Loss of PBX1 function in Leydig cells causes testicular dysgenesis and male sterility.

Leydig cells are essential components of testicular interstitial tissue and serve as a primary source of androgen in males. A functional deficiency in Leydig cells often causes severe reproductive disorders; however, the transcriptional programs underlying the fate decisions and steroidogenesis of these cells have not been fully defined. In this study, we report that the homeodomain transcription factor PBX1 is a master regulator of Leydig cell differentiation and testosterone production in mice. PBX1 was highly expressed in Leydig cells and peritubular myoid cells in the adult testis. Conditional deletion of Pbx1 in Leydig cells caused spermatogenic defects and complete sterility. Histological examinations revealed that Pbx1 deletion impaired testicular structure and led to disorganization of the seminiferous tubules. Single-cell RNA-seq analysis revealed that loss of Pbx1 function affected the fate decisions of progenitor Leydig cells and altered the transcription of genes associated with testosterone synthesis in the adult testis. Pbx1 directly regulates the transcription of genes that play important roles in steroidogenesis (Prlr, Nr2f2 and Nedd4). Further analysis demonstrated that deletion of Pbx1 leads to a significant decrease in testosterone levels, accompanied by increases in pregnenolone, androstenedione and luteinizing hormone. Collectively, our data revealed that PBX1 is indispensable for maintaining Leydig cell function. These findings provide insights into testicular dysgenesis and the regulation of hormone secretion in Leydig cells.

Functional study of the soybean stamen-preferentially expressed gene GmFLA22a in regulating male fertility.

China has a high dependence on soybean imports, yield increase at a faster rate is an urgent problem that need to be solved at present. The application of heterosis is one of the effective ways to significantly increase crop yield. In recent years, the development of an intelligent male sterility system based on recessive nuclear sterile genes has provided a potential solution for rapidly harnessing the heterosis in soybean. However, research on male sterility genes in soybean has been lagged behind. Based on transcriptome data of soybean floral organs in our research group, a soybean stamen-preferentially expressed gene GmFLA22a was identified. It encodes a fasciclin-like arabinogalactan protein with the FAS1 domain, and subcellular localization studies revealed that it may play roles in the endoplasmic reticulum. Take advantage of the gene editing technology, the Gmfla22a mutant was generated in this study. However, there was a significant reduction in the seed-setting rate in the mutant plants at the reproductive growth stage. The pollen viability and germination rate of Gmfla22a mutant plants showed no apparent abnormalities. Histological staining demonstrated that the release of pollen grains in the mutant plants was delayed and incomplete, which may due to the locule wall thickening in the anther development. This could be the reason of the reduced seed-setting rate in Gmfla22a mutants. In summary, our study has preliminarily revealed that GmFLA22a may be involved in regulating soybean male fertility. It provides crucial genetic materials for further uncovering its molecular function and gene resources and theoretical basis for the utilization of heterosis in soybean.

Genetic associations of protein-coding variants in venous thromboembolism.

Previous genetic studies of venous thromboembolism (VTE) have been largely limited to common variants, leaving the genetic determinants relatively incomplete. We performed an exome-wide association study of VTE among 14,723 cases and 334,315 controls. Fourteen known and four novel genes (SRSF6, PHPT1, CGN, and MAP3K2) were identified through protein-coding variants, with broad replication in the FinnGen cohort. Most genes we discovered exhibited the potential to predict future VTE events in longitudinal analysis. Notably, we provide evidence for the additive contribution of rare coding variants to known genome-wide polygenic risk in shaping VTE risk. The identified genes were enriched in pathways affecting coagulation and platelet activation, along with liver-specific expression. The pleiotropic effects of these genes indicated the potential involvement of coagulation factors, blood cell traits, liver function, and immunometabolic processes in VTE pathogenesis. In conclusion, our study unveils the valuable contribution of protein-coding variants in VTE etiology and sheds new light on its risk stratification.

Machine learning developed a CD8+ exhausted T cells signature for predicting prognosis, immune infiltration and drug sensitivity in ovarian cancer.

