OBJECTIVE To explore the effects of isorhamnetin on the development of gastric cancer through up-regulation of solute carrier family 25 member 25 antisense RNA 1（SLC25A25-AS1）. METHODS Using BALB/c nude mice as the subjects， the xenograft tumor model was established by subcutaneously inoculating human gastric cancer MKN28 cells into the axillary region. The effects of low and high doses of isorhamnetin （20 and 40 mg/kg） on the tumor volume and mass in nude mice were investigated. MKN28 cells were selected and divided into control group， isorhamnetin group （70 μmol/L， similarly hereinafter）， isorhamnetin+knocking down negative control group， isorhamnetin+knocking down SLC25A25-AS1 group， isorhamnetin+ overexpression negative control group and isorhamnetin+overexpressing SLC25A25-AS1 group. Effects of knocking down/ overexpressing SLC25A25-AS1 on viability， apoptosis， migration and invasion ability of isorhamnetin-treated cells were detected. After verifying the targeting relationships between microRNA-212-3p （miR-212-3p） and SLC25A25-AS1， as well as phosphatase and tensin homologue deleted on chromosome 10 （PTEN）， the effects of knocking down/overexpressing SLC25A25-AS1 on the expression of miR-212-3p， PTEN mRNA， and PTEN protein in isorhamnetin-treated cells were investigated. RESULTS Compared with the model control group， tumor volume and mass of nude mice in the isorhamnetin low-dose and high-dose groups were reduced significantly， and the isorhamnetin high-dose group was significantly lower than the isorhamnetin low-dose group （P＜0.05）. miR-212-3p had targeting relationships with SLC25A25-AS1 and PTEN. Compared with the control group， the cell viability （intervened for 24， 48 h）， migration number， invasion number and miR-212-3p expression of cells in the isorhamnetin group， isorhamnetin+knocking down negative control group and isorhamnetin+overexpressing negative control group were significantly reduced or decreased or down-regulated， while the apoptosis rate， mRNA and protein expressions of PTEN were significantly increased or up-regulated （P＜0.05）. Compared with isorhamnetin group and isorhamnetin+knocking down negative control group， the cell viability， migration number， invasion number and miR-212-3p expression of cells in the isorhamnetin+knocking down SLC25A25-AS1 group were significantly increased or up- regulated， while the apoptosis rate， mRNA and protein expressions of PTEN were significantly reduced or down-regulated （P＜ 0.05）. Compared with isorhamnetin group and isorhamnetin+overexpressing negative control group， the cell viability， migration number， invasion number and miR-212-3p expression of cells in isorhamnetin+overexpressing SLC25A25-AS1 group were significantly reduced or decreased or down-regulated， while the apoptosis rate， PTEN mRNA and protein expressions were significantly increased or up-regulated （P＜0.05）. CONCLUSIONS Isorhamnetin may inhibit the development of gastric cancer by up-regulating the expression of SLC25A25-AS1， down-regulating miR-212-3p， and up-regulating the expression of PTEN， which is a downstream target of miR-212-3p.

