Objective To introduce an innovative technique, the "balance-shaped sternal elevation device" and its application in the subxiphoid uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) for anterior mediastinal masses resection. Methods Patients who underwent single-port thoracoscopic assisted anterior mediastinal tumor resection through the xiphoid process at the Department of Thoracic Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University from May to June 2024 were included, and their clinical data were analyzed. Results A total of 7 patients were included, with 3 males and 4 females, aged 28-72 years. The diameter of the tumor was 1.9-17.0 cm. The operation time was 62-308 min, intraoperative blood loss was 5-100 mL, postoperative chest drainage tube retention time was 0-9 days, pain score on the 7th day after surgery was 0-2 points, and postoperative hospital stay was 3-12 days. All patients underwent successful and complete resection of the masses and thymus, with favorable postoperative recovery. Conclusion The "balance-shaped sternal elevation device" effectively expands the retrosternal space, providing surgeons with satisfactory surgical views and operating space. This technique significantly enhances the efficacy and safety of minimally invasive surgery for anterior mediastinal masses, reduces trauma and postoperative pain, and accelerates patient recovery, demonstrating important clinical significance and application value.

Background and Objectives: SH3 and multiple ankyrin repeat domains 3 (Shank3) proteins play crucial roles as neuronal postsynaptic scaffolds. Alongside neuropsychiatric symptoms, individuals with SHANK3 mutations often exhibit symptoms related to dysfunctions in other organs, including the heart. However, detailed insights into the cardiac functions of Shank3 remain limited. This study aimed to characterize the cardiac phenotypes of Shank3-overexpressing transgenic mice and explore the underlying mechanisms. Methods: Cardiac histological analysis, electrocardiogram and echocardiogram recordings were conducted on Shank3-overexpressing transgenic mice. Electrophysiological properties, including action potentials and L-type Ca2+ channel (LTCC) currents, were measured in isolated cardiomyocytes. Ca2+ homeostasis was assessed by analyzing cytosolic Ca2+transients and sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ contents. Depolarization-induced cell shortening was examined in cardiomyocytes. Immunoprecipitation followed by mass spectrometrybased identification was employed to identify proteins in the cardiac Shank3 interactome.Western blot and immunocytochemical analyses were conducted to identify changes in protein expression in Shank3-overexpressing transgenic cardiomyocytes. Results: The hearts of Shank3-overexpressing transgenic mice displayed reduced weight and increased fibrosis. In vivo, sudden cardiac death, arrhythmia, and contractility impairments were identified. Shank3-overexpressing transgenic cardiomyocytes showed prolonged action potential duration and increased LTCC current density. Cytosolic Ca2+ transients were increased with prolonged decay time, while sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ contents remained normal. Cell shortening was augmented in Shank3-overexpressing transgenic cardiomyocytes. The cardiac Shank3 interactome comprised 78 proteins with various functions. Troponin I levels were down-regulated in Shank3-overexpressing transgenic cardiomyocytes. Conclusions This study revealed cardiac dysfunction in Shank3-overexpressing transgenic mice, potentially attributed to changes in Ca2+ homeostasis and contraction, with a notable reduction in troponin I.

