ObjectiveTo investigate the protective effect of α-ketoglutarate （α-KG） on hepatic lipid deposition in offspring caused by arsenic exposure during pregnancy. Methods8-week-old institute of cancer research （ICR） mice were mated in a ratio of 2∶1 between females and males， and the detection of vaginal plugs confirmed pregnant. A total of 32 pregnant mice were randomly divided into four groups： control group， arsenic group， α-KG group， arsenic+α-KG group. On gestational day 0-16 （GD0-GD16）， the arsenic and arsenic+α-KG groups were exposed to sodium arsenite （NaAsO₂ ，15 mg/L） in drinking water everyday， and the α-KG and arsenic+α-KG groups were gavaged with α-KG （2 g/kg） everyday. On GD16， pregnant mice were euthanized to collect fetal liver， and fetal body weight and crown-rump length were measured. Gene expression differences between the control group and the arsenic group were analyzed by transcriptome. The total triglycerides （TGs） and subtypes in fetal liver were detected by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry （LC-MS/MS）. Oil red O staining was used to observe the histopathological changes in the liver. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction （qPCR） was used to detect the expression level of genes related to lipid synthesis， transport， and degradation， and phosphatidylinositol 3' -kinase/ protein kinase B （PI3K/AKT） in the liver of fetus. ResultsTranscriptomics analysis showed that 2 144 genes were downregulated and 1 675 genes were upregulated in the arsenic exposed fetal liver； body weight and crown-rump length were reduced （P_TuKey<0.05）； the level of hepatic TGs was elevated in arsenic group （P_TuKey<0.05）； oil-red O staining showed a significant increase in lipid droplets in arsenic group （P_TuKey<0.01）； the expression of lipid synthesis-related genes were significantly upregulated （P_TuKey<0.05）； the expression of β-oxidation-related genes and lipid degradation-related genes were downregulated （P_TuKey<0.05）； the expression of PI3K， AKT decreased（P_TuKey<0.05）. Compared with the arsenic group， the body weight and crown-rump length of fetus increased in the arsenic+α-KG group （P_TuKey<0.05）； the level of hepatic TGs decreased in the arsenic+α-KG group （P_TuKey<0.05）； oil red O staining showed lipid droplets significantly decreased （P_TuKey<0.01）； the expression of lipid synthesis-related genes were downregulated （P_TuKey<0.05）， the expression of β-oxidation-related genes and lipid degradation-related genes were upregulated （P_TuKey<0.05）； the expression levels of PI3K and AKT increased （P_TuKey<0.05）. Conclusionα-KG alleviated hepatic lipid deposition in offspring exposed to arsenic during pregnancy through activating PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.

Objective: To investigate the prevalence of Dengue virus (DENV) infection among voluntary blood donors in Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, and to evaluate the necessity of implementing nucleic acid testing (NAT) for blood donors during the rainy season (May-October). Methods: Prior to initiating donor screening, the Xishuangbanna Central Blood Center conducted in-house validation of reagent performance and participated in external quality assessment (EQA) organized by the National Center for Clinical Laboratories (NCCL). During the surveillance period (August-October 2024), a total of 2 919 donor samples were screened using a 6-sample mini-pool NAT strategy. Daily internal quality controls were recorded. Samples that tested positive in pooled screening were deconvoluted and retested in duplicate; only those reactive in both replicate wells were sent to the NCCL for confirmatory testing. At NCCL, samples underwent re-testing using five domestic NAT reagents, as well as serological assays for NS1 antigen and DENV-specific IgG/IgM. Confirmed positive samples were further characterized by serotyping, envelope (E) gene sequencing, and phylogenetic analysis using the maximum likelihood method. Results: The DENV NAT reagent demonstrated consistent detection of 40 copies/mL controls in individual donor (ID)-NAT test (mean CT: 35.61±0.40). During the 63-day quality control monitoring, DENV detection remained stable (mean CT: 22.53±0.72). The center achieved full marks in EQA assessments for 2023 and 2024. Three reactive pools were identified in initial screening, and subsequent individual testing confirmed three DENV RNA-positive donors (sample numbers: 2401, 2402, and 2403). The confirmatory test results from NCCL were: all five NAT platforms consistently detected DENV RNA in the three samples; for serological tests, 2 samples (2402, 2403) were positive for NS1 antigen, while all three samples were negative for both IgG and IgM antibodies. DENV serotyping reagents identified DENV-2 in all cases, which were further confirmed as DENV-2 Genotype Ⅱ-Cosmopolitan by E gene sequencing. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that samples 2401 and 2402 clustered with Southeast Asian strains (Thailand/MZ636802.1, Laos/PQ775621.1), while sample 2403 closely matched a previously reported local Yunnan strain (PV544686.1). Conclusion: DENV-2 infection was detected among blood donors in Xishuangbanna during the rainy season, indicating concurrent risks of imported and local transmission. We recommend implementing pooled NAT screening for blood donors in high-risk areas during dengue epidemic seasons, along with strengthened laboratory quality control, to enhance blood safety.

