Objective To compare the changes in biological indicators of human corneal epithe-lial(HCET)cells and rabbit corneas after exposure to different doses of ultraviolet B(UVB)radia-tion,so as to evaluate the impact of UVB radiation on corneal injury effects.Methods In cell exper-iment,HCET cells were divided into groups with radiation doses of 0,6,12,18,and 24 mJ/cm2.The effect of UVB radiation on HCET cell viability was detected using the CCK-8 assay,and the level of intracellular DNA damage was assessed by immunofluorescence.In the animal experiment,15 healthy New Zealand white rabbits(30 eyes)were randomly divided into groups with radiation doses of 0,1.35,2.16,4.32,and 6.48 J/cm2.The UVB exposure time for the radiation groups was 30 minutes per day for 3 consecutive days.Corneal injury was evaluated using methods such as slit-lamp microscopy,sodium fluorescein staining,central corneal thickness measurement,optical coherence tomography(OCT)imaging,and hematoxylin and eosin(HE)staining.Results Compared with the control group,cell viability in the radiation groups gradually decreased,and the level of DNA damage gradually increased with increasing radiation dose.As the radiation dose increased in the radiation groups,the degree of corneal opacity in rabbits gradually worsened,the central corneal area gradu-ally thickened,and OCT revealed high-intensity scattered light signals with the formation of shadow areas.Results from HE staining,immunohistochemistry,Western blot(WB),and sodium fluores-cein staining showed that the 1.35 J/cm2 group caused mild corneal injury,with damage reaching the corneal epithelial layer.In the 2.16 J/cm2 group,the corneal injury presented as dense punctate distribution,with damage extending from the epithelial layer to the superficial stroma.The number of ephrin type-A receptor 2(EphA2)protein-stained cells was relatively small,and the staining was light,showing a weak positive result.In the 4.32 J/cm2 and 6.48 J/cm2 groups,the corneal injury was irreversible,with damage gradually progressing from the corneal epithelial layer and superficial stroma to the endothelial layer.The number of EphA2 protein-stained cells was relatively large,and the staining was dark,showing a strong positive result.Conclusion This study comprehensively e-valuates the dose-dependent injury effects of UVB on HCET cells and New Zealand white rabbit cor-neas through cell and animal experiments.It elucidates that UVB radiation could induce corneal cell DNA damage,promote inflammatory responses,and trigger apoptosis by upregulating γ-phosphoryla-ted histone H2AX(γH2AX)and EphA2.The self-repair ability and process of corneal injury are preliminarily explored,providing a basis for further research on mechanisms of corneal injury caused by ultraviolet radiation and the development of protective drugs.

ObjectiveTo improve the efficacy of Astragalus membranaceus (Fisch.) Bunge (A. membranaceus, Huang Qi), and to further develop and utilize it, fermentation technology was applied to the stem and leaf of A. membranaceus to enhance its immune function.MethodsIn this study, we fermented A. membranaceus stem and leaf (ASL) with probiotics and investigated its immune function. Firstly, we screened suitable strains for ASL fermentation and optimized the fermentation process. Secondly, we determined the antioxidant capacity of fermented ASL and its effect on inflammation in mouse monocyte-macrophage cell. Finally, the immunocompromised mice were treated with fermented ASL to investigate the changes in their immune ability.ResultsAmong the 10 selected probiotics, Lactobacillus plantarum was the most suitable strain for ASL fermentation. After optimization of the fermentation process, the content of saponins in fermented ASL was significantly increased. The fermented ASL exhibited strong anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities in vitro. The in vivo immune efficacy improved by promoting the development of the spleen and thymus, as well as raising the immunoglobulin M, tumor necrosis factor-α, and interleukin-1β levels of in the serum.ConclusionThis study contributes to developing the non-medicinal parts of A. membranaceus, expands its medicinal resources, highlights the potential of fermentation technology to enhance these parts, and provides a reference for further development. Based on this approach, we can promote using non-medicinal parts of herbal medicines, minimize drug waste, and offer a reference for developing non-medicinal components in Chinese herbal medicines.

