Objective To determine the effect of thalamic nucleus reuniens(RE)on sleep spindles and neuronal activity in the medial prefrontal cortex(mPFC)during non-rapid eye movement(NREM)sleep.Methods Thirteen wild-type C57BL/6 male mice(8～12 weeks old,weighing 22～28 g)were randomly divided into an experimental group(n=7)and a control group(n=6).Optogenetic inhibition combined with multi-channel recording technology was used to specifically inhibit RE projections to mPFC during NREM sleep with yellow light for 20 s,in a 5-min interval between 2 times of light stimuli.The types and distribution of neurons were identified based on the waveform width and firing frequency of neurons.The changes in spindle activity in the mPFC following inhibition,as well as in firing of interneurons and pyramidal neurons were analyzed.Results Morphological data confirmed that neural fibers originating from the RE densely projected to the mPFC,primarily distributed in the deep layers.In the experimental group,light stimulation significantly affected the spindle activity in the mPFC when compared with the period before light stimulation,mainly manifested as a decrease in spindle rate,central frequency,and peak-to-peak amplitude(P<0.05).However,no impacts on spindle duration,number of cycles,symmetry,and power were observed.Meanwhile,there were no significant changes in the spindle activity of the control group.The proportion of interneurons in the mPFC area was 21.9%,while pyramidal neurons accounted for 78.1%.The firing rates of interneurons in the experimental group decreased significantly during light stimulation(P<0.05),whereas there was no significant change in the firing rates of pyramidal neurons.In addition,the firing activities of both interneurons and pyramidal neurons in the control group remained unaffected.Conclusion During NREM sleep,RE inputs may participate in the generation of sleep spindles network oscillations in the mPFC by activating interneurons.

Periodontal bone defects, primarily caused by periodontitis, are highly prevalent in clinical settings and manifest as bone fenestration, dehiscence, or attachment loss, presenting a significant challenge to oral health. In regenerative medicine, harnessing developmental principles for tissue repair offers promising therapeutic potential. Of particular interest is the condensation of progenitor cells, an essential event in organogenesis that has inspired clinically effective cell aggregation approaches in dental regeneration. However, the precise cellular coordination mechanisms during condensation and regeneration remain elusive. Here, taking the tooth as a model organ, we employed single-cell RNA sequencing to dissect the cellular composition and heterogeneity of human dental follicle and dental papilla, revealing a distinct Platelet-derived growth factor receptor alpha (PDGFRA) mesenchymal stem/stromal cell (MSC) population with remarkable odontogenic potential. Interestingly, a reciprocal paracrine interaction between PDGFRA⁺ dental follicle stem cells (DFSCs) and CD31⁺ Endomucin⁺ endothelial cells (ECs) was mediated by Vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) and Platelet-derived growth factor subunit BB (PDGFBB). This crosstalk not only maintains the functionality of PDGFRA⁺ DFSCs but also drives specialized angiogenesis. In vivo periodontal bone regeneration experiments further reveal that communication between PDGFRA⁺ DFSC aggregates and recipient ECs is essential for effective angiogenic-osteogenic coupling and rapid tissue repair. Collectively, our results unravel the importance of MSC-EC crosstalk mediated by the VEGFA and PDGFBB-PDGFRA reciprocal signaling in orchestrating angiogenesis and osteogenesis. These findings not only establish a framework for deciphering and promoting periodontal bone regeneration in potential clinical applications but also offer insights for future therapeutic strategies in dental or broader regenerative medicine.
Receptor, Platelet-Derived Growth Factor alpha/metabolism* ; Humans ; Neovascularization, Physiologic/physiology* ; Dental Sac/cytology* ; Single-Cell Analysis ; Transcriptome ; Mesenchymal Stem Cells/metabolism* ; Bone Regeneration ; Animals ; Dental Papilla/cytology* ; Periodontium/physiology* ; Stem Cells/metabolism* ; Regeneration ; Angiogenesis

Objective:To evaluate the value of spectral CT quantitative parameters in predicting microvascular invasion (MVI) of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).Methods:A total of 100 HCC patients who underwent surgical resection and were pathologically diagnosed in the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya Medical College of Central South University from January 2020 to January 2023 were retrospectively enrolled. According to pathological grading, the patients were divided into the microvascular invasion group (invasion group, n=60) and the non-vascular invasion group (non-invasion group, n=40). Serological indicators and spectral CT quantitative parameters were compared between the two groups. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to analyze the value of spectral CT quantitative parameters in predicting MVI of HCC. Results:The serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) level in the invasion group was higher than that in the non-invasion group, with a statistically significant difference ( P<0.05). There were no statistically significant differences in serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and carbohydrate antigen 199 (CA-199) levels between the two groups (all P>0.05). In the invasion group, arterial phase iodine concentration, arterial phase normalized iodine concentration, venous phase iodine uptake reduction rate, arterial phase effective atomic number, and energy spectrum curve slope were all higher than those in the non-invasion group, with statistically significant differences (all P<0.05); there were no statistically significant differences in venous phase iodine concentration, venous phase normalized iodine concentration, and venous phase effective atomic number between the two groups (all P>0.05). The rates of peritumoral enhancement in the arterial phase and irregular tumor margin in the invasion group were higher than those in the non-invasion group, with statistically significant differences (all P<0.05); there was no statistically significant difference in tumor capsule between the two groups ( P>0.05). ROC curve analysis showed that the areas under the curve (AUC) of arterial phase iodine concentration, arterial phase normalized iodine concentration, venous phase iodine uptake reduction rate, arterial phase effective atomic number, and energy spectrum curve slope for predicting MVI in HCC were 0.812, 0.885, 0.726, 0.823, and 0.788, respectively. Conclusions:Spectral CT quantitative parameters are helpful to improve the preoperative diagnostic efficiency of MVI in HCC and can effectively predict MVI in HCC. Especially, arterial phase normalized iodine concentration has high application value in judging whether there is MVI in HCC.

