BACKGROUND:Epigenetics,as an important regulation mode of gene expression network,has been proved to play an important role in the occurrence and development of aortic aneurysm mediated by vascular smooth muscle cell remodeling. OBJECTIVE:To review the epigenetic regulation mechanism underlying vascular smooth muscle cell remodeling during the occurrence and progression of aortic aneurysm. METHODS:Related articles published from 1970 to 2022 were retrieved from PubMed,Web of Science and CNKI databases.The keywords were"Aortic aneurysm,Vascular smooth muscle,Smooth muscle cells,Epigenetic,DNA methylation,Histone modification,Non coding RNA"in English and Chinese.Ultimately,we included 71 articles for review. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Epigenetic modification can influence the occurrence and progression of aortic aneurysm by targeting vascular smooth muscle cell remodeling and extracellular matrix degradation.Targeted epigenetic modification can play a key role in aortic aneurysm treatment,delaying the disease and improving the prognosis.Epigenetic related enzymes,such as DNA methylesterases and histone-modifying enzymes,can influence the progression of aortic aneurysm by regulating vascular smooth muscle cell remodeling,including cell proliferation,migration and apoptosis,and can be used as targets for drug therapy.The research of epigenetic modification on aortic aneurysm is still in the basic research stage and some epigenetic modification mechanisms have not yet been explored.With the development of medical research,targeted epigenetic modification is expected to achieve new breakthroughs in the treatment of aortic aneurysm and clinical transformation.

Objective To investigate the impact of anti-reflux modified duodenal exclusion surgery on glucose metabolism in rats with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and to elucidate the role of the duodenum in maintaining glucose homeostasis. MethodsForty male Sprague-Dawley rats aged 5 weeks were fed a high-fat diet and induced with T2DM using low-dose streptozotocin. Thirty-six rats that met the T2DM model criteria were randomly divided into three groups: the simple duodenal exclusion surgery group (DE group), the anti-reflux modified duodenal exclusion group (MDE group), and the sham operation group (SO group), with 12 rats in each group. Gastroenterography was performed 4 weeks after surgery, and the body weight, fasting blood glucose levels, and serum glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) concentrations were measured before surgery and at 1, 2, 4, and 8 weeks post-surgery. Eight weeks post-surgery, the rats were euthanized, and a 1 cm segment of the biliopancreatic loop was collected from each group for pathological sectioning and HE staining to observe the intestinal mucosal villus length under an optical microscope. Results Gastroenterography showed that there was significant reflux of the contrast agent into the duodenal lumen in the DE group, while no reflux was observed in the MDE group. At one week post-surgery, the body weights of rats in all three groups significantly decreased compared to before surgery (P<0.05), and then the body weights of all groups increased over time, with no significant differences between the groups (P>0.05). Compared with the SO group, the fasting blood glucose levels in the MDE and DE groups significantly decreased at all time points post-surgery (P<0.05), while GLP-1 concentrations significantly increased (P<0.05). The fasting blood glucose levels in the MDE group were lower than those in the DE group at all time points post-surgery (P<0.05), but there were no significant differences in serum GLP-1 concentrations between the MDE and DE groups (P>0.05). Regarding intestinal mucosal morphology, the villus lengths of the biliopancreatic loops in the MDE group were significantly shorter than those in the DE and SO groups (P<0.05). Conclusion Anti-reflux modified duodenal exclusion surgery effectively improves glucose metabolism in T2DM rats by preventing the reflux of chyme into the diverted duodenum, thereby enhancing its hypoglycemic effect.

