The analysis presented here is based on the blood components of Guanxin Qiwei tablets, the key anti-atherosclerosis pathway of Guanxin Qiwei tablets was screened by network pharmacology, and the anti-atherosclerosis mechanism of Guanxin Qiwei tablets was clarified and verified by cell experiments. HPLC-Q-Exactive-MS/MS technique was used to analyze the components of Guanxin Qiwei tablets into blood, to determine the precise mass charge ratio of the compounds, and to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the components by using secondary mass spectrometry fragments and literature comparison. Finally, a total of 42 components of Guanxin Qiwei tablets into blood were identified. To better understand the interactions, we employed the Swiss Target Prediction database to predict the associated targets. Atherosclerosis (AS) disease targets were searched in disease databases Genecard, OMIM and Disgent, and 181 intersection targets of disease targets and component targets were obtained by Venny 2.1.0 software. Protein interactions were analyzed by String database. The 32 core targets were selected by Cytscape software. Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis were performed in DAVID database. It was found that the anti-atherosclerosis pathways of Guanxin Qiwei tablets mainly include lipid metabolism and atherosclerosis and AGE-RAGE signaling pathway in diabetic complications and other signal pathways. The core targets and the core compounds were interlinked, and it was found that cryptotanshinone and tanshinone ⅡA in Guanxin Qiwei tablets were well bound to TNF, PPARγ, AKT1, PTG2 and other targets. The lipid metabolism and atherosclerotic pathway was verified using human hl-7702 hepatocytes. This study preliminarily identified the potential pharmacodynamic components of Guanxin Qiwei tablets in the treatment of AS diseases and predicted their pathways of action, and verified the relationship between regulating lipid metabolism and atherosclerosis of Guanxin Qiwei tablets in vitro, providing a reference for the further study of the pharmacodynamic material basis and mechanism of action of this prescription. This experiment was approved by the Medical Ethics Committee of Inner Mongolia Medical University (No. YKD202401262).

Asarum forbesii is a perennial herb born in a shaded and humid environment, which is warm in nature. With the efficacy of warming lung, resolving fluid retention, and relieving coughs, it can be used to treat the syndrome of cold fluid accumulating in lung. To investigate the effects of different shading conditions on the composition and efficacy of A. forbesii, this study planted A. forbesii under 20% natural light(NL20), 40% natural light(NL40), 60% natural light(NL60), and 80% natural light(NL80) and utilized ultra performance liquid chromatography(UPLC) and micro broth 2-fold dilution method to detect the volatile chemical compounds and the minimum inhibitory concentration. At the same time, the study investigated the effects of A. forbesii grown under different shading conditions on the signs, pathological changes of lung tissues, serum cytokine levels, activities of mitochondrial respiratory chain complexes Ⅰ-Ⅴ in lung tissues, and relative expression of related genes of mice with syndrome of cold fluid accumulating in lung. The results indicated that with the increase of shading, the content of kakuol, methyl eugenol, and asarinin in A. forbesii and the antibacterial effect showed a tendency of increasing first and then decreasing, and the NL40 group was significantly better than the other groups. Under the conditions of NL20 and NL40, A. forbesii significantly alleviated the pathological damage to lung tissues, restored the homeostasis of the lung, and enhanced the energy metabolism level of mice with syndrome of cold fluid accumulating in lung. In addition, A. forbesii planted under the two conditions reduced the content of interleukin-8(IL-8), interleukin-13(IL-13), tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α), and mucin 5AC(MUC5AC), increased the levels of interleukin-10(IL-10) and aquaporin 1(AQP1), lowered the expression of MMP9, VEGF, TGF-β, and MAPK3. In conclusion, the therapeutic effect of A. forbesii on the syndrome of cold fluid accumulating in lung was positively correlated with the degree of shading, and the chemical composition and efficacy of warming lung and resolving fluid retention were optimal under the conditions of NL20-NL40. This study can provide reference for the pharmacological research and cultivation of A. forbesii.