Objective:To investigate whether changes in CT pulmonary angiography (CTPA) parameters before and after balloon pulmonary angioplasty (BPA) are correlated with treatment effects in patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH).Methods:A retrospective study was conducted, including patients with CTEPH who underwent BPA treatment at Beijing Anzhen Hospital from November 2021 to Febbruary 2024. Clinical data and CTPA parameters were analyzed before the initial BPA session and at least 6 months after the final BPA session. Clinical data included WHO functional class, 6-minute walk distance (6MWD), and plasma N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) levels. The CTPA parameters included the widest diameter of the pulmonary artery diameter (dPA), ascending aorta diameter (dAA), the widest transverse diameter of the right atrium (dRA), the widest short-axis diameter of the right ventricle (dRV), the widest short-axis diameter of the left ventricle (dLV), and the diameter of right ventricular free wall thickness(dRVW). Multiple linear regression was applied to identify variables associated with the decrease in mean pulmonary artery pressure (mPAP) among the CTPA parameters.Results:All CTEPH patients underwent a total of 115 BPA treatments. Postoperatively, the WHO functional class of the patients improved compared to preoperative levels ( χ2=5.01, P<0.001), 6MWD improved ( t=4.50, P<0.001), and NT-proBNP levels decreased ( Z=4.47, P<0.001). Hemodynamic parameters, including mPAP, pulmonary vascular resistance, cardiac output, and cardiac index, were significantly improved postoperatively (all P<0.001). CTPA-related parameters, including dPA, dRA, dRV, dRVW, dPA/dAA, dRV/dLV, and dRA/dPA, significantly decreased compared to preoperative values (all P<0.001). Multiple linear regression analysis showed that the decrease in dPA ( β=0.314, P=0.037) and dRA ( β=0.334, P=0.046) were significantly correlated with the improvement in mPAP. Conclusions:Exercise tolerance, hemodynamics, and CTPA parameters in patients with CTEPH significantly improved after BPA treatment. The decrease in dPA and dRA were significantly correlated with the improvement in mPAP, suggesting that CTPA is a potentially novel, objective, effective, and noninvasive method for evaluating the therapeutic efficacy of BPA.

Objective To understand the awareness and willingness of primary medical staff in Songjiang District, Shanghai towards human papillomavirus (HPV) and its vaccines, and to provide references for improving the vaccination willingness of HPV vaccine and primary prevention of cervical cancer. Methods From July to August 2023, a questionnaire survey was conducted among the in-service medical staff in 17 community health service centers in Songjiang District, Shanghai, using the random sampling method. Descriptive analysis, χ² test and logistic regression were used for statistical analysis. Results A total of 951 valid questionnaires were collected during the survey. The awareness rate of HPV among medical staff was 92.74%, and the awareness rate of HPV vaccine was 93.38%. The maximum score for HPV knowledge was 6 points, with an average score of (3.99±1.34) points. The maximum score for HPV vaccine knowledge was 10 points, with an average score of (5.63±1.61) points. 881 (92.64%) medical staff were willing to receive or recommend HPV vaccination. Multivariate analysis showed that concerns about being infected with HPV (OR=2.648, 95% CI: 1.459-4.806), qualified score on HPV vaccine knowledge (OR=1.717, 95% CI: 1.012-2.912), high price burden of HPV vaccine (OR=0.343, 95% CI: 0.157-0.746), and concerns about side effects of vaccination (OR=0.443, 95% CI: 0.243-0.805) were the influencing factors for medical staff's willingness to vaccinate. Conclusion There is insufficient knowledge of HPV and its vaccines among primary medical personnel in Songjiang District, Shanghai. It is necessary to strengthen the continuing education of medical personnel through multiple channels, supplement the HPV-related knowledge system, and eliminate their concerns about vaccines.

