OBJECTIVES: To investigate the effect of needle knife release on median nerve (MN) and transverse carpal ligament (TCL) morphology and function and expression levels of inflammatory factors in rabbit models of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). Methods Thirty adult New Zealand rabbits were randomized equally into control group, CTS model group, ultrasound-guided needle knife release group, needle knife release group without ultrasound guidance, and sham treatment groups. In all but the control group, the rabbits were subjected to CTS modeling by 10% glucose solution injection into the carpal tunnel once a week for 4 consecutive weeks, followed by interventions with a single treatment session. At 3 days and 30 days after the interventions, 3 rabbits from each group were selected for ultrasound measurement of TCL and MN thickness, electrophysiological testing, ultrasound elastography, and inflammatory cytokine level assessment. RESULTS: In the rabbit models of CTS, ultrasound-guided needle knife release significantly reduced the thickness of TCL and MN and improved sensory nerve conduction velocity at both 3 and 30 days after the intervention. Elastography of the TCL showed markedly softened intra-carpal tissues after ultrasound-guided needle knife release and achieved superior outcomes over those in the other groups. The treatment also significantly reduced IL-17 levels and lowered IL-6 and PGE2 expression at 30 days after the intervention. CONCLUSIONS Needle knife release of the TCL reduces thickness of the MN and TCL, enhances median nerve function, alleviates intrascatic tissue stiffness, and downregulates inflammatory factors in the carpal tunnel in rabbit models of CTS, and ultrasound guidance further enhances its therapeutic efficacy.
Animals ; Rabbits ; Carpal Tunnel Syndrome/surgery* ; Median Nerve/physiopathology* ; Disease Models, Animal

Trophoblast cell surface antigen 2 (Trop2) is a transmembrane glycoprotein. It promotes development and coordinates intracellular calcium signal transduction in healthy tissues, but is overexpressed in a variety of solid malignant tumors (such as gastrointestinal tumors, ovarian cancer, prostate cancer, and breast cancer). Moreover, it is closely associated with poor tumor prognosis and metastasis risk. As a powerful tool, molecular imaging technology can directly characterize and quantify the molecular metabolic changes after the combination of probes and targets through imaging technology at the in vivo level. It has become a key technology for Trop2 research and plays an important role in specific diagnosis, tumor staging, and therapeutic effect monitoring. A variety of Trop2-targeted molecular probes based on monoclonal antibodies, antibody-drug conjugates, and antibody fragments have been used in preclinical and clinical studies of various solid tumors. This article reviews the latest progress of Trop2-related research in the field of tumor molecular imaging technology.

As a neglected tropical disease, schistosomiasis remains a major public health challenge in underdeveloped areas, notably Africa. Currently, the national schistosomiasis control programmes in Africa mainly depend on foreign aids; however, conventional international aid models have multiple limitations. To enhance the effectiveness and sustainability of global schistosomiasis control programmes, this article proposes a trinity collaboration model based on international rules, China’s experiences and local needs, which is explained with China aid project of schistosomiasis control in Zanzibar as an example. Based on the successful experiences from the national schistosomiasis control programme in China, this model emphasizes the compliance with World Health Organization guidelines and fully considers local actual needs to promote the effectiveness and sustainability of the schistosomiasis control programme through integrating international resources and promoting China’s experience to meet local needs. The successful practice of the China aid project of schistosomiasis control in Zanzibar provides strong evidence that the model is of great theoretical significance and practical value to improve the efficiency of multilateral collaboration and promote global health governance.

Objective:To investigate the laboratory diagnostic value of 5 new blood routine indexes in chronic hepatitis B (CHB), liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).Methods:The retrospective study included 65 patients with chronic HBV infection, 72 patients with liver cirrhosis and 163 patients with HCC recruited at Liver Disease Center in First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, as well as 52 healthy controls recruited from the Physical Examination Center of the First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University from October 2022 to April 2023. Five new parameters [early granulated cell percent (EGC%), early granulated cell absolute count (EGC#), microcytic anemia factor (MAF), leukocyte estimate(corrected)from the DIFF optical channel (WDOP) and leukocyte estimate(corrected)from the NRBC optical channel (WNOP)] were detected by UniCel DxH 900 blood cell analyzer. Univariate analysis of the expression levels of the 5 new parameterswere compared among CHB, liver cirrhosis and HCC groups. Pearson correlation analysis was used to explore the correlation between the 5 new parameters and HBV-related markers in CHB and Child-Pugh score in liver cirrhosis. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and AUC were used to estimate the diagnostic capacity of the 5 new blood routine indexes in CHB, liver cirrhosis and HCC.Results:In patients with CHB, the levels of EGC% ( Z=4.613, P<0.001) and EGC# ( Z=4.220, P<0.001) were higher than those of healthy controls; EGC# was positively correlated with HBsAg and HBeAg (both P<0.05). In patients with cirrhosis, the level of MAF ( Z=-4.928, P<0.001) was lower than that of healthy controls, and Child-Pugh score was found to be negatively correlated with MAF ( r=-0.349, P<0.05). In HCC patients, WDOP ( Z=2.45, P=0.017) and WNOP ( Z=2.90, P=0.017) levels were higher in patients with tumor volume>3 cm 3 than those in patients with volume ≤3 cm 3. The AUCs of combination of 5 new parameters to diagnose CHB, liver cirrhosis and HCC were 0.901 (95% CI 0.830-0.973, P<0.001), 0.946 (95% CI 0.909-0.984, P<0.001), and 0.904 (95% CI 0.858-0.950, P<0.001). Conclusions:The 5 new parameters based on peripheral blood cell analysis have good clinical value in the diagnosis of CHB, liver cirrhosis and HCC diseases.

