Objective To investigate the value of serum α-hydroxybutyric dehydrogenase(α-HBDH),cysteine-rich protein 61(CYR61)and gasdermin D(GSDMD)level testing in patients with sepsis-combined cardiomyopathy for clinical diagnosis and prognostic assessment.Methods A total of 244 sepsis patients who underwent consultation and treatment in Baotou Central Hospital from May 2020 to December 2023 were selected as the study subjects,and were separated into a study group(combined cardiomyopathy,n=106)and a control group(uncombined cardiomyopathy,n=138)according to whether they were combined cardiomyopathy or not.The levels of α-HBDH,CYR61 and GSDMD were measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA)method.Pearson and Spearman methods were used to analyze the correlation of α-HBDH,CYR61,and GSDMD with systolic and diastolic blood pressure,left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF)and acute physiology and chronic health evaluationⅡ(APACHE II)score.Multifactorial Logistic regression was used to analyze the factors affecting sepsis-combined cardiomyopathy.Receiver operator characteristic(ROC)curves were used to assess the diagnostic value of α-HBDH,CYR61 and GSDMD for sepsis-combined cardiomyopathy and their validity for prognostic prediction.Results Serum α-HBDH(278.35±18.89ng/ml vs 253.47±12.75ng/ml),CYR61(18.23±4.14mg/L vs 14.48±2.67mg/L)and GSDMD(12.39±3.28mg/L vs 9.46±2.17mg/L)levels were higher in the study group compared to the control group,and the differences were statistically significant(t=12.261,8.572,8.377,all P<0.05).The levels of α-HBDH(291.93±19.22ng/ml),CYR61(20.33±3.43mg/L)and GSDMD(14.01±3.09mg/L)were higher in the death patients compared to the survived patients(268.71±13.09ng/ml,16.74±2.88mg/L,11.24±2.55mg/L),and the differences were statistically significant(t=7.402,5.839,5.044,all P<0.05).Correlation analysis showed that α-HBDH,CYR61,and GSDMD were negatively correlated with systolic blood pressure,diastolic blood pressure and LVEF(r=-0.631～-0.422,all P<0.05),α-HBDH,CYR61,GSDMD were negatively correlated with APACHE II score(r=0.531,0.507,0.611,all P<0.05).Multifactorial Logistic regression analysis showed that systolic blood pressure,diastolic blood pressure,and LVEF were protective factors affecting sepsis-combined cardiomyopathy(Wald χ2=6.823,7.986,10.875,all P<0.05),and α-HBDH,CYR61,and GSDMD were risk factors affecting sepsis-combined cardiomyopathy(Wald χ2=9.376,6.849,7.435,all P<0.05).From the ROC curve analysis,it was known that the combined application of α-HBDH,CYR61,and GSDMD was more effective in the diagnosis of sepsis-combined cardiomyopathy(Z=2.369,2.454,2.573),the combined application of α-HBDH,CYR61,and GSDMD were superior for prognostic prediction in sepsis-combined cardiomyopathy(Z=2.352,2.468,2.581),and the differences were statistically significant(all P<0.05).Conclusion Serum α-HBDH,CYR61 and GSDMD levels are increased in patients with sepsis-combined cardiomyopathy,and they are correlated with prognosis.The combination of these three tests has a higher diagnostic value and prognostic value in sepsis combined cardiomyopathy.

Ischemic stroke (IS) is a globally life-threatening disease. Presently, few therapeutic medicines are available for treating IS, and rt-PA is the only drug approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the US. In fact, many agents showing excellent neuroprotection but no blood flow-improving activity in animals have not achieved ideal clinical efficacy, while thrombolytic drugs only improving blood flow without neuroprotection have limited their wider application. To address these challenges and meet the huge unmet clinical need, we have designed and identified a novel compound AAPB with dual effects of neuroprotection and cerebral blood flow improvement. AAPB significantly reduced cerebral infarction and neural function deficit in tMCAO rats, pMCAO rats, and IS rhesus monkeys, as well as displayed exceptional safety profiles and excellent pharmacokinetic properties in rats and dogs. AAPB has now entered phase I of clinical trials fighting IS in China.

