Background: Influenza A virus (IAV) is a negative-sense RNA virus of the Orthomyxoviridae family and is the etiological agent of a highly contagious acute respiratory disease that can lead to acute lung injury. Objective: To elucidate the molecular mechanisms of IAV infection, an integrative research approach combining gene expression profiling, multinetwork analysis, and in vivo experimental validations was employed. Methods: First, a series of network-based analyses were performed, including protein-protein interaction network construction, weighted gene co-expression network analysis, and subsequent gene set enrichment analysis, to identify the major underlying mechanisms of IAV infection. Following gene expression analysis, core targets, both direct and indirect regulators, were screened. An IAV (H1N1) strain A/PR/8/34-induced acute lung injury mouse model was constructed for in vivo validations. Batch one included two groups to evaluate findings from the multi-network analysis: Mock (n = 10; 5 males and 5 females) and IAV (n = 10; 5 males and 5 females). Batch two included three groups to assess the role of toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3) in IAV infection: Mock (n = 6; 3 males and 3 females), IAV (n = 6; 3 males and 3 females), and TLR3 inhibitor (n = 6; 3 males and 3 females). Body weight was measured on days 0, 3, and 5 after infection. On day 5, lung tissues were collected to assess viral load and histopathological changes. Key targets were examined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, Western blotting, and immunofluorescence staining, both in sera and lung tissues. Results: IAV infection was significantly associated with dysregulation of the immune-inflammation system, such as the LTR, nucle-otide-binding oligomerization domain-(NOD) like receptor, retinoic acid-inducible gene I-like receptor, and nuclear factor kappa-B signaling pathways. Gene set enrichment analysis further indicated that the TLR and necroptosis signaling pathways played crucial roles in the progression of IAV infection (TLR signaling pathway normalized enrichment score = 2.3941, P = 1.00 × 10 ⁻¹⁰; necroptosis normalized enrichment score = 1.9421, P = 6.21 × 10 ⁻⁷). Among the core targets, TLR3 and mixed lineage kinase domain-like protein (MLKL) may regulate gene expression at the transcriptional level (all P < 0.05). In vivo validation using an IAV (PR8) infected acute lung injury mouse model demonstrated increased viral load and lung index, alveolar structural damage, and inflammatory cell infiltration. Immunofluorescence staining exhibited large gaps in Lamin B1 staining and breaches in Emerin signals following IAV-PR8 infection. Expression levels of TLR3, p-receptor-interacting serine/threonine-protein kinase 3 (RIPK3)/RIPK3, and p-mixed lineage kinase domain-like protein (MLKL)/MLKL proteins in lung tissues, as well as proinflammatory factors and mediators in sera, were significantly elevated after IAV infection. Moreover, enhanced neutrophil infiltration (myeloperoxidase) and citrullinated histone H3 (a neutrophil extracellular trap-specific marker), both established indicators of neutrophil extracellular trap formation, were observed. Notably, treatment with a TLR3 inhibitor significantly ameliorated IAV-induced acute lung injury by regulating necroptosis-related targets. Conclusion: Our study provides network-based in vivo evidence that TLR3-receptor-interacting serine/threonine-protein kinase 3-MLKL-mediated necroptosis may underlie IAV-induced acute lung injury and could serve as a potential therapeutic target in severe influenza cases.

The rich club, as a community of highly interconnected nodes, serves as the topological center of the network. However, the similarities and differences in how the rich club supports functional integration and segregation in the brain across different species remain unknown. In this study, we first detected and validated the rich club in the structural networks of mouse, monkey, and human brains using neuronal tracing or diffusion magnetic resonance imaging data. Further, we assessed the role of rich clubs in functional integration, segregation, and balance using quantitative metrics. Our results indicate that the presence of a rich club facilitates whole-brain functional integration in all three species, with the functional networks of higher species exhibiting greater integration. These findings are expected to help to understand the relationship between brain structure and function from the perspective of brain evolution.
Animals ; Humans ; Brain/diagnostic imaging* ; Mice ; Male ; Nerve Net/diagnostic imaging* ; Macaca ; Female ; Neural Pathways/diagnostic imaging* ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Biological Evolution ; Adult ; Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Brain Mapping ; Species Specificity ; Mice, Inbred C57BL

