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.

Objective: To investigate the safety and feasibility of transurethral blue laser vaporization of the prostate (BVP) under intravenous anesthesia without intubation. Methods: Clinical data of 30 benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) (prostate volume <40 mL) patients undergoing BVP under intravenous anesthesia without intubation in our hospital during Jul.and Nov.2024 were retrospectively analyzed.Preoperative and 1-month postoperative international prostate symptom score (IPSS), quality of life score (QoL), maximum urinary flow rate (Qmax), and postvoid residual volume (PVR) were compared.The operation time, cumulative blue laser activation time, recovery time, postoperative bladder irrigation time, postoperative catheter indwelling time, postoperative 2-hour visual analog scale (VAS) score and incidence of surgical and anesthetic complications were recorded. Results: All 30 patients successfully completed BVP under intravenous anesthesia without intubation.The operation time was (12.5±5.0) min, cumulative laser activation time (9.8±4.1) min, recovery time (6.8±1.2) min, postoperative bladder irrigation time (11.0±4.6) h, postoperative catheter indwelling time (2.7±1.1) days and postoperative 2-hour VAS score was (3.0±1.3).No cases required conversion to intubated general anesthesia, and no severe perioperative surgical or anesthetic complications occurred.Significant improvements in IPSS, QoL, Qmax, and PVR were observed 1 month postoperatively (P＜0.001). Conclusion: BVP under intravenous anesthesia without intubation in the treatment of prostate volume <40 mL BPH is clinically feasible, significantly improving lower urinary tract symptoms without significant surgical or anesthetic complications.