Animals ; Mice ; Lung/pathology* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage* ; Male ; Light ; Cytokines/genetics* ; Humans

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the genomic characteristics and prognostic factors of juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia (JMML) with RAS mutations. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of JMML children with RAS mutations treated at the Hematology Hospital of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, from January 2008 to November 2022. RESULTS: A total of 34 children were included, with 17 cases (50%) having isolated NRAS mutations, 9 cases (27%) having isolated KRAS mutations, and 8 cases (24%) having compound mutations. Compared to children with isolated NRAS mutations, those with NRAS compound mutations showed statistically significant differences in age at onset, platelet count, and fetal hemoglobin proportion (P<0.05). Cox proportional hazards regression model analysis revealed that hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) and hepatomegaly (≥2 cm below the costal margin) were factors affecting the survival rate of JMML children with RAS mutations (P<0.05); hepatomegaly was a factor affecting survival in the non-HSCT group (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS Children with NRAS compound mutations have a later onset age compared to those with isolated NRAS mutations. At initial diagnosis, children with NRAS compound mutations have poorer peripheral platelet and fetal hemoglobin levels than those with isolated NRAS mutations. Liver size at initial diagnosis is related to the prognosis of JMML children with RAS mutations. HSCT can improve the prognosis of JMML children with RAS mutations.
Humans ; Leukemia, Myelomonocytic, Juvenile/therapy* ; Mutation ; Male ; Female ; Child, Preschool ; Retrospective Studies ; Child ; Infant ; GTP Phosphohydrolases/genetics* ; Membrane Proteins/genetics* ; Adolescent ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation ; Proportional Hazards Models ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras)/genetics* ; Prognosis

Acute lung injury (ALI) is a severe disease caused by viral infection that triggers an uncontrolled inflammatory response. This study investigated the capacity of jasurolignoside (JO), a natural compound, to bind to Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and treat ALI. The anti-inflammatory properties of JO were evaluated in vitro through Western blotting, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), immunofluorescence staining, and co-immunoprecipitation. The investigation utilized a lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced ALI animal model to examine the therapeutic efficacy and mechanism of JO in vivo. JO attenuated inflammatory symptoms in infected cells and tissues by modulating the NOD-like receptor family pyrin domain containing protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome and the nuclear factor κB (NF-κB)/mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway. Molecular docking simulations revealed JO binding to TLR4 active sites, confirmed by cellular thermal shift assay. Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) demonstrated direct interaction between JO and TLR4 with a Kd value of 35.1 μmol·L^-1. Moreover, JO inhibited tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), and IL-6 secretion and reduced leukocyte, neutrophil, lymphocyte, and macrophage infiltration in ALI-affected mice. JO also enhanced lung function and reduced ALI-related mortality. Immunohistochemical staining demonstrated JO's ability to suppress TLR4 expression in ALI-affected mouse lung tissue. This study establishes that JO can bind to TLR4 and effectively treat ALI, indicating its potential as a therapeutic agent for clinical applications.
Toll-Like Receptor 4/chemistry* ; Animals ; Acute Lung Injury/chemically induced* ; Mice ; Humans ; Ilex/chemistry* ; Molecular Docking Simulation ; Male ; NF-kappa B/immunology* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein/immunology* ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/genetics* ; Interleukin-1beta/genetics* ; RAW 264.7 Cells ; Disease Models, Animal

OBJECTIVE: The relationship between fish consumption and stroke is inconsistent, and it is uncertain whether this association varies across predicted stroke risks. METHODS: A cohort study comprising 95,800 participants from the Prediction for Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease Risk in China project was conducted. A standardized questionnaire was used to collect data on fish consumption. Participants were stratified into low- and moderate-to-high-risk categories based on their 10-year stroke risk prediction scores. Hazard ratios ( HRs) and 95% confidence intervals ( CIs) were estimated using Cox proportional hazard models and additive interaction by relative excess risk due to interaction (RERI), attributable proportion (AP), and synergy index (SI). RESULTS: During 703,869 person-years of follow-up, 2,773 incident stroke events were identified. Higher fish consumption was associated with a lower risk of stroke, particularly among moderate-to-high-risk individuals ( HR = 0.53, 95% CI: 0.47-0.60) than among low-risk individuals ( HR = 0.64, 95% CI: 0.49-0.85). A significant additive interaction between fish consumption and predicted stroke risk was observed (RERI = 4.08, 95% CI: 2.80-5.36; SI = 1.64, 95% CI: 1.42-1.89; AP = 0.36, 95% CI: 0.28-0.43). CONCLUSION Higher fish consumption was associated with a lower risk of stroke, and this beneficial association was more pronounced in individuals with moderate-to-high stroke risk.