Portal hypertensive biliopathy is a secondary condition of intrahepatic and extrahepatic bile duct abnormalities caused by portal hypertension, especially in extrahepatic portal venous obstruction. Most patients may remain asymptomatic for a long time, while a few may present with symptomatic portal hypertensive biliopathy, such as obstructive jaundice, cholelithiasis with or without cholangitis, gastrointestinal bleeding, and others. Such disease is rare in clinical practice and is prone to misdiagnosis and missed diagnosis. Improper treatment can lead to serious adverse consequences. We report a case of unexpected discovery of bile duct dilation due to abdominal pain, which was ultimately diagnosed as portal hypertensive biliopathy based on the medical history, manifestations of portal hypertension, and imaging examinations, especially intraductal ultrasonography.

Objective To analyze changes in intestinal microbiota composition and metabolites in mice with nitrous oxide poisoning using 16S rDNA sequencing and metabolomics,and to examine correlations between gut microbes and metabolites in order to explore the mechanisms of nitrous oxide poisoning.Methods C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into a control group and a nitrous oxide poisoning group(n=6).The poisoning group was exposed to 90,000 ppm nitrous oxide twice daily for 1 h over 28 days,while the control group was exposed to air.Fecal samples were collected 24 h after the last exposure.16S rDNA sequencing was used to analyze structural differences in microbial communities and identify significantly different taxa.Metabolomics analysis was performed to detect changes in fecal metabolites and identify differential metabolites.Correlation analysis was conducted between differential microbiota and metabolites.Results 16S rDNA sequencing showed that the poisoning group had increased microbial abundance compared with controls,while species diversity remained unchanged.Significant differences were observed in gut microbiota structure between groups.Metabolomics identified 112 differential metabolites related to nitrous oxide poisoning,mainly involving the cAMP signaling pathway and sphingolipid metabolism.Spearman correlation analysis revealed a strong association between differential microbiota and differential metabolites.Conclusion Nitrous oxide poisoning alters the structure and metabolic profiles of intestinal microbiota.Changes in microbial abundance affect multiple metabolic pathways,which may be related to damage to the nervous and hematological systems.These findings provide a basis for further research on the mechanisms of nitrous oxide poisoning and for clinical treatment.

Objective To analyze changes in intestinal microbiota composition and metabolites in mice with nitrous oxide poisoning using 16S rDNA sequencing and metabolomics,and to examine correlations between gut microbes and metabolites in order to explore the mechanisms of nitrous oxide poisoning.Methods C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into a control group and a nitrous oxide poisoning group(n=6).The poisoning group was exposed to 90,000 ppm nitrous oxide twice daily for 1 h over 28 days,while the control group was exposed to air.Fecal samples were collected 24 h after the last exposure.16S rDNA sequencing was used to analyze structural differences in microbial communities and identify significantly different taxa.Metabolomics analysis was performed to detect changes in fecal metabolites and identify differential metabolites.Correlation analysis was conducted between differential microbiota and metabolites.Results 16S rDNA sequencing showed that the poisoning group had increased microbial abundance compared with controls,while species diversity remained unchanged.Significant differences were observed in gut microbiota structure between groups.Metabolomics identified 112 differential metabolites related to nitrous oxide poisoning,mainly involving the cAMP signaling pathway and sphingolipid metabolism.Spearman correlation analysis revealed a strong association between differential microbiota and differential metabolites.Conclusion Nitrous oxide poisoning alters the structure and metabolic profiles of intestinal microbiota.Changes in microbial abundance affect multiple metabolic pathways,which may be related to damage to the nervous and hematological systems.These findings provide a basis for further research on the mechanisms of nitrous oxide poisoning and for clinical treatment.

