The accumulation of uremic toxins such as urea nitrogen, blood creatinine, and uric acid of patients with renal failure in vivo would lead to aggravated kidney damage. In this study, coated aldehyde oxy-starch (CAO) was used as an adsorbent to investigate its in vitro adsorption performance on renal failure indexes for urea, indoxyl sulfate (INS), monomethylamine (MMA), dimethylamine (DMA), uric acid (UA), and creatinine (Cr). The effects of variables such as pH, temperature, concentration, dosage, and time on the adsorption capacity of CAO were systematically investigated, employing analytical techniques of high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and gas chromatography (GC). The results revealed that CAO exhibited a strong adsorption capacity for urea, INS, and MMA, alongside a moderate adsorption capacity for DMA, UA, and Cr. The adsorption kinetics and thermodynamic studies indicated that the adsorption of urea and UA by CAO were fitted in pseudo-first-order kinetics, and the adsorption isotherm aligned with the Freundlich adsorption model. The enthalpy change ΔH of urea in adsorption was in the range of 40 to 60 kJ·mol^-1, which demonstrated the presence of strong adsorption force due to the interactions of coordinating groups. The ΔH of UA was greater than 80 kJ·mol^-1, indicating the generation of chemical bonds during the adsorption. Both of them, Gibbs free energy ΔG was less than 0, within the range of -20 to 0 kJ·mol^-1, suggested that the adsorption of urea and UA by CAO occurred spontaneously as physical adsorption process. The adsorption entropy ΔS of urea and UA was > 0, which indicated an increase in entropy throughout the adsorption. The infrared spectroscopygram showed the formation of a chemical bond, specifically the imine bond, following the adsorption of urea by CAO, thereby indicating a chemical reaction during the adsorption. This study elucidates the adsorption mechanism of CAO on various indexes of renal failure, providing a scientific basis for its clinical usage.

Nonobstructive azoospermia (NOA), one of the most severe types of male infertility, etiology often remains unclear in most cases. Therefore, this study aimed to detect four biallelic detrimental variants (0.5%) in the minichromosome maintenance domain containing 2 ( MCMDC2 ) genes in 768 NOA patients by whole-exome sequencing (WES). Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) demonstrated that MCMDC2 deleterious variants caused meiotic arrest in three patients (c.1360G>T, c.1956G>T, and c.685C>T) and hypospermatogenesis in one patient (c.94G>T), as further confirmed through immunofluorescence (IF) staining. The single-cell RNA sequencing data indicated that MCMDC2 was substantially expressed during spermatogenesis. The variants were confirmed as deleterious and responsible for patient infertility through bioinformatics and in vitro experimental analyses. The results revealed four MCMDC2 variants related to NOA, which contributes to the current perception of the function of MCMDC2 in male fertility and presents new perspectives on the genetic etiology of NOA.
Humans ; Male ; Azoospermia/genetics* ; Meiosis/genetics* ; Spermatogenesis/genetics* ; Adult ; Exome Sequencing ; Microtubule-Associated Proteins/genetics* ; Alleles ; Infertility, Male/genetics*

OBJECTIVE: To assess the cardioprotective effect and impact of Qishen Granules (QSG) on different ischemic areas of the myocardium in heart failure (HF) rats by evaluating its metabolic pattern, substrate utilization, and mechanistic modulation. METHODS: In vivo, echocardiography and histology were used to assess rat cardiac function; positron emission tomography was performed to assess the abundance of glucose metabolism in the ischemic border and remote areas of the heart; fatty acid metabolism and ATP production levels were assessed by hematologic and biochemical analyses. The above experiments evaluated the cardioprotective effect of QSG on left anterior descending ligation-induced HF in rats and the mode of energy metabolism modulation. In vitro, a hypoxia-induced H9C2 model was established, mitochondrial damage was evaluated by flow cytometry, and nuclear translocation of hypoxia-inducible factor-1 α (HIF-1 α) was observed by immunofluorescence to assess the mechanism of energy metabolism regulation by QSG in hypoxic and normoxia conditions. RESULTS: QSG regulated the pattern of glucose and fatty acid metabolism in the border and remote areas of the heart via the HIF-1 α pathway, and improved cardiac function in HF rats. Specifically, QSG promoted HIF-1 α expression and entry into the nucleus at high levels of hypoxia (P<0.05), thereby promoting increased compensatory glucose metabolism; while reducing nuclear accumulation of HIF-1 α at relatively low levels of hypoxia (P<0.05), promoting the increased lipid metabolism. CONCLUSIONS QSG regulates the protein stability of HIF-1 α, thereby coordinating energy supply balance between the ischemic border and remote areas of the myocardium. This alleviates the energy metabolism disorder caused by ischemic injury.
Animals ; Myocardial Infarction/physiopathology* ; Male ; Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit/metabolism* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Glucose/metabolism* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Energy Metabolism/drug effects* ; Rats ; Fatty Acids/metabolism* ; Myocardium/pathology*