Background and Objectives: SH3 and multiple ankyrin repeat domains 3 (Shank3) proteins play crucial roles as neuronal postsynaptic scaffolds. Alongside neuropsychiatric symptoms, individuals with SHANK3 mutations often exhibit symptoms related to dysfunctions in other organs, including the heart. However, detailed insights into the cardiac functions of Shank3 remain limited. This study aimed to characterize the cardiac phenotypes of Shank3-overexpressing transgenic mice and explore the underlying mechanisms. Methods: Cardiac histological analysis, electrocardiogram and echocardiogram recordings were conducted on Shank3-overexpressing transgenic mice. Electrophysiological properties, including action potentials and L-type Ca2+ channel (LTCC) currents, were measured in isolated cardiomyocytes. Ca2+ homeostasis was assessed by analyzing cytosolic Ca2+transients and sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ contents. Depolarization-induced cell shortening was examined in cardiomyocytes. Immunoprecipitation followed by mass spectrometrybased identification was employed to identify proteins in the cardiac Shank3 interactome.Western blot and immunocytochemical analyses were conducted to identify changes in protein expression in Shank3-overexpressing transgenic cardiomyocytes. Results: The hearts of Shank3-overexpressing transgenic mice displayed reduced weight and increased fibrosis. In vivo, sudden cardiac death, arrhythmia, and contractility impairments were identified. Shank3-overexpressing transgenic cardiomyocytes showed prolonged action potential duration and increased LTCC current density. Cytosolic Ca2+ transients were increased with prolonged decay time, while sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ contents remained normal. Cell shortening was augmented in Shank3-overexpressing transgenic cardiomyocytes. The cardiac Shank3 interactome comprised 78 proteins with various functions. Troponin I levels were down-regulated in Shank3-overexpressing transgenic cardiomyocytes. Conclusions This study revealed cardiac dysfunction in Shank3-overexpressing transgenic mice, potentially attributed to changes in Ca2+ homeostasis and contraction, with a notable reduction in troponin I.

Background and Objectives: SH3 and multiple ankyrin repeat domains 3 (Shank3) proteins play crucial roles as neuronal postsynaptic scaffolds. Alongside neuropsychiatric symptoms, individuals with SHANK3 mutations often exhibit symptoms related to dysfunctions in other organs, including the heart. However, detailed insights into the cardiac functions of Shank3 remain limited. This study aimed to characterize the cardiac phenotypes of Shank3-overexpressing transgenic mice and explore the underlying mechanisms. Methods: Cardiac histological analysis, electrocardiogram and echocardiogram recordings were conducted on Shank3-overexpressing transgenic mice. Electrophysiological properties, including action potentials and L-type Ca2+ channel (LTCC) currents, were measured in isolated cardiomyocytes. Ca2+ homeostasis was assessed by analyzing cytosolic Ca2+transients and sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ contents. Depolarization-induced cell shortening was examined in cardiomyocytes. Immunoprecipitation followed by mass spectrometrybased identification was employed to identify proteins in the cardiac Shank3 interactome.Western blot and immunocytochemical analyses were conducted to identify changes in protein expression in Shank3-overexpressing transgenic cardiomyocytes. Results: The hearts of Shank3-overexpressing transgenic mice displayed reduced weight and increased fibrosis. In vivo, sudden cardiac death, arrhythmia, and contractility impairments were identified. Shank3-overexpressing transgenic cardiomyocytes showed prolonged action potential duration and increased LTCC current density. Cytosolic Ca2+ transients were increased with prolonged decay time, while sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ contents remained normal. Cell shortening was augmented in Shank3-overexpressing transgenic cardiomyocytes. The cardiac Shank3 interactome comprised 78 proteins with various functions. Troponin I levels were down-regulated in Shank3-overexpressing transgenic cardiomyocytes. Conclusions This study revealed cardiac dysfunction in Shank3-overexpressing transgenic mice, potentially attributed to changes in Ca2+ homeostasis and contraction, with a notable reduction in troponin I.

