OBJECTIVE To explore the in vitro and in vivo inhibitory effects and mechanism of metformin on the malignant biological behavior of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma （ESCC） cells by the hypoxia inducible factor-1α （HIF-1α）/interleukin-8 （IL-8） signaling pathway. METHODS Human ESCC TE1 cells were assigned into blank group， metformin low-， medium-， and high-dose groups （0.5， 1， 2 mmol/L）， IDF-11774 （HIF-1α inhibitor） group （20 μmol/L）， and high-dose metformin+HIF-1α activator dimethyloxalylglycine （DMOG） group. After 24 h treatment， cell proliferation [measured by the positive rate of 5-ethynyl- 2′-deoxyuridine （EdU） and optical density at 450 nm （OD450 value）]， apoptosis， invasion and migration as well as mRNA expressions of proliferating cell nuclear antigen （PCNA）， Bcl-2 interacting mediator of cell death （Bim）， migration and invasion enhancer 1 （MIEN1）， and matrix metalloproteinase-9 （MMP-9）， and protein expressions of HIF-1α and IL-8 in the cells were detected. The xenograft tumor model of nude mice was established. Thirty nude mice were randomly divided into blank group， metformin low-， medium-， and high-dose groups （i.g. administration of metformin 62.5， 125， 250 mg/kg+i.p. administration of equal volume of normal saline）， IDF-11774 group （i.g. administration of 50 mg/kg IDF-11774+i.p. administration of equal volume of normal saline） and high-dose metformin+DMOG group （i.g. administration of metformin 250 mg/kg+i.p. administration of DMOG 250 mg/kg）， with 5 mice in each group. They were given relevant medicine， once a day， for 4 consecutive weeks； the mass and volume of the tumor and protein expressions of HIF-1α and IL-8 in the tumor tissue were determined. RESULTS The EdU positive rate， OD450 value， cell invasion number， scratch healing rate， mRNA expressions of PCNA， MIEN1 and MMP-9， protein expressions of HIF-1α and IL-8， as well as the mass and volume of transplanted tumors and protein expressions of HIF-1α and IL-8 in tumor tissues were decreased by metformin in concentration/dose-dependent manner （P＜0.05）. Additionally，metformin increased the apoptosis rate and mRNA expression of Bim in cells （P＜0.05）. The trend of changes in corresponding indicators in the IDF-11774 group was consistent with that in the metformin groups， whereas DMOG could significantly attenuate the aforementioned effects of high-concentration/high-dose metformin （P＜0.05）. CONCLUSIONS Metformin can inhibit the proliferation， invasion， migration of TE1 cells， and tumor growth of nude mice， and induce cell apoptosis， the mechanism of which may be related to the inhibition of HIF-1α/IL-8 signaling pathway.

ObjectiveTo investigate the changing trend of hemoglobin （Hb） and related influencing factors in patients with liver failure after artificial liver support system （ALSS） therapy. MethodsA total of 106 patients with liver failure who were hospitalized and received ALSS therapy in our hospital from January to December 2018 were enrolled and analyzed in terms of clinical data and red blood cell parameters such as Hb， mean corpuscular volume （MCV）， mean corpuscular hemoglobin （MCH）， mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration （MCHC）， and red blood cell distribution width-coefficient of variation （RDW-CV）. A one-way repeated-measures analysis of variance was used for comparison of continuous data with repeated measurement between groups， and the paired t-test was used for comparison between two groups. The Kruskal-Wallis H test was used for comparison of continuous data with skewed distribution between multiple groups， the Mann-Whitney U test was used for further comparison between two groups. Univariate and multivariate linear regression analyses were used to identify the influencing factors for the reduction in Hb after ALSS therapy. ResultsThe 106 patients with liver failure received 606 sessions of ALSS therapy， and Hb was measured for 402 sessions before and after treatment. There was a significant reduction in Hb after ALSS therapy in the patients with liver failure （97.49±20.51 g/L vs 109.38±20.22 g/L， t=32.764， P<0.001）. Longitudinal observation was further performed for 14 patients with liver failure， and the results showed that the level of Hb was 108.50±21.61 g/L before the last session of ALSS therapy， with certain recovery compared with the level of Hb （103.14±19.15 g/L） on the second day after ALSS， and there was an increase in Hb on day 3 （102.57±21.73 g/L） and day 7 （105.57±22.04 g/L） after surgery. The level of Hb in patients with liver failure on the second day after ALSS decreased with the increase in the number of ALSS sessions （F=8.996， P<0.001）， while MCV and MCH gradually increased with the increase in the number of ALSS sessions （F=9.154 and 13.460， P=0.004 and P<0.001）， and RDW-CV first gradually increased and then gradually decreased （F=4.520， P=0.032）； MCHC showed fluctuations with no clear trend （F=0.811， P=0.494）. The multivariate linear regression analysis showed that the duration of ALSS therapy， the mode of ALSS therapy， and initial treatment were independent risk factors for the reduction in Hb after ALSS therapy. ConclusionALSS therapy can influence the level of peripheral blood Hb in patients with liver failure， and patient blood management should be strengthened for patients with liver failure who are receiving ALSS therapy.

