OBJECTIVE: To explore decompression strategies for lateral lumbar spinal stenosis under unilateral biportal endoscopy (UBE) assistance. METHODS: A clinical data of 86 patients with lateral lumbar stenosis treated with UBE-assisted intervertebral decompression between September 2022 and December 2023 was retrospectively analyzed. There were 42 males and 44 females with an average age of 63.6 years (range, 45-79 years). The disease duration ranged from 6 to 14 months (mean, 8.5 months). Surgical levels included L _{2, 3} in 3 cases, L _{3, 4} in 26 cases, L _{4, 5} in 42 cases, and L ₅, S ₁ in 15 cases. According to Lee's grading system, there were 21 cases of grade 1, 37 cases of grade 2, and 28 cases of grade 3 for lumbar spinal stenosis. Based on the location of stenosis and clinical symptoms, the 33 cases underwent interlaminar approach, 7 cases underwent interlaminar approach with auxiliary third incision, 26 cases underwent contralateral inclinatory approach, and 20 cases underwent paraspinal approach; then, the corresponding decompression procedures were performed. Visual analogue scale (VAS) score was used to evaluate lower back/leg pain before operation and at 1 and 3 months after operation, while Oswestry disability index (ODI) was used to evaluate spinal function. At 3 months after operation, the effectiveness was evaluated using the modified MacNab evaluation criteria. The spinal stenosis and decompression were evaluated based on Lee's grading system using lumbar MRI before operation and at 3 months after operation. RESULTS: All procedures were successfully completed with mean operation time of 95.1 minutes (range, 57-166 minutes). Dural tears occurred in 2 cases treated with interlaminar approach with auxiliary third incision. All incisions healed by first intention. All patients were followed up 3-10 months (mean, 5.9 months). The clinical symptoms of the patients relieved to varying degrees. The VAS scores and ODI of lower back and leg pain at 1 and 3 months after operation significantly improved compared to preoperative levels ( P<0.05), and the indicators at 3 months significantly improved than that at 1 month ( P<0.05). According to the modified MacNab evaluation criteria, the effectiveness at 3 months after operation was rated as excellent in 52 cases, good in 21 cases, and poor in 13 cases, with an excellent and good rate of 84.9%. No lumbar instability was detected on flexion-extension X-ray films during follow-up. The Lee's grading of lateral lumbar stenosis at 2 days after operation showed significant improvement compared to preoperative grading ( P<0.05). CONCLUSION For lateral lumbar spinal stenosis, UBE-assisted decompression of the spinal canal requires the selection of interlaminar approach, interlaminar approach with auxiliary third incision, contralateral inclinatory approach, and paraspinal approach based on preoperative imaging findings and clinical symptoms to achieve better effectiveness.
Humans ; Spinal Stenosis/diagnostic imaging* ; Female ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Decompression, Surgical/methods* ; Aged ; Lumbar Vertebrae/surgery* ; Endoscopy/methods* ; Retrospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome

Pharmacotranscriptomic profiles, which capture drug-induced changes in gene expression, offer vast potential for computational drug discovery and are widely used in modern medicine. However, current computational approaches neglected the associations within gene‒gene functional networks and unrevealed the systematic relationship between drug efficacy and the reversal effect. Here, we developed a new genome-scale functional module (GSFM) transformation framework to quantitatively evaluate drug efficacy for in silico drug discovery. GSFM employs four biologically interpretable quantifiers: GSFM_Up, GSFM_Down, GSFM_ssGSEA, and GSFM_TF to comprehensively evaluate the multi-dimension activities of each functional module (FM) at gene-level, pathway-level, and transcriptional regulatory network-level. Through a data transformation strategy, GSFM effectively converts noisy and potentially unreliable gene expression data into a more dependable FM active matrix, significantly outperforming other methods in terms of both robustness and accuracy. Besides, we found a positive correlation between RS_GSFM and drug efficacy, suggesting that RS_GSFM could serve as representative measure of drug efficacy. Furthermore, we identified WYE-354, perhexiline, and NTNCB as candidate therapeutic agents for the treatment of breast-invasive carcinoma, lung adenocarcinoma, and castration-resistant prostate cancer, respectively. The results from in vitro and in vivo experiments have validated that all identified compounds exhibit potent anti-tumor effects, providing proof-of-concept for our computational approach.