OBJECTIVE: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is sensitive to ferroptosis, a new form of programmed cell death that occurs in most tumor types. However, the mechanism through which ferroptosis modulates HCC remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the oncogenic role and prognostic value of FANCD2 and provide novel insights into the prognostic assessment and prediction of immunotherapy. METHODS: Using clinicopathological parameters and bioinformatic techniques, we comprehensively examined the expression of FANCD2 macroscopically and microcosmically. We conducted univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses to identify the prognostic value of FANCD2 in HCC and elucidated the detailed molecular mechanisms underlying the involvement of FANCD2 in oncogenesis by promoting iron-related death. RESULTS: FANCD2 was significantly upregulated in digestive system cancers with abundant immune infiltration. As an independent risk factor for HCC, a high FANCD2 expression level was associated with poor clinical outcomes and response to immune checkpoint blockade. Gene set enrichment analysis revealed that FANCD2 was mainly involved in the cell cycle and CYP450 metabolism. CONCLUSION To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to comprehensively elucidate the oncogenic role of FANCD2. FANCD2 has a tumor-promoting aspect in the digestive system and acts as an independent risk factor in HCC; hence, it has recognized value for predicting tumor aggressiveness and prognosis and may be a potential biomarker for poor responsiveness to immunotherapy.
Humans ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/diagnosis* ; Liver Neoplasms/diagnosis* ; Immunotherapy ; Fanconi Anemia Complementation Group D2 Protein/metabolism* ; Prognosis ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Biomarkers, Tumor/metabolism*

Medical institutions, with their clinical practice foundation and abundant human use experience data, have become important carriers for the inheritance and innovation of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) and the "cradles" of the preparation of new TCM. To effectively promote the transformation of new TCM originating from the TCM clinical practice in medical institutions and establish an effective evaluation index system for the transformation of new TCM conforming to the characteristics of TCM, consensus experts adopted the literature research, questionnaire survey, Delphi method, etc. By focusing on the policy and technical evaluation of new TCM originating from the TCM clinical practice in medical institutions, a comprehensive evaluation from the dimensions of drug safety, efficacy, feasibility, and characteristic advantages was conducted, thus forming a comprehensive evaluation system with four primary indicators and 37 secondary indicators. The expert consensus reached aims to encourage medical institutions at all levels to continuously improve the high-quality research and development and transformation of new TCM originating from the TCM clinical practice in medical institutions and targeted at clinical needs, so as to provide a decision-making basis for the preparation, selection, cultivation, and transformation of new TCM for medical institutions, improve the development efficiency of new TCM, and precisely respond to the public medication needs.
Medicine, Chinese Traditional/standards* ; Humans ; Consensus ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Surveys and Questionnaires

Body weight abnormalities, including overweight, obesity, and underweight, have become a dual public health challenge in Chinese adults: overweight and obesity lead to a variety of chronic complications, while underweight increases the risks of malnutrition, sarcopenia, and organ dysfunction. To systematically address these issues, multidisciplinary experts in endocrinology, sports science, nutrition, and psychiatry from various regions have held multiple weight management seminars. Based on the latest epidemiological data and clinical evidence, they expanded the guideline to include assessment and intervention strategies for underweight, in addition to the core content of obesity management. This guideline outlines the etiological mechanisms, evaluation methods, and multidimensional management strategies for overweight and obesity, covering key areas such as diagnosis and assessment, medical nutrition therapy, exercise prescription, pharmacological intervention, and psychological support. It is intended to provide a scientific and standardized approach to weight management across the adult population, aiming to curb the rising prevalence of obesity, mitigate complications associated with abnormal body weight, and improve nutritional status and overall quality of life.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the effects of methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) rs1801133 and γ-glutamyl hydrolase (GGH) rs11545078 gene polymorphisms on plasma concentrations and toxicity following high-dose methotrexate (MTX) therapy in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). METHODS: Children with ALL treated at the Xuzhou Children's Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University from January 2021 to April 2024 were selected for this study. Genotypes of MTHFR rs1801133 and GGH rs11545078 were determined using multiplex polymerase chain reaction. MTX plasma concentrations were measured by enzyme-multiplied immunoassay technique, and toxicity was graded according to the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events version 5.0. The relationships between MTHFR rs1801133 and GGH rs11545078 genotypes and both MTX plasma concentrations and associated toxicities were analyzed. RESULTS: In the low-risk ALL group, the MTHFR rs1801133 genotype was associated with increased MTX plasma concentrations at 72 hours (P<0.05). In the intermediate- to high-risk group, the MTHFR rs1801133 genotype was associated with increased MTX plasma concentrations at 48 hours (P<0.05), and the GGH rs11545078 genotype was associated with increased MTX plasma concentrations at 48 hours (P<0.05). In the intermediate- to high-risk group, the MTHFR rs1801133 genotype was associated with the occurrence of reduced hemoglobin (P<0.05), and the GGH rs11545078 genotype was associated with the occurrence of thrombocytopenia (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS Detection of MTHFR rs1801133 and GGH rs11545078 genotypes can be used to predict increased MTX plasma concentrations and the occurrence of toxic reactions in high-dose MTX treatment of ALL, enabling timely interventions to enhance safety.
Humans ; Methotrexate/toxicity* ; Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase (NADPH2)/genetics* ; Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma/blood* ; Male ; Female ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; gamma-Glutamyl Hydrolase/genetics* ; Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic/adverse effects* ; Infant ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Adolescent ; Genotype ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide