OBJECTIVE To investigate the mechanism through which Danggui buxue decoction regulates neutrophil extracellular traps （NETs） to improve osteoporosis （OP） in rats with premature ovarian failure （POF）. METHODS Female SD rats were randomly divided into normal group， model group， calcitriol group， and Danggui buxue decoction low-dose， medium-dose and high-dose groups， with 9 rats in each group. Except for the normal group， all other groups were administered cisplatin via intraperitoneal injection on days 1 and 8 to establish a POF complicated with OP model. Each group received the corresponding drugs or normal saline intragastrically starting from day 5， once a day， for 4 consecutive weeks. After the last medication， serum levels of estradiol （E2）， NETs， 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 [25（OH）D3]， receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand （RANKL）， and osteocalcin （BGP） were measured. The histopathological changes in bone tissue were observed. The expressions of vitamin D receptor （VDR）， myeloperoxidase （MPO）， neutrophil elastase （NE） and citrullinated histone H3 （CitH3） in bone tissue were detected； the protein expressions of 25-hydroxyvitamin D-1α-hydroxylase （CYP27B1） and 1α，25-dihydroxyvitamin D3-24-hydroxylase （CYP24A1） were also determined. RESULTS Compared with the normal group， the bone tissue of rats in the model group showed a significant reduction in the number of trabeculae， which was thinner broken and poorly connected， with significant destruction of the reticular structure， and an enlarged marrow cavity. Serum levels of NETs and RANKL， the protein expressions of MPO， NE， CitH3 and CYP24A1 in bone tissue were significantly increased or upregulated， while serum levels of E2， 25（OH）D3 and BGP as well as protein expressions of VDR and CYP27B1 were significantly decreased or downregulated （P＜0.05）. Compared with the model group， the histopathological changes in the bone tissue of rats in each administration group showed some degree of recovery， with significant improvements observed in most quantitative indicators （P＜0.05）. CONCLUSIONS Danggui buxue decoction can restore the E2 level in POF complicated with OP rats， and improve OP. The mechanism may be related to its ability to upregulate VD level and inhibit the formation of NETs.

BACKGROUND: The main cause of restenosis after percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) is the excessive proliferation and migration of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). Lin28a has been reported to play critical regulatory roles in this process. However, whether CCAAT/enhancer-binding proteins β (C/EBPβ) binds to the Lin28a promoter and drives the progression of restenosis has not been clarified. Therefore, in the present study, we aim to clarify the role of C/EBPβ-Lin28a axis in restenosis. METHODS: Restenosis and atherosclerosis rat models of type 2 diabetes ( n   =  20, for each group) were established by subjecting to PTA. Subsequently, the difference in DNA methylation status and expression of C/EBPβ between the two groups were assessed. EdU, Transwell, and rescue assays were performed to assess the effect of C/EBPβ on the proliferation and migration of VSMCs. DNA methylation status was further assessed using Methyltarget sequencing. The interaction between Lin28a and ten-eleven translocation 1 (TET1) was analysed using co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP) assay. Student's t -test and one-way analysis of variance were used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: C/EBPβ expression was upregulated and accompanied by hypomethylation of its promoter in restenosis when compared with atherosclerosis. In vitroC/EBPβ overexpression facilitated the proliferation and migration of VSMCs and was associated with increased Lin28a expression. Conversely, C/EBPβ knockdown resulted in the opposite effects. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assays further demonstrated that C/EBPβ could directly bind to Lin28a promoter. Increased C/EBPβ expression and enhanced proliferation and migration of VSMCs were observed after decitabine treatment. Further, mechanical stretch promoted C/EBPβ and Lin28a expression accompanied by C/EBPβ hypomethylation. Additionally, Lin28a overexpression reduced C/EBPβ methylation via recruiting TET1 and enhanced C/EBPβ-mediated proliferation and migration of VSMCs. The opposite was noted in Lin28a knockdown cells. CONCLUSION Our findings suggest that the C/EBPβ-Lin28a axis is a driver of restenosis progression, and presents a promising therapeutic target for restenosis.
Animals ; Cell Proliferation/genetics* ; Cell Movement/genetics* ; Muscle, Smooth, Vascular/metabolism* ; Rats ; DNA Methylation/physiology* ; CCAAT-Enhancer-Binding Protein-beta/genetics* ; Male ; Myocytes, Smooth Muscle/cytology* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; RNA-Binding Proteins/genetics* ; Cells, Cultured ; Coronary Restenosis/metabolism*

