ObjectiveTo explore the mechanism by which Xianglian Huazhuo prescription ameliorates chronic atrophic gastritis （CAG） through regulating the Golgi protein 73 （GP73）/protein kinase R-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase （PERK）/activating transcription factor 4 （ATF4） signaling pathway and modulating endoplasmic reticulum stress （ERS）. MethodA mouse model of CAG was induced by multiple factors， including ranitidine， N-methyl-N′-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine （MNNG）， and irregular feeding. The CAG mice were randomized into five groups： model， Morodan （2.0 g·kg^-1）， and high-dose， medium-dose， and low-dose （7.6， 3.8， 1.9 g·kg^-1， respectively） Xianglian Huazhuo prescription， with 10 mice in each group. At the same time， 10 mice in normal group were set up. The mice in the Morodan group and the high-dose， medium-dose， and low-dose groups of Xianglian Huazhuo prescription were administrated with corresponding agents by gavage， and those in the normal group and the model group were administrated with an equal volume of normal saline. All the mice were intervened once a day for 60 consecutive days. After the last administration， the overall morphological changes of the gastric tissue were observed. Hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining and transmission electron microscopy （TEM） were used to evaluate the pathological morphology and the endoplasmic reticulum ultrastructure in the gastric tissue. The serum levels of pepsinogen Ⅰ （PGⅠ）， pepsinogen Ⅱ （PGⅡ）， gastrin-17 （G-17）， and GP73 were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. The pepsinogen ratio （PGR， PGⅠ/PGⅡ） was calculated. The protein levels of GP73， PERK， phosphorylated （p）-PERK， glucose-regulated protein 78 （GRP78）， ATF4， CCAAT enhancer-binding protein homologous protein （CHOP）， cysteinyl aspartate-specific protease-12 （Caspase-12）， B-cell lymphoma-2 （Bcl-2）， and Bcl-2-associated X protein （Bax） were assessed by Western blot. The expression of GRP78 was detected by immunofluorescence （IF） assay， and the location of Bcl-2 and Bax by immunohistochemistry （IHC）. ResultsCompared with the normal group， the model group showed pale gastric mucosa with flattened folds and reduced and loosely arranged gastric mucosal glands， declined serum levels of PGI， PGR， G-17， and GP73 （P<0.01）. downregulated protein levels of GP73， p-PERK， ATF4， GRP78， CHOP， Caspase-12， and Bax in the gastric tissue， and upregulated protein level of Bcl-2 （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the Morodan group and each Xianglian Huazhuo prescription group exhibited red gastric mucosa with increased folds， alleviated pathological damage， swelling endoplasmic reticulum， elevated serum levels of PGI， G-17， and GP73 （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and upregulated protein levels of Caspase-12 and Bax and downregulated protein level of Bcl-2 in the gastric tissue （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The Morodan group and the high-dose and medium-dose Xianglian Huazhuo prescription groups exhibited increased serum level of PGR （P<0.05， P<0.01） and upregulated protein levels of GP73， p-PERK， ATF4， GRP78， and CHOP in the gastric tissue （P<0.05， P<0.01）. ConclusionXianglian Huazhuo prescription can activate the GP73/PERK/ATF4 signaling pathway and induce ERS-mediated apoptosis to alleviate the pathological damage of the gastric mucosa， thereby demonstrating a protective effect against CAG in mice.