Background and Objectives: SH3 and multiple ankyrin repeat domains 3 (Shank3) proteins play crucial roles as neuronal postsynaptic scaffolds. Alongside neuropsychiatric symptoms, individuals with SHANK3 mutations often exhibit symptoms related to dysfunctions in other organs, including the heart. However, detailed insights into the cardiac functions of Shank3 remain limited. This study aimed to characterize the cardiac phenotypes of Shank3-overexpressing transgenic mice and explore the underlying mechanisms. Methods: Cardiac histological analysis, electrocardiogram and echocardiogram recordings were conducted on Shank3-overexpressing transgenic mice. Electrophysiological properties, including action potentials and L-type Ca2+ channel (LTCC) currents, were measured in isolated cardiomyocytes. Ca2+ homeostasis was assessed by analyzing cytosolic Ca2+transients and sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ contents. Depolarization-induced cell shortening was examined in cardiomyocytes. Immunoprecipitation followed by mass spectrometrybased identification was employed to identify proteins in the cardiac Shank3 interactome.Western blot and immunocytochemical analyses were conducted to identify changes in protein expression in Shank3-overexpressing transgenic cardiomyocytes. Results: The hearts of Shank3-overexpressing transgenic mice displayed reduced weight and increased fibrosis. In vivo, sudden cardiac death, arrhythmia, and contractility impairments were identified. Shank3-overexpressing transgenic cardiomyocytes showed prolonged action potential duration and increased LTCC current density. Cytosolic Ca2+ transients were increased with prolonged decay time, while sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ contents remained normal. Cell shortening was augmented in Shank3-overexpressing transgenic cardiomyocytes. The cardiac Shank3 interactome comprised 78 proteins with various functions. Troponin I levels were down-regulated in Shank3-overexpressing transgenic cardiomyocytes. Conclusions This study revealed cardiac dysfunction in Shank3-overexpressing transgenic mice, potentially attributed to changes in Ca2+ homeostasis and contraction, with a notable reduction in troponin I.

Coronavirus-related diseases pose a significant challenge to the global health system. Given the diversity of coronaviruses and the unpredictable nature of disease outbreaks, the traditional "one bug, one drug" paradigm struggles to address the growing number of emerging crises. Therefore, there is an urgent need for therapeutic agents with broad-spectrum anti-coronavirus activity. Here, we provide evidence that ATV006, an anti-SARS-CoV-2 nucleoside analog targeting RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp), has broad antiviral activity against human and animal coronaviruses. Using mouse hepatitis virus (MHV) and human coronavirus NL63 (HCoV-NL63) as a model, we show that ATV006 has potent prophylactic and therapeutic activity against murine coronavirus infection in vivo. Remarkably, ATV006 successfully inhibits viral replication in mice even when administered 96 h after infection. Due to its oral bioavailability and potency against multiple coronaviruses, ATV006 has the potential to become a useful antiviral agent against SARS-CoV-2 and other circulating and emerging coronaviruses in humans and animals.

A chemical investigation of secondary metabolites (SMs) from Aspergillus nidulans resulted in the identification of five novel dioxopiperazine (DKP)-diphenyl ether hybrids, designated as diphenylemestrins A-E (1-5). These compounds 1-5 represent the first known dimers combining DKP and diphenyl ether structures, with compound 4 featuring an uncommon dibenzofuran as the diphenyl ether component. The structural elucidation and determination of absolute stereochemistry were accomplished through spectroscopic analysis and electronic circular dichroism (ECD) calculations. Notably, diphenylemestrin C (3) exhibited moderate cytostatic activity against NB4 cells, with a half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) value of 21.99 μmol·L^-1, and induced apoptosis at higher concentrations.
Aspergillus nidulans/metabolism* ; Diketopiperazines/pharmacology* ; Molecular Structure ; Phenyl Ethers/pharmacology* ; Humans ; Apoptosis/drug effects* ; Cell Line, Tumor

