BACKGROUND:Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells are one of the sources of adipocytes and express all renin-angiotensin system components,but the effect of angiotensin Ⅱ on bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell differentiation into brown adipose tissue is not clear.OBJECTIVE:To observe the effect of angiotensin Ⅱ on bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell differentiation into brown adipose tissue and investigate the role of angiotensin 1a receptor knockout in effect of angiotensin Ⅱ on bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell differentiation into brown adipocytes and its potential mechanisms.METHODS:After isolation and culture of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells in wild-type and angiotensin 1a receptor knockout SD rats,the cells were cultured to the third generation and randomly divided into four groups:wild type group,knockout group,wild type+angiotensin Ⅱ group,and knockout+angiotensin Ⅱ group.The differentiation was induced in the brown fat induced differentiation medium for 14 days.Angiotensin Ⅱ(100 nmol/L)was added for intervention when the differentiation medium was changed each time in the latter two groups.Western blot assay,qRT-PCR,immunofluorescence,and other methods were used to detect the expression of induced differentiation,lipolysis,β oxidation,and mitochondrial biogenesis in brown fat.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Angiotensin Ⅱ could inhibit the browning of rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells.Knockout of angiotensin 1a receptor could improve the inhibitory effect of angiotensin Ⅱ on brown lipid formation of rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells by promoting lipolysis,enhancing fatty acid β oxidation,promoting mitochondrial biogenesis,and enhancing mitochondrial function.These findings provide new research directions and potential therapeutic targets for obesity treatment,revealing the important role of renin angiotensin systems in fat metabolism and its potential as a therapeutic target.

Objective:To utilize single-nucleus RNA sequencing(snRNA-seq) technology to investigate the primary cell subpopulations in human limb venous malformations (VMs) tissue and the role of the key gene RhoJ.Methods:Surgical resection specimens of VMs tissues and surrounding normal vein tissues were collected from 100 clinically diagnosed and screened patients with limb VMs at the Department of Hemangioma Surgery of the Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from January 2021 to December 2023. (1) Transcriptome analysis: Three patient samples were randomly selected for snRNA-seq studies, with the surgically removed VMs tissue serving as the experimental group and the surrounding normal vein tissue as the control group. A gene expression matrix for cell nuclei was established, followed by data quality control, dimensionality reduction, clustering, and cell type annotation. Cell-to-cell communication analysis was performed using the R language CellChat package to identify dominant cell subpopulations. The FindMarkers function was utilized to screen for differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between the dominant cell subpopulations of the experimental and control groups, and functional enrichment analysis was conducted. (2) Tissue experiments: An additional 35 patient samples from both the experimental and control groups were randomly selected. The mRNA and protein expression levels of the RhoJ gene were measured using real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) and Western blotting, respectively. (3) Validation experiments with human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs): HUVECs were transfected with pcDNA3.1-NC (blank control) and pcDNA3.1-RhoJ (plasmid expression vector carrying the RhoJ gene), respectively. The biological behavior differences between the two groups of cells were examined using the CCK-8 cell proliferation assay, Transwell invasion assay, and Matrigel angiogenesis assay. Measurement data conforming to a normal distribution were expressed as Mean±SD, and comparisons between the two groups were performed using an independent samples t-test. Results:Through CellChat intercellular communication analysis, it was discovered that endothelial cells were the predominant cell subpopulation in both the experimental and control groups, exhibiting strong communication links with other cell subpopulations. In the analysis of DEGs, it was found that the RhoJ gene in endothelial cells was significantly involved in the biological processes of angiogenesis and regulation. In tissue experiments, RT-qPCR and Western bloting results indicated that the relative expression levels of RhoJ mRNA (4.48±1.29 vs. 1.01±0.17) and protein (1.22±0.03 vs. 0.51±0.20) in the experimental group were significantly higher than those in the control group, with statistically significant differences ( P<0.01 for both). The results of the HUVECs validation experiment showed that the cell proliferation, invasion, and angiogenesis abilities of the pcDNA3.1-RhoJ group were significantly enhanced compared to the pcDNA3.1-NC group. Conclusion:Endothelial cells represent the dominant cell subpopulation during the occurrence and locally invasive progression of VMs, playing a crucial role in this process. The RhoJ gene is significant in regulating the biological behavior of VMs endothelial cells.

