AIM:To investigate the effects of Balanophora involucrata Hook.f.(BIH)extracts on bile acid metabolism and liver injury in mice with metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease(MAFLD)through the gut mi-crobiota-farnesoid X receptor(FXR)axis,and to explore the underlying mechanisms.METHODS:Forty C57BL mice were randomly divided into control group,MAFLD model group,medium-dose BIH group,and high-dose BIH group.The mice in control group received a regular diet,while those in other groups were fed with high-fat diet for 12 weeks to induce MAFLD.The mice in medium-and high-dose BIH groups received 0.598 and 0.299 g/kg BIH solution,respectively,while those in control and MAFLD groups received an equivalent volume of normal saline.Serum levels of total cholesterol(TC),triglyceride(TG),low-density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C)and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol(HDL-C)were measured using an automatic biochemical analyzer.Liver morphology,steatosis and fibrosis were assessed by HE,oil red O and Masson staining.Levels of TC,tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α)and interleukin-6(IL-6)in liver tissues,and bile acids in serum and ileum tissues were measured by ELISA.Protein expression of FXR and fibroblast growth factor 15(FGF15)in ileum tissues,and FXR,small heterodimer partner(SHP)and cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase(CYP7A1)in liver tissues were analyzed by Western blot.Intestinal microbiota changes were assessed by 16S rRNA gene sequencing.RESULTS:(1)The MAFLD mice exhibited increased serum TC,TG,LDL-C and bile acid levels,liver TC,TNF-α and IL-6 levels,and lipid deposition.However,BIH intervention improved these factors and increased FXR and SHP pro-teins,but decreased CYP7A1 expression in the liver.The protein levels FXR and FGF15 in the ileum were also elevated.(2)Intestinal flora analysis demonstrated that BIH intervention improved the abundance and diversity of intestinal flora in MAFLD mice.Specifically,there was an increase in Bacteroidetes/Firmicutes ratio and a decrease in Proteobacteria and Verrucomicrobia.At the genus level,abundance of Duncaniella,Muribaculum and Paramuribaculum increased,while He-licobacter decreased.CONCLUSION:Treatment with BIH regulates intestinal flora,decreases FXR levels,enhances CYP7A1 expression,promotes bile acid synthesis,reduces hepatic cholesterol accumulation,and attenuates liver steato-sis and inflammation in MAFLD mice,indicating potential therapeutic effects.

The eutR gene deletion mutant of Salmonella enteritidis was successfully constructed by homologous recombination.Through the study of its biochemical characteristics,motility,resist-ance to stress in vitro and survival ability in RAW 264.7 cells,it was found that the biochemical characteristics and motility of the eutR gene deletion mutant of Salmonella enteritidis had no sig-nificant change compared with the wild type of Salmonella enteritidis.The ability of eutR gene de-letion strain of Salmonella enteritidis to resist acid,alkali and oxidation was significantly reduced,while the ability to resist heat was not significantly changed;the survival ability of eutR gene dele-tion strain in RAW 264.7 cells was significantly reduced compared with the wild type.In order to further analyze the effect of eutR gene on the expression of virulence factors of Salmonella enterit-idis,the relative expression levels of invH,ssav,ssrA,xthA,orf245,sodC,lrp,mrr1 and hflk virulence genes of the deletion strain and the wild strain were detected by SYBR Green PCR.It was found that the expression of the virulence factors mentioned above in the eutR gene deletion strain of Salmonella enteritidis was significantly down-regulated compared with that in the wild-type strain.The LD50 of the eutR gene-deleted strain of Salmonella enteritidis was determined by ani-mal experiments,and the results showed that the LD50 of the eutR gene-deleted strain was higher than that of the wild-type strain,indicating that the eutR gene could affect the virulence of Salmonella.This study clarified the effect of eutR gene on the survival ability,some biological characteristics and virulence of Salmonella enteritidis in macrophages,and provided a new gene knockout target for the development of attenuated Salmonella enteritidis genetic engineering vac-cine.