Objective To summarize the epidemiological and clinical features of infectious diseases of the central nervous system(CNS)by a single-center analysis.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on the data of 1247 cases of CNS infectious diseases diagnosed and treated in the First Medical Center of PLA General Hospital from 2001 to 2020.Results The data for this group of CNS infectious diseases by disease type in descending order of number of cases were viruses 743(59.6％),Mycobacterium tuberculosis 249(20.0％),other bacteria 150(12.0％),fungi 68(5.5％),parasites 18(1.4％),Treponema pallidum 18(1.4％)and rickettsia 1(0.1％).The number of cases increased by 177 cases(33.1％)in the latter 10 years compared to the previous 10 years(P<0.05).No significant difference in seasonal distribution pattern of data between disease types(P>0.05).Male to female ratio is 1.87︰1,mostly under 60 years of age.Viruses are more likely to infect students,most often at university/college level and above,farmers are overrepresented among bacteria and Mycobacterium tuberculosis,and more infections of Treponema pallidum in workers.CNS infectious diseases are characterized by fever,headache and signs of meningeal irritation,with the adductor nerve being the more commonly involved cranial nerve.Matagenomic next-generation sequencing improves clinical diagnostic capabilities.The median hospital days for CNS infectious diseases are 18.00(11.00,27.00)and median hospital costs are ￥29,500(￥16,000,￥59,200).The mortality rate from CNS infectious diseases is 1.6％.Conclusions The incidence of CNS infectious diseases is increasing last ten years,with complex clinical presentation,severe symptoms and poor prognosis.Early and accurate diagnosis and standardized clinical treatment can significantly reduce the morbidity and mortality rate and ease the burden of disease.

