Objective To detect the levels of anti-soluble liver antigen(anti-SLA)antibodies in the serum of patients with autoim-mune hepatitis(AIH)and analyze their value in liver injury.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on 33 AIH patients with anti-SLA antibody-positive and 33 age-and sex-matched anti-SLA antibody-negative AIH cases diagnosed at Nanjing Second Hos-pital from January 2017 to April 2024.The general and clinical data of the patients were collected along with the detection of anti-SLA antibody(by protein immunoblotting),anti-nuclear antibodies(by indirect immunofluorescence)and other autoimmune liver disease-related autoantibodies,the biochemical parameters,e.g.,total bilirubin(T-Bil),alanine aminotransferase(ALT),aspartate amin-otransferase(AST),gamma-glutamyl transferase(GGT),alkaline phosphatase(ALP),and the level of immunoglobulin IgG.The clinical characteristics,laboratory parameters,and liver histopathological features of the patients were analyzed and compared.Results There were no statistically significant differences were observed in gender,age,autoimmune liver disease-related antibodies(such as antinuclear antibody,anti-smooth muscle antibody,etc.)and liver function parameters(AST,ALT,GGT and ALP),between the two groups of patients(P＞0.05).However,in the patients with positive anti-SLA antibodies,the levels of T-Bil and IgG in serum were significantly higher than those of the negative group with both P value less than 0.05(P values of 0.017 and 0.048,respectively).The pathological examination for liver tissue revealed that the proportion of the patients with lymphocyte-plasma cell infiltration in anti-SLA-positive group was significantly higher than that in anti-SLA-negative group(χ2=4.243,P＜0.05),suggesting more active immune re-sponse.Conclusion The detection of anti-SLA antibodies levels in the serum of AIH patients may reflect the extent of liver injury,and should have the potential for assisting diagnosis and monitoring the disease condition.

The perception of motion is an important function of vision. Neural wiring diagrams for extracting directional information have been obtained by connectome reconstruction. Direction selectivity in Drosophila is thought to originate in T4/T5 neurons through integrating inputs with different temporal filtering properties. Through genetic screening based on synaptic distribution, we isolated a new type of TmY neuron, termed TmY-ds, that form reciprocal synaptic connections with T4/T5 neurons. Its neurites responded to grating motion along the four cardinal directions and showed a variety of direction selectivity. Intriguingly, its direction selectivity originated from temporal filtering neurons rather than T4/T5. Genetic silencing and activation experiments showed that TmY-ds neurons are functionally upstream of T4/T5. Our results suggest that direction selectivity is generated in a tripartite circuit formed among these three neurons-temporal filtering, TmY-ds, and T4/T5 neurons, in which TmY-ds plays a role in the enhancement of direction selectivity in T4/T5 neurons.
Animals ; Neurites ; Drosophila ; Neurons ; Connectome

Pulmonary fibrosis (PF) is the pathological structure of incurable fibroproliferative lung diseases that are attributed to the repeated lung injury-caused failure of lung alveolar regeneration (LAR). Here, we report that repetitive lung damage results in a progressive accumulation of the transcriptional repressor SLUG in alveolar epithelial type II cells (AEC2s). The abnormal increased SLUG inhibits AEC2s from self-renewal and differentiation into alveolar epithelial type I cells (AEC1s). We found that the elevated SLUG represses the expression of the phosphate transporter SLC34A2 in AEC2s, which reduces intracellular phosphate and represses the phosphorylation of JNK and P38 MAPK, two critical kinases supporting LAR, leading to LAR failure. TRIB3, a stress sensor, interacts with the E3 ligase MDM2 to suppress SLUG degradation in AEC2s by impeding MDM2-catalyzed SLUG ubiquitination. Targeting SLUG degradation by disturbing the TRIB3/MDM2 interaction using a new synthetic staple peptide restores LAR capacity and exhibits potent therapeutic efficacy against experimental PF. Our study reveals a mechanism of the TRIB3-MDM2-SLUG-SLC34A2 axis causing the LAR failure in PF, which confers a potential strategy for treating patients with fibroproliferative lung diseases.

