Aim To investigate the mechanism of high salt-induced cerebral artery remodeling in mice by up-regulating TMEM16A. Methods Forty C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into four groups (10 per group, 8 weeks of intervention), namely, blank control group (normal diet), low-salt group (2% high salt diet), medium-salt group (4% high salt diet) and high-salt group (8% high salt diet). HE staining was used to observe the morphological changes of cerebral arteries; blood vessel permeability test was used to compare the color and absorbance value of brain tissue. Immunofluorescence was employed to detect TMEM16A expression in cerebral arteries of mice in each group; PCR and Western blot were applied to detect the mRNA and protein expression of TMEM16A in cerebral arterial tissues; whole-cell patch clamp was use to record the calcium-activated chloride channel (CaCC) currents of mouse cerebral artery smooth muscle cells in each group. Results HE results showed that 2%, 4%, and 8% high salt diet could concentra-tion-dependently induce cerebral arterial wall thickening and lumen stenosis in C57BL/6J mice. The permeability test found that compared with the control group, the absorbance value of the brain tissue of the mice in the 2%, 4% and 8% high salt groups increased significantly. The results of isolated muscle tension showed that compared with the control group, the systolic response of isolated cerebral arteries to 60 mmol • L

The working principle of F-50 helium compressor of Philips Ingenia 3.0T MRI Scanner was described.The causes and treatment of F-50 helium compressor were introduced.The importance of routine helium compressor maintenance for stable MRI operation was presented.References were provided for eliminating similar helium compressor faults.[Chinese Medical Equipment Journal,2023,44(10):114-117]

OBJECTIVE: This study was aimed at investigating the carrier rate of, and molecular variation in, α- and β-globin gene mutations in Hunan Province. METHODS: We recruited 25,946 individuals attending premarital screening from 42 districts and counties in all 14 cities of Hunan Province. Hematological screening was performed, and molecular parameters were assessed. RESULTS: The overall carrier rate of thalassemia was 7.1%, including 4.83% for α-thalassemia, 2.15% for β-thalassemia, and 0.12% for both α- and β-thalassemia. The highest carrier rate of thalassemia was in Yongzhou (14.57%). The most abundant genotype of α-thalassemia and β-thalassemia was -α ^3.7/αα (50.23%) and β ^IVS-II-654/β ^N (28.23%), respectively. Four α-globin mutations [CD108 (ACC>AAC), CAP +29 (G>C), Hb Agrinio and Hb Cervantes] and six β-globin mutations [CAP +8 (C>T), IVS-II-848 (C>T), -56 (G>C), beta nt-77 (G>C), codon 20/21 (-TGGA) and Hb Knossos] had not previously been identified in China. Furthermore, this study provides the first report of the carrier rates of abnormal hemoglobin variants and α-globin triplication in Hunan Province, which were 0.49% and 1.99%, respectively. CONCLUSION Our study demonstrates the high complexity and diversity of thalassemia gene mutations in the Hunan population. The results should facilitate genetic counselling and the prevention of severe thalassemia in this region.