Objective To investigate the effects and related mechanisms of mitochondrial-derived peptide MOTS-c on glycochenodeoxycholic acid (GCDCA)-induced injury in human hepatocytes (THLE-3 cells). Methods THLE-3 cells were cultured in vitro and treated with different concentrations of GCDCA and MOTS-c. The optimal concentrations of GCDCA and MOTS-c were determined by cell counting kit (CCK)-8 method. Subsequently, THLE-3 cells were treated or pre-treated with GCDCA (200 µmol/L), MOTS-c (15, 30, 60 µmol/L), the multidrug resistance protein 2 (MRP2) inhibitor Probenecid (500 µmol/L), and the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) inhibitor ML385 (10 µmol/L). Cell proliferation was assessed by CCK-8 method. Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels in the culture medium were measured by biochemical method. Cell apoptosis rates were determined by flow cytometry. MRP2 messenger RNA (mRNA) levels were detected by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). MRP2 and Nrf2 protein expression levels were analyzed by Western blotting. Results As the concentration of GCDCA increased, the proliferation activity of THLE-3 cells gradually decreased, while LDH activity in the culture medium and apoptosis levels increased, and the expression levels of MRP2 in the cells decreased (all P<0.05). Treatment with 30 and 60 µmol/L MOTS-c significantly enhanced the proliferation activity of THLE-3 cells exposed to GCDCA, upregulated the expression of MRP2 and Nrf2, and reduced LDH activity and apoptosis levels (all P<0.05). Co-treatment with Probenecid partially reversed the protective effects of MOTS-c on GCDCA-induced THLE-3 cells injury, while co-treatment with ML385 partially inhibited the induction of MRP2 expression by MOTS-c in THLE-3 cells exposed to GCDCA. Conclusions MOTS-c may alleviate GCDCA-induced injury in human hepatocytes (THLE-3 cells), and its mechanism may be related to the upregulation of MRP2 expression mediated by Nrf2.

Objective:To compare the efficacy of 18F-AlF-1, 4, 7-triazacyclononane-1, 4, 7-triacetic acid (NOTA)-octreotide (OC) PET/CT and MRI in detecting liver metastases (LM) of neuroendocrine neoplasm (NENLM). Methods:18F-AlF-NOTA-OC PET/CT and MRI findings (dynamic contrast enhanced MRI and diffusion weighted imaging) of 44 patients (26 males, 18 females, age (53.8±13.4) years) with neuroendocrine neoplasm (NEN) confirmed by pathological or clinical follow-up in the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from July 2021 to December 2023 were retrospectively analyzed. According to the size of LM, patients were divided into 3 groups with long diameter ≤1 cm, 1 cm< long diameter ≤2 cm and long diameter >2 cm. According to the 2019 WHO pathological grade, patients were divided into G1, G2, G3 and neuroendocrine carcinoma groups. McNemar χ2 test was used to compare the difference in detecting LM and lesions between the two methods. Results:The detection rate of 18F-AlF-NOTA-OC PET/CT and MRI in patients with NENLM was 95.45%(42/44). Among 44 patients, 227 lesions were detected by PET/CT and 303 were detected by MRI. Based on lesion analysis ( n=307), the detection rate of 18F-AlF-NOTA-OC PET/CT for NENLM was lower than that of MRI (73.94%(227/307) vs 98.70%(303/307); χ2=66.96, P<0.001). For NENLM with long diameter ≤1 cm, 1 cm < long diameter ≤2 cm, long diameter >2 cm, the detection rates of MRI were higher than those of 18F-AlF-NOTA-OC PET/CT (98.72%(77/78), 93.55%(116/124), 97.35%(110/113) vs 47.44%(37/78), 73.39%(91/124), 87.61%(99/113); χ2 values: 5.88-36.21, all P<0.05). Conclusions:Compared with 18F-AlF-NOTA-OC PET/CT, MRI has a higher detection rate for NENLM with different long diameters of NEN, especially for lesions with long diameter≤1 cm.

