Adipose tissue is a critical energy reservoir in animals and humans, with multifaceted roles in endocrine regulation, immune response, and providing mechanical protection. Based on anatomical location and functional characteristics, adipose tissue can be categorized into distinct types, including white adipose tissue (WAT), brown adipose tissue (BAT), beige adipose tissue, and pink adipose tissue. Traditionally, adipose tissue research has centered on its morphological and functional properties as a whole. However, with the advent of single-cell transcriptomics, a new level of complexity in adipose tissue has been unveiled, showing that even under identical conditions, cells of the same type may exhibit significant variation in morphology, structure, function, and gene expression——phenomena collectively referred to as cellular heterogeneity. Single-cell transcriptomics, including techniques like single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) and single-nucleus RNA sequencing (snRNA-seq), enables in-depth analysis of the diversity and heterogeneity of adipocytes at the single-cell level. This high-resolution approach has not only deepened our understanding of adipocyte functionality but also facilitated the discovery of previously unidentified cell types and gene expression patterns that may play key roles in adipose tissue function. This review delves into the latest advances in the application of single-cell transcriptomics in elucidating the heterogeneity and diversity within adipose tissue, highlighting how these findings have redefined the understanding of cell subpopulations within different adipose depots. Moreover, the review explores how single-cell transcriptomic technologies have enabled the study of cellular communication pathways and differentiation trajectories among adipose cell subgroups. By mapping these interactions and differentiation processes, researchers gain insights into how distinct cellular subpopulations coordinate within adipose tissues, which is crucial for maintaining tissue homeostasis and function. Understanding these mechanisms is essential, as dysregulation in adipose cell interactions and differentiation underlies a range of metabolic disorders, including obesity and diabetes mellitus type 2. Furthermore, single-cell transcriptomics holds promising implications for identifying therapeutic targets; by pinpointing specific cell types and gene pathways involved in adipose tissue dysfunction, these technologies pave the way for developing targeted interventions aimed at modulating specific adipose subpopulations. In summary, this review provides a comprehensive analysis of the role of single-cell transcriptomic technologies in uncovering the heterogeneity and functional diversity of adipose tissues.

BACKGROUND:Human periodontal ligament stem cells are potential functional cells for periodontal tissue engineering.However,long-term in vitro culture may lead to reduced stemness and replicative senescence of periodontal ligament stem cells,which may impair the therapeutic effect of human periodontal ligament stem cells. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the effect of oxymatrine on the stemness maintenance and osteogenic differentiation of periodontal ligament stem cells in vitro,and to explore the potential mechanism. METHODS:Periodontal ligament stem cells were isolated from human periodontal ligament tissues by tissue explant enzyme digestion and cultured.The surface markers of mesenchymal cells were identified by flow cytometry.Periodontal ligament stem cells were incubated with 0,2.5,5,and 10 μg/mL oxymatrine.The effect of oxymatrine on the proliferation activity of periodontal ligament stem cells was detected by CCK8 assay.The appropriate drug concentration for subsequent experiments was screened.Western blot assay was used to detect the expression of stem cell non-specific proteins SOX2 and OCT4 in periodontal ligament stem cells.qRT-PCR and western blot assay were used to detect the expression levels of related osteogenic genes and proteins in periodontal ligament stem cells. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)The results of CCK8 assay showed that 2.5 μg/mL oxymatrine significantly enhanced the proliferative activity of periodontal stem cells,and the subsequent experiment selected 2.5 μg/mL oxymatrine to intervene.(2)Compared with the blank control group,the protein expression level of SOX2,a stem marker of periodontal ligament stem cells in the oxymatrine group did not change significantly(P>0.05),and the expression of OCT4 was significantly up-regulated(P<0.05).(3)Compared with the osteogenic induction group,the osteogenic genes ALP,RUNX2 mRNA expression and their osteogenic associated protein ALP protein expression of periodontal ligament stem cells were significantly down-regulated in the oxymatrine+osteogenic induction group(P<0.05).(4)The oxymatrine up-regulated the expression of stemness markers of periodontal ligament stem cells and inhibited the bone differentiation of periodontal ligament stem cells,and the results of high-throughput sequencing showed that it may be associated with WNT2,WNT16,COMP,and BMP6.

