Objective To analyze the pharmacological mechanism of Shenling Baizhu powder in the treatment of cancer cachexia based on the network pharmacological method and provide a reference for the clinical application of classical traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) prescriptions. Methods Through TCMSP and BATMAN-TCM databases, the main chemical components and their targets of the TCM prescription of Shenling Baizhu powder were obtained, and the active components of the TCM were screened according to ADME. The main targets of cancer cachexia were obtained through OMIM, Genecards, Disgenet and DRUGBANK databases, and protein interaction analysis was conducted using String platform to build a PPI network. The “drug-active ingredient-target” network of Shenling Baizhu powder was constructed by Cytoscape 3.7.2 software, and then the biological processes and pathways involved were analyzed by using Metascape platform. Finally, molecular docking verification was conducted by Discovery Studio. Results The core active ingredients of Shenling Baizhu powder in the treatment of cancer cachexia were quercetin, kaempferol, pyrolignous acid, stigmasterol, luteolin, β-sitosterol, etc. The core targets were AKT1, TP53, TNF, IL-6, MAPK3, CASP3, JUN, CTNNB1, HIF1A, EGFR, etc. The molecular docking test also showed that the top 10 active ingredients, such as pyrolignous acid, stigmasterol and β-sitosterol, had good binding activities with most of the target sites. The biological pathway of Shenling Baizhu powder in treating cancer cachexia wss mainly to regulate tumor related pathway, metabolism related pathway, inflammatory factors and appetite related pathway. Conclusion This study preliminarily revealed the mechanism of action of Shenling Baizhu powder in treating cancer cachexia with multi components, multi targets and multi pathways, which provided a basis for the clinical development and utilization of Shenling Baizhu powder.

Background: s/Aims: Non-invasive models stratifying clinically significant portal hypertension (CSPH) are limited. Herein, we developed a new non-invasive model for predicting CSPH in patients with compensated cirrhosis and investigated whether carvedilol can prevent hepatic decompensation in patients with high-risk CSPH stratified using the new model. Methods: Non-invasive risk factors of CSPH were identified via systematic review and meta-analysis of studies involving patients with hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG). A new non-invasive model was validated for various performance aspects in three cohorts, i.e., a multicenter HVPG cohort, a follow-up cohort, and a carvediloltreating cohort. Results: In the meta-analysis with six studies (n=819), liver stiffness measurement and platelet count were identified as independent risk factors for CSPH and were used to develop the new “CSPH risk” model. In the HVPG cohort (n=151), the new model accurately predicted CSPH with cutoff values of 0 and –0.68 for ruling in and out CSPH, respectively. In the follow-up cohort (n=1,102), the cumulative incidences of decompensation events significantly differed using the cutoff values of <–0.68 (low-risk), –0.68 to 0 (medium-risk), and >0 (high-risk). In the carvediloltreated cohort, patients with high-risk CSPH treated with carvedilol (n=81) had lower rates of decompensation events than non-selective beta-blockers untreated patients with high-risk CSPH (n=613 before propensity score matching [PSM], n=162 after PSM). Conclusions Treatment with carvedilol significantly reduces the risk of hepatic decompensation in patients with high-risk CSPH stratified by the new model.

Background: s/Aims: Non-invasive models stratifying clinically significant portal hypertension (CSPH) are limited. Herein, we developed a new non-invasive model for predicting CSPH in patients with compensated cirrhosis and investigated whether carvedilol can prevent hepatic decompensation in patients with high-risk CSPH stratified using the new model. Methods: Non-invasive risk factors of CSPH were identified via systematic review and meta-analysis of studies involving patients with hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG). A new non-invasive model was validated for various performance aspects in three cohorts, i.e., a multicenter HVPG cohort, a follow-up cohort, and a carvediloltreating cohort. Results: In the meta-analysis with six studies (n=819), liver stiffness measurement and platelet count were identified as independent risk factors for CSPH and were used to develop the new “CSPH risk” model. In the HVPG cohort (n=151), the new model accurately predicted CSPH with cutoff values of 0 and –0.68 for ruling in and out CSPH, respectively. In the follow-up cohort (n=1,102), the cumulative incidences of decompensation events significantly differed using the cutoff values of <–0.68 (low-risk), –0.68 to 0 (medium-risk), and >0 (high-risk). In the carvediloltreated cohort, patients with high-risk CSPH treated with carvedilol (n=81) had lower rates of decompensation events than non-selective beta-blockers untreated patients with high-risk CSPH (n=613 before propensity score matching [PSM], n=162 after PSM). Conclusions Treatment with carvedilol significantly reduces the risk of hepatic decompensation in patients with high-risk CSPH stratified by the new model.

