BACKGROUND:Neurotrophins represent a novel therapeutic approach for spinal cord injury,showing promising clinical applicability.Autophagy modulation is one of the mechanisms by which neurotrophins exert their effects,yet the specific signaling pathways involved remain unclear. OBJECTIVE:To explore how neurotrophin-3(NT-3)modulates autophagy in oligodendrocytes via switching between P75NTR and TrkC receptors and promotes neurological function recovery after spinal cord injury,aiming to further clarify the specific molecular mechanisms involved. METHODS:Twenty-four Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into three groups:sham operation,spinal cord injury,and NT-3 groups.The therapeutic effect of NT-3 on spinal cord injury in rats was evaluated using the Basso,Beattie,and Bresnahan locomotor rating scale.The expression levels of NT-3,Olig1,myelin basic protein,and the autophagy marker LC3B in rat spinal cord tissue were detected by western blot.In a cellular experiment,oligodendrocytes were cultured in vitro and divided into six groups:oxygen-glucose deprivation(OGD),OGD+NT-3,OGD+NT-3+P75NTR plasmid,OGD+NT-3+TrkC plasmid,OGD+3-methyladenine(an autophagy inhibitor),and OGD+rapamycin(an autophagy activator).Oligodendrocyte morphology was observed under a light microscope,cell apoptosis was assessed by TUNEL staining,and the expression of TrkC receptor,P75NTR,LC3B,and the phosphorylation status of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR and AMPK/mTOR signaling pathways were evaluated by western blot. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Animal experiments demonstrated that compared with the sham operation group,NT-3 expression significantly increased after spinal cord injury(P<0.05);exogenous NT-3 treatment accelerated neurological function recovery in rats post spinal cord injury(P<0.05)and increased the expression of Olig1 and myelin basic proteins(P<0.05).Cellular experiments revealed that 3 hours marked the early to middle/late phase transition.Compared with the OGD group,oligodendrocytes in the OGD+NT-3 group could maintain their morphology for a longer period of time,TrkC receptor expression was lower in the early phase and significantly upregulated in the middle/late phase(P<0.05),whereas P75NTR protein expression was upregulated in the early phase and downregulated in the middle/late phase(P<0.05),and autophagy levels showed an initial increase followed by a decrease(P<0.05).By comparing the morphology and TUNEL staining results of cells in the OGD+NT-3,OGD+rapamycin,and OGD+3-methyladenine groups,we found that either promoting or inhibiting autophagy alone had adverse effects on oligodendrocyte survival,whereas modulating autophagy in a manner similar to NT-3 could maximally maintain cell survival.NT-3 could promote autophagy in the early phase via the P75NTR/AMPK/mTOR signaling pathway and inhibit autophagy in the later phase through the TrkC/PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway.Based on these findings,it is concluded that NT-3 can bidirectionally regulate autophagy in oligodendrocytes through the switching of P75NTR/TrkC receptors,thereby maintaining cell survival and facilitating the recovery of neurological functions in rats after spinal cord injury.

Objective To analyse the clinical efficiency of endolymphatic sac surgery (ESS) in the management of Meniere’s disease (MD). Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on 274 patients with MD who were hospitalized for treatment in Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University from January 2009 to August 2023. All patients received lifestyle management and drug treatment such as diuretics. For those whose conditions were not well controlled 3 to 6 months after the initial treatment, intratympanic glucocorticoid (ITG) or ESS treatment was carried out. Six months after the treatment, the classes of vertigo relief and hearing changes in the patients were evaluated. After adjusting the confounding factors through propensity score matching (PSM), the impact of ESS on the prognosis of MD patients was evaluated. Results Among 274 patients, 194 and 80 patients underwent ITG and ESS, respectively. Eighty patients were enrolled into each group after PSM. Before and after PSM, the rate of patients reaching vertigo relief class A in ESS group was higher than that in the ITG group (P＝0.004); there was no significant difference in hearing preservation between the two groups. Kaplan-Meier curve analysis showed that vertigo relief in the ESS group was better than that in the ITG group (P=0.029); there was no statistically significant difference in hearing preservation between the two groups. Conclusion When the initial treatment for patients with MD is ineffective, choosing ESS is more beneficial than ITG for controlling vertigo.