In order to investigate the effects of porin genes ompW,ompS and ompD on the biological properties and virulence of Salmonella typhimurium,the corresponding mutant strains were con-structed using the λ Red homologous recombination system,and the growth curves,motility,bio-chemical properties,in vitro genetic stability,biofilm-forming ability,drug resistance,and lethal dose at half capacity(LD50)between the standard strain and each mutant strain were detected by comparative assays for Salmonella typhimurium.The results showed that,compared with the standard strain,the ompD and ompW mutation had less effect on the growth rate and motility of the bacteria,while the ompS mutation significantly reduced the growth rate and motility;none of the three genetic mutation affected the biochemical characteristics of Salmonella typhimurium,nor the genetic stability,but affected its susceptibility to a variety of commonly used antibiotics to varying degrees and caused a highly significant decrease(P＜0.01)in the ability to form a biofilm,and the results showed that the three mutant strains had a significant reduction in the ability to form a biofilm.The result of LD50 virulence assay showed that all three genetic mutation led to a decrease in the virulence of Salmonella typhimurium,among which the ompS mutant strain showed the most obvious decrease in virulence,LD50 was 25 times that of the standard strain.In conclusion,mutations of the pore protein ompW,ompS,and ompD genes can affect some biological properties of Salmonella typhimurium.The results of this study laid an experimental foundation for further research on the biological functions of the pore protein ompW,ompS and ompD genes and Salmonella pathogenicity.

Objective:To construct and verify a prognostic model based on Necroptosis genes(NEGs)in liver cancer.Methods:Through unsupervised clustering analysis in liver cancer patients from TCGA and ICGC databases,67 NEGs were grouped into two clusters.The differ-ences in prognosis between clusters were explored.Prognosis-related genes were selected through single-factor Cox regression analysis.A prognostic model was built using clustering analy-sis and multi-factor Cox regression,and the model's accuracy and predictive ability were validated.Results:The 67 NEGs were divided into two subtypes,namely NEGclusterA and NEGclusterB.Survival analysis indicated a better prognosis for patients in B compared to A(P＜0.05).Single-factor Cox analysis identified 133 prognosis-related genes,further classified into genecluster A and genecluster B,the prognosis of A was better than B(P＜0.001).Three genes(SLC1A5,MYBL2,and CFHR3)were determined to construct the prognostic risk scoring model.In both TCGA training and validation cohorts,patients in the high-risk group exhibited poorer prognosis(P＜0.05).Conclu-sion:This predictive model can independently forecast the prognosis of liver cancer and provides initial insights into the differences in immune cell infiltration among different liver cancer clusters.

The gallium-based liquid metals were introduced in terms of the advantages when applied in medical field,application status in medical imaging,drug delivery,antibiosis and tumor therapy and cutting-edge application in flexible e-skin,wearable sensor and flexible medical device.The deficiencies of the gallium-based liquid metals in durability,potential toxicity,high cost of preparation and difficulty of process control were analyzed when applied in medical fields.The future development directions of the gallium-based liquid metals were pointed out.[Chinese Medical Equipment Journal,2024,45(11):97-102]

