Objective To establish a method for simultaneous determination of four high-molecular-weight thiol derivatives (TDs) in workplace air by gas chromatography. Methods The four kinds of vapor-phase macromolecular TDs (1-pentanethiol, 1-hexanethiol, 1-benzyl mercaptan, and n-octanethiol) in the workplace air were collected using the GDH-1 air sampling tubes, desorbed with anhydrous ethanol, separated on a DB-FFAP capillary column, and determined by flame ionization detector. Results The quantitation range of the four TDs was 0.30-207.37 mg/L, with the correlation coefficients greater than 0.999 00. The minimum detection mass concentrations and minimum quantitation mass concentrations were 0.18-0.32 and 0.60-1.05 mg/m³, respectively (both calculated based on the 1.5 L sample and 3.0 mL desorption solvent). The mean desorption efficiencies ranged from 87.07% to 103.59%. The within-run and between-run relative standard deviations were 1.92%-8.22% and 1.89%-8.45%, respectively. The samples can be stored at room temperature or 4 ℃ for three days and up to 7 days at -18 ℃. Conclusion This method is suitable for the simultaneous determination of four vapor-phase TDs in workplace air.

Objective To explore the safety and effects of alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) in patients with ischemic heart failure (IHF). Methods A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was designed (ClinicalTrial.gov registration number NCT03491969). From January 2019 to January 2023, 300 patients with IHF were enrolled in four medical centers in China, and were randomly assigned at a 1∶1 ratio to receive ALA (600 mg daily) or placebo on top of standard care for 24 months. The primary outcome was the composite outcome of hospitalization for heart failure (HF) or all-cause mortality events. The second outcome included non-fatal myocardial infarction (MI), non-fatal stroke, changes of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and 6-minute walking distance (6MWD) from baseline to 24 months after randomization. Results Finally, 138 patients of the ALA group and 139 patients of the placebo group attained the primary outcome. Hospitalization for HF or all-cause mortality events occurred in 32 patients (23.2%) of the ALA group and in 40 patients (28.8%) of the placebo group (HR＝0.753, 95%CI 0.473-1.198, P＝0.231; Figure 1A-1C). The absolute risk reduction (ARR) was 5.6%, the relative risk reduction (RRR) associated with ALA therapy was approximately 19.4% compared to placebo, corresponding to a number needed to treat (NNT) of 18 patients to prevent one event. In the secondary outcome analysis, the composite outcome of the major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) including the hospitalization for HF, all-cause mortality events, non-fatal MI or non-fatal stroke occurred in 35 patients (25.4%) in the ALA group and 47 patients (33.8%) in the placebo group (HR＝0.685, 95%CI 0.442-1.062, P＝0.091; Figure 1D). Moreover, greater improvement in LVEF (β＝3.20, 95%CI 1.14-5.23, P＝0.002) and 6MWD (β＝31.7, 95%CI 8.3-54.7, P＝0.008) from baseline to 24 months after randomization were observed in the ALA group as compared to the placebo group. There were no differences in adverse events between the study groups. Conclusions These results show potential long-term beneficial effects of adding ALA to IHF patients. ALA could significantly improve LVEF and 6MWD compared to the placebo group in IHF patients.

OBJECTIVE: To provide the experience and demonstration for the transformation of acupuncture-moxibustion techniques standards from Chinese national standards to international standards. METHODS: Questionnaire research, literature research, semi-structured interviews and expert consultation were used. RESULTS: The safety of acupuncture-moxibustion techniques was evaluated through literature research, and based on the results of the questionnaire survey, expert interviews, and expert consultation, 11 main bodies and structure of the former Chinese national standard, Technical Benchmark of Acupuncture and Moxibustion: General Rules for Drafting, were adjusted and optimized in accordance with the requirements of international standard (including the language, normative references, purpose, scope, applicable environment, target population, work team, terms and definitions, general principles and basic requirements, structural elements and text structure, and compilation process); and the first international standard, World Federation of Acupuncture-Moxibustion Societis (WFAS) Technical Benchmark of Acupuncture and Moxibustion: General Rules for Drafting was formulated to specify the general rules for drafting. CONCLUSION The 3 key questions, "international compatibility", "technical operability" and "safety" should be solved technically on the basis of explicit international requirements. It is the core technical issue during transforming the national standards of technical benchmark of acupuncture and moxibustion into international standards.
Moxibustion/methods* ; Acupuncture Therapy/methods* ; Humans ; Translational Research, Biomedical/standards* ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; China ; Benchmarking/standards*

