This study investigates the mechanism by which Xintong Granules improve myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury(MIRI) through the regulation of gut microbiota and their metabolites, specifically short-chain fatty acids(SCFAs). Rats were randomly divided based on body weight into the sham operation group, model group, low-dose Xintong Granules group(1.43 g·kg~(-1)·d~(-1)), medium-dose Xintong Granules group(2.86 g·kg~(-1)·d~(-1)), high-dose Xintong Granules group(5.72 g·kg~(-1)·d~(-1)), and metoprolol group(10 mg·kg~(-1)·d~(-1)). After 14 days of pre-administration, the MIRI rat model was established by ligating the left anterior descending coronary artery. The myocardial infarction area was assessed using the 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride(TTC) staining method. Apoptosis in tissue cells was detected by the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling(TUNEL) assay. Pathological changes in myocardial cells and colonic tissue were observed using hematoxylin-eosin(HE) staining. The levels of tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α), interleukin-1β(IL-1β), interleukin-6(IL-6), creatine kinase MB isoenzyme(CK-MB), and cardiac troponin T(cTnT) in rat serum were quantitatively measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) kits. The activities of lactate dehydrogenase(LDH), creatine kinase(CK), and superoxide dismutase(SOD) in myocardial tissue, as well as the level of malondialdehyde(MDA), were determined using colorimetric assays. Gut microbiota composition was analyzed by 16S rDNA sequencing, and fecal SCFAs were quantified using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry(GC-MS). The results show that Xintong Granules significantly reduced the myocardial infarction area, suppressed cardiomyocyte apoptosis, and decreased serum levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines(TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6), myocardial injury markers(CK-MB, cTnT, LDH, and CK), and oxidative stress marker MDA. Additionally, Xintong Granules significantly improved intestinal inflammation in MIRI rats, regulated gut microbiota composition and diversity, and increased the levels of SCFAs(acetate, propionate, isobutyrate, etc.). In summary, Xintong Granules effectively alleviate MIRI symptoms. This study preliminarily confirms that Xintong Granules exert their inhibitory effects on MIRI by regulating gut microbiota imbalance and increasing SCFA levels.
Animals ; Gastrointestinal Microbiome/drug effects* ; Rats ; Male ; Myocardial Reperfusion Injury/genetics* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Apoptosis/drug effects* ; Humans ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/metabolism* ; Interleukin-6/genetics* ; Malondialdehyde/metabolism*

OBJECTIVE To explore the levels of helper T lymphocytes(Th)in patients with hepatitis B virus(HBV)infection who were treated with entecavir and observe the impact on viral clearance.METHODS A total of 149 patients with HBV infection who were treated with entecavir in Yan'an Hospital of Kunming City from Jan.2020 to Jan.2024 were enrolled in the study,82 of whom were chronic hepatitis B(CHB),and 67 were chro-nic hepatitis B virus carriers.The enrolled patients were divided into the clearance group with 64 cases and the no clearance group with 85 cases according to the levels of serum hepatitis B surface antigen(HBsAg)at Week 72 of the treatment.The clinical data were compared between the two groups,and the changes of Th1 and Th2 levels during the treatment were analyzed.Multivariate linear regression analysis was performed for the association be-tween virological change during the treatment and immune level.The risk factors for failed clearance of viruses were analyzed by logistic regression model.RESULTS There were significant differences in the age,the levels of alanine aminotransferase(ALT)and HBV DNA between the baseline and Week 24,the levels of aspartate trans-aminase(AST)at the baseline and Week 12,the HBsAg level at Week 24,and the baseline levels of Th1,Th1/Th2 between the CHBc treatment group and the CHB treatment group(P＜0.05).There were linear correlations between the HBV DNA,HBsAg,hepatitis E antigen(HBeAg)and the Th1,Th2 and Th1/Th2,respectively(P＜0.05).Totally 64 patients were accumulatively eradicated with HBsAg on Week 72,with the eradication rate 42.95％.After the confounding factors were adjusted,multivariate analysis showed that the high levels of Th1,Th2 and Th1/Th2 were the risk factors for the failed clearance of viruses(P＜0.05).CONCLUSIONS Among the patients with HBV infection,there is difference in the immune level between the CHB patients and the CHB virus carriers.The levels of Th1,Th2 and Th1/Th2 are strongly correlated with the HBV DNA,HBsAg,HBeAg and efficiency of viral clearance during the treatment with entecavir.

