Objective To explore the perfusion distribution of vertebral arteries(VA)in healthy adults,and to observe the impact of VA diameter on perfusion distribution based on territorial arterial spin labeling(t-ASL)technique.Methods A total of 228 healthy adult volunteers were prospectively recruited.t-ASL imaging was utilized to analyze VA perfusion patterns in supratentorial region.Bilateral VA diameters,absolute inter-side VA diameter differences,as well as perfusion volumes(PV)supplied by each VA to supratentorial,cerebellar and their combined were recorded.Pearson correlation analysis was performed to analyze the correlations of VA diameters with PVsupratentorial,PVcerebellar and PVsupratentorial+cerebellar.Results Five patterns of distinct perfusion distribution were identified in supratentorial region,leading to participant stratification into 5 groups.Significant differences of absolute inter-side VA diameter differences was found among groups(P＜0.001).The mean bilateral VA diameter,PVsupratentorial,PVcerebellar and PVsupratentorial+cerebellar was(1.94±0.49)mm,(91.77±49.34)cm3,(74.72±27.68)cm3 and(166.49±59.53)cm3,respectively.VA diameter showed low-moderate positive correlations with PVsupratentorial,PVcerebellar and PVsupratentorial+cerebellar(r=0.483,0.179,0.484,all P＜0.001).Conclusion Perfusion imaging of t-ASL could visualize various perfusion distribution forms of VA in supratentorial region.Diameter of VA had certain impact on both spatial distribution characteristics and quantitative perfusion volumes.

Objective To investigate the relationship between serum cystatin C(CysC)level and the risk of Parkinson's disease(PD)in middle-aged and elderly people in China.Methods Based on the baseline survey data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study(CHARLS)in 2011,participants who were not diagnosed with PD at the time of the baseline survey were recruited.The onset of PD was tracked and followed up until 2020,and the participants were divided into PD group and non-PD group according to whether they were newly diagnosed with PD in 2020.Multivariable Logistic regression analysis was performed to assess the association between serum CysC level and the risk of PD.Subgroup and interaction analyses were performed to assess effect modifications by age,gender and depression.Additionally,restricted cubic spline(RCS)was used to explore the linear or non-linear relationship between serum CysC level and the risk of PD in different subgroups.Results We included a total of 3 339 subjects in this study,who consisted of 1 495 males(44.77％)and 1 844 females(55.23％).While baseline participants were followed until 2020,32 subjects had a new PD,and the incidence of PD was 0.96％.The median age of PD group was 63.00 years.Multivariable Logistic regression analysis found that CysC was an independent risk factor for the risk of PD,and CysC was positive significantly associated with the risk of PD(OR=2.34,95％ CI:1.14-4.82,P=0.021).Subgroup analysis showed that CysC was positively associated with PD in females(OR=2.70,95％ CI:1.30-5.58,P=0.007)and subjects aged 60 years or older(OR=5.29,95％ CI:1.69-16.53,P=0.004).RCS model indicated a linear relationship between serum CysC level and the risk of PD in females(Ptotal=0.018,Pnon-linear=0.062)and subjects aged 60 years or older(Ptotal=0.024,Pnon-linear=0.379).Conclusion High level of CysC may increase the risk of PD in middle-aged and elderly people,especially in females and those aged 60 years or older.

Objective To investigate the value of geometric parameters of vertebrobasilar artery(VBA)for judging whether vertebral artery(VA)provide cross blood supply of posterior cerebral artery(PCA)blood supply area.Methods MR T2-fluid attenuated inversion recovery(FLAIR),3D time of flight(TOF)MR angiography(MRA)and territorial arterial spin labeling(t-ASL)images of 244 healthy adults were prospectively acquired.The angles between left VA(LVA)or right VA(RVA)and basilar artery(BA)were measured,and the sum and difference between the two angles were calculated(referred to as the sum of VA angles and the difference of VA angles),and the differences of diameters of LVA and RVA were measured and calculated(referred to as the difference of VA diameters).VA perfusion distribution type in PCA blood supply area were observed,and those with type Ⅲ or Ⅵ were enrolled in cross group,while those with type Ⅱ or Ⅴ were enrolled in non-cross group,respectively.The geometric parameters of VBA were compared between groups.Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve of parameters being significant different between groups were drawn,and the efficacy of these parameters for judging whether VA provide cross blood supply of PCA area were evaluated.Results There were 34 subjects in cross group and 75 in non-cross group.The sum of VA angles and the difference of VA angles in cross group were both larger than those in non-cross group(both P＜0.05),while the difference of VA diameters were not significantly different between groups(P＞0.05).The AUC of the difference of VA angles for judging whether VA provide cross blood supply of PCA area was 0.676(P＜0.05),while of the sum of VA angles was 0.598(P=0.103).Conclusion The angle differences of LVA and RVA with BA had certain application value for judging whether VA provide cross blood supply of PCA area.