Objective:To evaluate the characteristic manifestations of lumbar fusion following oblique lateral interbody fusion (OLIF), determine the specific incidence of these patterns, and the identify factors associated with fusion characteristics.Methods:This retrospective study analyzed 209 patients who underwent OLIF surgery at Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, between July 2017 and September 2023. The cohort had a mean age of 64.2±9.8 years and included 125 males and 84 females. A total of 338 lumbar segments were assessed, comprising 159 segments treated with stand-alone OLIF (OLIF-SA) and 179 segments treated with OLIF combined with posterior pedicle screw fixation (OLIF-PSF). Inclusion criteria were: patients aged 18-80 years who underwent OLIF with complete radiographic records. Surgical parameters, including fixation method, number of fused segments, surgical approach, and cage dimensions (height and width), were obtained from operative records. Radiographic evaluation included preoperative osteophytes, Hounsfield unit (HU) values of endplates, and cage positioning. Fusion rate, fusion pattern (lateral vs. central), cage subsidence, and related influencing factors were assessed. Clinical outcomes were measured via the Oswestry disability index (ODI) and visual analog scale (VAS) preoperatively, immediately postoperatively, and at 1-year follow-up. Results:The overall fusion rate was 98.2% (332/338), with a non-union rate of 1.8% (6/338). The incidence of lateral fusion was 40.2% (136/338). In the OLIF-SA group, lateral and central fusion rates were 50.3% (80/159) and 49.7% (79/159), respectively, with no cases of non-union. In the OLIF-PSF group, lateral fusion occurred in 31.3% (56/179), central fusion in 65.4% (117/179), and non-union in 3.3% (6/179), with statistically significant differences between groups ( P<0.05). Preoperative osteophytes and higher endplate HU values were significantly associated with lateral fusion ( P<0.05). However, cage dimensions and cage position (anterior-posterior and lateral placement) were not significantly associated with fusion pattern ( P>0.05). Overall, 61.5% (208/338) of segments showed no cage subsidence; 24.5% (83/338) had settling, and 14.0% (47/338) had grade 1 or higher subsidence. Among lateral fusion cases, the rates of no subsidence, anchoring, grade 1, grade 2, and grade 3 subsidence were 67.6%, 21.3%, 7.4%, 3.9%, and 0.7%, respectively. In the central fusion group, these rates were 59.2%, 27.6%, 9.2%, 2.5%, and 1.3%, respectively. In the non-union group, grade 2 and 3 subsidence occurred in 50% (3/6) each, significantly higher than in the other fusion groups ( P<0.05). Post hoc analysis confirmed that grade 2 and 3 subsidence rates were significantly elevated in the non-union group compared to the lateral and central fusion groups, while other subsidence categories showed no significant differences across groups. Clinically, patients showed significant improvements in ODI and VAS scores following surgery ( P<0.05). Conclusions:Lateral fusion occurred in 40.2% of OLIF cases. The OLIF-SA technique, preoperative osteophytes, and elevated preoperative HU values were significantly associated with lateral fusion. In contrast, surgical approach, number of fused segments, cage height, width, and cage positioning did not significantly influence the occurrence of lateral fusion.

