OBJECTIVES: To investigate the effects of periodontitis induced by Prevotella nigrescens (Pn) combined with ligation on cognitive functions in mice. METHODS: Twenty-four C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into control group, ligation group, and ligation + Pn treatment (P+Pn) group. Experimental periodontitis was induced by silk ligation of the first molars followed by topical application of Pn for 6 weeks. After modeling, alveolar bone resorption was assessed using micro-CT and histological analysis. Learning and memory abilities of the mice were evaluated using open field test (OFT), novel object recognition test (NORT), and Morris water maze test (MWM). Seven weeks after the start of modeling, the mice were sacrificed for examining histopathological changes in the hippocampus using HE and Nissl staining. RESULTS: After 6 weeks of molar ligation, micro-CT revealed horizontal alveolar bone resorption and furcation exposure in the mice, and histological analysis showed apical migration of the junctional epithelium, epithelial ridge hyperplasia, and lymphocyte infiltration, and these changes were obviously worsened in P+Pn group. Alveolar bone height decreased significantly in both ligation groups compared to the control group. Cognitive tests showed that the mice in both of the ligation groups traveled shorter distances in OFT, showed reduced novel object preference in NORT, and exhibited longer escape latencies in MWM, and the mice in P+Pn group had significantly poorer performances in the tests. Histologically, obvious neuronal cytoplasmic degeneration, necrosis, nuclear pyknosis, vacuolation, and reduced Nissl bodies and viable neurons were observed in the hippocampal regions of the mice in the two ligation groups. CONCLUSIONS Pn infection aggravates alveolar bone destruction, accelerates necrosis and causes morphological abnormalities of neuronal cells in the hippocampus to reduce cognitive functions of mice with periodontitis.
Animals ; Periodontitis/microbiology* ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Cognition ; Alveolar Bone Loss ; Hippocampus/pathology* ; Male ; Inflammation ; Maze Learning

Objective:To investigate the stiffness of the gastrocnemius muscle-tendon complex at different ankle joint an-gles and its correlation with foot arch morphology in healthy subjects using shear wave elastography(SWE).Method:Forty healthy subjects were recruited and divided into standard,low-arch,and high-arch groups based on arch height index under load(AHIload).The arch stiffness index was calculated from both loaded and non-loaded arch height.The stiffness of the medial gastrocnemius,lateral gastrocnemius,and achilles tendon were measured by SWE at natural and neutral ankle positions.Result:The stiffness of medial gastrocnemius increased in the low-arch group at the neutral position compared with the high-arch group(P=0.021).The correlation coefficients between the stiffness of medial and lateral gas-trocnemius and the arch stiffness index were 0.355 and 0.484,respectively.The correlation coefficients be-tween passive ankle dorsiflexion range of motion were ﹣0.331 for the medial gastrocnemius and ﹣0.276 for the lateral gastrocnemius.The medial and lateral gastrocnemius stiffness at the natural position did not change with arch height(P>0.05).The stiffness of the achilles tendon at any ankle position showed no significant cor-relation with arch height,arch stiffness index,or passive ankle dorsiflexion range of motion(P>0.05).Conclusion:Individuals with low arches exhibited higher medial gastrocnemius stiffness.Increased arch stiff-ness and decreased passive ankle dorsiflexion were associated with higher medial gastrocnemius stiffness.

Objective To investigate the effects of periodontitis induced by Prevotella nigrescens(Pn)combined with ligation on cognitive functions in mice.Methods Twenty-four C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into control group,ligation group,and ligation+Pn treatment(P+Pn)group.Experimental periodontitis was induced by silk ligation of the first molars followed by topical application of Pn for 6 weeks.After modeling,alveolar bone resorption was assessed using micro-CT and histological analysis.Learning and memory abilities of the mice were evaluated using open field test(OFT),novel object recognition test(NORT),and Morris water maze test(MWM).Seven weeks after the start of modeling,the mice were sacrificed for examining histopathological changes in the hippocampus using HE and Nissl staining.Results After 6 weeks of molar ligation,micro-CT revealed horizontal alveolar bone resorption and furcation exposure in the mice,and histological analysis showed apical migration of the junctional epithelium,epithelial ridge hyperplasia,and lymphocyte infiltration,and these changes were obviously worsened in P+Pn group.Alveolar bone height decreased significantly in both ligation groups compared to the control group.Cognitive tests showed that the mice in both of the ligation groups traveled shorter distances in OFT,showed reduced novel object preference in NORT,and exhibited longer escape latencies in MWM,and the mice in P+Pn group had significantly poorer performances in the tests.Histologically,obvious neuronal cytoplasmic degeneration,necrosis,nuclear pyknosis,vacuolation,and reduced Nissl bodies and viable neurons were observed in the hippocampal regions of the mice in the two ligation groups.Conclusion Pn infection aggravates alveolar bone destruction,accelerates necrosis and causes morphological abnormalities of neuronal cells in the hippocampus to reduce cognitive functions of mice with periodontitis.

