Radiation-induced intestinal injury is caused by high dose of radiation in the abdomen and pelvis. The disease is characterized by complicated pathological mechanisms and poses significant challenges to clinical treatment, seriously affecting the quality of life and health of patients. Current treatments in modern medicine offer limited efficacy and are often associated with adverse side effects. Traditional Chinese medicine monomers inhibit inflammatory factors (e.g., tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-1β) and regulate the antioxidant enzyme system (e.g., improving the activity of superoxide dismutase) to effectively reduce the symptoms of radiation-induced intestinal injury with minimal side effects. Through targeted delivery of nanoparticles, nanotechnology can accurately deliver the active ingredients of traditional Chinese medicine to damaged intestinal tissues, thus improving their bioavailability and therapeutic effects. This paper reviews the mechanisms of Chinese medicine monomers in the prevention and treatment of radiation-induced intestinal injury and the application of nanotechnology for enhanced efficiency. The paper also discusses the clinical potential of these approaches. These results provide a reference for future research and clinical practice.

BACKGROUND: Arsenic trioxide (ATO) is indicated as a broad-spectrum medicine for a variety of diseases, including cancer and cardiac disease. While the role of ATO in hepatic ischemia/reperfusion injury (HIRI) has not been reported. Thus, the purpose of this study was to identify the effects of ATO on HIRI. METHODS: In the present study, we established a 70% hepatic warm I/R injury and partial hepatectomy (30% resection) animal models in vivo and hepatocytes anoxia/reoxygenation (A/R) models in vitro with ATO pretreatment and further assessed liver function by histopathologic changes, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, cell counting kit-8, and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) assay. Small interfering RNA (siRNA) for extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) 1/2 was transfected to evaluate the role of ERK1/2 pathway during HIRI, followed by ATO pretreatment. The dynamic process of autophagic flux and numbers of autophagosomes were detected by green fluorescent protein-monomeric red fluorescent protein-LC3 (GFP-mRFP-LC3) staining and transmission electron microscopy. RESULTS: A low dose of ATO (0.75 μmol/L in vitro and 1 mg/kg in vivo ) significantly reduced tissue necrosis, inflammatory infiltration, and hepatocyte apoptosis during the process of hepatic I/R. Meanwhile, ATO obviously promoted the ability of cell proliferation and liver regeneration. Mechanistically, in vitro  studies have shown that nontoxic concentrations of ATO can activate both ERK and phosphoinositide 3-kinase-serine/threonine kinase (PI3K-AKT) pathways and further induce autophagy. The hepatoprotective mechanism of ATO, at least in part, relies on the effects of ATO on the activation of autophagy, which is ERK-dependent. CONCLUSION Low, non-toxic doses of ATO can activate ERK/PI3K-AKT pathways and induce ERK-dependent autophagy in hepatocytes, protecting liver against I/R injury and accelerating hepatocyte regeneration after partial hepatectomy.
Animals ; Arsenic Trioxide ; Autophagy/physiology* ; Reperfusion Injury/prevention & control* ; Mice ; Male ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt/physiology* ; Arsenicals/therapeutic use* ; Oxides/therapeutic use* ; Liver/metabolism* ; Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases/metabolism* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL

Toxoplasma gondii is a single-celled parasite that infects nearly all warm-blooded animals, including humans (Montoya and Liesenfeld, 2004). It occurs worldwide and can persist for a lifetime in mammals. Humans get infected by eating undercooked meat of animals containing the tissue cysts of this parasite. In immune-competent individuals, T. gondii infection usually does not cause significant clinical symptoms, whereas in pregnant or immunocompromised individuals, T. gondii infection (toxoplasmosis) can cause more serious problems like abortion and even death (Dunn et al., 1999; Wang et al., 2017). A combination of pyrimethamine and sulfadiazine is usually used to treat toxoplasmosis, although it is generally inefficient and causes side effects (Alday and Doggett, 2017). Worse still, there is a lack of vaccines to prevent T. gondii infection in humans or animals.
Toxoplasma/enzymology* ; Animals ; Humans ; Toxoplasmosis ; Mitochondria/enzymology* ; Protozoan Proteins/metabolism*

