Objective:To evaluate the developmental toxicity of Cry1Ab protein by studying its effects on cell proliferation and differentiation ability using a developmental toxicity assessment model based on embryonic stem-cell.Methods:Cry1Ab protein was tested in seven dose groups(31.25,62.50,125.00,250.00,320.00,1 000.00,and 2 000.00 μg/L)on mouse embryonic stem cells D3(ES-D3)and 3T3 mouse fibroblast cells,with 5-fluorouracil(5-FU)used as the positive control and phos-phate buffer saline(PBS)as the solvent control.Cell viability was detected by CCK-8 assay to calculate the 50％inhibitory concentration(IC50)of the test substance for different cells.Additionally,Cry1 Ab protein was tested in five dose groups(125.00,250.00,320.00,1 000.00,and 2 000.00 μg/L)on ES-D3 cells,with PBS as the solvent control and 5-FU used for model validation.After cell treatment,cardiac differentiation was induced using the embryonic bodies(EBs)culture method.The growth of EBs was observed under a microscope,and their diameters on the third and fifth days were measured.The proportion of EBs differentiating into beating cardiomyocytes was recorded,and the 50％inhibition con-centration of differentiation(ID50)was calculated.Based on a developmental toxicity discrimination func-tion,the developmental toxicity of the test substances was classified.Furthermore,at the end of the cul-ture period,mRNA expression levels of cardiac differentiation-related markers(Oct3/4,GATAA-4,Nkx2.5,and β-MHC)were quantitatively detected using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction(qPCR)in the collected EBs samples.Results:The IC50 of 5-FU was determined as 46.37 μg/L in 3T3 cells and 32.67 μg/L in ES-D3 cells,while the ID50 in ES-D3 cells was 21.28 μg/L.According to the discrimination function results,5-FU was classified as a strong embryotoxic substance.There were no sta-tistically significant differences in cell viability between different concentrations of Cry 1 Ab protein treat-ment groups and the control group in both 3T3 cells and ES-D3 cells(P＞0.05).Moreover,there were no statistically significant differences in the diameter of EBs on the third and fifth days,as well as their morphology,between the Cry1Ab protein treatment groups and the control group(P＞0.05).The cardi-ac differentiation rate showed no statistically significant differences between different concentrations of Cry1Ab protein treatment groups and the control group(P＞0.05).5-FU significantly reduced the mRNA expression levels of β-MHC,Nkx2.5,and GATA-4(P＜0.05),showing a dose-dependent trend(P＜0.05),while the mRNA expression levels of the pluripotency-associated marker Oct3/4 exhibited an increasing trend(P＜0.05).However,there were no statistically significant differences in the mRNA expression levels of mature cardiac marker β-MHC,early cardiac differentiation marker Nkx2.5 and GATA-4,and pluripotency-associated marker Oct3/4 between the Cry1Ab protein treatment groups and the control group(P＞0.05).Conclusion:No developmental toxicity of Cry1Ab protein at concen-trations ranging from 31.25 to 2 000.00 μg/L was observed in this experimental model.

Objective To explore the effect of 2-aminoethoxy-diphenyl borate(2-APB)on H2O2-induced chondro-cyte apoptosis and its mechanism.Methods The experiment was divided into control group,H2O2 group,2-APB group and H2O2+2-APB group.CCK-8 method was used to detect the cell viability of each group;The effect of 2-APB on the morphological changes of chondrocytes induced by H2O2 was observed under microscopy;TUNEL meth-od and flow cytometry were used to detect chondrocyte apoptosis;Flow cytometry was used to detect Lipid reactive oxygen species(ROS);Western blot was used to detect the protein expressions of Cleaved-PARP,p-PKCα and HIF-1α in H2O2-induced cells by 2-APB;Immunofluorescence was used to detect the fluorescent expression of HIF-1α in cells induced by H2O2 by PKCα inhibitor BIM-1.Results 2-APB inhibited H2O2-induced apoptosis in chon-drocytes,and the inhibitory effect was the most significant when the concentration of 2-APB was 100 pmol/L(F=235.80,P＜0.01);22-APB could inhibit the positive rate of H2O2-induced apoptosis of chondrocytes(F=114.80,P＜0.01)and the level of ROS(F=52.99,P＜0.01).and inhibited the expression of Cleaved-PARP(F=10.10,P＜0.05),p-PKCα(F=24.56,P＜0.05)and HIF-1α proteins(F=6.85,P＜0.05).The PKCα in-hibitor BIM-Ⅰ could inhibit the increase in HIF-1α fluorescence intensity caused by H2O2.Conclusion 2-APB can inhibit chondrocytes apoptosis induced by H2O2 through the PKCα/HIF-1α pathway and thus protect chondro-cytes.

