ObjectiveTo explore the possible mechanism of Yigan Fupi Prescription （抑肝扶脾方， YFP） in treating diarrhea-type irritable bowel syndrome （IBS-D） by investigating the AKT/mTOR signaling pathway. MethodsSixty SD rats were randomly divided into control group， model group， YFP low-， medium-， and high-dose group， and pinaverium bromide group， with 10 rats in each group. All groups but the control group， were subjected to 21 days of tail-clamping stimulation and 14 days of senna leaf gavage to establish a liver stagnation and spleen deficiency-type IBS-D rat model. After successful modeling， the YFP low-， medium-， and high-dose group were administered 0.96， 1.93， and 3.87 g/（kg·d） of the prescription， respectively. The pinaverium bromide group was given 13.5 mg/（kg·d）， while the control and model groups were given 10 ml/（kg·d） distilled water. All groups were administered once daily for 14 consecutive days. General conditions of the rats were recorded during the experiment， and after modeling and drug administration， body weight， Bristol stool score， abdominal withdrawal reflex （AWR） score， and histo pathology of colon tissue were observed under HE staining. ELISA was used to detect serum levels of tumor necrosis factor α （TNF-α）， interleukin-1β （IL-1β）， and interleukin-6 （IL-6）. Immunofluorescence was employed to detect the levels of AKT/mTOR pathway-related proteins including phosphorylated AKT （p-AKT）/AKT and phosphorylated mTOR （p-mTOR）/mTOR in the colon tissue. Western Blotting was used to detect the levels of autophagy-related proteins， including UNC-51-like kinase 1 （ULK1）， Beclin1 and LC3， and tight junction proteins including Occludin and ZO-1 in the colon tissue. ResultsAfter modeling， compared to the control group， the body weight of rats in the other groups decreased， and Bristol stool scores， as well as AWR scores under 20， 40， 60， and 80 mmHg increased （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. After drug administration， compared to the control group， the model group showed reduced body weight， decreased ULK1， Beclin1， LC3Ⅱ/LC3Ⅰ， Occludin， and ZO-1 protein levels in the colon tissue （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）， and increased Bristol stool scores， AWR scores， serum TNF-α， IL-1β， and IL-6 levels， as well as p-AKT/AKT and p-mTOR/mTOR protein relative expression levels （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. Pathological results showed a significant reduction in goblet cells in the upper part of the glandular layer of the colon， with mild inflammatory cell infiltration. The submucosal collagen fibers were dissolved， with unclear boundaries， pale staining， and microvascular congestion and dilation. Compared with the model group， the YFP low-， medium-， and high-dose group and the pinaverium bromide group showed increased body weight， Beclin1， Occludin， and LC3Ⅱ/LC3Ⅰ protein levels （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）， and decreased Bristol stool scores， AWR scores under 40， 60， and 80 mmHg， serum IL-1β， IL-6， TNF-α levels， and p-AKT/AKT， p-mTOR/mTOR protein relative expression levels （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. The pathological morphology of the rats in the YFP groups and pinaverium bromide group showed varying degrees of improvement. Compared with the pinaverium bromide group， the YFP low- and medium-dose group showed increased AWR scores under 20， 40， and 60 mmHg （P＜0.05）. The YFP low-dose group had reduced TNF-α， IL-1β， and IL-6 levels， and increased p-mTOR/mTOR protein relative expression levels occured in all YFP groups （P＜0.05）. Compared with the YFP low-dose group， the YFP high-dose group and pinaverium bromide group showed decreased AWR scores under different pressure levels and reduced p-AKT/AKT protein relative expression levels， while the YFP medium- and high-dose group had elevated serum TNF-α， IL-1β levels and reduced p-mTOR/mTOR protein relative expression levels （P＜0.05）. ConclusionYFP can effectively improve the pathological injury of colon tissue in IBS-D model rats with liver stagnation and spleen deficiency， reduce Bristol stool and AWR scores， and its mechanism may be related to reducing level of inflammatory factors and inhibiting AKT/mTOR pathway-related proteins in colon tissue， thereby enhancing the expression of autophagy-related proteins in the colon tissue.