Background::Hypothermia therapy has been suggested to attenuate myocardial necrosis; however, the clinical implementation as a valid therapeutic strategy has failed, and new approaches are needed to translate into clinical applications. This study aimed to assess the feasibility, safety, and efficacy of a novel selective intracoronary hypothermia (SICH) device in mitigating myocardial reperfusion injury.Methods::This study comprised two phases. The first phase of the SICH was performed in a normal porcine model for 30 minutes ( n = 5) to evaluate its feasibility. The second phase was conducted in a porcine myocardial infarction (MI) model of myocardial ischemia/reperfusion which was performed by balloon occlusion of the left anterior descending coronary artery for 60 minutes and maintained for 42 days. Pigs in the hypothermia group ( n = 8) received hypothermia intervention onset reperfusion for 30 minutes and controls ( n = 8) received no intervention. All animals were followed for 42 days. Cardiac magnetic resonance analysis (five and 42 days post-MI) and a series of biomarkers/histological studies were performed. Results::The average time to lower temperatures to a steady state was 4.8 ± 0.8 s. SICH had no impact on blood pressure or heart rate and was safely performed without complications by using a 3.9 F catheter. Interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α, C-reactive protein (CRP), and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) were lower at 60 min post perfusion in pigs that underwent SICH as compared with the control group. On day 5 post MI/R, edema, intramyocardial hemorrhage, and microvascular obstruction were reduced in the hypothermia group. On day 42 post MI/R, the infarct size, IL-6, CRP, BNP, and matrix metalloproteinase-9 were reduced, and the ejection fraction was improved in pigs that underwent SICH.Conclusions::The SICH device safely and effectively reduced the infarct size and improved heart function in a pig model of MI/R. These beneficial effects indicate the clinical potential of SICH for treatment of myocardial reperfusion injury.

Objective To explore the value of the prediction model based on diffusion weighted imaging(DWI)radiomic features and apparent diffusion coefficient(ADC)values in the assessment of p53 gene mutation status in endometrial cancer(EC).Methods The DWI data of 22 p53 wild-type and 60 p53 mutant EC patients were analyzed retrospectively.The DWI radiomic features of the primary lesions were extracted,and the ADC values were calculated.The prediction model was constructed based on support vector machine(SVM)algorithm.The area under the curve(AUC)of the receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was used to evaluate the performance of the prediction model.Internal validation was conducted using Bootstrap.Results The ADC value of p53 mutant EC was significantly lower than that of p53 wild-type EC(P=0.002).When comparing the ADC value and radiomics model,the combined ADC-radiomics model demonstrated the highest diagnostic efficacy,achieving an AUC of 0.924,sensitivity of 86.67％,and specificity of 90.91％.In Bootstrap-based validation,the combined ADC-radiomics model also showed high performance with an AUC of 0.904.The calibration curve and clinical decision curve analysis(DCA)showed that the combined ADC-radiomics model not only had better agreement between predicted and actual observed values but also provided better net benefits for the patients concerned.Conclusion The combined ADC-radiomics model achieved a more efficient assessment of p53 status in EC patients.

Objective:To explore the types of pre-diagnosis symptom clusters in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and identify bridge symptoms between symptom clusters.Methods:From May to October 2023, convenience sampling was used to select 243 ACS patients who visited Shanxi Provincial People's Hospital as participants. The General Information Questionnaire and Chinese version of the McSweeney Acute and Prodromal Myocardial Infarction Symptoms Survey were used for the survey. Exploratory factors were used to analyze symptom clusters, while network analysis was used to identify bridge symptoms between symptom clusters. A total of 243 questionnaires were distributed, and 230 valid questionnaires were collected, with a valid response rate of 94.7% (230/243) .Results:Before diagnosis, ACS patients had four symptom clusters, namely typical chest symptom cluster, typical shoulder and back symptom cluster, fatigue related symptom cluster, and cardiopulmonary symptom cluster. In symptom network analysis, fatigue and anxiety were bridge symptoms between symptom clusters, with fatigue having the highest expected impact coefficient ( rbei=0.387 3), followed by close centrality ( rbc=0.024 2). The bridge mediation ( rbb=35.000) and close centrality ( rbc=0.024 8) of anxiety were the highest. Conclusions:Fatigue and anxiety are bridge symptoms in ACS patients, connecting different symptom clusters. Identifying bridge symptoms is beneficial for improving the efficiency and accuracy of symptom management. Research needs to consider patient heterogeneity and conduct subgroup studies on symptom clusters to further explore the practical significance of core and bridge symptoms in clinical practice.

