Objective: To explore the effect of HIF-1α on osteogenic-angiogenic coupling response in bone mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) and provide new concepts for engineered bone tissue in vitro. Methods: With the approval of the hospital’s experimental animal ethics committee, BMSCs were harvested from Wistar rats. The lentivirus carrying hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) and empty lentivirus were stably transfected into the third generations of BMSCs to form LV-HIF-1α-BMSCs and LV-BMSCs. Meanwhile, BMSCs without transfection of lentivirus were used as a blank control. Then, the effect of HIF-1α transfection was verified by qPCR and Western Blot. LV-HIF-1α-BMSCs were induced to differentiate into endothelium-like cells (iECs). The morphology was observed by optical microscopy, the differentiation rate was detected by cellular flow CD31, and the Transwell test was used to detect the migration ability. At the same time, LV-HIF-1α-BMSCs and LV-BMSCs were continuously cultured to form osteogenic cell sheets (OCTs), which were stained by alkaline phosphatase on day 14 and alizarin red staining on day 21, and counted for mineralization capacity. Finally, iECs were implanted into OCTs to form prevascularized osteogenic cell sheets (P-OCTs), immunofluorescence CD31 was performed to detect the formation of vascular networks, and the results were recorded on days 1, 3, 7, and 14. Meanwhile, osteopontin (OPN) and osteocalcin (OCN) were detected by western blot to verify their ability for osteogenic differentiation on days 1, 7, and 14. Results: The optimal multiplicity of infection (MOI) for lentiviral transfection was 30, and the transfection efficiency was >80%. The results of qPCR and western blot showed that compared with the LV-BMSCs group and BMSCs group, the LV-HIF-1α-BMSCs group had stable and high expressions of HIF-1α (P<0.05). LV-HIF-1α-BMSCs showed an enhanced ability to differentiate into endothelial cells, with a differentiation rate as high as 91.81%. Transwell assay verified that HIF-1α could recruit iECs in vitro. Alkaline phosphatase staining and alizarin red staining confirmed that OCTs formed by LV-HIF-1α-BMSCs had a statistically significant osteogenic differentiation ability compared with LV -BMSCs control group (P<0.05). When iECs were implanted into the LV-HIF-1α-BMSCs group OCTs to form P-OCTs, iECs substantially proliferated and rapidly fused, and formation of the progressive lumen was revealed by immunofluorescent CD31 staining. The expressions of OPN and OCN were significantly enhanced compared with those of the LV-BMSCs control group; OCN was the highest on day 7, and OPN was the highest on day 1 (P<0.05). Conclusion BMSCs transfected by HIF-1α have good osteogenic-angiogenic effect after induction and differentiation, which provides experimental foundation for optimizing the construction of three-dimensional prevascularized bone tissue.

【Objective】 To investigate the association between genetic variations in the glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R) gene and BP responses to sodium and potassium intake. 【Methods】 A total of 514 subjects from 124 families were recruited in Meixian County, Shaanxi Province, in 2004, resulting in the establishment of a "salt-sensitive hypertension study cohort" . The subjects followed a dietary regimen which involved a normal diet for 3 days, a low-salt diet for 7 days, a high-salt diet for 7 days, and a high-salt potassium-supplemented diet for 7 days. BP measurement was conducted at different intervention periods, and peripheral blood samples were collected. Additionally, eight single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the GLP-1R gene were genotyped using the MassARRAY detection platform. 【Results】 The GLP-1R gene SNP rs9462472 exhibited a significant association with systolic BP, diastolic BP, and mean arterial pressure response to high-salt intervention. Similarly, SNP rs2268637 showed a significant association with systolic BP response to high-salt intervention. Furthermore, SNP rs2268637 was significantly associated with systolic BP and mean arterial pressure responses to high-salt plus potassium supplementation intervention. 【Conclusion】 Our findings indicate a significant association of genetic variations in the GLP-1R gene with BP responses to sodium and potassium intake. This suggests that the GLP-1R gene plays a role in the regulation of BP salt sensitivity and potassium sensitivity.

