A natural gene drive system confers reproductive isolation in rice.

Hybrid sterility restricts the utilization of superior heterosis of indica-japonica inter-subspecific hybrids. In this study, we report the identification of RHS12, a major locus controlling male gamete sterility in indica-japonica hybrid rice. We show that RHS12 consists of two genes (iORF3/DUYAO and iORF4/JIEYAO) that confer preferential transmission of the RHS12-i type male gamete into the progeny, thereby forming a natural gene drive. DUYAO encodes a mitochondrion-targeted protein that interacts with OsCOX11 to trigger cytotoxicity and cell death, whereas JIEYAO encodes a protein that reroutes DUYAO to the autophagosome for degradation via direct physical interaction, thereby detoxifying DUYAO. Evolutionary trajectory analysis reveals that this system likely formed de novo in the AA genome Oryza clade and contributed to reproductive isolation (RI) between different lineages of rice. Our combined results provide mechanistic insights into the genetic basis of RI as well as insights for strategic designs of hybrid rice breeding.

Advancing cardiac regeneration through 3D bioprinting: methods, applications, and future directions.

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) represent a paramount global mortality concern, and their prevalence is on a relentless ascent. Despite the effectiveness of contemporary medical interventions in mitigating CVD-related fatality rates and complications, their efficacy remains curtailed by an array of limitations. These include the suboptimal efficiency of direct cell injection and an inherent disequilibrium between the demand and availability of heart transplantations. Consequently, the imperative to formulate innovative strategies for cardiac regeneration therapy becomes unmistakable. Within this context, 3D bioprinting technology emerges as a vanguard contender, occupying a pivotal niche in the realm of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. This state-of-the-art methodology holds the potential to fabricate intricate heart tissues endowed with multifaceted structures and functionalities, thereby engendering substantial promise. By harnessing the prowess of 3D bioprinting, it becomes plausible to synthesize functional cardiac architectures seamlessly enmeshed with the host tissue, affording a viable avenue for the restitution of infarcted domains and, by extension, mitigating the onerous yoke of CVDs. In this review, we encapsulate the myriad applications of 3D bioprinting technology in the domain of heart tissue regeneration. Furthermore, we usher in the latest advancements in printing methodologies and bioinks, culminating in an exploration of the extant challenges and the vista of possibilities inherent to a diverse array of approaches.

Ultralow-loss waveguide crossing for photonic integrated circuits by using inverted tapers.

An ultralow-loss silicon planar waveguide crossing operating in the O-band was experimentally demonstrated based on the Gaussian beam synthesis method. Elliptical parabolic inverted tapers were introduced in our design to reduce the crossing loss. According to the measurement results, the proposed device exhibits an insertion loss of 0.008 dB, which is the lowest reported loss for planar silicon waveguide crossings operating in the O-band. The device exhibits a low crosstalk below -40 dB over a 40 nm wavelength range with a compact footprint of 18 × 18 µm2 and can be fabricated in a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor-compatible process.

Enhanced OsNLP4-OsNiR cascade confers nitrogen use efficiency by promoting tiller number in rice.

Increased use of nitrogen fertilizers has deleterious impact on the environment. Increase in yield potential at low nitrogen supply is regarded as a cereal breeding goal for future agricultural sustainability. Although natural variations of nitrogen transporters have been investigated, key genes associated with assimilation remain largely unexplored for nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) enhancement. Here, we identified a NIN-like protein NLP4 associated with NUE through a GWAS in rice. We found that OsNLP4 transactivated OsNiR encoding nitrite reductase that was critical in nitrogen assimilation in rice. We further constructed quadrupling NREs (Nitrate-responsive cis-elements) in the promoter of OsNiR (p4xNRE:OsNiR) and enhanced nitrogen assimilation significantly. We demonstrated that OsNLP4-OsNiR increased tiller number and yield through enhancing nitrogen assimilation and NUE. Our discovery highlights the genetic modulation of OsNLP4-OsNiR signalling cascade as a strategy for high NUE and yield breeding in rice.

