ObjectiveAutoimmune thyroiditis （AIT） is a complex and immune-mediated disorder， with no established treatment protocol. Both Western and traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） focus on the pathogenesis and treatment of AIT. This study evaluated the clinical consistency of existing AIT animal models based on the diagnostic criteria of both Western and TCM， using a novel evaluation method. Additionally， it proposed recommendations and future prospects for improving these models. MethodsA comprehensive literature review was conducted on existing AIT animal models， using databases and the diagnostic criteria of both Western and TCM. Core and accompanying symptoms of these models were scored based on the diagnostic criteria of both Western and TCM， and clinical consistency was assessed. ResultsMice are the primary experimental animals used in AIT modeling. Modeling methods include vaccine immunization， iodine induction， heterologous thyroid antigen immunization， and a combination of high iodine water and antigen immunization. The average consistency of clinical syndromes based on TCM and Western medicine is 40%， 60%， 54%， and 63%， with the highest consistency observed in the combined high iodine water and antigen immunization model. Pathological models based on TCM are less common， with the liver-stagnation-spleen-deficiency rat model showing high clinical consistency. While most models are designed according to Western medical theory， meeting the surface and structural effectiveness criteria of Western medicine. However， there is a lack of fine-tuning and clear differentiation of TCM syndromes. ConclusionCurrent AIT syndrome-disease combination animal models primarily reflect the pathological features of Western medicine， with limited integration of TCM syndromes. Future research should aim to combine the syndrome characteristics of TCM with the pathological features of Western medicine， creating multi-factor and dynamic syndrome-disease models. Such models would better facilitate an experimental platform that conforms to the theories of TCM， providing more comprehensive support and guidance for the pathogenesis and treatment strategies of AIT.

BACKGROUND:For the patients who have undergone unicompartmental knee arthroplasty,although the surgical effect is clear,there is still a lack of effective quantitative evaluation tools,and it is necessary to further explore the early postoperative gait and stability changes. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the changes in gait and stability before and after unicompartmental knee arthroplasty. METHODS:From May 2021 to May 2022,30 patients aged(63.80±9.31)years who planned to perform unilateral unicompartmental knee arthroplasty in the Department of Joint Surgery,Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University were selected as the unicompartmental knee arthroplasty group.15 healthy elderly patients aged(61.28±8.60)years without a history of hip and knee pain and hip and knee joint dysfunction were recruited as the control group.Hospital for special surgery scores,stability parameters(center of pressure path length,95%confidence ellipse area)and gait parameters(pace,stride length,stride frequency,gait cycle,and the proportion of single support period)were recorded and compared in the control group and unicompartmental knee arthroplasty group before operation,1 and 3 months after operation. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)There was no significant difference in the step frequency between the patients 1 month after operation and those before operation in the unicompartmental knee arthroplasty group(P＞0.05).The stability of 1 month after operation was worse than that before operation,and other parameters of 1 month after operation were better than those before operation,and the difference was statistically significant(P＜0.05).(2)Hospital for special surgery score,gait and stability parameters at 3 months after operation were better than those before operation(P＜0.05).(3)Compared with the control group,the pace,stride length,stride frequency,and the proportion of single support period of the unicompartmental knee arthroplasty group were significantly lower before and 3 months after operation.Center of pressure path length,95%confidence ellipse area and gait cycle were greater in the unicompartmental knee arthroplasty group than those in the control group,with statistically significant differences(P＜0.05).(4)It is indicated that gait analysis is an effective means to quantitatively evaluate the rehabilitation status after unicompartmental knee arthroplasty.The early gait recovery after unicompartmental knee arthroplasty is good,but the gait frequency improvement is not obvious and the stability is poor 1 month after the operation.