Background: s/Aims: Non-invasive models stratifying clinically significant portal hypertension (CSPH) are limited. Herein, we developed a new non-invasive model for predicting CSPH in patients with compensated cirrhosis and investigated whether carvedilol can prevent hepatic decompensation in patients with high-risk CSPH stratified using the new model. Methods: Non-invasive risk factors of CSPH were identified via systematic review and meta-analysis of studies involving patients with hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG). A new non-invasive model was validated for various performance aspects in three cohorts, i.e., a multicenter HVPG cohort, a follow-up cohort, and a carvediloltreating cohort. Results: In the meta-analysis with six studies (n=819), liver stiffness measurement and platelet count were identified as independent risk factors for CSPH and were used to develop the new “CSPH risk” model. In the HVPG cohort (n=151), the new model accurately predicted CSPH with cutoff values of 0 and –0.68 for ruling in and out CSPH, respectively. In the follow-up cohort (n=1,102), the cumulative incidences of decompensation events significantly differed using the cutoff values of <–0.68 (low-risk), –0.68 to 0 (medium-risk), and >0 (high-risk). In the carvediloltreated cohort, patients with high-risk CSPH treated with carvedilol (n=81) had lower rates of decompensation events than non-selective beta-blockers untreated patients with high-risk CSPH (n=613 before propensity score matching [PSM], n=162 after PSM). Conclusions Treatment with carvedilol significantly reduces the risk of hepatic decompensation in patients with high-risk CSPH stratified by the new model.

OBJECTIVE To explore the effects and potential mechanism of plumbagin on the inflammatory response and oxidative stress in rats with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease （AECOPD） based on Notch1/GATA3 signaling pathway. METHODS Ten rats were randomly selected as the control group； another 65 rats were used to establish the AECOPD model by inhaling cigarette smoke， intratracheal administration of endotoxin， and nasal inoculation of bacteria. The 50 successfully modeled rats were randomly divided into the AECOPD group， plumbagin low-dose group （10 mg/kg）， plumbagin high-dose group （50 mg/kg）， positive control group （dexamethasone 0.09 mg/kg）， and high-dose plumbagin+Jagged1 （Notch1 activator） group （50 mg/kg+25 mg/kg）， with 10 rats in each group. Each group was administrated intragastrically or intraperitoneally with the corresponding drug solution or normal saline， once a day for 28 consecutive days. After the last administration， the lung function indicators （peak expiratory flow， the ratio of forced expiratory volume in 0.3 seconds to forced vital capacity）， the number of inflammatory cells （white blood cells， lymphocytes， neutrophils， macrophages） in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid， the levels of inflammatory factors [interleukin-6 （IL-6）， IL-10， tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）] in lung tissue， and the contents of oxidative stress indicators [superoxide dismutase （SOD）， malondialdehyde （MDA）] in lung tissue were all determined in each group； the pathological changes of lung tissue and the pathological scores， as well as protein expressions of mucin 5ac （Muc5ac）， Notch1 and GATA3 in lung tissue were also detected. RESULTS Compared with the control group， the lung tissue of the AECOPD group rats showed severe damage to the alveolar wall structure， with a large number of inflammatory cells infiltration and accompanied by pathological changes such as thickening of the airway wall； their lung function indicators， IL-10 level， and SOD content were significantly decreased； while the number of various inflammatory cells， IL-6 and TNF-α levels， MDA content， pathological score， as well as protein expressions of Muc5ac， Notch1 and GATA3 were significantly increased or upregulated （P＜0.05）. Compared with the AECOPD group， the pathological changes in the lung tissue of the rats in each plumbagin dose group were significantly alleviated， and the above quantitative indicators were significantly improved， and the improvement was more obvious in the plumbagin high- dose group （P＜0.05）. Jagged1 significantly reversed the protective effect of high-dose plumbagin on lung injury and related indicators in AECOPD rats （P＜0.05）. CONCLUSIONS Plumbagin can inhibit the inflammatory response and oxidative stress in the lungs of AECOPD rats， alleviate lung damage， and improve lung function. The above effects may be related to the inhibition of the Notch1/GATA3 signaling pathway.

