The effect of Huanglian Jiedu Decoction on the intestinal flora of type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM) was investigated using 16S rRNA sequencing technology. Sixty rats were randomly divided into a normal group(10 rats) and a modeling group(50 rats). After one week of adaptive feeding, a high-fat diet + streptozotocin was given for modeling, and fasting blood glucose >16.7 mmol·L~(-1) was considered a sign of successful modeling. The modeling group was randomly divided into the model group, high-, medium-, and low-dose groups of Huanglian Jiedu Decoction, and metformin group. After seven days of intragastric treatment, the feces, colon, and pancreatic tissue of each group of rats were collected, and the pathological changes of the colon and pancreatic tissue of each group were observed by hematoxylin-eosin staining. The changes in the intestinal flora structure of each group were observed by the 16S rRNA sequencing method. The results showed that compared with the model group, the high-, medium-, and low-dose of Huanglian Jiedu Decoction reduced fasting blood glucose levels to different degrees and showed no significant changes in body weight. The number of islet cells increased, and intestinal mucosal damage attenuated. Alpha diversity analysis revealed that Huanglian Jiedu Decoction reduced the abundance and diversity of intestinal flora in rats with T2DM; at the phylum level, low-and mediam-dose of Huanglian Jiedu Decoction reduced the abundance of Bacteroidota, Proteobacteria, and Desulfobacterota and increased the abundance of Firmicute and Bacteroidota/Firmicutes, while the high-dose of Huanglian Jiedu Decoction increased the relative abundance of Proteobacteria and Bacteroidota/Firmicutes ratio, and decreaseal the relative; abundance of Firmicute; at the genus level, Huanglian Jiedu Decoction increased the relative abundance of Allobaculum, Blautia, and Lactobacillus; LEfse analysis revealed that the biomarker of low-and medium-dose groups of Huanglian Jiedu Decoction was Lactobacillus, and the structure of the intestinal flora of the low-dose group of Huanglian Jiedu Decoction was highly similar to that of the metformin group. PICRUSt2 function prediction revealed that Huanglian Jiedu Decoction mainly affected carbohydrate and amino acid metabolic pathways. It suggested that Huanglian Jiedu Decoction could reduce fasting blood glucose and increase the number of islet cells in rats with T2DM, and its mechanism of action may be related to increasing the abundance of short-chain fatty acid-producing strains and Lactobacillus and affecting carbohydrate and amino acid metabolic pathways.
Animals ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage* ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2/metabolism* ; Gastrointestinal Microbiome/drug effects* ; Rats ; Male ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Humans ; Bacteria/drug effects* ; Blood Glucose/metabolism*

The main active compound, 3,4-dihydroxyacetophenone(3,4-DHAP), in the leaves of Ilex pubescens var. glaber, exhibits various pharmacological activities, including vasodilation and heart protection. Currently, natural extraction and chemical synthesis are the primary methods for obtaining 3,4-DHAP, but both approaches have inherent challenges. To address these problems, this study explored the whole-cell bioconversion of 1-(4-hydroxyphenol)-ethanol to 3,4-DHAP using recombinant Escherichia coli, cultivated in a green, cost-effective medium at room temperature and atmospheric pressure. Firstly, this study successfully constructed recombinant E. coli S1, which contained only the HpaBC gene, and recombinant E. coli S3, which contained both the Hped and HpaBC genes. The ability of S1 and S3 to synthesize 3,4-DHAP from their respective substrates was then evaluated through whole-cell bioconversion. Based on these results, the effects of four factors, i.e., substrate concentration, IPTG concentration, induction temperature, and transformation temperature, on the whole-cell bioconversion yield of S3 were investigated using an orthogonal experiment. The results showed that the factors influenced the yield in the following order: transformation temperature > induction temperature > IPTG concentration > substrate concentration. The optimal conditions were found to be a transformation temperature of 35 ℃, IPTG concentration of 0.1 mmol·L~(-1), induction temperature of 25 ℃, and substrate concentration of 10 mmol·L~(-1). Finally, the effect of transformation time on the yield of 3,4-DHAP was further examined under the optimal conditions. The results indicated that as the transformation time increased, the yield of 3,4-DHAP steadily increased. The highest yield of 260 mg·L~(-1) with a productivity of 17% was achieved after 72 hours of transformation. In conclusion, this study successfully achieved the whole-cell bioconversion of 1-(4-hydroxyphenol)-ethanol to 3,4-DHAP using recombinant E. coli for the first time, laying the groundwork for further optimization and development of the biosynthesis of 3,4-DHAP.
Escherichia coli/genetics* ; Acetophenones/chemistry* ; Ethanol/chemistry* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/chemistry* ; Biotransformation