ObjectiveTo explore the mechanism by which Xianglian Huazhuo prescription ameliorates chronic atrophic gastritis （CAG） through regulating the Golgi protein 73 （GP73）/protein kinase R-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase （PERK）/activating transcription factor 4 （ATF4） signaling pathway and modulating endoplasmic reticulum stress （ERS）. MethodA mouse model of CAG was induced by multiple factors， including ranitidine， N-methyl-N′-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine （MNNG）， and irregular feeding. The CAG mice were randomized into five groups： model， Morodan （2.0 g·kg^-1）， and high-dose， medium-dose， and low-dose （7.6， 3.8， 1.9 g·kg^-1， respectively） Xianglian Huazhuo prescription， with 10 mice in each group. At the same time， 10 mice in normal group were set up. The mice in the Morodan group and the high-dose， medium-dose， and low-dose groups of Xianglian Huazhuo prescription were administrated with corresponding agents by gavage， and those in the normal group and the model group were administrated with an equal volume of normal saline. All the mice were intervened once a day for 60 consecutive days. After the last administration， the overall morphological changes of the gastric tissue were observed. Hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining and transmission electron microscopy （TEM） were used to evaluate the pathological morphology and the endoplasmic reticulum ultrastructure in the gastric tissue. The serum levels of pepsinogen Ⅰ （PGⅠ）， pepsinogen Ⅱ （PGⅡ）， gastrin-17 （G-17）， and GP73 were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. The pepsinogen ratio （PGR， PGⅠ/PGⅡ） was calculated. The protein levels of GP73， PERK， phosphorylated （p）-PERK， glucose-regulated protein 78 （GRP78）， ATF4， CCAAT enhancer-binding protein homologous protein （CHOP）， cysteinyl aspartate-specific protease-12 （Caspase-12）， B-cell lymphoma-2 （Bcl-2）， and Bcl-2-associated X protein （Bax） were assessed by Western blot. The expression of GRP78 was detected by immunofluorescence （IF） assay， and the location of Bcl-2 and Bax by immunohistochemistry （IHC）. ResultsCompared with the normal group， the model group showed pale gastric mucosa with flattened folds and reduced and loosely arranged gastric mucosal glands， declined serum levels of PGI， PGR， G-17， and GP73 （P<0.01）. downregulated protein levels of GP73， p-PERK， ATF4， GRP78， CHOP， Caspase-12， and Bax in the gastric tissue， and upregulated protein level of Bcl-2 （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the Morodan group and each Xianglian Huazhuo prescription group exhibited red gastric mucosa with increased folds， alleviated pathological damage， swelling endoplasmic reticulum， elevated serum levels of PGI， G-17， and GP73 （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and upregulated protein levels of Caspase-12 and Bax and downregulated protein level of Bcl-2 in the gastric tissue （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The Morodan group and the high-dose and medium-dose Xianglian Huazhuo prescription groups exhibited increased serum level of PGR （P<0.05， P<0.01） and upregulated protein levels of GP73， p-PERK， ATF4， GRP78， and CHOP in the gastric tissue （P<0.05， P<0.01）. ConclusionXianglian Huazhuo prescription can activate the GP73/PERK/ATF4 signaling pathway and induce ERS-mediated apoptosis to alleviate the pathological damage of the gastric mucosa， thereby demonstrating a protective effect against CAG in mice.

Objective:To explore the value of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) and interleukin (IL)-33 in the early diagnosis of contrast-induced acute kidney injury (CIAKI).Methods:It was a prospective cohort study. The clinical data of patients who underwent coronary angiography (CAG) in Sir Run Run Hospital, Nanjing Medical University from December 2022 to December 2023 were collected. The main indicators of NETs included myeloperoxidase (MPO), neutrophil elastase (NE), citrullinated histone H3 (H3Cit) and antimicrobial peptide LL-37 amide (LL-37). Serum samples were collected before CAG, and 2 hours and 12 hours after CAG, and the levels of MPO, NE, H3Cit, LL-37, IL-33 and neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) were detected. The differences of clinical data between CIAKI group and non-CIAKI group were compared. Multivariate logistic regression model was applied to analyze the risk factors of CIAKI. The receiver- operating characteristic curve was used to evaluate the predictive performance of biomarkers. Spearman correlation analysis was used to analyze the correlations among those biomarkers.Results:A total of 280 eligible patients with CAG were included in this study, with age of (65±13) years and 203 males (72.5%). The incidence rate of CIAKI was 11.8% (33/280). Compared with non-CIAKI group, the proportions of diabetes ( χ2=5.302, P=0.021), preoperative positive urine protein ( χ2=6.871, P=0.009), taking beta-blockers ( χ2=4.580, P=0.032), diuretics ( χ2=21.987, P<0.001) and calcium channel blocker ( χ2=10.424, P=0.001), preoperative blood glucose ( Z=2.807, P=0.005), preoperative blood urea nitrogen ( Z=2.504, P=0.012), neutrophil at 24 hours after CAG ( Z=2.173, P=0.030), serum creatinine at 24 hours after CAG ( Z=4.000, P<0.001), and blood urea nitrogen at 24 hours after CAG ( Z=4.459, P<0.001) were higher, while the preoperative hemoglobin ( Z=-2.380, P=0.017) and serum albumin ( Z=-2.556, P=0.011) were lower in CIAKI group. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that increasing neutrophil at 24 hours after CAG ( OR=1.180，95% CI 1.037-1.341), diuretics ( OR=5.615，95% CI 2.294-13.745) and calcium channel blockers ( OR=3.141，95% CI 1.374-7.182) were independent influencing factors of CIAKI. There were statistically significant differences in the levels of serum NE, MPO, H3Cit, LL-37, NGAL and IL-33 among before CAG, 2 hours after CAG and 12 hours after CAG in the overall population, CIAKI group and non-CIAKI group (all P<0.05). In addition, the changes of IL-33 before CAG and 12 hours after CAG was positively correlated with the changes of MPO, NE, H3Cit, LL-37, NGAL, serum creatinine and blood urea nitrogen before CAG and 12 hours after CAG (all P<0.05). The levels of NE ( Z=3.435, P=0.001; Z=6.164， P<0.001), MPO ( Z=3.627, P<0.001; Z=4.729, P<0.001), H3Cit ( Z=5.174, P<0.001; Z=6.241, P<0.001), LL-37 ( Z=4.986, P<0.001; Z=6.346, P<0.001), NGAL ( Z=2.956, P=0.003; Z=4.263, P<0.001) and IL-33 ( Z=5.056, P<0.001; Z=6.240, P<0.001) in CIAKI group at 2 h and 12 h after CAG were significantly higher than those in non-CIAKI group. The receiver-operating characteristic curve indicated that the combined AUC of neutrophil 24 hours after CAG, diuretics and calcium channel blockers in predicting CIAKI was 0.791. NE ( AUC=0.701), MPO ( AUC=0.712), H3Cit ( AUC=0.777), LL-37 ( AUC=0.767) and IL-33 ( AUC=0.795) at 2 hours after CAG predicted CIAKI relatively well. NE ( AUC=0.865), MPO ( AUC=0.758), H3Cit ( AUC=0.834), LL-37 ( AUC=0.840) and IL-33 ( AUC=0.867) at 12 hours after CAG had better prediction effect for CIAKI. The AUC of NETs combined with IL-33 in predicting CIAKI at 2 hours and 12 hours after CAG was 0.874 and 0.956, respectively. Conclusions:CIAKI patients exhibit elevated levels of NETs and IL-33. Serum MPO, NE, H3Cit, LL-37 and IL-33 at 12 hours after CAG can predict the occurrence of CIAKI. The combination of NETs and IL-33 is more effective in predicting CIAKI.

Thymoma is a malignant tumor originating from thymus epithelial cells, with an incidence of 1.3-2.6 per million. Due to its low incidence, lack of cells and animal models, there are relatively few studies on thymoma, and its diagnosis and treatment progress is relatively slow. The update of 5th edition of WHO Classification of Thoracic Tumors in 2021 and the NCCN( National Comprehensive Cancer Network) Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology: Thymoma and Thymoma Cancer in 2024 put forward many new views and suggestions on the diagnosis and treatment strategy of thymoma. This article reviews the research and treatment of thymoma based on the latest research progress in recent years, aiming to improve the clinician's understanding of thymoma, provide reference for treatment, and promote the research of thymoma.

Plutonium isotopes(238Pu,239Pu,240Pu and 241Pu)in the environment are important"fingerprint"nuclides in the study of nuclear activity traceability.The content of plutonium isotopes in the environmental metrics is usually very low,and the measurement of these isotopes,especially 238Pu,using mass spectrometry is seriously interfered with by the coexisting 238U.The analysis of several plutonium isotopes in soil usually requires combination of multiple measurement techniques,which leads to a long analysis time and large uncertainty in the isotope ratio.In this work,the hydrous titanium oxide(HTiO)precipitated by the hydrolysis of titanium oxydichloride(TiOCl2)under near-neutral condition was used to preconcentrate plutonium from the soil digestion solution,and the highly efficient decontamination of 238U in the sample was achieved by TK200 resin column chromatography with a decontamination factor of 108.Simulation resuts of density functional theory(DFT)showed that NH3 was considered as a promising reaction gas to eliminate the interference of 238U from 238Pu measurement using mass spectrometry due to the significant discrepancy of the chemical reactivity of U+and Pu+with the reactive gas NH3.Experiments confirmed that by optimizing the flow rates of collision gas(He)and reaction gas(NH3),the interference of 238U could be effectively suppressed,and the decontamination factor of 238U was 104.Combined with chemical separation,the overall decontamination factor of 238U could reach 1012 by using the developed method.By combining chemical separation and tandem quadrupole inductively coupled plasmon-mass spectrometry(ICP-MS/MS)measurement,the simultaneous determination of four ultra-trace plutonium isotopes in soil was realized,and the detection limit of plutonium isotopes was at the femtogram level.Analysis of the international standard reference materials(NIST-SRM-4357 and IAEA-384)showed that the established method could be successfully used for the accurate analysis of ultra-trace four plutonium isotopes(238Pu,239Pu,240Pu and 241Pu)in soil samples.

