Objective To construct the platelet-specific Metrnl gene knockout （Plt-Metrnl^-/-）mice model. Methods Based on the Cre-LoxP system, Metrnl^loxp/loxp mice, previously constructed in our laboratory, were mated with Pf4-Cre mice to generate Plt-Metrnl^-/- mice. The genotypes of the offspring were identified, and tissues of the platelet, other peripheral blood cells, heart, liver, spleen, lung, kidney, brain, colon, and bone marrow were collected. The expression of the Metrnl gene in Plt-Metrnl^-/- mice was investigated by quantitative real-time PCR and western blot. Also, the blood routine index was tested in Plt-Metrnl^-/- mice. Results Compared with wild-type mice, the level of Metrnl protein in platelets was significantly decreased in Plt-Metrnl^-/- mice. There was no significant difference in mRNA and protein levels of other peripheral blood cells and tissues, as well as in blood routine index, growth, and development between Plt-Metrnl^-/- mice and WT mice. Conclusion Platelet-specific Metrnl knockout mice（Plt-Metrnl^-/- mice）model was successfully constructed.

TFIIB-related factor 1 (BRF1) is an important transcription factor. It specifically regulates the transcription of RNA polymerase III-dependent genes (RNA Pol III genes). The products of these genes are some small non-coding RNAs, including transfer RNAs (tRNAs) and 5S ribosomal RNAs (5S rRNA). The transcription levels of tRNAs and 5S rRNA vary with changes in intracellular BRF1 amounts. tRNAs and 5S rRNA play a crucial role in determining protein synthesis. Studies have demonstrated that dysregulation of tRNAs and 5S rRNA is closely related to cell growth, proliferation, transformation, and even tumorigenesis. BRF1 is a key factor determining the generation of tRNAs and 5S rRNA. Increasing BRF1 expression enhances cell proliferation and transformation, promoting tumor development. In contrast, repressing BRF1 activity decreases the rates of cell proliferation and transformation, and inhibits tumor growth. High levels of BRF1 are found in the samples of patients suffering from hepatocellular carcinoma, breast cancer, gastric carcinoma, lung cancer, prostate carcinoma, and other cancers. It indicates that high levels of BRF1 are closely related to the occurrence of human cancer and may be a common landmark of tumors. But there is discrepancy in the regulatory mechanisms and signaling pathways of BRF1 overexpression in different cancers. In general, high levels of BRF1 in patients suffering from cancer show short survival period and poor prognosis. However, there is one exception, namely breast cancer. Approximate 80% of cases of breast cancer are estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) and 20% are ER-. The cases with high levels of BRF1 reveal longer survival period and better prognosis after they accepted the hormone treatment by Tamoxifen (Tam), compared to the cases with low level BRF1. It seems like a contradiction. Most of the cases with high levels of BRF1 belong to ER+ status. Tam has been used to treat ER+ cases of breast cancer after diagnosis and surgery. Thus, hormone therapy, such as Tam, is more effective on these patients. This is because, on one hand, that Tam competes with E2 (17β-estradiol) to bind to estrogen receptor α (ERα), but does not dissociate to occupy the receptors, blocking E2 binding to this receptor and inhibiting its biological effects. On other hand, Tam can inhibit the expression of BRF1, leading to a decline of intracellular BRF1 levels. Therefore, the actual levels of BRF1 are lower in the patients with ER+ breast cancer. It appears the prognosis of the high BRF1 expression cases better than that of the low BRF1 expression cases. Myocardial hypertrophy manifests magnification of cardiomyocyte volume rather than number increasing in the postnatal heart. Myocardial hypertrophy is a critical risk factor underlying cardiovascular diseases. No matter how myocardial hypertrophy occur, it will ultimately lead to myocardial dysfunction and heart failure. Hypertrophic growth of cardiomyocytes requires a large amount of protein synthesis to meet its needs of cardiomyocyte growth. Animal models and cell experiments have shown that myocardial hypertrophy stimulates a significant increase in BRF1 expression and transcription of tRNAs and 5S rRNA. Interestingly, elevated levels of BRF1 are found in the myocardium tissues of patients with myocardial hypertrophy. These studies demonstrate that BRF1 indeed plays a critical role in myocardial hypertrophy. In summary, high levels of BRF1 are found in patients suffering from different cancers and myocardial hypertrophy. It implies that BRF1 is a promising biological target of cancer and cardiomyopathy. BRF1 is expected to become a common biomarker for early diagnosis and prognostic observation of different human cancers. It is also an important biomarker for the diagnosis and treatment of cardiomyopathy. BRF1 not only holds an important position in the field of basic medical research but also has great prospects for translational medicine. In the present article, we summarize the progress on studies of BRF1 expressions in cancer and cardiomyopathy, proposes future research directions. It is a new research area. Here, we emphasize the significancy of BRF overexpression in the two huge diseases of human, cancer and cardiomyopathy to raise people's attention to this field.

