BACKGROUND: Spicy food consumption has been reported to be inversely associated with mortality from multiple diseases. However, the effect of spicy food intake on the incidence of vascular diseases in the Chinese population remains unclear. This study was conducted to explore this association. METHODS: This study was performed using the large-scale China Kadoorie Biobank (CKB) prospective cohort of 486,335 participants. The primary outcomes were vascular disease, ischemic heart disease (IHD), major coronary events (MCEs), cerebrovascular disease, stroke, and non-stroke cerebrovascular disease. A Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to assess the association between spicy food consumption and incident vascular diseases. Subgroup analysis was also performed to evaluate the heterogeneity of the association between spicy food consumption and the risk of vascular disease stratified by several basic characteristics. In addition, the joint effects of spicy food consumption and the healthy lifestyle score on the risk of vascular disease were also evaluated, and sensitivity analyses were performed to assess the reliability of the association results. RESULTS: During a median follow-up time of 12.1 years, a total of 136,125 patients with vascular disease, 46,689 patients with IHD, 10,097 patients with MCEs, 80,114 patients with cerebrovascular disease, 56,726 patients with stroke, and 40,098 patients with non-stroke cerebrovascular disease were identified. Participants who consumed spicy food 1-2 days/week (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.95, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] = [0.93, 0.97], P <0.001), 3-5 days/week (HR = 0.96, 95% CI = [0.94, 0.99], P = 0.003), and 6-7 days/week (HR = 0.97, 95% CI = [0.95, 0.99], P = 0.002) had a significantly lower risk of vascular disease than those who consumed spicy food less than once a week ( Ptrend <0.001), especially in those who were younger and living in rural areas. Notably, the disease-based subgroup analysis indicated that the inverse associations remained in IHD ( Ptrend = 0.011) and MCEs ( Ptrend = 0.002) risk. Intriguingly, there was an interaction effect between spicy food consumption and the healthy lifestyle score on the risk of IHD ( Pinteraction = 0.037). CONCLUSIONS Our findings support an inverse association between spicy food consumption and vascular disease in the Chinese population, which may provide additional dietary guidance for the prevention of vascular diseases.
Humans ; Male ; Female ; Prospective Studies ; Middle Aged ; Aged ; Vascular Diseases/etiology* ; Risk Factors ; China/epidemiology* ; Adult ; Proportional Hazards Models ; Cerebrovascular Disorders/epidemiology* ; East Asian People

Immune complex deposition is a critical factor in early renal damage associated with lupus nephritis (LN), and targeting plasma cell aggregation offers a promising therapeutic strategy. Ginsenoside compound K (i.e., 20-O-β-d-glucopyranosyl-20(S)-protopanaxadiol) (CK), a derivative of ginsenoside, has indicated significant potential in alleviating renal damage in lupus-prone mice, potentially by modulating B cell dynamics in response to endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. In this study, CK (20 or 40 mg/kg) was orally administered to female MRL/lpr mice for 10 weeks. The effects of CK on B cell subpopulations, renal function, and histopathological changes were evaluated. Single-cell ribonucleic acid sequencing was employed to analyze gene expression profile and pseudotime trajectories during B cell-mediated renal injury. Additionally, in vitro B cell assays were conducted to explore the role of the sirtuin-1 (SIRT1)-X-box binding protein 1 (XBP1) axis in ER stress. Our findings demonstrated that CK effectively reduced anti-double stranded DNA (dsDNA) antibody levels, alleviated systemic inflammation, improved renal function, and facilitated the clearance of deposited immune complexes. CK likely suppressed the unfolded protein response (UPR), delaying the differentiation of renal-activated B cells into plasma cells. It promoted B cell-specific SIRT1 activation and inhibited the splicing of XBP1 into its active form, XBP1s. CK also restored ER morphology by interacting with calmodulin (CALM) to maintain ER calcium storage, reinforcing SIRT1 functional integrity and promoting XBP1 deacetylation, thereby limiting plasma cell differentiation. In conclusion, CK mitigates plasma cell accumulation in the renal microenvironment by preventing SIRT1-mediated XBP1 splicing, offering a potential therapeutic approach for LN.

