Objective To investigate the probability and dosimetric risk factors of lung injury after sequential immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) and thoracic radiotherapy. Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on 139 patients who received sequential ICIs and thoracic radiotherapy in Xuzhou Cancer Hospital and Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University between February 2020 and February 2024. The relationships of clinical factors and lung and heart volume dose parameters with grade ≥ 2 acute lung injury (ALI) in patients with thoracic tumors were studied using univariable (χ² test, t test, nonparametric test) and multivariable (binary logistic regression analysis) methods. The thresholds of dosimetric risk factors were determined using the receiver operating characteristic curves. Clinical factors included age, gender, smoking history, type of ICIs, cycle of ICI application, and the interval between ICI application and thoracic radiotherapy. Dose parameters included total radiotherapy dose, single dose, planning target volume, maximum dose of planning target volume, average dose of planning target volume, total lung volume, heart volume, and the V₅, V₁₀, V₁₅, V₂₀, V₂₅, V₃₀, V₃₅, and V₄₀ of lung and heart. Results The incidence of grade ≥ 2 ALI in the included cases was 36% (50/139). The χ² test did not find any statistically significant clinical factors. In the univariable and binary Logistic regression analysis, lung V₁₅ and V₂₀, heart V₁₅ and V₂₀, and lung volume were independent risk factors for the occurrence of grade ≥ 2 ALI in sequential ICIs and thoracic radiotherapy. The thresholds were 18.51% for lung V₁₅, 14.43% for lung V₂₀, 32.41% for heart V₁₅, and 17.74% for heart V₂₀. Conclusion For patients who are going to receive thoracic radiotherapy after ICIs, the thresholds of lung V₁₅ and V₂₀ and heart V₁₅ and V₂₀ in the radiotherapy plan are recommended to be less than 18.51%, 14.43%, 32.41%, and 17.74%, respectively, which can effectively reduce the occurrence of grade ≥ 2 ALI.

ObjectiveTo investigate the mechanism of Huangqi Gegentang （HGT） in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus （T2DM） through the application of proteomic techniques. MethodsThe rat model of T2DM was established by streptozotocin combined with a high-fat， high-sugar diet. Thirty-two male SD rats were randomized into four groups： blank， model， HGT （8.10 g·kg^-1·d^-1）， and positive control （metformin hydrochloride， 76.5 mg·kg^-1·d^-1）. After 6 weeks of drug intervention， the fasting blood glucose level was measured， and an oral glucose tolerance test （OGTT） was performed. The area under the curve （AUC） was calculated. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was performed to assess the level of glycated hemoglobin （GHbA1c） in the serum. The limulus amebocyte lysate assay was employed to measure the serum level of lipopolysaccharide （LPS）. Pathological changes in the colon were observed by hematoxylin-eosin staining. The mRNA levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines including tumor necrosis factor （TNF）-α， interleukin （IL）-6， and IL-1β in the colon tissue were quantified via Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR）. Additionally， the protein and mRNA levels of zonula occludens-1 （ZO-1）， Occludin， and Claudin-1 in the colon tissue were assessed by Western blot and Real-time PCR， respectively. Label-free quantitative proteomics was employed to identify the differentially expressed proteins between the colon tissue samples from the blank， model， and HGT groups. Key proteins identified were subsequently validated by Western blot and Real-time PCR. Finally， bioinformatics analysis was conducted on the differentially expressed proteins. ResultsCompared with the blank group， the model group exhibited increased fasting blood glucose， AUC， and GHbA1c levels （P<0.01）， damaged colonic mucosal epithelial structure and inflammatory cell infiltration， up-regulated mRNA levels of TNF-α， IL-6， and IL-1β in the colon and an increase in serum LPS content （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and down-regulated protein and mRNA levels of ZO-1， Occludin， and Claudin-1 in the colon （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the HGT group showed reductions in fasting blood glucose， AUC， and GHbA1c （P<0.01）， alleviated damage to the colonic mucosal epithelium， down-regulated mRNA levels of TNF-α， IL-6， and IL-1β in the colon， a reduction in serum LPS content （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and up-regulated protein and mRNA levels of ZO-1， Occludin， and Claudin-1 in the colon （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Proteomics analysis identified 70 differentially expressed proteins that exhibited a downward trend in the model group relative to the blank group and an upward trend in the HGT group relative to the model group. These findings were corroborated by Western blot and Real-time PCR， which confirmed that the protein and mRNA levels of mucin 2 （Muc2） and transforming growth factor （TGF）-beta receptor 1 （Tgfbr1） in the colon tissue were consistent with the proteomic data. Bioinformatics analysis showed that these 70 differentially expressed proteins identified were significantly enriched in multiple signaling pathways， among which the TGF-β and advanced glycation endproduct （AGE）/receptor for advanced glycation endproduct （RAGE） signaling pathways were closely associated with damage to the intestinal mucosal barrier. This suggests that HGT may ameliorate intestinal mucosal barrier damage by regulating these pathways. ConclusionHGT potentially exerts anti-T2DM effects by influencing AGE/RAGE and TGF-β signaling pathways， thereby contributing to the restoration of the intestinal mucosal barrier.