Cuproptosis, a recently identified form of regulated cell death triggered by excess intracellular copper, has emerged as a promising cytotoxic strategy for cancer therapy. However, the therapeutic efficacy of copper ionophores such as elesclomol (ES) is often hindered by cellular copper homeostasis mechanisms that limit copper influx and cuproptosis induction. To address this challenge, we developed a nanoagent utilizing outer membrane vesicle (OMV) derived from Akkermansia muciniphila (Akk) for co-delivery of antioxidant 1 copper chaperone (Atox1)-targeting siRNA and ES (siAtox1/ES@OMV) to tumors. In vitro, we demonstrated that Atox1 knockdown via siRNA significantly disrupted copper export mechanisms, resulting in elevated intracellular copper levels. Simultaneously, ES facilitated efficient copper influx and mitochondrial transport, leading to Fe-S cluster depletion, increased proteotoxic stress, and robust cuproptosis. In vivo, siAtox1/ES@OMV achieved targeted tumor delivery and induced pronounced cuproptosis. Furthermore, leveraging the immunomodulatory properties of OMVs, siAtox1/ES@OMV promoted T-cell infiltration and the activation of tumor-reactive cytotoxic T cells, enhancing tumor immune responses. The combination of siAtox1/ES-induced cuproptosis and immunogenic cell death synergistically suppressed tumor growth in both subcutaneous breast cancer and orthotopic rectal cancer mouse models. This study highlights the potential of integrating copper homeostasis disruption with a copper ionophore using an immunomodulatory OMV-based vector, offering a promising combinatorial strategy for cancer therapy.

Cyclin-dependent kinase 9 (CDK9) is a member of the transcription CDK subfamily and plays a role in transcriptional regulation. Selective CDK9 degraders possess potent clinical advantages over reversible CDK9 inhibitors. Herein, we report the first ATG101-recruiting selective CDK9 degrader, AZ-9, based on the hydrophobic tag kinesin degradation technology. AZ-9 showed significant degradation effects and selectivity toward other homologous cell cycle CDKs in vitro and in vivo, which could also affect downstream related phenotypes. Mechanism research revealed that AZ-9 recruits ATG101 to initiate the autophagy-lysosome pathway, and forms autophagosomes through the recruitment of LC3, which then fuses with lysosomes to degrade CDK9 and the partner protein Cyclin T1. These dates validated the existence of non-proteasomal degradation pathway of hydrophobic driven protein degradation strategy for the first time, which might provide research ideas for chemical induction intervention on other types of pathogenic proteins.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a chronic interstitial lung disease, is characterized by aberrant wound healing, excessive scarring and the formation of myofibroblastic foci. Although the role of alternative splicing (AS) in the pathogenesis of organ fibrosis has garnered increasing attention, its specific contribution to pulmonary fibrosis remains incompletely understood. In this study, we identified an up-regulation of serine/arginine-rich splicing factor 7 (SRSF7) in lung fibroblasts derived from IPF patients and a bleomycin (BLM)-induced mouse model, and further characterized its functional role in both human fetal lung fibroblasts and mice. We demonstrated that enhanced expression of Srsf7 in mice spontaneously induced alveolar collagen accumulation. Mechanistically, we investigated alternative splicing events and revealed that SRSF7 modulates the alternative splicing of pyruvate kinase (PKM), leading to metabolic dysregulation and fibroblast activation. In vivo studies showed that fibroblast-specific knockout of Srsf7 in conditional knockout mice conferred resistance to bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis. Importantly, through drug screening, we identified lomitapide as a novel modulator of SRSF7, which effectively mitigated experimental pulmonary fibrosis. Collectively, our findings elucidate a molecular pathway by which SRSF7 drives fibroblast metabolic dysregulation and propose a potential therapeutic strategy for pulmonary fibrosis.

Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) with increasing global prevalence lacks effective therapeutic targets to halt or reverse its progression. Therapeutic targets supported by causal genetic evidence are more likely to succeed in randomized clinical trials. In this study, we integrated large-scale plasma proteomics, genetic-driven causal inference, and experimental validation to identify prioritized targets for DKD using the UK Biobank (UKB) and FinnGen cohorts. Among 2844 diabetic patients (528 with DKD), we identified 37 targets significantly associated with incident DKD, supported by both observational and causal evidence. Of these, 22% (8/37) of the potential targets are currently under investigation for DKD or other diseases. Our prospective study confirmed that higher levels of three prioritized targets-insulin-like growth factor binding protein 4 (IGFBP4), family with sequence similarity 3 member C (FAM3C), and prostaglandin D2 synthase (PTGDS)-were associated with a 4.35, 3.51, and 3.57-fold increased likelihood of developing DKD, respectively. In addition, population-level protein-altering variants (PAVs) analysis and in vitro experiments cross-validated FAM3C and IGFBP4 as potential new target candidates for DKD, through the classic NLR family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3)-caspase-1-gasdermin D (GSDMD) apoptotic axis. Our results demonstrate that integrating omics data mining with causal inference may be a promising strategy for prioritizing therapeutic targets.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the clinical characteristics, microbiological analysis, and drug resistance patterns of intensive care unit (ICU) bloodstream infection. METHODS: A prospective cohort study method was employed to collect clinical data from patients suspected of bloodstream infection (BSI) during their stay in ICUs across 67 hospitals in 16 provinces and cities nationwide, from July 1, 2021, to December 31, 2022. Electronic data collection technology was used to gather general information on ICU patients, including gender, age, length of hospital stay, as well as diagnostic results, laboratory tests, imaging studies, microbiological results (including smear, culture results, and pathogen high-throughput testing), and prognosis. Patients were divided into a BSI group and a non-BSI group based on the presence or absence of BSI; further, patients with BSI were categorized into a drug-resistant group and a non-drug-resistant group based on the presence or absence of drug resistance. Differences in the aforementioned indicators between groups were analyzed and compared; variables with P < 0.10 in the univariate analysis were included in a multivariate Logistic regression analysis to identify risk factors for mortality and drug resistance in ICU patients with BSI. RESULTS: A total of 2 962 ICU patients suspected of BSI participated in the study, including 790 in the BSI group and 2 172 in the non-BSI group. Patients in the BSI group were mainly from East China and Southwest China, with significantly higher age and mortality rates than those in the non-BSI group. Among ICU patients with BSI, Staphylococcus had the highest detection rate (8.10%), followed by Klebsiella pneumoniae (7.47%); there were 169 cases in the drug-resistant group and 621 cases in the non-drug-resistant group; 666 cases survived, and 124 cases died (mortality was 15.70%). There were statistically significant differences between the death group and the survival group in terms of age, regional distribution, and bloodstream infections caused by Gram negative (G^-) bacilli, Enterococcus faecium, Aspergillus, and Klebsiella pneumoniae; multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that age [odds ratio (OR) = 1.01, 95% confidence interval (95%CI) was 1.00-1.03], regional distribution (OR = 4.07, 95%CI was 1.02-1.34), Enterococcus faecium infection (OR = 3.64, 95%CI was 1.16-11.45), and Klebsiella pneumoniae infection (OR = 2.64,95%CI was 1.45-4.80) were independent risk factors for death in ICU patients with BSI (all P < 0.05). There were statistically significant differences between the drug-resistant group and the non-drug-resistant group in terms of age and bloodstream infections caused by Gram positive (G⁺) cocci and G^- bacilli; multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that age (OR = 1.01,95%CI was 1.00-1.03), G^- bacilli infection (OR = 2.18, 95%CI was 1.33-3.59), Escherichia coli infection (OR = 0.28,95%CI was 0.09-0.84), and Enterococcus faecium infection (OR = 3.35, 95%CI was 1.06-10.58) were independent risk factors for drug resistance in ICU patients with BSI (all P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS Bloodstream infections may increase the mortality of ICU patients. Older age, regional distribution, Enterococcus faecium infection and Klebsiella pneumoniae infection can increase the mortality rate of ICU patients with BSI; bloodstream infections caused by G^- bacilli are prone to drug resistance, but have no significant impact on the mortality of ICU patients with BSI.
