Effects of xenon anesthesia on postoperative neurocognitive disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

The latest clinical trials have reported conflicting outcomes regarding the effectiveness of xenon anesthesia in preventing postoperative neurocognitive dysfunction; thus, this study assessed the existing evidence. We searched the PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science databases from inception to April 9, 2023, for randomized controlled trials of xenon anesthesia in postoperative patients. We included English-language randomized controlled studies of adult patients undergoing surgery with xenon anesthesia that compared its effects to those of other anesthetics. Duplicate studies, pediatric studies, and ongoing clinical trials were excluded. Nine studies with 754 participants were identified. A forest plot revealed that the incidence of postoperative neurocognitive dysfunction did not differ between the xenon anesthesia and control groups (P = 0.43). Additionally, xenon anesthesia significantly shortened the emergence time for time to opening eyes (P < 0.001), time to extubation (P < 0.001), time to react on demand (P = 0.01), and time to time and spatial orientation (P = 0.04). However, the Aldrete score significantly increased with xenon anesthesia (P = 0.005). Postoperative complications did not differ between the anesthesia groups. Egger's test for bias showed no small-study effect, and a trim-and-fill analysis showed no apparent publication bias. In conclusion, xenon anesthesia probably did not affect the occurrence of postoperative neurocognitive dysfunction. However, xenon anesthesia may effectively shorten the emergence time of certain parameters without adverse effects.

Mitophagy-related genes could facilitate the development of septic shock during immune infiltration.

Septic shock often occurs following critically low blood pressure in patients with sepsis, and is accompanied by a high death rate. Although mitophagy is associated with infection and immune responses, its role in septic shock remains unknown. This study screened effective mitophagy-related genes (MRGs) for medical practice and depicted immune infiltration situations in patients with septic shock. Gene expression profiles of GSE131761 from the Gene Expression Omnibus database were compiled for differential analysis, weighted gene co-expression network analysis, and immune infiltration analysis, while other GSE series were used as validation datasets. A series of validation methods were used to verify the robustness of hub genes, while a nomogram and prognosis model were established for medical practice. Six genes were screened via combinations of differentially expressed genes, weighted gene co-expression network analysis, and MRGs. From this, 3 hub genes (MAP1LC3B, ULK1, and CDC37) were chosen for subsequent analysis based on different validation methods. Gene set enrichment analysis showed that leukocyte trans-endothelial migration and the p53 signaling pathway were abnormally activated during septic shock. Immune infiltration analysis indicated that the imbalance of neutrophils and CD4 naive T cells was significantly correlated with septic shock progression. A nomogram was generated based on MAP1LC3B, ULK1, and CDC37, as well as age. The stability of our model was confirmed using a calibration plot. Importantly, patients with septic shock with the 3 highly expressed hub genes displayed worse prognosis than did patients without septic shock. MAP1LC3B, ULK1, and CDC37 are considered hub MRGs in the development of septic shock and could represent promising diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers in blood tissue. The validated hub genes and immune infiltration pattern expand our knowledge on MRG functional mechanisms, which provides guidance and direction for the development of septic shock diagnostic and therapeutic markers.

Development of nomograms for predicting the survival of intestinal-type gastric adenocarcinoma patients after surgery.

Intestinal-type gastric adenocarcinoma (IGA) is a common phenotype of gastric cancer. Currently, few studies have constructed nomograms that may predict overall (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) probability after surgery. This study is to establish novel nomograms for predicting the survival of IGA patients who received surgery. A total of 1814 IGA patients who received surgery between 2000 and 2018 were selected from Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database and randomly assigned to the training and validating sets at a ratio of 7:3. Then univariate and multivariate cox regression analyses were performed to screen significant indictors for the construction of nomograms. The calibration curve, the area under the receiver operating characteristic (receiver operating characteristic, ROC) curve (the area under curve, AUC), C-index, net reclassification index (NRI), integrated discrimination improvement (IDI) and decision curve analysis (DCA) curves were applied to assess the performance of the model. The significant outcomes of multivariate analysis revealed that ten variables (age, sex, race, surgery type, summary stage, grade, AJCC TNM stage, radiotherapy, number of regional nodes examined, number of regional nodes positive) were demonstrated to construct the nomogram for OS and ten variables (age, sex, race, surgery type, summary stage, grade, AJCC TNM stage, chemotherapy, number of regional nodes examined, number of regional nodes positive) for CSS. The calibration and AUC uncovered their favorable predictive performance. Subsequently, C-index, NRI, IDI and DCA curves further validated the predicative superiority of nomograms over 7th AJCC Stage System. The validated nomogram provides more reliable OS and CSS predictions for postoperative IGA patients with good accuracy, which can help surgeons in treatment decision-making and prognosis evaluation.

