Background The widespread use of herbicides has led to environmental contamination and has implications for human health. The liver is an important organ for the detoxification of environmental pollutants; however, studies on the association between herbicide exposure and liver function are limited. Objectives To investigate the association between baseline serum herbicide levels and changes in liver enzyme levels and liver enzyme abnormalities over a 5-year period in middle-aged and older adults. Methods This study was based on a nested case-control population of type 2 diabetes established in the Dongfeng-Tongji cohort, with a total of 1388 subjects included in this study and followed up for 5 years. Epidemiological data were collected through questionnaires, and baseline serum concentrations of three herbicides (metolachlor, propham, and acetochlor) were measured by gas chromatography-triple quadrupole mass spectrometry. Serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels were detected at baseline and follow-up visits. The associations between baseline serum herbicide levels and changes in AST and ALT over 5 years were assessed using linear regression models with herbicide levels categorized into quartiles, adjusting for age, sex, education level, smoking status, drinking status, physical activity, body mass index, and new-onset type 2 diabetes occurred during follow-up. The relationship between baseline serum herbicide levels and the risk of liver enzyme abnormalities during follow-up was further analyzed using logistic regression models. Results The positive rates of metolachlor, propham, and acetochlor were all higher than 80%, and their spiked rates of recovery ranged from 73.46% to 106.77%. The mean ± standard deviation of the age of subjects at baseline was (62.7±7.6) years, with 34.1% being male. The median serum levels of metolachlor, propham, and acetochlor at baseline were 0.05, 0.16, and 0.03 ng·mL⁻¹, respectively. There was no significant difference in baseline serum herbicide levels between the normal and abnormal liver enzyme groups at follow-up (P >0.05). The baseline liver enzyme levels and the changes in AST and ALT over 5 years in those who developed abnormal liver enzymes were significantly higher than those in the normal liver enzyme group (P <0.05). The linear regression analysis showed that the changes in AST increased progressively over 5 years in the second, third, and fourth quartiles of propham compared to the lowest quartile group (the second quartile: b=1.49, 95%CI: 0.10, 2.87; the third quartile: b=1.52, 95%CI: 0.14, 2.90; the fourth quartile: b=1.69, 95%CI: 0.31, 3.08; P <0.05). The associations of serum metolachlor and acetochlor with changes in AST were not significant. Additionally, no significant relationships were found between the three serum herbicides and the changes in ALT over 5 years or the risk of liver enzyme abnormalities. Conclusion Serum propham levels in middle-aged and older adults are positively associated with changes in liver enzyme AST, which may have an effect on liver function. More studies are needed to provide scientific evidence for the association between herbicide exposure and liver function.

Paclitaxel， a highly effective natural antitumor drug， has been demonstrated to be efficacious in the treatment of a variety of cancers， including breast cancer， ovarian cancer， and lung cancer. The traditional paclitaxel injections have been observed to present certain issues， including overt adverse reactions and a decline in the quality of life of patients following treatment. This ultimately leads to an inability to meet the comprehensive needs of patients， thereby limiting the clinical applications of the drugs. Compared with injectable administration， the oral administration can avoid the risk of infection present in the invasive route， is conducive to improving patient compliance and quality of life， and reduces healthcare costs， and has a good application prospect. However， paclitaxel has low solubility， poor permeability， and is susceptible to the exocytosis of P-glycoprotein， which presents a significant challenge in the development of its oral preparations. Novel drug delivery technologies can enhance the solubility of paclitaxel and facilitate its controlled release， which is beneficial for the oral absorption and efficacy. The paper reviews the development history of oral preparations of paclitaxel， and summarizes the delivery technologies such as polymer micelles， nanoparticles， nanoemulsions and nanocrystals， and discusses the application mechanisms， advantages and limitations of these technologies and their adaptability in different cancer treatments. Finally， the challenges faced in the development of oral preparations of paclitaxel are summarized， and future research directions are proposed in order to provide new ideas for the development of oral delivery of paclitaxel.