Abnormal amino acid metabolism promotes tumor progression by inducing malignant behaviors in tumor cells and altering the immune landscape within the tumor microenvironment. However, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, we constructed colorectal cancer (CRC) organoids and patient-derived tumor xenograft (PDX) models, performing multifaceted validation to confirm that T-complex protein 1 subunit epsilon (CCT5), mediates the biosynthesis of aspartate and enhances sensitivity to anti-PD-L1 immunotherapy. Mechanistically, CCT5 directly binds to asparagine synthetase (ASNS) and promotes the synthesis of aspartate (Asn). The Asn-mTORC1 axis facilitates tumor cell proliferation while upregulating PD-L1 expression, which leads to a reduction in the number of effector CD8⁺ T cells. Treatment with l-asparaginase (ASNase) combined with anti-PD-L1 therapy effectively reverses the growth of CRC characterized by high CCT5 expression. In summary, we identify CCT5 as a potential biomarker to guide the combined use of ASNase and anti-PD-L1 antibodies in CRC treatment.

Objective To investigate the prevalence of metabolic associated fatty liver disease(MAFLD)and its correlation with metabolic components among personnel on tropical islands.Methods The data of personnel who received health examination on islands in 2024 were analyzed,and they were grouped with the age limit of 30 years old to compare the detection rates of MAFLD and metabolic components in different age groups.In people aged≥ 30 years old,the age,gender,body mass index(BMI),waist circumference(WC),fasting blood glucose,blood lipids,liver function,kidney function and other indexes were compared between MAFLD and non-MAFLD groups.Univariate and multivariate logistic regression models were conducted to analyze the factors affecting the occurrence of MAFLD.The effects of various metabolic components on the risk of MAFLD in different age groups were analyzed by subgroup analyses.Results Among 1213 personnel,175(14.4％)cases had MAFLD,of which 141(80.6％)cases were mild,32(18.3％)were moderate,and 2(1.1％)were severe.The detection rates of MAFLD(25.6％[74/289]vs 10.9％[101/924])and overweight/obesity(55.7％[161/289]vs 37.7％[348/924])in age ≥ 30 years old were significantly higher than those in age＜30 years old(both P＜0.001).In people aged≥ 30 years old,compared with the non-MAFLD group,the BMI,WC,systolic blood pressure,diastolic blood pressure,triglyceride(TG),low density lipoprotein-cholesterol,alanine transaminase,aspartate transaminase,gamma glutamyltransferase and uric acid(UA)in the MAFLD group were significantly higher(all P＜0.05),and the high density lipoprotein-cholesterol(HDL-C)was significantly lower(P＜0.05).There were no significant differences in age,gender,fast blood glucose,total cholesterol,alkaline phosphatase,total bilirubin,serum creatinine,or blood urea nitrogen(all P＞0.05).Logistic regression analysis showed that WC was an independent risk factor for MAFLD(odds ratio[OR]=1.101,95％confidence interval[95％CI]1.030-1.176,P=0.004);HDL-C was an independent protective factor for MAFLD(OR=0.071,95％CI0.016-0.323,P=0.001);and BMI ≥24.0 kg/m2 and WC≥90 cm were positively correlated with MAFLD(both P＜0.01).In people aged≥30 years old,the risk of MAFLD was increased in those with overweight/obesity,arterial blood pressure≥ 130/85 mmHg(1 mmHg=0.133 kPa),TG≥1.7 mmol/L,HDL-C≤1.0 mmol/L and UA＞420 μmol/L(all P＜0.05),and the risk of MAFLD was most significantly increased in overweight/obesity people(hazard ratio[HR]=5.088,95％CI 2.724-9.504,P＜0.001).Among people aged＜30 years old,the risk of MAFLD was increased in those with overweight/obesity and UA＞420 μmol/L(both P＜0.01),and the risk of MAFLD was most significantly increased in overweight/obesity individuals(HR=6.305,95％CI3.973-10.006,P＜0.001).Conclusion The detection rates of MAFLD and various metabolic components are higher in the personnel on tropical islands,and the risk of MAFLD is higher in those with overweight/obesity,TG≥1.7 mmol/L and hyperuricemia.