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the photothermal and antibacterial activities of polydopamine-modified phycocyanin nanoparticles (PDA@PC NPs) and their capacity for promoting wound healing. METHODS: PDA@PC NPs were synthesized from phycocyanin (C-PC) and dopamine hydrochloride using a one-pot method. The photothermal activity of the nanoparticles was assessed in vitro by 808 nm laser irradiation, their biocompatibility was evaluated using CCK-8 assay, and their photothermal antibacterial activity by plate colony counting. In adult male BALB/c mice, two symmetrical full-thickness skin wounds (1.0 cm ×1.0 cm) were created on both sides of the spine, and 200 μL of Staphylococcus aureus suspension was inoculated into the wounds. The mice were divided into control group, PDA@PC NPs group, and PDA@PC NPs with laser irradiation group, and wound healing rates and histomorphological changes in the wound tissues were evaluated on days 0, 7 and 14 after modeling. RESULTS: The synthesized PDA@PC NPs exhibited no obvious cytotoxicity up to a concentration of 500 μg/mL and showed strong photothermal and antibacterial activities in response to 808 nm laser irradiation. In the mouse models, the size of the infected skin wounds showed substantial reduction at 7 and 14 days in PDA@PC NPs group and PDA@PC NPs with laser irradiation group, and the mean wound healing rate was faster in the latter group. HE staining and Masson's trichrome staining revealed extensive granulation tissue formation and collagen deposition on the wound surfaces in both of the treatment groups, and these changes were more obvious in the PDA@PC NPs with laser irradiation group. CONCLUSIONS PDA@PC NPs possess excellent photothermal and antibacterial activities and can effectively promote wound healing in mice.
Animals ; Indoles/chemistry* ; Wound Healing/drug effects* ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Male ; Nanoparticles ; Polymers/chemistry* ; Phycocyanin/chemistry* ; Skin/injuries* ; Staphylococcus aureus/drug effects* ; Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology*

OBJECTIVE: The study aim was to investigate the effects of exposure to multiple environmental organic pollutants on cardiopulmonary health with a focus on the potential mediating role of oxidative stress. METHODS: A repeated-measures randomized crossover study involving healthy college students in Beijing was conducted. Biological samples, including morning urine and venous blood, were collected to measure concentrations of 29 typical organic pollutants, including hydroxy polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (OH-PAHs), bisphenol A and its substitutes, phthalates and their metabolites, parabens, and five biomarkers of oxidative stress. Health assessments included blood pressure measurements and lung function indicators. RESULTS: Urinary concentrations of 2-hydroxyphenanthrene (2-OH-PHE) ( β = 4.35% [95% confidence interval ( CI): 0.85%, 7.97%]), 3-hydroxyphenanthrene ( β = 3.44% [95% CI: 0.19%, 6.79%]), and 4-hydroxyphenanthrene (4-OH-PHE) ( β = 5.78% [95% CI: 1.27%, 10.5%]) were significantly and positively associated with systolic blood pressure. Exposures to 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OH-PYR) ( β = 3.05% [95% CI: -4.66%, -1.41%]), 2-OH-PHE ( β = 2.68% [95% CI: -4%, -1.34%]), and 4-OH-PHE ( β = 3% [95% CI: -4.68%, -1.29%]) were negatively associated with the ratio of forced expiratory volume in the first second to forced vital capacity. These findings highlight the adverse effects of exposure to multiple pollutants on cardiopulmonary health. Biomarkers of oxidative stress, including 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine and extracellular superoxide dismutase, mediated the effects of multiple OH-PAHs on blood pressure and lung function. CONCLUSION Exposure to multiple organic pollutants can adversely affect cardiopulmonary health. Oxidative stress is a key mediator of the effects of OH-PAHs on blood pressure and lung function.
Humans ; Oxidative Stress/drug effects* ; Male ; Cross-Over Studies ; Female ; Young Adult ; Environmental Pollutants/toxicity* ; Environmental Exposure/adverse effects* ; Biomarkers/blood* ; Adult ; Blood Pressure/drug effects* ; Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons/urine* ; Beijing

