AIM: To investigate the potential inhibitory effect of pterostilbene on the endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition(EndMT)induced by high glucose conditions in human retinal microvascular endothelial cells(HRMECs).METHODS: The optimal concentration of pterostilbene for treating HRMECs was determined using the CCK-8 assay, with 12.5 and 25 μmol/L concentrations selected for subsequent experiments. Four experimental groups were established: control group, high glucose group, high glucose combined with 12.5 μmol/L pterostilbene treatment group, and high glucose combined with 25 μmol/L pterostilbene treatment group. The expression levels of HDAC7 and EndMT-associated markers were detected via Western blot analysis. Cell migration ability was assessed using Transwell migration assays and scratch wound healing tests, while vasculogenic capability was evaluated through tube formation assays.RESULTS: The CCK-8 assay revealed that pterostilbene at a concentration of 22.07 μmol/L inhibited 50% of cell viability in HRMECs. Western blot analysis demonstrated that compared with the control group, the expression levels of HDAC7, ZEB1, Vimentin, and Snail were significantly upregulated in HRMECs cultured in high glucose(all P<0.01), while the expressions of VE-cadherin and CD31 were significantly reduced(all P<0.01). Compared to the high glucose group, the treatment with 12.5 and 25 μmol/L pterostilbene significantly reduced the expression of HDAC7, ZEB1, Vimentin, and Snail under high glucose conditions(all P<0.01). Notably, 25 μmol/L pterostilbene enhanced the expression of VE-cadherin and CD31(all P<0.01). Scratch wound healing tests revealed that HRMECs treated with high glucose exhibited a significantly increased cell migration rate compared to the control group(P<0.05), while the application of 25 μmol/L pterostilbene significantly suppressed HRMECs migration under high glucose conditions(P<0.01). Transwell migration assays demonstrated that the cell migration rate in the high glucose group was significantly higher than that in the control group(P<0.01), with cell migration rate markedly reduced following treatment with both of 12.5 and 25 μmol/L pterostilbene(all P<0.01). The tube formation assay revealed that the ability of HRMECs to form tubular structures was significantly enhanced under high glucose conditions(P<0.01), and both 12.5 and 25 μmol/L of pterostilbene effectively inhibited this effect(all P<0.01).CONCLUSION: Pterostilbene can inhibit HDAC7 expression, suppress EndMT-mediated migration of HRMECs, and impair tube formation under high-glucose conditions.

AIM: To investigate the potential inhibitory effect of pterostilbene on the endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition(EndMT)induced by high glucose conditions in human retinal microvascular endothelial cells(HRMECs).METHODS: The optimal concentration of pterostilbene for treating HRMECs was determined using the CCK-8 assay, with 12.5 and 25 μmol/L concentrations selected for subsequent experiments. Four experimental groups were established: control group, high glucose group, high glucose combined with 12.5 μmol/L pterostilbene treatment group, and high glucose combined with 25 μmol/L pterostilbene treatment group. The expression levels of HDAC7 and EndMT-associated markers were detected via Western blot analysis. Cell migration ability was assessed using Transwell migration assays and scratch wound healing tests, while vasculogenic capability was evaluated through tube formation assays.RESULTS: The CCK-8 assay revealed that pterostilbene at a concentration of 22.07 μmol/L inhibited 50% of cell viability in HRMECs. Western blot analysis demonstrated that compared with the control group, the expression levels of HDAC7, ZEB1, Vimentin, and Snail were significantly upregulated in HRMECs cultured in high glucose(all P<0.01), while the expressions of VE-cadherin and CD31 were significantly reduced(all P<0.01). Compared to the high glucose group, the treatment with 12.5 and 25 μmol/L pterostilbene significantly reduced the expression of HDAC7, ZEB1, Vimentin, and Snail under high glucose conditions(all P<0.01). Notably, 25 μmol/L pterostilbene enhanced the expression of VE-cadherin and CD31(all P<0.01). Scratch wound healing tests revealed that HRMECs treated with high glucose exhibited a significantly increased cell migration rate compared to the control group(P<0.05), while the application of 25 μmol/L pterostilbene significantly suppressed HRMECs migration under high glucose conditions(P<0.01). Transwell migration assays demonstrated that the cell migration rate in the high glucose group was significantly higher than that in the control group(P<0.01), with cell migration rate markedly reduced following treatment with both of 12.5 and 25 μmol/L pterostilbene(all P<0.01). The tube formation assay revealed that the ability of HRMECs to form tubular structures was significantly enhanced under high glucose conditions(P<0.01), and both 12.5 and 25 μmol/L of pterostilbene effectively inhibited this effect(all P<0.01).CONCLUSION: Pterostilbene can inhibit HDAC7 expression, suppress EndMT-mediated migration of HRMECs, and impair tube formation under high-glucose conditions.