Objective To investigate the liver disease phenotypes and clinical features of patients with different genotypes of Wilson's disease(WD).Methods A retrospective analysis was performed for 163 patients with WD who were diagnosed and underwent genetic testing in The Fifth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital from August 2008 to June 2023,and clinical manifestations,laboratory examination,pathological examination,imaging examination,and ATP7B genetic testing results were collected.According to ATP7B gene mutation,the patients were divided into groups as follows:R778L mutation group and non-R778L mutation group;P992L mutation group and non-P992L mutation group;truncation mutation group and non-truncation mutation group.Liver disease phenotypes and clinical features were analyzed for the patients with c.2333G>T/p.R778L mutation(R778L mutation),c.2975C>T/p.P992L mutation(P992L mutation),and truncation mutation of the ATP7B gene.The Mann-Whitney U test or the Kruskal-Wallis H test was used for comparison of continuous data between groups,and the chi-square test or the Fisher's exact test was used for comparison of categorical data between groups.Results The 163 patients with WD had varying severities of liver disease phenotypes,among whom 121(74.23%)were diagnosed with chronic liver disease,36(22.09%)were diagnosed with decompensated cirrhosis,and 6(3.68%)were diagnosed with fulminant WD,and in addition,there were 5 patients(2 with chronic liver disease and 3 with decompensated cirrhosis)with neurological abnormalities.For the 163 patients with WD,R778L mutation(with an allele frequency of 28.2%)was the most common mutation in the ATP7B gene,followed by P992L mutation(with an allele frequency of 12.6%),and truncation mutation showed an allele frequency of 11.0%.There was no significant difference in the distribution of the three mutations across different liver disease phenotypes(P>0.05).The R778L mutation group had a significantly lower level of ceruloplasmin(CP)than the non-R778L mutation group[0.04(0.02-0.08)g/L vs 0.08(0.03-0.13)g/L,Z=-2.889,P=0.004].Compared with the non-P992L mutation group,the P992L mutation group had significantly higher levels of alanine aminotransferase[135.0(80.5-237.0)U/L vs 80.5(36.0-173.3)U/L,Z=2.684,P=0.007]and aspartate aminotransferase[121.4(77.0-195.0)U/L vs 84.0(39.0-123.3)U/L,Z=3.388,P<0.001].Compared with the non-truncation mutation group,the truncation mutation group had significantly lower levels of CP[0.03(0.02-0.08)g/L vs 0.06(0.03-0.11)g/L,Z=-3.136,P=0.002]and serum copper[3.20(2.15-5.00)mg/L vs 4.20(2.60-7.50)mg/L,Z=-2.296,P=0.025].Conclusion R778L mutation,P992L mutation and truncation mutation are not associated with liver disease phenotype in WD patients;however,R778L mutation is associated with a lower level of CP,P992L mutation is associated with higher levels of ALT and AST,and truncation mutation is associated with lower levels of CP and serum copper.

