AIM: To investigate the specific molecular mechanism of Yinqiao Powder in affecting macrophage polarization in herpes simplex keratitis(HSK)through the cyclic GMP-AMP synthetase(cGAS)-stimulator of interferon genes(STING)-interferon regulatory factor 3(IRF3)molecular pathway.METHODS:Human corneal epithelial cells(HCE-T)were divided into control, HSK, and HSK + Yinqiao Powder groups. M0 macrophages were grouped as Ctrl, HSV-1, HSV-1+oe-cGAS, HSV-1+Yinqiao Powder, and HSV-1+oe-cGAS+Yinqiao Powder. Conditional medium(CM)from each group of M0 macrophages was collected to intervene in HCE-T cells and divided into Ctrl-CM, HSV-1-CM, HSV-1+oe-cGAS-CM, and HSV-1+Yinqiao Powder-CM groups. Cell viability was detected by MTT assay, and apoptosis was detected by TUNEL assay. ELISA was used to detect the concentrations of Arg-1 and iNOS in cell supernatants, and Western blotting was used to detect the relative protein expressions of cGAS, STING, and IRF3. Balb/c mice were divided into control, model, and drug groups. The model and drug groups were inoculated with HSV-1 on the cornea of Balb/c mice using the corneal scratch method to construct an HSK mouse model, and the drug group was treated with Yinqiao Powder. The incidence and mortality of the three groups were compared on days 1, 3, 5, 7, and 14 after modeling.RESULTS:Compared with the control group, the HCE-T cell viability in the HSK group was decreased but apoptosis was increased, which was reversed by Yinqiao Powder intervention. Compared with the Ctrl group, the Arg-1 concentration in the cell supernatant of the HSV-1 group was decreased, the iNOS concentration was increased, and the protein expressions of cGAS, STING, and IRF3 were decreased. Compared with the HSV-1 group, the Arg-1 concentration was increased, the iNOS concentration was decreased, and the protein expressions of cGAS, STING, and IRF3 were enhanced in the HSV-1+oe-cGAS group and the HSV-1+Yinqiao Powder group, and the same results were obtained in the HSV-1+oe-cGAS+Yinqiao Powder group. Compared with the Ctrl-CM group, the HCE-T cell viability was decreased and apoptosis was increased in the HSV-1-CM group, which was reversed by overexpressing cGAS in macrophages or intervening with Yinqiao Powder. In vivo experiments found that Yinqiao Powder intervention could improve the pathological progression of keratitis.CONCLUSION:Yinqiao Powder inhibits M1 polarization of macrophages through the cGAS-STING-IRF3 molecular pathway, thereby delaying the progression of HSK.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the therapeutic mechanism of Danzhi Jiangtang Capsule (DZJTC) for repairing renal vascular endothelial injury in rats with diabetic nephropathy (DN). METHODS: Fifty male SD rat models of DN, established by left nephrectomy, high-sugar and high-fat diet and streptozotocin injection, were randomized into DN model group, low-, medium-, and high-dose DZJTC treatment groups, and DAPT (a γ-secretase inhibitor) treatment group, with 10 rats with normal feeding as the control group. DZJTC was administered by daily gavage at 0.315, 0.63, or 1.26 g/kg, and DAPT (20 mg/kg, dissolved in 50% CMC-Na solution) was given by gavage every other day for 4 weeks; normal saline was given in the control and model groups. After treatment, the levels of creatinine (CRE), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), and microalbuminuria (mALB) were detected with ELISA, and renal pathologies were observed by transmission electron microscopy. Renal expressions of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and endothelin-1 (ET-1) were measured by immunohistochemistry, and the protein expressions of CD31 and Notch signaling pathway components were detected using Western blotting. RESULTS: The rat models of DN showed significantly increased CRE, BUN, and mALB levels, obvious renal pathologies under electron microscopy, increased renal VEGF, ET-1 and CD31 expressions, and upregulated Notch1, NICD, and MAML1 protein levels. Treatment with DZJTC at the 3 doses and DAPT significantly reduced CRE, BUN, and mALB levels, improved renal pathology, decreased VEGF, ET-1 and CD31 expressions, and lowered Notch1, NICD and MAML1 levels, and the effects were the most pronounced with high-dose DZJTC. CONCLUSIONS DZJTC ameliorates hyperproliferation and dysfunction of renal vascular endothelium in DN rats possibly by regulating renal VEGF and ET-1 levels via inhibiting NICD- and MAML1-mediated Notch signaling pathway.
Animals ; Male ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Signal Transduction/drug effects* ; Diabetic Nephropathies/drug therapy* ; Receptor, Notch1/metabolism* ; Kidney/blood supply* ; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental ; Down-Regulation ; Endothelium, Vascular/metabolism* ; Nuclear Proteins/metabolism*