[Objective]To review and summarize the academic experience of Professor FAN Yongsheng,one of the first session national famous traditional Chinese medicine masters,in the treatment of systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis.[Methods]Through follow-up study,sorting out and analyzing typical medical records,and referring to relevant literature,combined with Professor FAN Yongsheng's works and clinical practice,Professor FAN Yongsheng's academic experience in the treatment of systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis was summarized from two aspects of etiology,pathogenesis and treatment ideas,and one proven case was attached for evidence.[Results]Professor FAN Yongsheng believes that the pathogenic process of systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis conforms to the law of the transformation of warm diseases Wei Qi Ying Xue,which is similar to the pathogenic characteristics of latent pathogenic febrile diseases.It is mostly caused by the deficiency of healthy Qi in the interior,combined with the invasion of external pathogens,hidden in the interior,waiting for opportunities,or triggered by external pathogens.Clinical application of fire stagnation requires dissipation,dispersing and expelling the latent pathogens;protecting the healthy Qi,moderating exorcism;sequential therapy,toxicity reduction and efficacy enhancement and other treatment ideas have achieved satisfactory clinical results in the treatment of this disease.In the test case,the initial manifestation of the patient was the pathogen lurking in Yin phase,dual blaze of Qi and Ying,and the treatment was to clear heat toxin and harmonize Ying,dispel wind and dredge collaterals;after treatment,rash regression and fever relieve,latent pathogens were affected from Yin to Yang and cardinal dysfunction,and the treatment was to reconcile cardinal,clear and expel the stagnant heat;when the pathogenic Qi disappeared gradually,the healthy Qi declined,the treatment was given to disperse and expel the heat,combined with invigorating the spleen and harmonizing the stomach.The whole process of treatment was permeated throughout dispersing latent pathogens,and at the same time reflecting Professor FAN Yongsheng's treatment ideas of flexible drug use,taking care of healthy Qi.[Conclusion]Professor FAN Yongsheng has achieved good clinical results in the treatment of systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis based on the theory of latent pathogenic warm disease,and his academic experience is worthy of reference and promotion.

This study was designed to evaluate the correlation between immune antibodies and pelvic inflammatory disease(PID)using retrospective analysis.Cases were selected from 171 patients who met the diagnosis of PID in Liuzhou People's Hospital of Guangxi Province from January 2022 to March 2023,and the PID patients were further divided into simple PID group(53 cases)and in PID combined with reproductive tract infection group(118 cases)according to the presence or absence of reproductive tract infections,while 83 cases of women who did not meet the specific diagnostic criteria of PID and did not have reproductive tract infections were selected as the control group during the same period.The positive rate of immune antibodies in the three groups were observed and compared to explore the relationship between immune antibodies and PID.Data showed that the positive rates of immune antibodies were significantly higher in the PID alone group and the PID combined with reproductive tract infection group than that in the control group.Furthermore,the positive rate of immune antibody TPOAb was significant difference in the PID combined with reproductive tract infection group and the PID alone group(P<0.05).In conclusion,TPOAb is closely associated with reproductive tract infections.

Objective:To investigate the incidence of postoperative complications in Chinese patients with gastric or colorectal cancer, and to evaluate the risk factors for postoperative complications.Methods:This was a national, multicenter, prospective, registry-based, cohort study of data obtained from the database of the Prevalence of Abdominal Complications After Gastro- enterological Surgery (PACAGE) study sponsored by the China Gastrointestinal Cancer Surgical Union. The PACAGE database prospectively collected general demographic characteristics, protocols for perioperative treatment, and variables associated with postoperative complications in patients treated for gastric or colorectal cancer in 20 medical centers from December 2018 to December 2020. The patients were grouped according to the presence or absence of postoperative complications. Postoperative complications were categorized and graded in accordance with the expert consensus on postoperative complications in gastrointestinal oncology surgery and Clavien-Dindo grading criteria. The incidence of postoperative complications of different grades are presented as bar charts. Independent risk factors for occurrence of postoperative complications were identified by multifactorial unconditional logistic regression.Results:The study cohort comprised 3926 patients with gastric or colorectal cancer, 657 (16.7%) of whom had a total of 876 postoperative complications. Serious complications (Grade III and above) occurred in 4.0% of patients (156/3926). The rate of Grade V complications was 0.2% (7/3926). The cohort included 2271 patients with gastric cancer with a postoperative complication rate of 18.1% (412/2271) and serious complication rate of 4.7% (106/2271); and 1655 with colorectal cancer, with a postoperative complication rate of 14.8% (245/1655) and serious complication rate of 3.0% (50/1655). The incidences of anastomotic leakage in patients with gastric and colorectal cancer were 3.3% (74/2271) and 3.4% (56/1655), respectively. Abdominal infection was the most frequently occurring complication, accounting for 28.7% (164/572) and 39.5% (120/304) of postoperative complications in patients with gastric and colorectal cancer, respectively. The most frequently occurring grade of postoperative complication was Grade II, accounting for 65.4% (374/572) and 56.6% (172/304) of complications in patients with gastric and colorectal cancers, respectively. Multifactorial analysis identified (1) the following independent risk factors for postoperative complications in patients in the gastric cancer group: preoperative comorbidities (OR=2.54, 95%CI: 1.51-4.28, P<0.001), neoadjuvant therapy (OR=1.42, 95%CI:1.06-1.89, P=0.020), high American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) scores (ASA score 2 points:OR=1.60, 95% CI: 1.23-2.07, P<0.001, ASA score ≥3 points:OR=0.43, 95% CI: 0.25-0.73, P=0.002), operative time >180 minutes (OR=1.81, 95% CI: 1.42-2.31, P<0.001), intraoperative bleeding >50 mL (OR=1.29,95%CI: 1.01-1.63, P=0.038), and distal gastrectomy compared with total gastrectomy (OR=0.65,95%CI: 0.51-0.83, P<0.001); and (2) the following independent risk factors for postoperative complications in patients in the colorectal cancer group: female (OR=0.60, 95%CI: 0.44-0.80, P<0.001), preoperative comorbidities (OR=2.73, 95%CI: 1.25-5.99, P=0.030), neoadjuvant therapy (OR=1.83, 95%CI:1.23-2.72, P=0.008), laparoscopic surgery (OR=0.47, 95%CI: 0.30-0.72, P=0.022), and abdominoperineal resection compared with low anterior resection (OR=2.74, 95%CI: 1.71-4.41, P<0.001). Conclusion:Postoperative complications associated with various types of infection were the most frequent complications in patients with gastric or colorectal cancer. Although the risk factors for postoperative complications differed between patients with gastric cancer and those with colorectal cancer, the presence of preoperative comorbidities, administration of neoadjuvant therapy, and extent of surgical resection, were the commonest factors associated with postoperative complications in patients of both categories.