Bacterial biofilms gave rise to persistent infections and multi-organ failure, thereby posing a serious threat to human health. Biofilms were formed by cross-linking of hydrophobic extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), such as proteins, polysaccharides, and eDNA, which were synthesized by bacteria themselves after adhesion and colonization on biological surfaces. They had the characteristics of dense structure, high adhesiveness and low drug permeability, and had been found in many human organs or tissues, such as the brain, heart, liver, spleen, lungs, kidneys, gastrointestinal tract, and skeleton. By releasing pro-inflammatory bacterial metabolites including endotoxins, exotoxins and interleukin, biofilms stimulated the body’s immune system to secrete inflammatory factors. These factors triggered local inflammation and chronic infections. Those were the key reason for the failure of traditional clinical drug therapy for infectious diseases.In order to cope with the increasingly severe drug-resistant infections, it was urgent to develop new therapeutic strategies for bacterial-biofilm eradication and anti-bacterial infections. Based on the nanoscale structure and biocompatible activity, nanobiomaterials had the advantages of specific targeting, intelligent delivery, high drug loading and low toxicity, which could realize efficient intervention and precise treatment of drug-resistant bacterial biofilms. This paper highlighted multiple strategies of biofilms eradication based on nanobiomaterials. For example, nanobiomaterials combined with EPS degrading enzymes could be used for targeted hydrolysis of bacterial biofilms, and effectively increased the drug enrichment within biofilms. By loading quorum sensing inhibitors, nanotechnology was also an effective strategy for eradicating bacterial biofilms and recovering the infectious symptoms. Nanobiomaterials could intervene the bacterial metabolism and break the bacterial survival homeostasis by blocking the uptake of nutrients. Moreover, energy-driven micro-nano robotics had shown excellent performance in active delivery and biofilm eradication. Micro-nano robots could penetrate physiological barriers by exogenous or endogenous driving modes such as by biological or chemical methods, ultrasound, and magnetic field, and deliver drugs to the infection sites accurately. Achieving this using conventional drugs was difficult. Overall, the paper described the biological properties and drug-resistant molecular mechanisms of bacterial biofilms, and highlighted therapeutic strategies from different perspectives by nanobiomaterials, such as dispersing bacterial mature biofilms, blocking quorum sensing, inhibiting bacterial metabolism, and energy driving penetration. In addition, we presented the key challenges still faced by nanobiomaterials in combating bacterial biofilm infections. Firstly, the dense structure of EPS caused biofilms spatial heterogeneity and metabolic heterogeneity, which created exacting requirements for the design, construction and preparation process of nanobiomaterials. Secondly, biofilm disruption carried the risk of spread and infection the pathogenic bacteria, which might lead to other infections. Finally, we emphasized the role of nanobiomaterials in the development trends and translational prospects in biofilm treatment.

Objective To investigate the feasibility of using Cariostat test for caries risk assessment in adult outpatients and provide a reference basis for caries prevention and treatment in adult outpatients of different ages.Methods Fifty-two adult patients of different ages(18-24,25-34,35-44,45-54,and≥55 years old)attending outpatient clinics of The Affiliated Stomatological Hospital of Nanjing Medical University were tested for caries activity using the Cariostat test.Oral examinations were conducted according to the criteria of the 5th edition of the Basic Methods of Oral Health Surveys of the World Health Organization,and on-site questionnaire sur-veys were performed for the Cariogram assessment system.Oral examinations included assessments of dental arch conditions and caries status,while questionnaire surveys covered dietary habits,oral health care habits,etc.The caries status of adult outpatients of different age groups was analyzed,and caries activity was assessed using the Cariostat test.The caries risk levels were determined,and the con-sistency between the Cariostat test and the Cariogram assessment system was evaluated.Results It was found that there was a differ-ence in mean decayed,missing and filled surfaces(DMFS)between the low-risk group of adult outpatients with different caries risk levels classed by the Cariostat test and the intermediate and high-risk groups(P＜0.05).There was a difference in mean decayed,missing and filled teeth(DMFT)and mean DMFS between the low-risk group of adult outpatients with different caries risk levels classed by Cariogram and the intermediate and high-risk groups(P＜0.05).The evaluation results of caries risk levels in adult outpa-tients classed by the Cariostat test and the Cariogram assessment system showed a Kappa value of 0.467(P＜0.05)in the≥55 years old group,indicating moderate consistency.Conclusion The Cariostat test is useful in understanding the caries activity of adult outpa-tients and is particularly accurate and effective in patients at the age of 55 or older.

In the process of seeking new strategies to improve the efficacy of antidepressants,traditional Chinese medicine inter-vention has gradually revealed its unique prevention and treat-ment advantages.The dopamine reward system is closely in-volved in the pathological occurrence and development of depres-sion.Currently,research has mostly focused on the functional mechanism of a specific nucleus in the dopamine reward system,and there is less research focused on the functional mechanism of the neural circuit.In the current micro research on reward cir-cuits,the association between abnormal reward circuits and neg-ative emotions such as anxiety and depression has been widely recognized.Traditional Chinese medicine intervention can exert antidepressant effects by influencing reward circuits.This article provides a review on the loop mechanism of dopamine reward system involvement in depression and research on traditional Chinese medicine intervention.

