OBJECTIVE To explore the effects of levosimendan on cardiac function， hemodynamics and prognosis of patients with septic shock complicated with myocardial depression， and evaluate the safety of levosimendan. METHODS Patients with septic shock complicated with myocardial depression who were admitted to the Department of Critical Care Medicine of Chongqing University Three Gorges Hospital from April 2021 to August 2023， underwent adequate fluid resuscitation， had a mean arterial pressure （MAP） ≥65 mmHg， and received pulse indicator continuous cardiac output （PiCCO） monitoring were enrolled. The patients were randomly divided into dobutamine group and levosimendan group according to a random number table， with 20 patients in each group. Both groups received intravenous infusion of Norepinephrine bitartrate injection at a dose of 0.1-2.0 μg/（kg·min）. On this basis， the dobutamine group additionally received intravenous infusion of Dobutamine hydrochloride injection at a dose of 5- 10 μg/（kg·min） for 3 to 7 days， while the levosimendan group additionally received intravenous infusion of Levosimendan injection at a dose of 0.1-0.2 μg/（kg·min） for 24 hours. Heart rate （HR） and hemodynamic parameters [systolic blood pressure， diastolic blood pressure， MAP， central venous pressure （CVP）]， PiCCO monitoring parameters [cardiac function index （CFI）， cardiac index （CI）， stroke volume index （SVI）， extravascular lung water index， global end-diastolic volume index， pulmonary vascular permeability index （PVPI）， global ejection fraction （GEF）， systemic vascular resistance index， left ventricular contractility index]， and prognosis indicators [death within 3 days after administration， mechanical ventilation time，intensive care unit （ICU） stay time， 28-day mortality rate] were compared between the two groups before treatment and at 24 and 72 hours after treatment. Adverse reactions were E-mail：recorded for both groups. RESULTS Compared with before treatment in the same group， CFI， CI and GEF at 24 hours after treatment， CI and GEF at 72 hours after treatment in the dobutamine group， as well as SVI at 24 hours after treatment and SVI and GEF at 72 hours after treatment in the levosimendan group were significantly increased； PVPI at 72 hours after treatment in the dobutamine group was significantly decreased （P＜0.05）. Compared with the dobutamine group during the same period， patients in the levosimendan group had significantly lower HR and significantly higher CVP at 24 hours after treatment （P＜0.05）. Within 3 days after administration， there were no deaths in either group； there were no statistically significant differences in mechanical ventilation time， ICU stay time， 28-day mortality rate， or the incidence of adverse reactions between the two groups （P＞0.05）. CONCLUSIONS For patients with septic shock complicated with myocardial depression who have undergone adequate fluid resuscitation and have a MAP of ≥65 mmHg， levosimendan is comparable to dobutamine in improving cardiac function and hemodynamic parameters， without affecting patients’ prognosis or increasing the risk of adverse reactions such as hypotension.

AIM:To investigate the effect of hydrogen sulfide(H2S)on ferroptosis and functional impairment induced by oxidized high-density lipoprotein(ox-HDL)in human umbilical vein endothelial cells(HUVECs),and to ex-plore its mechanisms.METHODS:The HUVECs were cultured in vitro and exposed to 200 mg/L ox-HDL,ferroptosis in-hibitor ferrostatin-1(Fer-1),protein kinase B(PKB/Akt)inhibitor MK-2206 2HCl(MK),Akt agonist SC79,and/or H2S for 24 h.Western blot was used to identify the relevant proteins.Intracellular levels of reactive oxygen species(ROS)were analyzed by flow cytometry and immunofluorescence staining.Intracellular iron was measured using an iron detection kit.The number of monocytes adhering to endothelial cells was counted using the monocyte adhesion assay.RESULTS:Compared with control group,acyl-CoA synthetase long-chain family member 4(ACSL4)protein expression in ox-HDL group was elevated by 1.45-fold(P<0.01),glutathione peroxidase 4(GPX4)protein expression was decreased by 29.79%(P<0.05),and ROS levels and iron ion content were elevated by 4.81-fold and 1.40-fold,respectively(P<0.01).The ratios of p-PI3K/PI3K and p-Akt/Akt were decreased by 45.65%and 41.68%,respectively(P<0.01),endo-thelial cell function-related protein IL-6,ICAM-1 and TNF-α expression was elevated 1.18-fold,1.24-fold and 1.41-fold(P<0.05),respectively,eNOS protein expression was decreased by 35.24%(P<0.01),and