OBJECTIVES: To study the impact of SURF4 expression level on long-term prognosis of gastric cancer (GC) and biological behaviors of GC cells. METHODS: SURF4 expression level in GC and its association with long-term patient prognosis were analyzed using publicly available databases and in 155 GC patients with low and high SURF4 expressions detected immunohistochemically. The Cox proportional hazard model and Kaplan-Meier survival curves were used to analyze independent prognostic predictors of GC and the 5-year survival rate of the patients with different SURF4 expression levels. Informatics analyses were conducted to explore the correlation of SURF4 expression level with immune cell infiltration in GC, SURF4-related differential genes and their associated pathways. In cultured GC cell line HGC-27, the effects of SURF4 knockdown and overexpression on proliferation, migration, invasion and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) were investigated. RESULTS: Analysis of GEPIA dataset and immunohistochemical results suggested significant SURF4 overexpression in GC (P<0.05), which was associated with shortened 5-year survival time of the patients (χ²=38.749, P<0.001). The prognosis of GC was closely related to tumor stage T3-4, N2-3, CEA≥5 μg/L and CA19-9≥37 kU/L (P<0.05). SURF4 expression level was negatively correlated with activated B cells, NK cells and CD8⁺ effector memory T cells (P<0.05) and positively correlated with CD4⁺ T cells (P<0.05). GO and KEGG enrichment analysis suggested that SUFR4 may participate in GC carcinogenesis by promoting EMT through the tight junction pathway. In HGC-27 cells, SURF4 overexpression significantly decreased E-cadherin expression, increased N-cadherin expression, inhibited ZO-1 and claudin-1 expressions, and promoted cell proliferation, migration and invasion. CONCLUSIONS SURF4 is highly expressed in GC, and its overexpression is associated with a shortened 5-year survival of the patients possibly by enhancing tumor cell proliferation, migration and invasion via inhibiting tight junction proteins and promoting EMT.
Humans ; Stomach Neoplasms/metabolism* ; Cell Proliferation ; Cell Movement ; Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Neoplasm Invasiveness ; Prognosis ; Tight Junction Proteins/metabolism* ; Membrane Proteins/metabolism* ; Female ; Male

ObjectiveTo explore the possible mechanism of Chuanxiong （Rhizoma Chuanxiong） & Tianma （Rhizoma Gastrodiae） herbal pair in treating migraines based on AMP-activated protein kinase （AMPK）/transient receptor potential A1 channel （TRPA1） pathway. MethodsForty-eight healthy male SD rats were randomly divided into control group， model group， and Chuanxiong Tianma medication group， with 16 rats in each group. The control group and model group were given 10 ml/kg of normal saline by gavage， while the Chuanxiong Tianma medication group was given 0.675 g/kg of Chuanxiong Tianma herbal pair by gavage， once daily for 8 consecutive days in both groups. Migraime model was performed before the last administration， with subcutaneous injection of 10 ml/kg of normal saline in the control group， and subcutaneous injection of 10 ml/kg of nitroglycerin in the model group and Chuanxiong Tianma medication group. The Von Frey filament was used to measure the periorbital mechanical pain threshold of rats. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） was used to determine the levels of calcitonin gene-related peptide （CGRP） in rat serum and cerebrospinal fluid. The nitric oxide （NO） assay kit was used to determine the NO level in serum and cerebrospinal fluid. RT-PCR was usedto detect the mRNA expression levels of immediate-early genes in the trigeminal ganglion of rats （c-Fos）， CGRP， transient receptor potential V1 channel （TRPV1）， AMPK alpha subunit （PRKAA）， and TRPA1. Immunofluorescence was used to detect the number of c-Fos-positive cells in the trigeminal cervical complex （TCC） and the protein expression levels of phosphorylated AMPK （pAMPK） and TRPA1 in the trigeminal ganglion. ResultsCompared to those in the control group， the mechanical stimulation threshold and pAMPK protein expression in the model group decreased， while the levels of CGRP and NO in serum， c-Fos， CGRP， TRPV1 and TRPA1 mRNA levels in the trigeminal ganglion， TRPA1 protein expression， and the number of c-Fos-positive cells in the TCC significantly increased （P＜0.05）. Compared to those in the model group， the mechanical stimulation threshold and pAMPK protein expression in the Chuanxiong Tianma medication group significantly increased， while the levels of CGRP and NO in serum， c-Fos， CGRP， TRPV1 and TRPA1 mRNA levels in the trigeminal ganglion， TRPA1 protein expression， and the number of c-Fos-positive cells in the TCC significantly decreased （P＜0.05）. ConclusionChuanxiong Tianma herbal pair may improve migraine symptoms by regulating the AMPK/TRPA1 pathway in the trigeminal ganglion and increasing the mechanical pain threshold.