Objective:To investigate the clinicopathological, molecular pathological features, and family genetic pedigree of small cell carcinoma of the ovary, hypercalcemic type (SCCOHT).Methods:A total of 16 cases of SCCOHT diagnosed in Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital of Fudan University from January 2013 to January 2023 were collected. The clinicopathologic features, SMARCA4/2/B1 protein expression, outcomes and SMARCA4 gene detection were reported. A follow-up study was also carried out.Results:The average age at diagnosis was 28.7 years (range 17-38 years). The preoperative calcium level was evaluated in 3 of 6 patients. The tumor was unilateral in all 16 cases, ranged from 8 to 26 cm (average 15.8 cm) in the greatest dimension. Extraovarian spread was present in 7 cases. In 10 cases, the tumors were initially misinterpreted as other ovarian neoplasms. BRG1 and BRM expression by immunohistochemistry were all lost in detected cases, while INI1 exhibited retained nuclear expression. All BRM-negative SCCOHTs also lacked BRG1 protein,but retained INI1 expression. SCCOHTs were only focally positive for EMA, CKpan, Calretinin, SALL4, and diffusely positive for WT1. Two of nine cases exhibited mutation-type p53 immunoreactivity. Ki-67 index was 58% on an average. ER, PR, FOXL2, α-inhibin, chromogranin A and LCA were negative in all the cases. SMARCA4 sequencing was available in 8 cases of SCCOHT, which revealed a germline SMARCA4 mutation in one patient, and others carried somatic mutation. Furthermore, two daughters, mother and an aunt of a patient with germline mutation were reported to be SMARCA4 mutation carriers. Follow-up was available for 15 patients, and the 6-month, 1-year and 2-year survival rate was 65.8%, 45.1%, and 22.6%, respectively. For patients in FIGO stages Ⅱ+Ⅲ, 6-month, 1-year survival rate was 53.6% and 35.7% respectively, compared to 80% (6-month) and 60% (1-year) in patients of staged I ( P=0.358). Conclusions:With dismal prognosis of SCCOHT, accurate diagnosis is necessary. The typical age distribution, a panel of various staining results, especially concomitant loss of BRG1 and BRM may be of diagnostic aid and can be used to distinguish SCCOHT from its histological mimics. After the diagnosis of SCCOHT, genetic testing and genetic counseling are recommended.

Human physiological indicators have become an important standard for assessing health in modern society.Traditional detection methods often require a separate laboratory,complex operation process and long detection time,so it is urgent to develop portable,fast and accurate on-site detection technologies for bioanalysis.Point-of-care testing(POCT),which differs from traditional laboratory testing,can realize the rapid in situ detection of biomarkers without the complicated analytical process of the laboratory.Smartphones,which are an essential tool in our daily life,not only have independent operating systems and built-in storage functions,but also have high-definition cameras,which have great application potential in POCT visualization.The combination of various biosensing technologies and smartphones has developed into a new direction in the field of POCT.This review mainly introduced the research progress of smartphone-based visual biosensors in POCT in recent years,including colorimetric sensors,fluorescence sensors,chemiluminescence sensors and electrochemiluminescence sensors.Finally,the problems faced by smart-phone-based visual biosensors in the application of POCT were summarized,and their future development was prospected.