Humans ; China/epidemiology* ; Male ; Female ; Stroke/etiology* ; Middle Aged ; Prospective Studies ; Incidence ; Aged ; Animals ; Fishes ; Risk Factors ; Diet ; Seafood ; Adult ; Cohort Studies

Objective To investigate the short-term efficacy and safety of chemotherapy induced by nimotuzumab(NTZ)combined with TP regimen and sequential concurrent chemoradiotherapy in patients with epidermal growth factor receptor positive(EGFR-positive)locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma.Methods A total of 48 patients with stage Ⅲ to Ⅳ A nasopharyngeal carcinoma in Guizhou Provincial People's Hospital from January 2020 to December 2022 were prospectively enrolled,and were randomized into two groups:NTP(NTZ+docetaxel/albumin-paclitaxel+cisplatin)group and TP(Docetaxel/albumin-paclitaxel+cisplatin)group(24 cases per group)by random number table method.After 2 or 3 cycles of induction chemotherapy in NTP group,NTZ was sequentially used in combination with cisplatin for concurrent chemoradiotherapy.Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the EGFR expression level,exploring EGFR expression intensity and the therapeutic effect of NTZ in NTP group patients.Meanwhile,short-term efficacy,withdrawal rate and toxic side effects were compared between the two groups after induction chemotherapy.Results In NTP group,the positive expression rate of EGFR was 100％,and EGFR expression intensity significantly correlated with the efficacy of NTZ-combined induction therapy(P<0.05).After induction chemotherapy,the objective response rate(ORR)of cervical lymph nodes in NTP group was significantly higher than that in TP group(75％vs.45.8％,P=0.039).The primary lesion ORR and overall(primary lesion and cervical lymph node)ORR showed no significant difference between the two groups(P>0.05).Comparison of adverse reactions between the two groups during induction therapy:leukopenia and gastrointestinal reaction in NTP group were lower than those in TP group(P<0.05),but rash was higher than those in TP group(P<0.05).There was no significant difference in liver function,hemoglobin and thrombocytopenia between two groups(P>0.05).Conclusions EGFR expression intensity varies in nasopharyngeal carcinoma tissues,with higher levels indicating greater clinical benefit of combined induction therapy with NTZ.NTZ combined with TP induction regimen demonstrates good short-term efficacy and safety for cervical lymph nodes in patients with locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Objective:To compare the prognostic values of different classification by using transpulmonary pressure gradient (TPG), diastolic pressure gradient (DPG) and pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) in patients with pulmonary hypertension due to left heart disease (PH-LHD), and investigated hemodynamic and clinical factors associated with mortality in patients with PH-LHD.Methods:This was a single-center prospective cohort study. In-hospital patients diagnosed with PH-LHD via right heart catheterization at the Department of Cardiology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, from September 2013 to December 2019 were enrolled. Patients were divided according to TPG (cutoff value 12 mmHg; 1 mmHg=0.133 kPa), DPG (cutoff value 7 mmHg), PVR (cutoff value 3 Wood Units), and the combination of TPG and PVR. Baseline characteristic was recorded. All patients were followed up until the occurrence of endpoint event, defined as all-cause death that occurred during the follow-up period, or until April 18, 2022. Receiver operating characteristic curves were used to compare the predictive value of 3 classification methods for all-cause death in PH-LHD patients. The optimal cutoff values were calculated using Jorden index. Survival analysis was performed using Kaplan-Meier analysis, and log-rank test was used to compare the predictive efficacy of classification methods based on optimal cutoff values or guidance-recommended thresholds for the survival of PH-LHD patients. Variables showing statistical significance in the univariate analysis were incorporated into multivariate