OBJECTIVE: Huachansu injection (HCSI), a promising anti-cancer Chinese medicine injection, has been reported to have the potential for reducing the toxicity of chemotherapy and improving the quality of life for colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. The objective of this study is to explore the synergistic and detoxifying effects of HCSI when used in combination with irinotecan (CPT-11). METHODS: To investigate the effect of HCSI on anti-CRC efficacy and intestinal toxicity of CPT-11, we measured changes in the biological behavior of LoVo cells in vitro, and anti-tumor effects in LoVo cell xenograft nude mice models in vivo. Meanwhile, the effect of HCSI on intestinal toxicity and the uridine diphosphate-glucuronosyltransferase 1A1 (UGT1A1) expression was investigated in the CPT-11-induced colitis mouse model. Subsequently, we measured the effect of HCSI and its 13 constituent bufadienolides on the expression of UGT1A1 and organic anion transporting polypeptides 1B3 (OATP1B3) in HepG2 cells. RESULTS: The combination index (CI) results showed that the combination of HCSI and CPT-11 exhibited a synergistic effect (CI < 1), which significantly suppressing the LoVo cell migration, enhancing G2/M and S phase arrest, and inhibiting tumor growth in vivo. Additionally, the damage to intestinal tissues was attenuated by HCSI in CPT-11-induced colitis model, while the increased expression of UGT1A1 in HepG2 cells and in mouse was observed. CONCLUSION The co-therapy with HCSI alleviated the intestinal toxicity induced by CPT-11 and exerted an enhanced anti-CRC effect. The detoxifying mechanism may be related to the increased expression of UGT1A1 and OATP1B3 by HCSI and its bufadienolides components. The findings of this study may serve as a theoretical insights and strategies to improve CRC patient outcomes. Please cite this article as: Jiang B, Meng ZY, Hu YJ, Chen JJ, Zong L, Xu LY, Zhang XQ, Zhang JX, Han YL. Huachansu injection enhances anti-colorectal cancer efficacy of irinotecan and alleviates its induced intestinal toxicity through upregulating UGT1A1-OATP1B3 expression in vitro and in vivo. J Integr Med. 2025; 23(5):576-590.
Irinotecan/therapeutic use* ; Animals ; Glucuronosyltransferase/genetics* ; Humans ; Colorectal Neoplasms/metabolism* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Mice, Nude ; Mice ; Up-Regulation/drug effects* ; Male ; Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Hep G2 Cells ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Intestines/drug effects* ; Amphibian Venoms

Objective To investigate the effect of quercetin on HCE-2 injury of human corneal epithelial cells induced by high osmotic pressure and its mechanism.Methods HCE-2 cells were randomly divided into control group(normal osmotic pressure),model group(high osmotic pressure),experimental-L group(high osmotic pressure+31.25 pg·mL-1 quercetin),experimental-M group(high osmotic pressure+62.50 μg·mL-1 quercetin),experimental-H group(high osmotic pressure+125.00 μg·mL-1 quercetin),erastin group(high osmotic pressure+125.00 μg·mL-1 quercetin+30.00 μmol·L-1 iron death inducer erastin).Cell survival rate was detected by cell counting kit 8;reactive oxygen species(ROS)levels was detected by C11-BODIPY 581/591 probe staining;glutathione(GSH)and malondialdehyde(MDA)levels were determined by kit method;the expression levels of glutathione peroxidase 4(GPX4),dihydrolactate dehydrogenase(DHODH)and ferroptosis suppressor protein 1(FSP1)were detected by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction and Western blot.Results The cell survival rates of control group,model group,experimental-H group and erastin group were(100.00±3.97)％,(50.05±5.83)％,(86.35±7.35)％and(58.32±4.66)％,respectively;ROS levels were 1.00±0.09,2.45±0.16,1.19±0.05 and 2.09±0.30,respectively;GPX4 protein levels were 1.09±0.11,0.34±0.03,0.91±0.12 and 0.30±0.04,respectively;FSP1 protein levels were 0.92±0.06,0.25±0.03,0.89±0.07 and 0.39±0.07,respectively;DHODH protein levels were 0.89±0.11,0.31±0.04,0.86±0.11,0.41±0.04,respectively.Compared with model group,the above indexes in control group were statistically significant(all P＜0.05);the differences between experimental-H group and model group were statistically significant(all P＜0.05);the above indexes in erastin group were significantly different from those in experimental-H group(all P＜0.05).Conclusion Quercetin can ameliorate HCE-2 cell damage induced by high osmotic pressure by inhibiting iron death pathway.

