ObjectiveThis study aimed to investigate the effects of 4-week high-intensity interval training (HIIT) on synaptic plasticity in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) of rats exposed to chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS), and to explore its potential mechanisms. MethodsA total of 48 male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into 4 groups: control (C), model (M), control plus HIIT (HC), and model plus HIIT (HM). Rats in groups M and HM underwent 8 weeks of CUMS to establish depression-like behaviors, while groups HC and HM received HIIT intervention beginning from the 5th week for 4 consecutive weeks. The HIIT protocol consisted of repeated intervals of 3 min at high speed (85%-90% maximal training speed, S_max) alternated with one minute at low speed (50%-55% S_max), with 3 to 5 sets per session, conducted 5 d per week. Behavioral assessments and tail-vein blood lactate levels were measured at the end of the 4th and 8th weeks. After the intervention, rat PFC tissues were collected for Golgi staining to analyze synaptic morphology. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) were employed to detect brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), monocarboxylate transporter 1 (MCT1), lactate, and glutamate levels in the PFC, as well as serotonin (5-HT) levels in serum. Additionally, Western blot analysis was conducted to quantify the expression of synaptic plasticity-related proteins, including c-Fos, activity-regulated cytoskeleton-associated protein (Arc), and N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor 1 (NMDAR1). ResultsCompared to the control group (C), the CUMS-exposed rats (group M) exhibited significant reductions in sucrose preference rates, number of grid crossings, frequency of upright postures, and entries into and duration spent in open arms of the elevated plus maze, indicating marked depressive-like behaviors. Additionally, the group M showed significantly reduced dendritic spine density in the PFC, along with elevated levels of c-Fos, Arc, NMDAR1 protein expression, and increased concentrations of lactate and glutamate. Conversely, BDNF and MCT1 contents in the PFC and 5-HT levels in serum were significantly decreased. Following HIIT intervention, rats in the group HM displayed considerable improvement in behavioral indicators compared with the group M, accompanied by significant elevations in PFC MCT1 and lactate concentrations. Furthermore, HIIT notably normalized the expression levels of c-Fos, Arc, NMDAR1, as well as glutamate and BDNF contents in the PFC. Synaptic spine density also exhibited significant recovery. ConclusionFour weeks of HIIT intervention may alleviate depressive-like behaviors in CUMS rats by increasing lactate levels and reducing glutamate concentration in the PFC, thereby downregulating the overexpression of NMDAR, attenuating excitotoxicity, and enhancing synaptic plasticity.

Objective To compare the clinical efficacies of video-assisted thoracoscopic segmentectomy versus lobectomy for early-stage non-small cell lung cancer.Methods The clinical data of 234 patients with stage ⅠA non-small cell lung cancer and undergoing different surgical methods under video-assisted thoracoscopy admitted to Chongqing Dianjiang General Hospital were retrospectively analyzed,and the patients were divided into the lung segment group and the lung lobe group according to their surgical methods.The clinical characteristics of the patients in the two groups were balanced by a 1-to-1 ratio matching through the propensity score matching method,and each group finally included 63 cases.The perioperative indicators containing operation time,intraoperative blood loss,postoperative thoracic drainage tube indwelling time,thoracic drainage volumes 24 hours and 48 hours after operation and postoperative hospital stay were compared of patients between the two groups.The incidence of postoperative complications such as air leakage>6 days,pulmonary infection,atelectasis,hemoptysis,and hoarseness in the two groups was collected.Results There was no significant difference in the operation time,intraoperative blood loss,thoracic drainage volumes 24 hours and 48 hours after operation,postoperative thoracic drainage tube indwelling time or incidence of postoperative complications of patients between the two groups(P>0.05).The postoperative hospital stay of patients in the lung segment group was shorter than that in the lung lobe group,with statistically significant difference(P=0.003).Conclusion For patients with stage ⅠA non-small cell lung cancer,video-assisted thoracoscopic segmentectomy has similar perioperative efficacy to lobectomy,while segmentectomy has a more significant advantage in shortening the hospital stay.

Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children(MIS-C)is a complex syndrome characterized by multi-organ involvement that has emerged in the context of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2(SARS-CoV-2)outbreak.The clinical presentation of MIS-C is similar to Kawasaki disease but predominantly presents with fever and gastrointestinal symptoms,and severe cases can involve toxic shock and cardiac dysfunction.Epidemiological findings indicate that the majority of MIS-C patients test positive for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies.The pathogenesis and pathophysiology of MIS-C remain unclear,though immune dysregulation following SARS-CoV-2 infection is considered a major contributing factor.Current treatment approaches for MIS-C primarily involve intravenous immunoglobulin therapy and symptomatic supportive care.This review article provides a comprehensive overview of the definition,epidemiology,pathogenesis,clinical presentation,diagnosis,treatment,and prognosis of MIS-C.

ObjectiveProtein arginine methyltransferases (PRMTs) play pivotal roles in numerous cellular biological processes. However, the precise regulatory effects of PRMTs on the fate determination of mesenchymal stromal/stem cells (MSCs) remain elusive. Our previous studies have shed light on the regulatory role and molecular mechanism of PRMT5 in MSC osteogenic differentiation. This study aims to clarify the role and corresponding regulatory mechanism of PRMT7 during the adipogenic differentiation of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs). Methods(1) Human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hBMSCs) were cultured in a medium that induces adipogenesis. We used qRT-PCR and Western blot to monitor changes in PRMT7 expression during adipogenic differentiation. (2) We created a cell line with PRMT7 knocked down and assessed changes in PRMT7 expression and adipogenic capacity using Oil Red O staining, qRT-PCR and Western blot. (3) We implanted hBMSCs cell lines mixed with a collagen membrane subcutaneously into nude mice and performed Oil Red O staining to observe ectopic lipogenesis in vivo. (4) A cell line overexpressing PRMT7 was generated, and we examined changes in PRMT7 expression using qRT-PCR and Western blot. We also performed Oil Red O staining and quantitative analysis after inducing the cells in lipogenic medium. Additionally, we assessed changes in PPARγ expression. (5) We investigated changes in insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) expression in both PRMT7 knockdown and overexpressing cell lines using qRT-PCR and Western blot, to understand PRMT7’s regulatory effect on IGF-1 expression. siIGF-1 was transfected into the PRMT7 knockdown cell line to inhibit IGF-1 expression, and knockdown efficiency was confirmed. Then, we induced cells from the control and knockdown groups transfected with siIGF-1 in lipogenic medium and performed Oil Red O staining and quantitative analysis. Finally, we assessed PPARγ expression to explore IGF-1’s involvement in PRMT7’s regulation of adipogenic differentiation in hBMSCs. Results(1) During the adipogenesis process of hBMSCs, the expression level of PRMT7 was significantly reduced (P<0.01). (2) The adipogenic differentiation ability of PRMT7 knockdown group was significantly stronger than that of control group (P<0.001). (3) The ectopic adipogenic differentiation ability of PRMT7 knockdown group was significantly stronger than that of control group. (4) The adipogenic differentiation ability of the PRMT7 overexpression group was significantly weaker than that of the control group (P<0.01). (5) The expression level of IGF-1 increased after PRMT7 knockdown (P<0.000 1). The expression level of IGF-1 decreased after PRMT7 overexpression (P<0.000 1), indicating that PRMT7 regulates the expression of IGF-1. After siIGF-1 transfection, the expression level of IGF-1 in all cell lines decreased significantly (P<0.001). The ability of adipogenic differentiation of knockdown group transfected with siIGF-1 was significantly reduced (P<0.01), indicating that IGF-1 affects the regulation of PRMT7 on adipogenic differentiation of hBMSCs. ConclusionIn this investigation, our findings elucidate the inhibitory role of PRMT7 in the adipogenic differentiation of hBMSCs, as demonstrated through both in vitro cell-level experiments and in vivo subcutaneous transplantation experiments conducted in nude mice. Mechanistic exploration revealed that PRMT7’s regulatory effect on the adipogenic differentiation of hBMSCs operates via modulation of IGF-1 signaling pathway. These collective findings underscore PRMT7 as a potential therapeutic target for fatty metabolic disorders, thereby offering a novel avenue for leveraging PRMT7 and hBMSCs in the therapeutic landscape of relevant diseases.

