AIM:The objective of this study is to examine the expression of profilin 1(PFN1)in mice with di-abetic nephropathy and determine its association with immune cell infiltration.METHODS:This study presents an analy-sis of PFN1 expression and immune cell infiltration in patients with diabetic nephropathy,utilizing transcriptome expres-sion data from kidney tissue microarray.Additionally,the findings were validated in a diabetic nephropathy mouse model.Sixteen C57BL/6 mice were randomly assigned into two groups,namely the normal group and the model group,in an equal manner.The model group underwent the establishment of the diabetic nephropathy model through intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin.Subsequently,the expression levels of CD11b,F4/80,CC chemokine receptor 4(CCR4),interleukin-1 receptor type I(IL-1R1),B-cell lymphoma-2(Bcl-2),Bcl-2-associated X protein(Bax)and caspase-3 in kidney tissue were assessed upon successful establishment of the diabetic nephropathy model.Furthermore,the overexpression of PFN1 was observed in a cellular model of diabetic nephropathy,and the protein expression levels of monocyte chemotactic pro-tein-1(MCP-1)and caspase-3 were assessed.RESULTS:The expression of PFN1 was found to be significantly in-creased in the GSE30122 dataset of transcriptome expression in kidney tissues affected by diabetic nephropathy(P＜0.01).This increase in PFN1 expression was found to be correlated with the presence of macrophages and T cells.Fur-thermore,the renal tissue of the diabetic nephropathy model group exhibited significant pathological changes.In this mod-el group,the expression levels of PFN1,CD11b,F4/80,CCR4,IL-1R1,Bax,Bcl-2,and caspase-3 were all significant-ly increased(P＜0.01).Overexpression of PFN1 could enhance the expression of MCP-1 and caspase-3 proteins.CON-CLUSION:Macrophages and Th17 cells were identified within the renal tissue of mice with diabetic nephropathy,con-comitant with an up-regulation in the expression of PFN1.This up-regulation was observed to facilitate the induction of apoptosis in the context of diabetic nephropathy.

The Spt-Ada-Gcn5-acetyltransferase (SAGA) is an ancillary transcription initiation complex which is highly conserved. The ADA1 (alteration/deficiency in activation 1, also called histone H2A functional interactor 1, HFI1) is a subunit in the core module of the SAGA protein complex. ADA1 plays an important role in plant growth and development as well as stress resistance. In this paper, we performed genome-wide identification of banana ADA1 gene family members based on banana genomic data, and analyzed the basic physicochemical properties, evolutionary relationships, selection pressure, promoter cis-acting elements, and its expression profiles under biotic and abiotic stresses. The results showed that there were 10, 6, and 7 family members in Musa acuminata, Musa balbisiana and Musa itinerans. The members were all unstable and hydrophilic proteins, and only contained the conservative SAGA-Tad1 domain. Both MaADA1 and MbADA1 have interactive relationship with Sgf11 (SAGA-associated factor 11) of core module in SAGA. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that banana ADA1 gene family members could be divided into 3 classes. The evolution of ADA1 gene family members was mostly influenced by purifying selection. There were large differences among the gene structure of banana ADA1 gene family members. ADA1 gene family members contained plenty of hormonal elements. MaADA1-1 may play a prominent role in the resistance of banana to cold stress, while MaADA1 may respond to the Panama disease of banana. In conclusion, this study suggested ADA1 gene family members are highly conserved in banana, and may respond to biotic and abiotic stress.
Musa/genetics* ; Phylogeny ; Fungal Proteins ; Cell Nucleus ; Histones ; Stress, Physiological/genetics*