Objective To compare the short-term efficacy and safety of transanal natural orifice specimen extraction surgery(Ta-NOSES)and conventional laparoscopic surgery in left-sided colon cancer.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 35 patients with left-sided colon cancer admitted to the anorectal department of the hospital from January 2018 to December 2019.According to the different surgical methods,the patients were divided into experimental group(15 cases)and control group(20 cases).The observation group underwent Ta-NOSES,and the control group underwent conventional laparoscopic surgery.The perioperative related indicators,postoperative complications,postoperative pain scores,postoperative defecation control,short-term postoperative quality of life scores and 5-year postoperative follow-up of the two groups of patients were compared.Results There was no statistically significant difference in the intraoperative blood loss,stoma status and the number of lymph node dissections between the two groups of patients(P>0.05).Moreover,no permanent stoma occurred in either group of patients.The operation time of the experimental group was longer than that of the control group,the first time to get out of bed and move around,the time of the first anal exhaust,the time of the first diet intake and the hospital stay were shorter than those of the control group,the hospitalization cost was significantly lower than that of the control group,the differences were statistically significant(P<0.05).On 1 and 3 days after operation,the VAS scores of the experimental group were significantly lower than those of the control group.At 3 days after operation,the VAS scores of the two groups were significantly lower than those at 1 day after operation,and the differences were statistically significant(P<0.05).There was a statistically significant difference in postoperative Kirwan anal function grading between two groups of patients(P<0.05),with the experimental group having a better grading(higher proportion of grade Ⅰ),the control group had poor grading(with a higher proportion of grades Ⅱ,Ⅲ,and Ⅳ).There was no statistically significant difference in postoperative complications between the two groups of patients(P>0.05).The scores of each item on the Short Form-36(SF-36)in the experimental group were higher than those in the control group at 10 and 20 days after surgery(P<0.05).There was no statistically significant difference in the scores of each item on the SF-36 between the two groups at 30 days after surgery(P>0.05).The distant recurrence rate after surgery in the experimental group was 26.7％,compared with 25.0％in the control group,the difference was not statistically significant(P>0.05).There were no tumor recurrence cases with the original incision site,rectal and intestinal cavity,pelvic cavity and other specimen removal routes in both groups.The 5-year survival rate of the experimental group was 73.3％,which was not statistically significantly different from that of the control group(70.0％)(P>0.05).Conclusion Ta-NOSES in the treatment of left-sided colon cancer can alleviate postoperative pain compared with conventional laparoscopic surgery,promote the recovery of postoperative gastrointestinal function,improve the utilization rate of medical resources,reduce the economic burden of patients,improve the short-term quality of life after surgery,and does not increase the risks of postoperative complications and tumor metastasis and recurrence.It is worthy of clinical promotion and application.

Objective To compare the short-term efficacy and safety of transanal natural orifice specimen extraction surgery(Ta-NOSES)and conventional laparoscopic surgery in left-sided colon cancer.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 35 patients with left-sided colon cancer admitted to the anorectal department of the hospital from January 2018 to December 2019.According to the different surgical methods,the patients were divided into experimental group(15 cases)and control group(20 cases).The observation group underwent Ta-NOSES,and the control group underwent conventional laparoscopic surgery.The perioperative related indicators,postoperative complications,postoperative pain scores,postoperative defecation control,short-term postoperative quality of life scores and 5-year postoperative follow-up of the two groups of patients were compared.Results There was no statistically significant difference in the intraoperative blood loss,stoma status and the number of lymph node dissections between the two groups of patients(P>0.05).Moreover,no permanent stoma occurred in either group of patients.The operation time of the experimental group was longer than that of the control group,the first time to get out of bed and move around,the time of the first anal exhaust,the time of the first diet intake and the hospital stay were shorter than those of the control group,the hospitalization cost was significantly lower than that of the control group,the differences were statistically significant(P<0.05).On 1 and 3 days after operation,the VAS scores of the experimental group were significantly lower than those of the control group.At 3 days after operation,the VAS scores of the two groups were significantly lower than those at 1 day after operation,and the differences were statistically significant(P<0.05).There was a statistically significant difference in postoperative Kirwan anal function grading between two groups of patients(P<0.05),with the experimental group having a better grading(higher proportion of grade Ⅰ),the control group had poor grading(with a higher proportion of grades Ⅱ,Ⅲ,and Ⅳ).There was no statistically significant difference in postoperative complications between the two groups of patients(P>0.05).The scores of each item on the Short Form-36(SF-36)in the experimental group were higher than those in the control group at 10 and 20 days after surgery(P<0.05).There was no statistically significant difference in the scores of each item on the SF-36 between the two groups at 30 days after surgery(P>0.05).The distant recurrence rate after surgery in the experimental group was 26.7％,compared with 25.0％in the control group,the difference was not statistically significant(P>0.05).There were no tumor recurrence cases with the original incision site,rectal and intestinal cavity,pelvic cavity and other specimen removal routes in both groups.The 5-year survival rate of the experimental group was 73.3％,which was not statistically significantly different from that of the control group(70.0％)(P>0.05).Conclusion Ta-NOSES in the treatment of left-sided colon cancer can alleviate postoperative pain compared with conventional laparoscopic surgery,promote the recovery of postoperative gastrointestinal function,improve the utilization rate of medical resources,reduce the economic burden of patients,improve the short-term quality of life after surgery,and does not increase the risks of postoperative complications and tumor metastasis and recurrence.It is worthy of clinical promotion and application.