Objective To investigate the association of spleen volume with the risk of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD)as well as their causal relationship.Methods We included 90 NAFLD cases and 47 healthy controls who had received contrast-enhanced computed tomography(CT)scan of the abdomen at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University from November 2022 to November 2023.We conducted three-dimensional reconstruction of the spleen through a deep learning network model using a two-stage coarse-to-fine segmentation approach.We compared the two groups using the two-sample t test or Mann-Whitney U test for continuous data and using the chi-square test for categorical data;evaluated the correlation between spleen volume and liver function indicators through Pearson correlation or Spearman rank correlation analyses;determined the factors influencing the development of NAFLD through multivariable Logistic regression analysis;and further assessed the casual relationship between spleen volume and NAFLD using the inverse variance-weighted two-sample Mendelian randomization(IVW-MR)method.Results Spleen volume was significantly larger in NAFLD cases than in controls(272.93±104.16 vs 204.37±81.20 cm3,P<0.001).The Spearman rank correlation analysis showed that spleen volume was positively correlated with the hepatic steatosis index(rs=0.422,P<0.001)and gamma-glutamyl transferase levels(rs=0.211,P=0.047)in patients with NAFLD.The multivariable Logistic regression analysis indicated that spleen volume was an independent risk factor for the development of NAFLD(odds ratio[OR]=1.01,95%confidence interval[CI]:1.00-1.02,P=0.049).The IVW-MR analysis detected a causal relationship between spleen volume and NAFLD(OR=1.16,95%CI:1.05-1.28,P=0.005).Conclusion Increased spleen volume may be a risk factor for the development and progression of NAFLD.Further studies are still needed to investigate the specific mechanism.

Objective To investigate the relationship between serum cystatin C(CysC)level and the risk of Parkinson's disease(PD)in middle-aged and elderly people in China.Methods Based on the baseline survey data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study(CHARLS)in 2011,participants who were not diagnosed with PD at the time of the baseline survey were recruited.The onset of PD was tracked and followed up until 2020,and the participants were divided into PD group and non-PD group according to whether they were newly diagnosed with PD in 2020.Multivariable Logistic regression analysis was performed to assess the association between serum CysC level and the risk of PD.Subgroup and interaction analyses were performed to assess effect modifications by age,gender and depression.Additionally,restricted cubic spline(RCS)was used to explore the linear or non-linear relationship between serum CysC level and the risk of PD in different subgroups.Results We included a total of 3 339 subjects in this study,who consisted of 1 495 males(44.77％)and 1 844 females(55.23％).While baseline participants were followed until 2020,32 subjects had a new PD,and the incidence of PD was 0.96％.The median age of PD group was 63.00 years.Multivariable Logistic regression analysis found that CysC was an independent risk factor for the risk of PD,and CysC was positive significantly associated with the risk of PD(OR=2.34,95％ CI:1.14-4.82,P=0.021).Subgroup analysis showed that CysC was positively associated with PD in females(OR=2.70,95％ CI:1.30-5.58,P=0.007)and subjects aged 60 years or older(OR=5.29,95％ CI:1.69-16.53,P=0.004).RCS model indicated a linear relationship between serum CysC level and the risk of PD in females(Ptotal=0.018,Pnon-linear=0.062)and subjects aged 60 years or older(Ptotal=0.024,Pnon-linear=0.379).Conclusion High level of CysC may increase the risk of PD in middle-aged and elderly people,especially in females and those aged 60 years or older.

Objective To investigate the association of spleen volume with the risk of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD)as well as their causal relationship.Methods We included 90 NAFLD cases and 47 healthy controls who had received contrast-enhanced computed tomography(CT)scan of the abdomen at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University from November 2022 to November 2023.We conducted three-dimensional reconstruction of the spleen through a deep learning network model using a two-stage coarse-to-fine segmentation approach.We compared the two groups using the two-sample t test or Mann-Whitney U test for continuous data and using the chi-square test for categorical data;evaluated the correlation between spleen volume and liver function indicators through Pearson correlation or Spearman rank correlation analyses;determined the factors influencing the development of NAFLD through multivariable Logistic regression analysis;and further assessed the casual relationship between spleen volume and NAFLD using the inverse variance-weighted two-sample Mendelian randomization(IVW-MR)method.Results Spleen volume was significantly larger in NAFLD cases than in controls(272.93±104.16 vs 204.37±81.20 cm3,P<0.001).The Spearman rank correlation analysis showed that spleen volume was positively correlated with the hepatic steatosis index(rs=0.422,P<0.001)and gamma-glutamyl transferase levels(rs=0.211,P=0.047)in patients with NAFLD.The multivariable Logistic regression analysis indicated that spleen volume was an independent risk factor for the development of NAFLD(odds ratio[OR]=1.01,95%confidence interval[CI]:1.00-1.02,P=0.049).The IVW-MR analysis detected a causal relationship between spleen volume and NAFLD(OR=1.16,95%CI:1.05-1.28,P=0.005).Conclusion Increased spleen volume may be a risk factor for the development and progression of NAFLD.Further studies are still needed to investigate the specific mechanism.