Objective:To develop and validate clinical predictive models for identifying poor short-term response to recombinant human growth hormone(rhGH) treatment in children with short stature.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on 118 children diagnosed with growth hormone deficiency or idiopathic short stature who were treated at the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University and two other hospitals between January 1, 2020, and January 1, 2024. A poor response to rhGH was defined as a height increase of less than 0.2 standard deviation score(SDS) after 6 months of rhGH treatment. LASSO regression was used to identify predictive variables from baseline and follow-up data. Two logistic regression models were conducted: Model A(incorporating baseline variables only) and model B(incorporating both baseline and follow-up variables), and nomograms were created for visualization. External data and internal resampling were used for dual validation of the models, and their performance was compared.Results:A total of 118 children with short stature were included. Six baseline predictive variables(diagnosis, initial height SDS, bone age, bone age-chronological age difference, rhGH dose, and gender) and one follow-up variable(height SDS after 3 months of rhGH treatment) were identified. Area under the curve values for Model A and Model B were 0.753(95% CI 0.696-0.811) and 0.930(95% CI 0.891-0.975), respectively. Calibration curves, decision curve analysis, and other evaluation metrics demonstrated good discrimination and clinical utility for both models. Model B, incorporating the 3-month follow-up variable, showed superior predictive performance compared to Model A. Conclusions:The clinical prediction models developed in this study(Model A and Model B) are practical and reliable tools for quantitatively, conveniently, and intuitively identifying children with short stature at risk of poor response to rhGH treatment.

Objective:To compare the differences in chemical compositions before and after processing by different processing methods; To optimize the processing method of Atractylodes lancea Rhizoma.Methods:Atractylodes lancea Rhizoma was processed by stir-frying with bran and treating with rice washing water. The volatile and non-volatile components of raw Atractylodes lancea Rhizoma, bran-fried Atractylodes lancea Rhizoma and rice washing water treated Atractylodes lancea Rhizome were qualitatively analyzed by headspace gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-GC-MS) and ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-electrostatic field orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-Orbitrap HRMS), and the differences in chemical composition before and after processing were compared.Results:The volatile components of the three different products were determined to have 18 common components, such as agarospirol, β-eudesol, etc. In addition, 86 non-volatile components were determined. The peak area response value of atractylodin, the index component prescribed by pharmacopoeia, decreased after processing, but there was little difference in bran stir-frying and rice-washed water frying.Conclusions:Different processing methods have certain effects on the chemical composition of Atractylodes lancea Rhizoma. Among them, the bran-frying method is superior in improving the quality of preparations, reducing production costs and improving production efficiency. The bran-fried product can be used as raw material for preparation production.

Objective: To investigate the role and mechanism of PGC-1 α-mediated mitochondrial biosynthesis in AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) agonist anti-hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury (HIRI) ． Methods : SD rats were randomly divided into Control group，HIRI group，HIRI + AICAR group，HIRI + SR-18292 group and HIRI + AICAR + SR-18292 group，with 8 rats in each group．The rats were intraperitoneally injected with AICAR (500 mg / kg) or SR-18292 (32 mg / kg) before operation，and then the HIRI model was established by non-invasive vascular clamp clamping method．The samples were taken 24 hours after reperfusion．The contents of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) in serum and the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) ，superoxide dis- mutase (SOD) and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) in liver tissue were detected．HE staining was used to observe the pathological changes of liver tissue．The level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the changes of mitochondri- al membrane potential in liver tissue were detected by fluorescence probe．The copy number of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and the mitochondrial biosynthesis-related genes PGC-1 α, NRF1，TFAM，UQCRC2 and other mRNA ex- pression levels were detected by qRT-PCR. Western blot was used to detect the protein expression levels of AMPKα, p-AMPKα , mTOR , p-mTOR , PGC-1α and TFAM in liver tissue． Results : Compared with the control group，the levels of ALT and AST in serum and MDA and ROS in liver tissue of rats in HIRI group increased，while the levels of SOD and ATP decreased ( all P ＜0. 05) ．At the same time，the mtDNA copy number，mitochondrial membrane potential and the mRNA expression levels of PGC-1α , NRF1，TFAM，and UQCRC2 in liver tissues de- creased，and the protein ratio of p-AMPKα/AMPKα and the protein expression levels of PGC-1α and TFAM de- creased．The ratio of p-mTOR/ mTOR protein increased (both P＜0. 05) ．Compared with HIRI group，the levels of ALT and AST in serum and MDA and ROS in liver tissue of rats in HIRI + AICAR group decreased，while the levels of SOD and ATP increased ( all P ＜0. 05) ．At the same time，the mtDNA copy number，mitochondrial membrane potential and the mRNA expression levels of PGC-1α , NRF1，TFAM，and UQCRC2 in liver tissue increased，and the protein ratio of p-AMPKα/AMPKα and the protein expression levels of PGC-1α and TFAM increased．The ratio of p-mTOR/ mTOR protein decreased (both P＜0. 05) ．However，combined with SR-18292 intervention，the protective effect of AICAR on liver tissue of HIRI rats was significantly reversed． Conclusion PGC-1α mediated mitochondri- al biosynthesis is involved in the regulation of AMPK agonist-mediated protective effect of HIRI，and its mechanism may be related to the activation of AMPK/ mTOR signaling pathway．