Disruption of the intestinal mucosal barrier caused by gut dysbiosis and metabolic imbalance is the underlying pathology of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Traditional Chinese medicine Wuji Wan (WJW) is commonly used to treat digestive system disorders and showed therapeutic potential for IBD. In this interdisciplinary study, we aim to investigate the pharmacological effects of WJW against experimental colitis by combining functional metabolomics and gut-microbiota sequencing techniques. Treatment with WJW altered the profile of the intestinal microbiota and notably increased the abundance of Lactobacillus, thereby facilitating the conversion of tryptophan into indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and indoleacrylic acid (IA). These indole derivatives activated the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) pathway, which reduced colonic inflammation and restored the expression of intestinal barrier proteins. Interestingly, the beneficial effects of WJW on gut barrier function improvement and tryptophan metabolism were disappeared in the absence of gut microbiota. Finally, pre-treatment with the AhR antagonist CH-223191 confirmed the essential role of IAA-mediated AhR activation in the therapeutic effects of WJW. Overall, WJW enhanced intestinal barrier function and reduced colonic inflammation in a murine colitis model by modulating Lactobacillus-IAA-AhR signaling pathway. This study provides novel insights into colitis pathogenesis and presents an effective therapeutic and preventive approach against IBD.

Objective To establish an ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry method for the determination of N-(1,3-dimethylbutyl)-N′-phenyl-p-phenylenediamine quinone (6PPDQ) in human plasma and urine. Methods Plasma and urine samples (0.3 mL each) were mixed with 0.9 mL acetonitrile and dichloromethane, vortexed, and subjected to ultrasonic treatment to facilitate extraction. After centrifugation, the extract was collected, evaporated to dry powder under nitrogen, and reconstituted. Separation was performed on a C18 column, and detection was carried out using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry with external standard quantification. Results 6PPDQ showed good linearity in the range of 0.01-25.00 μg/L in both human plasma and urine, with correlation coefficients of 0.999 5 and 0.999 7, respectively. The detection limits for plasma and urine were 8 and 6 ng/L, and the lower limits of quantification were 27 and 19 ng/L, respectively. The average recovery rates were 97.00%-100.00% for plasma and 90.00%-96.50% for urine. The within-run relative standard deviations (RSDs) were 4.35%-10.00% for plasma and 2.34%-11.11% for urine, while the between-run RSDs were 6.80%-8.46% and 2.60%-10.00%, respectively. Samples can be stored for seven days at 4 ℃ or -20 ℃. respectively. Samples can be stored for seven days at 4 ℃ or -20 ℃. Matrix effects ranged from 87.12%-99.27% for plasma and 91.00%-97.56% for urine. Conclusion The proposed method is simple, highly sensitive, and reproducible, and is suitable for the determination of 6PPDQ in human plasma and urine samples.

Objective:To determine the effects of early enteral nutrition (EEN) on the short-term prognosis of patients receiving veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO).Methods:61 patients admitted to the Coronary Care Unit (CCU) of Henan Provincial Peoples' Hospital from February 2022 to March 2023 to receive VA-ECMO treatment were selected as the study objects according a retrospective survey. The patients were divided into an achievement group ( n=34) and a non-achievement group ( n=27) based on whether the feeding amount reached 70% or over of the target calories (25kcal/kg.d) on the 7th day of ECMO treatment. The general characteristics, disease information, complications, and prognosis between the two groups after ICU admission were recorded and compared. A multivariable Cox proportional hazards model was used to evaluate the impact of various factors on clinical outcomes. Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to draw survival curves for the two groups, and the predictive value of the ratio of actual EN intake to target energy was calculated by plotting the ROC curve. Results:A total of 61 patients were included, with an overall in-hospital mortality rate of 50.82% (31/61), with 32.35% (11/34) in the achievement group, and 70.37% (19/27) in the non-achievement group. Cox regression analysis revealed that the occurrence of hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HR=0.341, 95% CI:0.119-0.975), ECOM weaning failure ( HR=0.269, 95% CI:0.111-0.651), and achieving EN targets on the 7th day of VA-ECMO treatment ( HR=10.891, 95% CI:1.178-100.718) were independent factors for patient mortality during hospitalization. The ROC curve for the percentage of EN achievement on the 7th day of VA-ECMO treatment and in-hospital mortality showed an area under the curve of 0.755, with a cutoff value of 0.73. Conclusion:The presence of ischemic hypoxic encephalopathy, ECOM weaning failure, and whether achieving EN targets or not is closely related to the prognosis of VA-ECMO patients. Patients who achieving EN targets of over 73% had the lowest in-hospital mortality rate. Therefore, more attention should be paid to the energy intake of VA-ECMO patients to reduce their risk of mortality.