Objective:To investigate the stiffness of the gastrocnemius muscle-tendon complex at different ankle joint an-gles and its correlation with foot arch morphology in healthy subjects using shear wave elastography(SWE).Method:Forty healthy subjects were recruited and divided into standard,low-arch,and high-arch groups based on arch height index under load(AHIload).The arch stiffness index was calculated from both loaded and non-loaded arch height.The stiffness of the medial gastrocnemius,lateral gastrocnemius,and achilles tendon were measured by SWE at natural and neutral ankle positions.Result:The stiffness of medial gastrocnemius increased in the low-arch group at the neutral position compared with the high-arch group(P=0.021).The correlation coefficients between the stiffness of medial and lateral gas-trocnemius and the arch stiffness index were 0.355 and 0.484,respectively.The correlation coefficients be-tween passive ankle dorsiflexion range of motion were ﹣0.331 for the medial gastrocnemius and ﹣0.276 for the lateral gastrocnemius.The medial and lateral gastrocnemius stiffness at the natural position did not change with arch height(P>0.05).The stiffness of the achilles tendon at any ankle position showed no significant cor-relation with arch height,arch stiffness index,or passive ankle dorsiflexion range of motion(P>0.05).Conclusion:Individuals with low arches exhibited higher medial gastrocnemius stiffness.Increased arch stiff-ness and decreased passive ankle dorsiflexion were associated with higher medial gastrocnemius stiffness.

