OBJECTIVE: To elucidate the effect of Huanglian-Renshen-Decoction (HRD) on ameliorating type 2 diabetes mellitus by maintaining islet β -cell identity through regulating paracrine and endocrine glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1)/GLP-1 receptor (GLP-1R) in both islet and intestine. METHODS: The db/db mice were divided into the model (distilled water), low-dose HRD (LHRD, 3 g/kg), high-dose HRD (HHRD, 6 g/kg), and liraglutide (400 µ g/kg) groups using a random number table, 8 mice in each group. The db/m mice were used as the control group (n=8, distilled water). The entire treatment of mice lasted for 6 weeks. Blood insulin, glucose, and GLP-1 levels were quantified using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits. The proliferation and apoptosis factors of islet cells were determined by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and immunofluorescence (IF) staining. Then, GLP-1, GLP-1R, prohormone convertase 1/3 (PC1/3), PC2, v-maf musculoaponeurotic fibrosarcoma oncogene homologue A (MafA), and pancreatic and duodenal homeobox 1 (PDX1) were detected by Western blot, IHC, IF, and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction, respectively. RESULTS: HRD reduced the weight and blood glucose of the db/db mice, and improved insulin sensitivity at the same time (P<0.05 or P<0.01). HRD also promoted mice to secrete more insulin and less glucagon (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Moreover, it also increased the number of islet β cell and decreased islet α cell mass (P<0.01). After HRD treatment, the levels of GLP-1, GLP-1R, PC1/3, PC2, MafA, and PDX1 in the pancreas and intestine significantly increased (P<0.05 or P<0.01). CONCLUSION HRD can maintain the normal function and identity of islet β cell, and the underlying mechanism is related to promoting the paracrine and endocrine activation of GLP-1 in pancreas and intestine.
Animals ; Glucagon-Like Peptide 1/metabolism* ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2/metabolism* ; Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor/metabolism* ; Insulin-Secreting Cells/pathology* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology* ; Male ; Blood Glucose/metabolism* ; Insulin/blood* ; Mice ; Intestinal Mucosa/pathology* ; Apoptosis/drug effects* ; Cell Proliferation/drug effects* ; Islets of Langerhans/pathology*

The polymerase 1 and transcript release factor (PTRF)-cytoplasmic phospholipase A2 (cPLA2) phospholipid remodeling pathway facilitates tumor proliferation in glioma. Nevertheless, blockade of this pathway leads to the excessive activation of oncogenic receptors on the plasma membrane and subsequent drug resistance. Here, CD26/dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP4) was identified through screening of CRISPR/Cas9 libraries. Suppressing PTRF-cPLA2 signaling resulted in the activation of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) pathway through phosphatidylcholine and lysophosphatidylcholine remodeling, which ultimately increased DPP4 transcription. In turn, DPP4 interacted with EGFR and prevented its ubiquitination. Linagliptin, a DPP4 inhibitor, facilitated the degradation of EGFR by blocking its interaction with DPP4. When combined with the cPLA2 inhibitor AACOCF3, it exhibited synergistic effects and led to a decrease in energy metabolism in glioblastoma cells. Subsequent in vivo investigations provided further evidence of a synergistic impact of linagliptin by augmenting the sensitivity of AACOCF3 and strengthening the efficacy of temozolomide. DPP4 serves as a novel target and establishes a constructive feedback loop with EGFR. Linagliptin is a potent inhibitor that promotes EGFR degradation by blocking the DPP4-EGFR interaction. This study presents innovative approaches for treating glioma by combining linagliptin with AACOCF3 and temozolomide.

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OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effectiveness of single-balloon and double-balloon enteroscopy in diagnosing pediatric small bowel diseases and assess the diagnostic efficacy of computed tomography enterography (CTE) for small bowel diseases using enteroscopy as the reference standard. METHODS: Clinical data from 576 children who underwent enteroscopy at Hunan Children's Hospital between January 2017 and December 2023 were retrospectively collected. The children were categorized based on enteroscopy type into the single-balloon enteroscopy (SBE) group (n=457) and double-balloon enteroscopy (DBE) group (n=119), and the clinical data were compared between the two groups. The sensitivity and specificity of CTE for diagnosing small bowel diseases were evaluated using enteroscopy results as the standard. RESULTS: Among the 576 children, small bowel lesions were detected by enteroscopy in 274 children (47.6%).There was no significant difference in lesion detection rates or complication rates between the SBE and DBE groups (P>0.05), but the DBE group had deeper insertion, longer procedure time, and higher complete small bowel examination rate (P<0.05). The complication rate during enteroscopy was 4.3% (25/576), with 18 cases (3.1%) of mild complications and 7 cases (1.2%) of severe complications, which improved with symptomatic treatment, surgical, or endoscopic intervention. Among the 412 children who underwent CTE, the sensitivity and specificity for diagnosing small bowel diseases were 44.4% and 71.3%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS SBE and DBE have similar diagnostic efficacy for pediatric small bowel diseases, but DBE is preferred for suspected deep small bowel lesions and comprehensive small bowel examination. Enteroscopy in children demonstrates relatively good overall safety. CTE demonstrates relatively low sensitivity but comparatively high specificity for diagnosing small bowel diseases.
Retrospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome ; Double-Balloon Enteroscopy/statistics & numerical data* ; Single-Balloon Enteroscopy/statistics & numerical data* ; Humans ; Male ; Female ; Child ; Operative Time ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed/statistics & numerical data* ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Intestine, Small/surgery* ; Intestinal Diseases/surgery*