Objective:To explore the relationship between the triglyceride glucose (TyG) index and the risk of developing hypertension among rural Chinese adults.Methods:A prospective cohort study was conducted from 2007 to 2008, involving 20 194 adults selected through random cluster sampling from a rural community in Luoyang City, Henan Province. Follow-ups were carried out in 2013-2014 and 2018-2020. After excluding participants with hypertension at baseline, those with missing TyG index data, individuals who passed away during follow-up, and those with incomplete hypertension status at the second visit, 9 802 participants were included in the analysis. Baseline and follow-up assessments included questionnaire interviews, physical measurements (including blood pressure), and blood sample collection for fasting lipid and glucose levels. Participants were divided into four groups according to TyG index quartiles, and a modified Poisson regression model was utilized to assess the association between TyG index quartiles and hypertension risk.Results:The study cohort comprised 9 802 participants with a median age of 48 (39, 57) years, including 3 803 males (38.80%). Participants were distributed across TyG index quartiles as follows: TyG<8.2 group (2 224 individuals), TyG 8.2-8.5 group (2 653 individuals), TyG 8.6-8.9 (2 441 individuals), and TyG≥9.0 (2 484 individuals). Over a follow-up period of (11.1±1.3) years, 3 378 subjects developed hypertension, resulting in a cumulative incidence of 34.46% (3 378/9 802). The risk of hypertension increased with higher TyG index quartiles ( Ptrend<0.05). Compared to the TyG<8.2, the TyG 8.2-8.5 ( RR=1.11, 95% CI 1.01-1.22, P=0.023), TyG 8.6-8.9 ( RR=1.16, 95%CI 1.06-1.27, P=0.023), and TyG≥9.0 ( RR=1.20, 95%CI 1.10-1.31, P=0.023) exhibited increased hypertension risk after adjusting for age, gender, educational level, and other potential confounders. Subgroup analyses based on gender and age at baseline yielded results consistent with the main analysis. Conclusions:The TyG index is positively correlated with the risk of developing hypertension in the rural adult population.

Objective:To explore the relationship between the hypertensive snowbirds′ length of migratory stay and their blood pressure control and blood pressure levels.Methods:This study was a cross-sectional study. A population of snowbirds with hypertension was recruited between October and November 2022, and a structured questionnaire was used to collect their self-measured blood pressure and length of stay in Hainan Province. The blood pressure control status is determined based on self-measured blood pressure. According to the self-measured blood pressure to determine whether the blood pressure was well controlled. The associations between snowbirds′ length of stay and their blood pressure control as well as their self-measured blood pressure were analyzed using restricted cubic splines.Results:A total of 362 research subjects were included, 169(46.7%) of whom were male, and their age was (69.7±7.0) years old. The participants′ self-measured systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure were (129.1±16.2) mmHg (1 mmHg=0.133 kPa) and (78.9±10.1) mmHg, respectively. Overall, 174 (48.1%) participants attained adequate blood pressure control. The median length of stay in Wuzhishan City was 7(6, 7) months. There was an inverted U-shaped association between snowbirds′ length of stay and blood pressure control (overall: P=0.023; nonlinearity: P=0.014), where participants with a length of stay of 7 months had the highest rate of blood pressure control. There is a U-shaped curve relationship between length of stay and systolic blood pressure (overall: P=0.001; nonlinearity: P=0.033), and a linear negative correlation with diastolic blood pressure ( β=-1.19, P=0.003). Conclusions:Compared with hypertensive snowbirds with too long or too short lengths of stay, snowbirds who stayed in Wuzhishan City for seven months have better blood pressure control, and systolic blood pressure is also lower.

For muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) patients, preoperative neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) can reduce the tumor stage, treat micrometastases, prolong the median survival, and improve the prognosis.However, NAC is associated with side effects such as renal impairment, thromboembolism and drug toxicity.NAC itself suffers from deficiencies such as renal function impairment, thromboembolism, and drug toxicity.Its therapeutic efficacy is affected by factors such as tumor pathology type, DNA repair gene defects, whether it is primary MIBC, and TNM staging, so there are certain limitations in its use.Based on the cisplatin treatment regimen, more and more studies are exploring the limitations and shortcomings of NAC in MIBC treatment regimen.Therefore, this paper provides an overview and outlook of the application of NAC in MIBC treatment.

Objective:To analyze the clinical characteristics of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccine breakthrough infections in children, and to provide reference basis for the SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in children.Methods:A total of 97 children aged 3 to 14 years and diagnosed with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) admitted to Xi′an People′s Hospital (Xi′an Fourth Hospital) from December 27, 2021 to February 7, 2022 were included. According to the COVID-19 vaccination status, the enrolled children were divided into unvaccinated group, partially vaccinated group and fully vaccinated group, and the clinical data of the children in the three groups were collected and compared. Chi-square test, two independent sample t-test and Kruskal-Wallis H test were used for statistical analysis. Results:Totally 97 children including 49 males and 48 females were enrolled, with 87(89.7%) children of mild type, 10(10.3%) children of common type, and no severe or critical case. The proportions of unvaccinated, partially vaccinated and fully vaccinated preschool-aged children (3 to 6 years old) were 56.5%(13/23), 30.8%(12/39) and 17.1%(6/35), respectively, while those of school-aged children (7 to 14 years old) were 43.5%(10/23), 69.2%(27/39) and 82.9%(29/35), respectively. The vaccination proportion in preschool-aged children was significantly lower than that in school-age children ( χ2=9.94, P=0.007). The proportion of the children with fever in fully vaccinated group was 17.1%(6/35), which was lower than that in unvaccinated group (43.5%, 10/23), and the difference was statistically significant ( χ2=4.82, P=0.028). The cycle threshold (Ct) values of the open reading frame ( ORF)1 ab gene in the unvaccinated, partially vaccinated and fully vaccinated groups were 33.77(26.87, 36.58), 35.23 (33.45, 38.57) and 37.12 (34.91, 39.39), respectively, and there was a statistically significant difference among the groups ( H=7.76, P=0.021). The Ct values of the nucleocapsid protein ( N) gene in the three groups were 32.26(25.85, 36.18), 35.12(33.18, 37.96) and 37.26(34.27, 39.24), respectively, and the difference among the groups was statistically significant ( H=7.84, P=0.020). The Ct values of ORF1 ab gene and N gene in fully vaccinated group were higher than those in unvaccinated group, and the differences were statistically significant ( Z=-2.69, P=0.007 and Z=-2.39, P=0.017, respectively). The duration of viral shedding in fully vaccinated children was (9.9±4.1) d, which was shorter than that in unvaccinated children ((12.8±3.7) d), and the difference was statistically significant ( t=2.72, P=0.009). Conclusions:The majority of children with breakthrough infections with SARS-CoV-2 are mild. Vaccination may effectively shorten the duration of viral shedding. And fully vaccination is associated with mild clinical symptoms and lower serum viral load compared to unvaccinated children.