Humans ; beta-Thalassemia/genetics* ; alpha-Thalassemia/genetics* ; Hemoglobinopathies/genetics* ; China/epidemiology* ; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing

Given the dual role of autophagy presenting in tumorigenesis and inhibition, we established an autophagy-related gene prognostic index (ARGPI) with validation to well predict the biochemical recurrence (BCR), metastasis, as well as chemoresistance for patients with prostate cancer (PCa) who underwent radical radiotherapy or prostatectomy. Then, Lasso and COX regression was used to develop the ARGPI. We performed the whole analyses through R packages (version 3.6.3). Secreted phosphoprotein 1 (SPP1), single-minded 2 (SIM2), serine protease inhibitor b5 (SERPINB5), aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2), and acyl-CoA synthetase long-chain 3 (ACSL3) were eventually used to establish the ARGPI score. Patients were divided into two different-risk groups based on the median ARGPI score, high-risk patients with a higher risk of BCR than low-risk patients (hazard ratio [HR]: 5.46, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 3.23-9.24). The risk of metastasis of high-risk patients was higher than low-risk patients (HR: 11.31, 95% CI: 4.89-26.12). In The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) dataset, we observed similar prognostic value of ARGPI in terms of BCR-free survival (HR: 1.79, 95% CI: 1.07-2.99) and metastasis-free survival (HR: 1.80, 95% CI: 1.16-2.78). ARGPI score showed a diagnostic accuracy of 0.703 for drug resistance. Analysis of gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) indicated that patients in the high-risk group were significantly positively related to interleukin (IL)-18 signaling pathway. Moreover, ARGPI score was significantly related to cancer-related fibroblasts (CAFs; r = 0.36), macrophages (r = 0.28), stromal score (r = 0.38), immune score (r = 0.35), estimate score (r = 0.39), as well as tumor purity (r = -0.39; all P < 0.05). Drug analysis showed that PI-103 was the common sensitive drug and cell line analysis indicated that PC3 was the common cell line of PI-103 and the definitive gene. In conclusion, we found that ARGPI could predict BCR, metastasis, and chemoresistance in PCa patients who underwent radical radiotherapy or prostatectomy.
Male ; Humans ; Prognosis ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local/pathology* ; Prostatic Neoplasms/pathology* ; Prostatectomy ; Drug Resistance ; Aldehyde Dehydrogenase, Mitochondrial

OBJECTIVES: To explore the value of the combined use of aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index (APRI) and total bile acid (TBA) for predicting parenteral nutrition-associated cholestasis (PNAC) in preterm infants with gestational age <34 weeks. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed on medical data of 270 preterm infants born at <34 weeks of gestation who received parenteral nutrition (PN) during hospitalization in the First Affiliated Hospital of Wannan Medical College from January 2019 to September 2022, including 128 infants with PNAC and 142 infants without PNAC. The medical data between the two groups were compared, and predictive factors for the development of PNAC were explored through multivariate logistic regression analysis. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to evaluate the value of APRI alone, TBA alone, and the combination of both for predicting PNAC. RESULTS: TBA levels in the PNAC group after 1, 2, and 3 weeks of PN were higher than those in the non-PNAC group (P<0.05). APRI in the PNAC group after 2 and 3 weeks of PN was higher than that in the non-PNAC group (P<0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that elevated APRI and TBA after 2 weeks of PN were predictive factors for PNAC in preterm infants (P<0.05). ROC curve analysis showed that the sensitivity, specificity, and area under the curve (AUC) for predicting PNAC by combining APRI and TBA after 2 weeks of PN were 0.703, 0.803, and 0.806, respectively. The AUC for predicting PNAC by combining APRI and TBA was higher than that of APRI or TBA alone (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS After 2 weeks of PN, the value of combining APRI and TBA for predicting PNAC is high in preterm infants with gestational age <34 weeks.
