AIM:To analyze differential proteins associated with the pathogenesis of dry eye(DE)using bioinformatics methods, in order to reveal their potential molecular mechanisms.METHODS: Articles published in PubMed and EMBASE databases from the inception of the database to August 31, 2023, that used proteomic methods to detect protein expression in clinical samples of dry eye were searched. Differential proteins were selected and further analyzed using the STRING database and Cytoscape software for hub gene screening and module analysis. Protein-protein interaction(PPI)analysis, gene ontology(GO)functional annotation, and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes(KEGG)pathway enrichment analysis were performed.RESULTS: A total of 21 articles were included, identifying 74 differentially expressed proteins. The most frequently occurring differential proteins were calgranulin A(SA1008), lipocalin-1(LCN1), lysozyme C(LYZ), mammaglobin-B(SCGB2A1), proline-rich protein 4(PRR4), transferrin(TF), and calgranulinB(S100A9). The top 10 hub genes were serum albumin(ALB), tumor necrosis factor(TNF), interleukin 6(IL6), IL1B, IL8, matrix metalloproteinase 9(MMP9), alpha-1-antitrypsin(SERPINA1), IL10, complement component 3(C3), and lactotransferrin(LTF). Module analysis suggested MMP9 and PRR4 as seed genes. KEGG analysis showed that differential proteins were mainly enriched in the IL17 signaling pathway(61.9%).CONCLUSION: The results reveal potential molecular targets and pathways for DE and confirm the association between the pathogenesis of DE and inflammation. Further in-depth research is needed to confirm the significance of these biomarkers in clinical practice.

Objective: To analyze the demographic characteristics of patients with red blood cell transfusion reactions, the usage of red blood cell preparations, and the differences in the composition ratio of adverse reactions based on multi-center data from the Haemovigilance Network, in order to reveal the clinical characteristics of red blood cell transfusion and its underlying issues. Methods: Clinical data of patients who experienced transfusion reactions after red blood cell transfusion in the Haemovigilance Network from 2018 to 2023 were collected. The demographic characteristics of patients who experienced transfusion reactions with different types of red blood cell preparations, the utilization of these preparations, and the differences of the composition ratios of transfusion reactions were analyzed. Count data were expressed as numbers (n) or percentages (%), and comparisons between groups were performed using the Chi-square test. Results: Red blood cell transfusion reactions were more common in females (53.56%), with the majority of patients aged 50-69 years (35.54%). The Han polulation accounted for the vast majority of patients (92.77%), and patients in the hematology and obstetrics/gynecology departments had a relatively high proportion of transfusion reactions (13.26% and 14.26%, respectively). Leukocyte-reduced red blood cells and suspended red blood cells were the most common types of transfusion reactions reported among red blood cell preparations. Allergic reactions and non-hemolytic febrile reactions were the most common transfusion reactions, and there were significant differences in the composition ratios of allergic reactions (χ =869.89, P<0.05) and non-hemolytic febrile reactions (χ =812.75, P<0.05) across various types of red blood cell preparations. Conclusion: There are differences in the demographic characteristics and composition ratio of transfusion reactions among different red blood cell preparations. The management of red blood cell transfusion reactions should be tailored to patient characteristics and conditions, and the selection and use of blood products should be optimized to reduce or avoid the occurrence of transfusion reactions, such as considering the use of washed red blood cells for patients with a history of transfusion allergies or those prone to allergies.