Human-animal interaction has a long-standing tradition dating back to ancient times. With the rapid advancements in intelligent chips, wearable devices, and machine algorithms, the intelligent interaction between animals and electronic technology, facilitated by electronic devices and systems for communication, perception, and control, has become a reality. These electronic devices aim to implement an animal-centric working mode to enhance human understanding of animals and promote the development of animal intelligence and creativity. This article takes medium-sized and large animals as research objects, with the goal of developing their ability enhancement, and introduces the concept of “intelligent animal augmentation system (IAAS)”. This concept is used to describe the characteristics of such devices and provides a comprehensive overview of existing animal and computer interface solutions. In general, IAAS can be divided into implantable and non-implantable types, each composed of interface platforms, perception and interpretation, control and instruction components. Through various levels of enhancement systems and architectural patterns, intelligent interaction between humans and animals can be realized. Although existing IAAS still lack a complete independent interaction system architecture, they hold great promise and development space in the future. Not only can they be applied as substitutes for cutting-edge devices and transportation equipment, but they are also expected to achieve cross-species information interaction through intelligent interconnection. Additionally, IAAS can promote bidirectional interaction between humans and animals, playing a significant role in advancing animal ethics and ecological protection. Furthermore, the development of interaction models based on animal subjects can provide insightful research experiences for the design of human-computer interaction systems, thereby contributing to the more efficient realization of the ambitious goal of human-machine integration.

Objective To investigate the regulatory effect of Mahuang Dingchuan Decoction on airway inflammation,airway remodeling and imbalance of helper T cell 1(Th1)/helper T cell 2(Th2)in children with allergic asthma.Methods A total of 126 children with allergic asthma of phlegm-heat obstructing the lung type at acute attack stage were randomly divided into observation group and control group,with 63 cases in each group.The control group was treated with conventional western medicine,and the observation group was treated with Mahuang Dingchuan Decoction on the basis of treatment for the control group.The total course of treatment for the two groups covered 14 days.Before and after treatment,the two groups were observed in the changes of lung function indicators of forced expiratory volume in one second(FEV1)and peak expiratory flow(PEF),airway inflammation indicators of neutrophil count,lymphocyte count,eosinophil count,monocyte percentage and levels of interleukin-6(IL-6)and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α)in the sputum,airway remodeling indicators of airway wall area(WA),airway lumen area(LA)and airway total area(TA),and levels of Th1/Th2 cytokines of gamma-interferon(IFN-γ)and interleukin 4(IL-4).After treatment,the clinical efficacy and safety of the two groups were evaluated.Results(1)After 14 days of treatment,the total effective rate of the observation group was 93.65％(59/63),and that of the control group was 80.95％(51/63).The intergroup comparison(tested by chi-square test)showed that the efficacy of the observation group was significantly superior to that of the control group(P＜0.05).(2)After treatment,the values of pulmonary function indicators of FEV1 and PEF in the two groups were significantly higher than those before treatment(P＜0.01),and the increase in the observation group was significantly superior to that in the control group(P＜0.05).(3)The analysis of airway inflammation indicators showed that the percentages of neutrophils,eosinophils and monocytes and the levels of IL-6 and TNF-α in the sputum of the two groups after treatment were significantly lower than those before treatment(P＜0.05),and the percentage of lymphocytes was significantly higher than that before treatment(P＜0.05).The decrease of the percentages of neutrophils,eosinophils and monocytes and the levels of IL-6 and TNF-α in the sputum as well as the increase of the percentage of lymphocytes in the observation group was significantly superior to that in the control group(P＜0.05).(4)After treatment,the value of airway remodeling indicator of WA in the two groups was lower(P＜0.05)and the values of LA and TA were higher than those before treatment(P＜0.05).The decrease of WA value and the increase of LA and TA values in the observation group were significantly superior to those in the control group(P＜0.05).(5)The observation of Th1/Th2 cytokines showed that the serum IFN-γ level and IFN-γ/IL-4 ratio in the two groups after treatment were significantly higher than those before treatment(P＜0.05),and the serum IL-4 level was significantly lower than that before treatment(P＜0.05).The increase of serum IFN-γ level and IFN-γ/IL-4 ratio and the decrease of serum IL-4 level in the observation group were significantly superior to those in the control group(P＜0.05).(6)No serious adverse reactions were found in the two groups during the treatment,or no obvious abnormalities were found in the safety indicators such as electrocardiogram,blood routine test,liver function examination,heart rate and blood pressure.Conclusion Mahuang Dingchuan Decoction is beneficial to alleviating airway inflammation and airway remodeling in children with allergic asthma,regulating Th1/Th2 imbalance,and improving lung function in children,with definite effective and high safe.