Objective: To investigate the influencing factors of overactive bladder (OAB) in college freshmen and the impacts of OAB on their mental health, quality of life and social interaction. Methods: An epidemiological questionnaire survey was conducted in an anonymous manner on the prevalence of OAB among 5300 freshmen aged 17 to 22 years enrolled in the 2023—2024 academic year in Xinxiang Medical University and Sanquan College of Xinxiang Medical University.The questionnaire included questions on basic information, history of urinary tract infection, constipation, smoking, history of alcohol consumption, history of coffee/strong tea drinking, history of carbonated beverage drinking, redundant prepuce, phimosis, holding urine, chronic insomnia, self-rating anxiety scale (SAS), quality of life score (QoL), and social avoidance and distress scale (SADS).The influencing factors of OAB were analyzed with multivariate logistic regression analysis.The subjects were grouped according to whether they had OAB, and the differences in SAS, QoL and SADS between the OAB group and non-OAB group were compared.The impacts of OAB on the anxiety level, quality of life, and social interaction were analyzed with multiple linear regression analysis. Results: The overall prevalence rate of OAB was 4.9% (244/5018).Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the history of urinary tract infection (OR=0.177), constipation (OR=0.636), smoking (OR=0.582), alcohol consumption (OR=0.685), coffee/strong tea drinking (OR=0.387), carbonated beverage drinking (OR=0.631), redundant prepuce (OR=0.673), phimosis (OR=0.311), urine holding (OR=0.593), and chronic insomnia (OR=0.256) were influencing factors for the occurrence of OAB (P＜0.05).The OAB group had higher SAS score [(41.18±6.54) vs. (38.61±6.36)], QoL score [(3.65±1.20) vs. (2.79±0.95)], social avoidance score [(6.25±1.86) vs. (5.86±1.51)], social distress score [(6.27±1.59) vs. (5.97±1.32)], and total SADS score [(12.51±2.35) vs. (11.84±2.01)] than the non-OAB group (P＜0.05).The results of multiple linear regression analysis showed that OAB could independently affect the scores of QoL, SAS, and SADS.The OAB group had higher scores of QoL, SAS, and SADS compared with the non-OAB group (P＜0.001). Conclusion: History of urinary tract infection, constipation, smoking, alcohol consumption, coffee/strong tea drinking, carbonated beverage drinking, redundant prepuce, phimosis, urine holding, and chronic insomnia are influencing factors for the occurrence of OAB in male college students.Moreover, OAB has negative impacts on their mental health, quality of life, and social interaction.

