BACKGROUND:Traditional methods of urinary tract reconstruction are limited by donor scarcity,high complication rates,and suboptimal functional recovery.Tissue engineering strategies offer new directions in this field.Since the urinary tract is mainly composed of muscle tissue,the key is to find suitable seed cells and efficiently induce them to differentiate into smooth muscle cells.Comparative studies on the efficacy of different smooth muscle cell induction regimens are still lacking. OBJECTIVE:To isolate,culture,and identify human urine-derived stem cells,and to compare the effects of two different induction protocols. METHODS:Human urine-derived stem cells were isolated from urine samples of 11 healthy adult volunteers by multiple centrifugations.Surface markers were identified by flow cytometry.The multi-directional differentiation potential of human urine-derived stem cells was verified through osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation.Differentiation was induced by transforming growth factor-β1 or transforming growth factor-β1 combined with platelet derived growth factor for 14 days.Immunofluorescence staining and western blot assay were employed to compare the expression differences of smooth muscle-specific proteins(α-SMA and SM22). RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)Urine-derived stem cells were successfully isolated from the eight urine samples of healthy people.These cells exhibit a"rice grain"-like morphology and possess a robust proliferative capacity.(2)Urine-derived stem cells exhibited high expression of mesenchymal stem cell surface markers(CD73,CD90,and CD44)and extremely low expression of hematopoietic stem cell surface markers(CD34 and CD45).These cells did not express CD19,CD105,and HLA-DR.(3)After osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation,the formation of calcium nodules and lipid droplets was observed,with positive staining results from Alizarin Red S and Oil Red O staining.(4)After 14 days of smooth muscle induction culture,immunofluorescence staining revealed that the smooth muscle differentiation rate of urine-derived stem cells treated with a combination of transforming growth factor-β1 and platelet derived growth factor was significantly higher compared to those treated with transforming growth factor-β1 alone(P<0.005).(5)After 14 days of smooth muscle induction culture,western blot assay further demonstrated that the expression levels of α-SMA and SM22 in the transforming growth factor-β1/platelet derived growth factor group were significantly elevated compared to those in the transforming growth factor-β1 only group(P<0.005).These findings confirm that urine-derived stem cells can be non-invasively isolated using multiple rounds of centrifugation.Compared with transforming growth factor-β1 alone,the combination of transforming growth factor-β1 and platelet derived growth factor can improve the efficiency of inducing urine-derived stem cells to differentiate into smooth muscle cells.

Objective To understand the situation of dental cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) quality control testing phantoms in radiation health technical service institutions in Guangdong province, analyze the differences among different phantoms, and provide a reference for dental CBCT quality control testing. Methods The testing phantoms of 49 radiation health technical service institutions were used as the research objects. The designated CBCT equipment was used for scanning and imaging. The Z-score method was used to evaluate the high-contrast resolution, low-contrast resolution, and distance measurement deviation of each phantom. Results The satisfaction rates of various items for the phantoms in 49 institutions ranged from 85.7% to 100%. The distance measurement deviations of four institutions were “suspicious”, and the high-contrast resolution of four institutions and the distance measurement deviation of one institution were “unsatisfactory”. Conclusion The overall performance of dental CBCT quality control testing phantoms in radiological health technical service institutions in Guangdong province is satisfactory. However, there are still some phantoms with poor results in items such as distance measurement deviation and high-contrast resolution. The structural design, material selection, and manufacturing process of the phantom may all affect the results of quality control testing. Therefore, appropriate phantoms, optimized exposure conditions, and suitable reconstruction algorithms should be used in CBCT quality control testing to ensure accurate and reliable measurements.

