Objective To investigate the causes and management strategies for lower limb ischemic necrosis following xenogeneic heterotopic heart transplantation from a multigene-edited pig to a rhesus monkey. Methods A xenogeneic heterotopic heart transplantation was performed on December 16, 2023, at the Institute of Experimental Animals of Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences & Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, using a quintuple-gene-edited pig as the donor and a rhesus monkey as the recipient. On postoperative day (POD) 9, the recipient monkey underwent left lower limb amputation due to ischemic necrosis. Blood samples were collected at various time points after transplantation for analysis of hematologic parameters, liver and renal function, myocardial enzymes, and coagulation profiles. Ultrasound and computed tomography (CT) were used to evaluate anastomotic patency and cardiac structure. Immunological assays, including complement-dependent cytotoxicity (CDC) and IgG/IgM antibody detection, combined with clinical observations, were employed to assess rejection type and therapeutic response. Results The recipient monkey survived for 46 days after transplantation. Echocardiography demonstrated preserved biventricular systolic function in the recipient’s native heart, with left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) consistently exceeding 50%. In the donor pig heart, left ventricular endocardial thickening was noted on POD 9, followed by right ventricular endocardial thickening on POD 24, while LVEF remained around 35%. No hyperacute or acute rejection was detected immunologically. CDC positivity ranged between 3.4% and 5.1%, with IgG/IgM antibody binding trends consistent with CDC results. Following amputation, the recipient exhibited elevated inflammatory markers, coagulopathy, and reactive thrombocytosis, which later normalized. Immunohistochemical staining of the necrotic limb revealed arterial and venous thrombosis; however, no T-cell or B-cell infiltration was observed in vascular structures, thrombi, nerves, muscles, fascia, or skin tissues, with CD3 and CD20 staining both negative. Conclusion Limb ischemia after xenogeneic heart transplantation may be associated with lower extremity vascular thrombosis triggered by local trauma in the context of transplantation-induced inflammatory activation and coagulation dysfunction. While no clear lymphocyte-mediated rejection was observed, further studies are needed to explore the potential role of non-lymphocyte-mediated immune mechanisms.

Objective To examine the impact of different numbers of microsatellite markers on the analysis of population genetic diversity of Schistosoma japonicum, so as to provide insights into studies on the population genetic diversity of S. japonicum. Methods Oncomelania hupensis snails were collected from a wasteland in Gong’an County, Hubei Province, and 37 S. japonicum-infected O. hupensis snails were identified using the cercarial shedding method. A single cercaria released from each S. japonicum-infected O. hupensis snail was collected, and 10 cercariae were randomly collected from DNA extraction. Nine previously validated microsatellite loci and 15 additional microsatellite loci screened from literature review and the GenBank database and confirmed with stable amplification efficiency were selected as molecular markers. Genomic DNA from cercariae was subjected to three multiplex PCR amplifications of microsatellite markers with the Type-it Microsatellite PCR kit, and genotyped using capillary electrophoresis. The population genetic diversity of S. japonicum cercariae DNA was analyzed with observed number of alleles (Na), effective number of alleles (Ae), observed heterozygosity (Ho), expected heterozygosity (He), and polymorphism information content (PIC), and tested for Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (HWE) and linkage disequilibrium (LD). To further investigate the impact of the number of microsatellite loci on the population genetic diversity of S. japonicum, the number of microsatellite markers was sequentially assigned from 1 to 24, and the mean and standard deviation of Na were calculated for S. japonicum populations at different locus numbers. In addition, the coefficient of variation (CV) of allelic number (defined as the ratio of the standard deviation to the mean) was determined, and the variation in Na with increasing microsatellite locus numbers was analyzed. Results Genomic DNA from 345 S. japonicum cercariae was selected for genotyping of 24 microsatellite markers, and all 24 microsatellite loci met linkage equilibrium (standardized linkage disequilibrium coefficient D′ < 0.7, r² < 0.3) and deviated from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (P < 0.001). The mean Na, Ae, Ho and He were 27.46 ± 2.18, 12.46 ± 0.95, 0.46 ± 0.03, and 0.91 ± 0.01 for 24 microsatellite loci in S. japonicum cercarial populations, respectively, and PIC ranged from 0.85 to 0.96, indicating high genome-wide representativeness of 24 microsatellite loci. The mean value of Na-Ae was higher in genotyping with 9 previously validated microsatellite loci (19.88 ± 8.43) than with all 24 loci (14.99 ± 8.09). As the number of microsatellite loci increased, the mean Na showed no significant variation; however, the standard deviation gradually decreased. Notably, if the locus number reached 18 or more, the variation in the standard deviation of Na remarkably reduced. In addition, the standard deviation of Na at 18 loci was less than 5% of the mean Na at 24 loci, with a CV of 4.6%. Conclusions The number of microsatellite loci significantly affects the population genetic diversity analysis of S. japonicum. Eighteen or more microsatellite loci are recommended for analysis of the population genetic diversity of S. japonicum under the current conditions of low-prevalence infection and unbalanced genetic distribution of S. japonicum.