Cox regression model to analyze the independent risk factors for all-cause mortality.Results:A total of 243 patients were enrolled, aged (54.9±12.7) years old, including 169 (69.5%) males. During a median follow-up of 57 months, there were 101 (41.6%) deaths occurred. Grouping results were as follows: (1) TPG: TPG≤12 mmHg group 115 patients, TPG>12 mmHg group 128 patients; (2) DPG: DPG<7 mmHg group 193 patients, DPG≥7 mmHg group 50 patients; (3) PVR: PVR≤3 Wood Units group 108 patients, PVR>3 Wood Units group 135 patients; (4) TPG and PVR: TPG≤12 mmHg and PVR≤3 Wood Units group 89 patients, TPG>12 mmHg and PVR>3 Wood Units group 109 patients. PVR ( AUC=0. 698,95% CI:0.631-0.766) had better predictive value for all-cause mortality than TPG ( AUC=0.596, 95% CI: 0.523-0.669) and DPG ( AUC=0.526, 95% CI: 0.452-0.601) (all P<0.05). The optimal cutoff values for TPG, DPG, and PVR were13.9 mmHg, 2.8 mmHg, and 3.8 Wood Units, respectively. Kaplan-Meier analysis based on the optimal cutoff values or guidance-recommended thresholds showed that PVR and TPG were the predictors of survival ( P<0.05), while DPG did not showed significance ( P>0.05). Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that age, PVR and log 2N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide were independent risk factors for all-cause mortality in PH-LHD patients (all P<0.05). Conclusion:Classification according to PVR was most valuable in predicting all-cause death in PH-LHD patients, while TPG showed moderate predictive ability and DPG had no predictive value.

Objective:To analyze the risk factors for asparaginase-associated pancreatitis (AAP) in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) after treatment with pegaspargase and evaluate the predictive value of pediatric sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score, pediatric acute pancreatitis severity (PAPS) score, Ranson′s score and pediatric Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan (JPN) score for severe AAP.Methods:Cross-sectional study.The clinical data of 328 children with ALL who received pegaspargase treatment in the Department of Pediatric Hematology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University from January 2014 to August 2021, as well as their clinical manifestations, laboratory examinations, and imaging examinations were collected.The SOFA score at the time of AAP diagnosis, PAPS score and Ranson′s score at 48 hours after AAP diagnosis, and JPN score at 72 hours after AAP diagnosis were calculated, and their predictive value for severe AAP was evaluated by the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve.Results:A total of 6.7%(22/328) of children had AAP, with the median age of 6.62 years.AAP most commonly occurred in the induced remission phase (16/22, 72.7%). Three AAP children were re-exposed to asparaginase, and 2 of them developed a second AAP.Among the 22 AAP children, 16 presented with mild symptoms, and 6 with severe symptoms.The 6 children with severe AAP were all transferred to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU). There were no significant differences in gender, white blood cell count at first diagnosis, immunophenotype, risk stratification, and single dose of pegaspargase between the AAP and non-AAP groups.The age at diagnosis of ALL in the AAP group was significantly higher than that in the non-AAP group ( t=2.385, P=0.018). The number of overweight or obese children in the AAP group was also higher than that in the non-AAP group ( χ2=4.507, P=0.034). The areas under the ROC curve of children′s JPN score, SOFA score, Ranson′s score, and PAPS score in predicting severe AAP were 0.919, 0.844, 0.731, and 0.606, respectively.The JPN score ( t=4.174, P=0.001) and the SOFA score ( t=3.181, P=0.005) showed statistically significant differences between mild and severe AAP. Conclusions:AAP is a serious complication in the treatment of ALL with combined pegaspargase and chemotherapy.Older age and overweight or obesity may be the risk factors for AAP.Pediatric JPN and SOFA scores have predictive value for severe AAP.