AIM: To observe the clinical efficacy of 8-0 polypropylene scleral-sutured fixed intraocular lens(IOL)suspension implantation with the double knots technique in aphakic eyes.METHODS: Retrospective case series study. The data of 30 aphakic cases(31 eyes, 22 males)that underwent IOL suspension in our hospital from January 2021 to November 2022 were collected. The suspension of IOL(AcrySof IQ or Tecnis ZCB00)was performed by 8-0 polypropylene scleral-sutured with the double knots technique. The visual acuity, intraocular pressure(IOP), IOL position and complications with at least 6 mo of follow-up were observed.RESULTS: The mean preoperative uncorrected visual acuity(UCVA, LogMAR)and best-corrected visual acuity(BCVA, LogMAR)were 2.53±0.78 and 0.35±0.26, respectively, which were 0.58±0.26 and 0.36±0.27 at 6 mo postoperatively, respectively. And the differences in UCVA were statistically significant(t=15.408, P<0.01), whereas the difference in BCVA was not(t=-1.677, P=0.104). There were no intraoperative complications, with IOL position all centered, but 3 eyes had IOL tilt, 2 eyes had intraocular hypertension, 5 eyes had corneal edema, and 1 eye had suture exposure postoperatively. There were no complications such as hyphema, vitreous hemorrhage, macular edema, corneal endothelial decompensation, hypotony, choroidal detachment, retinal detachment, fulminant superior choroidal hemorrhage, endophthalmitis, or others.CONCLUSION: The 8-0 polypropylene scleral-sutured fixed intraocular lens suspension implantation with the double knots technique can improve the postoperative visual acuity of aphakic patients, and fewer complications, which is an option for the treatment of aphakia, dislocation of the lens and ligament abnormalities.

AIM:To establish a nomogram model to predict the effect of serum ferritin on diabetic retinopathy and evaluate the model.METHODS:A total of 21 variables, including ferritin, were screened by univariate and multivariate regression analysis to determine the risk factors of diabetic retinopathy. A nomogram prediction model was established for evaluation and calibration.RESULTS:Ferritin, duration of diabetes, hemoglobin, urine microalbumin, regularity of medication and body mass index were included in the nomogram model. The consistency index of the prediction model with serum ferritin was 0.813(95%CI: 0.748-0.879). The calibration curves of internal and external verification showed good performance, and the probability of the threshold suggested by the decision curve was in the range 10% to 90%. The model had a high net profit value.CONCLUSIONS:Serum ferritin is an important risk factor for diabetic retinopathy. A new nomogram model, which includes body mass index, duration of diabetes, ferritin, hemoglobin, urine microalbumin and regularity of medication, has a high predictive accuracy and could provide early prediction for clinicians.

OBJECTIVE To systematically evaluate the efficacy and safety of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists(GLP-1RA) in the renal protection of type 2 diabetes(T2DM) patients, and provide evidence for clinic. METHODS Computer retrieval of PubMed, Embase, The Cochrane Library, Clinical Trials.gov, CNKI, WanFang Data and VIP databases, and manual retrieval of the included references. Randomized controlled trials(RCTs) for T2DM using GLP-1RA alone or GLP-1RA in combination with other conventional agents(experimental group) versus conventional treatment without GLP-1RA or placebo(control group). The search period spanned from the establishment of the database to January 30, 2022. Meta-analysis of the included data was performed using RevMan 5.4 statistical software. RESULTS A total of 7 studies were included, including 7 985 cases in experimental group and 6 633 cases in control group. Meta-analysis showed that the experimental group significantly reduced the incidence of renal complex endpoint events[Z=2.17, P=0.03, RR=0.79, 95%CI(0.64, 0.98)], urinary albumin creatinine ratio[Z=11.66, P<0.00001, MD=–23.74, 95%CI(–27.73, –19.74)], incidence of new macroalbuminuria[Z=5.79, P<0.000 01, MD=0.76, 95%CI(0.69, 0.83)], hemoglobin A1c[Z=12.76, P<0.000 01, MD=–0.94, 95%CI(–1.09, –0.80)] and estimated glomerular filtration rate[P=0.0007, Z=3.39, MD=–7.37, 95%CI(–11.63, –3.10)], the differences were statistically significant. One study showed that the experimental group could significantly reduce 24-hour urinary albumin excretion rate. However, there was no significant difference in the incidence of acute renal failure between the two groups[Z=0.63, P=0.53, MD=1.13, 95%CI(0.78, 1.63)]. In terms of safety, except the incidence of hypoglycemia, the incidence of adverse reactions in the experimental group was higher than that in the control group, including diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and loss of appetite, with statistically significant differences. CONCLUSION Existing research evidence shows that the common adverse reactions of GLP-1RA are gastrointestinal reactions and can be tolerated. Compared with placebo or conventional treatment without GLP-1RA, GLP-1RA may have a protective effect on the kidney of T2DM patients, and this conclusion needs to be further verified by RCTs.