OBJECTIVES: To construct a Z-score regression model for coronary artery diameter based on echocardiographic data from children in Sichuan Province and to establish a Z-score calculation formula. METHODS: A total of 744 healthy children who underwent physical examinations at Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital from January 2020 to December 2022 were selected as the modeling group, while 251 children diagnosed with Kawasaki disease at the same hospital from January 2018 to December 2022 were selected as the validation group. Pearson correlation analysis was conducted to analyze the relationships between coronary artery diameter values and age, height, weight, and body surface area. A regression model was constructed using function transformation to identify the optimal regression model and establish the Z-score calculation formula, which was then validated. RESULTS: The Pearson correlation analysis showed that the correlation coefficients for the diameters of the left main coronary artery, left anterior descending artery, left circumflex artery, and right coronary artery with body surface area were 0.815, 0.793, 0.704, and 0.802, respectively (P<0.05). Among the constructed regression models, the power function regression model demonstrated the best performance and was therefore chosen as the optimal model for establishing the Z-score calculation formula. Based on this Z-score calculation formula, the detection rate of coronary artery lesions was found to be 21.5% (54/251), which was higher than the detection rate based on absolute values of coronary artery diameter. Notably, in the left anterior descending and left circumflex arteries, the detection rate of coronary artery lesions using this Z-score calculation formula was higher than that of previous classic Z-score calculation formulas. CONCLUSIONS The Z-score calculation formula established based on the power function regression model has a higher detection rate for coronary artery lesions, providing a strong reference for clinicians, particularly in assessing coronary artery lesions in children with Kawasaki disease.
Humans ; Male ; Female ; Child, Preschool ; Child ; Coronary Artery Disease/diagnostic imaging* ; Infant ; Mucocutaneous Lymph Node Syndrome ; Regression Analysis ; Coronary Vessels/diagnostic imaging* ; Echocardiography ; Adolescent

Objective:To examine the early to mid-term clinical outcomes of aortic valve repair in patients with bicuspid aortic insufficiency.Methods:This is a retrospective cohort study. The clinical data of 124 patients with BAV insufficiency who underwent aortic valve repair from January 2017 to June 2023 in the Department of Cardiovascular Surgery at Fuwai Hospital were analyzed retrospectively. There were 117 males and 7 females with an age of (38.1±12.7) years (range: 14 to 65 years). Depending on whether the aortic sinus was replaced or not, surgical approaches were divided into valve sparing root replacement (reimplantation, remodeling, modified remodeling) and isolated aortic valve repair (annuloplasty, isolated aortic valve leaflet repair). Perioperative and follow-up data were collected. Kaplan-Meier method was used to plot the curves of survival rate, free recurrence rate of massive aortic valve insufficiency and free re-operation rate, and Log-rank test was used for comparison between groups.Results:Among the surgeries, there were 47 cases of reimplantation, 8 cases of remodeling, 8 cases of modified remodeling, 48 cases of aortic annuloplasty (external annuloplasty in 22 cases, CV-0 annuloplasty in 26 cases), and 13 cases of isolated leaflet repair. Leaflet plication was the most used leaflet repair technique, used in 103 patients. The cardiopulmonary bypass time was (133.7±56.9) minutes (range: 48 to 461 minutes), and aortic cross-clamp time was (103.8±47.8) minutes (range: 25 to 306 minutes), with no surgical mortality. All patients underwent outpatient or telephone follow-up. The cumulative follow-up time was 340.3 person-years and the mean follow-up time was ( M (IQR)) 34.0 (25.5) months (range: 3 to 76 months). The 5-year survival rate was 98.4%, the 5-year freedom from significant insufficiency rate was 93.4% and the 5-year freedom from aortic valve reoperation rate was 95.6%. The subgroup analysis revealed a significantly better freedom from the significant insufficiency rate in the aortic valve annular reduction group compared to the non-reduction group ( P<0.01). Conclusions:Aortic valve repair in patients with bicuspid aortic insufficiency could obtain steady early to mid-term outcomes. Aortic annuloplasty can reduce the risk of recurrent aortic valve insufficiency in patients undergoing aortic repair.