ObjectiveTo observe the clinical efficacy and safety of Modified Guomin Decoction （加味过敏煎， MGD） in patients with mild to moderate atopic dermatitis （AD） of the traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） pattern of heart fire and spleen deficiency， and to explore its possible mechanisms. MethodsIn this randomized， double-blind， placebo-controlled study， 72 patients with mild to moderate AD and the TCM pattern of heart fire and spleen deficiency were randomly divided into a treatment group and a control group， with 36 cases in each group. The treatment group received oral MGD granules combined with topical vitamin E emulsion， while the control group received oral placebo granules combined with topical vitamin E treatment. Both groups were treated twice daily for 4 weeks. Clinical efficacy， TCM syndrome scores， Visual Analogue Scale （VAS） for pruritus， Dermatology Life Quality Index （DLQI） scores， Scoring Atopic Dermatitis （SCORAD） and serum biomarkers， including interleukin-33 （IL-33）， interleukin-1β （IL-1β）， immunoglobulin E （IgE）， and tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α） were compared before and after treatment. Safety indexes was also assessed. ResultsThe total clinical effective rates were 77.78% （28/36） in the treatment group and 38.89% （14/36） in the control group， with cure rates of 19.44% （7/36） and 2.78% （1/36）， respectively. The treatment group showed significantly better clinical outcomes compared to the control group （P＜0.05）. The treatment group exhibited significant reductions in total TCM syndrome scores， including erythema， edema， papules， scaling， lichenification， pruritus， irritability， insomnia， abdominal distension， and fatigue scores， as well as reductions in VAS， DLQI， SCORAD， and serum IgE and IL-33 levels （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. Compared to the control group， the treatment group had significantly better improvements in all indicators except for insomnia （P＜0.05）. No adverse events occurred in either group. ConclusionMGD is effective and safe in treating mild to moderate AD patients with heart fire and spleen deficiency pattern. It significantly alleviates pruritus， improves TCM syndromes and quality of life， and enhances clinical efficacy， possibly through modulation of immune responses.

BACKGROUND: The available evidence regarding the benefits of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) on patients receiving dialysis with coronary artery disease (CAD) is limited and inconsistent. This study aimed to evaluate the association between PCI and clinical outcomes as compared with medical therapy alone in patients undergoing dialysis with CAD in China. METHODS: This multicenter, retrospective study was conducted in 30 tertiary medical centers across 12 provinces in China from January 2015 to June 2021 to include patients on dialysis with CAD. The primary outcome was major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), defined as a composite of cardiovascular death, non-fatal myocardial infarction, and non-fatal stroke. Secondary outcomes included all-cause death, the individual components of MACE, and Bleeding Academic Research Consortium criteria types 2, 3, or 5 bleeding. Multivariable Cox proportional hazard models were used to assess the association between PCI and outcomes. Inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) and propensity score matching (PSM) were performed to account for potential between-group differences. RESULTS: Of the 1146 patients on dialysis with significant CAD, 821 (71.6%) underwent PCI. After a median follow-up of 23.0 months, PCI was associated with a 43.0% significantly lower risk for MACE (33.9% [ n  = 278] vs . 43.7% [ n  = 142]; adjusted hazards ratio 0.57, 95% confidence interval 0.45-0.71), along with a slightly increased risk for bleeding outcomes that did not reach statistical significance (11.1% vs . 8.3%; adjusted hazards ratio 1.31, 95% confidence interval, 0.82-2.11). Furthermore, PCI was associated with a significant reduction in all-cause and cardiovascular mortalities. Subgroup analysis did not modify the association of PCI with patient outcomes. These primary findings were consistent across IPTW, PSM, and competing risk analyses. CONCLUSION This study indicated that PCI in patients on dialysis with CAD was significantly associated with lower MACE and mortality when comparing with those with medical therapy alone, albeit with a slightly increased risk for bleeding events that did not reach statistical significance.
Humans ; Percutaneous Coronary Intervention/methods* ; Male ; Female ; Coronary Artery Disease/drug therapy* ; Retrospective Studies ; Renal Dialysis/methods* ; Middle Aged ; Aged ; China ; Proportional Hazards Models ; Treatment Outcome