OBJECTIVE To establish and validate a rat liver micronucleus test(LMNT)method based on fixation of liver tissue with 4%neutral formaldehyde(HCHO fixation)for preparation of hepa-tocytes(HEPs).METHODS ①The LMNT based on neutral HCHO fixation(HCHO fixation-LMNT)was established using the liver micronucleus positive compound N-nitrosodiethylamine(DEN).SD rats were divided into female and male groups,and each group was randomly subdivided into the vehicle control group and DEN 12.5 mg·kg-1 group,with five rats in each.The rats were ig administered with normal saline and DEN once a day for 14 consecutive days,after which liver tissues were collected.Some of the tissue was digested with collagenase to prepare HEP suspension,and the remaining tissue was used to prepare HEP suspension with HCHO fixation.After staining with SYBR Gold,the number of micronucleated hepatocytes(MN-HEP)and the number of HEPs in the mitotic phase were counted under a microscope.The micronucleus rate of HEP(MN-HEP rate)and the mitotic index were calculated,and an MN-HEP rate>0.07%was considered positive.②Male SD rats were divided into the quinoline(30,60,120 mg·kg-1)group,N-nitrosoopyrrolidine(NPYR,25,50,100 mg·kg-1)group,vehicle control group(deionized water for NPYR,and corn oil for quinoline),and positive control DEN(12.5 mg·kg-1)group,with 5-6 rats per group,and were ig administrated for 15 consecutive days.Body mass was recorded daily,and at the end of the experiment,the liver was removed to record the total liver weight,and calculate the liver coefficient.Liver function-related serum biochemical indicators including glutamic-pyruvic transaminase(GPT),glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase(GOT)activities,and levels of total bili-rubin(T-BIL)were measured and direct bilirubin(D-BIL)using an automatic biochemical analyzer.The MN-HEP rate was determined using the collagenase digestion and HCHO fixation methods,and the peripheral blood MN assay and hepatocellular carcinoma comet assay were conducted to evaluate the genotoxicity of quinoline and NPYR.RESULTS ① Compared with the corresponding vehicle control groups(0.069%and 0.030%),the MN-HEP rate of male rats treated with DEN by formalin-LMNT was 1.10%,and the MN-HEP rate of female ones was 0.82%,both significantly increased(P<0.05).Com-pared with corresponding vehicle control groups(0.060%and 0.030%),the MN-HEP rate of male rats treated with DEN by collagenase digestion-LMNT was 1.45%,and that of female rats was 0.46%,both significantly increased(P<0.05),which were considered positive.The MN-HEP rate of male rats was significantly higher than that of females with both methods(P<0.05).There was no significant differ-ence in mitotic indexes between the DEN groups by collagenase digestion-LMNT and HCHO fixation-LMNT in male and female rats compared to corresponding vehicle control groups.② Compared to the vehicle control group,the body mass of rats in the NPYR 50 and 100 mg·kg-1 groups was significantly reduced 7 to 14 days into the ig administration(P<0.01),and the DEN group showed a significant reduction at days 8 to 14(P<0.01).The body mass of rats in the quinoline 120 mg·kg-1 group was signifi-cantly reduced 4 to 14 days into the ig administration(P<0.01),and the DEN group showed a signifi-cant reduction at days 10 to 14(P<0.05).Compared to the vehicle control group,both the liver weight and liver coefficient were significantly reduced in the NPYR 100 mg·kg-1 group(P<0.01)and the DEN group(P<0.05).The liver weight(P<0.01)and liver coefficient(P<0.05)were significantly increased in the quinoline 60 and 120 mg·kg-1 groups.Compared to the vehicle control group,the serum T-BIL level was significantly increased in the DEN group(P<0.01),and the activities of GPT and GOT,as well as the levels of D-BIL and T-BIL,were significantly increased in the NPYR 100 mg·kg-1 group(P<0.01).There were no significant changes in the NPYR 25,50 mg·kg-1 groups or any of the dose groups of quinoline.The MN-HEP rate by HCHO fixation-LMNT for NPYR was slightly higher than that by collage-nase digestion-LMNT,both considered positive.Compared with corresponding control group,the MN-HEP rate by formalin-LMNT for NPYR and the MN-HEP rate by collagenase digestion for NPYR were both significantly increased(P<0.05).The MN-HEP rate by HCHO fixation-LMNT for quinoline was comparable to that by collagenase digestion-LMNT,both considered positive.Compared with corresponding vehicle control group,the MN-HEP rate by HCHO fixation-LMNT for quinoline and the MN-HEP rate by collagenase digestion-LMNT for quinoline were both significantly increased(P<0.05).The correlation between the MN-HEP rates based on HCHO fixation and collagenase digestion for NPYR and quinoline was good(R2=0.8614 and 0.9279,respectively).In the NPYR groups,the periph-eral blood micronucleus assay were negative,while the comet assay results were positive.In the quino-line group,both the peripheral blood micronucleus assay and the comet assay results were negative.CON-CLUSION The HCHO fixation-LMNT has been established and validated,and the sensitivity of the LMNT method based on HCHO fixation-LMNT for detection of hepatocarcinogens is higher than that of collagenase digestion-LMNT.

Objective To observe the value of semi-quantitative parameters related to gated myocardial perfusion imaging(G-MPI)for predicting occurrence of major adverse cardiovascular events(MACE)in patients with chronic kidney disease(CKD).Methods Totally 148 CKD patients who underwent rest G-MPI(R-GMPI)(R-GMPI group,n=95)or stress/rest G-MPI(S/R-GMPI)(S/R-GMPI group,n=53)were retrospectively included.The patients were categorized into MACE subgroup and non-MACE subgroup according to MACE occurred or not during follow-up.Clinical data and G-MPI parameters were compared between subgroups,and independent predictors of MACE in CKD patients were obtained using multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression analysis.Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was drawn,the area under the curve(AUC)was calculated to assess the efficacy of each independent predictor for predicting MACE.Among patients who underwent only R-GMPI,the optimal cut-off value of each parameter for predicting MACE was obtained by ROC curve analysis,and the risk of MACE was stratified,then Kaplan-Meier curves were drawn and compared with log-rank test.Results Among 95 patients who underwent only R-GMPI,compared with non-MACE subgroup,those in MACE subgroup had smaller body mass index(BMI)and higher proportion of previous myocardial infarction and hemodialysis,as well as higher R-GMPI left ventricle end-diastolic volume(R-LVEDV),left ventricle end-systolic volume(R-LVESV),sum rest score(R-SRS)but lower left ventricle ejection fraction(R-LVEF)(all P＜0.05),while R-SRS(HR=1.068,95％CI[1.027,1.110])and R-LVESV(HR=1.011,95％CI[1.005,1.017])were both independent predictors for MACE(both P＜0.05).Among 53 patients who underwent S/R-GMPI,compared with non-MACE subgroup,those in MACE subgroup had with higher blood creatinine and lower estimated glomerular filtration rate(eGFR),higher S-LVESV,R-LVEDV,sum stress score(SSS),SRS and sum difference score(SDS)(all P＜0.05),and SDS(HR=1.454,95％CI[1.063,1.989])was an independent predictor for MACE(P＜0.05).Among 95 CKD patients who underwent only R-GMPI,AUC of R-SRS and R-LVESV alone for predicting MACE was 0.659 and 0.694,respectively,and higher incidence of MACE was found in those w ith R-SRS ≥8 points,also in those with R-LVESV ≥91 ml(both P＜0.05).Conclusion G-MPI could be used to evaluate myocardial perfusion and function in CKD patients.For CKD patients just underwent only R-GMPI,R-SRS and R-LVESV were independent predictors for MACE,whereas SDS might be utilized to predict MACE in CKD patients who could undergo S/R-GMPI.