Objective To introduce a modified technique of right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) reconstruction using a handmade bicuspid pulmonary valve crafted from expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) and to summarize the early single-center experience. Methods Patients with complex congenital heart diseases (CHD) who underwent RVOT reconstruction with a handmade ePTFE bicuspid pulmonary valve due to pulmonary regurgitation at Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital from April 2021 to February 2022 were selected. Postoperative artificial valve function and right heart function indicators were evaluated. Results A total of 17 patients were included, comprising 10 males and 7 females, with a mean age of (18.18±12.14) years and a mean body weight of (40.94±19.45) kg. Sixteen patients underwent reconstruction with a handmade valved conduit, with conduit sizes ranging from 18 to 24 mm. No patients required mechanical circulatory support, and no in-hospital deaths occurred. During a mean follow-up period of 12.89 months, only one patient developed valve dysfunction, and no related complications or adverse events were observed. The degree of pulmonary regurgitation was significantly improved post-RVOT reconstruction and during follow-up compared to preoperative levels (P<0.001). Postoperative right atrial diameter, right ventricular diameter, and tricuspid regurgitation area were all significantly reduced compared to preoperative values (P<0.05). Conclusion The use of a 0.1 mm ePTFE handmade bicuspid pulmonary valve for RVOT reconstruction in complex CHD is a feasible, effective, and safe technique.

Objective To obtain differential spectral characteristics of etomidate and its structural ana-logues,and to establish a rapid identification method using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy(SERS)combined with machine learning algorithms for distinguishing etomidate and its analogues.Methods Silver nanoparticles(AgNPs)were used as the SERS substrate to collect SERS spectra of etomidate,metomidate,propoxate,and isopropoxate at two concentrations of 1×10-4 and 1×10-5 mol/L.SERS spectra were also obtained from blood and urine samples containing 1×10-5 mol/L of etomidate,metomidate,propoxate,and isopropoxate,as well as from confiscated e-cigarette oil containing etomi-date.Uniform manifold approximation and projection(UMAP)was employed for nonlinear dimensiona-lity reduction and visualization,and a classification model based on the XGBoost algorithm was con-structed to enable discriminant analysis of these four structurally highly similar compounds.Results Mi-nor characteristic peak shifts(5-3 cm-1)were identified in the range of 1 398-811 cm-1.Qualitative identification of the compounds in serum,urine and e-cigarette oil samples was achieved without pre-treatment.After UMAP dimensionality reduction,distinct clustering separation among different sub-stances was observed.The XGBoost model achieved 100%classification accuracy on the test set.Feature weight analysis revealed that C-N stretching vibration(841 cm-1),C=O stretching vibration(1 367 cm-1),and C-O-C asymmetric vibration(1 049 cm-1)were the key spectral bands for discrimination.Conclu-sion The combination of SERS and machine learning can effectively amplify subtle differences in mo-lecular structures,enabling rapid and accurate identification of etomidate and its analogues.This ap-proach is suitable for on-site rapid screening in forensic toxicology.

This consensus will introduce the characteristics of fillers used in the surgical cavities of domestic nasal surgery patients based on relevant literature and expert opinions. It will also provide recommendations for the selection of cavity fillers for different nasal diseases, with chronic sinusitis as a representative example.
Humans ; Nasal Cavity/surgery* ; Nasal Surgical Procedures ; China ; Consensus ; Sinusitis/surgery* ; Dermal Fillers