CD8+ exhausted T cells (CD8+ Tex) played a vital role in the progression and therapeutic response of cancer. However, few studies have fully clarified the characters of CD8+ Tex related genes in ovarian cancer (OC). The CD8+ Tex related prognostic signature (TRPS) was constructed with integrative machine learning procedure including 10 methods using TCGA, GSE14764, GSE26193, GSE26712, GSE63885 and GSE140082 dataset. Several immunotherapy benefits indicators, including Tumor Immune Dysfunction and Exclusion (TIDE) score, immunophenoscore (IPS), TMB score and tumor escape score, were used to explore performance of TRPS in predicting immunotherapy benefits of OC. The TRPS constructed by Enet (alpha = 0.3) method acted as an independent risk factor for OC and showed stable and powerful performance in predicting clinical outcome of patients. The C-index of the TRPS was higher than that of tumor grade, clinical stage, and many developed signatures. Low TRPS score indicated a higher level of CD8+ T cell, B cell, macrophage M1, and NK cells, representing a relative immunoactivated ecosystem in OC. OC patients with low risk score had a higher PD1&CTLA4 immunophenoscore, higher TMB score, lower TIDE score and lower tumor escape score, suggesting a better immunotherapy response. Moreover, higher TRPS score indicated a higher score of cancer-related hallmarks, including angiogenesis, EMT, hypoxia, glycolysis, and notch signaling. Vitro experiment showed that ARL6IP5 was downregulated in OC tissues and inhibited tumor cell proliferation. The current study constructed a novel TRPS for OC, which could serve as an indicator for predicting the prognosis, immune infiltration and immunotherapy benefits for OC patients.

Nurses' perspectives on child-friendly care needs in emergency departments: A qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Children can become anxious when undergoing emergency medical treatment. Therefore, emergency departments should be child friendly. This study explored emergency nurses' perspectives on children's needs during emergency care. METHOD: This qualitative study employed purposive sampling to recruit 17 emergency nurses from 3 medical centers in northern and central Taiwan. Individual interviews were conducted between January and August 2021. Data were analyzed through qualitative content analysis. RESULTS: The participants had 2-23 years of experience in caring for children in emergency departments. We identified 208 unique meaning units in the interview data, 79 of which were related to child-friendly emergency care. These were classified into 42 codes across 6 categories and 27 subcategories. The six categories were timely comfort, emotional care, frontline safety, emergency response, human resources support, and treatment efficiency. CONCLUSION: Emergency nurses have professional competencies, play a crucial role as care providers for children in the emergency department, and ensure the comfort and safety of children seeking treatment. The categories related to child-friendly emergency care identified in this study can serve as a basis for developing child-friendly care emergency guidelines.

Exome sequencing identifies genes associated with sleep-related traits.

Sleep is vital for human health and has a moderate heritability. Previous genome-wide association studies have limitations in capturing the role of rare genetic variants in sleep-related traits. Here we conducted a large-scale exome-wide association study of eight sleep-related traits (sleep duration, insomnia symptoms, chronotype, daytime sleepiness, daytime napping, ease of getting up in the morning, snoring and sleep apnoea) among 450,000 participants from UK Biobank. We identified 22 new genes associated with chronotype (ADGRL4, COL6A3, CLK4 and KRTAP3-3), daytime sleepiness (ST3GAL1 and ANKRD12), daytime napping (PLEKHM1, ANKRD12 and ZBTB21), snoring (WDR59) and sleep apnoea (13 genes). Notably, 20 of these genes were confirmed to be significantly associated with sleep disorders in the FinnGen cohort. Enrichment analysis revealed that these discovered genes were enriched in circadian rhythm and central nervous system neurons. Phenotypic association analysis showed that ANKRD12 was associated with cognition and inflammatory traits. Our results demonstrate the value of large-scale whole-exome analysis in understanding the genetic architecture of sleep-related traits and potential biological mechanisms.

Engineered extracellular vesicles: A new approach for targeted therapy of tumors and overcoming drug resistance.

