A Novel and Simplified Parameter for Mandible Angle Asymmetry Evaluation in Chinese Females.

AIM: To develop a novel and simplified parameter for mandible angle asymmetry (MAA) evaluation for facial countering surgeries in Chinese females. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 250 craniofacial computer tomography of healthy Chinese individuals were collected in this retrospective study. Mimics 21.0 was applied for 3-dimensional anthropometry. The Frankfort and Green planes were set as referenced vertical and horizontal planes for measuring the distances to gonions. The differences in both orientations were analyzed to verify the symmetry. Mandible angle asymmetry (∠Go-N-ANS, MAA) which comprehensively represented horizontal and vertical placements was defined qas the novel parameter for asymmetric evaluation and quantitative analysis was conducted to generate referenced materials. RESULTS: Mandible angle asymmetry was divided into horizontal and vertical asymmetry. No significant differences were found in either horizontal or vertical orientations. The horizontal difference was 3.09±2.52 mm, the reference range was (0.28, 7.54) mm, whereas the±ertical difference was 2.59±2.48 mm, the reference range was (0.12, 6.34) mm. The difference of MAA was 1.74±1.30 degrees, and the reference range was (0.10,4.32）degrees. CONCLUSION: This study provided a novel parameter for asymmetric evaluation in the mandible angle region through quantitative 3-dimensional anthropometry, arousing plastic surgeons' attention to both aesthetics and symmetry in facial contouring surgery.

Application and Accuracy of Craniomaxillofacial Plastic Surgery Robot in Congenital Craniosynostosis Surgery.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to observe the accuracy and security of the craniomaxillofacial plastic surgery robot in congenital craniosynostosis surgery and to enhance and improve its performance. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed model surgical experiments on computed tomography data of 5 children with congenital craniosynostosis who were diagnosed and treated in our hospital, and model surgical experiments and animal experiments on the skulls of 3 Bama minipigs. RESULTS: There was no statistically significant difference shown either in model experiments or animal experiments in comparing the actual operation with the surgical simulation and inside the groups ( P >0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The craniomaxillofacial plastic surgery robot has achieved good security and accuracy in model surgery and animal experiments. Further studies are needed to be conducted to confirm its security and accuracy and to continuously improve and refine the robot's performance.

Comprehensive Serial Treatment of Treacher Collins Syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: To discuss and summarize the comprehensive serial surgical treatment of Treacher Collins syndrome. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From September 2012 to January 2020, 12 patients with Treacher Collins syndrome were treated by autologous fat graft, mandibular distraction osteogenesis, orbitozygomatic reconstruction with calvarial external lamina, orthognathic surgery combined with postoperative orthodontics, transplantation of upper eyelid orbicularis myocutaneous flap, lateral canthal ligament reduction, and other methods. The authors evaluated the postoperative improvement, summarized experiences, and reviewed literatures about the comprehensive serial treatment of Treacher Collins syndrome. RESULTS: All patients showed significant improvement in appearance and function, and no complications were found during the follow-up period of 5 months to 3 years. CONCLUSIONS: The deformities of Treacher Collins syndrome involves multiple craniofacial region, and only by formulating comprehensive serial treatment strategies according to the malformation characteristics of different patients can the best effect be achieved.

Accuracy and Security Analysis of a Cranio-Maxillofacial Plastic Surgery Robot Equipped with Piezosurgery in Genioplasty.

ABSTRACT: This study aims to verify that the craniofacial plastic surgery robot with piezosurgery is more accurate and safer than traditional operations in genioplasty. This study chose data from the Digital Plastic Surgery of Plastic Surgery Hospital in the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College. The CT data of the patient's skull were reconstructed in the software, and the authors designed the measurement index. The surgical plan was designed as an ideal scheme (control group). Patients underwent traditional surgery according to the preoperative surgery plan (clinical group). Guided by surgical navigation, the osteotomy was operated on patients' same size plaster model using the surgery robot equipped with a piezosurgery (robot group). At last, the accuracy was calculated by CT data. There was no significant difference between the robotic group and control groups in the postoperative measurement index (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference between the robotic group and the control group (P > 0.05) in the line of osteotomy, but there was a significant difference between the clinical group and the control group in the line of the osteotomy.

The status and comparison of ovarian reserve between fertile and infertile healthy Chinese women of reproductive age.