Wumei Pills, a classic traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) formula, are widely used in the treatment of biliary ascariasis and diarrhea. In recent years, studies have shown that Wumei Pills have advantages in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM), while there are no relevant reports that systematically evaluate the efficacy of Wumei Pills in the treatment of T2DM. This study addresses this issue by systematically evaluating the efficacy and safety of Wumei Pills, aiming to provide an evidence-based basis for clinical practice. PubMed, Cochrane Library, EMbase, Web of Science, CNKI, Wanfang, and VIP were researched for the randomized controlled trial(RCT) involving Wumei Pills for the treatment of T2DM that were published from inception to September 2024. RevMan 5.3 was used for the Meta-analysis of the data. A total of 18 RCTs were included, with a total of 1 437 patients. Meta-analysis produced the following results.(1)Treatment group outperformed control group in terms of overall response rate(RR=1.28, 95%CI[1.14, 1.43], P<0.000 1), fasting blood glucose(FPG)(WMD=-0.69, 95%CI[-0.93,-0.46], P<0.000 01), two-hour postprandial plasma glucose(2hPG)(WMD=-0.74, 95%CI[-1.17,-0.31], P<0.000 7), glycated hemoglobin(HbA1c)(WMD=-0.39, 95%CI[-0.60,-0.18], P=0.000 3), high-density lipoprotein(HDL)(WMD=0.38, 95%CI[0.28, 0.48], P<0.000 01), and body mass index(BMI)(WMD=-1.41, 95%CI[-2.40,-0.42], P=0.005).(2)The two groups had comparable effects regarding total cholesterol(TC)(WMD=-0.53, 95%CI[-1.13, 0.08], P=0.09) and low-density lipoprotein(LDL)(WMD=-0.25, 95%CI[-0.56, 0.06], P=0.12).(3)Triglycerides(TG)(WMD=-0.28,95%CI [-0.59,0.03],P=0.08), sensitivity analysis showed potential reduction effect(WMD=-0.20,95%CI[-0.36,-0.04],P=0.01). Occurrence of adverse drug reaction(RR=0.43,95%CI [0.23,0.80],P=0.007), sensitivity analysis showed significant disappearance(RR=0.56,95%CI[0.26,1.22],P=0.14), suggesting that the efficacy of treatment group was not better than that of control group. The results indicate that the treatment of T2DM with Wumei Pills is greatly related to the improvement of glucose metabolism, lipid metabolism, and clinical efficacy. The findings provide a basis for clinical application of Wumei Pills in treating T2DM, while the conclusion remains to be verified by clinical studies with higher quality.
Humans ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2/blood* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage* ; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic ; Blood Glucose/metabolism* ; Hypoglycemic Agents/therapeutic use* ; Treatment Outcome ; Glycated Hemoglobin/metabolism* ; Female