Porcine hemagglutinating encephalomyelitis virus(PHEV)is one of the coronaviruses susceptible to swine populations.The non-structural protein 2(NS2)encoded by its genome is fre-quently deleted during the epidemic transmission of the virus,but its biological significance re-mains unclear.In order to explore the structure and function of the NS2 protein,this study utilized platforms such as ProtParam,TMHMM,NetPhos3.1,and ExPASy to analyze its physicochemical properties,spatial structure,genetic evolution,and post-translational modification characteristics.Meanwhile,the NS2 protein was expressed in eukaryotes and transcriptome sequencing was per-formed to clarify the biological processes it participates in.The results showed that the NS2 protein consists of 233 amino acids,with a molecular weight of 26.735 kDa,and a half-life of approximately 30 hours in mammals.It includes 13 phosphorylation sites,2 N-glycosylation sites,and 1 O-glyco-sylation site,with no signal peptide and strong hydrophilicity.The a-helix accounts for the highest proportion in NS2(43.78％),followed by random coils(36.05％).The homology of the NS2 pro-tein between the epidemic strains PHEV-CC14 and PHEV-JL/2008 in Northeast China is 99.57％.The NS2 protein is widely involved in the regulation of nerve-related functions,such as axon guid-ance and synaptic development.This study preliminarily clarified the biological function of the NS2 protein,providing a new perspective for understanding the pathogenic mechanism of PHEV.

Objective:To evaluate the safety, efficacy, advantages and disadvantages of the modified double-orifice valve plasty via total thoracoscopy for partial atrioventricular septal defect(PAVSD) through a retrospective analysis of early postoperative results.Methods:Patients diagnosed with PAVSD who underwent the standardized modified double-orifice valve plasty via total thoracoscopy between September 2023 and August 2024 were retrospectively enrolled. Baseline characteristics, surgical parameters, and follow-up outcomes were systematically analyzed.Results:A total of 14 patients(6 males, 8 females) were included, with a mean age of(32.9±15.5) years old and body weight of(55.1±11.6) kg. All procedures were successfully completed. The mean operative time, cardiopulmonary bypass time, and aortic cross-clamp time were(266.6±67.2) min, (160.7±34.2) min, and(97.0±31.1) min, respectively. Postoperative ICU stay, hospital stay, and total hospitalization duration were(1.7±1.1) days, (6.4±4.2) days, and(12.6±4.5) days, respectively. The mean follow-up duration was(7.9±3.6) months. Preoperatively, left atrioventricular valve regurgitation(LAVVR) was graded as mild, moderate, or severe in 5, 4, and 5 patients. Postoperatively, 13 patients exhibited mild or less LAVVR, with 1 case of moderate regurgitation. By 3 months, all patients demonstrated LAVVR of mild or lower severity, which remained stable through follow-up. Peak LAVV gradients were(4.6±2.7) mmHg(1 mmHg=0.133 kPa)(range: 1.8-10.2 mmHg) postoperatively, improving to(3.6±0.6) mmHg(3.2-4.0) mmHg at 1 year. Right atrioventricular valve regurgitation improved from preoperative moderate-severe(50.0%) to LAVVR of mild or lower severity in all patients by 3 months. No mortality, residual shunts, or high-grade atrioventricular block occurred through follow-up. By 1 month, NYHA functional class improved to Ⅰ in all patients, which remained stable through follow-up.Conclusion:Standardized modified double-orifice valve plasty via total thoracoscopy for PAVSD demonstrates safety, minimal invasiveness, and rapid recovery, with favorable early outcomes.

Porcine hemagglutinating encephalomyelitis virus(PHEV)is one of the coronaviruses susceptible to swine populations.The non-structural protein 2(NS2)encoded by its genome is fre-quently deleted during the epidemic transmission of the virus,but its biological significance re-mains unclear.In order to explore the structure and function of the NS2 protein,this study utilized platforms such as ProtParam,TMHMM,NetPhos3.1,and ExPASy to analyze its physicochemical properties,spatial structure,genetic evolution,and post-translational modification characteristics.Meanwhile,the NS2 protein was expressed in eukaryotes and transcriptome sequencing was per-formed to clarify the biological processes it participates in.The results showed that the NS2 protein consists of 233 amino acids,with a molecular weight of 26.735 kDa,and a half-life of approximately 30 hours in mammals.It includes 13 phosphorylation sites,2 N-glycosylation sites,and 1 O-glyco-sylation site,with no signal peptide and strong hydrophilicity.The a-helix accounts for the highest proportion in NS2(43.78％),followed by random coils(36.05％).The homology of the NS2 pro-tein between the epidemic strains PHEV-CC14 and PHEV-JL/2008 in Northeast China is 99.57％.The NS2 protein is widely involved in the regulation of nerve-related functions,such as axon guid-ance and synaptic development.This study preliminarily clarified the biological function of the NS2 protein,providing a new perspective for understanding the pathogenic mechanism of PHEV.