Objective:To analyze the prevalence and clinical characteristics of pertussis in children with different cough durations.Methods:From January 2021 to October 2022, information on children aged 0-18 years who visited eight hospitals in Shandong Province due to cough was enrolled. Pertussis serological antibody testing and/or nucleic acid testing were performed. The prevalence and clinical characteristics of pertussis were compared among the acute cough group, protracted cough group, and chronic cough group using the χ2 test or Fisher′s exact test. Results:A total of 1 565 children with cough were included in the study, of which 348 (22.24%) were laboratory-confirmed pertussis. There was a significant difference in the laboratory-confirmed rate of pertussis among different cough groups ( χ2=83.424, P<0.001). The confirmation rate of pertussis in the protracted cough group (42.21%) was significantly higher than that in the acute cough group (16.49%, P<0.05) and chronic cough group (19.50%, P<0.05). In each cough group, the age of children was significantly associated with the confirmed rate of pertussis, and the confirmed rate was relatively high in children aged 3 months to <2 years. Pertussis vaccination was significantly associated with the confirmed rate in all groups, and the confirmed rate was higher in unvaccinated children. Among laboratory-confirmed pertussis cases, the incidence of typical symptoms such as paroxysmal cough, whoop, and post-tussive emesis or sleep disturbance was significantly higher than that in the non-confirmed cases. In the protracted and chronic cough groups, the proportion of non-confirmed cases complicated with asthma/cough variant asthma (CVA) was significantly higher than that in pertussis-confirmed cases. Conclusion:There are differences in the confirmation rate of pertussis among children with different cough durations. The confirmation rate is significantly associated with age, vaccination status, and clinical symptoms. Enhancing clinical vigilance against pertussis, conducting early diagnosis, and getting timely and standardized vaccination are crucial for effectively controlling pertussis and preventing outbreaks.

Objective:This study aimed to identify key genes in endothelial cell (EC) associated with the pathogenesis and progression of human venous malformations (VMs) through bioinformatics analysis, providing potential biomarkers for early screening and targeted therapy of VMs.Methods:A case-control study was conducted using surgically resected tissue specimens from VMs patients at the Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University (from September 2021 to September 2023), with malformed venous tissues as the experimental group and distal normal venous tissues as controls. Single-nucleus RNA sequencing (snRNA-seq) was performed on paired experimental and control samples from four VM patients. High-dimensional weighted gene co-expression network analysis (hdWGCNA), combined with gene ontology (GO), Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG), and protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analysis, identified critical genes. Validation experiments included 15 additional VM cases and controls using reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), immunohistochemistry (IHC), and Western blot.Results:A total of 55 430 nuclei were captured using snRNA-seq, with 30 391 nuclei from the experimental group and 25 039 nuclei from the control group. Cluster analysis identified 22 distinct cell populations, which were annotated into 8 cell types. hdWGCNA revealed four modules associated with invasion, which were enriched in angiogenesis, integrin signaling, and cell adhesion according to GO analysis. KEGG pathway analysis indicated that the PI3K-AKT signaling pathway and focal adhesion are key regulatory mechanisms. PPI network analysis combined with cytoscape identified EGFL7, TEK, and FLT1 as key genes. RT-qPCR results demonstrated that the relative mRNA expression levels of these three genes in the experimental group (6.66±2.31, 1.86±0.62, 3.49±0.58) were significantly higher than those in the control group (1.05±0.14, 1.00±0.14, 1.06±0.25), with statistically significant differences ( t=9.37, 4.27, 11.20, P<0.05). Immunohistochemical analysis showed that the relative protein expression levels of these three genes in the cytoplasm of the experimental group (0.84±0.15, 0.68±0.14, 0.85±0.12) were also significantly higher than those in the control group (0.19±0.05, 0.23±0.06, 0.30±0.05), with statistically significant differences ( t=16.62, 5.93, 11.68, P<0.05). Western blot analysis confirmed that the relative protein expression levels of these three genes in the experimental group (0.35±0.04, 0.36±0.09, 0.31±0.04) were significantly higher than those in the control group (0.19±0.01, 0.13±0.02, 0.14±0.04), with statistically significant differences ( t=7.05, 4.61, 5.93, P<0.05). Conclusion:EGFL7, FLT1, and TEK in EC may play crucial roles in the occurrence and invasion of VMs.