Objective:To investigate the application effect of medical failure modes and effects analysis(FMEA)in reducing the inci-dence rate of catheter dislodgement in patients in the post-anesthesia care unit(PACU).Methods:A retrospective study was con-ducted among 469 PACU patients in our hospital from January 2023 to June 2024.According to the application time of FMEA,the pa-tients were divided into routine group(234 PACU patients who did not receive FMEA from January to June 2023)and FMEA group(235 PACU patients who received FMEA from July 2023 to June 2024).The two groups were compared in terms of the incidence rate of catheter dislodgement,risk priority number(RPN)coefficients(including professional knowledge,risk awareness,and intervention guidance),the quality of recovery of consciousness(including the time to complete recovery of consciousness and the length of stay in the PACU),and the degree of satisfaction with nursing(including risk management,nursing services,and nursing techniques).Results:The FMEA group had a significantly lower incidence rate of catheter dislodgement than the routine group[0.43%(1/235)vs.2.99%(7/234),the difference was statistically significant(χ2=4.604,P=0.032)].Compared with the routine group,the FMEA group had significantly lower RPN coefficients of risk awareness t=52.518,professional knowledge t=49.641,and intervention guidancet=61.592(P<0.001).Compared with the routine group,the FMEA group had significantly shorter time to complete recovery t=18.087 of consciousness and length of stay in the PACUt=15.710(P<0.001).The FMEA group had a significantly higher degree of satisfaction with nursing than the routine group in terms of risk management t=19.794,nursing services t=10.825,and nursing techniques t=14.555(P<0.001).Conclusion:The application of FMEA manage-ment in PACU patients can reduce the incidence rates of catheter dislodgement and risk events and improve the quality of recovery of consciousness and the degree of satisfaction with nursing,and there-fore,it has important clinical significance.

ObjectiveTo construct a group-based trajectory model (GBTM) for early medication adherence check-in, and to analyze the relationship between different trajectories and treatment outcomes in tuberculosis patients using data that were generated from smart tools for monitoring their medication adherence and check-in. MethodsFrom October 1, 2022 to September 30, 2023, a total of 163 pulmonary tuberculosis patients diagnosed in Fengxian District were selected as the study subjects. The GBTM was utilized to analyze the weekly active check-in trajectories of the subjects during the first 4 weeks and establish different trajectory groups. The χ² tests were employed to compare the differences between groups and logistic regression analysis was conducted to explore the relationship between different trajectory groups and treatment outcomes. ResultsA total of four groups were generated by GBTM analyses, of which a low level of punch card was maintained in group A, 6% of the drug users increased rapidly from a low level in group B, 17% of drug users increased gradually from a low level in group C, and 18% of drug users maintained a high level of punch card in group D. The trajectory group was divided into two groups according to homogeneity, namely the low level medication punch card group (group A) and the high level medication punch card group (group B, group C, and group D). The results of multivariate logistic regression analyses revealed that low-level medication check-in (OR=3.250, 95%CI: 1.089‒9.696), increasing age (OR=1.030, 95%CI: 1.004‒1.056), and not undergoing sputum examination at the end of the fifth month (OR=2.746, 95%CI: 1.090‒7.009) were significantly associated with poor treatment outcomes. ConclusionThe medication check-in trajectory of pulmonary tuberculosis patients within the first 4 weeks is correlated with adverse outcomes, or namely consistent low-level medication adherence check-ins are associated with poor treatment outcomes, while high-level medication adherence check-ins are associated with a lower incidence of adverse outcomes.