ABSTRACT: We aimed to investigate ovarian reserve status, and explore differences in ovarian reserve between fertile and infertile healthy Chinese women of reproductive age.We recruited 442 fertile women aged 23 to 49 years (mean: 35.22 ±â€Š4.91 years) as subjects, and 196 infertile women aged 23 to 46 years (mean: 32.34 ±â€Š4.34 years) as controls. For all participants, a number of parameters were tested on days 2 to 4 of a spontaneous cycle, including basal serum follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), estradiol (E2), luteinizing hormone (LH), total testosterone, anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH), ovarian response prediction index (ORPI), and antral follicle count (AFC).There were significant differences in terms of AFC, serum AMH levels, and ORPI among subject subgroups (10.58 ±â€Š5.80; 2.533 ±â€Š2.146 ng/mL; 1.28 ±â€Š1.87; respectively), and among control subgroups (12.44 ±â€Š5.69; 3.189 ±â€Š2.551 ng/mL; 1.88 ±â€Š2.68; respectively) (P < .01 for all). For both subjects and controls, AFC, AMH levels, and ORPI decreased gradually with increasing age, and presented with similar age-related trends; there were positive correlations between AMH and AFC (P < .001), and negative correlations between age and AFC, AMH, ORPI (P < .05 for all). There was a significant difference in age (P < .001), serum E2 (P < .01), and AMH (P < .01) levels between subjects and controls; however, when controlling for confounding factors (age, body mass index, total testosterone, and LH), we found no differences between the 2 groups with regards to the serum levels of AMH, FSH, E2, and AFC (P > .05 for all). Moreover, receiver operating characteristic curve analysis indicated that the significant variables of subjects and controls for evaluating ovarian reserve included age, AMH and ORPI, and ORPI was more valuable than other variables.A diminished ovarian reserve was one of the manifestations caused by female aging. When confounding factors were controlled for, we found no differences in ovarian reserve when compared between fertile and infertile women, and no correlation with infertility.

One-Half Wedge Osteotomy Genioplasty for Correction of Chin Deviation Based on Three-Dimensional Computed Tomography Measurements and Simulation.

ABSTRACT: Conventional operations correcting chin deviations mainly rely on the observation and experience of the surgeons during the operation. We have created a new surgical method, one-half wedge osteotomy genioplasty (1/2WOG), that combines three-dimensional computed tomography measurements and simulation. This study evaluated the clinical effect of chin deviation correction with the 1/2WOG method. A total of 38 patients (15 men and 23 women) who underwent 1/2WOG between October 2019 and October 2014 were evaluated. The chin deviation angle and distance, and partial chin deformity were measured preoperatively using three-dimensional computed tomography data. Precise calculations and osteotomy lines were achieved by preoperative simulation. All patients underwent the same surgery by the same surgical team. The clinical effect of 1/2WOG was evaluated according to the preoperative and postoperative data and patient satisfaction. All 38 patients achieved satisfactory aesthetic results without major complications such as chin nerve injury or bone nonunion. Eight patients occured numbness of the lower lip after surgery; at 6-month follow-up, the numbness was reduced in 2 patients and disappeared in 6 patients. Compared with preoperative data, the chin deviation angle, chin deviation distance, and gonion-menton difference were significantly reduced postoperatively. During the 12-month follow-up, the patient satisfaction rate reached 90%. We conclude that chin deviation can be improved by 1/2WOG. The combination of digital technology measurements and simulation can increase the accuracy of the osteotomy line design, thus reducing surgical trauma and increasing patient satisfaction, which is worthy of clinical promotion.

Melatonin Reduces Androgen Production and Upregulates Heme Oxygenase-1 Expression in Granulosa Cells from PCOS Patients with Hypoestrogenia and Hyperandrogenia.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is an endocrine disorder characterized by abnormal hormone levels in peripheral blood and poor-quality oocytes. PCOS is a pathophysiological syndrome caused by chronic inflammation and oxidative stress. The aim of this study was to investigate the mechanism of melatonin regulation on androgen production and antioxidative damage in granulosa cells from PCOS patients with hypoestrogenia and hyperandrogenia. METHODS: Cumulus-oocyte complexes were collected from PCOS patients who had low levels of estrogen in follicular fluids. RESULTS: Melatonin triggered upregulation of cytochrome P450 family 19 subfamily A member 1 (CYP19A1) expression via the extracellular signal-regulated kinase pathway in luteinized granulosa cells. As a result, conversion of androgen to 17ß-estradiol was accelerated. We also found that melatonin significantly reduced the levels of inducible nitric oxide (NO) synthetase and NO in luteinized granulosa cells. Levels of transcripts encoding NF-E2-related factor-2 and its downstream target heme oxygenase-1 were also increased, leading to anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. We also found that melatonin could improve oocyte development potential. CONCLUSION: Our preliminary results showed that melatonin had a positive impact on oocyte quality in PCOS patients with hypoestrogenia and hyperandrogenia.

Restore natural fertility of Kitw/Kitwv mouse with nonobstructive azoospermia through gene editing on SSCs mediated by CRISPR-Cas9.