Objective:This study aimed to identify key genes in endothelial cell (EC) associated with the pathogenesis and progression of human venous malformations (VMs) through bioinformatics analysis, providing potential biomarkers for early screening and targeted therapy of VMs.Methods:A case-control study was conducted using surgically resected tissue specimens from VMs patients at the Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University (from September 2021 to September 2023), with malformed venous tissues as the experimental group and distal normal venous tissues as controls. Single-nucleus RNA sequencing (snRNA-seq) was performed on paired experimental and control samples from four VM patients. High-dimensional weighted gene co-expression network analysis (hdWGCNA), combined with gene ontology (GO), Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG), and protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analysis, identified critical genes. Validation experiments included 15 additional VM cases and controls using reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), immunohistochemistry (IHC), and Western blot.Results:A total of 55 430 nuclei were captured using snRNA-seq, with 30 391 nuclei from the experimental group and 25 039 nuclei from the control group. Cluster analysis identified 22 distinct cell populations, which were annotated into 8 cell types. hdWGCNA revealed four modules associated with invasion, which were enriched in angiogenesis, integrin signaling, and cell adhesion according to GO analysis. KEGG pathway analysis indicated that the PI3K-AKT signaling pathway and focal adhesion are key regulatory mechanisms. PPI network analysis combined with cytoscape identified EGFL7, TEK, and FLT1 as key genes. RT-qPCR results demonstrated that the relative mRNA expression levels of these three genes in the experimental group (6.66±2.31, 1.86±0.62, 3.49±0.58) were significantly higher than those in the control group (1.05±0.14, 1.00±0.14, 1.06±0.25), with statistically significant differences ( t=9.37, 4.27, 11.20, P<0.05). Immunohistochemical analysis showed that the relative protein expression levels of these three genes in the cytoplasm of the experimental group (0.84±0.15, 0.68±0.14, 0.85±0.12) were also significantly higher than those in the control group (0.19±0.05, 0.23±0.06, 0.30±0.05), with statistically significant differences ( t=16.62, 5.93, 11.68, P<0.05). Western blot analysis confirmed that the relative protein expression levels of these three genes in the experimental group (0.35±0.04, 0.36±0.09, 0.31±0.04) were significantly higher than those in the control group (0.19±0.01, 0.13±0.02, 0.14±0.04), with statistically significant differences ( t=7.05, 4.61, 5.93, P<0.05). Conclusion:EGFL7, FLT1, and TEK in EC may play crucial roles in the occurrence and invasion of VMs.

BACKGROUND:Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells are one of the sources of adipocytes and express all renin-angiotensin system components,but the effect of angiotensin Ⅱ on bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell differentiation into brown adipose tissue is not clear.OBJECTIVE:To observe the effect of angiotensin Ⅱ on bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell differentiation into brown adipose tissue and investigate the role of angiotensin 1a receptor knockout in effect of angiotensin Ⅱ on bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell differentiation into brown adipocytes and its potential mechanisms.METHODS:After isolation and culture of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells in wild-type and angiotensin 1a receptor knockout SD rats,the cells were cultured to the third generation and randomly divided into four groups:wild type group,knockout group,wild type+angiotensin Ⅱ group,and knockout+angiotensin Ⅱ group.The differentiation was induced in the brown fat induced differentiation medium for 14 days.Angiotensin Ⅱ(100 nmol/L)was added for intervention when the differentiation medium was changed each time in the latter two groups.Western blot assay,qRT-PCR,immunofluorescence,and other methods were used to detect the expression of induced differentiation,lipolysis,β oxidation,and mitochondrial biogenesis in brown fat.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Angiotensin Ⅱ could inhibit the browning of rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells.Knockout of angiotensin 1a receptor could improve the inhibitory effect of angiotensin Ⅱ on brown lipid formation of rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells by promoting lipolysis,enhancing fatty acid β oxidation,promoting mitochondrial biogenesis,and enhancing mitochondrial function.These findings provide new research directions and potential therapeutic targets for obesity treatment,revealing the important role of renin angiotensin systems in fat metabolism and its potential as a therapeutic target.