Cardiomyopathy, Dilated/metabolism* ; Humans ; Microfilament Proteins/metabolism* ; Models, Cardiovascular ; Mutation ; Myocytes, Cardiac ; Pluripotent Stem Cells/metabolism* ; Transcription Factors/metabolism* ; Troponin T/metabolism*

The metastasis in which the cancer cells degrade the extracellular matrix (ECM) and invade to the sur-rounding and far tissues of the body is the leading cause of mortality in cancer patients. With a lot of advancement in the field, yet the biological cause of metastasis are poorly understood. The microfluidic system provides advanced technology to reconstruct a variety of in vivo-like environment for studying the interactions between tumor cells (TCs) and endothelial cells (ECs). This review gives a brief account of both two-dimensional models and three-dimensional microfluidic systems for the analysis of TCs-ECs co-culture as well as their applications to anti-cancer drug screening. Furthermore, the advanced methods for analyzing cell-to-cell interactions at single-cell level were also discussed.

Mesp family proteins comprise two members named mesodermal posterior 1 (Mesp1) and mesodermal posterior 2 (Mesp2). Both Mesp1 and Mesp2 are transcription factors and they share an almost identical basic helix-loop-helix motif. They have been shown to play critical regulating roles in mammalian heart and somite development. Mesp1 sits in the core of the complicated regulatory network for generation of cardiovascular progenitors while Mesp2 is central for somitogenesis. Here we summarize the similarities and differences in their molecular functions during mammalian early mesodermal development and discuss possible future research directions for further study of the functions of Mesp1 and Mesp2. A comprehensive knowledge of molecular functions of Mesp family proteins will eventually help us better understand mammalian heart development and somitogenesis as well as improve the production of specific cell types from pluripotent stem cells for future regenerative therapies.
Amino Acid Sequence ; Animals ; Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Transcription Factors ; genetics ; Cell Differentiation ; genetics ; Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental ; Mesoderm ; embryology ; metabolism ; Mice, Knockout ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Pluripotent Stem Cells ; metabolism ; Sequence Homology, Amino Acid

[ ABSTRACT] AIM:To determine the role of transcription factor Bach1 in the functions of human microvascular en-dothelial cells ( HMVECs ) .METHODS: Bach1 siRNA was transfected into HMVECs to knock down the expression of Bach1.In vitro endothelial cell tube formation assay in Matrigel culture was used as a surrogate assay for angiogenic poten-tial.Migration of HMVECs was determined by using Transwell chambers.Cell proliferation was measured by CCK-8 assay. Real-time PCR, Western blotting, and ELISA were employed to determine mRNA expression and protein level.Reporter as-say was performed to determine vascular endothelial growth factor ( VEGF) transcriptional activity.RESULTS:Knockdown of Bach1 expression in HMVECs led to an increase in the tube formation and increased endothelial cell migration ability, whereas it has little effect on cell proliferation.Bach1 silencing increased the mRNA and protein expression of heme oxygen-ase-1 (HO-1), and enhanced VEGF transcriptional activation, and mRNA and protein expression.CONCLUSION:Bach1 silencing increases HO-1 and VEGF expression, thus promoting the cell migration and tube formation of HMVECs, indicating that Bach1 is a repressor for angiogenesis.

Objective Ti explire the impact if respiratiry functiin if balliin-bliwing mide training in preiperative respiratiry functiin in patients undergiing cardiac surgery.Methods 105 patients undergiing cardiac surgery were selected ti measure respiratiry frequency,ixyhe-miglibin saturatiin,arterial partial pressure if ixygen and pulminary functiin(mainly minitiring vital capacity and maximum expiratiry fliw)befire and after bliwing the balliins.Results The difference was statistically significant accirding ti the indexes if respiratiry frequency,ixyhe-miglibin saturatiin,arterial partial pressure if ixygen and pulminary functiin befire and after the training(P <0.05).Conclusion The training if bliwing balliins is simple and effective way ti imprive respiratiry functiins,enhance tilerance if the surgery and reduce risks during preipera-tive periid in patients undergiing cardiac surgery.