Objective To design a novel oxygenator to solve the existing problems of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation(ECMO)machine in high transmembrane pressure difference,low efficiency of blood oxygen exchange and susceptibility to thrombosis.Methods The main body of the oxygenator vascular access flow field was gifted with a flat cylindrical shape.The topology of the vascular access was modeled in three dimensions,and the whole flow field was cut into a blood inlet section,an inlet buffer,a heat exchange zone,a blood oxygen exchange zone,an outlet buffer and a blood outlet section.The oxygenator was compared with Quadrox oxygenator by means of ANSYS FLUENT-based simulation and prototype experiments.Results Simulation calculations showed the oxygenator designed was comparable to the clinically used ones in general,and gained advantages in transmembrane pressure difference,blood oxygen exchange and flow uniformity.Experimental results indicated that the oxygenator behaved better than Quadrox oxygenator in transmembrane pressure difference and blood oxygen exchange.Conclusion The oxygenator has advantages in transmem-brane pressure difference,temperature change,blood oxygen ex-change and low probability of thrombosis.[Chinese Medical Equipment Journal,2024,45(3):23-28]

Objective To investigate the safety and efficacy of novel bioabsorbable vascular scaffold(BVS)in the treatment of patients with complex coronary artery disease.Methods This was a retrospective,matched,single-center observational study.45 patients with coronary atherosclerotic cardiopathy received BVS treatment in the cardiovascular medicine department Department of the Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University from June 2020 to June 2021(BVS),and 45 patients treated with drug-eluting stents(DES)group were selected according to matching study requirements during the same period.Baseline,surgical,and follow-up data were compared between the two groups to evaluate safety and efficacy.The main measures of safety were:surgical time,intraoperative adverse events,etc.,and the end point of efficacy was target lesion failure(TLF),including cardiac death,target vessel myocardial infarction,and ischa-driven target lesion revascularization.Results A total of 90 patients were enrolled in this study,all of whom were followed up for at least 3 years.There were 20 cases of bifurcation lesions and 25 cases of diffuse long lesions in the two groups,and 50 cases of imaging were reviewed among the 90 patients.The proportion of stable coronary heart disease,history of diabetes,history of hypertension,history of smoking,pre-dilated balloon pressure and postoperative diastolic blood pressure in BVS group was higher than that in DES group,and the proportion of family history was lower than that in DES group(all P＜0.05).There were no statistically significant differences in the rates of cardiac death,target vessel myocardial infarction,and ischemia-driven revascularization of target lesions between the two groups(all P＞0.05).Binary Logistic regression model analysis showed that the diameter stenosis ratio of target lesions was an independent risk factor for intrastent restenosis(OR 2.786,95％CI 1.096-7.081,P=0.031).Conclusions Compared with traditional DES,BVS implantation has consistent safety and efficacy in the treatment of complex coronary artery disease within 3 years.The diameter stenosis ratio of target lesions was an independent risk factor for intrastent restenosis.

