Objective To assess the clinical value of a novel surgical technique—Tubeless subxiphoid uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery with percutaneous suspension technique via balance-shaped sternal elevation device in the resection of anterior mediastinal masses. Methods Patients who underwent tubeless subxiphoid uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery via balance-shaped sternal elevation device in anterior mediastinal masses process at the Department of Thoracic Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University from March to April 2025 were included, and their clinical data were analyzed. Results A total of 4 patients were included, with 2 males and 2 females, aged 58-75 years. The diameter of the tumor was 2.5-3.0 cm. The operation time was 60.0-150.0 min, intraoperative blood loss was 5-10 mL, pain score on the 3rd day after surgery was 0 points, and postoperative hospital stay was 2-3 days. All patients achieved complete resection of the masses and thymus without perioperative complications. Conclusion The tubeless subxiphoid uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery with percutaneous suspension technique via balance-shaped sternal elevation device technique optimizes surgical visualization and instrument maneuverability while avoiding complications related to conventional anesthesia and tubing, thereby markedly enhancing the minimally invasive profile of anterior mediastinal masses resections. In addition to maintaining procedural safety, this approach effectively reduces postoperative pain and accelerates patient recovery, highlighting its potential for widespread clinical adoption.

Objective:To evaluate the clinical efficacy of the Magpie-bridge Microskin Grafting (hereinafter briefly referred to as Magpie-bridge surgery) in treating linear white scars (LWS).Methods:This study was a retrospective cohort study. From October 2022 to December 2023, 37 LWS patients were treated with the Magpie-bridge surgery at the Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery of Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, including 9 males and 28 females, aged 25 (17, 36) years. All scars were <2 mm in width and 1–10 cm in length before surgery. Magpie-bridge surgery procedure: an electric punch was used to excise scar tissue at intervals to form wounds and harvest microskin grafts of the same size and thickness as the removed scar tissue from behind the ear or axillary apex. The microskin grafts were implanted at the wound sites and fixed with tension-reducing adhesive tape. The donor area wounds were treated with routine dressing changes. Twelve months after the first surgery, the efficacy was evaluated based on the degree of reduction in scar white area compared with that before the first surgery, and the treatment effectiveness rate was calculated. Before the first surgery and 12 months after the first surgery, the melanin scores of the normal skin area surrounding the scar and the scar area were evaluated using a skin imaging analysis system, and the difference between the two was calculated. Six of the aforementioned patients requested a second Magpie-bridge surgery in pursuit of better therapeutic effects. The white scar tissue left untreated during the first surgery (hereinafter referred to as untreated scar tissue) and the tissue from the site at 12 months post scar removal and microskin transplantation (hereinafter referred to as the recipient skin tissue at 12 months after the first surgery) were collected. The tissue structure, melanin quantity and distribution were examined by using hematoxylin eosin staining and Masson-Fontana staining, and the activity of tyrosinase positive melanocytes was observed by using immunofluorescence staining.Results:At 12 months after the first surgery, the results of efficacy evaluation showed that 24 cases were cured, 11 cases were improved, 1 case was ineffective, and 1 case was in a worsened condition, yielding a 94.6% (35/37) treatment effectiveness rate. The melanin score difference between the surrounding normal skin area of scar and the scar area was 0.45 (0.10, 1.65) at 12 months after the first surgery, which was significantly less than 2.50 (1.40, 5.96) before the first surgery ( Z=-5.02, P<0.05). Six patients had untreated scar tissue with flat epidermis and a flat junction between dermis and epidermis; the collagen fiber bundles in the dermis were thick and unidirectionally parallel; no skin appendages such as hair follicles were observed; the basal layer of the epidermis showed deposition of melanin particles, but no extensive depigmentation was observed. Compared with those of untreated scar tissue, the epidermal thickness increased, and epidermal protrusions appeared at the junction of dermis and epidermis of the recipient skin tissue at 12 months after the first surgery; hair follicles and sebaceous glands were visible, and collagen fibers in the dermis were arranged vertically and horizontally in an orderly manner. Melanin particles were deposited in the basal layer of the epidermis, and the melanin content per unit area of tissue was increased. Tyrosinase-positive melanocytes in untreated scar tissue and in the recipient skin tissue at 12 months after the first surgery were mainly located at the basal layer of the epidermis, with normal cell activity and no significant difference. Conclusions:The Magpie-bridge surgery can significantly improve the appearance of LWS in patients, with definite therapeutic effects and value for clinical promotion; the improvement of LWS appearance by Magpie-bridge surgery may be related to the increase of melanin content per unit area of tissue and the normalization of tissue structure.

