Objective To establish a human monocytic THP-1 macrophage-derived foam cell model and analyze the role of the α subunit of coatomer protein Ⅰ(α-COP)in apolipoprotein A-1(apoA-1)-mediated cholesterol efflux from foam cells.Methods THP-1 cells were induced to adhere using PMA(PMA group),followed by treatment with acetylated low-density lipoprotein(Ac-LDL)to generate macrophage-derived foam cells(Ac-LDL group).Subsequent incubation with apoA-1 formed the apoA-1 group.Cholesterol efflux rates mediated by apoA-1 and intracellular lipid accumulation were quantified through liquid scintillation counting and oil red O staining.The expression patterns of α-COP were systematically analyzed using quantitative real-time PCR(qPCR),Western blotting,and laser scanning confocal microscopy.THP-1 macrophage-derived foam cells mediated by apoA-1 were transduced with scrambled shRNA(Scr group)or α-COP-specific shRNA lentivirus(α-COP shRNA group)to assess the effects of α-COP knockdown on cholesterol efflux efficiency and total cellular cholesterol content.Subcellular localization of adipopoilin(ADFP)and cholesterol probe Fil-ipin Ⅲ staining patterns were visualized via laser scanning confocal microscopy.Bioinformatics analysis of α-COP expression profiles in carotid atherosclerotic plaques was performed using datasets from the GEO data-base.Results Compared with the Ac-LDL group,the cholesterol efflux rate in the apoA-1 group was signifi-cantly increased[(9.77±0.79)%vs.(2.74±0.37)%,P＜0.001].Oil red O staining demonstrated reduced lipid accumulation in foam cells of the apoA-1 group compared with the Ac-LDL group.The relative mRNA expression level of α-COP in the apoA-1 group was significantly higher than that in the Ac-LDL group(P＜0.001),with corresponding elevation in protein expression(P＜0.001).Fluorescence intensity analysis re-vealed increased mean fluorescence intensity of α-COP in the apoA-1 group compared with the Ac-LDL group.Following α-COP knockdown by shRNA,the apoA-1-mediated cholesterol efflux rate was significantly de-creased(P＜0.05)and total intracellular cholesterol levels were increased(P＜0.001)in the α-COP shRNA group compared with the Scr group.The α-COP shRNA group exhibited enhanced red fluorescence intensity of ADFP(P＜0.05)and increased blue fluorescence intensity of Filipin Ⅲ(P＜0.01)compared with the Scr group.Database analysis indicated that α-COP mRNA expression was lower in carotid atherosclerotic plaques than in normal arterial tissues,with reduced expression in advanced-stage plaques compared with early-stage plaques(P＜0.05).Conclusion α-COP participates in apoA-1-mediated cholesterol efflux from foam cells,and interference with α-COP expression results in reduced cholesterol efflux and increased intracellular lipid accumulation.

Objective To explore the impact of ondansetron's use within 24 h before delirium assess-ment in ICU patients on the risk of delirium occurrence.Methods All data were derived from the Critical Care Medical Information Database(MIMIC)-Ⅲ,MIMIC-Ⅳ and the eICU Collaborative Research Database.The research subjects were the patients who were admitted to ICU for treatment for the first time and had re-cords of delirium assessment.The research variable was whether ondansetron was used within 24 h before de-lirium assessment.The main observation indicator was whether delirium occurred after the patient entering to ICU,and whether the patient died during hospitalization or was discharged and returned home was taken as the secondary observation indicator.The propensity score matching eliminated confounding factors,and the stepwise logistic regression and nearest neighbor matching were used to analyze the influencing factors.Results A total of 78 364 patients had the delirium assessment records,among them 22 158 patients had the positive assessment results.A total of 294 patients who used ondansetron within 24 h before delirium assess-ment were taken as the ondansetron group,and 78 070 patients who did not use ondansetron were taken as the control group.Propensity score matching corrected most of the covariates between the two groups.The results of multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the use of ondansetron was a protective factor for the delirium occurrence(OR=0.72,95％CI:0.53-0.96),and the results of nearest neighbor matching analysis also supported this association(OR=0.48,95％CI:0.31-0.76).However,the use of ondansetron had no effect on the outcome of in-hospital death or discharge home for critically ill patients(P＞0.05).Conclusion Ondansetron may be an effective drug for the prevention or treatment of delirium in critically ill patients.