Objective:To investigate the correlation between serum NOD-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) levels and serum lipids in metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) before and after a single high-fat meal.Methods:A retrospective cohort study was conducted. Sixty-three MAFLD patients (MAFLD group) and fifty-four healthy subjects (CON group) recruited from February 2019 to December 2019 at Hebei Provincial People's Hospital were included. The baseline data were compared between the two groups, and a single high-fat meal trial was conducted. The levels of total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and NLRP3 were measured at 2 h, 4 h, and 6 h after fasting and a high-fat meal. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to evaluate the influencing factors of area under the operating curve (AUC NLRP3) of serum NLRP3 subjects. Logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the correlation between serum AUC NLRP3 and the risk of MAFLD. Results:The levels of TC, TG, LDL-C, and NLRP3 were significantly higher in the fasting group than the CON group at 2 h, 4 h, and 6 h after a meal [TC (mmol/L), fasting: (5.29±1.01) vs. (4.28±0.62), 2 h: (5.24±0.98) vs. (4.25±0.62), 4 h: (5.38±1.04) vs. (4.26±0.63), 6 h: (5.54±1.07) vs. (4.41±0.65); TG (mmol/L), fasting: (2.67±0.96) vs. (0.92±0.33), 2 h: (3.91±1.35) vs. (1.69±0.59), 4 h: (5.09±1.7) vs. (1.91±0.93), 6 h: (5.36±2.27) vs. (1.75±1.03); LDL-C (mmol/L), fasting: (3.47±0.74) vs. (2.65±0.49), 2 h: (3.36±0.71) vs. (2.58±0.49), 4 h: (3.30±0.71) vs. (2.55±0.47), 6 h: (3.36±0.74) vs. (2.63±0.48); NLRP3 (ng/L), fasting: (84.63±12.96) vs. (56.71±11.37), 2 h: (106.06±17.76) vs. (69.12±14.92), 4 h: (89.78±15.98) vs. (57.74±12.34), 6 h: (80.03±13.61) vs. (54.06±10.35); P<0.001], while the HDL-C level was significantly lower than the CON group [HDL-C (mmol/L), fasting: (1.14±0.24) vs. (1.33±0.29), 2 h: (1.14±0.24) vs. (1.33±0.29), 4 h: (1.09±0.24) vs. (1.27±0.28), and 6 h: (1.05±0.26) vs. (1.29±0.30); P<0.001]. Serum AUC NLRP3 was significantly correlated with AUC TG and AUC LDL-C (AUC TG: B=7.391, 95% CI:5.662-9.12; AUC LDL-C: B=6.559, 95% CI:3.052-10.065; P<0.001) after adjusting for confounding factors, and it was identified as an independent influencing factor for MAFLD ( OR=1.039, 95% CI:1.007-1.071; P=0.015). Conclusion:The serum NLRP3 levels before and after a single high-fat meal are significantly associated with elevated TG and LDL-C levels, and may influence the progression of MAFLD.