Lung transplantation is currently the only recognized effective treatment for end-stage lung disease and has improved the quality of life for patients. However, lung transplantation still faces many challenges, including rejection, infection, post-transplant acute kidney injury, post-transplant diabetes mellitus, ischemia-reperfusion injury and donor shortage, etc. Chinese lung transplantation scholars made a series of important progress in the field of clinical research in 2024, focusing on the study and solution of the above problems, and providing new ideas for lung transplantation surgery. This article systematically reviews the clinical research and technological innovation in the field of lung transplantation in 2024, summarizes the achievements of clinical research in the field of lung transplantation in China in 2024, and aims to providing new directions and strategies for future research.

Objective: To evaluate the feasibility of dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI) in differentiating tumor deposits (TDs) from metastatic lymph nodes (MLNs) in rectal cancer. Materials and Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 70 patients with rectal cancer, including 168 lesions (70 TDs and 98 MLNs confirmed by histopathology), who underwent pretreatment MRI and subsequent surgery between March 2019 and December 2022. The morphological characteristics of TDs and MLNs, along with quantitative parameters derived from DCE-MRI (K trans , kep, and v e) and DWI (ADCmin, ADCmax, and ADCmean), were analyzed and compared between the two groups.Multivariable binary logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses were performed to assess the diagnostic performance of significant individual quantitative parameters and combined parameters in distinguishing TDs from MLNs. Results: All morphological features, including size, shape, border, and signal intensity, as well as all DCE-MRI parameters showed significant differences between TDs and MLNs (all P < 0.05). However, ADC values did not demonstrate significant differences (all P > 0.05). Among the single quantitative parameters, v e had the highest diagnostic accuracy, with an area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.772 for distinguishing TDs from MLNs. A multivariable logistic regression model incorporating short axis, border, v e, and ADC mean improved diagnostic performance, achieving an AUC of 0.833 (P = 0.027). Conclusion The combination of morphological features, DCE-MRI parameters, and ADC values can effectively aid in the preoperative differentiation of TDs from MLNs in rectal cancer.

Objective: To evaluate the feasibility of dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI) in differentiating tumor deposits (TDs) from metastatic lymph nodes (MLNs) in rectal cancer. Materials and Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 70 patients with rectal cancer, including 168 lesions (70 TDs and 98 MLNs confirmed by histopathology), who underwent pretreatment MRI and subsequent surgery between March 2019 and December 2022. The morphological characteristics of TDs and MLNs, along with quantitative parameters derived from DCE-MRI (K trans , kep, and v e) and DWI (ADCmin, ADCmax, and ADCmean), were analyzed and compared between the two groups.Multivariable binary logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses were performed to assess the diagnostic performance of significant individual quantitative parameters and combined parameters in distinguishing TDs from MLNs. Results: All morphological features, including size, shape, border, and signal intensity, as well as all DCE-MRI parameters showed significant differences between TDs and MLNs (all P < 0.05). However, ADC values did not demonstrate significant differences (all P > 0.05). Among the single quantitative parameters, v e had the highest diagnostic accuracy, with an area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.772 for distinguishing TDs from MLNs. A multivariable logistic regression model incorporating short axis, border, v e, and ADC mean improved diagnostic performance, achieving an AUC of 0.833 (P = 0.027). Conclusion The combination of morphological features, DCE-MRI parameters, and ADC values can effectively aid in the preoperative differentiation of TDs from MLNs in rectal cancer.