To analyze the positivity rate and titer of antinuclear antibody (ANA), as well as nuclear pattern and target antigen of ANA in healthy pregnant women during early pregnancy in Qingdao area. A prospective cohort study design was used to include a total of 9 528 healthy pregnant women registered at the Women and Children′s Hospital Affiliated to Qingdao University from March 2023 to June 2024.Indirect immunofluorescence assay (IIF) was used to detect ANA, its titer and cell staining pattern. Fifteen specific antibodies were tested using the magnetic bar code immunofluorescent luminescence method. Logistic regression model was used to analyze the risk factors of pregnancy with autoimmune disease(AID). The results showed that among 9 528 pregnant women in early pregnancy, 1 346 cases (14.1%) were positive of ANA, including 1 011 cases with a titer of 1∶100 (10.6%), 236 cases (2.5%) with a titer of 1∶320, and 99 cases (1.0%) were detected at a titer >1∶320. Among the 1 346 ANA-positive pregnant women, nuclear granular type accounted for the highest proportion (483 cases, 35.9%), followed by speckled type (347 cases, 25.8%) and cytoplasmic type (176 cases, 13.1%).Then, pregnant women with ANA titers ≥1∶100 were detected 15 specific antibodies.Anti-SSA was tested in 121 cases accounted for the majority, followed by 110 cases with anti-Ro-52, 56 cases with anti-SSB, 51 cases with anti-mitochondrial M2 subtype antibodies and 37 cases with anti-centromere B. In conclusion,in healthy pregnant women in Qingdao area, ANA positivity rate was 14.1%, and the titer of ANA was mainly at 1∶100.The predominant nuclear patterns were nuclear granular and speckled types.The specific autoantibodies were mainly anti-SSA antibodies and anti-Ro-52 antibodies.The detection of ANA and specific autoantibodies is of great significance for early prediction, diagnosis, and intervention of autoimmune diseases during pregnancy.

Objective·To assess the levels of pregnancy-related stress,pre-pregnancy health care behaviors,and coping styles among pregnant women,analyze the influencing factors of pregnancy stress and provide insights for the management of pregnancy health in expectant mothers.Methods·A total of 265 pregnant women receiving treatment at the Obstetrics Clinic of the Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University from April to August 2022 were included as participants.General information questionnaires,pre-pregnancy health care behavior questionnaires,pregnancy stress scales and simple coping style questionnaires were utilized for data collection.After obtaining the consent of the patients,assessments on pregnancy stress levels,pre-pregnancy health care behaviors,and coping styles were conducted.Results·The overall average score for pregnancy stress among pregnant women was 1.05±0.41.Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that age,number of pregnancies,history of threatened abortion,fetal gender expectations,attending prenatal education classes or reviewing relevant manuals significantly influenced pregnancy-related stresses(P<0.05).The score of pre-pregnancy health care behavior was 10.09±2.63 with proportions indicating high-level,medium-level,and low-level adherence at 17.36%,54.34%,and 28.30%.In pregnant women,the total score for coping styles was 27.22±9.68,with a positive coping dimension score of 17.79±9.84 and a negative coping dimension score of 9.42±7.39.Pearson correlation analyses demonstrated a negative association between pregnancy-related stresses and pre-pregnancy health care behaviors(r=-0.313,P<0.01),and a negative correlation between pregnancy-related stresses and coping styles(r=-0.163,P<0.01),while a positive relationship existed between pre-pregnancy health care behaviors and coping styles(r=0.220,P<0.01).Conclusion·Pregnant women experience moderate levels of pressure during their pregnancies and have suboptimal engagement in preconceptional healthcare practices.Nursing staff should intensify efforts towards disseminating knowledge on preconceptional healthcare practices,thereby empowering women of childbearing age to actively acquire pertinent reproductive-health knowledge prior to conception so that minimizing adverse maternal-infant outcomes,optimizing maternal-infant healthcare strategies,and enhancing overall well-being can be achieved through these measures.