Aim To investigate the role of ferrostatin-1(Fer-1)in adriamycin(ADR)induced podocyte inju-ry.Methods Western blot and RT-qPCR were used to detect the expression of the ferroptosis signaling pathway and podocyte injury-related proteins in podo-cytes treated with ADR and Fer-1.The therapeutic effect of Fer-1 on podocytes was screened by CCK-8;malondialdehyde(MDA),glutathione(GSH)and Fe2+kit were used to evaluate the lipid peroxidation level of podocytes.A mouse model of ADR nephropa-thy was constructed in vivo,and the expression of fer-roptosis related proteins in mouse glomerular podocytes was detected by Western blot and RT-qPCR.The fer-roptosis level of kidney was evaluated by immunohisto-chemistry staining of 4-HNE.Results The expression level of ACSL4,a marker related to ferroptosis,was significantly up-regulated.GPX4 and SLC7A11 were significantly down-regulated in podocytes under ADR stimulation.Compared with the ADR group,Fer-1 in-tervention could partially restore the anomalous change of ferroptosis related protein and improve the expression level of podocellular damage protein desmin.The re-sults of MDA,GSH and Fe2+showed that Fer-1 could improve the lipid peroxidation level of podocytes.The expression level of ACSL4 was significantly up-regula-ted and GPX4 and SLC7A11 were significantly up-reg-ulated in the ADR model group.IHC staining of 4-HNE increased in ADR model group.Conclusions Adriamycin promotes podocyte injury by induced ferrop-tosis,and inhibiting ferroptosis may be a potential strat-egy to prevent the progression of ADR nephropathy.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the design points of a three-dimensional (3D) printed customized cementless intercalary endoprosthesis with an intra-neck curved stem and to evaluate the key points and mid-term effectiveness of its application in the reconstruction of ultrashort bone segments in the proximal femur. METHODS: Between October 2015 and January 2021, 17 patients underwent reconstruction with a 3D printed-customized cementless intercalary endoprosthesis with an intra-neck curved stem. There were 11 males and 6 females, the age ranged from 10 to 76 years, with an average of 30.1 years. There were 9 cases of osteosarcoma, 4 cases of Ewing sarcoma, 2 cases of chondrosarcoma, 1 case of liposarcoma, and 1 case of myofibroblastoma. The disease duration was 5-14 months, with an average of 9.5 months. Enneking staging included 16 cases of stage ⅡB and 1 case of stage ⅢB. The distances from the center of the femoral head to the body midline and the acetabular apex were measured preoperatively on X-ray images. Additionally, the distances from the tip of the intra-neck curved stem to the body midline and the acetabular apex were measured at immediate postoperatively and last follow-up. The neck-shaft angle was also measured preoperatively, at immediate postoperatively, and at last follow-up. The status of osseointegration at the bone-prosthesis interface and bone growth into the prosthesis surface were assessed by X-ray films, CT, and Tomosynthesis-Shimadzu metal artefact reduction technology (T-SMART). The survival status of the patients, presence of local recurrence or distant metastasis, and occurrence of postoperative complications were assessed. The recovery of lower limb function was evaluated pre- and post-operatively using the Musculoskeletal Tumor Society (MSTS) scoring system, and pain relief was evaluated using the visual analogue scale (VAS) scores. RESULTS: The patient's femoral resection length was (163.1±57.5) mm, the remaining proximal femoral length was (69.6±9.3) mm, and the percentage of femoral resection length/total femoral length was 38.7%±14.6%. All 17 patients were followed up 25-86 months with an average of 58.1 months. During the follow-up, 1 patient died of lung metastasis at 46 months postoperatively, and the remaining 16 patients survived tumor-free. There was no complication such as periprosthetic infection, delayed incision healing, aseptic loosening, prosthesis fracture, or periprosthetic fracture. No evidence of micromotion or wear around the implanted stem of the prosthesis was detected in X-ray and T-SMART evaluations. There was no significant radiolucent lines, and radiographic evidence of bone ingrowth into the bone-prosthesis interface was observed in all stems. There was no significant difference in the distance from the tip of the curved stem to the body midline and the apex of the acetabulum at immediate postoperatively and last follow-up compared with the distance from the center of the femoral head to the body midline and the apex of the acetabulum before operation, respectively (P>0.05), and there was no significant difference in the above indexes between immediate postoperatively and last follow-up (P>0.05). The differences in the neck-shaft angle at various time points before and after operation were also not significant (P>0.05). At last follow-up, the MSTS score was 26.1±1.2 and the VAS score was 0.1±0.5, which were significantly improved when compared with those before operation [19.4±2.1 and 5.7±1.0, respectively] (t=14.735, P<0.001; t=21.301, P<0.001). At last follow-up, none of the patients walked with the aid of crutches or other walkers. CONCLUSION The 3D printed customized cementless intercalary endoprosthesis with an intra-neck curved stem is an effective method for reconstructing ultrashort bone segments in the proximal femur following malignant tumor resection. The operation is reliable, the postoperative lower limb function is satisfactory, and the incidence of complications is low.
Female ; Male ; Humans ; Child ; Adolescent ; Young Adult ; Adult ; Middle Aged ; Aged ; Femur/surgery* ; Lower Extremity ; Bone-Implant Interface ; Femur Head ; Artificial Limbs