Objective:To explore whether the food additive sodium benzoate(NAB) induces pancreatic inflammation and β cell apoptosis through the benzoylation(Kbz) modification pathway.Methods:In vivo experiments: C57BL/6J male mice(8 weeks old, 18-20 g) were randomly divided into normal control group(double distilled water feeding) and NAB feeding group(1 g/kg NAB feeding). Blood glucose were measured. After 20 weeks, fasting serum insulin, interleukin(IL)-18, IL-1β, and benzoyl-CoA levels were detected by ELISA method. Bax, IL-18, Pan-Kbz and Pan-Kac were detected by immunohistochemistry staining. In vitro experiments: β-TC-6 cells were cultured with NAB(6 mmol/L) or benzoyl-CoA(100 μmol/L) as stimulator and acyltransferase P300 inhibitor A485(10 μmol/L) as intervention factor. 24 hours later, inflammation, apoptosis, insulin secretion and Pan-Kbz level were detected by qRT-PCR, ELISA and Western blotting.Results:In the in vivo experiments, compared to the NC group, mice in the NAB group exhibited impaired glucose tolerance, decreased fasting insulin levels, significantly increased serum benzoyl coenzyme A concentrations, relatively elevated pancreatic IL-1β, IL-18, and Bax protein expressions, increased levels of Pan-Kbz, while Pan-Kac levels were downregulated(all P<0.05); In vitro experiments, NAB dose-dependently inhibited insulin secretion, promoted the release of Pan-Kbz and inflammatory factors IL-18 and TNF- α, inhibited Bcl-2 expression and up-regulated Bax expression, A485 reversed NAB-induced Pan-Kbz modification, improved NAB-induced inflammation and apoptosis, and promoted insulin secretion(all P<0.05). Conclusion:NAB may induce pancreatic inflammation, β-cell apoptosis, and impair insulin secretion through Kbz modification pathway.

Thoracic aortic dissection (TAD) without familial clustering or syndromic features is known as sporadic TAD (STAD). So far, the genetic basis of STAD remains unknown. Whole exome sequencing was performed in 223 STAD patients and 414 healthy controls from the Chinese Han population (N = 637). After population structure and genetic relationship and ancestry analyses, we used the optimal sequence kernel association test to identify the candidate genes or variants of STAD. We found that COL3A1 was significantly relevant to STAD (P = 7.35 × 10
Aneurysm, Dissecting/genetics* ; Case-Control Studies ; Cluster Analysis ; Cohort Studies ; Collagen Type III/genetics* ; Computational Biology ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; Humans

Previous studies have revealed that patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) exhibit differences in symptom severity and prognosis, indicating potential HCM subtypes among these patients. Here, 793 patients with HCM were recruited at an average follow-up of 32.78 ± 27.58 months to identify potential HCM subtypes by performing consensus clustering on the basis of their echocardiography features. Furthermore, we proposed a systematic method for illustrating the relationship between the phenotype and genotype of each HCM subtype by using machine learning modeling and interactome network detection techniques based on whole-exome sequencing data. Another independent cohort that consisted of 414 patients with HCM was recruited to replicate the findings. Consequently, two subtypes characterized by different clinical outcomes were identified in HCM. Patients with subtype 2 presented asymmetric septal hypertrophy associated with a stable course, while those with subtype 1 displayed left ventricular systolic dysfunction and aggressive progression. Machine learning modeling based on personal whole-exome data identified 46 genes with mutation burden that could accurately predict subtype propensities. Furthermore, the patients in another cohort predicted as subtype 1 by the 46-gene model presented increased left ventricular end-diastolic diameter and reduced left ventricular ejection fraction. By employing echocardiography and genetic screening for the 46 genes, HCM can be classified into two subtypes with distinct clinical outcomes.

We conducted a randomized, open-label, parallel-controlled, multicenter trial on the use of Shuanghuanglian (SHL), a traditional Chinese patent medicine, in treating cases of COVID-19. A total of 176 patients received SHL by three doses (56 in low dose, 61 in middle dose, and 59 in high dose) in addition to standard care. The control group was composed of 59 patients who received standard therapy alone. Treatment with SHL was not associated with a difference from standard care in the time to disease recovery. Patients with 14-day SHL treatment had significantly higher rate in negative conversion of SARS-CoV-2 in nucleic acid swab tests than the patients from the control group (93.4% vs. 73.9%, P = 0.006). Analysis of chest computed tomography images showed that treatment with high-dose SHL significantly promoted absorption of inflammatory focus of pneumonia, which was evaluated by density reduction of inflammatory focus from baseline, at day 7 (mean difference (95% CI), -46.39 (-86.83 to -5.94) HU; P = 0.025) and day 14 (mean difference (95% CI), -74.21 (-133.35 to -15.08) HU; P = 0.014). No serious adverse events occurred in the SHL groups. This study illustrated that SHL in combination with standard care was safe and partially effective for the treatment of COVID-19.
COVID-19 ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Research ; SARS-CoV-2 ; Treatment Outcome