Purpose To explore the value of a prediction model based on diffusion weighted imaging(DWI)deep learning features in endometrial cancer microsatellite instability status assessment.Materials and Methods DWI data of 32 microsatellite instability and 55 microsatellite stability endometrial cancer patients were analysed from June 2020 to April 2023 in Xinxiang Central Hospital,retrospectively.Apparent diffusion coefficient(ADC)values of the primary lesions were measured,and deep learning features and imaging histological features of the primary lesions were extracted using multilayer convolutional neural networks and PyRadiomics,respectively.The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator and random forest were used for feature screening and model building,respectively.The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve(AUC)and net reclassification improvement were used to evaluate model performance.Bootstrap based on 1 000 resamples was used for internal validation of the model.Results For the deep learning model,a total of 6 features were included,the 7th,57th,77th,82nd,97th and 108th features,with an AUC of 0.905(95％CI 0.823-0.957);for the radiomics model,a total of 6 features were included,1 neighborhood grey level difference matrix,4 grey level region size matrices and 1 grey level tour length matrix feature,with an AUC was 0.844(95％CI 0.751-0.913);for ADC values,the microsatellite instability group had smaller ADC values than the microsatellite stability group(t=-4.123,P＜0.001),with an AUC of 0.810(95％CI 0.712-0.886).Compared with the radiomics model and ADC values,the deep learning model showed improved risk prediction,with net reclassification improvements of 0.856 and 0.486(P＜0.01,P=0.024),respectively.In Bootstrap-based internal validation,the deep learning model also demonstrated higher performance than the radiomics model,with AUCs of 0.897(95％CI0.889-0.905)and 0.829(95％CI0.812-0.839),respectively.Conclusion A prediction model based on deep learning features of DWI images can provide a better assessment of microsatellite instability status in endometrial cancer patients than radiomics model and ADC values.

The estimated new cases of breast cancer (BC) patients were 2.26 million in 2020, which accounted for 11.7% of all cancer patients, making it the most prevalent cancer worldwide. Early detection, diagnosis and treatment are crucial to reduce the mortality, and improve the prognosis of BC patients. Despite the widespread use of mammography screening as a tool for BC screening, the false positive, radiation, and overdiagnosis are still pressing issues that need to be addressed. Therefore, it is urgent to develop accessible, stable, and reliable biomarkers for non-invasive screening and diagnosis of BC. Recent studies indicated that the circulating tumor cell DNA (ctDNA), carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), carbohydrate antigen 15-3 (CA15-3), extracellular vesicles (EV), circulating miRNAs and BRCA gene from blood, and the phospholipid, miRNAs, hypnone and hexadecane from urine, nipple aspirate fluid (NAF) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in exhaled gas were closely related to the early screening and diagnosis of BC. This review summarizes the advances of the above biomarkers in the early screening and diagnosis of BC.
Humans ; Female ; Biomarkers, Tumor ; Early Detection of Cancer ; Breast Neoplasms/diagnosis* ; Prognosis ; MicroRNAs/genetics*

Metastasis accounts for 90% of breast cancer deaths, where the lethality could be attributed to the poor drug accumulation at the metastatic loci. The tolerance to chemotherapy induced by breast cancer stem cells (BCSCs) and their particular redox microenvironment further aggravate the therapeutic dilemma. To be specific, therapy-resistant BCSCs can differentiate into heterogeneous tumor cells constantly, and simultaneously dynamic maintenance of redox homeostasis promote tumor cells to retro-differentiate into stem-like state in response to cytotoxic chemotherapy. Herein, we develop a specifically-designed biomimic platform employing neutrophil membrane as shell to inherit a neutrophil-like tumor-targeting capability, and anchored chemotherapeutic and BCSCs-differentiating reagents with nitroimidazole (NI) to yield two hypoxia-responsive prodrugs, which could be encapsulated into a polymeric nitroimidazole core. The platform can actively target the lung metastasis sites of triple negative breast cancer (TNBC), and release the escorted drugs upon being triggered by the hypoxia microenvironment. During the responsiveness, the differentiating agent could promote transferring BCSCs into non-BCSCs, and simultaneously the nitroimidazole moieties conjugated on the polymer and prodrugs could modulate the tumor microenvironment by depleting nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate hydrogen (NADPH) and amplifying intracellular oxidative stress to prevent tumor cells retro-differentiation into BCSCs. In combination, the BCSCs differentiation and tumor microenvironment modulation synergistically could enhance the chemotherapeutic cytotoxicity, and remarkably suppress tumor growth and lung metastasis. Hopefully, this work can provide a new insight in to comprehensively treat TNBC and lung metastasis using a versatile platform.