Heterosis-associated genes confer high yield in super hybrid rice.

KEY MESSAGE: Heterosis QTLs, including qSS7 and qHD8, with dominance effects were identified through GBS and large-scale phenotyping of CSSLs and hybrid F1 populations in a paddy field. Heterosis has contributed immensely to agricultural production, but its genetic basis is unclear. We evaluated dominance effects by creating two hybrid populations: a B-homo set with a homozygous background and heterozygous chromosomal segments and a B-heter set with a heterozygous background and homozygous segments. This was achieved by crossing a set of 156 backcrossed-derived chromosome segment substitution lines (CSSLs) with their recurrent parent (9311), the male parent of the first super-high-yield hybrid Liangyoupei9 (LYP9), and with the female parent (PA64s) of the hybrid. The CSSLs were subjected to a genotyping-by-sequencing analysis to develop a genetic map of segments introduced from the PA64s. We evaluated the heterotic effects on eight yield-related traits in the hybrid variety and F1 populations in large-scale field experiments over 2 years. Using a linkage map consisting of high-density SNPs, we identified heterosis-associated genes in LYP9. Five candidate genes contributed to the high yield of LYP9, with qSS7 and qHD8 repeatedly detected in both B-hybrid populations. The heterozygous segments harboring qSS7 and qHD8 showed dominance effects that contributed to the heterosis of yield components in the hybrid rice variety Liangyoupei9.

Object-Based Thermal Image Segmentation for Fault Diagnosis of Reciprocating Compressors.

As an essential mechanical device in many industrial applications, reciprocating compressors have a high demand for operating efficiency and availability. Because the temperature of each part of a reciprocating compressor depends considerably on operating conditions, faults in any parts will cause the variation of the temperature distribution, which provides the possibility to distinguish the fault type of reciprocating compressors by differentiating the distribution using infrared thermal imaging. In this paper, three types of common fault are laboratory experimented in an uncontrolled temperature environment. The temperature distribution signals of a reciprocating compressor are captured by a non-contact infrared camera remotely in the form of heat maps during the experimental process. Based on the temperature distribution under baseline condition, temperature fields of six main components were selected via Hue-Saturation-Value (HSV) image as diagnostic features. During the experiment, the average grayscale values of each component were calculated to form 6-dimension vectors to represent the variation of the temperature distribution. A computational efficient multiclass support vector machine (SVM) model is then used for classifying the differences of the distributions, and the classification results demonstrate that the average temperatures of six main components aided by SVM is a promising technique to diagnose the faults of reciprocating compressors under various operating conditions with a classification accuracy of more than 99%.

OsVIN2 encodes a vacuolar acid invertase that affects grain size by altering sugar metabolism in rice.

KEY MESSAGE: OsVIN2, a vacuolar invertase, affects grain size and yield by altering sugar composition, transport, and starch accumulation in rice. Grain size, a major determinant of rice yield, is influenced by many developmental and environmental factors. Sugar metabolism plays vital roles in plant development. However, the way in which sugar metabolism affects rice grain size remains largely elusive. In this study, we characterized the small grain-size rice mutant sgs1. Histological analyses showed that reduced spikelet hull and endosperm size results from decreased cell size rather than cell number. Map-based cloning and complementation tests revealed that a DaiZ7 transposon insertion in a vacuolar invertase gene OsVIN2 is responsible for the mutant phenotype. Subcellular distribution and biochemical analysis indicated that OsVIN2 is located in the vacuolar lumen, and that its sucrose hydrolysis activity is maintained under acidic conditions. Furthermore, an altered sugar content with increased sucrose and decreased hexose levels, as well as changes in invertase and sucrose synthase activities, sugar transport gene expression, and starch constitution in sgs1 implies that OsVIN2 affects sucrose metabolism, including sugar composition, transport, and conversion from the source to the sink organs. Collectively, OsVIN2 is involved in sugar metabolism, and thus regulates grain size; our findings provide insights into grain development and also suggest a potential strategy to improve grain quality and yield in rice.