Objective:To access the relation of aortic arch calcification (AoAC) volume based on parathyroid SPECT/CT imaging with hungry bone syndrome (HBS) in patients with renal secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT) after parathyroidectomy (PTX).Methods:From June 2015 to May 2024, the imaging and clinical data of 89 renal SHPT patients (52 males, 37 females, age: (51.5±10.3) years) who underwent parathyroid 99Tc m-methoxyisobutylisonitrile (MIBI) SPECT/CT in Affiliated Jiangyin Hospital of Nantong University were retrospectively analyzed. The AoAC volume was measured by Volume software of SPECT/CT system. The patients were divided into HBS group and non-HBS group, and the independent-sample t test, Mann-Whitney U test were used to compare differences of various indicators between the two groups. Logistic regression was used to analyze the influencing factors of HBS. Results:All 89 patients underwent PTX successfully, 50 patients (56.2%) were with HBS and 39 patients (43.8%) were not. The differences of age ((47.9±9.9) vs (56.1±9.0) years, t=-3.98, P<0.001), AoAC volume (0.36(0.02, 1.30) vs 1.57(0.37, 3.77)cm 3, Z=-3.17, P=0.002), preoperative alkaline phosphatase (ALP) (345.75(218.50, 632.50) vs (203.13±114.57)U/L, Z=-4.69, P<0.001), preoperative parathyroid hormone (147.85(109.83, 227.40) vs (135.58±51.14)pmol/L, Z=-2.34, P=0.019) and preoperative serum corrected calcium ((2.38±0.21) vs 2.54(2.39, 2.62)mmol/L, Z=-3.09, P=0.002) between HBS group and non-HBS group were significant. Logistic regression analysis showed that the AoAC volume ((odds ratio, OR)=0.628, 95% CI: 0.427-0.924, P=0.018), preoperative ALP ( OR=1.007, 95% CI: 1.002-1.012, P=0.010) and preoperative serum corrected calcium ( OR=0.041, 95% CI: 0.003-0.545, P=0.016) were independent risk factors for HBS. Conclusion:The AoAC volume measured by preoperative SPECT/CT can be used for an effective criteria of evaluating HBS in patients with renal SHPT after PTX, and AoAC volume may be one of independent risk factors for HBS.

Objective:To investigate the relationship of the number and morphological of parathyroid glands on 99Tc m-methoxyisobutylisonitrile (MIBI) SPECT/CT with hungry bone syndrome (HBS) in patients with renal secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT) after parathyroidectomy (PTX). Methods:Eighty renal SHPT patients (46 males, 34 females; age (50.3±11.0) years) who underwent PTX between January 2018 and June 2024 were retrospectively analyzed in Affiliated Jiangyin Hospital of Nantong University. The number of parathyroid glands detected on SPECT/CT, diameter of parathyroid gland and its volume were recorded and measured. Patients were divided into HBS group and non-HBS group. Independent-sample t test, Mann-Whitney U test and χ2 test were used to compare differences of various indicators between those 2 groups. Multivariate logistic regression was used to analyze influencing factors of HBS. Results:HBS group included 45 patients and the rest 35 patients belonged to non-HBS group. Age ( t=-3.61, P=0.001), preoperative alkaline phosphatase (ALP) ( Z=-4.65, P<0.001), preoperative parathyroid hormone ( Z=-2.34, P=0.019) and preoperative serum corrected calcium ( t=-2.71, P=0.008) were all significantly different between HBS group and non-HBS group. Patients with the number of parathyroid glands≥4 detected by SPECT/CT were more in HBS group than those in non-HBS group (82.2%(37/45) vs 51.4%(18/35); χ2=8.87, P=0.003), and the total volume of parathyroid glands (2.56(1.93, 4.44) vs 2.00(1.18, 2.94)cm 3;Z=-2.25, P=0.024) and the maximum diameter of parathyroid glands ((17.71±3.78) vs (15.87±3.91) mm; t=2.14, P=0.036) were significantly different between those 2 groups. Logistic regression analysis showed that preoperative ALP (odds ratio ( OR)=1.008, 95% CI: 1.002-1.014, P=0.015), preoperative serum corrected calcium ( OR=0.017, 95% CI: 0.000-0.869, P=0.042) and the number of parathyroid gland≥4 detected by SPECT/CT ( OR=4.156, 95% CI: 1.038-16.642, P=0.044) were independent influencing factors for HBS. The sensitivity of the number of parathyroid glands≥4 detected by SPECT/CT for diagnosing HBS was 82.2%(37/45). Conclusion:The number of parathyroid glands≥4 detected by SPECT/CT is an independent influencing factor for HBS, with high diagnostic sensitivity for HBS, thus having good clinical value.