Glutamine provides carbon and nitrogen to support the proliferation of cancer cells. However, the precise reason why cancer cells are particularly dependent on glutamine remains unclear. In this study, we report that glutamine modulates the tumor suppressor F-box and WD repeat domain-containing 7 (FBW7) to promote cancer cell proliferation and survival. Specifically, lysine 604 (K604) in the sixth of the 7 substrate-recruiting WD repeats of FBW7 undergoes glutaminylation (Gln-K604) by glutaminyl tRNA synthetase. Gln-K604 inhibits SCFFBW7-mediated degradation of c-Myc and Mcl-1, enhances glutamine utilization, and stimulates nucleotide and DNA biosynthesis through the activation of c-Myc. Additionally, Gln-K604 promotes resistance to apoptosis by activating Mcl-1. In contrast, SIRT1 deglutaminylates Gln-K604, thereby reversing its effects. Cancer cells lacking Gln-K604 exhibit overexpression of c-Myc and Mcl-1 and display resistance to chemotherapy-induced apoptosis. Silencing both c-MYC and MCL-1 in these cells sensitizes them to chemotherapy. These findings indicate that the glutamine-mediated signal via Gln-K604 is a key driver of cancer progression and suggest potential strategies for targeted cancer therapies based on varying Gln-K604 status.
Glutamine/metabolism* ; Myeloid Cell Leukemia Sequence 1 Protein/genetics* ; Humans ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc/genetics* ; Cell Proliferation ; Signal Transduction ; Neoplasms/pathology* ; F-Box-WD Repeat-Containing Protein 7/genetics* ; Cell Survival ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Apoptosis

This study aimed to elucidate the role of collagen type XI alpha 1 (COL11A1)-positive cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) in modifying the tumor microenvironment of colon cancer (CC) and facilitating immune evasion through interactions with myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs). Using single-cell transcriptomic sequencing, we analyzed the interplay between COL11A 1-positive CAFs and MDSCs in the CC microenvironment, focusing on how COL11A1 impacts MDSC differentiation and activation. The results demonstrate that COL11A1 expression in fibroblasts significantly enhances matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)3 and MMP13 expression, leading to paracrine induction of MDSC differentiation and activation, which promotes immune evasion and tumor growth. Additionally, we observed that COL11A1 knockout (COL11A1^KO) suppresses tumor growth and hinders immune evasion. These findings underscore the essential role of COL11A 1-positive CAFs in establishing an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment conducive to CC progression. By elucidating the molecular pathway through which COL11A1 influences MDSC activity, this research suggests new therapeutic avenues for targeting the tumor microenvironment in CC, particularly through modulating COL11A1 expression in CAFs.

