OBJECTIVE To preliminarily investigate the antiasthmatic effect and mechanism of Ephedrae Herba-Armeniacae Semen Amarum herb pair on the respiratory center. METHODS Male SD rats were randomly divided into blank group， model group， dexamethasone group （positive control）， and Ephedrae Herba-Armeniacae Semen Amarum 2∶1， 1∶1 and 1∶2 groups. Rats in each group were administered different ratios of the herb pair decoction [all at 18 g （crude drug）/kg]， dexamethasone suspension （0.5 mg/kg）， or normal saline intragastrically twice daily for seven consecutive days. Forty minutes after the last administration， medicated cerebrospinal fluid was collected to determine the content of effective components entering the brain. One and a half hours after the last administration， the nucleus tractus solitarius （NTS） was located using a stereotaxic apparatus. Histamine phosphate （1 μL） was injected into the NTS region at a constant rate of 1 μL/min using a 10 μL microsyringe to induce excitation of the respiratory center in rats； the blank group was injected with normal saline. The contents of neurotransmitters [nerve growth factor （NGF）， substance P （SP）， norepinephrine （NA）， 5-hydroxytryptamine （5-HT） and acetylcholine （Ach）] in the medulla oblongata brain tissue were detected. The mRNA expressions of neurokinin-1 receptor （NK-1R）， p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase （MAPK）， and c-fos in the medulla oblongata， as well as the protein expressions of NK-1R， p38 MAPK， and c-fos in the NTS region， were determined. RESULTS The main active components of Ephedrae Herba-Armeniacae Semen Amarum herb pair entering the brain were ephedrine， pseudoephedrine， and methylephedrine. Compared with blank group， the contents of NGF， SP， NA， 5-HT and Ach， and the relative expression levels of NK-1R， p38 MAPK， and c-fos mRNA and protein were significantly increased in the model group （ P ＜0.01）. Compared with model group， Ephedrae Herba-Armeniacae Semen Amarum herb pair groups with different ratios significantly reduced the neurotransmitter contents and the relative expression levels of NK-1R， p38 MAPK， and c-fos mRNA and protein （ P ＜0.01）， with the 2∶1 Ephedrae Herba-Armeniacae Semen Amarum herb pair and 1∶1 mass ratios showing relatively better effects. CONCLUSIONS Ephedrae Herba alkaloids are the main active components in affecting the function of the respiratory center. The herb pair groups with a larger proportion of Ephedrae Herba exhibit stronger effects. Ephedrae Herba-Armeniacae Semen Amarum herb pair can reduce the excitability of the respiratory center by down-regulating the expression of the NK-1R/MAPK/c-fos pathway in the NTS and decreasing the abnormal release of neurotransmitters such as NGF and SP.

Objective:To compare clinicopathological features between differentiated and undifferentiated early gastric cancer (EGC) following successful Helicobacter pylori eradication and identify risk factors for undifferentiated EGC. Methods:A retrospective case-control study was performed on data of patients who were found to have EGC and underwent endoscopic submucosal dissection one year after successful Helicobacter pylori eradication from January 2018 to May 2022 in Beijing Friendship Hospital. The patients were divided into differentiated EGC group and undifferentiated EGC group and all clinicopathological data were analyzed. Univariate and multivariate logistic analysis were performed to identify the risk factors for undifferentiated EGC. Results:A total of 152 patients were included, among whom 143 had differentiated EGC and 9 had undifferentiated EGC. There was no difference between differentiated and undifferentiated EGC in age, gender, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, hyperlipemia, smoking or family history of gastric cancer ( P>0.05). Flat/depressed-type lesions predominated in undifferentiated EGC [88.9% (8/9)] versus elevated-type in differentiated EGC [56.6% (81/143), P=0.005]. Submucosal invasion [33.3% (3/9) VS 4.2% (6/143), P=0.010] and metachronous gastric cancer [33.3% (3/9) VS 1.4% (2/143), P<0.001] were more common in the undifferentiated group. Multivariate logistic analysis identified female gender ( P=0.028, OR=14.24, 95% CI:1.34-151.28) and flat-type ( P=0.026, OR=48.96, 95% CI: 1.60-1 495.39) as independent risk factors for undifferentiated EGC. Conclusion:Undifferentiated EGC after Helicobacter pylori eradication demonstrates higher rates of flat/depressed morphology, submucosal invasion, and metachronous lesions. Female gender and flat-type lesions are independent risk factors for undifferentiated histology.

