Objective To explore the construction of α-1,3-galactosyltransferase (GGTA1) gene-knockout (GTKO) Diannan miniature pigs and the kidney xenotransplantation from pigs to rhesus macaques, and to assess the effectiveness of GTKO pigs. Methods The GTKO Diannan miniature pigs were constructed using the CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing system and somatic cell cloning technology. The phenotype of GTKO pigs was verified through polymerase chain reaction, Sanger sequencing and immunofluorescence staining. Flow cytometry was used to detect antigen-antibody (IgM) binding and complement-dependent cytotoxicity. Kidney xenotransplantation was performed from GTKO pigs to rhesus macaques. The humoral immunity, cellular immunity, coagulation and physiological indicators of the recipient monkeys were monitored. The function and pathological changes of the transplanted kidneys were analyzed using ultrasonography, hematoxylin-eosin staining, immunohistochemical staining and immunofluorescence staining. Results Single-guide RNA (sgRNA) targeting exon 4 of the GGTA1 gene in Diannan miniature pigs was designed. The pGL3-GGTA1-sgRNA1-GFP vector was transfected into fetal fibroblasts of Diannan miniature pigs. After puromycin selection, two cell clones, C59# and C89#, were identified as GGTA1 gene-knockout clones. These clones were expanded to form cell lines, which were used as donor cells for somatic cell nuclear transfer. The reconstructed embryos were transferred into the oviducts of trihybrid surrogate sows, resulting in 13 fetal pigs. Among them, fetuses F04 and F11 exhibited biallelic mutations in the GGTA1 gene, and F04 had a normal karyotype. Using this GTKO fetal pig for recloning and transferring the reconstructed embryos into the oviducts of trihybrid surrogate sows, seven surviving piglets were obtained, all of which did not express α-Gal epitope. The binding of IgM from the serum of rhesus monkey 20# to GTKO pig PBMC was reduced, and the survival rate of GTKO pig PBMC in the complement-dependent cytotoxicity assay was higher than that of wild-type pig. GTKO pig kidneys were harvested and perfused until completely white. After the left kidney of the recipient monkey was removed, the pig kidney was heterotopically transplanted. Following vascular anastomosis and blood flow restoration, the pig kidney rapidly turned pink without hyperacute rejection (HAR). Urine appeared in the ureter 6 minutes later, indicating successful kidney transplantation. The right kidney of the recipient was then removed. Seven days after transplantation, the transplanted kidney had good blood flow, the recipient monkey's serum creatinine level was stable, and serum potassium and cystatin C levels were effectively controlled, although they increased 10 days after transplantation. Seven days after transplantation, the levels of white blood cells, lymphocytes, monocytes and eosinophils in the recipient monkey increased, while platelet count and fibrinogen levels decreased. The activated partial thromboplastin time, thrombin time and prothrombin time remained relatively stable but later showed an upward trend. The recipient monkey survived for 10 days. At autopsy, the transplanted kidney was found to be congested, swollen and necrotic, with a small amount of IgG deposition in the renal tissue, and a large amount of IgM, complement C3c and C4d deposition, as well as CD68⁺ macrophage infiltration. Conclusions The kidneys of GTKO Diannan miniature pigs may maintain normal renal function for a certain period in rhesus macaques and effectively overcome HAR, confirming the effectiveness of GTKO pigs for xenotransplantation.

Objective To develop GTKO (α-1,3-galactosyltransferase gene-knockout, GTKO)/hCD55 (human CD55) gene-edited xenotransplant donor pigs and verify their function. Methods In this study, CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats)/Cas9 (CRISPR-associated nuclease 9), PiggyBac transposon technology and somatic cell nuclear transfer technology were used to construct GTKO/hCD55 gene-edited Diannan miniature pigs. The phenotype and function of GTKO/hCD55 pigs were analyzed by Sanger sequencing, real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR, flow cytometry, immunofluorescence, bisulfite sequencing, antigen-antibody binding assays, and complement-dependent cytotoxicity assays. Results After transfection of PX458 and PiggyBac gene editing vectors into wild-type fetal pig fibroblasts, 48 single-cell colonies were obtained through puromycin drug screening. Two single-cell colonies were selected for somatic cell nuclear transfer, resulting in two fetal pigs at 33 days of gestation. The GGTA1(α-1,3-galactosyltransferase) genotypes of fetal pig F01 were -17 bp and wild type (WT), while the GGTA1 genotypes of fetal pig F02 were -26 bp/+2 bp and -3 bp. The hCD55 mRNA expression levels of both fetal pigs were significantly higher than those of WT pigs (P＜0.01). The fetal pig F02 was selected as the donor cell source for recloning, 11 surviving piglets were obtained, all identified as GTKO/hCD55 gene-edited pigs. These pigs showed absence of α-Gal antigen expression, but weak or no expression of hCD55 was observed. Methylation analysis of the hCD55 gene's CpG island showed hypermethylation in kidney tissue lacking hCD55 expression, whereas it was not methylated or partially methylated in kidney tissue expressing hCD55. Moreover, codon optimization of the CpG island of the hCD55 gene to reduce CG content could achieve stable expression of the hCD55 gene. In addition, antigen-antibody binding experiment showed that the amount of human IgM binding to GTKO/hCD55 gene-edited pig fibroblasts was significantly lower than that of WT pigs (P＜0.01). Complement-dependent cytotoxicity experiment showed that the survival rate of fibroblasts in GTKO/hCD55 pigs was significantly higher than that in WT pigs (P＜0.01). Conclusion This study demonstrates the successful generation of GTKO/hCD55 gene-edited xenotransplant donor pigs. Methylation-induced gene silencing of the hCD55 gene can be effectively avoided by reducing the CG content of the CpG island through codon optimization. This study provides a reference for the development of xenotransplant donor pigs and guides subsequent research on xenotransplantation.