Objective:To study the life characteristics and related risk factors of patients with depression in Shandong Province.Methods:Based on the 2015 mental epidemiological survey database in Shandong Province,a total of 832 patients with depression,807 high-risk individuals with depression,and 819 low-risk individuals were diagnosed according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders,Fourth Edition(DSM-Ⅳ)and the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-Ⅳ-TR Axis I Disorders,Research Version(SCID-I/P).In 2020,SCID-I/P was used for re diagnosis,and the General Health Questionnaire(GHQ-12),Simple Quality of Life question-naire,Pittsburgh sleep quality index(PSQI),Childhood Trauma Questionnaire(CTQ),Social Support Rating Scale(SSRS),Global Pain Scale(GPS),Montreal Cognitive Assessment(MoCA),Simplified Coping Style Question-naire(SCSQ)were used for evaluation.Compare changes in the quality of life of depression patients and construct a risk factor model.Results:Patients with depression had lower scores on the simple quality of life questionnaire at baseline and at retest after 5 years than those in the high-and low-risk groups,those in remission of depression had higher scores on the simple quality of life questionnaire at baseline and at retest after 5 years than those in non-re-mission,and those with new-onset disorder in the high-and low-risk groups had lower scores on the simple quality of life questionnaire at baseline and at retest after 5 years than those with no-onset disorder(Ps＜0.001).Depres-sion diagnosis and PSQI scale scores at baseline negatively predicted at retest after 5 years(β=-0.06,-0.15),while coping style tendencies at baseline positively predicted(β=0.06).The simple quality of life questionnaire at baseline negatively predicted depression diagnosis at retest after 5 years,GHQ-12 scores at retest after 5 years,and PSQI scale scores at retest after 5 years(β=-0.11,-0.17,-0.09),while the simple quality of life question-naire at baseline positively predicted coping style tendencies at retest after 5 years(β=0.13).Depression diagnosis at retest after 5 years,GHQ-12 scores at retest after 5 years,PSQI scale scores at retest after 5 years,coping style tendencies at retest after 5 years,SSRS scale scores,CTQ scale scores,GPS scale scores,and the simple quality of life questionnaire at baseline all influenced the simple quality of life questionnaire at retest after 5 years through ei-ther direct or indirect pathways.Conclusion:It suggest that the quality of life is lower in patients with depression than in the general population.Depression diagnosis,sleep,mental health,pain,social support,childhood trauma and coping are direct and indirect risk factors affecting life.

Objective:To analyze the efficacy and safety of FOLFOX-hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy (HAIC) combined with targeted immunotherapy for initial unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on the data of initial unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma patients who visited Ruijin Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine from June 2022 to June 2023. A total of 51 patients were enrolled, including 47 males and 4 females, with the age of (56.1±10.7) years. All 51 patients received HAIC combined with immune targeted therapy. After each HAIC combined with immune targeted therapy, the efficacy was evaluated according to the modified response evaluation cirteria in solid tumor (mRECIST). Objective response rate and disease control rate were calculuted. The conversion surgery rate and adverse events during treatment were recorded. Follow up patients' disease progression and survival status, and meanwhile analyze prognosis.Results:According to mRECIST assessment, the number of patients with complete remission, partial remission, disease stability, and disease progression were 4 (7.8%), 27 (52.9%), 14 (27.4%), and 6 (11.8%), respectively. The disease remission rate was 60.8%(31/51), and the disease control rate was 88.2%(45/51). After HAIC combined with immune targeted therapy, 13 patients underwent liver cancer resection, with a surgical conversion rate of 25.5%(13/51). The median progression free survival of 51 patients was 14.2 months, and the median overall survival has not yet been reached. The progression free survival rates of 51 patients at 6 and 12 months were 90.2% and 64.7%, respectively, and the cumulative survival rates at 6 and 12 months were 100% and 86.3%, respectively. During the treatment period, all patients experienced various degrees of adverse reactions, 38(75.5%) patients were grade 1-2 adverse accidents, which could be relieved and controlled after corresponding treatment.Conclusion:FOLFOX-HAIC combined with targeted immunotherapy provides an effective and safe treatment option for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma, offering surgical resection opportunities for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma patients.