Objective:To analyze the influencing factors of contrast agent extravasation in coronary CT angiography(CTA)examination,and to formulate intervention measures.Methods:A retrospective selection of data from 583 patients who underwent coronary CTA at Peking University People's Hospital from January to December 2023 was conducted.Logistic regression was used to analyze the patients'general information and injection protocols,and the risk factors of contrast agent extravasation were determined.Results:Among the 583 patients included,11 patients had contrast agent extravasation during CTA examination,with an extravasation rate of 1.887%.The contrast agent was all extravasated into the subcutaneous tissue,and the CT value did not reach the trigger criteria.Gender,education level,diabetes mellitus,history of intravenous chemotherapy,age,weight,body mass index(BMI),injection rate and injection dose were all associated with the occurrence of contrast agent extravasation,the difference was statistically significant(x2=18.911,7.563,16.567,4.279,t=3.576,3.244,1.865,4.297,6.532,P<0.05).Age,education level,history of intravenous chemotherapy,diabetes mellitus,injection rate and injection dose were risk factors for contrast agent extravasation in coronary CTA(OR=1.008,1.372,1.029,5.092,0.975,1.421,P<0.05).Conclusion:Factors such as low education level,advanced age,history of intravenous chemotherapy,high injection rate and large injection dose can increase the risk of contrast agent extravasation in coronary CTA examination.Radiology staff should closely monitor high-risk patients,strengthen monitoring of intravenous injection of contrast agents for coronary CTA examination,and reduce the occurrence of contrast agent extravasation.

Objective:To study the expressions of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid(BALF), C-reactive protein (C reactive protein, CRP), procalcitonin (PCT) and Interleukin 6 (IL-6) in mechanically ventilated patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD) and their clinical significance.Methods:A total of 128 COPD patients with mechanical ventilation admitted to the Third People's Hospital of Chengdu from September 2022 to September 2023 were selected as the study subjects. They were divided into VAP group and non-VAP group according to the occurrence of ventilator associated pneumonia (VAP). Comparison of general data between the two groups, measurement data in line with normal distribution were expressed xˉ± s, and independent sample t test was used to compare the mean between groups. Enumeration data were expressed as constituent ratio, and χ2 test was used to compare between groups. Multivariate Cox regression was used to analyze the influencing factors of VAP in COPD patients. The diagnostic value of CRP, procalcitonin and IL-6 in BALF and serum for VAP was evaluated by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Results:There were 32 cases of VAP and 96 cases of non-VAP in 128 COPD patients with mechanical ventilation. In the VAP group, the duration of mechanical ventilation was (5.12±0.48) days, and 13 patients (40.63%) had used antibiotics within 3 months, while in the non-VAP group, the duration of mechanical ventilation was (4.79±0.69) days, and 56 patients (61.46%) had used antibiotics within 3 months, respectively. There were significant differences between the two groups ( t=2.51, χ2=4.23, all P<0.05). The levels of CRP, procalcitonin and IL-6 in BALF of VAP group were (26.46±6.78) mg/L, (2.47±0.69) ng/L and (751.46±126.44), and in the non-VAP group, they were (20.47±6.26) mg/L, (1.12±0.32) ng/L and (447.89±68.69) μg/L, respectively. There were significant differences between the two groups ( t=4.59, 15.00, 17.18, all P<0.001). The serum levels of CRP, procalcitonin and IL-6 in VAP group were (124.78±26.32) mg/L, (10.53±2.20) ng/L and (221.69±45.46). The non-VAP group was (96.78±24.96) mg/L, (6.46±1.89) ng/L and (146.36±42.34) μg/L, respectively ( t=5.42, 10.12, 8.56; all P<0.001). Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that mechanical ventilation time, BALF and serum CRP, procalcitonin and IL-6 were independent factors affecting the occurrence of VAP in COPD patients ( OR values were 1.578, 1.687, 1.669, 1.844,1.645, 1.775 and 1.659, respectively). 95% CI were 1.017-2.447, 1.066-2.669, 1.076-2.588, 1.148-2.963, 1.086-2.493, 1.172-2.690 and 1.084-2.538, all P<0.05). ROC curve showed that the AUC of CRP, procalcitonin and IL-6 in BALF and serum were 0.758/0.792, 0.965/0.930 and 0.977/0.900 respectively ( P values were 0.049/0.046, 0.030/0.030 and 0.021/0.033, respectively). Conclusion:The expressions of CRP, procalcitonin and IL-6 in BALF and serum of COPD patients with mechanical ventilation have high clinical diagnostic value, which can assist the diagnosis of early VAP.