Objective To explore the impact of temperature and environmental factors on the risk of deaths from cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases (CVD) in Wuhan during the course of high temperature. Methods The daily CVD death data and meteorological and atmospheric pollutant concentration data during the high temperature process in Wuhan from 2014 to 2019 were collected. The generalized additive models (GAM) were used to obtain the characteristics of meteorological factors, atmospheric pollutant concentrations, high impact factors and thresholds affecting the relative risk of CVD death. Results The analysis results showed that: (1) When the maximum temperature reached 36.7°C and the lowest temperature reached 25.3°C, the relative risk of CVD death increased significantly; (2) The risk of CVD death during the first high temperature process was the largest, and the average CVD excess mortality rate during the first high temperature process from 2014 to 2019 reached 21.7%; and (3) The average temperature, maximum temperature and PM₁₀ during the course of high temperature were important environmental factors that increased the risk of CVD deaths, and the relative risks were 1.14 (95% confidence interval (95% CI): 1.11-1.17), 1.11 (95% confidence interval (95% CI): 1.08-1.15, and 1.06 (95% confidence interval (95% CI): 1.02-1.09), respectively. Conclusion Temperature and PM₁₀ are important environmental factors that increase the risk of death from CVD during the high temperature process in Wuhan from 2014 to 2019, with the first annual high temperature process having the greatest impact on the risk of CVD death.

Objective:To analyze the effective and safety of endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) for ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm (RAAA) at one tertiary center, and to improve the outcomes of RAAA under fast-track protocol.Methods:Nineteen cases of RAAA in the 940th Hospital of Joint Logistic Support Force of PLA from January 2014 to December 2020 were reviewed retrospectively. EVAR-fist strategy was employed from the emergency room to the operating room by using fast-track protocol. Preoperative management, anatomic characteristics, choice of anesthesia, operative procedures and postoperative complications were collected and analyzed. Abdominal compartment syndrome (ACS) and hospital mortality were paid special attention.Results:Nineteen cases were undergone EVAR procedures. The age was (73.4 ± 7.4) years old, and the AAA size was (67.8 ± 13.6) mm. Two cases underwent cardiopulmonary resuscitation at emergency department. General anesthesia was used in 13 patients and local anaesthesia in 6 patients. Successful stent graft deployment was achieved in all cases. The duration from emergency room to operating room was (84.8 ± 22.4) min. The hospital stay time was (9.7 ± 5.7) d. The hospital mortality was 5/19. The 5 deaths were reviewed: 3 died for multiple organ failure, 1 for irreversible shock, and 1 for ongoing bleeding.Conclusions:Excellent results were confirmed by using EVAR-first strategy for RAAA. The management of hemodynamically unstable state, standardized endovascular procedure, fast-track program and multidiscipline team collaboration were the very important determining factors for the implementation of EVAR. Focused efforts to reduce RAAA mortality are warranted.

Objective:To explore and analyze the reliability and safety of sham feeding in facilitating the recovery of gastrointestinal function after laparoscopic appendectomy (LA), by using a new device, the Artificial Intelligence Bowel Tone Monitoring System.Methods:The data of 100 cases in Shaanxi Provincial People′s Hospital from Dec. 2020 to Sep. 2022 with acute appendicitis operated by LA who met the inclusion criteria. In this prospective study, participants were divided by random number table into a control group and an experimental group, with 50 cases in each group. The control group performed routine postoperative LA care, and the experimental group performed routine postoperative LA care and sham-feeding state care. The age, gender, recovery time of postoperative bowel sounds, time of first postoperative anal discharge, postoperative nausea and vomiting, abdominal distention, dry mouth and halitosis, and postoperative abdominal pain and other complications were recorded. GraphPad Prism 9.0 and SPSS 22.0 software were adopted to conduct data organization and analysis.Results:There were 100 valid cases in this trial. There were no statistical differences between the two groups in terms of gender, age, duration of surgery, abdominal pain and other symptoms ( P>0.05). The recovery time of bowel sounds after surgery was (8.92±0.56) h in the experimental group and (10.55±0.88) h in the control group, which was statistically significant ( t=10.99, P<0.0001); the recovery time of bowel sounds after surgery was (20.10±0.50) h in the experimental group and (20.96±0.59) h in the control group. There was a statistically significant difference between the two groups ( t=7.84, P<0.0001); there was a statistically significant difference between the experimental group (22%) and the control group (42%) for postoperative nausea and vomiting ( χ2=4.60, P=0.032); there was a statistically significant difference between the experimental group (16%) and the control group (52%) for postoperative abdominal distension ( χ2= There was a statistical difference between the experimental group (40%) and the control group (68%) ( χ2=7.89, P=0.005). The number of hospitalization days in the control group was (11.40±2.47) days and the days in the experimental group was (9.30±2.01) d, the difference between the two groups was statistically significant ( t=4.65, P<0.001); the hospitalization cost in the control group was (27 270.11±2 645.30) yuan and the cost in the experimental group was (23 669.68±2 841.28) yuan, the difference between the two groups was statistically significant ( t=6.56, P<0.001). Conclusion:To a certain extent, sham feeding can accelerate the recovery of gastrointestinal function in patients after LA, reduce the common postoperative discomfort, length of stay and hospital costs of patients.