OsPPR6, a pentatricopeptide repeat protein involved in editing and splicing chloroplast RNA, is required for chloroplast biogenesis in rice.

KEY MESSAGE: OsPPR6, a pentatricopeptide repeat protein involved in editing and splicing chloroplast RNA, is required for chloroplast biogenesis in rice. The chloroplast has its own genetic material and genetic system, but it is also regulated by nuclear-encoded genes. However, little is known about nuclear-plastid regulatory mechanisms underlying early chloroplast biogenesis in rice. In this study, we isolated and characterized a mutant, osppr6, that showed early chloroplast developmental defects leading to albino leaves and seedling death. We found that the osppr6 mutant failed to form thylakoid membranes. Using map-based cloning and complementation tests, we determined that OsPPR6 encoded a new Pentatricopeptide Repeat (PPR) protein localized in plastids. In the osppr6 mutants, mRNA levels of plastidic genes transcribed by the plastid-encoded RNA polymerase decreased, while those of genes transcribed by the nuclear-encoded RNA polymerase increased. Western blot analyses validated these expression results. We further investigated plastidic RNA editing and splicing in the osppr6 mutants and found that the ndhB transcript was mis-edited and the ycf3 transcript was mis-spliced. Therefore, we demonstrate that OsPPR6, a PPR protein, regulates early chloroplast biogenesis and participates in editing of ndhB and splicing of ycf3 transcripts in rice.

Association mapping and genetic dissection of nitrogen use efficiency-related traits in rice (Oryza sativa L.).

The increases in the usage of nitrogen fertilizer result in deleterious impacts on the environment; thus, there is an urgent need to improve nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) in crops including rice (Oryza sativa L.). Attentions have focused on quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping of NUE-related traits using single experimental population, but to date, very few studies have taken advantage of association mapping to examine hundreds of lines for identifying potentially novel QTLs in rice. Here, we conducted association analysis on NUE-related traits using a population containing 184 varieties, which were genotyped with 157 genome-wide simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers. We detected eight statistically significant marker loci associating with NUE-related traits, of which two QTLs at RM5639 and RM3628 harbored known NUE-related genes GS1;2 and AspAt3, respectively. At a novel NUE-related locus RM5748, we developed Kompetitive Allele Specific PCR (KASP) single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers and searched for putative NUE-related genes which are close to the associated SNP marker. Based on a transcriptional map of N stress responses constructed by our lab, we evaluated expressions of the NUE-related genes in this region and validated their effect on NUE. Meanwhile, we analyzed NUE-related alleles of the eight loci that could be utilized in marker-assisted selection. Moreover, we estimated breeding values of all the varieties through genomic prediction approach that could be beneficial for rice NUE enhancement.

SNP-based analysis of genetic diversity reveals important alleles associated with seed size in rice.

BACKGROUND: Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) have become the genetic markers of choice in various genetic, ecological, and evolutionary studies. Genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) is a next-generation-sequencing based method that takes advantage of reduced representation to enable high-throughput genotyping using a large number of SNP markers. RESULTS: In the present study, the distribution of non-redundant SNPs in the parents of 12 rice recombination line populations was evaluated through GBS. A total of 45 Gigabites of nucleotide sequences conservatively provided satisfactory genotyping of rice SNPs. By assembling to the genomes of reference genomes of japonica Nipponbare, we detected 22,682 polymorphic SNPs that may be utilized for QTL/gene mapping with the Recombinant Inbred Lines (RIL) populations derived from these parental lines. Meanwhile, we identified polymorphic SNPs with large effects on protein-coding and miRNA genes. To validate the effect of the polymorphic SNPs, we further investigated a SNP (chr4:28,894,757) at the miRNA binding site in the 3'-UTR region of the locus Os4g48460, which is associated with rice seed size. Os4g48460 encodes a putative cytochrome P450, CYP704A3. Direct degradation of the 3'-UTR of the CYP704A3 gene by a miRNA (osa-miRf10422-akr) was validated by in planta mRNA degradation assay. We also showed that rice seeds of longer lengths may be produced by downregulating CYP704A3 via RNAi. CONCLUSIONS: Our study has identified the genome-wide SNPs by GBS of the parental varieties of RIL populations and identified CYP704A3, a miRNA-regulated gene that is responsible for rice seed length.