Objective To analyze bedside radiation dose rates for interventional surgery operators in Guangdong Province, examine dose distribution patterns, and identify potential weaknesses in radiation protection, and to provide guidance for optimizing radiation monitoring and protection measures. Methods A total of 209 digital subtraction angiography devices measured in Guangdong Province between 2017 and 2024 were used as the research objects. The first and second operator positions were set at 30 cm and 90 cm horizontally from the X-ray tube focal point, respectively. Monitoring points were set up at 155, 125, 105, 80, and 20 cm above the ground. Results The median bedside radiation dose rate for interventional surgery operators in Guangdong Province was 83.0 (3.9, 1044.0) μSv/h, indicating instances of exceeding standard limits. The overall dose rates under the old and new standards were 29.8 (3.9-346.5) μSv/h and 114.0 (4.0-1044.0) μSv/h respectively. Results for both standards showed a higher dose rate at the second than the first operator position. The dose rates at the heights of 105 cm (abdomen), 125 cm (chest), and 155 cm (head) were higher in the second operator position than in the first operator position. Additionally, 71.5% and 56.8% of the highest dose rate points under the new and old standards, respectively, were concentrated at 105 cm (abdomen), 125 cm (chest) and 155 cm (head) in the second operator position. Conclusion The principle of protection optimization should be followed, auxiliary protective facilities should be placed correctly, and attention should be paid to the protection of the second surgery operator position, especially above the abdomen. The dose rate results under the new standard were lower than those under the old standard, suggesting that the measurement method may overestimate radiation exposure at the secondary operator position.

Objective: To investigate the status and influencing factors of platelet bacterial contamination in China, and to provide theoretical support for relevant policies in blood collection and transfusion institutions. Methods: A meta-analysis by systematically searching studies on platelet bacterial contamination in China published between 1998 and 2023 was conducted. Data analysis was performed using R4.4 software to combine studies that met the inclusion criteria. Results: Twenty-three studies were included after screening. The combined analysis showed that the overall contamination rate of platelets in China was 0.18% (95% CI: 0.12%-0.24%). The contamination rate of manually condensed platelets was significantly higher than that of apheresis platelet concentrates (0.28% vs 0.17%, P<0.01). No significant difference in platelet contamination rates was found between eastern and central regions (0.21% vs 0.15%, P>0.01). The contamination rate of aerobic bacteria was higher than that of anaerobic bacteria (0.11% vs 0.06%, P<0.01). Publication bias analysis indicated robust results, and sensitivity analysis showed minimal impact of excluding individual studies on the overall conclusion. Conclusion: Although the platelet contamination rate in China is generally low, significant differences exist across collection methods and regions.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a neuroinflammatory demyelinating disease, mediated by pathogenic T helper 17 (Th17) cells. However, the therapeutic effect is accompanied by the fluctuation of the proportion and function of Th17 cells, which prompted us to find the key regulator of Th17 differentiation in MS. Here, we demonstrated that the triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2 (TREM-2), a modulator of pattern recognition receptors on innate immune cells, was highly expressed on pathogenic CD4-positive T lymphocyte (CD4⁺ T) cells in both patients with MS and experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) mouse models. Conditional knockout of Trem-2 in CD4⁺ T cells significantly alleviated the disease activity and reduced Th17 cell infiltration, activation, differentiation, and inflammatory cytokine production and secretion in EAE mice. Furthermore, with Trem-2 knockout in vivo experiments and in vitro inhibitor assays, the TREM-2/zeta-chain associated protein kinase 70 (ZAP70)/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) signal axis was essential for Th17 activation and differentiation in EAE progression. In conclusion, TREM-2 is a key regulator of pathogenic Th17 in EAE mice, and this sheds new light on the potential of this therapeutic target for MS.