Objective To investigate the prevalence and risk factors of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) among construction workers. Methods A total of 5 783 workers were selected as participants from 12 construction companies in Guangdong Province, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and Zhejiang Province using a convenient sampling method. The revised Musculoskeletal Disorders Questionnaire was used to investigate the prevalence and influencing factors of WMSDs. Results The prevalence of WMSDs was 27.4% among the construction workers. The prevalence of WMSDs in shoulder, neck, waist/lower back and hand/wrist was 10.6%, 9.5%, 9.5% and 9.4% respectively, which was higher than that in other body parts. Bianry logistic regression analysis showed that the risk of WMSDs in construction workers with junior high school education and below was higher than that of high school/ college and above (P<0.05). The risk of WMSDs was higher in drinkers than that in non-drinkers (P<0.01). The worse the health status of construction workers, the higher the risk of WMSDs (P<0.01). The risk of WMSDs in those who exercised once or twice a month was lower than that in those who did not exercise (P<0.05). The risk of WMSDs was higher in construction workers with longer working hours in uncomfortable postures and greater back bending amplitude at work (all P<0.01). The risk of WMSDs in construction workers with hands holding above the shoulder was higher than that with hands below the shoulder (P<0.05). Construction workers who repeated the same work daily, involved in high-temperature work, often worked overtime, had insufficient rest time, and had a shortage of department personnel had a relatively high risk of WMSDs (all P<0.01). Conclusion The prevalence of WMSDs among the construction workers was relatively high, and the most common WMSDs occurred in shoulder, neck, waist/lower back and hand/wrist. Individual characteristic, work type, work posture and work organization are the influencing factors of WMSDs. Comprehensive measures, especially ergonomic measures based on personal and occupational characteristics should be taken to reduce the risk of WMSDs among construction workers.

Objective To analyze the effect of hand transmitted vibration on fingertip thermotactile perception threshold (TPT) among grinding workers in a sports equipment manufacturing enterprise. Methods A total of 151 male grinding workers from a sports equipment manufacturing enterprise in Guangdong Province were enrolled in the vibration exposure group, and 51 male workers without hand-transmitted vibration exposure were enrolled in the control group, using the judgment sampling method. Basic health conditions of the workers were surveyed in both groups. The TPTs of the distal phalanges of the index and little fingers on both hands were tested using an HVLab thermal perception tester. Results The detection rates of finger numbness and tingling among workers in the vibration exposure group were higher than those in the control group (92.1% vs 7.8% and 59.6% vs 0.0%, respectively, both P<0.01). The detection rates of numbness or tingling of different fingers in the vibration exposure group descended in the following order: index finger, middle finger, ring finger, thumb and little finger. The hot threshold of the index finger and little finger increased (all P<0.01), while the cold threshold decreased (all P<0.01) in the vibration exposure group, compared with the control group. The results of generalized linear regression analysis showed that with the increase of the duration of hand-transmitted vibration, the hot threshold of the index finger and the little finger of both hands increased (all P<0.01), and the cold threshold decreased (all P<0.01). The hot thresholds of workers with numbness of both the index fingers and left little finger were higher than those of workers without numbness of the same finger (all P<0.05). The hot threshold of workers with tingling of the left index finger was higher than those without tingling (P<0.05). The cold thresholds of workers with tingling of the both index fingers and left little finger were lower than those without tingling of the same finger (all P<0.05). The hot threshold of the right little finger increased with age (P<0.01), while the cold thresholds of both little fingers decreased with age (all P<0.01). Conclusion Hand-transmitted vibration exposure increases fingertip hot threshold and decreases fingertip cold threshold of workers exposed to hand-transmitted vibration. Years of service in hand-transmitted vibration work, finger numbness or tingling, and age were influencing factors of TPT. Fingertip TPT examination can be used to assist in the early detection of vibration-induced nerve injury in workers exposed to hand-transmitted vibration.