Objective:To analyze the clinical characteristics and risk factors for severe disease of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) in underage patients, and to construct the severe disease risk model.Methods:A total of 170 HFRS patients (<18 years old) from the Second Affiliated Hospital of Air Force Medical University (153 cases) and the Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi′an Jiaotong University (17 cases) from January 2009 to December 2021 were included. According to the severity of the disease, the patients were divided into mild and severe groups. Baseline demographic data, symptoms, signs, laboratory examination on admission and prognosis were analyzed between the two groups. Statistical comparisons were performed using the Mann-Whitney U test and chi-square test.Binary logistic regression was used to analyze the independent risk factors of patients with severe disease, and the severe disease risk model was built.The receiver operator characteristic curve was used to analyze the value of the risk model in predicting severity of disease. Results:Among the 170 underage patients, 132 (77.6%) were males, aged (14.9±3.1) years, including 124 cases in mild group and 46 cases in severe group. One hundred and sixty-nine cases (99.4%) had fever, 119 cases (70.0%) had headache, 106 cases (62.4%) had lumbago, 158 cases (92.9%) had skin and mucous congestion, and 101 cases (59.4%) had nausea and vomiting. Renal percussive pain was found in 139(81.8%) patients. The incidence of nausea and vomiting and bleeding of skin and mucosa in the severe group were 71.7%(33/46) and 67.4%(31/46), respectively, which were both higher than those in the mild group (54.8%(68/124) and 44.4%(55/124), respectively), and the differences were statistically significant ( χ2=3.97 and 7.12, respectively, both P<0.05). There were significant differences in platelet count, activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), serum creatinine (SCr), aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, leukocyte count, total bilirubin and albumin levels between the two groups ( Z=-4.14, -4.04, -4.87, -3.90, -4.07, -2.60, -2.78 and t=2.50, respectively, all P<0.05). Binary logistic regression analysis showed that chemosis (odds ratio ( OR)=8.035, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 2.946 to 21.916), SCr ( OR=1.010, 95% CI 1.006 to 1.015) and APTT ( OR=1.049, 95% CI 1.003 to 1.098) were the independent risk factors for severe HFRS in the underage patients. The risk model was constructed as: Logit(P)=-10.323+ 2.084×chemosis (no=0, grade Ⅰ=1, grade Ⅱ=2, grade Ⅲ=3)+ 0.010×SCr (μmol/L)+ 0.048×APTT (s). The area under the curve to predict severity of disease in underage HFRS patients was 0.868, with an optimal cut-off value of -4.39, with a sensitivity of 73.90% and a specificity of 91.10%. According to the internal verification of the data of the study based on the severe disease risk model, 34 out of 46 patients with severe disease were severe (sensitivity, 73.91%), 113 out of 124 patients with mild disease were mild (specificity, 91.13%). Conclusions:The clinical manifestations of the underage HFRS patients are not typical.The main manifestations are fever, headache and lumbago, nausea and vomiting, and the incidences of skin and mucous congestion and renal percussive pain are high.Chemosis, SCr and APTT are independent risk factors for severe disease in underage patients with HFRS. The severe disease risk model could effectively predict the severity of disease.

Objective:To evaluate the effect of cinacalcet on right ventricular function in rats with MCT-induced arterial pulmonary hypertension by echocardiography.Methods:Thirty male SD rats were randomly divided into control group, PAH group, and cinacalcet group, with 10 rats in each group. Rats in the cinacalcet group were given intraperitoneal injection of cinacalcet hydrochloride with 30 mg/kg, and the control group and the PAH group were given equal-volume of solvent. Echocardiographic parameters: right ventricular wall thickness (RVWT), right ventricular basal dimension (RVD), left ventricular eccentricity index (EI), tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE), right ventricular fractional area change (RVFAC), tricuspid lateral annular systolic velocity (s′), right ventricular global longitudinal strain (RV4CSL), and right ventricular free wall longitudinal strain (RVFWSL), etc. Histopathological parameters: pulmonary arteriole wall thickness (WT), right ventricular cardiomyocyte mean diameter (RV cell-D), collagen volume fraction (CVF) and right ventricular hypertrophy index (RVI). Echocardiographic and pathological parameters were compared among three groups, and the correlation between right ventricular pathological changes and strain parameters was analyzed.Results:①Compared with the control group, WT, RV cell-D, CVF and RVI in PAH group were increased (all P<0.01), the size of right ventricle and thickness of RV wall were increased (all P<0.05), and the right ventricular longitudinal strain was reduced ( P<0.01). ②Compared with the PAH group, rats in the cinacalcet group showed reduced WT, RV cell-D, CVF and RVI (all P<0.01), as well as improved structure and function of the right ventricle (all P<0.05). There was no statistical difference of the above parameters between cinacalcet and control group (all P>0.05). ③Correlation analysis: the right chamber remodeling parameters CVF and RV cell-D were positively correlated with WT ( rs=0.706 3, 0.629 4; both P<0.05); and RVFWSL correlated well with CVF, RV cell-D ( rs=-0.685 3, r=-0.767 2; both P<0.05). Conclusions:The right ventricular inverse remodeling of PAH rats with the intervention of cinacalcet was retained, suggesting that cinacalcet had a protective effect on the structure and function of the right ventricle in rats with PAH.