Adult ; Humans ; Bacteremia/microbiology* ; China/epidemiology* ; Cohort Studies ; Cross Infection/microbiology* ; Drug Resistance, Bacterial ; Intensive Care Units/statistics & numerical data* ; Prospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Sepsis/microbiology*

Objective:To investigate the role of p-AKT-mTOR-P70S6K signaling pathway in radiation therapy for polyploid cervical cancer cells.Methods:Human cervical cancer HeLa cell lines were selected and HeLa cells were radiated under 7 Gy of 6 MV X-ray. The morphological changes of the cells were observed with an inverted microscope on day 5 after radiation induction. All cells were divided into the 7 Gy group (7 Gy X-ray radiation but not transfected polyploidy HeLa cells) and the control group (the non-radiation-induced and not transfected HeLa cells). In addition, the plasmid carrying pcDNA3 negative control sequence and the plasmid carrying pcDNA3-TT-AKT sequence were transfected into HeLa cells, respectively, which were induced by 7 Gy X-ray radiation after 48 h of transfection, and then they were recorded as the pcDNA3 + 7 Gy group and the pcDNA3-TT-AKT + 7 Gy group. Cell proliferation ability was detected by using CCK-8 assay, cell cycle was detected by using flow cytometry, cell apoptosis was detected by using mitochondrial membrane potential assay, the relative expression levels of cell proliferation, cell cycle, apoptosis and autophagy related proteins were tested by using Western blot.Results:Most of the normal HeLa cells in the 7 Gy group died on day 5 after radiation induction, and only a few surviving cells increased in size with multiple nuclei. The results of Western blot showed that the relative expression levels of p-AKT, p-mTOR and p-P70S6K in HeLa cells of the 7 Gy group were lower than those of the control group (all P < 0.05). CCK-8 assay showed that the absorbance ( A) values were 0.45±0.06, 0.65±0.06 after 48 h of culture and 0.75±0.05, 1.05±0.02 after 72 h of culture, respectively in the pcDNA3 + 7 Gy group and the pcDNA3-TT-AKT + 7 Gy group, and the differences were statistically significant (all P < 0.05), and the A values in the pcDNA3-TT-AKT + 7 Gy group were all higher than those in the pcDNA3 +7 Gy group. Flow cytometry results showed that the proportion of cells was (29.2±3.6)%, (26.7±1.7)% in G 0/G 1 phase and (29.6±1.6)%, (30.3±0.6)% in G 2/M phase, respectively in the pcDNA3 + 7 Gy group and the pcDNA3-TT-AKT + 7 Gy group, and the differences were not statistically significant (all P > 0.05); the proportion of cells in S phase was (10.2±0.9)% and (14.6±1.5)%, respectively in the pcDNA3 + 7 Gy group and the pcDNA3-TT-AKT + 7 Gy group, and the differences were statistically significant ( t = 2.86, P = 0.043). Mitochondrial membrane potential assay showed that the green fluorescence proportion was (23.1±2.5)% and (14.3±1.9)%, respectively in the pcDNA3 + 7 Gy group and the pcDNA3-TT-AKT + 7 Gy group, and the different was statistically significant ( t = 4.82, P = 0.009). Western blot results showed that the relative expression level of p-cdc25c (Ser216) in the pcDNA3-TT-AKT+7 Gy group was higher than that in the pcDNA3+7 Gy group ( P < 0.001); and the relative expression levels of Bak and LC3-Ⅱ/Ⅰ in the pcDNA3-TT-AKT+7Gy group were lower than those in the pcDNA3 +7 Gy group, respectively (all P < 0.05). Conclusions:The p-AKT-mTOR-P70S6K signaling pathway may be involved in the regulation of radiation-induced polyploidy HeLa cell proliferation, cell cycle and cell apoptosis.