Objective To investigate the effect of asperuloside(ASP)on the malignant progression and chemotherapy resistance of hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)cells by regulating the supersonic hedgehog(SHH)/glioma-associated oncogene homolog 1(GLI1)signaling pathway.Methods The expression of SHH and GLI1 protein in human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line(SMMC-7721)/adriamycin(ADM)and SMMC-7721 cell line were detected by Western blot(WB).The HCC drug-resistant cell line SMMC-7721/ADM were divided into Control group,ADM group,L-ASP group(1 mmol/L ASP),M-ASP group(2 mmol/L ASP),H-ASP group(3 mmol/L ASP),ASP+PM group(1 μmol/L SHH/GLI1 signaling pathway activator PM).Ex-cept for Control group,5 μg/mL ADM was added to each group.The effect of ASP on the proliferation of SMMC-7721/ADM cells was detected by cell counting kit-8(CCK8)assay and plate cloning assay.The effect of ASP on the invasion and migration of SMMC-7721/ADM cells were detected by Transwell assay.The effect of ASP on the apoptosis of SMMC-7721/ADM cells was detected by flow cytometry.The expression of SHH,GLI1,proliferating cell nuclear antigen(PCNA),matrix metalloproteinase-9(MMP-9)and B cell lymphoma-2 associated X protein(Bax)in SMMC-7721/ADM cells were detected by WB.Animal experiments verified the effect of ASP on the growth of HCC xenografts and the expression of SHH/GLI1 signaling pathway proteins.Results The expression of SHH and GLI1 in SMMC-7721/ADM cells were higher than those in SMMC-7721 cells(P＜0.05).L-ASP group,M-ASP group and H-ASP group decreased the proliferation,migration and in-vasion of SMMC-7721/ADM cells in a dose-dependent manner,decreased the expression of SHH,GLI1,PCNA and MMP-9,and promoted cell apoptosis and Bax expression(P＜0.05).SHH/GLI1 signaling pathway acti-vator PM could reverse the inhibitory effect of H-ASP treatment on malignant progression and chemotherapy resistance of SMMC-7721/ADM cells(P＜0.05).ASP could inhibit the growth of HCC transplanted tumor and the expression of SHH and GLI1(P＜0.05).Conclusion ASP can inhibit the malignant progression of HCC cells and enhance the sensitivity of chemotherapy,which may be achieved by inhibiting the SHH/GLI1 signaling pathway.

Objective To investigate the immediate brain effect of acupuncture at Fengchi using amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation(ALFF)and functional connectivity by the resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging(rs-fMRI)in patients with posterior circulation ischemia vertigo(PCIV).Methods Twenty patients with PCIV were enrolled.The dizziness handicap inventory(DHI)was used to evaluate the severity of vertigo.The patients were randomly divided into acupuncture group and sham acupoint acupuncture group.Rs-fMRI scan was performed before and after acupuncture.MATLAB-based DPABI 6.1 software was used to analyze rs-fMRI data.Correlation analysis was used between the altered ALFF values and DHI scores.The regions of altered ALFF were taken as seeds to analyze functional connectivity.Results Compared with the sham acupoint acupuncture group,the increased ALFF values were mainly located on the left precuneus,left superior frontal gyrus and left caudate nucleus after acupuncture in the acupuncture group;the decreased ALFF values were mainly located on the left cerebellum and right inferior occipital gyrus.The ALFF value of the left superior frontal gyrus was negatively correlated with the DHI score(P=0.04).The increased functional connectivity was mainly found between left precuneus and the right middle frontal gyrus,the right superior frontal gyrus,the decreased functional connectivity was mainly found between left precuneus and the bilateral paracentral lobule and right cerebellum.Conclusion The ALFF value and functional connectivity are different before and after acupuncture,indicating that the vestibular network,visual and motor brain regions functional activities are changed after needling at Fengchi,which may be the brain functional basis of Fengchi for vertigo in PCIV.