ObjectiveTo investigate the effects and mechanism of the combination of arsenic trioxide （ATO） and its dimethylarsinic acid （DMAV） metabolite on apoptosis of human acute promyelocytic leukemia NB4 cells by affecting the balance of metabolic reaction. MethodsThe rats were injected with the same amount of sterile normal saline， ATO（1.6 mg·kg^-1）， and DMAV（4， 8， 16， and 32 mg·kg^-1） combined with ATO（1.6 mg·kg^-1）， respectively， to obtain the corresponding drug-containing serum. The effect of drug-containing serum on the proliferation of NB4 cells was detected by the cell counting kit-8 （CCK-8 ）method. Apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry with Annexin-V-FITC/PI double staining. Intracellular reactive oxygen species （ROS） accumulation was detected by flow cytometry using fluorescent probe DCFH-DA. The changes of mitochondrial membrane potential （Δψm） were detected by the fluorescence probe JC-1. Western blot detected the expression of apoptosis-related proteins， namely B-cell lymphoma-2（Bcl-2）-associated X protein（Bax）/Bcl-2， Cytochrome C， cleaved Caspase-9， and cleaved Caspase-3， as well as c-Jun N-terminal kinase（JNK） phosphorylation levels. Results①The Combination of the two drugs had a higher proliferation inhibition rate and more apoptosis than ATO alone. ②The combination of two drugs can significantly increase the production of ROS compared with any single treatment group. ③The Δψm was significantly reduced in the two-drug combination group compared with any single treatment group. ④Compared with either group， the combination group significantly released Cytochrome C， significantly down-regulated the expression of Bcl-2， and up-regulated the expression of Bax， cleaved Caspase-3， and cleaved Caspase-9. ⑤The phosphorylation level of JNK was significantly up-regulated in the two-drug combination group compared with any single treatment group. ConclusionThe combination of DMAV and ATO may synergistically induce mitochondrial apoptosis through ROS-mediated oxidative stress， triggering Δψm dissipation and Cytochrome C release. By activating Caspase-9/Caspase-3 and the phosphorylation level of JNK， the Bcl-2 family protein （Bax/Bcl-2） was regulated to promote the apoptosis of NB4 cells.

ObjectiveTo investigate the prevalence of polycystic ovary syndrome （PCOS） among female college students at a university in Fuzhou City， Jiangxi Province， and to facilitate early detection and intervention of PCOS. MethodsUsing a stratified sampling method， a total of 450 female freshmen were randomly selected for PCOS screening. A self-designed questionnaire was used for data collection， covering menstrual status， high androgen signs， lifestyle， dietary habits， and awareness of PCOS. Sample t test and χ² test were used to compare the basic information and dietary habits between PCOS and non-PCOS cases. The correlation between various indicators and the prevalence of PCOS was analyzed by a logistic regression model. ResultsA total of 12 PCOS cases were identified， with a prevalence rate of 2.99%. PCOS cases exhibited statistically significant differences compared to non-PCOS cases in terms of waist-to-hip ratio， waist circumference， abdominal obesity， the proportion of overweight or obese individuals， and a preference for sweet food （all P<0.05）. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed a significant correlation between preference for sweet food and the occurrence of PCOS （OR=4.858， 95%CI=1.199‒19.675，P=0.027）， as well as a significant correlation with PCOS accompanied by abdominal obesity （OR=7.083， 95%CI=0.773‒64.937， P=0.048）. Among the female college students surveyed， 37.90% had never heard of PCOS， 51.62% were only familiar with the name of the disease， and 10.47% had attempted to search for PCOS-related information. ConclusionThe prevalence of PCOS among female college students should not be overlooked and unhealthy dietary habits may be a crucial factor contributing to the occurrence of PCOS during this period. Early screening for PCOS during puberty is crucial.

Objective:To examine the associations of pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI), gestational weight gain, and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) with early childhood BMI trajectories.Methods:A total of 1 227 mother-child pairs from the Peking University Birth Cohort in Tongzhou were included in this study. In the cohort, maternal pre-pregnancy weight, height, gestational weight gain, and GDM diagnosis were collected. The children were followed up at birth and at 1, 3, 6, 9, 12, 18, 24, 30, and 36 months of age to obtain height/length and weight data. The longitudinal data-based k-means clustering algorithm was used to identify early childhood BMI trajectory groups. The associations of maternal pre-pregnancy BMI, gestational weight gain, and GDM with early childhood BMI trajectories were analyzed using the logistic regression model. We further explored whether there is an interaction effect between pre-pregnancy overweight/obesity and excessive gestational weight gain on the risk of the high BMI trajectory in early childhood through multiplicative and additive interaction analyses. Results:The prevalence rates of overweight and obesity before pregnancy were 21.2% (260 cases) and 6.6% (81 cases) respectively. The prevalence of excessive gestational weight gain and GDM was 57.7% (708 cases) and 30.9% (379 cases). The early childhood BMI trajectories were named low, medium, and high trajectories, accounting for 30.5%, 45.4% and 24.1%, respectively. After controlling potential confounding factors, it was found that pre-pregnancy overweight ( OR=1.54, 95% CI: 1.12-2.12), obesity ( OR=2.33, 95% CI: 1.41-3.85), and excessive gestational weight gain ( OR=1.47, 95% CI: 1.10-1.97) were risk factors for being in the high BMI trajectory in early childhood. GDM was not significantly associated with early childhood BMI trajectories ( P>0.05). Compared with the independent effects of pre-pregnancy overweight/obesity ( OR=1.90, 95% CI: 1.17-3.09) and excessive gestational weight gain ( OR=1.45, 95% CI: 1.03-2.04), the risk of being in the high BMI trajectory in early childhood was greater when the two factors coexisted ( OR=2.38, 95% CI: 1.60-3.54). However, both the multiplicative and additive models showed no interaction effect between pre-pregnancy overweight/obesity and excessive gestational weight gain. Conclusions:Maternal pre-pregnancy overweight/obesity and excessive gestational weight gain are independent risk factors for children being in the high BMI trajectory in early childhood, providing scientific evidence for obesity prevention.