Highly efficient reduction of bromate by vacuum UV/sulfite system.

Bromate (BrO3-), a worldwide regulated by-product after ozone disinfection, is often detected in bromide-containing water, and has a strict limit of 10 µg L-1 in potable water. BrO3- degradation by advanced reduction processes (ARPs) has gained much attention because of efficient removal and easy integration with ultraviolet disinfection (UV at 254 nm). In the vacuum UV (VUV, 185/254 nm)/sulfite system, the elimination kinetics of BrO3- increased by 9-fold and 15-fold comparing with VUV alone and UV/sulfite system. This study further demonstrated the hydrated electron (eaq-) works as the dominant species in BrO3- degradation in alkaline solution, while in the acidic solution the H• became a secondary reactive species besides eaq-. Hence, the influences of pH, sulfite concentration, dissolved gas and water matrix on effectiveness of degradation kinetics of BrO3- was explored in details. With increasing pH, the proportion of SO32- species increased and even became the major ones, which also correlated well with the kobs (min-1) of BrO3- degradation. The stability of eaq- also climbs with increasing pH, while that of H• drops significantly. Higher sulfite dosage favored a more rapid degradation of BrO3-. The presence of dissolved oxygen inhibited BrO3- removal due to the scavenging effect of O2 toward eaq- and transformed VUV/sulfite-based ARP to an advanced oxidation process (AOP), which was ineffective for BrO3- removal. BrO3- removal was inhibited to varying degrees after anions (e.g., bicarbonate (HCO3-), chloride (Cl-), nitrate (NO3-)) and humic acid (HA) being added.

A Novel Allele in the Promoter of Wx Decreases Gene Expression and Confers Lower Apparent Amylose Contents in Japonica Rice (Oryza sativa L.).

Wx is the key gene that controls amylose content (AC), and various alleles have been found in rice populations. Wxb is the major allele in japonica and produces moderate AC (15~18%). It was recently found that editing the promoter of Wx could produce a series of alleles that have different Wx activities. Although some studies have edited the promoter, few studies have focused on the natural variations in Wx. Here, we used the Rice3K database to investigate variations in the Wx promoter and found that the allele Wx1764178 (A/G) has a higher LD (linkage disequilibrium) with the two key SNPs (1765751, T/G; 1768006, A/C), which could produce different Wx alleles and influence AC, as reported previously. Further study showed that the Wx1764178 allele (A/G) is functional and influences the expression of Wx positively. Editing the A allele using CRISPR‒Cas9 produced 36 and 3 bp deletions and caused a decrease in the expression of Wx. The apparent amylose content (AAC) in the edited lines was decreased by 7.09% and 11.50% compared with that of the wild type, which was the japonica variety Nipponbare with Wxb and the A allele at 1764178, while a complementary line with the G allele showed a lower AAC than the A allele with no effect on other agronomic traits. The AAC of the edited lines showed a higher increase than that of the wild type (Nipponbare, Wxb) in low-nitrogen conditions relative to high-nitrogen conditions. We also developed a dCAPS marker to identify the allele and found that the G allele has widely been used (82.95%) in japonica-bred varieties from Jiangsu Province, China. Overall, we found a functional allele (Wx1764178, A/G) in the Wx promoter that could affect AAC in japonica cultivars and be developed as markers for quality improvement in rice breeding programs.

Abscisic acid for acute respiratory distress syndrome therapy by suppressing alveolar macrophage pyroptosis via upregulating acyloxyacyl hydrolase expression.

OBJECTIVE: Abscisic acid (ABA) is a phytohormone that inhibits airway inflammation in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) mouse models. However, the molecular mechanism underlying this phenomenon remains unclear. METHODS: Serum ABA level in patients and mice was measured via liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). In-depth molecular mechanism was investigated through transmission electron microscopy, RNA-sequencing, and molecular docking in ARDS mice and cultured primary alveolar macrophages (AMs). RESULTS: We found that the serum ABA level was remarkably decreased in ARDS mice and patients. ABA inhibited lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced airway inflammation in mice; moreover, it downregulated genes associated with pyroptosis, as shown by RNA-sequencing and lung protein immunoblots. ABA inhibited the formation of membrane pores in AMs and suppressed the cleavage of gasdermin D (GSDMD) and the activation of caspase-11 and caspase-1 in vivo and in vitro; however, the overexpression of caspase-11 reversed the protective effect of ABA on LPS-induced pyroptosis of primary AMs. ABA inhibited intra-AM LPS accumulation while increasing the level of acyloxyacyl hydrolase (AOAH) in AMs, whereas AOAH deficiency abrogated the suppressive action of ABA on inflammation, pyroptosis, and intra-AM LPS accumulation in vivo and in vitro. Importantly, ABA promoted its intracellular receptor lanthionine C-like receptor 2 interacting with transcription factor peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ, which ultimately leading to increase AOAH expression to inactivate LPS and inhibit pyroptosis in AMs. CONCLUSIONS: ABA protected against LPS-induced lung injury by inhibiting pyroptosis in AMs via proliferator-activated receptor γ-mediated AOAH expression.

Grain Protein Content Phenotyping in Rice via Hyperspectral Imaging Technology and a Genome-Wide Association Study.

Efficient and accurate acquisition of the rice grain protein content (GPC) is important for selecting high-quality rice varieties, and remote sensing technology is an attractive potential method for this task. However, the majority of multispectral sensors are poor predictors of GPC due to their broad spectral bands. Hyperspectral technology provides a new analytical technology for bridging the gap between phenomics and genomics. However, the small size of typical datasets is a constraint for model construction for estimating GPC, limiting their accuracy and reducing their ability to generalize to a wide range of varieties. In this study, we used hyperspectral data of rice grains from 515 japonica varieties and deep convolution generative adversarial networks (DCGANs) to generate simulated data to improve the model accuracy. Features sensitive to GPC were extracted after applying a continuous wavelet transform (CWT), and the estimated GPC model was constructed by partial least squares regression (PLSR). Finally, a genome-wide association study (GWAS) was applied to the measured and generated datasets to detect GPC loci. The results demonstrated that the simulated GPC values generated after 8,000 epochs were closest to the measured values. The wavelet feature (WF1743, 2), obtained from the data with the addition of 200 simulated samples, exhibited the highest GPC estimation accuracy (R 2 = 0.58 and RRMSE = 6.70%). The GWAS analysis showed that the estimated values based on the simulated data detected the same loci as the measured values, including the OsmtSSB1L gene related to grain storage protein. This study provides a new technique for the efficient genetic study of phenotypic traits in rice based on hyperspectral technology.

The elite haplotype OsGATA8-H coordinates nitrogen uptake and productive tiller formation in rice.