Prevalence and Predictors of Chronic Postsurgical Pain After Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Determining the prevalence of chronic postsurgical pain (CPSP) after video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) and identifying CPSP predictors should improve the prognosis of patients undergoing VATS. Although several studies have investigated predictors of CPSP after VATS, there were significant dissimilarities in the findings due to the confounding of predictors. METHODS: PubMed, Cochrane, MEDLINE, Web of Science, Chinese Biomedical Literature, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure databases were comprehensively searched using the Medical Subject Headings terms "pain, postoperative," "thoracic surgery, video-assisted," and all related free terms from inception until March 27, 2022. The Stata metaprop package was used to comprehensively analyze the incidence of CPSP following VATS. Furthermore, the pooled odds ratios (OR) or the standardized mean differences (SMD) and their corresponding 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were calculated, and qualitative analyses were performed for predictors that could not be assessed quantitatively to evaluate the effects of the included risk factors on the occurrence of CPSP. Unadjusted odds ratios were utilized to consider the impact of non-significant estimates if the original study did not report them. RESULTS: Of the 4302 studies, 183 were considered eligible, and 17 were finally included in this study. The overall incidence of CPSP after VATS was 35.3% (95% CI 27.1-43.5%). The qualitative synthesis results revealed that female sex, age, and acute postoperative pain were definite predictors of CPSP after VATS. The number of ports, operation time, duration of drainage, and insufficient analgesia were also considered predictors. Consistent, quantitative synthesis results also showed that the aforementioned predictors were closely related to the occurrence of CPSP after VATS. Only by quantitative analysis, postoperative chemotherapy and an educational level less than junior school were also risk factors for CPSP. Other predictors displayed no evidence or unclear evidence of association with CPSP after VATS. CONCLUSION: This study preliminarily determined the incidence of CPSP after VATS based on the existing literature. Female sex, age, and acute pain were identified as risk factors for CPSP after VATS, and other potential risk factors were also identified and analyzed. However, as a result of the inclusion of retrospective studies and inevitable limitations in this systematic review and meta-analysis, the results of this study still need to be verified by large-scale prospective clinical studies. TRIAL REGISTRATION: CRD42022323179.

Recent advances in the development of transplanted colorectal cancer mouse models.

Despite progress in prevention and treatment, colorectal cancer (CRC) remains the third most common malignancy worldwide and the second most common cause of cancer death in 2020. To evaluate various characteristics of human CRC, a variety of mouse models have been established. Transplant mouse models have distinct advantages in studying the clinical behavior and therapeutic progress of CRC. Host, xenograft, and transplantation routes are the basis of transplant mouse models. As the effects of the tumor microenvironment and the systemic environment on cancer cells are gradually revealed, 3 key elements of transplanted CRC mouse models have been revolutionized. This has led to the development of humanized mice, patient-derived xenografts, and orthotopic transplants that reflect the human systemic environment, patient's tumor of origin, and tumor growth microenvironments in immunodeficient mice, respectively. These milestone events have allowed for great progress in tumor biology and the treatment of CRC. This article reviews the evolution of these events and points out their strengths and weaknesses as innovative and useful preclinical tools to study CRC progression and metastasis and to exploit novel treatment schedules by establishing a testing platform. This review article depicts the optimal transplanted CRC mouse models and emphasizes the significance of surgical models in the study of CRC behavior and treatment response.