Acute kidney injury (AKI) has high morbidity and mortality, but effective clinical drugs and management are lacking. Previous studies have suggested that macrophages play a crucial role in the inflammatory response to AKI and may serve as potential therapeutic targets. Emerging evidence has highlighted the importance of forkhead box protein O1 (FoxO1) in mediating macrophage activation and polarization in various diseases, but the specific mechanisms by which FoxO1 regulates macrophages during AKI remain unclear. The present study aimed to investigate the role of FoxO1 in macrophages in the pathogenesis of AKI. We observed a significant upregulation of FoxO1 in kidney macrophages following ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury. Additionally, our findings demonstrated that the administration of FoxO1 inhibitor AS1842856-encapsulated liposome (AS-Lipo), mainly acting on macrophages, effectively mitigated renal injury induced by I/R injury in mice. By generating myeloid-specific FoxO1-knockout mice, we further observed that the deficiency of FoxO1 in myeloid cells protected against I/R injury-induced AKI. Furthermore, our study provided evidence of FoxO1's pivotal role in macrophage chemotaxis, inflammation, and migration. Moreover, the impact of FoxO1 on the regulation of macrophage migration was mediated through RhoA guanine nucleotide exchange factor 1 (ARHGEF1), indicating that ARHGEF1 may serve as a potential intermediary between FoxO1 and the activity of the RhoA pathway. Consequently, our findings propose that FoxO1 plays a crucial role as a mediator and biomarker in the context of AKI. Targeting macrophage FoxO1 pharmacologically could potentially offer a promising therapeutic approach for AKI.

OBJECTIVE: Exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) or metal(loid)s individually has been associated with neural tube defects (NTDs). However, the impacts of PAH and metal(loid) co-exposure and potential interaction effects on NTD risk remain unclear. We conducted a case-control study in China among population with a high prevalence of NTDs to investigate the combined effects of PAH and metal(loid) exposures on the risk of NTD. METHODS: Cases included 80 women who gave birth to offspring with NTDs, whereas controls were 50 women who delivered infants with no congenital malformations. We analyzed the levels of placental PAHs using gas chromatography and mass spectrometry, PAH-DNA adducts with ³²P-post-labeling method, and metal(loid)s with an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer. Unconditional logistic regression was employed to estimate the associations between individual exposures and NTDs. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) penalized regression models were used to select a subset of exposures, while additive interaction models were used to identify interaction effects. RESULTS: In the single-exposure models, we found that eight PAHs, PAH-DNA adducts, and 28 metal(loid)s were associated with NTDs. Pyrene, selenium, molybdenum, cadmium, uranium, and rubidium were selected through LASSO regression and were statistically associated with NTDs in the multiple-exposure models. Women with high levels of pyrene and molybdenum or pyrene and selenium exhibited significantly increased risk of having offspring with NTDs, indicating that these combinations may have synergistic effects on the risk of NTDs. CONCLUSION Our findings suggest that individual PAHs and metal(loid)s, as well as their interactions, may be associated with the risk of NTDs, which warrants further investigation.
Humans ; Neural Tube Defects/chemically induced* ; Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons/adverse effects* ; Female ; Case-Control Studies ; China/epidemiology* ; Adult ; Pregnancy ; Environmental Pollutants ; Maternal Exposure/adverse effects* ; Metals/toxicity* ; Young Adult ; Risk Factors

Objective To explore the potential categories of psychosocial adaptation in psoriasis patients and their differences in social alienation.Methods Using a cross-sectional survey design,convenience sam-pling was used to select 376 psoriasis patients from multiple hospitals in Shandong Province from September to December 2022.Participants completed the general information questionnaire,Psychosocial Adaptation to Illness Scale(PAIS-SR),Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-Ⅱ(AAQ-2),and General Alienation Scale(GAS).Latent profile analysis was performed using Mplus8.0 software to identify psychosocial adaptation patterns of psoriasis patients,and SPSS25.0 was used to compare social alienation differences among different adaptation groups.Results Psoriasis patients could be divided into two latent profiles:moderate psychosocial adaptation group(31.38％)and low psychosocial adaptation group(68.62％).Medical payment method,dis-ease recurrence,psoriasis subtype,disease duration,family history,skin lesion exposure,and AAQ-2 scores were identified as main influencing factors(P＜0.05).Significant differences in total GAS scores were found between the two groups(P＜0.05).Conclusion The psychosocial adaptation of psoriasis patients shows het-erogeneity and could be classified into two latent profiles.Targeted interventions should be implemented to improve psychosocial adaptation levels.