Objective To study the effect of microRNA-192(miR-192)on the proliferation,migration and invasion ability of colorectal cancer(CC)cell lines.Methods Group A(SW1116 CC transfected with physio-logical saline),group B(SW1116 CC transfected with miR-192 mimics)and group C(SW1116 CC transfected with miR-192 inhibitor)were set up,respectively.Cell proliferation was detected by MTT assay,cell apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry,cell migration ability was detected by scratch assay,and cell invasion ability was detected by Transwell assay.Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction(qRT-PCR)was used to detect the mRNA expression levels of miR-192 and WNT family member 2B(WNT2B)in each group.Results The survival rate and monoclonal number of SW1116 CC cells in group B were(57.32± 6.19)％and(284.59±15.08),which were lower than(76.21±8.23)％and(601.47±23.16)in group A and(89.52±10.62)％and(2 150.68±34.79)in group C,while the apoptosis rate in group B was(20.52± 2.52)％,which was higher than(13.78±1.62)％in group A and(11.62±1.41)％in group C.The survival rate and number of monoclonal formation of SW1116 CC cells in group C were higher than those in group A,while the apoptosis rate was lower than that in group A(all P＜0.05).The scratch width of SW1116 CC cells in group B was(785.10±46.18)mm,which was higher than(601.32±33.21)mm in group A and(326.99± 17.48)mm in group C,while the scratch width in group C was lower than that in group A.The number of per-forating cells in group B was(624.67±19.05),which was lower than(875.23±27.30)in group A and(1 204.17±34.59)in group C,and the number of perforating cells in group C was higher than that in group A(all P＜0.05).The relative expression level of miR-192 mRNA in SW1116 CC cells in group B was(3.01± 0.26),which was higher than(1.87±0.20)in group A and(0.97±0.23)in group C,and the relative expres-sion level of miR-192 mRNA in group C was lower than that in group A.The expression level of WNT2B mR-NA in group B was(2.16±0.26),which was lower than(4.11±0.50)in group A and(6.08±0.72)in group C,and the expression level of WNT2B mRNA in group C was higher than that in group A(all P＜0.05).Con-clusion miR-192 could inhibit the malignant evolution of CC,and one of its main mechanisms may be related to the regulation of WNT2B expression.

ObjectiveTo explore the effectiveness and safety of Yiqi Huoxue Formula （益气活血方， YHF） in the adjuvant treatment of chronic pulmonary heart disease （CPHD） and heart failure （HF）with qi deficiency and blood stasis pattern. MethodsOne hundred and twenty patients with CPHD and HF with qi deficiency and blood stasis pattern were allocated randomly into treatment group and control group， with 60 case in each group. The control group was given conventional basic western medicine， while the treatment group was given oral administration of YHF granules in addition， one dose per day. The treatment course for both groups was 8 weeks. The TCM symptom scores， Minnesota Life Quality Scale （MLHF-Q） scores， echocardiographic indicators including right ventricular end-diastolic diameter （RVEDD）， left ventricular end-diastolic diameter （LVEDD）， left atrial end-diastolic diameter （LAEDD） and pulmonary artery mean pressure （PAMP）， six-minute walking distance （6MWD）， and plasma N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide （NT-ProBNP） level were compared between the groups. The effectiveness regarding cardiac function and TCM syndromes were compared between the two groups after treatment， and the occurrence of adverse events was observed. ResultsWith two drop-outs both in the treatment group and control group， and 58 cases in each group were included in the outcome analysis. The total effective rate regarding cardiac function and TCM syndromes in the treatment group were 91.38% （53/58） and 96.55% （56/58）， respectively， significantly higher than the corresponding 70.69% （41/58） and 48.27% （28/58） in the control group （P＜0.05）. After treatment， the TCM symptom scores and RVEDD level were significantly reduced in the treatment group， and MLHF-Q score， plasma NT-ProBNP level and PAMP level decreased significantly， while 6MWD increased in both groups （P＜0.01）. Compared to those in the control group， the TCM symptom scores， MLHF-Q score， plasma NT-ProBNP level and PAMP level significantly decreased， while 6MWD increased in the treatment group （P＜0.01）. There were no obvious abnormalities in the blood， urine， stool routine and liver and kidney function indicators in both groups. One adverse reaction each occurred in both groups， and there was no statistically significant difference in the incidence rates（P＞0.05）. ConclusionYHF combined with conventional western medicine can significantly improve the clinical efficacy， improve the clinical symptoms and cardiac function， increase the quality of life and exercise tolerance， and is relatively safe.