Portal hypertensive biliopathy is a secondary condition of intrahepatic and extrahepatic bile duct abnormalities caused by portal hypertension, especially in extrahepatic portal venous obstruction. Most patients may remain asymptomatic for a long time, while a few may present with symptomatic portal hypertensive biliopathy, such as obstructive jaundice, cholelithiasis with or without cholangitis, gastrointestinal bleeding, and others. Such disease is rare in clinical practice and is prone to misdiagnosis and missed diagnosis. Improper treatment can lead to serious adverse consequences. We report a case of unexpected discovery of bile duct dilation due to abdominal pain, which was ultimately diagnosed as portal hypertensive biliopathy based on the medical history, manifestations of portal hypertension, and imaging examinations, especially intraductal ultrasonography.

Objective:To explore the characteristics of renal oxidative stress injuries in rats with high-voltage electric burns and the intervention effects of breviscapine.Methods:This study was an experimental study. One hundred and sixty 8-10-week-old male Sprague Dawley rats were divided into sham injury group, electric burn group, saline group, low breviscapine group, middle breviscapine group, and high breviscapine group, with 60 rats in each of the sham injury group and electric burn group, 10 rats in each of the other 4 groups, respectively. The rats in sham injury group and electric burn group were divided into 10 rats at each time point, including post injury hour (PIH) 0 (immediately), 8, 24, 48, and 72, and post injury week (PIW) 1. The rats in sham injury group were not conducted with electrical current to cause sham injury. The rats in the other 5 groups were caused high-voltage electric burns. The rats in sham injury group and electric burn group were not treated after injury. The rats in saline group, low breviscapine group, middle breviscapine group, and high breviscapine group were intraperitoneally injected with 5 mL/kg normal saline or 0.4, 1.6, and 4.0 g/L breviscapine, repeated every 24 h until PIH 72. After the model was successfully made, 14 rats died, including 1, 2, 2, and 1 rat (s) at PIH 24, 48, and 72 and PIW 1 in electric burn group, 4, 1, 2, and 1 rat (s) at PIH 72 in saline group, low breviscapine group, middle breviscapine group, and high breviscapine group, respectively. The kidney tissue collected from rats in the 6 groups was weighed and the kidney/body weight ratio was calculated. The left upper pole tissue of kidney was collected from each 4 rats in sham injury group, and in electric burn group at PIH 8, 24, 48, and 72 and PIW 1, and in saline group, low breviscapine group, middle breviscapine group, and high breviscapine group at PIH 72. The renal tubular and renal interstitial injury was evaluated by a semi-quantitative histological scoring system after hematoxylin-eosin staining. The inferior vena cava blood samples were collected from rats in the 6 groups to measure the serum creatinine levels via sarcosine oxidase method, and serum urea nitrogen levels via urease method. The right renal cortices were collected from rats in the 6 groups to measure the catalase (CAT) activity in the supernatant of renal tissue via molybdic acid method, and the levels of advanced oxidation protein product (AOPP) and Klotho protein in the supernatant of renal tissue via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.Results:At PIH 8, 48, and 72 and PIW 1, the kidney/body weight ratios of rats in electric burn group were significantly higher than those in sham injury group (with t values of -0.52, -3.75, -4.05, and -2.25, respectively, P<0.05). At PIH 72, compared with those in electric burn group, saline group, low breviscapine group, and middle breviscapine group, the kidney/body weight ratio of rats in high breviscapine group was significantly decreased (with P values all <0.05). Compared with those in sham injury group, the renal tubular and renal interstitial injury scores of rats in electric burn group at PIH 48 and 72 and PIW 1 were significantly increased ( P<0.05). Compared with those in electric burn group at PIH 8 and 24, the renal tubular and renal interstitial injury score of rats in electric burn group at PIW 1 was significantly increased (with P values all <0.05). At PIH 72, the renal tubular and renal interstitial injury scores