Purpose To investigate the effect of MYD88 gene overexpression on the proliferation and apoptosis of human diffuse large B cell lymphoma(DLBCL)cells,and to prelimi-narily explore the mechanism of MYD88 gene action.Methods PEGFP-C2-MYD88 overexpressing MYD88 L265P gene was transfected into DLBCL cells by plasmid transfection.The exper-iment was divided into blank control group,negative control group and MYD88 L265P overexpression group.The fluores-cence expression of MYD88 L265P after overexpression was ob-served under inverted fluorescence microscope.RT-PCR and Western blot were used to detect the mRNA and protein expres-sion of MYD88 L265P,IRAK4,NF-κB and BCL2 in DLBCL cells before and after overexpression of MYD88 L265.CCK8 method was used to detect DLBCL cells proliferation and Ho-echst staining was used to detect DLBCL cells apoptosis.Re-sults After overexpression of MYD88 L265P,compared with the blank control group(0.670 4±0.017 5)and the negative control group(0.715 3±0.019 6),the MYD88L265P overex-pression group(1.157 2±0.010 2)increased significantly,with statistical significance(all P＜0.05).After overexpression of MYD88 L265P,compared with the blank control group(0.69 ±0.04)and the negative control group(0.81±0.07),the MYD88L265P overexpression group(0.48±0.05)was signifi-cantly decreased,with statistical significance(all P＜0.05).After overexpression of MYD88 L265P,compared with the blank control group(mRNA:1.0158±0.0115,0.987 3±0.010 2,1.007 6±0.015 3,protein:0.183 4±0.058 9,0.096 8± 0.015 7,0.147 5±0.0418)and negative control group(mR-NA:0.9132±0.0098,1.0032±0.0156,0.9327± 0.011 2,protein:0.187 9±0.042 3,0.088 9±0.0513,0.134 8±0.050 1),the mRNA(3.243 2±0.013 6,2.976 6 ±0.0213,1.585 9±0.019 8)and protein expressions(0.452 7±0.052 4,0.218 9±0.047 5,0.301 4±0.059 8)of IRAK4,NF-κB and anti-apoptosis protein BCL2 in MYD88L265P overexpression group were significantly increased,which was statistically significant(all P＜0.05).Conclusion After overexpression of MYD88 L265P,the apoptosis rate of DLBCL cells decreased and the cell proliferation rate increased.The mechanism may be related to the mutation of MYD88 L265P gene,activation and amplification of NF-κB pathway,and pro-motion of the overexpression of antiapoptotic protein BCL2.

Fragile X syndrome(FXS)is caused by abnormal duplication and amplification of the FMR1 gene CGG.This article reports a pair of brothers diagnosed with FXS by genetic testing.Two patients,aged 15 and 14 years old respectively,both had clinical manifestations such as language disorders,intellectual disabilities,attention deficit disorder,autism spectrum disorder,and FXS's characteristic facial features.The proband had a rare late-onset epileptic seizure,which was well treated with levetiracetam,while his younger brother had no electroencephalogram abnormalities after repeated follow-up.This pair of cases suggests that the clinical phenotype of FXS has diversity and heterogeneity.

Objective The study aimed to investigate the impact of rare earth elements(REEs)exposure on pregnancy outcomes of in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer(IVF-ET)by analyzing samples from spouses. Methods A total of 141 couples were included.Blood and follicular fluid from the wives and semen plasma from the husbands,were analyzed for REEs using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry(ICP-MS).Spearman's correlation coefficients and the Mann-Whitney U test were used to assess correlations and compare REE concentrations among three types of samples,respectively.Logistic models were utilized to estimate the individual REE effect on IVF-ET outcomes,while BKMR and WQS models explored the mixture of REE interaction effects on IVF-ET outcomes. Results Higher La concentration in semen(median 0.089 ng/mL,P=0.03)was associated with a lower fertilization rate.However,this effect was not observed after artificial selection intervention through intracytoplasmic sperm injection(ICSI)(P=0.27).In semen,the REEs mixture did not exhibit any significant association with clinical pregnancy. Conclusion Our study revealed a potential association between high La exposure in semen and a decline in fertilization rate,but not clinical pregnancy rate.This is the first to report REEs concentrations in follicular fluid with La,Ce,Pr,and Nd found at significantly lower concentrations than in serum,suggesting that these four REEs may not accumulate in the female reproductive system.However,at the current exposure levels,mixed REEs exposure did not exhibit reproductive toxicity.