Regulation of neuropeptide Y in body microenvironments and its potential application in therapies: a review.

Neuropeptide Y (NPY), one of the most abundant neuropeptides in the body, is widely expressed in the central and peripheral nervous systems and acts on the cardiovascular, digestive, endocrine, and nervous systems. NPY affects the nutritional and inflammatory microenvironments through its interaction with immune cells, brain-derived trophic factor (BDNF), and angiogenesis promotion to maintain body homeostasis. Additionally, NPY has great potential for therapeutic applications against various diseases, especially as an adjuvant therapy for stem cells. In this review, we discuss the research progress regarding NPY, as well as the current evidence for the regulation of NPY in each microenvironment, and provide prospects for further research on related diseases.

Effect of Doxofylline on Reducing the Inflammatory Response in Mechanically Ventilated Rats with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of doxofylline on reducing the inflammatory response in mechanically ventilated rats with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Methods: A total of 40 eight-week-old male Sprague Dawley rats were randomly divided into four groups of 10 rats each: a control group (group C), a model group (group M), a model + natural saline group (group N), and a doxofylline group (group D). Then mechanical ventilation, drug intervention, and the extraction of the experimental material were performed in each group. Pulmonary tissue samples were taken after 120 minutes of mechanical ventilation and the pulmonary histopathological changes and the wet/dry (W/D) weight ratio of the pulmonary tissue were identified. The levels of tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) and interleukin 10 (IL-10) were detected using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and the expression levels of c-Jun-N-terminal kinase (JNK) and phosphorylated c-Jun N-terminal kinase (p-JNK) were detected using immunohistochemistry. Results: Compared with group C, the pulmonary histopathology in groups M, N, and D showed typical changes associated with COPD. Furthermore, the W/D weight ratio and levels of TNF-α, JNK, and p-JNK in the pulmonary tissue increased in groups M, N, and D (P < 0.05), while the levels of IL-10 decreased (P < 0.05). Compared with group M, no statistically significant changes in the above indicators were detected in the pulmonary tissue of group N (P > 0.05). Compared with group N, the W/D weight ratio and levels of TNF-α, JNK, and p-JNK in the pulmonary tissue decreased in group D (P < 0.05), while the levels of IL-10 increased (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Doxofylline might attenuate pulmonary inflammatory responses in mechanically ventilated rats with COPD, and the JNK/stress-activated protein kinase signaling pathway is involved in doxofylline's inhibition of inflammatory responses in the pulmonary tissue of rats with COPD.

Genetic and Antibiotic Resistance Characteristics of Campylobacter jejuni Isolated from Diarrheal Patients, Poultry and Cattle in Shenzhen.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate genetic and antibiotic resistance characteristics of Campylobacter jejuni (C. jejuni) isolated from Shenzhen. METHODS: Multilocs sequence typing and agar dilution methods were used to define the genotype and antibiotic resistance of C. jejuni, respectively. RESULTS: In total, 126 C. jejuni strains were isolated. The prevalence of C. jejuni was 5.3% in diarrheal patients. The prevalence in poultry meat (36.5%) was higher than that in cattle meat (1.1%). However, the prevalence in poultry cloacal swabs (27.0%) was lower than that in cattle stool (57.3%). Sixty-two sequence types were obtained, among which 27 of the STs and 10 alleles were previously unreported. The most frequently observed clonal complexes were ST 21 (11.9%), ST-22 (10.3%), and ST-403 (7.1%). ST-21, ST-45, ST-354, ST-403, and ST-443 complexes overlapped between isolates from patients and cattle, whereas ST-45 and ST-574 complexes overlapped between isolates from patients and poultry. All C. jejuni were resistant to at least one antibiotic. The highest resistance rate was toward ciprofloxacin (89.7%), followed by tetracycline (74.6%), and nalidixic acid (69.0%). CONCLUSION: This is the first report of the genotypes and antibiotic resistance of C. jejuni in Shenzhen. Overlapping clonal complexes were found between isolates from patients and cattle, and between patients and poultry.