Objective:To investigate the clinicopathological features of colorectal adenocarcinoma with enteroblastic differentiation (CAED).Methods:Eight cases of CAED diagnosed at the Department of Pathology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China from January 2017 to August 2023 were collected. The histopathological, immunohistochemical, molecular and prognostic features of 8 CAED cases were analyzed. The relevant studies were also reviewed.Results:Among the eight patients, there were six males and two females, with an average age of 58 years (range: 29-77 years, median age: 61.5 years). Preoperative serum alpha-fetoprotein levels were elevated in five patients (14.0-286.6 μg/L). Four tumors were located in the colon, and four tumors in the rectum. Two patients were clinically staged as advanced stage (stage Ⅳ), and distant metastasis occurred at the initial diagnosis (one case had liver metastasis, and the other had lung, bone and multiple lymph nodes metastases). Six patients were clinically staged as locally-advanced stage (Stage Ⅱ-Ⅲ). Three of them developed distant metastases after surgery (one case had liver metastasis, one case had lung metastasis, and one case had peritoneal metastasis). Additionally, two patients died at 9 months and 24 months after surgery, respectively. The tumors were composed of various proportions of adenocarcinoma components with enteroblastic differentiation (30%-100%) and classical tubular adenocarcinoma components. The component with enteroblastic differentiation exhibited morphology similar to embryonic intestinal epithelium: cuboidal or columnar tumor cells arranged in tubular, papillary, cribriform, or solid nest patterns, with clear cytoplasm. Immunohistochemical studies showed that tumor cells expressed at least one oncofetal protein (SALL4, Glypican-3, and AFP). In addition, focal squamous differentiation was observed in 3 cases (3/8). Compared to the primary tumor, both CAED and squamous differentiation components were increased in the metastatic tumors. Based on the sequencing results of KRAS, NRAS and BRAF of the primary and/or metastatic tumors, 5 cases were wild-type, while KRAS exon 2 (G13D) mutations were identified in 2 cases.Conclusions:CAED is a rare colorectal malignancy with a dismal prognosis. Accurate pathological diagnosis is prognostically valuable. The histological features of enteroblastic differentiation, elevated serum AFP levels, and the expression of oncofetal proteins play an important role in the tumor diagnosis.

Objective To investigate the efficacy of biportal endoscopic transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion(BE-LIF)in the treatment of lumbar spondylolisthesis complicated with osteoporosis.Methods From June 2021 to June 2022,36 cases of lumbar spondylolisthesis complicated with osteoporosis were treated with BE-LIF,including 9 males and 27 females,aged(65.94±6.83)years(range:51～76 years).All were single segment,and the responsible segment was L3/4 in 4 cases,L4/5 in 26 cases,and L5/S1 in 6 cases.Imagingexamination showed 1 and 2 degree of spondylolisthesis in 28 and 8 cases,and degenerative and ischemic spondylolisthesis in 24 and 12 cases respectively.Preoperative average bone mineral density T value of the lumbar spine was(-3.19±0.82)SD,and T value of the femur(-2.26±0.86)SD.Oswestry disability index(ODI)was used to evaluate lumbar spine function;visual analogue scale(VAS)to evaluate low back pain and leg pain.ODI,VAS of low back and leg pain were recorded respectively before the operation,at discharge and at the last follow-up.MacNab criteria were used to evaluate the surgical efficacy at the last follow-up.The anterior and posterior disc height,segmental lordotic angle and percentage of slip were measured on the lateral lumbar X-ray films before and after the operation.All patients received standard anti-osteoporosis treatment after surgery.Results All patients completed the opera-tion in one stage.The average operation time was(160.97±35.01)min(range:105～245 min),and the average intraoperative blood loss was(72.50±47.53)ml(range:20～150 mL).The mean follow-up time was(15.17±6.53)months(range:6～26 months).There were statistically significant differences in both VAS score of back and leg and ODI score at discharge and last follow-up when compared with those before the surgery(F=107.48,103.66,55.52,P<0.001).Macnab criteria of the last follow-up showed excellent in 21 cases,good in 12 cases,fair in 3 cases,and the excellent and good rate was 91.7%.Radiographic results showed that the height of the ante-rior and posterior disc height,segmental lordotic angle and percentage of slip were all improved immediately after surgery and at the last follow-up when compared with those before operation,but the anterior and posterior disc height,segmental lordotic angle at the last follow-up were decreased comparing with those immediate after the operation;the difference was statistically significant(P<0.001).The fusion rate at the last follow-up was 91.7%(33/36).The complication rate was 13.8%(5/36),including 1 case of intraoperative endplate injury,1 case of nerve root cuff tear,1 case of delayed postoperative wound infection,and 2 cases of posterior cage migration.Conclusion BE-LIF for the treatment of lumbar spondylolisthesis complicated with osteoporosis can achieve better immediate reduction effect,good clinical outcomes and high fusion rate in short-term follow-up,but the anterior and posterior disc height,segmental lordotic angle are partially lost at the last follow-up.There are still complications,and beginners should be cautious when performing the operation.Postoperative standardized anti-osteoporosis treatment is still an important measure to ensure the curative effect of surgery.

