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Xuan-Wei Huang,1,* Xu-Dong Wang,2,* Jie-Lan Lai,2 Ya-Li Lu,2 Kun Deng,3 Ren-Chun Lai2 1The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Department of Anesthesiology, Guangzhou 510080, People’s Republic of China; 2State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Department of Anesthesiology, Guangzhou 510060, People’s Republic of China; 3Xifeng People’s Hospital, Department of Anesthesiology, Guiyang 520122, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Ren-Chun Lai Email lairch@sysucc.org.cnBackground: Whether laryngeal cancer is directly implanted into the lungs during orotracheal intubation is still unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to find whether orotracheal intubation is an independent risk factor for postoperative pulmonary metastasis in patients undergoing laryngectomy.Patients and Methods: Medical records from January 1, 2006, to December 31, 2016, were reviewed. According to similar propensity scores, patients who received orotracheal intubation (tracheal intubation group, n = 515) were matched 1:1 with those who received tracheotomy (tracheotomy group, n = 326) in the induction of general anesthesia. The primary outcome was postoperative pulmonary metastasis. Secondary outcomes included local recurrence, lymphatic metastasis, tracheostomal recurrence and overall survival.Results: Between the two groups, there was no significant difference in postoperative pulmonary metastasis (P = 0.688), local recurrence (P = 0.215), lymphatic metastasis (P = 0.480), tracheostomal recurrence (P = 0.246) or all-cause death (P = 0.299). The primary site of cancer was an independent risk factor for pulmonary metastasis [HR 0.29, 95% CI 0.13– 0.68; P = 0.013] and local recurrence (HR 2.69, 95% CI 1.39– 5.21; P = 0.003). Type of surgery (HR 3.13, 95% CI 2.03– 4.84; P < 0.001) and N classification of TNM (HR 0.27, 95% CI 0.10– 0.75; P = 0.012) were risk factors for local recurrence. Postoperative chemotherapy was an independent risk factor for lung metastasis (HR 7.58, 95% CI 3.11– 18.47; P < 0.001) and lymphatic metastasis (HR 5.18, 95% CI 2.57– 11.91; P < 0.001), and 5-year overall survival was associated with age (P = 0.028), clinical stage (P < 0.001) and postoperative chemotherapy (P = 0.003) but not with anesthetic technique (P = 0.473).Conclusion: This retrospective study suggests that orotracheal intubation in laryngectomy is not a risk factor for postoperative pulmonary metastasis, local recurrence, lymphatic metastasis or overall survival.Keywords: laryngectomy, lung metastasis, local recurrence, tracheal intubation, tracheotomy

While preferential hydrogen bond network structures of cold protonated alcohol clusters H + (ROH) n are generally switched from a linear type to a cyclic one at n = 4-5, those of protonated 2,2,2-trifluoroethanol (TFE) clusters maintain linear type structures at least in the size range of n = 3-7. To explore the origin of the strong linear type network preference of H + (TFE) n , infrared spectra of protonated mixed clusters H + (TFE) m (ethanol) n ( m + n = 5) were measured. An efficient structure sampling technique using parallelized basin-hopping algorithms and deep-learning neural network potentials is developed to search for essential isomers of the mixed clusters. Vibrational simulations based on the harmonic superposition approximation were compared with the observed spectra to identify the major isomer component at each mixing ratio. It was found that the formation of the cyclic structure occurs only in n ≥ 3 of the mixed clusters, in which the proton solvating sites and the double acceptor site are occupied by ethanol. The crucial role of the stability of the double acceptor site in the cyclic structure formation is discussed.