Humans ; Cohort Studies ; Body Mass Index ; Percutaneous Coronary Intervention ; Coronary Artery Disease ; Inflammation ; Treatment Outcome ; Risk Factors

Objective:To compare surgery-related indicators, patient recovery status, perioperative complications and risk factors affecting the occurrence of postoperative grade Ⅲ or higher complications in patients undergoing laparoscopic gastric mesenchymal tumor surgery with different visceral fat areas.Methods:Clinical data of 116 patients with gastric interstitial tumor in Shaanxi Provincial People′s Hospital from April 2014 to June 2020 were retrospectively analyzed, including 44 male patients and 72 female patients, with patient aged from 25 to 88 years old and the mean age was (61.8±10.7) years, including 54 patients in the high VFA group and 62 patients in the low VFA group. SPSS 23.0 was used for statistical analysis, and t-test and χ2 test were applied to compare and analyze the patients′ surgery-related indexes, postoperative recovery status, complications within 30 d after surgery and differences in Clavien-Dindo classification of complications, while univariate and multifactorial analyses were used to study the factors affecting the occurrence of postoperative grade Ⅲ or higher complications. Results:Patients in the high VFA group had a higher body mass index than in the low VFA group, and the difference was statistically significant ( t=4.48, P<0.001); patients in the high VFA group had longer operative time ( t=2.88, P=0.005), more intraoperative bleeding ( t=2.17, P=0.032), longer period of fasting ( t=2.73, P=0.008), longer time for defecation ( t=4.46, P<0.001) and bowel movement ( t=4.62, P<0.001), and longer postoperative hospital stay ( t=3.43) compared with those in the low VFA group ( t=2.73, P=0.001), prolonged defecation ( t=4.46), prolonged bowel movement ( t=4.62), and prolonged postoperative hospitalization ( t=3.43), with statistically significant differences ( P<0.05); the incidence of postoperative complications was significantly higher in the high VFA group (31.4%) compared with the low VFA group (14.5%) ( χ2=4.78, P=0.029); among them, the incidence of postoperative pulmonary infection was significantly higher in patients in the high VFA group (12.9%) compared with those in the low VFA group (1.6%), and the difference between them was statistically significant ( χ2=4.16, P<0.05); while the differences in postoperative incision-related complications, anastomotic fistula, lower limb venous thrombosis, and intestinal obstruction were not statistically significant ( P>0.05). The incidence of postoperative complications above grade Ⅲ of the Clavien-Dindo complication classification was significantly higher in patients in the high VFA group (16.7%) compared with those in the low VFA group (4.8%), and the difference between the two was statistically significant ( χ2=4.35, P<0.05); univariate analysis revealed that operative time ≥300 min and increased VFA were the risk factors for postoperative grade Ⅲ or higher complications, while VFA was not an independent risk factor. Conclusion:Larger visceral fat area increases the difficulty of laparoscopic gastric mesenchymal tumor surgery operation, and also affects patients′ postoperative recovery, leading to increased postoperative complications, but VFA is not an independent risk factor affecting the occurrence of postoperative grade Ⅲ or higher complications in patients with gastric mesenchymal tumor.