Objective:To investigate the killing effect of the oncolytic virus Rigvir on six different colorectal cancer cell lines in vitro and differences in the sensitivity of different cell lines to Rigvir,to analyze the differentially expressed genes and signaling pathways be-tween sensitive and insensitive cells and the reasons for such differences,to explore the killing mechanism of the oncolytic virus Rigvir on colorectal cancer cells based on experimental results,and to lay a theoretical foundation for the use of the oncolytic virus Rigvir as a novel immunotherapeutic drug for the treatment of colorectal can-cer.Methods:Cell Counting Kit-8(CCK-8)assay was used for quantitative assessment of the inhibition rate of Rigvir on cells,and the Annexin V-FITC\PI method was used to measure the apoptosis rate of sensitive cell lines and preliminarily analyze its killing mechanism.Bioinformatics techniques were used to investigate the differentially expressed genes and signaling pathways between sensitive and insensitive cells,and Western blot experiments were used for validation and detecting the expression of apoptosis factors.High expression of upstream factors in differential signaling pathways,and application of real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction(RT-qPCR)and WB to detect the effect of Rigvir on the expression levels of target genes and proteins in overexpressing sensitive cell lines.Results:SW480 and HT29 were sensitive to the oncolytic virus Rigvir,others had relatively insensi-tive(P<0.001).However,the inhibitory effect of Rigvir with two concentration gradients on HT29 was more significant(P<0.001).After 48 hours of infection,the cell inhibition rate of SW480 cells no longer increased with the prolongation of infection time(F=52.010,P=0.147),but it was more sensitive to changes in virus concentration(F=13.490,P<0.001).On the contrary,changes in virus concentration had no significant effect on the inhibition rate of HT29 cells(F=8.450,P=0.281),but the inhibition rate continued to in-crease after 48 hours with the prolongation of infection time(F=24.380,P<0.001).The apoptosis rate of sensitive group cells gradually increased with the prolongation of infection time(P<0.001),which mainly characterized by late stage apoptosis and necrotic cells.Through bioinformatics techniques,significant differences were observed in the classic PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway between the sensitive and insensitive groups.Western blot experiments showed that after the application of Rigvir,the upstream protein expression of PI3K/Akt/mTOR in the sensitive cell group was significantly reduced(P<0.001).The expression levels of apoptosis factors caspase-3 and caspase-8 increased,while the Bcl-2/Bax ratio decreased(P<0.001).The results of RT-qPCR and Western blot showed that after Rigvir was applied to the sensitive cell line HT29 overexpression type,the expression levels of PI3K/Akt/mTOR upstream and downstream signaling molecules(Akt,4EBP1,and p70S6K)were significantly reduced compared to the control group(P<0.05).Conclusion:Rigvir can effectively kill some colorectal cancer cell lines(SW480,HT29)in vitro,its mechanism of action is partially in-duced by the PI3K/Akt/mTOR classical signaling pathway to induce cell apoptosis.

Objective:To evaluate the clinical efficacy of the Magpie-bridge Microskin Grafting (hereinafter briefly referred to as Magpie-bridge surgery) in treating linear white scars (LWS).Methods:This study was a retrospective cohort study. From October 2022 to December 2023, 37 LWS patients were treated with the Magpie-bridge surgery at the Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery of Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, including 9 males and 28 females, aged 25 (17, 36) years. All scars were <2 mm in width and 1–10 cm in length before surgery. Magpie-bridge surgery procedure: an electric punch was used to excise scar tissue at intervals to form wounds and harvest microskin grafts of the same size and thickness as the removed scar tissue from behind the ear or axillary apex. The microskin grafts were implanted at the wound sites and fixed with tension-reducing adhesive tape. The donor area wounds were treated with routine dressing changes. Twelve months after the first surgery, the efficacy was evaluated based on the degree of reduction in scar white area compared with that before the first surgery, and the treatment effectiveness rate was calculated. Before the first surgery and 12 months after the first surgery, the melanin scores of the normal skin area surrounding the scar and the scar area were evaluated using a skin imaging analysis system, and the difference between the two was calculated. Six of the aforementioned patients requested a second Magpie-bridge surgery in pursuit of better therapeutic effects. The white scar tissue left untreated during the first surgery (hereinafter referred to as untreated scar tissue) and the tissue from the site at 12 months post scar removal and microskin transplantation (hereinafter referred to as the recipient skin tissue at 12 months after the first surgery) were collected. The tissue structure, melanin quantity and distribution were examined by using hematoxylin eosin staining and Masson-Fontana staining, and the activity of tyrosinase positive melanocytes was observed by using immunofluorescence staining.Results:At 