Background and Purpose:Previous studies have investigated the prognostic significance of skeletal muscle and adipose tissue composition and distribution in colorectal cancer patients,yet most have not differentiated between rectal and colon cancer patient cohorts.This study aimed to explore the relationship between body composition and long-term prognosis,and to develop a postoperative predictive model.Methods:Clinical data of rectal cancer patients who underwent surgical treatment at Qingdao University Affiliated Hospital from January 2018 to December 2021 were retrospectively collected.Inclusion criteria:①Age＞18 years;② Preoperative colonoscopy and pathological diagnosis of colorectal cancer;③ Complete surgical resection;④Abdominal computed tomography(CT)scan 1 month before surgery.Exclusion criteria:① Clinical data is missing;② Multiple metastases of tumors;③ Tumor T stage 0 or carcinoma in situ;④ Severe artifacts lead to poor quality CT imaging,making it difficult to distinguish between fat and muscle;⑤ Inability to obtain follow-up results.This study has been approved by the Medical Ethics Committee of the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University(approval number:QYFYWZLL30313),and informed consent has been waived in the ethical approval process.The skeletal muscle index(SMI)and subcutaneous adipose tissue index(SATI)were calculated by dividing the areas of skeletal muscle and subcutaneous fat observed on CT scans by the square of the patient's height.Univariate and multivariate COX regression analyses were conducted to identify risk factors influencing recurrence-free survival(RFS)and overall survival(OS)in rectal cancer patients.Based on the results of the multivariate analysis,a nomogram prediction model was developed,its predictive power and accuracy were assessed using the receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve,calibration plots and decision curve analysis(DCA),and internal validation was conducted.Results:A total of 696 patients were included in this study,with 96(13.8%)patients experiencing postoperative recurrence and 89(12.8%)patients dying.Multivariate COX regression analysis showed that SMI,SATI,tumor T stage and N stage were independent factors affecting the postoperative RFS and OS of patients.Nomogram prediction models for RFS and OS in rectal cancer patients were constructed based on the above independent predictors.The area under ROC curve(AUC)for 3-,4-and 5-year RFS was 0.862,0.846 and 0.824,respectively;the AUC for 3-,4-and 5-year OS was 0.886,0.898 and 0.875,respectively.The models were evaluated using calibration curves and decision curves,and internal validation was performed,which showed that the prediction accuracy of the models was good.Conclusion:CT body composition is an independent predictor of RFS and OS in rectal cancer patients,and the nomogram model developed based on these factors demonstrates good predictive value for patient prognosis.

Background and Purpose:Previous studies have investigated the prognostic significance of skeletal muscle and adipose tissue composition and distribution in colorectal cancer patients,yet most have not differentiated between rectal and colon cancer patient cohorts.This study aimed to explore the relationship between body composition and long-term prognosis,and to develop a postoperative predictive model.Methods:Clinical data of rectal cancer patients who underwent surgical treatment at Qingdao University Affiliated Hospital from January 2018 to December 2021 were retrospectively collected.Inclusion criteria:①Age＞18 years;② Preoperative colonoscopy and pathological diagnosis of colorectal cancer;③ Complete surgical resection;④Abdominal computed tomography(CT)scan 1 month before surgery.Exclusion criteria:① Clinical data is missing;② Multiple metastases of tumors;③ Tumor T stage 0 or carcinoma in situ;④ Severe artifacts lead to poor quality CT imaging,making it difficult to distinguish between fat and muscle;⑤ Inability to obtain follow-up results.This study has been approved by the Medical Ethics Committee of the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University(approval number:QYFYWZLL30313),and informed consent has been waived in the ethical approval process.The skeletal muscle index(SMI)and subcutaneous adipose tissue index(SATI)were calculated by dividing the areas of skeletal muscle and subcutaneous fat observed on CT scans by the square of the patient's height.Univariate and multivariate COX regression analyses were conducted to identify risk factors influencing recurrence-free survival(RFS)and overall survival(OS)in rectal cancer patients.Based on the results of the multivariate analysis,a nomogram prediction model was developed,its predictive power and accuracy were assessed using the receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve,calibration plots and decision curve analysis(DCA),and internal validation was conducted.Results:A total of 696 patients were included in this study,with 96(13.8%)patients experiencing postoperative recurrence and 89(12.8%)patients dying.Multivariate COX regression analysis showed that SMI,SATI,tumor T stage and N stage were independent factors affecting the postoperative RFS and OS of patients.Nomogram prediction models for RFS and OS in rectal cancer patients were constructed based on the above independent predictors.The area under ROC curve(AUC)for 3-,4-and 5-year RFS was 0.862,0.846 and 0.824,respectively;the AUC for 3-,4-and 5-year OS was 0.886,0.898 and 0.875,respectively.The models were evaluated using calibration curves and decision curves,and internal validation was performed,which showed that the prediction accuracy of the models was good.Conclusion:CT body composition is an independent predictor of RFS and OS in rectal cancer patients,and the nomogram model developed based on these factors demonstrates good predictive value for patient prognosis.