Objective To analyze the correlation of interferon-induced protein with tetratricopeptide repeats 1(IFIT1)with immune infiltration and prognosis of ovarian cancer(OC).Methods GEO database was employed to select the tumor immune related genes,and Kaplan-Meier and Prognoscan databases were used to identify the genes significantly associated with OC prognosis.The differential expression of IFIT1 between OC tissue and normal tissue were confirmed with GEPIA,Human Protein Atlas,and Timer databases.The expression level of IFIT1 in OC tissues with different grades and stages were analyzed in the UALCAN database.In addition,based on David database,GO enrichment analysis was used to analyze the interacting genes and proteins of IFIT1 in the String and Genemania databases.Timer and Tisidb databases verified the correlation between IFIT1 and immune cells mutually.Finally,after IFIT1 knockdown xenograft model was constructed based on lentiviral vector of IFIT1 shRNA,the tumor growth was observed in the transplanted nude mice,and infiltration of neutrophils was observed with immunohistochemical assay.Results FIT1,a tumor immune gene,selected from the GEO database,Kaplan-Meier and Prognoscan databases,was negatively correlated with the OC prognosis.GEPIA,Human Protein Atlas,Timer database,and UALCAN database indicated that the expression level of IFIT1 was significantly higher in the OC tissues than the normal ovarian tissues,and had no obvious correlation with tumor stage and grade.Analysis in String,Genemania,and David database found the interaction genes and proteins of IFIT1 were enriched in activation of 2'-5'oligonucleotide synthase,virus defense,and innate immunity,and other processes.The Timer database presented that IFIT1 was positively correlated with the infiltration of CD8+T cells,B cells,dendritic cells,neutrophils,and macrophage in OC,with neutrophils having the most significant correlation.Tisidb and GSCA also confirmed the positive correlation between IFIT1 and neutrophil infiltration in OC(P＜0.05).RT-qPCR and Western blotting confirmed that IFIT1 knockdown resulted in suppressed tumor growth in OC cells xenograft nude mice(P＜0.05)and reduced neutrophil infiltration in the xenograft tissues.Conclusion IFIT1 may influence the malignant progression of OC by promoting neutrophil infiltration.

OBJECTIVE Exploring the expression levels of serum miR-124-3p and miR-202-5p levels in patients with allergic rhinitis(AR) and their clinical significance. METHODS One hundred and seventy-three patients with AR admitted to our hospital during the period from January 2022 to December 2022 were selected as the observation group,and another 63 healthy people who underwent physical examination in our hospital during the same period were selected as the control group. RESULTS In the control,mild,and severe groups,serum miR-124-3p(1.02±0.29 vs. 0.79±0.21 vs. 0.63±0.18) levels gradually decreased and miR-202-5p(1.01±0.25 vs. 1.39±0.29 vs. 1.62±0.33) levels gradually increased,with statistically significant differences between the two comparisons(P<0.05);Pearson correlation analysis showed a significant negative correlation between serum miR-124-3p levels and miR-202-5p levels in AR patients(r=-0.437,P<0.001);Serum miR-124-3p level[OR(95％CI)=0.651(0.508-0.835)],duration of symptom onset[OR(95％CI)=1.671(1.088-2.567)],asthma[OR(95％CI)=1.571(1.029-2.399)],and serum miR-202-5p level[OR(95％CI)=2.053(1.020-4.133)]were influential factors in patients with severe AR(P<0.05);the combined prediction of serum miR-124-3p and miR-202-5p was superior to the prediction of serum miR-124-3p(Z=2.385,P=0.017) and miR-202-5p(Z=2.466,P=0.014) alone. CONCLUSION Serum miR-124-3p is lowly expressed and miR-202-5p is highly expressed in AR patients,which is closely correlated with the severity of the patient's disease and is expected to be a potential biomarker.

Humans are born under the nourishment of heaven and earth qi.The physiological and pathological functions of the human body are influenced by the alternation of cold and heat in the four seasons.Allergic diseases often occur or worsen during seasonal transitions,corresponding to the theory of the spleen dominating the end of the four seasons in traditional Chinese medicine.Splenic dysfunction disrupts the body's internal clock during seasonal transitions,making it unable to adapt to external climate changes,causing the onset or exacerbation of specific allergic symptoms.The theory of"the spleen serves as the guard"originated from Huangdi Neijing,which is a succinct summary of the role of the spleen in defending the body against external pathogens.The theory emphasizes that the spleen transports drinks and foods internally to supplement healthy qi,and regulates defensive qi externally to protect the whole body.This theory is closely linked to the seasonal changes in immune function,thereby influencing the seasonal onset of allergic diseases.This paper explores the roles of the spleen in time-based self-regulation and immune defense against seasonal allergic diseases according to the theory of"spleen serves as the grard."The dysfunction of this protective mechanism,which leads to disharmony in nutritive qi and defensive qi,internal production of phlegm-dampness,and zang-fu organs malnutrition,are the key factors causing recurrent and persistent allergic diseases during seasonal transitions.This study provides insights for elucidating the mechanisms behind seasonal allergic disease outbreaks and their prevention.