12 months after the first surgery, the results of efficacy evaluation showed that 24 cases were cured, 11 cases were improved, 1 case was ineffective, and 1 case was in a worsened condition, yielding a 94.6% (35/37) treatment effectiveness rate. The melanin score difference between the surrounding normal skin area of scar and the scar area was 0.45 (0.10, 1.65) at 12 months after the first surgery, which was significantly less than 2.50 (1.40, 5.96) before the first surgery ( Z=-5.02, P<0.05). Six patients had untreated scar tissue with flat epidermis and a flat junction between dermis and epidermis; the collagen fiber bundles in the dermis were thick and unidirectionally parallel; no skin appendages such as hair follicles were observed; the basal layer of the epidermis showed deposition of melanin particles, but no extensive depigmentation was observed. Compared with those of untreated scar tissue, the epidermal thickness increased, and epidermal protrusions appeared at the junction of dermis and epidermis of the recipient skin tissue at 12 months after the first surgery; hair follicles and sebaceous glands were visible, and collagen fibers in the dermis were arranged vertically and horizontally in an orderly manner. Melanin particles were deposited in the basal layer of the epidermis, and the melanin content per unit area of tissue was increased. Tyrosinase-positive melanocytes in untreated scar tissue and in the recipient skin tissue at 12 months after the first surgery were mainly located at the basal layer of the epidermis, with normal cell activity and no significant difference. Conclusions:The Magpie-bridge surgery can significantly improve the appearance of LWS in patients, with definite therapeutic effects and value for clinical promotion; the improvement of LWS appearance by Magpie-bridge surgery may be related to the increase of melanin content per unit area of tissue and the normalization of tissue structure.

Objective:To evaluate the efficacy of perioperative analgesia with esketamine in the patients undergoing thoracoscopic surgery.Methods:A total of 90 patients of either sex, aged 18-64 yr, with body mass index of 18-30 kg/m 2, of American Society of Anesthesiologists Physical Status classification Ⅰ or Ⅱ, scheduled for elective thoracoscopic lobectomy under general anesthesia, were divided into 3 groups ( n=30 each) by a random number table method: control group (C group) and different doses of esketamine groups (S 1 group, S 2 group). Before induction of anesthesia, esketamine 0.1 and 0.2 mg/kg were intravenously injected in S 1 group and S 2 group, respectively, while esketamine was not given in group C. Anesthesia was routinely induced in all the three groups. During anesthesia maintenance, esketamine 0.1 and 0.2 mg·kg -1·h -1 were intravenously infused in group S 1 and group S 2, respectively, and the remaining drugs used for anesthesia maintenance were the same in the three groups. Patient-controlled intravenous analgesia (PCIA) was used after operation, and PCIA solution contained sufentanil 2 μg/kg in group C, and esketamine 1 mg/kg was mixed on the basis as previously described in S 1 and S 2 groups. Aminotriol ketorolac was given as rescue analgesia to maintain numeric rating scale score at rest ≤3. The total amount of propofol and remifentanil during operation, effective pressing times of PCIA in postoperative 0-24 h and >24-48 h periods, and requirement for rescue analgesia were recorded. The occurrence of adverse reactions such as respiratory depression, nausea and vomiting, dizziness and salivation, and emergence time were recorded after surgery. The serum interleukin-6 (IL-6) concentration was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay at 30 min before and after surgery, and the malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration in serum was measured by thiobarbituric acid colorimetric analysis. The postoperative recovery was assessed using the 50-item quality of recovery scale at 1 and 2 days after surgery. The development of chronic pain was followed up by telephone within 1-3 months after surgery. Results:Compared with group C, the intraoperative consumption of remifentanil, effective pressing times of PCIA in postoperative 0-24 h and >24-48 h periods, rate of rescue analgesia, and postoperative serum IL-6 concentration were significantly decreased, and the 50-item quality of recovery scale score was increased in S 1 and S 2 groups, and the postoperative serum MDA concentration was significantly decreased in group S 2 ( P<0.05). Compared with group S 1, the consumption of intraoperative remifentanil was significantly decreased ( P<0.05), and no significant change was found in postoperative serum IL-6 and MDA concentrations in group S 2 ( P>0.05). Compared with group S 2, the postoperative emergence time was significantly shortened in S 1 and C groups ( P<0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in the intraoperative consumption of propofol, incidence of adverse effects and incidence of chronic pain among the three groups ( P>0.05). Conclusions:Esketamine for perioperative analgesia (dose before anesthesia induction 0.1 mg/kg, dose for maintenance of anesthesia 0.1 mg·kg -1·h -1, dose for postoperative PCIA 1 mg/kg) can raise the quality of analgesia and improve the quality of early postoperative recovery in the patients undergoing thoracoscopic lobectomy.

