BACKGROUND:Nucleus pulposus cell apoptosis is the main pathological basis for intervertebral disc degeneration,and inflammation and peroxidation are important factors leading to apoptosis in the nucleus pulposus.Studies have shown that matrine has antioxidant,senescent,inflammatory and apoptotic effects,and may be a potential drug for the treatment of disc degeneration. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the effect of matrine on apoptosis of nucleus pulposus cells in rats with intervertebral disc degeneration by regulating the cyclic GMP-AMP synthase(cGAS)-stimulator of interferon genes(STING)signaling pathway. METHODS:(1)Nucleus pulposus cells of rats at a logarithmic phase were randomly separated into a control group,a model group,a low-dose matrine group,a high-dose matrine group,an empty group,and a high-dose matrine+cGAS overexpression group.Except for the control group,cell models of intervertebral disc degeneration were established in the other groups through oxygen-glucose deprivation.At the same time of modeling,the low-dose and high-dose groups were treated with 0.4 and 0.8 mmol/L matrine,respectively,and the empty group was transfected with the empty plasmid,while the high-dose+cGAS overexpression group was treated with 0.8 mmol/L matrine with the transfection of the cGAS overexpression plasmid.After 24 hours of treatment,cell activity and apoptosis,intracellular levels of reactive oxygen species,superoxide dismutase,tumor necrosis factor α and interleukin 1β,and intracellular expression of apoptotic proteins and cGAS-STING pathway proteins were detected.(2)Sixty Sprague-Dawley rats were randomized into six groups(n=10 per group):control group,model group,low-dose matrine group,high-dose matrine group,empty group,and high-dose+cGAS overexpression group.After 12 weeks of modeling,60 and 120 mg/kg matrine were given by gavage in the low-dose and high-dose matrine groups,respectively(once a day),and the empty plasmid was injected into the tail vein in the empty group(2 times/week),while the high-dose+cGAS overexpression group was given 120 mg/kg matrine by gavage and injected with cGAS overexpression plasmid to the tail vein.Treatment in each group was given consecutively for 3 weeks.Samples were taken after drug administration and assayed for apoptosis,levels of reactive oxygen species,superoxide dismutase,tumor necrosis factor α and interleukin 1β,as well as apoptotic protein and cGAS-STING pathway protein expression. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Compared with the control group,in the model group,cell activity and superoxide dismutase levels were decreased(P<0.05),and apoptosis rate,levels of reactive oxygen species,tumor necrosis factor α and interleukin 1β,and the expression of cGAS,STING,cleaved caspase-3 and Bax proteins were elevated(P<0.05).Matrine dose-dependently ameliorated the above changes in each index due to cellular modeling(P<0.05),whereas cGAS overexpression partially antagonized the ameliorative effect of high-dose matrine.Similar results to the in vitro cellular experiments were obtained in animal experiments.These results indicate that matrine could inhibit inflammation and oxidative stress by blocking the cGAS-STING signaling,which in turn attenuates apoptosis and elevates the activity of nucleus pulposus cells in rats with intervertebral disc degeneration.

Objective With the focus on emerging infectious diseases and diseases of unknown cause,the study aims to realize multi-point trigger monitoring of infectious diseases through key monitoring sites and key populations.Methods Using ar-tificial intelligence,deep learning,big data and other information technologies to build an intelligent information center for infec-tious diseases with patients'disease files as the core,construct a core capacity of infectious disease surveillance,early warning and situation prediction,and predict and evaluate the importance of infectious disease warning signals.Results The system cov-ered 1 425 primary-level medical institutions,18 hospitals,2 580+schools,4 134 pharmacies,4 laboratories and civil affairs departments,detected 55 kinds of infectious diseases and 6 kinds of syndrome monitoring signals.Since its launch,121 000 ac-tive notification cards have been issued,more than 54 000 new notification cards have been added,35.256 million times of multi-source monitoring and 14.4 million disease files have been recorded.Conclusion By expanding monitoring content and chan-nels,we realized early monitoring,auxiliary investigation and multi-mode visual early warning of infectious diseases,built a multi-point trigger mechanism,and moved forward the infectious disease surveillance.