Objective: To evaluate the feasibility of dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI) in differentiating tumor deposits (TDs) from metastatic lymph nodes (MLNs) in rectal cancer. Materials and Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 70 patients with rectal cancer, including 168 lesions (70 TDs and 98 MLNs confirmed by histopathology), who underwent pretreatment MRI and subsequent surgery between March 2019 and December 2022. The morphological characteristics of TDs and MLNs, along with quantitative parameters derived from DCE-MRI (K trans , kep, and v e) and DWI (ADCmin, ADCmax, and ADCmean), were analyzed and compared between the two groups.Multivariable binary logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses were performed to assess the diagnostic performance of significant individual quantitative parameters and combined parameters in distinguishing TDs from MLNs. Results: All morphological features, including size, shape, border, and signal intensity, as well as all DCE-MRI parameters showed significant differences between TDs and MLNs (all P < 0.05). However, ADC values did not demonstrate significant differences (all P > 0.05). Among the single quantitative parameters, v e had the highest diagnostic accuracy, with an area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.772 for distinguishing TDs from MLNs. A multivariable logistic regression model incorporating short axis, border, v e, and ADC mean improved diagnostic performance, achieving an AUC of 0.833 (P = 0.027). Conclusion The combination of morphological features, DCE-MRI parameters, and ADC values can effectively aid in the preoperative differentiation of TDs from MLNs in rectal cancer.

Objective: To evaluate the feasibility of dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI) in differentiating tumor deposits (TDs) from metastatic lymph nodes (MLNs) in rectal cancer. Materials and Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 70 patients with rectal cancer, including 168 lesions (70 TDs and 98 MLNs confirmed by histopathology), who underwent pretreatment MRI and subsequent surgery between March 2019 and December 2022. The morphological characteristics of TDs and MLNs, along with quantitative parameters derived from DCE-MRI (K trans , kep, and v e) and DWI (ADCmin, ADCmax, and ADCmean), were analyzed and compared between the two groups.Multivariable binary logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses were performed to assess the diagnostic performance of significant individual quantitative parameters and combined parameters in distinguishing TDs from MLNs. Results: All morphological features, including size, shape, border, and signal intensity, as well as all DCE-MRI parameters showed significant differences between TDs and MLNs (all P < 0.05). However, ADC values did not demonstrate significant differences (all P > 0.05). Among the single quantitative parameters, v e had the highest diagnostic accuracy, with an area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.772 for distinguishing TDs from MLNs. A multivariable logistic regression model incorporating short axis, border, v e, and ADC mean improved diagnostic performance, achieving an AUC of 0.833 (P = 0.027). Conclusion The combination of morphological features, DCE-MRI parameters, and ADC values can effectively aid in the preoperative differentiation of TDs from MLNs in rectal cancer.

Objective: To evaluate the feasibility of dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI) in differentiating tumor deposits (TDs) from metastatic lymph nodes (MLNs) in rectal cancer. Materials and Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 70 patients with rectal cancer, including 168 lesions (70 TDs and 98 MLNs confirmed by histopathology), who underwent pretreatment MRI and subsequent surgery between March 2019 and December 2022. The morphological characteristics of TDs and MLNs, along with quantitative parameters derived from DCE-MRI (K trans , kep, and v e) and DWI (ADCmin, ADCmax, and ADCmean), were analyzed and compared between the two groups.Multivariable binary logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses were performed to assess the diagnostic performance of significant individual quantitative parameters and combined parameters in distinguishing TDs from MLNs. Results: All morphological features, including size, shape, border, and signal intensity, as well as all DCE-MRI parameters showed significant differences between TDs and MLNs (all P < 0.05). However, ADC values did not demonstrate significant differences (all P > 0.05). Among the single quantitative parameters, v e had the highest diagnostic accuracy, with an area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.772 for distinguishing TDs from MLNs. A multivariable logistic regression model incorporating short axis, border, v e, and ADC mean improved diagnostic performance, achieving an AUC of 0.833 (P = 0.027). Conclusion The combination of morphological features, DCE-MRI parameters, and ADC values can effectively aid in the preoperative differentiation of TDs from MLNs in rectal cancer.