Objective: The therapeutic benefits of exosomes obtained from mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in acute spinal cord injury (SCI) have been demonstrated in recent years, but the precise mechanisms remain unknown. In this study, the efficacy and mechanisms of MSC-derived exosomes (MSC-Exo) in acute SCI were investigated. Methods: By utilizing a BV2 ferroptosis cellular model and an SCI rat model, we investigated the effects of MSC-Exo on iron death related indicators and NF-E2 related factor 2 (Nrf2)/GTP cyclolase I (GCH1)/5,6,7,8-tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4) signaling axis, as well as their therapeutic effects on SCI rats. Results: The results revealed that MSC-Exo effectively inhibited the production of ferrous iron, lipid peroxidation products malonaldehyde and reactive oxygen species, and ferroptosis-promoting factor prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2. Concurrently, they upregulated ferroptosis suppressors FTH-1 (ferritin heavy chain 1), SLC7A11 (solute carrier family 7 member 11), FSP1 (ferroptosis suppressor protein 1), and GPX4 (glutathione peroxidase 4), contributing to enhanced neurological recovery in SCI rats. Further analysis showed the Nrf2/GTP/BH4 signaling pathway’s critical role in suppressing ferroptosis. Additionally, MSC-Exo was found to inhibit lipopolysaccharide-induced ferroptosis in BV2 cells and SCI rats by activating the Nrf2/GCH1/BH4 axis. Conclusion In summary, the study demonstrates that MSC-Exo mitigates microglial cell ferroptosis via the Nrf2/GCH1/BH4 axis, showing potential for preserving and restoring neurological function post-SCI.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to explore the association between humidity exposure and the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), utilizing follow-up data and relative humidity (RH) metric assessments. METHODS: We extracted the baseline data from the China Hypertension Survey (CHS) of 24,510 enrolled participants aged ≥ 35 years without a history of CVD between 2012 and 2015 and followed them up from 2018 to 2019. The National Meteorological Information Center (NMIC) of the China Meteorological Administration (CMA) provided the quality-controlled relative humidity (RH) datasets. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate hazard ratios ( HRs) for CVD in relation to RH. RESULTS: During the follow-up period (2018-2019), 973 patients with CVD were identified. The HR of CVD risk was 1.17 (95% CI: 1.04-1.31) per 10% increase in summer mean RH. Compared with participants in the 3 ^rd quintile group, those in the 1 ^st and 5 ^th quintiles of RH had a higher risk of CVD. For summer mean RH, the HRs (95% CIs) for the 1 ^st and 5 ^th quintiles were 1.34 (1.04-1.71) and 1.44 (1.14-1.83), respectively. The relationship ("U" shape) between summer mean RH and the risk of CVD was nonlinear. Stratified analyses indicated that the risk of CVD was substantially influenced by the summer mean RH in female, older individuals, and those in southern China. CONCLUSION Unsuitable (too high or low) humidity environments affect the risk of CVD. Our study highlights those future policies for adapting to climate change should consider the humidity-CVD relationship.
Humans ; Humidity/adverse effects* ; Cardiovascular Diseases/etiology* ; Female ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prospective Studies ; China/epidemiology* ; Adult ; Aged ; Risk Factors ; Proportional Hazards Models ; Seasons

Objective: The therapeutic benefits of exosomes obtained from mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in acute spinal cord injury (SCI) have been demonstrated in recent years, but the precise mechanisms remain unknown. In this study, the efficacy and mechanisms of MSC-derived exosomes (MSC-Exo) in acute SCI were investigated. Methods: By utilizing a BV2 ferroptosis cellular model and an SCI rat model, we investigated the effects of MSC-Exo on iron death related indicators and NF-E2 related factor 2 (Nrf2)/GTP cyclolase I (GCH1)/5,6,7,8-tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4) signaling axis, as well as their therapeutic effects on SCI rats. Results: The results revealed that MSC-Exo effectively inhibited the production of ferrous iron, lipid peroxidation products malonaldehyde and reactive oxygen species, and ferroptosis-promoting factor prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2. Concurrently, they upregulated ferroptosis suppressors FTH-1 (ferritin heavy chain 1), SLC7A11 (solute carrier family 7 member 11), FSP1 (ferroptosis suppressor protein 1), and GPX4 (glutathione peroxidase 4), contributing to enhanced neurological recovery in SCI rats. Further analysis showed the Nrf2/GTP/BH4 signaling pathway’s critical role in suppressing ferroptosis. Additionally, MSC-Exo was found to inhibit lipopolysaccharide-induced ferroptosis in BV2 cells and SCI rats by activating the Nrf2/GCH1/BH4 axis. Conclusion In summary, the study demonstrates that MSC-Exo mitigates microglial cell ferroptosis via the Nrf2/GCH1/BH4 axis, showing potential for preserving and restoring neurological function post-SCI.