Objective:To investigate the mechanisms underlying the effect of levocarnitine on myocardial cell fibrosis, proliferation, apoptosis and migration.Methods:Between June and December 2022, an overexpression vector for tissue inhibitor-1 of metalloproteinase(TIMP-1)and siRNA TIMP-1 were used to transfect rat H9c2 cardiomyocytes(from the cell bank of the Chinese Academy of Sciences), and transfection efficiency was measured using fluorescence reverse transcription quantitative PCR(RT-qPCR). After treating H9c2 cells with angiotensin Ⅱ(AngⅡ), the expression of the MMP3 and TIMP-1 genes in the cells was detected by RT-qPCR.A CCK8 kit was used to assess the effect of levocarnitine intervention on the proliferation of myofibroblasts after overexpression or knockdown of TIMP-1.The effects of levocarnitine on apoptosis and migration of myofibroblasts were detected by flow cytometry and Transwell assays.Results:The RT-qPCR results showed that the expression level of the MMP3 gene(1.38±0.05)in cardiomyocytes treated with AngⅡ for 24 hours exhibited an upward trend( P<0.01), while the expression level of the TIMP-1 gene(0.71±0.03)showed a downward trend( P<0.01). In addition, H9c2 cells with TIMP-1 overexpression(905.98±24.17)and knockdown(0.18±0.01)%, respectively, were successfully constructed.Based on CCK-8 detection results, knockdown of TIMP-1(86.56±7.98)% was able to promote the proliferation of H9c2 cells induced by levocarnitine( P<0.01). Apoptosis experiments showed that inhibition of TIMP-1 expression(23.22±2.69)significantly reduced the apoptosis level of H9c2 cells induced by levocarnitine( P<0.01). Migration experiments showed that inhibition of TIMP-1 expression(217.67±23.44)significantly promoted the migration ability of H9c2 cells induced by levocarnitine( P<0.01). Conclusions:After intervention to reduce TIMP-1 expression, levocarnitine can promote proliferation, inhibit apoptosis and promote migration of myofibroblasts and may therefore ameliorate myocardial fibrosis.

Objective:To observe the effects of electroacupuncture(EA)on sleep electroencephalogram(EEG)and event-related potential(ERP)in patients with somatoform disorders(SFD). Methods:Seventy-five SFD patients were recruited as an EA group to receive EA at Shenting(GV24)and Baihui(GV20)once daily,30 min each time,with 6 straight days as a treatment course,and 4 courses were conducted at 1-day intervals.Before treatment,patients underwent a survey using a physical symptom checklist on their primary symptoms.Before and after treatment,their sleep EEG was monitored using Quisi,and the ERP mismatch negativity(MMN)and P300 were detected.The Quisi sleep EEG and ERP were also examined among 40 normal volunteers as the normal group data. Results:During the trial,13 cases were removed from the EA group due to incomplete data,and 62 cases were finally included for statistical analyses.Of the 62 SFD patients,the main disturbing symptoms were cognitive impairments,sleep disorders,respiratory symptoms,digestive symptoms,five-sense organ problems,and cardiovascular symptoms in order.Before treatment,the EA group had increased MMN and P300 latencies and decreased amplitudes compared with the normal control group(P<0.01 or P<0.05);according to Quisi,the EA group also had reduced total sleep time(TST),shorter rapid eye movement sleep(REM)latency(RL)and REM time(RT),smaller number of REM period(NRP),extended sleep latency(SL),longer awaking time(AT),lower sleep efficiency(SE),larger percent of non-rapid eye movement sleep(NREM)stage 1(S1)and smaller percent of NREM stage 2(S2),and the percent of slow wave sleep(SWS),i.e.NREM stage 3(S3)plus stage 4(S4),also went down,all presenting significant differences between groups(P<0.01 or P<0.05).After 4 courses of treatment,the MMN and P300 latencies were reduced,and their amplitudes became larger in the EA group compared with the baseline(P<0.05);they had insignificant differences compared with the normal control group(P>0.05).Quisi showed that the TST and RL increased,and the SL and AT decreased in the EA group,and the predominant change in sleep architecture was reduced S1 percent,increased S2,and improved SE,all showing significant intra-group differences(P<0.01 or P<0.05);however,the intra-group difference in the NRP was statistically insignificant(P>0.05).Except the TST,RT,S1 percent,and SWS,there was no statistical significance in comparing the other Quisi parameters(including RL,NRP,SL,AT,SE,and S2 percent)between the two groups(P>0.05). Conclusion:SFD patients have a variety of clinical symptoms,and most of them show abnormal sleep EEG and ERP;EA can correct abnormal sleep EEG parameters and the MMN and P300 of ERP in SFD patients.