Objective: To evaluate the effects of a multidisciplinary weight management intervention, so as to provide a reference for the formulation of overweight and obesity intervention measures. Methods: From April to September 2025, overweight and obese residents aged 18-60 years who participated in a weight loss competition at the Health Management Center of Beilun People's Hospital in Ningbo City were selected as study subjects. They were divided into a control group and an intervention group. The control group received conventional weight management, while the intervention group received the multidisciplinary integrated weight management in addition to the conventional weight management, for a total intervention period of 8 weeks. Weight, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, hip circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, fasting blood glucose (FBG), triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and blood pressure were collected before and after the intervention through physical examinations and laboratory tests. The generalized estimating equations (GEE) method was employed to analyze the differences in indicators between the two groups before and after the intervention. Results: The control group comprised 241 participants, including 161 females (66.80%), with a mean age of (35.66±7.80) years. The intervention group consisted of 127 participants, including 86 females (67.72%), with a mean age of (36.80±7.05) years. No statistically significant differences were observed between the two groups at baseline in terms of age, gender, weight, BMI, or waist-to-hip ratio (all P>0.05). Results from the GEE analysis indicated significant interactions between group and time for weight, BMI, waist circumference, and hip circumference (all P<0.05) with greater reductions in these parameters observed in the intervention group compared to the control group before and after the intervention. Similarly, significant interactions between group and time were observed for FBG, TG, TC, and LDL-C (all P<0.05), with the intervention group demonstrating larger decreases in these markers compared to the control group. However, no statistically significant interactions between group and time were observed for waist-to-hip ratio, HDL-C, systolic blood pressure, and diastolic blood pressure (all P>0.05). Following the intervention, a weight loss exceeding 10% was achieved by 13 participants (5.39%) in the control group and 62 participants (48.82%) in the intervention group. The proportion of individuals with a weight loss exceeding 10% was significantly higher in the intervention group compared to the control group (P<0.05). Conclusion Compared to conventional weight management, multidisciplinary integrated weight management demonstrated greater efficacy in improving weight-related indicators and blood glucose, blood lipids, and enhancing weight loss outcomes among overweight and obese residents.