The mechanisms of ductus arteriosus (DA) closure involve vasoconstriction and vascular remodeling. Previous findings indicate that the glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1RA) exhibits antihypertensive and anti-remodeling effects in the pulmonary circulation. However, its role in the DA remains unknown. This study aimed to investigate whether exendin-4 (Ex-4), a GLP-1RA, can regulate DA patency and elucidate its mechanisms. After confirming the presence of GLP-1R in neonatal rat DA tissue in vivo, the effects of Ex-4 on DA patency in neonatal rats were sequentially examined. Two hours after birth, we observed spontaneous closure of the DA in control rats. In contrast, Ex-4 prevented the closure of DA, accompanied by reduced intimal thickening. Ex-4 attenuated oxygen-induced vasoconstriction in isolated DA rings ex vivo. This effect was diminished in the presence of H89, a PKA inhibitor. In vitro, Ex-4 inhibited platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-BB-induced proliferation and migration of DA smooth muscle cells. Additionally, Ex-4 inhibited PDGF-BB-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, calcium mobilization, and signal transduction of MAPK and Akt pathways. Furthermore, Ex-4 preserved the nuclear expression of Nrf2 attenuated by PDGF-BB. Similarly, all these in vitro effects of Ex-4 were blunted by H89. In conclusion, Ex-4 maintains postnatal DA patency through vasodilatation and anti-remodeling via the PKA pathway. The GLP-1R/PKA pathway emerges as a promising target of DA patency in clinical management., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors have declared that no competing interest exists., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Background: Tinnitus affects 10%-30% of the population. Recent evidence suggests that tinnitus is associated with spleen deficiency. However, compared with kidney deficiency-related tinnitus, less research has been conducted on the impact of spleen deficiency-related tinnitus., Aim: To investigate the clinical efficacy of using Guipi Wan and dietary and lifestyle modification based on traditional Chinese medicine for treatment of patients with spleen and stomach deficiency-related tinnitus., Methods: We enrolled 110 patients with spleen and stomach deficiency-related tinnitus who were distributed into treatment (58 cases) and control (52 cases) groups. Tinnitus severity, sleep quality and emotional state were assessed by questionnaires [Tinnitus Evaluation Questionnaire (TEQ); Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI); Depression-Anxiety-Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21)] that were used for analysis in the two groups during the initial and intervention and after. In the treatment group, patients were treated with oral administration of Guipi Wan and consulted for healthy dietary and lifestyle modification. In the control group, patients were only assessed and not treated., Results: At the end of the 6-months, TEQ scores decreased significantly in the treatment group ( P = 0.021) but not in the Control group. Significant effects in the treatment group were noted for PSQI total score ( P = 0.043) and several PSQI component scores in the treatment group ( P < 0.05). After treatment, the DASS-21 scores were significantly reduced in the treatment group ( P < 0.05)., Conclusion: Guipi Wan combined with dietary and lifestyle modification based on regulating the spleen and stomach can be considered core to the treatment of tinnitus related to spleen and stomach deficiency., Competing Interests: Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare., (©The Author(s) 2024. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Modified Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion with specific resection ranges is an effective surgical method for the treatment of focal ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL). Herein, we compare and analyse the static stress area distribution by performing different cuts on an original ideal finite element model., Method: A total of 96 groups of finite element models of the C4-C6 cervical spine with different vertebral segmentation ranges (width: 1-12 mm, height: 1-8 mm) were established. The same pressure direction and size were applied to observe the size and distribution area of stress following various ranges of excision of the C5 vertebral body., Results: Different cutting areas had similar stress aggregation points. As the contact area decreased, the stress and the bearing above area increased. The correlation of stress area variation was highest between the 1-2 MPa and 6 MPa-Max regions (Rho = - 0.975). In the surface visualisation model fitting, the width and height were of different ratios in different stress regions. The model with the best fitting degree was the 1-2 MPa group, and the equation fitting (Rho = 0.966) was as follows: Area = 908.80 - 25.92 × Width + 2.71 × Height., Conclusion: Modified Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion with different resection ranges exhibited different stress areas. In a specific resection range of the cervical spine (1-12 mm, 0-8 mm), area conversion occurred at a threshold of 4 MPa. Additionally, the stress was concentrated at the contact points between the vertebral body and the rigid fixator., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common functional bowel disorder characterized by abdominal pain and visceral hypersensitivity. Reducing visceral hypersensitivity is the key to effectively relieving abdominal pain in IBS. Increasing evidence has confirmed that the thalamic nucleus reuniens (Re) and 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) neurotransmitter system play an important role in the development of colorectal visceral pain, whereas the exact mechanisms remain largely unclear. In this study, we found that high expression of the 5-HT 2B receptors in the Re glutamatergic neurons promoted colorectal visceral pain. Specifically, we found that neonatal maternal deprivation (NMD) mice exhibited visceral hyperalgesia and enhanced spontaneous synaptic transmission in the Re brain region. Colorectal distension (CRD) stimulation induced a large amount of c-Fos expression in the Re brain region of NMD mice, predominantly in glutamatergic neurons. Furthermore, optogenetic manipulation of glutamatergic neuronal activity in the Re altered colorectal visceral pain responses in CON and NMD mice. In addition, we demonstrated that 5-HT 2B receptor expression on the Re glutamatergic neurons was upregulated and ultimately promoted colorectal visceral pain in NMD mice. These findings suggest a critical role of the 5HT 2B receptors on the Re glutamatergic neurons in the regulation of colorectal visceral pain., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Superoxide dismutase 3 (SOD3), recognized as a potent free radical scavenger, exhibits antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-angiogenic properties. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the protective effects of SOD3 on the vascular smooth muscle cell during atherosclerosis remain unclear., Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of the baculovirus expressing SOD3 gene delivery to vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) and investigate whether the overexpression of SOD3 mitigates cell proliferation and migration induced by tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α)., Methods: A baculoviral vector containing SOD3 cDNA (vAcMBac-CMV-IE-SOD3) was constructed and utilized to deliver the SOD3 gene into primary rat VSMCs. Cells were stimulated with recombinant TNF-α, and then cell proliferation and migration were evaluated using the bromodeoxyuridine and wound healing assay. Western blot was used to verify the expression of cell cycle regulators, cellular mediators, and proliferative biomarkers. Zymography, immunofluorescence staining, and ELISA assay were conducted to assess the expression levels of matrix metalloproteinases., Results: The results demonstrated efficient and non-cytotoxic transduction of vAcMBac- CMV-IE-SOD3 in VSMCs. SOD3 overexpression significantly suppressed cell proliferation and motility by inhibiting cell cycle regulators in TNF-α-induced cells. TNF-α elevated protein levels of phospho-ERK and phospho-Akt were reduced markedly by SOD3-overexpressing. Additionally, SOD3 overexpression attenuated the elevation of MMP-2 and MMP-9, the pro-inflammatory and proliferative biomarkers. Overall, the SOD3 gene delivery exhibited potent anti-proliferation and anti-inflammation effects on TNF-α-induced VSMCs., Conclusion: An effective SOD3 gene delivery using a recombinant baculoviral vector has been successfully established and is useful for overexpression of the SOD gene family. This approach provides new therapeutic strategies in gene therapy against atherosclerosis., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)

Background: The aim of this study is to explore the clinical value of computed tomography angiography (CTA) in the diagnosis of aortic aneurysm., Methods: The imaging data of 60 patients suspected of having aortic aneurysms who were examined in the Radiology Department of the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University from April 2017 to April 2020 were analyzed retrospectively. CTA and digital subtraction angiography (DSA) were used to examine the patients, and CTA image findings were collected and compared with DSA findings., Results: There was no significant difference in the accuracy of diagnosing aortic aneurysms (P > 0.05) between DSA [98.33% (59/60)] and CTA [95.00% (57/60)]. There was no significant difference in the diagnosis of image features (e.g., typing, site, form) of aortic aneurysms (P > 0.05)., Conclusion: CTA can be used to successfully confirm if patients suffer from an aortic aneurysm; it produces quality images with high specificity, sensitivity, and accuracy and can be promoted in clinical practice., (© 2024. The Author(s).)