of rats in the 5 groups of rats with electric burns were similar ( P>0.05). At PIH 8, 24, 48, and 72 and PIW 1, the levels of serum creatinine and serum urea nitrogen of rats in electric burn group were significantly higher than those in sham injury group (with Z values of -2.00, -2.37, -2.62, -2.67, -3.67, -2.34, -3.11, -3.43, -3.11, and -3.51, respectively, P<0.05). Compared with that in electric burn group at PIH 0, the levels of serum creatinine of rats in electric burn group at PIH 72 and PIW 1 were significantly increased ( P<0.05). Compared with that in electric burn group at PIH 8, the levels of serum creatinine of rats in electric burn group at PIH 72 and PIW 1 were significantly increased ( P<0.05). Compared with that in electric burn group at PIH 24, the level of serum creatinine of rats in electric burn group at PIW 1 was significantly increased ( P<0.05). At PIH 72, the levels of serum creatinine of rats in the 5 groups of rats with electric burns were similar ( P>0.05). Compared with that in electric burn group, the levels of serum urea nitrogen of rats in low breviscapine group, middle breviscapine group, and high breviscapine group were significantly decreased ( P<0.05). Compared with that in saline group, the levels of serum urea nitrogen in middle breviscapine group and high breviscapine group were significantly decreased ( P<0.05). At PIH 48 and 72 and PIW 1, the CAT activities in the supernatant of renal tissue of rats in electric burn group were significantly lower than those in sham injury group (with Z values of -2.22, -2.13, and -3.51, respectively, P<0.05). At PIH 8, 24, 48, and 72 and PIW 1, the levels of AOPP in the supernatant of renal tissue of rats in electric burn group were significantly higher than those in sham injury group (with Z values of -2.00, -3.15, -2.71, -2.04, and -2.33, respectively, P<0.05). At PIH 0-PIW 1, the levels of Klotho protein in the supernatant of renal tissue of rats in sham injury group and electric burn group were all similar ( P>0.05). Compared with that in electric burn group at PIH 0, the CAT activities in the supernatant of renal tissue of rats in electric burn group at PIH 72 and PIW 1 and the levels of Klotho protein in the supernatant of renal tissue of rats in electric burn group at PIH 48 and 72 and PIW 1 were significantly decreased ( P<0.05). Compared with that in electric burn group at PIH 8, the CAT activities in the supernatant of renal tissue of rats in electric burn group at PIH 72 and PIW 1 and the levels of Klotho protein in the supernatant of renal tissue of rats in electric burn group at PIH 48 and 72 and PIW 1 were significantly decreased ( P<0.05). Compared with that in electric burn group at PIH 24, the CAT activities in the supernatant of renal tissue of rats in electric burn group at PIH 72 and PIW 1 were significantly decreased ( P<0.05). Compared with that in electric burn group at PIH 48, the CAT activity in the supernatant of renal tissue of rats in electric burn group at PIW 1 was significantly decreased ( P<0.05). At PIH 72, the levels of Klotho protein in the supernatant of renal tissue of rats in the 5 groups of rats with electric burns were similar ( P<0.05). Compared with 14.6 (12.6, 23.6) U/mgprot in electric burn group, the CAT activities in the supernatant of renal tissue of rats in low breviscapine group (20.5 (18.0, 39.8) U/mgprot), middle breviscapine group (24.9 (14.7, 28.9) U/mgprot), and high breviscapine group (28.0 (21.9, 39.1) U/mgprot) were significantly increased ( P<0.05). Compared with 15.7 (13.7, 25.6) U/mgprot in saline group, the CAT activities in the supernatant of renal tissue of rats in middle breviscapine group and high breviscapine group were significantly increased ( P<0.05). Compared with that in low breviscapine group, the CAT activity in the supernatant of renal tissue of rats in high breviscapine group was significantly increased ( P<0.05). Compared with those in electric burn group and saline group, the levels of AOPP in the supernatant of renal tissue of rats in middle breviscapine group and high breviscapine group were significantly decreased ( P<0.05). Conclusions:After high-voltage electric burns, oxidative stress injury occur in the kidneys of rats, which is aggravated with time extension. Breviscapine can alleviate oxidative stress injuries in the kidneys of rats with high-voltage electric burns.