Based on the"brain-heart-kidney-seminal chamber"axis theory to understand the pathogenesis of coronary heart disease(CHD)complicated with erectile dysfunction(ED),it is considered that the dysfunction of the"brain-heart-kidney-seminal chamber"axis is closely related to the occurrence of CHD complicated with ED,in which kidney deficiency is the initial factor;heart brain disorder,loss of consciousness is the key to the pathogenesis;the loss of seminal chamber is an important link in the pathogenesis.Under the guidance of the concept of"brain-heart-kidney-seminal chamber"axis,Cistanches Herba-Rehmannize Radix et Praeparata-Cuscutae Semen were used to invigorate the kidney and regulate the essence of the brain,heart,kidney and seminal chamber;Salviea Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma-Chuanxiong Rhizoma-Schisandrae Chinensis Fructus can reach the heart and brain,calm the heart and calm the mind;Cyathulae Radix-Scolopendra-Spatholobi Caulis can adjust and restore the seminal chamber,moistening the tendons and vibrating the flaccidity.In clinical practice,the whole medication should be used to make the brain,heart and kidney in harmony with the seminal chamber at the same time,and the drugs should be flexibly added and subtracted according to the specific symptoms of patients to enhance the curative effect of CHD patients with ED.

Based on the"brain-heart-kidney-seminal chamber"axis theory to understand the pathogenesis of coronary heart disease(CHD)complicated with erectile dysfunction(ED),it is considered that the dysfunction of the"brain-heart-kidney-seminal chamber"axis is closely related to the occurrence of CHD complicated with ED,in which kidney deficiency is the initial factor;heart brain disorder,loss of consciousness is the key to the pathogenesis;the loss of seminal chamber is an important link in the pathogenesis.Under the guidance of the concept of"brain-heart-kidney-seminal chamber"axis,Cistanches Herba-Rehmannize Radix et Praeparata-Cuscutae Semen were used to invigorate the kidney and regulate the essence of the brain,heart,kidney and seminal chamber;Salviea Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma-Chuanxiong Rhizoma-Schisandrae Chinensis Fructus can reach the heart and brain,calm the heart and calm the mind;Cyathulae Radix-Scolopendra-Spatholobi Caulis can adjust and restore the seminal chamber,moistening the tendons and vibrating the flaccidity.In clinical practice,the whole medication should be used to make the brain,heart and kidney in harmony with the seminal chamber at the same time,and the drugs should be flexibly added and subtracted according to the specific symptoms of patients to enhance the curative effect of CHD patients with ED.