The cell cycle inhibitor P21 has been implicated in cell senescence and plays an important role in the injury-repair process following lung injury. Pulmonary fibrosis (PF) is a fibrotic lung disorder characterized by cell senescence in lung alveolar epithelial cells. In this study, we report that P21 expression was increased in alveolar epithelial type 2 cells (AEC2s) in a time-dependent manner following multiple bleomycin-induced PF. Repeated injury of AEC2s resulted in telomere shortening and triggered P21-dependent cell senescence. AEC2s with elevated expression of P21 lost their self-renewal and differentiation abilities. In particular, elevated P21 not only induced cell cycle arrest in AEC2s but also bound to P300 and β-catenin and inhibited AEC2 differentiation by disturbing the P300-β-catenin interaction. Meanwhile, senescent AEC2s triggered myofibroblast activation by releasing profibrotic cytokines. Knockdown of P21 restored AEC2-mediated lung alveolar regeneration in mice with chronic PF. The results of our study reveal a mechanism of P21-mediated lung regeneration failure during PF development, which suggests a potential strategy for the treatment of fibrotic lung diseases.

Pulmonary fibrosis (PF) is a chronic, progressive, fatal interstitial lung disease with limited available therapeutic strategies. We recently reported that the protein kinase glycogen synthase kinase-3

Objective To explore the overall relationship between social support and mental health among Chinese nurses and analyze potential moderators and provide a theoretical basis for improving nurses' mental health level. Methods The CNKI database, CQVIP, WAN-FANG DATA and China Outstanding Dissertations Database were searched for literature, in which the social support rating scale (SSRS, measured social support) and self-rating symptom scale (SCL-90, measured mental health) was used to investigate the correlation of social support and mental health in Chinese nurses. A total of 25 articles (including 25 independent samples, 4747 nurses) met the inclusion criteria and were analyzed by meta-analysis and meta-regression. Results The overall mean effect size calculation showed a significant negative correlation between social support and depression among Chinese nurses ( r=-0.17, 95% CI=-0. 24~-0.09, p<0.01). In the following analysis, the objective support, compared with subjective support and utilization degree, was more strongly correlated with SCL-90 (r =-0.20,-0.15,-0.13, Q =13.45, p < 0.01). In addition, the relationship could be influenced by factors such as age, publishing type, publishing age and region. Conclusions The social support is closely related to mental health in Chinese nurses, and the relationship could be influenced by the related factors. At the same time, the relationship between objective support and mental health is more closely related than subjective support and support utilization.

Objective:To investigate the clinical significance of dynamic analysis of plasma brain natriuretic peptide in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy with chronic heart failure.Methods:Ninety patients with dilated cardiomyopathy with chronic heart failure admitted into our hospital firom March 2012 to March 2016 were divided into group A (20 cases),group B (38 cases),and group C (32 cases) according to the NYHA grading.The plasma BNP levels and LVEF,LA,LVEDD,and LVESD in the three groups were detected and compared.The correlation of plasma BNP and cardiac function and ultrasonic cardiogram indexes were analyzed.And the capability of plasma BNP and LVEF in diagnosis of patients were analyzed and compared.Results:The plasma BNP level in group C was markedly higher than that of group A and group B (P＜0.05),and that in group B was much higher than that of group A (P＜0.05).And LA in group C was significantly higher than that of group A (P＜0.05),while differences in LVEF,LVEDD,and LVESD were not obvious (P＞0.05).The plasma BNP was positively correlated to NYHA grading,but had no significant correlation with the LVEF,LVEDD,LVESD,and LA (P＞0.05).Based on results of receiver operating characteristic curve analysis,plasma BNP =523.5 pg/mL was the threshold value for identification of patients with NYHA Ⅲ and Ⅳ (AUC=0.901,P＜0.001),while LVEF had not the capability (AUC=0.392,P=0.276).Conclusion:Detection of plasma BNP level had important clinical significance on diagnosis,screening and cardiac functional grading of patients with dilated cardiomyopathy with chronic heart failure.

Objective    To investigate the efficacy of Docetaxel injection and Capecitabine tablets combined with Oxaliplatin injection in chemotherapy for patients after esophageal cancer surgery. Methods    We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 101 patients with esophageal cancer who underwent radical surgery from June 2010 to December 2012, including 58 males and 43 females. According to the different treatment methods they were divided into a study group (58 patients, 32 males and 26 females, postoperatively receiving Docetaxel injection, Capecitabine tablets, Oxaliplatin injection and chemotherapy) and a control group (43 patients, 26 males and 17 females, taking Docetaxel injection and Capecitabine tablets for 4 consecutive courses). We compared the difference in the outcomes between the two groups. Results    There was no significant difference in the level of serum anticancer antigen (CEA), carbohydrate antigen 125 (CA125), carbohydrate antigen 199 (CA199) and squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SCC) before chemotherapy between two groups (P>0.05). After chemotherapy, the level of serum CEA, CA125, CA199, SCC in the study group was significantly lower than that in the control group (P<0.05). The 1-year survival rate of the study group was 92.59% and the 2-year survival rate was 70.37%, which were not significantly different from those of the control group  (P>0.05). The 3-year survival rate of the study group was significantly higher than that of the control group (57.41 % vs. 32.43%, P<0.05). The mean survival time of the study group was longer than that of the control group (31 months vs. 22 months, P=0.001). Conclusion    Docetaxel injection and Capecitabine tablets combined with Oxaliplatin injection for the treatment of esophageal cancer surgery can significantly reduce levels of tumor markers in serum after esophageal cancer surgery, and is favorable for the long-term survival of patients, but adverse reactions should be noted.