Objective To analyze the influencing factors and management of benign anastomotic stenosis in patients with colorectal cancer after concurrent prophylactic ileostomy.Methods The clinical data of 74 colorectal cancer patients undergoing preventive ileostomy admitted to Quanzhou First Hospital Affiliated to Fujian Medical University from April 2018 to June 2022 were selected,according to the presence or absence of anastomotic stenosis after surgery,patients were divided into anastomotic stenosis group and anastomotic normal group.The influencing factors of stenosis were analyzed using statistical methods,and the management methods for anastomotic stenosis were summarized.Results 15 cases of anastomotic stenosis occurred after surgery,with an incidence rate of 20.3%.Compared with anastomotic normal group,patients in anastomotic stenosis group had a higher proportion of preoperative radiation therapy,preoperative neoadjuvant chemotherapy,and a higher incidence of postoperative anastomotic leakage/pelvic infection,with statistical significance(P<0.05);Multivariate analysis suggests that preoperative radiotherapy,anastomotic leakage/pelvic infection are independent risk factors for anastomotic stenosis.Conclusion Patients with colorectal cancer who undergo preoperative radiotherapy,neoadjuvant chemotherapy,and postoperative anastomotic leakage/pelvic infection should pay attention to the occurrence of anastomotic stenosis after undergoing ileostomy;Postoperative anastomotic stenosis should be treated according to the characteristics of the stenosis.

ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of mucin 1 (MUC1) on the proliferation and apoptosis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and its regulatory mechanism. MethodsThe 60 NPC and paired para-cancer normal tissues were collected from October 2020 to July 2021 in Quanzhou First Hospital. The expression of MUC1 was measured by real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) in the patients with PNC. The 5-8F and HNE1 cells were transfected with siRNA control (si-control) or siRNA targeting MUC1 (si-MUC1). Cell proliferation was analyzed by cell counting kit-8 and colony formation assay, and apoptosis was analyzed by flow cytometry analysis in the 5-8F and HNE1 cells. The qPCR and ELISA were executed to analyze the levels of TNF-α and IL-6. Western blot was performed to measure the expression of MUC1, NF-кB and apoptosis-related proteins (Bax and Bcl-2). ResultsThe expression of MUC1 was up-regulated in the NPC tissues, and NPC patients with the high MUC1 expression were inclined to EBV infection, growth and metastasis of NPC. Loss of MUC1 restrained malignant features, including the proliferation and apoptosis, downregulated the expression of p-IкB、p-P65 and Bcl-2 and upregulated the expression of Bax in the NPC cells. ConclusionDownregulation of MUC1 restrained biological characteristics of malignancy, including cell proliferation and apoptosis, by inactivating NF-κB signaling pathway in NPC.

Intracellular overexpression of cytoglobin (Cygb) has been shown to reduce extracellular matrix deposition and promote liver fibrosis recovery, but its mechanism is not yet clear. This study constructed and expressed a fusion protein (TAT-Cygb) of cell penetrating peptide TAT and Cygb, to investigate the effect of fusion protein TAT-Cygb on regulating hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) ferroptosis. Cultured human hepatic stellate cells line (LX2) were treated with TAT-Cygb and erastin in vitro, respectively. The effects of ferroptosis phenotype in LX2 cells induced by TAT-Cygb, including cell viability, cell morphology, iron ion (Fe²⁺) content, lipid peroxidation product levels, and antioxidant system indicators, were investigated using trypan blue staining, transmission electron microscopy, Prussian blue staining, and reagent kits detection. After co-treatment with TAT-Cygb and ferrostain-1, the levels of Fe²⁺, reactive oxygen species (ROS), malondialdehyde (MDA), 4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE), nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) and glutathione (GSH) were measured by reagent kits. The protein expression levels of alpha smooth actin (α-SMA), collagen I and fibronectin were detected by Western blot, and the protein expression level of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and desmin relevant to fibrosis were observed by immunofluorescence. The results showed that TAT-Cygb could significantly reduce the viability of LX2 cells and trigger events relevant to ferroptosis, including promoting intracellular Fe²⁺ accumulation, and inducing mitochondrial morphological changes, and intensifying lipid peroxidation products accumulation, and decreasing the level of antioxidant indexes, which played a similar role as erastin; Fer-1 significantly weakened the increase in Fe²⁺, ROS, MDA, 4-HNE levels induced by TAT-Cygb, as well as the decrease in NADPH and GSH levels, while also weakening the TAT-Cygb-induced over-expression levels of α-SMA, collagen I and fibronectin, and TAT-Cygb-induced under-expression levels of EGFR and desmin. This cellular level study indicated that TAT-Cygb can induce ferroptosis of activated HSCs. This study revealed the potential mechanism of TAT-Cygb anti-liver fibrosis, and provided the experimental basis for further research on the molecular mechanism of TAT-Cygb realizing biological function by regulating the ferroptosis pathway.