monocyte adhesion was ele-vated 3.43-fold(P<0.01).Compared with ox-HDL group,the endothelial cell iron death-related protein ACSL4 was de-creased by 22.32%(P<0.05),GPX4 was increased by 1.27-fold(P<0.01),and the p-Akt/Akt ratio was increased by 1.52-fold(P<0.01)in ox-HDL+H2S group.The fluorescence microscopy results showed that the ROS was decreased by 50.35%(P<0.01).The IL-6,ICAM-1 and TNF-α protein expression was decreased by 13.34%,9.83%and 13.46%(P<0.05),respectively,eNOS was elevated by 1.22-fold(P<0.01),and the number of monocyte adhesion was de-creased by 59.05%(P<0.01).Compared with ox-HDL group,GPX4 protein expression in ox-HDL+SC79 group was ele-vated by 1.49-fold(P<0.01),ACSL4 expression was decreased by 20.72%(P<0.05),and ROS and iron ions were de-creased by 59.31%and 23.85%(P<0.05),respectively.Compared with ox-HDL+H2S group,GPX4 protein expression was decreased by 21.28%,and ACSL4 protein expression was increased by 1.16-fold in ox-HDL+H2S+MK group(P<0.05).CONCLUSION:H2S activates Akt to inhibit ox-HDL-induced ferroptosis in HUVECs and alleviate their func-tional damage.

Objective:To summarize the clinicopathologic characteristics of undifferentiated embryonal sarcoma of the liver.Methods:The clinical data of 16 patients with undifferentiated embryonal sarcoma of the liver admitted to Shandong Provincial Hospital and Yantai Yuhuangding Hospital from Jan 2000 to Jan 2023 was retrospectively analyzed.Results:The diagnosis of undifferentiated embryonal sarcoma in all the 16 patients was established by postoperative pathology. The clinical manifestations of the patients were mainly asymptomatic abdominal mass, abdominal pain and discomfort. The laboratory examination was mostly nonspecific, the image exam showed mostly solid cystic mass. 14 cases underwent radical surgical resection.The minimum survival time was 7 months, maximum survival time was 121 months with median survival time of 35.9 months.Conclusions:Undifferentiated embryonal sarcoma of the liver is an extremely rare malignant tumor of the liver. The disease lacks specific clinical manifestations. CT examination can assist in the diagnosis of the disease. Diagnosis of undifferentiated embryonal sarcoma of the liver depends on pathological examination. The prognosis of patients is poor, surgical resection of the tumor is an effective treatment.

OBJECTIVE: To observe the expression level of cytokines in patients with sepsis and its effect on prognosis. METHODS: The clinical data of sepsis patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) of the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from January 2020 to December 2022 were analyzed retrospectively, including gender, age, and acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II (APACHE II), blood routine, procalcitonin (PCT), C-reactive protein (CRP), and cytokines levels [interleukins (IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, IL-17), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and interferon-γ (IFN-γ)] within 24 hours of admission to ICU. The 28-day prognosis of the patients was followed up. The patients were divided into survival group and death group according to the prognosis. The clinical data between the two groups of sepsis patients with different prognosis were compared. Binary Logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the independent risk factors affecting the prognosis of patients with sepsis, and the receiver operator characteristic curve (ROC curve) was drawn to evaluate the predictive value of each risk factor for the prognosis of patients with sepsis. RESULTS: (1) A total of 227 patients with sepsis were enrolled, including 168 patients in the survival group (survival rate 74.0%) and 59 patients in the death group (mortality 26.0%). There were no significant differences in age (years old: 55.97±2.13 vs. 54.67±1.11) and gender (male: 71.2% vs. 57.1%) between the death group and the survival group (both P > 0.05), indicating that the baseline data of the two groups were comparable. (2) The APACHE II (19.37±0.99 vs. 14.88±0.61, P < 0.001) and PCT (μg/L: 12.39±2.94 vs. 4.14±0.90, P < 0.001) in the death group were significantly higher than those in the survival group, while the platelet count [PLT (×10⁹/L): 144.75±12.50 vs. 215.99±11.26, P = 0.001] and thrombocytocrit [(0.14±0.01)% vs. (0.19±0.01)%, P = 0.001] were significantly lower than those in the survival group. (3) The level of IL-6 in the death group was significantly higher than that in the survival group (ng/L: 