ObjectiveTo observe the efficacy of Huoxue Jiedu Formulas （活血解毒方药， HJF） as an adjunctive treatement for patients with binding of stasis and toxin syndrome during the vulnerable period after acute myocardial infarction （AMI） percutaneous coronary intervention （PCI） surgery， and to explore its potential mechanism from the perspective of serum neutrophil extracellular traps （NETs）. MethodsA total of 129 patients with binding of stasis and toxin syndrome within 6 months after PCI for AMI were enrolled and divided into a treatment group （65 cases） and a control group （64 cases） based on patients' willingness to take Chinese herbal medicine. The control group received standard western medical therapy alone， while the treatment group additionally received HJF， one dose daily. Both groups were treated for four weeks. Before and after treatment， TCM syndrome scores were assessed. Seattle angina questionnaire （SAQ） was used to record angina stability and frequency scores， while the short form-36 health survey （SF-36） was employed to assess quality of life across eight dimensions， including physical functioning， role-physical， bodily pain， general health， vitality， social functioning， role-emotional， and mental health. The Pittsburgh sleep quality index （PSQI） was used to evaluate sleep quality， and the patient health questionnaire-15 （PHQ-15） was used to assess psychosomatic symptoms； Duke activity status index （DASI） was used to measure daily physical activity. Serum levels of neutrophil extracellular traps （NET） markers including myeloperoxidase-DNA （MPO-DNA）， neutrophil elastase-DNA （NE-DNA）， and citrullinated histone H3 （CitH3） were measured in 20 patients from the treatment group. ResultsAfter treatment， TCM syndrome score， PSQI score and PHQ-15 score in both groups significantly decreased， while DASI score， angina stability and frequency scores， and all eight dimensions of the SF-36 scale significantly increased （P＜0.05）. Compared to the control group， the treatment group had significantly lower TCM syndrome scores and significantly higher DASI， angina stability and frequency scores （P＜0.05）， as well as higher scores in the SF-36 dimensions of physical functioning， role-physical， social functioning， bodily pain， and vitality （P＜0.05）. After treatment， serum levels of MPO-DNA， CitH3， and NE-DNA in the treatment group were significantly reduced （P＜0.05）. ConclusionHJF combined with conventional therapy can significantly improve angina symptoms， TCM syndrome scores， and psychosomatic conditions in patients with binding of stasis and toxin syndrome during the vulnerable period after AMI. It also enhances quality of life， sleep quality， and daily physical activity. The underlying mechanism may be associated with the inhibition of serum NETs level.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the application of three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction technology in preoperative planning for anterolateral thigh flap transplantation. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed on the clinical data of 11 patients with skin and soft tissue defects treated with free anterolateral thigh flap transplantation between January 2022 and January 2024, who met the selection criteria. There were 8 males and 3 females, aged 34-70 years (mean, 50.8 years). Causes of injury included traffic accidents (4 cases), machine trauma (3 cases), heavy object crush injury (3 cases), and tumor (1 case). The time from injury to flap repair ranged from 7 to 35 days (mean, 23 days). Preoperatively, the patients' CT angiography images were imported into Mimics21.0 software. Through the software's segmentation, editing, and reconstruction functions, 3D visualization and measurement of the vascular pedicle, perforators, wound size, and morphology were performed to plan the flap harvest area, contour, vascular pedicle length, and anastomosis site, guiding the implementation of flap transplantation. RESULTS: The length of the vascular pedicle needed by the recipient site was (9.1±0.9) cm, and the maximum length of vascular pedicle in the donor area was (10.6±0.6) cm, with a significant difference ( t=4.230, P<0.001). The operation time ranged from 220 to 600 minutes (mean, 361.9 minutes). One patient had poor wound healing at the recipient site, which healed after dressing changes. All 11 flaps survived well without necrosis. All patients were followed up 6-19 months (mean, 11 months). Four flaps showed bulkiness and underwent secondary debulking; the remaining flaps had good contour and soft texture. The donor sites healed well, with no sensory disturbance around the incision or complications such as walking impairment. CONCLUSION Preoperative planning using CT angiography data and 3D reconstruction software can effectively determine the flap area, contour, required vascular pedicle length, anastomosis site, and whether vascular grafting is needed, thereby guiding the successful execution of anterolateral thigh flap transplantation.