Objective:To investigate the serum level of soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (sVCAM-1) in patients with multiple myeloma (MM) and its effect on the therapeutic effect of daletumab.Methods:A total of 126 MM patients admitted to the Affiliated Hospital of Jining Medical College from June 2019 to June 2021 were retrospectively selected as the observation group, and 120 healthy subjects in the same period were selected as the control group. The observation group was treated with daletumab. The level of sVCAM-1 in the observation group and the control group was compared, and the relationship between serum sVCAM-1 level and clinicopathological features, different Durie-Salmon (DS) stages, different International Staging System(ISS) stages and treatment outcome of MM patients were analyzed.Results:The serum level of sVCAM-1 in the observation group was higher than that in the control group: (797.69 ± 119.73) μg/L vs. (210.55 ± 73.77) μg/L, there was statistical difference ( P<0.01). There were no statistical differences in serum sVCAM-1 level among MM patients with different sex, body mass index, blood calcium, serum albumin, hemoglobin, lactate dehydrogenase and diagnostic type ( P>0.05). The serum level of sVCAM-1 in MM patients DS stage Ⅰ, Ⅱ and Ⅲ were (649.29 ± 101.02), (694.36 ± 109.88) and (729.66 ± 120.44) μg/L, there was statistical difference ( F = 5.12, P<0.01). The serum level of sVCAM-1 in MM patients with ISS stage Ⅰ, Ⅱ and Ⅲ were (648.73 ± 99.77), (701.05 ± 107.83) and (765.82 ± 111.07) μg/L, there was statistical difference ( F = 11.46, P<0.01). After treatment, the serum level of sVCAM-1 in MM patients with complete remission, partial remission and relapse were (234.05 ± 90.73), (445.36 ± 97.11) and (793.05 ± 121.03) μg/L, there was statistical difference ( F = 245.15, P<0.01). The results of receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis showed that when the cut-off value of serum sVCAM-1 level was 58.50 μg/L, the area under the curve (AUC) was 0.762 (95% CI 0.699 - 0.825, P<0.01), the sensitivity was 80.95%, the specificity was 67.50%, and the accuracy was 74.39%. Conclusions:The level of serum sVCAM-1 in MM patients is significantly increased, and the higher the level of SVCAM-1, the worse the prognosis of patients, which can be used as one of the indicator to predict the therapeutic effect of MM patients.

Wu Jutong's academic thoughts are inherited from Ye Tianshi and traced back to Zhongjing,and have a unique under-standing and play of the evil invading Shaoyang.Wu Jutong believes that Shaoyang has two major functional characteristics:ascending and pivoting.The principle of treating evil invading Shaoyang is to follow the ascending nature of Shaoyang and restore the pivoting function of Shaoyang.For Shaoyang fire-heat syndrome,follow Shaoyang to ascend and disperse to penetrate heat,and often use light,scavenging and dispersing products;for Shaoyang phlegm-fluid syndrome,creat Xiangfu Xuanfuhua Decoction to benefit the liver and gallbladder and resolve phlegm-fluid;for malaria invading Shaoyang,turn the pivot to stop malaria,and use Xiaochaihu Decoction and Qinghao Biejia Decoction for the treatment;for yin evil invading Shaoyang and Jueyin,Xiao Chaihu Decoction and Bupleurum chinense DC.are often used to turn the pivot of Shaoyang and warm and unchoke Jueyin.The contraindications of Xiao Chaihu Decoction are al-so summarized.

Wu Jutong's academic thoughts are inherited from Ye Tianshi and traced back to Zhongjing,and have a unique under-standing and play of the evil invading Shaoyang.Wu Jutong believes that Shaoyang has two major functional characteristics:ascending and pivoting.The principle of treating evil invading Shaoyang is to follow the ascending nature of Shaoyang and restore the pivoting function of Shaoyang.For Shaoyang fire-heat syndrome,follow Shaoyang to ascend and disperse to penetrate heat,and often use light,scavenging and dispersing products;for Shaoyang phlegm-fluid syndrome,creat Xiangfu Xuanfuhua Decoction to benefit the liver and gallbladder and resolve phlegm-fluid;for malaria invading Shaoyang,turn the pivot to stop malaria,and use Xiaochaihu Decoction and Qinghao Biejia Decoction for the treatment;for yin evil invading Shaoyang and Jueyin,Xiao Chaihu Decoction and Bupleurum chinense DC.are often used to turn the pivot of Shaoyang and warm and unchoke Jueyin.The contraindications of Xiao Chaihu Decoction are al-so summarized.