Objective:To investigate the role and mechanism of leucine-rich α-2-glycoprotein 1 (LRG1) in the fibrosis of human pterygium fibroblasts (HPFs).Methods:A total of 30 nasal primary pterygium tissues from patients who underwent pterygium excision surgery and 30 nasal normal conjunctival tissues from patients who underwent strabismus correction surgery were collected from the First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University between January 2022 and March 2023, serving as the pterygium group and normal control group, respectively.LRG1 protein expression in both groups was detected by immunofluorescence staining.The mRNA and protein levels of LRG1 and transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) were evaluated by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) and Western blot.Primary HPFs were cultured from excised pterygium tissues using tissue block adhesion method, and cell morphology was observed.Vmentin and cytokeratin were identified by immunofluorescence staining.HPFs were divided into recombinant human LRG1 (rhLRG1) group and blank control group treated with or without 10 μg/ml rhLRG1 for 24 hours, respectively, and cell migration was evaluated via scratch assay.Additionally, HPFs were divided into blank control group, LRG1 overexpression group and LRG1 knockdown group.HPFs in LRG1 overexpression group and LRG1 knockdown group were transfected with LRG1 overexpression plasmids and small interfering RNA for 24 hours, respectively.TGF-β1 mRNA level was evaluated by qRT-PCR and expression of TGF-β1, fibronectin (FN), type Ⅲ collagen (COL3), and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) proteins were evaluated by Western blot.This study adhered to the Declaration of Helsinki.The study protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee of the First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University (No.2022IIT026).Written informed consent was obtained from each subject.Results:HPFs were successfully isolated, exhibiting spindle-shaped morphology with whorled arrangement, positive identification for vimentin, and negative immunofluorescence staining for cytokeratin.The migration rate of the rhLRG1 group was (83.01±2.56)%, significantly higher than (50.32±4.97)% of the blank control group ( t=9.59, P<0.001).Immunofluorescence staining results showed that compared with normal conjunctival tissue, LRG1 protein was significantly higher expressed in pterygium tissue and was widely distributed in fibrous connective tissue and epithelial layer.Both mRNA and protein levels of LRG1 and TGF-β1 were significantly higher in the pterygium group than in the normal control group (mRNA: t=10.18, 6.15, both P<0.05.protein: t=6.83, 8.79, both P<0.05).In the LRG1 overexpression group, mRNA level of TGF-β1, and protein levels of FN, COL3 and α-SMA were significantly increased compared with the blank control and LRG1 knockdown groups (all P<0.05). Conclusions:LRG1 promotes fibrosis and enhances the migration ability in HPFs, and its mechanism may be associated with the upregulation of the TGF-β1 signaling pathway.