Objective:To retrospectively analyze the treatment status of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) in newly diagnosed patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) in China.Methods:Data of chronic phase (CP) and accelerated phase (AP) CML patients diagnosed from January 2006 to December 2022 from 77 centers, ≥18 years old, and receiving initial imatinib, nilotinib, dasatinib or flumatinib-therapy within 6 months after diagnosis in China with complete data were retrospectively interrogated. The choice of initial TKI, current TKI medications, treatment switch and reasons, treatment responses and outcomes as well as the variables associated with them were analyzed.Results:6 893 patients in CP ( n=6 453, 93.6%) or AP ( n=440, 6.4%) receiving initial imatinib ( n=4 906, 71.2%), nilotinib ( n=1 157, 16.8%), dasatinib ( n=298, 4.3%) or flumatinib ( n=532, 7.2%) -therapy. With the median follow-up of 43 ( IQR 22-75) months, 1 581 (22.9%) patients switched TKI due to resistance ( n=1 055, 15.3%), intolerance ( n=248, 3.6%), pursuit of better efficacy ( n=168, 2.4%), economic or other reasons ( n=110, 1.6%). The frequency of switching TKI in AP patients was significantly-higher than that in CP patients (44.1% vs 21.5%, P<0.001), and more AP patients switched TKI due to resistance than CP patients (75.3% vs 66.1%, P=0.011). Multi-variable analyses showed that male, lower HGB concentration and ELTS intermediate/high-risk cohort were associated with lower cytogenetic and molecular responses rate and poor outcomes in CP patients; higher WBC count and initial the second-generation TKI treatment, the higher response rates; Ph + ACA at diagnosis, poor PFS. However, Sokal intermediate/high-risk cohort was only significantly-associated with lower CCyR and MMR rates and the poor PFS. Lower HGB concentration and larger spleen size were significantly-associated with the lower cytogenetic and molecular response rates in AP patients; initial the second-generation TKI treatment, the higher treatment response rates; lower PLT count, higher blasts and Ph + ACA, poorer TFS; Ph + ACA, poorer OS. Conclusion:At present, the vast majority of newly-diagnosed CML-CP or AP patients could benefit from TKI treatment in the long term with the good treatment responses and survival outcomes.

Sick sinus syndrome(SSS)refers to damage to the sinoatrial node and its surrounding tissues,which leads to excitation and conduction dysfunction of the sinoatrial node,Resultsing in arrhythmia diseases.A better understanding of the pathogenesis of SSS is required to provide a basis for its treatment,including establishing an animal model that can simulate human sinus node dysfunction.In this paper,we review the animal selection,the principles and method of modeling,and the evaluation method and detection indicators of the models,to provide a basis for further studies of the pathogenesis of SSS.

Objective To investigate the effect of erythroid differentiation associated gene(EDAG)on hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells(HSPCs)under chronic inflammation.Methods In this study,EDAG-/-and wild type(WT)mice were divided into the experiment group and control group.An infectious chronic inflammation model was established via multiple intraperitoneal injections of Listeria monocytogenes(LM),while a sterile chronic inflammation model was generated via multiple intraperitoneal injections of polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid[Poly(I∶C)].The effect of EDAG on HSPCs was explored under chronic inflammation conditions.Results In the LM repeated infection model,EDAG deletion led to a decrease in HSPCs and long-term hematopoietic stem cells(LT-HSCs)in mice as well as a significant bias towards myeloid differentiation in peripheral blood.Similarly,EDAG knockout also resulted in reduced numbers of HSPCs and decreased colony-forming ability in aseptic chronic inflammation models.Conclusion EDAG deficiency accelerates HSPC depletion in young mice under chronic inflammation,indicating strong protection of EDAG against HSPC damage induced by chronic inflammation.