Background::Cardiovascular disease (CVD) has emerged as the leading cause of death from prostate cancer (PCa) in recent decades, bringing a great disease burden worldwide. Men with preexisting CVD have an increased risk for major adverse cardiovascular events when treated with androgen deprivation therapy (ADT). The present study aimed to explore the prevalence and risk evaluation of CVD among people with newly diagnosed PCa in China.Methods::Clinical data of newly diagnosed PCa patients were retrospectively collected from 34 centers in China from 2010 to 2022 through convenience sampling. CVD was defined as myocardial infarction, arrhythmia, heart failure, stroke, ischemic heart disease, and others. CVD risk was estimated by calculating Framingham risk scores (FRS). Patients were accordingly divided into low-, medium-, and high-risk groups. χ2 or Fisher’s exact test was used for comparison of categorical variables. Results::A total of 4253 patients were enrolled in the present study. A total of 27.0% (1147/4253) of patients had comorbid PCa and CVD, and 7.2% (307/4253) had two or more CVDs. The enrolled population was distributed in six regions of China, and approximately 71.0% (3019/4253) of patients lived in urban areas. With imaging and pathological evaluation, most PCa patients were diagnosed at an advanced stage, with 20.5% (871/4253) locally progressing and 20.5% (871/4253) showing metastasis. Most of them initiated prostatectomy (46.6%, 1983/4253) or regimens involving ADT therapy (45.7%, 1944/4253) for prostate cancer. In the present PCa cohort, 43.1% (1832/4253) of patients had hypertension, and half of them had poorly controlled blood pressure. With FRS stratification, as expected, a higher risk of CVD was related to aging and metabolic disturbance. However, we also found that patients with treatment involving ADT presented an originally higher risk of CVD than those without ADT. This was in accordance with clinical practice, i.e., aged patients or patients at advanced oncological stages were inclined to accept systematic integrative therapy instead of surgery. Among patients who underwent medical castration, only 4.0% (45/1118) received gonadotropin releasing hormone antagonists, in stark contrast to the grim situation of CVD prevalence and risk.Conclusions::PCa patients in China are diagnosed at an advanced stage. A heavy CVD burden was present at the initiation of treatment. Patients who accepted ADT-related therapy showed an original higher risk of CVD, but the awareness of cardiovascular protection was far from sufficient.

Objective To evaluate the safety and effectiveness of excessive dynamic airway collapse(EDAC)treated by laser.Methods 13 patients with EDAC confirmed by bronchoscopy from January 2018 to August 2022 were selected and divided into a simple EDAC group(6 cases)and an EDAC combined with tracheobronchomalacia(TBM)group(7 cases)based on whether they were combined with TBM.All patients underwent laser tracheobronchoplasty under bronchoscope.Symptoms,airway collapse,oxygenation index,modified version of British Medical Research Council dyspnoea scale(mMRC)and 6 min walking test before and after treatment were compared to evaluate the therapeutic effect.Results 13 patients underwent 17 times of laser tracheobronchoplasty with laser power of 8～15 W,and 4 patients underwent 2 times of laser tracheobronchoplasty.After treatment,the clinical symptoms of cough,sputum,shortness of breath and dyspnea were improved in all patients.1 week post-treatment,the EDAC group showed a significant improvement in airway lumen stenosis,with a significant statistical difference(P<0.05),1 month post-treatment,enhancements were observed in airway stenosis,oxygenation index,FEV1%,6-minute walk test,and mMRC,which remained stable over a 6 month follow-up.In the EDAC + TBM group,significant enhancements in airway stenosis,oxygenation index,and mMRC were noted 1 week post-treatment,with statistical significance(P<0.05).Between 8 d～6 months post-treatment,some patients exhibited a recurrence of airway stenosis,necessitating comprehensive interventions like balloon dilation,cryotherapy,and stent insertion.Local necrosis and granuloma occurred in some patients after laser therapy,and no serious complications associated with laser intervention were found in all patients.Conclusion Laser tracheobronchoplasty is a safe and effective technique for the treatment of EDAC.For patients with EDAC alone,the therapeutic effect is good,but for patients with EDAC combined with TBM,the long-term effect is not good.