Oral squamous cell carcinoma(OSCC)associated pain commonly predicts adverse events among patients.This clinical feature indicates the engagement of nociceptors on sensory neurons during the development of malignancy.However,it is yet to be determined if targeting oncometabolite-associated nociception processes can hinder OSCC progression.In this study,we reported that nociceptive endings infiltrating both clinical samples and mouse tumor xenografts were associated with poorer clinical outcomes and drove tumor progression in vivo,as evidenced by clinical tissue microarray analysis and murine lingual denervation.We observed that the OSCC microenvironment was characteristic of excessive adenosine due to CD73 upregulation which negatively predicted clinical outcomes in the TCGA-HNSC patient cohort.Notably,such adenosine concentrative OSCC niche was associated with the stimulation of adenosine A2A receptor(A2AR)on trigeminal ganglia.Antagonism of trigeminal A2AR with a selective A2AR inhibitor SCH58261 resulted in impeded OSCC growth in vivo.We showed that trigeminal A2AR overstimulation in OSCC xenograft did not entail any changes in the transcription level of CGRP in trigeminal ganglia but significantly triggered the release of CGRP,an effect counteracted by SCH58261.We further demonstrated the pro-tumor effect of CGRP by feeding mice with the clinically approved CGRP receptor antagonist rimegepant which inhibited the activation of ERK and YAP.Finally,we diminished the impact of CGRP on OSCC with istradefylline,a clinically available drug that targets neuronal A2AR.Therefore,we established trigeminal A2AR-mediated CGRP release as a promising druggable circuit in OSCC treatment.

Objective:To explore the efficacy of long intramedullary nails versus short intramedullary nails in the treatment of AO/OTA 31-A3 intertrochanteric fractures.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on 60 patients with AO/OTA 31-A3 intertrochanteric femur fractures treated between March 2019 and August 2022. The patients were randomly divided into two groups (the long nail group and the short nail group). Thirty-four patients were treated with long intramedullary nails, including 16 males and 18 females, aged 68.41±17.84 years old (range 31-96 years). Twenty-six patients were treated with short intramedullary nails, including 13 males and 13 females, aged 72.23±13.97 years old (range 31-90 years). The causes of injury, fracture classification (AO/OTA classification), intraoperative blood loss, operation time, fracture healing time, imaging indexes (fracture reduction quality, postoperative neck trunk angle, and medial support), Harris score of the hip joint at the last follow-up, one-year mortality rates and complications were compared between the two groups.Results:The follow-up time was 24.26±6.67 months in the long nail group and 24.31±5.60 months in the short nail group, and the general information of the two groups were comparable. Between the long nail and short nail group, the intraoperative blood loss was 281.47±235.28 ml vs. 121.92±84.14 ml and the operation time was 110.44±24.63 min vs. 81.15±28.54 min with significant differences ( P<0.05). While the length of hospital stay was 12.35±4.81 d vs. 10.89±4.30 d, the good rate of fracture reduction was 55.9% vs. 61.53%, the fracture healing time was 120.44±16.43 d vs. 128.07±18.33 d, the presence rate of medial support was 67.6% vs. 79.4%, and the excellent rate of Harris score was 65.4% vs. 65.4% with no significant difference between the two groups ( P>0.05). One-year mortality rates was 5.3% vs. 7.1% and complications was 11.7% vs. 15.4% with no significant difference between the two groups ( P>0.05). Conclusion:Both long intramedullary nails and short intramedullary nails are effective in the treatment of AO/OTA 31-A3 intertrochanteric femur fractures. However, surgical time and intraoperative blood loss was less in the short nail group.