Objective:To analyze the prevalence and clinical characteristics of pertussis in children with different cough durations.Methods:From January 2021 to October 2022, information on children aged 0-18 years who visited eight hospitals in Shandong Province due to cough was enrolled. Pertussis serological antibody testing and/or nucleic acid testing were performed. The prevalence and clinical characteristics of pertussis were compared among the acute cough group, protracted cough group, and chronic cough group using the χ2 test or Fisher′s exact test. Results:A total of 1 565 children with cough were included in the study, of which 348 (22.24%) were laboratory-confirmed pertussis. There was a significant difference in the laboratory-confirmed rate of pertussis among different cough groups ( χ2=83.424, P<0.001). The confirmation rate of pertussis in the protracted cough group (42.21%) was significantly higher than that in the acute cough group (16.49%, P<0.05) and chronic cough group (19.50%, P<0.05). In each cough group, the age of children was significantly associated with the confirmed rate of pertussis, and the confirmed rate was relatively high in children aged 3 months to <2 years. Pertussis vaccination was significantly associated with the confirmed rate in all groups, and the confirmed rate was higher in unvaccinated children. Among laboratory-confirmed pertussis cases, the incidence of typical symptoms such as paroxysmal cough, whoop, and post-tussive emesis or sleep disturbance was significantly higher than that in the non-confirmed cases. In the protracted and chronic cough groups, the proportion of non-confirmed cases complicated with asthma/cough variant asthma (CVA) was significantly higher than that in pertussis-confirmed cases. Conclusion:There are differences in the confirmation rate of pertussis among children with different cough durations. The confirmation rate is significantly associated with age, vaccination status, and clinical symptoms. Enhancing clinical vigilance against pertussis, conducting early diagnosis, and getting timely and standardized vaccination are crucial for effectively controlling pertussis and preventing outbreaks.

Objective:To utilize single-nucleus RNA sequencing(snRNA-seq) technology to investigate the primary cell subpopulations in human limb venous malformations (VMs) tissue and the role of the key gene RhoJ.Methods:Surgical resection specimens of VMs tissues and surrounding normal vein tissues were collected from 100 clinically diagnosed and screened patients with limb VMs at the Department of Hemangioma Surgery of the Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from January 2021 to December 2023. (1) Transcriptome analysis: Three patient samples were randomly selected for snRNA-seq studies, with the surgically removed VMs tissue serving as the experimental group and the surrounding normal vein tissue as the control group. A gene expression matrix for cell nuclei was established, followed by data quality control, dimensionality reduction, clustering, and cell type annotation. Cell-to-cell communication analysis was performed using the R language CellChat package to identify dominant cell subpopulations. The FindMarkers function was utilized to screen for differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between the dominant cell subpopulations of the experimental and control groups, and functional enrichment analysis was conducted. (2) Tissue experiments: An additional 35 patient samples from both the experimental and control groups were randomly selected. The mRNA and protein expression levels of the RhoJ gene were measured using real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) and Western blotting, respectively. (3) Validation experiments with human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs): HUVECs were transfected with pcDNA3.1-NC (blank control) and pcDNA3.1-RhoJ (plasmid expression vector carrying the RhoJ gene), respectively. The biological behavior differences between the two groups of cells were examined using the CCK-8 cell proliferation assay, Transwell invasion assay, and Matrigel angiogenesis assay. Measurement data conforming to a normal distribution were expressed as Mean±SD, and comparisons between the two groups were performed using an independent samples t-test. Results:Through CellChat intercellular communication analysis, it was discovered that endothelial cells were the predominant cell subpopulation in both the experimental and control groups, exhibiting strong communication links with other cell subpopulations. In the analysis of DEGs, it was found that the RhoJ gene in endothelial cells was significantly involved in the biological processes of angiogenesis and regulation. In tissue experiments, RT-qPCR and Western bloting results indicated that the relative expression levels of RhoJ mRNA (4.48±1.29 vs. 1.01±0.17) and protein (1.22±0.03 vs. 0.51±0.20) in the experimental group were significantly higher than those in the control group, with statistically significant differences ( P<0.01 for both). The results of the HUVECs validation experiment showed that the cell proliferation, invasion, and angiogenesis abilities of the pcDNA3.1-RhoJ group were significantly enhanced compared to the pcDNA3.1-NC group. Conclusion:Endothelial cells represent the dominant cell subpopulation during the occurrence and locally invasive progression of VMs, playing a crucial role in this process. The RhoJ gene is significant in regulating the biological behavior of VMs endothelial cells.