ObjectiveTo investigate the effects of maltol aluminum exposure on miR-193a-3p, demethylase AlkB homolog 5 (ALKBH5), phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome ten (PTEN) and protein kinase B (AKT), and whether miR-193a-3p is involved in aluminum-induced cognitive impairment by regulating ALKBH5/PTEN/AKT signaling pathway. Methods Specific pathogen-free male SD rats were randomly divided into control group and low-, medium- and high- dose groups according to their body weight, with eight rats in each group. Rats in the low-, medium-, and high- dose groups were intraperitoneally injected with maltol aluminum solution at concentrations of 10.00, 20.00, and 40.00 μmol/kg body weight, respectively, while the rats in control group were given an equal volume of 0.9% sodium chloride solution. Rats were injected for five days every week for three months. After injection, the novel object recognized test was used to assess the learning and memory ability of the rats. The relative expression of miR-193a-3p and B-cell lymphocytoma-2 (Bcl-2), Bcl-2 associated X protein (Bax) and cysteine aspartate protease-3 (Caspase-3) mRNA in rat hippocampus was detected using the real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The relative protein expression of ALKBH5, PTEN, and AKT2 in the rat hippocampus was detected using Western blot. Results The discrimination index and the preference index of the new object recognition test of the rats in high-dose group were lower than those in control group and low-dose group (all P<0.05). The relative expression of miR-193a-3p and Bcl-2 mRNA in the hippocampus of the rats in high-dose group was lower than those in control group and low-dose group (all P<0.05). The relative mRNA expression of Bax in the high-dose group was higher than those in the control group and low-dose group (both P<0.05). The relative mRNA expression of Caspase-3 of the rats in the high-dose group was higher than that in the other three groups (both P<0.05). The relative protein expression of ALKBH5 in the hippocampus of the rats in the high-dose group was lower than that in the control group (P<0.05). The relative expression of PTEN protein was higher than those in the control group and low-dose group (both P<0.05). The relative protein expression of AKT2 was lower than those in the control group and low-dose group (both P<0.05). Conclusion Sub-chronic aluminum exposure can inhibit the expression of miR-193a-3p in the hippocampus of rats, which may disrupt the ALKBH5/PTEN/AKT pathway and affect normal neuronal homeostasis and cellular function. This pathway may play an important role in aluminum-induced cognitive impairment.

Objective To study the correlation between expression levels of serum microRNA(miRNA)-21 and miRNA-27b and the prognosis in colorectal cancer patients.Methods A total of 60 colorectal cancer pa-tients who were treated in the hospital from January to May 2021 were selected as the observation group.An-other 60 healthy volunteers who underwent the physical examination in the hospital during the same period were selected as the control group.The expression levels of serum miRNA-21 and miRNA-27b in the two groups,the expression levels of serum miRNA-21 and miRNA-27b levels in patients with different pathologi-cal features were detected and compared,and the survival prognosis of patients with different expression levels of serum miRNA-21 and miRNA-27b were compared.Results The expression levels of serum miRNA-21 and miRNA-27b in the observation group were significantly higher than those in the control group(P＜0.05).The expression levels of serum miRNA-21 and miRNA-27b were lower in patients with TNM stage Ⅲ-Ⅳand with lymph node metastasis than those in stage Ⅰ-Ⅱ and without lymph node metastasis respectively(P＜0.05).With follow-up of 2 years,the mean survival time in the miRNA-21 high expression group was(15.36±2.32)months,and the mean survival time in the low miRNA-21 expression group was(21.54±2.46)months.The mean survival time in the miRNA-27b high expression group was(16.11±3.20)months,and the mean survival time in the miRNA-27b low expression group was mean(21.37±2.55)months.The 1 and 2-year survival rates in the miRNA-21 high expression group and miRNA-27b high expression group were significantly lower than those in the miRNA-21 low expression group and miRNA-27b low expression group,respectively(P＜0.05).Serum miRNA-21 and miRNA-27b levels were negatively correlated with the survival prognosis of patients(P＜0.05).Conclusion Serum miRNA-21 and miRNA-27b are highly expressed in pa-tients with colorectal cancer,and the expression levels of both are negatively correlated with the prognosis of patients,and they could be used for clinical monitoring of patients'condition and prognosis status,which de-serves attention.