Animals ; Humans ; Mice ; CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes/pathology* ; Cell Differentiation ; Encephalomyelitis, Autoimmune, Experimental/metabolism* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Multiple Sclerosis ; Th1 Cells/pathology*

By reviewing the research history on quality comparison between wild and cultivated Chinese crude drugs， this paper systematically combed the relevant research reports since the 1950s， and summarized and analyzed the results of existing comparative studies， and found that the existing comparative research on the quality of wild and cultivated Chinese crude drugs were mainly focused on several aspects， including characteristics， microstructures， chemical compositions， pharmacodynamic effects， and genetic diversity. Among these， comparative studies of chemical compositions have been the dominant approach， with a particular emphasis on comparing the contents of index components. However， research on pharmacodynamic effects remained relatively limited. Due to various factors such as sample quantity， sample origin， growth period and cultivation methods， the differences in quality between wild and cultivated Chinese crude drugs vary significantly. In general， most wild Chinese crude drugs exhibited higher quality than cultivated products， with significant differences in their characteristics. The contents and proportions of some chemical components underwent noticeable changes， particularly with a marked increase in the proportion of primary metabolites after cultivation. The quality of cultivated Chinese crude drugs is closely related to the cultivation practices employed. Chinese crude drugs produced through wild nurturing， simulated wild planting， ecological cultivation， and other similar methods demonstrate quality levels comparable to those of wild Chinese crude drugs. Based on the analysis results， it is recommended to explicitly specify the cultivation practices and cultivation period of cultivated Chinese crude drugs in comparative studies of the quality between wild and cultivated Chinese crude drugs. Multiple technical approaches， including characteristics， microscopy， non-targeted metabolomics combined with quantitative analysis of differential components， and bioefficacy evaluation， should be employed to comprehensively assess the quality disparities between wild and cultivated Chinese crude drugs. Moreover， research efforts should be intensified to investigate the changes in pharmacodynamic effects resulting from differences in plant cell wall composition， primary metabolites， and secondary metabolites， in order to guide the production of high-quality Chinese crude drugs.

ObjectiveBased on the quality evaluation experience of "it is better to have a fragrant and strong aroma" summarized by materia medica of past dynasties， the chemical components of Sojae Semen Nigrum（SSN） and Sojae Semen Praeparatum（SSP） were systematically compared and analyzed， and the main fermentation products in different fermentation time were quantitatively analyzed， so as to clarify the transformation law of internal components in the processing process and provide scientific basis for the modern quality control of SSP. MethodUltra performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole tandem time-of-flight mass spectrometry（UPLC-Q-TOF-MS） was used for the structural identification of the chemical constituents of SSN and SSP， and with the aid of Progenesis QI v2.3 software， the negative ion mode was employed for principal component analysis（PCA） pattern recognition， and the data were analyzed with the aid of orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis（OPLS-DA） for two-dimensional data to obtain S-plot， and components with |P|>0.1 were selected as the differential constituents. The contents of isoflavonoids in SSP during fermentation was determined by UPLC， and the samples were taken every 8 h in the pre-fermentation period and every 2 d in the post-fermentation period， and the dynamic changes of isoflavonoid contents in different fermentation stages were analyzed. The contents of amino acids and nucleosides in SSP and SSN from different fermentation stages were quantitatively analyzed by phenyl isothiocyanate（PITC） pre-column derivatization and high performance liquid chromatography（HPLC） gradient elution， and the contribution of flavor substances to the "delicious" taste of SSP was discussed by taste intensity value（TAV）. ResultA total of 19 kinds of differential components were screened out， mainly soybean saponins and isoflavones， and their contents decreased significantly or even disappeared after fermentation. In the pre-fermentation process of SSP， glycoside bond hydrolysis mainly occurred， and isoflavone glycosides in SSN were degraded and converted into the corresponding aglycones， the content of flavor substances such as amino acids increased gradually. In the post-fermentation process， protein degradation mainly occurred， after 8 d of post-fermentation， the content of isoflavones was basically stable， while the total content of amino acids increased by 8-40 times on average. Different amino acids form the special flavor of SSP， such as the TAV of glutamate is always ahead of other flavor substances， and sweet substances such as alanine and valine have made relatively great contributions to SSP. ConclusionBased on the law of constituent transformation， combined with the traditional evaluation index of "fragrant and strong"， it is difficult to control the fermentation degree of SSP by the existing standards in the 2020 edition of Chinese Pharmacopoeia. It is suggested that description of the characteristics of SSP be refined and changed to "fragrant， delicious and slightly sweet"， and at the same time， the post-fermentation index compounds such as glutamic acid， alanine and valine should be added as the quality control indicators of SSP， so as to standardize the production process and improve the quality of SSP.