Infant, Newborn ; Infant ; Humans ; Gestational Age ; Infant, Premature ; Retrospective Studies ; Bile Acids and Salts ; Parenteral Nutrition ; Transaminases

Objective: To study the incidence of bloodstream infections, pathogen distribution, and antibiotic resistance profile in patients with hematological malignancies. Methods: From January 2018 to December 2021, we retrospectively analyzed the clinical characteristics, pathogen distribution, and antibiotic resistance profiles of patients with malignant hematological diseases and bloodstream infections in the Department of Hematology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University. Results: A total of 582 incidences of bloodstream infections occurred in 22,717 inpatients. From 2018 to 2021, the incidence rates of bloodstream infections were 2.79%, 2.99%, 2.79%, and 2.02%, respectively. Five hundred ninety-nine types of bacteria were recovered from blood cultures, with 487 (81.3%) gram-negative bacteria, such as Klebsiella pneumonia, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Eighty-one (13.5%) were gram-positive bacteria, primarily Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, and Enterococcus faecium, whereas the remaining 31 (5.2%) were fungi. Enterobacteriaceae resistance to carbapenems, piperacillin/tazobactam, cefoperazone sodium/sulbactam, and tigecycline were 11.0%, 15.3%, 15.4%, and 3.3%, with a descending trend year on year. Non-fermenters tolerated piperacillin/tazobactam, cefoperazone sodium/sulbactam, and quinolones at 29.6%, 13.3%, and 21.7%, respectively. However, only two gram-positive bacteria isolates were shown to be resistant to glycopeptide antibiotics. Conclusions: Bloodstream pathogens in hematological malignancies were broadly dispersed, most of which were gram-negative bacteria. Antibiotic resistance rates vary greatly between species. Our research serves as a valuable resource for the selection of empirical antibiotics.
Humans ; Bacteremia/epidemiology* ; Cefoperazone ; Sulbactam ; Retrospective Studies ; Drug Resistance, Bacterial ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests ; Hematologic Neoplasms ; Sepsis ; Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology* ; Gram-Negative Bacteria ; Gram-Positive Bacteria ; Piperacillin, Tazobactam Drug Combination ; Escherichia coli

Objective: To investigate the feasibility of Cai tube-assisted natural orifice specimen extraction surgery (NOSES) in gastrointestinal surgery. Methods: This was a descriptive case-series study. Inclusion criteria: (1) colorectal or gastric cancer diagnosed by preoperative pathological examination or redundant sigmoid or transverse colon detected by barium enema; (2) indications for laparoscopic surgery; (3) body mass index <30 kg/m² (transanal surgery) and 35 kg/m² (transvaginal surgery); (4) no vaginal stenosis or adhesions in female patients undergoing transvaginal specimen extraction; and (5) patients with redundant colon aged 18-70 years and a history of intractable constipation for more than 10 years. Exclusion criteria: (1) colorectal cancer with intestinal perforation or obstruction, or gastric cancer with gastric perforation, gastric hemorrhage, or pyloric obstruction; (2) simultaneous resection of lung, bone, or liver metastases ; (3) history of major abdominal surgery or intestinal adhesions; and (4) incomplete clinical data. From January 2014 to October 2022, 209 patients with gastrointestinal tumors and 25 with redundant colons who met the above criteria were treated by NOSES utilizing a Cai tube (China invention patent number:ZL201410168748.2) in the Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Xiamen University. The procedures included eversion and pull-out NOSES radical resection in 14 patients with middle and low rectal cancer, NOSES radical left hemicolectomy in 171 patients with left-sided colorectal cancer, NOSES radical right hemicolectomy in 12 patients with right-sided colon cancer, NOSES systematic mesogastric resection in 12 patients with gastric cancer, and NOSES subtotal colectomy in 25 patients with redundant colons. All specimens were collected by using an in-house-made anal cannula (Cai tube) with no auxiliary incisions. The primary outcomes included 1-year recurrence-free survival (RFS) and postoperative complications. Results: Among 234 patients, 116 were male and 118 were female. The mean age was (56.6±10.9) years. NOSES was successfully completed in all patients without conversion to open surgery or procedure-related death. The negative rate of circumferential resection margin was 98.8% (169/171) with both two positive cases having left-sided colorectal cancer. Postoperative complications occurred in 37 patients (15.8%), including 11 cases (4.7%) of anastomotic leakage, 3 cases(1.3%) of anastomotic bleeding, 2 cases (0.9%) of intraperitoneal bleeding, 4 cases (1.7%) of abdominal infection, and 8 cases (3.4%) of pulmonary infection. Reoperations were required in 7 patients (3.0%), all of whom consented to creation of an ileostomy after anastomotic leakage. The total readmission rate within 30 days after surgery was 0.9% (2/234). After a follow-up of (18.3±3.6) months, the 1-year RFS was 94.7%. Five of 209 patients (2.4%) with gastrointestinal tumors had local recurrence, all of which was anastomotic recurrence. Sixteen patients (7.7%) developed distant metastases, including liver metastases(n=8), lung metastases(n=6), and bone metastases (n=2). Conclusion: NOSES assisted by Cai tube is feasible and safe in radical resection of gastrointestinal tumors and subtotal colectomy for redundant colon.