Objective To explore the clinical efficacy of two procedures in thoracoscopic anterior mediastinal tumor resection. Methods A retrospective study was conducted on patients who underwent thoracoscopic anterior mediastinal tumor resection at the Department of Thoracic Surgery, the 910th Hospital of Joint Logistics Support Force from October 2016 to January 2024. Patients were divided into two groups according to the surgical approach: a modified approach group (bilateral intercostal ports+two subcostal ports) and a classic subxiphoid approach group (one subxiphoid port+two subcostal ports). Perioperative data and postoperative improvement of myasthenia gravis (MG) subgroup were compared between the two groups. Results A total of 55 patients were included, including 27 males and 28 females with a mean age of (49.4±15.1) years. There were 23 patients in the modified approach group and 32 patients in the classic subxiphoid approach group. The modified approach group had shorter operation time [(129.0±20.5) min vs. (148.9±16.7) min, P<0.001], less intraoperative blood loss [(63.0±16.6) mL vs. (75.0±10.8) mL, P<0.001], shorter postoperative drainage tube removal time [(3.1±0.4) d vs. (3.9±0.6) d, P<0.001] and shorter postoperative hospital stay [(4.2±0.4) d vs. (5.0±0.6) d, P<0.001), and lower proportion of intraoperative cardiac dysfunction [4 (17.4%) vs. 14 (43.8%), P=0.040]. There was no statistical difference in maximum diameter of tumor resected [(4.5±1.7) cm vs. (4.0±0.9) cm, P=0.193] and postoperative drainage volume [(396.4±121.5) mL vs. (399.9±161.3) mL, P=0.932]. There was 1 patient of perioperative collateral injury in the modified approach group (pericardial injury), and 6 patients in the classic subxiphoid approach group (1 patient of diaphragm injury, 1 patient of liver contusion, 4 patients of pericardial injury). There was no statistical difference in pain scores at 24 h, 48 h and 72 h after surgery (P>0.05). The postoperative improvement of MG symptoms in the modified approach group was better than that in the classic subxiphoid approach group at 1 year after surgery (complete stable remission rate: 77.8% vs. 50.0%; effective rate: 100.0% vs. 91.6%). No conversion to open chest surgery occurred in either group, and there were no postoperative rehospitalizations or deaths related to surgery within 30 days after surgery in both groups. Conclusion The modified approach is safe and controllable with more open surgical field and more reliable complete resection range than the classic subxiphoid approach group.

Objective To compare the effects of transurethral plasmakinetic resection of prostate (TUPKRP) and drug therapy on blood pressure and change of blood pressure rhythm in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia complicated with hypertension. Methods A total of 103 patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia in the hospital from June 2021 to June 2023 were retrospectively enrolled as study objects. According to different treatment protocols, they were divided into drug therapy group with 47 cases (treated with telmisartan combined with finasteride) and surgical treatment group with 56 cases (treated with telmisartan combined with TUPKRP). Blood pressure levels (24-hour mean diastolic blood pressure, 24-hour mean systolic blood pressure, daytime mean diastolic blood pressure, daytime mean systolic blood pressure, nighttime mean diastolic blood pressure, nighttime mean systolic blood pressure), change of blood pressure rhythm (dipper blood pressure), prostate symptoms, prostate volume, residual urine volume, and sexual function were compared between the two groups before treatment and at 3 and 6 months after treatment. Results The mean blood pressure at different time points in the surgical treatment group was significantly lower than that in the drug therapy group at 3 and 6 months after treatment (P < 0.05). The conversion rates of dipper blood pressure in the surgical treatment group at 3 and 6 months after treatment were 67.86% and 87.50%, which were significantly higher than 40.42% and 68.09% in the drug therapy group (P < 0.05). International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), residual urine volume, and prostate volume in the surgical treatment group were significantly lower than those in the drug therapy group at 3 and 6 months after treatment (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in sexual function between the two groups before treatment and at 3 and 6 months after treatment (P>0.05). Conclusion Telmisartan combined with TUPKRP can reduce blood pressure levels, regulate change of blood pressure rhythm, improve prostate symptoms, reduce prostate volume, and decrease residual urine volume in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia complicated with hypertension, with minimal impact on sexual function.