Targeted delivery of anti-tumor drugs and overcoming drug resistance in malignant tumor cells remain significant clinical challenges. However, there are only few effective methods to address these issues. Extracellular vesicles (EVs), actively secreted by cells, play a crucial role in intercellular information transmission and cargo transportation. Recent studies have demonstrated that engineered EVs can serve as drug delivery carriers and showed promising application prospects. Nevertheless, there is an urgent need for further improvements in the isolation and purification of EVs, surface modification techniques, drug assembly processes, and precise recognition of tumor cells for targeted drug delivery purposes. In this review, we summarize the applications of engineered EVs in cancer treatment and overcoming drug resistance, and current challenges associated with engineered EVs are also discussed. This review aims to provide new insights and potential directions for utilizing engineered EVs as targeted delivery systems for anti-tumor drugs and overcoming drug resistance in the near future.

Suboptimal Use of DOACs Post-Discharge for Geriatric Hip Fractures with Isolated Calf Deep Vein Thrombosis: Do Clinician Prescribing Preferences and Patient Compliance Alters Clinical Outcomes?

Introduction: This study aimed to examine the impacts of DOACs compliance and prescribing preferences on clinical outcomes in elderly hip fracture patients with isolated calf deep vein thrombosis (ICDVT). Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study that evaluated 702 patients who underwent surgical treatment combined with ICDVT in an academic university hospital between January 2016 and October 2021. DOACs compliance was investigated through telephone and outpatient follow-up, and ICDVT clinical outcomes were collected 30 and 90 days post-discharge, respectively. Variables of interest were collected through the electronic medical record system, and data were analyzed after adjusting for predictors of non-completely dissolved (CD) of ICDVT. Results: The DOACs compliance survey revealed that 375 (53.42%) patients were fully adherent, 270 (38.46%) were fairly adherent, and 57 (8.12%) were poorly adherent. Approximately 62% of patients had ICDVT dissipation within 30 days after discharge, reaching 94% within 90 days. DOACs QD/BID regimen is often based on economic status, activity capacity, discharge destination and post-operative weight-bearing activities (p<0.05).The mechanism of injury, ASA classification, surgical technique and timing of ICDVT formation were significantly correlated with DOACs 14/28 days regimen (p<0.05).Multivariate analysis revealed that rural patients [OR 1.518 (95% CI, 1.117-2.236)], pre-operative ICDVT[OR 2.816 (95% CI, 1.862-4.259)] and thrombus length [OR 1.157 (95% CI, 1.263-1.821)] were ICDVT risk factors for non-CD. Furthermore, DOACs fair compliance [OR 0.087 (95% CI, 0.042-0.178)], DOACs full compliance [OR 0.283 (95% CI, 0.139-0.579)], and hospitalization duration [OR 0.793 (95% CI, 0.694-0.907)] were ICDVT protective factors for CD. Conclusion: Better compliance with DOACs benefits early ICDVT dissipation, but final clinical outcomes have to be validated with longer follow-up periods. When managing elderly patients with hip fractures, indications for anticoagulation should be considered and individualized protocols should be used.

Transcription factor E4F1 dictates spermatogonial stem cell fate decisions by regulating mitochondrial functions and cell cycle progression.

BACKGROUND: Spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) provide a foundation for robust and continual spermatogenesis in mammals. SSCs self-renew to maintain a functional stem cell pool and differentiate to supply committed progenitors. Metabolism acts as a crucial determinant of stem cell fates; however, factors linking metabolic programs to SSC development and maintenance are poorly understood. RESULTS: We analyzed the chromatin accessibility of undifferentiated spermatogonia at the single-cell level and identified 37 positive TF regulators that may have potential roles in dictating SSC fates. The transcription factor E4F1 is expressed in spermatogonia, and its conditional deletion in mouse germ cells results in progressive loss of the entire undifferentiated spermatogonial pool. Single-cell RNA-seq analysis of control and E4f1-deficient spermatogonia revealed that E4F1 acts as a key regulator of mitochondrial function. E4F1 binds to promotors of genes that encode components of the mitochondrial respiratory chain, including Ndufs5, Cox7a2, Cox6c, and Dnajc19. Loss of E4f1 function caused abnormal mitochondrial morphology and defects in fatty acid metabolism; as a result, undifferentiated spermatogonia were gradually lost due to cell cycle arrest and elevated apoptosis. Deletion of p53 in E4f1-deficient germ cells only temporarily prevented spermatogonial loss but did not rescue the defects in SSC maintenance. CONCLUSIONS: Emerging evidence indicates that metabolic signals dictate stem cell fate decisions. In this study, we identified a list of transcription regulators that have potential roles in the fate transitions of undifferentiated spermatogonia in mice. Functional experiments demonstrated that the E4F1-mediated transcription program is a crucial regulator of metabolism and SSC fate decisions in mammals.

A bidirectional Mendelian randomization study about the role of morning plasma cortisol in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Context: Cortisol, a hormone regulated by the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, has been linked to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The nature of the relationship between cortisol and ADHD, and whether it is causal or explained by reverse causality, remains a matter of debate. Objective: This study aims to evaluate the bidirectional causal relationship between morning plasma cortisol levels and ADHD. Methods: This study used a bidirectional 2-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) design to analyze the association between morning plasma cortisol levels and ADHD using genetic information from the authoritative Psychiatric Genomics Collaboration (PGC) database (n = 55,347) and the ADHD Working Group of the CORtisol NETwork (CORNET) Consortium (n = 12,597). MR analyses were employed: inverse variance weighting (IVW), MR-Egger regression, and weighted medians. OR values and 95% CI were used to evaluate whether there was a causal association between morning plasma cortisol levels on ADHD and ADHD on morning plasma cortisol levels. The Egger-intercept method was employed to test for level pleiotropy. Sensitivity analysis was performed using the "leave-one-out" method, MR pleiotropy residual sum, and MR pleiotropy residual sum and outlier (MR-PRESSO). Results: Findings from bidirectional MR demonstrated that lower morning plasma cortisol levels were associated with ADHD (ADHD-cortisol OR = 0.857; 95% CI, 0.755-0.974; P = 0.018), suggesting there is a reverse causal relationship between cortisol and ADHD. However, morning plasma cortisol levels were not found to have a causal effect on the risk of ADHD (OR = 1.006; 95% CI, 0.909-1.113; P = 0.907), despite the lack of genetic evidence. The MR-Egger method revealed intercepts close to zero, indicating that the selected instrumental variables had no horizontal multiplicity. The "leave-one-out" sensitivity analysis revealed stable results, with no instrumental variables significantly affecting the results. Heterogeneity tests were insignificant, and MR-PRESSO did not detect any significant outliers. The selected single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) F were all >10, indicating no weak instrumental variables. Thus, the overall MR analysis results were reliable. Conclusion: The study findings suggest a reverse causal relationship between morning plasma cortisol levels and ADHD, with low cortisol levels associated with ADHD. No genetic evidence was found to support a causal relationship between morning plasma cortisol levels and the risk of ADHD. These results suggest that ADHD may lead to a significant reduction in morning plasma cortisol secretion.

Molecular characterization and antimicrobial activity of NK-lysin in black scraper (Thamnaconus modestus).

NK-lysin (NKL) is a positively charged antimicrobial peptide with broad-spectrum bactericidal activities. In this study, the cDNA sequence of NKL (TmNKL) from black scraper (Thamnaconus modestus) was cloned, which encodes a predicted polypeptide of 150 amino acids that contains a surfactant protein B domain with three disulfide bonds. Phylogenetically, TmNKL was most closely related to its teleost counterpart from tiger puffer (Takifugu rubripes). Expression analysis demonstrated that TmNKL transcripts were constitutively expressed in all tested tissues, with the highest expression levels in the gills. Its expression was significantly upregulated in the gills, head kidney, and spleen after infection with Vibrio parahaemolyticus. A linear peptide (TmNKLP40L) and a disulfide-type peptide (TmNKLP40O) were further synthesized and results showed that disulfide bonds are not essential for bactericidal activities of TmNKL, and that both forms of TmNKL exhibited potent bactericidal activities against 4 gram- negative bacteria, including V. parahaemolyticus, V. alginolyticus, Edwardsiella tarda, and V. harveyi. Observed antimicrobial activities are likely due to the effects of TmNKLP40L and TmNKLP40O treatment on disrupting the integrity of both inner and outer membrane of V. parahaemolyticus, resulting in hydrolysis of bacterial genomic DNA. Damaged cell membranes and leakage of intracellular contents were further confirmed using scanning and transmission microscopy. Moreover, administration of 1.0 µg/g TmNKLP40L or TmNKLP40O significantly decreased bacterial load in tissues and thus, pronouncedly enhanced the survival of V. parahaemolyticus-infected fish. Overall, our results demonstrated that TmNKL is a potent innate effector and provides protective effects against bacterial infection.