Objective This study aimed to evaluate the associations of serum folate and/or vitamin B12 concentrations with obesity among Chinese children and adolescents. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted including 3,079 Chinese children and adolescents,aged 6 to 17 years,from Jiangsu,China.Anthropometric indices,such as,children's body mass index(BMI),BMI z-scores,waist circumference,and waist-to-height ratio were utilized.Multivariable linear regression and generalized additive models were used to investigate the associations of serum folate and vitamin B12 levels with anthropometric indices and odds of obesity. Results We observed that serum vitamin B12 concentrations were inversely associated with all anthropometric indices and the odds of general obesity[odds ratio(OR)= 0.68;95%confidence interval(CI)= 0.59,0.78]and abdominal obesity(OR = 0.68;95%CI = 0.60,0.77).When compared to participants with both serum vitamin levels in the two middle quartiles,those with both serum folate and vitamin B12 levels in the highest quartile were less prone to general(OR = 0.31,95%CI = 0.19,0.50)or abdominal obesity(OR = 0.46,95%CI = 0.31,0.67).Conversely,participants with vitamin B12 levels in the lowest quartile alongside folate levels in the highest quartile had higher odds of abdominal obesity(OR = 2.06,95%CI = 1.09,3.91). Conclusion Higher serum vitamin B12 concentrations,but not serum folate concentrations,were associated with lower odds of childhood obesity.Children and adolescents with high levels of vitamin B12 and folate were less likely to be obese.

Objective Hydroquinone(HQ),one of the phenolic metabolites of benzene,is widely recognized as an important participant in benzene-induced hematotoxicity.However,there are few relevant proteomics in HQ-induced hematotoxicity and the mechanism hasn't been fully understood yet. Methods In this study,we treated K562 cells with 40 μmol/L HQ for 72 h,examined and validated protein expression changes by Label-free proteomic analysis and Parallel reaction monitoring(PRM),and performed bioinformatics analysis to identify interaction networks. Results One hundred and eighty-seven upregulated differentially expressed proteins(DEPs)and 279 downregulated DEPs were identified in HQ-exposed K562 cells,which were involved in neutrophil-mediated immunity,blood microparticle,and other GO terms,as well as the lysosome,metabolic,cell cycle,and cellular senescence-related pathways.Focusing on the 23 DEGs and 5 DEPs in erythroid differentiation-related pathways,we constructed the network of protein interactions and determined 6 DEPs(STAT1,STAT3,CASP3,KIT,STAT5B,and VEGFA)as main hub proteins with the most interactions,among which STATs made a central impact and may be potential biomarkers of HQ-induced hematotoxicity. Conclusion Our work reinforced the use of proteomics and bioinformatic approaches to advance knowledge on molecular mechanisms of HQ-induced hematotoxicity at the protein level and provide a valuable basis for further clarification.

Lipopolysaccharides (LPS) are major outer membrane components of Gram-negative bacteria. Unlike most Gram-negative bacteria, Acinetobacter baumannii can still survive and acquire polymyxin resistance after complete loss of LPS. Previous studies of LPS-deficient Acinetobacter baumannii mostly focused on LPS-deficient strains induced by polymyxin, whose background was complex and unstable. To investigate LPS loss-mediated polymyxin resistant-Acinetobacter baumannii, this study constructed a stable and clear background LPS-deficient strain by knocking out lpxC gene in Acinetobacter baumannii ATCC 19606 with CIRSPR/Cas9, and then studied the phenotypic changes of the lpxC-deficient strain including morphology, growth rate, antibiotic susceptibility, virulence, membrane permeability, and membrane potential. Animal experiments were approved by the Animal Care and Welfare Committee Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, CAMS and PUMC (approval number: IMB-20240119D₉). The results indicated that the lpxC gene of Acinetobacter baumannii ATCC 19606 was successfully knocked out. After losing the lpxC, the strain underwent the morphological change from rod-shaped to spherical. Furthermore, it leads to reduced growth rate, enhanced membrane permeability, decreased membrane potential, lower virulence, and increased antibiotic susceptibility to β-lactams, quinolones, aminoglycosides, macrolides, glycopeptides. The lpxC deletion results in significant changes in membrane homeostasis and adaptability of Acinetobacter baumannii. Understanding the phenotypic changes of colistin-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii mediated by LPS loss is useful for exploring the resistance mechanism of Acinetobacter baumannii and developing new therapeutic strategies.