Background::Breast cancer (BC) risk-stratification tools for Asian women that are highly accurate and can provide improved interpretation ability are lacking. We aimed to develop risk-stratification models to predict long- and short-term BC risk among Chinese women and to simultaneously rank potential non-experimental risk factors.Methods::The Breast Cancer Cohort Study in Chinese Women, a large ongoing prospective dynamic cohort study, includes 122,058 women aged 25-70 years old from the eastern part of China. We developed multiple machine-learning risk prediction models using parametric models (penalized logistic regression, bootstrap, and ensemble learning), which were the short-term ensemble penalized logistic regression (EPLR) risk prediction model and the ensemble penalized long-term (EPLT) risk prediction model to estimate BC risk. The models were assessed based on calibration and discrimination, and following this assessment, they were externally validated in new study participants from 2017 to 2020.Results::The AUC values of the short-term EPLR risk prediction model were 0.800 for the internal validation and 0.751 for the external validation set. For the long-term EPLT risk prediction model, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.692 and 0.760 in internal and external validations, respectively. The net reclassification improvement index of the EPLT relative to the Gail and the Han Chinese Breast Cancer Prediction Model (HCBCP) models for external validation was 0.193 and 0.233, respectively, indicating that the EPLT model has higher classification accuracy.Conclusions::We developed the EPLR and EPLT models to screen populations with a high risk of developing BC. These can serve as useful tools to aid in risk-stratified screening and BC prevention.

Gynecological diseases are one of the important factors that threaten women's reproductive health.Endoplasmic reticulum(ER)stress is a stress response induced by the accumulation of unfolded or misfolded proteins in ER cavity when the female body is in a disease state,and the effects of different stress levels on the female reproductive system and the increase in the risk of female disease will vary greatly.Studies have shown that ER stress is closely related to the occurrence and development of gynecological diseases.Based on the relevant research reports at home and abroad in recent years,this paper summarizes the role of ER stress in several common gynecological diseases to provide new research ideas for preventing,diagnosing,and treating gynecological diseases.

Objective:To investigate the feasibility and safety of a treatment system for stentless discharge after flexible ureteroscopic lithotripsy assisted by flexible negative pressure sheath.Methods:The clinical data of 72 patients with upper urinary calculi admitted to the Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University from November 2022 to February 2023 were retrospectively analyzed. All patients achieved stentless discharge after flexible ureteroscopic lithotripsy assisted by flexible negative pressure sheath. There were 50 males and 22 females. The average age was (54.7±12.1) years. Preoperative urine culture was positive in 14 cases, negative in 3 cases (4.2%)with nitrite positive, and 11 cases were negative for urine culture and nitrites but positive of white blood cells (+ + + ). There were 29 cases of renal calculi, 33 cases of upper ureteral calculi, and 10 cases of upper ureteral calculi combined with renal calculi.The mean stone diameter was 17.0(14.0, 24.0)mm. CT value was (1 049.3±258.6)HU. Twenty-four patients carried ureteral stents before operation. A total of 42 cases used ureteral sheaths with diameters of F11/13, and 30 cases used sheaths with diameters of F12/14.During the operation, an infusion pump was used to provide sufficient irrigation pressure. The negative pressure suction was attached to the distal end of the sheath. The flexible head of the sheath was guided to the target renal calyx, to completely aspirate stone fragments. Stone baskets was used in 11 cases during the procedure. The level of ureteral injury was assessed according to the Traxer grading system at the end of the operation. A ureteral stent with extraction string was retained.On the first day postoperatively, CT scanning was performed to evaluate the residual stone fragments. Patients were discharged on postoperative day 2-3 after the removal of the ureteral stent and catheter. Follow-up was conducted for 30 days postoperatively, during which the Ureteral Stent Symptom Questionnaire (USSQ) was used to assess voiding symptoms and pain. Painkiller usage and emergency revisit situations were recorded. CT scans were performed to evaluate the stone-free rate on postoperative day 30.Results:The average operation time was 30.0 (20.0, 44.5) minutes. A total of 70 cases had no ureteral injuries, and 2 cases had Grade 1 ureteral injuries (minor mucosal damage). Three cases developed fever within 72 hours postoperatively, with no cases of septic shock or fever after stent removal. Eight patients reported waist and abdominal discomfort after discharge and took oral pain medication. Among them, one patient returned to the emergency department for pain treatment. Five patients reported moderate or severe genitourinary symptoms (including voiding frequency, nocturia, urgency/incontinence, dysuria, hematuria, and incomplete emptying) based on subjective evaluation. All patients could work and recovered a normal daily life after discharge and there was no readmission or additional surgical procedures. There were 61 patients achieved immediate stone-free status on the first day after surgery, and 66 patients achieved stone-free status during follow-up at 30 days postoperatively.Conclusions:Stentless discharge after flexible ureteroscopic lithotripsy assisted by flexible negative pressure sheath is safe and feasible.