BACKGROUND:Vibration environment can cause spinal injury,especially in patients with scoliosis.At present,there is no information about the inherent mode of the whole spine from T1 to the pelvis in scoliosis patients in the free state. OBJECTIVE:To analyze the dynamic characteristics of the whole spine in patients with scoliosis by the finite element method. METHODS:Based on CT scan images,a three-dimensional finite element model of the T1-pelvic total spine of an 11-year-old patient with thoracolumbar biflexion scoliosis was established,and the Cobb angles of thoracolumbar scoliosis were 36° and 24°,respectively.The mode analysis in the free state of the whole spine was carried out by the finite element method. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The fifteen-order free modes of the spine were extracted,and the dynamic characteristics of the scolio-curved spine were obtained.The resonance frequency distribution of the spine was concentrated.The thoracic vertebra was the most deformed in the whole spine model,and the amplitude of the thoracic vertebra was larger than that of the lumbar vertebra.Modal analysis was used to analyze the vibration characteristics of scoliosis patients in the vibration environment.It is of great significance to determine the natural frequency,vibration mode,and amplitude of scoliosis patients for analyzing the vibration characteristics of scoliosis.

Objective To investigate the application effects of different myocardial protective solutions in total thoracoscopic minimally invasive aortic valve replacement surgery.Methods The clinical data of 72 patients with total thoracoscopic minimally invasive aortic valve replacement surgery in this hospital from May 2020 to January 2024 were analyzed retrospectively.The patients were divided into the St Thomas cardioplegia group(STH group,n=13),del Nido cardioplegia group(DN group,n=24),histidine tryptophan ketoglutar-ate solution group(HTK group,n=35)according to the different myocardial protective solutions.The levels of lactate(Lac)before and during surgery,the highest levels of myocardial creatine kinase isoenzyme(CK-MB),high-sensitivity troponin T(TnT)and creatinine(Cr)before operation,on the operative day and after surgery as well as the duration of extracorporeal circulation,aortic cross-clamping time,maximum flow rate,minimum bladder temperature,cardioplegia perfusion times,number of defibrillation after aortic de-clamping,postoperative ventilator assisted time,ICU stay duration and postoperative hospitalization duration were com-pared among the three groups.Results Except for 1 case of HTK was discharged automatically after surgery,the other 71 cases recovered and discharged according to the doctor's advice.There were no statistically signif-icant differences in the age,body weight,extracorporeal circulation time,aortic blocking time,maximum flow volume of extracorporeal circulation,minimum bladder temperature of extracorporeal circulation,Lac before extracorporeal circulation,highest Lac during extracorporeal circulation,assistant time of postoperative venti-lator,ICU stay duration,postoperative hospitalization duration,serum Cr before operation,Cr on operative day,preoperative TnT,postoperative TnT on operative day,postoperative highest TnT,preoperative CK-MB,postoperative CK-MB on operative day and postoperative highest CK-MB among the three groups(P＞0.05).There were statistically significant differences in the defibrillation ratio after aortic de-clamping and perfusion frequency of myocardial protective solution(P＜0.05).There was statistically significant difference in the perfusion frequency of myocardial protective solution in pairwise comparison among groups(P＜0.05),and the defibrillation ratio after aortic de-clamping had statistical difference between the DN group and HTK group(P＜0.05).Conclusion DN,STH and HTK all have good myocardial protective effect in total thoraco-scopic minimally invasive aortic valve surgery.HTK has the advantages of less perfusion times and decreasing the operative procedures compared with DN and STH;DN has the advantage of lower use for electrical defib-rillation correcting arrhythmias after aortic opening over HTK.

Objective:To explore the causes of high noise exposure in PICU, and to provide reference for formulating effective intervention measures to improve the status of noise exposure.Methods:With phenomenological method, eleven nurses of Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine from August to September 2020 were enrolled by purposive sampling method, and joined face-to-face and semi-structured interviews with researchers. Interview data were analyzed by Colaizzi 7-step analysis method.Results:Four themes were extracted, including the characteristics of PICU, difficulty in equipment alarm management, the crying of children which was difficult to appease, and the low level of knowledge, attitude and practice of noise management of medical staff.Conclusions:High noise exposure of PICU is caused by many reasons. Researchers and managers can optimize the equipment alarm management, implement ideal analgesia and sedation and humanistic care, and carry out noise management training to improve the noise exposure in PICU and the quality of clinical nursing.