Objective To investigate the clinical characteristics,treatment methods,and prognosis of a-cute leukemia patients with extramedullary infiltration.Methods The clinical characteristics and treatment methods of 47 acute leukemia patients with extramedullary infiltration admitted to the Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University from April 2014 to April 2023 were retrospectively analyzed.Subgroup analysis was performed according to whether there was extramedullary infiltration before transplantation,and whether there was isolated extramedullary recurrence after transplantation.Based on this analysis,the patients were di-vided into the pre-transplantation radiotherapy group and pre-transplantation non-radiotherapy group,the post-transplantation radiotherapy group and post-transplantation non-radiotherapy group.According to the treatment methods of central nervous system leukemia(CNSL),the patients were divided into the intrathecal injection group(n=12)and combination of intrathecal injection and radiotherapy group(n=13).The local remission situation,survival duration,and toxic and side effects of radiotherapy and chemotherapy were com-pared.Results For acute leukemia patients with extramedullary infiltration,the overall survival time(OS)in the radiotherapy group was better than that in the non-radiotherapy group(median OS:706 d vs.151 d,P=0.015).Subgroup analysis showed that the OS of the pre-transplantation radiotherapy group was better than that of the pre-transplantation non-radiotherapy group(median OS:592 d vs.386 d,P=0.035).For CNSL,the combination of intrathecal injection and radiotherapy group had a better OS than the intrathecal injection group(median OS:547 d vs.388 d,P=0.045).The event-free survival time(EFS)of the radiotherapy group was better than that of the non-radiotherapy group(median EFS:175 d vs.50 d,P=0.005).The COX pro-portional-hazards model showed that treatment with or without radiotherapy had a significant impact on the OS of acute leukemia patients with extramedullary infiltration.The risk of death in the pre-transplantation non-radiotherapy group was 2.231 times higher than that in the pre-transplantation radiotherapy group(HR=3.231,95％CI:1.021-10.227,P=0.046).Compared with the non-radiotherapy group,the radiother-apy group had a higher local remission and a lower risk of haematological toxicity,infection,and haemorrhage.Conclusion Radiotherapy can rapidly alleviate the local symptoms of acute leukemia complicated with extr-amedullary infiltration,prolong the survival time of these patients,and reduce the risk of hematologic toxicity,infection,and haemorrhage.

Objective:Trigeminal neuralgia(TN)is a severe chronic neuropathic pain that mainly affects the distribution area of the trigeminal nerve with limited treating efficacy.There are numerous treatments for TN,but currently the main clinical approach is to suppress pain by carbamazepine(CBZ).Brain-derived neurotrophic factor(BDNF)is closely related to chronic pain.This study aims to determine the effects of CBZ treatment on BDNF expression in both the trigeminal ganglion(TG)and serum of TN via a chronic constriction injury of the infraorbital nerve(ION-CCI)rat model. Methods:The ION-CCI models were established in male Sprague-Dawley rats and were randomly divided into a sham group,a TN group,a TN+low-dose CBZ treatment group(TN+20 mg/kg CBZ group),a TN+medium-dose CBZ treatment group(TN+40 mg/kg CBZ group),and a TN+high-dose CBZ treatment group(TN+80 mg/kg CBZ group).The mechanical pain threshold in each group of rats was measured regularly before and after surgery.The expressions of BDNF and tyrosine kinase receptor B(TrkB)mRNA in TGs of rats in different groups were determined by real-time PCR,and the expression of BDNF protein on neurons in TGs was observed by immunofluorescence.Western Blotting was used to detect the protein expression of BDNF,TrkB,extracellular regulated protein kinases(ERK),and