Locomotion, a fundamental motor function encompassing various forms such as swimming, walking, running, and flying, is essential for animal survival and adaptation. The mesencephalic locomotor region (MLR), located at the midbrain-hindbrain junction, is a conserved brain area critical for controlling locomotion. This review highlights recent advances in understanding the MLR’s structure and function across species, from lampreys to mammals and birds, with a particular focus on insights gained from optogenetic studies in mammals. The goal is to uncover universal strategies for MLR-mediated locomotor control. Electrical stimulation of the MLR in species such as lampreys, salamanders, cats, and mice initiates locomotion and modulates speed and patterns. For example, in lampreys, MLR stimulation induces swimming, with increased intensity or frequency enhancing propulsive force. Similarly, in salamanders, graded stimulation transitions locomotor outputs from walking to swimming. Histochemical studies reveal that effective MLR stimulation sites colocalize with cholinergic neurons, suggesting a conserved neurochemical basis for locomotion control. In mammals, the MLR comprises two key nuclei: the cuneiform nucleus (CnF) and the pedunculopontine nucleus (PPN). Both nuclei contain glutamatergic and GABAergic neurons, with the PPN additionally housing cholinergic neurons. Optogenetic studies in mice by selectively activating glutamatergic neurons have demonstrated that the CnF and PPN play distinct roles in motor control: the CnF drives rapid escape behaviors, while the PPN regulates slower, exploratory movements. This functional specialization within the MLR allows animals to adapt their locomotion patterns and speed in response to environmental demands and behavioral objectives. Similar to findings in lampreys, the CnF and PPN in mice transmit motor commands to spinal effector circuits by modulating the activity of brainstem reticular formation neurons. However, they achieve this through distinct reticulospinal pathways, enabling the generation of specific behaviors. Further insights from monosynaptic rabies viral tracing reveal that the CnF and PPN integrate inputs from diverse brain regions to produce context-appropriate behaviors. For instance, glutamatergic neurons in the PPN receive signals from other midbrain structures, the basal ganglia, and medullary nuclei, whereas glutamatergic neurons in the CnF rarely receive inputs from the basal ganglia but instead are strongly influenced by the periaqueductal grey and inferior colliculus within the midbrain. These differential connectivity patterns underscore the specialized roles of the CnF and PPN in motor control, highlighting their unique contributions to coordinating locomotion. Birds exhibit exceptional flight capabilities, yet the avian MLR remains poorly understood. Comparative studies suggest that the pedunculopontine tegmental nucleus (PPTg) in birds is homologous to the mammalian PPN, which contains cholinergic neurons, while the intercollicular nucleus (ICo) or nucleus isthmi pars magnocellularis (ImC) may correspond to the CnF. These findings provide important clues for identifying the avian MLR and elucidating its role in flight control. However, functional validation through targeted experiments is urgently needed to confirm these hypotheses. Optogenetics and other advanced techniques in mice have greatly advanced MLR research, enabling precise manipulation of specific neuronal populations. Future studies should extend these methods to other species, particularly birds, to explore unique locomotor adaptations. Comparative analyses of MLR structure and function across species will deepen our understanding of the conserved and evolved features of motor control, revealing fundamental principles of locomotion regulation throughout evolution. By integrating findings from diverse species, we can uncover how the MLR has been adapted to meet the locomotor demands of different environments, from aquatic to aerial habitats.

Pyroptosis is the programmed death of cells accompanied by an inflammatory response and is widely involved in the development of a variety of diseases, such as infectious diseases, cardiovascular diseases, and neurodegeneration. It has been shown that cellular scorching is involved in the pathogenesis of pulmonary arterial hypertension ( PAH) in cardiovascular diseases. Patients with PAH have perivascular inflammatory infiltrates in lungs, pulmonary vasculopathy exists in an extremely inflam-matory microenvironment, and pro-inflammatory factors in cellular scorching drive pulmonary vascular remodelling in PAH patients. This article reviews the role of cellular scorch in the pathogenesis of PAH and the related research on drugs for the treatment of PAH, with the aim of providing new ideas for clinical treatment of PAH.