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the clinical features of children with STAT gene mutations, and to explore corresponding immunotherapy strategies. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed for the clinical data of 10 children with STAT gene mutations who were admitted to the Department of Pediatrics of the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, from October 2015 to October 2024. Exploratory immunotherapy was implemented in some refractory cases, and the changes in symptoms, imaging manifestations, and cytokine levels were assessed after treatment. RESULTS: For the 10 children, the main clinical manifestations were recurrent rash since birth (7/10), cough (8/10), wheezing (5/10), expectoration (4/10), and purulent nasal discharge (4/10). Genotyping results showed that there was one child with heterozygous loss-of-function (LOF) mutation in the STAT1 gene, four children with heterozygous LOF mutation in the STAT3 gene, and five children with heterozygous gain-of-function (GOF) mutation in the STAT3 gene. Two children with LOF mutation in the STAT3 gene showed decreased interleukin-6 levels and improved clinical symptoms and imaging findings after omalizumab treatment. Three children with GOF mutation in the STAT3 gene achieved effective disease control after treatment with methylprednisolone (0.5 mg/kg per day). Two children with GOF mutation in the STAT3 gene received treatment with JAK inhibitor and then showed some improvement in symptoms. CONCLUSIONS STAT gene mutation screening should be considered for children with recurrent rash and purulent respiratory tract infections. Targeted immunotherapy may improve prognosis in patients with no response to conventional treatment.
Humans ; Male ; Immunotherapy ; Female ; Child, Preschool ; Child ; Gain of Function Mutation ; Retrospective Studies ; Infant ; Loss of Function Mutation ; STAT Transcription Factors/genetics*

This study aims to comprehensively evaluate the analytical performance and clinical application value of an acridinium ester-based chemiluminescence assay for detecting heparin-binding protein (HBP), providing more accurate laboratory evidence for the early diagnosis of infections and sepsis. The analytical performance of the HBP detection kit based on acridinium ester chemiluminescence was verified in Hangzhou Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine in January 2024 to June 2024, including limit of blank (LoB), accuracy, precision, linear range, anti-interference ability, and clinical diagnostic concordance. The potential of this assay in early diagnosis and treatment monitoring of sepsis was assessed. HBP levels were measured in 97 patients with sepsis and 160 healthy controls, and intergroup differences were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney U test. The results showed that the LoB of the HBP detection kit based on acridinium ester chemiluminescence was 0.10 RLU, and low-concentration sample testing showed good discrimination. In the accuracy evaluation, the regression equation between the test reagent and the comparator was y=1.015 2 x-2.850 8 (R2=0.995 1). For precision, the CV in intra-assay was ≤3.51%, and the CV in inter-assay was ≤4.18%. Within the linear range of 0.42-493.46 ng/ml, the regression equation was y=0.996 9 x+3.066 0 (R2=0.999 1). In interference experiments, the relative deviation was <3%. Clinically, the median HBP concentration in the sepsis group (median: 121.1 ng/ml) was significantly higher than in the control group (median: 6.3 ng/ml, P<0.000 1), with a diagnostic sensitivity of 98.97% and specificity of 96.25%. Age stratification had no effect on HBP levels ( U=448 ,P=0.780 0). In conclusion,the acridinium ester-based chemiluminescence assay requires only about 10 minutes to complete the detection and deliver results, demonstrating acceptable sensitivity, precision, and anti-interference capability. Its wide linear range and rapid detection meet emergency testing needs. Clinical validation confirms HBP′s extremely high sensitivity and specificity for sepsis diagnosis, supporting its role as a key marker for early diagnosis, treatment monitoring, and prognosis assessment.