Objective:To investigate the incidence of postoperative complications in Chinese patients with gastric or colorectal cancer, and to evaluate the risk factors for postoperative complications.Methods:This was a national, multicenter, prospective, registry-based, cohort study of data obtained from the database of the Prevalence of Abdominal Complications After Gastro- enterological Surgery (PACAGE) study sponsored by the China Gastrointestinal Cancer Surgical Union. The PACAGE database prospectively collected general demographic characteristics, protocols for perioperative treatment, and variables associated with postoperative complications in patients treated for gastric or colorectal cancer in 20 medical centers from December 2018 to December 2020. The patients were grouped according to the presence or absence of postoperative complications. Postoperative complications were categorized and graded in accordance with the expert consensus on postoperative complications in gastrointestinal oncology surgery and Clavien-Dindo grading criteria. The incidence of postoperative complications of different grades are presented as bar charts. Independent risk factors for occurrence of postoperative complications were identified by multifactorial unconditional logistic regression.Results:The study cohort comprised 3926 patients with gastric or colorectal cancer, 657 (16.7%) of whom had a total of 876 postoperative complications. Serious complications (Grade III and above) occurred in 4.0% of patients (156/3926). The rate of Grade V complications was 0.2% (7/3926). The cohort included 2271 patients with gastric cancer with a postoperative complication rate of 18.1% (412/2271) and serious complication rate of 4.7% (106/2271); and 1655 with colorectal cancer, with a postoperative complication rate of 14.8% (245/1655) and serious complication rate of 3.0% (50/1655). The incidences of anastomotic leakage in patients with gastric and colorectal cancer were 3.3% (74/2271) and 3.4% (56/1655), respectively. Abdominal infection was the most frequently occurring complication, accounting for 28.7% (164/572) and 39.5% (120/304) of postoperative complications in patients with gastric and colorectal cancer, respectively. The most frequently occurring grade of postoperative complication was Grade II, accounting for 65.4% (374/572) and 56.6% (172/304) of complications in patients with gastric and colorectal cancers, respectively. Multifactorial analysis identified (1) the following independent risk factors for postoperative complications in patients in the gastric cancer group: preoperative comorbidities (OR=2.54, 95%CI: 1.51-4.28, P<0.001), neoadjuvant therapy (OR=1.42, 95%CI:1.06-1.89, P=0.020), high American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) scores (ASA score 2 points:OR=1.60, 95% CI: 1.23-2.07, P<0.001, ASA score ≥3 points:OR=0.43, 95% CI: 0.25-0.73, P=0.002), operative time >180 minutes (OR=1.81, 95% CI: 1.42-2.31, P<0.001), intraoperative bleeding >50 mL (OR=1.29,95%CI: 1.01-1.63, P=0.038), and distal gastrectomy compared with total gastrectomy (OR=0.65,95%CI: 0.51-0.83, P<0.001); and (2) the following independent risk factors for postoperative complications in patients in the colorectal cancer group: female (OR=0.60, 95%CI: 0.44-0.80, P<0.001), preoperative comorbidities (OR=2.73, 95%CI: 1.25-5.99, P=0.030), neoadjuvant therapy (OR=1.83, 95%CI:1.23-2.72, P=0.008), laparoscopic surgery (OR=0.47, 95%CI: 0.30-0.72, P=0.022), and abdominoperineal resection compared with low anterior resection (OR=2.74, 95%CI: 1.71-4.41, P<0.001). Conclusion:Postoperative complications associated with various types of infection were the most frequent complications in patients with gastric or colorectal cancer. Although the risk factors for postoperative complications differed between patients with gastric cancer and those with colorectal cancer, the presence of preoperative comorbidities, administration of neoadjuvant therapy, and extent of surgical resection, were the commonest factors associated with postoperative complications in patients of both categories.