Current understanding of the cGAS-STING signaling pathway: Structure, regulatory mechanisms, and related diseases.

The innate immune system protects the host from external pathogens and internal damage in various ways. The cGAS-STING signaling pathway, comprised of cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS), stimulator of interferon genes (STING), and downstream signaling adaptors, plays an essential role in protective immune defense against microbial DNA and internal damaged-associated DNA and is responsible for various immune-related diseases. After binding with DNA, cytosolic cGAS undergoes conformational change and DNA-linked liquid-liquid phase separation to produce 2'3'-cGAMP for the activation of endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-localized STING. However, further studies revealed that cGAS is predominantly expressed in the nucleus and strictly tethered to chromatin to prevent binding with nuclear DNA, and functions differently from cytosolic-localized cGAS. Detailed delineation of this pathway, including its structure, signaling, and regulatory mechanisms, is of great significance to fully understand the diversity of cGAS-STING activation and signaling and will be of benefit for the treatment of inflammatory diseases and cancer. Here, we review recent progress on the above-mentioned perspectives of the cGAS-STING signaling pathway and discuss new avenues for further study.

Application of progressive case teaching method based on core competency in standardized nursing training / 中华医学教育探索杂志

Objective:To explore the application effect of progressive case teaching method based on core competency in standardized nursing training.Methods:A total of 63 nursing students rotated in department of neurosurgery from June 2020 to June 2022 were selected as the research objects and randomized into experimental group ( n=31) and control group ( n=32). The experimental group adopted the progressive case teaching method based on core competency, and the control group adopted the conventional teaching mode. The data was analyzed using SPSS 26.0 to conduct t-test or non-parametric test based on the data normality for comparing the theory results, objective structure clinical examination (OSCE) scores, core competency, self-directed learning ability scores, teaching satisfaction and nursing satisfaction of patients in two wards between the two groups. Results:The theoretical results ( t=4.74, P<0.001) and OSCE scores ( t=3.81, P<0.001) of the experimental group were better than those of the control group. The scores of core competency and autonomous learning ability ( t=4.32, P<0.001) of the experimental group were better than those of the control group. The teaching satisfaction score ( t=2.21, P=0.044) and patient satisfaction score ( t=2.92, P=0.011) of the observation group were better than those of the control group. Conclusion:The progressive case teaching method based on core competency can improve the post competency of nurses, and also improve the teaching satisfaction rate and patient satisfaction rate, which is worthy of being carried out in the subsequent teaching activities.

The exploration of online typical case module practice in the dental standardized residency training / 中华医学教育探索杂志

Based on the in-depth analysis of the defects of the existing traditional chair-side teaching and simulation examination for the oral residency training students, this paper designs an online typical case teaching module for teaching practice. After the teaching, the examination results reveal that the use of online teaching tool can improve the clinical thinking and decision-making ability, and strengthen the clinical thinking process. The questionnaire results show that most residents are satisfied with the online teaching. All in all, the online teaching mode in this study is conducive to increasing the breadth and depth of case teaching, facilitating the process and visualization of clinical thinking, and improving the clinical decision-making ability of the typical cases of the residency training students, so as to achieve the goal of training residents with great post competences.

Thinking and practice of multi-disciplinary treatment model in oncology teaching / 中华医学教育探索杂志

In order to give full play to the important role of multi-disciplinary treatment (MDT) in oncology teaching in talent training and discipline development, an oncology teaching and research section has been established, the textbook Clinical Oncology has been compiled, excellent teaching workers in affiliated hospitals have been selected to form an MDT teaching team, and a multi-tutorial system has been established for the discipline related to specific tumor types. The multi-tutorial system of disciplines combines lecture-based learning (LBL) with case-based learning (CBL) and problem-based learning (PBL). Students are arranged to observe and participate in clinical MDT consultation during the inter-class practice, and compared with the traditional assessment form, MDT case discussion questions, review writing, classroom simulation of the MDT process and real participation in clinical MDT discussions are added. The questionnaire for students who participated in MDT teaching showed that more than 93% of the students believed that the MDT teaching model was helpful for systematically mastering the knowledge of the chapters they had learned and understanding the cutting-edge progress, improving learning initiative, thinking and problem-solving ability, clinical comprehensive analysis ability and teamwork spirit. The majority of students' expression skills [89%(169/190)] and literature review skills [79%(150/190)] were improved; 94%(178/190) of students expressed their willingness to accept this teaching method. The teaching practice experience of the Department of Oncology of Jilin University based on the MDT model helps to improve the teaching level of oncology.