Objective To investigate the clinical and genetic features of children with 3-methylcrotonyl-coenzyme A carboxylase deficiency(MCCD).Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical manifestations and genetic testing results of six children with MCCD who attended Children's Hospital Affiliated to Zhengzhou University from January 2018 to October 2023.Results Among the six children with MCCD,there were 4 boys and 2 girls,with a mean age of 7 days at the time of attending the hospital and 45 days at the time of confirmed diagnosis.Of all children,one had abnormal urine odor and five had no clinical symptoms.All six children had increases in blood 3-hydroxyisovaleryl carnitine and urinary 3-hydroxyisovaleric acid and 3-methylcrotonoylglycine,and five of them had a reduction in free carnitine.A total of six mutations were identified in the MCCC1 gene,i.e.,c.1630del(p.R544Dfs*2),c.269A>G(p.D90G),c.1609T>A(p.F537I),c.639+2T>A,c.761+1G>T,and c.1331G>A(p.R444H),and three mutations were identified in the MCCC2 gene,i.e.,c.838G>T(p.D280Y),c.592C>T(p.Q198*,366),and c.1342G>A(p.G448A).Among these mutations,c.269A>G(p.D90G)and c.1609T>A(p.F537I)had not been previously reported in the literature.There was one case of maternal MCCD,and the child carried a heterozygous mutation from her mother.Five children with a reduction in free carnitine were given supplementation of L-carnitine,and free carnitine was restored to the normal level at the last follow-up visit.Conclusions This study identifies two new mutations,c.269A>G(p.D90G)and c.1609T>A(p.F537I),thereby expanding the mutation spectrum of the MCCC1 gene.A combination of blood amino acid and acylcarnitine profiles,urine organic acid analysis,and genetic testing can facilitate early diagnosis and treatment of MCCD,and provide essential data for genetic counseling.

Patients with severe trauma require an extremely timely treatment and transfusion plays an irreplaceable role in the emergency treatment of such patients. An increasing number of evidence-based medicinal evidences and clinical practices suggest that patients with severe traumatic bleeding benefit from early transfusion of low-titer group O whole blood or hemostatic resuscitation with red blood cells, plasma and platelet of a balanced ratio. However, the current domestic mode of blood supply cannot fully meet the requirements of timely and effective blood transfusion for emergency treatment of patients with severe trauma in clinical practice. In order to solve the key problems in blood supply and blood transfusion strategies for emergency treatment of severe trauma, Branch of Clinical Transfusion Medicine of Chinese Medical Association, Group for Trauma Emergency Care and Multiple Injuries of Trauma Branch of Chinese Medical Association, Young Scholar Group of Disaster Medicine Branch of Chinese Medical Association organized domestic experts of blood transfusion medicine and trauma treatment to jointly formulate Chinese expert consensus on blood support mode and blood transfusion strategies for emergency treatment of severe trauma patients ( version 2024). Based on the evidence-based medical evidence and Delphi method of expert consultation and voting, 10 recommendations were put forward from two aspects of blood support mode and transfusion strategies, aiming to provide a reference for transfusion resuscitation in the emergency treatment of severe trauma and further improve the success rate of treatment of patients with severe trauma.

Objective:To study the current status of longitudinal extrauterine growth restriction (EUGR) in extremely preterm infants (EPIs) and to develop a prediction model based on clinical data from multiple NICUs.Methods:From January 2017 to December 2018, EPIs admitted to 32 NICUs in North China were retrospectively studied. Their general conditions, nutritional support, complications during hospitalization and weight changes were reviewed. Weight loss between birth and discharge > 1SD was defined as longitudinal EUGR. The EPIs were assigned into longitudinal EUGR group and non-EUGR group and their nutritional support and weight changes were compared. The EPIs were randomly assigned into the training dataset and the validation dataset with a ratio of 7∶3. Univariate Cox regression analysis and multiple regression analysis were used in the training dataset to select the independent predictive factors. The best-fitting Nomogram model predicting longitudinal EUGR was established based on Akaike Information Criterion. The model was evaluated for discrimination efficacy, calibration and clinical decision curve analysis.Results:A total of 436 EPIs were included in this study, with a mean gestational age of (26.9±0.9) weeks and a birth weight of (989±171) g. The incidence of longitudinal EUGR was 82.3%(359/436). Seven variables (birth weight Z-score, weight loss, weight growth velocity, the proportion of breast milk ≥75% within 3 d before discharge, invasive mechanical ventilation ≥7 d, maternal antenatal corticosteroids use and bronchopulmonary dysplasia) were selected to establish the prediction model. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of the training dataset and the validation dataset were 0.870 (95% CI 0.820-0.920) and 0.879 (95% CI 0.815-0.942), suggesting good discrimination efficacy. The calibration curve indicated a good fit of the model ( P>0.05). The decision curve analysis showed positive net benefits at all thresholds. Conclusions:Currently, EPIs have a high incidence of longitudinal EUGR. The prediction model is helpful for early identification and intervention for EPIs with higher risks of longitudinal EUGR. It is necessary to expand the sample size and conduct prospective studies to optimize and validate the prediction model in the future.