Objective To investigate the therapeutic effect and mechanism of Yiqi Tongqiao Prescription on nasopharyngeal carcinoma in nude mice.Methods Thirty-two nude mice were randomly divided into normal group,model group,Yiqi Tongqiao Prescription low-and high-dose groups,with eight mice in each group.Except for the normal group,the other groups of nude mice were used to construct a nasopharyngeal carcinoma model.After treatment,the tumor volume of nude mice was measured,the levels of serum transforming growth factor β1(TGF-β1)and vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF)were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA),the pathological morphology of nasal mucosa was observed by hematoxylin-eosin(HE)staining,the mRNA expressions of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 1(TIMP-1)and matrix metalloproteinase 9(MMP-9)in nasal mucosa were detected by quantitative polymerase chain reaction(PCR),the protein expressions of Wnt-1 andβ-catenin in nasal mucosa were detected by Western Blot.Results Compared with the normal group,the tumor volume of nude mice in the model group was increased,the levels of serum TGF-β1 and VEGF were increased,the mRNA expression level of TIMP-1 in nasal mucosa was decreased,the mRNA expression level of MMP-9 was increased,and the protein expression levels of Wnt-1 and β-catenin in nasal mucosa were increased(all P＜0.05).HE staining results showed structural defects of nasal mucosa,and a large number of eosinophils and other inflammatory cell infiltration.Compared with the model group,the tumor volume of nude mice in the low-and high-dose groups of Yiqi Tongqiao Prescription was reduced,the levels of serum TGF-β1 and VEGF were decreased,the mRNA expression level of TIMP-1 in nasal mucosa was increased,the mRNA expression level of MMP-9 was decreased,and the protein expression levels of Wnt-1 and β-catenin in nasal mucosa were decreased(all P＜0.05)in a dose-dependent manner.HE staining results showed that the morphology of nasal mucosa cells was significantly improved.Conclusion Yiqi Tongqiao Prescription inhibits the activity of MMP-9 through the endogenous regulation of TIMP-1 to maintain the homeostasis of extracellular matrix in nasopharyngeal carcinoma,and inhibits the abnormal activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway and reduces the release of TGF-β1 and VEGF to reduce tumor angiogenesis,thereby playing a role in tumor inhibition for nude mice with nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Objective To investigate the effect of vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF)on the expression of genes related to ovarian steroid synthesis in mice and its underlying mechanism.Methods A transgenic mouse model with tetracycline-reversible regulation of VEGF expression was used,and the genotype of mice was identified by polymerase chain reaction(PCR).Twenty mice were divided into normal VEGF expression group(Dox+,n=10)and VEGF expression inhibition group(Dox-,n=10)by feeding them doxycycline.Western blotting was used to detect the expression of VEGF protein in ovarian tissues.Fluorescence quantitative PCR was used to detect the mRNA expression of VEGF,KDR and genes known to play roles in follicle development,such as follicle-stimulating hormone(FSH)and inhibin B(INHBB).HE staining was used to observe changes in ovarian tissue.Total RNA was extracted from mouse ovarian tissues for transcriptome sequencing,and the relevant differential genes were analyzed by FPKM and log2FC values.Results Compared with the Dox+group,the mRNA and protein levels of VEGF in the Dox-group significantly reduced,and the mRNA levels of KDR also significantly decreased(P<0.05).HE staining results showed that compared with the Dox+group,follicular development was impaired and atresia follicles appeared in the Dox-group.Sequencing analysis identified that significant differences in follicular development-related genes and steroid synthesis-related genes between the two groups(P<0.05).Enrichment analysis showed that VEGF in mouse ovaries mainly regulates ovarian steroidogenesis and other pathways.Fluorescence quantitative PCR results demonstrated that compared with the Dox+group,the follicular development-related genes(INHBB and FSHR)in the ovarian tissues of the Dox-group were significantly up-regulated(P<0.05),whereas the key genes of steroid synthesis(StAR,CYP11A1,3β-HSD)were significantly down-regulated(P<0.05).The quantitative results were basically consistent with the sequencing results.Conclusion Mice with inhibited VEGF exhibited ovarian follicular dysplasia,potentially due to the mechanism whereby VEGF inhibition downregulated the expression of genes associated with steroid synthesis,such as FSH and INHBB,thereby obstructing cholesterol metabolism.