On August 2-4,2023,the"Third Summit Forum on'Building a Community of Shared Future for Doctors and Patients'"was jointly organized by institutions such as the Chinese Medical Ethics,the Hospital Humanities Management and Talent Training Special Committee of the China Population and Culture Promotion Association,Center for Ethical Studies of Renmin University of China,the Newspaper for China's Physicians,the China Health Law Society,the China Anti-Cancer Association,and the China Association For Ethical Studies in Harbin.The conference arranged a sub-forum for the"Seminar on the Construction of Chinese Medical Humanities",with domestic medical humanities scholars attending the conference.After heated discussions at the seminar,the Scholars'Consensus on the Construction and Development of Chinese Medical Humanities was formed.It was proposed that in the new era,it is urgent to build the medical humanities discipline,as well as lead the academic integration and development of medical humanities under the core socialist values.At the same time,for the construction of the medical humanities discipline,it is necessary to optimize the organizational mechanism,prosper and develop the overall framework of the medical humanities discipline,accelerate the construction of a professional teaching team for the medical humanities discipline,promote the establishment of a new carrier medical humanities education and teaching in cultivating morality and nurturing talents,as well as focus on solving problems related to the cultivation of medical humanities graduate students.

Radix Tetrastigmatis is a traditional medicinal herb in Zhejiang and Fujian provinces.It mainly contains flavonoids,organic acids,phenols,volatile oils,triterpenes and sterols,polysaccharides,etc.It has the effects of anti-tumor,anti-inflammatory,anti-viral,hepatoprotective,and can prevent and treat chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.This article reviewed the chemical composition and pharmacological effects of Radix Tetrastigmatis,and looked forward to its development prospects,so as to provide reference for its rational development and utilization.

Humans ; Clavicle ; Fractures, Bone/surgery*

Ferroptosis is defined as an iron-dependent, non-apoptotic cell death pathway, with specific morphological phenotypes and biochemical changes. There is a growing realization that ferroptosis has significant implications for several neurodegenerative diseases. Even though ferroptosis is different from other forms of programmed death such as apoptosis and autophagic death, they involve a number of common protein molecules. This review focuses on current research on ferroptosis and summarizes the cross-talk among ferroptosis, apoptosis, and autophagy that are implicated in neurodegenerative diseases. We hope that this information provides new ideas for understanding the mechanisms and searching for potential therapeutic approaches and prevention of neurodegenerative diseases.
Apoptosis ; Autophagy ; Cell Death ; Ferroptosis ; Humans ; Neurodegenerative Diseases

Objective To investigate the application prospect of the most extensive genome engineering pig internationally in preclinical xenotransplantation. Methods Porcine endogenous retrovirus (PERV) knockout combined with 3 major heterologous antigen gene knockouts and 9 humanized genes for inhibition of complement activation, regulation of coagulation disorders, anti-inflammatory and anti-phagocytosis were transferred into a pig (PERV-KO/3-KO/9-TG) as a donor, and the heart, liver and kidney were obtained and transplanted to 3 Rhesus macaque recipients respectively to establish a preclinical research model of pig-to-Rhesus macaque xenotransplantation. The functional status of xenografts after blood flow reconstruction was observed and the survival of recipients was summarized. The hemodynamics of xenografts were monitored. The change of hematological indexes of each recipient was compared. The histopathological manifestation of xenografts was observed. Results After the blood flow was reconstructed, all xenografts showed ruddy color, soft texture and good perfusion. The transplant heart, liver and kidney showed full arterial and venous blood flow and good perfusion at 1 d after operation. The postoperative survival time of heart, liver, and kidney transplant recipients was 7, 26, and 1 d, respectively. The levels of creatine kinase, creatine kinase isoenzyme, and lactate dehydrogenase increased in heart transplant recipient at 1 d after operation, and gradually recovered to near normal levels at 6 d after operation. All indexes increased sharply at 7 d after operation. The level of aspartate aminotransferase increased in liver transplant recipients at 2 d after operation, and the alanine aminotransferase basically returned to normal at 10 d after operation, but the total bilirubin continued to increase. Both aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase increased at 12 d after operation, and reached a peak at 15 d after operation. The kidney transplant recipient developed mild proteinuria at 1 d after operation, and died of sudden severe arrhythmia. Histopathology showed that the tissue structure of cardiac and renal xenografts was close to normal, and liver xenografts presented with patchy necrosis, the liver tissue structure was disordered, accompanied by inflammatory damage, interstitial hemorrhage and thrombotic microangiopathy. Conclusions PERV-KO/3-KO/9-TG pig shows advantages in overcoming hyperacute rejection, mitigating humoral rejection and coagulation dysregulation. However, whether it can be used as potential donor for clinical xenotransplantation needs further evaluation.