Nucleic acid aptamers are a type of single-stranded oligonucleotides screened through in vitro exponentially enriched ligand phylogenetic technology, and they can bind to various targets with high specificity and high affinity. AS1411 is a 26-base guanine-rich DNA aptamer, and its target nucleolin is widely distributed in multiple locations within the cell, including the nucleolus, nucleoplasm, cytoplasm and cell membrane. AS1411 demonstrates multiple advantages, such as weak immunogenicity, low toxicity, easy structural modification, and strong tissue penetration ability. Despite numerous challenges in the clinical transformation process, with the continuous advancement of molecular imaging technology, AS1411 has demonstrated great potential in the fields of targeted imaging and targeted delivery of cancer drugs. This article mainly focuses on the research progress of AS1411 in the field of molecular imaging, covering its applications in magnetic resonance imaging, fluorescence imaging and nuclear medicine imaging, etc.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the role and mechanism of paeonol in inhibiting the migration of bladder cancer T24 cells by regulating nuclear factor κB(NF-κB)/hypoxia-inducible factor-1α(HIF-1α)-mediated aerobic glycolysis.METHODS T24 cells were divided into control group,cisplatin group(positive control,3.001 μg/mL),and paeonol low-,medium-and high-dose groups(100,200,400 μg/mL),respectively.After 24 h of administration intervention,the effect of paeonol on the migration ability of T24 cells was detected(expressed by the cell scratch wound healing rate).The effect of paeonol on the mitochondrial membrane potential of T24 cells was detected(expressed by the ratio of red/green fluorescence intensity).Cellular adenosine triphosphate(ATP)levels and lactate content in T24 cells were measured.The levels of NF-κB/HIF-1α signaling pathway,the expression of migration-related proteins,and key enzymes involved in aerobic glycolysis in the cells were all determined.RESULTS Compared with the control group,the cell scratch wound healing rates in the paeonol medium-and high-dose groups and the cisplatin group were decreased significantly(P＜0.01);in the paeonol groups,the expression levels of NF-κB/HIF-1α signaling pathway-related proteins such as NF-κB and HIF-1α,migration-related proteins such as matrix metalloproteinase 2(MMP2),MMP9,and vascular endothelial growth factor,as well as key enzymes involved in aerobic glycolysis such as glucose transporter 1,hexokinase 2 and pyruvate kinase isozyme type M2,were all reduced to varying degrees in the cells,most of these reductions showed statistically significant differences(P＜0.05 or P＜0.01);the ratio of red/green fluorescence intensity in mitochondria of cells in the medium-and high-dose paeonol groups were significantly decreased(P＜0.01);the ATP concentration in cells of the paeonol high-dose group,and the lactate content in cells across all paeonol groups were significantly decreased(P＜0.05 or P＜0.01).CONCLUSIONS Paeonol significantly inhibits the migration of bladder cancer T24 cells,and its mechanism of action may be related to the inhibition of the NF-κB/HIF-1α signaling pathway,and the down-regulation of key enzyme activities involved in aerobic glycolysis.

Nucleic acid aptamers are a type of single-stranded oligonucleotides screened through in vitro exponentially enriched ligand phylogenetic technology, and they can bind to various targets with high specificity and high affinity. AS1411 is a 26-base guanine-rich DNA aptamer, and its target nucleolin is widely distributed in multiple locations within the cell, including the nucleolus, nucleoplasm, cytoplasm and cell membrane. AS1411 demonstrates multiple advantages, such as weak immunogenicity, low toxicity, easy structural modification, and strong tissue penetration ability. Despite numerous challenges in the clinical transformation process, with the continuous advancement of molecular imaging technology, AS1411 has demonstrated great potential in the fields of targeted imaging and targeted delivery of cancer drugs. This article mainly focuses on the research progress of AS1411 in the field of molecular imaging, covering its applications in magnetic resonance imaging, fluorescence imaging and nuclear medicine imaging, etc.