Heterotypic cell-in-cell structures(heCICs)mediate unique non-autonomous cell death,which are widely involved in a variety of important pathological processes,such as tumorigenesis,pro-gression and clinical prognosis.Methylenetetrahydrofolata dehydrogenase 2(MTHFD2),one of the key enzymes of one-carbon metabolism,is highly expressed in a variety of tumor cells.In this study,in order to investigate the effect of MTHFD2 on the formation of heCICs,liver cancer cells and immune cells were first labeled separately by live cell dyes,and the heCIC model was established by using fluorescence mi-croscopy for cell imaging and analysis.After transiently knocking down MTHFD2 in cells by RNAi,we found that the ability of PLC/PRF/5 and Hep3B to form heCICs with immune cells was significantly in-creased(all P＜0.01).MTHFD2 recombinant expression plasmid was constructed by the homologous re-combination method,and MTHFD2 overexpression cell lines were further constructed.Then,the effect of MTHFD2 overexpression on the ability to form heCICs was detected by co-culturing the overexpression cell lines with immune cells.The results showed that the rate of heCIC formation was significantly re-duced after overexpression of MTHFD2(all P＜0.001).In conclusion,this study demonstrated that MTHFD2 is a negative regulator of heCIC formation,providing a research basis for targeting MTHFD2 to promote heCIC formation and enhance the in-cell killing of immune cells.

Objective:To investigate the prognostic value of minimal residual disease(MRD)detected by multi-parameter flow cytometry(MFC)in pediatric patients with acute myeloid leukemia(AML)after induction chemotherapy.Methods:A retrospective study was conducted on 97 pediatric patients initially diagnosed with AML at Wuhan Children's Hospital from August 2015 to December 2022.The study analyzed the results of MRD detection using MFC after the first and second cycles of induction chemotherapy,and its association with prognosis were analyzed.Results:Following the first cycle of induction treatment,57 of the 97 patients tested positive for MRD(MRD1+,58.8％).Subsequently,19 patients remained MRD positive(MRD2+,19.6％)after the second cycle of induction treatment.Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that the estimated 3-year overall survival(OS)rate of the 37(64.9％)MRD1+patients who underwent transplantation was significantly higher than that of the 20(35.1％)MRD1+patients who did not undergo transplantation(84.6％vs 40.0％,P=0.0001).Among the 35 MRD1+MRD2-patients,the 3-year OS rate of the 25 children who underwent transplantation was higher than that of the 10 children who did not undergo transplantation(87.2％vs 70.0％,P=0.3229).The 3-year OS rate of the 19 MRD1+MRD2+patients was lower than that of the 35 MRD1+MRD2-patients(57.4％vs 81.8％,P=0.059).In the 19 MRD2+patients,the 3-year OS rate of the 12 children who underwent transplantation was significantly higher than that of the 7 children who did not undergo transplantation(80.8％vs 14.3％,P=0.0007).There was no significant difference in 3-year OS between the 12 MRD1+MRD2+patients and 25 MRD1+MRD2-patients,both treated with transplantation(80.8％vs 87.2％,P=0.8868).In those not treated with transplantation,the 7 MRD1+MRD2+patients had a significantly lower 3-year OS compared with the 10 MRD1+MRD2-patients(14.3％vs 70.7％,P=0.0114).Further multivariate analysis indicated that MRD2 positivity and transplantation were both independent prognostic factors(P=0.031,0.000),while MRD1 positivity was not significantly associated with the overall prognosis of 97 patients(P=0.902).Conclusion:MRD positivity following the second cycle of induction chemotherapy is an independent risk factor for unfavorable outcomes in children with AML.MRD2 positivity indicates a poorer prognosis and can help to identify the candidates requiring transplantation.MRD2 positivity is not a contraindication for transplantation in pediatric patients,and early transplantation significantly improves the prognosis of high-risk patients.