Humans ; Middle Aged ; Male ; Female ; Adult ; Thigh/diagnostic imaging* ; Aged ; Plastic Surgery Procedures/methods* ; Retrospective Studies ; Imaging, Three-Dimensional/methods* ; Soft Tissue Injuries/surgery* ; Surgical Flaps ; Computed Tomography Angiography ; Free Tissue Flaps/blood supply* ; Preoperative Care

Objective To investigate the effect of dexmedetomidine(Dex)on bone loss in tail-suspended rats and primarily explore its regulatory mechanism on bone metabolism.Methods A total of 30 male rats were randomly divided into a control group,a model group,and a Dex group,with 10 animals in each group.Rat model of osteoporosis was established by hind limb suspension for 4 weeks.Dex at a dose of 10 μg/kg was given intraperitoneally,once every other day from the day of tail suspension.And equal amount of normal saline was given to the control and model group.Bone histological staining was used to observe the trabecular bone area fraction.Biomechanical three-point bending test was employed to measure the maximum load,stiffness,and fracture energy.Dual calcein/alizarin red fluorescence labeling and tartrate resistant acid phosphatase(TRAP)staining were applied respectively to detect the mineral apposition rate and bone formation rate as well as the number of osteoclasts on bone surfaces.Secondly,after primary osteoblasts were isolated from the tibiae of tail-suspended rats and then treated with 1 nmol/L Dex,the proportion of alkaline phosphatase(ALP)-positive osteoblasts and the activity of the enzyme were detected by ALP staining and activity test.qRT-PCR was applied to measure the expression of osteogenic activity-related factors,including osteocalcin(Ocn),Runt related transcription factor 2(Runx2),Osterix protein(Osx),and type 1 collagen(Col1).Results The animal experiments revealed that Dex treatment significantly increased the tibial trabecular bone area fraction,inhibited the decrease in bone mechanical strength,and enhanced the mineralization deposition rate and new bone formation rate of trabecular bone in the tail-suspended rats(all P＜0.001).The in vitro experiments showed that Dex treatment obviously improved ALP activity and the number of ALP-positive osteoblasts in primary osteoblasts isolated from tail-suspended rats(P＜0.01),and up-regulated the expression levels of osteogenic differentiation-related genes,such as Ocn,Runx2,Osx and Col1(P＜0.01).Conclusion Dex exerts anti-bone loss effect in tail-suspended rats,which may be associated with its stimulation on osteoblast-mediated bone formation.