Trophoblast cell surface antigen 2 (Trop2) is a transmembrane glycoprotein. It promotes development and coordinates intracellular calcium signal transduction in healthy tissues, but is overexpressed in a variety of solid malignant tumors (such as gastrointestinal tumors, ovarian cancer, prostate cancer, and breast cancer). Moreover, it is closely associated with poor tumor prognosis and metastasis risk. As a powerful tool, molecular imaging technology can directly characterize and quantify the molecular metabolic changes after the combination of probes and targets through imaging technology at the in vivo level. It has become a key technology for Trop2 research and plays an important role in specific diagnosis, tumor staging, and therapeutic effect monitoring. A variety of Trop2-targeted molecular probes based on monoclonal antibodies, antibody-drug conjugates, and antibody fragments have been used in preclinical and clinical studies of various solid tumors. This article reviews the latest progress of Trop2-related research in the field of tumor molecular imaging technology.

Objective:To investigate the laboratory diagnostic value of 5 new blood routine indexes in chronic hepatitis B (CHB), liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).Methods:The retrospective study included 65 patients with chronic HBV infection, 72 patients with liver cirrhosis and 163 patients with HCC recruited at Liver Disease Center in First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, as well as 52 healthy controls recruited from the Physical Examination Center of the First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University from October 2022 to April 2023. Five new parameters [early granulated cell percent (EGC%), early granulated cell absolute count (EGC#), microcytic anemia factor (MAF), leukocyte estimate(corrected)from the DIFF optical channel (WDOP) and leukocyte estimate(corrected)from the NRBC optical channel (WNOP)] were detected by UniCel DxH 900 blood cell analyzer. Univariate analysis of the expression levels of the 5 new parameterswere compared among CHB, liver cirrhosis and HCC groups. Pearson correlation analysis was used to explore the correlation between the 5 new parameters and HBV-related markers in CHB and Child-Pugh score in liver cirrhosis. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and AUC were used to estimate the diagnostic capacity of the 5 new blood routine indexes in CHB, liver cirrhosis and HCC.Results:In patients with CHB, the levels of EGC% ( Z=4.613, P<0.001) and EGC# ( Z=4.220, P<0.001) were higher than those of healthy controls; EGC# was positively correlated with HBsAg and HBeAg (both P<0.05). In patients with cirrhosis, the level of MAF ( Z=-4.928, P<0.001) was lower than that of healthy controls, and Child-Pugh score was found to be negatively correlated with MAF ( r=-0.349, P<0.05). In HCC patients, WDOP ( Z=2.45, P=0.017) and WNOP ( Z=2.90, P=0.017) levels were higher in patients with tumor volume>3 cm 3 than those in patients with volume ≤3 cm 3. The AUCs of combination of 5 new parameters to diagnose CHB, liver cirrhosis and HCC were 0.901 (95% CI 0.830-0.973, P<0.001), 0.946 (95% CI 0.909-0.984, P<0.001), and 0.904 (95% CI 0.858-0.950, P<0.001). Conclusions:The 5 new parameters based on peripheral blood cell analysis have good clinical value in the diagnosis of CHB, liver cirrhosis and HCC diseases.

Objective:Analyzing the relationship between negative life events and depressive symptoms in university freshmen,and the mediating effects of neuroticism and the moderating role of exercise frequency.Meth-ods:A sampling of 8 079 university freshmen,and the Patient Health Questionnaire was used to assess depressive symptoms,the Eysenck Personality Inventory-Neuroticism subscale to assess neuroticism,the self-administered questionnaire to assess the number of negative life events that the participants had experienced and the exercise fre-quency.Model 4 in the Process plug-in was used to test the mediating effect of neuroticism,and Model 7 to test the moderating role of exercise frequency.Results:The numbers of negative life events were positively correlated with the depressive symptoms scores(r=0.16,P＜0.01),and were positively correlated with the neuroticism scores(r=0.26,P＜0.01).The neuroticism scores were positively correlated with the depressive symptoms scores(r=0.52,P＜0.01).Neuroticism score partially mediated between negative life events and depressive symptoms score,with a mediating effect of 78.4％,and exercise frequency score moderated between negative life events and neuroti-cism scores(β=-0.05,P=0.032).Conclusion:Negative life events are associated with depressive symptoms,neuroticism plays a mediating role,and exercise frequency could moderate negative life events and neuroticism.