The article summarizes the clinical experience of Professor JIA Chunsheng in treating cubital tunnel syndrome with various traditional Chinese medicine therapies,including superficial point-toward-point auricular acupuncture,ordinary acupuncture,fire-needle therapy,and oral Chinese medication,to inherit his academic characteristics,such as meridian-identified and stage-identified treatments,stressing the patient's body constitution and state,and emphasizing the holistic treatment,and to provide references for the popular science education and clinical treatment of cubital tunnel syndrome.

AIM:To elucidate the possible biological mechanism of silica-induced acute lung injury in rats.METHODS:Sixteen Male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into control and acute silicosis model groups,and instilled intratracheally with 1 mL of normal saline and 50 g/L silica suspension,respectively.After 7 d,the rats were sacrificed for collection of lung tissue and serum.The serum levels of interleukin-1β(IL-1β),IL-18 and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α)were measured by using ELISA.The protein expression levels of nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor protein 3(NLRP3)and gasdermin D(GSDMD)were measured by immunohistochemistry.Bacterial DNA was ex-tracted from the lung tissue for 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequencing to characterize changes in the composition of lung flo-ra.The differences in the structure of bacterial flora between control and model groups were analyzed by bioinformatic analy-ses.RESULTS:Immunohistochemical analysis showed that the protein expression levels of NLRP3 and GSDMD were higher in the lungs of the rats in model group.In addition,serum cytokine profiling showed that IL-1β,IL-18 and TNF-α levels were significantly higher in model group.The most abundant bacterial genera in the lung flora of the rats in model group were Bifidobacterium,Clostridium sensu stricto 1,and Parasutterella.The NLRP3 and GSDMD levels in the lung tissue and IL-1β and TNF-α levels in serum were positively correlated with the abundance of Parasutterella.CONCLU-SION:The alterations in lung flora structure and increased inflammation levels may be the actual biological mechanisms underlying silica-induced acute lung injury.The modulation of lung flora may provide a basis for the prevention and treat-ment of silica-induced acute lung injury.

Objective This study aimed to explore the heterogeneity and gene ontology of Wnt1-Cre-marked and Pax2-Cre-marked first branchial arch cranial neural crest cells(CNCs)in mice.Methods The embryos of Wnt1-Cre;R26RmTmG and Pax2-Cre;R26RmTmG at embryonic day(E)8.0-E9.25 were collected for histological observation.We per-formed immunostaining to compare green fluorescent pro-tein(GFP)-positive CNCs in Pax2-Cre;R26RAi9 and Wnt1-Cre;R26RAi9 mice at E15.5.Single-cell RNA sequencing(scRNA-seq)was used to analyze the first branchial arch GFP-positive CNCs from Wnt1-Cre;R26RmTmG and Pax2-cre;R26RmTmGmice at E10.5.Real time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction(q-PCR)was performed to val-idate the differential genes.Results Wnt1-Cre-marked and Pax2-Cre-marked CNCs migrated from the neural plateto first and second branchial arches and to the first branchial arch,respectively,at E8.0.Although Wnt1-Cre-marked and Pax2-Cre-marked CNCs were found mostly in cranial-facial tissues,the former had higher expression in palate and tongue.The results of scRNA-seq showed that Pax2-Cre-marked CNCs specifically contributed to osteoblast differentia-tion and ossification,while Wnt1-Cre-marked CNCs participated in limb development,cell migration,and ossification.The q-PCR data also confirmed the results of gene ontology analysis.Conclusion Pax2-Cre mice are perfect experimen-tal animal models for research on first branchial arch CNCs and derivatives in osteoblast differentiation and ossification.