Mitochondria, the primary energy-producing organelles of the cell, also serve as signaling hubs and participate in diverse physiological and pathological processes, including apoptosis, inflammation, oxidative stress, neurodegeneration, and tumorigenesis. As semi-autonomous organelles, mitochondrial functionality relies on nuclear support, with mitochondrial biogenesis and homeostasis being stringently regulated by the nuclear genome. This interdependency forms a bidirectional signaling network that coordinates cellular energy metabolism, gene expression, and functional states. During mitochondrial damage or dysfunction, retrograde signals are transmitted to the nucleus, activating adaptive transcriptional programs that modulate nuclear transcription factors, reshape nuclear gene expression, and reprogram cellular metabolism. This mitochondrion-to-nucleus communication, termed “mitochondrial retrograde signaling”, fundamentally represents a mitochondrial “request” to the nucleus to maintain organellar health, rooted in the semi-autonomous nature of mitochondria. Despite possessing their own genome, the “fragmented” mitochondrial genome necessitates reliance on nuclear regulation. This genomic incompleteness enables mitochondria to sense and respond to cellular and environmental stressors, generating signals that modulate the functions of other organelles, including the nucleus. Evolutionary transfer of mitochondrial genes to the nuclear genome has established mitochondrial control over nuclear activities via retrograde communication. When mitochondrial dysfunction or environmental stress compromises cellular demands, mitochondria issue retrograde signals to solicit nuclear support. Studies demonstrate that mitochondrial retrograde signaling pathways operate in pathological contexts such as oxidative stress, electron transport chain (ETC) impairment, apoptosis, autophagy, vascular tension, and inflammatory responses. Mitochondria-related diseases exhibit marked heterogeneity but invariably result in energy deficits, preferentially affecting high-energy-demand tissues like muscles and the nervous system. Consequently, mitochondrial dysfunction underlies myopathies, neurodegenerative disorders, metabolic diseases, and malignancies. Dysregulated retrograde signaling triggers proliferative and metabolic reprogramming, driving pathological cascades. Mitochondrial retrograde signaling critically influences tumorigenesis and progression. Tumor cells with mitochondrial dysfunction exhibit compensatory upregulation of mitochondrial biogenesis, excessive superoxide production, and ETC overload, collectively promoting metastatic tumor development. Recent studies reveal that mitochondrial retrograde signaling—mediated by altered metabolite levels or stress signals—induces epigenetic modifications and is intricately linked to tumor initiation, malignant progression, and therapeutic resistance. For instance, mitochondrial dysfunction promotes oncogenesis through mechanisms such as epigenetic dysregulation, accumulation of mitochondrial metabolic intermediates, and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) release, which activates the cytosolic cGAS-STING signaling pathway. In normal cells, miR-663 mediates mitochondrion-to-nucleus retrograde signaling under reactive oxygen species (ROS) regulation. Mitochondria modulate miR-663 promoter methylation, which governs the expression and supercomplex stability of nuclear-encoded oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) subunits and assembly factors. However, dysfunctional mitochondria induce oxidative stress, elevate methyltransferase activity, and cause miR-663 promoter hypermethylation, suppressing miR-663 expression. Mitochondrial dysfunction also triggers retrograde signaling in primary mitochondrial diseases and contributes to neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson’s disease (PD) and Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Current therapeutic strategies targeting mitochondria in neurological diseases focus on 5 main approaches: alleviating oxidative stress, inhibiting mitochondrial fission, enhancing mitochondrial biogenesis, mitochondrial protection, and insulin sensitization. In AD patients, mitochondrial morphological abnormalities and enzymatic defects, such as reduced pyruvate dehydrogenase and α-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase activity, are observed. Platelets and brains of AD patients exhibit diminished cytochrome c oxidase (COX) activity, correlating with mitochondrial dysfunction. To model AD-associated mitochondrial pathology, researchers employ cybrid technology, transferring mtDNA from AD patients into enucleated cells. These cybrids recapitulate AD-related mitochondrial phenotypes, including reduced COX activity, elevated ROS production, oxidative stress markers, disrupted calcium homeostasis, activated stress signaling pathways, diminished mitochondrial membrane potential, apoptotic pathway activation, and increased Aβ42 levels. Furthermore, studies indicate that Aβ aggregates in AD and α‑synuclein aggregates in PD trigger mtDNA release from damaged microglial mitochondria, activating the cGAS-STING pathway. This induces a reactive microglial transcriptional state, exacerbating neurodegeneration and cognitive decline. Targeting the cGAS-STING pathway may yield novel therapeutics for neurodegenerative diseases like AD, though translation from bench to bedside remains challenging. Such research not only deepens our understanding of disease mechanisms but also informs future therapeutic strategies. Investigating the triggers, core molecular pathways, and regulatory networks of mitochondrial retrograde signaling advances our comprehension of intracellular communication and unveils novel pathogenic mechanisms underlying malignancies, neurodegenerative diseases, and type 2 diabetes mellitus. This review summarizes established mitochondrial-nuclear retrograde signaling axes, their roles in interorganellar crosstalk, and pathological consequences of dysregulated communication. Targeted modulation of key molecules and proteins within these signaling networks may provide innovative therapeutic avenues for these diseases.

Objective:To explore therapeutic effect of sacubitril valsartan sodium combined with Wenxin granule in the treatment of hypertension complicated with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation(AF)and its effect on cardiac electro-physiological structure.Methods:A total of 116 patients with hypertension and paroxysmal atrial fibrillation treated in our hospital from Oct 2021 to Nov 2022 were consecutively selected.According to random number table,they were divided into Wenxin granule group(received Wenxin granule treatment based on routine antihypertensive ther-apy)and combined treatment group(received sacubitril valsartan sodium combined Wenxin granule therapy based on routine antihypertensive therapy)with 58 cases in each group,and both groups were consecutively treated for six months.Clinical symptom score,AF burden,P wave duration,P wave dispersion,left atrial diameter(LAD),left ventricular end-diastolic diameter(LVEDd)and left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF)were compared between two groups before and after treatment.Results:After treatment,compared with Wenxin granule group,there were significant reductions in clinical symptom score[(1.66±0.69)scores vs.(1.40±0.53)scores],AF burden[4.43(1.65)％vs.1.62(3.50)％],P wave duration[(112.17±6.46)ms vs.(109.29±8.59)ms],P wave dispersion[(32.47±8.11)ms vs.(29.02±7.49)ms]and LAD[(34.83±3.41)mm vs.(33.40±3.74)mm]in combined treatment group(P＜0.05 or＜0.01).There were no significant difference in LVEDd and LVEF between two groups,P＞0.05 both.Conclusion:Sacubitril valsartan sodium combined with Wenxin granule can significantly im-prove clinical symptoms and atrial fibrillation burden,reduce the susceptibility to atrial fibrillation,and inhibit atrial electrical remodeling and structural remodeling in patients with hypertension complicated with paroxysmal atrial fi-brillation.