BACKGROUND:Overweight and obesity can lead to a disorder of sex hormone in men. The increase in female hormone levels may inhibit the synthesis and secretion of male hormone, increase fat accumulation and form a vicious circle. Exercise can effectively reduce body fat. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of different exercise loads on sex hormone and the quality of sperm in obese male mice. METHODS: Weanling male C57BL/6J mice were divided into normal control group and obesity group. Mice in the obesity group were given high fat diet for 10 weeks to establish mouse model of obesity. The amount of food and water was recorded daily. Body weight was weighed once every week. After model induction, models were assigned to obesity moderate load exercise group and obesity high load exercise group. These models did exercises for 8 weeks. Body length was measured. Body weight, abdominal fat, testis, epididymis and seminal vesicle were weighed. Sperm activity and motility were observed by the sperm counting method in the epididymis tail. Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay was used to measure serum progesterone, folicle stimulating hormone, testosterone and estradiol. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Compared with the normal control group, body weight, abdominal fat weight, and lee’s index were increased (P < 0.01); the coefficient of testis and seminal vesicle were significantly decreased (P < 0.01); serum levels of luteinizing hormone, folicle stimulating hormone and testosterone were significantly decreased and estradiol level was significantly increased (P< 0.05); sperm count and activity were significantly decreased in the obesity group (P < 0.01). Compared with the obesity group, body weight, abdominal fat weight and lee’s index were significantly decreased (P < 0.05 orP < 0.01); the coefficient of testis and seminal vesicle were significantly increased in the obesity moderate load exercise group and obesity high load exercise group (P < 0.05 orP < 0.01). Serum luteinizing hormone, folicle stimulating hormone and testosterone levels were significantly increased (P < 0.05 orP < 0.01); estradiol levels were significantly decreased (P < 0.05); sperm count and activity were significantly increased (P < 0.01,P < 0.05) in the obesity moderate load exercise group. Compared with the obesity moderate load exercise group, abdominal fat weight and lee’s index were significantly reduced (P < 0.05); serum luteinizing hormone, folicle stimulating hormone, testosterone, sperm count and activity were decreased in the obesity high load exercise group (P < 0.01). These results indicate that long-term high fat diet leads to early obesity in males, inhibits the development of the reproductive gland and reproductive organs, and causes the decrease of the level of male hormone and sperm quality. Long-term moderate load exercise effectively reduces body fat, improves the inhibitory effect on male reproductive organs and glands, and relieves the negative effect of obesity on reproductive function. The effect of long-term large load exercise on reducing body fat is better than medium load exercise, but it has little effect on improving the level of male hormone in obese mice or on relieving the negative effect of obesity on reproductive function, even has a tendency to aggravate.

Objective To investigate the principal indicators of self-care ability in activities of daily living for the persons with physical disability. Methods Persons with physical disability were asked to select the top 3 items out of 27 items of activities of daily living in 3 levels. Results A total of 1960 questionnaires were send out, and 1862 were returned. For all the subjects, the items related with personal hygiene, such as toileting, self-cleaning and bathing, were selected 899 times (16.1%). The items related with personal health, as visiting community clinics and community exercising, were selected 570 times (10.2%). The items related with social interaction, as making a telephone and chatting, were selected 500 times (9.0%). For the persons with physical disability of first grade, the major items most selected were eating, entertaining, self-cleaning and transferring; and self-cleaning and housework for those of second grade; self-cleaning, community activities and housework for those of third grade; and community and interaction for those of fourth grade. Conclusion The persons with physical disability mostly focused on the activities related with personal hygiene, health and social interaction, and varied with the severity of disability, from self-cleaning to housework and social participation.