Objective To investigate the value of serum α-hydroxybutyric dehydrogenase(α-HBDH),cysteine-rich protein 61(CYR61)and gasdermin D(GSDMD)level testing in patients with sepsis-combined cardiomyopathy for clinical diagnosis and prognostic assessment.Methods A total of 244 sepsis patients who underwent consultation and treatment in Baotou Central Hospital from May 2020 to December 2023 were selected as the study subjects,and were separated into a study group(combined cardiomyopathy,n=106)and a control group(uncombined cardiomyopathy,n=138)according to whether they were combined cardiomyopathy or not.The levels of α-HBDH,CYR61 and GSDMD were measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA)method.Pearson and Spearman methods were used to analyze the correlation of α-HBDH,CYR61,and GSDMD with systolic and diastolic blood pressure,left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF)and acute physiology and chronic health evaluationⅡ(APACHE II)score.Multifactorial Logistic regression was used to analyze the factors affecting sepsis-combined cardiomyopathy.Receiver operator characteristic(ROC)curves were used to assess the diagnostic value of α-HBDH,CYR61 and GSDMD for sepsis-combined cardiomyopathy and their validity for prognostic prediction.Results Serum α-HBDH(278.35±18.89ng/ml vs 253.47±12.75ng/ml),CYR61(18.23±4.14mg/L vs 14.48±2.67mg/L)and GSDMD(12.39±3.28mg/L vs 9.46±2.17mg/L)levels were higher in the study group compared to the control group,and the differences were statistically significant(t=12.261,8.572,8.377,all P<0.05).The levels of α-HBDH(291.93±19.22ng/ml),CYR61(20.33±3.43mg/L)and GSDMD(14.01±3.09mg/L)were higher in the death patients compared to the survived patients(268.71±13.09ng/ml,16.74±2.88mg/L,11.24±2.55mg/L),and the differences were statistically significant(t=7.402,5.839,5.044,all P<0.05).Correlation analysis showed that α-HBDH,CYR61,and GSDMD were negatively correlated with systolic blood pressure,diastolic blood pressure and LVEF(r=-0.631～-0.422,all P<0.05),α-HBDH,CYR61,GSDMD were negatively correlated with APACHE II score(r=0.531,0.507,0.611,all P<0.05).Multifactorial Logistic regression analysis showed that systolic blood pressure,diastolic blood pressure,and LVEF were protective factors affecting sepsis-combined cardiomyopathy(Wald χ2=6.823,7.986,10.875,all P<0.05),and α-HBDH,CYR61,and GSDMD were risk factors affecting sepsis-combined cardiomyopathy(Wald χ2=9.376,6.849,7.435,all P<0.05).From the ROC curve analysis,it was known that the combined application of α-HBDH,CYR61,and GSDMD was more effective in the diagnosis of sepsis-combined cardiomyopathy(Z=2.369,2.454,2.573),the combined application of α-HBDH,CYR61,and GSDMD were superior for prognostic prediction in sepsis-combined cardiomyopathy(Z=2.352,2.468,2.581),and the differences were statistically significant(all P<0.05).Conclusion Serum α-HBDH,CYR61 and GSDMD levels are increased in patients with sepsis-combined cardiomyopathy,and they are correlated with prognosis.The combination of these three tests has a higher diagnostic value and prognostic value in sepsis combined cardiomyopathy.