ObjectiveExosomes are microvesicles which could be secreted by all cell types with diameters between 30 and 150 nm. It was widely distributed in body fluids including blood, urine, and breast milk. Exosomes are considered as potential biomarkers and drug carriers by reason of containing nucleic acids, lipids, proteins and other bioactive molecules. Milk-derived exosomes have been widely used as drug delivery carriers to treat targeted diseases with a lower cost, higher biocompatibility and lower immunogenicity. Until now, there is no research about the milk-derived exosomes phosphorylation to reveal the difference of protein phosphorylation in different species of milk. To investigate the pathways and proteins with specific functions, phosphorylated proteomic analysis of milk-derived exosomes from different species is performed, and provide new ideas for exploring diversified treatments of disease. MethodsWhey and exosomes derived from bovine, porcine and caprine milk were performed for proteomics and phosphoproteomics analysis. The relationship between milk exosome proteins from different species and signaling pathways were analyzed using bioinformatics tools. ResultsA total of 4 191 global proteins, 1 640 phosphoproteins and 4 064 phosphosites were identified from 3 species of milk-derived exosomes, and the exosome proteins and phosphoproteins from different species were significantly higher than those of whey. Meanwhile, some special pathways were enriched like Fcγ-mediated phagocytosis from bovine exosomes, pathways related with neural and immune system from caprine exosomes, positive and negative regulation of multiple activities from porcine exosomes. ConclusionIn this study, the proteomic and phosphoproteomic analyses of exosomes and whey from bovine, porcine and caprine milk were carried out to reveal the difference of composition and related signaling pathways of milk exosome from different species. These results provided powerful support for the application of exosomes from different milk sources in the field of disease treatment.

Objective This study aimed to understand the epidemic status and phylogenetic relationships of rotavirus group A(RVA)in the Pearl River Delta region of Guangdong Province,China. Methods This study included individuals aged 28 days-85 years.A total of 706 stool samples from patients with acute gastroenteritis collected between January 2019 and January 2020 were analyzed for 17 causative pathogens,including RVA,using a Gastrointestinal Pathogen Panel,followed by genotyping,virus isolation,and complete sequencing to assess the genetic diversity of RVA. Results The overall RVA infection rate was 14.59%(103/706),with an irregular epidemiological pattern.The proportion of co-infection with RVA and other pathogens was 39.81%(41/103).Acute gastroenteritis is highly prevalent in young children aged 0-1 year,and RVA is the key pathogen circulating in patients 6-10 months of age with diarrhea.G9P[8](58.25%,60/103)was found to be the predominant genotype in the RVA strains,and the 41 RVA-positive strains that were successfully sequenced belonged to three different RVA genotypes in the phylogenetic analysis.Recombination analysis showed that gene reassortment events,selection pressure,codon usage bias,gene polymorphism,and post-translational modifications(PTMs)occurred in the G9P[8]and G3P[8]strains. Conclusion This study provides molecular evidence of RVA prevalence in the Pearl River Delta region of China,further enriching the existing information on its genetics and evolutionary characteristics and suggesting the emergence of genetic diversity.Strengthening the surveillance of genotypic changes and gene reassortment in RVA strains is essential for further research and a better understanding of strain variations for further vaccine development.

Objective To evaluate the in vitro effect of combinations of 5 β-lactam antibiotics with different β-lac-tamase inhibitors on the activity of multidrug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis(MDR-TB),and identify the most effective combination of β-lactam antibiotics and β-lactamase inhibitors against MDR-TB.Methods MDR-TB strains collected in Henan Province Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance Project in 2021 were selected.The mini-mum inhibitory concentrations(MIC)of 5 β-lactam antibiotics or combinations with different β-lactamase inhibitors on clinically isolated MDR-TB strains were measured by MIC detection method,and the blaC mutation of the strains was analyzed by polymerase chain reaction(PCR)and DNA sequencing.Results A total of 105 strains of MDR-TB were included in the analysis.MIC detection results showed that doripenem had the highest antibacterial activity against MDR-TB,with a MIC50 of 16 μg/mL.MIC values of most β-lactam antibiotics decreased significantly after combined with β-lactamase inhibitors.A total of 13.33％(n=14)strains had mutations in blaC gene,mainly 3 nu-cleotide substitution mutations,namely AGT333AGG,AAC638ACC and ATC786ATT.BlaC proteins Ser111 Arg and Asn213Thr enhanced the synergistic effect of clavulanic acid/sulbactam and meropenem on MDR-TB compared with synonymous single-nucleotide mutation.Conclusion The combination of doripenem and sulbactam has the strongest antibacterial activity against MDR-TB.Substitution mutations of BlaC protein Ser111 Arg and Asn213Thr enhances the sensitivity of MDR-TB to meropenem through the synergy with clavulanic acid/sulbactam.