Objective:To report the nationwide surveillance results of pathogenic profiles and antimicrobial resistance patterns of Gram-positive bloodstream infections in China in 2023.Methods:The clinical isolates of Gram-posttive bacteria from blood cultures were collected in member hospitals of National Bloodstream Infection Bacterial Resistant Investigation Collaborative System（BRICS）during January to December 2023. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed using the dilution method recommended by the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute（CLSI）. Statistical analyses were conducted using WHONET 5.6 and SPSS 25.0 software.Results:A total of 4 385 Gram-positive bacterial isolates were obtained from 60 participating center. The top five pathogens were Staphylococcus aureus（ n=1 544，35.2%），coagulase-negative Staphylococci（ n=1 441，32.9%）， Enterococcus faecium（ n=574，13.1%）， Enterococcus faecalis（ n=385，8.8%），and α-hemolytic Streptococci（ n=187，4.3%）. The prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus（MRSA）and methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative Staphylococci（MRCNS）was 26.2%（405/1 544）and 69.8%（1 006/1 441），respectively. Notably，all Staphylococci remained susceptible to glycopeptide or daptomycin. Staphylococcus aureus demonstrated excellent susceptibility（>97.0%）to cephalobiol，rifampicin，trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole，linezolid，minocycline，tigecycline，and eravacycline. No Enterococcus exhibiting resistance to linezolid were detected. Glycopeptide resistance was uncommon but more frequent in Enterococcus faecium（resistance to vancomycin and teicoplanin：both 1.7%）compared to Enterococcus faecalis（both 0.3%）. The detection rates of MRSA and MRCNS exhibited significant regional variations across the country（ χ2=17.674 and 148.650，respectively，both P<0.001）. No vancomycin-resistant Enterococci were detected in central China. Institutional comparison demonstrated higher prevalence of MRSA（ χ2=14.111， P<0.001）and MRCNS（ χ2=4.828， P=0.028）in provincial hospitals than that in municipal hospitals. Socioeconomic analysis identified elevated detection rates of both MRSA（ χ2=18.986， P<0.001）and MRCNS（ χ2=4.477， P=0.034）in less developed regions（per capita GDP

Objective:To report the results of bacterial resistant investigation collaborative system（BRICS）on the distribution and antimicrobial resistance profile of clinical Gram-negative bacteria isolates from bloodstream infections in China in 2023，and provide reference for clinical tretment of bloodstream infections and prevention and control of bacterial resistance.Methods:The clinical isolates of Gram-negative bacteria from blood cultures in member hospitals of BRICS were collected during January 2023 to December 2023. Antibiotic susceptibility tests were conducted by agar dilution or broth dilution methods recommended by Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute（CLSI）. WHONET 5.6 and SPSS 25.0 were used to analyze the data.Results:During the study period，11 492 strains of Gram-negative bacteria were collected from 60 hospitals，of which 10 098（87.9%）were Enterobacterales and 1 394（12.1%）were non-fermentative bacteria. The top 5 bacterial species were Escherichia coli（50.0%）， Klebsiella pneumoniae（26.1%）， Pseudomonas aeruginosa（5.1%）， Acinetobacter baumannii complex（5.0%）and Enterobacter cloacae complex（4.1%）. The ESBL-producing rates in Escherichia coli， Klebsiella pneumoniae and Proteus mirablilis were 46.8%（2 685/5 741），18.3%（549/2 999）and 44.0%（77/175），respectively. The prevalence of carbapenem-resistant Escherichia coli（CREC）and carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae（CRKP）were 1.3%（76/5 741）and 15.0%（450/2 999）；32.9%（25/76）and 78.0%（351/450）of CREC and CRKP were sensitive to ceftazidime/avibactam combination，respectively. 94.7%（72/76）and 90.2%（406/450）of CREC and CRKP were sensitive to aztreonam/avibactam combination. Furthermore，57.9%（44/76）and 79.1%（356/450）were sensitive to imipenem/relebactam combination. The prevalence of carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii（CRAB）complex was 64.6%（370/573），while more than 80.0% of CRAB complex was sensitive to tigecycline，eravacycline and polymyxin B. The prevalence of carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa（CRPA）was 17.0%（99/581）. There were differences in the composition ratio of Gram-negative bacteria in bloodstream infections and the prevalence of important Gram-negative bacteria resistance among different regions in China，with statistically significant differences in the prevalence of CREC，CRKP，CRPA and CRAB complex（ χ2=10.6，28.6，10.8 and 19.3， P<0.05）. The prevalence of ESBL-producing Escherichia coli， CREC，CRAB complex and CRKP were higher in provincial hospitals than those in municipal hospitals（ χ2=12.5，9.8，12.7 and 57.8，all P<0.01）. Conclusions:Gram-negative bacteria are the main pathogens causing bloodstream infections in China，and Escherichia coli is ranked in the top，while the trend of Klebsiella pneumoniae increases continuously with time. CRKP infection shows a slow upward trend，CREC infecton maintains a low prevalence level，and CRAB complex infection continues to exhibit a high prevalence rate. The composition and resistance patterns of pathogens causing bloodstream infections vary to some extent across different regions and levels of hospitals in China.