BACKGROUND: Male infertility is a serious social problem in modern society. Nonobstructive azoospermia (NOA) caused by germ cell gene defects is an important reason for male infertility, but effective clinical treatment for this disease has not been established. METHODS: We choose Kitw/Kitwv mouse as a research model and try to develop a new treatment strategy and "cure" its infertility. Mutant spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) were isolated from one single unilateral testis of a 14-day-old Kitw/Kitwv mouse and propagated in vitro. The C to T point mutation on Kitwv site of these SSCs was corrected through CRISPR-Cas9-mediated homology-directed repair (HDR) in vitro. Then, the repaired SSCs were screened out, proliferated, and transplanted into the remaining testis, and complete spermatogenesis was established in the recipient testis. RESULTS: Healthy offsprings with wild type Kit gene or Kitw mutation were obtained through natural mating 4 months after SSC transplantation. CONCLUSION: In this study, we established an effective new treatment strategy for NOA caused by germ cell gene defects through a combination of SSC isolation, CRISPR-Cas9-mediated gene editing, and SSC transplantation, which brought hope for these NOA patients to restore their natural fertility.

Melatonin reduces oxidative damage and upregulates heat shock protein 90 expression in cryopreserved human semen.

Sperm cells can be damaged during the semen cryopreservation process, decreasing their fertilizing ability. Physical damage and oxidative stress may occur during the freeze-thawing process. Antioxidants such as the native antioxidant melatonin can potentially improve cryopreservation outcomes. In this study, we added melatonin to cryoprotectant to examine its effect on frozen-thawed human sperm. We found that adding 0.1mM melatonin to cryoprotectant significantly increased sperm viability (24.80 ± 0.46% vs. 20.97 ± 1.27%, P < 0.05) and membrane integrity (P < 0.05), and decreased intracellular reactive oxygen species and lipid peroxidation damage. Furthermore, mRNA levels of the transcription factor NF-E2-related factor-2 and its downstream genes were significantly increased. Resistance to oxidative stress was enhanced and expression of the antiapoptotic gene Bcl-2 was increased by inclusion of 0.1mM melatonin in the cryoprotectant. Moreover, 0.1mM melatonin upregulated the expression of heat shock protein 90 (HSP90), which confers resistance to stressors in frozen-thawed sperm. Results obtained upon addition of inhibitors of melatonin receptors (luzindole and 4-P-PDOT) and an HSP90 inhibitor (geldanamycin) in the cryoprotectant demonstrated that melatonin promoted HSP90 translation via the melatonin receptor MT1 and increased adenosine triphosphate levels, thus increasing the viability of thawed sperm.

Merotelic kinetochore attachment in oocyte meiosis II causes sister chromatids segregation errors in aged mice.

Mammalian oocyte chromosomes undergo 2 meiotic divisions to generate haploid gametes. The frequency of chromosome segregation errors during meiosis I increase with age. However, little attention has been paid to the question of how aging affects sister chromatid segregation during oocyte meiosis II. More importantly, how aneuploid metaphase II (MII) oocytes from aged mice evade the spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) mechanism to complete later meiosis II to form aneuploid embryos remains unknown. Here, we report that MII oocytes from naturally aged mice exhibited substantial errors in chromosome arrangement and configuration compared with young MII oocytes. Interestingly, these errors in aged oocytes had no impact on anaphase II onset and completion as well as 2-cell formation after parthenogenetic activation. Further study found that merotelic kinetochore attachment occurred more frequently and could stabilize the kinetochore-microtubule interaction to ensure SAC inactivation and anaphase II onset in aged MII oocytes. This orientation could persist largely during anaphase II in aged oocytes, leading to severe chromosome lagging and trailing as well as delay of anaphase II completion. Therefore, merotelic kinetochore attachment in oocyte meiosis II exacerbates age-related genetic instability and is a key source of age-dependent embryo aneuploidy and dysplasia.

[Nuclear matrix proteins differentially expressed in human prostate cancer cell lines and benign prostatic hyperplasia epithelial cell line].

OBJECTIVE: To compare the expression of nuclear matrix proteins (NMPs) in benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) epithelial cell line BPH-1 versus those in androgen-dependent human prostate cancer cell line LNCap and androgen-independent prostate cancer cell line PC-3. METHODS: We isolated NMPs from the BPH-1, LNCap and PC-3 cell lines by 2-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE), analyzed the differentially expressed proteins by matrix-assisted laser desorption / ionization time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS), and identified them by peptide mass fingerprint and database searching. RESULTS: We successfully obtained well-resolved reproducible 2-DE patterns of NMPs in human prostate cancer cell lines, identified 12 differentially expressed NMPs including enzymes, regulatory proteins, RNA-binding protein and various other factors, 3 up-regulated and 9 down-regulated in prostate cancer cell lines. CONCLUSION: There are obvious differences in the expressions of NMPs between human prostate cancer cell lines and benign prostatic hyperplasia epithelial cell line.