The plasma matrix is a kind of autologous blood conduct.It has been widely used in maxillofacial tissue regeneration,skin cosmetology and some other fields.Recently,to preserve the dental pulp as well as the teeth,pulp re-generation therapy and apical surgery have become increasingly important as well as the applications of bioactive materi-als.As a kind of autologous bioactive material,the plasma matrix has some natural advantages as it is easy to obtain and malleable.The plasma matrix can be used in the following cases:①pulp revascularization of young permanent teeth with open apical foramina that cannot stimulate apical bleeding;② apical barrier surgery with bone defects and large ar-ea perforation repair with bone defects or root sidewall repair surgery;③ apical surgeries of teeth with large area of api-cal lesions,with or without periodontal diseases.The plasma matrix is a product derived from our blood,and there are no obvious contraindications for its use.Several systematic reviews have shown that the plasma matrix can effectively promote the regenerative repair of dental pulp in patients with periapical diseases.However,the applications of plasma matrix are different because its characteristics are affected by different preparation methods.In addition,there is still a lack of long-term clinical researches on the plasma matrix,and the histological evidences are difficult to obtain,so a large number of in vitro and in vivo experimental studies are still needed.This article will describe the applications of different kinds of plasma matrix for dental pulp regeneration and bone tissue regeneration in apical surgeries to provide references for clinicians in indication selection and prognosis evaluation.

Malignant tumors in children are one of the most important diseases that threaten the health and quality of life of children and are the second most common cause of death in children.With the continuous improvement and progress of treatment technology, the long-term survival rate of children with tumor has been significantly improved, but both the disease itself and the treatment can impair the immune function of children, which makes them vulnerable to various infectious diseases and secondary serious complications, and even become a source of infection, endangering the health of others. Vaccination is the most cost-effective measure to prevent infectious diseases. For children with normal immune functions, the benefits of vaccination usually outweigh the disadvantages. However, there is a lack of detailed data on the vaccination situation, efficacy and safety of vaccine use for such immunocompromised tumor survivors, and there are no authoritative and uniform vaccination recommendations. This article reviewed and summarized the literature and consensus of some domestic and foreign scholars on current status of post-treatment vaccination status, efficacy and safety of vaccination for children with tumors after treatment, with the aim of providing a reference for the practice in this field in China.

Objective:To explore the genetic basis for a Chinese pedigree affected with Fragile X syndrome (FXS) through Nanopore long-read sequencing.Methods:A FXS pedigree who had undergone genetic counseling at the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University in April 2023 was selected as the study subject. Nanopore long-read sequencing, triplet-repeat primed PCR (TP-PCR), methylation-specific multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MS-MLPA) and trinucleotide polymorphism genotyping of androgen receptor (AR) gene were used to analyze the FMR1 CGG repeat number, methylation, and X chromosome inactivation of the pedigree members. This study has been approved by the Medical Ethics Committee of the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University (No. KS-2018-KY-36). Results:Full mutation and CpG island hypermethylation were detected in the proband. The elder sister of the proband had full mutation of the FMR1 gene on one X chromosome and hypermethylation of CpG island, while the FMR1 gene on the other X chromosome was normal. FMR1 premutation was detected in the proband′s mother. Conclusion:Nanopore long-read sequencing can simultaneously detect the dynamic mutation and methylation status of the FMR1 gene on the two X chromosomes of females, which has important value for the diagnosis of FXS in different genders.