Objective:To improve the understanding of primary pulmonary lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma (PPLELC).Methods:A retrospective case series study was conducted. The clinical data of 31 patients with PPLELC who were admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University from January 2012 to June 2023 were retrospectively analyzed, and their clinical features were summarized. The correlations of organ metastasis, tumor stage, serum tumor markers, lactate dehydrogenase, and albumin with survival time were analyzed.Results:Among the 31 patients, 13 (41.9%) were male and 18 (58.1%) were female, aged (50±9) years old, with no smoking history in 24 cases (77.4%). The common clinical manifestations were cough(24 cases, 77.4%) and sputum (19 cases, 61.3%), and 7 patients (22.6%) were detected by physical examination; 24 cases (77.4%) had elevated levels of serum tumor markers, and the rest of the 7 cases (22.6%) had normal levels of various tumor markers. All of the patients had a single lesion, with a predominance of the right middle lung (8 cases, 25.8%), and 23 cases (74.2%) had lymph node metastasis. Immunohistochemical detection showed that the positive rate of CK was 67.7% (21/31), and the positive rates of squamous cell carcinoma markers CK5/6, p63 and p40 were 90.3% (28/31), 80.6% (25/31) and 77.4% (24/31), respectively. The positive rate of EBER in situ hybridization detection was 85.2% (23/27). Genetic testing showed 6 cases had epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation. The median survival time [ M ( Q1, Q3)] of the groups without lymph node metastasis and with lymph node metastasis was 33.0 months (7.3 months, 9.3 months) and 19.0 months (7.0 months, 27.0 months), and the difference was statistically significant ( P < 0.001). The median survival time of patients with stage Ⅰ-Ⅱ and with stage Ⅲ-Ⅳ was 20.0 months (12.5 months, 42.0 months) and 18.5 months (6.5 months, 38.5 months), and the difference was statistically significant ( P = 0.002). One stage Ⅰ A patient was treated with surgery alone and survived at 92 months of follow-up. Ten cases were treated with immunotherapy and had a good outcome. Conclusions:PPLELC is prevalent in non-smokers, the lesions are mostly in the right middle lung, and it is easily misdiagnosed as squamous cell carcinoma. The positive EBER in situ hybridization detection can help the diagnosis; lymph node metastasis is common. Tumor stage, lymph node metastasis and CYFRA21-1 level may be correlated with the survival of patients. The patients can benefit from immunotherapy, and anti-angiogenic therapy combined with chemotherapy is an optional treatment regimen.

Taking Kunming Medical University as an example, we explore the mechanism for the separation and coordination of supervision, management, and evaluation, establish and implement a course quality rating system, and strengthen the course quality evaluation. The course quality rating system mainly consists of merit evaluation for courses of grades A and B and admittance evaluation for courses of grades C and D. Through the course quality rating, courses are diagnosed and compared, with the aim to improve course connotation construction (labeling, setting an example, promoting excellent courses, and removing inferior courses), achieve "good pay for good courses", encourage the faculty to strengthen curriculum quality, and measure ourselves with our own ruler. We discussed the problems about the difference in evaluation indicators, the professionality of evaluators, and the incentive effect of evaluation results, and also proposed strategies for improving course quality rating in medical colleges from the perspectives of deepening the content of evaluation indices, ensuring the effectiveness after evaluation, and ascertaining the main body of course construction in daily work.

Objective:To explore the application effect of immersive teaching combined with closed-loop assessment in respiratory medicine internship teaching.Methods:A total of 140 students who interned in the Department of Respiratory Medicine from August 2021 to August 2023 were selected as research subjects. They were assigned to a control group and an observation group based on the time of admission, with 70 students in each group. The control group received traditional teaching, while the observation group received immersive teaching combined with closed-loop assessment. After the internship, the theories, clinical diagnosis and treatment, operation skills, empathy ability, and teaching effectiveness of the two groups of students were compared and evaluated.Results:The scores of theories, clinical diagnosis and treatment, and operation skills were significantly higher in the observation group than in the control group ( P<0.001). The observation group scored significantly higher on the empathy scale than the control group [(73.83±6.71) vs. (61.08±6.32); t=15.60, P<0.001]. The recognition rates of the observation group students were significantly higher in learning interest, self-learning ability, comprehensive analysis ability of diseases, clinical thinking ability, independent discovery, analysis, and problem-solving ability, and team collaboration ability, as compared with the control group ( P<0.05). Conclusions:Immersive teaching combined with closed-loop assessment is beneficial for improving the theoretical and practical levels of respiratory medicine students, enhancing their empathy and comprehensive analysis abilities, and improving clinical teaching effectiveness.

Objective:To explore the current status of post management for orthopedic specialist nurses in Beijing, so as to provide reference for formulating orthopedic specialist nurse management systems.Methods:Purposive sampling was used to select 254 orthopedic specialist nurses who participated in the Orthopedic Specialist Nurse Qualification Certification Training Course organized by the Beijing Nursing Association from 2014 to 2020. A survey was conducted using the self-developed Post Management Questionnaire and Job Satisfaction Questionnaire.Results:254 orthopedic specialist nurses came from 46 hospitals in Beijing. 92.9% (236/254) of orthopedic specialist nurses had a bachelor's degree or higher, 69.3% (176/254) of specialist nurses had intermediate or higher professional titles, and hospitals with 67.7% (172/254) of specialist nurses established post management systems or policies. The work of specialist nurses mainly focused on clinical nursing, and also undertook nursing teaching, nursing quality management, organizing nursing rounds, and clinical case nursing. The main factors hindering the development of orthopedic specialist nurses were the heavy workload of clinical affairs, lack of clear job evaluation indicators, and lack of clear career development direction.Conclusions:The post management of orthopedic specialist nurses in Beijing has gradually been carried out, but there is still room for improvement in the implementation of advanced nursing practice activities, assessment and evaluation, and special incentives for specialist nurses. Managers should further establish a sound, scientific, and effective management system, fully leverage the advanced clinical nursing practice role of orthopedic specialist nurses, and promote the scientific application of orthopedic specialist nurses.