Objective:To screen key genes that co-regulate immune and mitochondrial energy metabolism through bioinformatics methods and to investigate the relationship between the key genes and immune infiltration.Methods:A total of 671 glioma samples (the tumor group) and 5 non-tumor brain tissue samples (the control group) were collected from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database on November 13, 2023. Through a comprehensive search of the GeneCards database and immune-related genes (IRG) and mitochondrial energy metabolism-related genes (MEMRG) in previous published literatures, 76 IRG and MEMRG (IR & MEMRG) were obtained by taking the intersection of IRG and MEMRG after merging and deduplicating. The limma package in R software was used to screen the differentially expressed genes (DEG) between the tumor group and the control group. Then, immune-related & mitochondrial energy metabolism-related differentially expressed genes (IR&MEMRDEG) were obtained by intersecting with IR & MEMRG. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses were conducted on the IR&MEMRDEG through the clusterProfiler package in R software. The STRINGv12.0 online database (https://cn.string-db.org/) was employed to construct a protein interaction network based on IR&MEMRDEG and to identify the top 5 key core genes. Single-sample gene-set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) was used to determine the relative abundance of immune cell infiltration in all samples, and the immune cell infiltration matrices for both the tumor and the control groups were acquired. The expression differences in infiltration abundance of the immune cells in the tumor group and the control group were analyzing by using the ggplot2 package in R software. The heat map was drawn by utilizing the R software pheatmap package to show self-correlation of immune cells. The correlation between the top 5 key genes in the protein interaction network and immune cells was calculated by using the Spearman algorithm and the R software ggplot2 package.Results:A total of 3 623 DEGs were identified from the TCGA database in both groups, including 1 711 up-regulated genes and 1 912 down-regulated genes. After taking the intersection of DEG and IR&MEMRG, 11 IR&MEMRDEG were obtained including EIF4EBP1, TP53, IDH1, PRCKZ, CD200, GPI, PGM2, PKLR, AK2, ATP4A, and ALDH3B1. GO enrichment analysis results showed that 11 IR&MEMRDEG were mainly enriched in ADP metabolic process, ATP metabolic process, purine nucleoside diphosphate metabolic process, purine ribonucleoside diphosphate metabolic process, and ribonucleoside diphosphate metabolic process at the biological level; in the fibronectin-1 rich granule, secretory granule lumen, cytoplasmic vesiclelumen, vesiclelumen, and nuclear matrix at the cellular component level; in magnesium ion binding, potassium ion binding, and alkali metal ion binding at the molecular functional level. The KEGG enrichment analysis results showed that 11 IR&MEMRDEGs were mainly enriched in glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, carbon metabolism, insulin signaling pathway, pentose phosphate pathway, starch and sucrose metabolism signaling pathways. The protein interaction network analysis from the STRING database revealed that 5 highest scoring core proteins were identified, namely EIF4EBP1, TP53, IDH1, PRKCZ, and AK2.The immune infiltration abundances of 28 immune cells were calculated by using the ssGSEA algorithm. The infiltration abundance of 15 immune cells in the tumor group was higher than that in the control group, and the differences were statistically significant (all P < 0.05). The findings from the immune infiltration analysis indicated a positive correlation among 15 types of immune cells, in which there was a strongest correlation between effector memory CD8 + T cell and myeloid derived suppressor cells. EIF4EBP1, TP53, IDH1, and AK2 exhibited a positive correlation with a large number of immune cells (all P < 0.05), whereas PRKCZ demonstrated a negative correlation with more immune cells (all P < 0.05). Conclusions:PRKCZ, AK2, and EIF4EBP1 have the potential to be the new targets of immunotherapy for gliomas.