Objective To observe the effects of electroacupuncture(EA)on TGF-β1/Smads signaling pathway and epithelial-mesenchymal transition(EMT)related proteins in rats with neurogenic bladder(NB)after spinal cord injury;To explore the possible mechanism of EA in improving NB fibrosis.Methods Totally 36 female SD rats were randomly selected,with 10 rats in the sham-operation group and the remaining 26 rats undergoing complete transection of the spinal cord beneath the T8 vertebrae to establish a NB rat model.The modeling rats were randomly divided into model group and EA group,with 10 rats in each group.EA group was applied to"Ciliao","Zhongji"and"Sanyinjiao",20 min per time,once a day for 7 days.The general condition of the rats in each group was observed,the ultrasound index of the bladder was detected by ultrasound technique,the bladder function of the rats was detected by urodynamics,the body mass of the rats and the wet weight of the bladder were recorded,and the bladder index was calculated.HE staining was used to observe bladder tissue morphology,the degree of bladder tissue fibrosis and bladder wall thickness were detected by Masson staining.The positive expressions of E-cadherin,N-cadherin and Vimentin in bladder tissue were detected by immunohistochemistry.The protein expressions of TGF-β1,p-Smad2/3,E-cadherin,N-cadherin and Vimentin were detected by Western blot.Results Compared with the sham-operation group,the upper and lower diameter,anteroposterior diameter,transverse diameter,bladder volume of the model group significantly increased(P<0.001),the maximum bladder pressure,leak point pressure difference,perfusion time and maximum bladder capacity significantly increased(P<0.001),the bladder index increased significantly(P<0.001),the bladder epithelial cells were thickened and arranged irregularly,the bladder collagen volume fraction and bladder wall thickness significantly increased(P<0.001),the expressions of TGF-β1,p-Smad2/3,N-cadherin and Vimentin in bladder tissue increased(P<0.01),and the expression of E-cadherin decreased(P<0.001).Compared with the model group,the upper and lower diameter,anteroposterior diameter,transverse diameter,bladder volume of the EA group decreased significantly(P<0.05),the maximum bladder pressure,leak point pressure difference,perfusion time and maximum bladder capacity significantly decreased(P<0.05),the bladder index significantly decreased(P<0.05),the thickness of the bladder epithelial cell layer became thinner and arranged more neatly,and the bladder collagen volume fraction and bladder wall thickness of the bladder were significantly reduced(P<0.05),the expressions of TGF-β1,p-Smad2/3,N-cadherin and Vimentin in bladder tissue significantly decreased(P<0.05),and the expression of E-cadherin significantly increased(P<0.05).Conclusion EA may reduce the EMT of bladder epithelial cells and decrease the degree of bladder tissue fibrosis by inhibiting the activation of the TGF-β1/Smads signaling pathway,thereby improving bladder function in NB rats after spinal cord injury.

Objective To observe the effects of electroacupuncture on IL-4/STAT6/SPDEF pathway-related protein expressions in model mice of ulcerative colitis(UC);To explore the mechanism of electroacupuncture improving the intestinal mucus barrier.Methods Totally 48 BALB/c mice were randomly divided into blank group(12 mice)and modeling group(36 mice).The UC models were established in the modeling group using 3%dextran sulfate sodium free drinking.After successful modeling,mice were further randomly divided into model group,electroacupuncture group and sulfasalazine(SASP)group,with 12 mice in each group.The electroacupuncture group received electroacupuncture at"Guanyuan","Tianshu","Zusanli"and"Shangjuxu"acupoints for 20 minutes per day,the SASP group was administered sulfasalazine enteric-coated tablet suspension(500 mg/kg)by gavage,the blank group received no intervention,the model group was only confined for continuous 7 days.The general conditions were observed and disease activity index(DAI)score were recorded,HE staining was used to observe the morphology of colonic tissue and evaluate the colonic mucosal damage index(CMDI)score,AB-PAS staining was used to observe the number of goblet cells in colonic tissue,and immunofluorescence staining was used to detect the expression of mucin 2(MUC2)protein in colonic tissue,ELISA was used to detect the contents of serum tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α)and γ interferon(IFN-γ),and Western blot was used to detect the protein expressions of interleukin(IL)-4,signal transducer and activator of transcription(STAT)6 and epithelial specific transcription factor(SPDEF)in colonic tissue.Results Compared with the blank group,the model group showed mucous stool,bloody stool,reduced intake of food and water,reduced body mass,increased DAI and CMDI scores(P<0.01),with intestinal villi shedding and necrosis,destruction of colonic crypt villi structure,accompanied by severe neutrophil infiltration,thinning of mucus layer,atrophy and reduction of goblet cells(P<0.01),the expression of MUC2 in colonic tissue significant decreased(P<0.01),the contents of TNF-α and INF-γ in serum significantly increased(P<0.01),while the protein expressions of IL-4,STAT6 and SPDEF in colonic tissue significantly decreased(P<0.01).Compared with the model group,both the electroacupuncture group and SASP group showed improved mucous stool,bloody stool,increased body mass,decreased DAI and CMDI scores(P<0.05),the morphology of the intestinal epithelium was basically normal,the glandular structure has improved,there was a small amount of inflammatory cell infiltration and slight edema,the thickness of the mucus layer was restored,the atrophy reduced and number of goblet cells increased(P<0.05),the expression of MUC2 in colonic tissue significantly increased(P<0.05),while the contents of TNF-α and IFN-γ in serum significantly decreased(P<0.05),the expressions of IL-4,STAT6 and SPDEF protein in colonic tissue significantly increased(P<0.05).Conclusion Electroacupuncture can facilitate the repair of the intestinal mucus barrier and inhibit inflammation,potentially through the activation of IL-4/STAT6/SPDEF pathway-related protein expressions.

Xanthine oxidase (XO) is an important therapeutic target for the treatment of hyperuricemia and gout. Based on the previously identified potent XO inhibitor 1, seventeen oxadiazoles and their ring-opening analogues were designed and synthesized via the bioisostere replacement strategy. Among them, compounds 2l, 2n, and 3b showed obvious XO inhibitory activity at the concentration of 10 μmol·L^-1, and compound 3b exhibited an IC₅₀ value of 1.45 μmol·L^-1.