OBJECTIVE: Diabetes-induced gastrointestinal (GI) motility disorders are increasingly prevalent. Damage to the enteric nervous system (ENS), composed primarily of enteric neurons and glial cells, is an essential mechanism involved in these disorders. Although electroacupuncture (EA) has shown the potential to mitigate enteric neuronal loss, its mechanism is not fully understood. Additionally, the effects of EA on enteric glial cells have not been investigated. Enteric neural precursor cells (ENPCs) contribute to the structural and functional integrity of the ENS, yet whether EA enhances their differentiation into enteric neurons and glial cells remains unexplored. This study investigates whether EA promotes ENS repair through enhancing ENPC-derived neurogenesis and gliogenesis and elucidates the potential molecular mechanisms involved. METHODS: Transgenic mice were used to trace Nestin⁺/nerve growth factor receptor (Ngfr)⁺ ENPCs labeled with green fluorescent protein (GFP) in vivo. Mice were randomly divided into four groups: control, diabetes mellitus (DM), DM + sham EA, and DM + EA. The effects of EA on diabetic mice were evaluated by GI motility, ENS structure, and ENPC differentiation. Glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF)/Ret signaling was detected to clarify the underlying molecular mechanisms. RESULTS: EA alleviated diabetes-induced GI motility disorders, as indicated by reduced whole gut transit time, shortened colonic bead expulsion time, and enhanced smooth muscle contractility. Furthermore, EA attenuated diabetes-induced losses of enteric neurons and glial cells, thereby restoring ENS integrity. Notably, EA reversed the diabetes-induced decrease in ENPCs and significantly increased the absolute number and the proportion of ENPC-derived enteric neurons. However, immunofluorescence analyses revealed no colocalization between EA-induced glial fibrillary acidic protein⁺ glial cells and GFP-labeled ENPCs. Mechanistically, GDNF/Ret signaling was elevated in intestinal tissues and upregulated in ENPCs in EA-treated diabetic mice. CONCLUSION EA facilitates ENS repair by promoting Nestin⁺/Ngfr⁺ ENPC differentiation into enteric neurons via upregulation of GDNF/Ret signaling, and driving enteric gliogenesis from non-Nestin⁺/Ngfr⁺ ENPCs. These findings highlight EA's role in ameliorating diabetes-induced GI dysmotility through ENPC-derived ENS restoration. Please cite this article as: Guo JL, Liu S, Ding SJ, Yang X, Du F. Electroacupuncture at ST36 improves gastrointestinal motility disorders by promoting enteric nervous system regeneration through GDNF/Ret signaling in diabetic mice. J Integr Med. 2025; 23(5):548-559.
Animals ; Electroacupuncture ; Enteric Nervous System/physiology* ; Gastrointestinal Motility/physiology* ; Glial Cell Line-Derived Neurotrophic Factor/metabolism* ; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental/therapy* ; Signal Transduction ; Mice ; Gastrointestinal Diseases/physiopathology* ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ret/metabolism* ; Mice, Transgenic ; Male ; Nerve Regeneration ; Neural Stem Cells ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Acupuncture Points

Osteosarcoma (OS) is the most prevalent primary malignant bone tumor affecting children and adolescents. Despite ongoing research efforts, the 5-year survival rate has remained stagnant for many years, highlighting the critical need for novel drug development to enhance current treatment protocols. Ziyuglycoside II (ZYG II), a triterpenoid saponin extracted from S. officinalis, has recently demonstrated antitumor properties. This study evaluates the antitumor effect of ZYG II on osteosarcoma and elucidates its mechanism of action through the co-regulation of p53 and estrogen-related receptor gamma (ESRRG), which inhibits disease progression. The research employs in vitro experiments using multiple established osteosarcoma cell lines, as well as in vivo studies utilizing a nude mouse model of orthotopic xenograft osteosarcoma. Additionally, ESRRG shRNA was used to construct stable ESRRG-reducing OS cell lines to investigate the molecular mechanism by which ZYG II exerts its anti-osteosarcoma effects through the co-regulation of ESRRG and p53. Results indicate that ZYG II administration led to decreased OS cell viability and reduced tumor volumes. Furthermore, cell cycles were arrested at the G₀/G₁ phase, while the proportion of apoptotic cells increased. Expression of p53, ESRRG, p21, Bax, Cleaved Caspase-9, and Cleaved Caspase-3 proteins increased, while expression of CDK4, Cyclin D1, and Bcl-2 proteins decreased. Multiple ZYG II and ESRRG docking patterns were simulated through molecular docking. Comparing the pharmacodynamic response of ZYG II to OS cell lines with reduced ESRRG and normal expression demonstrated that ZYG II inhibits osteosarcoma progression, induces cell cycle arrest, and promotes cell apoptosis through the coordination of p53 and ESRRG. In conclusion, ZYG II inhibits osteosarcoma progression, leads to cell cycle arrest, and promotes cell apoptosis through synergistic regulation of p53 and ESRRG.
Osteosarcoma/physiopathology* ; Tumor Suppressor Protein p53/genetics* ; Humans ; Animals ; Saponins/chemistry* ; Bone Neoplasms/physiopathology* ; Signal Transduction/drug effects* ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Mice, Nude ; Mice ; Apoptosis/drug effects* ; Receptors, Estrogen/genetics* ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Female ; Male ; Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays