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The yak, a unique species of cattle found exclusively on the western plateau of China, is a valuable source of livelihood for local residents. However, their low fecundity restricts the expansion of yak farming, whereas regional factors limit studies on yak breeding. Granulosa cells (GCs), which provide essential steroid hormones and growth factors for oocytes, have been the focus of many studies on the mechanisms of follicular growth and atresia. This study aimed to establish an immortalized cell line model that could serve as a tool for future studies on the mechanisms of ovarian follicle development in yaks. First, we isolated primary yak granulosa cells (yGCs) and evaluated their replicative senescence after continuous in vitro subculturing. Subsequently, an immortalized culture method for primary yGC was explored, and a new cell line model was established to study the mechanism of follicular development in vitro. We used a mammalian gene expression lentivirus vector to transfer the simian virus 40 large T antigen (SV40T) into primary yGC to obtain an immortalized cell line. The immortalized yGCs were morphologically identical to the primary yGCs, and cell proliferation and growth were normal within a limited number of generations. Follicle-stimulating hormone receptor (FSHR), a specific marker for GCs, was positively expressed in immortalized yGCs. Furthermore, the immortalized yGCs retained the ability of GCs to synthesize estradiol and progesterone and expressed genes related to steroid synthesis. The establishment of immortalized yGC opens up a myriad of possibilities for advancing our understanding of yak reproductive biology and improving yak breeding strategies.

Gastric-type endocervical adenocarcinoma (G-EAC) represents a rare variant of cervical mucinous adenocarcinoma that is typically unrelated to human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. G-EAC exhibits highly atypical clinical presentations and characteristics, and aggressive biological behavior often leads to challenges in timely diagnosis. Here, we present a case study involving a 74-year-old Chinese woman who experienced urinary incontinence for one month. Biopsy pathology confirmed the diagnosis of G-EAC, revealing stage IVa by imaging examinations. The patient subsequently underwent three cycles of chemotherapy, followed by adjuvant radiotherapy and surgical excision of residual tumor foci. This comprehensive treatment approach yielded a favorable survival outcome. For patients with advanced G-EAC, a multimodal therapeutic approach holds promise and warrants further exploration.

Background: BRCA2 plays a key role in homologous recombination. However, information regarding its mutations in Chinese patients with breast cancer remains limited. Objectives: This study aimed to assess the clinicopathological characteristics of BRCA2 mutation breast cancer and explore the mutation’s effect on hormone receptor (HR)-positive/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-negative breast cancer survival in China. Design: This hospital-based cohort study prospectively included 629 women with breast cancer diagnosed from 2008 to 2023 at Zhejiang Cancer Hospital in China. Methods: We compared the clinicopathological characteristics and metastatic patterns and analysed the invasive disease-free survival (iDFS), distant relapse-free survival (DRFS) and first-line progression-free survival (PFS1) of patients with HR-positive/HER2-negative breast cancer according to BRCA2 mutations. Results: Among the 629 patients, 78 had BRCA2 mutations (12.4%) and 551 did not (87.6%). The mean age at diagnosis was lower in the BRCA2 mutation breast cancer group than in the non-mutation breast cancer group (38.91 versus 41.94 years, p = 0.016). BRCA2 mutation breast cancers were more likely to be lymph node-positive than non-mutation breast cancers (73.0% versus 56.6%, p = 0.037). The pathological grade was higher in 47.1% of BRCA2 mutation breast cancers than in 29.6% of non-mutation breast cancers ( p = 0.014). The proportions of patients with BRCA2 mutations who developed contralateral breast cancer (19.2% versus 8.8%, p = 0.004), breast cancer in the family (53.8% versus 38.3%, p = 0.009) and ovarian cancer in the family (7.6% versus 2.4%, p = 0.022) were higher than those of patients without the mutation. The median follow-up time was 92.78 months. Multivariate analysis showed that BRCA2 mutation was not associated with poorer iDFS [hazard ratio = 0.9, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.64–1.27, p = 0.56] and poorer distant relapse-free survival (DRFS) (hazard ratio = 1.09, 95% CI = 0.61–1.93, p = 0.76). There was no significant difference between the two groups with regard to metastatic patterns in the advanced disease setting. In the first-line metastatic breast cancer setting, PFS1 expression was broadly similar between the two groups irrespective of chemotherapy or endocrine therapy. Conclusion: HR-positive/HER2-negative breast cancer with BRCA2 mutations differs from those without mutations in clinical behaviour and reflects more aggressive tumour behaviour. Our results indicate that BRCA2 mutations have no significant effect on the survival of Chinese women with HR-positive/HER2-negative breast cancer.

Background: Periodontal disease and coronary heart disease are both prevalent diseases worldwide and cause patients physical and mental suffering and a global burden. Recent studies have suggested a link between periodontal disease and coronary heart disease, but there is less research in this field from the perspective of bibliometrics. Objective: This study aimed to quantitatively analyze the literature on periodontal disease and coronary heart disease to summarize intellectual bases, research hotspots, and emerging trends and pave the way for future research. Methods: The Science Citation Index Expanded database was used to retrieve study records on periodontal disease and coronary heart disease from 1993 to 2022. After manual screening, the data were used for cooperative network analysis (including countries/regions, institutions and authors), keyword analysis, and reference co-citation analysis by CiteSpace software. Microsoft Excel 2019 was applied for curve fitting of annual trend in publications and citations. Results: A total of 580 studies were included in the analysis. The number of publications and citations in this field has shown an upward trend over the past 30 years. There was less direct collaboration among authors and institutions in this field but closer collaboration between countries. The United States was the country with the most published articles in this field (169/580, 29.14%). Based on the results of keyword analysis and literature co-citation analysis, C-reactive protein, oral flora, atherosclerosis, infection, and inflammation were previous research hotspots, while global burden and cardiovascular outcomes were considered emerging trends in this field. Conclusion: Studies on periodontal disease and coronary heart disease, which have attracted the attention of an increasing number of researchers, have been successfully analyzed using bibliometrics and visualization techniques. This paper will help scholars better understand the dynamic evolution of periodontal disease and coronary heart disease and point out the direction for future research. Clinical significance: This paper presents an overview between periodontal disease and coronary heart disease. Further exploration of the two diseases themselves and the potential causal relationship between the two is necessary and relevant, which may impact basic research, diagnosis, and treatment related to both diseases. This will aid the work of researchers and specialist doctors, and ultimately benefit patients with both diseases.

Abstract Coloading adjuvant drugs or biomacromolecules with photosensitizers into nanoparticles to enhance the efficiency of photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a common strategy. However, it is difficult to load positively charged photosensitizers and negatively charged adjuvants into the same nanomaterial and further regulate drug release simultaneously. Herein, a single‐component dual‐functional prodrug strategy is reported for tumor treatment specifically activated by tumor microenvironment (TME)‐generated HOCl. A representative prodrug (DHU‐CBA2) is constructed using indomethacin grafted with methylene blue (MB). DHU‐CBA2 exhibited high sensitivity toward HOCl and achieved simultaneous release of dual drugs in vitro and in vivo. DHU‐CBA2 shows effective antitumor activity against lung cancer and spinal metastases via PDT and cyclooxygenase‐2 (COX‐2) inhibition. Mechanistically, PDT induces immunogenic cell death but stimulates the gene encoding COX‐2. Downstream prostaglandins E2 and Indoleamine 2,3 dioxygenase 1 (IDO1) mediate immune escape in the TME, which is rescued by the simultaneous release of indomethacin. DHU‐CBA2 promotes infiltration and function of CD8+ T cells, thus inducing a robust antitumor immune response. This work provides an autoboost strategy for a single‐component dual‐functional prodrug activated by TME‐specific HOCl, thereby achieving favorable tumor treatment via the synergistic therapy of PDT and a COX‐2 inhibitor.

Shrimp is an important aquaculture species worldwide. The use of antibiotics to suppress disease outbreaks has led to antibiotic resistance; however, probiotics or natural herbal additives can enhance the health of farmed shrimp. In this study, the effects of formulations containing natural herbs and probiotics on shrimp farming were explored. Following indoor shrimp farming, the shrimp were returned to outdoor natural ponds for 1 week in the presence of a fermented probiotic product. The gut microbiota was surveyed using 16S rRNA gene sequencing at 1, 2, 3, and 8 weeks after the natural pond release. The results showed that Vibrio-related bacterial genera increased significantly in the shrimp intestinal microbiota at 2 weeks and were particularly high at 3 weeks after natural pond release. The phyla Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Vibrio-related bacteria, and the genus Cetobacterium emerged as crucial bacteria linked to shrimp health and growth. Overall, the diversity of the shrimp intestinal microbiota was lower upon release into the natural pond. However, this outcome may be associated with dysbiosis or influenced by the natural environment. Further research is warranted to substantiate these findings. A perspective on the shrimp gut microbiota provides important information for aquaculture management and explains the implementation of control measures.