Objective:To examine the effect of brown midle borosilicate glass ampoules on the drug safety of ambr-oxol hydrochloride injection.Methods:By simulating the storage conditions of ambroxol hydrochloride injection,experimental studies were designed using inductively coupled plasma emission spectroscopy(ICP-OES)and scan-ning electron microscopy(SEM)to investigate element migration and internal surface detachment.Results:The Si content in the injections increased over time,and after 0 to 48 months of various stages of testing,the inner surface of the glass was intact,with no detachment or erosion;the migration of various target elements,such as Cd,Pb,As,Hg,etc.,into the injections took place,but the contents were in accordance with the limits set by the relevant regulations.Conclusion:Brown middle borosilicate glass ampoule packaging for ambroxol hydrochloride injection is safe and stable for 48 months.Brown middle borosilicate glass ampoule can be used as a good container for ambr-oxol hydrochloride injection.

Objective:To identify the predictive validity of C-reactive protein to albumin ratio (CAR) in the early diagnosis of Kawasaki disease shock syndrome (KDSS).Methods:This was a retrospective case-control study.Children with KDSS hospitalized in the Children′s Hospital, Capital Institute of Pediatrics, from January 2019 to December 2022, were selected as the case group, and children with Kawasaki disease (KD) hospitalized in the same period were selected as the control group.After a 1︰4 propensity score matching (PSM) of age and gender, the demographic characteristics, laboratory and imaging examinations, and other clinical data of all the patients were analyzed and compared between the two groups.Multivariate Logistic regression was used to analyze the possible risk factors of KDSS.The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to evaluate the predictive value of risk factors for KDSS.Results:There were 45 KDSS children and 269 KD children included in the study.The KDSS patients were older than the KD patients at the onset [43(19, 51) months vs.24(14, 44) months, Z=2.791, P<0.05].After age- and gender-based PSM, there were 45 children in the KDSS group and 180 children in the KD group.The children with KDSS had a shorter duration of fever [6(4, 6) days vs.6(5, 7) days] and a higher risk of coronary artery lesions [42.22%(19/45) vs.25.56%(46/180)] compared to those with KD ( Z=2.184, χ2=4.868, all P<0.05).Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that CAR, neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio, platelet to lymphocyte ratio, D-dimer, platelet count, serum sodium and estimated glomerular filtration rate were the independent risk factors for KDSS.The area under the ROC curve for identifying KDSS based on CAR was 0.850.When the cutoff value of CAR was 2.73, the sensitivity and specificity were 77.80% and 81.67%, respectively.After subgroup analysis, each one-unit increment in CAR was associated with a 239.6% increased risk of KDSS in children ≥ 3 years old ( OR=3.396, 95% CI: 2.105-5.479, P<0.05). Conclusions:As one of the independent risk factors for KDSS, CAR has high predictive value for early diagnosis of KDSS.In KD patients ≥ 3 years old, the risk of developing KDSS increases significantly with increased CAR.

A retrospective analysis was made on the clinical data and gene mutation characteristics of 2 children admitted to the Children′s Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine for epilepsy without periventricular nodules caused by the ARF1 gene mutation from August 2023 to February 2024, and relevant literature was reviewed.Both patients presented with seizures and psychomotor retardation, and 1 of them was diagnosed with West syndrome.Whole exome sequencing confirmed that the 2 patients carried a missense mutation in the ARF1 gene (c.55C>A, p.R19S).Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of 2 patients revealed no obvious abnormalities.A summary analysis of 5 cases of ARF1 gene mutations reported in three foreign literatures showed that patients with ARF1 gene mutations usually presented with seizures, developmental delay, hypotonia, mental retardation, and motor stereotypies.MRI showed periventricular nodular heterotopia, corpus callosum dysplasia, subcortical white matter abnormalities, and delayed myelination.This study found for the first time that ARF1-related disorders can occur without significant brain structural malformations, indicating that there are inconsistencies in neuroimaging findings, adding valuable phenotypic information to this gene.The differences in imaging findings may be the result of genetic background or variation in ARF1-interacting proteins, or may be caused by altered regulatory mechanisms of protein activity.