Objective Melatonin has been shown to have neuroprotective effects.This study is aimed at observing the effects of copper deposition on cognitive function in a toxic milk(TX)mouse model of Wilson disease(WD),and investigating the effects and mechanisms of action of Gandou Bushen Decoction(GDBSD)on melatonin synthesis and pineal function in the WD model mice.Methods A total of 30 homozygous TX mice were randomly assigned to 3 groups(n=10 in each group),including a WD group,a GDBSD group,and a dimercaptosuccinic acid(DMSA)group.A total of 10 DL mice were included in the normal control(NC)group.The structure and copper content of pineal gland tissues,oxidative stress and apoptosis-related markers,and serum melatonin levels were evaluated using hematoxylin-eosin(HE)staining,enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA),flow cytometry,and Western blot.Results Compared with the NC group,the WD group exhibited decreased learning and cognitive abilities(P＜0.05),damaged pineal gland structure,increased copper content,reactive oxygen species(ROS)levels,and mitochondrial damage rate in the pineal gland(P＜0.01),altered levels of melatonin and oxidative stress-related markers(P＜0.05),upregulated expression levels of pro-apoptotic proteins Bax and Caspase-3,and decreased expression of the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2(P＜0.01).After treatment with GDBSD and DMSA,the SIRT3/FOXO3α signaling pathway was activated,the copper content in the pineal gland was reduced,and oxidative stress and apoptosis-related damages were improved,leading to an improvement in learning and memory abilities(P＜0.05).Conclusion GDBSD can alleviate cognitive impairments in WD mice caused by pineal gland copper deposition by inhibiting oxidative stress and apoptosis in the pineal gland.The underlying molecular mechanism is associated with the regulation of the SIRT3/FOXO3α signaling pathway.

Objective To investigate the clinical characteristics,imaging features,laboratory test results,and prognosis of children with acute lymphoblast leukemia(ALL)complicated by cerebral hemorrhage.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 20 children with ALL complicated by cerebral hemor-rhage admitted to the Department of Hematology,Children's Hospital of Soochow University from June 20,2014 to June 20,2024.Results The clinical manifestation of the 20 children with ALL complicated by cerebral hemorrhage were complex and diverse,with disturbance of consciousness being the most common initial symptom.The prognosis varied depending on the size and location of the hematoma and whether it ruptured into the ventricle.Among the 20 cases,14(70％)demonstrated improvement in intracranial lesions,with 8(40％)cases exhibiting substantial lesion absorption and favorable prognosis.Six cases(30％)showed improvement in intracranial lesions but not complete resolution,three cases developed focal encephalomalacia,two cases had residual symptomatic epi-lepsy and one had residual right-sided hemiplegia.Furthermore,three(15％)cases suffered recurrent cerebral hemorrhages at distinct locations from the initial event following improvement of the primary hemorrhage,and 3(15％)cases led to mortality.Conclusions Neurological symptoms in children with acute lymphoblast leukemia(ALL)complicated by cerebral hemorrhage are diverse and often atypical.Timely cranial imaging and laboratory tests are necessary,while surgical intervention and platelet transfusion should be a prudential consideration.

Background and purpose:Prostate cancer and breast cancer are highly prevalent malignant tumors,and there occurrence and development are related to the tumor suppressor genes phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chremosome ten(Pten)and the transformation related protein 53 gene(Trp53).The loss of function of Trp53 is closely related.The simultaneous loss of the two can accelerate the malignant progression of tumors and induce therapeutic resistance.The gene-edited spontaneous tumor model of mice based on the Cre-loxP system is a key tool for studying the mechanism of cancer.Studies have shown that prostate-specific promoter(probasin,Pbsn)-driven iCre recombinase(Pbsn-iCre)can induce spontaneous prostate cancer in male mice,but its role in female breast cancer and transgender expression characteristics have not yet been clarified.In this study,we constructed Ptenfl/fl;Trp53fl/fl;Pbsn-iCre+transgenic mouse model which was designed to explore its spontaneous tumor phenotype in prostate cancer and breast cancer,and to verify the expression characteristics of Pbsn in breast tissue.Methods:The Ptenfl/fl;Trp53fl/fl;Pbsn-iCre+mouse model was established using Cre-loxP system by hybridization and continuous backcross screening with Ptenfl/fl mouse,Trp53fl/flmouse,and Pbsn-iCre+mouse(Ethical No.:FUSCC-IACUC-2025115).Pten,Trp53 and Pbsn-iCre genotypes were verified by polymerase chain reaction and agarose gel electrophoresis.The incidence of tumor in transgenic mice was monitored,and the histopathological characteristics of tumor were evaluated by hematoxylin-eosin staining.The protein levels of Pten and p53 in prostate and breast tumor tissues were analyzed by immunohistochemistry,and the distributions of Pbsn in breast,prostate,ovary,heart,liver and kidney were detected.Results:Ptenfl/fl;Trp53fl/fl;Pbsn-iCre+male mouse developed spontaneous prostate tumor at age of 5 month,and female mouse developed spontaneous breast tumor at age of 6 months.The pathological manifestations of prostate cancer were invasive acinar adenocarcinoma structure with glandular structure disorder and basement membrane destruction.The pathological manifestations of breast cancer were invasive ductal carcinoma with ductal epithelial dysplasia and interstitial lymphocyte infiltration.Immunohistochemistry confirmed the complete deletion of Pten and p53 proteins in prostate and breast tumor tissues,which verified the prostate and mammary gland specific gene knockout effect.Immunohistochemistry also confirmed that Pbsn protein was specifically expressed in prostate acinar epithelial cells,ovarian tissue,and mammary duct epithelial cells,but not in heart,liver and kidney.Conclusion:Pbsn-iCre is functionally expressed in female mammary glands,and the simultaneous loss of Pten/Trp53 induced by Pbsn-iCre may drive the development of prostate cancer in male and breast cancer in female mouse.

Clinical trials have demonstrated that kilohertz-frequency transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation (TSCS) can be used to facilitate the recovery of sensory-motor function for patients with spinal cord injury, whereas the neural mechanism of TSCS is still undetermined so that the choice of stimulation parameters is largely dependent on the clinical experience. In this paper, a finite element model of transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation was used to calculate the electric field distribution of human spinal cord segments T ₁₂ to L ₂, whereas the activation thresholds of spinal fibers were determined by using a double-cable neuron model. Then the variation of activation thresholds was obtained by varying the carrier waveform, the interphase delay, the modulating frequency, and the modulating pulse width. Compared with the sinusoidal carrier, the usage of square carrier could significantly reduce the activation threshold of dorsal root (DR) fibers. Moreover, the variation of activation thresholds was no more than 1 V due to the varied modulating frequency and decreases with the increased modulating pulse width. For a square carrier at 10 kHz modulated by rectangular pulse with the frequency of 50 Hz and the pulse width of 1 ms, the lowest activation thresholds of DR fibers and dorsal column fibers were 27.6 V and 55.8 V, respectively. An interphase delay of 5 μs was able to reduce the activation thresholds of the DR fibers to 20.1 V. The simulation results can lay a theoretical foundation on the selection of TSCS parameters in clinical trials.
Humans ; Spinal Cord Stimulation/methods* ; Nerve Fibers/physiology* ; Finite Element Analysis ; Spinal Cord/physiology* ; Computer Simulation ; Spinal Cord Injuries/physiopathology* ; Lumbosacral Region ; Lumbar Vertebrae ; Transcutaneous Electric Nerve Stimulation/methods* ; Models, Neurological

Background and purpose:Prostate cancer and breast cancer are highly prevalent malignant tumors,and there occurrence and development are related to the tumor suppressor genes phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chremosome ten(Pten)and the transformation related protein 53 gene(Trp53).The loss of function of Trp53 is closely related.The simultaneous loss of the two can accelerate the malignant progression of tumors and induce therapeutic resistance.The gene-edited spontaneous tumor model of mice based on the Cre-loxP system is a key tool for studying the mechanism of cancer.Studies have shown that prostate-specific promoter(probasin,Pbsn)-driven iCre recombinase(Pbsn-iCre)can induce spontaneous prostate cancer in male mice,but its role in female breast cancer and transgender expression characteristics have not yet been clarified.In this study,we constructed Ptenfl/fl;Trp53fl/fl;Pbsn-iCre+transgenic mouse model which was designed to explore its spontaneous tumor phenotype in prostate cancer and breast cancer,and to verify the expression characteristics of Pbsn in breast tissue.Methods:The Ptenfl/fl;Trp53fl/fl;Pbsn-iCre+mouse model was established using Cre-loxP system by hybridization and continuous backcross screening with Ptenfl/fl mouse,Trp53fl/flmouse,and Pbsn-iCre+mouse(Ethical No.:FUSCC-IACUC-2025115).Pten,Trp53 and Pbsn-iCre genotypes were verified by polymerase chain reaction and agarose gel electrophoresis.The incidence of tumor in transgenic mice was monitored,and the histopathological characteristics of tumor were evaluated by hematoxylin-eosin staining.The protein levels of Pten and p53 in prostate and breast tumor tissues were analyzed by immunohistochemistry,and the distributions of Pbsn in breast,prostate,ovary,heart,liver and kidney were detected.Results:Ptenfl/fl;Trp53fl/fl;Pbsn-iCre+male mouse developed spontaneous prostate tumor at age of 5 month,and female mouse developed spontaneous breast tumor at age of 6 months.The pathological manifestations of prostate cancer were invasive acinar adenocarcinoma structure with glandular structure disorder and basement membrane destruction.The pathological manifestations of breast cancer were invasive ductal carcinoma with ductal epithelial dysplasia and interstitial lymphocyte infiltration.Immunohistochemistry confirmed the complete deletion of Pten and p53 proteins in prostate and breast tumor tissues,which verified the prostate and mammary gland specific gene knockout effect.Immunohistochemistry also confirmed that Pbsn protein was specifically expressed in prostate acinar epithelial cells,ovarian tissue,and mammary duct epithelial cells,but not in heart,liver and kidney.Conclusion:Pbsn-iCre is functionally expressed in female mammary glands,and the simultaneous loss of Pten/Trp53 induced by Pbsn-iCre may drive the development of prostate cancer in male and breast cancer in female mouse.