Objective:To investigate the influencing factors for textbook outcome (TO) after hepatectomy for hepatolithiasis.Methods:The retrospective case-control study was conducted. The clinicopathological data of 216 patients with hepatolithiasis who were admitted to The First Affi-liated Hospital of Anhui Medical University from January 2015 to March 2023 were collected. There were 69 males and 147 females, aged 61(range, 22-85)years. Observation indicators: (1) treatment situations; (2) TO after hepatectomy; (3) Influencing factors for TO after hepatectomy. Measurement data with normal distribution were represented as Mean± SD. Measurement data with skewed distribution were represented as M(range). Count data were expressed as absolute numbers. Logistic regression models were used for univariate and multifactorial analyses. Results:(1) Treatment situations. All the 216 patients underwent hepatectomy, including 45 cases of laparoscopic hepatectomies and 171 cases of open hepatectomies, 161 cases of anatomical hepatectomies and 55 cases of non-anatomical hepatectomies. All the 216 patients underwent intraoperative choledochoscopy exploration and lithotripsy. There were 170 patients with normal Oddi sphincter function and 46 patients with Oddi sphincter dysfunction. All the 216 patients underwent biliary drainage, including 198 cases of external T-tube drainage and 18 cases of internal bile-intestinal drainage. The operation time was (226±75)minutes and volume of intraoperative blood loss was (106±82)mL. There were 29 patients with perioperative blood transfusion and 14 patients with intraoperative severe adverse events. There were 189 patients achieved immediate stone clearance. Of 183 patients with intraoperative bile cultures, 76 cases were positive for bacteria culture. (2) TO after hepatectomy. Of 216 patients, 93 cases had postoperative complications, all of which were successfully discharged after active treatment. One patient had surgery-related death within 90 days after surgery, and the cause of death was liver failure. Five patients were readmitted within 90 days after surgery, and 18 patients had postoperative stone residual. Of 216 patients, 164 cases achieved TO postoperatively and 52 cases did not achieve TO postoperatively. (3) Influencing factors for TO after hepatectomy. Results of multivariate analysis showed that cholangitis, stone distribution, surgical approaches, anatomical hepatectomy, immediate stone removal and postoperative review of choledochoscopy were independent influencing factors for TO after hepatectomy in patients with hepatolithiasis ( P<0.05). Conclusion:Cholangitis, stone distribution, surgical approaches, anatomical hepatectomy, imme-diate stone removal and postoperative review of choledochoscopy are independent influencing factors for TO after hepatectomy in patients with hepatolithiasis.

The family of voltage-gated potassium Kv2 channels consists of the Kv2.1 and Kv2.2 subtypes. Kv2.1 is constitutively highly phosphorylated in neurons and its function relies on its phosphorylation state. Whether the function of Kv2.2 is also dependent on its phosphorylation state remains unknown. Here, we investigated whether Kv2.2 channels can be phosphorylated by protein kinase C (PKC) and examined the effects of PKC-induced phosphorylation on their activity and function. Activation of PKC inhibited Kv2.2 currents and altered their steady-state activation in HEK293 cells. Point mutations and specific antibodies against phosphorylated S481 or S488 demonstrated the importance of these residues for the PKC-dependent modulation of Kv2.2. In layer II pyramidal neurons in cortical slices, activation of PKC similarly regulated native Kv2.2 channels and simultaneously reduced the frequency of action potentials. In conclusion, this study provides the first evidence to our knowledge that PKC-induced phosphorylation of the Kv2.2 channel controls the excitability of cortical pyramidal neurons.
Action Potentials ; HEK293 Cells ; Humans ; Protein Kinase C/metabolism* ; Pyramidal Cells/enzymology* ; Shab Potassium Channels/genetics*