AIM: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of ultrasonic cycloplasty(UCP)combined with anti-vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF)+ panretinal photocoagulation(PRP)in the treatment of advanced neovascular glaucoma(NVG).METHODS: Retrospective study. A total of 45 patients(45 eyes)with advanced NVG who received surgery in our hospital from August 2020 to September 2022 were collected and divided into UCP+ anti-VEGF +PRP group(16 patients, 16 eyes), transscleral cyclophotocoagulation(TCP)+anti-VEGF+PRP group(20 patients, 20 eyes), UCP alone group(9 patients, 9 eyes). The intraocular pressure, pain scores, postoperative medication, effective rate, total success rate and the incidence of complications of the patients in the three groups were compared before surgery and at 1 d, 1 wk, 1 and 3 mo after surgery.RESULTS: There was no significant difference in preoperative intraocular pressure, pain scores and preoperative medication of patients in the three groups(all P>0.05). While there were statistical significance in the intraocular pressure and pain scores at 1 d, 1 wk, 1 and 3 mo after surgery(all P<0.01). The intraocular pressure of the UCP alone group(31.78±10.23 mmHg)was found to be higher than that of both the UCP+ anti-VEGF +PRP group(19.44±8.23 mmHg)and the TCP+ anti-VEGF +PRP group(20.80±10.27 mmHg)at 1 mo postoperatively(all P<0.017). The pain score of the TCP+ anti-VEGF +PRP group at 1 d and 1 wk postoperatively was higher than both the UCP+ anti-VEGF +PRP group and the UCP alone group(all P<0.017). The effective rates of UCP+ anti-VEGF +PRP group, TCP+ anti-VEGF +PRP group and UCP alone group were 81%(13/16), 75%(15/20)and 67%(6/9), respectively,(P=0.675), and the success rates were 69%(11/16), 50%(10/20), and 0(0/9), respectively(P=0.003). There was no significant difference in complications of patients in the three groups(P>0.05).CONCLUSION: UCP combined with anti-VEGF +PRP and TCP combined with anti-VEGF +PRP showed comparable efficacy in reducing intraocular pressure in advanced NVG. UCP combined with anti-VEGF+PRP was more effective in relieving pain and with no serious complications in advanced NVG. UCP alone can effectively control intraocular pressure and alleviate the pain of patients in the early postoperative period, but long-term control still requires anti-VEGF+PRP.

Objective To investigate the long-term incidence of in-stent stenosis(ISS)in patients with intracranial aneurysms receiving pipeline embolization device(PED)who showed no ISS at short-to-medium term follow-up examination.Methods The clinical data of patients,who received PED treatment at the Department of Neurointervention,First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University of China between April 2015 and June 2022,were retrospectively collected.The patients with intracranial aneurysms,who showed no ISS at the initial follow-up with DS A and completed＞12 months long-term follow-up check after treatment at the same hospital,were screened out,and their relevant clinical data and imaging materials were collected.The incidence of ISS occurring in postoperative＞12 months long-term follow-up was calculated.The ISS was defined as a＞25％lumen loss of the parent artery when compared with its lumen size measured immediately after PED implantation.Results A total of 57 patients with 61 aneurysms were enrolled in this study,and a total of 68 PEDs were implanted.Forty-one(67.21％)aneurysms were treated by PED implantation only,and 20(32.79％)aneurysms by PED plus spring coils.The median initial follow-up time was 184.0 days(119.0,212.5).At postoperative＞12 months long-term follow-up visit,DSA was employed for 35(57.38％)aneurysms,CTA was adopted for 22(36.07％)aneurysms,and 3D-SPACE sequence MR scan was performed in 4(6.56％)aneurysms.The median follow-up time was 538.0 days(407.5,678.0),and the incidence of ISS was 0％.No ISS-related neurological symptoms occurred in all patients.Conclusion In treating intracranial aneurysms with PED,the postoperative incidence of ISS is low.No ISS is found during the short-term follow-up period,and long-term follow-up results tend to indicate that no ISS events have occurred.