Background Formaldehyde and benzene homologues are common environmental pollutants, and their neurotoxicity has aroused widespread concern. Objective To investigate the effect of taurine on cognitive impairment after exposure to formaldehyde and benzene analogues in young rats. Methods Twenty four-week old SD rats were randomly divided into four groups, with six rats in each group: control group (clean air), model group (5 mg·m⁻³ formaldehyde + 5 mg·m⁻³ benzene + 10 mg·m⁻³ toluene + 10 mg·m⁻³ xylene), low-dose taurine intervention group (5 g·L⁻¹ taurine + mixture of formaldehyde and benzene analogues), and high-dose taurine intervention group (10 g·L⁻¹ taurine + formaldehyde and mixture of benzene analogues), and the exposure was administered by oral and nasal aerosol inhalation for 28 d. At the end of exposure, the learning and memory ability of rats in each group was measured by Morris water maze test. After the behavioral test, the rats were anesthetized and neutralized, and the brain tissue was harvested for histopathological and molecular biological tests. The apoptosis rate of neurons in hippocampal CA1 area was detected by Tunel assay, and the expression levels of apoptosis-related proteins such as caspase 3, bax, and bcl-2 in hippocampal tissue were detected by Western blotting. Results The growth and development of rats in each group were good during inhalation. During the Morris water maze experiment, the escape latencies of rats in the taurine intervention groups were not different from that in the control group (P>0.05) from day 3 to day 5 of training, while the escape latency of rats in the model group was significantly higher than that in the control group (P <0.05). The number of crossing platform and the target quadrant residence time in the high-dose taurine intervention group were not different from those in the control group (P>0.05), while the two variables in the model group and low-dose taurine intervention group were significantly lower than those in the control group (P <0.05). The apoptotic rates of neurons in the hippocampal CA1 area of rats in the control group, model group, and low-dose and high-dose taurine intervention groups were 5.11%, 18.87%, 9.39%, and 4.63%, respectively. The apoptotic rate in the model group was higher than those in the control group and low-dose and high-dose taurine intervention groups (P<0.05). The expression levels of caspase 3, bax, and bcl-2 in the hippocampus of rats in the low-dose and high-dose taurine intervention groups showed no difference compared with the control group (P>0.05). The expression levels of caspase 3 and bax in the model group were higher than those in the control group and low-dose or high-dose taurine intervention groups (P<0.05), and the expression levels of bcl-2 was lower (P<0.05). Conclusion The mixed exposure to formaldehyde and benzene analogues can damage the learning and memory ability of young rats, and increase the apoptosis of neurons in hippocampal CA1 region. Taurine can reverse the damage induced by formaldehyde and benzene analogues.

Objective:To investigate factors associated with acute kidney injury(AKI) in postoperative colorectal cancer patients.Methods:The clinical data of 376 colorectal carcinoma (CRC) patients at Department of General Surgery, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University from Jan 2018 to Jun 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were divided into acute kidney injury (AKI) ( n=29) and non-AKI groups ( n=347). The demographic information, perioperative status, laboratory results and other relevant data of the two groups were compared . Binary logistic regression was used to analyze the independent risk factors for postoperative AKI. Results:Twenty-nine CRC patients (7.7%) had postoperative AKI. Binary Logistic regression analysis showed that preoperative hypertension ( OR=3.487, 95% CI: 1.081-11.251, P=0.037), anemia ( OR=3.158, 95% CI: 1.114-8.953, P=0.031), inadequate intraoperative crystalloid infusion ( OR=0.998, 95% CI: 0.997-0.999, P=0.007), low intraoperative mean arterial pressure ( OR=0.915, 95% CI: 0.863-0.970, P=0.003) and moderate to severe postoperative decline in hemoglobin levels ( OR=4.105, 95% CI: 1.487-11.335, P=0.006) were independent risk factors. Conclusion:Preoperative hypertension, anemia, inadequate intraoperative crystalloid infusion, low intraoperative mean arterial pressure, and moderate to severe postoperative decline in hemoglobin levels were independent risk factors for AKI development in colorectal cancer patients.