Objective To evaluate the value of high-throughput sequencing(HTS)data reanalysis that does not include ERBB2 copy number variation(CNV)analysis,in identifying ERBB2 amplification in patients with colorectal cancer.Methods The HTS data of 252 cases of colorectal cancer diagnosed by pathological biopsy who received peripheral blood cfDNA HTS detection samples were retrospectively analyzed.According to the HTS data of ERBB2 non-amplified samples judged by immunohistochemistry(IHC)and/or fluorescence in situ hybridization(FISH),the number of chromosome 17(Chr17)reads in the total number of reads was calculated the range of the ratio was initially determined as the threshold for prompting ERBB2 amplification.Suspected positive samples were screened according to thresholds and verified by digital PCR,IHC and FISH.Results The proportion of the number of Chr17 reads accounts for the number of total reads in the 89 cases of ERBB2 non-amplified samples determined by IHC and/or FISH ranged from 0.188 to 0.299(0.239±0.192).Using 0.298(1.25 times the mean)as the threshold indicating ERBB2 amplification,the data of 163 samples were analyzed,of which 7 cases were suspected to be positive,and the ratio ranged from 0.302 to 0.853.Among them,5 cases were determined to be positive by IHC and/or FISH,and 6 cases were confirmed to be positive by digital PCR.The ratio of the number of Chr17 reads to the number of total reads was positively correlated with the ratio of ERBB2/EIF2C1,and the correlation was good(r2=0.909).Conclusion The high-throughput sequencing data that does not cover the ERBB2 CNV analysis has a certain hint value for ERBB2 amplification in patients with colorectal cancer.

  Objective  To investigate the needs of eight-year program clinical medical students for the organization and contents of clinical oncology courses.  Methods  From September to November 2020, a questionnaire survey was conducted among eight-year program clinical medicine students in Peking Union Medical College to find out their knowledge base in oncology, teaching mode preference and course contents of interest.  Results  A total of 122 students participated in the survey, in which 89.3%(109/122) of the students showed interest in basic and clinical research projects related to oncology, 84.4%(103/122) thought it was better to use Simulation-based medical education (SBME), and 91.0%(111/122) hoped to learn throughoff-line discussion. In terms of course contents, eight-year program medical students were more interested in knowledge directly related to clinical context, such as diagnosis, treatment, multidisciplinary comprehensive treatment and evidence-based medicine. In terms of sub-analysis, traditional eight-year students (86%, 92/107) showed a higher acceptance of palliative care than students in the 4+4 reform program(60%, 9/15) and were more willing to act as scriptwriters in SBME(26% vs. 7%, P=0.013). The students in clinical phase gained a better understanding of oncology knowledge through research training and were more inclined to take on the role of scriptwriters in SBME than those in basic phase (27% vs. 11%, P=0.048).  Conclusions  The eight-year program clinical medical students are interested in the clinical oncology course and prefer study in the form of Simulation-based medical education (SBME).

Objective:To explore the mediating role of working memory (WM) in the cortisol-awakening response (CAR) and multiple object tracking (MOT) in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).Methods:92 children with ADHD (ADHD group) and 94 typically developing children (control group) were selected from January 2022 to October 2022. Salivary cortisol levels were detected and analyzed in all children at four time points after awakening. Children's WM and MOT performance were assessed by the 1-back and MOT paradigms, respectively. SPSS 26.0 software was used for t-test and Pearson correlation analysis of the data, and plug-in PROCESS model 4 of SPSS 26.0 was used for mediated effects analysis. Results:(1) ADHD group showed significantly lower CAR, 1-back accuracy and MOT performance((30.97±5.63), (81.33±10.64) %, (2.36±0.37)) than the control group((32.41±3.48), (91.19±7.12) %, (2.62±0.28))( t=-2.09, -7.22, -5.31, all P<0.05). (2) Pearson analysis showed that CAR was positively correlated with 1-back accuracy ( r=0.293, P<0.01) and MOT performance ( r=0.740, P<0.01). 1-back accuracy was positively correlated with MOT performance ( r=0.368, P<0.01). (3) WM partially mediated the effect of CAR on MOT in children with ADHD, accounting for 6.13% (0.003/0.049) of the total effect. Conclusion:Children with ADHD have deficits in MOT.WM plays a mediating role between CAR and MOT performance in children with ADHD.