APG+OMT on the proliferation of non-small cell lung cancer cell lines and the underlying mechanisms. Cell counting kit-8(CCK-8) assay was used to detect the vitality of A549 and NCI-H1975 cells, and colony formation assay to evaluate the colony formation ability of the cells. EdU assay was employed to examine the proliferation of NCI-H1975 cells. RT-qPCR and Western blot were performed to detect the mRNA and protein expression of PLOD2. Molecular docking was carried out to explore the direct action ability and action sites between APG/OMT and PLOD2/EGFR. Western blot was used to study the expression of related proteins in EGFR pathway. The viability of A549 and NCI-H1975 cells was inhibited by APG and APG+OMT at 20, 40, and 80 μmol·L~(-1) in a dose-dependent manner. The colony formation ability of NCI-H1975 cells was significantly suppressed by APG and APG+OMT. The mRNA and protein expression of PLOD2 was significantly inhibited by APG and APG+OMT. In addition, APG and OMT had strong binding activity with PLOD2 and EGFR. In APG and APG+OMT groups, the expression of EGFR and proteins in its downstream signaling pathways was significantly down-regulated. It is concluded that APG in combination with OMT could inhibit non-small lung cancer, and the mechanism may be related to EGFR and its downstream signaling pathways. This study lays a new theoretical basis for the clinical treatment of non-small cell lung cancer with APG in combination with OMT and provides a reference for further research on the anti-tumor mechanism of APG in combination with OMT.
Humans ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung ; Lung Neoplasms ; Apigenin ; Molecular Docking Simulation ; Alkaloids ; Quinolizines ; RNA, Messenger ; ErbB Receptors