Objective:To investigate the correlation between serum NOD-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) levels and serum lipids in metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) before and after a single high-fat meal.Methods:A retrospective cohort study was conducted. Sixty-three MAFLD patients (MAFLD group) and fifty-four healthy subjects (CON group) recruited from February 2019 to December 2019 at Hebei Provincial People's Hospital were included. The baseline data were compared between the two groups, and a single high-fat meal trial was conducted. The levels of total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and NLRP3 were measured at 2 h, 4 h, and 6 h after fasting and a high-fat meal. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to evaluate the influencing factors of area under the operating curve (AUC NLRP3) of serum NLRP3 subjects. Logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the correlation between serum AUC NLRP3 and the risk of MAFLD. Results:The levels of TC, TG, LDL-C, and NLRP3 were significantly higher in the fasting group than the CON group at 2 h, 4 h, and 6 h after a meal [TC (mmol/L), fasting: (5.29±1.01) vs. (4.28±0.62), 2 h: (5.24±0.98) vs. (4.25±0.62), 4 h: (5.38±1.04) vs. (4.26±0.63), 6 h: (5.54±1.07) vs. (4.41±0.65); TG (mmol/L), fasting: (2.67±0.96) vs. (0.92±0.33), 2 h: (3.91±1.35) vs. (1.69±0.59), 4 h: (5.09±1.7) vs. (1.91±0.93), 6 h: (5.36±2.27) vs. (1.75±1.03); LDL-C (mmol/L), fasting: (3.47±0.74) vs. (2.65±0.49), 2 h: (3.36±0.71) vs. (2.58±0.49), 4 h: (3.30±0.71) vs. (2.55±0.47), 6 h: (3.36±0.74) vs. (2.63±0.48); NLRP3 (ng/L), fasting: (84.63±12.96) vs. (56.71±11.37), 2 h: (106.06±17.76) vs. (69.12±14.92), 4 h: (89.78±15.98) vs. (57.74±12.34), 6 h: (80.03±13.61) vs. (54.06±10.35); P<0.001], while the HDL-C level was significantly lower than the CON group [HDL-C (mmol/L), fasting: (1.14±0.24) vs. (1.33±0.29), 2 h: (1.14±0.24) vs. (1.33±0.29), 4 h: (1.09±0.24) vs. (1.27±0.28), and 6 h: (1.05±0.26) vs. (1.29±0.30); P<0.001]. Serum AUC NLRP3 was significantly correlated with AUC TG and AUC LDL-C (AUC TG: B=7.391, 95% CI:5.662-9.12; AUC LDL-C: B=6.559, 95% CI:3.052-10.065; P<0.001) after adjusting for confounding factors, and it was identified as an independent influencing factor for MAFLD ( OR=1.039, 95% CI:1.007-1.071; P=0.015). Conclusion:The serum NLRP3 levels before and after a single high-fat meal are significantly associated with elevated TG and LDL-C levels, and may influence the progression of MAFLD.

Ligand-gated ion channels transduce chemical signals into ionic currents while being bonded with specific ligands,thereby facilitating signal transduction and intercellular communication.These channels have become critical therapeutic targets for a variety of diseases.Ginsenosides,triter-penoid saponins primarily derived from herbs of the Panax genus,are known for their broad range of biological activities.Ginsenosides and their metabolites can regulate the functions of various ligand-gated ion channels,including nicotinic acetylcholine receptors,5-hydroxytryptamine type-3 receptors,γ-aminobu-tyric acid type-A receptors,glycine receptors,ionotropic glutamate receptors,ATP-gated P2X chan-nels,and transient receptor potential channels.They play important roles in anti-inflammation,analge-sics,immune regulation,anti-epilepsy,cognitive enhancement and neuroprotection.Further investiga-tion into the mechanisms by which ginsenosides regulate these channels will provide important evidence for their clinical applications and the development of new drugs.

Objective Olanzapine has a significant effect in the treatment of mental illness,so its use has been increasing year by year,and poisoning cases have occurred from time to time.Weight gain is a common side effect,and predicting it can be used as a warning to reduce the occurrence of olanzapine poisoning.In this paper,we screened out the differential metabolites between the olanzapine administration rats whose body weight significantly increased and no significantly changed weight.,therefore established an early diagnosis model for predicting olanzapine-induced weight gain in rats.Methods Thirty rats were randomly divided into the control group and olanzapine administration group,which were given continuously gavage with gthe normal saline and olanzapine for 28 days respectively.Blood was taken from the medial canthal vein on the first day after administration,and serum was collected for metabolomics analysis.The olanzapine group was divided into weight gain group and weight unchanged group by comparing with control group.The metabolic group data of the two groups were compared and the differential compounds were screened out between the two groups,Further then an early diagnosis model was established.Results There were 26 differential compounds between the weight gain group and the weight unchanged group after olanzapine administration for 28 days,including 10 lipids,which were involved in the metabolism of α-linolenic acid,the biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acids,the biosynthesis of primary bile acids,and the synthesis of steroid hormones.Combined with the random forest algorithm,a early diagnosis model was established and the accurate rate was 80％.Conclusion Olanzapine administration would cause changes in the metabolome of rats,mostly concentrated in lipids,and the model based on 26 differential metabolites could be a candidate method for the early forensic determination of olanzapine poisoning.