Objective To investigate the regulatory effect and molecular mechanism of solute carrier family 1 member 5 (SLC1A5) -tetraspanin superfamily member 1 (TM4SF1) complex on cisplatin resistance in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) cells. Methods SLC1A5-overexpressing Eca109 cells were constructed using lentiviral vectors, and the effect of SLC1A5 on cisplatin sensitivity was assessed through cell viability assays. Western blotting (WB) was employed to detect SLC1A5 expression in Eca109 cells and cisplatin-resistant Eca109 cells (Eca109-R). SLC1A5 expression was knocked down in Eca109-R cells using lentiviral vectors, and cisplatin sensitivity was examined thereafter. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was utilized to analyze the influence of SLC1A5 knockdown on the expression of key genes involved in DNA damage repair in Eca109-R cells. In SLC1A5-knockdown Eca109-R cells, cell viability assays were performed to evaluate the sensitivity to cisplatin after RAD50 overexpression. Additionally, Eca109 cells were separately or co-overexpressed with SLC1A5 and TM4SF1 using lentiviral vectors, and the effect of the SLC1A5-TM4SF1complex on RAD50 expression and cisplatin resistance was examined through cell viability assays. Results Compared with control cells, Eca109 cells overexpressing SLC1A5 exhibited enhanced cisplatin resistance (P < 0.05). Eca109-R cells showed increased SLC1A5 protein expression, and knockdown of SLC1A5 cells were more sensitivity to cisplatin (P < 0.05). RAD50 gene expression was significantly downregulated upon SLC1A5 knockdown under cisplatin treatment (P < 0.05). Knockdown of SLC1A5 inhibited RAD50 protein expression, and overexpression of RAD50 in SLC1A5-knockdown cells significantly restored cisplatin resistance (P < 0.05). Co-overexpression of SLC1A5 and TM4SF1 can further up-regulate the expression of RAD50, and the drug resistance of the cells to cisplatin was enhanced compared with the control cells(P < 0.05). Conclusion The SLC1A5-TM4SF1 complex promotes cisplatin resistance in ESCC cells by upregulating RAD50 expression.

Objective To explore the efficacy and safety of endoscopic retrograde appendicitis therapy (ERAT) for pediatric acute appendicitis. Methods Thirty-five pediatric patients with acute simple appendicitis admitted between June 2021 and November 2023 were selected as study subjects. Relevant perioperative data including clinical manifestations, diagnostic and therapeutic processes, as well as treatment and follow-up outcomes were collected. Results All 35 patients successfully underwent ERAT with an operation time ranging from 24 to 75 min. Intubation of the appendiceal lumen was successful in all patients, with pus flushed out or stones removed. After contrast administration and flushing, 16 patients were found to have pus only in the appendiceal lumen with no appendicoliths, while 19 patients had both pus and visible appendicoliths with diameters ranging from 2 to 5 mm. Of 19 patients, 17 appendicoliths were loose and 2 were well-formed. Abdominal pain symptoms were alleviated within a short period, with the average VAS score decreasing from 6.6 preoperatively to 1.7 at 3 hours postoperatively and to 0.2 at 24 hours postoperatively. There was a statistically significant difference in Visual Analogue Scale(VAS) scores before and after surgery (P < 0.05). During follow-up ranging from 3 to 11 months postoperatively, appendicitis recurred in one patient one week after ERAT, while no surgery-related complications occurred in the other patients during follow-up. Conclusion ERAT is a safe and effective endoscopic treatment for pediatric acute appendicitis, with advantages including reduced trauma and shorter recovery time. It is particularly suitable for pediatric patients with acute simple appendicitis complicated by appendicoliths, appendiceal lumen stenosis, or intra-appendiceal abscesses.

As an important part of tumor microenvironment, neutrophils are poorly understood due to their spatiotemporal heterogeneity in tumorigenesis. Here we defined, at single-cell resolution, CD44-CXCR2- neutrophils as tumor-specific neutrophils (tsNeus) in both mouse and human gastric cancer (GC). We uncovered a Hippo regulon in neutrophils with unique YAP signature genes (e.g., ICAM1, CD14, EGR1) distinct from those identified in epithelial and/or cancer cells. Importantly, knockout of YAP/TAZ in neutrophils impaired their differentiation into CD54+ tsNeus and reduced their antitumor activity, leading to accelerated GC progression. Moreover, the relative amounts of CD54+ tsNeus were found to be negatively associated with GC progression and positively associated with patient survival. Interestingly, GC patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy had increased numbers of CD54+ tsNeus. Furthermore, pharmacologically enhancing YAP activity selectively activated neutrophils to suppress refractory GC, with no significant inflammation-related side effects. Thus, our work characterized tumor-specific neutrophils in GC and revealed an essential role of YAP/TAZ-CD54 axis in tsNeus, opening a new possibility to develop neutrophil-based antitumor therapeutics.
Humans ; Animals ; Mice ; Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing/metabolism* ; Transcription Factors/metabolism* ; Stomach Neoplasms/pathology* ; Neutrophils/pathology* ; Signal Transduction/genetics* ; YAP-Signaling Proteins ; Tumor Microenvironment ; Hyaluronan Receptors/genetics*