Excessive nitrogen promotes the formation of nonproductive tillers in rice, which decreases nitrogen use efficiency (NUE). Developing high-NUE rice cultivars through balancing nitrogen uptake and the formation of productive tillers remains a long-standing challenge, yet how these two processes are coordinated in rice remains elusive. Here we identify the transcription factor OsGATA8 as a key coordinator of nitrogen uptake and tiller formation in rice. OsGATA8 negatively regulates nitrogen uptake by repressing transcription of the ammonium transporter gene OsAMT3.2. Meanwhile, it promotes tiller formation by repressing the transcription of OsTCP19, a negative modulator of tillering. We identify OsGATA8-H as a high-NUE haplotype with enhanced nitrogen uptake and a higher proportion of productive tillers. The geographical distribution of OsGATA8-H and its frequency change in historical accessions suggest its adaption to the fertile soil. Overall, this study provides molecular and evolutionary insights into the regulation of NUE and facilitates the breeding of rice cultivars with higher NUE.

[Treatment of severe active systemic lupus erythematosus by PMC therapy combined langchuang fuzheng jiedu capsule: a clinical observation].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of PMC therapy (Prednisone, Methotrexate, Chloroquine) combined Langchuang Fuzheng Jiedu Capsule (LFJC), thus choosing a better therapy of integrative medicine for SLE in the period of glucocorticoid use. METHODS: Sixty active SLE patients were randomly assigned to two groups, the control group and the treatment group. Those in the control group received PMC therapy (As for Prednisone, it was given at the daily dose of 1 mg/kg till 2 weeks after the condition being stable or after 8 weeks of treatment. Then the dose was reduced by 10% every two weeks. When the dose was reduced to 0.5 mg/kg daily, it was reduced by 2.5 mg per two weeks. When the dose was reduced to 15 mg daily, the dose was reduced to 2.5 mg per four weeks. As for Methotrexate, 10 mg each time, once a week. As for Chloroquine, 100 mg each time, twice daily), while those in the treatment group received PMC therapy (the same way as that for the control group) combined with LFJC (consisting of Astragalus membranaceus 50 g, Angelica sinensis 20 g, Ligusticum Chuanxiong 20 g, prepared Rehmannia Rhizome 30 g, Herba Serissae 30 g, Centella 30 g, centipede 4 g, scorpions 10 g, nidus versace 12 g, et al., 0.5 g per pill, containing 5.7 g crude drug. When the hormone was given at a large dose, LFJC was administered at 12 pills each time, three times daily). When the hormone was given at a middle dose, LFJC was administered at 8 pills each time, three times daily. When the hormone was given at a small dose, LFJC was administered at 6 pills each time, three times daily. The treatment course was six months. The improvement of symptoms and signs between before and after treatment, SLE disease activity index (SLEDAI), efficacy of Chinese medical syndrome, UPro quantitation, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), complement 3 (C3), C-reactive protein (CRP), the reduction and withdrawal of hormones, and infection of the respiratory tract were observed. RESULTS: The difference in post-SLEDAI was obviously larger in the treatment group than in the control group (P < 0.05). The fatigue severity scale (FSS) was less after treatment than before treatment in the treatment group, showing statistical difference when compared with that of the control group (P < 0.05). The total effective rate was 93.33% in the treatment group, showing statistical difference when compared with that of the control group (86.66%; chi2 = 6.736, P < 0.05). The ESR decreased after treatment in the treatment group, showing statistical difference when compared with that of the control group (P < 0.01). C3 increased after treatment in the treatment group, showing statistical difference when compared with that of the control group (P < 0.05). The hormone was reduced to (13.70 +/- 5.42) mg/d by the end of the therapeutic course in the treatment group, obviously less than that of the control group [(17.63 +/- 7.80) mg/d, P < 0.05). Seven patients suffered from secondary infection of the respiratory tract infection in the treatment group (5 from upper respiratory tract infection and 2 from lower respiratory tract infection), obviously less than those of the control group (25 from upper respiratory tract infection and 10 from lower respiratory tract infection) (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: PMC combined LFJC was a better treatment program for severe active SLE (SLEDAI > or = 15). It was more safe and effective when compared with using Western medicine alone. It could enhance the efficacy of hormones and help reduction/withdrawal of hormones.