Humans are born under the nourishment of heaven and earth qi.The physiological and pathological functions of the human body are influenced by the alternation of cold and heat in the four seasons.Allergic diseases often occur or worsen during seasonal transitions,corresponding to the theory of the spleen dominating the end of the four seasons in traditional Chinese medicine.Splenic dysfunction disrupts the body's internal clock during seasonal transitions,making it unable to adapt to external climate changes,causing the onset or exacerbation of specific allergic symptoms.The theory of"the spleen serves as the guard"originated from Huangdi Neijing,which is a succinct summary of the role of the spleen in defending the body against external pathogens.The theory emphasizes that the spleen transports drinks and foods internally to supplement healthy qi,and regulates defensive qi externally to protect the whole body.This theory is closely linked to the seasonal changes in immune function,thereby influencing the seasonal onset of allergic diseases.This paper explores the roles of the spleen in time-based self-regulation and immune defense against seasonal allergic diseases according to the theory of"spleen serves as the grard."The dysfunction of this protective mechanism,which leads to disharmony in nutritive qi and defensive qi,internal production of phlegm-dampness,and zang-fu organs malnutrition,are the key factors causing recurrent and persistent allergic diseases during seasonal transitions.This study provides insights for elucidating the mechanisms behind seasonal allergic disease outbreaks and their prevention.

Humans are born under the nourishment of heaven and earth qi.The physiological and pathological functions of the human body are influenced by the alternation of cold and heat in the four seasons.Allergic diseases often occur or worsen during seasonal transitions,corresponding to the theory of the spleen dominating the end of the four seasons in traditional Chinese medicine.Splenic dysfunction disrupts the body's internal clock during seasonal transitions,making it unable to adapt to external climate changes,causing the onset or exacerbation of specific allergic symptoms.The theory of"the spleen serves as the guard"originated from Huangdi Neijing,which is a succinct summary of the role of the spleen in defending the body against external pathogens.The theory emphasizes that the spleen transports drinks and foods internally to supplement healthy qi,and regulates defensive qi externally to protect the whole body.This theory is closely linked to the seasonal changes in immune function,thereby influencing the seasonal onset of allergic diseases.This paper explores the roles of the spleen in time-based self-regulation and immune defense against seasonal allergic diseases according to the theory of"spleen serves as the grard."The dysfunction of this protective mechanism,which leads to disharmony in nutritive qi and defensive qi,internal production of phlegm-dampness,and zang-fu organs malnutrition,are the key factors causing recurrent and persistent allergic diseases during seasonal transitions.This study provides insights for elucidating the mechanisms behind seasonal allergic disease outbreaks and their prevention.

Humans are born under the nourishment of heaven and earth qi.The physiological and pathological functions of the human body are influenced by the alternation of cold and heat in the four seasons.Allergic diseases often occur or worsen during seasonal transitions,corresponding to the theory of the spleen dominating the end of the four seasons in traditional Chinese medicine.Splenic dysfunction disrupts the body's internal clock during seasonal transitions,making it unable to adapt to external climate changes,causing the onset or exacerbation of specific allergic symptoms.The theory of"the spleen serves as the guard"originated from Huangdi Neijing,which is a succinct summary of the role of the spleen in defending the body against external pathogens.The theory emphasizes that the spleen transports drinks and foods internally to supplement healthy qi,and regulates defensive qi externally to protect the whole body.This theory is closely linked to the seasonal changes in immune function,thereby influencing the seasonal onset of allergic diseases.This paper explores the roles of the spleen in time-based self-regulation and immune defense against seasonal allergic diseases according to the theory of"spleen serves as the grard."The dysfunction of this protective mechanism,which leads to disharmony in nutritive qi and defensive qi,internal production of phlegm-dampness,and zang-fu organs malnutrition,are the key factors causing recurrent and persistent allergic diseases during seasonal transitions.This study provides insights for elucidating the mechanisms behind seasonal allergic disease outbreaks and their prevention.