577.66±143.16 vs. 99.74±33.84, P < 0.001). There were no statistically significant differences in other cytokines, IL-2, IL-4, IL-10, TNF-α, IFN-γ and IL-17 between the death group and the survival group [IL-2 (ng/L): 2.44±0.38 vs. 2.63±0.27, P = 0.708; IL-4 (ng/L): 3.26±0.67 vs. 3.18±0.34, P = 0.913; IL-10 (ng/L): 33.22±5.13 vs. 39.43±2.85, P = 0.262; TNF-α (ng/L): 59.33±19.21 vs. 48.79±29.87, P = 0.839; IFN-γ (ng/L): 6.69±5.18 vs. 1.81±0.16, P = 0.100; IL-17 (ng/L): 2.05±0.29 vs. 2.58±0.33, P = 0.369]. (4) Binary Logistic regression analysis showed that APACHE II and IL-6 were independent risk factors affecting the prognosis of patients with sepsis [odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (95%CI) were 1.050 (1.008-1.093) and 1.001 (1.000-1.002), P values were 0.019 and 0.026, respectively]. (5) ROC curve analysis showed that APACHE II and IL-6 had certain predictive value for the prognosis of patients with sepsis, the area under the ROC curve (AUC) was 0.754 (95%CI was 0.681-0.827) and 0.592 (95%CI was 0.511-0.673), P values were < 0.001 and 0.035, respectively. When the optimal cut-off value of APACHE II was 16.50 score, the sensitivity was 72.6% and the specificity was 69.9%. When the optimal cut-off value of IL-6 was 27.87 ng/L, the sensitivity was 67.2% and the specificity was 52.8%. CONCLUSIONS APACHE II score and IL-6 level have certain predictive value for the prognosis of patients with sepsis, the higher APACHE II score and IL-6 level, the greater the probability of death in patients with sepsis.
Humans ; Male ; Interleukin-10 ; Interleukin-17 ; Cytokines ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; Interleukin-6 ; Retrospective Studies ; Interleukin-2 ; Interleukin-4 ; ROC Curve ; Sepsis/diagnosis* ; Prognosis ; Procalcitonin ; Interferon-gamma ; Intensive Care Units

Objective:To investigate the predictive value of the maximum aggregation rate (MAR) of platelet for septic shock and septic shock with disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC).Methods:A retrospective case-control study enrolled patients with sepsis admitted to department of critical care medicine of the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from January 2021 to November 2022. The basic data, dynamic platelet aggregation rate, blood routine, inflammation indicators, sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) and other clinical indicators within 24 hours after admission were collected. Septic patients were divided into the shock group and the non-shock group according to the presence of septic shock; then refer to the International Society on Thrombosis and Hemostasis (ISTH) standard, patients with septic shock were divided into the shock DIC group and the shock non-DIC group according to the presence of dominant DIC. Compared the differences in platelet aggregation function between these groups, and the receiver operator characteristic curve (ROC curve) was drawn to evaluate the predictive value of the MAR for septic shock and septic shock with DIC. Spearman correlation analysis was used to analyze the correlation of MAR with inflammation indicators and the severity of illness in patients with sepsis.Results:A total of 153 sepsis patients were included and 61 with septic shock (including 17 with dominant DIC and 44 without dominant DIC). Compared with the non-shock group, the level of procalcitonin (PCT), C-reactive protein (CRP), and SOFA score were significantly higher in the shock group [PCT (mg/L): 6.90 (2.50, 23.50) vs. 0.87 (0.26, 5.75), CRP (mg/L): 156.48 (67.11, 230.84) vs. 90.39 (46.43, 182.76), SOFA score: 11.00 (8.00, 14.00) vs. 5.00 (3.00, 8.00), all P < 0.05]. The platelet count (PLT) and the MAR induced by adenosine diphosphate (ADP), adrenaline (A), collagen (COL), and arachidonic acid (AA; ADP-MAR, A-MAR, COL-MAR, AA-MAR) in the shock group were significantly decreased [PLT (×10 9/L): 101.00 (49.00, 163.50) vs. 175.50 (108.25, 254.50), ADP-MAR: 28.50% (22.00%, 38.05%) vs. 45.90% (33.98%, 60.28%), A-MAR: 38.90% (30.00%, 55.40%) vs. 65.15% (54.38%, 72.53%), COL-MAR: 27.90% (20.85%, 36.55%) vs. 42.95% (33.73%, 54.08%), AA-MAR: 24.70% (16.40%, 34.20%) vs. 46.55% (28.33%, 59.20%), all P < 0.05]. Subgroup analysis revealed that, compared with the shock non-DIC group, the SOFA scores were significantly higher in patients in the shock DIC group (13.29±5.23 vs. 10.39±3.58, P < 0.05), the PLT and COL-MAR in the shock DIC group were significantly reduced [PLT (×10 9/L): 36.00 (22.00, 67.50) vs. 115.50 (84.25, 203.75), COL-MAR: 