Paclitaxel， a highly effective natural antitumor drug， has been demonstrated to be efficacious in the treatment of a variety of cancers， including breast cancer， ovarian cancer， and lung cancer. The traditional paclitaxel injections have been observed to present certain issues， including overt adverse reactions and a decline in the quality of life of patients following treatment. This ultimately leads to an inability to meet the comprehensive needs of patients， thereby limiting the clinical applications of the drugs. Compared with injectable administration， the oral administration can avoid the risk of infection present in the invasive route， is conducive to improving patient compliance and quality of life， and reduces healthcare costs， and has a good application prospect. However， paclitaxel has low solubility， poor permeability， and is susceptible to the exocytosis of P-glycoprotein， which presents a significant challenge in the development of its oral preparations. Novel drug delivery technologies can enhance the solubility of paclitaxel and facilitate its controlled release， which is beneficial for the oral absorption and efficacy. The paper reviews the development history of oral preparations of paclitaxel， and summarizes the delivery technologies such as polymer micelles， nanoparticles， nanoemulsions and nanocrystals， and discusses the application mechanisms， advantages and limitations of these technologies and their adaptability in different cancer treatments. Finally， the challenges faced in the development of oral preparations of paclitaxel are summarized， and future research directions are proposed in order to provide new ideas for the development of oral delivery of paclitaxel.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the ameliorative effects and potential mechanism of total secondary ginsenosides （TSG） on hypertrophic changes of primary cardiomyocytes stimulated by angiotensin Ⅱ （Ang Ⅱ）. METHODS Primary cardiomyocytes were isolated from the hearts of neonatal SD rats and divided into the following groups： control group， AngⅡ group （2 µmol/L）， TSG group （7.5 µg/mL）， PFK-015 group [6-phosphofructo-2-kinase/fructose-2， 6-bisphosphatase 3 （PFKFB3） inhibitor， 10 nmol/L]， and TSG+PFK-015 group （TSG 7.5 µg/mL+PFK-015 10 nmol/L）. The surface area， protein synthesis， energy metabolism-related indicators [free fatty acid （FFA）， coenzyme A （CoA）， acetyl coenzyme A （acetyl-CoA）]， and the expressions of glycolysis-related factors [hypoxia-inducible factor 1α （HIF-1α）， glucose transporter protein 4 （GLUT-4）， lactate dehydrogenase A （LDHA）， pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 1 （PDK1） and PFKFB3] in primary cardiomyocytes of each group were measured. RESULTS Compared with the control group， the surface area of primary cardiomyocytes and protein synthesis were significantly increased， the content of FFA， protein and mRNA expressions of HIF-1α， LDHA， PDK1 and PFKFB3 were significantly increased or up-regulated in the AngⅡ group， while the contents of CoA and acetyl-CoA， the protein and mRNA expressions of GLUT-4 were significantly decreased or down-regulated （P＜0.05）. Compared with the AngⅡ group， both TSG group and PFK-015 group showed significant improvements in these indexes， with the TSG+PFK-015 group generally demonstrating superior effects compared to either treatment alone （P＜0.05）. CONCLUSIONS TSG can reduce the surface area of AngⅡ-induced primary cardiomyocytes， decrease protein synthesis， and inhibit their hypertrophic changes. These effects may be related to improving energy metabolism and the inhibition of glycolysis activity.

AIM: To compare the visual quality in patients with low-to-moderate myopia after 0.05 D interval spherical lens optometry-guided small-incision lenticule extraction(SMILE)and conventional 0.25 D interval spherical lens optometry-guided SMILE.METHODS: Retrospective study. A total of 400 cases(400 eyes)with low-to-moderate myopia that underwent SMILE in the ophthalmology department of 989th Hospital of Joint Logistic Support Force from August 2021 to August 2023 were enrolled and the data from the right eyes were collected for analysis. According to the method of optometry test modality, they were divided into 0.05 D group and 0.25 D group, with 200 eyes in each group. The differences were compared between the two groups of patients in intraoperative corneal ablation thickness, uncorrected distance visual acuity(UDVA), high-order corneal aberrations(HOA), spherical aberrations, vertical coma, horizontal coma and trefoil aberrations before and at 1, 3 and 6 mo after surgery. Additionally, the percentage of eyes with residual spherical equivalent(SE)≤±0.25 D, postoperative visual symptoms and scores on the quality of visual(Qov)were compared between the two groups at 6 mo after surgery.RESULTS: The corneal ablation thickness in the 0.05 D group was 92.78±16.56 μm, which was slightly higher than that in the 0.25 D group(83.24±17.33 μm; P<0.001). The UDVA at each postoperative time point in the 0.05 D group was superior to that in the 0.25 D group(all P<0.001). The HOA, spherical aberration, horizontal coma and vertical coma in the two groups at 1, 3 and 6 mo after operation were higher than those before operation(all P<0.05). The spherical aberration in the 0.05 D group at each time point after surgery were higher than those in the 0.25 D group, and vertical coma were lower than those in the 0.25 D group(all P<0.05). At 6 mo postoperatively, the percentage of eyes with residual SE ≤±0.25 D in the 0.05 D group was 97.5%(195 eyes), which was higher than 87.5%(175 eyes)in the 0.25 D group(P<0.05). The most common adverse visual symptoms after SMILE in both groups were hazy vision and glare. The total Qov score in the 0.05 D group was 0.35(0.24, 0.55), which was lower than [0.62(0.32, 0.89)] in the 0.25 D group(P<0.05).CONCLUSION: Compared with conventional 0.25 D interval spherical lens optometry-guided SMILE, the 0.05 D interval spherical lens optometry-guided SMILE for the correction of low-to-moderate myopia has better predictability and can achieve better vision and visual quality.