Objective To investigate the value of geometric parameters of vertebrobasilar artery(VBA)for judging whether vertebral artery(VA)provide cross blood supply of posterior cerebral artery(PCA)blood supply area.Methods MR T2-fluid attenuated inversion recovery(FLAIR),3D time of flight(TOF)MR angiography(MRA)and territorial arterial spin labeling(t-ASL)images of 244 healthy adults were prospectively acquired.The angles between left VA(LVA)or right VA(RVA)and basilar artery(BA)were measured,and the sum and difference between the two angles were calculated(referred to as the sum of VA angles and the difference of VA angles),and the differences of diameters of LVA and RVA were measured and calculated(referred to as the difference of VA diameters).VA perfusion distribution type in PCA blood supply area were observed,and those with type Ⅲ or Ⅵ were enrolled in cross group,while those with type Ⅱ or Ⅴ were enrolled in non-cross group,respectively.The geometric parameters of VBA were compared between groups.Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve of parameters being significant different between groups were drawn,and the efficacy of these parameters for judging whether VA provide cross blood supply of PCA area were evaluated.Results There were 34 subjects in cross group and 75 in non-cross group.The sum of VA angles and the difference of VA angles in cross group were both larger than those in non-cross group(both P＜0.05),while the difference of VA diameters were not significantly different between groups(P＞0.05).The AUC of the difference of VA angles for judging whether VA provide cross blood supply of PCA area was 0.676(P＜0.05),while of the sum of VA angles was 0.598(P=0.103).Conclusion The angle differences of LVA and RVA with BA had certain application value for judging whether VA provide cross blood supply of PCA area.

Objective To explore the perfusion distribution of vertebral arteries(VA)in healthy adults,and to observe the impact of VA diameter on perfusion distribution based on territorial arterial spin labeling(t-ASL)technique.Methods A total of 228 healthy adult volunteers were prospectively recruited.t-ASL imaging was utilized to analyze VA perfusion patterns in supratentorial region.Bilateral VA diameters,absolute inter-side VA diameter differences,as well as perfusion volumes(PV)supplied by each VA to supratentorial,cerebellar and their combined were recorded.Pearson correlation analysis was performed to analyze the correlations of VA diameters with PVsupratentorial,PVcerebellar and PVsupratentorial+cerebellar.Results Five patterns of distinct perfusion distribution were identified in supratentorial region,leading to participant stratification into 5 groups.Significant differences of absolute inter-side VA diameter differences was found among groups(P＜0.001).The mean bilateral VA diameter,PVsupratentorial,PVcerebellar and PVsupratentorial+cerebellar was(1.94±0.49)mm,(91.77±49.34)cm3,(74.72±27.68)cm3 and(166.49±59.53)cm3,respectively.VA diameter showed low-moderate positive correlations with PVsupratentorial,PVcerebellar and PVsupratentorial+cerebellar(r=0.483,0.179,0.484,all P＜0.001).Conclusion Perfusion imaging of t-ASL could visualize various perfusion distribution forms of VA in supratentorial region.Diameter of VA had certain impact on both spatial distribution characteristics and quantitative perfusion volumes.

Objective To investigate the effect of spleen on hepatic macrophages mediated activation of hepatic stellate cells(HSCs)in mice with liver fibrosis.Methods Eighteen male C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into three groups.Mice in Group A and Group B were injected intraperitoneally with CCl4 to establish liver fibrosis mouse model,while those in Group C were injected with corn oil as normal control.Four weeks later,mice with liver fibrosis received splenectomy(Spx)or sham operation(Sham),respectively.After continuous injection for 2 weeks,liver homogenates(L-Homo)were prepared and liver cells were isolated from the three groups.Expressions of IL-1β,IL-13,TGF-β,TNF-α,PDGF-β and VEGF in the liver homogenates of the three groups were detected by Luminex multifactor analysis.The expressions of these cytokines in liver macrophages(L-Mψ)and other non-parenchymal cells of Sham and Spx mice were analyzed by Real-time quantitative PCR(RT-qPCR)and flow cytometry.Macrophage cell line RAW264.7 or bone marrow-derived macrophages(BMDMs)were treated with liver homogenates from the Sham and Spx groups.Then the differently treated RAW264.7 cells were analyzed for mRNA expressions of cytokines and glutamine metabolism-related molecules by RT-qPCR,or transwell co-cultured with hepatic stellate cell line JS1.After co-culture,the survival and extracellular matrix expression of JS1 cells were analyzed.For comparison,Student's t test(between two groups)or one-way analysis of variance(among multiple groups)were used.Results Compared with normal control group,the concentrations of IL-1β,IL-13,TGF-β and TNF-α in the L-Homo of model group were significantly increased and showed higher levels in Sham group than in Spx group.Moreover,the hepatic macrophages were indicated as the major source of these cytokines.Consistently,macrophages treated with liver homogenate of Sham mice had increased expressions of IL-1β,TGF-β and TNF-α and glutaminase(GLS).After co-culture with macrophages treated with liver homogenate of Sham group rather than Spx group,JS1 expressed higher expressions of α-SMA and collagens.Conclusion The spleen is involved in regulating the secretion of cytokines by hepatic macrophages and enhancing their ability to activate hepatic stellate cells.