21.50% (17.85%, 32.60%) vs. 30.95% (22.98%, 38.53%), all P < 0.05]. ROC curve analysis showed that A-MAR had a higher predictive value for septic shock, and the area under the ROC curve (AUC) was 0.814 [95% confidence interval (95% CI) was 0.742-0.886, P = 0.000]. When the optimal cut-off value was 51.35%, the sensitivity was 68.9%, the specificity was 82.6%, the positive predictive value was 0.724 and the negative predictive value was 0.800. COL-MAR had some predictive value for septic shock with DIC, and the AUC was 0.668 (95% CI was 0.513-0.823, P = 0.044). When the optimal cut-off value was 21.90%, the sensitivity was 52.9%, the specificity was 79.5%, the positive predictive value was 0.500, and the negative predictive value was 0.813. Spearman correlation analysis showed that the MAR induced by each inducer was negatively correlated with inflammatory indicators and SOFA scores in sepsis patients, with A-MAR showing the strongest correlation with SOFA score ( r = -0.327, P = 0.000). Conclusions:MAR, an indicator of platelet aggregation function, shows predictive value for septic shock and septic shock with DIC, and it could be used to for evaluating the severity of patients with sepsis. In addition, tt alsocan be used as a monitoring index to predict the changes of sepsis patients and to guide the treatment.

Objective:To investigate the alterations in soft tissue morphology and thickness in the mid-face region of patients with cleft lip and palate (UCLP) secondary to maxillofacial deformity following Le Fort I osteotomy.Methods:A total of 22 patients (16 males and 6 females aged from 17 to 28 years with an average of 20 years) diagnosed with cleft lip and palate secondary to maxillofacial deformity were collected from the Wuhan University Hospital of Stomatology from July 2012 to August 2020. All patients underwent Le Fort I osteotomy. CBCT scans were obtained at T0 (3 days before surgery), T1 (7 days after surgery), and T2 (1 year after surgery). The Dolphin11.95 software and 3D Slicer software were utilized to measure and analyze the soft tissue near the mid-face osteotomy line. Differences in soft tissue thickness before and after surgery were compared.Results:Before and after the operation, the soft tissue thickness at P3, P5, P6, and P8 on the affected side was thicker than that on the healthy side, and the difference was statistically significant, with a P-value of <0.05. At P5, P6, P7, P8, and P9 below the osteotomy line at T2-T0, the degree of postoperative thinning on the affected side was more apparent than that on the healthy side, and there was statistical significance at P6 ( P<0.05). The postoperative soft tissue asymmetry in the Ck region was improved compared with the preoperative one. The preoperative average protruding of the affected side was 0.63 compared with the healthy side, and the postoperative value was 0.17. The preoperative and postoperative Mann-Whitney U tests showed significantly statistical difference. Conclusions:After Le Fort I osteotomy, the facial asymmetry of patients with unilateral cleft lip and palate secondary to maxillofacial deformity is improved. However, there is still a difference in the soft tissue thickness between the healthy side and the affected side, and the change in soft tissue thickness on the affected side is more significant than that on the healthy side.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the relevant clinical test indicators that affect the prognosis of patients with acute fatty liver of pregnancy (AFLP), and to provide a basis for early diagnosis and correct selection of treatment methods. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted. Clinical data of AFLP patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) of the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from January 2010 to May 2021 were collected. According to the 28-day prognosis, the patients were divided into death group and survival group. The clinical data, laboratory examination indicators, and prognosis of the two groups were compared, and further binary Logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the risk factors affecting the prognosis of patients. At the same time, the values of related indicators at each time point (24, 48, 72 hours) after the start of treatment were recorded. The receiver operator characteristic curve (ROC curve) of prothrombin time (PT) and international normalized ratio (INR) for evaluating the prognosis of patients at each time point was drawn, and the area under the