Objective Ti explire the impact if respiratiry functiin if balliin-bliwing mide training in preiperative respiratiry functiin in patients undergiing cardiac surgery.Methods 105 patients undergiing cardiac surgery were selected ti measure respiratiry frequency,ixyhe-miglibin saturatiin,arterial partial pressure if ixygen and pulminary functiin(mainly minitiring vital capacity and maximum expiratiry fliw)befire and after bliwing the balliins.Results The difference was statistically significant accirding ti the indexes if respiratiry frequency,ixyhe-miglibin saturatiin,arterial partial pressure if ixygen and pulminary functiin befire and after the training(P <0.05).Conclusion The training if bliwing balliins is simple and effective way ti imprive respiratiry functiins,enhance tilerance if the surgery and reduce risks during preipera-tive periid in patients undergiing cardiac surgery.

Objective To investigate the role and mechanism of low-dose aspirin concurrent with IFN-a in inducing hepatocellular carcinoma apoptosis in BEL-7402 cells. Methods BEL-7402 cells were cultured and treated with IFN-α,or low dose aspirin or both.MTT and flow cytometry were used to measure the cell proliferation and apoptosis after treatment with a singular drug or the combined regiment.The expressions of the apoptosis-related proteins were detected by Western blot.Results MTT assay revealed after IFN α administration alone or combined with aspirin treatment for 48 h,the proliferation ratio of the IFN-α or aspirin group were 82.45％ ± 1.71％ and 83.22％ ±2.26 ％,compared with the control group.The group which received the combined therapy had a proliferation ratio of 69.84 ％ ±1.18 ％,which was significantly lower than the single groups (P＜0.05).The flow cytometry revealed that the apoptosis ratio in IFN-α group and aspirin group were 14.78 ％ ±1.93％ and 14.00％±0.61％,respectively,while the IFN-α + aspirin group was 21.68％±1.28％,which was also significantly higher than that of the single groups (P＜0.05).Western blot detected that IFN-α and aspirin (1 mmol/L) could promote caspase-3 and caspase-9 protein expressions,and when the two drugs were combined,caspase-3 and caspase-9 were also significantly activated.IFN-α alone or combined with aspirin can promote the expression of pro-apoptotic protein Bax (P＜0.05),while the anti-apoptotic proteins expression of Bcl-2 and Bcl-xl did not change significantly (P＞0.05).Conclusions Low-dose aspirin can cooperate with IFN-α in inhibiting the BEL-7402 cell growth and inducing the cell apoptosis by activating and increasing caspase-3 and caspase-9 levels,which may be related to the increased expression of pro-apoptotic protein Bax.

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the quality of life in patients who underwent laparoscopic and open cholecystectomy for chronic cholecystolithiasis.

METHODSA prospective survey was made on 25 patients receiving laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC group) and 26 patients receiving open cholecystectomy (OC group). The quality of life was measured with the gastrointestinal quality of life index (GLQI) preoperatively, and at 2, 5, 10 and 16 weeks after the operation.

RESULTSThe mean preoperative GLQI scores of all dimensions of the quality of life were 112.5 and 110.3 in the LC and OC groups respectively. In the LC group, the quality of life was not considerably reduced at 2 weeks after operation, with a mean GLQI score of 110. There was a significant improvement both in total mean score and in the aspects of symptomatology, emotional and physiological status from 5 to 16 weeks after LC operation. In the OC group, the GLQI score reduced to 102.0 at 2 weeks after surgery (P < 0.05). There were significant reductions in the aspects of symptomatology, physiological and social status as well. The GLQI scores reached to the preoperative level of 115.6 at 10 weeks after the operation (P > 0.05). The patients experienced significant improvements of GLQI at 16 weeks after OC operation (P < 0.01 or P < 0.05). The LC group showed better GLQI scores than did the OC group for up to 10 weeks postoperatively (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSLC is betler or more rapidly than OC is improving the quality of life postoperatively. The assessment of the quality of life is valuable for measuring the outcome of surgical treatment.

Adult ; Cholecystectomy ; psychology ; Cholecystectomy, Laparoscopic ; psychology ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prospective Studies ; Quality of Life