BACKGROUND: Periodontitis is characterized by alveolar bone resorption, aggravated by osteoblast dysfunction, and associated with intracellular oxidative stress linked to the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2) level. We evaluated the molecular mechanism of periodontitis onset and development and the role of NRF2 in osteogenic differentiation. METHODS: Primary murine mandibular osteoblasts were extracted and exposed to Porphyromonas gingivalis lipopolysaccharide (Pg-LPS) or other stimuli. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) and 5,5',6,6'-tetrachloro-1,1',3,3'-tetraethylbenzimidazolylcarbocyanine iodide (JC-1) staining were used to detect intracellular oxidative stress. Alkaline phosphatase staining and alizarin red S staining were used to detect the osteogenic differentiation of osteoblasts. Immunofluorescence and western blotting were used to determine the changes in the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway and related molecule activities. Immunofluorescence colocalization and co-immunoprecipitation were performed to examine the nuclear translocation of NRF2 and its interaction with dual-specific phosphatase 1 (DUSP1) in cells. RESULTS: Ligated tissue samples showed higher alveolar bone resorption rate and lower NRF2 level than healthy periodontal tissue samples. Pg-LPS increased intracellular oxidative stress levels and inhibited osteogenic differentiation, whereas changes in NRF2 expression were correlated with changes in the oxidative stress and osteogenesis rate. NRF2 promoted the dephosphorylation of the MAPK pathway by nuclear translocation and the upregulation of DUSP1 expression, thus enhancing the osteogenic differentiation capacity of mandibular osteoblasts. The interaction between NRF2 and DUSP1 was observed. CONCLUSIONS: NRF2 and its nuclear translocation can regulate the osteogenic differentiation of mandibular osteoblasts under Pg-LPS conditions by interacting with DUSP1 in a process linked to the MAPK pathway. These findings form the basis of periodontitis treatment.
Animals ; NF-E2-Related Factor 2/physiology* ; Lipopolysaccharides/pharmacology* ; Osteoblasts/drug effects* ; Mice ; Porphyromonas gingivalis/chemistry* ; Cell Differentiation ; Osteogenesis ; Dual Specificity Phosphatase 1/metabolism* ; Mandible/cytology* ; Reactive Oxygen Species/metabolism* ; Oxidative Stress ; Periodontitis/metabolism* ; Cells, Cultured ; Male ; Cell Nucleus/metabolism*

Neuropathic pain is frequently comorbidity with cognitive deficits. Neuralized1 (Neurl1)-mediated ubiquitination of CPEB3 in the hippocampus is critical in learning and memory. However, the role of Neurl1 in the cognitive impairment in neuropathic pain remains elusive. Herein, we found that lumbar 5 spinal nerve ligation (SNL) in male rat-induced neuropathic pain was followed by learning and memory deficits and LTP impairment in the hippocampus. The Neurl1 expression in the hippocampal CA1 was decreased after SNL. And this decrease paralleled the reduction of ubiquitinated-CPEB3 level and reduced production of GluA1 and GluA2. Overexpression of Neurl1 in the CA1 rescued cognitive deficits and LTP impairment, and reversed the reduction of ubiquitinated-CPEB3 level and the decrease of GluA1 and GluA2 production following SNL. Specific knockdown of Neurl1 or CPEB3 in bilateral hippocampal CA1 in naïve rats resulted in cognitive deficits and impairment of synaptic plasticity. The rescued cognitive function and synaptic plasticity by the treatment of overexpression of Neurl1 before SNL were counteracted by the knockdown of CPEB3 in the CA1. Collectively, the above results suggest that the downregulation of Neurl1 through reducing CPEB3 ubiquitination and, in turn, repressing GluA1 and GluA2 production and mediating synaptic plasticity impairment in hippocampal CA1 leads to the genesis of cognitive deficits in neuropathic pain.
Animals ; Male ; Neuralgia/metabolism* ; Rats ; Down-Regulation/physiology* ; Ubiquitination/physiology* ; Neuronal Plasticity/physiology* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; CA1 Region, Hippocampal/metabolism* ; Cognitive Dysfunction/metabolism* ; RNA-Binding Proteins/metabolism* ; Receptors, AMPA/metabolism*

Objective To develop a 3D visualization endoscopic navigation system based on CT portal angiography (CTPA) and explore its clinical value in assisting precise treatment of esophageal and gastric varices (EGV). Methods Patients with EGV needing treatment in the Department of Gastroenterology of Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University from September 2021 to April 2023 were collected. Preoperative examinations including CTPA and hematological examinations were performed, and a 3D visualization endoscopic navigation system was developed to assist endoscopic treatment. Real time comparison was made between the endoscopic 3D portal vein system image reconstructed by intelligent imaging and the actual endoscopic observation of the vascular morphology inside the cavity. The responsible blood vessels that are prone to bleeding were embolized using a sandwich injection method of “lauromacrogol+tissue adhesive+lauromacrogol”. For patients with portal shunting, ultrasound-guided coil insertion was performed. Postoperative endoscopic ultrasound or CTPA was used reexamination to evaluate vascular embolism and complications. Results A total of 13 patients successfully underwent endoscopic ultrasound-guided variceal embolization. The average maximum inner diameter of target veins was (3.3\begin{document}$ \pm $\end{document}1.3) cm; on average, implanted coil number was 1(0,2) in each patient, with median dosages of lauromacrogol and tissue adhesive were 9.5(7.8,10.0) mL and 1.5(1.0,2.1) mL respectively. Postoperatively, endoscopic ultrasound detecting confirmed complete occlusion of all target veins. At 8 weeks after treatment, none of the patients experienced rebleeding. At 24 weeks after treatment, rebleeding occurred in 3 patients, on postoperative days 107, 126 and 147, respectively. Conclusion The 3D visualization endoscopic navigation system based on CTPA can effectively and safely assist preoperative diagnosis and intraoperative localization of target blood vessels, which is beneficial for the precise treatment of EGV patients.