Objective:To investigate the expression levels of serum KLK5, IL-17 and IL-18 in patients with rosacea and their clinical significance.Methods:A prospective study included 65 patients with rosacea from the Department of Dermatology, Sichuan Provincial People＇s Hospital, from May to October 2022. There were 8 males and 57 females with an average age of (30.9±9.8) years, including 47 cases of erythematotelangiectatic type and 18 cases of papulopustular type. Twenty healthy individuals from the same hospital＇s physical examination during the same period were included as control group, consisting of 3 males and 17 females with an average age of (33.8±10.0) years. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to detect the expression levels of serum KLK5, IL-17, and IL-18. Investigator＇s global assessment (IGA) score was used to assess the severity of papules and pustules, and clinical erythema assessment (CEA) score was used to assess the severity of persistent erythema. The expression levels of serum KLK5, IL-17, and IL-18 were compared between the two groups, and the correlation between the severity of the disease and the expression levels of KLK5, IL-17, and IL-18 was analyzed. Additionally, the expression levels of KLK5, IL-17, and IL-18 in different subtypes of rosacea were compared.Results:The expression levels of serum KLK5, IL-17, and IL-18 in the rosacea group were (3134.01±448.82), (154.78±37.64), (236.24±38.81) pg/ml, respectively, all of which were higher than those in the healthy control group (2421.54±340.07), (95.36±24.94), (181.61±23.88) pg/ml, with statistically significant differences (all P<0.05). The levels of serum KLK5, IL-17, and IL-18 in patients with rosacea were positively correlated with IGA scores ( r=0.534, 0.767, 0.417) and CEA scores ( r=0.852, 0.459, 0.309) (all P<0.05). There were no statistically significant differences in the expression levels of serum KLK5, IL-17, and IL-18 between the erythematotelangiectatic and papulopustular subtypes of rosacea (all P>0.05). Conclusions:The expression levels of serum KLK5, IL-17 and IL-18 in patients with rosacea are higher than those in the healthy control group and are positively correlated with the severity of rosacea.

Background Lead and manganese are heavy metal pollutants widely existing in the environment, which can accumulate in the human body through the food chain, exert neurotoxicity, and cause neurodegenerative disorders. Especially in early childhood, the developing blood-brain barrier and nervous system are highly susceptible to environmental chemical pollutants. Most of the previous studies focused on the toxic effects of single heavy metal such as lead or manganese, while the studies on combined toxic effect are still scarce, and involved mechanisms are still unclear. c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) is involved in neuronal development and regeneration, and some studies have found that JNK is involved in lead or manganese induced neurotoxicity. Its role in the toxicity of combined lead and manganese is unknown. Objective To understand the neurodevelopmental toxicity mechanism and to observe changes of JNK expression in zebrafish induced by combined lead and manganese exposure at environmentlly low concentrations. Methods Zebrafish embryos within 2 h post fertilization (hpf) were divided into four groups: control group, lead exposure group (0.1 mg·L⁻¹ lead acetate), manganese exposure group (0.3 mg·L⁻¹ manganous chloride), and lead-manganese combined exposure group (0.1 mg·L⁻¹ lead acetate +0.3 mg·L⁻¹ manganous chloride) and exposed to lead or/and manganese at designed levels for 7 d. Spontaneous movements and motor locomotion were observed, and mortality rate were calculated. The changes of JNK mRNA expression in zebrafish were evaluated. Results The experimental results showed that no significant effect of lead or/and manganese on spontaneous movements and mortality rate was found in zebrafish compared with the control group (P＞0.05). The results of locomotion analysis showed that compared with the control group, the activity counts and activity distance of zebrafish in the manganese exposure group were slightly increased (P＜0.01); the activity counts and activity distance of zebrafish in the lead exposure group were reduced by 50% and those in the lead-manganese exposure group were reduced by 80% (P＜0.01). Compared with the lead exposure group, the activity counts and activity distance of zebrafish in the lead-manganese combined exposure group decreased significantly by 60% (P＜0.05). The real-time quantitative PCR results showed that the JNK mRNA expression level was significantly increased in the lead-manganese combined exposure group compared with the control group(P＜0.01). Conclusion Lead exposure combined with manganese exposure at environmentlly low concentration can induce neurodevelopmental toxicity to zebrafish. JNK may be involved in neurodevelopmental toxicity induced by the combined exposure to lead and manganese.