Objective To knock out cdc42 gene in zebrafish using CRISPR/Cas9 technology,and investigate the effect of cdc42 on early osteochondral development.Methods After the conservation of cdc42 gene sequence of different species was analyzed by multiple sequence alignment analysis,guide RNA of cdc42 gene was designed,and cdc42 knockout zebrafish was constructed by CRISPR/Cas9 technology.The expression pattern of cdc42 was detected by whole-mount in situ hybridization,and the chondrogenesis phenotype was observed by transgenic labeled fish line Tg(col2a1a:GFP),and vertebral mineralization was observed by alizarin red staining.Results Multiple sequence alignment analysis showed that cdc42 was highly conserved in human,mouse and zebrafish,and in situ hybridization results showed that cdc42 was expressed in a variety of tissues in the head and whole body,including mandibular cartilage.With the aid of guide RNA of cdc42,cdc42 knockout zebrafish was successfully constructed by CRISPR/Cas9 technology.The cdc42 mutants exhibited shortened body length(P＜0.01)and delayed cranial development at 3 d post fertilization,with small heads and eyes(P＜0.01),as well as delayed mandibular development.The Tg(col2a1a:GFP)zebrafish showed that the mutants presented abnormal morphology of Meckel's cartilage and ceratohyal cartilage cells,with disordered arrangement of chondrocytes and increased angle and decreased length in ceratohyal cartilage(P＜0.01).The homozygous mutants died at 10～13 d after fertilization.The results of alizarin red staining suggested delayed vertebral mineralization and reduced endochondral ossification of the mutants.Conclusion CRISPR/Cas9 technology successfully knocks out the cdc42 gene in zebrafish,resulting in delayed development of jaw cartilage,delayed mineralization of the vertebrae,and decreased endochondral ossification.

Objective:To investigate potential mechanisms of Niclosamide,a calcium-binding protein S100A4 inhibitor,in regulating inflammatory response of bronchial epithelial cells.Methods:Human bronchial epithelial cells BEAS-2B were cultured in vitro and stimulated by LPS or Niclosamide-pretreatment.Inflammatory cytokines and potential signaling molecules expressions were determined by RT-qPCR and Western blot.Intracellular ROS level was quantified by fluorescent probe.Results:Increased ROS level was observed in LPS-stimulated and Niclosamide-pretreatment cells(P<0.05).Compared with control group,mRNA and protein expressions of S100A4 were increased(P<0.05),TLR4/STAT3,MAPK1/3/SIRT1,NF-κB/IKKβ/p65 mRNA expressions were increased(P<0.05),inflammatory cytokines IL-1β and IL-6,tight junction Occludin and ZO-1 mRNA expressions were increased after LPS-treatment(P<0.05),whereas these genetic expressions were downregulated by Niclosamide-pretreatment(P<0.05),except for TLR4/MAPK1 and NF-κB/IKKβ/p65(P>0.05).Western blot showed that compared with control group,LPS-stimulation promoted protein expressions of S100A4,STAT3,MAPK3/SIRT1,IL-1β and TNF-α(P<0.05),while downregulated protein expression of Occludin.Compared with LPS group,niclosamide-pretreatment downregulated protein expressions of S100A4,STAT3,MAPK3/SIRT1,IL-1β and TNF-α(P<0.05),while restored protein expression of Occludin(P<0.05).Conclusion:Calcium-binding protein S100A4 inhibitor Niclosamide can alleviate S100A4 expression and inflammatory response of bronchial epithelial cells,which is poten-tially related to STAT3 or MAPK3/SIRT1 signaling.