Objective: To establish a method for detecting the duration of the synthesis-phase(Ts) and the total cell-cycle(Tc) based on the dual labeling of 5-ethynyl-2′deoxyuridine(EdU) and 5-Bromodeoxyuridinc(BrdU). Methods: HEK293T cells were double labeled with EdU and BrdU and then subjected to immunofluorescence staining. The fluorescence signals were collected using a High-Content Imaging System. The numbers of EdU-positive and BrdU-positive cells in the entire cell population were counted. Based on the cell cycle calculation formula in a previously published article, it was improved to accurately calculate the duration of Ts and Tc of cells. The cell cycle time of human embryonic stem cells was calculated using the established method. Results: Based on the kinetic parameters of the EdU/BrdU dual labeling, the Ts of human embryonic stem cells was 10.9 h, and the Tc was 15.3 h. Conclusion The EdU/BrdU dual labeling method can be used to detect the duration of the cell cycle, providing an accurate and efficient method for cell cycle analysis.

Objective:This study collected a real-world data on survival and efficacy of gemcitabine-containing therapy in advanced breast cancer. Aimed to find the main reasons of affecting the duration of gemcitabine-base therapy in advanced breast cancer patients.Methods:Advanced breast cancer patients who received gemcitabine-base therapy from January 2017 to January 2019 were enrolled(10 hospitals). The clinicopathological data, the number of chemotherapy cycles and the reasons for treatment termination were collected and analyzed. To identify the reasons related with continuous treatment for advanced breast cancer and the factors which affect the survival and efficacy.Results:A total of 224 patients with advanced breast cancer were enrolled in this study, with a median age of 52 years (26-77 years), 55.4%(124/224) was postmenopausal. Luminal type were 83 cases, TNBC were 97 cases, and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER's-2) overexpression were 44. At the analysis, 224 patients who received the gemcitabine-based regimens were evaluated, included 5 complete reponse (CR), 77 partial response (PR), 112 stable disease (SD) and 27 progressive disease (PD). The objective response rate (ORR) was 36.6%(82/224). Seventy patients had serious adverse diseases, including leukopenia (9), neutrophilia (49), thrombocytopenia (15), and elevated transaminase (2). The median follow-up time was 41 months (26~61 months), and the median PFS was 5.6 months. The reasons of termination treatment were listed: disease progression were 90 patients; personal reasons were 51 patients; adverse drug reactions were 18 patients; completed treatment were 65 patients. It was found that progression-free survival (PFS) was significantly longer in patients receiving >6 cycles than that in patients with ≤6 cycles (8.2 months vs 5.4 months, HR=2.474, 95% CI: 1.730-3.538, P＜0.001). Conclusions:Gemcitabine-based regimen is generally well tolerated in the Chinese population and has relatively ideal clinical efficacy in the real world. The median PFS is significantly prolonged when the number of treatment cycles are appropriately increased.