Objective To investigate the reasons of HOXA5 overexpression in GBM and the molecular mechanism of miR-128-3p regulating the proliferation, invasion and apoptosis of glioblastoma multiforme. Methods After increasing and decreasing miR-128-3p expression in U87 cell lines by lentivirus transfection, the changes of HOXA5 expression were detected by Western blot, to explore the correlation between miR-128-3p and HOXA5 in GBM. The dual-luciferase reporter tests were performed to detect the target interaction of miR-128-3p with HOXA5. Through CCK-8 test, Transwell test, flow cytometric assay and tumor cell xenograft in nude mice, we verified molecular mechanism of miR-128-3p regulating the proliferation, invasion and apoptosis of GBM in vitro and in vivo. Results The expression level of HOXA5 was decreased in U87 cell line after miR-128-3p upregulation. In addition, the expression level of HOXA5 was increased in U87 cell line after miR-128-3p downregulation (P < 0.05). The expression level of HOXA5 was correlated negatively with the expression of miR-128-3p in U87 cell lines. MiR-128-3p targetedly interacted with 3'UTR of HOXA5 and inhibited the expression of HOXA5. The proliferation, invasion and anti-apoptosis of U87 cells were significantly decreased in the miR-128-3p+control group. Conclusion MiR-128-3p regulates negatively the proliferation, invasion and anti-apoptosis of GBM cells by targeting HOXA5. The overexpression of HOXA5 is induced by downregulation of miR-128-3p in GBM.

Objective To explore the feasibility of differential diagnosis of Gleason score (GS)(3+4)and (4+3)in prostate cancer (PCa) based on texture parameters of T2 WI and ADC maps.Methods A total of 77 patients with GS 7 points in PCa confirmed by pathology were enrolled in this retrospective study,including 45 GS(3+4)cases and 32 GS(4+3)cases.ROI was manually drew on the largest section of tumor on the axial T2 WI and ADC maps,and five texture parameters were extracted,namely,angular second moment (ASM),contrast, correlation,inverse difference moment and entropy,and the texture parameters between groups were analyzed statistically,then ROC curve was used to evaluate the diagnostic efficiency of texture parameters with statistical differences.Results There was no significant difference in age and prostate specific antigen (PSA)between GS (3 + 4)and GS (4 + 3)groups (P＞0.05).There were significant differences in ASM and entropy between T2 WI and ADC (P＜0.05),but there was no statistical difference in contrast,correlation and inverse difference moment (P＞0.05).Except for the AUC of T2 WIASM,there were statistical differences among T2 WIentropy ,ADCASM and ADCentropy.The AUC of ADCASM and ADCentropy were larger than that of T2 WIASM and T2 WIentropy.The AUC of ADCentropy had the largest AUC (0.732),the cut off value was 5.71 ,with the sensitivity was 97.6% and specificity was 5 9.5%.Conclusion MRI texture analysis can be used to differentiate GS (3 + 4)from GS (4 + 3)in PCa,and the ADCentropy have the best diagnostic efficacy.

Objective To investigate the MRI features of serous borderline ovarian tumor(SBOT).Methods The clinical and MRI features of 1 1 patients with SBOT were retrospectively reviewed and compared with surgical and pathologic findings.Results There were 5 bilateral and 6 unilateral cases,and the maximum diameter was 4.4-20.7 cm.According to the MRI appearances,it was divided into surface papillary and cystic papillary subtypes by morphological features and exophytic and endophytic proj ections by growth of papillary architecture.The papillary architecture with internal branching was the characteristic MRI appearance,the papillary architecture showed hypo-intensity on T1WI and hyper-intensity on T2WI with a lobulated contour,the internal branching showed hypo-intensity on T1WI and T2WI.The papillary architecture was obviously enhanced,while the internal branching was slightly enhanced after inj ection of contrast agent.Conclusion The papillary architecture with internal branching is a characteristic MRI appearance of SBOT which provides information for the diagnosis and differential diagnosis;and the types according to the MRI appearances and growth pattern of papillary architecture provides reference for the treatment and prognosis.