Objective:To analyze the impact of serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) on the prognosis of patients with combined hepatocellular-cholangiocarcinoma (CHC) after radical surgery.Methods:Clinical data of 100 patients diagnosed with CHC by postoperative pathology in Hunan Provincial People's Hospital from January 2009 to January 2019 were retrospectively analyzed, including 73 males and 27 females, aged (52.0±10.9) years. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis were conducted to try to find out the effects of AFP and CA19-9 on postoperative disease-free survival (DFS) of patients with CHC. Subgroup analysis was also performed to analyze the DFS among patients with different levels of AFP and CA19-9. Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank test were used to plot and compare the survival curves between groups.Results:Univariate analysis showed that levels of AFP, CA19-9, alanine transaminase, aspartate transaminase, American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) TNM staging, portal vein invasion, tumor number are associated with postoperative DFS in CHC patients (all P<0.05). The multivariate Cox analysis showed that AFP≥20.6 μg/L ( HR=6.686, 95% CI: 1.985-9.582), CA19-9≥35.2 U/L ( HR=5.790, 95% CI: 1.197-8.855), AJCC tumor TNM staging stage Ⅱ( HR=6.384, 95% CI: 2.069-11.532), and portal vein invasion ( HR=2.384, 95% CI: 1.100-10.125) were risk factors for a shortened DFS in CHC patients after surgery (all P<0.05). Subgroup analysis showed that patients with AFP≥20.6 μg/L and CA19-9≥35.2 U/L ( n=14) had a lower DFS compared to patients with AFP<20.6 μg/L and CA19-9≥35.2 U/L ( n=32), and patients with AFP≥20.6 μg/L and CA19-9<35.2 U/L ( n=20) ( χ2=6.23, 4.98, P=0.014, 0.043). Conclusion:AFP and CA19-9 are risk factors for DFS in CHC patients. Patients with AFP≥20.6 μg/L and CA19-9≥35.2 U/L showed a worse prognosis.

Objective To explore the effect of different post-processing methods of total spinal CT angiography(CTA)for displaying spinal dural arteriovenous fistula(SDAVF).Methods Total spinal CTA data of 55 patients with SDAVF were retrospectively analyzed.Traditional post-processing of original CTA images(modified tissue growth boneless volume rendering[VR]and full-range axial maximum intensity projection[MIP])were performed,while the axial,sagittal and coronal MIP reconstructions,axial,sagittal and coronal VR reconstructions,as well as axial,sagittal and coronal MIP+VR reconstructions of original CTA images on lesion layers were completed,respectively.Taken digital subtraction angiography(DSA)as the gold standards,a 5-point scale was used to subjectively evaluate the effect of displaying the location,the range and feeding artery of fistula shown on CTA images based on different post-processing methods.Results No significant difference of subjective score of location nor feeding artery of fistula was found among axial MIP,VR and MIP+VR images(all P＞0.05),which were all higher than that of CTA images reconstructed using other post-processing methods(all P＜0.05).Meanwhile,no significant difference of subjective scores of the range of SDAVF was detected among sagittal MIP,VR and MIP+VR images(all P＞0.05),which were all higher than that of CTA images obtained using other post-processing methods(all P＜0.05).Conclusion The location and feeding artery of SDAVF could be observed based on axial MIP,VR and MIP+VR reconstructions of the total spinal CTA,while sagittal MIP,VR and MIP+VR reconstructions were conducive to display the range of SDAVF.Combination of multiple post-processing methods was helpful for comprehensive understanding the composition and range of SDAVF.