Application of 4D printing and bioprinting in cardiovascular tissue engineering.

Cardiovascular diseases have remained the leading cause of death worldwide for the past 20 years. The current clinical therapeutic measures, including bypass surgery, stent implantation and pharmacotherapy, are not enough to repair the massive loss of cardiomyocytes after myocardial ischemia. Timely replenishment with functional myocardial tissue via biomedical engineering is the most direct and effective means to improve the prognosis and survival rate of patients. It is widely recognized that 4D printing technology introduces an additional dimension of time in comparison with traditional 3D printing. Additionally, in the context of 4D bioprinting, both the printed material and the resulting product are designed to be biocompatible, which will be the mainstream of bioprinting in the future. Thus, this review focuses on the application of 4D bioprinting in cardiovascular diseases, discusses the bottleneck of the development of 4D bioprinting, and finally looks forward to the future direction and prospect of this revolutionary technology.

Case Report: Successful surgical management of a challenging primary cardiac angiosarcoma.

Primary cardiac tumors are exceptionally rare, with malignant tumor occurrences ranging from 0.0017% to 0.28%. Among these, primary cardiac angiosarcoma (PCA) stands as the most prevalent malignancy, primarily impacting the right cardiac system. In this case report, we present the instance of a 44-year-old woman who recently exhibited acute chest discomfort and was subsequently diagnosed with a microangiosarcoma within the right atrium and superior vena cava. Diagnostic modalities including chest x-rays, CT, MRI, and PET-CT were instrumental in pinpointing the tumor's location and nature. Surgical excision followed by pathological and immunological examinations confirmed the diagnosis. The patient's recovery post-surgery has been encouraging, with successful follow-up chemoradiotherapy administered. Despite advancements, devising optimal strategies for enhancing patient survival and quality of life in angiosarcoma cases remains a pressing research challenge.

Case report: Surgical management of a rare right coronary artery fistula with a giant pseudoaneurysm compressing the pulmonary vein in a young patient.

Congenital coronary artery fistula (CAF) represents a remarkable rarity within the realm of cardiovascular anomalies, characterized by an aberrant connection between coronary arteries and either cardiac chambers or major vessels. Clinical manifestations of CAFs often remain unspecified or may even be entirely absent, posing diagnostic challenges. Notably, patients harboring substantial CAFs may exhibit symptoms such as palpitations, chest tightness, and dyspnea. Although right-sided congenital CAFs are relatively prevalent, the occurrence of a CAF accompanied by a colossal pseudoaneurysm imposing compression upon the pulmonary vein is an exceedingly rare phenomenon. This exceptional case report delineates a singular fistula originating from the right coronary artery, extending its course to the right atrium, and remarkably featuring a substantial pseudoaneurysm exerting compression upon the right superior pulmonary vein. Therapeutic intervention encompassed surgical closure of the proximal artery and excision of the pseudoaneurysm, underscoring the complexity and criticality of managing such intricate cardiac anomalies to ensure optimal patient outcomes.

Case report: Surgical valvular pulmonary reconstruction for a previous unreported rheumatic right-sided valve disease with severe pulmonary regurgitation.

Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) is a widespread illness in developing countries. RHD causes 99% of mitral stenoses in adults and 25% of aortic regurgitation. However, it only causes 10% of stenoses of the tricuspid valve, and is almost always associated with left-side valvular lesions. Isolated right-side valves are rarely affected, but may result in severe rheumatic pulmonary regurgitation. Herein, we present a case of rheumatic right-sided valve disease with severe pulmonary valve contracture and regurgitation in a symptomatic patient, successfully managed by surgical valvular reconstruction with a tailored bileaflet bovine pericardial patch. The options for surgical approach are also discussed. To our knowledge, the presented rheumatic right-sided valve disease with severe pulmonary regurgitation is the first to be reported in the literature.