Objective To establish a mouse model of pregnancy pain-depression comorbidity induced by chronic unpredictable stress(CUS),complete Freund's adjuvant(CFA),and formalin,and to systematically evaluate the associated phenotypes and preliminarily explore the pathological basis of the comorbidity.Methods Eight-week-old C57BL/6J female mice were randomly strarified divided into a control group(no intervention before pregnancy)and a CUS model group(CUS intervention before pregnancy)based on sucrose preference test(SPT)data.After completing the CUS treatment,female and male mice were paired and mated.Pain was induced by injecting 50％CFA and 5％formalin in the right hind foot during pregnancy to create a model of pregnancy pain-depression comorbidity.The experiment was divided into 8 subgroups:control-blank group,CUS-blank group,control-CFA group,CUS-CFA group,control-formalin group,CUS-formalin group,control-CFA+formalin group,and CUS-CFA+formalin group,with 10 mice in each group.The mice in each group were subject to behavioral tests,including the SPT,forced swimming test,tail suspension test,and open field test before and after CUS intervention,during pregnancy,and after delivery.Pain sensitivity changes were measured using mechanical allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia tests.Mice were then euthanized.Levels of interleukin-6(IL-6)and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α)in hippocampus,as well as cortisol and adrenocorticotropic hormone(ACTH)in serum,were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA).Results Compared with the control-blank group,the CUS-blank group showed a significant depression-like behavior with reduced pain threshold(P＜0.001).The control-CFA+formalin group showed a decrease in pain threshold after both CFA injection and formalin injection(P＜0.01).Compared with the control-blank and control-formalin groups,the pain threshold was significantly lower in the CUS-formalin group(P＜0.01),with a sequential decrease among the three.Compared with the control-blank and control-CFA groups,the pain threshold was significantly lower in the CUS-CFA group(P＜0.001),with a sequential decrease among the three.Compared with the control-blank and control-CFA+formalin groups,the mechanical pain threshold of mice in the CUS-CFA+formalin group was significantly lower(P＜0.001)and the thermal radiation tolerance time was shorter(P＜0.01),both with sequential decreases among the three.Compared with the control-CFA+formalin and the CUS-blank groups,the CUS-CFA+formalin group had a significantly lower percentage of sucrose preference(P＜0.001),longer immobility time during the forced swimming test(P＜0.001)and tail suspension test(P＜0.001),reduced central exploration time in the open field test(P＜0.001),reduced total exploration distance(P＜0.001),and reduced percentage of distance traveled for central exploration(P＜0.001).Compared with the control-CFA+formalin and CUS-blank groups,the serum cortisol and ACTH levels of the CUS-CFA+formalin group were significantly higher(P＜0.01),and the levels of IL-6 and TNF-α in the hippocampus were higher(P＜0.05).Conclusion The combination of CUS+CFA+formalin injections is an ideal method for establishing a C57BL/6J mouse model of pregnancy pain-depression comorbidity.The behavioral changes in model mice may be attributed to the regulation of inflammatory response in hippocampus and hormone levels in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal(HPA)axis.