Objective:To evaluate the predictive value of stress+ rest gated myocardial perfusion imaging (G-MPI) in assessing all-cause mortality risk in patients with familial hypercholesterolemia (FH).Methods:From June 2010 to March 2022, 72 patients (39 males, 33 females; age (21.1±12.3) years) who diagnosed with FH clinically and genetically and underwent stress+ rest G-MPI in Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University were retrospectively followed up. Image analysis was performed using the 17-segment 5-point method to obtain left ventricular myocardial perfusion and functional parameters. Patients were followed for all-cause mortality events, and predictors associated with the risk of all-cause mortality were analyzed using Cox regression. The efficiencies of predictors were evaluated by ROC curve analysis, and the Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank test were used to compare the differences in the incidence of all-cause mortality in different groups of patients with FH. Independent-sample t test or Mann-Whitney U test was used to analyze the data. Results:The follow-up time of 72 patients was 7(4, 10) years, and all-cause death occurred in 16(22.2%) patients during the follow-up period. There were statistically significant differences in total cholesterol (TC), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDLC), summed stress score (SSS), summed rest score (SRS), summed difference score (SDS), stress end-systolic volume (SESV), stress ejection fraction (SEF), rest end-diastolic volume (REDV), rest end-systolic volume (RESV) and rest ejection fraction (REF) between the death group and the survival group ( t values: from -2.65 to 4.47, z values: from -3.43 to -1.98, all P<0.05). Cox regression analysis showed that SDS (hazard ratio ( HR)=1.337, 95% CI: 1.114-1.604, P=0.002), SESV ( HR=1.019, 95% CI: 1.008-1.030, P<0.001) and LDLC ( HR=1.355, 95% CI: 1.049-1.749, P=0.020) were independent predictors associated with the risk of all-cause mortality in patients with FH. The optimal cut-off value of SESV for predicting mortality in patients with FH determined by ROC curve analysis was 35.5 ml, with the AUC of 0.701 (95% CI: 0.517-0.885). The incidence of all-cause mortality in the group with SESV≥35.5 ml was significantly higher than that in the group with SESV<35.5 ml (28.6% vs 6.9%; χ2=5.15, P=0.023). Conclusion:Stress+ rest G-MPI is an important imaging method for all-cause mortality risk assessment in patients with FH, and SDS, SESV and LDLC are important factors in predicting mortality in patients with FH.

Surgical operation is the main treatment of oral and maxillofacial tumors.Dysphagia is a common postoperative complication.Swal-lowing disorder can not only lead to mis-aspiration,malnutrition,aspiration pneumonia and other serious consequences,but also may cause psychological problems and social communication barriers,affecting the quality of life of the patients.At present,there is no systematic evalua-tion and rehabilitation management plan for the problem of swallowing disorder after oral and maxillofacial tumor surgery in China.Combining the characteristics of postoperative swallowing disorder in patients with oral and maxillofacial tumors,summarizing the clinical experience of ex-perts in the field of tumor and rehabilitation,reviewing and summarizing relevant literature at home and abroad,and through joint discussion and modification,a group of national experts reached this consensus including the core contents of the screening of swallowing disorders,the phased assessment of prognosis and complications,and the implementation plan of comprehensive management such as nutrition management,respiratory management,swallowing function recovery,psychology and nursing during rehabilitation treatment,in order to improve the evalua-tion and rehabilitation of swallowing disorder after oral and maxillofacial tumor surgery in clinic.