Objective:This study collected a real-world data on survival and efficacy of gemcitabine-containing therapy in advanced breast cancer. Aimed to find the main reasons of affecting the duration of gemcitabine-base therapy in advanced breast cancer patients.Methods:Advanced breast cancer patients who received gemcitabine-base therapy from January 2017 to January 2019 were enrolled(10 hospitals). The clinicopathological data, the number of chemotherapy cycles and the reasons for treatment termination were collected and analyzed. To identify the reasons related with continuous treatment for advanced breast cancer and the factors which affect the survival and efficacy.Results:A total of 224 patients with advanced breast cancer were enrolled in this study, with a median age of 52 years (26-77 years), 55.4%(124/224) was postmenopausal. Luminal type were 83 cases, TNBC were 97 cases, and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER's-2) overexpression were 44. At the analysis, 224 patients who received the gemcitabine-based regimens were evaluated, included 5 complete reponse (CR), 77 partial response (PR), 112 stable disease (SD) and 27 progressive disease (PD). The objective response rate (ORR) was 36.6%(82/224). Seventy patients had serious adverse diseases, including leukopenia (9), neutrophilia (49), thrombocytopenia (15), and elevated transaminase (2). The median follow-up time was 41 months (26~61 months), and the median PFS was 5.6 months. The reasons of termination treatment were listed: disease progression were 90 patients; personal reasons were 51 patients; adverse drug reactions were 18 patients; completed treatment were 65 patients. It was found that progression-free survival (PFS) was significantly longer in patients receiving >6 cycles than that in patients with ≤6 cycles (8.2 months vs 5.4 months, HR=2.474, 95% CI: 1.730-3.538, P＜0.001). Conclusions:Gemcitabine-based regimen is generally well tolerated in the Chinese population and has relatively ideal clinical efficacy in the real world. The median PFS is significantly prolonged when the number of treatment cycles are appropriately increased.

Objective:To investigate and analyze the correlation between the expression levels of CD38, HLA-DR and programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) on peripheral blood CD8 +T cells and HIV-1 RNA viral load, immune activation and exhaustion in patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Methods:A total of 81 HIV/AIDS patients (64 without antiretroviral therapy and 17 with therapy) and 40 healthy donors in the same period were enrolled as the control group. Flow cytometry was used to analyze the CD4 +T lymphocyte count and the expression levels of activation markers CD38 and HLA-DR and apoptosis marker PD-1 on CD8 +T cells. HIV-1 RNA in the plasma of HIV-1 infected patients was quantitatively detected by real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Variance analysis was used to compare the expression levels of CD38, HLA-DR and PD-1 on CD8 +T cells between HIV/AIDS patients and healthy controls. Spearman correlation analysis was used to analyze the correlation between different T lymphocyte counts and HIV RNA viral load, and the correlation between HIV RNA viral load and peripheral blood CD8 +T cell CD38, HLA-DR and PD-1. Results:Among the 81 HIV/AIDS patients, 69 (85.19%) were males and 12 (14.81%) were females, with an age M ( Q1, Q3) of 58 (36.5, 65.0) years. There were 60 HIV/AIDS patients over 55 years old (74.07%) and 21 HIV/AIDS patients between 18 and 55 years old (25.93%). The results of variance analysis showed that compared with the healthy control group, the expression levels of CD38, HLA-DR and PD-1 on CD8 +T cells in HIV/AIDS patients increased, and the differences were statistically significant (all P<0.05). In addition, the expression of CD38, HLA-DR and PD-1 increased significantly in patients with CD4 +T cell count less than 350 cells/μl, and the differences were statistically significant (all P<0.05). Spearman correlation analysis showed that CD4 +and CD4 +/CD8 +were negatively correlated with viral load in HIV/AIDS patients ( r=-0.407 and -0.378, respectively, both P<0.05), and CD8 +was positively correlated with viral load ( r=0.356, P<0.05). When the HIV RNA level was≤10 5 CPs/ml, there was no correlation between the HIV RNA level and the expression levels of CD38, HLA-DR and PD-1 on CD8 +T cells (all P>0.05). However, when the level of HIV RNA was>10 5 CPs/ml, the level of HIV RNA was positively correlated with the expression levels of CD38, HLA-DR and PD-1 on CD8 +T cells ( r=0.412, 0.387, 0.395, respectively, all P<0.05). Conclusions:The activation levels of CD38 and HLA-DR and the expression of PD-1 on CD8 +T cells in the peripheral blood of HIV/AIDS patients are increased. When the viral load is high, the HIV RNA viral load is positively correlated with the activation and exhaustion levels of CD8 +T cells.