phospho-extracellular regulated protein kinases(p-ERK)in TGs of rats in different groups.The expression of BDNF in the serum of rats in different groups was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA). Results:The results of mechanical pain sensitivity showed that there was no significant difference in the mechanical pain threshold in the right facial sensory area of the experimental rats in each group before surgery(all P>0.05).From the 3rd day after operation,the mechanical pain threshold of rats in the TN group was significantly lower than that in the sham group(all P<0.01),and the mechanical pain threshold of rats in the TN+80 mg/kg CBZ group,the TN+40 mg/kg CBZ group,and the TN+20 CBZ mg/kg group was higher than that in the TN group(all P<0.05).The BDNF and TrkB mRNA and protein expressions in TGs of rats in the TN group were higher than those in the sham group(all P<0.05),and those in the TN+80 mg/kg CBZ group,the TN+40 mg/kg CBZ group,and the TN+20 mg/kg CBZ group were lower than the TN group(all P<0.05).The p-ERK levels in TG of rats in the TN+80 mg/kg CBZ group,the TN+40 mg/kg CBZ group,and the TN+20 mg/kg CBZ group were significantly decreased compared with the TN group(all P<0.05).The BDNF and neuron-specific nuclear protein(NeuN)were mainly co-expressed in neuron of TGs in the TN group and they were significantly higher than those in the sham group(all P<0.05).The co-labeled expressions of BDNF and NeuN in TGs of the TN+ 80 mg/kg CBZ group,the TN+40 mg/kg CBZ group,and the TN+20 mg/kg CBZ group were lower than those in the TN group(all P<0.05).The results of ELISA showed that the level of BDNF in the serum of the TN group was significantly higher than that in the sham group(P<0.05).The levels of BDNF in the TN+80 mg/kg CBZ group,the TN+40 mg/kg CBZ group,and the TN+20 mg/kg CBZ group were lower than those in the TN group(all P<0.05).Spearman correlation analysis showed that the BDNF level in serum was negatively correlated with mechanical pain threshold(r=-0.650,P<0.01). Conclusion:CBZ treatment can inhibit the expression of BDNF and TrkB in the TGs of TN rats,reduce the level of BDNF in serum of TN rats and the phosphorylation of ERK signaling pathway,so as to inhibit TN.The serum level of BDNF can be considered as an indicator for the diagnosis and prognosis of TN.

Objective To investigate the beneficial effect of Kai-Xin-San combined with fluoxetine in improving depression-like behaviors on chronic unpredictable mild stress(CUMS)induced depression model mice.Methods The present study aimed to assess the potential of Kai-Xin-San in combination with fluoxetine to ameliorate depression-like behaviors in a CUMS induced mouse depression model.Behavioral tests,such as the sucrose preference test were employed to evaluate the efficacy of the treatment.Additionally,the levels of suppressed stress factors were measured using the ELISA method.The morphology of hippocampal tissue was evaluated using the HE staining method,Nissl Staining and TUNEL staining methods.Furthermore,western blotting analysis was utilized to determine the expression levels of proteins such as Caspase-3,and Caspase-9.Results The co-administration of Kai-Xin-San and fluoxetine resulted in a significant increase in sucrose preference rate in model mice.This effect was comparable to that of fluoxetine alone at the standard clinical dose.Furthermore,the combination treatment up-regulated the levels of suppressed stress factors,reduced the apoptosis of hippocampus induced by depression and regulated the apoptosis signaling pathway in hippocampus.Conclusion The combination of Kai-Xin-San and fluoxetine has been shown to be an effective treatment for depression-like behavior in animal models,resulting in a reduction in the required clinical dosage of fluoxetine.This effect may be attributed to the up-regulation of neurotransmitter expression,inhibition of stress axis activation,and central nervous inflammation.