Objective:To investigate the serum level of soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (sVCAM-1) in patients with multiple myeloma (MM) and its effect on the therapeutic effect of daletumab.Methods:A total of 126 MM patients admitted to the Affiliated Hospital of Jining Medical College from June 2019 to June 2021 were retrospectively selected as the observation group, and 120 healthy subjects in the same period were selected as the control group. The observation group was treated with daletumab. The level of sVCAM-1 in the observation group and the control group was compared, and the relationship between serum sVCAM-1 level and clinicopathological features, different Durie-Salmon (DS) stages, different International Staging System(ISS) stages and treatment outcome of MM patients were analyzed.Results:The serum level of sVCAM-1 in the observation group was higher than that in the control group: (797.69 ± 119.73) μg/L vs. (210.55 ± 73.77) μg/L, there was statistical difference ( P<0.01). There were no statistical differences in serum sVCAM-1 level among MM patients with different sex, body mass index, blood calcium, serum albumin, hemoglobin, lactate dehydrogenase and diagnostic type ( P>0.05). The serum level of sVCAM-1 in MM patients DS stage Ⅰ, Ⅱ and Ⅲ were (649.29 ± 101.02), (694.36 ± 109.88) and (729.66 ± 120.44) μg/L, there was statistical difference ( F = 5.12, P<0.01). The serum level of sVCAM-1 in MM patients with ISS stage Ⅰ, Ⅱ and Ⅲ were (648.73 ± 99.77), (701.05 ± 107.83) and (765.82 ± 111.07) μg/L, there was statistical difference ( F = 11.46, P<0.01). After treatment, the serum level of sVCAM-1 in MM patients with complete remission, partial remission and relapse were (234.05 ± 90.73), (445.36 ± 97.11) and (793.05 ± 121.03) μg/L, there was statistical difference ( F = 245.15, P<0.01). The results of receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis showed that when the cut-off value of serum sVCAM-1 level was 58.50 μg/L, the area under the curve (AUC) was 0.762 (95% CI 0.699 - 0.825, P<0.01), the sensitivity was 80.95%, the specificity was 67.50%, and the accuracy was 74.39%. Conclusions:The level of serum sVCAM-1 in MM patients is significantly increased, and the higher the level of SVCAM-1, the worse the prognosis of patients, which can be used as one of the indicator to predict the therapeutic effect of MM patients.

Objective:To compare clinicopathological features between differentiated and undifferentiated early gastric cancer (EGC) following successful Helicobacter pylori eradication and identify risk factors for undifferentiated EGC. Methods:A retrospective case-control study was performed on data of patients who were found to have EGC and underwent endoscopic submucosal dissection one year after successful Helicobacter pylori eradication from January 2018 to May 2022 in Beijing Friendship Hospital. The patients were divided into differentiated EGC group and undifferentiated EGC group and all clinicopathological data were analyzed. Univariate and multivariate logistic analysis were performed to identify the risk factors for undifferentiated EGC. Results:A total of 152 patients were included, among whom 143 had differentiated EGC and 9 had undifferentiated EGC. There was no difference between differentiated and undifferentiated EGC in age, gender, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, hyperlipemia, smoking or family history of gastric cancer ( P>0.05). Flat/depressed-type lesions predominated in undifferentiated EGC [88.9% (8/9)] versus elevated-type in differentiated EGC [56.6% (81/143), P=0.005]. Submucosal invasion [33.3% (3/9) VS 4.2% (6/143), P=0.010] and metachronous gastric cancer [33.3% (3/9) VS 1.4% (2/143), P<0.001] were more common in the undifferentiated group. Multivariate logistic analysis identified female gender ( P=0.028, OR=14.24, 95% CI:1.34-151.28) and flat-type ( P=0.026, OR=48.96, 95% CI: 1.60-1 495.39) as independent risk factors for undifferentiated EGC. Conclusion:Undifferentiated EGC after Helicobacter pylori eradication demonstrates higher rates of flat/depressed morphology, submucosal invasion, and metachronous lesions. Female gender and flat-type lesions are independent risk factors for undifferentiated histology.