Analysis of the impact of setting up plasmapheresis station on the collection volume of voluntary blood donation based on panel vector autoregressive model / 中国输血杂志

【Objective】 To analyze the dynamic relationship between the setting up of plasmapheresis station and the volume of voluntary blood donation collected using panel vector autoregressive model, so as to provide scientific reference for the management policies of blood stations and plasmapheresis stations in China. 【Methods】 The data collected from blood stations in seven administrative regions of Guangyuan, Sichuan Province from 2011 to 2021, as well as plasma collection data from two plasmapheresis stations in the region within two years since their operation, were collected. A panel vector autoregressive model was constructed. Impulse response analysis and variance decomposition analysis were used to analyze the impact and time lag effects of simulated plasmapheresis station settings on the collection volume of voluntary blood donation. Covariance analysis was used to explore whether the establishment of plasmapheresis station had an impact on the volume of voluntary blood donation collected after excluding the impact of initial value differences. 【Results】 The pulse response results showed that after the plasmapheresis station was set up, there was a negative impact effect on the voluntary blood donation collection volume at the first stage, and its impact began to rise after the second stage, reached the highest value in the third stage, and then began to decline. After the seventh stage, it tended to be stable. However, within the 10 stage range, the confidence interval for the response strength of voluntary blood donation collection volume always included 0, indicating that the response of blood collection volume to the plasmapheresis station setting in the region was not statistically significant. The results of variance decomposition showed that the contribution of collection volume of voluntary blood donation to their own impact reached 94.3%. In terms of the contribution of plasmapheresis station factors, the number of plasma donors has a relatively greater impact on the volume of voluntary blood donation collected(2.2%). Covariance analysis showed that after removing the initial confounding factors, whether to establish a plasmapheresis station had no significant impact on blood donation volume in the two groups of regions (P>0.05). 【Conclusion】 The establishment of a new plasmapheresis station will have a certain impact on blood collection volume of blood stations in the region in a short term, but in the long term, it may not directly affect the voluntary blood donation collection in the region.

Investigation and analysis of characteristics and mobility of the overlapping population of voluntary blood donation and plasmapheresis donation / 中国输血杂志

【Objective】 To analyze the characteristics and mobility of the overlapping population of voluntary blood donation and plasmapheresis donation, so as to provide a scientific basis for the formulation of recruitment and retention strategies for blood donation and plasmapheresis donation, and to further propose a scientific reference for the decision-making of blood banks and plasmapheresis station management in China. 【Methods】 The basic information of blood donors and plasmapheresis donors in two counties in Guangyuan, Sichuan Province, which carried out whole blood collection and plasmapheresis collection from the establishment of the station to July 31, 2021 was statistically compared and analzed using the chi-square test and Post hoc testing test. 【Results】 As of July 31, 2021, a total of 50 658 people participated in blood donation and 63 375 people participated in plasmapheresis donation in Jiange County and Cangxi County, with a total overlap of 6 189 people. In the two regions, 16 458 (35.2%) people aged 40 to 50, and 35 558 people (56.1%) were over 50 years old. Among the overlapping population, 2 496 (40.3%) were 40 to 50 years old, accounted for the largest proportion, and 3 146 (50.8%) were males. Significant differences were noticed in age (P<0.001) and gender (P<0.001). There was a shift in dontion in 5 183, including 2 072 people from plasma to blood and 3 111 people from blood to plasma, among which 2 671 (51.5%) were men and 3 632 (70.1%) were over 50 years old, with significant differences in gender (P<0.05) and age (P<0.001). 【Conclusion】 There were a small number of donors donating both blood and plasma in Jiange and Cangxi, and men aged 40 to 50 were the majority, and people over 50 years old were more likely to shift the donation goals. The vast majority of donors have a single and fixed donation goal (blood or plasma), and are not easy to change.