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) combined with lower cervical fracture is often categorized into unstable fracture, with a high incidence of neurological injury and a high rate of disability and morbidity. As factors such as shoulder occlusion may affect the accuracy of X-ray imaging diagnosis, it is often easily misdiagnosed at the primary diagnosis. Non-operative treatment has complications such as bone nonunion and the possibility of secondary neurological damage, while the timing, access and choice of surgical treatment are still controversial. Currently, there are no clinical practice guidelines for the treatment of AS combined with lower cervical fracture with or without dislocation. To this end, the Spinal Trauma Group of Orthopedics Branch of Chinese Medical Doctor Association organized experts to formulate Clinical guidelines for the treatment of ankylosing spondylitis combined with lower cervical fracture in adults ( version 2024) in accordance with the principles of evidence-based medicine, scientificity and practicality, in which 11 recommendations were put forward in terms of the diagnosis, imaging evaluation, typing and treatment, etc, to provide guidance for the diagnosis and treatment of AS combined with lower cervical fracture.

Objective To investigate the effectiveness of astragalosideⅣ(AS-Ⅳ)in ameliorating radiation-induced cardiomyocyte edema and its molecular mechanism.Methods The AC 16 cells were divided into blank group,model group,AS-Ⅳ pre-irradiation administration group(Q group),post-irradiation administration group(H group)and pre-post-irradiation administration group(Q+H group).H group was incubated with 40 mol·L-1 AS-Ⅳ drug-containing medium,and the other groups were incubated with normal medium for 24 h.After 24 h of incubation,6 Gy X-ray irradiation was given to establish the cardiomyocyte edema model in all groups except the blank group,and group Q was replaced with normal medium,and group H was replaced with 40 mol·L-1 AS-Ⅳ drug-containing medium for 24 h of incubation.Calcein AM staining was used to observe the edema of AC 16 cells,Western blot method was used to detect the expression of key proteins of aqueous fluid metabolism,and Annexin-V/PI flow apoptosis assay was used to detect apoptosis of AC 16 cells.Results The area of cellular edema in blank,model,Q,H,and Q+H groups were 690.77±199.55,1 184.47±307.36,713.65±152.48,809.72±262.85 and 897.61±213.66;the relative expression levels of hypoxia inducible factor(HIF)-1α protein were 0.94±0.02,1.35±0.03,0.91±0.03,0.69±0.02 and 0.86±0.03;the relative expression levels of aquaporin 4(AQP4)protein were 0.66±0.03,1.07±0.04,0.67±0.02,0.56±0.03 and 0.56±0.02;the apoptosis rates were(3.90±0.76)％,(16.58±0.63)％,(12.91±0.51)％,(14.05±0.22)％and(12.13±0.38)％,respectively.Statistically significant differences were found between the above indicators in the blank,Q,H and Q+H groups when compared to the model group(all P＜0.05).Conclusion AS-Ⅳ can regulate water-liquid metabolism,ameliorate radiation-induced cardiomyocyte edema,and attenuate apoptosis by inhibiting the abnormal activation of the HIF-1 α/AQP4 axis in irradiated AC 16 cells.