Stem cell treatment may enhance erectile dysfunction (ED) in individuals with cavernous nerve injury (CNI). Nevertheless, no investigations have directly ascertained the implications of varying amounts of human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells (HUC-MSCs) on ED. We compare the efficacy of three various doses of HUC-MSCs as a therapeutic strategy for ED. Sprague-Dawley rats (total = 175) were randomly allocated into five groups. A total of 35 rats underwent sham surgery and 140 rats endured bilateral CNI and were treated with vehicles or doses of HUC-MSCs (1 × 10 6 cells, 5 × 10 6 cells, and 1 × 10 7 cells in 0.1 ml, respectively). Penile tissues were harvested for histological analysis on 1 day, 3 days, 7 days, 14 days, 28 days, 60 days, and 90 days postsurgery. It was found that varying dosages of HUC-MSCs enhanced the erectile function of rats with bilateral CNI and ED. Moreover, there was no significant disparity in the effectiveness of various dosages of HUC-MSCs. However, the expression of endothelial markers (rat endothelial cell antigen-1 [RECA-1] and endothelial nitric oxide synthase [eNOS]), smooth muscle markers (alpha smooth muscle actin [α-SMA] and desmin), and neural markers (neurofilament [RECA-1] and neurogenic nitric oxide synthase [nNOS]) increased significantly with prolonged treatment time. Masson's staining demonstrated an increased in the smooth muscle cell (SMC)/collagen ratio. Significant changes were detected in the microstructures of various types of cells. In vivo imaging system (IVIS) analysis showed that at the 1 st day, the HUC-MSCs implanted moved to the site of damage. Additionally, the oxidative stress levels were dramatically reduced in the penises of rats administered with HUC-MSCs.
Male ; Animals ; Erectile Dysfunction/metabolism* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation/methods* ; Rats ; Penis/pathology* ; Humans ; Disease Models, Animal ; Umbilical Cord/cytology* ; Peripheral Nerve Injuries/complications* ; Mesenchymal Stem Cells ; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III/metabolism* ; Actins/metabolism* ; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type I/metabolism*

Researchers commonly use cyclization recombination enzyme/locus of X-over P1 (Cre/loxP) technology-based conditional gene knockouts of model mice to investigate the functional roles of genes of interest in Sertoli and Leydig cells within the testis. However, the shortcomings of these genetic tools include high costs, lengthy experimental periods, and limited accessibility for researchers. Therefore, exploring alternative gene silencing techniques is of great practical value. In this study, we employed adeno-associated virus (AAV) as a vector for gene silencing in Sertoli and Leydig cells. Our findings demonstrated that AAV serotypes 1, 8, and 9 exhibited high infection efficiency in both types of testis cells. Importantly, we discovered that all three AAV serotypes exhibited exquisite specificity in targeting Sertoli cells via tubular injection while demonstrating remarkable selectivity in targeting Leydig cells via interstitial injection. We achieved cell-specific knockouts of the steroidogenic acute regulatory ( Star ) and luteinizing hormone/human chorionic gonadotropin receptor (Lhcgr) genes in Leydig cells, but not in Sertoli cells, using AAV9-single guide RNA (sgRNA)-mediated gene editing in Rosa26-LSL-Cas9 mice. Knockdown of androgen receptor ( Ar ) gene expression in Sertoli cells of wild-type mice was achieved via tubular injection of AAV9-short hairpin RNA (shRNA)-mediated targeting. Our findings offer technical approaches for investigating gene function in Sertoli and Leydig cells through AAV9-mediated gene silencing.
Animals ; Male ; Leydig Cells/metabolism* ; Mice ; Dependovirus/genetics* ; Sertoli Cells/metabolism* ; Gene Silencing ; Genetic Vectors ; Testis/cytology*