Objective:To compare the efficacy and side effects of multi-fraction stereotactic radiotherapy (SRT) and single-fraction stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) in the treatment of brain metastases from colorectal cancer.Methods:A total of 98 patients with brain metastases from colorectal cancer searched from the database of Professional Committee of Brain Metastasis of Shanghai Anticancer Association were recruited in this study. Among them, 46 patients weretreated with SRT and 52 patients with SRS. Clinical characteristics of all patients were analyzed between two groups and the local tumor control rate, median survival time and the incidence of radiation-induced brain injury were compared between two groups.Results:The objective remission rates (ORR) in the SRT and SRS groups were 76.1% and 67.3%, respectively. The 12-month local tumor control rates were 88.3% and 83.9% between two groups, with no statistical difference ( P=0.689). The median overall survival time of all patients was 11.6 months, 10.8 months in the SRT group and 12.7 months in the SRS group. There was no statistical difference between two groups ( P=0.129). Multivariate analysis showed that the main factors leading to poor prognosis included the number of tumors of >3( P=0.026), low GPA score ( P=0.035), and lack of systematic treatment mode and bevacizumab ( P=0.001). There was no statistical difference in the incidence of acute and late radiation-induced brain injury between two groups. Conclusions:Both SRT and SRS are effective therapies for brain metastases from colorectal cancer. The synergistic application of systematic treatment mode may be one of the main reasons affecting the survival time of the patients.

Objective:To explore the effect of music relaxation training combined with Huangqi Jianzhong Decoction oral administration and foot bath on fatigue status and quality of life in patients with cancer related fatigue.Methods:A total of 90 patients with cancer related fatigue in our hospital from January 2019 to October 2020 were selected. The patients were divided into 2 groups by random number table method, with 45 in each group. Both groups were given health and diet education. The control group was given music relaxation training, and the observation group took Huangqi Jianzhong Decoction oral administration and foot bathing on the basis of the control group. Both groups have a course of treatment of 4 weeks, a total of 3 courses. The TCM syndrome scores were observed before and after treatment, and the Piper Fatigue Score (PFS) was used to evaluate fatigue status, and the Karnofsky functional state score was used to evaluate the quality of life of patients, evaluation of clinical efficacy.Results:After treatment, 43 patients in the observation group and 42 patients in the control group were analyzed. The total effective rate of the observation group was 83.72% (36/43), which was significantly higher than 64.29% (27/42) of the control group ( χ2=4.18, P=0.041). After treatment, the TCM syndrome scores in the observation group was significantly lower than that of the control group ( t=2.48, P=0.015). After treatment, the Karnofsky functional state score in the observation group was significantly higher than that of the control group ( t=2.83, P=0.006). After treatment, the emotion score (4.35±1.02 vs. 5.03±1.01, t=3.09), feeling score (4.31±1.06 vs. 5.00±1.02, t=3.06) and total score (4.23±1.07 vs. 4.87±1.10, t=2.72) in the observation group were significantly lower than those in the control group ( P<0.01). Conclusion:Music relaxation training combined with Huangqi Jianzhong Decoction oral administration and foot bathing can alleviate the fatigue state of CRF patients and improve the quality of life.

ObjectiveTo resolve the problems related to the abnormal interpretations of real-time fluorescence polymerase chain reaction （PCR） results for tri-allele， to formulate the interpretation methods of real-time fluorescence PCR by referring to multiplex PCR fragment analysis， so as to obtain an accurate， simple and cheap detection method for ABCB1 tri-allele. MethodsA total of 2 794 DNA samples were collected from Xi'an Mental Health Center from March 2020 to March 2021， and 5% of which were selected as experiments. Real-time fluorescence PCR method and multiplex PCR fragment analysis method were performed respectively. According to the comparison of Ct values of PCR curves and the comparison of base peak intensity in multiplex PCR fragment analysis， comparison and analysis were conducted on the interpretation results of the two methods， and samples with different interpretation results were verified， thereafter， PCR interpretation method was formulated. ResultsA total of 139 samples were collected， of which 120 alleles and 19 tri-allele were detected. The results of allele detection by two methods were absolutely consistent. In combination with the results of multiplex PCR fragment analysis， a method for the interpretation of real-time fluorescence PCR for 19 cases of tri-allele was developed as follows： when ∣∣Ct._G－Ct._T∣－∣Ct._G－Ct._A∣∣ in amplification curve was less than 3， the interpretation results were the combination of the base pairs with small Ct values； when ∣∣Ct._G－Ct._T∣－∣Ct._G－Ct._A∣∣ was greater than or equal to 3， the interpretation results were homozygotes from the base pairs with minimum Ct values. According to the interpretation method， the results of real-time fluorescence PCR were revised， and it showed 1 case of G/G， 1 case of A/A， 4 cases of T/G， 5 cases of T/A and 8 cases of T/T， which were consistent with the results of multiplex PCR fragment analysis. ConclusionReferring to the multiplex PCR fragment analysis method， the interpretation of ABCB1 tri-allele by real-time fluorescence PCR is developed， and the two interpretation methods are in good agreement.