OBJECTIVE To study the pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics of semaglutide(Sem)capsules in type 2 diabetic model rats.METHODS Male SD rats were divided into the normal control group,type 2 diabetic model group and model+Sem capsules(0.839,1.678 and 2.517 mg·kg-1)groups.A type 2 diabetic rat model was induced by high sugar and high fat diet feeding combined with ip given streptozotocin(STZ)injection.Seven days after modeling,the model+Sem capsules group was ig given Sem capsules at the corresponding dose in a fasting state,once a day,for 14 d.Body mass,fasting blood glucose(FBG),and glycosylated hemoglobin(HbA1c)levels were regularly mea-sured in each group of rats.Plasma from rats in the model+Sem capsules 0.839,1.678 and 2.517 mg·kg-1 groups at different time points was collected at the end of the continuous administration of Sem capsules,and the content of Sem in the plasma of rats was determined by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.Concentration-time curves were plotted,and the main pharmacokinetic parameters were fitted by the WinNonlin non-atrial model method.RESULTS Compared with the model group,the body mass of rats in model+Sem capsules dosing groups decreased significantly after 7 and 14 d of Sem capsules intervention(P<0.05,P<0.01),so did FBG(P<0.01)and the HbA1c level(P<0.01).Meanwhile,FBG and HbA1c levels of rats in model+Sem capsules 1.678 and 2.517 mg·kg-1 groups were not significantly different from those of the normal control group after 14 d of Sem capsules intervention,suggesting that FBG and HbA1c levels were basically restored to normal.Phar-macokinetic results showed that the elimination half-life(t1/2)of Sem in plasma after ig administration of Sem capsules 0.839,1.678,and 2.517 mg·kg-1 for 14 d in rats was 7.40±1.34,7.48±0.33 and(8.23±0.90)h,respectively,the peak concentration(Cmax)was 18±9,81±23 and(256±53)μg·L-1,time to peak(Tmax)was 0.06±0.13,1.56±0.88,(1.50±1.00)h,respectively,the area under the curve(AUC0-t)was 158±76 μg·h·L-1,858±310 and(3795±1539)μg·h·L-1,and the accumulation index was 1.12±0.05,1.12±0.01 and 1.15±0.04,respectively.CONCLUSION Sem capsules ig administrated can effectively reduce body mass,FBG and HbA1c levels in type 2 diabetic model rats,and lead to glucose reduction and by mass loss.After 14 d of continuous administration of Sem capsules,there is no accu-mulation of semaglutide in rats in the dose range of 0.839-2.517 mg·kg-1,and the exposure increases with the dose.

Objective: To investigate the association of primary tumor site with prognosis in vulvar cancer, stratified by vulvar squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and non-SCC histological types. Methods: This population-based retrospective study enrolled patients with vulvar cancer from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database between January 2000 and December 2018. The primary outcome was cancer-specific survival (CSS). The prognostic difference between labium majus, labium minus and clitoris groups was investigated using Kaplan–Meier analyses and Cox proportional hazards regression analyses. Results: A total of 3,465 eligible patients with vulvar cancer were included with a mean age of 54.5 years. Among the 1,076 (31.1%) patients with non-SCC, the multivariate Cox regression analyses showed that labium minus-sited disease (hazard ratio [HR]=1.85; 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.27–2.71; p=0.001) and clitoris-sited disease (HR=2.37; 95% CI=1.47–3.85;p<0.001) were significantly associated with worse CSS, compared with labium majus-sited disease. However, among the 2,389 (68.9%) patients with SCC, no significant association of primary tumor site with CSS was found (p>0.05). Kaplan–Meier analyses also showed that the primary tumor site had a significant prognostic effect in vulvar non-SCC (p<0.001) but not in vulvar SCC (p=0.330). Conclusion Among vulvar non-SCC, patients with labium minus-sited disease had a significantly worse prognosis than those with labium majus-sited disease, and a significantly better prognosis than those with clitoris-sited disease. Gynecologic oncologists should consider the prognostic effect of primary tumor site in vulvar non-SCC, and make optimal, personalized treatment and surveillance strategies based on different primary tumor sites.