Objective To explore association between childhood trauma,resilience and non-suicidal self-injury in adolescents.Methods One hundred and fifty-eight first-episode adolescent patients with mood disorders were selected and divided into NSSI group(n=94)and non-NSSI group(n=64)based on presence or absence of NSSI.The Hamilton depression scale(HAMD),Hamilton anxiety scale(HAMA),childhood trauma questionnaire(CTQ-SF)and Connor-Davidson resilience scale(CD-RISC)were used to evaluate the depression and anxiety symptoms,childhood trauma and resilience.Results There were more cases of younger age(16.17±1.67 vs.16.73±1.37),lower education level(30.9% vs.15.6% ),left behind experience(48.9% vs.29.7% ),school bullying(46.8% vs.25.0% ),suicide ideation(85.1% vs.37.5% )and history of attempted suicide(29.8% vs.6.3% )in the group with NSSI compared to those without NSSI.The HAMD score(27.99±5.94 vs.24.19±5.19),HAMA score(18.02±5.94 vs.15.45±4.99),CTQ total score(48.43±15.40 vs.41.97±9.75),emotional abuse score(12.77±6.06 vs.10.19±4.06),and emotional neglect score(11.40±5.34 vs.9.14±3.55)were higher in the group with NSSI,and the differences between the two groups were significant(P<0.05).The total scores of psychological resilience(39.83±10.27 vs.28.66±12.75),resilience(19.59±4.92 vs.12.28±6.47),strength(12.03±3.98 vs.9.99±4.67),and optimism(8.98±2.97 vs.6.47±3.73)in the group without NSSI were higher than those in the group with NSSI(P<0.05).Logistic regression analysis showed that left behind experience(OR=4.494,95% CI:1.192-16.940),school bullying(OR=5.983,95% CI:1.329-26.945),suicidal ideation(OR=13.225,95% CI:2.908-60.146),history of attempted suicide(OR=16.769,95% CI:1.845-152.379),HAMD(OR=1.264,95% CI:1.046-1.626),emotional abuse(OR=1.327,95% CI:1.093-1.612),and resilience(OR=0.468,95% CI:0.266-0.823)were significantly associated with adolescent mood disorders with NSSI(P<0.05).Conclusion Left behind experience,campus bullying,suicidal ideation and attempted suicide,emotional abuse,degree of depression,and psychological resilience may be associated with NSSI behavior in adolescents with mood disorders.

【Objective】 To explore the causes of hypothermia in patients undergoing transurethral thulium laser prostatectomy. 【Methods】 A total of 170 patients who underwent transurethral thulium laser prostatectomy in our hospital during Sep.2020 and May 2021 were prospectively enrolled in the study. The patients were divided into normal body temperature group (n=143) and hypothermia group (n=27), based on whether perioperative hypothermia happened. The clinical data were analyzed to evaluate the risk factors of hypothermia. 【Results】 Univariate analysis showed that there were statistical differences in anesthesia time, operation time, prostate size and total amount of perfusion fluid between the two groups (P<0.05). Logistic analysis showed that the size of prostate was the independent risk factor of perioperative hypothermia (P<0.05). Patients were further divided according to prostate size. For patients with prostate < 80 g, the size of prostate was the independent risk factor of perioperative hypothermia (P<0.05), while for patients with prostate ≥ 80 g, the amount of perfusion fluid was the independent risk factor (P<0.05). 【Conclusion】 Perioperative hypothermia in patients undergoing transurethral thulium laser prostatectomy is related to the anesthesia time, operation time, prostate size and total amount of perfusion fluid. It is necessary to evaluate the risk factors before operation and take effective thermal insulation measures.