Objective To analyze the expression level of ATP5A1 in gastric carcinoma and its influence on the prognosis of the patients and glucose metabolism in the tumor cells.Methods We retrospectively analyzed the data of 115 patients undergoing radical resection of gastric carcinoma in our hospital from February,2013 to November,2016.ATP5A1 expression in the surgical specimens were detected using immunohistochemistry,and the long-term prognosis of the patients with high(n=58)and low ATP5A1 expression(n=57)were analyzed.In gastric carcinoma MGC803 cells,the effects of lentivirus-mediated ATP5A1 knockdown or overexpression on glucose metabolism were investigated.We also observed the growth and glucose metabolism of xenografts derived from MGC803 cells with ATP5A1 knockdown or overexpression in nude mice.Results ATP5A1 was significantly overexpressed in gastric carcinoma tissues in close correlation with blood CEA and CA19-9 levels,pathological grade,T stage and N stage(P<0.05).ATP5A1 overexpression was an independent risk factor for a significantly lowered 5-year survival rate of patients with gastric carcinoma(P<0.05).ROC curve analysis demonstrated the predictive value of high ATP5A1 expression for the patients'prognosis(P<0.001).In MGC803 cells,ATP5A1 overexpression significantly up-regulated cellular glucose uptake and lactate production and increased the protein levels of HK2,PFK1,and LDHA(P<0.05),while ATP5A1 knockdown produced the opposite changes(P<0.05).In the tumor-bearing mice,overexpression of ATP5A1 increased glucose metabolism of the tumor cells and promoted tumor growth(P<0.05).Overexpression of ATP5A1 promoted the expressions of p-JNK and p-JUN in MGC803 cells(P<0.05),and the JNK inhibitor SP600125 significantly inhibited the enhancement of cellular glucose metabolism induced by ATP5A1 overexpression(P<0.05).Conclusion High ATP5A1 expression in gastric cancer is associated a poor long-term prognosis of the patients,and its effect is mediated at least partly by promoting glucose metabolism of the cells through the JNK/JUN pathway.

Currently,human health due to corona virus disease 2019(COVID-19)pandemic has been seriously threatened.The coronavirus severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2(SARS-CoV-2)spike(S)protein plays a crucial role in virus transmission and several S-based therapeutic approaches have been approved for the treatment of COVID-19.However,the efficacy is compromised by the SARS-CoV-2 evolvement and mutation.Here we report the SARS-CoV-2 S protein receptor-binding domain(RBD)inhibitor licorice-saponin A3(A3)could widely inhibit RBD of SARS-CoV-2 variants,including Beta,Delta,and Omicron BA.1,XBB and BQ1.1.Furthermore,A3 could potently inhibit SARS-CoV-2 Omicron virus in Vero E6 cells,with EC50 of 1.016 pM.The mechanism was related to binding with Y453 of RBD deter-mined by hydrogen-deuterium exchange mass spectrometry(HDX-MS)analysis combined with quan-tum mechanics/molecular mechanics(QM/MM)simulations.Interestingly,phosphoproteomics analysis and multi fluorescent immunohistochemistry(mIHC)respectively indicated that A3 also inhibits host inflammation by directly modulating the JNK and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase(MAPK)path-ways and rebalancing the corresponding immune dysregulation.This work supports A3 as a promising broad-spectrum small molecule drug candidate for COVID-19.