Objective To investigate the effects of microRNA497 (miR-497) on the metastasis of gastric cancer and its possible molecular mechanism. Methods SGC-7901 gastric cancer parent cells were cultured in an ultra-low adhesion environment, and the anoikis resistance model of SGC-7901 cells was created after re-adhesion. Clone formation assay, flow cytometry, Transwell^TM test and scratch healing test were used to detect the differences of biological behavior compared with their parent cells. Fluorescence quantitative PCR was performed to detect the expression of miR-497. Western blot analysis was used to detect the changes of key proteins of Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway and epithelial mesenchymal transformation (EMT) related proteins such as vimentin and E-cadherin. Parent cells and anoikis resistant SGC-7901 cells were transfected with miR-497 inhibitor or miR-497 mimic, and CCK-8 assay was used to detect the proliferation activity. Transwell^TM invasion assay was performed to detect the invasion ability of cells. Transwell^TM migration test and scratch healing assay was used to determine the migration ability. Western blot analysis was used to detect the expressions of Wnt1, β-catenin, vimentin and E-cadherin. By transfecting miR-497 mimic into the anoikis resistance SGC-7901 cells and inoculating them subcutaneously in nude mice, the changes in the volume and mass of tumor tissues were measured and recorded. Western blot analysis was used to determine the expressions of Wnt1, β-catenin, vimentin and E-cadherin of tumor tissues. Results Compared with the parent cells, the anoikis resistance SGC-7901 gastric cancer cells had faster proliferation rate, stronger colony formation, lower apoptosis rate, stronger invasion and migration ability. The expression of miR-497 was significantly decreased. After down-regulation of miR-497, the proliferation ability, invasion and migration ability were significantly enhanced. The expressions of Wnt1, β-catenin and vimentin increased significantly, while E-cadherin decreased notably. The results of up-regulation miR-497 were the opposite. The tumor growth rate, tumor volume and mass of miR-497 overexpression group were significantly lower than those of control group. The expressions of Wnt1, β-catenin and vimentin decreased significantly, while the expression of E-cadherin increased significantly. Conclusion The expression of miR-497 is low in the anoikis resistance SGC-7901 cells. miR-497 can inhibit the growth and metastasis of gastric cancer cells by blocking Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway and EMT.
Animals ; Mice ; Humans ; beta Catenin/metabolism* ; MicroRNAs/metabolism* ; Vimentin/metabolism* ; Stomach Neoplasms/pathology* ; Anoikis/genetics* ; Wnt Signaling Pathway/genetics* ; Mice, Nude ; Cell Proliferation/genetics* ; Cadherins/genetics* ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition/genetics* ; Cell Movement/genetics*

ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of Bufeitang on intestinal flora of rats with lung Qi-deficiency syndrome of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease（COPD）， and to explore the mechanism of traditional Chinese medicine in regulating intestinal flora and thus restoring the balance of lung-gut axis. MethodA total of 84 rats were randomly divided into 7 groups， including blank group， model group， fecal bacterial transplantation（FMT） group， dexamethasone group and low， medium and high dose groups of Bufeitang， 12 rats in each group. Except for the blank group， cigarette and sawdust fumigation combined with intratracheal instillation of lipopolysaccharide（LPS） were used to establish the COPD rat model with lung Qi-deficiency syndrome in all other groups. The low， medium and high dose groups of Bufeitang were intragastric administrated with Bufeitang（3.645， 7.29， 14.58 g·kg^-1）， the FMT group was given fecal bacteria liquid enema（10 mL·kg^-1）， dexamethasone group was given dexamethasone acetate tablet suspension by gavage（0.135 mg·kg^-1）， the blank group and model group were given equal amount of distilled water. Fresh feces were collected after 28 d of continuous intervention for 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Lung and colon tissues were stained with hematoxylin-eosin（HE） for pathomorphological observation， and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） was performed to detect the contents of tumor necrosis factor-α（TNF-α） and interleukin-8（IL-8） in lung tissues. ResultCompared with the blank group， the model group showed severe abnormal lung tissue structure with alveolar atrophy and collapse accompanied by severe inflammatory cell infiltration. Compared with the model group， the extent of injury was significantly improved， and inflammatory cell infiltration was reduced with basically normal alveolar structure in the high dose group of Bufeitang. Compared with the blank group， the model group had severely abnormal colonic tissue structure， the epithelial cells in the mucosal layer were eroded and shed， the number of inflammatory cells increased， the submucosal layer was edematous and the gap was enlarged. Compared with the model group， the extent of damage was significantly improved in the medium and high dose groups of Bufeitang， the epithelial cells in the mucosal layer were neatly and closely arranged， with only a small amount of inflammatory cell infiltration and no significant degeneration. Compared with the blank group， the TNF-α and IL-8 levels of lung tissue in the model group were significantly increased（P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the TNF-α and IL-8 levels of lung tissues in the low， medium and high dose groups of Bufeitang were significantly decreased（P<0.01）. Bufeitang significantly modulated the number of bacteria species as well as alpha and beta diversity of model rats， corrected the return of intestinal flora to normal abundance and diversity， and positively regulated 4 differential phyla（such as Firmicutes， Proteobacteria） and 13 differential genera（such as Turicibacter， Lactobacillus， Anaerobiospirillum， Intestinimonas） in COPD model rats with lung Qi-deficiency syndrome， and down-regulated 2 carbohydrate metabolic pathway functions， including the pentose phosphate pathway（non-oxidative branch） Ⅰ and the Calvin-Benson-Bassham cycle. ConclusionBufeitang can modulate the abundance and diversity of intestinal flora species， affect the function of metabolic pathways， repair the structure of lung and colon tissues， regulate the level of inflammatory factors， and thus improve COPD with lung Qi-deficiency syndrome. The mechanism may be related to its regulation of inflammation-related intestinal flora to restore the balance of lung-gut axis in COPD with lung Qi-deficiency syndrome.

Objective: To observe changes in the molecular expression of the NLR Family Pyrin Domain Containing Protein 3 (NLRP3) pathway in depressed rats after treatment with Xiaoyaosan, and identify the regu-latory mechanism of this compound. Methods: Male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into five groups with 12 rats in each group, including the control group, model group, Fluoxetine group, Xiaoyaosan group, and MCC950 group. A depression model was generated by chronic immobilization stress (induced by 3 h of restraint immo-bilization every day), and the drugs were administered at the same time in each group for 21 days. The effects of Xiaoyaosan on behavioral changes of depressed rats were observed through macroscopic characterization, body mass, open field experiments, and a sucrose preference test. The mRNA and protein expression of the NLRP3 signaling pathway was examined by fluorescence real-time quantitative PCR and Western blot assays. Results: The Xiaoyaosan group, Fluoxetine group, and MCC950 group rats showed improved depressive behavior and an increased weight of sucrose water consumption. The protein and mRNA expression levels of NLRP3, Caspase-1, and IL-1β were also decreased in the Fluoxetine, Xiaoyaosan, and MCC950 groups. Conclusion: NLRP3, Caspase-1, and IL-1β protein and mRNA expression levels were increased in the cortex of depressed rats, while Xiaoyaosan protected cortical tissue in these rats by decreasing NLRP3, Caspase-1, and IL-1βprotein and mRNA expression.

The microneedle (MN), a highly efficient and versatile device, has attracted extensive scientific and industrial interests in the past decades due to prominent properties including painless penetration, low cost, excellent therapeutic efficacy, and relative safety. The robust microneedle enabling transdermal delivery has a paramount potential to create advanced functional devices with superior nature for biomedical applications. In this review, a great effort has been made to summarize the advance of microneedles including their materials and latest fabrication method, such as three-dimensional printing (3DP). Importantly, a variety of representative biomedical applications of microneedles such as disease treatment, immunobiological administration, disease diagnosis and cosmetic field, are highlighted in detail. At last, conclusions and future perspectives for development of advanced microneedles in biomedical fields have been discussed systematically. Taken together, as an emerging tool, microneedles have showed profound promise for biomedical applications.