ObjectiveTo analyze the distribution characteristics of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） syndrome elements in different risk populations of heart failure complicated with type 2 diabetes. MethodsClinical data of 675 type 2 diabetes patients were retrospectively collected. Lasso-multivariate Logistic regression was used to construct a clinical prediction nomogram model. Based on this， 441 non-heart failure patients were divided into a low-risk group （325 cases） and a high-risk group （116 cases） according to the median risk score of heart failure complicated with type 2 diabetes. TCM diagnostic information （four diagnostic methods） was collected for both groups， and factor analysis was applied to summarize the distribution of TCM syndrome elements in different risk populations. ResultsLasso-multivariate Logistic regression analysis identified age， disease duration， coronary heart disease， old myocardial infarction， arrhythmia， absolute neutrophil count， activated partial thromboplastin time， and α-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase as independent risk factors for heart failure complicated with type 2 diabetes. These were used as final predictive factors to construct the nomogram model. Model validation results showed that the area under the curve （AUC） of the receiver operating characteristic （ROC） curve for the modeling group and validation group were 0.934 and 0.935， respectively. The Hosmer-Lemeshow test （modeling group P = 0.996， validation group P = 0.121） indicated good model discrimination. Decision curve analysis showed that the curves for All and None crossed in the upper right corner， indicating high clinical utility. The low-risk and high-risk groups each obtained 14 common factors. Preliminary analysis revealed that the main disease elements in the low-risk group were qi deficiency （175 cases， 53.85%）， dampness （118 cases， 36.31%）， and heat （118 cases， 36.31%）， with the primary locations in the spleen （125 cases， 38.46%） and lungs （99 cases， 30.46%）. In the high-risk group， the main disease elements were yang deficiency （73 cases， 62.93%）， blood stasis （68 cases， 58.62%）， and heat （49 cases， 42.24%）， with the primary locations in the kidney （84 cases， 72.41%） and heart （70 cases， 60.34%）. ConclusionThe overall disease characteristics in different risk populations of type 2 diabetes patients with heart failure are a combination of deficiency and excess， with deficiency being predominant. Deficiency and heat are present throughout. The low-risk population mainly shows qi deficiency with dampness and heat， related to the spleen and lungs. The high-risk population shows yang deficiency with blood stasis and heat， related to the kidneys and heart.

Objective:To explore the clinical, imaging, and pathological features of glottic squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx and their relationship with prognosis. Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical, imaging, and pathological data of 130 patients with glottic squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx who were treated at the First People's Hospital of Yinchuan and the General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University from January 2018 to March 2023. Imaging examinations （CT and MRI） were used to evaluate the lesion boundary clarity, density, enhancement nature, and enhancement degree. Postoperative pathological examination was used to determine the pathological nature, immunohistochemistry, etc. Statistical methods such as χ² test, Spearman correlation analysis, multivariate logistic regression analysis, and Kaplan-Meier method were used to analyze the data. Results:Among the 130 patients, 127 were male and 3 were female, with an average age of （61.92±9.595） years. There was a correlation between clinical, imaging, and pathological features. Multivariate analysis showed that heterogeneous MRI density （OR=12.414;P=0.019） and squamous cell carcinoma as a subtype were correlated. The initial symptom of non-hoarseness （HR=6.045;P=0.010） and unclear MRI boundary （HR=12.559; P=0.029） were independent risk factors for poor prognosis in patients with glottic squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx. Conclusion:There is a correlation between the clinical, imaging, and pathological features of patients with glottic squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx, and they can affect prognosis. The initial symptom of non-hoarseness and unclear MRI boundary of the tumor are independent risk factors for poor prognosis.
Humans ; Laryngeal Neoplasms/diagnosis* ; Prognosis ; Male ; Female ; Retrospective Studies ; Middle Aged ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell/diagnosis* ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Glottis/pathology* ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Aged

Stearoyl-coenzyme A desaturase 1 (SCD1) catalyzes the rate-limiting step of de novo lipogenesis and modulates lipid homeostasis. Although numerous SCD1 inhibitors were tested for treating metabolic disorders both in preclinical and clinic studies, the tissue-specific roles of SCD1 in modulating obesity-associated metabolic disorders and determining the pharmacological effect of chemical SCD1 inhibition remain unclear. Here a novel role for intestinal SCD1 in obesity-associated metabolic disorders was uncovered. Intestinal SCD1 was found to be induced during obesity progression both in humans and mice. Intestine-specific, but not liver-specific, SCD1 deficiency reduced obesity and hepatic steatosis. A939572, an SCD1-specific inhibitor, ameliorated obesity and hepatic steatosis dependent on intestinal, but not hepatic, SCD1. Mechanistically, intestinal SCD1 deficiency impeded obesity-induced oxidative stress through its novel function of inducing metallothionein 1 in intestinal epithelial cells. These results suggest that intestinal SCD1 could be a viable target that underlies the pharmacological effect of chemical SCD1 inhibition in the treatment of obesity-associated metabolic disorders.