ObjectiveTo explore the effect of Buzhong Yiqitang on the immune imbalance of helper T cell 17 （Th17）/regulatory T cell （Treg） and Notch1 signaling pathway in mice with autoimmune thyroiditis （AIT）. MethodA total of 60 8-week-old NOD.H-2^h4 mice were randomly divided into the normal group， model group， western medicine group （selenium yeast tablet， 32.5 mg·kg^-1）， and low-dose （4.78 g·kg^-1·d^-1）， middle-dose （9.56 g·kg^-1·d^-1）， and high-dose （19 g·kg^-1·d^-1） Buzhong Yiqitang groups， with 10 mice in each group. The normal group was fed with distilled water， and the other groups were fed with water containing 0.05% sodium iodide for eight weeks. After the animal model of AIT was formed spontaneously， the mice were killed under anesthesia after intragastric administration for eight weeks. Serum anti-thyroglobulin antibodies （TGAb）， thyroid-stimulating hormone （TSH）， free triiodothyronine （FT3）， and free thyroid hormone （FT4） were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）， and thyroid tissue changes were observed by hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining. The mRNA and protein expressions of retinoid-related orphan receptor-γt （RORγt）， interleukin （IL）-17， forkhead box P3 （FoxP3）， IL-10， Notch1， and hair division-related enhancer 1 （Hes1） in thyroid tissue were detected by Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） and Western blot， respectively. ResultCompared with the normal group， the thyroid structure of the model group was severely damaged， and lymphocytes were infiltrated obviously. The levels of serum TGAb， FT3， and FT4 contents were significantly increased， and TSH content was significantly decreased （P<0.01）. The mRNA and protein expression levels of RORγt， IL-17， Notch1， and Hes1 were significantly increased， while those of FoxP3 and IL10 were significantly decreased in the model group （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， thyroid structural damage and lymphocyte infiltration were improved in the treatment groups， and serum TGAb， FT3， and FT4 contents were significantly decreased. TSH content was increased， and mRNA and protein expression levels of RORγt， IL-17， Notch1， and Hes1 were decreased. mRNA and protein expression levels of FoxP3 and IL-10 were increased to different degrees （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and the middle-dose Buzhong Yiqitang group had the most significant intervention effect. ConclusionBuzhong Yiqitang can alleviate the thyroid structural damage in AIT mice， and its mechanism may be related to improving the abnormal differentiation of Th17/Treg immune cells and inhibiting the activation of the Notch1 signaling pathway.

Objective:To observe any effect of an enriched environment (EET) on cognitive functioning and sonic hedgehog (SHH) signaling in rats modeling cerebral ischemia.Methods:Sixty adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into a blank control group, a model group and a training group. A model of cerebral ischemia was established in the model and training groups by thread thrombus. The training group was given an EET. After 7 and 14 days, the rats′ cognition was tested using the Morris water maze and the platform jumping test. Apoptosis of brain cells in the hippocampus was detected by using TUNEL staining, and the expression of SHH, Gli2 and PTCH1 proteins in the hippocampus were measured using qRT-PCRs, western blotting and immunohistochemistry.Results:After 14 days the average escape latency in the Morris water maze test had shortened more in the training group than in the model group, while the average swimming speed, the number of platform crossings and the time spent in the quadrant had increased significantly more. They also received fewer electric shocks and spent significantly less time on the platform in the platform jumping test on average. Apoptosis in the hippocampus after 14 days was significantly less in the training group with significantly greater expression of SHH and Gli2 protein and significantly less PTCH1 protein expression.Conclusion:An EET can significantly improve cognition after cerebral ischemia, at least in rats. Its mechanism may be related to enhanced activation of the SHH signaling pathway.

Non-conventional yeasts such as Yarrowia lipolytica, Pichia pastoris, Kluyveromyces marxianus, Rhodosporidium toruloides and Hansenula polymorpha have proven to be efficient cell factories in producing a variety of natural products due to their wide substrate utilization spectrum, strong tolerance to environmental stresses and other merits. With the development of synthetic biology and gene editing technology, metabolic engineering tools and strategies for non-conventional yeasts are expanding. This review introduces the physiological characteristics, tool development and current application of several representative non-conventional yeasts, and summarizes the metabolic engineering strategies commonly used in the improvement of natural products biosynthesis. We also discuss the strengths and weaknesses of non-conventional yeasts as natural products cell factories at current stage, and prospects future research and development trends.
Yeasts/genetics* ; Yarrowia/metabolism* ; Gene Editing ; Metabolic Engineering