The cardioprotective effects of histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors (HDIs) are at odds with the deleterious effects of HDAC depletion. Here, we use HDAC3 as a prototype HDAC to address this contradiction. We show that adult-onset cardiac-specific depletion of HDAC3 in mice causes cardiac hypertrophy and contractile dysfunction on a high-fat diet (HFD), excluding developmental disruption as a major reason for the contradiction. Genetically abolishing HDAC3 enzymatic activity without affecting its protein level does not cause cardiac dysfunction on HFD. HDAC3 depletion causes robust downregulation of lipid oxidation/bioenergetic genes and upregulation of antioxidant/anti-apoptotic genes. In contrast, HDAC3 enzyme activity abolishment causes much milder changes in far fewer genes. The abnormal gene expression is cardiomyocyte-autonomous and can be rescued by an enzyme-dead HDAC3 mutant but not by an HDAC3 mutant (Δ33-70) that lacks interaction with the nuclear-envelope protein lamina-associated polypeptide 2β (LAP2β). Tethering LAP2β to the HDAC3 Δ33-70 mutant restored its ability to rescue gene expression. Finally, HDAC3 depletion, not loss of HDAC3 enzymatic activity, exacerbates cardiac contractile functions upon aortic constriction. These results suggest that the cardiac function of HDAC3 in adults is not attributable to its enzyme activity, which has implications for understanding the cardioprotective effects of HDIs.

The prefrontal cortex (PFC) plays a pivotal role in orchestrating higher-order emotional and cognitive processes, a function that depends on the precise modulation of synaptic activity. Although pharmacological studies have demonstrated that dopamine signaling through dopamine D1 receptor (DRD1) in the PFC is essential for these functions, the cell-type-specific and molecular mechanisms underlying the neuromodulatory effects remain elusive. Using cell-type-specific knockout mice and patch-clamp recordings, we investigated the regulatory role of DRD1 on neurons and astrocytes in synaptic transmission and plasticity. Furthermore, we explored the mechanisms by which DRD1 on astrocytes regulate synaptic transmission and plasticity at the cellular level, as well as emotional and cognitive functions at the behavioral level, through two-photon imaging, microdialysis, high-performance liquid chromatography, transcriptome sequencing, and behavioral testing. We found that conditional knockout of the Drd1 in astrocytes (CKO^AST) increased glutamatergic synaptic transmission and long-term potentiation (LTP) in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), whereas Drd1 deletion in pyramidal neurons did not affect synaptic transmission. The elevated level of d-serine in the mPFC of CKO^AST mice increased glutamatergic transmission and LTP through NMDA receptors. In addition, CKO^AST mice exhibited abnormal emotional and cognitive function. Notably, these behavioral changes in CKO^AST mice could be reversed through the administration of d-serine degrease to the mPFC. These results highlight the critical role of the astrocytic DRD1 in modulating mPFC synaptic transmission and plasticity, as well as higher brain functions through d-serine, and may shed light on the treatment of mental disorders.

