Long-term outcomes of pulmonary atresia with ventricular septal defect by different initial rehabilitative surgical age.

Background: There is a lack of evidence guiding the surgical timing selection in pulmonary atresia with ventricular septal defect. This study aims to compare the long-term outcomes of different initial rehabilitative surgical ages in patients with pulmonary atresia with ventricular septal defect (PAVSD). Methods: From January 2011 to December 2020, a total of 101 PAVSD patients undergoing the initial rehabilitative surgery at our center were retrospectively reviewed. Receiver-operator characteristics curve analysis was used to identify the cutoff age of 6.4 months and therefore to classify the patients into two groups. Competing risk models were used to identify risk factors associated with complete repair. The probability of survival and complete repair were compared between the two groups using the Kaplan-Meier curve and cumulative incidence curve, respectively. Results: The median duration of follow-up was 72.76 months. There were similar ΔMcGoon ratio and ΔNakata index between the two groups. Multivariate analysis showed that age ≤6.4 months (hazard ratio (HR) = 2.728; 95% confidence interval (CI):1.122-6.637; p = 0.027) and right ventricle-to-pulmonary artery connection (HR = 4.196; 95% CI = 1.782-9.883; p = 0.001) were associated with increased probability of complete repair. The cumulative incidence curve showed that the estimated complete repair rates were 64% ± 8% after 3 years and 69% ± 8%% after 5 years in the younger group, significantly higher than 28% ± 6% after 3 years and 33% ± 6% after 5 years in the elder group (p < 0.001). There was no significant difference regarding the estimated survival rate between the two groups. Conclusion: Compared with those undergoing the initial rehabilitative surgery at the age >6.4 months, PAVSD patients at the age ≤6.4 months had an equal pulmonary vasculature development, a similar probability of survival but an improved probability of complete repair.

Advances in 3D bioprinting technology for cardiac tissue engineering and regeneration.

Cardiovascular disease is still one of the leading causes of death in the world, and heart transplantation is the current major treatment for end-stage cardiovascular diseases. However, because of the shortage of heart donors, new sources of cardiac regenerative medicine are greatly needed. The prominent development of tissue engineering using bioactive materials has creatively laid a direct promising foundation. Whereas, how to precisely pattern a cardiac structure with complete biological function still requires technological breakthroughs. Recently, the emerging three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting technology for tissue engineering has shown great advantages in generating micro-scale cardiac tissues, which has established its impressive potential as a novel foundation for cardiovascular regeneration. Whether 3D bioprinted hearts can replace traditional heart transplantation as a novel strategy for treating cardiovascular diseases in the future is a frontier issue. In this review article, we emphasize the current knowledge and future perspectives regarding available bioinks, bioprinting strategies and the latest outcome progress in cardiac 3D bioprinting to move this promising medical approach towards potential clinical implementation.

Correction: Housefly (Musca domestica) larvae powder, preventing oxidative stress injury via regulation of UCP4 and CyclinD1 and modulation of JNK and P38 signaling in APP/PS1 mice.

Correction for 'Housefly (Musca domestica) larvae powder, preventing oxidative stress injury via regulation of UCP4 and CyclinD1 and modulation of JNK and P38 signaling in APP/PS1 mice' by Yinru He et al., Food Funct., 2019, 10, 235-243.

Identification of proteins in housefly (Musca domestica) larvae powder by LC-MS/MS and their potential medical relevance.

Housefly larvae (HL) powder was used to cure wounds centuries ago for its good nutritional and pharmacological values. At present, most of the medical studies are about the crude extracts of HL, while the specific pharmacological material basis is still unclear. We ground third-instar Musca domestica larvae into a powder, degreasing and preparing the protein extract. The protein extract was subjected to enzymatic hydrolysis, and the enzymatic hydrolysis products were identified by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). We identified a variety of highly trusted proteins (false discovery rate is less than or equal to 1%), including catalysis-related proteins, antioxidant proteins and antimicrobial peptides, which may be closely related to the anti-tumor, anti-bacterial, anti-oxidant and other pharmacological effects of HL. We identified the amino acid sequences of these proteins, and further confirmed HL's protective effect on APP/PS1 transgenic Alzheimer's mice. The results of this work provide material basis for further medical research on HL.

Housefly (Musca domestica) larvae powder, preventing oxidative stress injury via regulation of UCP4 and CyclinD1 and modulation of JNK and P38 signaling in APP/PS1 mice.

Housefly (Musca domestica) Larvae powder (HL) is rich in antioxidants. As oxidative stress is considered as one of the main pathogenesis in Alzheimer's Disease (AD), this study was designed to explore the protective effects of HL as an antioxidant on APP/PS1 mice. 2-Month-old APP/PS1 mice were divided into a model control (MC) group, a Donepezil group and a HL group, and C57BL/6 mice were used as the normal control (NC) group. After 180 days of treatment, the memory ability was measured by Morris Water Maze (MWM). The presence of Aß and the expression of Uncoupling Protein 4 (UCP4) and CyclinD1 were detected by immunohistochemistry. The expressions of Superoxide Dismutase 1 (SOD1), Catalase (CAT) and Mitogen-activated Protein Kinase (MAPK) signal pathways were measured by western blotting. Compared with untreated APP/PS1 mice, the memory abilities of the HL-treated mice were significantly improved. Furthermore, the HL treatment not only down-regulated the deposition of Aß and the expression of CylinD1, but also increased both the mRNA and protein levels of SOD, CAT, and UCP4, and enhanced the phosphorylation of JNK and P38 MAPK activation. In conclusion, these results suggest that HL may have a protective effect against memory impairment and prevent oxidative stress-induced injury via the regulation of UCP4 and CyclinD1 and the modulation of JNK and P38 MAPK signaling in AD.

Protein-rich extract of Musca domestica larvae alleviated metabolic disorder in STZ-induced type 2 diabetic rat model via hepatoprotective and pancreatic ß-cell protective activities.

The study was designed to explore the beneficial effect of Musca domestica larvae extract (MDLE) on a metabolic disorder using a diabetic rat model. Streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats were treated with or without MDLE. Blood glucose, insulin levels, lipid profiles, and oxidative stress markers were measured. The morphological changes in the pancreas and liver were determined, as well as insulin expression. The expression of glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4), phospho-adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (p-AMPK)/total AMPK, superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1), catalase (CAT), and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) were detected. Compared with untreated diabetic rats, MDLEtreated rats had decreased urine volume, food intake, and water intake, along with significantly lower levels of blood glucose, malondialdehyde (MDA), plasma triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and total cholesterol. MDLEtreated rats also had higher levels of SOD activity, high-density lipoprotein (HDL), and insulin. MDLE treatment partially restored the ß-cell population, improved the liver necrosis and islet cell damage, reversed the decreased expression of GLUT4, phospho-AMPK, SOD1, and CAT in the liver, skeletal muscle and pancreatic tissue, and also increased the expression of PPARγ in the liver and adipose tissue in diabetic rats. In conclusion, the obtained results suggest that MDLE could possibly be used pharmacologically as an adjuvant for the treatment of diabetes.