Objective To analyze the dynamic change in placental growth factor(PLGF)level in patients with preeclampsia(PE)and its role in predicting pregnancy outcomes.Methods A retrospective cohort study was conducted on 198 PE patients admitted to Department of Obstetrics of Tianjin Beichen Hospital from January 2021 to January 2024.Among them,151 cases were identified as non-severe PE and 47 cases as severe PE.During the same period,another 100 healthy pregnant women were included in the department and served as the control group.According to the final pregnancy status of the PE patients,they were divided into an adverse outcome group(88 cases)and a good outcome group(110 cases).Locally Weighted Scatterplot Smoothing(LOWESS)was used to analyze the relationship between vascular endothelial function indicators and PLGF level.Logistic regression was employed to identify the influencing factors for adverse pregnancy outcomes.Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was plotted to evaluate the value of PLGF level for predicting adverse pregnancy outcomes in patients with non-severe PE and severe PE.Results The PLGF level was in a peak shape at different gestational weeks,relatively low at 28～29+6 weeks of gestation,gradually increasing with the increment of gestational weeks,reaching a peak at 30～31+6 weeks of gestation,and then gradually decreased(P<0.05).The PLGF level was gradually reduced in the control group,non-severe PE group,and severe PE group in turn(P<0.05).LOWESS analysis showed that the PLGF level exhibited certain nonlinear relationship with soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase receptor 1(sFlt-1),vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF),nitric oxide(NO),thrombomodulin(TM),thromboxane A2(TXA2),and Von Willebrand factor(VwF).The results of logistic regression analysis indicated that after gradually eliminating collinearity confounding factors and adjusting for each covariate,there was still an independent correlation between the PLGF level at 28～29+6 gestational weeks and pregnancy outcome(OR=0.593,95%CI:0.583～0.778,P<0.001).After converting the PLGF level into a binary variable,there was an independent correlation between high PLGF level and pregnancy outcome(OR=0.773,95%CI:0.671～0.885,P<0.001).Compared with the quintile with the lowest PLGF(Q1),as the PLGF level gradually increased(Q2 to Q5),the correlation effect values were(OR=0.765,95%CI:0.639～0.837,P=0.092),(OR=0.752,95%CI:0.624～0.818,P=0.056),(OR=0.696,95%CI:0.615～0.813,P=0.027),and(OR=0.642,95%CI:0.591～0.733,P<0.001),and the trend test was statistically significant(Ptrend<0.001).ROC curve analysis revealed that the area under the ROC curve(AUC)of serum PLGF level at 28-29+6 gestational weeks in predicting adverse pregnancy outcomes in non-severe PE patients was 0.830(95%CI:0.635～0.917),the optimal critical threshold was 75.47 ng/L,the sensitivity was 88.37%,the specificity was 71.30%,the positive predictive value was 55.07%,and the negative predictive value was 93.90%.Its AUC value of the level for the prediction in patients with severe PE was 0.874(95%CI:0.677～0.923),the optimal critical threshold was 38.53 ng/L,the sensitivity was 88.89%,the specificity was 50.00%,the positive predictive value was 97.56%,and the negative predictive value was 16.67%.Conclusion At 28～29+6 gestational weeks,PLGF has an independent correlation with pregnancy outcomes and shows a good predictive performance for adverse pregnancy outcomes in patients with non-severe PE and severe PE.