ObjectiveTo study the mechanism of Mahuang Xixin Fuzitang （MXFT） against migraine. MethodTraditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform （TCMSP）， SiwssTargetPrediction and other databases were used to screen the active components and action targets of MXFT as well as migraine-related targets. The potential protein-protein interaction （PPI） network diagram was plotted for the intersection targets of MXFT and migraine using STRING 11.5. Metascape was used for Gene Ontology （GO） and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes （KEGG） enrichment analysis of potential intersection targets. The component-target-pathway network of MXFT was constructed by Cytoscape 3.7.1 to screen core targets with high degree value. Finally， the binding strength between core target and its mapping components was verified by molecular docking， and the core targets with desirable docking results were verified by animal experiments in vivo. Forty eight SD rats were selected， and except the blank group， the other rats were subcutaneously injected with nitroglycerin to prepare the migraine rat model. The modeled rats were randomly divided into model group， positive drug group and MXFT high-， medium- and low-dose groups. The positive drug group was given zolmitriptan tablets， and the MXFT high-， medium- and low-dose groups were given high， medium and low doses of MXFT， respectively. The changes of behavior and pain threshold of rats in each group were observed every other day after modeling. The levels of calcitonin gene-related peptide （CGRP）， extracellular signal-regulated kinase 2 （ERK2） and c-fos proto-oncogene （FOS） protein in plasma were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. Immunohistochemical technique and Western blot were employed to determine the levels of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 （ERK1/2， also known as MAPK1/3） and protein kinase B 1 （Akt1）， protein kinase C α （PRKCA） in trigeminal nerve of SD rats. ResultThe network pharmacology showed that the core targets of MXFT in the treatment of migraine were MAPK1， MAPK3， Akt1， PRKCA， etc.， mainly involving neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction signaling pathway， calcium signaling pathway， MAPK signaling pathway， etc. The molecular docking demonstrated that MAPK1， MAPK3， Akt1， PRKCA， PRKCB and PRKCG had good binding ability with their mapping components. The animal experiments indicated that compared with the conditions in the blank group， the number of head scratching in the model group was increased （P<0.01）， and the pain threshold was decreased （P<0.01）. Compared with the conditions in the model group， the number of head scratching in each administration group was reduced （P<0.01）， and the pain threshold was increased （P<0.01）. In addition， the levels of CGRP， ERK2 and FOS proteins in plasma， and Akt1， ERK1/2 and PRKCA proteins in trigeminal ganglion of the model group were higher than those of the blank group （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The levels of CGRP， ERK2 and FOS proteins in plasma and Akt1， ERK1/2 and PRKCA proteins in trigeminal ganglion of each administration group were lower than those of the model group （P<0.05， P<0.01）. ConclusionMXFT had multi-component， multi-target and multi-pathway characteristics in the treatment of migraine， and the mechanism might be related to inhibiting vasodilation， reducing the release of inflammatory factors and inhibiting neuronal hyperactivity.

Background: Due to the unavailability of an effective vaccine or antiviral drug against the African swine fever virus (ASFV), rapid diagnosis methods are needed to prevent highly contagious African swine fever. Objectives: The objective of this study was to establish the ladder-shape melting temperature isothermal amplification (LMTIA) assay for the detection of ASFV. Methods: LMTIA primers were designed with the p72 gene of ASFV as the target, and plasmid pUC57 was used to clone the gene. The LMTIA reaction system was optimized with the plasmid as the positive control, and the performance of the LMTIA assay was compared with that of the commercial real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) kit in terms of sensitivity and detection rate using 200 serum samples. Results: Our results showed that the LMTIA assay could detect the 10 4 dilution of DNA extracted from the positive reference serum sample, which was the same as that of the commercial real-time PCR kit. The coincidence rate between the two assays was 100%. Conclusions The LMTIA assay had high sensitivity, good detection, and simple operation. Thus, it is suitable for facilitating preliminary and cost-effective surveillance for the prevention and control of ASFV.