Humans ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Aged ; Anastomotic Leak/surgery* ; Stomach Neoplasms/surgery* ; Retrospective Studies ; Laparoscopy ; Rectal Neoplasms/surgery* ; Colectomy ; Postoperative Complications ; Liver Neoplasms/surgery* ; Treatment Outcome

Objective: To evaluate the mid-term efficacy of laparoscopic-assisted natural orifice specimen extraction surgery (NOSES) colectomy using the Cai tube in the treatment of left colorectal cancer. Methods: A prospective randomized control trial (China Clinical Trials Registration Number: ChiCTR-OOR-15007060) was performed. Sixty patients with left colorectal cancer at Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery of Zhongshan Hospital from September 2015 to August 2017 were prospectively enrolled. Case inclusion criteria: (1) left colorectal adenocarcinoma (rectal cancer with distance ≥ 8 cm from tumor low margin to anal edge, sigmoid colon cancer, descending colon cancer and left transverse colon cancer) confirmed by preoperative pathology; (2) satisfactory conditions of conventional laparoscopic surgery; (3) maximum diameter of the tumor < 4.5 cm confirmed by preoperative abdominal and pelvic CT or MRI; (4) BMI < 30 kg/m². Case exclusion criteria: (1) benign lesions, mucinous adenocarcinoma, signet-ring cell carcinoma and other special pathological types of tumors confirmed by preoperative pathological examination; (2) multiple or recurrent cancers; (3) with a history of neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy; (4) obvious regional infiltration or distant metastasis indicated by preoperative imaging examination; (5) intestinal obstruction, intestinal perforation, etc. Participants were randomly assigned to NOSES group (using the Cai tube) and conventional laparoscopy (CL) group by random number table method. Clinical data between two groups were compared and analyzed, including perioperative conditions, tumor exfoliation cell detection and bacterial culture results of intraperitoneal lavage fluid, postoperative complications (Clavien-Dindo grading), postoperative pain [visual simulation scoring (VAS) assessment], anal function (Kirwan anal function grading assessment), and postoperative 3-year disease-free survival (DFS), overall survival (OS), overall recurrence rate, and local recurrence rate. Results: A total of 60 patients were enrolled, with 30 in the NOSES group and 30 in the CL group. All the patients in the NOSES group successfully completed operation with Cai tube. Baseline data between the two groups were not significantly different (all P>0.05). There were no statistically significant differences between two groups in conversion rate to open surgery, number of lymph node harivested, proximal and distal resection margin of tumor, negative rate of circumferential margin, operation time, blood loss, inflammatory indexes, postoperative anal function, postoperative hospital stay, hospitalization cost, morbidity of postoperative complications (Clavien-Dindo grade II or above) (all P>0.05). Compared to the CL group, the NOSES group had lower maximum postoperative VAS score (2.5±0.3 vs. 5.1±0.4, t=3.187, P<0.01), and fewer use of additional postoperative analgesia [6.7% (2/30) vs. 33.3% (10/30),χ²=6.670, P=0.02]. The postoperative time to gas passage was shorter in the NOSES group [(2.2±1.4) days vs. (3.1±1.2) days,P=0.026]. No tumor cells and bacterial contamination were found in abdominal lavage fluid before and after operation in either group. The anal function at postoperative 3-month of all the patients in the NOSES group was Kirwan grade I to II, while in the CL group, anal function of 2 cases (6.7%) was Kirwan grade III, and of 28 cases was also Kirwan grade I to II, whose difference was not statistically significant (P>0.05). In the NOSES group and the CL group, 3-year DFS was 96.7% and 83.3% (P=0.090), OS was 100% and 90% (P=0.096), overall recurrence rate was 3.3% and 10.0% (P=0.166), and local recurrence rate was 3.3% and 3.3% (P=0.999), respectively, whose differences were not statistically significant (all P>0.05). Conclusions: In the treatment of left colorectal cancer, compared with conventional laparoscopic colectomy, NOSES colectomy using Cai tube exhibits less scar, less postoperative pain, shorter recovery of gastrointestinal function, and similar mid-term outcomes. Given proper surgical indications, the surgical procedure is safe and feasible.
Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Laparoscopy ; Pain, Postoperative ; Postoperative Complications/surgery* ; Prospective Studies ; Rectal Neoplasms/surgery* ; Retrospective Studies ; Sigmoid Neoplasms/surgery* ; Treatment Outcome

Diabetic retinopathy is the leading cause of blindness in the working-age population, in which diabetic macular edema(DME)is the most common reason resulting in the vision impairment. Studies showed that inflammation factors play an important role in the pathogenesis and development of DME. Chronic hyperglycemia activates several biochemical pathways, leading to retinal hypoxia, oxidative stress and chronic inflammation. Intraretinal inflammation-related cells, such as microglia, monocytes/macrophages, Müller cells and retinal pigment epithelial cells, become activated and release a large number of inflammation-related factors and mediators, including the complement system, vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF), placental growth factor(PlGF), tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α), interleukin-1β(IL-1β), IL-6 and IL-8, etc., resulting in the breakdown of the blood-retinal barrier and neuronal degeneration. In addition, up-regulatethe expression of intercellular adhesion molecule-1(ICAM-1)and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1(VCAM-1)by retinal vascular endothelial cells increased the adhesion of leukocyte and leukostasis, further aggravating retinal hypoxia and breakdown of the blood-retinal barrier, leading to the increased retinal vascular leakage and macular edema. Therefore, early treatment with anti-VEGF and anti-inflammatory are pivotal for the treatment of DME. In this review, we will discuss the role of inflammation factors in the pathogenesis of DME and the research status of the targeted drugs targeting inflammation, so as to provide reference for the treatment of DME.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the incidence of extrauterine growth retardation (EUGR) and its risk factors in very preterm infants (VPIs) during hospitalization in China. METHODS: A prospective multicenter study was performed on the medical data of 2 514 VPIs who were hospitalized in the department of neonatology in 28 hospitals from 7 areas of China between September 2019 and December 2020. According to the presence or absence of EUGR based on the evaluation of body weight at the corrected gestational age of 36 weeks or at discharge, the VPIs were classified to two groups: EUGR group (n=1 189) and non-EUGR (n=1 325). The clinical features were compared between the two groups, and the incidence of EUGR and risk factors for EUGR were examined. RESULTS: The incidence of EUGR was 47.30% (1 189/2 514) evaluated by weight. The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that higher weight growth velocity after regaining birth weight and higher cumulative calorie intake during the first week of hospitalization were protective factors against EUGR (P<0.05), while small-for-gestational-age birth, prolonged time to the initiation of total enteral feeding, prolonged cumulative fasting time, lower breast milk intake before starting human milk fortifiers, prolonged time to the initiation of full fortified feeding, and moderate-to-severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia were risk factors for EUGR (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS It is crucial to reduce the incidence of EUGR by achieving total enteral feeding as early as possible, strengthening breastfeeding, increasing calorie intake in the first week after birth, improving the velocity of weight gain, and preventing moderate-severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia in VPIs.
Female ; Fetal Growth Retardation ; Gestational Age ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Incidence ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Premature ; Infant, Very Low Birth Weight ; Prospective Studies ; Risk Factors