AIM: To investigate the early visual quality after 0.05 D interval spherical lens optometry-guided small incision lenticule extraction(SMILE)for the correction of different degrees of myopia.METHODS: Retrospective study. A total of 200 cases(200 eyes)that underwent SMILE at the 989th Hospital of Joint Logistic Support Force from May to September 2023 were selected. The 0.05 D optometry was used to measure diopter. According to the preoperative spherical equivalent(SE), they were divided into low-to-moderate myopic group(>-6.0 D)and high myopic group(≤-6.0 D), with 100 eyes in each group. The total high-order corneal aberration(HOA), spherical aberration, coma and trefoil aberration were compared between the two groups preoperatively and at 6 mo postoperatively, and the quality of vision questionnaire was completed.RESULTS: The HOA, spherical aberration and vertical coma aberration in the two groups at 6 mo after operation were significantly higher than those before operation(all P<0.05). At 6 mo postoperatively, the HOA, spherical aberration and vertical coma aberration in the low-to-moderate myopic group were lower than those in the high myopic group(all P<0.05). The scores of the quality of vision questionnaire, near vision, night vision, night glare and visual fatigue in the low-to-moderate myopic group were all higher than those in the high myopic group(all P<0.05).CONCLUSION: Both low-to-moderate myopia and high myopia after the 0.05 D interval spherical lens optometry-guided SMILE had some visual symptoms, but great visual quality can be obtained after surgery.

Objective:To explore the role of arginine metabolism in the inflammatory response to influenza A virus (FluA) infection.Methods:Eighteen-month-old mice were infected with FluA via nasal drip, with samples collected on the 6th day post-infection. The concentration of cytokines was determined by the Luminex multifactor assay, while the metabolites in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were analyzed using targeted metabolomic method. Correlation analysis was employed to examine the correlation between cytokines and metabolites. Macrophages were infected with FluA at a multiplicity of infection (MOI) of 1 and cultured with different concentrations of arginine for 24 h. The mRNA and protein expression levels of interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) and IL-10 were detected by real time fluorescence quantitative RT-PCR (qRT-PCR) and Cytometric Bead Array (CBA).Results:In comparison to the control group, the levels of surfactant protein D (SP-D), TNF-α, monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1), IL-1α, IL-6, IL-10, recombinant S100 calcium binding protein (S100) A9, interferon inducible protein 10 (IP-10), macrophage inflammatory protein-1α (MIP-1α), matrix metalloprotein-9 (MMP-9), and Complement Factor D in BALF of FluA infection exhibited a significant elevation. The concentrations of arginine, aspartate, citrulline, glutamic acid, ornithine, proline, creatine, and sarcosine in arginine metabolism were up-regulated, which was correlated with most of elevated cytokine levels. The supplementation of arginine after FluA infection significantly decreased the levels of IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α, but increased the level of IL-10 in macrophages.Conclusions:Arginine reduces the inflammatory response induced by FluA infection in macrophages, suggesting that it may be a potential intervention target for severe pulmonary inflammation following FluA infection.

AIM: To evaluate the changes in corneal epithelial thickness(CET)and corneal optical density(CD)after smart pulse technology(SPT)-assisted transepithelial photorefractive keratectomy(TPRK)and analyze their correlation.METHODS: The prospective study included 60 patients(120 eyes)with myopia and myopic astigmatism who underwent SPT-TPRK in the ophthalmology department at the First Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University between February and August 2023. Changes in CET and CD were evaluated preoperatively and at 1 wk, 1 and 3 mo postoperatively.RESULTS: A total of 14 cases(28 eyes)were lost to follow-up, and 3 patients(6 eyes)with postoperative haze were excluded from this study, resulting in a final inclusion of 43 patients(86 eyes). At 1 wk after SPT-TPRK, CET had statistically significantly thickened compared to preoperative levels(P<0.05), particularly in the CET at 0-2 mm central corneal area(P<0.05). At 1 mo after SPT-TPRK, the CET at 0-2 mm area had statistically significantly decreased(P<0.05). At 3 mo after SPT-TPRK, the CET at 0-2 mm had essentially reached preoperative levels. Postoperative CD values increased, with a positive correlation between CET in the 0-2 mm area and CD in the whole 0-2 mm area(r=0.256, P<0.05), and a positive correlation between CET in the 2-5 mm area and CD in the anterior 2-6 mm area(r=0.319, P<0.05).CONCLUSION: Corneal epithelial remodeling takes 3 mo in areas within 2 mm of the central cornea; areas with thinner CET have faster postoperative corneal epithelial remodeling and greater thickening in the early postoperative period; CD increases in the early postoperative period compared to the preoperative value, and in some areas, there is a positive correlation between CET and CD value.