Objective To observe the influence of dapagliflozin tablets on myocardial enzymes,mitral valve blood flow and major adverse cardiovascular events(MACE)in patients with acute myocardial infarction(AMI)complicated with type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM)after interventional therapy.Methods AMI patients with T2DM were divided into control group and treatment group by cohort method.The control group was given aspirin tablets 300 mg and ticagrelor 180 mg orally,qd,until the day of interventional treatment.After interventional therapy,aspirin tablets 100 mg,qd,oral ticagrelor tablets 90 mg each time,once in the morning and once in the evening.On the basis of the treatment in the control group,the patients in the treatment group were given dapagliflozin tablets 5-10 mg,qd,every morning after admission.After 3 months of continuous treatment,the clinical efficacy,blood glucose control effect[fasting plasma glucose(FPG),2 hour postprandial blood glucose(2 h PG)],myocardial enzymes indicators[creatine kinase(CK),creatine kinase isoenzyme-MB(CK-MB)],ventricular remodeling indicators[left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF),left ventricular end systolic diameter(LVESD)],adverse drug reactions and MACE were compared between the two groups.Results There were 55 cases in the control group and 59 cases in the treatment group.After treatment,the total effective rates of the treatment group and the control group were 88.14％(52 cases/59 cases)and 72.73％(40 cases/55 cases),respectively,the difference was statistically significant(P＜0.05).After treatment,the FPG of the treatment group and the control group were(7.29±0.71)and(7.81±0.75)mmol·L-1,respectively;the 2 h PG were(8.66±1.33)and(9.59±1.38)mmol·L-1,respectively;the CK were(145.68±29.82)and(163.68±42.16)U·L-1,respectively;the CK-MB were(8.21±2.37)and(10.33±3.08)U·L-1,respectively;the LVEF were(57.63±8.74)％and(51.41±6.49)％,respectively;LVESD were(33.26±5.33)and(39.51±5.38)mm,respectively.The above indexes in the treatment group were significantly different from those in the control group(all P＜0.05).During the treatment,the adverse drug reactions in the treatment group mainly included nausea and vomiting,diarrhea,constipation.The adverse drug reactions in the control group mainly included hypoglycemia,diarrhea,headache.The total incidence of adverse drug reactions in the treatment group and the control group was 6.68％(4 cases/59 cases)and 9.09％(5 cases/55 cases),respectively,and the difference was not statistically significant(P＞0.05).After 3 months of follow-up,the total incidence of MACE in the treatment group and the control group was 5.08％and 18.18％,respectively,the difference was statistically significant(P＜0.05).Conclusion Dapagliflozin has a significant efficacy in the treatment of AMI patients with T2DM,and it can enhance the effect of blood glucose control,reduce the myocardial injury,inhibit the ventricular remodeling,and reduce the risk of MACE,with high safety.

As a new transdermal drug delivery system, microneedles can significantly improve skin permeability, enhance drug transdermal delivery, and demonstrate unique advantages in breaking stratum corneum barrier of skin. This feature enables microneedles to demonstrate enormous potential in delivering biotechnology drugs. The traditional delivery method for biotechnology drugs is mainly injection, which brings problems such as pain and skin redness to patients, leading to poor patient compliance. In addition, the production, transportation, and storage of biotechnology drugs require strict low-temperature conditions to maintain their activity and increase cost output. Microneedles, by contrast, have many benefits, providing new avenues and solutions for biomolecular delivery. Accordingly, this review introduced the microneedle drug delivery system for delivery biotechnology drugs, and summarized the research progress of microneedle systems in biotechnology drugs.