Objective:To investigate the treatment strategy and prognostic factors of nasopharyngeal necrosis after the first radical radiotherapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma.Methods:Clinical data of 1020 patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma undergoing radical intensity-modulated radiotherapy in Jiangsu Cancer Hospital from January 2013 to January 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. Nasopharyngeal necrosis was confirmed by nasopharyngeal MRI, electronic nasopharyngoscopy and biopsy. Patients with nasopharyngeal necrosis were treated with electronic nasopharyngoscope irrigation debridement, combined with systemic anti-infection and nutritional support therapy. Kaplan-Meier method was used to calculate the survival, and Cox regression analysis was used to analyze the relationship between clinical factors and patients' survival.Results:Nasopharyngeal necrosis occurred in 20 cases of 1020 nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients after the first radical intensity-modulated radiotherapy, with an incidence rate of 1.96%. Odd smell and headache were common in nasopharyngeal necrosis patients. All patients had locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma at initial treatment, including 2 (10%) cases of T 3 stage and 18 (90%) cases of T 4 stage. Nasopharyngeal necrosis occurred in the primary nasopharyngeal lesions. According to the stages of nasopharyngeal necrosis, there were 6 (30%) cases of stage I, 14 (70%) cases of stage II and no stage III. The occurrence time of nasopharyngeal necrosis was from 2 to 24 months after radiotherapy, and the median time was 5 months. All 16 cases of nasopharyngeal necrosis were cured clinically after debridement and irrigation under nasopharyngoscope, systemic anti-infection and symptomatic support treatment. Among them, 9 cases had no necrotic cavity and complete healing and 7 cases had residual necrotic cavity. Four patients died of massive nasopharyngeal hemorrhage or due to the inability to nasopharyngeal irrigation. The 5-year survival rates were 37.5% and 85.7% in patients with and without internal carotid artery involvement ( P=0.008), and 25.0% and 77.8% in patients with and without diabetes mellitus ( P=0.016). Univariate Cox regression analysis showed that necrotic lesions involving internal carotid artery ( HR=5.80, 95% CI=1.14-29.38, P=0.034) and diabetes mellitus ( HR=10.24, 95% CI=1.19-88.04, P=0.034) were the influencing factors of overall survival. Conclusions:Nasopharyngoscope irrigation debridement combined with anti-inflammation and nutritional support treatment are effective interventions for nasopharyngeal necrosis after the first radical intensity-modulated radiotherapy in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma. The necrosis involving the internal carotid artery and diabetes mellitus are important factors affecting the survival of patients. Vascular invasion caused by vascular rupture is the main cause of death.

Objective To investigate the long-term effect of frailty on heart failure with reduced ejection fraction(HFrEF)in elderly patients.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on 245 HFrEF patients aged ≥75 years admitted to our hospital from October 2017 to October 2020 due to acute exacerbation of chronic heart failure(HF).Based on their clinical frailty scale(CFS)score,they were divided into frailty group(1-4,135 cases)and non-frailty group(5-9,110 cases).Their general clinical data,clinical medication,and prognosis were compared between the two groups,and the influencing factors for frailty and death were analyzed.Results Faster heart rate,higher NT-proBNP level,and larger proportions of male,diabetes,coronary heart disease,≥5 chronic diseases,LVEF ≤35％,anemia and increased troponin I level,while lower BMI,eGFR and score of activity of daily living scale were observed in the frailty group than the non-frailty group(P＜0.05,P＜0.01).The frail group had significantly lower utilization rates of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors(ACEI),angiotensin receptor blockers(ARB),angiotensin receptor enkephalin inhibitors(ARNI)β receptor blockers,and sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors than the non-frailty group(P＜0.01).Additionally,the frailty group exhibited a higher incidence of emergency room visits/readmissions within 3 months and 2-year mortality than the non-frailty group(P＜0.05,P＜0.01).Binary logistic regression analysis revealed that ≥5 chronic diseases,LVEF ≤ 35％,BMI,and GFR were independent risk factors for frailty(OR=0.167,95％CI:0.064-0.453,P=0.000;OR=0.306,95％CI:0.160-0.586,P=0.000;OR=0.868,95％CI:0.786-0.958,P=0.005;OR=0.966,95％CI:0.943-0.991,P=0.007),while ≥5 chronic disea-ses and frailty were independent risk factors for death in HF patients(P＜0.05).Conclusion The incidence of frailty is high in elderly HF patients with HFrEF.They have poor compliance to guideline directed drug therapy(GDMT).Frailty is an independent risk factor for long-term mor-tality in the patients.