Effect of Tuina Manipulation on the Expression of CD68 and MMP-2 in Rabbits with Carotid Atherosclerotic Plaque / 中医杂志

ObjectiveTo explore the effect of tuina manipulation with different cervical rotation angle on carotid atherosclerosis. MethodsTwenty-five New Zealand rabbits were randomly selected， 5 of which as the control group， and the other 20 rabbits as the modeling group. The modeling group were made by arterial intimal balloon injury combined with high-fat diet， and were randomly divided into model group， cervical rotation angle of 90° group， cervical rotation angle of 105° group and cervical rotation angle of 120° group （5 rabbits in each group） after successful modeling. After relaxing the neck muscles of rabbits with manipulation of one-finger meditation， rolling and dialing， the cervical vertebrae of each group was rotated by 90°， 105°and 120° respectively for 2 weeks， while the other two groups were not intervened. Then took the entire length of the left common carotid artery from the rabbit， observed the pathological morphology of the carotid artery tissue using HE staining， and observed the expression of CD68 and MMP-2 in the carotid artery tissue using immunohistochemistry staining， and conducted semi quantitative analysis. ResultsHE staining showed that there was no obvious pathological change in the carotid artery in the control group； the model group showed subintimal foam cells gathered， vascular smooth muscle cells increased and arranged disorderly， and some vascular smooth muscle cells entered the intima from the media to form a fibrous cap. Compared with the model group， the number of foam cells increased and the symptoms of lumen stenosis were improved in all groups of cervical rotation； compared with the group with 90°rotation， the endothelium tended to fall off slightly in the group with 105°rotation and 120°rotation. Compared with the control group， the model group and the cervical rotation angle of 90° group ， cervical rotation angle of 105° group and cervical rotation angle of 120° group showed an increase in positive expression of CD68 and MMP-2 （P＜0.05）； compared with the model group， the positive expression of CD68 and MMP-2 in the cervical rotation angle of 90° group， cervical rotation angle of 105° group and cervical rotation angle of 120° group decreased （P＜0.05）； there was no statistically significant difference in CD68 positive expression among cervical rotation angle of 90° group， cervical rotation angle of 105° group and cervical rotation angle of 120° group compared in pairs （P＞0.05）； the positive expression of MMP-2 in the group of cervical rotation angle of 105° group and cervical rotation angle of 120 °group was higher than that in cervical rotation angle of 90° group （P＜0.05）. ConclusionTuina manipulation can promote the stability of plaque by reducing the CD68 content of macrophages and the level of MMP-2 in plaque； but as the rotation angle of the cervical spine increased， the expression of MMP-2 may increase， which may reduce the plaque stability to a certain extent and affect the therapeutic effect of tuina.

Progress of transcatheter aortic valve replacement in patients with atrioventricular regurgitation / 中国胸心血管外科临床杂志

@#As the indications for transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) expand, multi-valve lesions are becoming more common in clinical practice. Moderate to severe atrioventricular regurgitation, particularly when persistent after TAVR, significantly increases the risk of adverse events. Therefore, many studies have evaluated factors that contribute to the improvement of atrioventricular regurgitation. However, this field remains controversial due to the heterogeneity of retrospective studies and the lack of randomized controlled trials. Despite advances in atrioventricular valve intervention techniques, evidence for atrioventricular regurgitation intervention after TAVR is still scarce. The management decision for atrioventricular regurgitation in patients who underwent TAVR is complex and must take into account the severity of valve disease, anatomical characteristics, quality of life, and procedural complexity. We conducted a review of atrioventricular regurgitation in patients who have received TAVR in hope that it will help decision-making in clinical practice.

Annual progress of transcatheter mitral valve intervention in 2022 / 中国胸心血管外科临床杂志

@#Mitral regurgitation is the most common heart valvular disease at present. In the past, mitral regurgitation was mainly treated by surgical mitral valve repair or replacement. However, with the progress of transcatheter interventional techniques and instruments in recent years, transcatheter mitral valve interventional therapy has gradually shown its advantages and benefited patients. The purpose of this article is to review the progress of transcatheter mitral valve intervention in this year, and to provide prospects for the future of transcatheter mitral valve treatment.