Ligand-gated ion channels transduce chemical signals into ionic currents while being bonded with specific ligands,thereby facilitating signal transduction and intercellular communication.These channels have become critical therapeutic targets for a variety of diseases.Ginsenosides,triter-penoid saponins primarily derived from herbs of the Panax genus,are known for their broad range of biological activities.Ginsenosides and their metabolites can regulate the functions of various ligand-gated ion channels,including nicotinic acetylcholine receptors,5-hydroxytryptamine type-3 receptors,γ-aminobu-tyric acid type-A receptors,glycine receptors,ionotropic glutamate receptors,ATP-gated P2X chan-nels,and transient receptor potential channels.They play important roles in anti-inflammation,analge-sics,immune regulation,anti-epilepsy,cognitive enhancement and neuroprotection.Further investiga-tion into the mechanisms by which ginsenosides regulate these channels will provide important evidence for their clinical applications and the development of new drugs.

Objective Olanzapine has a significant effect in the treatment of mental illness,so its use has been increasing year by year,and poisoning cases have occurred from time to time.Weight gain is a common side effect,and predicting it can be used as a warning to reduce the occurrence of olanzapine poisoning.In this paper,we screened out the differential metabolites between the olanzapine administration rats whose body weight significantly increased and no significantly changed weight.,therefore established an early diagnosis model for predicting olanzapine-induced weight gain in rats.Methods Thirty rats were randomly divided into the control group and olanzapine administration group,which were given continuously gavage with gthe normal saline and olanzapine for 28 days respectively.Blood was taken from the medial canthal vein on the first day after administration,and serum was collected for metabolomics analysis.The olanzapine group was divided into weight gain group and weight unchanged group by comparing with control group.The metabolic group data of the two groups were compared and the differential compounds were screened out between the two groups,Further then an early diagnosis model was established.Results There were 26 differential compounds between the weight gain group and the weight unchanged group after olanzapine administration for 28 days,including 10 lipids,which were involved in the metabolism of α-linolenic acid,the biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acids,the biosynthesis of primary bile acids,and the synthesis of steroid hormones.Combined with the random forest algorithm,a early diagnosis model was established and the accurate rate was 80％.Conclusion Olanzapine administration would cause changes in the metabolome of rats,mostly concentrated in lipids,and the model based on 26 differential metabolites could be a candidate method for the early forensic determination of olanzapine poisoning.

l-Heptopyranoses are important components of bacterial polysaccharides and biological active secondary metabolites like septacidin (SEP), which represents a group of nucleoside antibiotics with antitumor, antifungal, and pain-relief activities. However, little is known about the formation mechanisms of those l-heptose moieties. In this study, we deciphered the biosynthetic pathway of the l,l-gluco-heptosamine moiety in SEPs by functional characterizing four genes and proposed that SepI initiates the process by oxidizing the 4'-hydroxyl of l-glycero-α-d-manno-heptose moiety of SEP-328 ( 2) to a keto group. Subsequently, SepJ (C5 epimerase) and SepA (C3 epimerase) shape the 4'-keto-l-heptopyranose moiety by sequential epimerization reactions. At the last step, an aminotransferase SepG installs the 4'-amino group of the l,l-gluco-heptosamine moiety to generate SEP-327 ( 3). An interesting phenomenon is that the SEP intermediates with 4'-keto-l-heptopyranose moieties exist as special bicyclic sugars with hemiacetal-hemiketal structures. Notably, l-pyranose is usually converted from d-pyranose by bifunctional C3/C5 epimerase. SepA is an unprecedented monofunctional l-pyranose C3 epimerase. Further in silico and experimental studies revealed that it represents an overlooked metal dependent-sugar epimerase family bearing vicinal oxygen chelate (VOC) architecture.