Objective To evaluate the intraoperative identification of ectopic parathyroid tissue in the central neck region using autofluorescence point-spectral analysis(AFPSA)combined with immune colloidal gold technique(ICGT),for guiding total parathyroidectomy(TPTX)or clean parathyroidectomy(CPTX)in the management of secondary hyperparathyroidism(SHPT).Methods Retrospectively collected and compared the clinical data of 64 patients with SHPT from October 2019 to June 2023.In the observation group,TPTX was performed as the initial procedure in 36 cases,followed by sampling of suspicious targets using AFPSA in the central neck area and subsequent detection through ICGT.CPTX was then conducted if a positive result was obtained.On the other hand,the control group consisted of 28 cases where only TPTX was performed without any additional tests during surgery.The surgical data,parathyroid hormone(PTH)levels,blood calcium levels,blood phosphorus levels,alkaline phosphatase(ALP)levels,regression of clinical symptoms,changes in parathyroid function and occurrence of hypocalcemia were compared between these two groups.Results In the observation group,there were 9 cases of AFPSA-ICGT positivity,including 2 left-sided cases,4 right-sided cases,and 3 thymic cases;among these posi-tive cases,there were a total of 10 locations with mildly hyperplastic or nonhyperplastic microscopic parathyroid tissue.The difference in the number of total parathyroid glands removed(including ectopic)between the two groups was statistically significant(P<0.05).At both 3 and 6 months postoperatively,ALP levels in the observation group were significantly lower than those in the control group(P<0.01 and P<0.001 respectively);at 6 months postoperatively,differences in PTH and blood phosphorus levels between the two groups were also statistically significant(P<0.05 and P<0.001 respectively).Joint bone pain and skin itching recurred in some patients within the control group at six months after surgery(P<0.05),whereas recurrence of SHPT was less frequent within the observation group compared to controls(P<0.05);however,no statistically significant differences were observed regarding postoperative hypoparathyroidism or hyperparathyroidism as well as hypocalcemia between either groups.Conclusion The AFPSA-ICGT intraoperative test can be utilized to guide surgery for SHPT,enabling accurate and efficient identification as well as safe targeting of parathyroid tissues that may not exhibit obvious hyperplasia in the central cervical region.

Objective:To investigate the efficacy of programmed death receptor-1(PD-1)/ programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) inhibitors in the treatment of recurrent or metastatic cervical cancer and its effect on serum levels of squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SCC-Ag), carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), and carbohydrate antigen 125 (CA125) in patients.Methods:This study was a retrospective study. Ninety patients with cervical cancer treated at Lishui Municipal Central Hospital between January 2019 and December 2022 were randomly divided into two groups. Forty-five patients in the control group received routine radiotherapy and chemotherapy, while forty-five patients in the observation group received PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors in addition to the treatment provided to the control group. The effectiveness and safety were compared between the two groups.Results:The effectiveness in the observation group was superior to that in the control group ( P < 0.05). After treatment, the levels of serum tumor markers, including SCC-Ag, CA125, CEA, and human epididymal protein 4, were significantly lower in the observation group compared with the control group ( t = 5.44, 6.20, 14.74, 4.06, all P < 0.001). After treatment, the levels of interferon-γ, interleukin-2, and interleukin-6 in the observation group were significantly lower compared with the control group ( t = 6.24, 8.95, 8.38, all P < 0.001). After treatment, the levels of CD 3+, CD 4+, and CD 4+/CD 8+ in the observation group were significantly higher compared with those in the control group ( t = 8.82, 6.53, 5.27, all P < 0.001). After treatment, the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Cervix score in the observation group was significantly higher than that in the control group ( t = 4.35, 4.35, 5.17, 5.24, all P < 0.001). The incidence of various adverse reactions in the observation group was significantly lower than that in the control group ( χ2 = 3.85, 3.87, 5.08, 4.44, all P < 0.05). The cumulative survival rate in the observation group was significantly higher than that in the control group [60.00% (27/45) vs. 40.00% (18/45), P < 0.05]. The median survival time in the observation group was significantly longer than that in the control group (365 days vs. 222 days, P < 0.05). Conclusion:PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors are effective in the treatment of recurrent or metastatic cervical cancer. They can reduce the serum levels of SCC-Ag, CEA, and CA125, prolong the survival time of patients, and improve their quality of life.