ROC curve (AUC) was calculated to evaluate the predictive value of relevant indicators at each time point for the prognosis of AFLP patients. RESULTS: A total of 64 AFLP patients were selected. The patients developed the AFLP during pregnancy (34.5±6.8) weeks, with 14 deaths (mortality of 21.9%) and 50 survivors (survival rate of 78.1%). There was no statistically significant difference in general clinical data between the two groups of patients, including age, time from onset to visit, time from visit to cessation of pregnancy, acute physiology and chronic health evaluations II (APACHE II), hospitalization time in ICU, and total hospitalization cost. However, the proportion of male fetuses and stillbirths in the death group was higher than that in the survival group. The laboratory examination indicators including the white blood cell count (WBC), alanine transaminase (ALT), serum creatinine (SCr), PT extension, INR elevation, and hyperammonia in the death group were significantly higher than those in the survival group (all P < 0.05). Through Logistic regression analysis of the above indicators showed that PT > 14 s and INR > 1.5 were risk factors affecting the prognosis of AFLP patients [PT > 14 s: odds ratio (OR) = 1.215, 95% confidence interval (95%CI) was 1.076-1.371, INR > 1.5: OR = 0.719, 95%CI was 0.624-0.829, both P < 0.01]. ROC curve analysis showed that both PT and INR at ICU admission and 24, 48, and 72 hours of treatment can evaluate the prognosis of AFLP patients [AUC and 95%CI of PT were 0.772 (0.599-0.945), 0.763 (0.608-0.918), 0.879 (0.795-0.963), and 0.957 (0.904-1.000), respectively; AUC and 95%CI of INR were 0.808 (0.650-0.966), 0.730 (0.564-0.896), 0.854 (0.761-0.947), and 0.952 (0.896-1.000), respectively; all P < 0.05], the AUC of PT and INR after 72 hours of treatment was the highest, with higher sensitivity (93.5%, 91.8%) and specificity (90.9%, 90.9%). CONCLUSIONS AFLP often occurs in the middle and late stages of pregnancy, and the initial symptoms are mainly gastrointestinal symptoms. Once discovered, pregnancy should be terminated immediately. PT and INR are good indicators for evaluating AFLP patient efficacy and prognosis, and PT and INR are the best prognostic indicators after 72 hours of treatment.
Humans ; Male ; Prognosis ; ROC Curve ; Retrospective Studies ; Intensive Care Units ; Sepsis/diagnosis*

OBJECTIVE: To explore the characteristics of changes in peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets in patients with sepsis in intensive care unit (ICU) and analyze their predictive value for prognosis. METHODS: The clinical data of sepsis patients admitted to the surgical intensive care unit (SICU) of the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from January 2020 to December 2021 were analyzed retrospectively. The patients met the diagnostic criteria of Sepsis-3 and were ≥ 18 years old. Peripheral venous blood samples were collected from all patients on the next morning after admission to SICU for routine blood test and peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets. According to the 28-day survival, the patients were divided into two groups, and the differences in immune indexes between the two groups were compared. Logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the risk factors of immune indexes that affect prognosis. RESULTS: (1) A total of 279 patients with sepsis were enrolled in the experiment, of which 198 patients survived at 28 days (28-day survival rate 71.0%), and 81 patients died (28-day mortality 29.0%). There were no significant differences in age (years old: 57.81±1.71 vs. 54.99±1.05) and gender (male: 60.5% vs. 63.6%) between the death group and the survival group (both P > 0.05), and the baseline data was comparable.(2) Acute physiology and chronic health evalution II (APACHE II: 22.06±0.08 vs. 14.08±0.52, P < 0.001), neutrophil percentage [NEU%: (88.90±1.09)% vs. (84.12±0.77)%, P = 0.001], procalcitonin [PCT (μg/L): 11.97±2.73 vs. 5.76±1.08, P = 0.011], platelet distribution width (fL: 16.81±0.10 vs. 16.57±0.06, P = 0.029) were higher than those in the survival group, while lymphocyte percentage [LYM%: (6.98±0.78)% vs. (10.59±0.86)%, P = 0.012], lymphocyte count [LYM (×10⁹/L): 0.70±0.06 vs. 0.98±0.49, P = 0.002], and platelet count [PLT (×10⁹/L): 151.38±13.96 vs. 205.80±9.38, P = 0.002], and thrombocytocrit [(0.15±0.01)% vs. (0.19±0.07)%, P = 0.012] were lower than those in the survival group. (3) There was no statistically significant difference in the percentage of