Objective To investigate the predictive value of Cys C and AT Ⅲ for CIAKI in elderly hypertensive patients with AMI after PCI.Methods A total of 911 elderly hypertensive patients with AMI undergoing emergency PCI in the Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University from January 2019 to May 2023 were consecutively enrolled,and then randomly divided into a training group(731 cases)and a validation group(180 cases)in a ratio of 8∶2.According to the diagnostic criteria of CIAKI defined by the European Society of Urogenital Radiology,the patients of the training group were further divided into CIAKI subgroup(n=91)and non-CIAKI sub-group(n=640).The basic clinical data were compared between the CIAKI and non-CIAKI sub-groups and between the training and validation groups.Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used.ROC curve was drawn to analyze the predictive value of Cys C,ATⅢ and their combina-tion for CIAKI.Results Fasting blood glucose,TG,Cys C,and diuretics were independent risk factors(OR=1.116,95％CI:1.009-1.235;OR=1.786,95％CI:1.363-2.339;OR=13.360,95％CI:4.462-39.999;OR=10.606,95％CI:4.110-27.370),while LVEF and AT Ⅲ were protective factors(OR=0.932,95％CI:0.897-0.968;OR=0.949,95％CI:0.929-0.969)for CIAKI in eld-erly hypertensive patients after emergency PCI.The AUC value of Cys C and AT Ⅲ combined to-gether in predicting CIAKI after emergency PCI was 0.818(95％CI:0.773-0.863,P＜0.01),which was better than either of them alone.When Cys C level ≥1.10 mg/L,the risk of CIAKI was increased with the increment of the level;when AT Ⅲ ≥69％,the risk of CIAKI was decreased with the increase of AT Ⅲ level.Conclusion High Cys C level and low AT Ⅲ level are independ-ent risk factors for CIAKI,and their combination can improve the accuracy of predicting CIAKI after emergency PCI in elderly patients with hypertensive AMI.

Objective:To investigate the factors contributing to frailty in very elderly patients with multimorbidity.Methods:This cross-sectional study enrolled 119 very elderly patients with multimorbidity who were hospitalized in the Department of Geriatrics of Huadong Hospital Affiliated to Fudan University from August 2022 to March 2023.The study aimed to understand the basic status of multimorbidity by collecting general information, the number and types of diseases, and frailty status.The subjects were divided into frail and non-frail groups through comprehensive geriatric assessment.Various factors including gender, age, Tinetti balance gait score, risk of sarcopenia, dementia, depression, risk of deep vein thrombosis, dysphagia, comorbidity index, medication count, Basic Activities of Daily Living(BADL)score, Instrumental Activities of Daily Living(IADL)score, Nutritional Risk Screening 2002(NRS-2002)score, Norton pressure injury risk assessment score, and Social Support Rating Scale(SSRS)score were compared.The correlation between each factor and the occurrence of frailty was analyzed using univariate analysis and multivariate Logistic regression analysis.Results:A total of 119 elderly inpatients with multimorbidity, with an average age of 90.8±5.9 years old, were included in the study.The incidence of frailty was 68.9%(82 cases).Univariate analysis revealed significant statistical differences between the frail group and the non-frail group in various factors including age( t=-3.131, P=0.002), Tinetti score( Z=-5.544, P<0.001), risk of sarcopenia( χ2=39.205, P<0.001), dysphagia( χ2=5.937, P=0.015), Charlson comorbidity index( Z=-2.565, P=0.010), medication count( Z=-3.325, P<0.001), BADL( Z=-5.871, P<0.001), IADL( Z=-5.062, P<0.001), Norton score( Z=-5.922, P<0.001), and SSRS social support( Z=-2.637, P=0.008).Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the Tinetti score( OR=0.843, 95% CI: 0.737-0.966, P=0.014), decreased muscle strength( OR=11.226, 95% CI: 2.157-58.432, P=0.004), sarcopenia( OR=18.084, 95% CI: 2.041-106.211, P=0.009), Norton score( OR=0.462, 95% CI: 0.254-0.838, P=0.011), and medication count( OR=1.153, 95% CI: 1.000-1.329, P=0.049)were independently associated with frailty. Conclusions:In very elderly patients with multimorbidities, the occurrence of frailty is notably increased.Frailty is linked to multiple risks including falls, muscle weakness/sarcopenia, pressure ulcer risk, and polypharmacy, and these risks are independent of other factors.

Vaccines are among the most effec-tive measures for preventing infectious diseases and play a crucial role in controlling the spread of these diseases.Adjuvants,serving as auxiliary com-ponents in vaccines,are indispensable in the vac-cine development process.Ideal adjuvants not only enhance the immune response,enabling the body to achieve optimal protective immunity but also play important roles in reducing the dosage of im-munogens and lowering vaccine production costs.To meet the demands of novel vaccines,many new types of adjuvants have been developed.However,there is still a lack of adjuvants that are safe,effec-tive,easy to prepare,highly pure,and suitable for a variety of vaccines in clinical settings.This article categorizes adjuvants and summarizes their mecha-nisms of action and characteristics,focusing on tra-ditional aluminum salt adjuvants and more modern lipid-based and nucleic acid-based adjuvants.The summary is based on a computer search of data-bases including PubMed,Embase,The Cochrane Li-brary,CNKI(China National Knowledge Infrastruc-ture),VIP Database,and Wanfang Database,using English search keywords such as Adjuvants,Vac-cine,Vaccine Adjuvant,aluminum salts,MF59,AS03,Toll-like receptor agonist,etc.,and corre-sponding Chinese search terms.The aim is to pro-vide references for the development and applica-tion of adjuvants.