Objective To explore the pharmacokinetic characteristics of sufentanil in individuals with normal body mass index(BMI),overweight BMI,and different CYP3A4/5 enzyme genotypes.Methods The patients receiving laparoscopic surgery under general anesthesia in the First Affiliated Hospital of Army Medical University from November 2020 to September 2021 were prospectively recruited in this study.Before the operation,the oral swabs were collected from all the patients for genotyping using the human CYP3A4/5 gene kit.Based on the potential impact of combination of their polymorphisms on sufentanil metabolism and the proportion of different genotype combinations of CYP3A4/5 enzymes,the patients were divided into groups I(3A4 homozygous mutation or 3A4 heterozygous mutation+3A5 homozygous mutation),II(3A4 heterozygous mutation+3A5 heterozygous mutation),and III(3A4 wild type or 3A4 heterozygous mutation+3A5 wild type).According to their BMI,they were also assigned into a normal body weight group(18.5～24.0 kg/m2)and an overweight group(24～<28 kg/m2),and the differences in drug metabolism parameters were statistically analyze between the 2 groups.After routine general anesthesia induction(sufentanil 0.5 μg/kg),venous blood samples were collected to detect the changes in its concentration using high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry(HPLC-MS).The pharmacokinetic data of sufentanil were calculated between the normal BMI group and overweight group in all participants and between the 2 body weight groups among those with different genotype combinations.Results Among the 90 participants completing the blood drug concentration test,8 patients had their blood samples contaminated(including 1 case with an anesthesia duration of<2 h),and 3 were excluded due to low weight or overweight.Eventually,79 participants were included in the pharmacokinetic analysis on the normal body weight group and the overweight group.Compared with the normal body weight group,the central compartment volume of distribution in the overweight group was significantly reduced(P<0.05),while no obvious differences were observed between the 2 groups in terms of peripheral compartment volume of distribution,total clearance rate,peripheral compartment clearance rate,distribution half-life,clearance half-life,and area under the blood concentration-time curve.In group Ⅰ(n=26),the overweight patients(n=13)had significantly reduced central compartment volume of distribution,peripheral compartment volume of distribution,and peripheral compartment clearance rate when compared with the normal body weight patients(n=13)(P<0.05),while no differences were observed in other pharmacokinetic parameters.In groups Ⅱ(n=25)and Ⅲ(n=28),the overweight patients and normal body weight patients had no statistical differences in all pharmacokinetic parameters.Conclusion Among the patients with the same genotype combination of CYP3A4/5 mutations,there was no difference in the metabolism of sufentanil between the overweight and normal weight patients.Additionally,in the population of 3A4 homozygous mutation or 3A4 heterozygous mutation+3A5 homozygous mutation,the overweight patients have smaller peripheral distribution range of sufentanil,and weakened metabolic process.

Objective:To explore the clinical efficacy of modified Chaihu Jia Longgu Muli Decoction in patients with liver and kidney Yin deficiency syndrome of Parkinson's disease (PD) and the effects on phosphatase and tensin homolog-induced putative kinase 1 (PINK1) /E3 ubiquitin ligase (Parkin) signaling pathway.Methods:A randomized controlled trial study was conducted. A total of 120 PD patients from the Department of Encephalopathy of Xi'an Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine from May 2020 to May 2024 were selected as the observation objects and divided into 2 groups through random number table method, with 60 cases in each group. The control group took dopashydrazine tablets orally, while the combined group took Chaihu Jia Longgu Muli Decoction on the basis of the control group. Two groups were treated continuously for 2 months. The levels of glial cell-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), nerve growth factor (NGF), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and basic fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2) were detected by ELISA. The expression levels of PINK1, Parkin and chelate 1 (SQSTM1) mRNA were detected by real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR. The adverse reactions during the treatment were observed and recorded to evaluate the clinical efficacy.Results:The total effective rate was 95.00% (57/60) in the combined group and 83.33% (50/60) in the control group, with statistical significance ( χ2=4.23, P=0.040). After treatment, the levels of serum GDNF [(510.78±31.57) ng/L vs. (431.89±30.45) ng/L, t=13.93], BDNF [(36.47±3.72) ng/L vs. (27.84±3.55) ng/L, t=13.00], NGF [(57.24±4.17) ng/L vs. (50.72±4.11) ng/L, t=8.63] and FGF2 [(26.21±3.71) ng/L vs. (21.63±3.54) ng/L, t=6.92] in the combined group were higher than those in the control group ( P<0.001). After treatment, the mRNA expression levels of PINK1 (2.38±0.07 vs. 2.19±0.05, t=17.11), Parkin (1.89±0.03 vs. 1.74±0.05, t=19.93), and SQSTM1 (1.82±0.07 vs. 1.61±0.05, t=18.91) in the combined group were higher than those in the control group ( P<0.001). During the treatment period, the incidence of adverse reactions was 6.67% (4/60) in the combined group and 10.00% (6/60) in the control group, without statistical significance ( χ2=0.44, P=0.509). Conclusion:Modified Chaihu Jia Longgu Muli Decoction can increase the levels of neurotrophic factors in patients with PD of liver and kidney yin deficiency syndrome, regulate the PINK1/Parkin pathway, protect neurons, improve mitochondrial autophagy function, and enhance clinical efficacy.