lymphocyte subsets between the death group and the survival group, but the absolute value of LYM (pieces/μL: 650.24±84.67 vs. 876.64±38.02, P = 0.005), CD3⁺ absolute value (pieces/μL: 445.30±57.33 vs. 606.84±29.25, P = 0.006), CD3⁺CD4⁺ absolute value (pieces/μL: 239.97±26.96 vs. 353.49±18.59, P = 0.001), CD19⁺ absolute value (pieces/μL: 111.10±18.66 vs. 150.30±10.15, P = 0.049) in the death group was lower than those in the survival group. Other lymphocyte subsets in the death group, such as CD3⁺CD8⁺ absolute value (pieces/μL: 172.40±24.34 vs. 211.22±11.95, P = 0.112), absolute value of natural killer cell [NK (pieces/μL): 101.26±18.15 vs. 114.72±7.64, P = 0.420], absolute value of natural killer T cell [NKT (pieces/μL): 33.22±5.13 vs. 39.43±2.85, P = 0.262], CD4^-CD8^- absolute value (pieces/μL: 41.07±11.07 vs. 48.84±3.31, P = 0.510), CD4⁺CD8⁺ absolute value (pieces/μL: 3.39±1.45 vs. 3.47±0.36, P = 0.943) were not significantly different from those in the survival group. (4)Logistic regression analysis showed that lymphocyte subsets were not selected as immune markers with statistical significance for the prognosis of sepsis. CONCLUSIONS The changes of immune indexes in sepsis patients are closely related to their prognosis. Early monitoring of the above indexes can accurately evaluate the condition and prognosis of sepsis patients.
Humans ; Male ; Adolescent ; Retrospective Studies ; ROC Curve ; Sepsis/diagnosis* ; Lymphocyte Count ; Lymphocyte Subsets ; Prognosis ; Killer Cells, Natural

The cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS)-stimulator of interferon genes (STING) signaling exert essential regulatory function in microbial-and onco-immunology through the induction of cytokines, primarily type I interferons. Recently, the aberrant and deranged signaling of the cGAS-STING axis is closely implicated in multiple sterile inflammatory diseases, including heart failure, myocardial infarction, cardiac hypertrophy, nonalcoholic fatty liver diseases, aortic aneurysm and dissection, obesity, etc. This is because of the massive loads of damage-associated molecular patterns (mitochondrial DNA, DNA in extracellular vesicles) liberated from recurrent injury to metabolic cellular organelles and tissues, which are sensed by the pathway. Also, the cGAS-STING pathway crosstalk with essential intracellular homeostasis processes like apoptosis, autophagy, and regulate cellular metabolism. Targeting derailed STING signaling has become necessary for chronic inflammatory diseases. Meanwhile, excessive type I interferons signaling impact on cardiovascular and metabolic health remain entirely elusive. In this review, we summarize the intimate connection between the cGAS-STING pathway and cardiovascular and metabolic disorders. We also discuss some potential small molecule inhibitors for the pathway. This review provides insight to stimulate interest in and support future research into understanding this signaling axis in cardiovascular and metabolic tissues and diseases.

Objective    To share the experience of treating special cardiac malformations by applying minimally invasive techniques. Methods    Eight children with special cardiac malformations admitted to our hospital from July 2014 to September 2020 were recruited, including 3 males and 5 females, aged 0.8-1.2 (1.1±0.4) years, and weighted 7.8-11.5 (9.6±2.9) kg. There were 2 patients of huge muscular ventricular septal defect (VSD), 3 perimembranous cribriform VSD, 1 right coronary-right atrial fistula, 1 right coronary-right ventricular fistula, and 1 young, low-weight child with large aortopulmonary. All were treated with minimally invasive techniques using transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) as a guiding tool. All children received intraoperative TEE immediately to evaluate the curative effect of the surgery, and all went to outpatient clinic for reexamination of echocardiography, electrocardiogram and chest X-ray after discharge. Results    Eight children underwent minimally invasive surgery successfully without any incision infection, intracardiac infection, arrhythmia or pericardial effusion. None of the 8 children were lost to follow-up, and the results of all reexaminations were satisfactory. Conclusion    The application of minimally invasive techniques is a bold and innovative attempt for the treatment of a few special types of cardiac malformations. It has significant advantages in reducing trauma and medical costs in some suitable patients, and has certain clinical reference values.