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the therapeutic effect of Yu Melody relaxation training (YMRT) combined with Jianpi Jieyu Decoction (JJD) in treating patients with insomnia disorders (ID). METHODS: In this randomized controlled study, 94 ID patients were included from Xiyuan Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences from September 2022 to January 2024. They were randomly assigned to the YMRT group (47 cases, YMRT plus JJD) and the control group (47 cases, oral JJD) using a random number table. Both treatment administrations lasted for 4 weeks, with a 2-week follow-up. The primary outcome was change in Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) scores from baseline to 4 weeks of intervention. Secondary outcomes included ISI response at week 4, as well as ISI, Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), and Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item (GAD-7) scores at baseline and weeks 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6. Additionally, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) scores were evaluated at baseline and weeks 4 and 6. Adverse events (AEs) were recorded and compared between groups. RESULTS: Five patients in each group did not complete the protocol requirements. The overall dropout rate was 10.64%. The full analysis set included all 47 cases in each group. The ISI score decreased significantly at week 4 from baseline in the YMRT group compared with the control group, with a between-group difference of -3.2 points [95% confidence interval (CI): -5.08 to -1.34; P<0.05]. The ISI response at week 4 in the YMRT group was significantly higher than that in the control group (85.11% vs. 51.06%), with a between-group difference of 34.05% (95% CI: 13.77% to 50.97%; P<0.05). At week 6, the YMRT group demonstrated greater reductions from baseline than the control group, with between-group differences of -2.1 points (-95% CI: -3.49 to -0.64; P<0.05) for PHQ-9 scores, -3.5 points (95% CI: -5.21 to -1.85; P<0.05) for PSQI scores, and -1.9 points (95% CI: -3.47 to -0.28; P<0.05) for GAD-7 scores. Moreover, at weeks 4 and 6, the ISI and PSQI scores in the YMRT group were significantly lower than those in the control group (P<0.05); and at week 6, the PHQ-9 score in the YMRT group was significantly lower (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the incidence rates of AEs between the two groups (8.51% vs. 4.26%, P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS YMRT combined with oral JJD could improve sleep quality and alleviate depressive and anxiety symptoms in patients with ID. This combined therapy was effective and safe, and its effect was superior to oral JJD alone. (Registration No. ChiCTR2200063884).
Humans ; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders/drug therapy* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Male ; Female ; Relaxation Therapy/methods* ; Middle Aged ; Adult ; Treatment Outcome ; Combined Modality Therapy

The PA-PB1 interface of the influenza polymerase is an attractive site for antiviral drug design. In this study, we designed and synthesized a mini-library of indazole-containing compounds based on rational structure-based design to target the PB1-binding interface on PA. Biological evaluation of these compounds through a viral yield reduction assay revealed that compounds 27 and 31 both had a low micromolar range of the half maximal effective concentration (EC₅₀) values against A/WSN/33 (H1N1) (8.03 μmol/L for 27; 14.6 μmol/L for 31), while the most potent candidate 24 had an EC₅₀ value of 690 nM. Compound 24 was effective against different influenza strains including a pandemic H1N1 strain and an influenza B strain. Mechanistic studies confirmed that compound 24 bound PA with a K _d which equals to 1.88 μmol/L and disrupted the binding of PB1 to PA. The compound also decreased the lung viral titre in mice. In summary, we have identified a potent anti-influenza candidate with potency comparable to existing drugs and is effective against different viral strains. The therapeutic options for influenza infection have been limited by the occurrence of antiviral resistance, owing to the high mutation rate of viral proteins targeted by available drugs. To alleviate the public health burden of this issue, novel anti-influenza drugs are desired. In this study, we present our discovery of a novel class of indazole-containing compounds which exhibited favourable potency against both influenza A and B viruses. The EC₅₀ of the most potent compounds were within low micromolar to nanomolar concentrations. Furthermore, we show that the mouse lung viral titre decreased due to treatment with compound 24. Thus our findings identify promising candidates for further development of anti-influenza drugs suitable for clinical use.

Laboratory testing is a vital chain in the prevention and control of genital chlamydia trachomatis infection. The prevalence of genital chlamydia trachomatis infection is high, but the detection rate of the infection is low in men who have sex with men (MSM) in China. Self-sampling for genital chlamydia trachomatis detection by MSM is a new option to address this problem, which would play a significant role in expanding genital chlamydia trachomatis infection screening in this population. This paper summarizes the progress in research of self-sampling for the detection of genital chlamydia trachomatis and the related factors in MSM both at home and abroad to provide reference for the promotion of self-sampling for the detection of genital chlamydia trachomatis in this population.