Objective:To evaluate the efficacy of multimodal prehabilitation in patients with refractory functional constipation undergoing Jinling procedure(modified Duhamel surgery).Methods:In this prospective randomized controlled trial,80 patients with refractory functional constipation scheduled for Jinling procedure at the Department of General Surgery,the General Hospital of Eastern Theater Command between January 2020 and December 2021 were enrolled.Participants were randomly assigned to either the observation group(n=40,multimodal prehabilitation)or control group(n=40,routine nursing care).Outcome measures included:time to first flatus,time to first ambulation,defecation volume on postoperative day 5,length of hospitalization,nutritional markers(hemoglobin,albumin,total protein at postoperative day 7),anxiety/depression scores(Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale,HADS),and total complication rates.Results:Compared to controls,the first ventilation time(48.02±6.15)h,first ambulation time(49.92±5.58)h,defecation volume on the fifth day(234.50±51.03)mL,hospital stay(13.15±2.64)d,anxiety score(43.68±3.45)points,depression score(43.81±1.58)points,and the total incidence of postoperative complications(15%)were significantly lower in the observation group(all p values<0.05).By contrast,the serum levels of hemoglobin(115.60±11.60)g/l,albumin(41.19±5.79)g/L and total protein(61.64±4.94)g/L on day 7 post-operatively were significantly higher in the observation group than those in the control group(P<0.05).Conclusions:Multimodal prehabilitation enhances postoperative intestinal recovery,reduces complications,improves nutritional status,and shortens hospital stays in refractory functional constipation patients undergoing Jinling procedure,supporting its clinical adoption.

Objective To verify the efficacy of a domestic human DNA quantification kit based on real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR in detecting the total human DNA concentration,male DNA concen-tration in mixed male/female DNA samples,the degree of DNA degradation and inhibitor tolerance.Methods Samples with different concentrations,different male/female ratios,different concentrations of inhibitors,and different degradation degrees were tested using the domestic human DNA quantification kit based on real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR.This kit was compared with a similar product on the market and was applied to the detection of DNA from real cases.Results This human DNA quan-tification kit can effectively detect human DNA as low as 0.001 65 ng/μL,and 6.25 pg/μL of male DNA in mixed samples with a male-to-female ratio of 1∶15 000.Even when the sample contains as high as 400 ng/μL of humic acid or 1 000 μmol/L of hemin alone,the DNA concentration can still be accurately detected.The degradation index can effectively characterize the degradation degree of the sample.This kit has been successfully applied in forensic practice.Conclusion This human DNA quan-tification kit is accurate and reliable in detection.It can accurately reflect the degradation of DNA and inhibitor tolerance.It has good performance in quantitative accuracy,determination of the male/female ratio in mixed samples,and inhibitor tolerance.It has application potential in forensic case examination.

Objective To evaluate the prognosis and safety of patients with advanced pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma(PDAC)who received I-125 seed implantation in treatment with anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody+chemotherapy.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on patients with stage Ⅳ metastatic PDAC who received anti-PD-1 combined chemotherapy treatment at Yixing Hospital,Jiangsu University from Jan 2021 to Jun 2023.Patients were divided into two groups based on whether they received I-125 seed implantation:the I-125 seed implantation+anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody+Chemotherapy group(IPC group)and the anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody+chemotherapy group(PC group).The follow-up period ranged from 2 to 24 months,with a median follow-up time of 9 months.The prognosis of patients was analysed in combination with peripheral blood biomarkers.The peripheral lymphocyte subsets of patients in different treatment groups were preliminarily analysed by flow cytometry.Results A total of 13 patients were included,with 5 in the IPC group and 8 in the PC group.Progression-free survival(PFS)and overall survival(OS)in the IPC group were significantly longer than those in the PC group.The treatment in the IPC group was relatively safe,adverse reactions were controllable.The neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio(NLR)and CD4/CD8 ratio indicated that the prognosis of the IPC patients was better.The levels of regulatory T cells(Treg)and active regulatory T cells(aTreg)cells in the IPC patients were reduced after treatment compared with those of the PC patients.Conclusion The addition of I-125 seed implantation can improve the prognosis of patients with advanced PDAC who receive anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody+chemotherapy,the post-treatment levels of patients'circulating aTreg cells are reduced,and the combination therapy has good safety.