Cathartic colon （CC） is a common and refractory digestive system disease， with the pathogenesis not fully clarified. The effective therapies other than laxatives and surgery remain to be developed for CC. Therefore， establishing the CC animal models that fit the disease characteristics of western medicine and syndrome characteristics of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） is an important link to promote the research on this disease. The fitting degree of animal models with the latest Chinese and western medical diagnostic criteria is an indicator to assess the effectiveness of the animal models in simulating the disease characteristics of western medicine and syndrome characteristics of TCM. The literature review showed that the model animals， drugs and their dosage forms， doses， administration methods， and modeling period of CC varied in different studies， and the available CC animal models presented different fitting degrees with the disease characteristics of western medicine and syndrome characteristics of TCM. Rats were the preferred animals for the modeling of CC. Rhei Radix et Rhizoma preparations were commonly used for model inducing， which， however， may cause water electrolyte disorders， decreased immunity， and even death of animals at the late stage of modeling. The animals were modeled by gradually increasing the starting dose， while the starting dose and increasing dose varied. The maintenance dose was determined based on 50% of the animals having loose stools， and the end for a cycle was determined as the time when loose stools disappeared in 80% of animals. The modeling always lasted for 2-3 cycles， approximately 2-4 months. The CC models established with Rhei Radix et Rhizoma granules and rhein had high fitting degrees with the disease and syndrome characteristics. In addition， the CC animal models of TCM syndromes were still in the exploration stage. There were only the animal models of four TCM syndromes： liver depression and spleen deficiency， both Qi and Yin deficiency， Qi stagnation and blood stasis， and spleen and kidney deficiency. Efforts should be made to establish the animal models that meet the characteristics of disease of western medicine and syndromes of TCM， so as to facilitate the research on CC mechanism and drug development.