Objective:To investigate the risk factors affecting the occurrence of perioperative complications in patients with locally progressive gastric cancer undergoing radical gastric cancer treatment.Methods:The clinical data of 129 patients with locally progressive gastric cancer from January 2017 to December 2019 in Shaanxi Provincial People′s Hospital were retrospectively analyzed, including 98 males and 31 females, with an age ranged from 27 to 79 years and a mean age of (60.61±10.00) years. The postoperative complications of 129 patients with gastric cancer were firstly counted, and then the relationship between clinical data such as patients′ general condition, intraoperative status and pathological indexes and the occurrence of perioperative complications was analyzed by using univariate analysis, and significant factors were included in the logistic regression model for multifactor analysis to study the independent risk factors for the occurrence of perioperative complications.Results:Of the 129 patients, 25 cases (19.38%) had postoperative complications, including 10 cases (7.75%) with Clavien-Dindo classification combined with grade Ⅲ or higher complications. The results of univariate analysis suggested ACCI score >4 (30.76% vs 68.00%, χ2=11.86, P=0.001), body mass index ≥25 kg/m 2 (24.03% vs 60.00%, χ2=12.18, P=0.001), and preoperative hypoproteinemia (17.30% vs 36.00%, χ2=4.25, P=0.039), vascular cancer embolism (14.42% vs 40.00%, χ2=7.70, P=0.006), operative time ≥ 400 min (26.92% vs 52.00%, χ2=5.84, P=0.016), intraoperative bleeding ≥ 400 mL (13.46% vs 44.00%, χ2=12.03, P=0.001) were risk factors for the development of perioperative complications in patients with locally progressive gastric cancer. Multifactorial analysis showed that ACCI score >4, body mass index ≥25 kg/m 2, preoperative hypoproteinemia, vascular cancer embolism, and intraoperative bleeding ≥400 mL were independent risk factors for the occurrence of perioperative complications in patients with locally progressive gastric cancer ( P<0.05). Conclusions:The occurrence of perioperative complications in locally progressive gastric cancer hands was closely associated with ACCI score, body mass index, preoperative hypoproteinemia, vascular cancer embolism and intraoperative bleeding. ACCI score is expected to be a predictor of the occurrence of perioperative complications in patients with locally progressive gastric cancer.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of millimeter wave (MMW) exposure on apoptosis of human melanoma A375 cells and explore the mechanisms. METHODS: Through electromagnetic field calculation we simulated MMW exposure in cells and calculated the specific absorption rate (SAR). The optimal irradiation parameters were determined according to the uniformity and intensity of the SAR. A375 cells were then exposed to MMV for 15, 30, 60, or 90 min, with or without pretreatment with the caspase-3 inhibitor AC-DEVD-fmk (10 μmol/L) for 1 h at 90 min before the exposure. CCK-8 assay was used to assess the changes in the viability and Annexin-V/ PI staining was used to detect the apoptosis of the cells following the exposures; Western blotting was used to detect the expression of caspase-3 in the cells. RESULTS: The results of electromagnetic field calculation showed that for optimal MMV exposure, the incident field needed to be perpendicular to the bottom of the plastic Petri dish with the antenna placed below the dish. CCk-8 assay showed that MMW exposure significantly inhibited the cell viability in a time-dependent manner ( < 0.05); exposures for 15, 30, 60, and 90 min all resulted in significantly increased apoptosis of the cells ( < 0.05). The cells with MMW exposure showed significantly increased expression of caspase-3. The inhibitory effect of MMW on the cell viability was antagonized significantly by pretreatment of the cells with AC-DEVD-fmk ( < 0.05), which increased the cell viability rate from (36.7±0.09)% to (59.8±0.06)% ( < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS 35.2 GHz millimeter wave irradiation induces apoptosis in A375 cells by activating the caspase-3 protein.
Apoptosis ; Caspase 3 ; metabolism ; Caspase Inhibitors ; pharmacology ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Survival ; Electromagnetic Fields ; Enzyme Activation ; Humans ; Magnetic Field Therapy ; Melanoma ; enzymology ; pathology ; therapy ; Time Factors