Objective To investigate the impacts of phillyrin on exudates and lung injury in rats with acute pleurisy by regulating the NLRP3 inflammatory pathway.Methods Ninety rats were randomly divided into the control group,the model group,the low-dose phillyrin(PH-L,5 mg/kg)group,the medium-dose phillyrin(PH-M,10 mg/kg)group,the high-dose phillyrin(PH-H,20 mg/kg)group and the NLRP3 pathway inhibitor(PJ34,10 mg/kg)group.FVC,FEV 0.1 and FEV 0.3 were detected by lung function analyzer.Electronic balance was used to weigh the mass of chest exudate.The number of white blood cells in exudate was detected by Wright staining.Contents of prostaglandin E2(PGE2),monocyte chemoattractant protein-1(MCP-1),interleukin(IL)-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α)in exudate were detected by ELISA.Automatic blood gas analyzer was used to detect p(CO2)and p(O2)of rats.HE staining was used to observe pathological changes of lung tissue.The expression levels of NLRP3 and Caspase-1 protein were detected by immunohistochemistry.Western blot assay was used to detect the expression of NLRP3 pathway protein.Results Compared with the control group,the quality of pleural exudate and the number of white blood cells,the contents of PGE2,MCP-1,IL-6,TNF-α,the expression of p(CO2)and NLRP3 pathway proteins in exudate of the model group increased obviously,FVC,FEV 0.1,FEV 0.3 and p(O2)decreased obviously,and the lung tissue showed obvious pathological damage(P＜0.05).Compared with the model group,the quality of pleural exudate and the number of white blood cells,the contents of PGE2,MCP-1,IL-6,TNF-α,the expression of p(CO2),NLRP3 pathway proteins in the exudate of rats decreased obviously in the PH group and the PJ34 group,FVC,FEV 0.1,FEV 0.3 and p(O2)increased obviously,the pathological injury of lung tissue was obviously improved(P＜0.05).Compared with the PH-H group,there were no significant differences in the above indexes in the PJ34 group(P＞0.05).Conclusion PH can improve lung injury induced by acute pleurisy in rats by inhibiting the activation of NLRP3 pathway and inhibiting inflammatory reaction.

Objective To investigate the value of thrombomodulin(TM),thrombin-antithrombin complex(TAT),α2 plasmin inhibitor-plasmin complex(PIC)and tissue plasminogen activator-inhibitor complex(t-PAIC)in the diagnosis and prognosis of neonatal disseminated intravascular coagulation(DIC).Methods Eighty-seven DIC neonates(the observation group)were included and divided into the survival group(66 cases)and the death group(21 cases)based on their outcomes at discharge.And 50 healthy newborns born in the same period were selected as the control group.The clinical data of neonates were collected,and risk factors of neonatal DIC were analyzed by Logistic regression.The differences of TM,TAT,PIC and t-PAIC levels in different groups were analyzed.The receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was used to analyze values of TM,TAT,PIC and t-PAIC in the diagnosis and prognosis of neonatal DIC.Results The incidence of low Apgar score,birth asphyxia,IVH,sepsis and maternal pregnancy induced hypertension syndrome(PIH)were higher in the observation group than those in the control group(P＜0.05).Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that low Apgar score,birth asphyxia,sepsis and PIH were independent risk factors for neonatal DIC.TM,TAT,PIC and t-PAIC levels were higher in the observation group than those in the control group(P＜0.05).ROC curve showed that the combined diagnosis value of TM,TAT,PIC and t-PAIC was better than that of single diagnosis of neonatal DIC.TM and TAT levels were higher in the death group than those in the survival group(P＜0.05),and there were no significant differences in PIC and t-PAIC levels between the two groups.Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that elevated TAT level was an independent risk factor for neonatal DIC prognosis.ROC curve showed that when TAT was 21.72 μg/L,the area under the curve for predicting neonatal DIC prognosis was 0.772(95%CI:0.666-0.878),and the sensitivity and specificity were 76.2%and 71.2%,respectively.Conclusion The combined application of TM,TAT,PIC and t-PAIC has important clinical value in diagnosis and prognosis evaluation of neonatal DIC.