Objective: To investigate the association of primary tumor site with prognosis in vulvar cancer, stratified by vulvar squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and non-SCC histological types. Methods: This population-based retrospective study enrolled patients with vulvar cancer from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database between January 2000 and December 2018. The primary outcome was cancer-specific survival (CSS). The prognostic difference between labium majus, labium minus and clitoris groups was investigated using Kaplan–Meier analyses and Cox proportional hazards regression analyses. Results: A total of 3,465 eligible patients with vulvar cancer were included with a mean age of 54.5 years. Among the 1,076 (31.1%) patients with non-SCC, the multivariate Cox regression analyses showed that labium minus-sited disease (hazard ratio [HR]=1.85; 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.27–2.71; p=0.001) and clitoris-sited disease (HR=2.37; 95% CI=1.47–3.85;p<0.001) were significantly associated with worse CSS, compared with labium majus-sited disease. However, among the 2,389 (68.9%) patients with SCC, no significant association of primary tumor site with CSS was found (p>0.05). Kaplan–Meier analyses also showed that the primary tumor site had a significant prognostic effect in vulvar non-SCC (p<0.001) but not in vulvar SCC (p=0.330). Conclusion Among vulvar non-SCC, patients with labium minus-sited disease had a significantly worse prognosis than those with labium majus-sited disease, and a significantly better prognosis than those with clitoris-sited disease. Gynecologic oncologists should consider the prognostic effect of primary tumor site in vulvar non-SCC, and make optimal, personalized treatment and surveillance strategies based on different primary tumor sites.

Objective: To investigate the association of primary tumor site with prognosis in vulvar cancer, stratified by vulvar squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and non-SCC histological types. Methods: This population-based retrospective study enrolled patients with vulvar cancer from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database between January 2000 and December 2018. The primary outcome was cancer-specific survival (CSS). The prognostic difference between labium majus, labium minus and clitoris groups was investigated using Kaplan–Meier analyses and Cox proportional hazards regression analyses. Results: A total of 3,465 eligible patients with vulvar cancer were included with a mean age of 54.5 years. Among the 1,076 (31.1%) patients with non-SCC, the multivariate Cox regression analyses showed that labium minus-sited disease (hazard ratio [HR]=1.85; 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.27–2.71; p=0.001) and clitoris-sited disease (HR=2.37; 95% CI=1.47–3.85;p<0.001) were significantly associated with worse CSS, compared with labium majus-sited disease. However, among the 2,389 (68.9%) patients with SCC, no significant association of primary tumor site with CSS was found (p>0.05). Kaplan–Meier analyses also showed that the primary tumor site had a significant prognostic effect in vulvar non-SCC (p<0.001) but not in vulvar SCC (p=0.330). Conclusion Among vulvar non-SCC, patients with labium minus-sited disease had a significantly worse prognosis than those with labium majus-sited disease, and a significantly better prognosis than those with clitoris-sited disease. Gynecologic oncologists should consider the prognostic effect of primary tumor site in vulvar non-SCC, and make optimal, personalized treatment and surveillance strategies based on different primary tumor sites.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the genetic etiology for a Chinese pedigree affected with Meckel syndrome. METHODS: A pedigree with a history of three consecutive adverse pregnancies which presented at the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University on August 31, 2017 was selected as the study subject. Clinical data of the pedigree were collected. High-throughput sequencing was carried out to screen for variants of ciliopathy-related genes in the third fetus following induced abortion, and candidate variant was verified by Sanger sequencing. RESULTS: The first pregnancy of the couple had ended as spontaneous abortion, whilst the fetus of the second pregnancy was suspected for having ciliopathy, though no genetic testing was carried out following elected abortion. The fetus of the third pregnancy was suspected for having ciliopathy, and high-throughput sequencing and Sanger sequencing had shown that the fetus had harbored compound heterozygous variants of the TMEM67 gene, including c.978+1G>A from the father and c.1288G>C (p.D430H) from the mother. Based on the guidelines from the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG), the c.978+1G>A was classified as a pathogenic variant (PVS1+PM2_Supporting+PP5), whilst the newly discovered c.1288G>C (p.D430H) was classified as a likely pathogenic variant (PM2_Supporting+PM3+PM5+PP3). CONCLUSION The c.978+1G>A and c.1288G>C (p.D430H) compound heterozygous variants of the TMEM67 gene probably underlay the three consecutive adverse pregnancies suspected for ciliopathy in this pedigree. The discovery of c.1288G>C (p.D430H) has also expanded the mutational spectrum of the TMEM67 gene.
Female ; Pregnancy ; Humans ; Pedigree ; East Asian People ; Ciliary Motility Disorders/genetics* ; Ciliopathies ; Abortion, Spontaneous ; Membrane Proteins/genetics*