Objective:To examine the early to mid-term clinical outcomes of aortic valve repair in patients with bicuspid aortic insufficiency.Methods:This is a retrospective cohort study. The clinical data of 124 patients with BAV insufficiency who underwent aortic valve repair from January 2017 to June 2023 in the Department of Cardiovascular Surgery at Fuwai Hospital were analyzed retrospectively. There were 117 males and 7 females with an age of (38.1±12.7) years (range: 14 to 65 years). Depending on whether the aortic sinus was replaced or not, surgical approaches were divided into valve sparing root replacement (reimplantation, remodeling, modified remodeling) and isolated aortic valve repair (annuloplasty, isolated aortic valve leaflet repair). Perioperative and follow-up data were collected. Kaplan-Meier method was used to plot the curves of survival rate, free recurrence rate of massive aortic valve insufficiency and free re-operation rate, and Log-rank test was used for comparison between groups.Results:Among the surgeries, there were 47 cases of reimplantation, 8 cases of remodeling, 8 cases of modified remodeling, 48 cases of aortic annuloplasty (external annuloplasty in 22 cases, CV-0 annuloplasty in 26 cases), and 13 cases of isolated leaflet repair. Leaflet plication was the most used leaflet repair technique, used in 103 patients. The cardiopulmonary bypass time was (133.7±56.9) minutes (range: 48 to 461 minutes), and aortic cross-clamp time was (103.8±47.8) minutes (range: 25 to 306 minutes), with no surgical mortality. All patients underwent outpatient or telephone follow-up. The cumulative follow-up time was 340.3 person-years and the mean follow-up time was ( M (IQR)) 34.0 (25.5) months (range: 3 to 76 months). The 5-year survival rate was 98.4%, the 5-year freedom from significant insufficiency rate was 93.4% and the 5-year freedom from aortic valve reoperation rate was 95.6%. The subgroup analysis revealed a significantly better freedom from the significant insufficiency rate in the aortic valve annular reduction group compared to the non-reduction group ( P<0.01). Conclusions:Aortic valve repair in patients with bicuspid aortic insufficiency could obtain steady early to mid-term outcomes. Aortic annuloplasty can reduce the risk of recurrent aortic valve insufficiency in patients undergoing aortic repair.

To analyze the positivity rate and titer of antinuclear antibody (ANA), as well as nuclear pattern and target antigen of ANA in healthy pregnant women during early pregnancy in Qingdao area. A prospective cohort study design was used to include a total of 9 528 healthy pregnant women registered at the Women and Children′s Hospital Affiliated to Qingdao University from March 2023 to June 2024.Indirect immunofluorescence assay (IIF) was used to detect ANA, its titer and cell staining pattern. Fifteen specific antibodies were tested using the magnetic bar code immunofluorescent luminescence method. Logistic regression model was used to analyze the risk factors of pregnancy with autoimmune disease(AID). The results showed that among 9 528 pregnant women in early pregnancy, 1 346 cases (14.1%) were positive of ANA, including 1 011 cases with a titer of 1∶100 (10.6%), 236 cases (2.5%) with a titer of 1∶320, and 99 cases (1.0%) were detected at a titer >1∶320. Among the 1 346 ANA-positive pregnant women, nuclear granular type accounted for the highest proportion (483 cases, 35.9%), followed by speckled type (347 cases, 25.8%) and cytoplasmic type (176 cases, 13.1%).Then, pregnant women with ANA titers ≥1∶100 were detected 15 specific antibodies.Anti-SSA was tested in 121 cases accounted for the majority, followed by 110 cases with anti-Ro-52, 56 cases with anti-SSB, 51 cases with anti-mitochondrial M2 subtype antibodies and 37 cases with anti-centromere B. In conclusion,in healthy pregnant women in Qingdao area, ANA positivity rate was 14.1%, and the titer of ANA was mainly at 1∶100.The predominant nuclear patterns were nuclear granular and speckled types.The specific autoantibodies were mainly anti-SSA antibodies and anti-Ro-52 antibodies.The detection of ANA and specific autoantibodies is of great significance for early prediction, diagnosis, and intervention of autoimmune diseases during pregnancy.

Objective Explore a non-contact physiological and psychological detection model based on facial video in simulations of weightlessness effects,research new methods for non-contact heart rate and negative mood state detection in long-term simulations of weightlessness effect analysis.Methods Construct a non-contact physiological and psychological data collection system for fusion analysis of visible light and thermal infrared videos.Collect physiological and psychological data of volunteers in the"Earth Star-Ⅱ"90-day head-down bed rest experiment.A non-contact heart rate detection model based on GCN facial multi-region feature fusion and a non-contact negative mood state detection model considering data reliability were constructed,and the effectiveness of the models were validated with finger clip heart rate and POMS-SF scale as labels.Results The experimental results show that the average difference in the Bland-Altman plot of the non-contact heart rate detection model is-1.26 bpm,and 96.3%of value error detection data falls within the 95%confidence interval,indicating a high consistency between the model detected heart rate and the finger clip heart rate.The non-contact negative mood state detection model achieves an accuracy of>0.85 for detecting tension,depression,anger,and fatigue.Features such as heart rate,AU06,eye gaze,and head pose were observed to be important to mood state detection.Conclusion Non-contact physiological and psychological detection methods not only can be utilized for long-term physiological analysis in simulations of weightlessness effects,but also provide a novel technical approach for on-orbit astronauts health assurance during long-term space flight in the future.