Objective:To explore the incidence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in a cohort aged 40 years and above in Songjiang District, Shanghai, and to analyze the association of Mediterranean diet pattern and dietary approaches in stopping hypertension pattern (DASH) with the risk of developing COPD.Methods:Based on a natural population cohort in Songjiang District, Shanghai, 27 474 adults aged 40 years and above who did not have COPD at baseline were enrolled in the study. The Cox proportional risk regression model was used to analyze the association of baseline Mediterranean diet pattern score and DASH score with the risk of COPD, and the hazard ratio ( HR) of the risk and its 95% CI were calculated. Restricted cubic spline was used to analyze the nonlinear association between the two diet scores and the risk of COPD. Stratified analyses were performed according to gender, age, smoking status, etcetera. Sensitivity analyses were conducted by censoring cases diagnosed within one year after the baseline survey or people with a history of malignant tumor disease. Results:As of June 30, 2023, after a median follow-up time of 6.21 years, there were 1 089 (4.0%) new COPD cases with an incidence density of 64.00 per 10 000 person-years. After adjusting for relevant confounders, in the Mediterranean tertile subgroups under diet pattern score, the risk of developing COPD could be reduced by approximately 14% in the intermediate scoring group ( HR=0.86, 95% CI: 0.75-0.99) and 15% in the highest scoring group ( HR=0.85, 95% CI: 0.72-0.99) compared to the lowest scoring group. The association remained after censoring cases diagnosed within one year of the baseline survey ( HR=0.82, 95% CI: 0.70-0.95; HR=0.82, 95% CI: 0.68-0.97) or censoring people with a history of malignant tumor disease ( HR=0.84, 95% CI: 0.73-0.97; HR=0.84, 95% CI: 0.71-0.99). No statistical association was found between the DASH score and the risk of COPD. Conclusions:The Mediterranean diet pattern was associated with a lower risk of COPD. Increasing the intake of vegetables, fruits, legumes, and whole grains and decreasing the intake of red meat and others can reduce the risk of COPD. No association was found between the DASH dietary pattern and the risk of COPD in this community population.

Objective To explore the mechanism of electroacupuncture pretreatment(EP)for relieving post-stroke spasticity in rats.Methods Eighteen rats were randomized equally into sham-operated group,middle cerebral artery occlusion(MCAO)group,and MCAO+EP group.In MCAO+EP group,the rats received electroacupuncture at the acupoints Qubin and Baihui for 3 consecutive days prior to MCAO.Neurological deficits and cognitive function of the rats were evaluated,and pathologies in the hippocampus were examined using HE,Nissl,and TUNEL staining.The expressions of IL-4,IL-6,TNF-α,and TMAO in the brain tissues were detected with ELISA,and the mRNA and protein expression levels of NF-κB p65,NLRP3,caspase-3,and caspase-9 were determined with qRT-PCR,Western blotting,and immunohistochemistry.Results The rats receiving MCAO had significantly increased neurological deficit scores and showed increased muscle tension,number of apoptotic neurons,and expressions of IL-6,TNF-α,NF-κB p65,NLRP3,caspase-3 and caspase-9 in the hippocampus and significantly reduced length of time for new object recognition.Microscopically,the cells in the hippocampus of the MCAO rats showed uneven and loosened arrangement and unclear cell boundaries.In contrast,the rats in I/R+EP group showed significantly lowered neurological deficit scores and dystonia rating scores,reduced cell apoptosis,lowered hippocampal expressions of IL-6,TNF-α,caspase-3,caspase-9,and NF-κB p65,increased time for new object recognition,tightly arranged and uniformly stained hippocampal cells with clear boundaries,with also an increased number of active neurons and enhanced expression of IL-4 in the hippocampus.Conclusion EP alleviates post-stroke spasticity in rats by inhibiting inflammatory responses and hippocampal neuronal apoptosis mediated by the NF-κB/NLRP3 signaling pathway.