Objective To explore the brain damage of SD rats under different time points of hypobaric hypoxia exposure.Methods A rat high-altitube cerebral edema(HACE)model was constructed by simulating an altitude of 6 000 m in a hypobaric hypoxia animal experimental chamber.Thirty-six SD male rats were randomly divided into the control group and the hypobaric hypoxia exposure 3,7 and 14 d groups,with 9 rats in each group.Except for the control group,the rats in each group were continuously exposed to hypobaric hypoxia for 3,7,and 14 d.At the end of the modeling period,serum was collected by blood sampling via the abdominal aorta,and brain tissue samples were taken.The wet-to-dry ratio(W/D)of brain tissue was calculated,and the levels of relevant oxidative enzymes in serum and brain tissue were measured.The expression levels of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α(HIF-1α)and aquaporin 4(AQP4)mRNAs in brain tissue were detected by real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction.Results The W/D of brain tissues in the control group and the group exposed to hypobaric hypoxia for 3,7 and 14 d were 4.46±0.12,4.98±0.16,5.07±0.18 and 4.95±0.07;the superoxide dismutase contents were(111.86±2.45),(90.73±1.48),(79.64±2.56)and(55.33±1.45)U·g-1;the glutathione contents were(126.91±5.18),(125.26±1.53),(56.20±2.17)and(122.73±1.78)μg·mL-1;the malondialdehyde contents were(230.94±2.00),(362.65±3.28),(407.34±3.47)and(237.50±1.59)nmol·g-1;the relative expression levels of HIF-1 α mRNA were 1.00±0,2.99±0.49,4.72±0.49 and 1.91±0.28;the relative expression levels of AQP4 mRNA were 1.00±0,2.62±0.34,8.38±0.84 and 5.27±0.42,respectively.Statistically significant differences were found between the above indexes in the 3,7 and 14 d of hypobaric hypoxia exposure group compared with the control group(P＜0.05,P＜0.01).Conclusion Different time of hypobaric hypoxia exposure can up-regulate the expression of AQPs proteins in HACE rats and cause the disruption of the blood-brain barrier,and the HACE model constructed in the hypobaric hypoxia chamber with 6 000 m intervention for 7 d was more stable.

This work was aimed at analyzing the protein characteristics of Coiled-Coil Domain-Containing Protein 115(CCDC115)and using Ccdc115-deficient mouse monocyte-macrophage leukemia cells(RAW264.7)to explore the influence of CCDC115 on the intracellular survival of Salmonella Typhimurium.Bioinformatics analysis was conducted to examine the fundamental attributes of CCDC115,which was determined to be an unstable protein consisting of two α-helices and an intervening disordered re-gion,devoid of any transmembrane structural domains.A RAW264.7-Ccdc115-KO cell line was successfully established with CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing technology.To elucidate the effects of CCDC115 on the intracellular survival of Salmonella Typhimurium,we infected RAW264.7 cells with Salmonella Typhimurium.The expression of CCDC115 was found to be upregulated at both the mRNA and protein levels post-infection,according to RT-qPCR and western blot analysis.Via counting of colony-forming units(CFU),the proliferation rate of Salmonella Typhimurium within RAW264.7-Ccdc115-KO cells was found to be 1.5-fold higher than that in RAW264.7 cells.Acidification imaging studies indicated that,whereas Salmonella Typhimurium phagosomes underwent acidifi-cation in RAW264.7 cells,this process was absent in RAW264.7-Ccdc115-KO cells.In conclusion,the study successfully estab-lished a RAW264.7-Ccdc115-KO cell line and demonstrated that the expression of CCDC115 is elevated during Salmonella Ty-phimurium infection,thus potentially inhibiting the intracellular survival of Salmonella Typhimurium by facilitating phagosome acidifi-cation.This study lay a theoretical foundation for functional studies of CCDC115 and the investigation of mechanisms regulating the survival of intracellular Salmonella Typhimurium.

Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)is difficult to detect in its early stages and current treatment methods are associated with significant side effects and a high risk of developing drug resistance.This study aims to investigate the effect of phycocyanin(PC)on the apoptosis of human HCC HepG2 cells and its potential mechanism.HepG2 cells were treated with PC at concentrations of 0.1,0.25,0.5,1,2.5,5,and 10 μg/mL for 12 h,and with 10 μg/mL PC and 2.5 μmol/L Wip1 inhibitor(Wip1i)alone or in combination for 12 and 24 h,respectively.Cell proliferation levels were assessed using the CCK-8 cell proliferation-toxicity assay kit.Apoptosis levels were measured by Annexin V-FITC/Propidium Iodide double staining combined with flow cytometry.TMT(Tandem Mass Tag)proteomics quantitative technol-ogy was applied to analyze differential protein expression.Western blotting was used to detect the expres-sion levels of Wip1,p53,and phosphorylated-p53(Ser15)proteins.The CCK-8 assay revealed that PC effectively inhibited HepG2 cell proliferation in a concentration-dependent manner,with a half-maximal inhibitory concentration(IC50)of 19.37 μg/mL.Flow cytometry results showed that PC significantly in-duced apoptosis,with an apoptosis rate of 30.40％.Quantitative proteomics analysis indicated that PC induced activation of the p53 pathway.The CCK-8 assay showed that Wip1i enhanced the cytotoxic effect of PC on HepG2 cells.Western blotting confirmed that PC inhibited Wip1 expression,induced p53 pro-tein phosphorylation,and promoted the expression of total p53 protein.Additionally,Wip1i further en-hanced PC-mediated activation of the p53 pathway,increasing the expression of p53 and pP53(S15).In conclusion,PC may induce apoptosis by inhibiting the activity of the p53 negative regulator Wip1,thereby promoting apoptosis through the Wip1/p53 pathway.

Aim To investigate the therapeutic effect of newly formulated Tadalafil tablets on liver fibrosis in mice induced by carbon tetrachloride(CCl4)and its impact on the activation of hepatic stellate cells(HSCs).Methods Liver fibrosis model was estab-lished by intraperitoneally injecting 20％CCl4 corn oil solution twice a week for eight weeks.After four weeks of modeling,the treatment group was administered ei-ther the newly formulated Tadalafil tablets(1.0 mg·kg-1)or the Cialis(2.5 mg·kg-1)via gavage for the remaining four weeks.We assessed the effects of Tadalafil on collagen deposition,tissue structural dam-age,and HSCs activation markers in the fibrotic liver of mice using serum biochemical analysis,histopathologi-cal staining,and Western blotting following the treat-ment period.LX-2 cells were cultured and treated with tadalafil after TGF β1 stimulation,and the effects of tadalafil on LX-2 cell activation were assessed via Western blot.Results Compared to the normal mice,the model group mice exhibited a significantly higher liver-specific index,increased liver function indicators,and notable hepatocyte necrosis.Additionally,liver lobules were damaged,accompanied by severe infiltra-tion of inflammatory cells.Both smooth muscle actin(α-SMA)and fibronectin(Fn)were elevated,serving as markers of HSCs activation.As a result of treatment with the newly formulated Tadalafil tablets,liver tissue damage was significantly reduced,transaminase levels decreased,necrosis and inflammatory cell infiltration were reduced,and collagen fiber deposition was allevia-ted,and α-SMA and Fn expression was reduced.It was worth noting that low-dose newly formulated Tadalafil tablets were found to be as effective as high-dose Cia-lis.In a cellular model,Tadalafil significantly inhibited the activation of LX-2 cells and reduced the expression of proteins related to cell activation.Conclusions The newly formulated Tadalafil tablets can significantly inhibit HSCs activation,reduce extracellular matrix(ECM)deposition,improve liver fibrosis and liver function damage caused by CCl4.This new formulation offers a significant advantage over Cialis in terms of ef-fectiveness,with a lower effective dose.