Objective To investigate ecological isolation between Oncomelania hupensis snail populations in hilly regions and marshland and lake regions in Yuanjiang valley, Changde City, Hunan Province, and to unravel its underlying mechanisms. Methods Taoyuan County, Shimen County, Linli County and Lixian County in Changde City were selected as snail sampling sites in hilly regions, and Lixian County, Jinshi City, West Lake Administration District, Hanshou County and Dingcheng District were selected as snail sampling sites in marshland and lake areas. Cytochrome C oxidase 1 (cox 1) gene was amplified in snail samples and sequenced. The genetic sequences of O. hupensis snails were aligned using the software MEGA 11, and the haplotypes of O. hupensis snails were determined using the software DNASP 5.10.01. The phylogenetic tree was generated using Bayesian inference with the software MrBayes 3.2, and analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) was performed to analyze the source of genetic divergence and estimate the genetic divergence index (F_ST) among snail populations with the software Arlequin 3.5.2.2. The genetic barrier among 11 O. hupensis snail populations was estimated using the Monmonier algorithm of adegenet toolkit in R package. The settings with “land in winter and water in summer” in the Yuanjian River section were divided into two categories according to the upstream and downstream, and the areas with “land in winter and water in summer” in the upstream and downstream were transformed into raster data, and then loaded into the software Fragstats 4 for analysis of landscape indicators. The trends in changes of digital elevation were extracted from the Yuanjiang River section based on the digital elevation model, and made three-dimensional visualization using the R package. Results The mitochondrial cox 1 gene were amplified in 165 O. hupensis snais from 11 sampling sites and sequenced, and a total of 152 valid gene sequences were obtained, with 46 haplotypes or 9 populations determined. No haplotype was shared in snails between Taoyuan County and Dingcheng District and Hanshou County along the downstream of the Yuanjiang River. The total area of settings with “land in winter and water in summer” was 617.66 hm² in the upsteram of the Yuanjiang River, which consisted of 473 patches, with each patch measuring 1.31 hm², the largest area index of 0.735 2, the landscape division index of 0.999 9, and the landscape shape index of 45.293 7. The total area of settings with “land in winter and water in summer” was 9 956.92 hm² in the downstream of the Yuanjiang River, which consisted of 771 patches, with each patch measuring 12.91 hm², the largest area index of 97.839 9, the landscape division index of 0.042 7, and the landscape shape index of 7.249 6. The area of settings with “land in winter and water in summer” was much larger in the downstream than that in the upstream of the Yuanjiang River, and the stronger landscape connectivity and non-remarkable alteration of riverbed elevation provided suitable habitats for snail breeding. Conclusion The hydrological and environmental characteristics of the upstream of the Yuanjiang River restrain the breeding and spread of O. hupensis, resulting in ecological isolation between Oncomelania hupensis in Taoyuan County and those in the downstream of Yuanjiang River.

Background: The systemic immune inflammation index (SII) is a reproducible biomarker of inflammatory process. Aims: To explore the predictive value of SII for severe acute pancreatitis (SAP). Methods: A total of 406 patients with acute pancreatitis (AP) from Jan. 2013 to Dec. 2020 at Affiliated Hospital of Yangzhou University were collected, and were divided into SAP group and non SAP group. ROC curve was drawn to evaluate the value of SII, NLR, PLR, CAR for predicting SAP. Results: Compared with non‑SAP group, SII, NLR, PLR, CAR were significantly increased in SAP group (P<0.05). When the best cut‑off value was 1 705.83, AUC of SII for predicting SAP was 0.754, the sensitivity was 75.47%, and the specificity was 69.12%. AUC of SII for predicting SAP was higher than that of PLR, CAR (Z=2.647, P=0.007; Z= 2.616, P=0.008), while no significant difference was found between SII and NLR (P>0.05). And no significant difference in AUC was found between PLR and CAR (P>0.05). Conclusions: SII is a good new hematological index that can be used to predict the severity of AP, its predictive ability is similar to NLR, better than PLR and CAR.