BACKGROUND:Increasing evidence suggests that N6-methyladenosine(m6A)regulators are closely associated with osteoarthritis and are considered to be a new direction in the prevention and treatment of osteoarthritis,but their specific mechanism of action is unknown. OBJECTIVE:To conduct a bioinformatics analysis of the osteoarthritis gene microarray dataset in order to explore the role of m6A in osteoarthritis and analyze the pathogenesis of osteoarthritis. METHODS:The m6A regulators associated with osteoarthritis and their expression were first extracted from the GSE1919 dataset in the GEO database using R software,and then the results were analyzed by gene difference analysis and GO and KEGG enrichment analyses.Subsequently,the results of protein-protein interaction network topology analysis and machine learning results were intersected to obtain the m6A Hub regulators,which were validated by in vitro cellular experiments. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:A total of 16 osteoarthritis-related m6A regulators were extracted and 11 m6A differential regulators,including ZC3H13,YTHDC1,YTHDF3 and HNRNPC,were obtained by differential analysis.GO enrichment analysis showed that osteoarthritis-related m6A differential regulators played a role in the biological processes such as mRNA transport,RNA catabolism,and regulation of insulin-like growth factor receptor signaling pathway.(3)KEGG enrichment analysis showed that the differential regulators were mainly involved in the p53,interleukin-17 and AMPK signaling pathways.The combined protein-protein interaction network topology analysis and machine learning results obtained the m6A Hub regulator-YTHDC1.(5)The results of in vitro cellular experiments showed that there was a significant difference in the expression of m6A key regulator between the control and experimental groups(P<0.05).To conclude,YTHDC1 is closely related to the development of osteoarthritis,which is expected to be a molecular target of m6A for the treatment of osteoarthritis.

BACKGROUND:Cellular senescence is closely related to the development and progression of osteoarthritis,but the specific targets and regulatory mechanisms are not yet clear. OBJECTIVE:To mine key genes in cellular senescence-mediated osteoarthritis by integrating bioinformatics and machine learning approaches and validate them via experiments to explore the role of cellular senescence in osteoarthritis. METHODS:The osteoarthritis gene expression profiles obtained from the GEO database were intersected with cellular senescence-related genes obtained from the CellAge database and the expression of the intersected genes was extracted for differential analysis,followed by GO and KEGG analysis of the differential genes.The key osteoarthritis cellular senescence genes were then screened by protein-protein interaction network analysis and machine learning,and in vitro cellular experiments were performed.Finally,the expression of the key genes was detected by qPCR. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:A total of 31 osteoarthritis cell senescence differential genes were identified.GO analysis showed that these genes were mainly involved in the biological processes,such as regulation of leukocyte differentiation,monocyte differentiation,regulation of T cell differentiation and exerted roles in DNA transcription factor binding,histone deacetylase binding,chromatin DNA binding,and chemokine binding.KEGG analysis showed that osteoarthritis cell senescence differential genes were mainly activated in the JAK/STAT signaling pathway,PI3K/Akt signaling pathway and FoxO signaling pathway.MYC,a key gene for osteoarthritis cellular senescence,was identified by protein-protein interaction network topology analysis and machine learning methods.The results of the in vitro cellular assay showed that the mRNA expression of MYC was significantly lower in the experimental group(osteoarthritis group)than the control group(normal group)(P＜0.05).To conclude,MYC can be a key gene in the senescence of osteoarthritic cells and may be a new target in the prevention and treatment of osteoarthritis by mediating immune response,inflammatory response and transcriptional regulation.