Objective:To investigate the surgical method and clinical effects of the modified proper digital artery island flap in repairing complex fingertip defects.Methods:A retrospective observational study was conducted. From January 2017 to December 2021, 15 patients (15 fingers) with complex fingertip defects, involving the pulp, nail bed, and lateral wall of the nail, who met the inclusion criteria were admitted into General Hospital of Northern Theater Command, including 11 males and 4 females, aged from 18 to 55 years. The area of the post debridement wound was from 2.5 cm×2.0 cm to 3.5 cm×3.5 cm, and all the wounds were repaired by using modified proper digital artery island flap (including 3 parts: main flap, tongue-shaped flap, and triangular flap), of which the main flap was used to cover the finger pulp defect, the tongue-shaped flap was used to cover the nail bed and the nail lateral wall defect, and the triangular flap was inserted into the edge of the finger pulp wound to cover the vessel pedicle. The range of the flap ranged from 3.0 cm×2.0 cm to 4.5 cm×3.0 cm. The wound at the donor site was repaired with full-thickness skin graft of the groin, and the donor site of the skin graft was sutured directly. After operation, the survival of the flap and skin graft as well as and the appearance of the affected finger were observed. During the follow-up, the fingertip morphology of the affected finger was observed, two-point discrimination distance of the affected finger pulp was measured, and the patients' satisfaction with the efficacy (including very satisfied, satisfied, and dissatisfied) was asked, and the affected finger function was evaluated by the total active movement (TAM) system evaluation standard recommended by American Academy for Surgery of Hand.Results:After operation, the main flaps and skin grafts in 15 patients all survived; but the incision at the edge of tongue-shaped flap in one patient healed poorly, and one patient developed venous stasis at the distal end of the tongue-shaped flap; the triangular flap at the pedicle was slightly bloated in the early postoperative period and became smooth after 2 to 3 months. Overall, two patients developed subcutaneous hematoma in their flaps. All the complications were healed by appropriate dressing change, suture removal, or compression bandaging. After operation, the appearance of the flap was full and formed a prominent fingertip shape. During the follow-up of 6 months to 5 years, the fingertips of the affected fingers were prominent and full; the two-point discrimination distance of the affected finger pulp was (8.6±1.4) mm; 8 patients were very satisfied with the efficacy, 6 patients were satisfied, and one patient was dissatisfied; the functional assessment of the affected fingers were all excellent.Conclusions:The modified proper digital artery island flap can repair complex fingertip defects involving the pulp, nail bed, and lateral wall of the nail. The operation is simple, and the shape and function of the fingertip are good after surgery.

Objective:To investigate the application value of pelvic floor ultrasound in screening early postpartum stress urinary incontinence (SUI).Methods:A total of 220 postpartum women, who were admitted by the Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics of The People's Hospital of Hechi from January 2018 to June 2019, were selected for this study. These women were divided into SUI ( n = 52) and no SUI ( n = 168) groups according to whether SUI occurred within 42 days after delivery. Pelvic floor ultrasound parameters and clinical data were compared between the two groups. The effects of each ultrasound parameter on postpartum SUI were assessed. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was plotted for each parameter. The area under the ROC was calculated. The risk factors for postpartum SUI were investigated using the logistic regression analysis. Results:The number of deliveries (≥ 2 times), the proportion of women subjected to vaginal delivery, and neonatal weight in the SUI group were significantly higher than those in the no SUI group [ χ2 = 4.13, 3.30, t = 4.43, all P < 0.05]. There were significant differences in the bladder neck position and levator hiatus area in the resting state between the two groups ( t = 2.29, 3.09, both P < 0.05). There were significant differences in the bladder neck position, levator hiatus area, urethral rotation angle, and bladder neck mobility during the Valsalva movement between the two groups ( t = 13.14, 4.27, 15.64, 8.54, all P < 0.05). The areas under the ROC of bladder neck position and levator hiatus area in the resting state and the areas under the ROC of bladder neck position, levator hiatus area, urethral rotation angle, and bladder neck mobility during the Valsalva movement were 0.707, 0.725, 0.730, 0.771, 0.813, and 0.836, respectively. The area under the ROC of parameters used in combination was 0.849. Logistic regression analysis results revealed that the number of deliveries (≥ 2 times), bladder neck position (> 27.286 mm) and levator ani hiatus area in resting state (> 16.663 cm 2), and bladder neck position (< -2.774 mm), levator hiatus area (> 21.915 cm 2), urethral rotation angle (> 80.445°), and bladder neck mobility (> 30.501°) during the Valsalva movement were the risk factors for postpartum SUI. Conclusion:Combined use of pelvic floor ultrasound parameters is valuable for the diagnosis of postpartum SUI. Abnormal changes in the bladder neck position, levator ani hiatus area, urethral rotation angle, and bladder neck mobility are closely related to the occurrence of postpartum SUI. Therefore, combined use of pelvic floor ultrasound parameters can be preferred to screen early postpartum SUI.